California Expert Principals’ Identification Of The Best Strategies For The Implementation Of A Transition From A Traditional Grading And Reporting System To A Standards-Based Grading And Reporting System: A Delphi Study, Sean Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this policy Delphi study was to identify the strategies California K-12 expert principals deem necessary for the implementation of a transition from a traditional grading and reporting system to a standards-based grading and reporting system, utilizing a panel of expert principals to rate the importance of the identified strategies and to recommend the best methods of implementing the five most important strategies.

Methodology: The Delphi method was utilized in this study. An expert panel of California K-12 principals was assembled, and three rounds of electronic surveys were administered. The first-round results identified strategies for implementing a …

A Case Study Of Military Transition To Civilian Life, Debbie J. Castaneda

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Service members experience significant challenges reintegrating into the civilian sector following military service. To research causes of the challenges new veterans face, a qualitative case study was conducted in which military veterans were interviewed and participated in a focus group to obtain information about their perceptions of military leadership and the transferability of their skills to the civilian setting. A review of artifacts, such as military basic training and leadership manuals, was conducted to check the consistency with which military veterans perceived their leadership and transition experience to match the military’s stated expectations and training. The conceptual framework for this …

Leading Organizational Change: A Qualitative Examination Of Experiences Of Traditional Public School Principals, Nikeshia Leatherwood

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The Every Student Succeeds Act has set the course for new accountability measures for school and system leaders. How principals lead organizational change might be key to the success their schools experience and the achievement results of their students. This phenomenological study examined the professional experiences, leadership trainings, and strategic initiatives of traditional public school principals who led organizational change efforts that resulted in two academic rating increases within a three-year period. Five principals, representing elementary and high school, were interviewed to collect data on their experiences of leading successful organizational change. Using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological method, rigor was established …

Towards Intercultural Understanding And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Building An Internationally Minded School, Meaghan Higginson

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

As an International Baccalaureate school in a diverse Canadian city, Welton Academy’s (pseudonym) vision is to be a world-class, academic school with a focus on shaping students into globally minded, engaged citizens. The demographics of the school are changing, as the student body is becoming increasingly more ethnically diverse. Currently, one of the school’s strategic missions is focused on international mindedness. Although the school’s vision to promote international mindedness includes global engagement and multilingualism, the area of intercultural understanding is not identified. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores a Problem of Practice (PoP) that highlights the need to develop intercultural …

Building Capacity: A Cycle Of Change For A Non-Profit Clinical Service Organization, Sarah Drexler

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) need clinical behavioural services. A lack of capacity within non-profit agencies results in children and families often waiting for long periods of time to receive services. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to address a Problem of Practice (POP), namely, a lack of capacity within a clinical service agency to provide sufficient behavioural support to the number of children with IDD in its service area. The OIP includes an examination of the organizational context, factors influencing wait times for service, and the organization’s ability to implement change. Multiple solutions to address …

Learning To Succeed: Supporting, Tracking And Engaging Education In The Workplace, John Mbakulo

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) identifies a need to support, track, and engage employees pursuing post-secondary education in a large-sized police service. The organization’s current investment in post-secondary education support is relatively small compared to the costs that learners face, and this figure has not increased in over a decade. Moreover, though education is tracked upon entering the workforce, due to technological changes these records are not easily obtainable, and any additional educational achievements are not recorded once an employee has started working. Expanding this focus on supporting education will reinforce the recognition of the value that additional education brings …

Implementing Authentic Formative Assessment To Improve Student Learning, Ola Elshurafa

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) capstone addresses the Problem of Practice (POP) pertaining to the lack of a robust system of authentic formative assessment at the Department of Business Administration (DBA) in an Arabian Gulf University. A synthesis on the literature around formative assessment has informed a conceptual model for the POP which highlighted the importance of formative assessment and its positive influence on student learning. This OIP designs a comprehensive and systematic plan which guides change towards the improvement of the POP, targeting stronger system performance and enhanced outcomes for student learning. Using an organizational culture lens, this OIP …

