Digital Commons Network^™

Structuring A Teacher Education Program For Faculty Collaboration And Second-Order Change, Tammy V. Abernathy, Shanon S. Taylor

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure and functions of an integrated elementary special education undergraduate teacher program (Integrated Elementary/Special Education Teacher Education Program, ITEP). By abandoning our old “enhancement model” of teacher education, we redesigned our program into a “merged model.” We examine this restructuring from the perspective of first- and second- order change, and we discuss the obstacles we found that prohibit meaningful second-order change. Finally, we briefly discuss how our experiences in designing ITEP and our state’s devastating fiscal crisis have affected our teacher-education programs and nudged us into more authentic second-order changes.

Program Planning, Prioritizing, And Improvement: A Simple Heuristic, Peter Felten, Deandra Little, Leslie Ortquist-Ahrens, Michael Reder

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As educational developers working with multiple constituencies and demands on our time, how can we efficiently and creatively improve our programming and prioritize our efforts? In this chapter, we offer a simple heuristic to prompt quick yet generative examination of our goals or programs in relationship to three key characteristics of effective educa tional development on three different institutional levels. We then describe uses and applications of the tool and reflective process, which allow developers to efficiently gain insight into their work and effectively frame priorities for planning and improvement.

Perceptions Of Secondary Intensive Reading Teachers Regardingthe Implementation Of Florida's Reading Policy, Rebekah R. Shively

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to explore the perceptions of secondary reading teachers regarding their experiences while they implemented Florida’s secondary intensive reading policy. The purpose of this research was to obtain feedback on the policy implementation process for continuous improvement in future policy implementation. This research was qualitatively designed and conducted with three focus groups consisting of secondary intensive reading teachers from three Florida counties respectively, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns.

The bounding theoretical and conceptual frames of this study were founded in political systems theory and shared leadership. The data from this study were compiled from three focus groups …

Superintendents’ Beliefs About Barriers That Can Influence Their District Technology Leadership Practices, Sharon M. Biggs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Aligning Human Resource Development With The Strategic Priorities Of Healthcare Organizations: The Cfo Perspective, Carla Breedlove Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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Do The Opportunities Offered During The School Day Provide The Recommended Physical Activity Levels For Children?: An Assessment Of The Upson County Pre-Kindergarten And Elementary School Physical Activity Occurrences, Cheryl Lynn Robinson Gaddis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Problem Statement: Almost 90% of students do not meet the national recommendations for physical activity in school. The purpose of this study was to determine the need for school policy changes to incorporate classroom-based physical activity programs in an effort to increase school physical activity levels for children in grades pre-kindergarten through five by assessing the levels of and the barriers/facilitators to physical activity engagement.

Methods: This was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study utilizing school board members, principals, and teachers in the Upson County School System as participants. The online survey was adapted from the School Health …

Manufacturing Mississippi's Workforce: An Assessment Of Employability Skills As Perceived By Faculty And Senior Students Of Four Year Manufacturing Related Degree Programs, Mamie Yvette Griffin

Dissertations

A worldwide concern exists that undergraduate programs are not producing graduates with the kind of lifelong learning and professional skills needed for workplace success. Numerous research studies indicate new employees lack needed employability skills such as teamwork, decision-making, and communication.

Similarly, recent national and state findings suggest that graduates of Mississippi‟s manufacturing-related degree programs may not be fully prepared to meet the needs of manufacturers in the state. Hence, this research proposes to determine the degree to which Mississippi‟s four-year manufacturing-related degree programs address employability.

To answer this question, the present study utilizes descriptive non-experimental research to assess the perception …

Identification Of Perceived 21st Century Graphic Design Skills, Content Knowledge, And Tools Needed In An Effective University-Level Graphic Design Program, Amanda W. Bridges

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify 21st century skills, content knowledge, and tools needed in an effective university-level graphic design program. Inconsistencies in the graphic design curriculum, fueled by the increasingly large number of programs and concentrations and the inability to track graduates, were some of the issues that led to a need for this study.

This study was an expansion of a previous 2006 study conducted by Shyang-Yuh Wang, which took place in Kansas and Missouri. This current study used a modified Delphi Technique in which perceptions from university-level graphic design educators and industry professionals from North …

About The Authors, Volume 31 (2012)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors of volume 31 (2012) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Supporting International Faculty, Cutting Li, Sterling K. Wall, Marty Loy, Kelly Schoonaert

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

No abstract provided.

