Education Commons^™

Top Of The C.L.A.S.S. Connecting Leadership And Student Success, Natasha N. Johnson, Thaddeus Johnson

CJC Publications

This chapter highlights the direct correlation between effective leadership and student achievement. The development – and execution – of a concrete leadership framework is necessary for organizational structure and serves as a standard of excellence that surpasses any potentially harmful influences (such as race, socioeconomic status, family structure, gender, culture, and disability, among others). The establishment of this agenda occurs as individuals continually strive for self-fulfillment. Through this process, one can effectively guide others while working towards their own personal and professional objectives. Ultimately, this distinguishes successful leaders from the rest and represents the goal to which leaders should aspire: …

A Quantitative Examination Of Emotional Intelligence Among Primary And Secondary School Principals In The Guam Department Of Education, Forrest Ceasar Anderson Chargualaf

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aims to evaluate the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) primary and secondary school principals’ emotional intelligence in Guam to inform emotional intelligence-based professional development training. The significance of the study is it establishes an emotional intelligence baseline for GDOE and yields contextual data to help create emotional intelligence-based professional development for GDOE school principals. The study is a non-experimental, correlational quantitative research design with a proposed sample size of 84 GDOE school principals, consisting of two populations: GDOE primary (42) and secondary school principals (42). From the sample pool of 84 school principals, 45 school participants met …

A Multi-Case Examination Of Leadership Development Programs For Emerging Educational Leaders In K-12 School Districts, Jason Thomsen

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In recent years, a greater emphasis has been placed on leadership development programs across a wide array of sectors in an effort to improve organizations. A growing body of research indicates that strong educational leadership practices have the ability to impact virtually all aspects of a school system. What is less evident in the research is how K-12 school districts utilize leadership development programs and make decisions regarding the implementation of those programs in order to cultivate educational leaders. The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine how K-12 school districts utilize leadership development programs and the role that …

K-12 Florida Christian Schools In Crisis: A Correlational Study Of Educational Leadership During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cesar O. Irizarry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

K-12 Florida Christian schools were disrupted due to the advent of a global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Flexibility was needed by educational leadership during this time of crisis. For that reason, this study will aim to understand the leadership principles necessary to provide leaders with the flexibility to adapt to extreme circumstances. The literature addresses the leader’s importance of being flexible during a crisis (Ruffner & Huizing, 2016). However, the literature continues to examine the effects of the pandemic on education but has not identified those contingencies that are necessary for leaders in the Christian educational system …

Reinventing Identity In Transition From Principal To Professor: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Forrest J. Kaiser, Jennifer Bailey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

School leadership is a fast-paced job where stakeholder feedback is frequent, and decision-making requires quick thinking and strong organization. When school leaders transition from practitioner to scholar, they face a dramatic change in pace and responsibility. Unlike their peers who come from academia, practitioner-scholars experience a unique context and career shift that requires navigating unfamiliar organizational structures and translating existing skills into new contexts. This collaborative autoethnography explores the lived experiences of two junior faculty who recently transitioned from the campus principalship to the tenure track professoriate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a process of individual writing, group reflection, and …

Leadership Competencies For Christian Directors At International Schools In Saudi Arabia, Ayanna Saran Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As Christian leaders expand their influence into the Middle East, it is important for both leaders and institutions to know what competencies are essential for these leaders. Educational leadership in Saudi Arabia is under reformation as expats and nationals work in collaboration to lead international schools towards Vision 2030. To compile a list of essential competencies, this exploratory qualitative research explored which skills, behaviors, and knowledge were recommended by recruiters and Saudi principals for international directors. The exploratory research included interviews with three Saudi principals and three recruiters who shed light on the essential competencies for expatriate directors. Based on …

Chapter 1: The Merits Of A Chief Diversity Officer (Cdo): Enterprise Training Program Strategy, Abeni El-Amin Ph.D.

Management Faculty Publications

Developing an enterprise training program requires a commitment to cultivating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) organizational initiatives while providing alignment to the organizational mission, vision, and ethos. With this knowledge, enterprise training programs benefit organizations by fostering authentic cultures to resolve persistent issues of bias, implicit bias, and offenses of corporate policies. As a value, organizational leadership must lead and champion diversity initiatives to ensure stakeholders understand the importance of complying with organizational policies. The problem is that effective DEIB initiatives need implementation or an overhaul. Institutional DEIB initiatives fail because they have yet to identify the rationale for …

Chapter 14: Strategies For Mitigating Bias In Training And Development, Quinton L. Marks, Bilal El-Amin, Abeni El-Amin Ph.D.

