Education Commons^™

Job Satisfaction Of Professional Staff And Administrators Within The Associated Colleges Of The South : A Study Of Herzberg’S Duality Theory Of Motivation In Higher Education., J. Patrick Noltemeyer 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the ability of four groups of factors to predict the job satisfaction levels of fulltime, exempt, professional staff at four institutions of higher education within the associated Colleges of the South consortium. Based on a similar study of professionals in higher education conducted by Smerek and Peterson (2007), this study used hierarchical multiple regression to determine the amount of variability explained by each group of factors according to the conceptual model. The conceptual model for this study, as well as the study by Smerek and Peterson, was based on the theory of Frederick Herzberg (1959), an industrial …

Implementation Of Effective Instructional Routines, Praise Statements, Response Opportunities, And Error Correction Through Professional Training, Coaching And Observation, Sallie Richardson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Professional development opportunities can range from a single workshop to long term ongoing training. Research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is one of the most important school related factor influencing student achievement. The best professional development for new teachers is ongoing, experiential, and collaborative, while providing an opportunity for practice, reflecting and mentoring for successful development. Most professionals involved in professional development would agree that the goal of staff development is to produce a change in participant’s knowledge, behaviors, understanding, skills, values, and beliefs (Hord, S. & Monk, B. 1997). The purpose of this creative project was to …

The Lived Experiences Of Veteran Elementary Urban School Teachers: Why And How They Stay, Cynthia A. Anthony

Dissertations

Longevity in teaching careers depends on many things, including job satisfaction, the work environment, career stages, and strategies to manage stress and avoid burnout. Teachers who have high levels of job satisfaction are more likely to stay in the profession. Job satisfaction is dependent on the motivators in a job: administrative support, collegiality, recognition, advancement, and growth. The work environment, job demands, career development, empowerment, and bureaucracy, plays an important role in retaining teachers.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine factors that enabled and encouraged a sample of 12 veteran elementary school teachers in a small urban …

Teachers' Making Meaning Of Reduced Class Sizes: A Phenomenology, Brenda Ludy Snow

Dissertations

It is every teacher’s dream to have a classroom full of students who come to class each and every day highly motivated to learn. However, in all reality teachers know that this is not always the case. Researchers continue to search for reasonable alternatives to improve students’ learning. As children enter school a good start is imperative if they are to succeed in school, (Achilles & Finn, 2000). Class size reduction is a strong alternative and should be considered as part of a reasonable plan for student learning.

For this qualitative study, I examined and described the experiences of 12 …

Strategic Planning Tool Development Using Portfolio Decision Analysis, Luis B. Vargas Rojas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A portfolio decision analysis strategic planning tool was developed for the Facilities Management Office at the University of Arkansas. The tool provides information to support budget allocation decisions based on their Strategic Planning Project List, project attributes (e.g, seat utilization, scheduling preferences, and sustainability rank), and budget constraints. The projects are evaluated using multiobjective decision analysis. We introduce dynamic value functions, which vary the range of the value measures based on the planning horizon, to evaluate the projects). We determine facilities portfolios based on the project values and constraints using Linear Programming. In addition, insightful reports are generated, which provide …

Why Teachers Stay: Elementary Teachers Share Perceptions Of The Job Since Legislative Reforms In Wisconsin, Catherine Marie Clarksen

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

WHY TEACHERS STAY: ELEMENTARY TEACHERS SHARE PERCEPTIONS OF THE JOB SINCE LEGISLATIVE REFORMS IN WISCONSIN

by

Catherine M. Clarksen

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Dr. Leigh Wallace and Dr. Latish Reed

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of elementary public school classroom teachers who remain in the teaching profession amidst legislative reforms that impacted their wages, benefits and working conditions. The study involved ten teachers who were perceived by their building principals as having a direct impact on positive student achievement. Additionally, each participant was required to have taught for a …

The Transition To College: An Acculturation Comparison Of Domestic And International Students, Kim Omachinski

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic and international students face challenges when transitioning to college. Researchers believe first-year intervention programs and orientation are important in successful transition to the university environment. Student involvement from the beginning of the first semester helps create a connection to college and a sense of belonging. Domestic and international students traverse homesickness, financial issues, lack of social support, changes in routine, and academic issues while navigating life away from home. Additionally, students experience a turning point that can often create a change in educational trajectory that results in continuing in college, transferring out, dropping out, or seeking help. The turning …

A Policy Advocacy Dissertation To Increase Transparency And Accountability Through Social Return On Investment Analysis, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

