Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Effects Of Leadership And High-Stakes Testing On The Retention Of Teachers, Amy Krohn Thibodeaux

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether principal leadership behaviors and the demands of high-stakes tests had an impact on teachers’ intent to remain in the teaching profession. Perceptions of teachers concerning the contributing factors that led to their intent to remain in the teaching profession were also examined. Factors included in this study were examined by the researcher in an effort to gain knowledge of what leads to teacher job satisfaction in the teaching profession.

The researcher used a quantitative survey instrument with a qualitative component. The survey instrument was created by the researcher and consisted of …

Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Professional Efficacy, Student And School Performance, And Teacher Absenteeism, Laura Beckham Dana

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among job satisfaction, professional efficacy, student and school performance, and teacher absenteeism in Mississippi. This study also addressed methods that can be used by policymakers to better ensure low rates of absenteeism. The study measured the relationship between teachers’ satisfaction with workplace conditions, socioeconomic status of schools, teacher compensation, professional efficacy, student and school performance, and rates of teacher absenteeism. In addition, the study provided participants with the opportunity to suggest methods that can be used by policymakers to better ensure low rates of absenteeism.

The study involved a mixed …

The Relationship Between Frequency And Functionality Of Professional Learning Communities To Student Achievement, Jack Linton Jr.

Dissertations

The ultimate goal of teacher professional development is to improve student achievement by improving teacher practices. To that end, the literature and research supports the development of professional learning communities as one of the most effective ways to accomplish that goal.

Therefore, the research questions addressed in this study were: (a) Are schools in Mississippi using professional learning communities? (b) To what degree does the principal rate his or her school is functioning as a professional learning community as measured by the School Professional Staff as Learning Community instrument (Hord, 1996)? (c) …

Implications Of Teacher Motivation And Renewal Indicators In Arkansas Toward Professional Growth And Achievement, Lary D. Whitten

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to determine if the teaching population in the state of Arkansas had a more favorable attitude toward specific motivational theories and practices; and to determine if that attitude significantly affected the teacher retention rate and the quality of work produced. The literature reviewed included the role of the school leader, motivational theory, and other relevant studies on teacher motivation. Eight National Board Certified teachers in Arkansas were interviewed about motivation as it related to professional improvement and development. The interviews focused on characteristics that serve as intrinsic motivators toward professional improvement and development and their …

The Danielson Evaluation System In Two Mid- South High Schools: A Case Study, Laura R. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: How do pilot users of the Danielson Evaluation System perceive this model in two mid-south high schools? The study describes the perceptions of teachers and administrators who implemented the Danielson Teacher Evaluation Model. The primary focus was on teachers and administrators experience with the pilot of the new Arkansas Teacher Excellence Support System. In an effort to meet requirements under the ESEA flexibility waiver Arkansas developed a comprehensive evaluation model to meet state and federal accountability standards. Arkansas Department of Education developed a pilot school program in which they were …

The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And Improving Achievement Status In Secondary Schools: A Multiple-Site Case Study, Anne Catherine Butcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For all that is revealed in the research literature identifying and describing traits and behaviors exhibited by principals who make a positive difference in student learning, many schools are still failing. With all we know, how does this continue to happen? The goal of this study was to develop theory to expand and enrich the existing research by defining and describing what three successful principals - a middle school and two junior high schools - did to turn their failing schools around and positively influence the levels of student achievement in their respective schools. The significant contribution this study adds …

Factors Influencing The Academic Achievement And Success Of African American Male Principals In A Midsouth State, Roy C. Turner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A consistent pattern of academic failure among African American (AA) males in our nation's schools has generated a great deal of interest among educational researchers and practitioners. In fact, some studies show that AA males have been labeled as an endangered species. In an effort to reduce this dangerous negative trend, more research needs to be conducted to uncover those factors that contribute to AA males' academic achievement. This study will investigate factors (motivation, parental involvement/family and peer influence, environmental, or social factors) that may have contributed to the academic achievement of AA male principals who have achieved success by …

Effects Of Project-Based Learning Professional Development On 21st-Century Skills, Debra Sue Atwell

College of Education Dissertations

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning effects of project-based learning professional development on 21st-century skills within rural Arkansas settings. The researcher sought to determine if high school teachers, trained in project-based learning in the NTN model, perceived they taught and assessed their students’ 21st-century skills differently than high school teachers not trained in project-based learning under the NTN model.

This casual comparative study was conducted in 20 school districts in Arkansas with a total student population of approximately 11,646 from 6th grade to 12th grade. The 21st-Century Teaching and Learning Survey was used …

Effects Of The National School Meal Option, Provision 2, On Academic Achievement In Literacy And Mathematics, Suzanne Bailey

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to provide research-based information to educational leaders to assist them in making informed decisions relating to the participation in the National School Lunch Special Assistance Provision 2 Meal Option in the state of Arkansas. This study consists of four, rural Arkansas elementary schools that are all at a 70% or higher free-reduced meal status for the qualifying student population. Data were collected from the 2010 ACTAAP test scores from 193 Grade 4 students in literacy and mathematics from the four Arkansas elementary schools. Demographics from the four elementary schools were similar based on free-reduced …

Distributed Leadership In Schools: Conditions For Success, Daniel Noble

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Teacher leadership has always been a necessary part of school dynamics. Through committees, union/administrative negotiations, formal and informal leadership roles, teachers play an important role in the growth and change of an educational institution. The purpose of this study is to examine teacher leadership through the perspective of distributed leadership theory; identify the conditions and components of both schools and administrators that support distributed leadership and identify essential steps to transform leadership practice to a distributed model.

