Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Analysis Of Policy Implementation: Improving Reading Proficiency Outcomes For All Students, Mariela Magro-Malo

Education Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the implementation and impact of reading improvement initiatives mandated by Texas House Bill 3 (2019) within a Texas school district. By applying improvement science principles, the study employs a mixed-methods embedded research design to evaluate the alignment of district practices with the Science of Reading and assess the effectiveness of systemic approaches in enhancing student reading outcomes. The research identifies statistically significant improvements in reading achievement, particularly in kindergarten, following the adoption of a phonics curriculum and mandated reading assessment tools. However, the findings also reveal challenges, notably the disconnect between policy understanding and practical implementation among …

Evaluation And Improvement Of Processes And Metrics In A Dual Credit Program, Kristian E. Fischer

Education Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation used convergent mixed methods design in a program implementation evaluation of a dual credit program. A binary logistic regression was performed on dual credit enrollment persistence. A stakeholder survey was deployed to parents, administrators, instructors and counselors associated with the dual credit program. A full review of district documents related to dual credit was included as part of the qualitative component. The results of the regression indicated non-significance in the predictor variables for the dependent variable of dual credit persistence. The emergent themes from the survey included concerns about student readiness for dual credit coursework and a need …

The Effects Of School Board Behaviors On Student Outcomes: An Evaluative Study Of Lone Star Governance, Morris Lyon

Education Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing student outcomes is fundamentally attributed to classroom teachers, yet Rice et al. (2000) highlight the influential role of school boards in shaping these outcomes. This study delves into the efficacy of Lone Star Governance (LSG) as a facilitative instrument for promoting optimal governance practices across diverse schools. It also investigates the influence of governance coaching on student performance.

This research targeted rural school districts in the coastal bend of Texas that participated in the Texas Education Agency's Lone Star Governance training. Employing a mixed-method embedded design, specifically an embedded experimental research model, the study assessed accountability score advancements. Complementing …

Impact Of Social Emotional Learning On Exclusionary Discipline, Joanna T. Carrillo Rowley

Education Theses and Dissertations

A middle school campus in a Southeast urban community used a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle, an inquiry method in improvement science, to address high exclusionary discipline rates by implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies and Restorative Practices (RP) to transform school culture. A reform to a comprehensive discipline program was developed to minimize the amount of exclusionary discipline outcomes (in-school suspension [ISS], out-of- school suspension [OSS], and expulsion) among students while increasing student attendance rates, student achievement, and teacher retention. Three distinct cycles will be examined, each concentrating on a different problem of practice and intervention. These methods were introduced, practiced, …

Evaluation Of A District’S Leadership Development Pipeline, Alyta T. Harrell

Education Theses and Dissertations

Leading a school campus is an increasingly challenging and critical task that requires effective leadership. It is important to identify the specific leadership skills needed to create a culture conducive to learning, meet the unique needs of a particular campus and community, and enable continuous improvement. The leadership development pipeline aimed to identify, develop, and support potential school leaders, fostering their growth through targeted professional development, mentoring, and support. This mixed methods embedded experimental model study evaluated the effectiveness of a district's leadership development program, focusing on best practices for school leaders. The study employed a combination of quantitative data …

Use Of Standardized Test Results By Faculty And Students For Advanced Practice Nurse Certification Success, Dinorah Martinez-Anderson

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of standardized testing as a recognized educational strategy to measure pre-professional readiness in Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) graduate programs has increased. Research supports such use for predicting licensure success for undergraduate education, however when related to the use in graduate nursing education, it is limited. Teaching and learning practices of APN faculty and students have not been comprehensively explored. This study examined the use of standardized testing results by faculty and students in APN graduate education that contributes to student national certification success. The Reconceptualization of Vygotsky’s Theory of Zone of Proximal Development (RVZPD) underpins the study. An …

Eradicating Anti-Black Racism In U.S. Schools: A Call-To-Action For School Leaders, Altheria L. Caldera

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

This manuscript is a theoretical treatise that examines anti-Blackness in the nation’s schools and contributes to the ongoing discussion about how schools can better serve Black students. It is a three-pronged call-to-action for social justice-oriented school leaders. I urge school leaders to 1) examine anti-Black racism as a distinct form of racial discrimination, 2) imagine ways educators can fully humanize Black children in U.S. schools through a disposition characterized by Black cultural reverence, and 3) connect with existing efforts to counter anti-Black racism in schools. To accomplish these goals, I investigated the historical socio-political context that has shaped the educational …

Dnp Final Report: Changing Admission Criteria In A Vocational Nursing Program To Decrease Attrition, Gabrielle O. Davis

