Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Black Adolecent Girls' Perceptions Of Dress Code Violations, Pat A. Carpenter

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of Black adolescent girls at Wellington Middle School (pseudonym) regarding dress code policies and the disciplinary actions associated with their attire. Through the analysis of disciplinary data, qualitative interviews, and a review of relevant literature, the research aimed to uncover potential racial biases within dress code policies and their enforcement. Preliminary insights indicated that such measures may contribute to broader patterns of racial discrimination and inequity in the education system, impacting the academic and social development of these students. The study goals were to emphasize the need for policy reforms and advocate for the development …

From Likes To Enrollment: How Social Networking Sites Shape College Decision-Making, David Hermann

Theses and Dissertations

This study applied Chickering and Reisser’s seven vectors of student development (1993), MacMillan’s existential framework (2009), and Chickering and Gamson’s principles for good practice in undergraduate education (1999) as guiding theoretical and conceptual frameworks. These perspectives informed the analysis of voices from young adults in rural communities and explored how recently graduated high school students perceived their use of social networking sites (SNSs) in the college search and decision-making process. I developed five overarching themes from the qualitative data: 1) informational role of social media, 2) visual media and campus impressions, 3) authenticity, peer influence, and human connection, 4) frustrations, …

Enacting Change In Student Support Services To Meet The Needs Of Evolving Student Demographics, Justin Schuch

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the change management leadership strategies employed by Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAOs) to address the needs of an increasingly diverse student population at midwestern institutions of higher education. The change management leadership strategies employed by seven CSAOs to address the mismatch between the increasing diversity of college student populations and the institutions’ readiness to meet these students' diverse needs were drawn from using in-depth interviews, review of enrollment data, and institutional planning documents. The three research questions guiding this study yielded four major themes. The first theme is related to how CSAOs identify areas for development …

Turning The Page On Toxic Friendships: How Stories Can Transform Female Friendships, Ericka Renee Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Relational aggression, subtle behaviors such as gossip, exclusion, and social manipulation, can significantly undermine female students’ sense of belonging, peer relationships, and engagement in school. At Sinclair Intermediate School, Illinois 5Essentials Survey data revealed a sharp decline in peer relationship scores among female students, along with evidence gathered through student interviews, analysis of bullying report forms, and observation from an SEL lesson. This Dissertation in Practice investigates how a targeted intervention, Turning the Page on Toxic Friendships: How Stories Can Transform Female Friendships, can strengthen female peer relationships through bibliotherapy. Grounded in Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate principles and …

Building Student-Teacher Relational Trust Through The Promotion Of Student Voice Initiatives, Scott Scherquist

Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice investigated how student voice initiatives can strengthen student–teacher relational trust within an urban Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade (PreK-8) school serving a predominantly Black student population. Grounded in Khalifa’s (2018) Culturally Responsive School Leadership framework, the study implemented a 90-day cycle of inquiry focused on a three-part pathway intervention: the establishment of a Student Voice Committee, professional development on culturally responsive practices, and Student Consultation for School Change. A convergent mixed methods design was employed, combining two administrations of the 5Essentials Survey with pre- and post-intervention interviews of students and teachers. Findings revealed disparities between student and …

The Senior International Officer: A Sociological Perspective On The Development Of A Higher Education Profession, Mohammad Mansoor Khan

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Internationalization of higher education institutions in the United States has progressed rapidly since World War II. The pace and specifics of this internationalization vary by institution. However, there are some shared characteristics including, but not limited to, increase in student mobility, both inward and outward, exchange of scholars, cross-border research, and internationalization of the curriculum. This increased the institutional administrative burden and necessitated the centralization of internationalization activities under a single administrative unit and led by an individual capable of providing leadership at their institution in the area of higher education internationalization. This individual is recognized as the Senior International …

How Latine College Students Experience, Maneuver, And Navigate Within The Colonizing Notion Of Smartness, Jasmine Jetton-Gonzales

