Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

The Culture Of Instructional Leadership Amongst Principals: A Principal Professional Learning Community's Exploration Of Understanding By Design, Dana Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The overloaded role of the principal is a reality in every district (Evans, 1996; Fullan, 2008). Principals are second only to teachers among school-related factors in student learning (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004) yet professional learning opportunities for principals suffer at the expense of seemingly more important tasks. In order for principals to be successful in the expected role of instructional leadership (NAESP, 2008), districts must create opportunities for both content and leadership learning (Darling-Hammond, Meyerson, LaPointe, & Orr, 2010). Experts are beginning to realize that professional development for principals is essential to a school and distric's success (Darling-Hammond …

Place-Free And Place-Based Educational Preferences Among Rural High School Principals, Joshua Pfiester

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Rural schooling and rural communities are interdependent to a degree not seen in suburban and urban contexts. Thus, the threat to the sustainability of one inevitably affects the other. One of the variables in their sustainability may be educational practices (Haas & Nachtigal, 1998; White & Reid, 2008) that influence the likelihood of rural high school graduate outmigration (Corbett, 2007; Huang, Cohen, Weng, & Zhang, 1996). Considering the body of literature that testifies to the strong influence school administrators have in schools (Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000; Prestine & Nelson, 2005), understanding the preferences in educational practices …

Perceptions Of Mentoring, Dropout Rates, School Attendance, And Academic Achievement In Core Subject Areas Among Students In The Various Branches Of Jrotc, Michael Joseph Weaver

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of cadets in the Army, Navy, and Air Force JROTC program regarding their beliefs about mentorship and how it affects students’ perceptions. Funding for education is constantly under review and programs that are considered unnecessary are facing increased scrutiny. Schools are held accountable for educating students and this accountability includes both the quality of the program provided by the district and also the commitment among students to be successful in life.

Haveman, Wolfe, and Wilson (2001) reported that graduating from high school provides benefits to society both socially and economically. …

Freshman Academy: Transitioning Ninth Grade Students Through The Academic And Social Rigors Of The High School Experience And The Students’, Parents’ And Teachers’ Perceptions, Yulanda West Clinton

Dissertations

Freshman Academy in Mobile County is an ever growing concept. Although the school in this study no longer houses a freshman Academy, the research reveals valuable information that is very useful in assisting schools and school systems in deciding whether or not to implement this type of transitioning program. In addition to the data, the students’, parents’, and teachers’ perceptions of the program are invaluable. This study revealed that students, parents, and teachers have positive perceptions about the academic and social interest areas of freshman students and negative perceptions about the structural interest area. This study also revealed, there is …

Implications Of The No Child Left Behind Legislation On Career And Technical Education, Thomas Kyle Wallace

Dissertations

The passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation in 2001 brought about a multitude of education reform policies for education institutions that made the future of Career and Technical Education’s (CTE) role in secondary educations unclear. These mandates forced educational leaders to emphasize student enrollment in tracks that prepare them for post-secondary educational opportunities that require a stronger background in academic courses. The standards-based mandates required by NCLB legislation make promotion of CTE courses more difficult because these courses are primarily elective courses and have caused educational agencies to look at what CTE programs provide in terms of meeting …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence Of School Principals And Their Ability To Identify The Strengths Or Talents Of A Member Of Their Leadership Team, Angela Luther Bare

Dissertations

The role of high school administrators has become increasingly complex, as many school populations have reached the thousands. The responsibilities placed before school administrators, particularly principals’ responsibilities, mirrors that of city management. School leaders are charged with the challenges of exhibiting expertise in the fields of educational leadership, instruction, facilities management all while developing and implementing a school mission with sincere purpose for the students and school community. Additionally, school administrators must be able to address the socialemotional needs of their staffs, students and school community. The purpose of this study was to illuminate effective leadership through an exploration of …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Implementing Interdisciplinary Pods On Student Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Andrew Lynn Bristow

