Education Commons^™

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Educational Leaders On The Ensuring Literacy For All Initiative’S Impact On Student Reading Achievement In Louisiana, Khanh Kim Nguyen-Dufour

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of Louisiana’s Ensuring Literacy For All (ELFA) initiative from the perspective of

educational administrators in order to identify: (a) the factors within ELFA that contributed to student reading performance; (b) the effects of the perceptions of ELFA administrators on student achievement; and (c) the components of effective leadership that attributed to the success of ELFA implementation. Bandura‘s (1993) socio-psychological theory of self efficacy was used to frame this study, which included six ELFA administrators from the state, district, and school level. The five findings of this study revealed …

Early Childhood Educators' Experiences Of The Ontario Full-Day Early Learning: Promises To Keep, Rose M. Walton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

School-based kindergarten is a place where Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and schooling practices meet and overlap. This initiative has resulted in many changes including a legislated partnership between Early Childhood Educators and kindergarten teachers under the umbrella of the Ontario Ministry of education. In classrooms, these two diversely positioned partners shared professional space within the context of the newly minted program.The purpose of my narrative case study was to learn about participants’ experiences of a legislated partnership with a kindergarten teacher. Three early childhood educators employed by three different district school boards, I posed semi-structured interview questions and …

A Study Of The Articulated Leadership Practices Of Principals In Relation To The Literature On The Characteristics Of High Performing Principals, Janet Grooms

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

2013

In the modern world of education and 21st century school systems, improvements in student achievements are recognized as the foremost objective of school reforms and restructuring efforts. The criticism continues to spread across the country for public schools that fail to meet students’ needs, especially in the urban areas where the achievement gap is widening. School communities and educational leaders continue to demand more accountability from principals as instructional leaders because of the decline in student achievement, as measured by states’ standardized achievement tests. The trend in most school systems is that the school principal is required by the …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Supplemental Educational Services In Large Texas School Districts, Carlos Lee

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

With the need for greater education reform, President George W. Bush and Congress enacted No Child Left Behind (U. S. Department of Education, 2001). The enactment of NCLB was accompanied by additional requirements concerning accountability for student achievement. The search for methods that provide educational enhancements continues through the work of schools and local community members (Hock, Pulvers, Deshler, & Schumaker, 2001). Supplemental Educational Services (SES) are defined as supplementary academic instructional services intended to raise the level of academic achievement of Title I students in schools that have failed to meet federal mandated AYP standards for three consecutive …

Wsu Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, December 12-13, 2013

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on December 12-13, 2013.

The Creation And Implementation Of Interprofessional Simulation Leadership Scenarios, Angeline C. Delucas

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Healthcare is in a historical state of change creating an era that requires superior leadership skills. Leaders face burgeoning challenges in a competitive environment ensconced in reform. Today’s dynamic healthcare environment demands that nurse and interprofessional leaders be astute in a variety of areas including: fiscal responsibility and accountability, organizational politics, interpersonal skills, human resources, communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. Some areas such as fiscal management are considered hard skills, or skills which can be taught, while others such as conflict resolution are referred to as soft skills, or skills that are learned through experience. Though soft …

The Dissipation Of Urban High School Students' Post-Secondary Educational Aspirations And Career Planning During The College Choice Process, La Toro Yates

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Given the gap in the college choice literature about the decision-making process students use when making a decision on whether or not to attend college (McDonough & Calderone, 2010), the purpose of this study was to explore urban high school students’ perceptions of the structural factors that may influence their post-secondary educational aspirations and career plans. By working with students and guidance counselors at Sheridan High School, categorized as an urban high school but located in a rural area in the mid-Atlantic region of the country, the research team was able to gain information about how students navigate the college …

2013-12-06 General Education Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., General Education Council.

Faculty Senate Records

General Education Council meeting minutes from December 6, 2013.

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda And Minutes, December 2, 2013

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, December 2, 2013.

