Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Where Joy Lives: Black Students, Faculty, And Staff At Pwis, Chyna Hart

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Matriculating into Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) can be challenging for Black students due to racism. However, Black faculty and staff play an important role in combating these challenges and creating supportive and joyful spaces for these students. Using Narrative Inquiry, this study examined the role that Black faculty and staff played in fostering Black Joy for Black students at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs). Participants were self-identified Black students, faculty, and staff who are 18 years or older and were affiliated with a mid-size four-year PWI in the northeastern region of the United States. The study utilized two data collecting instruments …

The Retrograde Pendulum: Reversing Course On Standards-Based Grading, Jay C. Percell

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This commentary details one large, suburban school district that, after a decade-long commitment to implementing standards-based grading (SBG), reversed course, abandoned the initiative, and returned to traditional grading. This article provides a postmortem of the ambitious reform effort, drawing upon previous research and recent district survey data from teachers and parents. Among the factors leading to the reform's reversal are that, despite a carefully planned, multi-year rollout, the initiative was unable to resolve persistent concerns about implementation inconsistency, student motivation, and the technology reporting platform. Internal pressures were exacerbated by external turmoil, including personnel turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic, and …

Exploring The Relationship Between Principal Instructional Leadership Practices And Student Achievement In Rural Schools, Moneak Mccrary

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the distribution of College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) content mastery scores and investigate the relationship between principal instructional leadership practices and student achievement in rural Georgia middle schools. To this end, we analyzed differences in CCRPI content mastery scores based on school rurality and geographic region and compared principal instructional leadership practices in higher- and lower-performing schools. Hallinger’s (1983) Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) was used to assess three dimensions of instructional leadership: Defining the School Mission, Managing the Instructional Program, and Developing the School Learning Climate. The …

Student Codes Of Conduct, Institutional Isomorphism, And Restorative Justice: Practice And Implementation In The State University Of New York (Suny) System, Alexandra Athens

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The student conduct field constantly must balance the legal requirements of the federal and state governments with providing an educational environment for students to learn and develop valuable skills in conflict management, problem solving, and communication. Each higher education institution has a student code of conduct detailing the policies and procedures by which students are expected to abide. These codes of conduct carefully combine the legal requirements and educational goals of each institution’s conduct office. This study analyzed the prevalence of restorative justice practices and other common practices in the codes of conduct at 4-year institutions in the State University …

Understanding Support And Success: A Cross-Group Analysis Of Student Support Services And Nontraditional Graduate Student Experience, Erica Shudt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study explored how nontraditional graduate students perceive their experiences with student support services within a Research 1, public university. The purpose of this study was to understand how these services impact their overall academic experience. Findings from semi-structured interviews with nontraditional graduate students and student support staff using a qualitative approach revealed four themes. These themes included (1) a shared emphasis on connection and belonging, (2) flexibility as a foundation for support and success, (3) individualized student-centered support, and (4) the acknowledgement of nontraditional student support identity. Both groups identify that meaningful support is within relationships with faculty and …

Not Just Cheap Labor: A Critical Mixed Methods Assessment Of Working Learner Supervision To Advance Equitable Work-Integrated Learning, Jonathan D. Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how supervisory relationships shape the quality of on-campus student employment (OCSE) as a work-integrated learning (WIL) experience, with particular attention to the experiences of working learners (i.e., student employees). Situated in response to growing student demand for meaningful, career-relevant work opportunities in college, the study investigates how universities can leverage existing OCSE roles to expand access to WIL. Using a mixed methods explanatory social justice design, the research integrates working learner responses (N = 478) to the Student Supervisor Support Measure with interviews of students and supervisors in relationships characterized as both supportive and cross-identity.

Survey …

Ai Policy In Virginia Public Schools: A Comparative Analysis, Jesse Senechal, Jamelle Simmons, Jonathan D. Becker, Melissa Ware, Michael Broda, Kindy Anderson, Eric Byers, Kiana Bradford, Thea Racelis, Meleah Ellison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy review explores policy implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in Virginia public schools. It is part of a two part series with a companion report focused on AI implications for PK-12 teaching and learning. The report has two parts:

1. A review of the AI policy landscape around PK-12 education
2. Virginia AI policy analysis

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for PK-12 policy and practice.

