Education Commons^™

School Principals As Leaders Of Educational Environments In School Settings: Recontextualization Of American Educational Practices In China, Wei Zhang

Dissertations

Chinese principals play a significant role in recontextualizing the U.S. principals’ practices in leading their school reform and student outcomes in Chinese social, cultural, and educational contexts. The purpose of this basic qualitative study is twofold: (1) to describe and interpret how Chinese principals make meaning of their experiences as active democratic leaders and (2) to identify the challenges they are going through in creating an educational environment based on the creative use of U.S. research and theory supporting best practices for principals. The study has a total of 50 participants (n=50) across the United States (n=32) and China (n=18). …

Increasing Collaboration To Improve Student Outcomes: Improvement Science, Cassandra Diane Thonstad

Dissertations and Theses

The aspiration of achieving equitable outcomes for all students is a focus of schools, districts, and communities but has largely remained unattainable with the top-down implementation of change ideas and directives that come and go as quickly as they are implemented. Too often the direct users, students and classroom staff, are left out of the conversations around what works best to improve student success, contributing to the achievement gaps experienced by our students of color, students receiving special education or English language services, or in the case of a hook discipline, young men. By utilizing Improvement Science through collaboration across …

Understanding Leadership For Adaptive Change In Catholic Schools: A Complexity Perspective, Andrew F. Miller, Anna Noble, Patrick Mcquillan

Journal of Catholic Education

In an era of decline and crisis, Catholic school leaders have been encouraged to find innovative ways to enhance a school’s operational vitality. Yet to this point, most research on educational change in Catholic schools has focused on the technical tasks school principals can take to “save” individual schools. In this article, we apply a complexity perspective to educational change leadership in Catholic education: leadership for adaptive change. Based on a new empirical analysis of the professional experiences of two Catholic school principals working at four different parish schools, we demonstrate in this article how leadership for adaptive change can …

Developing A Super-Vision Of Education: Oh, No. I’Ve Said Too Much, But Maybe I Haven’T Said Enough, Carl Glickman

Journal of Educational Supervision

In this personal and candid essay by Carl Glickman, he examines the confluence of early experiences with his evolving concepts and theories of education, supervision, democracy, and school renewal that resulted in his studies, activities, university and school networks and partnerships, and widely read books. He covers the first 33 years of his life including being a child of immigrants and freedom from adults; academics, social life, and speech disability; identity, new worlds, and marriage; the teacher corps and forced integration of schools; the years as a principal of schools; and the origins of developmental supervision; and the significance of …

Professional Growth: How Do Cooperating Teachers Grow Through The Experience Of Having A Student Teacher?, Ashton D. Coppley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Cooperating teachers and student teachers share a unique internship that allows the development of skills for both individuals. The literature states that cooperating teachers can grow from student teachers; however, there are a few sources that state the areas in which this growth occurs. The purpose of this study was to determine if growth or impact happened in the areas of instructional practices, coaching skills, and self-efficacy during the student teaching process. This mixed methods study included a survey, focus group interview, and single interviews to determine whether any change was made. The survey created descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation …

Toward An Emerging Theory Of Leadership Competencies For Early Care And Education Systems Leaders, Julianne Zvalo-Martyn

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the competencies that early care and education systems leaders should possess as perceived by a panel of early childhood systems leadership experts. This study also identified which leadership competencies experts perceive will have the most impact on transformation of the field into an organized system of practice.

Methodology: This study used a mixed-methods Delphi approach consisting of three electronic surveys to identify competencies needed by early care and education systems leaders as perceived by a panel of national experts. Round 1 consisted of open-ended questions. Round 2 asked the panelists …

Stakeholders' Perspectives On The Implementation Of A Promise Academy, Nicole A. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study addressed the factors that enhanced or constrained the success of one Promise Academy at an elementary school in the northeastern United States. A large number of schools in an urban district have continuously failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP). The study school implemented the Promise Academy model in September 2010, to dramatically improve and transform the learning environment in this underperforming school. Promise Academies, the district turnaround model, was implemented in 11 schools, all of which have failed to produce increases in student outcomes. The theoretical framework supporting this study was Michael Fullan's theory of educational …

In Search Of Relevance And Sustainability Of Educational Change : An International Conference At Aga Khan University Institute For Educational Development, Aga Khan University, Institute For Educational Development

Books

No abstract provided.