Examining The Systemic Effects Of Relational Trust And Network Trustworthiness On School Community: A Multi-Site Case Study Of Three Independent Schools, Stephanie Barnes Ogden

Doctoral Dissertations

Within the broader context of accountability imposed from beyond our schools, this mixed methods, multi-site case study investigated the development of relational trust and trustworthy relationships as internal accountability structures within three independent schools replicating responsible independence on the scale of the school as trustworthy freedom on the scale of the individual. Interviews, observations, artifacts, sociograms, and surveys were analyzed to identify teacher and administrator perceptions of structures supporting relational trust, accountability to community standards, and sustainable trust-based cultures. Survey data were also analyzed for corresponding evidence of organizational conditions associated with school improvement: teacher orientation to innovation, teacher commitment …

Effects Of Direct Instruction Versus Reading First On Reading Comprehension Of Students In Southwest Arkansas, Judith A. Jenkins

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of supplemental reading programs such as Reading First and Direct Instruction on reading achievement for students in elementary and middle grades. Particularly, in the first and third hypotheses, the independent variables were reading program (Direct Instruction versus Reading First) and ethnicity (Hispanic versus Non- Hispanic) on reading comprehension for third and eighth grade students. In the second and fourth hypotheses, the independent variables were reading program (Direct Instruction versus Reading First) and gender (male versus female) on reading comprehension for third and eighth students. …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Employee Perceptions Of An Organizational Leader's Commitment To Safety And Actual Injury Rates In A University Setting, David E. Oliver

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between employee perceptions of their supervisor’s commitment to safety (safety climate) and the actual rate of occupational injuries among the same employees. The study also aimed to examine the relationship between the employee perceptions of their supervisor’s leadership practices and the supervisor’s safety climate rating. In addition, this study examined the potential influence of employee demographic factors on their responses to survey questions. This research study sought to answer three primary questions: (1) Does a significant correlation exist between employee perceptions of his supervisor’s commitment to the health and safety …

Secondary School Athletic Administration Certification: State Oversights, Requirements, And Pressing Issues Athletic Directors Encounter, Christopher L. Gaddis

Dissertations

The role of a secondary school athletic director is similar across the United States, although the required credentials for such a position vary immensely from state to state. The athletic administrator position was originally created to improve the oversight of the increasing demands of operating an athletic program. In the past, the number of sports and participants were much smaller than today. Because of this there has not always been a call for highly trained, educated, and experienced interscholastic athletic administrators. In this study, state executive directors/liaisons for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association provided information regarding their states demographic …

The Leonard Bernstein Artful Learning Model: A Case Study Of An Elementary School, David S. Brothman

Other Dissertations

Case study methodology was used to explore and better understand how the Leonard Bernstein Artful Learning comprehensive school reform model impacted a high performing suburban elementary school outside Chicago, Illinois. The school adopted the model not because it was doing poorly academically, but rather as a vehicle to institute a comprehensive arts-based curriculum school wide. Focusing primarily on teachers’ perceptions of how the model affected teaching and learning in their classroom, the study also uncovered how the school, families, the community, and district leadership responded to and supported Artful Learning over a five year period since its inception. The study …

Academic Acceleration: A Policy Advocacy Document, Kelly Neylon

Policy Advocacy

The purpose of this advocacy document, written in 2013, is to illustrate the need for a change in policy for gifted students in a suburban school district. The recommended policy change would allow academic acceleration in the form of whole-grade acceleration and/or subject-area acceleration for gifted students. This advocacy document includes a review of the literature related to acceleration and gifted students and an analysis of the educational, economic, social, political, moral, and ethical need for the policy change. Also included is a review of current practices in this district as well as the positive and negative aspects of acceleration. …

The Necessity Of Developing Responsible Use Policies: Advocacy For Use Of Web 2.0 Tools In A Comprehensive School Computing Program, David L. Russo

Policy Advocacy

Technology is omnipresent in our modern age: anyone with an Internet connection can use a computer, tablet, or phone to access an unfathomable amount of information. Today, teenagers use e-mail, texting, and social media to stay in nearly constant communication with friends and family anywhere in the world. With so much time spent exchanging ideas in cyberspace, there is an increased likelihood of teachers and students regularly crossing paths electronically for both legitimate academic purposes and social contexts. Without sufficient school district policies to guide these interactions, students and teachers could realistically place themselves in awkward situations and face district …

Advocating A Successful Policy For Implementing State-Mandated Reforms To Teacher Evaluation Practices, Christina R. Heyde

Policy Advocacy

This Policy Advocacy paper is the third in a three-part dissertation on the effect of new Illinois laws on teacher evaluation in suburban Chicago elementary districts. The Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) of 2010, as modified by Senate Bill 7, was signed into law in June 2011 and contains provisions that take effect over several years. Beginning in 2012-2013, districts were required to move to a four-rating performance evaluation system and begin to use these rankings, instead of seniority, to make job-related decisions. In fall 2013, I completed a second round of the survey that I had conducted in …

