Education Commons^™

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Concerning Superintendent Longevity And Continuity Relative To Student Achievement, Timothy Plotts

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Elementary Principals Decision-Making Process During Crisis Situations In One Northern New Jersey District, Marilyn Torley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how school administrator,respond during a crisis. Relevant research pertaining to crisis decision-making will be presented, focusing on the three steps of crisis decision theory (a) assessing the severity ofthe negative event (b) deterrnining response options, and (c) evaluating response options (Sweeny, 2008) during crisis situations. This is the first time crisis decision theory will be used to explore how schoolleaders respond to a crisis. CriticaI Incident Technique (CIT) (Flanagan, 1954) was used as the investigative framework with the improved credibility checks established by Butterfield et al. (2005). Following the guidelines set …

A Quantitative Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities' Context, Process, And Content, Daniel R. Johnson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Academic Optimism And Instructional Leadership In Urban Elementary Schools, Angela M. Allen

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In response to the increase in accountability, based on federal and state legislation, educators have searched for factors to positively impact student achievement. The Coleman Report (1966) stated that student socioeconomic status was the greatest predictor of academic success. Researchers and educators alike have worked to demonstrate that other factors within a school's control may be powerful predictors as well and may assist schools in overcoming this environmental obstacle. The purpose of this study was to examine academic optimism as a construct consisting of academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and trust in students and parents and their relationship to instructional leadership …

Student Trust In Teachers And Its Relationship To Student Identification With School, Student Perceptions Of Academic Press, And Achievement, Regina A. Bankole

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Research has documented a plethora of evidence that children's perceptions of their relationships with caregivers, specifically teachers, impacts learning outcomes, including academic engagement and achievement (Furrer & Skinner, 2003; Owens & Johnson, in press; Stipek, 2002; Wentzel, 1997), identification with school (anderman, 2003; Bonich, 2007; Goodenow, 1993; McGannon, 2003; Meloro, 2006; Mitchell, 2004;) and academic press (Bonich, 2007; Lee & Smith, 1999; Middleton & Midgley, 2002). Yet the research base from the student perspective on the pertinent elements that influence meaningful relationships between students and teachers, namely trust, is largely missing.;The purpose of this study was to examine the construct …

Female Teachers As Sexual Predators: A Qualitative Study Of Grades 7-12 In The State Of Florida's Public Schools, Jayme Lynn Joslyn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to discover commonalities and differences among female predators and Florida female teachers who are perceived and reported to harass students sexually. When perceived and reported female sexual harasser and student safety was researched, a breath of studies did not occur. When current studies were reviewed, teacher sexual harassment continued to occur. In this qualitative study, ten Florida public school female teachers who were perceived and reported to sexually harass students were randomly selected. Findings indicted that further research is still needed on female teachers who are perceived and reported to sexually harass students. When researching the …

The Relationship Of Principal Resiliency To Job Satisfaction And Work Commitment: An Exploratory Study Of K-12 Public School Principals In Florida, Jason Pepe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics associated with resilient school leaders. Principals juggle multiple responsibilities and work under increasingly stressful conditions. Despite recent role changes, added job responsibilities, and increased accountability, some principals remain remarkably resilient while working in a tumultuous environment. Using Henderson and Milstein's (2003) definition, principal resiliency was described as "the capacity to spring back, rebound, successfully adapt in the face of adversity, and develop social, academic, and vocational competence despite exposure to severe stress or simply to the stress that is inherent in today's world" (p. 7). This empirical study tested the theory …

The African American Women's Summit: A Case Study Of A Professional Development Program Developed By And For African American Women Student Affairs Professionals, Nicole Mary-Ella West

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While African American women have been participating in American higher education for more than a century, they remain significantly underrepresented among college and university administrators. Researchers have noted that when these women are able to secure administrative positions, many of them contend with intense isolation and marginalization, which compromises their personal well-being and jeopardizes their professional success. Black feminist scholars have suggested that African American women may be assisted by involving themselves in supportive networks that provide them the opportunity to connect with other African American women. Further, these scholars contend that these activities should be facilitated by African American …

