Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Bridging Research And Practice: A Mixed Methods Study Of Principals' Use Of Implementation Driver Strategies To Support The Adoption Of Evidence-Based Literacy Practices In Minnesota K-12 Public Schools, Jamie L. Nord

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Despite a substantial research base identifying effective reading instruction, some schools continue to struggle to translate evidence-based literacy practices into consistent classroom use. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the relationship between Minnesota K–12 public school principals’ self-reported use of implementation driver strategies and their self-reported adoption of evidence-based literacy practices, while also exploring how principals perceived implementation within their school contexts. Guided by the Implementation Drivers framework, the study included a statewide survey of 138 principals using the researcher-developed Leadership for Literacy Implementation Scale, followed by two focus groups with 10 participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive, …

Intersectional Realities And Adaptive Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Women Administrators In Higher Education, Jocelyn Vernet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Existing literature consistently documents the acute underrepresentation of Black women in administrative leadership. Furthermore, Black women administrators that are represented and visible in higher education often oversee programs and task forces that heighten their experiences to high-risk situations. Emerging narratives suggest Black women employ effective coping strategies and embrace opportunities to strengthen and cultivate support networks while in their leadership roles. However, there is a significant lack in understanding how these strategies are structured and sustained to overcome the underrepresentation of Black women administrators in higher education. Additionally, basing their experiences solely through a survival lens limits a deeper understanding …

Inclusive Laboratory Instruction For Students Who Are Blind Or Low Vision Pacifichem Symposium Overview, Cary Supalo, Christin B. Monroe, Siegbert Schmid

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The 2025 Pacifichem conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii during the week of December 15-20, 2025, included a symposium titled, “Inclusive Laboratory Instruction for Students Who are Blind or Low Vision.” This symposium was organized by Dr. Cary Supalo, Prof. Siegbert Schmid, Dr. Kaitlin Beare and Ms Jasodhara Bhattacharya, and sessions were moderated by Dr. Cary Supalo and Dr. Christin Monroe. The symposium featured chemists with BLV and other chemists who have an interest in the inclusion of chemists with BLV into the STEM enterprise. It included 13 presentations on varying topics ranging from auto-ethnographic, methodological, to formal educational research studies.

Sustaining A School-Based Concussion Management Program Using An Implementation Science Framework, Melissa Mccart, Deanne Unruh, Patricia K. Reyna, Jody Slocumb, Doug Gomez, Ann E. Glang

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Each year, 1.1–1.9 million children and adolescents in the United States experience a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), and many return to school (RTS) with symptoms disrupting learning and well-being. Although effective RTS care requires coordinated support, implementation remains inconsistent across the United States. This study explored how one RTS program, the Central Oregon TBI (COR-TBI) model, was established and sustained over time. Using a deductive qualitative design guided by the National Implementation Research Network framework, we interviewed nine key organizers and coded data using leadership, competency, and organization drivers. Five themes emerged: (a) leadership-driven awareness and communication; …

Job Satisfaction Among Latina Female Administrators In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study, Susana Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the job satisfaction experiences for Latina female administrators at higher education institutions in the Central California region. The theory guiding this study was Herzberg’s two-factor theory. The central research question was: What are the descriptions of the lived experiences related to job satisfaction among Latina female administrators in higher education institutions in the Central California region? The sub-questions focused on the motivators and hygiene experiences that lead to job satisfaction among the participants. A transcendental-phenomenological qualitative design was selected for the study to examine the job satisfaction experiences of 14 …

Good News! Students With Disabilities Are Overrepresented In Private School Choice Programs, Patrick J. Wolf, John Kristof, Alex Wolf, Alli Aldis

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

• Critics predicted that, once private school choice was implemented on a large scale, students with disabilities would become highly concentrated in the public school system. That hasn’t happened.
• We conservatively estimate that 258,844 students with disabilities are participating in private school choice programs.
• Students with disabilities are being served in the private school choice sector at a rate higher than that in the public school sector.
• Private school choice programs provide important educational options for many students with disabilities, helping ensure they can access the education that best meets their needs.

