Education Commons^™

Enhancing College Students’ Eaccessibility In Higher Education: Transfer Students And Transfer Admissions Counselors' Perspectives, Sevinj Iskandarova, Margaret F. Sloan

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

Abstract

There is a paucity of research on institutional e-accessibility and transfer-credit-software adoption. This paucity poses a challenge in understanding how these technologies impact college students and professionals. Drawing on connectivism theory and Karp and Fletcher's (2014) and Kezar's (2013) three-way approaches (changing-in-advice, institutions, and students' willingness to use technology tools) investigate how technology product adoption affects students' and transfer admission counselors' experiences during the transfer process. This study, conducted at a public institution in the mid-east Atlantic region, utilized a convergent-parallel mixed-methods design to assess students' and professionals' perceptions of transfer credit evaluation products. Results indicate that an e-transfer …

The Elementary Assistant Principal: Exploring Mentorship As A Development Pathway For The Principal Job Role, Adib Shakir, Chinasa Elue, Sheryl J. Croft, Nicholas Clegorne

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical article was to explore the different ways that elementary assistant principals experienced mentoring from their elementary principals as a way to provide the requisite leadership development that would lead them to become a principal. This research study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data source. Ancillary data sources such as demographic surveys, reviewing district leadership secondary source documents, and researcher journal notes aided in the data triangulation and analysis. This study was guided by one main research question: What are the different ways elementary assistant principals experience mentoring from their elementary …

An Examination Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration And Relationships In Higher Education, Jennifer Syno, Juliann S. Mcbrayer, Daniel W. Calhoun, Cordelia Zinskie, Katherine Fallon

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

Collaboration between academic and student affairs professionals is an important means of increasing student success; however, historical divides between these units have made implementation of these efforts challenging. This quantitative study sought to evaluate the perceptions of faculty and student affairs staff towards collaborative efforts and toward one another within a single campus of a comprehensive regional university within the southeast. Findings show that while both faculty and staff value collaborations and believe they positively impact student success, these units do not experience equitable voice and responsibility within collaborative efforts when conducted. Additionally, differences were found in enjoyment of collaborative …

Undergraduate Students’ Perception Of Leadership Development Programs And Leadership Self-Efficacy, Benjamin Phillips, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Brandon Hunt, Antonio P. Gutierrez De Blume, Katherine Fallon

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

Colleges and universities across the United States face continual pressure to meet enrollment and retention goals, as budgets in this performance-based environment continue to become more important. On-campus student involvement, such as in undergraduate leadership development programs, has been shown to have a positive influence on both student retention and success. A survey was utilized to examine leadership self-efficacy and engagement of undergraduate students that participated in campus-based leadership development programs and explore some motivators (contributing factors) and barriers (detracting factors) to involvement in those programs. One emergent theme within contributing factors to participation was alignment with personal goals (74.7%), …

Making Connections To Address Mathematics Anxiety: A Case Study Of The Instructional Triangle And Remedial College Instructors, Njeri M. Pringle, Jamie L. Workman, Meagan C. Arrastia-Chisholm

Georgia Educational Researcher

Mathematics anxiety is a reality for many students as a number of community college and four-year university students feel disconnected from math and struggle to pass mathematics courses. Using a case study and grounded theory approach, six remedial mathematics instructors were interviewed and observed to examine their instructional strategies and practices. During the interviews, participants expounded upon the changes in strategies and practices implemented when aiding students struggling with anxiety. The Instructional Triangle was applied across participants to compare and contrast their experiences. The analysis focused on environmental factors that could increase or exacerbate mathematics anxiety. In particular, a theme …

Evidence-Based Leadership Preparation Program Practices: From The Perceptions Of Georgia Rural School Leaders, Kristen N. Dickens, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Summer Pannell, Katherine Fallon

Georgia Educational Researcher

Phenomenological analysis was used to explore Georgia rural school principals’ lived experiences of effective school leadership preparedness. Four overarching themes were found: productive/favorable leadership preparation program culture, bridge theory and practice in educational leadership preparation program, multicultural competencies for practice, and recommendations for effective principal preparation. The findings revealed that school leaders need increased experiential learning opportunities, increased assignments applicable to daily leader tasks, and increased cultural awareness and diversity training in their preparation programs. Principal preparation programs should work with school districts to provide purposeful, collaborative, and sustainable professional learning to prepare competent school leaders. Further research includes recruiting …

Book Review- The Mind Of The Leader, Rebecca Cofer

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

Book review of The Mind of the Leader .

Hougaard. R. & Carter, J. (2018). The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, And Your Organization for Extraordinary Results. Harvard Business Review Press. 224pp. ISBN 9781633693425. $25.20 suggested retail price.

