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A Delphi Study To Explore Successful Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme From A Principal's Perspective, Hilary Reynolds

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the essential elements needed to implement the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) standards and practices from the perspective of elementary school principals who have successfully implemented the programme.

Methodology: This research study examined the essential elements needed for elementary schools as they transition to an IB PYP. This study illustrated the framework for the implementation of the study. Additionally, a description of the population, target population, and the sample used for the study was explored. The instrumentation, data collection procedures, and description of data analysis were then explained. …

School Leaders’ Understanding And Implementation Of Their School District’S Mission And Vision Statements: A Qualitative Study, Venice P. Daley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the perspectives of school leaders in a single public school district regarding their purpose in leadership, understanding, and implementation of their school district’s mission and vision statements. Three research questions guided the study:

1. How do Florida’s public school leaders incorporate or implement the district’s mission

and vision statements in their daily practice?

2. How do Florida’s public school leaders incorporate the school district’s vision and

mission statements into their purpose as leaders or roles as educational leaders?

3. How and in what ways do Florida’s public school leaders …

A Case Study Examining How Culture And Shared Leadership Practices Improve Literacy, Jennifer Gutierrez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine how school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in an urban Title I elementary school. Shared leadership practices are defined as transformational and instructional leadership that ensures all stakeholders are included as active participants, and that collaborative objectives are carried out (DeWitt, 2017). The central research question is, how do school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in urban elementary schools? The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, as it impacts the direction of behavior …

Equity Requires Action: Principals’ Use And Value Of Culturally Proficient Educational Practice, Jaime E. Welborn Ph.D., Peter Flores Iii, Ed.D.

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This quantitative, descriptive study investigated K-12 public school principals' perceptions regarding the degree to which they use and value practices related to cultural competence in their roles as school leaders. While an abundance of literature regarding leadership in education, disparities in educational outcomes, and school change exists, inequities in policy and practice perpetuate academic and social setbacks for some of our nation's youth Using the lens of the Cultural Proficiency Framework, specifically the Essential Elements, this study aimed to address the research questions and add to the literature by examining (1) the school principals' value in using culturally competent practices; …

Elementary Teacher Perspectives Regarding Leadership Practices That Supported Creation Of A Dual Language Public School, Angelica Ozuna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in the enrollment of elementary school students who do not speak English as their first language has led to initiatives to provide effective instruction for these students which require effective leadership. The problem is that leadership practices have been unsuccessful in supporting dual language elementary school teachers, and minimal research has explored teachers’ perspectives of leadership in this area. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of rural public school teachers regarding leadership practices they found effective and ineffective in creation of a new dual language elementary school. Eleven participants answered 10 semistructured interview …

Making Sense Of English Placement And Its Effect On Emergent Multilingual Students At An Emerging Hsi: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Samantha Glassford

Theses and Dissertations

Language acquisition support for Emergent Multilingual, or EML, students in community colleges across the United States does not receive as much attention in research as it does in K-12 schools and universities, despite the growing number of EML students enrolling in community colleges. With 25% of community college students being from immigrant backgrounds, these colleges - HSIs and EHSIs in particular - support for English language acquisition will need more attention and funding. The purpose of this study was to explore the sensemaking that occurred after the interruption of Guided Self-Placement, as well as the discourses present at an EHSI …

Phenomenological Study On Adaptive Leadership During Times Of Great Change And Opportunity As Perceived By California Public School Superintendents In Los Angeles County School Districts, Darrin Deknikker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by superintendents of California public school districts in Los Angeles County to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership by Heifetz et al. (2009).

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of superintendents serving in public school districts in Los Angeles County. Purposeful, convenience sampling was used to identify 10 participants who met the study’s criteria. The semi-structured, open-ended interview protocol was developed by a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors. Data collected from …

Best Practices And Perceptions Of Elementary Administrators To Address The Underrecognition Of Culturally, Linguistically, And Economically Diverse Students In Gifted And Talented Education Programs, Marson S. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Transforming Arkansas Schools: Leadership Practices To Promote The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Amanda K. Goddard

