Educational Leadership Commons^™

President-Elect Obama’S Choice For Secretary Of Education: Arne Duncan, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Tuesday, December 16, President-elect Obama announced his choice for Secretary of Education: Arne Duncan.

2008-12-04 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for December 4, 2008.

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.

The Principal's Role In Teacher Retention, Sametra Danyal Chisolm

Dissertations

As efforts are made to identify factors contributing to teachers leaving or staying in the teaching profession, teacher retention continues to pose a challenge for school administrators. Factors such as principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs seem to positively impact teachers' decisions to remain in the profession.

The purpose of this study was to gather data to determine whether principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs affect teacher retention. A questionnaire, adapted from the Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education (formally Charlotte Advocates for Education) research …

The Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Phoenix Alternative Program, Jason Dethor Laffitte

Dissertations

Many school districts throughout the United States utilize alternative schools for students who have not been successful in a traditional school setting. The Phoenix Program is a second chance alternative school in Mobile, Alabama that provides educational opportunities to students who are at risk of dropping out or school or under a long-term suspension from a regular school program.

This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of the effectiveness of the Phoenix Program on students who have been suspended from their assigned school for a long term. Participants in this study included 36 principals and assistant principals, 30 students, …

Barriers In Educating Homeless Children And Youth, Gloria Elaine White Adams

Dissertations

Across America, homeless students face a myriad of barriers that impede education and school access and success of homeless children. The purpose of this study was to determine the barriers to enrollment and school success for homeless students. The ultimate goal was to provide information to parents, teachers, administrators, and school districts that could serve as a vital resource tool in educating homeless students while removing barriers.

The participants consisted of 215 certified teachers, school administrators, and homeless liaisons in 23 school districts representing the populations that provide afterschool instruction to homeless students. The study was conducted in the spring …

First-First Year Academically Underprepared Students' Judgments Of Their Perceived Academic Advising Needs And Preferences And Their Level Of Satisfaction And Intention To Persist At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Jennifer Lorean Ducksworth

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine which of the two dominant advising approaches, prescriptive (advisor focused) or developmental (relational focused), academically underprepared students preferred and to determine if this student population's advising relationships, experiences, and activities contribute to their level of satisfaction and their intent to persist at the participating university the following semester.

To read the full abstract of this dissertation, please click on "download" in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

The Relationship Between African American Students' Self-Beliefs And Beliefs About Teachers And Academic Outcomes And Disciplinary Referrals, James Matthew Thompson

Dissertations

This research study addressed a facet of the academic achievement gap regarding students' beliefs. The specific area that was examined is African American students' self-belief and beliefs about their teachers, while Caucasian students were used as a comparative group. The sample consisted of 34 African American and 65 Caucasian fifth-grade students from a southeastern public school district. The purpose of the study was to explore correlations between beliefs and African American students' academic outcomes. The theoretical foundations regarding beliefs, cultural context, and stereotype threat that were explored in this study addressed the variables located in Chapter III: Methodology. Additionally, these …

The Perceptions Of Superintendents Regarding The Need For Graduate Business Classes In Educational Leadership, Howard Leland Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the comprehensiveness of educational leadership programs regarding the extent of appropriate business knowledge attained by public school administrators. Portions of the study included a discussion of current licensing practices, academic governance, basic business requirements for leadership and management, and basic financial literacy. A further purpose was to measure the perception of how the inclusion of specific business-oriented graduate education in the certification process might increase the initial success of administrators.

The literature review supported the concept that superintendents understand change management and fiscal responsibility. Survey respondents supported these concepts by indicating the …

The Relationship Between Principals' Leadership Self-Efficacy, Student Achievement And School Performance, Robert Louis Williams

Dissertations

The two major components of school accountability, under the Mississippi Schools Accountability System, are growth expectation and school achievement. Mississippi schools are assigned a school performance classification based upon student achievement and whether schools did not meet, met, or exceeded their growth expectation. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between principals' ratings of self-efficacy, school performance, and school growth status. In addition, this study sought to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between principals' ratings of delegatee performance, school performance and school growth status.

