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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Educating The Whole Child: Evidence Of Health And Wellness Instruction In The Schools Serving Low-Income Students, Andria M. Shook Phd
Educating The Whole Child: Evidence Of Health And Wellness Instruction In The Schools Serving Low-Income Students, Andria M. Shook Phd
Dissertations
Educators in the United States are expressing concern about student physical and mental well-being. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past three decades, and today, one in five children experiences symptoms of mental illness. Low-income children are especially subject to these conditions. The long-term consequences for the country as a whole are significant. Schools are particularly well placed to address these problems by supporting the well-being of the whole child. Efforts have begun in select schools and districts to incorporate health and wellness instruction into the school day. This study identifies existing health and wellness components that three …
Services For Parentally Placed Catholic School Students Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Julie Cantillon Phd
Services For Parentally Placed Catholic School Students Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Julie Cantillon Phd
Dissertations
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which Congress enacted in 1975 with subsequent revisions, states that school districts are to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Public local education agencies (LEAs) including school districts have an obligation to identify, locate, and evaluate private school students suspected of having a disability—the "child find" process. Students enrolled by their parents in private schools are not entitled to a FAPE if they choose for their children to remain in private school after the children have been identified as having a …
Coaching Teachers On Instruction: Developing Instructional Leadership Capacity Within A Principal Preparation Program, John J. Franey Phd
Coaching Teachers On Instruction: Developing Instructional Leadership Capacity Within A Principal Preparation Program, John J. Franey Phd
Dissertations
Over the last several decades, the role of the school site principal has shifted from a focus on school management to one on school leadership. Integral to this new focus is the ability of the principal to be an instructional leader, tasked with improving the instructional practices of teachers. Many principal preparation programs have adopted new methods to support aspiring school leaders including the development of effective coaching skills. This qualitative study examined one principal preparation program designed with this goal in mind. The primary research questions that guided this study were: (a) How does the coaching program support the …
The Experiences Of Expatriate Teachers In International Schools: Five Ethnographic Case Studies, James S. Anderson Edd
The Experiences Of Expatriate Teachers In International Schools: Five Ethnographic Case Studies, James S. Anderson Edd
Dissertations
An increasingly global economy has produced a growing demand for teachers to work in international schools. However, data about teachers who elect to move abroad and work in international settings are limited. The lack of research in this area is surprising, given the relatively large number of expatriate teachers who work in international schools. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how expatriate teachers perceive their experiences in international schools and the role that these perceptions may play in their decisions to continue at a school or to seek other employment. In order to explore …
California Charter School Closures: Perspectives And Advice From Nine Former Charter School Directors, Jennifer Reiter-Cook Edd
California Charter School Closures: Perspectives And Advice From Nine Former Charter School Directors, Jennifer Reiter-Cook Edd
Dissertations
Charter schools have been categorized as "everyone's reform" (Bracey, 2004); they are a type of public school, first established in 1992, that normally has fewer restrictions than most public schools and that serves a student body that, in many circumstances, has consciously opted to attend the school. Charter schools have promised high student achievement and program options that would create healthy competition in the American educational market. Currently, in California alone, there are approximately 800 active charter schools that serve more than 340,000 pupils. As we close in on nearly twenty years of charter school reform, many charter schools could …
Balancing Act: A Study Of International School Heads' Efforts To Manage The Professional And Personal Aspects Of Their Lives, Christiane Pj Sorenson Edd
Balancing Act: A Study Of International School Heads' Efforts To Manage The Professional And Personal Aspects Of Their Lives, Christiane Pj Sorenson Edd
Dissertations
Interest in the topic of professional and personal life balance has increased exponentially over the past several decades. The topic even is listed by the current First Lady of the United States as a priority item to be addressed during her husband's first four years in office. While studies have been conducted about the professional/personal balance of corporate executives and other professionals, including government employees, there has been almost no direct study of balance in educational professionals' lives. This study investigated school heads' perceptions about the factors that impact their ability to achieve balance between their professional and personal lives. …
