Education Commons^™

Criteria For Initial Appointment In Rank And Subsequent Promotion For Faculty In Two-Year Public Colleges, Michael Aaron Orf

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growth of community colleges over the last five decades has not been met with a commensurate expansion of knowledge about policy development. In order to address this gap in knowledge, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of rank among two-year colleges in the United States; to identify the criteria used to determine rank upon hire for transfer and vocational faculty; to identify the criteria used to determine promotion for transfer and vocational faculty; and to determine if there are differences in criteria between transfer faculty and vocational faculty at initial appointment and subsequent promotion. Additionally, the study sought …

The Managerial Activities And Leadership Roles Of Five Achieving The Dream Leader College Presidents, Teresa Marie Mace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A significant increase in community colleges' (CC) presidential retirements is resulting in a huge loss of critical knowledge and experience. Recognition of this has led to numerous efforts and initiatives to prepare future community college leaders. These efforts have included numerous attempts to identify the competencies, skills, and leadership traits considered essential to performing the president's job. Unfortunately, most of the topics identified in self-reported assessments and personal interviews were not based on actual observations of what successful presidents do.

Unlike studies about community college presidents over the last 30 years, this study utilized Henry Mintzberg's (1968) structured observation methodology …

The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of The Feedback They Receive And Their Teaching Efficacy In High-Performing Schools, Joshua D. St. John

Open Access Dissertations

As reform efforts are prescribed in every state through mandates and regulations in an effort to better prepare students to compete in a global economy, and as states like Indiana implement new evaluation plans for teachers based on a rigorous rubric and objective measures of student achievement, close attention to the ripple effects must be involved. While efforts such as professional learning communities and instructional coaches are aimed at building teacher capacity, maximum results can only be achieved when school leaders balance how they leverage their evaluative power while promoting these formative experiences. Absent in the drive for heightened accountability, …

Financial Retrenchment: A Phenomenological Study Of Two Public School Districts In One Community, John Andrew Asplund

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how two school districts within the same community reacted to the closure of an electric generating power plant that provided approximately 45% of each district's property tax revenue.

The districts under study were chosen for two reasons: (1) They were both affected by the closure of the power plant, and (2) They exemplify the peculiar nature of Illinois public schools. Even though both districts exist in the same relatively small town and serve the same families throughout their schooling, they remain separate, yet parallel, entities.

The two districts are parallel in that the power plant was responsible …

Profiles And Giving Patterns Of Donors To An Urban Southeastern Community College, John Allen Gyllin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on fundraising in higher education, and specifically community college fundraising. Having transitioned from a traditional four year university setting to a community college, the author found this research helpful, not only for this institution, but for knowledge of community college donors and why they give. By working with data from this institution over the last ten years, and the research on the topic of fundraising for community colleges, donor trends were developed and needed improvements identified to raise significantly more dollars for the college. It is the outcome of this research that will hopefully assist this institution …

Evaluating Alternative High Schools: Program Evaluation In Action, Drew Samuel Wayne Hinds

Dissertations and Theses

Alternative high schools serve some of the most vulnerable students and their programs present a significant challenge to evaluate. Determining the impact of an alternative high school that serves mostly at-risk students presented a significant research problem. Few studies exist that dig deeper into the characteristics and strategies of successful alternative schooling. Moreover valid program evaluation methods to identify successful alternative school practices are hit and miss. As a result, public policy and systems of accountability have either disregarded information relating to alternative high schools or unjustifiably included them in comparisons with traditional high schools.

This dissertation studied the issue …

Last Of The Bronx Giants: Mayoral Control, School Reform, And The Fate Of Bronx High Schools, Ben Delikat

African & African American Studies Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

A Profile Of The Characteristics And Professional Development Needs Of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division Ii Athletic Directors, Dustin Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to identify the personal, professional, and educational backgrounds of NCAA Division II athletic directors. The study was designed to detail the professional development opportunities that existed among the population, and determine how frequently the NCAA Division II athletic directors took advantage of the opportunities that were available to them. The significance of the study rested on the ability to identify the NCAA Division II athletic director population and describe the qualities and characteristics that comprised the target population. Since little data existed detailing this population, the study provided an opportunity to describe a …

Liberal Arts Colleges During The Great Recession: Examining Organizational Adaptation And Institutional Change, Ashlie Junot Hilbun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Liberal arts colleges strived to adapt to environmental shifts at the turn of the twenty-first century and remain relevant in American society while the Great Recession of 2007 compounded their challenges and created new fiscal and enrollment burdens, which forced these institutions to confront paradigm-changing circumstances. In an effort to advance the historical perspective of liberal arts colleges and expand the organizational adaptation research base, the current study aimed to understand how private liberal arts colleges adapted during the Great Recession of 2007 by examining institutional changes at three private liberal arts colleges and their effects on the institutions' operations. …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Development Required By The Wisconsin Quality Educator Initiative, Pi 34, Deborah Marie Sixel