Management Faculty Publications

This chapter will examine the importance of mitigating bias in training and development, which provides internal and external scanning, thus mitigating bias in selection, promotion, compensation, information sharing, and implicit biases. Further, bias in training and development arises when training participants are intentionally or unintentionally targeted because of individual aspects of the “Big 8,” consisting of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion/spirituality, nationality, and socioeconomic status. Akin to research, information bias results from misleading training participants by providing incomplete information or showing imaging that is not representative of a diverse group of people. Additionally, DEIB training and development …

Chapter 13: Reconceptualizing Diversity Training Predictors Of Training Success, Shakoor Ward, Abeni El-Amin Ph.D.

Management Faculty Publications

The results of in-depth meta-analyses of diversity training outcomes reveal that cognitive learning is the strongest effect from diversity training, while smaller effects were behavioral and attitudinal change. Further results of the analysis suggest that successful diversity training occurs when learning is the goal, not impact from behavior or attitude changes. An adapted version of The Kirkpatrick Training and Evaluation Model is highlighted to demonstrate how to design an evaluation that measures actual learning, rather than perceived learning. In addition, the Plus/Delta feedback tool is introduced as an effective evaluation tool to identify what is going well and what needs …

Preface: Implementing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging In Educational Management Practices, Abeni El-Amin Ph.D.

Management Faculty Publications

The social and political changes of this era have created a fundamental shift in how businesses view the impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace. Successful businesses are now achieved by incorporating DEIB initiatives and managing inclusive workforces. Thus, it is imperative to understand how leaders implement DEIB educational change initiatives as well as how they make significant, sustainable changes by utilizing communication abilities, conflict management skills, and servant leadership. Simultaneously, educational stakeholders must vet essential change management processes and principles.

Chapter 12: Including The Exclusive: A Framework For Diversity And Inclusion Training In Intercollegiate Athletics, Abeni El-Amin Ph.D., Ramon Johnson

Management Faculty Publications

This research provides an analysis of Kentucky State University's (KSU) Athletic Departmental Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) training series based on Wolfe's leadership competencies. Utilizing Wolfe's competencies of leaders profile to measure DEIB training effectiveness provided a framework to evaluate the program. Wolfe's four domains are Domain 1: Vision, Values, and Culture; Domain 2: Personal Skills, Mindsets, and Values; Domain 3: Capacity Building for Innovation and Continuous Improvement; and Domain 4: Shared Responsibility and Structures for Continuous Improvement, Innovation, and Assessment. It was found that leaders must focus on the internal complexities of leadership and organizational development, as well …

Central Office Leadership: The Importance Of Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging In The Ivory Tower, Natasha N. Johnson Edd

CJC Publications

As a consequence of their multiple identities, underrepresented leaders often navigate both racialized and gendered pathways to leadership in the U.S. education industry. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the impact of their intersecting identities and the structural barriers in this sector. To deepen our collective understanding of this phenomenon, the author reviews existing theories and research related to the intersection of race and gender within the educational leadership sphere. More specifically, the author highlights the individual and compounding effects of gender and race on the professional realities of current and aspiring leaders in education at the Central Office (i.e., …

Case Study: Exploration Into Principal's Educational Leadership Training And Their Preparation To Lead Special Education Programs In Schools, Tyriq D'Shon Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the educational leadership training experiences in special education for school principals of public charter schools in Washington D.C. Guiding this study, is the theory of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), contributed by Shulman (1986), and the social constructivist theory contributed by Lev Vygotsky (1978). These theories seek to explain the relationship between what principals are expected to know and do based on leadership content knowledge and practical application, specifically in terms of leading special education programs in schools. The central question of this study is: What are the experiences of school principals …

A Phenomenological Study On Teacher Perceptions Of The Influence Of Governance On Teacher Retention In Ugandan Private Primary Christian Schools, Jomo Zizwe Morani Thomas Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to answer the following central research question, “what are teachers’ perceptions of the effects of governance on teacher retention in private primary Christian schools in Uganda?” The theoretical model that guided this study was an integrated model comprising distributed leadership and transformational leadership and its relationship to governance influences on teacher retention. The study utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology for data analysis. The selected participants were comprised of 13 teachers from four approved Christian primary school sites located in the Wakiso district of Uganda. The primary data collection methods were individual questionnaires, …

Teacher Perception Of Administrators' Leadership Qualities Based On The Administrator's Biological Sex, Jennifer Derickson Washington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Determining the criteria necessary for an educational leader or principal to be effective by including employees, such as teachers in evaluating their principals, may aid in strengthening educational leadership overall. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if there is a difference between teacher perception of their administrator’s leadership qualities of inspiring a shared vision, modeling the way, and enabling others to act based on the biological sex of their administrator. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Observer form was used to measure the leadership quality of educational administrators as perceived by their teachers. The population for the …

Lessons Learned From A Training-Of-Trainers Model In Africa, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The international community has pledged to provide a quality education for all by 2030. School leaders play a key role in improving student learning outcomes yet oftentimes educational leaders do not have opportunities to attend professional development events. The purpose of this study was to examine a Training of Trainers Model (TOT) used to build the capacity of school leaders in five countries in Africa. This qualitative research study used a longitudinal design. Findings revealed that there were both strengths and weaknesses to the TOT model. The authors discuss the significance of these findings for policymakers and practitioners worldwide.