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how Latine college students, particularly those who are the first in their family to attend college, navigate and maneuver within the dominating colonizing notion of smartness in academia. Rooted in an Anglo-centric educational framework, the American education system often marginalizes Latine students by devaluing their cultural and linguistic knowledge while upholding Eurocentric standards of intelligence. Using a qualitative critical research approach, this study employs testimonios to examine the lived experiences of Latine college graduates in Illinois. Findings reveal that Latine students frequently encounter systemic barriers that challenge their academic identity, including racialized perceptions of intelligence, institutionalized deficit …

Cultivating Counter-Stories To Deficit Narrative Of Students: A Literacy Problem Of Practice, Amanda Brown

Theses and Dissertations

In urban schools across the United States, literacy outcomes remain inequitable, especially for BIPOC students and those living in poverty. In District 17, the mandate to rigidly implement a purchased curriculum resource reinforces deficit-oriented views of student ability and limits teachers’ professional agency to adjust instruction based on formative data. As a result, instruction becomes disconnected from student needs and identities, further exacerbating literacy inequities.

Guided by Mintrop’s cycle of inquiry, this qualitative study examined how participation in a 90-day inquiry cycle influenced the narratives teachers constructed about their students’ literacy abilities. Kindergarten through third grade teachers collaboratively planned and …

Lift Every Voice And Lead: Black Men In Educational Leadership: Towards New Theories, Visions, And Understandings, Phillip Smith

GSE Faculty Publications

There has been limited attempts to explore paradigms of educational leadership enacted by Black men. This study draws on previous substantive research to examine the ways in which context, as well as role of leadership identity, values, and culture, inform the leadership experiences of Black men in K-12 school principal or head of school leadership positions—principals and heads of school. The study adopts a qualitative phenomenological approach, use of online descriptive survey, in-depth semi-structured interviews and photo elicitation methods, with 14 Black male school leaders from across the United States, to provide structural and textural descriptions, synthesis of meanings and …

Small And Mighty: Student Affairs At Small Colleges And Universities, Stacy Fisher

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Book Review

Beyond The Glass Ceiling: Career Advancement Strategies For Mid-Level Women In Student Affairs, Jalonda N. Thompson

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the push and pull factors that influence women’s choices to either opt in or opt out of career advancement in student affairs (Coetzee & Moosa, 2020; Harman & Sealy, 2017). Women, specifically Black women, are underrepresented in Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) positions in higher education (American Council of Education, 2024). As the demographics of the United States (US) change, student affairs is at a critical point to foster an inclusive learning environment that reflects the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the US (Lopez, 2006). …

How The Least Restrictive Environment Mandate Is Interpreted By California Special Education Local Plan Agency Directors, Robin Suttle

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines how Special Education Local Plan Agency (SELPA) directors in California interpret and communicate the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The study explores how SELPA directors understand LRE and how this understanding is conveyed to district-level administrators. Data were collected through interviews and document review across selected SELPAs and analyzed thematically using the Boundary Spanning framework. Findings show that SELPA directors view LRE as both a legal obligation and a collaborative, context-dependent process. They act as intermediaries, translating federal and state mandates into locally usable guidance while balancing …

Ground Testing Of A Magnetic-Electrostatic Separation System For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation, Peter Bachle, Charles Wood, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The separation of lunar regolith by mineral composition and size category is useful forin-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The research presented herein discusses the designing and development of equipment that has the potential to separate lunar regolith into aluminum, iron-titanium, and magnesium-iron ores. Along with the metal ore separation, this equipment shows the potential to separate regolith by size categories. The combined effect of these separation methods generates output that is valuable to subsequent use in metal and oxygen extraction, additive manufacturing, and regolith sintering processes. The designed equipment uses a dual-strength magnet system with N42 and N52 neodymium magnets for …

The Effects Of Chronic Absenteeism On Average Daily Attendance Funding In Humboldt County Elementary Schools, Corabelle A. Esmailian