Understanding Charter School Governance: A Case Study Of A Conversion Charter School Board Of Directors, David Mark Silver Phd
Understanding Charter School Governance: A Case Study Of A Conversion Charter School Board Of Directors, David Mark Silver Phd
Dissertations
The charter school movement has been at the forefront of educational reform since the 1990s. The majority of charter school research has focused on academic achievement and issues of access, equity, and funding. Less attention has focused on charter school governance, yet evidence suggests that governance challenges represent a significant impediment to the long-term sustainability of this movement. This qualitative case study examined the operations of a board of directors in a conversion charter school. The study included observations of monthly board of directors meetings over a 16-month period (February 2008–June 2009), interviews with members of the board of directors …
California Education Foundations: A Mixed Methods Study, Laura J. Deitrick Phd
California Education Foundations: A Mixed Methods Study, Laura J. Deitrick Phd
Dissertations
Limited and unstable funding for education has inspired supporters of schools to seek private funds to help pay for public education. Private funds generated at the local level could also, conceivably, reinstate at least a modicum of local control of public schools. Local control, in California at least, has been minimized over the last 30 years as a result of a number of legal decisions related to equity and ballot initiatives such as Proposition 13. One mechanism for channeling private funds to public schools is nonprofit education foundations linked to schools or districts. The total number of these foundations has …
I Teach What I Do, I Do What I Teach: The Experiences And Impacts Of Teaching Artists, Patricia L. Saraniero Edd
I Teach What I Do, I Do What I Teach: The Experiences And Impacts Of Teaching Artists, Patricia L. Saraniero Edd
Dissertations
Nationwide, many public school districts are struggling to keep arts education available for their students. California public school districts, in particular, are hard-pressed to provide arts instruction to their students. One response to dwindling arts instruction has been the use of teaching artists. A teaching artist is at once a practicing artist and an educator. Very little is known about teaching artists, and the formal empirical research on them is limited. This dissertation used a mixed-method design, incorporating both surveys of principals and teaching artists and interviews with teaching artists, to develop a better understanding of the experiences and impact …
Factors That Motivate Or Discourage Movement Into School Leadership Positions And The Implications For Recruitment Policy And Practice, Ginger Lee Blackmon Edd
Factors That Motivate Or Discourage Movement Into School Leadership Positions And The Implications For Recruitment Policy And Practice, Ginger Lee Blackmon Edd
Dissertations
Public schools in the United States are facing one of the most extensive transformations in school leadership. Districts face the difficult challenge of recruiting and training school leaders who have the capacity to deal with the growing demands and responsibilities placed on school site administrators. Despite a surplus of people certified for administration, the changing demands of the principal's job precipitated by national reform efforts have left a shortage not only of qualified applicants, but also in the total number of applicants (qualified and unqualified) willing to carry the burden of the job. This study investigated the factors that influence …
Stakeholders’ Perspectives Of A Catholic K-8 School As A Caring Community, Marci-Anne Hanks Edd
Stakeholders’ Perspectives Of A Catholic K-8 School As A Caring Community, Marci-Anne Hanks Edd
Dissertations
Many educators and researchers have found that caring school communities positively affect students’ behavior, academic achievement, and socioemotional development. Students’ basic needs of feeling cared for must be met for them to realize their full potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate stakeholders’ perceptions of a Catholic K-8 school as a caring community. Stakeholders included parents, teachers, administrators, staff members, and sixth through eighth grade students. The following research questions were posed for this study: (1) What are the different stakeholders’ perceptions of the school as a caring community? (2) Are there significant differences in perceptions between the …
Investigating Professional Development In Technology For Literacy Teachers, Michanne Hoctor Edd
Investigating Professional Development In Technology For Literacy Teachers, Michanne Hoctor Edd
Dissertations
Citrus Heights (a pseudonym) School District is an award-winning exemplar of technology integration. This small urban district has focused its resources on the re-design of its K-8 classrooms and curriculum to support educational reform through the use of technology, including hardware, software, and teacher professional development. Current best practices suggest that while staff development may begin with conventional in-service training, it should move quickly beyond to efforts that support teachers’ development as professionals involved in decision-making, inquiry, and leadership in their classroom teaching. In order to develop as professionals, teachers specifically need help and support in integrating new knowledge and …