Preparing Relational Leaders In Teacher Education: Graduate Student Perspectives On Leadership Practices, Mary Louie Stahl Phd

Journal of Practitioner Research

This practitioner research study examines how graduate education students prioritize relational, professional, and reflective leadership practices within a leadership framework used in a graduate teacher education course. While scholarship on care-centered leadership emphasizes the importance of relational trust, authenticity, and kindness in educational leadership, little research has explored how aspiring educators interpret and prioritize these leadership practices during their teacher preparation programs. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this study. Ten graduate students enrolled in a Human Learning, Development, and Motivation course completed an optional structured reflective survey based on engagement with a leadership framework. Data were analyzed using …

Voucher Reliance And Tuition Determination In Private K-12 Schools: A Quantitative Analysis Of Florida Schools Under 500 Students, Rebekah A. Kogelschatz

PhD in Education

The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate the relationship between voucher dependency and tuition-setting practices among leaders of private K-12 schools in Florida with fewer than 500 students. Guided by resource dependence theory, the study examined school leaders’ perceptions of scholarship funding, tuition income, affordability, sustainability, timing, and flexibility in tuition-setting decisions, as well as the adequacy of current scholarship amounts. A quantitative, non-experimental survey design was used. The sample included 85 decision-making school leaders from private K-12 schools in Florida whose roles involved financial or tuition-setting decisions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, confirmatory …

Navigating Leadership Transitions In Academic Affairs At Small Historically Black Colleges And Universities In The Southern United States: A Qualitative Study, Marquita Renee Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the specific problem that necessitates the functionality of departmental leadership, its outcomes, and emphasized leadership transitions. Researching leadership transitions can potentially enhance our understanding of how small HBCUs, particularly HBCUs with a student population of fewer than 5,000, can effectively navigate, ensuring the continuity and sustained success of the academic affairs department within the Southern U.S. region. To address this gap, this study engaged narrative methods while employing transformational leadership theory as a theoretical lens to explore the immediate and long-term impacts of leadership transitioning on strategic initiatives, staff morale, and outcomes within the academic affairs department, …

Organizational Systems, Support Structures, And Principal Retention In Urban Secondary Schools: A Job Demands And Resources Analysis Of Belonging And Isolation, Meredith L. Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principal turnover remains a challenge in high-poverty secondary schools, where leadership stability is critical to school improvement and student success. Although factors associated with principal attrition have been studied, less is known about how district-level systems and support structures shape principals’ experiences of connection, belonging, and professional isolation. This qualitative multiple-case study was conducted within a program evaluation context to examine how district policies, processes, and support structures functioned as job demands and job resources influencing principals’ experiences and retention decisions within a large urban school district. Guided by the job demands–resources (JD-R) framework, the study included four secondary principals …

Cultural Humility In The Workplace: A Causal-Comparative Study Of Foreign And Local Hire Employees In International Education, Natalie A. Ortiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cultural humility is recognized as a framework for fostering respectful relationships in culturally diverse workplaces. However, limited research has examined cultural humility within international education in regard to workplace dynamics and power imbalances that may exist between foreign and local hire educators. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine differences in perceived cultural humility levels between foreign and local hire employees in PreK-12^th grade private international schools in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The study also examined whether years of international educational experience and the number of international educational assignments influenced perceived cultural humility levels. Data …

Retention Rates: A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teaching In Northeast Florida, Dawn J. Kell

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative phenomenological study explored workplace experiences and motivational factors influencing teacher retention among Northeast Florida charter school educators. With nearly half a million teachers leaving the classroom annually and approximately 41% leaving within their first five years, understanding why educators remain in the profession is imperative for sustaining student success and educational quality. The purpose of this study was to explore motivational factors that lead teachers to remain in the profession despite current challenges. Using a purposeful sampling method, 12 certified Northeast Florida charter school teachers participated in 30-minute semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Each 30-minute interview was recorded, …

An Exploration Of Burnout And Spiritual Well-Being Among Principals Leading K-12 Christian Schools, Jennie Jacobson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This quantitative, non-experimental study evaluated the effect of spiritual well-being practices on perceptions of burnout among principals of K-12 Christian schools. The study examined the relationship between spiritual well-being, spiritual practice, and burnout among Christian school principals. The study used a survey to collect data from 50 (N = 50) principals of K-12 Christian schools. The survey included the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), demographic questions, and researcher-developed questions related to spiritual practices. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data. The findings indicated that participants reported low burnout (BAT composite M = …

Does Gender Spell Success? Exploring Female Students' Perspectives Of Faculty At A Higher Educational Institution, Chitora Jackson, Terrence Hicks, Jill Channing, Arnold Nyarambi

Journal of Research Initiatives

Numerous studies have pointed to connections and positive interactions with faculty that result in positive outcomes for students (Beckowski & Gebauer, 2018; Jones, 2020; Trolian et al., 2021). However, despite this knowledge, there are still some areas related to this topic that remain under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of female students at a higher educational institution and to understand how those experiences shape their perspectives of female and male faculty. Additionally, this study sought to discover how faculty gender influences their interactions with students and the similarities and differences between …

