Education Commons^™

A Structural Equation Model Of Leader Attributes In The Principalship, Amy Young

All Dissertations

To become a principal in South Carolina, one must have teaching experience, a master's degree, and certification in the area of primary responsibility. Beyond what is learned through coursework, internships, and certification tests, what intangible factors critically influence a principal's actions and decisions, and (ultimately) success? Trait theory begs the question of whether any of these criteria truly influences the decisions and actions of the principalship. Are there interactive traits of leadership that describe the behaviors of school principals? This study revisits trait theory by examining leader attributes relative to the principalship of South Carolina public schools. This study replicates, …

Climbing The Ladder: The Experiences Of Women Senior Leaders In Southern Baptist Colleges And Universities, Allison Barritt Langford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interview study was to explore the career pathways, barriers, and keys to success experienced by women senior administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities. The researcher conducted an interview study with both open-ended and closed survey questions. The interviews primarily involved open-ended questions without response options and were conducted via the telephone. The researcher targeted the population of 42 women senior-level administrators. From this population, 20 women participated in the study. The researcher interviewed the 20 participants and collected a vita for 16 of the 20 women in the sample. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Member …

4-H Try Member's Manual, Donna Carter, Karina Pearce

All Current Publications

This manual is for TRY members.

4-H Try Coordinator's Manual, Donna Carter, Katrina Pearce

All Current Publications

This manual is for the TRY volunteer program's coordinator.

The Relationship Between Leader Decision Making And Student Achievement At K-3 Title I And Reading First Elementary Schools, Emily Kathleen Richmond

Dissertations

This mixed methodology study investigated the relationship between administrator and teacher perceptions of leader decision making regarding five variables (reading training, reading curriculum, program evaluation, financial support, and student assessment) and student achievement (in the single content area, reading, at the 3rd grade level) in Title I K-3 schools receiving Reading First Grants (RFGs) and Title I K-3 schools not receiving RFGs, in four states (Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, and Oklahoma). Respondent data and district data regarding percentages of students achieving proficient and above on state third grade reading assessments were analyzed via Pearson Correlations, Multiple Regression Analysis, and a MANOVA. …

A Study Of Presidential Derailment In Community Colleges, Leigh Anne Touzeau

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive, multiple case qualitative study was to explore factors associated with presidential derailments in community colleges. The case studies involved interviews, document analysis, and observation. The population consisted of four community colleges in the United States. These distinctly different institutions produced the data for the investigation.

The findings revealed five derailment themes among the four cases. These were: problems with interpersonal relationships, failure of the president to adapt to the institutional culture, difficulty working with key constituencies, failure to communicate, and a flawed search process. Two of the five themes from community colleges related directly to …

Coaching Efficacy With Academic Leaders: A Phenomenological Investigation, Deanna Lee Vansickel-Peterson

Public Access Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research from the College of Education and Human Sciences

The purpose of this psychological phenomenological research was to understand the efficacy of life coaching from the perspective of academic leaders. To date, not one investigation or attempt has been made towards the above stated purpose. This study includes a theoretical overview and a review of the coaching literature from Socrates (469-399 BC) to current day Humanistic theory presented in part by Roger (1902-1987).

This process included data collection from five academic leaders who have been coached for at least two years. Levels of analysis of 365 statements, quote and/or comments produced finding of efficacy in life coaching with academic …

Enabling Leadership Capacity Through Authentic Learning: The Faculty Scholars Program, Geraldine E. Lefoe, Dominique Rene Parrish

Geraldine Lefoe

An identified gap in the higher education sector is the development of leadership capacity for teaching and learning. Significant funding has been allocated by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) to support the development of academic leadership in higher education. The outcomes of this initiative will ultimately improve the student experience as a more scholarly approach to the many aspects of teaching and learning is adopted. One project funded by ALTC supported four universities to develop and trial a framework for leadership capacity development. Five critical factors for success were identified including authentic learning activities that were situated in …

Enhancing Higher Education Through Leadership Capacity Development: Progressing The Faculty Scholars' Model., Geraldine E. Lefoe, Heather Smigiel, Dominique Parrish