Personalization For English Learners At A Small Conversion High School, Mary Jewell Edd
Personalization For English Learners At A Small Conversion High School, Mary Jewell Edd
Dissertations
One of the most notable ways in which large, comprehensive high schools are working to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs), and other students who may be struggling with academics, is by subdividing into smaller schools. One of the most appealing features of small schools is their emphasis on personalized instruction for students. While it takes many forms, personalizing education means knowing all students well and designing curriculum that meets their individual needs. Personalized learning environments hold enormous potential for improving the educational experiences, and even very lives, of English learners. The purpose of …
Connecting The Dots: A Study Of An Innovative Principal Preparation Program's Impact On The Mental Models And On-The-Job Behaviors Of Aspiring School Leaders, Rich Newman Edd
Dissertations
Despite years of criticism aimed at university-based principal preparation programs, most of these programs continue to be judged less than successful in producing effective school leaders. Furthermore, there is also little rigorous and systemic research about principal preparation in general; there is even less work focused on understanding how preparation programs might assist emerging school leaders in developing the sorts of intellectual capacities needed to be successful in an era when principals are expected to be instructional leaders and work with teachers to improve student achievement. Consequently, little is known about how principal preparation programs can help individuals (a) incorporate …
High School Principals' Values And Their Symbolic And Cultural Leadership Approaches To Character Education In China, T.C. Kao Edd
High School Principals' Values And Their Symbolic And Cultural Leadership Approaches To Character Education In China, T.C. Kao Edd
Dissertations
Relatively little is known about the symbolic and cultural leadership practices and approaches used to imbed character education in high schools in China. In addition, there is a lack of published studies and reports investigating the revival between character and moral education in the Chinese school system. Without additional information, it is impossible to understand and develop effective leadership approaches that will shape and mold school cultures to effectively support both character and moral education. The literature reviewed in this study revealed little information about if, and in what form, there is a return to moral education focusing on traditional …
How School Counselors Gain Support To Implement Comprehensive Guidance And Counseling Programs, Jo Ann Grant Edd
How School Counselors Gain Support To Implement Comprehensive Guidance And Counseling Programs, Jo Ann Grant Edd
Dissertations
The school counseling field is evolving from a focus on ancillary activities to a commitment to comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. Understanding strategies school counselors have used in gaining support from key stakeholders to implement comprehensive guidance and counseling programs can be a valuable addition to the literature of school counseling. The present study investigated how elementary and secondary school counselors gained support when implementing comprehensive guidance and counseling programs based on the National Standards for School Counseling Programs. A qualitative methodology was used in the study. The findings revealed that: (a) counselors studied believed their role in gaining support …
To Be Or Not To Be: Status Of Guam's Middle Schools, Judith T. Won Pat Edd
To Be Or Not To Be: Status Of Guam's Middle Schools, Judith T. Won Pat Edd
Dissertations
In an effort to help middle school programs respond to the unique developmental needs of their students, in 1995 the National Middle School Association issued their influential list of twelve essential characteristics for a developmentally sound middle school. Although this paper spawned a significant amount of research regarding the importance of these essential characteristics, there has been little, if any, research in the last decade describing the extent to which these characteristics have been implemented in middle schools outside of the continental United States. To remedy this situation, this study surveyed all 471 middle school teachers on Guam as well …
Asian American Females In Educational Leadership In K-12 Public Schools, Dina Castillo Pacis Edd
Asian American Females In Educational Leadership In K-12 Public Schools, Dina Castillo Pacis Edd
Dissertations
The research on educational leadership has largely excluded the perspectives of women and minorities. As school age populations become increasingly diverse, the need for principals from diverse backgrounds also increases. However, the research data shows that females and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in educational leadership positions. In an effort to address the lack of minority females in educational leadership, particularly Asian American females, more research needs to be conducted on their perceived barriers to upward mobility, as well as their perceptions of educational leadership. Only when the voices of Asian American female minority administrators are heard, will they be better …
