Education Commons^™

Considering Standards-Based Grading: Challenges For Secondary School Leaders, Matt Townsley

Faculty Publications

Rather than awarding points for a combination of worksheet completion, quiz performance, in-class participation, and essay writing, standards-based grading separates academics from non-academic factors and communicates students' nonprogress towards mastery of course or grade-level standards. Some secondary schools are moving towards standards-based grading (SBG) in an attempt to produce more consistent grading practices, however the empirical evidence resulting from this change is mixed. The purpose of this article is to describe principles of standards-based grading, empirical support of SBG, and several common challenges secondary school leaders may face when considering this philosophical shift. Future research recommendations include exploring the perspectives …

The Preparedness Of Teachers In The Midwest Lutheran Synod To Teach English Language Learners: A Case Study In One High School, Ben Troge

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The enrollment numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. high schools continue to grow. This trend is not exclusive to public schools; many of the Midwest Lutheran Synod’s (MLS) high schools are increasingly enrolling international students. As such, if preservice programs do not prepare teachers to instruct this student population, individual schools must provide the in-service professional development in ELL. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of how a group of teachers at one MLS high school that enrolls international students describe how well prepared they were to teach their ELL student population. …

Letter From The Editor, Jim Palermo

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

As I review our readership dashboard I am pleased that JOEL has a regional, national and international presence in the marketplace of ideas about leadership and this issue is no exception. This, our Spring 2019 edition offers three articles about school leadership and principal preparation for your consideration from authors in Jamaica, Fordham in New York, and North Carolina neighbors from East Carolina University.

Culturally Responsive School Leadership: How Principals Use Culturally Responsive Leadership Strategies To Develop Engaging And Inclusive School Environments For All Students, Cherilynne Hollowell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to identify and describe culturally responsive leadership practices and strategies principals of Title I high schools, in suburban contexts, of the Inland Empire in Southern California use to develop schools that engage and include all students.

Methodology: This qualitative study identified and described the practices and strategies of 15 Inland Empire principals of Title I comprehensive high schools in Southern California, used to develop schools that engage and include all students, particularly students that have been historically and traditionally marginalized. Participants were purposively chosen based on specific criteria. The researcher collected data …

Creating Conditions For A Collaborative Relationship Between Principals And Their Supervisors: A Change Initiative, Noah Riley

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Studies by Kelley and Peterson (2002), Drago-Severson, Blum-DeStefano & Asghar (2013) and other researchers, have shown that in order for principals and other building leaders to be able to demonstrate the required expectations of “new” principal standards, they must engage in ongoing supervision, evaluation, coaching, and continuous career-long professional development. These studies also suggest that school districts, in their support and development of principals’ growth in competency capacity building, are more effective when the principal supervisor works in collaboration with principals they supervise/evaluate in a trusting, mutually respectful relationship of shared accountability for improving instruction and learning. This change …

23 Illinois Administrative Code 50: Redefining The Formal School Site Observation In Principal Evaluation (A Policy Advocacy Document), Noah Riley

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This document explores how the establishment of a Principal Evaluation Steering Committee (PESC) to implement and monitor U.S. District X’s Illinois Principal Evaluation Plan (IPEP) may ensure the effectiveness of its principals as capacity builders who facilitate meaningful and productive systems change. The PESC intervention helps ensure principals and their staff is engaging in purposeful reflective practice and collegial inquiry activities and exercises designed to increase their cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal capacities (Drago-Severson, Blum-DeStefano, & Asghar, 2013). This document outlines the positive and effective impacts in the contexts of educational, economic, social, political and, moral and ethical …

Examining The Perceptions Of Principals To Improve Professional Development Opportunities And Support From Central Office: A Program Evaluation, Noah Riley

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The work of Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, and Anderson, (2010), Manna (2015), Leithwood and Azah (2016) validates that principals can have a powerful influence on instruction and learning in schools. Supporting principals’ growth with professional development, therefore, is critical to building principals’ competencies as instructional leaders. Although school districts are unique in internal and external conditions (e.g., educational, political, and financial); which may influence their approach to supporting principals, a useful place for all school districts to start is with an appraisal of principals’ perceptions of current support and professional development from central office; regardless of district internal and external …

School Leadership Aspiration: Differences In Perception Of Drivers And Barriers Across Hierarchical Levels, Peter Williams, Peter Morey

Peter Williams

This article discusses the leadership crisis

looming in schools. With fewer people aspiring

to take on school leadership, school education

systems must consider the drivers and barriers

of school leadership aspiration. This article

describes the perceptions of respondents

from three hierarchical levels within a faithbased

education system as to the factors

influencing their willingness or unwillingness

to consider school leadership positions. This

research explored survey data, both quantitative

and qualitative, relating to school leadership

aspirations and influences with regard to

applying for school leadership positions.