Geraldine Lefoe

This showcase provides an overview of a leadership capacity building initiative for the scholarship of teaching through a faculty-based scholars network, which supports strategic change through leadership, activities embedded in authentic learning tasks. The new leaders developed through this initiative will provide a critical mass for extending the network by adopting a cascade model for distributive leadership through mentoring of future implementations within and across institutions. This showcase will provide a review of the literature, and an overview of the work in progress. It will conclude with a presentation of some guiding principles for discussion and a call for expressions …

Who Ya Gonna Call? Networks Of Rural School Administrators, Julie M. Hite, Bart Reynolds, Steven J. Hite

The Rural Educator

When they need help or advice, who are rural school administrators going to call? Relationships among rural school administrators develop into networks that can affect the success of administrators and their schools. Understanding the structure and content of these networks provides insights into how resources, innovations, and communication flow both within and between rural district administrators. Based on network theory and analysis, this study examines the structure, content, and strategic implications of the administrative networks within and across six contiguous rural school districts in the Western United States. Network graphs are included, illustrating both individual district and the combined six-district …

One Principal's Educational Leadership In A Rural And Low-Performing Middle School In Virginia: A Case Study, Clara Lynn Fletcher Sodat

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examined the leadership practices of one middle school principal in a low-performing rural school in Virginia. The experienced principal participant was in his first year of leadership at the school; he had led other low-performing schools to improved achievement that resulted in earning state accreditation as well as meeting federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) student proficiency targets. The focus school had failed to meet AYP for five consecutive years. The qualitative research design for this study included in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers, the principal, the assistant principal, and the principal’s supervisor; a total of 18 interviews were …

Headteacher Visibility, Teacher Characteristics, And Headteacher Trustworthiness: Perceptions Of Secondary School Teachers In Mukono District, Uganda, David Mckay Boren

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that students perform better academically in schools with higher levels of trust than in schools with lower levels of trust. School leaders are primarily responsible for building cultures of trust but are often at a loss as to how to do so effectively. With the assumption that as perceptions of school leader trustworthiness improve, teachers will be more likely to place their trust in that school leader, this research seeks to clarify how Ugandan headteachers improve teachers' perceptions of headteacher trustworthiness. In particular, we examined how specific types of headteacher visibility related to teachers' perceptions of headteacher relational …

Teaching Leadership With Toys: Innovative Tools For Educators And Trainers, Susan R. Madsen, Kathi Tunheim

Susan R. Madsen

The purpose of this experiential workshop is to offer a variety of innovative tools (toys) that both academics and practitioners can use with adult learners to help them further develop leadership knowledge, competencies, and skills through engaged learning activities. Each tool presented will be taught, practiced, and discussed.

Teacher Retention In American Schools In The East Asia Region: Salary And Leadership Are Key, Laura Roberts, Steven V. Mancuso, Ron Yoshida

NERA Conference Proceedings 2010

The purpose of this study was (a) to track teacher turnover in the East Asian Region Consortium of Schools (EARCOS) and (b) to create a model to explain teacher turnover. We received responses from 32 school heads and 744 teachers in EARCOS schools. The average turnover rate was 32% from 2009 to 2010. The most important correlates of turnover were satisfaction with salary and the perception of a supportive principal. Teachers’ age was also a significant predictor of turnover. Characteristics that defined teachers’ perceptions of supportive leadership were consistent with definitions of transformational and distributed leadership.

The Challenge To Foundations And Leadership: Critical Discourse, Hegemony, And The Power Of Traditions, Deron R. Boyles, Douglas Davis

Deron R. Boyles

This paper is a representational conversation between the authors-a social foundations professor and a leadership professor-regarding a leadership program in which both faculty members teach.