Theses and Dissertations

Existing research has shown an association between teachers' professional growth and student success. However, there is a lack of information on the mandated professional development linked to Wisconsin teacher licensure requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of self-directed professional development and its impact on classroom instruction and student learning. Professional

development plans are required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as a licensing requirement for all Wisconsin teachers to remain in the profession. This study investigated the perspectives of initial educators on the required professional development plan incorporated as part of The Wisconsin Quality …

Citizen Support For Northern Ohio Community College Funding Initiatives During An Economic Recession Recovery, Patricia Flores

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current research, Citizen Support for Northern Ohio Community College Funding Initiatives during an Economic Recession Recovery, asks the question: Do the citizens of Northern Ohio support community college funding during difficult economic times? Based on the theory of Stakeholder Analysis, the purpose of this concurrent, mixed-methods study was to investigate stakeholder support of community college funding initiatives, particularly for levy-funded community colleges that rely on the voting public to voluntarily contribute property taxes to support their institutions.

A comparison of Ohio community college statements and survey responses regarding stakeholder needs and beliefs indicated a significantly higher instance of …

Principal And Teacher Beliefs About Leadership Implications For Student Performance, Jerri Cherita Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine whether the leadership style of principals affects teacher and student performance. The study includes an elementary, middle, and high school principal along with two teachers from each school who worked at schools that were in good standing from 2007-2011. Each school made adequate yearly progress (AYP) each year according to the No Child Left Behind Status History Report. This study examined one over arching research question: What do principals and teachers say about school and schooling? Data for this study was gathered through principal interviews, teacher interviews, and the results of an …

Teacher Perception Of School Culture And School Climate In The Leader In Me Schools And Non Leader In Me Schools, Brian Patrick Barkley

Dissertations

In 1989 Dr. Stephen Covey wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which revealed seven habits that people should integrate into their lives that would help them on the two levels of relationships. First, it would help people to establish a better relationship personally. Secondly, it would help people to improve their relationships with other people. The book was originally written for adults; later Sean Covey, son of Dr. Covey, wrote a version of The Seven Habits that was geared toward teenagers. But the question of whether these adult lessons can be taught to five year olds was taken …

Teacher Perceptions Of Working With Children With Specific Special Education Exceptionalities In The General Education Classroom, Kimberly Geneva Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which general education teachers in elementary schools believe they are prepared to teach children/students with specific special education exceptionalities in the general education classroom. The study addresses the exceptionalities of: autism, speech/language disorder, specific learning disability, and emotional disability and using a multiple method quasi-experimental design that yielded quantitative and qualitative data. The study used an original instrument entitled the General Educators Preparedness for Inclusive Education (GEPIE). The instrument used a vignette/scenario design to assess levels of perceived preparedness. Third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers in South Mississippi were …

Teacher Attitudes Of Inclusion And Academic Performance Of Students With Disabilities, Jonathan Earl Sutton

Dissertations

Since the integration of the inclusion model, supported by the IDEA (1997), within public schools, teacher resistance and frustration has risen (Hardy, 1999). The climate of general education teachers’ classrooms furthermore, has not been the same (Liu & Meyer, 2005). Key elements ensuring success of inclusion and the implementation of inclusive education are the views, perspectives, and attitudes of the personnel who have the responsibility for implementing it; the teachers (Shade & Stewart, 2001). Avramidis and Norwich (2002) argued that successful implementation of any inclusive policy or programming is extremely dependent upon the educators being receptive and positive. Hines (2011) …

Perceptions Of High School Students Of The Impact Of A School Uniform Policy, Stacy L. Gregory

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High schools are tirelessly pondering ideas of enhancing the learning environment by increasing academic engagement and safety. This phenomenology study was designed to report and analyze the perceptions of selected students about their academic engagement and safety while attending one high school. Data for this study were obtained through interviews that were conducted on two levels: focus group and individual interviews. The results indicate that uniforms by themselves have little to do with a student's academic engagement. Students believe that their teachers play a big part in the way that they participate in educational tasks. They also believe that engaging …

The Impact Of State Characteristics On College Graduation Rates At Land-Grant Institutions, Melissa Bridges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As our nation's economy has become increasingly knowledge-based, an educated citizenry is paramount to maintaining a competitive edge in a global marketplace. Thus, college participation and completion have emerged as the gateway to survival and growth for individuals, states, and the nation, making college completion rates a top priority. Stakeholders have begun to equate graduation rates with institutional quality and performance and often use such data to make judgments, create policies, and allocate funding. However, graduation rates are not fully understood and numerous scholars urge caution when interpreting and utilizing single outcome measures. The purpose of this cross-sectional ecological study …