Dissertations

With the increasing demands for middle schools to meet Annual Yearly Progress and the Annual Measurable Objective levels of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) middle school principals are faced with decisions to incorporate the appropriate middle school instructional model. This study examined the longitudinal achievement data of sixth and seventh grade reading, English language arts, and math on the Georgia Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) in 20 middle schools from 2008 – 2011 in a large suburban school district in Georgia. Of the schools, two implemented a junior high model, six implemented an interdisciplinary pod model, and twelve …

The Relationship Between Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Principals’ Transformational Leadership Practices, Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy And Student Achievement, Antwane Lajacques Nelson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between middle school teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s transformational school leadership practices, teacher efficacy and student achievement. The study also investigated which transformational school leadership dimensions were predictors for teachers’ sense of efficacy factors and student achievement as measured by math and reading/English language arts CRCT scores. Analyses were also conducted to determine which teacher sense of efficacy factors were predictors for student achievement as measured by math and reading/English language arts CRCT scores.

Data from 256 teacher surveys were collected from 17 middle schools located in a northwestern suburban …

Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Communication With School Teachers, Fan Jiang, George Zhou, Zuochen Zhang, Clinton Beckford, Lan Zhong, Fan Jiang

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Parent-teacher communication has great influence on children’s school performance. Using Walker et al.’s model of parent involvement as a theoretical framework, this study investigated Chinese immigrant parents’ communication experience with teachers and the psychological factors that influenced such communication. The study collected data through survey and revealed that Chinese immigrant parents recognized their responsibility to maintain regular communication with school teachers and believed that such communication could bring beneficial outcomes to their children’s education. The study found that Chinese immigrant parents had more frequent communication with teachers than those recorded in previous literatures. Among the five psychological factors, communication self-efficacy …

Parts Of The Whole: The Virtue Of Books, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

This column argues that the majority of commercial textbooks do not serve students well. Strategies for change include clearly distinguishing the textbook requirements of different priority subjects and assembling writers who can address, in addition to content development, the cognitive level of the children as well as writing in an age-appropriate way. A discussion of the forces that produce current texts leads to the recommendation that textbooks be a focus of research and improvement rather than the byproduct of an individual’s lecture notes.

Weighing In On Teacher Attitudes Of Obese Students: A Descriptive Correlational Design, Angelina Pecoraro

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate teacher attitudes towards obese students. The investigation focused on the correlation between (a) attitudes and beliefs about obese students; and (b) predictive abilities of participant's self-esteem with attitudes and beliefs. The three surveys utilized in this study were: (a) Attitudes Toward Obese Persons Scale (Allison, Basile, & Yuker, 1991) (b) Beliefs About Obese Persons (Allison et al., 1991); and (c) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Survey (Rosenberg, 1965). The sample size was 893 certified educators representing all grade levels in Central, Northern, and Southern New Jersey school districts. Respondents were emailed a survey link, …

Using An Internet Learning Profile To Create Customized Plans, Beth Lynne

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop an Internet Learning Profile for eighth grade students based upon Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and to use the results to develop customized lesson plan activities for each profile that can be incorporated into existing curriculum. Another purpose of this study was to discover if students who are considered more literate (via NJ ASK language arts literacy scores) are immersed in the use of online social networking, role play/interactive gaming online, blogs, discussion boards, online classes, video websites, search engines, paint or animation applications, etc. I used a Multiple Intelligences Scale (Chislett & Chapman, …

Closing The Gap: Use Of The Instructional At-Home Plan (Iahp)® By African American Parents And The Impact On Literacy Achievement Among Their Kindergarten Children, Tanya Foster Demers

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to investigate the use of the Instructional At- Home Plan (IAHP)® by African American parents and its impact on kindergarten literacy achievement among their children. The study used DIBELS data from students who attended a Chicago Public School with a population that averaged 98.6% black and 96.75% low-income status. Parents of students who attended classes for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years utilized the Instructional At-Home Plan. The achievement of their children was analyzed and compared to those students who attended kindergarten for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years: students whose …

Examining The Relationship Between Louisiana Principals' Self-Efficacy Beliefs And Student Achievement, Jonathan C. Williams

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Louisiana Principals’ self-efficacy beliefs and student achievement. This study was grounded in the research of Bandura’s model of triadic reciprocal causation and more recent research on principals’ self-efficacy beliefs. Using the Principals’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (PSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004) measures of principals’ self-efficacy were collected and analyzed for (1) instructional leadership, (2) management, and (3) moral leadership.

