Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Increasing Principal Candidates’ Self-Efficacy Through Virtual Coaching, Travis E. Lewis, Karen D. Jones

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Skill development in instructional coaching and feedback is difficult to adequately simulate within a principal preparation program. As a result, many new administrators enter the field with little to no experience in instructional coaching and, therefore, feel tremendous uncertainty and low self-confidence. This study explored the effect a virtual coaching experience has on self-efficacy for principal preparation program students. Preservice teacher candidates were matched with principal candidates to provide virtual instructional coaching to the benefit of all involved. The findings of this study indicate that practice through virtual coaching is positively related to increased self-efficacy in principal candidates.

Supervisor--Supervisee Relationships: Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder?, Katrina Tamvakologos, Anthony Cavanna, Edwin Selby, John Houtz

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

As part of a larger study, it was possible to compare teachers' perceptions of their supervisor-supervisee relationships between current and previous supervisors. Two samples of teachers completed the LMX-7 survey of leader-follower relationships. Reliability of the LMX-7 survey was high and no differences due to gender, age, or length of time teaching were observed. But, with both samples, previous supervisors were rated significantly more highly. Despite limitations to the study, one interesting explanation possible is that over time and for a variety of reasons, previous supervisors' negatives are forgotten while current supervisors' negatives are fresh, perhaps a case of "absence …

A Phenomenological Study On The Mentoring Experiences Of Teachers Of Color In New Orleans, Ingrid Alvarado Nichols

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has been used for centuries as a way for a person to pass on knowledge, skills, or support to a less experienced person. Mentoring in the workplace, however, was not studied until the early 1980s, and then more than a decade later, mentoring was studied in the context of the K-12 teacher workforce. Mentoring has improved teacher effectiveness (Yuan, 2015; Koedel, 2009; Campbell and Malkus, 2011); increased teachers’ self-efficacy (Ingersoll & May, 2011; Saffold, 2005; Louis, 2016); and contributed to teacher retention (Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Cohen & Fuller, 2006). Most mentoring studies and theories, however, have been developed …

The Implementation And Operation Of Three School-Based Health Centers In New Jersey, Joseph Howe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There is a construct of causation between common health issues affecting children and the corollary effects on a student’s ability and motivation to learn, including impaired sensory perceptions, cognition, connectedness and engagement with school, absenteeism, and dropping out (Basch, 2011b). What is more, causal connections have been found between a students’ health, their socio-economic status (SES), and the achievement gap that exists in education between students with a low-SES and others (Basch, 2011a). To address deficiencies in health care, some school districts have begun providing medical and mental healthcare in school buildings by opening school-based health centers (SBHC; Bains & …

The Influence Of Open Access On Advanced Placement Achievement, Shanna Howell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Preparing students for higher education is a primary aim of K-12 education. However, some high school graduates do not meet college readiness benchmarks and must take remedial noncredit courses in college (Adams, 2013; Butrymowicz, 2017). One of the strongest predictors of student success in college is rich and rigorous high school curriculum (Adelman, 1999; Adelman, 2006). The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers high school students college-level courses that can earn them college credits from participating institutions (Kolluri, 2018; Rothschild, 1999). College Board research overwhelmingly has indicated that the AP program is beneficial for students (Casserly, 1986; Dodd et al., 2002; …

Comparison Of National Assessment Of Educational Progress (Naep) Reports And State Physical Education Mandates, Erick Alfonso

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There have been several studies that analyzed the relationship between physical education and academic achievement at a local level, but a longitudinal analysis across the United States has not been done. An understanding of the relationship between physical education policies across the United States and academic achievement at the state level may provide insight into best practices to ensure that comprehensive physical education policies are adopted in all states. Using data from the Society of Health and Physical Educators and The National Assessment of Educational Progress, I investigated the relationship between physical education policies and academic achievement. Minor relationships with …

The Impact Of 1:1 Technology Initiatives On Lesson Planning, Michael Amick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Districts across the country are quickly moving toward a 1:1 student to laptop ratio. Where computer labs or carts were once the norm, many districts are now purchasing all students a laptop to start the year. This movement is occurring at a rapid pace, despite a growing body of research that shows that increased technology does not automatically lead to achievement gains. The teacher plays a vital role in student outcomes, with or without technology. In particular, the manner in which teachers plan lessons is significant to classroom outcomes. This is evident in that the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching …

Implementation Of Standards-Based Grading At The Middle School Level, Amy Louise Manley

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The grading practices in education are steeped in tradition. Although the inaccuracies of grading have been written about for over 100 years, schools have been slow to tackle grading reform. This research study is based on a case study which investigated the implementation of standards-based grading from traditional grading in one middle school. This case study was developed to answer one research question: How was standards-based grading implemented in the middle school? The research obtained in this case study will be used with the researcher’s own school community as they transition to standards-based grading. The case study involved semi-structured interviews …

Arkansas Principal Preparedness To Identify And Assist Students With Mental Health Needs, Candra Leigh Brasel

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

There is a growing need for children’s mental health services. With the majority of their time spent at school, educators are often the first adults in a child’s life to identify and assist students with mental health needs. However, oftentimes educators do not have the education and training needed to assist students with accessing quality mental health services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the preparedness of Arkansas public school principals to assist students with mental health needs in this rapidly changing era of education. The participant sample of the study consisted of 133 Arkansas public school …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 3, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu

University of South Florida (USF) - M3 Publishing

This is the third volume of the Advances in Global Education and Research Book Series. This volume has the following parts:

• Part 1: Adult Education
• Part 2: Curriculum and Instruction Development
• Part 3: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 4: Educational Technology
• Part 5: Global Competence
• Part 6: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 7: Human Resource Development
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: Pre K-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-7321275-4-8

Public High School Principals’ Perceptions Of Leadership Strategies For Improved School Performance, Christine Keyser-Fanick

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore what leadership behaviors and strategies public high school principals perceived to be most effective in achieving school improvement. The qualitative constructivist grounded theory research methodology used for the study was modeled after the work of Kathy Charmaz (2014), who acknowledges that the researcher is a part of the process, as observer, data collector, analyzer, and interpreter of the data. Data were gathered through one-on-one interviews with six principals from high schools with student populations of 1,200 or more whose schools showed improvement based on state standardized test scores and whose high schools …

What Participants Say About The San Bernardino Usd’S Restorative Youth Court Program, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Interviews were conducted with eighteen graduates of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Restorative Youth Court. These interviews yielded a view of how participants in the Youth Court program viewed their experience. In their view, the Youth Court was nearly always transformative and its dispositions fair. They were affected by the presence of their parents for their hearings but the main thing that seemed to lead to the transformation was being judged by their peers. They also took their responsibility seriously when they became the jurors for other respondents and doing so affected their thinking about their own case.

Dominant Leadership Dynamics Of School Administrators Leading Non-Instructional Personnel, Michael Ewton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the literature and many schools and school districts advocating for enhanced communication and engagement with parents, families, and the community at large, it is advisable that school-level administrators consider the manner in which they engage the non-instructional employees who serve their schools. This dissertation explores the dominant leadership dynamics experienced by high school principals responsible for supervising non-instructional support services and leading non-instructional operations personnel in their schools. Trained and expected to be instructional leaders, principals must still ensure their students receive the basic services necessary to maintain a safe and effective learning environment. Ensuring students receive the benefit …

A Process Evaluation Of The Campbell Union High School District Bond Measure Aa, Gabriel Altamirano

Master's Projects

The Board of Trustees at the Campbell Union High School District (CUHSD) completed a district wide facility assessment and created updated facilities master plans (CUHSD, 2015). Consultants were contracted to coordinate focus groups consisting of district students and staff to develop a list of facility needs across the district (CUHSD, 2015). The facilities at all five high schools were in need of major capital projects, from replacement of aging mechanical systems to new classroom spaces for student growth (CUHSD, 2015).