This is a qualitative text analysis of current theoretical papers and relevant research on the subject of distributed leadership. The information was used …

An Examination Of The Role That Academic, Athletic, And Social Integration Play In The First-Year Freshman Student Athlete Experience, Adam Mcfarlane

All Dissertations

The focus on student athlete experiences continues to be a growing area of inquiry for researchers in higher education. While much of the focus for student athletes is on their academic performance in relation to their retention and persistence, there is an increasing concern for educational administrators to understand the experiences of student athletes in higher education settings. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the student athlete experience in higher education. To capture an understanding of the student athlete experience, the researcher asked: How do academic, athletic, and social experiences integrate to affect the freshman student athlete …

Wsu Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, May 1-2, 2014

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on May 1-2, 2014.

Understanding Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying And Effectiveness Of An Anti-Bullying Policy: A Case Study Of Suburban High School Teachers In The Southwestern U.S., James Isom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to understand teacher perceptions of bullying and the effectiveness of the current anti-bullying policy of a suburban district in the southwestern U.S. Teacher perceptions will be generally defined as what teachers personally believe about bullying and how they perceive the effectiveness of the district's anti-bullying policy. Data was collected from three sources, interviews, teacher journals, and observations. Cross case synthesis was used to treat each case separately and then combine identified themes across cases. Data showed that teachers perceive the policy to be somewhat effective. However, significant gaps exist that need to be …

The Effect Of Student Conduct Practices On Student Development In Christian Higher Education, Mark Hyde

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student development professionals seek to address student behavior in a manner that facilitates whole student development and whole community development. Traditional student conduct models focus on addressing the behavior of the offending student through punitive sanctions. Restorative justice focuses on repairing the harm caused to the community and how the offender can restore trust. This study asks the question what student conduct practice produces greater student development outcomes at a Christian institute of higher education. This study used static group comparison to identify if there are statistically significant differences in student development outcomes generated by student conduct practices at a …

Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity As A Protective Factor In The Context Of Risk: A Moderator Model Predicting Institutional Commitment, Brianne Kilbourne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental correlational study was to determine if cumulative risk is associated with undergraduate student institutional commitment. Additionally, moderate to vigorous physical activity was investigated as a moderator of the association between cumulative risk and institutional commitment, specifically serving as a protective factor for students experiencing high levels of cumulative risk factors. Data were collected through anonymous, online surveys from a convenience sample of undergraduate students enrolled at a large, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)-accredited, 4-year private university located in Virginia. The statistical program, SPSS 22.0 (2013) was used to analyze the descriptive analysis …

Persistence Among African-American Males In The Honors College, Johnell Roxann Anderson Goins

Dissertations

Retaining African American students, specifically African American males, is an issue that plagues the American higher education system. Research shows that African American male students are the lowest represented group in the gifted studies programs (Ford, 2010). Lockie and Burke (1999); Chen and DeJardins (2010) and Bell (2010a) found that barriers to African American male retention in higher education include but are not limited to the following: financial assistance, the battle of the two-self concept, lack of mentoring/advising, low expectations from faculty, and alienation. In an effort to remove these barriers, institutions have implemented retention strategies such as more faculty …

School Principals' Perceptions Of Bilingual Education And Their Relation To English Language Learners' 8th Grade Reading Performance On Staar, Imelda Mares

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research examined school principals’ perceptions of bilingual education to determine whether perceptions were a function of gender, age, years of experience, level of academic knowledge of bilingual education, and language discourse or bilingualism. Moreover, this study explored whether principals’ perceptions of bilingual education were related to English language learners’ 8th grade reading performance as measured by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Thirty-one middle and high school principals in five school districts from south Texas and one district from southeast Texas responded to an electronic survey that solicited demographic information, perceptions of bilingual education, and academic …

Lottery Tuition Assistance As A Predictor Of Retention At A Public Two-Year College, Joel Darby Welch

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between unmet financial need, lottery tuition assistance and retention. This study considered whether unmet financial need served as a predictor of retention and how the addition of lottery tuition assistance (LTA) to a financial aid package reduced unmet financial need. Retention was defined as a student who started in Fall, 2008 and returned in Fall, 2009.The two-year college, Greenville Technical College, considered in this study was a mid-size, public, two-year college in the southeastern United States.

A secondary data sources was used in the study of first time students taking …

A Computational Model Of Memetic Evolution: Optimizing Collective Intelligence, Noah Welsh

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to create an adaptive agent based simulation modeling the processes of creative collaboration. This model aided in the development of a new evolutionary based framework through which education scholars, academics, and professionals in all disciplines and industries can work to optimize their collective ability to find creative solutions to complex problems. The basic premise follows that the process of idea exchange, parallels the role sexual reproduction in biological evolution and is essential to society's collective ability to solve complex problems. The study outlined a set of assumptions used to develop a new theory of …

Autoethnography And Teacher Education: Snapshot Stories Of Cultural Encounter, Maureen F. Legge

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper I discuss how I framed and wrote an autoethnographic personal narrative of my lived experience as a New Zealand physical education teacher educator in the presence of two cultures, Māori and Pākehā. Central to my qualitative study was writing as a method of inquiry. Using this method I wrote a series of descriptive ‘snapshot stories’ derived from field experiences, over an 11 year period, that involved close and prolonged encounters with physical education teacher education (PETE) students in tertiary classrooms and 4 day marae stays. The storied accounts served as data for self-reflexivity about my role as …