Climbing Into The Ivory Tower: A Look At Administrative Perspectives On Sexual Assault On The College Campus, Tasha Nichole Turner

Masters Theses

This study examines the attitudes of administrators about sexual violence on campus, as well as their knowledge of disciplinary policies and procedures to prevent and redress rape and sexual assault on campuses. This study begins the discussion about how administrators understand their current policies as well as the attitudes that may affect their understandings. I use Thematic Analysis to analyze responses to a series of open-ended questions surveying participants on their attitudes towards their universities policy and procedures for handling sexual assault. Findings suggest that the participants have overwhelming confidence in the established policies, the extent of their knowledge of …

The Impact Of High-Speed Internet Connectivity At Home On Eighth-Grade Student Achievement, Kent J. Kingston

Student Work

In the fall of 2008 Westside Community Schools - District 66, in Omaha, Nebraska implemented a one-to-one notebook computer take home model for all eighth-grade students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a required yearlong one-to-one notebook computer program supported by high-speed Internet connectivity at school on (a) English, (b) math, (c) reading, (d) science, and (e) composite score norm-referenced EXPLORE achievement test scores, District's Criterion-Referenced Descriptive Writing Assessment scores, and classroom performance grade point average (GPA) scores for the core subjects (a) English, (b) science, (c) social studies, and (d) cumulative GPA scores of …

The Social Intelligence Of Principals: Links To Teachers' Continuous Improvement, Joan Mcquade

Educational Studies Dissertations

Despite multiple efforts to reform 21st education to better meet the needs of all students, school improvement successes have been sporadic and debatable. Research suggests that significant improvement lies within the purview of teachers and principals, and this current research provided the underpinnings for the study. Based on neuroscience research and the continuous improvement concept, I examined linkages between principals' social intelligence and teachers' continuous improvement. Using a mixed method sequential explanatory research approach, the study consisted of four phases that employed both quantitative and qualitative measures. Massachusetts' principals (127) and teachers (331) were contacted by email to participate in …

A Veterinary Science Initiative: An Analysis Of Impact And Future Directions For Humane Education And Collaborative Partnerships, Brittany Watson Tisa

Theses and Dissertations

Humane education research is limited in its scope and structure and this has led to its inability to find a place in standard curriculum. As resources become scarcer for school districts and shelters, proving efficacy of programs is essential for successful partnerships and program achievements. VSI: Veterinary Science Initiative is a program developed by the education team at the Charleston Animal Society as a model for cooperative education between shelters, veterinarians, and other private organizations to collaborate with local school districts, while also conducting research about how this curriculum benefits student knowledge, organizational awareness, and community engagement.

Teacher Silence In South Carolina Public Schools, Daniel Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study of South Carolina public school teachers investigated how comfortable educators are raising problems or concerns to their administration. Five variables, including years of experience, trust in administration, mobility aspirations, relationship with principal, and content of message were examined to see their influence on teachers' comfort levels when voicing such problems or concerns. In addition, teachers were asked to identify the reasons for being hesitant about raising organizational concerns. The study concluded by determining if comfort level varied in different public school settings (elementary, middle, and high).

The sample consisted of 595 South Carolina public school teachers and …

Organizational Sense-Making And Enactment: Public Policy And Change-Making Of Private Professional College Administrations In Kerala, India, Biju A. Chittuparamban

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Fraud Prevention And Employee Rationalization In New York State Public Schools, Kathleen M. Slezak

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Prompted by frequent media reports of school fraud and a lack of relevant K-12 literature, this research study was designed to investigate current fraud prevention practices in public school districts in New York State. Using a "fraud triangle" model, an analysis of existing legislation and professional practice guidelines reveals that an integral element is being overlooked in current fraud prevention efforts, namely employee attitudes (more formally rationalization).

Program Innovation In Higher Education : An Exploratory Study Of The Creation Of New Degree Programs In Chilean Universities, Gonzalo Zapata

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Many researchers have studied differentiation in higher education systems, considering the multiplicity of new programs as one of its relevant features. In Chile, as well as in Latin America, there is ample literature on emerging higher education institutions and their growing differentiation, but very little or almost none devoted to emerging programs and the program dimension of differentiation.

The Influence Of High School Academics On Freshman College Mathematics And Science Courses At Suny Oswego, Tolga Hayali

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Admission Crisis In Nigerian Universities : The Challenges Youth And Parents Face In Seeking Admission, Bakwaph Peter Kanyip

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The need for access to university education has recently become vital in Nigeria as a result of an increase in the college-age population and an awareness of the role of university education in the development of the individual as well as the nation. Recent admission policies of Nigerian universities have been dissatisfactory to the Nigerian public as many applicants and parents go through difficulties while seeking admission for limited available spaces in the universities. Universities take the task of admission of students into the academic system seriously, using the guidelines set by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint …