Educational Leadership Commons^™

Examining Diversity And The Role And Influence Of Post-Secondary Faculty At A Predominantly White Institution In Tennessee: A Critical Race Case Analysis, Lanell Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, critical race analysis study is to explore how White faculty conceptualize and apply critical race theory (CRT) and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to curricula within a college of education and how the perceptions of their students’ identities influence specific pedagogical decisions. The researcher sought to extend the research on CRT in education by analyzing specific, detailed cases and incorporating purposeful sampling by selecting participants who match specific study criteria, i.e. graduate-level White faculty located in Tennessee who teach in programs of education.

This study was limited to six faculty in a college of education (in …

The Contribution Of Early Postsecondary Opportunities To Retention And Graduation Rates At One Community College In Tennessee, Joe Wingate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative, comparative study was to determine whether there were significant differences in fall-to-fall retention and graduation rates, between first-time, full-time students who engaged in at least one early post-secondary opportunity (EPSO) while in high school and those who did not. Archival data for this study were collected from the participating community college between 2015 and 2018. The sample for this study included 2,911 students enrolled in academic programs at the community college and included retention rates and graduation rates for students who participated in EPSOs (N = 622) and those who did not participate in …

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Instructor Perceptions Of Instructional Delivery In A Virtual Environment, John Derek Faulconer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors at the secondary level as they adapted to teaching in a virtual environment during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although the literature indicated that the delivery method for the content and curriculum aligned to Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps was best suited for face-to-face instruction, no evidence existed to indicate cadet overall success based on the implementation by virtual delivery, using one or multiple online platforms. The objective of each JROTC Program is to ensure that cadets successfully complete the program with advanced …

Examining How Black Administrator Employment Decisions Are Impacted By The Behaviors Of Supervisors, Annie Wilson Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Black, public school administrator employment decisions are impacted by the behaviors of supervisors in Virginia. Commonalities among the lived experiences of Black, public school administrators were examined in order to identify specific behaviors which impact employment decisions.

Transcendental phenomenological qualitative research design was utilized. Participants were identified through gatekeeper introductions and then narrowed through snow-ball sampling. Data was collected through open-ended face-to-face interviews with 12 Black, public school administrators in Virginia via a secure online platform. The data was analyzed in order to identify emergent themes which represent the lived …

Academic Performance Among First-Year College Freshmen Following Participation In A Summer Bridge Program, Gregory Anderson Cross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the academic outcomes of first-year academically underprepared TN Promise-eligible college freshmen who participated in a college bridge program. A comparative research design was applied to existing data, including first-semester GPA, first-semester credit completion rate, first college-level mathematics course GPA, first college-level English course GPA, and fall-to-fall persistence rates. A random sample of 412 first-time freshman college students from five cohorts was analyzed using descriptive statistics for eight research questions. These findings indicated that there were no significant differences among college bridge participants and non-bridge participants. Non-bridge program participants …

Improving The Beginning Teacher Induction Program Experience For African American Teachers Within The Green Pastures School District: An Applied Study, Uvonda Marie Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to improve the BTI program for African American teachers in the Green Pastures School District by gathering information on the BTI program and formulating solutions. A multimethod design was used consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach was semi-structured interviews with district and school site administrators. The second approach was conducting a focus group with African American beginning teachers. The third approach involved the development of a survey completed by district and school site administrators and African American beginning teachers. Based on the findings, this applied study identified several recommendations …

Participation In Collision, Contact, And Noncontact Sports And Academic Outcomes At A United States Service Academy, Benjamin Thomas Showman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study seeks to determine whether significant differences exist in the academic outcomes, specifically grade point averages (GPA), between college students who participate in collision, contact, or noncontact sports. Additionally, this study seeks to understand whether sport contact levels are predictive of a student’s GPA when sport competition levels and demographic variables are also taken into account. Current research suggests links between sports participation, aggression, brain injuries, and academic outcomes. Along these lines, a significant amount of research has investigated relationships between student aggression and academic outcomes, between aggression and sport contact levels, and between sports participation and academic …

The Future Of Higher Education For Land-Grant Institutions: Considerations Beyond Short-Term Strategic Planning, Andrew Edmunds

All Dissertations

This research addresses future challenges for land-grant universities and calls on administrators to look beyond short-term strategic planning. Chapter One frames the research problem and presents a brief history of U.S. higher education defined by disruption and evolution. Statistical models provide a basis to identify future challenges for land-grant universities. I then propose to address those challenges by investigating University Industry Partnerships (UIP), increasing research productivity, and fostering sense of belonging for part-time graduate students. I use a systematic literature review of UIP structuring practices to reveal how UIPs are structured by time, personnel, and flexible horizontal organizational structures. I …

How Transformative Leaders Break Down Barriers To Increase Access To Arts Integration For Black And Hispanic Students: A Multiple Case Study, Julia Mcclanahan

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how transformative leaders break down barriers to increase access to arts integration for Black and Hispanic students. To fulfill this purpose, I conducted a multiple case study of two school sites in two different school districts. I collected the data for the cases through interviews with the principal of each school, interviews with two teachers from each site, field notes from site visits, and documents and artifacts from each site. This study is significant because the data provides transformative leaders with an action plan in order to make arts-integrated programs more equitable …

A Quantitative Study To Examine The Relationship Between School Administrators’ Path-Goal Approach And Teachers’ Perceived Working Conditions, Tierra Stark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between school administrators' path-goal approach to leadership and their teachers' perceptions of working conditions. Findings from this research may help school administrators and leadership preparation programs to understand better the application of theories related to motivation, leveraging power, and goal attainment. The conceptual framework behind this study was the inherent inclinations of school administrators in approaching leadership decisions from four pathways; directive, supportive, participative, and/or achievement-oriented.