Guiding The Work Of Professional Learning Communities: Perspectives For School Leaders, Daniel Paul Draper

Dissertations and Theses

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006). Researchers and practitioners agree that PLCs are critical to the overall success of schools. The problem is that implementing PLCs with fidelity to an inquiry process is a real challenge. Most school districts do not have a systematic or comprehensive approach to guide their PLC …

Catholic Schools, Urban Neighborhoods, And Education Reform, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Margaret F Brinig

This Article explores the implications of a dramatic shift in the American educational landscape—the rapid disappearance of Catholic schools from urban neighborhoods. Primarily because of their strong track record of educating disadvantaged children, these school closures are a source of significant concern in education policy circles. While we are inclined to agree that Catholic school closures contribute to a broader educational crisis, this Article does not address well-rehearsed debates about educational outcomes. Rather than focusing on the work done inside the schools, we focus on what goes on outside them. Specifically, using three decades of data from the Project on …

A High School Turnaround School Initiative: Effects On Students' Math And Reading Scores, Rene Alma Segler-Zender

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the middle of the last century, student education in the U.S. public school systems has been deemed inadequate. Critics developed measures in the form of standardized testing to measure student progress in an attempt to help facilitate reforms. In the last thirty years, the federal government has played an increasing role in school reform efforts in the form of laws and unfunded mandates. School districts have attempted to respond to federal pressure by attempting radical changes from replacing all school administration and staff to a complete curriculum overhaul. While school reform efforts have been widely documented by various groups, …

Strengthening The Professional Development For Teachers At Uc-Trc Level – A Hub For Teachers Professional Development, Rakhshinda Meher

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Professional development is a continuous improvement process, on job training and support needed to improve teaching, it encompasses the processes that educators engage in to initially prepare themselves, continuously update themselves, and review and reflect on their own performance. The experiences suggest that continuing professional development is needed to reinforce learning and support educational change process. This paper encompass on strengthening the professional development for teachers at Union Council Tehsil Resource Center (UC-TRCs). Teacher Mentors, developed by AKU-IED, STEP Project initiated the Cluster-based Mentoring Programme (CBMP) and also providing teachers follow-up support through Schools visits. Teachers professionally support each other, …

Turbulence, Perturbance, And Educational Change, Brian R. Beabout

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

While scholarship on educational change has long accepted that disruptions to the status quo are an essential part of the change process, disruption has never been more central to planned change than it is in the current political context in the USA, where legislation has mandated school closure, reconstitution, and turnaround as required remedies for schools failing to produce annual student achievement gains required by government. We are also unfortunately hampered by the imprecise language that surrounds complexity- based theories of educational change. Words such as perturbance, turbulence, and disruption all have gained currency lately, but meanings are unclear and …

Turbulence, Perturbance, And Educational Change, Brian Beabout

Brian R. Beabout

While scholarship on educational change has long accepted that disruptions to the status quo are an essential part of the change process, disruption has never been more central to planned change than it is in the current political context in the USA, where legislation has mandated school closure, reconstitution, and turnaround as required remedies for schools failing to produce annual student achievement gains required by government. We are also unfortunately hampered by the imprecise language that surrounds complexity- based theories of educational change. Words such as perturbance, turbulence, and disruption all have gained currency lately, but meanings are unclear and …

"Illegitimi Non Carborundum": Resilience In The Face Of Factory School Reform, Jennifer Nicole Brooks

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore, through semi-structured interviews, public school educators' perspectives on how they interpret and cope/deal with the current high-stakes educational climate. This qualitative study explores how teachers interpret and negotiate top-down mandates and the effects of such mandates on self-efficacy, professional autonomy, and stress. It also investigates what sources of inspiration and/or support perceived by teachers as helpful in cultivating resilience. Semi-structured interviews with seven public elementary school teachers in a Southern California district served as the primary sources of data.

A Content Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Small Learning Communities At A High School, Christen Tonry Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Educational reform is vital to meet the educational, social, and personal needs of an ever-changing student population. Many attempts at educational reform have been made over the past century. A number of reforms were originated and directed by policy at the Federal, State and regional levels, and others were developed at the district or school level. Demands for educational change are ever-present, and the acceptance of or resistance to change continues to be a topic of discussion and focus of research.

The purpose of this study was to understand change in the implementation of small learning communities (SLCs) at a …

It's A Matter Of Principal: Examining Relationships Between Leaders' Change Facilitator Style And Students' Academic Progress, Diane Lewis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At no other time in the history of American education have school principals been faced with as many challenges as today. The era of accountability has increased the daily pressures of leading a school, while responsibility for student achievement is at an all time high.

Some studies have examined a leaders’ impact on teacher behaviors. Fewer studies have examined the possible impacts that principals have on student learning. In this study, leadership research was reviewed; not only in education, but in business, sports, and other fields. The traits and styles of leaders were explored in an attempt to define the …

Exploring The Applicability Of A Lean Six Sigma Framework For Performance Excellence To K--12 Education In New York State : A Soft Systems Approach, Thomas Daniel Buccino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Based on current legislation, existing accountability systems, and organizational practice reflected by present data trends, the level of academic proficiency mandated for all students enrolled in New York State public schools by 2014 will not be achieved. Coincident with demands for higher performance, schools are experiencing unprecedented financial pressures. There is an urgent need for breakthrough change in performance associated with the public educational system. This requires a change in thinking, a change in culture, and a change in practice. As a proven transformational strategy, Six Sigma combined with Lean methods have demonstrated sustained success in achieving high levels of …

Catholic Schools, Urban Neighborhoods, And Education Reform, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Notre Dame Law Review

