Education Commons^™

Parent-Teacher Relationships In Cyber Charter Schools: 
Investigating The Quality Of The Parent-Teacher Relationship And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Theresa Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

K-12 online and blended learning initiatives have experienced unprecedented growth in the past decade and are fast becoming a mainstream option for today’s generation of learners. In 2016, over five million students were enrolled in K-12 full-time state virtual schools and all 50 states and the District of Columbia offered some form of online learning for K-12 students with even greater growth projections by 2020. While K-12 online learning has grown in popularity and demand, research-based investigations into successful teaching, learning and student support developments are limited.

There is reason to believe that the quality of the parent-teacher relationship in …

An Autoethnography Of Culturally Relevant Leadership As Moral Practice: Lived Experiences Through A Scholar-Practitioner Lens, Charles L. Lowery

The Qualitative Report

In this autoethnography, I am concerned with cultural relevance as an experience of a scholar-practitioner educational leader. I question my own cultural competence as a teacher and school principal. Turning a reflective gaze on my lived experiences as an educator creates a space in which I attempt to make meaning of the phenomenon of culturally relevant practices in the field of education. As an act of pedagogical and personal meaning-making, this autoethnographic work centers on the value of cultural relevance as informed by scholarly practice.

Educational Leadership Newsletter December 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Letter from the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Assessment for Learning and Leading Conference
• Update on the Professional Educator Master's Degree
• Thinking About Internship in 2019-2020?
• Spring 2019 Schedule

Factors Affecting The Professional Autonomy Of Public School Principals In The United States: A Quantitative Study, Steven Ross Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate work domains within the principalship to determine whether principals have greater perceived autonomy in some work domains versus others. In addition, this study identified the usefulness of several demographic factors as predictors for perceived autonomy in both curricular and budgetary decisions. To conduct these analyses, data from the 2015-16 National Center for Educational Statistics was used to complete a repeated measures t-test to compare the work domains the literature suggested principals have the most autonomy in as compared to the domains the literature suggested are areas of shared responsibility with district office. …

Educational Leadership Newsletter November 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Letter from the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Use of Technology, Including Social Media Annual Survey
• Thinking About Internship in 2019-2020?
• Spring 2019 Schedule

Educational Leadership Newsletter October 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Letter from the Chair
• USM opens 2018-2019 with High Energy and Positive News
• SEHD Student Recognition Ceremony
• "The Story Behind the Data" - A Presentation at the Visible Learning Conference, July 2018
• Southern Maine Partnership 2018-2019 Professional Development Schedule
• Congratulations and Welcome to the 3rd P.hD. in Public Policy and Educational Leadership Cohort
• Spring 2019 Schedule

Educational Leadership Newsletter September 2017, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• From the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Events 2017-2018
• Spring 2018 Schedule

Cultivating Contextual Attributes In The Integration Of Latin@ Educational Leadership, Yuleinys A. Castillo, Suzanne Maniss

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Although the Latino population is growing rapidly in the United States, there is a disproportionate paucity of literature on the perspectives and challenges of Latino/a educational leaders. Culturally aware educational leadership can help to improve retention and student engagement of Latino students. The purpose of this article is to explore the factors influencing the educational experience and perspective of Latino/a students and leaders to expand the understanding of Latinos within the education system. Identifying role models, creating network and professional development opportunities, as well as offering training programs are practices to enhance the training and expertise of Latino educational leaders. …

The Private School Advantage: Evidence From School Vouchers And Educational Leadership, Mohammad Danish Shakeel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School choice is becoming increasingly popular around the globe. Broadly the term ‘school choice’ is used to describe the options available for families to send children to school(s) other than the one they are residentially assigned to. Private school choice interventions known as ‘school vouchers,’ offer public or private funding to enable families to send their children to private school.

