Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Case Study On Principals’ Attitudes And Practices Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Charlene Marie Briggs

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite decades of federal legislation mandating inclusion, many schools still struggle to serve students with disabilities effectively, resulting in persistent achievement gaps and limited postsecondary success. Research consistently identifies principals’ attitudes and practices as the most influential factor in inclusive school success, yet existing studies have examined these elements in isolation rather than as interconnected parts of a school system. This hermeneutic phenomenological case study explored how ten Virginia elementary school principals understood and enacted their attitudes and leadership practices toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in their schools. The study used van Manen’s (2014) hermeneutic phenomenology to understand …

The Leadership Lens: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Sensemaking Experiences Of School Leaders Implementing Virginia's New Standards Of Accreditation And Accountability, Paul M. Wilson Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study exposes the complex cognitive and organizational processes school leaders navigate as they translate high-stakes state mandates into localized action. By examining the implementation of Virginia’s revised Standards of Accreditation and Accountability (SOA), this study challenges the prevailing managerial paradigm that views policy implementation as a linear, mechanical execution of directives. Instead, grounded in sensemaking theory and SDT, this research conceptualizes implementation as a situated and interpretive act shaped by leaders’ prior experiences, beliefs, and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi structured interviews with 12 school and …

Empowering Change: Building Environmental Sustainability Initiatives And Becoming A Sustainability Champion, Amanda C. Karls

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

In an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and an urgent need for sustainable development, higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly positioned as critical actors in advancing sustainability within the communities they serve. Regional comprehensive universities (RCUs), in particular, occupy a distinctive position as access‑oriented, community‑embedded public institutions; yet sustainability efforts at these institutions often unfold under conditions of limited resources, diffuse responsibility, and informal governance. This dissertation examines how individual actors at RCUs effectively advance environmental sustainability initiatives in the absence of centralized infrastructure or formal authority.

Guided by the overarching research question—How can individual actors at regional comprehensive …

The Role Of Autonomy And Motivation On Teacher Retention: A Mixed Methods Study, Jordan Overton

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Teacher retention remains a persistent concern in the United States, with nearly 13% of classrooms unfilled by licensed teachers. Grounded in self-determination theory and basic psychological needs theory, this mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the relationship between teacher autonomy, motivation, and intentions to leave, while also exploring the contextual factors that shaped teachers’ perceptions of autonomy within their work environments.

In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 123 elementary and middle school teachers across three school divisions in Southeastern Virginia. Measures included teacher autonomy, work motivation, and intentions to leave one’s school or division and the teaching …

Considerations For School Leadership In Leveraging School-Based Behavior Analysis For Systemic Improvement In Public Education, Virginia Public Schools Behavior Analyst Network, Kira Austin, Elizabeth Boynton, Amanda K. Cash, Meredith Eads, Daniel Irwin, Selena Layden, Daria K. Lorio-Barsten, Emily Muise, Nadine Pittman, Felicia Shelton, Indya Watts-Graves

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Public schools face significant challenges, including rising student behavioral needs, chronic absenteeism, and high rates of teacher burnout. These issues are interconnected with and inextricably linked to a need for effective, evidence-based behavioral supports. Educators frequently enter the field lacking the necessary skills and training to manage complex student behavior, often resulting in a reliance on punitive practices that exacerbate problems.

This paper proposes that the expertise of school-based behavior analysts (SBBAs), who are Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) specializing in education, offers a powerful, underutilized solution. SBBAs are trained in applied behavior analysis (ABA), a data-driven science focused on …

American Board Of Emergency Medicine Report On Residency And Fellowship Training Information (2025-2026), Yvette Calderon, Barry Knapp, Felix K. Ankel, Ted Gaeta, Lynne Holden, Derek Linklater, Zeno St. Cyr Ii, Ernest Wang, Melissa Barton, Andrews R. Trotter, Kevin Joldersma, Robert G. Purosky, Michael Gottlieb

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

The American Board of Emergency Medicine gathers extensive background information on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited emergency medicine residency and fellowship programs, as well as the residents and fellows training in those programs. We present the 2026 annual report on the status of physicians training in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited emergency medicine training programs in the United States.

Equity In Coastal Resilience: A Framework For University Engagement In Community-Based Projects, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Marina Saitgalina, Ogechukwu N. Nwandu-Vincent, Khairul A. Anuar, Thomas Allen, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

As communities face intensifying climate hazards, it is vital to strengthen resilience in ways that explicitly prioritize social equity. This study examines how higher education institutions can better support government, nonprofit, and community partners in advancing equity-centered coastal resilience in the U.S. Utilizing a qualitative research design, we analyze discussions among researchers and practitioners during a three-day workshop. We present a framework derived from a thematic analysis of breakout group transcripts from a three-day national virtual workshop involving 113 researchers and practitioners. The analysis identified four core themes: the necessity of aligning projects with community-defined priorities; the foundational role of …

Rethinking Dfw In Gateway Mathematics: Preserved, Disrupted, And Dissipated Momentum Pathways To Student Retention, John Alan Nunnery, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study examines how disaggregated first-year mathematics outcomes, including failure, low-passing grades, course withdrawal, and no attempt at a credit-bearing mathematics course, are associated with second-year retention at a large, diverse, urban public university. The study extends academic momentum theory by positing and operationalizing preserved (marginal passing), disrupted (failure or withdrawal), and dissipated (non-enrollment) as qualitatively distinct momentum states rather than a single condition. Using a segmented binary logistic regression model with more than 26,000 first-time, full-time students across ten entry cohorts (2012–2021), we estimate differences in retention by mathematics outcome, course type, and cohort context. Results show a pronounced …

The Role Of Education In Reducing Social Inequality: A Systems-Level Analysis Of Socio-Technical Infrastructures And Policy Governance, Aisling O'Shea, Batzorig Dashnyam, Ximena Quintanilla

Women's & Gender Studies Faculty Publications

Social inequality remains one of the most persistent challenges to global systemic stability, threatening the robustness of democratic institutions and economic sustainability. Education has long been theorized as the primary mechanism for social mobility and the mitigation of disparate life outcomes; however, its role within modern socio-technical infrastructures is increasingly complex and often contradictory. This paper provides a comprehensive systems-level analysis of the relationship between educational architecture and social stratification. By examining the structural trade-offs inherent in contemporary pedagogical deployment, the research evaluates how institutional governance, digital infrastructure, and policy mandates either facilitate or hinder the reduction of inequality. The …

Incorporating New Guidelines Into School-Based Asthma Management, Jessica Michala Jindra, Angela Duff Hogan

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Purpose of the Review

The aim of this review is to identify barriers and provide solutions to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol as rescue therapy within schools.

Recent findings

GINA guidelines in 2019 and NAEPP in 2020 recommended inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler over the traditional short-acting beta-agonist.

Summary

The findings discussed in this article describe the barriers to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler in school systems. Traditional asthma action plans, school nursing and parental education, and differences in dosing are some barriers identified. This paper provides solutions for …

Cross-National Longitudinal Insights Into College Alcohol Beliefs And Consequences: The Role Of Food And Alcohol Disturbance, Javiera A. Hernandez Puelma, Katherine A. Berry, Luke Herchenroeder, Alison Looby, Adrian J. Bravo, Christopher C. Conway, Fermín Fernández-Calderón, James M. Henson, Lee Horgarth, Manuel I. Ibáñez, Debra Kaminer, Matthew Keough, Oleg Medvedev, Laura Mezquita, Yanina Michelini, Generós Ortet, Ricardo Pautassi, Matthew R. Pearson, Angelina Pilatti, Mark A. Prince, Jennifer P. Read, Verónica Vidal Arenas, Cross-Cultural Addictions Study Team

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the mediational role of FAD-intoxication (i.e., restricting calories to increase or quicken alcohol intoxication) in the relationship between college alcohol beliefs (CABs) and negative alcohol-related consequences. A sample of 2543 student drinkers from six countries completed the baseline survey, and 505 drinkers completed at least one follow-up. Two models examined whether frequency of FAD-intoxication mediated the relationship between CABs and alcohol-related problems, and structural invariance testing was conducted across sex and countries. FAD-intoxication was concurrently and prospectively associated with greater endorsement of alcohol-related consequences and significantly mediated the effects of CABs on alcohol-related consequences. The relationship …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Sense Of Belonging Among Community College Educators, Muhammad Owais Aziz

