Education Commons^™

Editorial: Insights In Leadership In Education: 2022, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This collection of articles provides an overview of educational leadership as we emerge from the pandemic crisis into a divisive era characterized by political unrest, social and cultural upheaval, and persistent economic hardship. Across the globe, leaders in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are faced with the challenges of making up for student learning loss during the pandemic, educator burn out, parental and community concerns about curriculum content, mental health issues and the impact of artificial intelligence on education. Education leaders are taxed with meeting these challenges with scant resources in a conservative policy climate that favors traditionalism at the …

Improving Teacher Retention Within Archdiocese Of Washington Schools, Denise M. Ball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of teacher retention for the Archdiocese of Washington Schools and to design training to address the problem. Specifically, this study solicited input from teachers to help define and or identify (1) the need for teacher retention, (2) what type of school environment they work in, and (3) how a school environment affects teacher retention. Individual teacher and focus group interviews were conducted, and a survey was utilized for data collection and analysis. The measurement instruments captured data on target teachers regarding school environment/climate and job retention, specifically, years in …

Secondary Teacher Experiences In Professional Learning Communities: A Phenomenological Research Study, Tiphani Jo Morris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to describe secondary mathematics, science, English Language Arts (ELA), and social studies teachers’ experiences with PLCs at Central Texas secondary schools. Using Wenger’s (1998) social theory, the study answered the central research question: What are the lived experiences of secondary mathematics, science, ELA, and social studies teachers involved in PLCs in Central Texas? The sub-questions included: What collaborative experiences do secondary teachers have during PLCs? What professional learning experiences do secondary teachers have during PLCs? The setting included two middle schools and one high school located in Central Texas. The sample …

E Pluribus Unum: Increasing A Shared Understanding Of Mission At Marine Corps University, Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, Dominick White

Doctor of Education Capstones

E PLURIBUS UNUM: INCREASING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF MISSION AT MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY

By Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, and Dominick White

A capstone project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023.

Capstone Chair: Beth E. Bukoski, Ph.D., Department of Educational Leadership

Mergers between higher education institutions present unique challenges to creating and maintaining a shared understanding of mission. Additionally, professional military education institutions with civilian faculty and staff must blend military and civilian cultures in the workplace. …

Unmet: The Undergraduate Experience Of Basic Need Insecurity At An Uncommon University, Michelle C. Bair, Rachelle V. Blackwell-Stegall, Sara E. Rafuse, Ra’Meer J. Roberts, Sara E. Weinstein

Doctor of Education Capstones

Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Dean of Students office submitted a Request for Assistance with needs related to food and housing insecurity and lack of basic funds for students. To address this request, a doctoral Capstone team conducted a problem and context analysis, literature review, student focus groups, and an internal survey of departments. The goal was to explore the undergraduate experience of unmet needs and to identify gaps and overlaps in basic needs support and services already provided at VCU. Findings suggest that students do not know the resources available to them through the Dean of Students office, that students …

University Presidential Update- February 2022, Academic Affairs

University Updates & Communications from the University President

This is an Otterbein University presidential update to the staff and faculty, informing them on changes to campus.

The Implementation Of A Regional Education Network Through The Application Of The Developmental Evaluation Process: A Case Study, Amy Jane Griffiths, John Brady

Education Faculty Articles and Research

One in three young adults with autism or developmental disability have never been employed within eight years of their leaving high school (Newman et al., 2011). These students graduate from schools and may then work with multiple services providers across agencies. Collaboration between these agencies is critical. This case study describes the successful efforts of a group of educational leaders, parents, individuals with disabilities, and service providers who came together to improve the transition outcomes of young adults with disabilities. The success of this large and complex effort was facilitated by the application of a developmental evaluation process which adjusted …

The Effects Of Data-Driven Instructional Leadership On Student Achievement, Hayward Mark Chandler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Instructional leadership is key in reaching educational goals for students. Data-driven instructional leadership leveraged to improve teachers’ instructional practices provides opportunities for teachers to reflect, collaborate, and improve instructional practice. Data-driven leadership has been studied, but achievement results have not been a common topic. It is of value to understand the aspects of school leadership with causal nexus to student outcomes and what actions by leaders are associated with positive student outcomes. This study examined the achievement scores of four groups of schools (N= 81) in the state of New Mexico. The treatment groups leveraged data-driven practices, while the control …

Intensive Care To Intermediate Care Bridge Program, Natasha Bartlett, Sally Langerak, Lindsey Lucas, Jonathan Archibald, Tayla Robbins, Miranda Thompson, Patrice Tetu, Calla Hastings, Megan Garland, Suneela Nayak, Stephen Tyzik, Ruth Hanselman, Amy Sparks

Operations Transformation

To deliver the highest quality of care across the continuum, a large academic tertiary medical center envisioned a project that would provide an internal source of cross trained nurses for their medical intensive care unit (SCU2) and their medical intermediate care unit (R4/IMC/AVU). The hope for this program was to improve communication and collaboration between nurses and enhance the care that they provide to patients and their families.