Overcoming Resistance When Adopting A Strengths-Based Case Management Service Delivery Model, Sheri-Lynn Mayhew

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In 2016, Rapp & Goscha’s (2012) Strengths-based Case Management (SBCM) Service Delivery Model was adopted as an agency wide, best practice within Organization X. However, the clinicians within Service N, who support persons with developmental disabilities and mental illness known as a dual diagnosis, resisted this service delivery model implementation. Outcome measures following implementation for those with a dual diagnosis were poor. Specifically, goal attainment and fidelity scores were consistently lower since Rapp & Goscha’s (2012) SBCM Service Delivery Model implementation. This Organizational Improvement plan (OIP) examines which leadership theories and frameworks could address the resistance in adopting Rapp & …

Increasing Collective Teacher Efficacy Through Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit And Coaching: A Community-Based Approach, Brenda Mercer

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

Instructional coaching in one remote northern community focuses on teacher mentorship and professional learning and prioritizes the implementation of prepackaged literacy resources. This focus on the implementation of prepackaged programs and data collection, promotes neo-liberal priorities and the privatization of education, over the methods that support the inclusion of Inuit cultural knowledge. Kostogriz (2011) states that we should be cautious about accepting the neo-liberal discourse of the literacy crisis and standardized reforms, the author suggests that low levels of literacy are not a large-scale problem so much as a result of under-provision of a socially just education.

This Problem …

Effective Characteristics For Leaders In Afterschool Programs, Kelly Rudd Safran

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the relationship between perceived servant leadership and job satisfaction within 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program leaders in Maryland. The purpose of the 21st CCLC is to create out-of-school time programs that provide students with academic enrichment opportunities as well as additional services designed to complement their regular academic program. The approach used a quantitative methodology to analyze the relationship between servant leadership characteristics and job satisfaction. The target population for this study were the 21st CCLC program leaders in Maryland. The sample included all program leaders who attended Maryland …

The Principal’S Impact On The Success Of Mathematics Professional Development, Michael Chad Staheli

Theses and Dissertations

Principal involvement is recognized as a key component to success in professional development implementation. Both the principal efforts undertaken, and the visions stated influence teacher development and student achievement. Using the instructional, transformational, and learning-centered models of leadership, as well as frameworks in vision, and organizational theory, this research sought to clarify the impact of principal involvement on student performance. Interview data was collected from 16 principals participating in a mathematics professional development program entitled the Comprehensive Mathematics Initiative. Of the participants, 9 of the principals were from schools that achieved high levels of student performance on standardized mathematics tests …

Polytechnic Instructors As Scholars: Developing A Culture That Embraces Scholarly Activity, Ian M. Cowley

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) proposes a leadership solution to develop a culture that embraces faculty scholarly activity at a large Canadian polytechnic institution. The recent advent of two baccalaureate degrees at this diploma-offering institute brought with it the provincial government stipulation that faculty teaching in degree programs must be continually engaged in scholarly activity. A previous unsuccessful implementation of this requirement addressed the functional, managerial aspects of conducting research, however faculty were unprepared for the cultural shift necessary to transform them from polytechnic instructors to scholarly polytechnic instructors. Though the requirement to research remains, early attempts at support have …

Academic Advising In A Personalized Learning Environment, Stephen Poplar

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Guidance counselling in Canadian secondary schools today is coming under greater pressure. There are more students experiencing mental health issues, which impact their wellness. Student wellness demand has an impact on the ability of guidance counsellors to provide deep and meaningful academic and post-secondary advising for students. This OIP will look at one Independent school in Canada and how it is experiencing the same shift in student’s wellness that demands Counsellors attention. This school is also undergoing a transformational change to a personalized learning environment as the predominant teaching and learning model. This shift requires transformational leadership and provides an …

Leading To Improve Reading Comprehension For Students In Koinonia School Division, Leanne Peters

