Education Commons^™

Social Construction Of Power In Policymaking: A Case Of Cybersecurity Articulation Agreements In Virginia, Michael Paul Moore

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Existing research into the creation of articulation agreements focused solely on the functional aspects of these documents, such as maximizing transfer credit. However, little is known about the experiences of faculty and administrators at the community colleges and universities who create articulation agreements and how their experiences affect partnerships between institutions. This is especially important for high-stakes articulation agreements in industries that are under-employed, as institutions are expected to enroll large numbers of students to meet the demands of the market. Who takes charge in the creation of such articulation agreements is of interest for leaders of institutions seeking to …

Change In The Middle: Implementing Professional Learning Communities For Sustained Instructional Change, Johnna L. Bryd-King

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the influence of school leaders and teachers on surface level vs. sustained change through the implementation of professional learning communities, furthering the understanding of why some schools increase student achievement and others do not. Two predominant psychological theories, Kruglanski’s lay epistemic theory and Schwartz’s value theory, were used to explore the influence of cognition formation and values on the phenomenon within a complex environment. This research studied three Southeastern Virginia suburban middle schools. Case study methodologies were utilized, including school leader and PLC teacher member interviews, and an online survey that included …

The Impact Of Performance-Based Funding On Graduation Rates At Texas State Technical College, Adam Hutchison

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

As states legislatures seek improved results and increased accountability from higher education institutions, performance-based funding is frequently used as fiscal policy to determine state appropriations. Performance-based funding (PBF) determines an institution’s appropriation by its attainment of metrics, usually student outcomes. Early versions of PBF provided incentive funding for institutions that exceeded outcome goals, but later formulas included more intermediate metrics and required institutions meet targets to receive baseline funding. Prior studies examined the impact of PBF on retention and graduation rates at institutions through state-to-state comparisons and explored the political implications of PBF policies. Researchers found states using PBF did …

Can Effective Urban Teachers Be Developed In An Online Environment?, Sueanne Mckinney, Cynthia Tomovic, Elizabeth Langran (Ed.), Jered Borup (Ed.)

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if an online Teacher Education Program course could assist in the development of effective urban teacher characteristics of preservice teachers. The Urban Teacher Selection Interview was used to assess seven midrange functions that determine the dimensions of effective urban teaching. Results communicated that although the preservice teachers gained essential knowledge and skills in regards to urban teaching, a link could not be established between specific urban online course activities and the development of effective urban teacher characteristics.

District Strategic Teaming: Leadership For Systemic And Sustainable Reform, Thomas L. Alsbury, Margaret R. Blanchard, Kristie S. Gutierrez, Chris M. Allred, A. Dell Tolin

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Reform efforts in schools have become increasingly focused on the nature and direction of teamwork in efforts to achieve sustained and systemic districtwide capacity for innovation and needed change. The six-year study reported in this article involved development, implementation, and assessment of a unique collaborative process for districtwide reform in some of the most challenging and fluid educational settings in the United States of America. This reform process, called District Strategic Teaming, involved a representative vertical cross-section of members from the district office to school-based support staff. Participating schools are located in isolated, rural communities in the south-eastern region of …

Community College Faculty Compensation For Online Course Development And Delivery, Radhika I. Prout

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the most common compensation practices community colleges in the United States provided to faculty for online course development and delivery. Many community colleges provided compensation as an incentive for faculty participation in supporting their online learning initiatives; however, limited research was available on fair compensation for these services. The population consisted of 980 community colleges that were identified using the American Association of Community College’s membership directory.

Data for this study were collected using a survey that contained 31 closed and open form response questions requesting demographic information and current practices for …

Advocating For Change In School Library Perceptions, Elizabeth A. Burns

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on a research which aims to examine the practices of school librarians to know their impact on stakeholder perceptions. It mentions that the research was guided by the question on the advocacy strategies that were effective in changing the perception of the school library program among stakeholders. A chart is presented depicting characteristics of participants.