A highly qualified team of nurses was established to create a performance improvement project. The overall goal of this endeavor was to build a more collaborative relationship between the units and ultimately …

Professional Learning Communities And Relational Trust: A Correlational Study, Theresa Ann Pedersen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are considered best practice, but additional research was needed to examine the relationships necessary to build and sustain PLCs. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if there is a relationship between the perceptions educators have about their PLC and the level of relational trust among its members. Scores for the analysis came from two surveys, The Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised and The Omnibus T-Scale (Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 2003). The sample consisted of 104 educators in 3 school districts in Iowa, Illinois, and New York; each was awarded model PLC distinction. Each teacher completed …

School Climate In The School Choice Era: A Comparative Analysis Of District-Run Public Schools And Charter Schools, Christopher Damian Duszka

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comparative analyses of district-run public schools and charter schools are limited to performance outcomes. There is a dearth of research on how the school-types vary on factors consequential to performance such as school climate. Public-private distinctions, such as in organizational autonomy, value orientations, funding structures, and management practices, could result in school climate dissimilarities between district-run public schools and charter schools.

The aim of this dissertation is to assess the influence organizational factors have on school climate and determine if school-type affects school climate. Student and staff school climate survey data from the Miami-Dade school district were utilized for this …

The Year One Book: Gemnasium (A Transdisciplinary Test Lab For Social Change), Brian Laduca, Adrienne Ausdenmoore, Anne R. Crecelius, Kevin P. Hallinan, Connie L. Bowman, Jackie M. Arnold, Philip Appiah-Kubi, Jana M. Bennett, Rebecca P. Blust, Michelle Hayford, Jerome Yorke, Mike Puckett, Castel Sweet

IACT Reports, Publications and Resources

Through an experimental process that is mutually beneficial to community partners, more opportunities for undergraduate research and experiential learning are cultivated. The GEMnasium accomplished this through active efforts of teaching, researching and partnering with the core ethos of the University in mind:

Learn: Teaching - Prepare servant-leaders through comprehensive academic and residential curricula and extraordinary experiential learning opportunities.

Lead: Researching - Perform research that leads to deeper understanding, addresses critical issues, and supports economic growth.

Serve: Partnering - Engage in mutually beneficial partnerships to strengthen our communities in Dayton and around the world.

In doing so, faculty and staff prototyped …

Building A Collaborating Culture; A Need For Partnerships Among K-12 And Postsecondary Institutions, Dr. Timothy B. Holt

Publications

This presentation focused on the need for better communication and collaboration between K-12 and post-secondary institutions. As the Affiliate Director for Project Lead the Way, the author noticed a need for higher level ownership and empowerment at all levels so that students would be better served, and prepared for the next level of education. This translates to trade schools, colleges, and universities.

Benchmarking, Brokering, And Branding: Resources For Success Across Sectors, Maureen Scully, Lisa Deangelis, Katie Bates

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The fellows in the Center for Collaborative Leadership's Emerging Leaders Program practice collaborative leadership skills by working together in peer-led teams on projects that involve multiple stakeholders and have a civic impact. The theme that emerged for the 2016 projects was Benchmarking, Brokering, and Branding: Resources for Success Across Sectors - recognizing that the fellows' social capital and ability to step back and take a wide comparative view provided new resources for their partners.

Hybrid Plcs: Building Collaboration Among Teachers In Different Schools, Laura Robertson, Pamela Cromie, Lindsay Lester, Jennifer Hill, Diana O'Neal

ETSU Faculty Works

How do highly motivated teachers from different schools collaborate? We formed a hybrid PLC that included face-to-face meetings and online interactions to improve student learning.

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Cooperative Learning To Create Music In Orff Schulwerk Classrooms, Nicole A. Chapman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The Framework for 21st Century Learning identifies four learning and innovation skills to prepare students for a changing world. The 4Cs identified are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity (Framework for 21st Century Learning, 2015). With the adoption of this new teaching framework, it is important that music educators evaluate their own teaching methods to meet the needs of their students in a changing society. The purpose of this study was to examine how cooperative group learning is currently integrated in the Orff-Schulwerk certified teachers’ elementary music classroom as part of the creative music process. In this qualitative study, I …

Making The Invisible Challenges And Opportunities Visible, Maureen A. Scully, Lisa Deangelis, Katie Bates

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The 41 fellows in the 2015 Emerging Leaders Program worked with community partners to generate the theme, “Making the Invisible Challenges and Opportunities Visible: Collaborative leadership for economic and social well-being."