For use in statistical analysis through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), data were collected via a questionnaire to currently practicing …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementation And Outcomes Of Trauma-Informed Care Training In Three Appalachian Elementary Schools, Jeannie Guess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the perceptions of the impact of trauma-informed care training in three Appalachian elementary schools. Childhood adversity can negatively affect a student’s experience in the classroom (van der Kolk, 2014; Ogata, 2019) with findings showing an estimate of one half to two-thirds of children experiencing at least one traumatic event before the age of 18 (CDC, 2016; Finkelhor, 2015; McInerney & McKlindon, 2021). Trauma, an event or occurrence that causes great distress by exposure to physical or psychological abuse, violence, crime, has been linked to academic failure, various illnesses, both physical …

The Impact Of Mentoring In Closing The Achievement Gap For Black Male Students At A Predominantly White University In Tennessee, Patricia Waire Harlan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study addressed the factors of an institutionalized peer to peer mentoring program that fostered academic success and persistence among Black male students graduating from a predominantly White four-year public university in Tennessee through the lens of the critical race theory. Data was gathered through face-to-face, open-ended, semi-structured interviews via Zoom with twelve participants that graduated between 2014 and 2022. Study participants were grouped into group 1 as those Black male students that were not impacted by the global pandemic and group 2 as those Black male students that were impacted by the global pandemic. Emerging themes and categories …

May 2022 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

On April 29, Dr. Diane Lovell was inaugurated as the 18th President of Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Servant Leadership And Teacher Stressors: A Qualitative Study, Stephanie Lynn Summerford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accountability practices increase teacher stress, restrict classroom autonomy, and force many teachers out of the field of education at alarming rates. Does a relationship exist between leaders who demonstrate perceived servant leadership characteristics and teachers’ stress levels when faced with change and increased accountability? For this study, servant leadership was defined using the seven key dimensions of servant leadership identified by Ehrhart (2004) and Liden, Wayne, Zhao, and Henderson (2008). Teacher stress was defined “as the experience by a teacher of unpleasant emotions resulting from aspects of their work as a teacher (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2016, as cited in Collie, …

Black Male Educators Matter: Modeling And Expectations In K-12 Settings, Denelle Wallace, Linda Bol, Kendra Hall, Erin Cousins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In light of the teacher shortage and increased emphasis on diversifying the educator workforce, the recruitment and retention of Black male educators is critical. The researchers focused on how these educators perceive their impact as role models and what others expect from them in K-12 contexts. The researchers administered questionnaires (N=38) and conducted interviews (N=11). Most educators considered themselves to be positive role models, especially for Black students. Expectations about their responsibilities as disciplinarians were positive unless imposed by race or at the expense of perceived academic skills. They needed to prove themselves with respect to academic qualifications. Interpersonal relationships …

Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports Effectiveness In Southeastern Ohio, Kacey Ryan Cottrill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how leadership implemented the positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework and what conclusions could be ascertained from implementing it. Leadership in southeastern Ohio districts was examined to understand how they used PBIS and if PBIS made significant differences before and after implementation. The comparison included demographically diverse areas (urban, suburban, rural) in southeastern Ohio. PBIS implementation was measured with the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET) administered to district administrators. The resulting data from the SET and Ohio assessment scores showed no significant difference in PBIS implementation and fourth-grade reading scores of …

Instructional Staff Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Leadership, Sherrell J. Hendrix

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The rise of accountability standards has resulted in an increase of attention regarding the academic achievement of minority student populations. Instructional leadership styles that operate within frameworks that specifically address race and ethnicity have been shown to be positively correlated with academic outcomes of both majority and minority student populations. Culturally responsive leadership is one of these frameworks. While the literature offers a robust vision of the behaviors and subsequent results of culturally responsive leadership, we do not yet know the perceptions held by instructional staff regarding the culturally responsive leadership of their school leader. This lack of knowledge can …

Experiential Learning Through Participatory Action Research In An Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Program, Jessica L. Franks, Stephanie D. Baumann, Marvin So, Angela M. Miles, Jorge M. Verlenden, Teal Benevides, Mark Crenshaw, Stephen Truscott, Daniel Crimmins

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Experience in multidisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers, leaders in public health, and educators is essential to effectively address the diverse needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.

Purpose: We describe three participatory action research (PAR) projects from an interdisciplinary training program, which used experiential learning to enhance leadership competencies and promote inclusive services. Trainees report their leadership growth as providers and advocates for children with I/DD using experiential learning through PAR.

Approach: Trainees discuss their engagement with organizations serving children with I/DD and ways that experiential learning supported leadership skill development, …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, April 29, 2022

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on April 29, 2022.