Education Commons^™

The Cultural Dimension Of Structural School Reforms: The Case Of Schedule Changes, Maylen Sullivan

Dissertations

The four-by-four (4x4) schedule—a type of high school block schedule—presents promising prospects for improving teaching and learning. Using a qualitative, single case study methodology, I investigated a school transitioning from a traditional six-period schedule to a 4x4 schedule during its 2nd and 3rd year of implementation. The study aimed to understand the factors that influenced the transition, the stakeholders’ responses to the decision, and the factors that influenced their responses. Some of the main considerations that motivated the decision included the desire to provide more opportunities within the school day for students to meet A/G college eligibility requirements, allow students …

Black School Leader Truth: How Black School Leader Epistemology Influences Liberatory Mindset Development In Their Staff, Orpheus Williams

Dissertations

Black students in the United States have consistently been denied access to empowering, culturally affirming, and responsive learning experiences in the traditional public system. The epistemological and pedagogical beliefs embedded in a liberatory mindset can subvert this pattern of disempowerment (Shujaa, 1998). Black school leaders (BSLs) who understand the systemic and institutional pressures Black children may face and have to overcome, having undergone similarly racialized experiences in school, are uniquely placed to create liberatory spaces for Black students by recruiting and developing these liberatory mindsets in their staff. This instrumental case study used qualitative research methods of front-porch pedagogy (McTighe …

Black Genius: An Achievement Distortion, Brenda Burgo

Dissertations

Is the achievement gap real? Using a mixed-methods approach, this study reframed standardized testing through a Quantitative Critical and Black Critical lens. It interrogated the deficit framing of Black student achievement by asking the following questions: (1) To what extent do the aggregated standardized test scores for Black students in California correlate with other measures of achievement? Included in this analysis are: (a) To what degree does the ratio of Black students relate to the achievement variables? and (b) To what extent did COVID impact this correlation? (2) What beliefs do Black educators have regarding the standardized test scores of …

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

The Value Of Stem As An Educational Tool For Enhancing Cognitive Development, Alessandra Olmedo Robles, Leaders 20/20

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The focus of STEM education is to provide a holistic approach through hands-on, problem-based learning where students are able to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real world problems.

Racism Without Race: The Racialization Of Middle Eastern And North African Students At U.S. Colleges, Hannah Mesouani

Dissertations

Although a growing body of literature covers the experiences of international students at U.S. colleges, the stories of those who do not fit into the U.S. racial schema remain untold. This study examined how Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) students understood their racial identities given the United States’ tense history with Islam and the MENA world. Using foundational texts on critical race theory, current scholarship on Arab Americans and foreign-born students, and facets of the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS), this study examined the experiences of MENA students who study amid a national backdrop of xenophobia and racialized Islamophobia. This …

Special Education: Inclusion And Exclusion In The K-12 U.S. Educational System, Erik Brault

Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Education defines students with disabilities as those having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities. Previous research has found that students with disabilities placed in inclusive environments perform better academically and socially compared to students with disabilities who are placed in segregated environments. Yet, we know that inclusion in K-12 general education classrooms across the country is not consistently implemented.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the effects, if any, of general education high school teachers’ personal and professional experiences and knowledge on their attitudes toward educating …

Equalizing Postsecondary Transition For At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services: A Chance To Succeed, Karla R. Sanchez

Dissertations

Postsecondary transition can be difficult for At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services (APYRSES). Special educators supporting postsecondary transition often manifest traditional and institutionalized forms of oppressive education while dismissing collective values and beliefs.

This qualitative case study examined the beliefs and attitudes shared by three special education teachers after being introduced to a justice-focused, humanizing intervention to facilitate postsecondary transition for APYRSES. The conceptualized intervention was grounded in liberatory educational frameworks and drew from critical, culturally affirming, sustaining, and humanizing theories that foster cultural reciprocity, self-determination skills, and antiracist social–emotional justice learning to afford opportunities for APYRSES to succeed. The …

By Chameleonic Means; "Trust Based" Philanthropic Relationships, "The Business Of Yes," As Experienced By Black Fundraisers, Novien Yarber

Dissertations

In the wake of society’s reinvigorated consciousness around structural and systemic racism, conversations centering justice, equity, inclusion, access, and cultural diversification are going far beyond political discourse. Contemporary fundraising practices are also challenging antiquated hegemonic ways of philanthropy and are critically examining the practice from within. Among many things, this entails diversifying the historically White-female dominated fundraising workforce. In this, fundraising literature has paid minimal attention to intercultural/cross-racial dynamics as implications of diversification of the fundraiser workforce. Although some research may center fundraisers themselves (relative to their ethical and/or professional standards), this dissertation expands this field of study by offering …

School Administrator Preparation In Special Education: A Cross-Case Analysis, Emily Ruiz

Dissertations

Special education has been part of public education for 46 years and has evolved considerably in that time. Despite improvements made in special education law, there remains a disconnect between law and current practices. Several studies suggest this disconnect is associated with administrators’ insufficient preparation for supporting special education in their schools.

