Education Commons^™

Tilting The Floor: Uncovering Leadership Factors Teachers And Principals Attribute To Math Growth Rate In Two Title I Schools, Stephanie Hiatt

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the two highest math growth rates at two Title I schools in a mid-size, Midwestern school district. This research focused on the leadership factors that may have attributed to the math growth rate. Open-ended interviews, structured interviews, surveys, focus groups, and document analysis were used to collect data. This study uncovered the leadership factors teachers and principals attributed to the math growth rate. The focus of this study was on leadership decisions made before and after students walked into and out of the classroom that have an effect on math achievement. This study also explored …

Transformational Leadership Professional Development Website For Leaders Of Urban, Voucher Schools, Christina Lundberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Teachers in the United States are leaving the classroom at alarming rates (Ingersoll, Merrill & Stuckey, 2014). In order to give all students access to high-quality education, this issue of teacher retention needs to be addressed. The professional development website designed for this capstone project focuses on answering the research question: What effects does a principal’s transformational leadership style have on teacher retention at an urban, voucher school? There has been a great deal of research dedicated to the causes and solutions to teacher attrition (Darling-Hammond, 2003); however, there is little research specifically on how transformational leadership affects the retention …

Middle School Voices On Leadership Matter: Adults Miss "The Small Ways In Which We Lead", Brenda Backes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study focused on the middle school students perspectives of leadership experiences during their daily school lives. Data collection methods include surveys, focus group, individual interviews, field observations, and written artifacts. Participants from a Midwestern suburban middle school were selected for this research based on the fact that the researcher was also the teacher with daily access to the students. Findings suggested that middle school students define leadership on a vast range of meanings, such as helping others to influence change. Themes developed from the findings; e.g. quiet students, negative leaders, leading as a group or individually, and …

The Prevalence Of Peter Senge's Five Disciplines Of A Learning Organization In A Rural High School's Professional Development, Jacquelyn Stevens

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study used mixed methods data collection to research the prevalence of Senge’s (2006) five disciplines of a learning organization in a rural high school’s professional development. It also examined how the presence or absence of the five disciplines impacted teachers’ perceptions of professional development. The study included participants at a Midwestern rural high school and focused on elite interviews with the principal and professional development coordinators, a focus group with eight teachers, and survey results from fifty percent (50%) of the high school teaching staff. Findings indicated that the discipline of team learning is most prevalent in …

The Roles And Identities Of English As A Second Language Teacher Leaders, Madeline Benson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Due to rising numbers of English Learners (ELs) nationwide, mainstream teachers are increasingly called upon to meet the needs of their ELs without adequate preparation to do so (Correll, 2016). In an effort to address these needs, the English Learners in the Mainstream (ELM) Project trains English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers to assume a leadership role in their buildings. Through a model of peer instructional coaching, ESL teachers provide professional development for their mainstream colleagues. The goal of this study was to answer the following questions:

1) After being trained as teacher leaders, do ESL teachers experience a …

Collegebound: Assessment Of An Outdoor Orientation Program, Kyle Rauch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Collegebound is an optional outdoor orientation program (OOP) offered to incoming first-year students at two joint liberal arts colleges. This long-running and popular program has increased in participation to over 10% of the incoming class in recent years, however, little formal evaluation had been conducted. This research assessed the outcomes of Collegebound participation. Using a mixed methods design, academic and personal-social outcomes of Collegebound participation were assessed to understand the impact of the program on students’ college transition and career. Academic outcomes (first to second year retention and cumulative GPA after first year) were compared between Collegebound and non-Collegebound students …

Steam And Social Studies: Creating An Integrated Classroom, Anna Penner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone is to address the question what strategies does the research recommend for supporting social studies educators in integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) practices into their core content? STEAM education has been adopted by many American school districts to help prepare students to be successful in 21st century careers. With a focus on problem-based learning and critical thinking, STEAM education can teach students real world skills. The goals of social studies education include preparing young people to be empathetic, active members of society. When teachers are educated in the best methods of integrating …

Rural Community-Based Organizing For Social Change, Alexandria V.S. Romano

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone was, How can community organizers design and facilitate a series of workshops to develop rural leaders for social change in southeast Minnesota? In my effort to pose a solution to this question, I collaborated with other

community organizers to design educational activities and facilitation techniques used in four in- person, two-hour long sessions that would engage rural community members in social

investigation, reflection, and action. I analyzed literature detailing the rise of alternative learning models in U.S. adult education, social theories centered around liberation which drove the

popular education approach to critical inquiry, …