Bridging Policy And Practice: Leadership Strategies And Certification Reforms To Enhance Teacher Recruitment And K–6 Literacy In Alabama, Sherry Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This literature review explores the intersection of teacher certification reform, district and state-level leadership, and early literacy outcomes in Alabama. It critically examines the shift toward competency-based certification models under the Alabama Literacy Act, highlighting both the promise and challenges of balancing rigor with equitable access to the teaching profession. The paper synthesizes research on leadership-driven strategies, such as mentorship programs, Grow Your Own pipelines, and financial incentives, that support teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in high-need districts. It also evaluates the role of state accountability systems and collaborative partnerships in sustaining reform implementation. While current reforms show potential for …

Removing Barringer: University Renaming Governance, Campus Racial Climate, And The Limits Of Symbolic Reform, Charletta H. Barringer-Brown, Daniel N. Brown

Journal of Research Initiatives

University renaming is often seen as either a necessary moral correction or a less significant symbolic reform. This article examines renaming as a matter of higher education governance. It analyzes the removal of Paul Brandon Barringer’s name from honorific spaces at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech through a qualitative documentary comparative case study. A contextual policy scan of the University of Richmond, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Oregon State University situates the two primary cases within a wider field of naming-governance design. Guided by critical toponymy, institutional theory, policy-decoupling scholarship, organizational-routines theory, and campus-racial-climate …

Human-Centered Ai Governance In K–12 Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy Gaps In Massachusetts School Districts, Simone Elias, Noran Moffett, Jeremy Womack, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools have rapidly permeated K–12 education, outpacing governance structures and raising urgent concerns about equity, student data privacy, and academic integrity (Eutsler et al., 2026; OECD, 2023). Although a growing body of scholarship proposes multi-level AI governance models for education, empirical evidence on implementing these frameworks at the district policy level remains limited. This article contributes to the field by first synthesizing and adapting a K–12 AI governance framework based on peer-reviewed and policy literature, structured around macro-meso-micro levels and six pillars: ethical and equity-centered use, data governance and privacy, teaching and academic integrity, …

Oral History As A Tool For First-Year Student Success, Justin Willis, Saul Araujo

Journal of Research Initiatives

First-year college students often face significant challenges as they transition into higher education, particularly when balancing academic responsibilities with employment. Many students work out of financial necessity, which can increase stress, limit campus engagement, and negatively affect academic performance and well-being. This qualitative case study explores how oral history methods can support first-year college students as they adjust to the demands of balancing education and work. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the study examines how firsthand narratives from individuals who have navigated similar challenges can foster reflection, resilience, and practical skill development. The …

From Silos To Systems In Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration In Academic Planning, Linda Wilson-Jones, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems …

The Revolving Door: A Content Analysis Of Presidential Transitions At North Carolina’S Historically Black Colleges And Universities, 1865-2026, Tara Shollenberger, Romaine Boyd

Journal of Research on the College President

National reporting has framed presidential turnover at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as a leadership crisis, yet few studies examine transition patterns systematically within a defined system of institutions over time. This study presents a quantitative content analysis of 206 presidencies across all 11 North Carolina HBCUs from 1865 to 2026, constructed from institutional histories, archival records, and contemporary news sources. Using descriptive analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, we examine tenure length, the rise of interim appointments, differences by institutional control (public versus private governance), and gender patterns in modern appointments. Findings indicate that median completed tenure has collapsed …

Access In Teaching Stem Subjects To The Blind, Ashley E. Neybert

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

There are still many gaps in the literature regarding the difficulties faced by instructors of students who are blind and low vision and who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. We surveyed 26 K-12 STEM teachers about accessible materials they are aware of versus which accessible materials they use in their classrooms, their thoughts on how common challenges identified in the extent literature affect them in their teaching, and their perspective on how much extra time may be required for blind and low vision students (if any) to effectively learn STEM subjects.

Listening To The Society Of Yeager Scholars: An Interpretive Companion For Institutional Memory And Strategic Reflection, Brian A. Hoey

Publications of the Honors College at Marshall University

Listening to the Society of Yeager Scholars is an interpretive companion for institutional memory and strategic reflection. Rather than offering a definitive history of the Society of Yeager Scholars or prescribing its future direction, the document reads the Society as an institution with a culture—one shaped over nearly four decades through educational purposes, relationships, traditions, expectations, and changing interpretations of what the Society is and should be.

Drawing on early oral histories, Alison Gerlach’s history of the Society’s first thirteen years, contemporary accounts, institutional records, strategic-planning materials, and sustained institutional experience, the document identifies recurring ways participants have understood the …

Identifying Barriers To Reporting Concerning Behaviors In A Public Secondary School, Will Durgin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Threat assessment is an effective school safety practice that allows schools to identify concerning behavior and intervene before it reaches a crisis. Because this process often begins with a staff member recognizing and reporting a concern, this study examined how school staff interpret concerning behavior, understand their responsibility to report it, and what can make reporting more difficult.