The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Labour Disputes In British Columbia's Public Schools, Yanping Wang Edd
The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Labour Disputes In British Columbia's Public Schools, Yanping Wang Edd
Dissertations
For the last decade, adversarial relationships between teachers' associations and district administrators in the British Columbia public school system have been commonplace, frequently resulting in formal grievances and arbitration. Since dealing with these issues imposes enormous costs on both teachers' unions and school boards, this study used hierarchical regression analysis to explain why some schools have fewer grievances filed than other schools in the province. Specifically, this study used data gathered from 160 principals in the British Columbia public school system to examine the extent to which school demographics and principal leadership style helped explain variation in the rate of …
Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd
Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd
Dissertations
This study explored the current instructional leadership behaviors of elementary principals in Guam as perceived by the principals and teachers, and examined their perceptions on which instructional leadership functions should be shared or delegated in schools. The Principals' Instructional Management Rating Scale, developed by Dr. Phillip Hallinger and modified by the researcher, was used to gather data for this study. Four hundred eighty teachers (53%) and eighteen principals (81%) in Guam's public elementary schools participated, and there was no evidence of non-response bias. From this study, findings revealed that both principals and teachers shared the same perceptions regarding their principals' …
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Dissertations
Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …
Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness And Teacher Morale: A Study Of Public Secondary School Teachers On Guam, Michelle M.S. Santos Edd
Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness And Teacher Morale: A Study Of Public Secondary School Teachers On Guam, Michelle M.S. Santos Edd
Dissertations
For more than a decade, the public schools on Guam have suffered from low student test scores, high turnover rates and low levels of teacher morale. Although there may be many explanations for this persistent problem, an important part of any solution is improving the overall level of teacher morale, which of course, can be influenced in many ways by the actions of the principal. In an effort to determine both the level of teacher morale among secondary school teachers on Guam as well as the factors that may help explain it, including the perceived level of principal effectiveness, this …
Collaborative Leadership In Middle Schools And Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Search For Relationships, A. Greg Bowden Edd
Collaborative Leadership In Middle Schools And Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Search For Relationships, A. Greg Bowden Edd
Dissertations
This correlational study examined the relationship between the leadership practiced by middle school principals and the job satisfaction reported by their teachers. Data were collected from 10 middle school principals who completed a demographic survey and the Principal Leadership Survey-Self (PLS-S). Data were also collected from 183 teachers who completed a demographic survey, the Principal Leadership Survey-Other (PLS-O), the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES), and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Sub scale scores from the PLS-O and the SPES were used to measure collaborative leadership. Telephone interviews were conducted with nine of the teachers who reported the highest degree of …
The Implementation Of The Least Restrictive Environment Provision Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea) For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities On Guam, Nieves P. Flores Edd
The Implementation Of The Least Restrictive Environment Provision Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea) For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities On Guam, Nieves P. Flores Edd
Dissertations
This study examined the implementation of the least restrictive environment (LRE) provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for secondary students with learning disabilities on Guam. The research questions for the study addressed the following areas: (a) perceptions of the definition of LRE, (b) factors influencing the implementation of LRE, and (c) determination of LRE in relation to the national trends and literature. This research utilized the qualitative method of collecting and analyzing data that included interviews and review of written documents. Parents and school personnel from the secondary schools, involved in the implementation of the least restrictive …
The Role Of A Middle School Assistant Principal In Establishing And Maintaining Positive School Climate, Charles R. Girvin Iii Edd
The Role Of A Middle School Assistant Principal In Establishing And Maintaining Positive School Climate, Charles R. Girvin Iii Edd
