Education Commons^™

Facilities Beyond Physical Spaces: A Case For The Intentional Design And Use Of Learning Space, Yanira Oliveras

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2022, the state department released new standards and a competency-based education curriculum. Simultaneously, the Toledo Creek School District has experienced an unprecedent shift in the student population demographics. The shift has resulted in two distinct zones, east and west, with income averages on the two extremes of the income spectrum. Given the shift in both the curriculum and demographics, the superintendent in consultation with stakeholders decided to implement project-based learning (PBL) as the district’s instructional model. PBL has a significant research-based supporting implement for authentic learning as intended by the new standards and better supporting deeper learning among all …

Reinventing Identity In Transition From Principal To Professor: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Forrest J. Kaiser, Jennifer Bailey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

School leadership is a fast-paced job where stakeholder feedback is frequent, and decision-making requires quick thinking and strong organization. When school leaders transition from practitioner to scholar, they face a dramatic change in pace and responsibility. Unlike their peers who come from academia, practitioner-scholars experience a unique context and career shift that requires navigating unfamiliar organizational structures and translating existing skills into new contexts. This collaborative autoethnography explores the lived experiences of two junior faculty who recently transitioned from the campus principalship to the tenure track professoriate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a process of individual writing, group reflection, and …

Listening To High School Students: Purposefully Designed Spaces And The Impact On Students’ Engagement In Learning, Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz, Dalane E. Bouillion, Lizzy Asbury

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scholars have generally accepted the notion that context and students’ response to the environment influence their engagement in learning. Hence, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the impact purposefully designed learning spaces have on student engagement in a career-inspired high school. Focus groups were conducted before and after the move to a new high school. Through the group interviews, students engaged in discourse about the impact purposefully designed learning spaces have on their engagement in learning. The findings indicate that the students recognized the instructional importance and the impact of their new spaces. The student voices provide educators and …

Educational Leadership In A Mayan Village In Southern Belize: Challenges Faced By A Mayan Woman Principal, Yanira Oliveras, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Mayan woman principal taking a position in a historically paternalistic village in Southern Belize faces inevitable challenges due to the cultural structure of the village. In this case, the challenges go beyond cultural norms. Mrs. Po, a Mopan woman leading a school in a Kekchi village, faces challenges related to her role as a teaching principal in a multigrade school, her lack of leadership preparation, the remoteness of the village, and the language barrier, among others. The reader is encouraged to ponder the myriad of issues that impact the principal’s efforts to improve the education system while working in …

The Impact Of Learning Environments On Student Engagement, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Architects design schools every day, but the impact that their designs have on student learning is at times unknown to those that design the schools. Educational research has shown that a positive school culture impacts student achievement; among the factors that impact the school culture is having a safe school (K12 Insight, 2017). Pride, student behavior, and overall safety each impact a school’s culture. A sense of pride and overall school safety can be influenced by the conditions of the building where children go to school.

The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the impact architectural design had on …

School Administrators As Instructional Coaches: Teachers’ Trust And Perceptions Of Administrators’ Capacity, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz examines the role of school administrators as instructional coaches. In this quantitative study, which is part of larger study, she analyzed the perceptions of 198 teachers about their administrators’ capacity to be instructional coaches as well as the level of trust teachers have on their administrators to serve as evaluators and instructional coaches.

Preparing Administrators To Lead 21st Century Learning, Jennifer S. Jones, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Leading 21^st century learning in schools looks radically different than it did 25 years ago. The rapidly changing demographics of culturally, ethnically, linguistically, racially and economically diverse students brings a complicated mix of challenges for administrators who must respond to the varied interests and needs of the school community. It is essential for school districts and principal preparation programs to collaborate in the development of the 21^st century school leaders through authentic, relevant internship opportunities. By collaborating with higher education, school districts can do their part in the development of school administrators with the instructional expertise and the …

Building Bridges: Opportunities Abound For P-20 Collaborations, Jennifer S. Jones, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

PK-12 leaders value opportunities to collaborate with outside entities to improve student achievement and career-readiness. With increasing federal and state student-performance expectations for more than 1.4 million students enrolled in Texas public schools, collaborating with a public or private university, a community college, or a technical or health institute can provide important mutual benefits.

Principal Perceptions Of Strategies To Increase Effectiveness Of Educational Non-Governmental Organizations In Southern Belize., Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborations among schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are common in developing countries. These partnerships have the potential to provide effective support for educational initiatives. This study used survey methodology to determine characteristics of NGOs that increased effectiveness as determined by experienced principals (n=15) within a region of Belize. The survey used open-ended questions, and these responses were disaggregated in order to determine themes. These principals wrote that effective NGOs built strong relationships with the schools, aligned efforts with the school’s mission, and assisted with providing resources.

