Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Professional Development To Enhance Instructional Leadership And Practice Of Central Office Administrators, Cheryl A. R. Mccue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional Development to Enhance Instructional Leadership and Practice of

Central Office Administrators

by

Cheryl A. R. McCue

M. Ed., Lehigh University, 1990

BS, Kutztown University, 1987

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

June 2016

Decades of research and practice suggest that educational administrators need to experience opportunities for professional development and continuous learning. This project study addressed the problem regarding the lack of a formal or systemic plan for professional development of central office administrators in a large suburban school district in northeastern United States. Supported by Lave …

How Tenure In Higher Education Relates To Faculty Productivity And Retention, Cindy Kay Manjounes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some public university systems are considering abolishing tenure as a cost-saving mechanism, but little is known about how this change may impact organizational outcomes related to faculty retention and research productivity. Using Almendarez' human capital theory, the purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to explore how tenure relates to faculty retention and productivity at a convenience sample of public universities in mid-western states. Qualitative questions focused on faculty perceptions of factors that affected retention and productivity. Quantitative data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and publicly available information from institutions was used to explore questions about relationships …

Teaching Through The Lens Of Humane Education In U.S. Schools, Kristine Cecilia Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Humane education (HE) is a specialized niche in higher education and adult learning. HE provides a curricular framework positioning environmental ethics, animal protection, human rights, media literacy, culture, and change processes as the nexus for understanding and inspiring social change. Research-derived experiences illuminating how educators conceptualize and implement HE in U.S. schools are absent from the scholarly literature. Facing this gap, practitioners and administrators of HE programs cannot access nor apply research-derived practices to inform instruction. To address this gap, a conceptual framework was advanced weaving together HE teaching experience, Freirean philosophy, hyphenated selves, reflection-in-action, transformative learning, and transformative education …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Leadership Practices In Urban Charter Middle Schools, Cherise Cupidore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have noted that educational manager and instructional leadership roles are vital to achieving sustainable student achievement. Ineffective leadership practices may decrease students' academic success and are a continuous concern for educators, especially for those of urban charter schools. The purpose of this study was to explore practices that leaders of urban charter middle schools have implemented to advance their schools from a priority school to a focus school designation. This multiple case study sought to identify and clarify leadership practices of successful leaders in urban charter middle schools. Leithwood and Riehl's core leadership practices model served as the basis …

Differentiation For Content Area Literacy: Middle School Teachers' Perceptions And Practices, Beth Ann Oswald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies support the use of differentiated instruction (DI) to improve literacy in content area classrooms. At the same time, research has found that few teachers implement DI purposefully or consistently. Accordingly, a case study design was used to explore middle school content area teachers' understanding and implementation of DI for content literacy at a site where it is an integral component of the response to intervention (RTI) process. The conceptual framework for this study was principles of differentiation, as defined and discussed by Tomlinson. Research questions were framed to examine how middle school content area teachers defined and implemented …

Best Practices In Literacy Achievement To Address Reading Failure For Elementary Schools In One School District, Roxanne Boyd-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local district in this study has not made adequate yearly progress in the past several years in language arts literacy on state assessments. Particularly problematic were poor reading skills among district students. Poor literacy skills negatively affect student learning across the curriculum. The purpose of this case study was to identify teachers' and administrators' perceptions of best literacy practices, professional development, and administrative decisions regarding literacy learning for primary students in reading at a strong performing elementary school in the district. The target school was selected to help address reading failure for the low-performing schools in this district. Bloom's …