Research in 1970s and 80s by James Coleman and his colleagues showed a private school advantage in student achievement and graduation rates, in comparison to traditional public schools. Competing evidence was presented by Christopher Lubienski and Sarah Lubienski in 2013, …

The Association Of Principal Leadership Styles With Student Achievement In Traditional New Jersey Public Schools, Thomas J. Gallahue Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As the achievement gap widens, it is even more critical than ever to examine factors that may influence the closing of that chasm. Principal leadership is one such component that needs further study.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine which leadership styles principals employ in traditional public schools in the State of New Jersey, and to determine whether principal leadership styles are associated with student achievement.

Furthermore, and more specifically, this study examined the principal leadership styles utilized in the highest academic achieving schools and the least academically successful schools. Additionally, this study also analyzed the principal …

Understanding Emotion In Educational And Service Organizations Through Semi-Structured Interviews: Some Conceptual And Practical Insights, Izhar Oplatka 9512056

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this paper is to illuminate the challenges, complexities, and strategies of semi-structured interviewing in studies about emotion in educational organizations, in general, and about teacher emotion and emotion in educational leadership, in particular, and, thereby, enable interviewers to make thoughtful decisions concerning planning and implementing future interviews on this sensitive issue. After a short review of the literature on semi-structured interviews, I analyze the distinctive characteristics of the planning phase (e.g., sample, sampling, location) and the implementation phase (e.g., the opening stage, rapport, hazards) in interviewing teachers and educational leaders about their emotion management, emotion regulation and …

Public Relations And The School Superintendent: From Theory To Practice, Terry L. Hapney Jr.

Terry L. Hapney Jr., Ph.D.

The Relationship Between Principal Leadership Behavior And Student Achievement In Low Performing Schools, Janice E. Garland

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the relationship between principal instructional leadership behaviors and student achievement in the context of low-performing Title I-eligible schools. The intent was to identify specific leadership behaviors that evidenced a relationship to improved student academic achievement in Virginia’s identified priority schools. Results of teacher surveys regarding principal tenure and experience and school size and level were analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics and simple regression models.

While results revealed no significant correlation between principal leadership behaviors and student achievement in English/Reading, a significant positive relationship was found between principal leadership behaviors and mathematics. The strongest relationship between …

Inclusive Education In Practice: District-Level Special Education Administrators' Leadership, Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson

Dissertations - ALL

Considering six million children ages six through 21 receive special education services in the United States (Department of Education, 2017), it is critical to examine the leadership it takes to provide equitable education to students with disabilities. This study employs a qualitative research methodology utilizing in-depth interviewing to understand the leadership experiences of seven district-level special education administrators who are committed to enacting inclusive educational practices using the following three paradigms or ideological approaches: phenomenological perspective, social construction perspective, and transformative inquiry. The following research questions guide this dissertation: 1) How do district-level special education leaders articulate their conceptualization of …

Complexity Science, Generative Leadership, And Neuroscience: Foundations For Developing Socially Adept Educational Leaders, Brice Scott

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This paper is a thematic analysis of four books that emphasize the coalescence of complexity science, neuroscience, and generative leadership in education. The three concepts are defined and discussed in regard to the influence on practical challenges of educational leadership. Specifically, this paper advocates for the ideal benefits of understanding complexity science in society; as it may be directly applied to education to produce leaders who are open and aware to adapting to frequent change. Generative leadership extends upon this concept as it expresses the significance of complex social interactions amongst individuals of an organization in efforts to maintain creative …

The Unsung Heroes And Silent Partners Of The Educational World, Gillian Schneider

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify and describe what paraeducators perceive as factors that lead to effective and sustainable engagement in special education special day classes, and identify what strategies are effective for encouraging discretionary effort as perceived by paraeducators.

Methodology: The participants in the study were 69 paraeducators employed by a Southern California County Office of Education. Participants partook in two research instruments: (a) a 37-question survey and (b) a semi-structured interview.

