Educational Leadership Commons^™

It's Not Just About The Technology: Changing The Focus From Technology To Collaboration In Videoconferencing Room Design, Tamela W. Smith

Dissertations

Videoconferencing technologies are being increasingly utilized in today’s business and educational environments. However, implementation rates continue to be lower than projected, and user perceptions on the level of collaborative environment provided by videoconferencing rooms vary widely, depending on room design. This study found that, while few videoconferencing professional characteristics impact the level of collaborative environment designed for end-users, the perceived closeness levels provided to end-users significantly impacted their perceptions on the technology. The study also found that videoconferencing professionals’ views and end-users’ views on the level of collaboration within videoconferencing environments vary significantly. By shifting the design of videoconferencing rooms …

A Historical Snapshot On The Progression Of Educational And Social Opportunities For Mexican American Students In The San Benito Public School System, 1909-2009, Marco Antonio Lara, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigates the barriers Mexican American students encountered in educational and social opportunities within the San Benito Public School System from 1909 to 2009. This qualitative research study was organized chronologically by collecting information on the city, school district, and students who attended the San Benito Public School System. Personal and telephone interviews, as well as emailed questionnaires/surveys were used to gather firsthand information from former students, and current/former teachers, administrators, and board member of the district. A review of school board minutes, high school yearbooks, newspaper articles, books, and other related materials were also included for use in …

Culturally Proficient Teachers, Lori R. Piowlski

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Action needs to be taken by teacher preparation programs to prepare culturally proficient educators who are able to deliver equitable instruction and inspire all students to strive for greatness if the achievement gap is to be closed. Existing literature mainly describes the importance and urgency to prepare future teachers for the changing demographics with classrooms across the United States. There is not significant literature on how it is being done. Therefore the purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how university teacher education programs are preparing teachers to be culturally proficient. A cross-reference of data collected from Adequate Yearly …

A Phenomenology Of Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of The Characteristics Of Effective Schools: Working Toward A Shared Vision, William Sroufe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research conducted at schools that have outperformed their counterparts points to specific characteristics that make them successful. These characteristics brought about the development of the effective schools correlates by Ronald Edmonds (1979). Various people from across the United States and in various occupations perceive these correlates differently (Sorenson, Goldsmith, Mendez, & Maxwell, 2011). Effective school research focuses school improvement on the variables that are within the control of educators and have the greatest potential to impact student achievement (Vaughn, Gill, & Sherman, 2009). Research surrounding effective schools concentrates on the seven effective school correlates: (a) clear school mission, (b) high …

Everything Rises And Falls On Leadership: An Assessment Of Undergraduate Leadership Development Programs At The University Of Arkansas - Fayetteville, Louis Anthony Love

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today's students are the leaders of tomorrow, and their ability to lead in the 21st century will be critical to the sustainability of life, and the nation's ability to prosper will depend on the quality of leadership demonstrated at all levels of society. Student leadership development in institutions of higher education has never been more vital than it is today. In order to provide society with excellent and effective leadership that will be capable of handling unprecedented domestic and global economic and medical crises, as well as properly managing technological advancements, institutions of higher education must invest in the development …

Principal And Teacher Beliefs About Leadership Implications For Student Performance, Jerri Cherita Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine whether the leadership style of principals affects teacher and student performance. The study includes an elementary, middle, and high school principal along with two teachers from each school who worked at schools that were in good standing from 2007-2011. Each school made adequate yearly progress (AYP) each year according to the No Child Left Behind Status History Report. This study examined one over arching research question: What do principals and teachers say about school and schooling? Data for this study was gathered through principal interviews, teacher interviews, and the results of an …

The Relationship Between Aspects Of Supervision And School Counselor Self-Efficacy, Daniel Cinotti

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study of school counselors was to examine the relationship between aspects of supervision and self-efficacy. Satisfaction with supervision, the presence of noncounseling supervisors, role conflict, and role ambiguity were examined in relation to school counselors’ feelings of self-efficacy. The study also included previously established individual factors related to school counselor self-efficacy including gender, years of experience, teaching experience, and training and use of the ASCA National Model. A multiple regression was used to create a predictor model for school counselor self-efficacy using these supervisory and individual factors. Supplemental analysis examined factors that predicted use of the …

Adult Sibling Grief In The Eleven Years After September 11, 2001, Vincent S. Vigilione

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This is a qualitative study probing the lived experience of 11 individuals (Siblings of 9/11) who lost their siblings in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The study is grief-oriented with a focus on 1) the journey of 11 years from the initial tragedy and loss; 2) the grief process relative to such a publicized and memorialized event; 3) the ambiguous nature of the loss as it pertains to the Siblings of 9/11 and 4) the mean-making these individuals have established over their 11 year journeys.

Main findings: 1) Ambiguity in the grief process was quite common in the …

Music Matters: Improving Practice In Music Education Among Early Childhood Educators In A Reggio-Inspired Climate, Susanne Finch Burgess

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Experts agree: music matters. It is fundamental to the human condition. Studies confirm its particular importance throughout early childhood, and yet, for most American preschool children high quality, developmentally appropriate music instruction is missing from their daily preschool experience. The purpose of this collective case study was to describe and interpret the impact of a site-specific, school-wide collaboration in music education on the attitudes and practices of twelve early childhood practitioners working together in a Reggio-inspired preschool setting. The research questions this study sought to answer were: Research Question One: How does the collaboration impact the attitudes practitioners have regarding …

Braxton Bragg On Leadership: A Historical Case Study On Leader-Member Exchange In The Army Of Tennessee, Robert Daniel Stinson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This historical case study was designed to analyze and describe the quality of the relationships between one historical, military commander, GEN Braxton Bragg, commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, and his senior lieutenants, through the lens of a contemporary, relationship-centered model of leadership dynamics, Leader-Member Exchange (LMX). The results of this research fill a void in the examination of historical leadership in light of contemporary theoretical frameworks. In addition, this study enables organizational leaders, from a variety of contexts, to identify the various dynamics between leader-member relationships that influence perceptions of organizational justice, trust, and loyalty. The literature review …

2013-04-30 Executive Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Executive Council Meeting Minutes for April 30, 2013.