The Impact Of High Stakes Testing On School Leadership, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz describes principals' view of changing classroom environments because of the state of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests. Further, she shares instructional leadership viewpoints of campus principals and proponents and opponents of high-stakes testing. This mixed method study surveyed and interviewed principals from four large school districts in Texas to understand their perceptions of changes in their leadership practices working under accountability practices.

Teacher Effectiveness And Student Achievement On Staar: Implications For School Leaders, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz conducted a correlational study to examine the relationship between teacher effectiveness and student achievement in a north Texas school district. Results show that the issues school administrators face are much deeper than instructional practices and test preparation. Implications for practice are discussed.

Considering An Overhaul To The New Principal Preparation Program, Vance Vaughn, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Vance Vaughn and Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz provide suggestions for university faculty and administration preparing principals in their article, Considering an Overhaul to the New Principal Preparation Program. They recommended the importance of understanding accountability and reconstitution in the new age of accountability. In their case study research they examined three school districts over a five year span. From this research, they determined that universities need to include training on walkthroughs and appraisal systems, the correct use of data, and an understanding of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Walk-Throughs For Effective Schools: Using The Informal Observation Instrument, Ross Sherman, Wesley Hickey, C. Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

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Developing A Collaborative Culture In Online Learning, Peggy B. Gill, Ross B. Sherman, Genie B. Linn

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaboration is identified as an essential skill for educational leaders in K-12 institutions. As programs for principal preparation move to the online environment, it is essential to develop ways to encourage and facilitate collaboration and cooperation. We will discuss several ways to incorporate collaborative processes in online learning as leaders seek meaningful feedback from peers, problem solve in case study discussions and work through decision making as a collaborative activity.

International Partnerships: A Model For Educational Organizations, Wesley Hickey, Janice A. Achtem, Joyce Nuner

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Opportunities exist for faculty and students within educational leadership preparation programs to participate in international initiatives within developing countries. One way to do this is through collaboration with organizations that already have an established presence in the country. Working within these organizations provides opportunities for learning and research for the educational leadership program. If done well, such work also helps host organizations meet their mission and goals. An understanding of effective behaviors in international partnerships may benefit educational leadership programs that develop these types of service opportunities. The behaviors mirror the scholar-practitioner philosophy, of which some prominent educational leadership programs …

Personality, Preferred Leadership Style And Principal Preparation, Peggy B. Gill, Genie B. Linn, Ross Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study identifies the preferred leadership styles of students enrolled in principal preparation programs and compares the styles identified by traditional public school teachers and charter school teachers who seek principal certification. Participative leadership and Goal Oriented leadership were identified as the predominant styles. Seventy-five per cent of teachers of traditional public schools identified one of these styles and 81% of teachers from charter schools identified one of these styles indicating both groups have similar preferred styles. Surprisingly, few of the participants in either group of the study were aligned with Visionary Leadership or Change Leadership. Although people have a …

Higher Education Opportunities For Undocumented Students In The United States: What Are The Policy Implications For Educators And Legislators, Hugo Ibarra, Ross Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

A large number of undocumented students graduate from high school every year in the United States. This number is estimated to be around 65 thousand (Passel, 2003). Out of this population, only 5-10 percent continue their education in a higher education institution. As a society we should ask ourselves: What are the political, economic and moral implications of undocumented students inability to access higher education. How should educators and legislators approach this issue?

Educational Computer Use In The Schools Of Southern Belize, Wesley Hickey, Peggy Gill, Joyce Nuner, Rowan Ljungdahl

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Developing countries are defined by their lack of wealth (The World Bank, 2011). This means that many of the educational innovations that developed countries take for granted, such as computer availability, may naot be as accessible for educational use in developing countries. This use of technology has become an important educational tool in most nations, as increasing comfort with and knowledge of its use plays an important role in the academic development of students. In the United States, greater access to technology based instruction has increased along with more access to computer-based technology (Russell, Damian, O’Dwyer, & O’Conner, 2003). Although …

None Of Us Are As Smart As All Of Us: Site Based Decision Making, Peggy B. Gill, Ross B. Sherman, Timothy B. Jones

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, the educational system in the United States has been evolving from a largely centralized decision-making structure to a more decentralized one. This shift to school-based management requires fundamental changes to the organizational structure of the district as well as the roles within the organization. From administrators to parents, school based management demands a change in the "status quo" (Cotton, 1991). It involves shifting decision making from the central office administrators to that of local schools (Henkin, Cistone and Dee, 1999).

