Equity And Inclusion For Leaders In The School District: Exploring Gender, Michele Radomski

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

There are increasing expectations that educational leaders attend to social justice. However, little attention is paid to their own experience of equity and inclusion, and there is an ongoing omission of gender from organizational discourse. This problem of practice identifies the lack of attention to the experience and implications of gender for leaders in a school district. The organizational improvement plan aims to prioritize gender on the organization’s agenda, bridge the gap between representation and equity and inclusion, and create a gender-inclusive leadership climate. Feminist frames for change establish the underlying change strategy and Lewin’s change model structures the change …

An Equitable Approach To Academic Progression Advising: To Use An Automated Tool Or Not?, Frances H. Billingsley

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is concerned with the problem of inequitable access to an automated degree audit tool at a large metropolitan university in central Canada, which is affecting year-to-year progression and timely graduation. Despite the implementation of this tool 17 years ago, it has not been fully adopted, leaving the campus community to navigate degree progression inconsistently and in isolation, with nearly half the students underserved; of particular concern are first-generation students. Stakeholder theory underpins the organizational change management plan, which espouses authentic, transformational, and shared leadership approaches. Following internal and external analyses, it was determined that the …

Increasing Support For Evidence-Based Policing: A Complexity Theory Perspective On Organizational Change, Brad Pearce

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Confidence in Canadian policing is at a critical juncture as demonstrated by public calls for increased oversight and accountability, social movements demanding police reform, political considerations to defund the police, and citizen dissatisfaction with outdated and ineffective policing strategies. This Organizational Improvement Plan focuses on a specific problem of practice that is currently being faced by many Canadian police agencies: a lack of evidence-based policing practices with specific focus on the Bluetown Police Department. Moreover, the problem of practice has led to an overreliance on reactive policing interventions that have prevented the Bluetown Police Department from achieving prescribed internal performance …

Improving Sexual Violence Reporting In Higher Education Institutions, Karen D. Kennedy Ms

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the lack of sexual violence (SV) reporting at an undergraduate university (Coastal U; a pseudonym) where values of equity, diversity, and inclusion are espoused. Nonetheless, students from diverse cultures at Coastal U report a lack of visibility, unclear pathways for reporting, poor student and staff education, and numerous reporting fears, culminating in a lack of SV reporting. A critical and intersectional feminist lens frames this issue as one of social injustice, wherein inequity and lack of inclusion are problematic. Institutional context, capacity, and readiness, together with consideration of external factors, led to three …

The Growth And Development Of Institutional Reputation, Neil A. Mort Mr

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Higher education institutions spend considerable effort developing and maintaining quality educational programs and experiences for their students. However, these great programs and experiences can become best kept secrets if the institution is unknown. A positive reputation can contribute to student recruitment; successful career placement for graduates; greater retention of students, faculty, and staff; overall student satisfaction; and greater opportunities for the institution. A poor reputation, on the other hand, can negatively impact its success in recruitment; graduate career placements; and student, faculty, and staff retention. How does an institution develop and build a positive reputation and become more widely known …

Mental Health In Elementary Schools: Supporting Students Using A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Sarah Katerina Garrett

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) provides a template for addressing the lack of mental health support available to elementary school children. It focuses on the process that will be used at one elementary school to respond to internal and external pressure to provide mental health education. This organizational change is significant and requires a comprehensive change plan. This OIP demonstrates that continuous school improvement coupled with planning and commitment provides a framework, named the hybrid change model, that will ensure successful implementation of this change initiative. This framework includes five stages: study and commit, plan, build capacity, implement and monitor, …

Supporting Effective School Board Governance, Dwayne Michael Zarichny

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

The contextual landscape for superintendents in Alberta is changing. Managing the board was once the main responsibility of the superintendent. With the implementation of the superintendent leadership quality standard, superintendents are now expected to demonstrate a number of competencies as part of their role. One major competency is supporting effective governance practices of the board they serve. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the Problem of Practice (PoP) focused on building superintendent and trustee efficacy in moving towards more effective governance practices. The objective of this OIP is to introduce a new approach to governing which will result in …

A Faculty-Based Approach To Engaging University Alumni, Osman Hamid

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Alumni engagement is widely defined as the level of relationship graduates have with their alma maters. Universities have an opportunity to leverage benefits from having strong connections with their alumni. Furthermore, graduates generally have a stronger affinity to the academic departments they graduated from than to the universities where these departments are based. Additionally, the fiscal and regulatory pressures facing Canadian universities within the province of Ontario highlight the advantages that come with having an engaged alumni community. The Problem of Practice (PoP) investigated in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is the lack of alumni engagement within a faculty of …