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will examine the system and school leadership, required to support all students in improving their reading comprehension skills. This examination is necessary because students from historically marginalized populations continue to lag behind their peers in reading comprehension which directly impacts their success in school and life. Using Divisional reading comprehension data, Provincial Literacy data, Divisional goals and Provincial aspirational targets will provide baseline evidence as well as targets to reach in implementing this plan. Divisional leadership and school leadership skills are considered and connected to teacher efficacy and deliberate pedagogical choices which lead to students’ …

Creating Sustainable Support Systems For The Cultural Integration Of International Students At A Medium Size Ontario University, Muzi Li

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This OIP investigates the lack of cultural integration and support for international students at Medium-Size Ontario University (MSOU). The support for cultural integration of the international students at MSOU is inadequate and international students are facing social, emotional and academic challenges as they are not provided with the needed assistance to acclimatize to Western culture. Three potential solutions to address the PoP are demonstrated and evaluated. The chosen solution of implementing extended orientation and workshops is inspected in detail. Transformational Leadership and Confucianism are examined to ensure their relevancy and appropriateness to address this PoP and OIP and connected to …

Responding To The Absence Of Leadership Education In The Early Years Curriculum, Elena Merenda

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The field of early childhood is in a state of flux. Governments nation-wide are initiating changes, in response to the growing body of research demonstrating that early engagements with children and families creates positive outcomes for the whole community. Due to this evolution, there is a social and political expectation that early childhood professionals act as leaders. Although leadership is necessary as the field evolves, the literature suggests that early childhood professionals are hesitant to enact leadership, as their nurturing and caring characteristics are contrary to those required by traditional leadership models enacted by men. In order to empower early …

Transformational Leadership In The Association Of Related Churches: A Cross-Sectional Examination Of Ministry Students At Southeastern University Regional Campuses, Jordan M. Vale

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to identify independent programmatic leadership activity variables that showed the most robust correlation to higher transformational leadership scores in ministry students. Recognizing which variables have the strongest correlation to higher transformational leadership scores may help regional campus directors and pastors better understand how to develop future church leaders in their programs. This quantitative study utilized a survey method that addressed six research questions. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) served as the instrument. Association of Related Churches (ARC) ministry students located at Southeastern University regional campuses in Florida were the population. Idealized influence-attribution represented the …

Blended Learning In Elementary Schools: An Interdependent Enterprise, Carrie J. Pratt

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study, bounded by a scope of leadership, was one way to analyze how leaders encouraged teachers to leverage blended learning in the public elementary school. The theoretical framework lending to cognitivism included sociocultural cognition and contingency theory. With the central phenomenon and research question, “What leadership aspects encourage teachers to leverage blended learning in elementary schools?” the researcher sought to understand the power of leadership and teacher perceptions as change occurs in the public elementary school, integrating blended learning. Subquestion 1 was used to pursue information about teacher identified leadership support that teachers perceived to be helpful …

Support Provided By Administrators For Mathematics Teachers: A Case Study Of One North Louisiana High School, Jessica M. Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations

National and International assessment results as well as general student unpreparedness for college and beyond in terms of mathematical abilities indicate a need for increased student achievement in mathematics (Hart, 2005; National Center for Education Statistics, 2017; Peterson, Woessmann, Hanushek, & Lastra-Anadon, 2011). The purpose of the study was to explore effective leadership traits of secondary school administrators that foster and support teachers of mathematics. Research specifically made connections to instructional and transformational leadership practices, actions, and traits. This exploration was investigated through a case study using interviews completed by high school educators, administrators, and district leaders.

A sample of …

A Study Of Identity Issues That Affect Clergy Leadership On Lgbtq Inclusion, James Jeffrey Butcher

All Theses And Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes how the leadership decisions of thirty local church Protestant clergy in Virginia were influenced by personal, organizational, and cultural identity issues on matters related to homosexuality or LGBTQ inclusion. Self-understanding of identity issues affected clergy practice of biblical and theological interpretations on topics that include: purity, inclusion, same-sex marriage, ordination of LGBTQ persons, denominational loyalty, local church loyalty, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and transformative leadership. The researcher used semi-structured phenomenological interviews with seven focus groups and seven individual follow-up interviews. The researcher explored the process by which clergy construct their identities, while noting the resulting leadership strategies …