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Chronic absenteeism is linked to poor academic performance and lower social-emotional skills, both of which can have long-term effects on students and their communities. The California Department of Education uses average daily attendance (ADA) to determine most of the funding that public schools receive. When a student is absent, their school loses a portion of potential funding for that day. This study explores chronic absenteeism’s impact on the funding of Humboldt County’s elementary schools with a sequential exploratory research strategy and critical systems lens. Interviews with elementary administrators were conducted using a phenomenological approach to understand how this affects their …

Educator Perceptions Of Crisis Frequency And Levels Of Preparedness In Rural Schools, Misty C. Duncan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Recent national trends, particularly in rural education, highlight the urgent need for enhanced crisis prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of crisis frequency and preparedness among rural educators. Through a survey, data were collected on participants' perceptions of crisis frequency and preparedness across various crisis areas. Preliminary findings revealed a significant gap between the perceived level of preparedness and the actual needs for school safety. Despite some training, the quantity and quality of training received by rural educators varied widely, impacting their preparedness to respond to crises. Moreover, an alarming percentage of educators reported not …

The Virginia Consortium For Teacher Preparation In Blindness And Vision Impairment: Program Overview And Structure, Kimberly Avila, Justin A. Haegele, Annemarie L. Horn, Katelyn Makovec

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Blindness and Vision Impairment (VI Consortium) is a collaborative personnel preparation program consisting of George Mason University (Mason), Old Dominion University (ODU), and Radford University (RU). Funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the VI Consortium trains teachers to work with students who are blind and visually impaired as teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each of our partner universities recruits, advises, enrolls, and confers degrees for teacher candidates. Mason serves as the primary institution, coordinating grants, awarding sub-contracts, developing and leading courses, …

Sport Business And Cosma: Marketing Opportunities, Michael Ross, Reginald Overton, Bob Case, Heather Alderman

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The traditional path and location of sport management programs in Colleges of Education, and specifically physical education programs, is changing. In recent years, sport management programs have moved into Colleges of Business at a fast pace. Sport management courses are also being included in Business School curricula and course offerings. As the identity of sport management programs shifts and changes, what role does the accrediting body, the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), play in the marketing of the old and new sport management programs?

The purpose of this presentation is to examine the continually changing landscape of sport management …

Change Is People: How Faculty, Staff, And Administrators Engage With And Shape A Substantive Organizational Change Process, Karen Bellnier

Open Access Dissertations

Creating substantive organizational change (SOC) in higher education can face numerous challenges including navigating complex sets of rules and relationships, negotiating potentially conflicting perspectives, and balancing the motivations and goals of peers (Engeström, 2018b; Kezar, 2018). Each SOC change agent brings a unique perspective, identity and motivation (Eteläpelto et al., 2013; Gess-Newsome et al., 2003) to their conception of and relationship to the planned change (Hay et al., 2021; Weick, 1995). This dynamic nature makes SOC difficult to conceptualize as a whole - either as a researcher or a change agent - and therefore difficult to understand how change processes …

Stress And Resilience In Higher Education Administrators: Exploring The Role Of Mindfulness, Michael Baumgardner

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation explores stressors experienced by higher education administrators (HEAs) and examines the role of mindfulness practices in mitigating stress and fostering resilience and job satisfaction. HEAs manage essential institutional functions yet face intensifying pressures from volatile funding streams, shifting demographics, changing public perceptions, political and cultural challenges, technological disruptions, and pandemic-related change. Despite HEAs central role in sustaining higher education, limited research examines how these professionals experience stress, and even less has considered mindfulness as a potential resource for coping and resilience.

Guided by a qualitative methodological approach, this study draws on semi-structured, thick description interviews with 18 HEAs …

Editor's Introduction, Emily Allen

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Editor's introduction to Honors in Practice, volume 21 (2025).

"As we head into an uncertain future, let us care for each other and remember that together we are strong."