Ai In Pk-12 Education: Implications For Teaching And Learning, David Naff, Meleah Ellison, Casey Bailey, Tzu-Wei Wang, Kiana Bradford

MERC Publications

This research and policy review from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and learning in public PK-12 education. It is part of a two part series with a companion report focused on AI implications for PK-12 policy. The report explores two questions:

1. How is AI shaping teaching and instructional practice?
2. How is AI shaping student learning and development?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for PK-12 policy and practice.

Assistant Principals’ Perspectives And Experiences Concerning Their Influence As Instructional Leaders On Student Achievement In Title I Schools, Courtney J. Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive study explored the perspectives and experiences of assistant principals in Title I schools in the context of their instructional leadership responsibilities. The study examined the relationship between assistant principals as instructional leaders in Title I schools and student achievement by addressing research questions related to curriculum implementation, data-driven decisions, school culture, instructional support, and professional development. Moreover, this study used purposeful sampling to select 13 assistant principals from Title I schools, and data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Marzano’s focused school leader evaluation model served as the framework for interview questions. …

Instruction Vs. Infrastructure: Asymmetric Returns In U.S. Higher Education, Shaibu Yahaya

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Despite massive increases in funding, U.S. higher education degree output has stagnated—a paradox often attributed to external cost pressures like Baumol’s cost disease. This paper tests an alternative hypothesis: that internal resource misallocation, specifically the accumulation of noninstructional liabilities, actively crowds out educational productivity. Using a panel of 26,603 institution-year observations, I estimate the university production function via a fixed-effects Poisson specification, adjusting all financial inputs using the Higher Education Price Index. The results expose a stark asymmetry in productive returns: a 10% increase in instructional spending drives a 1.76% increase in degree production (β = 0.176). In contrast, the …

College Vs. Career School Counseling: How Role Differentiation Shapes Student Postsecondary Expectations And Outcomes, Sam Luby

Journal of College Access

This study examines how high school counselor role differentiation, specifically college preparation and workforce readiness, relates to students’ postsecondary expectations (2012) and early outcomes (2016) using nationally representative data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). Multinomial logistic regression models controlling for academic achievement and socioeconomic factors indicate that the presence of college-preparation counselors significantly reduces the likelihood of students entering the workforce without postsecondary enrollment.

Workforce-preparation roles show no statistically significant association with postsecondary outcomes, though they are more common in schools serving higher-need populations. Academic performance and poverty status remain strong predictors across models. Findings underscore …

The Impact Of Test-Optional Policy On Private College Admissions During The Covid-19, Anna Kye, Meng-Jia Wu

Journal of College Access

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of higher education, including college admissions processes. Since 2020, numerous universities and colleges have adopted test-optional policies, allowing applicants to decide whether to submit standardized test scores. Although such policies have been in place at some institutions since 1998, research on their associations with student diversity and enrollment patterns has produced mixed findings. The widespread adoption of test-optional policies during the pandemic presents an opportunity to further examine their role in admissions. This study draws on admission data from a four-year, nonprofit, private university in the Midwest and uses logistic regression to explore patterns …

State Of The University Annual Report - 2025-2026, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

Office of the President State of the University Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Narrating Institutional Becoming: Faith, Leadership, And Identity Reconstruction During A College-To-University Transition, Viviene H. Dyer

Dissertations

Problem

The contributions of faith-based higher education institutions to the tertiary landscape in small island developing states are insufficiently addressed in the scholarly literature. Consequently, there is limited understanding of how these institutions navigate organizational transitions and respond to capacity gaps that the public sector is unable to fill within dynamic cultural and regulatory environments. This gap is especially evident for Seventh-day Adventist institutions, whose efforts to preserve mission and identity during periods of institutional change remain underexamined and poorly documented.