Student Theses and Dissertations

The education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment is mandated by law and supported by empirical research. Yet systems of segregation persist and, in Arkansas, at rates higher than the national average. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the practices of successful inclusion-focused leaders and to determine how their approach to inclusion was consistent with Transformational Leadership theory. Leader utilization of occupational therapy practitioners in inclusion initiatives was investigated. Data was collected from three leaders of schools in Arkansas committed to inclusive education. The findings revealed that creating inclusive culture and building …

The Power Of Spiritual Leadership In The Rite Of Christian Initiation Of Adults, Stefanie Mingari

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Executive Summary Faith and spirituality are becoming increasingly sought-after anchors in mounting challenges in the contemporary world. The need for effective leadership, spiritual guidance, and mentorship have become more pivotal. Evidence also suggests that spiritual leadership values and practices are related to leadership effectiveness and encompass the behaviors needed to motivate oneself, satisfy spiritual well-being, and positively influence others within that organization. However, more research has yet to explore how spirituality affects leadership behavior and action in faith-based programs such as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This study explored the lived experiences of RCIA leaders and participants …

Women In Leadership Positions In Higher Education: Challenges, Opportunities, And Strategies For Success, Maria Bowen

M.S. in Leadership

This research project is aimed to identify the challenges and barriers women face in higher education while striving to obtain leadership positions and provide possible solutions to resolve the gender gaps found in higher education’s leadership. A literature review was conducted, which informed questions that were asked in an interview setting. Interviews were conducted with leaders that identify as women in higher education and sought to provide personalized accounts of the researched trends. Ultimately, despite higher education being perceived as a progressive industry and having legislature in place to combat gender disparities, leadership positions are not reflective of gender distribution …

Place Matters: The Role Of Public Libraries As Change Agents In Central Appalachia, Jasmyne R. Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and governing board members are faced with challenges such as decreased funding, community division regarding library services, and soaring costs for library materials and services, as they develop and adopt policies and practices to navigate this ever-changing environment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from the public …

Behind The Scenes: Instructional Coaches’ Perceptions Of Curriculum Leadership Development, Cora C. Garner

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Since the 20th century, instructional coaching has influenced curricular and pedagogical practices that impact student achievement in K-12 schools; however, the existing literature provides minimal evidence of their experiences in curriculum leadership development. To fill the research gap, this study explores instructional coaches’ perceptions of their professional learning related to curriculum development and leadership. The research questions included (1) How do ICs perceive professional learning opportunities for curriculum leadership? and (2) How do instructional coaches describe the development of their curriculum coaching knowledge and practices? Upon applying the conceptual framework, which included the Saylor et al. (1981) curriculum development model …

Twenty First Century Principal Leadership, Shannon R. Goodacre

Dissertations

With the shifts and newly evolving complexities of the 21st century, the significance of what is needed from a successful school principal has reached a critical point. Today, one of the most vital roles of an effective principal is to, "Create a climate hospitable to education so that safety, a cooperative spirit, and other foundations of fruitful interactions prevail" (Foundation, 2013, p. 6). Therefore, the present study, using a constructivist research approach to conduct a phenomenological study, strove to understand a phenomenon, in this case, the phenomenon of leadership as it is practiced by high school principals (Adom, 2016). This …

Charting New Paths: Exploring The Influence Of Followership Perspectives On Millennial Career Behaviors In The Changing University Workplace, Kimberly M. Stapleton

Dissertations

This dissertation will explore the attributes and application of the Reversing the Lens Approach (Shamir, 2007) to followership and its influence on career advancement strategies for millennials working at universities. The research will assess millennials as being born between 1980 and 1995 and currently working at universities in the southeast United States. This is a phenomenological study with an exploratory qualitative research design that seeks to uncover and understand to what extent millennials' roles as followers and their interactions with their leaders influence their career advancement strategies and what, if any, are the implications for their current institutions and higher …

New Principal Perceptions Of Assistant Principal Leadership Experiences That Prepare Assistant Principals For The Principalship, Ralph E. Chew

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Due to several factors, including salary and increased demands, there is a shortage of qualified leaders to assume the principal role. Although there is a shortage, there is also a bench of credentialed leaders in assistant principals. The problem is identifying how school districts and principals build the capacity of and prepare their assistant principals for the principal role. This study explored how novice principals perceived how their experiences as assistant principals prepared them for the principalship and the perceived role of current principals in preparing their assistant principals for the principalship. An explanatory mixed methods approach was utilized. Novice …