The participants for this …

The Relationship Between The Teacher's Perception Of The Principal's Leadership Style And Personal Motivation, Aletta Marie Price

Dissertations

Educators world wide are shaping the future by the quality of education that they provide to the youth of today. Today's future relies on the impact teachers make on their students. Society, social security, and economic development are all dependent on future generations. Teachers are molding those future generations. It is no secret that if a teacher is motivated to do his/her best at enhancing education, that students have a better chance at being successful. Furthermore, if principals are exhibiting behaviors that improve teacher motivation, the result is not only an increase in student achievement, but a more successful school …

Coming Together: The Pros And Cons Of School Consolidation, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The viability and acceptability of consolidation— combining two or more school buildings or districts into a single entity—have ebbed and flowed over the years. In the early 1900s, the main targets of school consolidation were the rural schools. The education leaders and policy makers of the time believed that a centralized model in which all schools looked alike would prove to be the best approach for educating youth to be productive citizens (Kay, Hargood, and Russell 1982).

In addition to providing an expanded curriculum, they believed, consolidated schools could be operated more efficiently and economically—an idea that has continued to …

Effective Intervention Approaches For Increased Student Achievement With At-Risk Middle School Students: Voices From Parents, Susan J. Peets

Dissertations

Parent involvement is closely linked to student achievement. Research suggests that students, families, and schools benefit from active participation by families in the process of educating children. Many parents provide a broad range of support to their children, although, currently no common agreement on the most effective forms of parent support exists.

This study focused on the gap in the literature as to the needs of middle school at-risk students' parents. Qualitative methods were used to explore how parents of twelve at-risk middle school students (identified by low academic achievement scores of reading at least one year below grade level …

Wsu Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, November 20-21, 2008

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on November 20-21, 2008.

2008-11-20 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for November 20, 2008.

Undergraduate Curriculum And Academic Policy Committee Minutes, November 19, 2008

Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee meeting held on November 19, 2008.

2008-11-06 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for November 6, 2008.

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda And Minutes, November 3, 2008

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, November 3, 2008.

2008-11-01 Pg61 Revision, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

PG61 revision submitted to the Faculty Senate on November 1, 2008.

The University As Your Partner: Adding Value To Conservation Initiatives, Margaret N. Rees, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, multiple use, and management of public lands

Undergraduate Curriculum And Academic Policy Committee Minutes, October 21, 2008

Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee meeting held on October 21, 2008.

2008-10-16 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for October 16, 2008.

2008-10-16 Governance Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Governance Committee Meeting Minutes for October 16, 2008.

Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference Program 2008, Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference

Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference (2006-2019)

Conference Program

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda And Minutes, October 6, 2008

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, October 6, 2008.

2008-10-02 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for October 2, 2008.

The Family Involvement School Consultant: A Model For Involving Families And Parents In Their Children Education, Sherwood Thompson, Masila Mutisya

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty and Staff Research

The age-old question still remains the same-why is parent and family involvement is children's education important? The answer remain the same also: because it's good for the educational achievement of children. Parent and family involvement is still on the forefront of education research topics. Getting parents to visit schools is an ongoing task; however, it is a task that must be tackled if educators and communities hope to change the way we educate children.

Background Checks And Fingerprinting In Public School Systems, Mindy Salmans

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Data collected by the American Association of University Women indicated that students who are victims of educator sexual misconduct reported that they suffered emotional, educational, and developmental or health effects (Shakeshaft, 2004). At least one third of students reported behaviors that would negatively affect academic achievement. Larry Lezotte, Wilbur Brookeover, and Ron Edmonds found in their research that a safe and orderly environment was one lead indicator of school effectiveness, defined by high student achievement for all students (Lezotte, 2000). Therefore, if we know that a safe and orderly environment is essential to an effective school and we know that …

A Systematic Approach For Training Candidates To Use The Teacher Work Sample, Beth Walizer, Taggart Germaine, Keith Dreiling

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The purpose of this paper is to describe the benefits of scaffolding the work sample criteria through a teacher preparation program for elementary education candidates. This article illustrates the way that Fort Hays State University’s teacher education program has successfully implemented a work sample process. A process of scaffolding the criteria was woven throughout the elementary teacher education program to instruct candidates on how to develop, implement, and assess instructional units of study. As a way to describe the teacher work sample process, the authors have contextualized the model, provided components of a teacher work sample, and presented a program …

How To Build A Better Vision Statement, Shelley Kirkpatrick

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

It is a fact-of-life that an organization must have a formal vision statement. Like any leadership tool, it is only effective if it is done right. Research has demonstrated time and again that a vision statement can improve organizational performance as well as individual follower performance, but only if the vision contains certain characteristics (Baum, Locke, & Kirkpatrick, 1998; Kirkpatrick, 2004; Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1996; Kirkpatrick, Wofford, & Baum, 2002).