This study utilized an explanatory sequential design to study Southern California school principals’ special education preparation. During the first phase of the study, the researcher emailed surveys to administrators who were selected using a stratified random sampling strategy. Unfortunately, the response rate was too low to employ the …

Becoming A More Empathetic Leader And Person, Rachel Shellstrom

Undergraduate Honors Theses

When defining empathy, the most common definition is “stepping into someone else’s shoes.” Along with this definition, many also share that it is important to have empathy and be an empathetic person. Yet, when thinking about its importance and this definition, a few questions arise: can we actually step into someone else’s shoes? Can we truly understand what someone else is feeling and experiencing if we are not them or do not hold the same identities that they do? Through a deeper exploration of existing empathy building certificate programs and empathy research, this thesis project explores these exact questions and …

Breaking Boundaries: Investigating The Experiences Of Racially Diverse Low Socioeconomic Status Students Through A Narrative Inquiry Approach, Ryan Jumamil

Dissertations

Across the US, there is growing inequality of class distribution in predominately white and elite colleges and universities. Although gaining access to these institutions is typically the first hurdle, it is not the only challenge racially diverse low socioeconomic status (SES) students face. By investigating the college experiences of racially diverse low SES students enrolled in a predominately white elite institution, this study creates the foundation for an imperative discussion on the relationship between students' identity and attendance at predominately white elite institutions.

Through a Narrative Inquiry research approach and using semi-structured interviews as a data collection tool, two themes …

Leaders Of Change: An Exploration Of Relationships Between International School Administrators’ Mindsets And Their Preferred Leadership Styles, Joe Brogan

Dissertations

At the heart of educational leadership is the ability to manage change. Leaders who can successfully manage change invariably will be more effective. This is especially true in the often-transient world of international schools, where change happens frequently in response to evolving internal and external environments.

K-12 international schools that use the English language as the medium of instruction have proliferated since the end of the Cold War. There has been exponential growth, especially in China, India, and other developed and developing nations. The quality of leadership in these schools is extremely important to stakeholders, especially students, and, consequently, it …

Leading From A Distance With Lessons From Online Teaching To Engage A Remote Workforce, Heather J. Leslie Phd

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

With many organizations and institutions now operating remotely due to the global coronavirus pandemic, leaders are now finding themselves in a position where they have to effectively lead and manage people and projects from a distance. Some are predicting that remote work may be a new normal for many organizations, with companies offering work-from-home opportunities permanently (Kelly, 2020). Because of the long-term implications for remote working, leaders will need competencies to successfully engage remote workers using new and creative strategies, techniques, and technologies. The field of online pedagogy has useful applications for engaging remote teams particularly in areas of communication, …

Appreciating Empathy: How Writing Center Collaborations Inform Leadership Development For Student Wellness And Success, Hugo Werstler

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my action research project was to understand the practice of collaboration within the University of San Diego’s Writing Center as an emerging leader in Higher Education. The goal of this study was to explore the benefits of empathy and relationship development as practiced by the Writing Center to develop leadership strategies for other campus organizations that regularly interact with the institution’s student population. Using several research cycles of Appreciative Inquiry, I observed that the Writing Center functions as a stellar example of collaboration, focusing on peer-to-peer writing consultations with an emphasis on student empathy and relationship development. …

How Navy And Marine Corps Veterans Make Meaning Of The College Choice Process In The Post-9/11 Gi Bill Era, Derek Abbey

Dissertations

The Post-9/11 GI Bill was implemented in 2009. Since then more than 1,900,000 people have used the benefit and more than $90 billion have been paid to institutions of higher learning and to Post-9/11 GI Bill users. During this period there has been a shift in the types of college and universities veterans attend, as well as the educational models they select. These shifts are different than the general population of students. This period also included a spike in questionable recruiting practices by some colleges. In response to many institutions taking advantage of veterans, the President of the United States …

Performance Feedback: How Structure, Culture, And Agency Affects Feedback, Angelica Sleiman

Dissertations

Federal and state mandates have placed an added pressure on teachers to demonstrate “effective” instructional practices. These mandates also affect the role of a principal, as an evaluator of “effective” instructional strategies, and as an instructional leader who continuously needs to build teacher capacity to satisfy these mandates. Accountability mandates promise to improve students’ academic performance but they have lacked professional development that would provide the support teachers and principals need to achieve success. Feedback is arguably a valuable mechanism to build teacher capacity and respond to accountability pressures, however, the implementation of feedback and its consequences for teacher’s professional …

Bullies And Allies Near The Playground: Mothers' Experiences Of Aggression In Their Children's Schools, Mara Vicente Robinson

Dissertations

Despite an increasing understanding of the importance of both parent-involvement and aggression among women, there appears to be little understanding of how these two areas influence each other; specifically, the lack of literature examining the extent to which female guardians experienced aggression from other female guardians and the effect it had on their involvement in their children’s schools. In an effort to investigate the extent to which aggression was prevalent among female guardians, the factors that influenced the aggression, and the effects of that aggression on women’s involvement in their children’s education, a convergent parallel mixed methods design was used …

Career Decision-Making Of Higher Education Professionals Of Philippine Descent: The Untold Stories Of An Asian Pacific Islander Community, Grace Abenoja Bagunu

Dissertations

Using a critical race theory (CRT) framework and a narrative and phenomenological methodology, this study explored the career decision-making of professionals of Philippine descent along the higher education career pipeline in the United States. The stories of these professionals create a counter-narrative to the stereotypes of Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in higher education. The career pipeline in higher education has remained relatively homogeneous, especially at executive levels of administration. Statistics show that APIs make up less than 1% of all college presidents, of that 1%, less than a handful identify as Filipinx.

