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School Leadership: Narratives Of Title I Distinguished Middle School Principals, Cindy L. Boyett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

I began thinking about the topic of this dissertation in 2006 when I entered the world of educational leadership. I found myself struggling as I transitioned from middle school teacher to middle school administrator. I knew other novice administrators must be experiencing the same transition growth pains and that they too must be longing for information/stories from other leaders that have successfully made the transition to successful educational leader. Educational leaders are under close surveillance as the bar for accountability continues to increase each year due to measures put forth in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. Everyone …

Relationship Between Principals' Technological Leadership And Their Schools' Implementation Of Instructional Technology, D'Andrea Burns Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite the importance of technology, many principals ignore technology integration within their schools. Administrators commonly are proficient in technology for administrative purposes; however, they are deficient in areas of instructional technology. Therefore, that was the gap in which the researcher explored within this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the technological leadership of a principal influenced the integration of technology within his or her school. Two middle schools within a CSRA school district were examined in terms of principals' technological leadership and their schools' implementation of instructional technology. The principal, media specialist, and 7-9 teachers from …

Block Scheduling Effectiveness: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study Of One Georgia School System’S Test Score Indicators, Ellen H. Reames, Carol Bradshaw

Georgia Educational Researcher

A case study of the effectiveness of high school block scheduling in an urban school system was examined by considering whether the changed schedule resulted in an increase in test scores on several measures such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Advanced Placement Tests (AP), and state mandated graduation examinations. Ten years of data were gathered from the public report card on the state website. In the school system under investigation, student scores on quantitative and verbal Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) showed a significant upward trend over 10 years. Over the same 10 years, Advanced Placement Test (AP) passing rates …

The Role Of Scholarship Of Teaching In Faculty Development: Exploring An Inquiry-Based Model, Pamela Adams

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This paper describes a study in which professors explored and refined their perspectives about pedagogy and university teaching. Results show that collaborative, inquiry-based faculty development influenced their growth as effective educators. More frequent feedback from students and colleagues was seen as a major factor in helping professors improve, while a sustained focus on professional inquiry was seen to contribute to professors’ deeper understanding of the intricacies and complexities of effective university teaching.

Library Annual Report

Library Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

High School Transformation: The Lived Experience Of Teachers Moving To Small Learning Environments, Reginald Lawrence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: Educators faced with a decline in student achievement and increases in dropout rates are seeking ways to provide the best possible educational environment for students (Oxley, 2005). High school transformation, also known as the small schools movement, is a reform that is gaining currency in the world of education (Meier, 2006). Alien (2001) observed that high school transformation is the process of altering the makeup of a large comprehensive high school, also known as a traditional high school, into small high schools or small learning communities at the same location. The teacher is the most important component of …

Case Study Of An Urban Elementary School's Transition From Failing To Distinguished School Status, Carla Brice Ross

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study seeks to understand how the multidimensional functioning of an urban high-poverty high-minority elementary school changed as it moved from failing school status to distinguished school status and to determine how school change promoted the organizational well-being of the school using a case study methodology. The multidimensional lenses used to view changes at Eagle included school purpose, culture, structure, leadership, organizational and professional learning, and teacher emotions. Using these lenses to view changes provides an explanation of not only how Eagle transitioned from failing school status to distinguished school status, but more importantly, how it has been able …

Relationship Between Presidential Leadership Behaviors And Organizational Effectiveness In The Technical Colleges Of Georgia, Charlene J. Lamar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

While there may not be a standard description of technical college presidents or expectations of performance, men and women who serve as presidents for the Technical College System of Georgia are realists in understanding institutional outcomes are the result of interdependent activities. The system operates with clear goals in mind to promote access to career and technical education, customized training, and workforce development opportunities to all of Georgias citizens by providing learning facilities within 30 minutes of any Georgia community. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between presidential leadership and organizational effectiveness in the Technical College …

Best Practices Of High School Principals For Improving Student Achievement In Urban Schools, Anthony Wayne Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the best practices of high school principals for improving student achievement in eight urban high schools in the Metro Atlanta area. Specifically, the best practices of urban Georgia high school principals in the areas of vision, risk-taking, human development, belief in others and integrity were explored through an interview process. Each participant was asked five open-ended questions since these allow for participants to answer questions in a more complete manner. The qualitative, phenomenological research design was employed. Qualitative analysis was used to determine recurring themes related to the research questions. The recurring …

Examination Of Preferred Coaching Behaviors As Predicted By Athlete Gender, Race, And Playing Time, Glenn Parrish Burdette

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Multidimensional Model for Sport Leadership (MML) (Chelladurai, 1980) states that athlete performance and satisfaction are functions of the congruency between the preferred leadership of student-athletes, the required behavior of the coach as dictated by the situation, and the actual behavior of the coach. The model was developed nearly 30 years ago and while research outside of sport has indicated that leadership preferences have changed with generations, the MML is still the most widely accepted model for sport leadership. As such, research in sport should examine how appropriate the model is to todays athletic culture. Gender, one member characteristic, has …