Multiculturalism In United States Higher Education Institutions: The Lived Experiences Of Enrolled International Students, Loretta Arian Ragsdell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2006, international student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions has increased significantly, which has precipitated an increase in the institutions' multiculturalism. A mechanism to facilitate the integration of students of different cultures within a multicultural institution would be valuable to fostering positive educational experiences for all students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was the inclusion of multiculturalism within U.S. higher education institutions. Banks' multiculturalism theory provided the study's conceptual framework. Six international students were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed to answer 2 research questions concerning the lived experiences of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Community Maturity In Catholic Schools, Jane-Marie Fetty Koelsch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Midwestern Catholic schools have implemented professional learning communities (PLCs) to enhance teacher quality and attain school goals. However, not all schools have aligned practices essential to increase maturity in the five PLC dimensions, as defined by Hord. Guided by Hord's framework, this research study investigated teachers' perceptions of PLC maturity in select Catholic schools. A convenience sample allowed an examination of schools engaged in an initiative that included PLCs. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the Professional Learning Communities Assessment - Revised was administered to 42 teachers in 4 schools. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data …

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables In A Rural Elementary School: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation, Patricia Marie Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program is a federally funded program intended to increase public school students' fruit and vegetable consumption. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate the implementation of this program at a rural southwestern Title 1 elementary school to determine teacher perceptions of the program and whether the program met federal goals. Social ecological model and social cognitive theory grounded the investigation. The mixed method design included semi-structured interviews with 11 teachers accompanied by an anonymous web-based open response questionnaire and document reviews. Descriptive statistics were reported for Likert scale survey items and invoice documents …

Exploring Mentoring And Career Advancement: A Community College Case Study, Latonya Steele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior administrators' retirement rates between 2012 and 2022 will create a shortage of community college leaders. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore how the mentoring programs at community colleges may contribute to the career advancement of potential academic leaders for senior leadership positions. Kram's mentor role theory grounded the study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews with a purposeful sample of 3 academic, senior administrative leaders from 3 North Carolina community colleges who have participated in leadership mentoring programs, a review of organizational documents, and a review of the literature. Using Yin's 5 step analytic …

Barriers Faced By Canadian Aboriginal Adults As They Return To Postsecondary School, Robert Lawrence Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aboriginal people in Canada are less likely to complete postsecondary education than are non-Aboriginal people. This lack of education leads to increased rates of unemployment and poverty and the need for additional government supports. The purpose of this project study was to identify and examine barriers faced by Canadian Aboriginal adult students as they return to school for postsecondary education. The conceptual framework for this qualitative study was based on the work of Ertmer, which suggests barriers can be placed into broad categories of extrinsic and intrinsic barriers. A case study design was used with a purposeful sample from a …

Causes And Effects Of Teacher Burnout, Donna Ault Jacobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher burnout is not a new problem; however, with increasing frequency, teacher burnout leads to teacher attrition. Teacher burnout is a problem that affects school districts nationwide because of the financial and academic toll it has on education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teacher burnout, its perceived causes, and its effects in an urban high school in the northeastern United States. The conceptual framework was based on Vygotsky's social development theory. The research questions focused on factors that contribute to teacher burnout and teachers' perceptions of the ways in which their burnout affected instruction as …

Variation Within The “New Latino Diaspora”: A Decade Of Changes Across The United States In The Equitable Participation Of Latina/Os In Higher Education, Deryl K. Hatch, Naomi Mardock Uman, Crystal E. Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This study problematizes the common discourse that rapid and widespread Latina/o demographic growth in the United States is a driving force in realizing higher education equity gains. Using equity indices for students, faculty, and administrative leaders at the state level, we present a portrait of changes in Latina/o participation in higher education over the last decade and propose a classification scheme for understanding variation across states at the intersection of changes in both demographics and equitable participation.