Making Sense Of Georgia School Leader Evaluation: Climate, Engagement And The District Office, Bipul Singh, Matt Townsley

Georgia Educational Researcher

Assessment of principal effectiveness is a complex process due to the multidimensional nature of their job. Historically, a disproportionate significance has been placed on standardized assessment scores when evaluating school leaders, therefore states are beginning to emphasize other factors such as school climate in order to increase employee retention. This study investigated any correlation between leadership effectiveness, the staff perception of school climate, and employee engagement in a suburban Georgia school district’s 139 schools. An improved understanding of these constructs may assist principals and assistant principals modify their leadership practices to better meet the needs of their teachers. Results suggest …

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports As Collective Work: A (Re)Structuring Option For Middle Schools, Sonja M. Hollingsworth Dr.

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) is the overarching referent for frameworks designed to target behavioral and academic challenges with a focus on a tiered continuum of evidence-based practices within the context of prevention science and implementation research (Freeman, Sugai, Simonsen, & Everett, 2017). Extensive literature indicates that MTSS programs can be effective in helping teachers address academic and behavioral challenges. However, from the onset of the RtI movement and through its transition into the MTSS paradigm, many middle level schools have faced significant organizational and systemic challenges which hamstring their ability to utilize MTSS programming with fidelity. This essay proposes …

Fostering Students' Civic Skills: Education For Sustainable Democracy, Atakan Ata

Georgia Educational Researcher

This qualitative study explored factors that supported teachers in their efforts to promote students’ critiquing, communicating, and collaborating skills. Despite the various challenges that public schools face today, they are most likely the very institutions to play a critical role in individuals’ civic skills development. Individual in-depth interviews were the primary method used to understand the participants’ perspectives on instruction and the factors that foster students’ civic skills. Factors that supported the participants in their efforts to promote civic skills among their students were found to be teacher collaboration, planning, and teacher motivation. Details and the implications of the findings …

From Collaborative To Collegial Communities: Transitioning From Student Affairs Practitioner To Faculty, Michelle Lea Boettcher, Dena Kniess, Mimi Benjamin

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

While student affairs (SA) practitioner expertise can inform a faculty member’s knowledge in the classroom, the transition into a tenure-track faculty role from student affairs administrative roles is complex. One of the differences new faculty members with SA administrator backgrounds experience is a change in the work community and shift from collaborative to collegial cultures. While studies have examined the transition of student affairs professionals from graduate programs to full time student affairs practitioner roles and graduate students into the professoriate, there is limited scholarship on the transitional experiences of student affairs practitioners moving into faculty positions. This qualitative study …

Intentional Leadership For More Just Experiences: Supporting Black Males On College Campuses, John D. Egan

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

This essay explores the unjust experiences of Black males and minority faculty on college campuses that perpetuate inequality in higher education. The literature shows Black male undergraduates experienced both overt racism and more subtle insults on some college campuses, which serve as a barrier to integration into the college system. This essay also connects the underrepresentation of minority faculty as a contributing factor to the climate that inhibits the integration of Black male students into the college system. Through intentional leadership, educators should create or support existing Black male initiative programs on their campuses as this evidence-based practice contributes to …

Stem Certification In Georgia’S Schools: A Causal Comparative Study Using The Georgia Student Growth Model, David E. Proudfoot, Ed.D., Michael Green, Ph.D., Jan W. Otter, Ph.D., David L. Cook, Ed.D.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The increase in demand for college and career ready students has driven the need for education reform to ensure K–12 schools can support student learning across all content areas and grade levels. A STEM Certification process was established by the Georgia Department of Education as part of an effort to reform public school STEM education. Additionally, an international STEM Certification procedure developed by AdvancED has been implemented in several Georgia schools. As a significant component of STEM certification guidelines, problem based learning has been incorporated to stimulate student interest in science, facilitate self-regulation, and increase pedagogical and content knowledge. As …

Transition To Online Assessments: A Personal Perspective Of Meeting Common Core State Standards In An Elementary School In Georgia, August Ogletree, Susan Ogletree, Bridgette Allen

Georgia Educational Researcher

This article provides a brief background on the evolution of the two testing consortia and the perspective of one principal with the transition to online testing in an elementary school.

Educational Leadership Program Effectiveness: Evaluation From Graduates And Their Principals, Judith Patterson, Binbin Jiang, Mary Chandler, Tak Cheung Chan

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational leadership program through the perceptions of its recent graduates and their school principals. Graduates who obtained leadership positions after graduation were surveyed and interviewed regarding their perception of their program preparation. Principals of these graduates were also interviewed by the researchers to solicit their feedback regarding essential program components of an educational leadership program to meet future challenges. Findings of this study highlighted program areas that met the educational demands and identified program areas that needed improvement.

Overcoming Adversity: Resilience Development Strategies For Educational Leaders, Tod Allen Farmer

Georgia Educational Researcher

School leadership has never been easy. However, some experts like Garcia (2005) wrote that current school leaders are facing a variety of difficulties that make sustaining school reform efforts exceedingly difficult. Collectively, these modern day challenges have the capacity to form the perfect storm. School leaders need effective strategies to cope with these difficult circumstances and to continue the thrust toward school reform. Effective coping mechanisms and resiliency development strategies that can be used by educational leaders to overcome adversity include a routine of exercise and healthy diet, a positive life view, a sustained focus on building bridges between stakeholders, …