Digital Commons Network^™

Information Literacy For Global Leadership: Constructing A Pedagogical Activity To Address A Global Crisis Utilizing Global Literacies And Acrl Standards, Brenda Chappell-Sharpe

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

Preparing faculty for their role in global leadership is a collaborative effort. Administrators, faculty, IT, media specialists and librarians all have an important part to play. In 2011, I was asked to develop and teach a one-week information literacy module via Blackboard for the faculty participating in the Teacher Scholars Program (TSP). TSP is a yearlong collaborative project between The Center for Teaching and Learning, and the academic departments on campus. I believe that this called for a new approach to thinking about information literacy (IL) and literacy itself. This presentation provides an overview on the collaborative project, Teachers Scholar …

Sustainability Of A Comprehensive School Reform Model From The Perspectives Of Three Participating Principals, Bethann S. Browning

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

School reform is a deliberate process that requires a strong commitment at all levels. The school leader plays a crucial role in establishing a vision and nurturing an environment that facilitates reform efforts. School reform efforts have witnessed a change in the role of the elementary principal from manager to instructional leader. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the role of the elementary principal in sustaining school reform, in the form of Literacy Collaborative. The study was guided by one research question: how did elementary principals sustain a comprehensive school reform effort in the form of Literacy …

Cross-Boundary Leaders For Education & Equity Symposium: Preparing Leaders For Public Education, José M. Torres

José M. Torres

Public education has become an increasingly polarizing topic. Yet, experience and research tell us that solutions to our most pressing educational issues are likely to emerge when leaders work together across boundaries—be they ideological, geographical, or institutional. For 50 years the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) has championed the need for leaders at all levels to shake off their in- stitutional constraints and jointly respond to the needs of young people and their families. IEL’s Cross-Boundary Leaders for Education and Equity Symposium offers an objective, open-mind- ed, nonpartisan space where leaders can come together and discuss complex issues facing public …

Where Have All The Bilingual Programs Gone?!: Why Prepared School Leaders Are Essential For Bilingual Education, Kate Menken, Cristian Solorza

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Enrollment in bilingual education has declined significantly in New York City in recent years, in spite of state and city policies that support it. To better understand this alarming trend, we interviewed school leaders, particularly principals, who have dismantled their school’s bilingual education programs in recent years. We also interviewed school leaders who have managed to preserve their bilingual education programs within the same time period. We examined these leaders’ knowledge and understandings about bilingual education and their emergent bilingual students, and their rationale for the respective language education policies they have adopted. Our research points to the very important …

Identification Of School Physical Activity Leader Competencies Using Concept Mapping, Kiel M. Illg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Background/Purpose: Various public health and educational organizations have called for the implementation of comprehensive approaches at the state, district, and school levels to promote physical education and physical activity among children and adolescents. Proponents have argued that physical education teachers are positioned to assume the role of director of physical activity in the school setting; however many physical educators do not see directing comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAP) as their responsibility, nor have they been formally trained to provide this measure of leadership. Furthermore, there is limited research on CSPAPs and the associated leadership roles integral to planning, implementing, …

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Louisiana Elementary And Middle School Principals, Michael Ramon Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations

For principals in Louisiana, instructional leadership, in theory and practice, informs the foundation of ways they are trained and evaluated as school leaders. Identifying the specific instructional leadership practices that are tied to gains in student achievement has become critical for principals, and more importantly for their students. The focus of this research is in the area of principals' instructional leadership practices and student achievement in two northwestern Louisiana school districts. Such a study is important in order to provide effective training and development to Louisiana principals.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' perceptions …

School Principals’ Standards And Expectations In Three Educational Contexts, Elizabeth T. Murakami, Monika Tornsen, Katina E. Pollock

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Principals play a key role in schools influencing academic improvement through a campus vision, goals, and objectives. They are also charged with the task of supervising and supporting students, teachers, and families in the community, with the intent of guiding students toward their future. The principals are guided in their efforts by standards and expectations designed by states, provinces, or governments. Current policy-makers and officials in charge of re-designing these standards and practices for principals are known for observing other countries, in efforts to improve local schooling, using information technology’s widespread access and international exchanges. These standards and expectations are …

Strategic Community Engagement As Perceived By Five Superintendents, Judith A. Dymond

Dissertations

In these challenging times with school districts facing mandates for accountability, they can only accomplish these ambitious long-term mandates by engaging the greater community. Thus, any superintendent who is planning on improving student academic achievement and being employed in the district long-term will find it imperative to engage the community and develop community partnerships. This study utilized interviewing, a qualitative methodology, to gain insight into how five superintendents effectively engaged their communities. Findings revealed five effective strategies and actions for success: embracing community values, partnering with community organizations, building trust internally and externally, developing a systems approach to communication, and …