Five factors were found to influence the

unwillingness of respondents to consider school

leadership positions, …

Leading And Learning: Principal And Instructional Leadership Team Implementation Of A District Multi-Tiered System Of Support Initiative, Jennifer Rinck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are gaps in the literature between implementation research and organizational learning describing how local school systems successfully implement initiatives that change practices within school sites. Until recently, there has been a pattern for federal and state policies to overlook the role of the local school district in impacting school reform efforts (Honig & Copland, 2008; Knapp, 2008). With the importance of the school district gaining attention from researchers and policy makers, research on various aspects of district based reform efforts is expanding (Knapp, 2008). However, there is limited research on the influence of district reform strategies and the transfer …

The Effects Of A Health Career Ladder Program In A Rural Community: Case Study, Jeannie Lynn Davis

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This paper presents a case study analysing a rural health career ladder program’s (HCL) influence on students’ career aspirations toward health care fields. Rural students enrolled in a career ladder program were interviewed to assess the effectiveness of early experience on career choice. Although limited to one institution, the findings shed light on the ways that institutional characteristics, policies and practices may effectively influence rural youth career aspirations. The study provides useful information to counselors, parents, school administrators and education policy makers to put in place experiential strategies to guide students into making health career choices achievable. The data was …

Left Behind By Policy: A Case Study Of The Influence Of High Stakes Accountability Policy On Data-Based Decision Making In One Small, Rural New Hampshire School, Linda L. Carrier, Michael Whaland

The Rural Educator

The high-stakes accountability policies that stemmed from NCLB and Race to the Top required minimum group sizes in order for school performance to be analyzed through state accountability formulas. Small rural schools have frequently been left out of this equation due to a lack of consistently reportable aggregate groups and sub-groups. The evidence of this has been seen through the lack of needed data-based decision making (DBDM) practices. In order to begin to understand the DBDM practices of small rural schools and the relationship to educational policy we engaged in case study research of a Pk-12 school of 100 students …

It All Starts With Forging Social Ties: Developing School Leadership From The Social Network Perspectives, Yinying Wang

Educational Policy Studies Faculty Publications

School leadership can be developed and strengthened from many approaches, including, but not limited to, transformational, instructional, distributed, and social justice leadership. This article presents an alternative perspective to develop school leadership from the social network perspectives. Drawing upon the growing body of research on social networks in school leadership, this article elucidates the evidence-based school leadership practices from four facets: social ties, network structure, social influence, and school culture. These four facets influence one another as the school leaders emerge, exercise leadership, and build a nurturing school culture through forging social ties, shaping network structure, and gaining social influence.

High-Performing Charter Schools And Leadership Continuum: Reconceptualizing Dual Realities, Brittany M. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examines the experiences and identities of school leaders who currently lead or have lead in high performing charter schools. Using educational criticism and connoisseurship, the author focuses on the impact of leaders' experiences and identities, which shape leader intention, school culture, and school development and growth to inform current practice. The author also explores how co-connoisseurship may enhance one's understanding of the nuances of the subject, adding to the literature on the methodology employed.

Women School Leaders: Entrepreneurs In Low-Fee Private Schools In Three West African Nations, Paula A. Cordeiro, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study explores the opportunities and challenges of women who own low-fee private schools in three West African nations. With the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016, it has become obvious to policymakers that school leadership needs to be a policy priority around the world. Increased school autonomy and a greater focus on schooling and school results have made it essential to understand and support the role of school leaders. Few countries however have strong and systematic initiatives to professionalize school leadership and to nurture and support current school leaders. …

School Leadership Preparation In The Commonwealth Of The Northern Marianas Islands, Rizalina Maratita Liwag

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The perceptions of school leaders on the effectiveness of the school leadership preparation program (SLPP) in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) public school system have not been examined. Highly qualified teachers are selected and trained for administrative and leadership roles through the SLPP. This qualitative case study was conducted to evaluate the level of effectiveness of the SLPP in the CNMI public school system. The conceptual framework was the Seven Habits of Effective Principal Preparation Programs by Davis and Jazzar. The theoretical frameworks were transformational leadership as articulated by Burns and instructional leadership. The research questions …