The Impact Of Initial Field Experience On Preservice Teachers’ Attitude Toward Inclusion., Peggy Gill, Ross Sherman, Cynthia Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the United States, up to 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). This unacceptable level of sustainability of the profession is of concern to both teacher preparation institutions and the local education agencies. This paper looks at one factor that may impact the sustainability of current teacher preparation models: attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom. Participants in the study were currently enrolled in 3 different phases of a teacher preparation programmes at a regional university in the United States. A survey was administered at the beginning and …

Book Review: Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion And The Battle For America’S Soul By Edward Humes, Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Monkey Girl reviews the intelligent design movement by reporting on the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial in which Judge John Jones ruled on both the religiosity and scientific merits of an adopted school policy promoting this hypothesis.

Preparation Issues In Educational Leadership, Wesley Hickey, Peggy Gill

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Educational leaders have chosen to belong to one of the most important and influential professions. Not only do educators have an important impact on others, but there is a need to have a practical understanding of instruction, curriculum, and psychology. Leaders in all disciplines often relate to previous educational relationships in discussions about important moments in their lives. These relationships matter, and they provide foundational experiences for each of us.

Separation Of Church And State: Fact Or Fiction?, Wesley Hickey, Peggy Gill, Rebecca Ratliff Fredrickson

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Court cases over the past several decades have been consistent in following the constitutional mandates separating religious issues and public education, thus eroding government sponsored activities associated with faith (Irons, 2007). This has created concern in some segments of society that values religious beliefs, and there are political groups that believe public school decline is due in part to a lack of religious instruction (Bergel, 1988). But how separate is church and state in our public schools? Are the legal precedents followed? The purpose of this paper is to look at the public schools' requirements in separating issues of church …

Demographic Trends In Texas Bond Elections, Wesley Hickey, Genie Bingham Linn, Vance Vaughn

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ability to hold a successful bond election is a vital part of the superintendency in Texas (Bordelon, 2005). Aging facilities, increasing student enrollments, and technological needs exacerbate the need to gain community support for capital improvement projects.

Effective School Research: Teachers' And Administrators Perceptions Of Its Existence On Campus, Vance Vaughn, Peggy B. Gill, Ross Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Effective school research focuses school improvement on the variables that are within the control of educators and have the greatest potential to impact student achievement: 1) instructional leadership, 2) instructional personnel, 3) instructional environment, and 4) instructional programming. In an era of high accountability with many initiatives being proposed for school reform, effective school research continues to provide valuable research-based information to the school principal, superintendent and larger educational community. By examining the school in relation to this research-based information, educational leaders are informed about factors that promote student achievement. This study surveyed teachers and administrators on eight middle school …

Controlling Hispanic Dropouts: A Leader’S Responsibility, Edgar Rodriquez, Vance Vaughn, Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Hispanic population is increasing in the United States and especially in Texas. As the population grows, so does the number of students enrolled in our public schools, and Hispanic students are already the majority in some states. Thus, one would expect a high increase of Hispanic graduates, but this is not the case. Surprisingly, Hispanic students are dropping out of school at an alarming rate. Why are these students dropping out of school? What can educational leaders do to prevent this phenomenon? Qualitative research methods were used to analyze the reasons 21 Hispanic students dropped out of school in …

Soup Du Jour And So Much More: A Model For School Leader Preparation, Ross B. Sherman, Peggy B. Gill, Cynthia A. Sherman

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Where to go in principal preparation programs is the question that has surfaced and resurfaced for over 20 years. This question paired with the current political climate that demands strong educational accountability has created a powerful impetus to change, modify, or redesign principal preparation programs.

Superintendent Emotional Intelligence As A Factor In Bond Election Outcomes, Wesley Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study is to analyze superintendent emotional intelligence as a factor associated with bond election outcomes.

Improved Professional Development Through Teacher Leadership, Wesley Hickey, Sandra Harris

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research suggests the need to provide leadership opportunities for teachers within school settings in order to increase professional collaboration and community. This research explored one rural district’s professional development model, which was evaluated to determine its potential in developing teacher leaders. This district’s professional development model utilized their exemplary teachers to develop other teachers through formal presentations that were traditionally taught by non-district experts. This study utilized a practitioner research methodology to determine effectiveness of using teachers as leaders. Data were collected to determine the impact on the teacher leaders and the effectiveness of the presentations as perceived by the …