Analysis Of Change Plans In Two Elementary School Districts For Teacher Evaluation Practices Following The New Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act Of 2010 (Pera), Christina R. Heyde

Change Leadership

This Change Plan paper is the second part of a three-part dissertation on the effect of new Illinois laws on teacher evaluation in suburban Chicago elementary districts. The Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) of 2010, as modified by Senate Bill 7, was signed into law in June 2011 and contains provisions that take effect over several years. Beginning in 2012-2013, districts were required to move to a four-rating performance evaluation system and begin to use these rankings, instead of seniority, to make job-related decisions such as reductions-in-force (RIFs) and teacher recalls. I interviewed administrators and teachers in two of …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Current Teacher Evaluation Practices And The Impact Of The New Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act Of 2010 (Pera), Christina R. Heyde

Program Evaluation

This Program Evaluation paper is the first in a three-part dissertation on the effect of new Illinois laws on teacher evaluation in suburban Chicago elementary districts. The Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) of 2010 (Public Act 96-861), as modified by Senate Bill 7, was signed into law in June 2011 and contains provisions that take effect over several years. During the 2012-2013 school year, Illinois districts were required to move to a four-rating performance evaluation system and begin to use these ratings, instead of relying on seniority, to make job-related decisions. Pub. Act 97-008 (2011), § 5, adding 105 …

Discipleship As A Catalyst For Personal Transformation In The Christian Faith, Vanessa Marie Seifert

Theses & Dissertations

Some Christian churches approach the majority of their faith expression with a 'go to the community' dynamic, while other churches focus primarily on attracting the community to 'come to them.' The problem is that there is a growing population of religiously unaffiliated people in the United States for whom traditional forms of faith expression are not meaningful. A new way of thinking about communal faith expression is needed if the church seeks to reach people who are spiritually curious but not interested in the attractional church model. The journey towards organizational change, even for churches, often begins with a commitment …

Students With Disabilities: Perspectives Of Regular Education Teachers Of Increased Inclusion, Mindy D. Myers Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion. The participants of this study were K-12 regular education teachers located in Tennessee’s First region. Specifically, this research explored (1) perceptions of the impact of inclusion on instructional strategies, (2) perceived level of preparedness to effectively teach students with disabilities (3) professional development needs of regular education teachers instructing students with disabilities, and (4) collaborative relationships between regular and special educators. The data sources analyzed consisted of a survey design using a 4-point Likert scale. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. Each research question …

Youth And Family Based In-Home Services Program In Tennessee: Factors For Success, Craig S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program offering comprehensive treatment that includes family therapy, mental health treatment and parenting skills for caregivers, development of positive social systems, and assistance with accessing community resources for long-term support (Youth Villages, 2013b). Framed on family system theory, Intensive-In Home Services (IIHS) was developed from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Social Development, and Crisis Intervention models as a means to modify behaviors that place youth at risk for out-of-home placement. The socio-historical development of these models is examined in the literature review.

Intensive in-home services is a family-centered, strength-based intervention program …

Municipalities And University Athletic Departments: Economic Policy Development For Collaborative Capital Projects, Anthony Franklin

All Dissertations

Universities, intercollegiate athletic departments and municipalities regularly collaborate to improve their relationship and the atmosphere in which its constituents coexist. Leaders and elected officials within these institutions strive to offer state of the art facilities for their constituents, however financial allocations for these projects are often scarce. Stakeholder relationships, governmental structure, athletic event economic impact claims, citizen involvement and taxation influence university athletic capital improvement project subsidies. The purpose of this study is to investigate how university athletic departments collaborate with municipalities to create legislative policy that subsidizes athletic capital improvement projects while improving both entities.