A Case Study Of High School Students Affected By School Closure, Elizabeth Wolkowicz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Recent charter school closures in a Southeastern Michigan community have created an influx of displaced students from communities where families are not provided systematic support to make the unexpected transition. The study utilized focus group and individual interviews to collect data from high school students who have experienced their charter high school closing and have transitioned into a single charter high school. Data analyses were done concurrently with data collection, and the first- and second-level codes were presented in matrix displays. Four themes emerged from the interviews of these participants. These themes were: sense of belonging, fear of the unknown, …

Building Administrator’S Facilitation Of Teacher Leadership: Moderators Associated With Teachers’ Reported Levels Of Empowerment, Kelly Moran Edd, Karen H. Larwin Phd

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The current, mixed-methods investigation examines the role of building administrators in the perceived level of empowerment of classroom teachers. As such, this study was designed to contribute to the paucity of current research on teacher empowerment, thus informing school leaders on the importance of practice of empowering teachers and what variables can moderate attempts to empower educators. Level of perceived empowerment was measured using the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES), which evaluates six dimensions of teacher empowerment: decision-making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact. Variables, such as gender and tenure of the building administrators and teacher, the presence of …

A Study Of Rural High School Principals’ Perceptions As Social Justice Leaders, Shelly Albritton, Stephanie Huffman, Rhonda Mcclellan

Administrative Issues Journal

This multisite case study explores how rural principals in high poverty schools in a Southern state that had identified themselves as social justice leaders perceived student diversity, specifically LGBTQ students, and how they sustained a socially-just school climate for all students. Using a qualitative approach lent itself to understanding the principals’ descriptions of themselves as social justice leaders in their respective school and community contexts through their conversations (Creswell, 2007; Marshall & Rossman, 2016). The investigators drew from Theoharis’ (2007, 2009) and Bishop’s (2012) studies to serve as the theoretical framework guiding this study. The results indicated that the principals …

Experiences Of North American Teachers Working Overseas Who Broke Their Contracts Within One Year, Stephanie L. Kattera

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the experiences of North American teachers working in international schools and why they chose to leave within the first year. The findings offer insights into the following questions; (1) How do these teachers experience relationships with leadership and students? (2) What role, if any, did their recruitment and induction have on these teachers’ decision to leave? (3) What role, if any, did the culture of the host country play in these teachers’ decision to leave? The struggles experienced from these conditions led teachers to abruptly leave their contracted international …

Who Is More Free? A Comparison Of The Decision-Making Of Private And Public School Principals, M. Danish Shakeel, Corey A. Deangelis

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

While an abundance of school choice literature focuses on student achievement outcomes, little has been done to determine the mechanisms involved in producing such outcomes. We present a comparative analysis of private and public school principals using data from the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) 2011-2012. We add to the literature by examining the differences in private and public school principals’ abilities to influence important decisions at their schools. We conclude that private schooling may have a systematic advantage over public schooling since private school leadership exhibits more autonomy in influencing relevant decisions.

A Quantative Study Of The Relationships Among Teacher Social Capital, School Leadership And School Performance In Colorado Schools, Ellen Jane Winiarczyk

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

This study examined the relationship between teacher perceptions of teacher social capital, school leadership and school performance in schools across Colorado. The following three research questions framed the study: l) What is the evidence of teacher social capital within teacher perceptions of their school working conditions; 2) What is the relationship between teacher perceptions of school leaders and teacher social capital; and 3) What is the relationship between teacher social capital and school academic performance? Using data collected by the Colorado Department of Education in the 2015 Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) survey of teachers, school leaders and other …

School Principals And Students With Special Education Needs: Leading Inclusive Schools, Steve Sider, Kimberly Maich, Jhonel Morvan

Education Faculty Publications

Over the past 30 years, school boards, faculties of education, and teaching organizations have helped teachers develop skills to support students with special education needs in their classrooms. However, less attention has been given to school principals in building their leadership skills to support inclusive schools. The purpose of this study is to identify the types of special education training that school principals engage in, as well as to explore the day-to-day issues and critical incidents that principals might experience when supporting students with special education needs. An exploratory study involving interviews with 15 principals and five other educational stakeholders …

School Leaders’ Perspectives On Educating Teachers To Work In Vulnerable Communities: New Insights From The Coal Face, Lynette Longaretti, Dianne Toe

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Classroom teacher quality can significantly impact student learning outcomes. Increased access to skilled teachers in low socioeconomic status (SES) schools could substantially improve the learning outcomes and engagement levels of young people.