Principals across the state of Louisiana were emailed a link to the PSES and were asked to provide the names of their schools and asked for the number of …

Learning To Teach: A Multiple Case Study Analysis On The Role Of Professional Learning Community Participation On Pre-Service Teachers Enrolled In A Professional Development School Teacher Preparation Program, Lissette Gonzalez-Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Pre-service teaching experiences can influence future teaching practices. The participation of pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) increases the likelihood of a mental model shift away from the traditional norms of autonomy that characterize teaching. The purpose of this multiple case study analysis was to explore the perceived influence of PLC exposure on PSTs enrolled in a Professional Development School (PDS) teacher preparation program; specifically in the areas of knowledge, interactions, shared practice, and strategies. The design of the study was qualitative; each PST enrolled in the PDS teacher preparation program was viewed as an individual case. …

The Implementation Of Literacy Lab Classrooms As A Form Of Professional Learning For Teachers, Briean Madden

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the implementation of the lab classroom professional development concept in a K-5 school district. Teachers who engage is professional development that is ongoing, job-embedded, and collaborative can further their learning and strengthen their teaching practices (Darling-Hammond, 2009; Fullan, Hill, & Crevola, 2006; Reeves, 2010). Teacher practices, knowledge, reflection, and collaboration were explored through the lab classroom implementation to see if this type of professional development was beneficial for the teachers. The power in knowing the organization and planning a change of this magnitude were also reported. Additionally, the researcher looked to gain insights on leadership …

Perceived Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers To Differentiate Instruction, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of teacher efficacy (10 item survey, alpha = .90) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Research questions addressed levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness, teaching tenure, and number of certifications held. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. No significant relationships were found for tenure and …

The Impact Of Teacher Certification Programs On Teacher Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, And Teacher Performance: A Comparison Of Traditional And Alternative Certification, Christopher Mark Mueller

Dissertations

The method selected to prepare and certify teachers continues to be a widely debated issue. Advocates for alternative certification (AC) contend that allowing content specialists from fields outside of education into the classroom will help meet the demand for teachers in hard-to-fill areas like math, science, and special education. Proponents of traditional teacher certification (TC) programs maintain that placing individuals without strong backgrounds in teaching methods, learning strategies, and child development will impede student achievement.

This study compared the levels of teacher efficacy, job performance and job satisfaction of teachers between AC (N = 164) and TC (N = 960) …

The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary School Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Joseph Kirk Biggerstaff

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The study also investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction based on teachers’ demographics (i.e., age, grade level taught, education level, teaching experience). Additionally, an examination of the significant factors that contribute to teacher job satisfaction as identified by the elementary teachers was explored.

This correlational study with a quantitative, non-experimental design utilized two surveys to measure elementary teacher perceptions of principal leadership style (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [MLQ]) and …

The Effects Of Increased Accountability Standards On Graduation Rates For Students With Disabilities, Mitzie Lee Moore

Dissertations

This research sought to determine if unintended effects of increased accountability standards on graduation rates for students with disabilities existed. Data from one southeastern state were utilized in order to determine if graduation rates were impacted as a result of higher accountability standards. In addition, administrator attitudes on views of NCLB, high-stakes testing of students with disabilities, strategies initiated to exclude students with disabilities from high-stakes tests, and inclusion of all students with disabilities in the growth model. Archival data from 2001 and 2010 were used to compare pre and post graduation rates for significant differences. Survey results were collected …