DNP Final Reports

By the year 2030 Texas will have a shortage of 33,500 Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN). The LVN is responsible for providing safe, compassionate and focused nursing care to assigned patients with predictable health care needs. Most LVNS work in settings caring for our ever increasing and aged population. To combat the coming shortage VN programs need to graduate safe, competent, and compassionate nurses, but programs across the state are experiencing high student attrition rates. Admission criteria is a common method to determine student success in nursing programs. This evidence-based practice improvement project synthesized evidence and integrated best practices along with …

Educational Leadership In A Mayan Village In Southern Belize: Challenges Faced By A Mayan Woman Principal, Yanira Oliveras, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Mayan woman principal taking a position in a historically paternalistic village in Southern Belize faces inevitable challenges due to the cultural structure of the village. In this case, the challenges go beyond cultural norms. Mrs. Po, a Mopan woman leading a school in a Kekchi village, faces challenges related to her role as a teaching principal in a multigrade school, her lack of leadership preparation, the remoteness of the village, and the language barrier, among others. The reader is encouraged to ponder the myriad of issues that impact the principal’s efforts to improve the education system while working in …

"Thank You For Saying My Name": Academic Recognition As A Counternarrative For Black Male Achievement, Kendra Lowery

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

The author reflects on her experience as a middle school administrator involved in a school-wide initiative to recognize academic growth and achievement. She draws upon Perry’s theory of African-American achievement (2003) to explain how this recognition, which included several Black boys, contributed to a counternarrative of Black male achievement. In contrast to the dominant narrative of academic failure and discipline problems (Dumas & Nelson, 2016; Grant, 2011; Howard, 2013; Monroe, 2005; Noguera, 2008), this recognition created a new narrative of academic excellence and achievement (Allen, 2015). The concerted effort by school leadership to include new and underrepresented faces in a …

Initial Evidence Of Construct Validity Of Data From A Self-Assessment Instrument Of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) In 2-Year Public College Faculty In Texas, Kristin C. Scott

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) has been studied in K-12 faculty in the U.S. and around the world using survey methodology. Very few studies of TPACK in post-secondary faculty have been conducted and no peer-reviewed studies in U.S. post-secondary faculty have been published to date. The present study is the first reliability and validity of data from a TPACK survey to be conducted with a large sample of U.S. post-secondary faculty. The professorate of 2-year public college faculty in Texas will help their institutions meet the goals of the state’s higher education strategic plan, 60x30TX. In order to do …

Optimizing Student Retention: Measurement And Analysis Of Strategies Implemented Within Traditional Bachelor’S In Nursing Programs, Bethanie K. Gamble Dr.

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploration of strategies that optimize nursing student retention. While college students experience a degree of personal and social challenges toward degree completion, nursing students experience higher incidences of attrition due to the academic rigors, clinical scheduling, and high stresses of nursing programs. While few institutional contributions can address personal and social issues impacting retention, nursing programs have a unique opportunity to develop interventions to strengthen social connections to the academic institution and facilitate early connections to the profession. These professional integration factors are central domains of the Jeffreys’ Nursing Universal Retention and Success (NURS) model and …

School Administrators As Instructional Coaches: Teachers’ Trust And Perceptions Of Administrators’ Capacity, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz examines the role of school administrators as instructional coaches. In this quantitative study, which is part of larger study, she analyzed the perceptions of 198 teachers about their administrators’ capacity to be instructional coaches as well as the level of trust teachers have on their administrators to serve as evaluators and instructional coaches.

Building Bridges: Opportunities Abound For P-20 Collaborations, Jennifer S. Jones, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

PK-12 leaders value opportunities to collaborate with outside entities to improve student achievement and career-readiness. With increasing federal and state student-performance expectations for more than 1.4 million students enrolled in Texas public schools, collaborating with a public or private university, a community college, or a technical or health institute can provide important mutual benefits.

The Impact Of High Stakes Testing On School Leadership, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz describes principals' view of changing classroom environments because of the state of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests. Further, she shares instructional leadership viewpoints of campus principals and proponents and opponents of high-stakes testing. This mixed method study surveyed and interviewed principals from four large school districts in Texas to understand their perceptions of changes in their leadership practices working under accountability practices.

Teacher Effectiveness And Student Achievement On Staar: Implications For School Leaders, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz conducted a correlational study to examine the relationship between teacher effectiveness and student achievement in a north Texas school district. Results show that the issues school administrators face are much deeper than instructional practices and test preparation. Implications for practice are discussed.

Considering An Overhaul To The New Principal Preparation Program, Vance Vaughn, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Vance Vaughn and Yanira Oliveras-Ortiz provide suggestions for university faculty and administration preparing principals in their article, Considering an Overhaul to the New Principal Preparation Program. They recommended the importance of understanding accountability and reconstitution in the new age of accountability. In their case study research they examined three school districts over a five year span. From this research, they determined that universities need to include training on walkthroughs and appraisal systems, the correct use of data, and an understanding of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.