The projects provide fellows an opportunity to practice elements of collaborative leadership in peer-led teams working with multiple stakeholders. The projects focus on civic engagement, building a leadership base for Greater Boston that is ready to tackle the big challenges that ensure the broader economic and social well-being of the region. The project sponsor with whom each team works is a nonprofit or governmental organization with big goals. Each …

Teamwork: Crucible For Learning About Collaborative Leadership, Lisa Deangelis, Sherry H. Penney, Maureen A. Scully

Center for Collaborative Leadership Publications

In teaching leadership development we have developed and revised a model of teamwork and collaboration, which has yielded innovative and positive results. Our study draws on insights from more than 90 project teams, gathered over twelve years of a mid-career executive education program designed specifically to teach collaborative leadership. The teams work on a strategic dilemma with a business association or community organization, highlighting the civic engagement aspect of collaborative leadership. Teams devise their own operating procedures, refine (not simply manage) the project, create working relationships with multiple stakeholders, and present a deliverable within the nine-month span of the program. …

Importance Of School Library Programs, Cynthia Strong

SPU Works

Within the discipline of library science, over 20 research studies have been done in the United States attesting to how high-quality school library programs contribute to improved academic achievement. On the other hand, in the fields of education, school counseling, administration, and school leadership, and so on, there is a dearth of scholarship and recognition of the positive impact librarians and library media program have on student success. This conceptual paper first presents an overview of the empirical research on school library programs and the positive impact they have on the academic achievement of students in the United States. Second, …

Teacher Perspectives Of Professional Learning Community Teams With Respect To Their Collective Inquiries: A Case Study, Allen Pratt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perspectives of secondary level teachers in East Tennessee who are involved in Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams regarding both the environment and sharing of best teaching practices. The study examined PLC teams to better understand how the team design, interaction, and the process of collaboration enabled teachers to coexist as adult learners. The basic research question lies in what are teacher perspectives of PLCs relating to the environment of the collective inquiry and the transfer of knowledge at the secondary school level. The study examined PLC teams to better …

A Reflective Conversation: Community And Hei Perspectives On Community-Based Research., Niamh O'Reilly, Catherine Bates

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This paper is a reflective correspondence between a community partner and a community-based research coordinator in a higher education institute (HEI). We asked each other questions about our experience of collaborating on two community-based research (CBR) projects, in order to share our learning from our collaboration, and to relate this to the wider context in order to develop recommendations for others – community partners and HEI staff – who would like to initiate CBR projects in the future.

Developing A Collaborative Culture In Online Learning, Peggy B. Gill, Ross B. Sherman, Genie B. Linn

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaboration is identified as an essential skill for educational leaders in K-12 institutions. As programs for principal preparation move to the online environment, it is essential to develop ways to encourage and facilitate collaboration and cooperation. We will discuss several ways to incorporate collaborative processes in online learning as leaders seek meaningful feedback from peers, problem solve in case study discussions and work through decision making as a collaborative activity.

Small Schools And Libraries: A Combination For Success, Kathryn L. Mcgrath

Faculty Works

This article explores the importance of library access for K-12 students and offers concrete solutions for making this possible for small schools.

The Cuny Academic Commons: Fostering Faculty Use Of The Social Web, Matthew K. Gold, George Otte

Publications and Research

This paper analyzes the implementation of an academic social network that connects faculty members, administrators, and graduate students in a multi-campus university system. Part of a new generation of university-sponsored virtual spaces that foreground social networking, the CUNY Academic Commons has fostered a growing community of members who use the site to collaborate with colleagues across the system. This paper describes the processes involved in creating the site and offers guidance to institutions considering similar projects.

Partnerships For Progress, Higher Education Institutions And External Engagement Conference Proceedings 2010, Roadmap For Employment - Academic Partnerships, Margaret Linehan, Irene Sheridan

Conference Papers

This publication is derived from the presentations and discussions at the Partnerships for Progress Conference on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and External Engagement organised by the Roadmap for Employment-Academic Partnership (REAP) project in Farmleigh House, 23 September 2010. The Conference aimed to explore the potential scope for external engagement activity and the motivation for partnership as well as how that activity can be supported and managed and how success can be measured and rewarded. The REAP project is funded through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Strategic Innovation Fund Cycle 2. The Project is led by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) …

Creating Win-Win Partnerships And Adding Relevance To Educator Preparation, Michelle Abrego, Bobbette M. Morgan, Jesus Abrego

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors describe a partnership between two departments, in a school of education that involves educational leadership and curriculum and instruction graduate students sharing their expertise of teaching and learning with student teachers and alternatively certified teacher interns. This project provides graduate students with active participation in delivering workshops to adult learners. The beginning teachers are the participants. Beginning teachers benefit from gaining hands-on experience and research-based instructional strategies to use in their classrooms. Researchers found this activity increased the graduate students’ sensitivity to the needs of beginning teachers. Over 1300 student teachers and alternative certification interns and approximately 530 …

Collaboration: Advocacy For School Change, Cynthia Strong

SPU Works

Adolescent literacy is a looming issue in secondary schools. Being able to read, comprehend, and write is imperative for students to understand the content of their classes and textbooks. According to Michael Kamil, professor of psychological studies in education and learning at Stanford University, "we almost need a trauma center to take care of this problem, it's that serious for kids that can't read...It's the number-one factor standing in the way of their graduating" (Manzo-Kennedy). Given the importance of literacy, this article provides a story of how a high school media specialist on the east coast sought to collaborate with …