Theoretical frameworks underlying this …

The Relationship Between Perceived Servant Leadership Constructs And Collective Self-Esteem, Leann D. Howell

Dissertations

Following Greenleaf’s (1977) seminal work in servant leadership, much has been written on the definition of servant leadership, but very little written on what it does. At the center of this research is a focus on how followers perceive servant leadership constructs/attributes, and the relationship between that perception and collective selfesteem as it relates to organizational membership. The central question guiding this research is: “Is there a relationship between perceived servant leadership constructs and collective self-esteem?” Followers’ perceptions of servant leadership constructs as defined by Patterson (2003) were investigated utilizing the Servant Leadership Assessment Instrument (SLAI) developed by Dennis (2004). …

The Effects On Students' Intercultural Competence From Intensive Intercultural Service-Learning Through The $100 Solution™ Model, Nadia De León Sautú

Dissertations

This study evaluates the effects of an intensive intercultural service-learning program on the intercultural competence of undergraduate students enrolled in Cultural Diversity in the U.S., a general education course at Western Kentucky University. This program utilized The $100 Solution™ model, in which groups of students partnered with local immigrant and refugee families, to teach them about U.S. culture, learn about their cultures, and implement a project to assist them in their integration process. The program included two hours of out-of-classroom work for over twelve weeks. Through the principle of reciprocity, The $100 Solution™ model provided an interaction framework in which …

Perceptions Of Student-Teacher Relationships And Ged Completion: A Correlational Study, Melissa Hairston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study took an in depth look at student-teacher relationships as one institutional barrier affecting GED completion among adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of student-instructor relationships, specifically Instructor Connectedness and Instructor Anxiety, and its effects on adults seeking GED completion. Data from approximately 120 students who attended classes for at least 20 hours at the Regional Learning Center were surveyed using the Student-Instructor Relationship Survey in Portsmouth, Virginia. A quantitative design utilizing correlational statistics to produce Pearson's r was used to determine if correlations existed among Instructor Connectedness and Instructor Anxiety with the following …

An Investigation Of The Factors That Motivate K-12 Christian School Teachers To Participate In Professional Development And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction And Retention, Bonita Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to advance knowledge by examining the reasons that motivate teachers to participate in professional development and the relationship to teacher job satisfaction and retention in Christian-based K-12 Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) member schools. The study contributes to the literature in the field because of very limited research on Christian-based schools, especially with regards to professional development, job satisfaction and retention. The study was a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational research design using two instruments, i.e., the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) and the Job Satisfaction/Retention/Demographic Survey. The PRS scores indicated that the motivating factors for teachers to …

Teacher Evaluations And Merit Pay: An Uneasy Mix, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teacher evaluations are undergoing significant changes in response to demands for school reform and higher accountability. States are now including value-added data in teacher evaluations, experimenting with merit pay based on evaluations, or both. Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas are but a few states that have altered the way teachers are evaluated or that are incorporating value-added data.

Changes in evaluation practice will likely mean significant modifications in how building-level administrators evaluate teachers. Moreover, approaches to teacher salary systems are just as likely to be altered if merit pay is introduced. School business officials (SBOs) are typically …

Preservice Candidates' Rating Of Effectiveness In Agricultural Education Through Structured Communication With Cooperating Teachers, Christopher Lee Hunt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between cooperating teacher and student has been found as one of the key elements that affect the overall teaching efficacy of student teachers and their decision to enter the teaching field after graduation (Edgar, 2007; Edgar, Roberts, & Murphy, 2011,2008; Kasperbauer et al., 2007a; Roberts, Greiman, Murphy, Ricketts, Harlin, & Briers 2009; Roberts, Harlin, & Briers, 2007, Roberts, Harlin, & Ricketts, 2006; Roberts Mowen, Edgar, Harlin & Briers, 2007, Stripling, Ricketts, Roberts & Harlin, 2008; Wolf, 2011; Wolf et al., 2010). Therefore, determining impacts towards teaching efficacy during the student teaching experience could play a vital role in …

I'M Gonna Write That Down: Research On Bullying And Recognition Of Perception Toward Initiation Of Intervention A Whole-School Approach To Bringing All Stakeholders' Perceptions On Bullying In Line And Training Students To Distinguish Tattling From Reporting In Grades 3-6, Brad Tassell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research on whole-school bullying programs shows some effectiveness in creating awareness and a reduction in overall bullying with vigilant supervision. Roleplaying games repeatedly taught to students help them deal with bullying in specific situations, but all these interventions leave a great deal to be desired when conditions are not in line with the training, most of which most are not (Smith, Schneider, Smith, & Ananiadou, 2004). In addition, student perceptions can differ from the staff and administration. A wide gap exists between how students, parents, teachers, and administrators perceive bullying. Students remain confused and flounder in the moment when they …