The Catholic School Principal And Inclusive Leadership: A Quantitative Study, Jayne M. Quinn

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The Holy See (2008) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (1995) stated that all students, including those with disabilities, have the right to a quality education and special attention should be given to those who are disenfranchised by having a disability (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972). Based on a literature review of characteristics that embrace inclusive Catholic school leadership in elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the following research question was developed and used as the focus for this study: How prepared do Catholic elementary school principals see themselves in carrying out the responsibilities of …

The Grizzly, September 16, 2010, Katie Callahan, Rosie Clark, Christine Dobisch, Lisa Jobe, Elizabeth Burns, Kevin Tallon, Joshua C. Walsh, Sara Sherr, Chris Capone, Kyu Chul Shin, James Shelton, Kaitlyn Ott, Shane Eachus

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Activities Fair Brings Light to Organizations • Computer Science Students Begin Exciting New Projects • UC United Society of Leaders Emerges on Campus • Brandon Kamin Launches into MC Role for ABC's Show "Eaglemania" • Calorie Counting Hits Zack's • Theater Preview • Meet up with Two New Professors on Campus • Blend Cafe Hosts Open Mic Night for Students and Community • Opinions: Primaries are More Overrated Than They are Important; Unpredictable Turmoils of the Unreliable Ursinus WiFi • Ursinus Women's Volleyball Heads Into Promising Season

Beginning With The End In Mind: The District Office Leadership Role In Closing The Graduation Gap For At-Risk Students, Martha Abele Mac Iver

Educational Considerations

We need to begin with the end in mind as Stephen Covey (1989) reminds us. Graduating all students ready for college or career is the ultimate goal of the K-12 educational system.

A Canonical Analysis Of Successful Vs. Unsuccessful High Schools: Accommodating Multiple Sources Of Achievement Data In School Leadership, Robert C. Knoeppel, James S. Rinehart

Educational Considerations

What distinguishes successful schools from unsuccessful schools? This question has relevance for the practice of educational leadership as well as the preparation of leaders.

Servant Leadership In International Education, David B. Austell

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The objective of "Servant Leadership in International Education" is to explore goodness of fit between Servant Leadership models, stemming primarily from the business and corporate communities (including such organizations as Southwest Airlines), and the service environments of International Education. The article will define the elements of Servant Leadership in its review of the key literature (for example Robert Greenleaf, Barbara Kellerman, John Maxwell, James MacGregor Burns, James Kouzes and Barry Posner, John Gardner, Peter Senge, Warren Bennis, and Margaret Wheatley). The article will define the service areas of International Education, and show strong goodness of fit between the elements of …

Talent Management In Higher Education: Developing Emerging Leaders Within The Administration At Private Colleges And Universities, Steven Riccio

Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

This research focused on identifying a series of successful practices relating to administrative talent management within the higher education setting. The field study included a thorough examination of seven small to mid-size private colleges and universities that have incorporated employee development strategies. These strategies were aimed at growing future leaders from within the organization in order to achieve continuity and support institutional priorities. Specifically, several focus areas were investigated including presidential vision, leadership commitment, talent management’s place among institutional priorities, program characteristics, and program evaluation.

Among the commonalities that were gathered included support at the senior officer level who serve …

Meeting The Challenge Of Educational Leadership: A Historical And Biographical Examination Of Minority Women Who Have Made Major Contributions To The Education Of Students In The South Texas Rio Grande Valley, Kathleen Neal Carroll

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This paper addresses the accomplishments of Melissa Dotson Betts, Emilia Schunior Ramírez, Estella Minerva Cuéllar, and Silvina Solís Hinojosa, in the field of education in the South Texas Rio Grande Valley. The paper reflects the difficulties encountered by women rising to challenges in education from the 1930s until the present day, and examines legislative actions that served as the impetus for allowing all of these women to excel in the area of educational leadership. The salary discrepancies Melissa Dotson Betts suffered in the Edinburg CISD because she was an African American were investigated, along with her mentoring of African American …

Student Leader Lmx Relationships As Moderated By Constructive-Developmental Theory, Shelly Mumma

Theses, Dissertations, & Student Scholarship: Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication Department

This study examined how the quality of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships was moderated by the Constructive-Developmental stage or Order of Consciousness of both leader and follower. Using student organization presidents and officers on a small, private, liberal arts college campus in the Midwest, the researcher used a sample of 37 students to study the impact developmental stage had on the leadership relationship. Using the Leader Member Exchange-Multi-Dimensional Measure (LMX-MDM), four dimensions of LMX were examined. The four dimensions were Affect, Contribution, Loyalty and Professional Respect. There was no significant relationship between Order of Consciousness and quality of LMX relationship. While …