This statistic alone does not completely tell …

Promoting Community Through Caring Leadership: An Action Research Project, Hazel Claros

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The overall purpose of this study was to increase collaboration across USD’s decentralized graduate admission departments through the approach of caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013). The study was guided by the overarching question: How can I use caring leadership (Uusiautti, 2013) within academic affairs to encourage effective collaboration and understanding and foster a sense of community across departments? It was also guided by the sub-questions: Does gender impact the practices of collaboration and exchange of ideas within decentralized admission offices? If so, how does the current culture and structure of USD’s graduate admission offices aid/impede the practice of caring leadership (Uusiautti, …

African American Women Baccalaureate Success: A Reflective Look At Pre-Collegiate Years Influencing Transition, Persistence, And Degree Attainment, Leilah K. Kirkendoll

Dissertations

African American women are graduating from college at rates higher than their Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American and even their African American male peers. This level of college persistence and success is occurring amid the challenges they face and share with their peers of the same schools, neighborhoods and society. Similar to many of their peers, these young women experience under-resourced schools and limited college preparation. In addition, they have unique school challenges including experiences with negative stereotypes and harsh discipline policies. African American women also face societal challenges through experiences with trauma, foster care and disproportionate early parenting, to …

Guide To The Graduate Council Records, University Of San Diego School Of Graduate And Continuing Education

University Records

The Graduate Council records contain the proposal for creating a Graduate Council in the University of San Diego School of Graduate and Continuing Education as well as meeting materials and minutes for the Graduate Council dating 1991-1996.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with a description of the collection and a folder listing of the content.

To view this collection please email University Archives and Special Collections staff at spcoll@sandiego.edu.

Guide To The Student Affairs Records, Thomas Burke

University Records

The majority of these records include student survey information conducted between 1983 and 1997. These surveys were primarily conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute on University of San Diego students. Also included are Vice President for Student Affairs, Thomas Burke's, records from committees on which he served including the Assessment, Athletics, and Student Affairs committees.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with a description of the collection and a folder listing of the content.

To view this collection please email …

Guide To The Thomas Cosgrove Papers, Thomas Cosgrove

University Records

This collections contains records kept by Thomas Cosgrove during his 38 years working at the University of San Diego. Records are associated with his work in Student Affairs and include meeting minutes, memoranda, resources used for policy creation, and event planning materials. The primary event represented is New Student Orientation, which Cosgrove overhauled into a week of activities and events for incoming students. Also included are materials for the President's Advisory Council and the Strategic Long Range Plan, both in which Cosgrove was actively involved.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. …

Guide To The University Of San Diego Commencement Program Records, University Of San Diego

University Records

These records include the planning materials, speech transcripts, programs and invitations for University of San Diego commencements.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with a description of the collection and a folder listing of the content.

To view this collection please email University Archives and Special Collections staff at spcoll@sandiego.edu.

A Movement Against And Beyond Boundaries: Exploring The Impact Of Transgressive Teaching On The Student Affairs Practices Of White, Heterosexual Men, Conor Mclaughlin

Dissertations

Transgressive teaching can have a substantive and transformative impact on the experiences of students in primary, secondary, and higher education classrooms. Transgressive teaching is exemplified by the engaged pedagogy outlined by bell hooks in the seminal work Teaching to Transgress, in which teachers seek to engage spaces of learning in deeper and more holistic ways. Scholars have theorized transgressive teaching, when implemented by student affairs professionals, can have similar effects on the experiences of students, especially those from identity groups which have historically been marginalized in higher education. However, there is a limited understanding of the experiences of student affairs …

The Impact Of After School Tutoring On Math Achievement: Perceptions Of African American Males And Those Who Teach Them, Eric L. Brown

Dissertations

Despite increases in overall academic achievement, African American males continue to struggle in the area of mathematics. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that eighth grade African American males had the lowest levels of mathematics success of all subgroups in 2013, with only 13% performing at or above the proficient performance level in math. An approach to increasing the academic achievement of African American males has been to provide extended learning time beyond the typical secondary education experience. After school programs are one such example. Many studies indicate that after school programs have had some positive …

Building And Maintaining Relationships Between Superintendents And School Board Members: The Approach Of Two Public School Superintendents, Lamont Alexander Jackson

Dissertations

The position of public school superintendent has experienced both a redefinition and a rebirth in its criticality. With increased accountability due to the shifting public school “Back to Basics” educational perspective in the 1980s, the launch of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, and the signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 by President Barack Obama, the role of superintendent has seen a shift from that of an organizational manager to that of an instructional leader.

Much has been studied about the importance of the public school superintendent, particularly the challenge of superintendent retention. …