In The Midst Of Organizational Change: A Survey Of Employee Perceptions Toward Separate Accreditation For Regional Campuses At The University Of South Florida, Rhonda S. Moraca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify how employees in the University of South Florida System (USF System) perceived changes in their organizations and the system as a result of having separate accreditation for each campus in the USF System. This survey research provided a "snapshot" of employee perceptions at a particular point in time. The study was unique because it provided a picture of the perceptions of employees while each campus was at a different point in the organizational change process. The theoretical concept from Bolman and Deal's (2003) four frame theory was used to develop the dependent …

Swirling: An Examination Of Time-To-Degree, Reasons, And Outcomes Associated With Multi-Institutional Transfers, Alytrice Robinson Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Swirling is an emergent transfer pattern among college students. Swirlers are students who may have participated in a combination of reverse transfer, lateral transfer, or traditional transfer patterns. The available research on swirling has been predominately quantitative in nature. This study was designed to obtain qualitative data on multi-institutional transfers from a qualitative perspective.

A heuristic phenomenological approach grounded in the transformational learning theory method was used to obtain data. The data were obtained via an online blog-based interview. The interview revealed six themes in regards to why students swirl. This study also addressed time-to-degree and outcomes associated with students …

Perceived Leadership Practices Of Student Affairs Professionals: An Analysis Of Demographic Factors., Edwing Delamour Daniel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student affairs professionals in higher education are expected to provide leadership in many ways on their campuses. Obtaining a more complete picture of the leadership characteristics of the profession is therefore important in informing those in the profession who provide continuing professional development programming and for those who teach in graduate student affairs programs. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine whether there were differences in the perceived leadership practices of student affairs professionals when analyzed by the independent variables of race, gender, level of current position, age, and highest degree earned.

The instrument used in this …

Recognizing Samoan Students' Cultural Capital In Schools, Sane Aletoni Mataitusi

Theses Digitization Project

This research focused on Samoan parents' and students' perceptions of student success. This research confronts some of the barriers encountered by minority parents and students within the public education system. Recent research on Samoan students identified the struggle many encounter living as a minority group within the dominant societies of Australia, New Zealand and the United States. This study documented multiple pathways toward success that Samoan parents and students within these countries have identified.

The Elephant In The Room: Deconstructing The Place Of Conservatives In The Student Affairs Profession, Jodi Fisler

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The student affairs profession places considerable emphasis on the values of diversity, inclusiveness, and social justice as part of its mission to foster the holistic development of college students. Many vocal conservative critics point to these values as evidence of the liberal worldview that they claim dominates the higher education landscape. This critical, phenomenological study was designed around the premise that higher education, and, specifically, student affairs, is characterized by a liberal ideology that privileges those in the profession who identify as liberal. The study explored the perceptions and experiences of 12 self-identified conservative student affairs professionals in order to …

Shared Superintendency In Iowa: An Investigation Of Organizational Perceptions Of Leaders In Districts That Employ A Shared Superintendent, Roark Ronald Horn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The combination of declining enrollment and diminishing resources continues to pressure school leaders to make difficult choices; for an increasing number of districts one answer to this dilemma is to share a superintendent with a neighboring district. Research conducted by Decker, Talbot, and McCumsey (1990, 1991) showed that while potential financial benefits do exist to this type of organizational structure, this decision also comes with some cautionary concerns that must be considered. The purpose of this study was to provide additional information about shared superintendents to school districts that are considering moving to this kind of executive leader format. Specifically, …

A Comparison Of Bullying In Public And Private Schools In A Small Midwestern Community, Daniel J. Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Little attention has been given to the possible differences in bullying at private and public schools. Little significant research exists on bullying at private schools, its characteristics, and its differences from public schools. Inattention to this segment of the population can lead to broad and inappropriate generalizations that what works in public schools will work in private schools. This dissertation investigated to what degree there were differences between the number of incidences, types of bullying, and locations of bullying that took place at a public and private school in a small Midwestern community. The research examined the following factors and …

A Principal's Perceptions Of Character Education In A Rural Public School, Sandra H. Harrison

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A majority of rural public schools face difficult and challenging problems: geographical isolation, escalating crime, impoverished families, economic inequities, faculty nonretention, declining enrollments, and lack of success in meeting accreditation benchmarks. In the past decade, support for character education as a valuable pedagogy to complement instruction and academic achievement emerged. The obligation to meet federal and state standards created expectations that school principals have the leadership ability to facilitate strong academic curricula as well as programs fostering students' moral development through character education. Mobilizing resources for character education initiatives becomes the responsibility of school principals or their designees. The purpose …