Advancing The Integration Of Ict In Teaching And Learning: A Study Of Secondary School Principal’S Engagement In Malindi Sub-County, Kenya, Simon Onyango Omollo

Master of Education

Effective leadership is critical for driving meaningful integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. This study, anchored on the TPACK theory, examined the efforts of school principals in advancing ICT adoption through strategies employed, barriers encountered, and impacts realized in public secondary schools in Malindi Sub-County, Kenya. A qualitative research approach under case study design was employed targeting two principals and their deputies, eight teachers and sixteen students purposefully selected from two public secondary schools. Data was collected through semi structured interviews, focus group discussions, documentary analysis and classroom observations while data was analyzed thematically. Findings …

Diminished Aspirations Or Something More? A Phenomenological Study To Examine How Educational Leadership Experiences Influence Career Aspirations, Chevy A. Benson

Dissertations

This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences female educational leaders’ face, which may influence their career aspirations. Phenomenology allowed the researcher to explore the commonalities across female educational leaders’ experiences. Female educational leaders from two school districts were invited to participate in the study, provided they had a minimum of one year of experience as school administrators. Participants were purposefully selected. The researcher utilized an electronic invitation inviting female educational leaders to participate in the study. The researcher then scheduled individual, semi-structured interviews with the participants to obtain data pertaining to the participants’ experiences. The …

Bottling The “Secret Sauce”: Capturing The Heart Of The East End At Peter Paul Development Center, Melissa E. Abban, Melissa Buckley, Marie Garrenton, Latonja Y. Wright

Doctor of Education Capstones

Peter Paul Development Center (Peter Paul) submitted a Request for Assistance (RFA) to obtain support from a Virginia Commonwealth University Doctorate of Educational Leadership (EdD) Capstone team with documenting programming and principles and evaluating them consistently. To address this request, the team analyzed the context and problem of practice through document review, empathy interviews, partner discussions and site visits. The literature review helped the team design and conduct research, fieldwork, and data analysis to support Peter Paul in standardizing procedures and programs, fostering a culture of institutional knowledge, and effectively communicating impact to stakeholders. The team used a Convergent Parallel …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

(Miss)Educated Latino Males: Academic Preparedness, Navigation, And Retention At 2-Year Colleges, Nannette Stephanie Regua

Dissertations

This study centers Latino males, first generation, first year students at four 2-year colleges in the Silicon Valley by understanding their experiences in transferable English 1A Writing Composition course and looking at the acts of instilling a sense of belonging and mattering by institutional agents and support services that are invaluable to student retention and success. The purpose of this study is to determine Latino male students’ perceptions of academic preparation, navigation, and success in higher education after the implementation of California Assembly Bill 705. My findings revealed important themes that map onto conceptual frameworks, most notably the Community Cultural …

Examining Systemic And Dispositional Factors Impacting Historically Disenfranchised Schools Across North Carolina, Raketa Ouedraogo-Thomas

Dissertations

This mixed method sequential explanatory study provided analysis of North Carolina (NC) school leaders’ dispositions in eliminating opportunity gaps, outlined in NC’s strategic plan. The study’s quantitative phase used descriptive and correlation analysis of eight Likert subscales around four tenets of transformative leadership (Shields, 2011) and aspects of critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2006) to understand systemic inequities and leadership attitudes.

The qualitative phase comprised three analyses of education leadership dispositions and systemic factors in NC schools. The first analysis of State Board of Education meeting minutes from 2018–2023 quantified and analyzed utterances of racism …

The Influence Of Independent Secondary School Heads On Shaping Organizational Culture, Ian D. Macphail

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the experiences and connections between head of school leadership and culture in small, independent boarding schools in New England. This study was the result of the participation of eight heads of school from eight separate institutions, engaging in semi-structured interviews. All of the schools were secular in their practice, all-gender, and had a formal dormitory-based boarding program. Each school enrolled 400 or fewer students, focusing the impact of these leaders on a tighter, interactional lens. This study explored a relatively under-researched area of K-12 education and used exploratory, qualitative methods to gather the stories of these formal …