The school district decided to request a general obligation bond measure for the community to approve for the facility improvements …

Leadership Succession And Onboarding Processes Of: Mid-West United States International Baccalaureate (Ib) Primary Years Program (Pyp) Schools, Mary Nandra Kay Campbell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) model of education is unique and comprehensive, and so is the PYP principal. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of Mid-West United States IB PYP leaders related to leadership succession, the onboarding processes experienced by the new leaders, and the effective leadership traits possessed by the new leaders. This study involved a phenomenological study in nature. A criterion sampling approach was used to identify six participants of the study. A semi-structured interviewing protocol allowed elaboration by participants and to discover aspects not originally considered. The key findings included the following: lack of …

Examining The Phenomenon Of Elementary School Principal Succession Through The Perspectives And Experiences Of Novice Principals, Dayna Kay Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States are confronted with a shortage of highly qualified principal applicants, a situation compounded by a haphazard approach to leadership succession planning. While the vast majority of principals and superintendents endorse the promotion of assistant principals as the most effective way to develop successful school leaders, few structures exist to support that endeavor. Despite their essential role in the school’s operations and escalating demands for accountability for high standards and performance at the school level, assistant principals have been rendered virtually invisible in the scholarly literature. This study sought to fill the glaring gap in …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

Self-Efficacy And Stem Career Interest In Black And Latino Middle School Students: A Study On The Next Generation Science Standards, Whitney Mccormick

LMU Theses and Dissertations

With only 11% of the current Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) workforce being Black and Latino men and women, there is a crisis of underrepresented individuals in STEM fields. The construction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the mantra “all standards, all students,” represents an attempt to increase access to science for more students, and increase their self-efficacy about STEM subjects, as low self-efficacy is cited as one of the main causes of disinterest in STEM subjects. This study examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy in STEM fields and their career interests, specifically in a population of …

Teachers’ Perception Of An Integrated Approach To Biology And Emotional Learning, Laura Ferreira González, Thomas Hennemann, Kirsten Schlüter

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Inclusive education requires that teachers not only teach academic knowledge and skills, but also consider the individual needs of all pupils, especially with respect to their social-emotional status. All teachers (including science and biology teachers) have to promote the well-being of their pupils by helping them develop social-emotional skills. The positive impact of these skills has been widely researched and documented. There is no doubt that academic achievements and social-emotional skills go hand in hand. However, only very little research data are available on how biology lessons and biology teachers can facilitate inclusive education in everyday school. The purpose of …

An Examination Of Adult Bullying In The K-12 Workplace: Implications For School Leaders, Cynthia J. Kleinheksel, Richard T. Geisel

School Leadership Review

The issue of bullying in K-12 schools usually brings images of students to mind, but a recent quantitative study of a sample from K-12 school personnel in Michigan showed that 27.8% of adults in the K-12 workplace consider themselves the target of an adult bully. This study calls for school leadership to recognize and proactively address the issue of workplace bullying in K-12 schools through policy, procedures, training, prevention, enforcement, and positive resolution to provide a safe, non-threatening environment in which to work and learn.

Conversational Leadership Behaviors Of Exemplary Unified School District Superintendents, Jacqueline A. Cardenas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary unified school district superintendents practice to lead their organizations through conversation using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012b) 4 elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological inquiry methodology to study the behaviors of 10 unified school district superintendents in Southern California. Semistructured interviews followed a peer researcher-developed guide and were used in conjunction with observations and artifacts to learn about the lived experiences and perspectives of conversational leadership. Data collection and analysis was facilitated by NVivo software to …

Teaching Basic Cryptography Concepts Using Braille And Large Print Manipulatives, Jason Martin

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The scope of this article is to describe the creation and implementation of specialized adaptations used in teaching the subject of basic cryptography to students who are visually impaired or blind. Included is an overview of events held for visually impaired and blind transition age youth in Alabama and the methods used to engage this population in the subject of computer science. Teaching strategies utilized for this unique demographic of students are discussed as they relate to the sample cryptography lessons used during the transition day events. The construction of three forms of adapted ciphers are described in addition to …

Making 3d Laser Cut Stratigraphic Audio-Responsive Tactile Templates, Michael A. Kolitsky

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The geologic method of stratigraphy which studies the structure of the earth by making layers was employed with 3D laser cutting techniques to make more easily defined tactile regions in templates of cells, tissues and anatomic regions containing muscles and bones. Templates were made audio responsive by hand-drilling a small hole in a template and filling that hole with conductive electric paint. A finger touch to the template top side now carries a charge similar to an electric circuit to the template bottom side resting on the surface of an iPad or iPad Pro where an audio button produces audio …