Leadership To Run The World: A Mandate For Higher Education, Gregory Eastwood

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

“Leadership is an essentially moral act,” said A. Bartlett Giamatti, former president of Yale University, who later became Commissioner of Baseball. But consider these few news items, selected from a multitude of candidates: Eliot Spitzer, former governor of New York, resigned after his involvement with a prostitute was made public. Rod Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois, was removed from office by unanimous vote of the Illinois State Senate after conviction on federal corruption charges. Bernard Madoff, former Wall Street executive and NASDAQ chair, currently is incarcerated in federal prison after conviction for investment fraud. Rev. Jeffrey Sarkies, a popular pastor …

Going Beyond Contemporary Leader Development Practices: Assessing Leader Readiness Using Cognitive Stage Development And Experiential Learning Theories, Elizabeth Turesky, Leigh Mundhenk

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Consider the employee who is highly engaged and self-directed in her work, manages ambiguity well, genuinely engages in the journey of becoming an agent of change, seeks ways to understand herself as a leader, and relishes the possibilities of ideas. On the other hand, there is the employee who looks to others for direction and answers, finds the lack of clarity and ambiguity unbearable, resists new ideas, has difficulty making decisions, or jumps right into the decision-making process without careful reflection. These disparate behaviors in employees seem to occur unrelated to age, gender, and socioeconomic level. As teachers, managers, and …

Perception Of Good Leadership Among The Academics In Nigeria: Case Of Benue State University, Makurdi, Umbur Demekaa

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The objectives of the study were: i. To determine the influence of gender on the academics perception of good leadership. ii. To examine the influence of status on the academics perception of good leadership. iii. To determine the influence of religion on the academics perception of good leadership iv. To determine the influence of discipline on the academics perception of good leadership.

A Comparative Study Of Leadership Behavior Of Principals In Relation To Job Satisfaction Of Teachers In Govt. And Non-Govt. Schools Of U.T., Maninder Khanna

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The study was designed to achieve the following objectives: 1. To compare the Leadership Behavior of Principals in Govt. and non-govt. schools . 2. To compare the job satisfaction of teachers in Govt. and non-govt. schools . 3. To ascertain the relationship between Leadership Behavior of Principals with job satisfaction of teachers in Govt. and non-govt. schools .

Leadership In Tunisian Higher Education From The Perspective Of The Efqm Excellence Model, Raoudha Kammoun, Omar Ben-Ayed

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Since the early 1980s, the concept of quality has been a central focus of attention in the debate of higher education (HE). Over time, many developed countries have experienced a growing concern for quality in HE such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, and the United States of America, amongst others (Anyamele 2004, Becket and Brookes 2005). The focus on quality leads many developed countries to acknowledge the benefits of the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) within their institutions (Kanji and Tambi, 1999). However, quality movement is rather slow in the HE of developing countries. Indeed, some HEIs have …

A Principal’S Dilemma: Instructional Leader Or Manager, Bettye Grigsby, Gary Schumacher, John Decman, Felix Iii Simieou

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

This study focuses on the emphasis principals’ place on the design and delivery of curriculum and instruction on individual campuses and the extent federal regulation has impacted principal behaviors as instructional leaders. The transformation from the principal’s role of manager to that which is inclusive of instructional leadership is due to the steady increase of the regulations governing the accountability system culminating in No Child Left Behind. In fact, “ … one in three principals says implementation of NCLB is the most pressing issue he or she is facing” (Sergiovanni, 2009, p. 44).

What Is Quality Leadership?, Misty Lacour, Laura Tissington

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Leaders can get others on board with decision making through either delegation or empowerment. Through delegation, a leader will, through an expression of authority, determine which tasks will be completed by which employees (Billikopf, 2003). Followers are delegated tasks and actions. On the other hand, when followers are empowered, followers have the freedom to complete tasks for the purpose of achieving the goals and vision of the institution (Billikopf, 2003). Empowerment shares the decision making process between the leader and the followers. “Shared decision making can improve the quality and acceptance of decisions, bolster worker motivation and self-esteem, increase sense …