Distributed Leadership In International Schools Across The Asia Pacific: A Sequential Explanatory Study, Robert A. Appino

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This explanatory study examined how distributed leadership is practiced in international schools. This included looking at principals’ readiness to practice a distributed perspective of leadership, how they practice leadership, the opportunities for teacher leadership, and the relationship between distributed leadership practices and school innovation and improvement. Principals have increasingly adopted distributed leadership, sharing responsibilities with others, in response to COVID-19 (Azorin, Harris, & Jones, 2020). However, this response was not by design but to survive (Harris & Jones, 2020). The demands of the pandemic left leaders stretched more than ever, and adopting distributed leadership practices was essential (Harris & Jones, …

Assessing The Influence Of The Imposter Phenomenon On Critical Leadership Competencies: Conceptual Framework Proposal, Theresa Bowen, Petrus A. Botha

Journal of Research Initiatives

Will the imposter phenomenon influence critical leadership competencies, specifically decision-making self-efficacy, and innovative work behavior? This prospective study will propose a framework to investigate the impact of the imposter phenomenon on essential leadership skills, focusing on exploring whether self-esteem acts as a mediating factor. The research will seek to evaluate the potential effects of the imposter phenomenon on leadership competencies, such as innovative work behavior and decision-making self-efficacy, among managers in South Africa. The significance of this proposed investigation stems from a recognized gap in previous studies addressing the relationship between the imposter phenomenon and these leadership skills within the …

The Impact Of Opioids On Students And Schools In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Ohio: Educational Leader Perspectives On The Crisis, Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam

Journal of Research Initiatives

Over the last several decades, the opioid crisis has had an increasing impact on the educational environment of schools. The role that principals and superintendents have in leading schools that have been affected by opioids has been mostly overlooked in the research. The present study was conducted in Ohio, a state with areas that have some of the highest death rates due to opioid-related incidents in the nation. Purpose: This study collected data on the perspectives and perceptions of school leaders in Ohio to better understand how principals and superintendents frame their decisions regarding the opioid crisis. Design: We analyze …

A Critical Policy Analysis Of Kentucky School Districts’ Trauma-Informed Education Plans, Tommy Wells, Alexandra J. Taylor, Amy Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The Commonwealth of Kentucky has taken its first steps in creating trauma-informed K-12 schools through passing the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019. School districts were tasked with developing trauma-informed education plans by July 2021. However, the Commonwealth’s mandate gave broad autonomy to school districts in shaping their trauma-informed education plans’ processes and content. Through a critical policy analysis design, this study examined the availability and quality of trauma-informed education plans from each school district in Kentucky and compared them to the trauma-informed framework developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Findings indicate that only 19 out of …

Re-Thinking Education For Sustainable Development: Key Learning Insights From The Sdsn Usa Transformative Education Summit 2023, Radhika Iyengar, Sumie Song, Deepak Sridhar, Wendy M. Purcell, Ann Nielsen, Iveta Silova, Matthew A. Witenstein, Wen-Wen Tung

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This paper summarizes key learning insights from the 2023 U.S. Summit on Transformative Education organized by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network USA. Over 400 members from higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, students, and teachers, joined the online event held February 23-25. The Summit created a bridge between social justice issues with an historical lens and sustainable development. Learning insights include those shared by session speakers, dialogue among participants during thematic conversations and regional networking forums, comments made by attendees on session Jamboards and the Zoom Chat function, and post-Summit feedback. A high-level thematic review was undertaken to cluster …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, December 14, 2023

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on December 14, 2023.

Weakness Is The New Strength: How Vulnerability Makes Leaders Stronger, Scott Dick

Transform

Weakness is the new strength: How vulnerability makes leaders stronger is the result from the meta-analysis of five phenomenological studies designed to generate a theory that explains how exemplar leaders from five different fields used “soft-skills” and four domains of behavior to create mutual shared knowledge, resolve conflict and transform relationships to produce breakthrough results. The four domains of behavior are communication, collaboration, ethics, and emotional intelligence. The sample was composed of 75 exemplar leaders from five different professional fields and included an analysis of over 1,300 pages of interview transcripts as the main data source for the study. The …