Analysis Of Compelling And Constraining Forces Experienced By Georgia High School Principals Implementing Smaller Learning Communities, Martin Gregory Waters

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The research on smaller learning communities is extensive, and the benefits are documented, compelling, and persuasive. While the practice can become the engine for higher achievement, stakeholders must adjust to a new paradigm of school operations. In many cases, prior procedures and traditions must be abandoned to achieve academic, social, and school environmental goals. Several unknown factors exist in Georgia's high schools as administrators attempt to find programs and procedures to meet the needs of rapidly growing and diverse student populations. First, little is known about the experiences of Georgia high school principals implementing smaller learning communities, nor the forces …

Leadership Behaviors That Improved Student Achievement In Three Selected Georgia High Schools, Cynthia Freeman-Smalls

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership behaviors that improved student achievement in three selected Georgia high schools. The participants were chosen based on successfully achieving adequate yearly progress (AYP) during 2005-2006 school years, as outlined by the Georgia Department of Education. Fifteen leaders from three Georgia high schools were interviewed to examine their roles in improving student achievement. Research protocol questions guided the interview to capture the essence of the work of leaders. Each participant answered seven questions derived from the review of literature to identify the leaders behavior that improved student achievement. The qualitative, phenomenological …

Lessons From A Rural Georgia School On Developing Successful Professional Learning Communities, Roderick Donnel Sams

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The literature on educational leadership and school change recognizes clearly the influence of the principal on whether or not change will occur in the school. It seems clear that transforming the school organization into a professional learning community can be done only with the sanction of the principal and active nurturing of the professional development of the staff in order to progress as a learning community. Thus, a look at the elementary principal of a school whose staff is a professional learning community seems a good starting point for describing what these learning communities look like and how they operate …

Administration Of Higher Education Extended Campus Locations With A Distance Learning Component: An Analysis Of Best Leadership Practices At Columbia College, Don Stephen Stumpf

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the leadership practices of extended campus directors in the context of the administration of distance learning programs. The leadership practices of the 30 extended campus directors working for Columbia College of Missouri, at various locations around the country were measured using the Leadership Practices Inventory - Self (LPI - Self). This survey instrument was distributed using a secure email account established for the purposes of this study. The researcher analyzed the quantitative data collected from the study using the one-sample z-test to complete a comparison of the leadership practices of the directors …

Analysis Of Two-Year College Presidents' Ranking Of The American Association Of Community Colleges' Leadership Competencies, Sandra Michele Taylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Two-year colleges face a leadership shortage in the next decade. Those who lead two-year colleges need to be prepared to meet challenges of the 21st century and demands of the institution internally and externally, of new technology, and of curriculum. Research led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has resulted in the identification of six leadership competencies needed for the two-year college presidency: organizational strategy; resource management; communication, collaboration, advocacy, and professionalism. To determine sitting two-year college presidents' ranking of those competencies, the researcher adapted an AACC survey that was sent to 425 two-year college presidents in the …

Examination Of Teachers' Participation In Teacher Leadership In A Rural District In Georgia, Debra Ellen Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Teacher leadership is an integral part of school improvement and an essential component of distributed leadership. The purpose of the study was to understand teacher leadership in a rural school district by analyzing teachers' behaviors mapped to the dimensions of Snell and Swanson's framework of teacher leadership: empowerment; expertise; reflection; and collaboration. The study sought to discover if there was a difference in teachers' participation in teacher leadership in the three school levels of elementary, middle and high school. The study also examined demographic characteristics such as years of experience, educational degrees, and training in teacher preparation programs and their …

Study Of Teacher Engagement In Four Dimensions Of Distributed Leadership In One School District In Georgia, Lisa Michele Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The researcher's purpose of this study was to understand teacher engagement within four dimensions of the distributed leadership model in one school district mandated to implement distributed leadership. The researcher administered a Likert-scale survey, Distributed Leadership Readiness Scale, developed by Elmore and modified by Gordon, to 295 certified teachers with Bachelor or higher degrees within eight schools in one school district. Teachers were engaged in all four dimensions, including: mission, vision and goals; school culture; leadership practices; and shared responsibility. Most teacher participation occurred with the distributed leadership practices in mission, vision and goals and the least engagement within leadership …

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Book Review: "The Advancement Of Learning: Building The Teaching Commons" By Mary Taylor Huber & Pat Hutchings (2005), John Tagg

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of High School Principals In A Southeastern Urban School District On Leadership Practices And Parental Involvement, Elizabeth Chattmon Graham

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership practices of high school principals and parental involvement and to examine to what extent those practices differed between principals and how they related to parental involvement. The study revealed major issues surrounding parental involvement such as how principals defined parental involvement, how principals communicated the importance of parental involvement; what parental involvement activities impact student achievement; what common leadership practices influenced parental involvement; and what are some common experiences of high school principals regarding parental involvement. The methodology employed to conduct this qualitative study was face-to-face audio-taped interviews at the …

