Xavier University Of Louisiana’S Faculty Development For Integrative Pedagogy And Assessment Practices (Core Curriculum Enhancement Initiative), Kim Vaz-Deville

CCE Documents

As a University committed to student success and thus to effective pedagogy, we are eager to adopt approaches to teaching that call upon students to explore the breadth of knowledge and methods of understanding. We also honor the science of pedagogy and thus are methodical in approaching teaching innovation. This grant proposal from Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences seeks support for faculty development that will accelerate the change that has already begun, thanks to Mellon's investment in Xavier through the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development (CAT+FD). The goal is to make the previous investments …

The Fallacy Of Selecting The Right Person For The Job, Seth Allcorn, Howard F. Stein, Carrie M. Duncan

International Journal of Leadership and Change

Recruiting senior level higher education executives is more challenging than the customary and presumably rational approach of forming a search committee, running an advertisement or hiring a search firm, interviewing candidates, and making a selection. This article discusses many of the organizational dynamics that suggest logic and rationality often are lacking in recruiting for these important positions. The inevitable presence of conflicting interpersonal and intergroup dynamics that may not be discussable in any meaningful way compromises recruiting outcomes. Hiring the best person for the position may well not occur.

University Identity Change Through A Psychological Sense Of Community Framework: A Case Study Of The Elimar Model, Elizabeth F. Turesky, Mary Anne Peabody

International Journal of Leadership and Change

Leading through identity change is a highly emotive experience. When leadership is understood as an emotional community development process, the benefits for repurposing identity are greatly enhanced. This article introduces a change model that embeds emotional awareness throughout a four-phased process, adapting concepts originally presented in McMillan and Chavis’s (1986) psychological sense of community (PSOC) theory and Scott and Jaffee’s (1989) change curve model. In this case study, we focus on a four-year multi-campus northeastern United States public university as a model to investigate how individuals in leadership positions consider the role of affect in creating positive identity change to …

District-Wide Instructional Initiative Framework, Jessica Charles, Tracy Fray Oliver, Doug Knecht, Emily Sharrock

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Describes the Bank Street Education Center's District-wide Instructional Initiative Framework, a tool that guides the Center's partnership work with school districts who are engaged in a process of instructional improvement. The Framework was developed out of research on district improvement, organizational development, school leadership, and professional learning, as well as the Center's own experience implementing large-scale district reform in the largest school district in the nation: New York City.

An Evaluation And Implementation Of Small Groups Using Specific Reading Strategies, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this program evaluation was to inform best practice for reading instruction in small groups of 4th-grade students using specific reading strategies. There were six teachers involved, all of whom were 4th-grade teachers. The evaluation also examined the implementation of targeted professional learning to improve elementary student reading performance; this treatment was applied to all groups. The teachers were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of three teachers who were responsible for implementing three reading strategies: predicting, making connections, and inferring. Group two consisted of three teachers who were responsible for implementing three different reading strategies: …

A Plan To Improve Implementation For Professional Learning For Teachers That Is Sustainable And Effective, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

Every school seeks to heighten student achievement. Committed and skilled teachers are instrumental in reaching this goal. Focused professional learning opportunities help support the ongoing growth of all staff. Unfortunately, a number of factors, including finances, teacher turnover, and an absence of trust, work against efforts to implement sound professional learning strategies with fidelity at Lady Academy.

This change plan sought to develop a sustainable plan to address that issue. Surveys with fourth-grade teachers revealed several key steps that must be taken. First, professional learning should be individualized for teachers but developed collaboratively. In addition, Lady Academy should work to …

A Policy Advocating For Turnaround Reform To Improve Failing Schools: Policy Advocacy Document, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

I am advocating for the districts to adopt Turnaround reform. This reform would be available to all schools that are considered failing in the district and not showing sufficient academic improvement. The district has implemented many initiatives to reform schools including turnaround. The implication and effectiveness of turnaround reform if done with fidelity and monitoring can be successful. There is ample research that supports turnaround reform and the positive academic gains and improvement in discipline, attendance, and teacher quality. My research and experience in this work has led me to understand that specific concept are vital to Turnaround success, …