A Multi-Generational Study Of Aspiring African American Female Superintendents In Texas, Patrice Lanette Allen, Joshua D. Hughes

Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership

Only 8 of the 1,247 public school districts served by the Texas Education Agency are headed by African American female superintendents. In order for African American women to be considered for the superintendency in Texas, they must understand the barriers marked by intersectional misconceptions.

The narrative methodology focuses on accounts derived from experiences expressed in a form of storytelling. This correlates the conceptual framework with the variables of critical race theory (CRT), glass ceiling theory, and generational theory. This process was vital to understanding generational differences of African American women on the journey to the superintendency. This research focused on …

Curriculum Theory, Didaktik, And Educational Leadership: Reflections On The Foundations Of The Research Program, Rose Ylimaki, Michael Uljens

Faculty Publications

This chapter provides concluding reflections and next steps in a research program bridging curriculum theory/Didaktik and educational leadership studies. The bridging utilizes non-affirmative education theory as the theoretical ground. To begin, we present a retrospective discussion of the project. We then relate the approach to the contributions included in this volume, especially focusing on the normativity of education theories, and pointing at how non-affirmative education theory corresponds to deliberation oriented democratic-hermeneutic initiatives. Non-affirmative education theory identifies both leadership, teaching and curriculum work as critical deliberation based professional activities driven by subjects, individual agency in historically developed cultural and societal institutions …

Multidimensional Leadership: Masculine And Feminine Leadership Approaches In Public Education, Joseph P. Eberhard

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With two-thirds of new leaders being women, it has become increasingly more clear that the face of our educational organizations is changing both symbolically and substantively. The demands placed on public education have also grown exponentially. If society demands that schools become better, then it is necessary to investigate the approaches that school leaders utilize in making decisions.

The purpose of this research was to explore the different approaches that educational leaders implement during their decision-making processes. The present study asked 20 school leaders within Miami Dade County Public Schools to report and explain their personal approaches to leadership to …

Leadership Perspectives Of Chief Student Affairs Officers, Jeff Beavers

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Leadership in student affairs continues to be a challenging enterprise for universities. Colleges are expected to help students succeed while providing for abundant needs through graduation. Chief student affairs officers have increasing demands of students and faculty amid decreased funds. This exploratory study took an in-depth look at the leadership perspectives of 19 chief student affairs officers at 4-year, public universities across the Midwest. The researcher sought responses on common leadership perspectives, challenges faced, and opportunities encountered. The three emerging themes were elements that inform leadership, knowledge and skills, and mindful leadership outlook. These emergent themes formed the basis for …

Implementation Of State Developmental Education Policy: A Multiple Case Study Of Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Involvement, Shirley Davenport

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Numerous studies have indicated that developmental education as it is currently offered in many colleges and universities produces dismal results, with student success rates averaging as low as 25%. To address this issue, legislators in some states have begun to intervene, adopting policies that vary from suggestions for improvements to mandated pedagogical approaches. However, given the higher education organizational environment, the manner in which any change is implemented can be key to its success.

The purpose of this comparative multiple case study was to describe and interpret the perceptions of developmental education faculty regarding their level of involvement in developmental …

Building Bridges: Opportunities Abound For P-20 Collaborations, Jennifer S. Jones, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

PK-12 leaders value opportunities to collaborate with outside entities to improve student achievement and career-readiness. With increasing federal and state student-performance expectations for more than 1.4 million students enrolled in Texas public schools, collaborating with a public or private university, a community college, or a technical or health institute can provide important mutual benefits.

In Defense Of The Public Schools, Emil E. Samuelson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

It is apparent that American public education is under attack. Furthermore, there is plenty of evidence that this attack is mounting, for criticism of educational practices seems to be steadily increasing. It would be well to recognize this trend and to analyze the criticisms carefully. For it isn't likely that these criticisms can be entirely dismissed as an inevitable part of "war hysteria" even though the world war has undoubtedly provided a favorable climate for criticism of public education.