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the complex phenomenon of sense of belonging (SB) among diverse health professions educators (HPEs) and non-health professions educators (non-HPEs) at a Canadian community college. SB, as a dynamic construct shaped by an individual's perception of being valued and respected, is influenced by personal preferences and by complex interactions with the individual's surroundings. To better understand SB and foster a more inclusive environment for diverse educators, it is necessary to investigate SB among these educators. This qualitative study used eleven semi-structured interviews and seven steps of data analysis. The results of this study can inform strategies, policies, …

The Paradox Of Discipline: Equity, Standardization, And Black Student Outcomes In Public Schools, Latricia T. Davenport

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite efforts to address profound discipline disparities impacting Black students, the implementation of alternative disciplinary approaches like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Restorative Justice (RJ) has failed to eliminate significant disproportionality in school discipline. This study investigates how teachers navigate the challenges of disciplining Black students within a paradoxical school environment that juxtaposes equitable, human-centered methods with a historically rooted managerial paradigm emphasizing uniformity and zero tolerance. Drawing upon systemic racism and the concept of 'apprenticeship of observation,' this study explores how teachers' implicit biases about Black students are formed by long-held institutional norms and personal experiences. It …

Who Gets To Lead? Policy, Systemic Barriers, And Leadership Norms In Education, Kathryn A. Cirilli

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study investigated the underrepresentation of women and racially marginalized individuals in the superintendent position, the highest leadership position within K-12 public education. The superintendent position has been overwhelmingly represented by males, even though women were the majority of the teaching workforce. Grounded by institutional theory and viewed through a phenomenological lens, I examined how organizational norms, hiring practices, and access to mentorship contributed to and upheld systemic barriers to the superintendent position. Through exploring the interpreted lived experiences of current female superintendents across public school districts that reflected the national patterns, this research addressed the disparities in …

Leading With All The Feels: Exploring The Perceptions Of Middle School Administrators' Implementation Of School-Wide Social-Emotional Learning Programming, Sabrina Smith Richardson

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Middle school administrators have multiple responsibilities that range from ensuring the safety and security of staff and students to overseeing the curriculum and instructional foci of their buildings. At the same time, middle school students are experiencing the early stages of adolescence. Because it is a complex time for students to navigate, it creates anxiety, a decline in academic achievement and motivation, and peer and academic pressures (London, 2022; Schlund, 2021). Middle school students have social-emotional needs that are not typically met in secondary schools, which means programming is not typically a part of the instructional day. This study examined …

A Reformation Of The Status Quo: An Examination Of The Relationship Between Organizational Structure And Social Justice Reform In American Public Schools, Jaielle Manning

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the correlation between organizational structure and social justice reform in American public schools. The study specifically aims to answer the following research questions: What are the lived experiences of school leaders as they navigate and enact social justice reform? How do school leaders experience the ways organizational structures shape their opportunities and challenges in implementing social justice reform? How do school leaders experience and make sense of the influence of local, state, and national policy on their efforts toward social justice reform in American public schools? The literature review examined organizational structure through the lens of Ecological …

Research To Practice Gap: Impact Of Principal Perceptions & Communication On Change Initiatives, Jennifer Sagendorf

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences, perceptions, and practices of school principals related to evidence-based change initiatives and the continued divide between the findings of educational researchers and the use of these findings by school practitioners. Since the prevalent dichotomy of theory and practice is detrimental to school improvement efforts, it is important to examine the underlying values and beliefs that contribute to perpetuating this divide. For this qualitative phenomenological study, semi-structured interviews with seven elementary school principals provided first-hand accounts of the principals' lived experiences. Through an iterative process of coding, clustering, and cross-case analysis, …

Toward More Challenge-Engaging Stem Students: A Narrative Inquiry Into Student Persistence In The Face Of Failure, Stephanie R. Fahey