This Article explores the implications of a dramatic shift in the American educational landscape—the rapid disappearance of Catholic schools from urban neighborhoods. Primarily because of their strong track record of educating disadvantaged children, these school closures are a source of significant concern in education policy circles. While we are inclined to agree that Catholic school closures contribute to a broader educational crisis, this Article does not address well-rehearsed debates about educational outcomes. Rather than focusing on the work done inside the schools, we focus on what goes on outside them. Specifically, using three decades of data from the Project on …

An Examination Of Principal Practices That Enhance Teacher Collaboration Through Professional Development In Literacy Collaborative, Marsha Susan Strosberg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

While whole school reform requires the commitment and collaboration of the faculty to build capacity to effect academic improvement, the school leader plays a crucial role in establishing and nurturing a setting that facilitates this goal. This research described how elementary principals restructure their buildings to create and support professional learning communities in this change process.

Smart Change, Linda L. Baer, Anne Hill Duin, Judith A. Ramaley

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explains how "smart change" (contrasted with routine, strategic, and transformative change) is about using learning as a core asset and a guidance system for institutional change, and provides three institutional vignettes.

A Study Of The Impact Of Mayoral Control And School Reform Legislation Upon New York City Leaders And School Administrators, William C. Jusino-Gomez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The overarching goal of the study was to ascertain if the changes underway as a result of the New York City School Reform act will have meaningful impact on the quality of education offered to over 1 million schoolchildren? Additionally, will mayoral control in the New York City public school system guarantee basic human rights standards? Will consideration be given to the associated conditions of poverty and limited opportunities? Will mayoral control contribute towards fighting disparities in resources? The purpose of this research is to study the impact of school reform legislation upon New York City leaders and school administrators. …

Initiating Change In Classrooms: Pathways And Challenges For East African Schools, Anjum Halai, Ruth Otienoh, Zeenat Shariff, Naomi Swat

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper draws upon classroom-related findings from a set of impact case studies of whole school improvement in six primary schools that have been involved as “cooperating schools” in long-term school-university partnerships with the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (IED), and it’s Professional Development Centre in East Africa (PDC-EA). The IED approach for school improvement involves participating schools in multiple strands of professional development, including: a two-year masters degree programme that provides selected teachers with the pedagogical and leadership knowledge and skills to serve as Professional Development Teachers in their schools; Certificate in Education programmes (CEP) for teachers …

Challenges To Education In Tajikistan: The Need For Research-Based Solutions, Sarfaroz Niyozov, Stephen Bahry

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Education in Tajikistan today is acknowledged by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Tajikistan and by international agencies as facing many challenges. Infrastructure and materials need replacement or repair; curriculum needs to be adapted to changing conditions; professional development for teachers is required, while means to retain experienced teachers and attract new ones need to be found. At the same time, children's' meaningful access to education has been threatened by various factors that reduce their attendance and participation in education, keeping some youth out of school altogether. This chapter argues that research in education in Tajikistan and the …

School Improvement: A Case From Bangladesh, Yasmeen Bano, Sultan M. Bhuiyan

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

School Improvement - Innovative Practices And Experiences, Mehrun - Nisa

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper reflects field experiences in setting up and running the Academic Cell and the Model Teachers Resource Centre. The paper is based on work done in April 2001 up to August 2003. As a Professional Development Teacher (PDT), school improvement has been the core objective for me. This paper points out to the contributions made for the purpose of school improvement and curriculum enrichment through material development, , which focuses on developing two main areas: firstly, a Guide for Low Cost Teaching Aids and secondly, textbooks and corresponding Teacher’s Guides. Also, it discusses the procedures that were adopted in …

The Need For Educational Change, Zeenat Siraj

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper highlights the efforts made by one private school system in Pakistan to provide education to the girl child. On the basis of her experience in the field of education in NWFP, in Pakistan, and her association with this country wide educational network, the author maintains that the state of female education at all levels, particularly in the backward areas in Pakistan, is a matter of serious concern. Equity in opportunities of education available to the boys and girls should be an essential focus of efforts in change and improvement in schools and systems. Equity is the removal of …

Aku-Ied: A Leader In Education Change, Shahnaz Wazir Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

State Takeover As A Reform Strategy: A Study Of State Takeover Policy In The State Of New Jersey, Dennis R. Frohnapfel

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Comprehensive School Reform Influence On Teacher Practice: Listening In The Classroom, An Examination Of Powerful Learning Labs Within The Accelerated Schools Project, Amy Daggett Petti

Dissertations and Theses

Focusing on teacher learning, this study follows fifteen teachers in the crux of comprehensive school reform. These "regular" classroom teachers are the ubiquitous players of this theatre of school reform. "Regular" teacher is defined as a typical classroom teacher who is not actively involved in the district's school reform project or one who hasn't taken an active leadership role. The teachers in this study work in the challenging environment of a poor, diverse urban school district that was in its third year of a comprehensive school reform program, the Accelerated Schools Project. Fifteen teachers volunteered to take part in a …