Findings: Data based on the mixed method analysis revealed that paraeducators are highly committed employees who want to know that they are …

Educational Leadership Newsletter April 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Musings from the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Race and Difference Dine and Discuss Symposium
• Casco Bay Math Circles
• Congratulations to the SMP Members Who Received National Board Certification
• Leadership Symposium
• Assessment Literacy Conference 2018
• What Your Office Tells Others About You
• Summer 2018 Schedule

Educational Leadership Newsletter February 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Musings from the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Spotlight on Publications: The Gallery Walk
• Assessment Literacy Conference 2018
• Summer 2018 Schedule

Catching The Sotl Bug: An Interview With Librarian Lauren Hays, Lauren Hays, Kelly R. Hangauer

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Innovative Pedagogy

This interview with academic librarian, Lauren Hays, offers insight into the relationship between librarians and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). In this interview, Ms. Hays discusses her doctoral work regarding academic instruction librarians’ involvement with SoTL and how it affects their teacher identities and instructional strategies. While sharing her own research on the topic, Ms. Hays also offers background information regarding SoTL, including such influential educators as Pat Hutchings and Ernest Boyer. Ms. Hays proposes SoTL as an ideal way for librarians to learn about teaching in higher education, and recommends SoTL as an avenue for librarians to …

Self-Efficacy Of Novice And Experienced Special Education Teachers Of English Learners, Deborah Escalante Montoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special education teachers in California acquire advanced degrees, credentials, and authorizations to serve students with disabilities who are English language learners (SWD-ELLs), yet continue to be challenged to meet the complex instructional needs of these students. Performance on statewide tests of achievement show continued disparities between the academic achievement of SWD, ELLs, and their non-disabled English-only speaking peers. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was the theoretical foundation for this research study given that teachers' perceptions of their abilities across the span of their careers can directly affect the achievement of their students. To compare and examine the self-reported sense of self-efficacy …

Student Perceptions Of Environmental Quality While Attending Accelerated Medical Technology College Courses, Ralph L. Westbrook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regional weather patterns in the southwestern United States frequently test the engineering involved in indoor air handling equipment in college facilities. Although an adequate indoor thermal environment has been found to affect student learning, little is known about students' perceptions of classroom heating and ventilation and impacts on learning. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how students in accelerated medical technology courses perceived the environmental quality in their classrooms and discern whether these conditions affected overall gains in knowledge, persistence, and retention in their learning. Fourteen participants from 2 local community colleges were interviewed using purposeful sampling. …

Lessons Learned From A Training-Of-Trainers Model In Africa, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The international community has pledged to provide a quality education for all by 2030. School leaders play a key role in improving student learning outcomes yet oftentimes educational leaders do not have opportunities to attend professional development events. The purpose of this study was to examine a Training of Trainers Model (TOT) used to build the capacity of school leaders in five countries in Africa. This qualitative research study used a longitudinal design. Findings revealed that there were both strengths and weaknesses to the TOT model. The authors discuss the significance of these findings for policymakers and practitioners worldwide.

Follower Commitment: The Impact Of Authentic Leadership's Positivity And Justice On Presenteeism, Caroline Antonia Drakeley

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Leadership behaviors are associated with organizational commitment for a unique niche of individuals - those who produce less work while in the workplace due to health-related problems, such as anxiety, stress, or depression. New research shows followers' perceptions of leaders' positive support and organizational justice (procedural and distributive) are significantly positively associated with followers' perceived organizational commitment. This quantitative correlational study explored the relationship between followers' perceptions of leadership support, leadership procedural justice, and leadership distributive justice, as well as their own perceptions of their emotional stability, and organizational commitment using the authentic leadership framework. Further research using multiple linear …

Consequences Of Postsecondary Education Institution Policies And Practices: A Structural Model Of Tuition Costs, Student Financial Aid, Selectivity, Proximity, And Enrolled Undergraduate Students' Aggregate Capital, Aaron Michael Skira

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

For decades, U.S. higher education enrollments have been stratified with students from wealthier households consistently attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than low-income students. The disparity in postsecondary participation rates by family income is a systemic issue (M. J. Bailey & Dynarski, 2011), meaning the phenomenon is the result of a combination of factors within society rather than one factor alone. Guided by a critical theory perspective and the assumptions behind Perna’s (2006) proposed conceptual model for student college choice research, the current study sought to examine the extent to which policies and practices at the postsecondary institution level may …