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) postsecondary graduates greatly contribute to advances in technology and research, and STEM fields promise graduates careers with positive long-term outcomes. Many postsecondary students initially choose STEM majors; however, less than half of those students graduate with a STEM degree. High STEM attrition is a problem that continues to vex educators and researchers. One attributable factor to high STEM attrition is students adversely reacting to initial academic failure in challenging STEM educational contexts. However, there are a lack of studies that investigate the individual experiences of students who persist despite academic failure to better understand …

From First-Generation To Flourishing: Exploring The Influence Of Academic, Social, And Deeper Life Interactions In Higher Education, Melissa Jean Overton

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite comprising half of all undergraduate students (RTI International, 2024) and being widely studied in higher education literature, first-generation students experience many barriers to success and are less likely to graduate than continuing-generation students (Engle & Tinto, 2008; Fry, 2021; Kezar et al., 2023). Social science and higher education scholars have identified flourishing, the presence of complete mental health and holistic well-being (Keyes & Haidt, 2003), as an important outcome of higher education beyond more traditional success metrics, with the thought that flourishing promotes success in other areas.

This study explored how first-generation students’ academic, social, and deeper life interactions …

A Comparative Case Study On Special Education Administrator’S Education And Experience: Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Support Provided To Probationary Special Education Teachers, Diane Smith Glover

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the education and experience of special education administrators (SEAs) and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the support they provide to probationary special education teachers (SETs), particularly in relation to the teachers' professional growth and job satisfaction. This qualitative study employed an interpretive approach, focusing on the perspectives of SEAs regarding their knowledge in special education, the workplace supports they provide, and the impact of these supports on SETs' professional development and career decisions. Data was collected from interviews with 11 SEAs who had experience supervising probationary SETs.

The findings revealed …

Mapping Perspectives: Community College Career Advisors’ Viewpoints For Enhancing Economic Mobility And Career Selection—A Q Methodology Study, Christopher Ryan Harrison

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In an era of rapid workforce transformation and increasing demand for postsecondary career readiness, community college career advisors play a critical role in supporting students’ economic mobility and informed career decision-making. Traditional academic advising, which primarily focuses on course registration and degree completion, may not fully address students’ evolving career development needs. This study employed Q methodology to examine the subjective viewpoints of career advisors in North Carolina community colleges regarding strategies to enhance students’ career outcomes. Grounded in human capital theory and career construction theory, the study investigated how advisors integrate labor market data, wage trends, and workforce expectations …

The Influence Of The Residency Interview Format On Future Interviewing Models And Use Of Preference Signals, John E. Snellings, Hanwen Miao, Daniel L. Meyer, Miranda A. Moore

Department of Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered the format of residency recruitment, leading to the widespread adoption of virtual interviews, followed by the adoption of preference signaling. This study examines how the structure of the 2023-2024 interview season influenced family medicine residency program directors' intentions for future interview formats and their preferences regarding the number of preference signals.

Methods: A Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey, including demographic questions, was distributed to all family medicine residency program directors in the United States in spring 2024. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, χ² tests, and multivariable logistic …

19.2 Ceus, Albright Aaron, Peighton Corley, Yusuf Barburoglu, Jeff Moe

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] WLCO-2024-0077.R1 Heteronormative and cisnormative language in Southern University counseling and Title IX Offices

1. This study utilized the document analysis is a five step process including all EXCEPT

a. Gaining access to the documents via the web

b. Understanding hope and why the texts are produced.

c. Utilizing previous research to validate ideas or themes in the texts.

d. Determining the accuracy of the documents

e. Linking the documents with other website observations to triangulate results

f. Deconstructing the texts using a code book.