Cognitively Guided Instruction In Elementary Mathematics: Understanding Factors That Influence Classroom Implementation, Teresa A. Conowal

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study focused on the teaching technique known as cognitively guided instruction (CGI), through which teachers explore the individual learning styles of their students and use the information they gather to teach more complex concepts more effectively. The focus of this study was on 10 elementary mathematics teachers, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the reasons they are making limited use of CGI techniques in their classrooms. The study used interviews and classroom observations of the 10 participants to identify the factors influencing their willingness or reluctance to apply CGI techniques to their instructional practices. The study …

Applying Critical Thinking Skills For Successful Pilot Projects, Shawna Flaherty

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Piloting is an approach that can be used when introducing a desired change. It allows for smaller scale trial and leaves room for modification prior to full implementation. When applicable, this approach can be a proactive way to avoiding any potential issues or conflicts relating to the change. As a graduate student in the Critical and Creative Thinking program at UMass Boston, I have explored the concept of pilot projects for three years, planning and implementing, and revising 3 pilot projects. These pilot projects include: Meeting of the Mind’s, a space in which members of the community are invited to …

Growing Together: Personal Reflection And Understanding Can Foster Team Development, Rachael Layne

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This paper describes my journey through the CCT program and how it impacted me as an individual, as an officer in the Air Force, as well as those with whom I interact on a regular basis. I explore the concepts of creative problem-solving, dialogue processes, reflective practices, and research and engagement and how they enabled me to be a better leader. These topics oscillate between introspective ideas and self-development to focusing on how a better understanding of one’s self will allow for a better understanding of group and team dynamics. The final portion of the paper describes the culmination of …

Sustaining Change Towards Racial Equity Through Cycles Of Inquiry, Román Liera, Alicia C. Dowd

Department of Educational Leadership Scholarship and Creative Works

Many national, state, and institutional policies and initiatives advocate for change in higher education through structured forms of data use. The case study of “Old Main University” presented in this article shows how local reformers (n=9) drew on data and data use tools provided by a long-term action research project implemented at the university to advance racial equity goals at their university. The case narrative utilizes practice theory, cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), and narrative inquiry to illustrate how administrative leaders and faculty at Old Main University coordinated their efforts in a sustained manner through two cycles of practitioner inquiry …

Tracing The Change Process: Fostering And Sustaining Student Affairs Cultures Of Assessment, Margaret Leary

Dissertations

Student affairs professionals have long been strong contributors to college student learning and development and supporters of the perspective that holistic postsecondary learning is critical for not only the individual but society as well. With more attention focused on the value of this learning, student affairs has taken steps to foster and establish cultures of assessment by creating positions for individuals to coordinate assessment efforts across the division – a student affairs assessment leader. Most of the literature focusing on student affairs is informed by valuable practitioner experience and can be strengthened by empirical study. This explanatory single case study …

Action Research And Teacher Voice: A Pathway For Transforming Our Schools Into Learning Organizations, Susan Inman

Educational Studies Dissertations

Our PreK-12 schools face increasing complexities such as accountability, diversity, closing the achievement gap, and working in an era of standards-based reform (Drago-Severson, 2009). The purpose of this inquiry was to understand teachers’ experiences with one type of learning experience, action research, and to investigate the impact of this experience on the teachers’ practice and voice. Three research questions guided this inquiry:

• What are the experiences teachers have as they utilize the action research process?
• How do teachers find that their experiences with action research impact their practice?
• What connections are there between the action research process and …

Developing An Internal Leadership Pipeline In Urban Districts: A Pathway To Capacity Building, Marnie G. Mckoy

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand how an urban school district designs and implements leadership development programs for internal candidates. The challenge of continuously developing a cadre of committed and qualified leaders is not new (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007). To maintain the high standards of instructional leadership and to continue sound practices in teaching and learning, school districts must think and move strategically to protect their investments in professional development and coaching, and to secure the future growth of its students and staff. The literature is clear and consistent on the elements of effective …

The Impact Of Involvement In Meaningful Organizational Change On Organizational Commitment For University Staff, Dawn Norris