The Sals App: Making Chemistry Accessible With Ios Devices, Rosanne Hoffmann

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

A new version of SALS (Submersible Audible Light Sensor) consists of a wireless light-detecting probe, Bluetooth ® connected to the iOS SALS App. As in previous versions of SALS, changes in detected light are converted to changes in sound, the latter now rendered with iPhone or iPad audio. The SALS probe assists the student with visual impairment in a variety of science activities, including those involving liquids. For example, when the SALS probe is placed in a reaction vessel, changes in light intensity caused by a chemical reaction or color indicator change are converted to changes in tone in real …

Perceptions Of Rural High School Professional School Counselors Regarding The Impact Of Strategies To Help At-Risk Learners Graduate, Beth Duvall Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the perceptions of school counselors regarding the impact of the school counseling program, interventions, and other strategies to help at-risk learners persist to graduate. A qualitative research design employing an interpretive phenomenological analysis methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions allowed the respondents to share insights into the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of their individual experiences as school counselors. The results suggest students with various risk factors choose not to persist to graduate, transferring to homeschool or withdrawing from school as a dropout. Academic deficiency, severe misbehavior, poor attendance, and social …

Principal Self-Efficacy And Learning Organizations: Influencing School Improvement, Kristina A. Hesbol

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Faculty Scholarship

One key characteristic of high-performing schools is how they function organizationally, enabling them to enact reforms effectively and to deal with regular organizational ambiguity and chaos. The principal plays a pivotal role in developing a school culture that supports high-performing schools. This research studies the relationship between principal self-efficacy and a principal's perception of her school as a learning organization. We examined specific subcategories of learning organization attitudes and behaviors to determine whether principals consider distinct organizational behaviors a proxy for indicators of a learning organization, and whether that was related to their self-efficacy. The findings indicate that principals must …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Achievement Of Students With High Incidence Disabilities And Maine State Compliant Standards-Based Individualized Educational Programs, Jessica A. Yates Cas, Ms

Muskie School Dissertations

This quantitative study analyzed the significance of the impact of Maine state compliant standards-based individualized education programs (IEPs) on the math and reading achievement of third grade students eligible for special education under the high incidence disability categories of Specific Learning Disability and Other Health Impairment. A total of 72 cases (n = 72) were collected. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to investigate characteristics of IEP compliance with Maine state standardsbased IEP expectations in the academic and standards-based IEP goal realms. Analyses of Covariance were conducted to determine if the compliance level of a student's standards-based IEP had a significant …

Stress Among Public School Teachers, Jollie Alson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study measured different stressors experienced by teachers in a public national high school and their coping mechanisms. The study is anchored on the Person-Environment Fit or Mis-fit Model (PEFM) (Astroff & Yunjie, 2011; Caplan, 1987) and the Conceptualization of Emotions in coping with stress (Lazarus, 2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the work-related, emotional, and personal stressors and coping mechanisms of teachers. The teachers experienced stress that was brought on by hazardous working conditions, a lack of materials, and resources to do their tasks effectively. There was a feeling of excessive monitoring and demands for …

Characteristics Of Seventh-Grade Middle School Students Who Attended A Continuation High School, Rae Lynn Kit

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored pre-existing quantitative data for 55 students when they were in the seventh grade who eventually attended a continuation high school years later. There were 101 students at a particular continuation high school, and this research explored pre-existing data looking solely at the students who were in the same district while they were in seventh grade. Attendance and grades from the pre-existing data in the district’s software system were analyzed using a descriptive methodology followed by a cluster analysis through SPSS. Attendance findings for the 55 students revealed that nine students (16%) were absent with a frequency of …

Supporting Educator Professional Growth In Times Of Change, Amanda M. Doyle

All Theses And Dissertations

This action research cross-case comparison study is set at an independent school in Maine which serves approximately 1,600 students in grades 6-12. Recently, the administrative team of the school articulated an academic strategic plan focused on increasing student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. The changes created a challenge because administrators raised expectations and accountability of staff members with respect to professional performance. The current climate in the institution presents an opportunity to provide a sense of direction and support for faculty through thoughtful leadership and professional development (PD) programming to support their progress on meeting the goals set …