Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

The Importance Of Understanding School Law, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

In an increasingly litigious society wherein parents and their children file a broad spectrum of claims against school systems, it is essential that education leaders have at a minimum a basic understanding of school law.

Before 1954, the Supreme Court addressed only a handful of cases involving K–12 schools and higher education. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), perhaps the Supreme Court’s most important education-related decision, ushered in an era of equal educational opportunities and key legislations, such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, now the No Child Left Behind Act (2002); Title IX of …

Relationship Of Teacher Perception Of Principal Leadership Practices And Job Satisfaction In The Southeast Region Of The Association Of Christian Schools International, John Barlow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many studies have been conducted on principal leadership and employee perceptions in the corporate and public sector. However, there are gaps in the research regarding the relationship between the perception of principal leadership practices and one dimension of person-organization fit, job satisfaction, in the specific demographic of teachers in the Southeast Region of the Association of Christian Schools International. This study was conducted to begin the process of understanding this phenomenon. Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) five practice of exemplary leadership and the theoretical framework of person-organization fit supported the development of this study (Kristof-Brown & Guay, 2011). Teachers from the …

Principal Leadership In High-Performing, High-Poverty Elementary Schools, Marc J. Cohen

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The focus of this mixed methods study was on Maryland Title I elementary principals who led schools to achieving adequate yearly progress during the 2011-2012 school year. At the time of the study, slightly more than one third of the Title I elementary schools in Maryland and throughout the U.S., achieved this status (U.S. Department of Education, 2013).

In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-five principals from Title elementary schools in Maryland. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Leader Form was administered to the participants as well.

This study findings indicated,

1. Principals of high-performing, high-poverty elementary schools were more transformational in …

Student Voice: A Qualitative Case Study Of Teachers' Conceptions In A New Jersey Urban High School, Matin Adegboyega

Theses and Dissertations

"Student voice" is a metaphor for active student engagement and participation in issues that matter to their learning and schooling experiences (Student Achievement Division, 2013). The exclusion of student voice in urban education raises the question about what opportunity exists for students to express their opinions on matters that affect them in schools. Urban education has a culture that is ripped apart by chronic absenteeism, low graduation rates, high dropout rates, school violence, and poor academic performance (Steinberg & McCray, 2012; Rodriguez, 2008). If reforms are truly to address these challenges, in what facets of schooling and learning do teachers …

Investigating The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) And Technology Leadership Capacities Of K-12 Public School Principals, Randall Depew

Dissertations

It is understood that principals play a key role the integration of computer technology their schools, however there have been limited studies exploring the level of technology knowledge and technology leadership skills possessed by school principals and how these measures relate to each other. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a popular framework for understanding the teacher knowledge required for effective technology integration. This framework has been used to study a number of different populations including pre-service and in-service teachers in a variety of grade levels, subject areas, and pedagogical contexts. This is the first time this framework has been …

A Survey Of The Factors Influencing Parents In Michigan To Select Full-Time Cyber Learning For Their Children In Grades K-6, John A. Chandler

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

School choice is a long-standing tradition in the United States. New to the options available to K-12 parents are full-time virtual schools, and this option is an even more recent development for Grades K-6 parents. Very little research exists on why parents are choosing full-time virtual education for their school-aged children, and almost no research exists on why parents of younger children (Grades K-6) are choosing this option. This descriptive, exploratory study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) What factors led parents to enroll their elementary students in a full-time cyber school? (2) Were these factors attributable to …

Selecting Instructional Materials, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

A recent dispute from Columbus, Ohio, that made some national headlines dramatically illustrates what can happen to teachers who fail to preview materials and consequently show inappropriate films or use other media unsuited for student instruction.

The outcome of that case was more dramatic and unusual than in similar cases. Even so, this incident demonstrates that educators in K–12 schools can lose their jobs if they fail to use their discretion and comply with board policies in selecting appropriate materials and subjects for their classes and previewing materials before using them in instructional settings.

Organizational Monitoring Systems And Student Academic Achievement, Adam Swinyard

Education Dissertations

Organizational Monitoring Systems and Student Academic Achievement

By Adam Swinyard

The current context of K-12 education emphasizes a strong focus on standardized test results to inform school improvement planning. Concerns about this phenomena center around the methodology used to determine actions intended to improve student achievement. Some educational experts suggest many schools rely solely on test results to develop school improvement plans (SIPs). Subsequently, solutions often address symptoms rather than foundational issues. As a result, schools fall into a cycle of selecting new initiatives that do not produce sustainable improvements. The concept of becoming a learning organization by using a …

Translating Rich Learning Assessments Into Certified Results And University Selection Devices, Gabrielle Matters

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There are challenges in designing a set of high-quality processes in senior assessment and tertiary entrance that meet the needs of future senior secondary school students and future users of the certified results of learning assessments. Assessment and selection arrangements should look to the future rather than backwards to arrangements that might have existed in the past or that presently operate, unexamined, in other places. Teachers need to be convinced that the richness of students’ learning assessments will not be lost or transmogrified in any new processes for grading or ranking. A set of principles should guide the design of …