Using Small Group Individual Diagnosis To Improve Online Instruction, Jennifer H. Herman, Melissa Langridge

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The School Principal In Technology Integration : A Literature Review, Lance Lennon

Graduate Research Papers

The effective integration of technology into a school's curriculum is strongly influenced by the role played by a school principal. This literature review aims to examine a principal as a school leader, a principal as a technology leader, and specifically what a principal needs to be an effective leader of technology integration. This paper reviews peer-reviewed journal articles, research studies, and doctoral theses focused on the role of a principal in technology integration. Research indicates principals and other school leaders are crucial to the success of school initiatives, and that administrators need more training opportunities to have the positive impact …

Intercultural Virtual Communications: A New Course Proposal, Haléakala

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Technological advancements have introduced computer mediated communication (CMC) which has come to permeate our lives from the way we work, to the way we learn, to the way we teach. Current studies of CMC tend to ignore the importance of the intercultural factors that affect it. Additionally, CMC studies focus on the technology aspects of communication instead of focusing on the human aspect of CMC. This project puts together CMC research, community need, and business acumen, relates it to human theories of communication, and creates a usable course for teaching intercultural virtual communications in the undergraduate classroom. The findings from …

Change Is Learning: Metacognition To Resolve Concerns During The Third Year Of The Implementation Of A Technological Innovation, Nola Allen-Raffail

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

"We are living in a time of change. Rather than viewing change as a painful course of action, let's develop an understanding of how it works, how to facilitate the process, and how to learn from our experiences" (Hall & Hord, 2011, p. 18).

This study used a snapshot of a private Kindergarten-12^th grade school during the third year of the implementation of a technological innovation (RenWeb) to investigate teacher concerns during the process of change and gain insights into individuals' use of metacognition to resolve those concerns. Two primary research instruments were used, the Stages of Concern Questionnaire …

Learning From Consistently High Performing And Improving Schools For English Language Learners In Boston Public Schools, Rosann Tung, Virginia Diez, Laurie Gagnon, Miren Uriarte, Pamela Stazesky, Eileen De Los Reyes, Antonieta Bolomey

Gastón Institute Publications

Against a backdrop of increasing BPS ELL enrollment, district ELL leadership transitions, state and federal policies affecting ELL education, and with the knowledge that many teachers and administrators within the Boston Public Schools are expert practitioners with ELL students, we addressed the following research questions:

• In which BPS schools were ELL students performing at a consistently high level or showing steady improvement during SY2006-SY2009?
• What were some of the practices that these schools’ staffs credited with their success with ELL students during SY2006-SY2009?
• Which of the practices identified by school staff were shared among the selected schools?

Through case study …

Change In Cultural Competency Among Students During An Intentional Human Relations Experience, Camille Mcnabb, Samantha Tupy

Education Presentations at National and International Conferences

This study measured changes in the intercultural competency of undergraduate students in a course, Human Relations in a Multicultural Society. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is encouraging teacher preparation programs to foster and measure culturally responsive teaching (2010). The hypothesis for this study was that the intentional, cross-cultural experiences of students will have an impact on the cultural competency of each student. This course is taught each semester at a Midwestern public university. The study included 70 undergraduate students between 18 and 35 years old who voluntarily enrolled in the course and represented students in academic …

Program Fidelity And Teacher Decisions: A Case Study Of The Renaissance Learning Program, Jennifer D. Putnam

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the degree to which the fidelity of implementation of the Renaissance Learning program impacts teacher instruction, as well as teacher perception of student reading motivation and achievement. The teachers at a western North Carolina elementary school used the Renaissance Learning program for over 15 years, with little training. The school's end-of-grade test scores in reading were below the state and district averages, indicating that many of the students were struggling readers. At the start of the 2010-2011 school year, the teachers attended a professional development seminar and were trained on the best uses of …

The Impact Of A Freshman Academy On High School Transition, Sherry Grier Veasey

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to identify and describe the impact a freshman academy has on high school transition for ninth-grade students at a rural high school in western North Carolina. This case study investigated the problems ninth graders encounter as they transition from middle school to high school. The study examined student achievement, student attendance, and the graduation rate in an effort to determine whether a freshman academy at the high school helped students transition successfully.

The transition to high school may be difficult for some students because of the countless changes they are experiencing as adolescents. The high school …

Ready Or Not? An International Study Of The Preparation Of Educational Developers, Nancy Van Note Chism

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This report of an international survey of educational developers describes their entry-level background knowledge and skills for the work of educational development, how they obtained them, and their recommendations on helping prepare new entrants to the profession. Respondents reported that their experiences rendered them moderately prepared for some tasks and less prepared for others, notably consultation. The results can inform increased professionalization of educational development through more systematic preparation of future educational developers.