Purpose

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to examine how university administrators influenced the development and ongoing …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Board Chairs Toward Governance In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools Across Canada, Shad Lehmann

Dissertations

Problem

There is limited understanding of how school board chairs within the Canadian Seventh-day Adventist education system perceive and carry out their leadership and governance roles. The role of the board chair is complex, involving oversight of the organization, adherence to denominational policies, and alignment with the school’s academic and spiritual missions. Although effective governance is vital for school success, there remains a lack of clarity about how board chairs interpret their roles, fulfill their responsibilities, and navigate the unique demands of faith-based school leadership. This gap in understanding restricts the system’s ability to provide appropriate training, support, and clear …

A Case Study Of California Postsecondary Faculty Collaboration On Rubric Development To Foster Student Learning, Emmanuel Kwadwo Frimpong

Dissertations

Although perceived as the ‘gold standard’ strategy for conquering complex problems, collaboration can be ignored by intellectuals who prefer to work independently. This oversight may occur even in the face of challenging problems such as assessment of scholarships, institutional effectiveness, strategizing, and even the crafting of effective rubrics for assessing student learning. The scholarly literature clearly reveals that real difficulties often refuse to respond to routine assignments or common bureaucratic patterns. Additionally, 21st century conflicts may require creative solutions involving interdependence, joining of forces and brains, or vision sharing. Effective assessment of student learning within higher education may reflect just …

Burnout Among Licensed Central Office Administrators In Illinois School Districts: A Quantitative Study, Ivone De Jesus

Dissertations of Practice

Burnout among educational leaders is well documented; however, limited empirical research has focused on central office administrators. This study examined burnout among licensed central office administrators in Illinois school districts, focusing on self-reported levels of burnout and associated organizational stressors. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources model, burnout was conceptualized as a systemic organizational phenomenon shaped by workplace conditions. A cross-sectional survey was administered to licensed central office administrators across Illinois public school districts. Descriptive analyses assessed burnout prevalence, while correlational analyses examined relationships among burnout, organizational stressors, and coping strategies. Results indicated that burnout was common and multidimensional, with organizational …

Measuring Academic Momentum: A Quantitative Study Of Supplemental Instruction As A Community College Student Support Strategy, Cornelia Slater

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT

MEASURING ACADEMIC MOMENTUM: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION AS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE

STUDENT SUPPORT STRATEGY

Cornelia Vanessa Slater, Ed.D.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Northern Illinois University, 2026

Quortne R. Hutchings, Director

Community colleges serve as critical access points to higher education for diverse populations of students where completion rates are an ongoing challenge. Supplemental Instruction have been used as an academic intervention to improve success largely in four-year institutions. This quantitative study, guided by Xueli Wang’s momentum theory analyzed two research questions: (1) how supplemental instruction (SI) participation is associated with student academic success, course retention …

We See You! Mentorship Matters: Female Superintendents' Experiences In Illinois, Nicole Maxwell-Aldred

Dissertations of Practice

The purpose of the study was to examine female superintendents' lived experiences with mentoring and the impact it had on their trajectory to the position. Thirteen semi-structured qualitative interviews from a phenomenological lens who are currently women superintendents in the northern portion of Illinois. The results of this study shows the impact of mentorship along the way to the superintendency, once in the role, and the need to pay it forward. Gender dynamics had an impact on women across time. Additionally this research amplified women’s voices, provided deeper understanding of women's experience with mentorship, and added to the body of …

Educator Understanding Of Mtss: A Quantitative Descriptive Study, Danielle Valiente

Dissertations of Practice

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) require coordinated implementation across the full educator workforce. This study examined MTSS knowledge and self-reported understanding across the Illinois educator workforce to identify the specific knowledge gaps a targeted professional learning solution would need to address. Using a quantitative descriptive design, 208 Illinois public school educators across 16 job roles and four experience bands completed an online survey consisting of an eleven-item true/false knowledge assessment, a ten-item multiple-choice knowledge assessment, and a 10-item Likert self-report inventory. Data were disaggregated by job role and by years of professional experience. Educators demonstrated strong understanding of MTSS structural …