The study used a two-phase action research design in a small, rural public school district in western New York. The first phase used a survey built around five behavior vignettes, while the second phase consisted of staff interviews.

Staff generally agreed when …

Portraits In Leadership: Six College Presidents Reflect On The Contemporary Presidency, Chris Thomas

Journal of Research on the College President

This qualitative study examines how six college and university presidents describe the contemporary presidency in their own words, offering a personal complement to existing research that often emphasizes governance, organizational structures, or survey data. Through in‑depth interviews conducted in 2025, presidents from community colleges, regional public universities, and a private liberal arts college reflected on their transitions into the role, leadership philosophies, institutional challenges, and the legacies they hope to leave. Their experiences reveal strikingly consistent themes across institutional types. Participants emphasized that “nothing fully prepares someone for becoming the president,” noting the profound shift in responsibility that accompanies the …

Cultivating A Culture Of Belonging: Elementary Principal Practices, Sara Macneil

Educational Studies Dissertations

A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need that influences students’ experiences, relationships, and engagement within their school context. It is shaped through intentional actions and everyday experiences. Understanding how school leaders intentionally shape conditions that foster students’ sense of belonging requires further exploration. This study focused on an elementary school principal and sought to identify specific leadership practices that strengthen the sense of belonging for elementary students. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through a sense of belonging survey and small group interviews. The survey data provided a measure of students’ sense of belonging and were used …

Reclaiming Instructional Leadership: Using Evidence-Based Tools And Conversations To Change Classroom Practice, Lyndsay Britt, Matthew Militello

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Instructional leadership is the most influential lever principals and supervisors have to improve teaching and learning, yet managerial demands often limit sustained classroom engagement. This qualitative participatory action research study explores how leaders can reclaim instructional leadership by embedding focused observation tools and instructional conversations into routine supervision without adding time burdens. 

Using Community Learning Exchange methodology, four teachers and a principal engaged in a 14-month community of practice at a rural Title I early college high school. Through three inquiry cycles, the study examined how evidence-based tools and data-informed dialogue shaped teaching and leadership practices.

Findings revealed two outcomes …

From Tasks To Transformation: How Coherently Sequenced Practicum Experiences Develop Collaborative Instructional Leaders, Daryl Ann Borel, Thomas Harvey

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This qualitative study examines principal preparation candidates' perceptions of a practicum designed to develop collaborative instructional leadership through coherently sequenced field-based tasks. The practicum required candidates to lead campus teams through needs assessment, strategy development, and implementation monitoring focused on instructional challenges affecting at-risk and economically disadvantaged students. Grounded in Personalized Educational Leadership Theory (PELT), the study analyzed archival written reflections from 150 randomly selected candidates enrolled in a large online principal preparation program. Using a basic interpretive qualitative approach, the analysis identified four themes: candidates' perceived growth in data-informed instructional leadership, structured collaboration as a leadership practice, leadership identity …

Leadership In Context: Examining School District Demographic And Socioeconomic Factors To Predict Superintendent Salary, Samuel F. Fancera, Lorena Valer, Ashley Mungiello

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study examines how district‑level demographic and socioeconomic factors predict superintendent base salaries in New Jersey through the lens of context‑responsive leadership theory. Using secondary data from 529 school districts, the analysis investigates whether student racial and ethnic composition and district socioeconomic status relate to salary outcomes. Correlation and multiple regression results show that all student demographic variables along with district socioeconomic status, significantly predict superintendent salary, with the proportion of White students accounting for the largest share of explained variance. Findings reveal persistent inequities. Superintendents serving high‑poverty, diverse districts tend to earn lower salaries despite facing more complex leadership …

School Principals’ Perspectives Regarding Successful Professional Development, Kathryn L. Bauserman, Diana Quatroche, Linda E. Martin

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This descriptive study examined K–12 principals’ perspectives on providing and supporting school‑based professional development in one Midwestern state. Survey responses from 300 principals explored how they defined successful professional development, how they determined teacher learning needs, and the challenges they encountered. Findings revealed that principals valued professional development aligned with instructional improvement, yet many relied on their control of decision‑making processes. Professional development was commonly delivered by school or district personnel, funded through limited local and state resources, and typically offered in short sessions. Principals identified success through surveys, observations, and student achievement data while noting challenges related to funding, …

2025–26 Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts Program, Misty Gallo, Alison Heape Johnson, Josh B. Mcgee, Patrick Wolf

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) program grew substantially in the 2025–26 school year, the first year of universal eligibility. Participation, the number of school partners, and the number of service providers all increased as the program matured. This growth was accompanied by encouraging indicators of family satisfaction, school retention, and student performance. The program also represented a larger, though still modest, share of the state’s K12 education investment.