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

American higher education faces increasing pressure to contain the cost of a college degree, forcing institutions to address both costs and the resulting meaningful organizational change. As a labor-intensive industry, the most effective strategies incorporate best practices related to maximizing human resources. Organizational commitment, an employees’ connection to and affinity for their employer, offers valuable insights into organizational change programs. Employees with strong commitment to their organization demonstrate a greater propensity to endure the exertion required for success during times of significant change. This study investigated the research question, how does a university staff member’s formal involvement in a cost …

Innovativeness: One School's Experience Of Sustaining Educational Change, Maria L. Lieux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This single, embedded case study focused on educators’ experiences of educational change as they adopted, implemented, and sustained a one-to-one computing innovation over 20 years. The purpose of the study was to explore the innovativeness, the capacity of a school community to take on change for continuous educational improvement over time. Through interviews and focus groups with administrators, teachers, students, and graduates, observations of current classroom practices, and archival data, the study provides an understanding of how individuals experienced change and how a school sustained change over an exceptionally long period of time. Data analysis revealed multiple rationales …

A Qualitative Study On The Practice Of Executive Coaching To Improve Leadership Capacity In Academic Deans At American Higher Education Institutions, David Bertrand

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

The history and sociology of faculty career transitions to deanships is an intriguing phenomenon, given that the skill sets of accomplished scholars vary immensely from the duties and responsibilities of academic deans. On top of that, today’s academic deans face particularly challenging leadership dilemmas. Navigating the transition from a scholarly focus to adopt a more team-oriented, managerial approach may prove difficult, especially when personal interests might need to be sacrificed for the unit’s collective gain—an idea not necessarily supported or rewarded in a researcher/scholar paradigm. This exploratory, qualitative study sought to examine if executive coaching is an effective strategy to …

The Santa Clara, 2018-05-17, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Onboarding: Engagement From Day One, Brenna Miaira Kutch

Office of Information Technology Publications and Presentations

This webinar will outline best practices, tips, and tools for onboarding new employees into your organization for manager and administrative support. The goals of this webinar are to understand why onboarding is essential to engagement and what steps managers can take to ensure an effective onboarding experience for new employees including staff, faculty, and student employees. Participants will share their own experiences, and return to their organizations with ideas for improving their processes and creating tools to facilitate an awesome and supportive environment from day one.

Understanding Hidden Diversity: The Third Culture Student Experience At Usd, Bianca Chau

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The intention of this research was to expand the common notion of who international students are. This research uncovered the unique experiences of third culture students at the University of San Diego with the hopes of raising awareness of the existence of this group of students. The term third culture [student] was defined as an individual “who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parent’s culture” (Pollock, Van Reken, & Pollock, 2017, p.23). Third culture students have experienced a highly mobile life; a kind of lifestyle that is unique and unfamiliar to many USD …

The Human Dynamics Needed In The Change Process For Transformational Implementation Of Educational Reform: Common Core State Standards, Daisy Morales

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the changes made in mindset, behaviors, culture, and systems as perceived by K-12 school district directors and principals in California in the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Methods: This study was descriptive and qualitative, conducted by interviewing 8 principals and 8 directors who have been in their positions for 3 or more years, had first-hand experience with the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and were familiar with the shifts needed in CCSS. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for …

Sustaining A Career In Community And Technical College Leadership By Coping With Job Stress Through Emotional Intelligence, Claire Korschinowski

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the use of emotional intelligence for coping with organizational role stress as perceived by senior-level leaders serving as college presidents, vice presidents and deans in the Washington State community and technical college system. A second purpose of this study was to describe the differences in perceptions amongst senior-level leader’s use of emotional intelligence as a stress coping strategy.