The National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools (NETDS) programme is a university based Teacher Education programme that has been implemented by Deakin University in the Geelong/Werribee area. It seeks to prepare high achieving pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach in low SES school settings.

This project investigated the views of school leadership teams in low SES schools including their views of an exemplary teacher, and the understandings and skills …

Learning Transfer: The Missing Link To Learning Among School Leaders In Burkina Faso And Ghana, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Every year, billions of dollars are spent on development aid and training around the world. However, only 10% of this training results in the transfer of knowledge, skills, or behaviors learned in the training to the work place. Ideally, learning transfer produces effective and continued application by learners of the knowledge and skills they gained through their learning activities. Currently, there is a limited body of research examining the factors that hinder and promote learning transfer in professional development, particularly the professional development of school leaders in developing countries. This qualitative exploratory study sought to address the gap in the …

School Leadership In A High Performing Rural Catholic School In Nigeria, Theophilus Idebaneria Itaman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have observed that effective leaders are essential to achieving and sustaining high student achievement in disadvantaged poor rural areas. Poor leadership may negatively influence the academic performance of students. The poor performance of students in disadvantaged rural areas has been a continuous concern for Catholic educators in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the leadership practices that a rural Catholic school principal implemented to improve the academic standards in a disadvantaged environment in Nigeria. This qualitative case study sought to explore the practices of a principal in a Catholic school in the Diocese …

Ready To Lead? An Examination Of The Alignment Of California Preservice School Leaders’ Fieldwork Experiences With State Leadership Standards, Sandie Stringfellow

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored how three preservice school leaders (PSLs) in California spent their time during their fieldwork for their school-leader-preparation programs and if they were gaining experience in all of the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL). Specifically, my dissertation examined the use of a daily log (Project Reflect), a custom-built web-based application that is designed to serve as an easy-to-use measure of preservice-school-leader practice. The application was accessed from Internet-connected devices and logged time spent in practical situations in each of the CPSEL. This exploratory case study was conducted with three preservice school leaders in the San Francisco …

Navigating Conflict In Inclusive Education: Autoethnography From An Elementary School Principal, Kimberly Christine Adams

Doctoral Dissertations

Practitioners and researchers have interpreted and debated the concept of the least restrictive environment creating the operational practices of mainstreaming and inclusion to adhere to the laws of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Despite the laws to ensure equal access to general education classrooms, and the vast body of literature on the technical implementation of inclusive practices, students with disabilities continue to be segregated and educated in a separate and unequal system of special education.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the competing tensions and conflict in inclusive education that elementary school principals navigate on a …

State Leadership Development Policies: An Analysis Of 50 States And Territories.Pdf, Bobbi Newman, Jonathan Supovitz

Bobbi Newman

Living And Leading In A Digital Age: A Narrative Study Of The Attitudes And Perceptions Of School Leaders About Media Literacy, Kerrigan R. Mahoney, Tehmina Khwaja

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Students graduating from K-12 education need media literacy skills to engage, participate, and learn in a world in which literacy must keep pace with rapidly changing technologies. Given the significant roles school administrators play in providing leadership and vision to their schools, this narrative study addresses the research question: What are school administrators’ perceptions of, and attitudes about, media literacy? Through the stories of six K-12 school administrators, we highlight the connections of their experiences and attitudes to the actions they take to support media literacy learning, and their visions for technology, instruction, and learning in their schools.

Effective School Leadership Practices In Schools With Positive Climates In The Age Of High-Stakes Teacher Evaluations, Kristina M. Hansen

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research project was to understand the leadership practices and characteristics of school leaders within schools identified as having a positive school climate. In this qualitative study, three focus groups of teachers were interviewed and asked a series of questions about their principals’ professional practices and characteristics. The building principals from these schools were also interviewed individually. These responses were scripted and analyzed using an open-coding model and then compared to recent educational leadership literature. Key findings from this research include professional practices and characteristics of principals in schools with positive climate, as well as recommendations for …