Dissertations
Organizational theorists have for over 50 years used the concept of organizational climate to study and describe the effects of environment on the attitudes and behaviors of individual members and subgroups within organizations. Within the school setting, researchers and practitioners have increasingly used the concept of organizational climate to evaluate school effectiveness, particularly in middle schools where school climate plays a central role in middle school strategies and philosophies. Though extensive research has examined the relationship between climate and leadership in business, industry, and government, relatively few studies have eyed the linkages between school climate and leadership within the school …
School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd
School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd
Dissertations
In 1994, the Government of Alberta, Canada, instituted major fiscal measures designed to reduce operating costs and a large provincial debt. In tandem, Alberta Education restructured public education by: reducing the number of school districts, redefining the role of school boards, increasing the involvement of parents, initiating Charter schools, expanding student testing, downsizing Alberta Education, improving delivery of services to children, and mandating the implementation of school-based management in all public schools (Alberta Education News Release, January 18, 1994). The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the implementation of school-based management, through the first three …
An Insider's Perspective: The Dropout Challenge For Canada's First Nations, Patricia Ann Makokis Edd
An Insider's Perspective: The Dropout Challenge For Canada's First Nations, Patricia Ann Makokis Edd
Dissertations
This modified case study honors the voices of 21 Cree participants, including nine students, six parents, four community leaders and two Elders. This study, written from an insider's perspective, identified more than 50 reasons why First Nations students dropped out of three provincial high schools located in northern Alberta, Canada. The results were collapsed into several categories that can best be generalized as resulting from the effects of colonization. Canada's First Nations have a long history of oppression, colonization, and the resultant soul wounds. The four participant groups collectively identified five common themes why students dropped out of provincial high …
A Comparative Study Of Leadership Characteristics Of Principals In Charter Schools And Traditional Schools, Roger M. Mestinsek Edd
A Comparative Study Of Leadership Characteristics Of Principals In Charter Schools And Traditional Schools, Roger M. Mestinsek Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities and differences in preferred leadership qualities among a random sample of principals of traditional elementary schools in California, traditional elementary schools in Alberta, Canada, and selected charter schools in the United States. The intent of the research was to identify the preferred leadership practices of each study group to determine and report significant differences and similarities. Seventy-five principals were randomly selected, 25 from each of the three study groups, to complete the survey. Forty-two principals (56%) returned surveys. Of the surveys returned, 40 were usable for the study. The theoretical …
The Relationship Of Principal Leadership Styles And School-Site Conditions To Stress Levels Of Elementary School Teachers, Mark Nicholas Remy Edd
The Relationship Of Principal Leadership Styles And School-Site Conditions To Stress Levels Of Elementary School Teachers, Mark Nicholas Remy Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine if principal leadership styles and school-site conditions were associated with elementary teachers' stress levels. The study focused on the relationship between the independent variables of principal leadership styles and school-site conditions and the dependent variables of teacher stress levels. A survey composed of the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) and a demographic information sheet was administered to 585 teachers from 28 elementary schools. Tins study was conducted in the San Diego Unified School District during the 1998–1999 school year. The LBDQ measured two dimensions of leadership: Consideration and …
Market Values In Education: A Case Study Of Its Effect On The Principal's Model For School Governance In Alberta, Dean G. Lindquist Edd
Market Values In Education: A Case Study Of Its Effect On The Principal's Model For School Governance In Alberta, Dean G. Lindquist Edd
Dissertations
Political bodies, facing, increased pressures to improve the quality of education offered to students, are shifting to a philosophy that imposes large scale market forces such as parental choice and school competition onto educational systems in order to coerce school improvement. This shift may be prompting school-based administrators to shift school governance practices to reflect these market values. This shift, occurring in Alberta (Canada), is founded in government policy that articulates the option of educational choice for parents. Presently the government policy promotes these market values in education by providing full funding to public, separate, and charter schools, and partial …