The Influence Of Student Mobility On Grade 5 New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge Scores, Kent Antonio Thompson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This cross-sectional, correlational, explanatory study sought to explain the influence of student mobility on the total percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced Proficient (TPAP) on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) on both Grade 5 Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics in 2010-2011. The analysis included simultaneous and hierarchical regression models for student, school, and faculty variables. All data explored in this study pertained to 696 public elementary schools in New Jersey during the 2010-2011 academic year. The results of this study revealed that student mobility had no statistically significant influence on proficiency levels on …

Principals' Outlooks On Suspension Based On Socioeconomic Status, Gender, Years Of Experience, And School Type, Jennifer Ohara

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore socioeconomic status within a school district, the years of experience, school type, and gender of a principal, supervisor, or disciplinarian and the effect that these variables would have on their attitude toward suspension. According to previous research done by Dr. Russell Skiba of Indiana University, high rates of suspension have been due to racial identity. Even after controlling for poverty status, racial disparities do not disappear (Skiba, Michael, & Nardo, 2000). After wanting to understand more on suspension and its future in schools, this study explored the attitudes that principals, supervisors, and …

Can Wearing Headgear Decrease Symptoms Of Concussions Among Soccer Players?, Dustin Payne

Graduate Theses

No abstract was provided.

Mississippi High School Assistant Principals' Perceptions Of Their Readiness To Pursue The Principalship And Factors That Might Influence Readiness, Bennett Teague Burchfield

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if certain factors, as well as the influence of these factors, affect the perceptions of assistant principals’ readiness to pursue the principalship. Mississippi high school assistant principals (n=107) responded to an online questionnaire that gathered personal and professional demographic data and also collected a readiness rating as well as an influence of factors ratings both based on a 5-point Likert scale.

A multiple linear regression was used to predict the readiness of assistant principals to pursue the principalship based on personal and professional factors as well the influence of those …

Online Coursework As Related To Graduation Rates Of At-Risk Students In A Rural Public High School In Bedford County, Tennessee, Robert E. Ralston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement, disciplinary referrals, and attendance of at-risk students in rural Bedford County, TN, prior to and after participation in online coursework. The independent variables were the academic achievement towards successful course completions, disciplinary referrals, and attendance rates of at-risk students. The dependent variable was the participation in online coursework in Bedford County Schools (BCS) Online On-track (OLOT) program. A series of ttests and a chi-square analyses was performed to examine the differences in the mean course completion rates, discipline referrals, attendance rates, and …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Novice And Veteran Elementary Teachers Levels Of Stress And Attitudes Toward Their Profession, Melissa Stukes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the perceptions of novice and veteran teachers’ level of stress and their attitudes toward their profession. Stress may be caused by many different factors. Work related stress is common amongst many people in the work force. In education stress is endured, in some cases on a daily basis. There are many demands put on teachers to ensure student learning. These demands can cause an overwhelming amount of stress for teachers. This stress can have a positive or negative impact on teachers’ attitude toward their profession.

The qualitative research method is the method that was …

What Motivates Middle School Students To Become Better Writers?, Julie Mahoney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is to examine and evaluate adolescents' perspectives on academic writing and investigate ways in which a teacher can motivate these students to become better writers. Common Core curriculum was used along with collaborative, technology-based and independent writing tasks in which students learned how to identify their writing motivations in a variety of writing tasks. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as student surveys, student written work and observations were used to collect data. The data revealed that the students were motivated by writing assignments in which they knew they would present to the class and receive …

Leadership And Decision-Making Skills Of High Poverty Elementary School Principals In An Era Of Reduced Resources, Kevin Eugene Spooner

Dissertations and Theses

Recently, a great deal of interest has been generated around the role of principal and its effectiveness, especially its impact on improving teacher instruction and student learning. Waters, Marzano, and McNulty (2003) concluded that one quarter of all "school effects" on achievement can be attributed to principals. While there is general agreement on the principal's importance and affect, do we understand how principals have adapted to changes in schools with reduced resources and increased learning needs of students? How have principals made decisions in an environment where resources have been reduced over time? Given the stories of retired principals from …

The Influence Of Curriculum Customization On Grade 3 Student Achievement In Language Arts And Mathematics In New Jersey’S 30 Poorest School Districts, Michael Deturo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose for my correlational cross-sectional study was to explore the influences of proximal and distal forces on curriculum development and how it affects student achievement as it pertains to NJ ASK Grade 3. I sought to determine the strength and direction of the relationships between curriculum customization at the local level and student achievement on the NJ ASK 3 in Mathematics and Language Arts. Seventy-four elementary principals were surveyed pertaining to development, design, and implementation of their curriculum.

Culture Of Collaboration: Professional Learning Communities And Collaborative Coaching, Ashley Power

Theses and Dissertations

What effect does cognitive coaching have on the work of a professional learning community? Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in my district can be unfocused and unproductive. This may be due to the lack of collaboration and a culture of isolation among staff within the district. Self-reflection in the form of Cognitive Coaching may be one way to encourage colleagues to become more collaborative. If a culture of collaboration and support develops, this may have an effect on PLC meetings. The research portion of this study was conducted over a span of approximately six weeks. Methods for conducting this study included …

The Impact Of High Stakes Testing On School Leadership, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz describes principals' view of changing classroom environments because of the state of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests. Further, she shares instructional leadership viewpoints of campus principals and proponents and opponents of high-stakes testing. This mixed method study surveyed and interviewed principals from four large school districts in Texas to understand their perceptions of changes in their leadership practices working under accountability practices.