En este estudio se problematiza el discurso común del veloz y extendido crecimiento demográfico latino en los Estados Unidos como promotor de mayor …

“We’Re Still Here … We’Re Not Giving Up”: Black And Latino Men’S Narratives Of Transition To Community College, Beth E. Bukoski, Deryl K. Hatch

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examines masculinity in a manner commensurate with established feminist frameworks to deconstruct a patriarchal system that ill-serves both men and women. Method: We utilized standpoint theory and narrative analysis to examine longitudinal, qualitative data from first-year Black and Latino males as they transition into community college through their second semester. Findings: Positionality is critical to understanding the success of Black and Latino males and their response to institutional structures. In many instances, men leveraged normative constructions of masculinity as aids to their success, and their resilience and confidence were filtered through their perceived development into adults. Conclusion: …

The Persistence Of Working Poor Families In A Changing U.S. Job Market: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Richard J. Torraco

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This article explores the persistence of working poor families in the United States— families that live on the threshold of poverty despite at least one family member working full-time. The persistence of poverty in the United States has been exacerbated by recent changes in the job market that have altered the composition and availability of jobs due to technological unemployment, the polarization of jobs, declining job quality, and stagnation in job growth. The relationships between the persistence of working poor families and these changes in the job market are examined. The article concludes with a review of human resource development …

Early History Of The Fields Of Practice Of Training And Development And Organization Development, Richard J. Torraco

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

The Problem: While the time and place of the birth of the Academy of Human Resource Development are documented, the field of human resource development (HRD) has historical roots that began decades earlier with the emergence of training and development and organization development as fields of practice.

The Solution: This article addresses the early history of training and development and organization development, and begins with the influence of World War II on work-related education and training and ends in the mid-1990s. It traces the origins of the field up to, but not including, the founding of the Academy of Human …

Review Of Anne-Marie Núñez, Sylvia Hurtado, & Emily Calderón Galdeano (Eds.). Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Advancing Research And Transformative Practice, Deryl K. Hatch

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Institutions, just as the people who create them, inevitably change. What we believe describes and drives that change and what it means for everyone involved depends largely on our values and points of reference. In this edited volume, Núñez, Hurtado, and Calderón Galdeano invite readers to question prevailing ontological and epistemological assumptions regarding one of the most widespread, but least understood, institutional changes in higher education in the United States: a proliferation in the number of colleges and universities designated by the federal government as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) that has coincided with the remarkable growth in the Hispanic population. In …

Left Unsaid: The Role Of Work Expectations And Psychological Contracts In Faculty Careers And Departure, Kerryann O’Meara, Jessica Chalk Bennett, Elizabeth Niehaus

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Faculty leave higher education institutions for many reasons, including higher salaries, more prestigious departments, lack of collegiality, a better geographic location, and to be closer to family (O'Meara, Lounder, & Campbell, 2014; Rosser, 2004; Smart, 1990; Xu, 2008). At the same time, research suggests that factors such as a higher salary and a more prestigious department are not really "pull" factors if faculty members are satisfied and thriving within their institution (Matier, 1990; O'Meara, 2014). Rather, faculty become predisposed to leave by virtue of dissatisfaction with certain aspects of their work environment (Daly & Dee, 2006; Johnsrud & Rosser, 2002; …

The Role Of Leadership And Culture In Creating Meaningful Assessment: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Timothy C. Guetterman, Nancy Mitchell

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

With increased demands for institutional accountability and improved student learning, involvement in assessment has become a fundamental role of higher education faculty (Rhodes, 2010). However, faculty members and administrators often question whether assessment efforts do indeed improve student learning (Hutchings, 2010). This mixed methods case study of a faculty inquiry project explored how factors linked to organizational context (Kezar, 2013) are related to commitment to assessment and to use of assessment data by faculty members. Results indicated key best practices, such as developing faculty leaders and communities of practice to exchange ideas. The study provides insights for institutional administrators and …

Unfulfilled Expectations: Influence Of Chinese International Students’ Roommate Relationships On Sense Of Belonging, Christina W. Yao

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Findings from this study indicate that more attention must be given to Chinese students’ interpersonal relationships with domestic students, particularly when considering the role of daily cross-cultural interactions in residential living. Participants who wanted American roommates anticipated an easier transition to U.S. culture. However, making meaningful connections with American students proved to be more challenging than anticipated. Participants reported that cultural differences within their residence hall room led to difficulty with communication and social connections.