The connection between the funding of public schools and student achievement is complex. Facing dwindling revenue streams, schools and the communities they serve must begin to assess how effectively and efficiently school systems are utilizing federal, state, and local taxpayer resources. As seen in the previous program evaluation and change leadership projects, the Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology provides a framework that yields a statistically reliable vehicle for doing so that garners trust through transparency. Toward this end, this document advocates for school districts and their boards of education to incorporate the SROI analysis as an essential element of …

Tatweer School Principals' Perceptions Of New Authorities Grantedin The Lnitial Steps Of Decentralization, Salah Salih Meemar

Dissertations

In 2011, the Saudi Ministry of Education (MOE) conferred 21 new authorities in addition to the previous 31 to their school principals. A main goal in conferring these authorities was to facilitate decentralization of Saudi school districts. To further facilitate decentralization, 900 schools were selected as Tatweer schools. Tatweer, also known as the King Abdullah Public Education Development Project, is a pilot program designed to match Saudi standards of education to that of other nations. To date, few studies have explored principals’ perceptions of the new authorities. A review of literature revealed just three studies on the topic (see Allheani, …

Formation Of Successful Partnerships Between Rural Community College Workforce Development Offices And Businesses: Motivation, Social Capitaland Communication, Ryan Nausieda

Dissertations

The financial resources in rural areas are not plentiful, which has impacted the workforce development offices’ ability to provide training on their own. These workforce development offices rely on partnerships to provide training to the community. There are multiple motivations that align between workforce development office and community organizations. The social capital in a partnership is utilized in these rural areas to accomplish mutual goals between multiple organizations that one could not complete on alone. Social capital in a partnership includes trust, centrality, information, and density. Communication helps to support the motivation, social capital and hence the sustainability of a …

A Balanced Approach: Advocating For Middle School Improvement That Levels The Playing Field, Derrik Craun

Dissertations

With a large disparity in the rate of suspension incidents received between African American and White students, it is evident why there still exists a gap in academic achievement. Too often we rely heavily on out of school suspensions as a consequence for student misbehavior. This approach leads to students falling behind academically and feeling less connected to their learning environment. My study takes a close look into establishing district policy to help each middle school offer a balanced approach to addressing student discipline in order to improve behavior and increase the amount of instructional time that African American middle …

Closing The Achievement Gap In Elementary Schools: A Policy Advocacy Dissertation, Nicole Villaverde

Dissertations

My paper details a policy recommendation for elementary schools in a large school district in Florida. Its aim is to provide equal educational opportunities and equity for all students. I developed it in part based on an educational, economic, social, political, and moral-ethical analysis. My policy's purpose is to enhance the educational experience for all children, maximize time-on-task (TOT) on all subjects, and close the achievement gap. It discourages the use of the pull-out program for remediation in reading and/ or other areas. My new policy, combining the collaborative specialization model, which I developed, with a push-in program, will provide …

Applying Social Return On Investment Analysis To A Large Central Florida County Public School District, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

All social organizations are faced with basic questions pertaining to the value they add to their community and how effectively and efficiently they do so. These questions are increasingly being directed to public schools and school districts as well relative to the various programming they offer and the results they achieve. By completing all aspects of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis with fidelity, I have established a statistically reliable baseline SROI ratio based on a comparison of inputs (revenues) to outputs (outcomes). This baseline ratio serves as the foundation for subsequent change initiatives that will lead to district-wide …

A Proposed Change Leadership Plan For Bimmer Elementary School, Nicole Villaverde

Dissertations

My paper details a Change Leadership Plan (CLP) for a school with the fictious name of Bimmer Elementary School (BME). My study's purpose is to enhance student learning by collaborating with staff to explore ways to maximize time-on-task (TOT) for all subjects. Currently BME has a reading achievement problem and is using pull-out programs for 4th and 5th grade students that take needed instructional time from core academic programs. I used Wagner's As-Is and To-Be charts (see Appendix A) for BME to identify and present the current status and future desired state of the school's culture, context, conditions, and competencies. …

Teacher And Evaluator Perspectives On The Teacher Evaluation Process For Teachers Of English Language Learners: A Change Leadership Plan, Nancy Martinez

Dissertations

This paper examines the need to add indicators to the current teacher evaluation system that are specific to English Language Learners (ELLs). Florida teacher evaluation protocols do not specify ELL-specific instructional strategies. This study explores perceptions of ELL teachers and school administrators on the fairness of current evaluative practices for ELL teachers. I considered research that supported the need for differentiated instruction for ELLs. I used the diagnostic framework by Wagner et al. (2006) to identify “arenas” of change: culture, context, conditions, and competencies. I used these arenas to present the existing situation in a school district. I then presented …