Early School Leaving: A Narrative Inquiry Of The School Dropout, John E. Stallings Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the field of education, student performance has become an integral component when determining the effectiveness of schools, levels of student engagement, and a measure of the learning that is occurring in schools. In particular, certain criteria have been identified as appropriate measures for monitoring the effectiveness of school systems, individual school programs, and teacher merit. Included in these specific areas to be monitored are graduation and or dropout rates. While these have become a part of the major focus of those monitoring the effectiveness of schools across the country, it seems that little has been done to investigate what …

Strengths-Based Leadership: Seeking A Connection Between Strengths-Based Leadership Domains And Women Leaders In Higher Education, Sarah Engel

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This exploratory study examines the leadership styles of a small sample of high level women leaders in the profession of higher education. In this study, high-level is indicative of directors, assistant/associate deans, deans, assistant/associate vice presidents, vice presidents, provosts or presidents. Due to the disparity of women leaders attaining high level leadership roles within higher education professions, this sample study discusses the connections between strength-based leadership domains and high-level women leaders. Additional connections between other leadership competencies and leadership styles are also considered, including Northouse leadership styles, Level 5 leadership, resilient leadership, emotional intelligence and authentic leadership. Results are discussed …

Service-Learning And Critical Thinking Outcomes In General Education Courses, Larry J. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

American educational reformers have noted an urgent need to develop and integrate pedagogical practices that promotes real world experiences that engage students in service and develops critical thinking skills of students. The reemergence of service-learning builds on an alternative vision of higher education that commenced with Dewey's theories of experiential learning. To meet the need of developing critical thinking skills among today's students, some researchers have proposed that integration of service-learning programs may produce a number of student learning outcomes, including critical thinking. Responding to calls for colleges to engage students in real world problems through service-learning, in 1985 Campus …

The Nontraditional Community College Student: A Phenomenological Approach To The Educational Experience, Alexander D. Tuel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Nontraditional students make up a larger population at community colleges than their traditional counterparts making this study a necessity to further explore their experience (American Association of Community Colleges, 2013). To better understand this population, a phenomenological approach was taken with an emphasis on a social constructivism framework. This qualitative study utilized Seidman's (2013) three step interviewing process with the aid of photographs taken by the participants to elicit in-depth interview responses. Moustakas' (1994) modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method of Analysis of Phenomenological Data was used in this study. Four themes emerged from participant's photographs and interviews: motivation, helpful faculty/staff, external responsibilities, …

Examining Teacher Perceptions Of Leadership And Student Achievement In Kentucky Schools., Angela L. Newcomb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is crucial in schools, especially when implementing change. Research shows that leadership can have a positive effect, albeit indirect, on student achievement (Cheng, 1994; Heck, Larsen & Marcoulides, 1990; Hallinger & Heck, 1996; and Johnson, Livingston, Schwartz, & Slate, 2000). This indirect effect implies a need for teacher expertise and distributed leadership to increase teacher buy-in for reform movements in schools. Recent studies have attempted to tie leadership to student achievement (Heck, et al., 1990; Chen, 1994; Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Johnson, et al., 2000; Heck & Hallinger, 2009; Leithwood, Patten, & Jantzi, 2010; Supovitz, Sirinides, & May, 2010; …

Gender Representations In U.S. Ed.D. Dissertations: A Feminist Content Analysis, Debora Kay Nelli

Dissertations and Theses

Educational access, achievement and opportunity for students and educators in U.S. educational institutions is influenced and often limited by gender. Although the U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission reports that the gender equity values, beliefs and commitments of institutional leaders are a key factor in reducing institutional gender inequities (U.S. Dept of Labor, 1995), very little is known about the current preparation or evaluation of educational leadership values, especially at the doctoral level (Hess & Kelly, 2007, Grogan & Andrews, 2002; Levine, 2005; Murphy & Vriesenga, 2004).