Developing A Shared Meaning Of Scholarship To Enable The Revision Of Promotion Policy, Cheryl Albers

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Groups communicate about scholarship on the tacit assumption that there is a mutual understanding of the term. Yet the process of policy development is often hampered as different meanings attached to the term become evident. This paper uses culturalinterpretive and interactionist conceptual frameworks to analyze a specific case of redefining the shared meaning of scholarship and codifying these meanings in promotion and tenure policy. Data was collected through interviews, observation and document analysis. The six significant groups involved in this policy revision invested the term scholarship with different meanings, including viewing it as problematic, as a creative process, as currency …

Countering Sotl Marginalization: A Model For Integrating Sotl With Institutional Initiatives, Connie Schroeder

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Despite SoTL’s development as a movement, most SoTL work remains institutionally marginalized at the level of classroom inquiry. Institutional planners do not come looking for SoTL to guide their efforts to improve the institution, even when institutional initiatives are squarely centered on teaching and learning. The chasm between SoTL and the institutional radar screen is wide and rarely traveled. Countering the marginalization from the institution that has plagued SoTL up to this point in its evolution requires a process that identifies a common intersection. Research-based frameworks about student learning, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), can serve …

Integrated Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of A Professional Learning Community Utilizing Senge's Five Disciplines Of A Learning Organization, Margaret Zena Stockard

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine a high school's attempt at reform through implementing a component of a professional learning community to determine if Senge's five disciplines of a learning organization were present. The school was in the second year of implementing common planning time, one of the practices related to organizational learning. This study used qualitative methodology and employed an integrated phenomenological design to investigate the perceptions and lived experiences of the core-subject teachers and department heads involved in common planning time at one high school. Participant observation, document and artifact collection, semi structured interviews, photographs and …

February 13, 2006 Aasu Faculty Meeting Minutes, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Armstrong Faculty Senate: Minutes (Archived)

February 13, 2006 Armstrong Atlantic State University Faculty Meeting Minutes

Georgia Technical College Administrators' Perceptions Of The Future Vocational And Academic Roles Of Georgia's Technical Colleges, Thomas Ennis Bragg

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In 2000 the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 1187 giving the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) schools the right to change their names from technical institutes to technical colleges. This event could have led to a change in the type and method of delivery of course offerings at the technical colleges in Georgia. This study was designed to examine the technical college administrators' perceptions of the future vocational or academic roles of Georgia's technical colleges. A 21-question survey was designed to assess the administrators' perceptions of the future vocational and academic role of the 35 technical …

October 5, 2005 Armstrong Graduate Curriculum Committee Minutes, Armstrong State University

Armstrong Faculty Senate: Graduate Curriculum Committee Minutes (Archived)

October 5, 2005 Armstrong Graduate Curriculum Committee Minutes

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Southern Educator, Georgia Southern University

College of Education: News & Publications (2003-2023)

• Reavis Heads Georgia Center for Educational Renewal
• Chris Crutcher Lecture
• Children’s Literature Collection Endowed
• Honoring Student Achievement
• 16th National Youth-at-Risk Conference
• COE Soaring Into Action
• Dr. Reynolds Receives Jack Miller Award
• A Day on Campus With Teachers of Tomorrow
• DESTINATION TEACHING: Customized Pathways to Get You There
• Parsons Provides FIPSE Leadership
• Local Kappa Delta Pi Chapter Celebrates 53rd Year
• Professors Who Have Made A Difference
• SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI
• Southern Educator Class Roll
• International Study Opportunity
• Welcome New Faculty/Staff

Georgia Elementary Principals' Role Perceptions: The Initial Phase Of The A+ Act, Amy Z. Wright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The study explored the role of the Georgia elementary principal as the initial phase of comprehensive educational reform was implemented in the state. The study examined 320 principals' personal and professional demographics, role change as a result of implementation of selected law components, and district support during the transition phase.

The study employed a descriptive, survey approach to address the research questions. A self-designed survey questionnaire was developed to explore principals' perceptions of role change during restructuring, and included both a qualitative and quantitative orientation.

Findings indicated that the majority ofthe 320 Georgia elementary principals who responded to the survey …

The Role Of Mentoring In Developing Professional And Personal Competencies For School Administrators, Marguerite Verble Shook

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

In the state of Georgia and across the nation there was a shortage of principals. A new supply of administrators was needed to guide education through the 21st century. These leaders needed updated knowledge and skills to address the needs of an educational system affected by educational reform. Effective leadership allowed administrators to view situations in both the eyes of management and leadership. A mentoring program for beginning administrators provided guidance in developing these skills and in recruiting and retaining individuals for these critical positions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of a mentoring program for …