Utilization-Focused Evaluation Of A School District Leadership Pipeline, Whitnee Shaffer

Dissertations

The Future Leaders Academy is a program for aspiring leaders that is directed by the Hillsborough County Public Schools Leadership Development Department. The research in this paper demonstrates the views of the cadre members that have completed the program. The research provides data and information as to their responses to the effectiveness of the program and whether it was beneficial to be a part of this leadership program. The following details the rationale for the research and the results of the surveys from the cadre members.

Impact Of Collaborative Specialization On 5th Grade Student Achievement In A Title I School: Program Evaluation Proposal, Nicole Villaverde

Dissertations

This paper details a complete program evaluation of an elementary school's transition from having mainstream classes to a collaborative specialization model of instruction. My study examines how this model of instruction impacts students' achievement levels and student behavior in a title 1 school. I created the model and in the process of doing my study was required to change it into a model I then defined as Collaborative Specialization. I concluded from my research that this model of instruction was indeed a success because it increased the number of students making learning gains and decreased disciplinary problems.

Systemic Transformation For College And Career Readiness And Enhanced Social Return On Investment, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

The transition in motion in the nation and in Florida has the potential to have a short-term adverse impact on high school graduation rates. The transition to more rigorous Florida Standards and their accompanying assessments are expected to promote improved college and career readiness and graduation rates for students in the long term. The disruptive consequences of the transition presents a scenario of short term losses sparking a sense of urgency among educators, parents, students, and the community at-large. This sense of urgency serves as the catalyst for the transformational change initiatives outlined in this document. This Change Leadership Project …

Narrowing The Gap: Exploring The Characteristics And Practices Of Urban School Principals Closing The Achievement Gap, Gordon D. Amerson Jr

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to critically analyze the experiences and practices of Inland Empire urban school principals as they work to close the African American achievement gap. The achievement gap begins in elementary school and continues to persist throughout elementary and secondary schools producing differences in high school graduation rates, college and career attainment, and ultimately socio-economic differences in income between various racial and ethnic groups.

We know the impact of school principals on student achievement is significant. The literature demonstrates that school principals play a key role in developing the structures and systems necessary to improve …

The Development Of Critical Thinking Skills In Undergraduate Students, Karla J. Saeger

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This quantitative study investigated whether alternative instructional approaches to develop critical thinking, exemplified by different general education requirements in two different Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) institutions, impacted the development of critical thinking skills among undergraduate students. This study is framed by Ennis’s classification of general, infused, immersed, and mixed instructional approaches.

St. Cloud State University and Winona State University, two MnSCU institutions, share a collective definition of critical thinking and a common goal of developing critical thinking in undergraduate students. St. Cloud State University and Winona State University do, however, differ in approaches to fulfilling the goal area …

At The Core Of School Reform: A Culture Of Commitment, Collaboration, And Collective Leadership, Lari Ann Nelson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Public education in America today is a product of more than a century of reform. Innovators of each era have attempted to transform the education system to match their ideals and beliefs. Educational reform efforts to improve learning for all students have been an issue of debate since the founding of America – seeking for equality and quality of education. The most recent educational initiative an emphasis on accountability via high-stakes tests, many schools are now branded as “failing” and requiring program improvement. As such, leaders search for reform models that will save their school from further sanctions.

Of the …

The Effect Of A Summer Oral Language And Literacy Intervention On The Literacy Acquisition Of At-Risk First Grade Emergent Readers, Mary Beth Stevens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The persistent achievement gap between children from low-socioeconomic and mid- to upper-socioeconomic homes is evident in both national and statewide literacy assessments. Although the summer months away from school are part of the problem, they also hold the potential for an effective solution. Interventions that accelerate literacy development during summer vacation, particularly for children of low-socioeconomic status, have the potential to shift the educational trajectory of our most at-risk students. We investigated the effect of a four-week summer oral language and literacy intervention on the literacy development of rising first grade students from at-risk elementary schools in Jefferson County Public …

The Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework And Transformational Leadership Alignment: An Investigation, Martin J. Mcevoy Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Regulations (CMR 35.00) articulates goals that include growth and improved performance by teachers. Despite this stated goal, however, it is unclear if the policy is consistent with transformational leadership, which has shown correlation with growth and performance. In fact, the policy may instead bring about unintended consequences associated by some with evaluations in general, such as promoting “inspectional and fault finding supervision . . . [that] has serious consequences for the improvement of teaching and student achievement” (Glanz, 2005, p. 3). Through a discursive analysis of the Educator Evaluation Regulations (CMR 35.00) and semi-structured interviews …

The Teacher Pay For Performance Phenomenon, Deborah Viscardi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the link between teacher motivation and performance-based compensation. This topic has been a controversial issue over the last decade across the country. There is a critical need for more research on teacher pay-for- performance systems, especially as it relates to motivation, student achievement, and the profession of teaching. Qualitative in design, the intent of this research study was to make meaning of teachers’ perceptions about the influence of performance-based compensation on the profession and practice of teaching. This study extends the current understanding and adds to the discussion of compensation policy …

The Inclusion Of Cognitive Complexity: A Content Analysis Of New Jersey's Current And Past Intended Curriculum, Dario Sforza

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Policy makers and educators have stated that the internationally benchmarked standards will place greater emphasis on 21^st century skills including creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, presentation and demonstration, problem solving, research and inquiry, and career readiness. Many educators believe that if schools are “injected” with creativity, students will have a better chance at a prosperous and productive future. Are the current reform movements thwarting the opportunity for students to “find their own niche” and perhaps turning “them into disciples of ‘intellectual clones’ who will do ‘our thing’ rather their own?” (Sternberg, 2003, p. 335). In response to inquiry, this dissertation …

School Shootings And Principals' Perception Of Armed Personnel In An Education Setting, Richard Reyes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore the dilemma principals have in determining the best approach to provide safe environment for their students and faculty, while at the same time creating an environment that is conducive to education.

The study looked at an urban school district with a marginalized community with low socioeconomic status as identified by the District Factor Group A. Twelve school principals were interviewed to gather information of their perceptions in relation to having armed personnel in their schools.

The literature on school shootings and armed personnel in schools was reviewed. The literature consisted of peer-reviewed …

Contradicting Conventional Wisdom: Women Presidents' Abilities To Forge Purposeful And Instrumental Relationships For Institutional Outcomes, Susan Amy Woollen

Theses and Dissertations

CONTRADICTING CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: WOMEN PRESIDENTS' ABILITIES TO FORGE PURPOSEFUL AND INSTRUMENTAL

RELATIONSHIPS FOR INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES

Susan A. Woollen

268 pages May 2015

There is a perception in the literature that women presidents are weak in the function of instrumental relationship building. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the practices developed and utilized by women presidents of 4-year institutions to identify and build relationships with key constituents whom they recognized as having resources that could lead to institution building and to learn how the presidents secured those resources.

Through an interview format, 12 presidents elaborated on the internal …

Factors That Affect The Outcome Of A General Fund Referendum In Indiana, Andrew Charles Sargent

Open Access Dissertations

School finance elections in Indiana were a relatively rare occurrence prior to a series of new legislation enacted in 2008 that, through the imposition of property tax caps statewide, resulted in sweeping reforms to education funding. These new laws coupled with a national recession resulted in many school districts not having the necessary financial resources to maintain programming and personnel consistent with their needs. With this in mind, many of these districts turned to the General Fund referendum as a mechanism to raise more revenue for their districts through an increase in local property taxes as decided by the voters …

Factors That Contribute To Principal Trust In The Principalteacher Relationship, Eric Melnyczenko

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study sought to use qualitative research methods to answer the overarching question: Why do principals trust teachers? This study was generated from a lack of research noted by Wahlstrom, Leithwood, Louis, and Anderson (2010). I created open-ended questions to interview each participant regarding his/her lived experience with trusting teachers. ^ The qualitative data were collected from six principals of the Illinois Principals Association, two from each of the following three categories: zero to three years of their career principalship; four to six years of their career principalship; or, seven or more years of their career principalship. …

Exploring Literacy And Technology With Middle School English Teachers: Articulating Understandings Of Knowledge And Teaching Practices, Benjamin A. Boche

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate five middle school English teachers' understandings of literacy and technology. In particular, how do they define literacy, view literacy and technology learning and teaching, and how do they use (or not use) technology to enact their views of literacy in their classrooms. This narrative inquiry qualitative study consisted of three open-ended interviews, written literacy narratives, and multiple classroom observations with each participant as well as the collection of various teacher documents, such as lesson plans, presentation notes, rubrics, and student handouts. Narrative methods were used in the data analysis. ^ Findings were …