This study utilized feminist content analysis as a conceptual framework and research methodology to examine …

Building Communities As A Necessary Tool For Sustainability, China G. Ageros

Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers

From ten thousand years ago back to the beginning of human existence, people lived in small communities of hunter-gatherers; tight knit communities who depended upon each other for their very survival. There was no ownership of land, homes, crops or animals, every thing they did have was communally held and shared in a term Ryan & Jetha (2010), call “fierce egalitarianism” (p. 9), sharing was mandatory. Humans have been around in our current manifestation for roughly two hundred thousand years and the earliest evidence of agriculture is from approximately ten thousand years ago (Ryan & Jetha, 2010), or five percent …

District Mandated Changes In Technology And Inquiry-Based Instruction, Mulonge Musa Kalumbula

Dissertations

Federal and state mandates aimed at improving the American K-12 school system abound (Spillane, 2004). Federal legislation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002), and state-mandated curriculum are aimed at improving teaching and learning thus ultimately improving student achievement. The purpose of this phenomenology study was to examine the experiences of 7 middle and high school social studies teachers through district-mandated changes in inquiry-based instruction and technology-integrated lessons. By capturing how individual teachers experience mandated changes, this research aimed to discover the existence of policy coherence within a district as it translated federal and state policy …

Administrators As Change Agents In Implementing Mtss: Beliefs, Skills, And Challenges, Tasha Frigmanski

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is traditionally known as an alternative to the IQ-discrepancy model used for the identification of students suspected of having a specific learning disability. The focus of the study is to examine the challenges of RTI implementation, finding the perceptions and beliefs of administrators regarding RTI and determining if they are equipped with the skills necessary to serve as a change agent in implementing successful practices in RTI. This study uses survey research in a mixed-method design to collect information from administrators in the state of Michigan. Findings from this study indicate that (1) administrators believe RTI …

An Examination Of School Principals' Moral Reasoning And Decision-Making Along The Principalship Track And Across Years Of Experience, Trent Ling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research by Vitton & Wasonga (2009) and Strenth (2013) found public school K-12 principals struggling in the moral reasoning and decision-making measures of the second Defining Issues Test ("DIT-2"). In response to these studies, this research sought to collect, to examine, and to compare DIT-2 data for educational leaders at various stages of the principalship track in an effort to determine and/or to isolate the locus of principals' reported underperformance. The moral reasoning and decision-making of regular-education K-12 public school principals and assistant principals in Florida, and current master's degree students in educational leadership programs at a large public …

Cultivating A Culture Of Success In Catholic Secondary Schools In Tanzania, Peter Felix Asantebwana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many people agree that a "child's teacher can make a bigger difference to his or her educational success than most other school variables" (Darling-Hammond, 2006, p. 19). Quality education as a result of quality teaching has been a subject of discussion in many countries (Karras, & Wolhuter, 2010). According to Nyerere (1967), "the purpose of education is to pass from one generation to the next the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the society, and to prepare the young people for their future membership of the society and their active participation in its maintenance or development" (p. 268). Following the history …

How Do District Level And Building Level Leaders Collaborate To Implement Mandated Change?, Gwendolyn Zimmermann

Dissertations

This research study examined how school leaders, in particular the associate superintendent of curriculum and a junior high school principal, in the same district collaborated to plan for and implement mandated change. In this research study, the mandated change was that of the State's adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

This study utilized a case study methodology. The case study included one case of an associate superintendent of curriculum for the district and a junior high school principal located in suburban Cook County bounded within the timeframe of August 2012 to October 2013. The district identified had …

Beneath The Glass Ceiling : What Causes Some Qualified Female Educators To Remain In The Classroom While Others Obtain Leadership Roles?, Allison J. Jordan

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

There is a dispoportionate number of female administrators in relation to the number of female-helmed classrooms in the United States. Jordan tackles the issue of gender in educational leadership. While the removal of legal and social barriers to administrative leadership in the twentieth century may have seemed to point the way toward a female-dominated leadership structure, she finds that female educational leaders are underrepresented at all levels. The study focused on Central Virginia. Jordan tried to uncover the common themes among female educators, including what differences existed between qualified classroom teachers and women who held positions of educational leadership.

Evaluating The Spacing Effect Theory On The Instructional Effectiveness Of Semester-Length Versus Quarter-Length Introductory Computer Literacy Courses In Institutions Of Higher Learning, Emelda S. Ntinglet

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluating the Spacing Effect Theory on the Instructional Effectiveness of Semester-Length versus Quarter-Length Introductory Computer Literacy Courses in Institutions of Higher Learning. Emelda S. Ntinglet-Davis 2013: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education and Human Services. ERIC Descriptors: Community College, Spacing effect, Retention, Scheduling, Education, Instructional effectiveness, Intensive format, Quarter-length format, Semester format.