Emergent Shifts In Faculty Development: A Reflective Review, Shelda Debowski

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty development has largely focused on supporting the development of early-career academic skills in teaching and learning. Even recent discussions of how facuity developers might infl.uence leaders and entire organizations have remained largely focused on teaching and learning issues. This chapter suggests the need to review and reform the role of faculty development to focus more holistically on the full nature of academic work and the evolving developmental needs of academics. It argues that the faculty developer,s portfolio will need to expand to include support for academic research, career management, and leadership roles, as well as organizational development strategies to …

The Role Of Web 2.0 And Social Media Community In Education As A Form Of Teacher Personal Professional Development, Brandi Evans Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how teachers’ reported using social media community in education for personal professional development and the criteria for effective professional development, teachers’ integration practices, teachers’ frequency of …

A Reflective Exploration Of A Multiyear Elementary School Learning Community Experience, Susan Jean Ganley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study reports a reflection upon the experience of a multiyear elementary school learning community designed for improved teaching and learning. The exploration uses interview data to describe the perceptions and reflections of the principal and teachers directly engaged in this project of educational reform. The goal of this process is to gain a deeper understanding of the experience and to determine to what factors the participants attribute the outcomes of this project.

Through an auto-ethnographic reflective critical practice inquiry and extended interviews, this study describes the context and environment of this learning community and how the participants reflect on …

Re-Imagining Specialized Stem Academies: Igniting And Nurturing ‘Decidedly Different Minds,’ By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

This article offers a personal vision and conceptual design for reimagining specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academies designed to nurture decidedly different STEM minds and ignite a new generation of global STEM talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership. This design enables students to engage actively in the authentic work, modes of inquiry, and practices that distinguish four STEM learning cultures, environments, and communities: (a) Inquiry and Research Laboratory and Interdisciplinary Learning Center—develops disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based thinking; (b) Innovation Incubator and Design Studio—ignites innovative and design-based thinking; (c) Global Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Institute—nurtures change leadership and systems-based thinking; …

Sustainability Through Profitability: The Triple Bottom Line, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Today’s highly competitive, globalized world requires organizations and businesses to think differently about how they are going to stay in business. Businesses can no longer afford to focus on profits as their sole purpose for existence. Organizations must instead think about the “Triple Bottom Line” and its implications for their ability to grow their brand, customer loyalty and profits.

About The Authors, Volume 28 (2010)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors of volume 28 (2010) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Weaving Promising Practices For Inclusive Excellence Into The Higher Education Classroom, María Del Carmen Salazar, Amanda Stone Norton, Franklin A. Tuitt

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Higher education is faced with an increasingly diverse student body and historic opportunities to foster inclusive excellence, meaning a purposeful embodiment of inclusive practices toward multiple student identity groups. Although the benefits of inclusive excellence are well established, college faculty often cite barriers to promoting it in classrooms, and this creates an opening for faculty developers to support them in weaving promising practices for inclusive excellence into their teaching. This chapter highlights the practices of inclusive faculty and the methods faculty developers can use to promote inclusive excellence along five dimensions: (1) intrapersonal awareness, (2) interpersonal awareness, (3) curricular transformation, …

A Comparison Of Career Technical Education - 16 Career Pathway High School Participants With Non-Participants On Academic Achievement, School Engagement, And Development Of Technical Skills, Edith Aimee Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to compare Career Technical Education- 16 Career Pathway high school participants with non-participants on academic achievement, development of technical skills and school engagement. Academic achievement was measured by Exit Level Math and English Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) 2008-2009 scale scores. Development of technical skills and school engagement was examined through a developed survey using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) as a reference. TAKS scale scores employed to measure academic achievement was obtained from secondary data and perceptions regarding development of skills and school engagement were obtained …

Implementing An Enterprise Information System To Reengineer And Streamline Administrative Processes In A Distance Learning Unit, M'Hammed Abdous, Wu He

Distance Learning Faculty & Staff Publications

During the past three years, we have developed and implemented an enterprise information system (EIS) to reengineer and facilitate the administrative process for preparing and teaching distance learning courses in a midsized-to-large university (with 23,000 students). The outcome of the implementation has been a streamlined and efficient process which has delivered higher faculty satisfaction at a substantial cost reduction. In this paper, we propose a new conceptual and operational framework for process reengineering (PR) in higher education institutions. We also share our practical experience gained while designing, developing, and integrating three subsystems into an EIS. We hope that our experience, …

Essential Faculty Development Programs For Teaching And Learning Centers In Research–Extensive Universities, Larissa Pchenitchnaia, Bryan R. Cole

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This research highlights the imperative nature of designing programs to address the full range of faculty develapment needs. It presents a framework for essential faculty development programs for teaching and learning centers in research-extensive universities for introducing, enhancing, and improving faculty develapment offerings. The nationwide Delphi study of faculty development programs identified eighteen currently essential and twenty-eight future essential faculty development programs for teaching and learning centers in research-extensive universities. This list of programs may serve as a baseline for evaluating existing faculty development programming and guiding the expansion of established programs and the planning of new ones.

Bibliography, Volume 27 (2009)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography for volume 27 (2009) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.