Self-Organizing: From Child’S Play To An Effective Wellness Program, Francisco Guajardo, Brian J. Warren, Lin Wang

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This article examines the exercise practices of a group of faculty members at a regional university who for a decade have participated in their own racquetball league. These professors self-organized their exercise regimen and during the period of their participation have found significant benefits beyond the physical benefits, as a result. Through the production of reflective narratives focused on the impact of their racquetball participation, their self-reported data show two broad themes and numerous sub-themes that emerge from their exercise experience. They reveal significant health benefits, and they express more deeply the benefits of the positive social interaction that impacts …

Improving Principal Quality For Schools With English Learners: Reculturing Instructional Leadership [Aera Paper], Noni Reis, Barbara Flores

Faculty Publications

In this paper we draw attention to the importance of school leadership on the academic achievement of English Learners. Furthermore, we suggest that school leaders can play a key role in advocating for equitable policies that will improve the academic achievement of English learners. For within-school factors related to student achievement, school leadership quality is second only to the effects of the quality of curriculum and teacher’s instruction (Heck & Leathwood, 2000; Leithwood and Riehl, 2003). The literature reports, however, that the influence of school leadership on student learning is not so evident in low-performing schools (Riordan, 2003). Furthermore, studies …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Mentor-Based Program On Teacher Retention In A Large Urban School District, Denise S. Beattie

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Feelings of isolation and defeat experienced by many novice teachers during their initial years have caused them to leave the profession before they are able to impact students' academic performance. The School District of Palm Beach County, afflicted by the cyclic trend of having to recruit and retrain beginning teachers, partnered with the New Teacher Center in 2009 to implement a mentor-based induction program. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the support provided by the district's mentor-based program on teacher retention as it compared to the support provided by school-based mentoring. A quasi-experimental design was …

An Analysis Of Mathematics Achievement Disparities Between Black And White Students And Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And Advantaged Students Across Content Strands By Elementary And Middle School Level In A Diverse Virginia School District, Benjamin Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement gaps between Black and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, have been observed and formally documented since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) began in the 1970s. In particular, the mathematics achievement gap between these historically disadvantaged populations has been a phenomenon that, in spite of improvements, has nevertheless remained persistent for decades. This study sought to identify and derive additional information about the mathematics achievement gap between Black students and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, by elementary and middle school level in a Virginia school district over three consecutive school years. …

An Assessment Of The Perceived Instructional Leadership Behaviors Of Assistant Prinicpals, Ronald Atkinson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which the role of the assistant principal is perceived to include instructional leadership behaviors. Specifically, this study compared the perceptions of instructional leadership practices of elementary, middle, and high school assistant principals from the perspectives of assistant principals, principals, and teachers. A nonexperimental comparative design was used. Quantitative data were collected via a version of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale that was adapted for application to assistant principals. Analysis of variance, independent-samples t-test, correlation, and nonresponse bias analysis were conducted. Effect size and standard error were calculated. Results indicated that the mean scores …

Role Clarity And Instructional Technology Support: A Naturalistic Examination Of Various Perceptions Of The Role Of The Itrt Within And Across Three High Schools, Ann Nash

Theses and Dissertations

Role clarity for any individual leads to more successful implementation of his or her job expectations. In a school, there are many individuals with various roles to fill. The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) has multiple roles within a school including: training teachers, designing integrated curriculum, managing learning resources, modeling instructional strategies, acting as a technology resource, assisting content specialists, and preview and recommending software. This study found that stakeholders in schools consistently recognize the ITRT as both a trainer and designer of integrated lessons. Other instructional support roles are recognized only by some stakeholders in schools. When a greater …

2013-04-22 Executive Council Meeting With President Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Executive Council Meeting with the President Minutes for April 22, 2013.

An Assessment Of Diversity Competence Among College Seniors: An Exploratory Study, Lung-Chiuan Chiang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In our increasingly diverse global workforce, both employers and institutions of higher learning want to know if colleges and universities equip their students with adequate cultural competence skills. Reliable instruments to measure cultural competence levels for a general student body are not widely available, however. In this report, a self-developed 33-item instrument was designed to assess college seniors’ cultural competence levels, including sub-scales for cultural awareness and cultural knowledge. An expert panel was selected to establish content validity. A pilot study was conducted to improve the design of survey format. The Cronbach’s alpha was .770 according to the reliability test. …

A Comparison Of Legal Literacy Among Teacher Subgroups, Candace Mirabile

Theses and Dissertations

A COMPARISON OF LEGAL LITERACY AMONG TEACHER SUBGROUPS By Candace Partridge Mirabile, Ph. D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Professor, Educational Leadership, School of Education This study determined the level of legal literacy among classroom teachers in a suburban metropolitan division in Virginia. I have focused on aspects of the law that relate to student safety and student rights, and my operational definition of legal literacy is the understanding of these laws. The results from 239 respondents indicated …