Methodology: For this qualitative phenomenological study, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews from 15 senior-level leaders. Participants identified a variety of ways emotional intelligence factors into coping with organizational …

Sun Prevention Fun (Spf): A Multicomponent Sun Prevention Program For Children In Kindergarten And First Grade, Sarah Gouker

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Skin cancer is an important topic in the United States due to the recent increase in cost and mortality. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the early implementation of a multicomponent sun prevention program positively impacted kindergarten and first grade students’ knowledge and behavioral intentions to practice safe sun techniques after a one week period. Kotter’s Model of Change and the ACE Star model were utilized to guide this EBP project. An exhaustive review of the literature yielded 12 articles which were used to develop best practices for education on sun safety. The quality …

A Self-Assessment Of Hrd Competency Development In Undergraduate Students: Indigenous Project-Based Learning Experience, Kendra Hall

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In the field of human resource development, the literature and research suggest that in order for students to become proficient practitioners in a global business world, there is a need for the inclusion of diversity education. The purpose of this study is to understand student’s perceptions of their competency development after a semester-long engagement with an Indigenous organization. The current study examines HRD undergraduate student’s competency development, using the Association for Talent Development (ATD) standards and focuses on the global mindset foundational competency. The participants completed a retrospective pre-post self-assessment to measure their competency development prior to and after the …

Organizational Leadership Preparation: An Exploration Of Recently Ordained Roman Catholic Priests, Michael Drumm

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. This qualitative study explored the expectations and the experiences of recently ordained Roman Catholic priests as leaders in their parish communities. Leadership preparation of Roman Catholic priests is an important issue. Roman Catholic priests, by following the example of Jesus Christ, and as described in Apostolic Letters, Decrees and Apostolic Exhortations from the Vatican, would appear to be expected to be the personification of a good leader. Thus, the question is posed as to what newly ordained priests thought the leadership expectations would be, and what their experience has been.

Research Methods. This basic interpretive qualitative study explored …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Experiences In A Professional Learning Community And How These Experiences Contribute To A Collaborative School Culture, Kimberly Janette Kelley

Education Dissertations and Projects

Fullan (1998) stated, “Student achievement increases substantially in schools with collaborative work cultures that foster a professional learning community among teachers and others” (p. 8). Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, and Berliner (2004) also found that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor in determining how well a child learns. The purpose of this study was to determine practices and experiences within a Professional Learning Community (PLC) that contribute to a collaborative culture and student performance. The research question for this study was, “What experiences in a PLC do teachers perceive contribute to a collaborative culture?” …

Bearing Witness To The Lived Experience Of Chinese Exclusion: An International Baccalaureate Inquiry Unit For Critical Literacy Through Photovoice, Wesley Schoenherr

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project used Kurasawa (2007)'s action-theoretical framework of "modes of practice" for human rights, together with Ewald (2012)'s "Memories of Past Centuries" unit to create an outline of an inquiry unit for a Humanities course within the International Baccalaureate's MYP. As the intended students are at IB schools in Xi'an, China, bearing witness to the lived experience of Chinese Exclusion at the Angel Island Immigration Station was chosen as the content.

A Phenomenological Study Of Female Stem Majors Who Have Decided To Become Educators, Porcia Richardson-Spears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate, identify, and describe the lived experiences that influence female STEM majors to become secondary educators rather than enter a STEM-related corporate profession. This study was guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT) and Lent, Brown and Hackett’s social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as they related to self-awareness, which guides and motivates the behaviors involved in choosing a career path. The research questions for this study were designed to investigate the experiences that prompted females to major in STEM majors and to enter the field of teaching rather than enter corporate …

21st Century Stewardship: The Role Of Educational Equity In School Sustainability Programs, Marissa Page

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In light of the increasingly devastating consequences of climate change and the generational inequity involved, there is an urgent need to educate our youth on environmental issues and empower them with opportunities to effect positive change. This research focuses on the problem of inconsistent sustainability programs on school campuses, investigates causal factors and identifies areas for transformation. While many prior studies address the significance of sustainability and the key components of successful school waste reduction, energy conservation and environmental education, this study builds on prior research by considering school sustainability programs through a lens of equity and organizational systems. This …

Superintendents Reclaiming Instructional Leadership: Shared Patterns And Practices, Valerie James-Kemp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and investigate the shared patterns among current superintendents who wish to reclaim their role as instructional leaders. The role of the superintendent has evolved since its inception two centuries ago. Originally intended to be a teacher of teachers, the role of the superintendent has developed and changed over time due to school reform movements and varying political climates. Using the Delphi method, a consensus was reached and shared patterns and practices were found. In summary, superintendents in this study shared their opinions about their role as chief administrators of a school …