Steam Integration At Aro Academy, Lee-Ron Shulman-Kaye

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan centres around a problem of practice at a faith-based independent elementary school in Ontario. Faced with several organizational challenges including declining enrolment and pressure by stakeholders to ensure curriculum delivery remains relevant for 21^st Century learners, there is a goal of embedding Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) integrated learning in a meaningful way. The school has made physical space and has the technology available to support instructional change including a dedicated Marker Space and Robotics Room. A robotics specialist and an administrator supervising innovation have been hired to support teachers but integration in …

Student Responsibility Through Building Teacher Capacities, Christopher C. Deboer

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Bound Yet Free Christian School is an organization committed to a growth mindset. The school’s Board of Directors invests in school improvement efforts, making use of external evaluations and encouraging professional development. Building on the previous external evaluations of the organization, two of the local school board’s resulting initiatives are explicitly addressed in this Organizational Improvement Plan. Making academic success a priority while building teacher capacities in intelligent, evidence-based pedagogies are the goals. A specific focus on assisting student development of responsibility and ownership for their learning is the focal point for improving student learning. This plan seeks to outline …

The Relatedness Of Leadership To Infant Education And Care: A Journey With Hannah Arendt, Tina Bonnett

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In current movements that seek to redress the early education and care sector, professionals who work with infants are gaining recognition for possessing a unique set of expertise and competencies that extend beyond custodial caregiving. In this emerging recognition however, the relatedness between leadership and infant caregiving is dearth in early years research, policy, and practice agendas. This phenomenon is evidenced in course outcomes, content, and experiential elements in an Ontario early years honours leadership degree. As such, this Organizational Improvement (OIP) plan endeavours to tangibly intersect leadership and infant caregiving by examining contextual informants relating to this problem of …

One Size Does Not Fit All: An External Leader’S Process Towards Supporting Positive Mental Health In Schools, Alexandra Fortier

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

With the growing societal, personal, and financial costs related to unaddressed mental health issues (Smetanin et al., 2011), the World Health Organization [WHO] (2004) urges stakeholders to start with preventative work. The premise is to focus upstream of the plethora of potential consequences and to address these issues before they become problematic. The WHO (2004) further suggests starting with children and youth, which are, for the most part, in schools. While this seems a logical starting place, research suggests that it is essential to be well in order to teach others to be well (Acton & Glasgow, 2015; Ontario Principals’ …

Creating Sustainable Support Systems For The Cultural Integration Of International Students At A Medium Size Ontario University, Muzi Li

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This OIP investigates the lack of cultural integration and support for international students at Medium-Size Ontario University (MSOU). The support for cultural integration of the international students at MSOU is inadequate and international students are facing social, emotional and academic challenges as they are not provided with the needed assistance to acclimatize to Western culture. Three potential solutions to address the PoP are demonstrated and evaluated. The chosen solution of implementing extended orientation and workshops is inspected in detail. Transformational Leadership and Confucianism are examined to ensure their relevancy and appropriateness to address this PoP and OIP and connected to …

Perspectives Of Organizational Change Initiatives And Culture In A University’S Department, Kristen K. Boujos

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current state of contemporary higher education institutions reveals challenges such as changing enrolment patterns (Association of American Colleges and Universities [AACU], 2002; Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada [AUCC], 2007; Levac & Newman, 2009), greater calls for accountability (AACU, 2002; Usher, 2015) and decreased public funding (AACU, 2002; Charbonneau, 2013; Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations [OCUFA], 2016). In addition to the external challenges of the higher education landscape, institutions are confronted with intersecting organizational issues such as the need for increasing productivity, improving communication processes, and motivating workforces (Jackson, 2010). These challenges require action, which often make …

Changing School Culture To Engage Disengaged Students, Trisha E. Sotropa

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines how formal leaders (including principals and vice principals) and informal school leaders (such as influential teachers) can provide opportunities for greater engagement in the learning process for all students by changing the culture (Schein, 2010) of an increasingly diverse Alberta school. Educational leaders beliefs and assumptions about the purpose of education and the roles of teachers and students will impact their beliefs about student engagement (Vibert & Shields, 2003) in both teacher-led curricular and extracurricular activities. Several recent surveys, including surveys in Alberta schools (Learning Bar, 2016) and larger surveys in the United States …