This mixed research study evaluated the spacing effect theory on the academic performances of students enrolled in introductory level Computer Literacy courses by comparing course grades and mock IC3 certification exam scores in semester-length and quarter-length courses at Prince Georges Community College. The …

Leadership Curricula Of Professional Athletic Training Programs, Elizabeth Drake

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Nationally-recognized athletic training organizations have identified leadership knowledge, skills, and competencies as essential for athletic trainers to be successful in the current healthcare environment and to help advance the profession of athletic training. However, little is currently known regarding the methods and the extent of leadership development in athletic training professional preparation programs. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine student and faculty perspectives of the extent and ways that athletic training professional preparation programs address leadership in their curricula.

Data were obtained via surveys completed by 71 students and 83 athletic training professional level program directors. Overall, …

Where Are All Of The Principals Going? : An Analysis Of Public School Principal Attrition, Mobility, And Turnover, Paul Berry

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Public K-12 education in the United States is in the midst of implementing the most significant and most ambitious reform agenda of the past one hundred years. Common Core State Standards, new assessment requirements, new accountability

Morale For Principals : Does Mentoring Make A Difference?, Stacia Patterson Felicello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current demands placed on administrators, specifically principals, have become progressively more complex due to litigation, pressure from parents, societal changes, internal workplace expectations, and more than ever, mandates levied from state and federal government. Support through mentorship may be one means to help administrators meet the demands. This study examines the extent, to which mentorship leads to increased morale and perceptions of autonomy, which the literature has shown are important attributes of effective school leaders.

Twenty-One Leadership Responsibilities And Quality Management In The Context Of Educational Baldridge Systems, Kimberly L. Ibach

Theses and Dissertations

This body of work presents the summary of findings; explanation of implications; discussion of conclusions; and recommendations about practice, policy and future research regarding principal leadership in school districts recognized as national Baldrige Award winners. This study widened the scope and definition of quality management in education by dissecting the roles of principal leadership as defined by the 21 Leadership Responsibilities (Marzano et al., 2005) of school leadership. These Leadership Responsibilities served as a vehicle for educators to report their observances of how principals express their roles in the context of their work. The study began with a dominant phase …

The Relationship Between Attachment Theory And Transformational Leadership In California Community College Chief Executive Officers, Joe Wyse

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a relatively new area of investigation: the relationship between attachment theory (Bowlby, 1973, 1980, 1982) and transformational leadership theory. Using self-report surveys and controlling for demographic variables, California community college chief executive officers' (CEOs) attachment styles and transformational leadership characteristics are measured and the potential relationship between them examined (N=74). The two measures used are Kouzes and Posner's (2002a) Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) and Brennan, Clark, and Shaver's (1998) Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR). No significant correlation between attachment scores and the demographic variables was found in the study. Three moderate strength positive correlations were found …

Top Ten Effective Community College Board Trustees Self-Perceived Leadership Attributes, John Newell Henning

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to discover what community college trustees believe are the most effective leadership attributes. Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees were asked to list in, order of importance, the most effective community college board of trustee leadership attributes. The research questions emphasized the importance of the leadership attributes that occur when board trustees must complete community college goals given the recent increased student enrollment, despite diminished college budgetary resources. The theoretical framework of Stogdill (1974) was used for trait theory, Hersey, Blanchard and Dewey (2012) for situational leadership, and Burns (1978) for transformational leadership. …

Humane Education: Perspectives Of Practitioners On Program Evaluation Efforts And Analysis Of Changes In Knowledge, Attitudes, And Empathy In Two Violence Prevention And Intervention Programs, Melanie Wagner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This descriptive and comparative study examined the current landscape of humane education program evaluation and data analysis through a survey of humane educators across the country. Results of the humane education survey show that data collection and evaluation are occurring in humane education programs but these efforts do not capture and measure empathy, the primary goal of most humane education programs. Humane educators reported they felt the profession is progressive and relevant to a broad host of purposes, from building positive relationships with animals to playing a role in the larger social justice scheme. They also suggested that the field …

Leadership Characteristics And Practices Of American Association Of School Administrators (Aasa) Superintendents Of The Year And Finalists, Doris Lynette Crawford

Online Theses and Dissertations

Houston (2007) concluded, "To preserve the possibilities for our children requires leadership, and that leadership is also a critical condition for success. While the educational journey takes place in the classroom and school, the trip is planned, the fuel is acquired, and the steering is done in the superintendent's office" (p. 432). The purpose of this study was to determine the key characteristics and practices needed by school district superintendents to meet the demands of this position in the twenty-first century. The key characteristics were identified by exemplary superintendents who had been recognized for their effectiveness. 55% of the population …