2. One of the most commun issues the research found was that the University websites …

The Virginia Consortium For Teacher Preparation In Blindness And Vision Impairment: Program Overview And Structure, Kimberly Avila, Justin A. Haegele, Annemarie L. Horn, Katelyn Makovec

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Blindness and Vision Impairment (VI Consortium) is a collaborative personnel preparation program consisting of George Mason University (Mason), Old Dominion University (ODU), and Radford University (RU). Funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the VI Consortium trains teachers to work with students who are blind and visually impaired as teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each of our partner universities recruits, advises, enrolls, and confers degrees for teacher candidates. Mason serves as the primary institution, coordinating grants, awarding sub-contracts, developing and leading courses, …

If You Charge Them, Will They Come? The Effect Of Levying Tuition Fees In International Students, Charles Mathies, Hannu Karhunen, Stephen L. Desjardins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In 2017, Finland began levying tuition fees on non-European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) international students. Using data from multiple Finnish government sources, we study the impact of tuition fee reform at various stages of the higher education enrollment selection process. Outcomes examined include how the policy change affects student application behavior, admissions and acceptances by institutions, and student enrollments. To identify the effects of the policy change, we employ a difference-in-differences approach using national register data and program-level tuition variations. Our findings led to three key findings: (1) the implementation of fees did not decrease the number of applications …

Food Insecurity And Academic Self-Efficacy: Military Students And Student Veterans, Kim E. Bullington, Matthew J. Smith, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Food insecurity (FI) affects households worldwide and is also seen on college and university campuses with adverse effects on student success. We examine FI and academic self-efficacy levels of military students and student veterans enrolled in higher education in the United States which has not been extensively studied regarding FI. Military students and student veterans may have access to G.I. Bill funds and may not be perceived as requiring additional assistance. The results reveal that military students and student veterans have some level of FI. The qualitative analysis yielded five themes that center on FI, economic vulnerability, inequities in the …

Do Public School Choice Policies Segregate Schools? Dynamic Effects In Michigan, Danielle Sanderson Edwards, Kaitlin P. Anderson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Interdistrict choice has the potential to exacerbate or alleviate between-district segregation-an increasingly pervasive form of U.S. school segregation-by allowing students to attend schools in districts where they do not reside. Prior research concentrates on the effects of charter schooling on segregation within districts and counties. We used longitudinal enrollment and demographic data from Michigan to examine the impacts of both interdistrict and charter school choice on racial and economic segregation within and between districts in a single setting. We estimated these effects by leveraging between-grade differences in choice use within school systems and years. We confirmed findings from previous research …

Leading Beyond The School Walls: Understanding Principal Community Activism, Jason D. Salisbury, Meagan S. Richard

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ways school leaders perceive and engage in community-focused, activist leadership in response to community needs. We rely on a critical qualitative research design that draws on critical urban theory. Sources of data include a pilot focus group, semi-structured in-depth interviews with activist leaders, and publicly available documents. Findings demonstrate the ways that leaders engaged in activism by developing understandings of the communities they served as a first step to activism, rooting their schools as a physical resource for communities, and responding to community needs via activist practices. Through their work, leaders …

How District Administrators Further The Book Banning Agenda, Kim Reichenbach Krutka

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Book banning and censorship in school libraries remain a significant barrier to intellectual freedom. Drawing on ten years of experience as a Texas school librarian, this opinion article highlights how district policies and grievance procedures empower individuals to exclude books representing marginalized identities, particularly queer and Black experiences. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT), specifically the tenets of whiteness as property and counter storytelling, the article explains how these policies uphold white privilege and dominant narratives while silencing counter-stories that validate diverse student identities. The grievance process allows a single hearing officer to overturn committee decisions without transparent reasoning, often restricting …

Learning And Belonging In A Museum-School Environmental Stewardship Partnership, Joanna K. Garner, Mel Kuhn, Andrea M. Rocchio, Grace Friedenreich

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

Students in urban, low-income communities can lack access to environmental science outreach in natural settings. As a result, they may face barriers to applying course content to real-world contexts and developing an agentic, hopeful stance towards environmental stewardship. In this paper, we describe a partnership between a maritime museum and park, an urban school district, and ecology experts. The project aimed to increase students’ knowledge of aquatic ecosystems, develop awareness of stewardship-related actions and career pathways, and support a sense of belonging to the museum. Activities included classroom visits by experts, field trips to plant classroom-grown grasses in the museum’s …