Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

A Comparison Of Charter Public And Traditional Public School Principals: Who They Are And How They Function, Jared R. Vickers

Dissertations

In the context of the charter school movement in the last 25 years, this author analyzed the 2007-2008 Schools and Staff Survey (SASS) data to answer two research questions: (a) after controlling for school level and school size what are the differences between traditional and charter public school principals when examining their personal and professional backgrounds in terms of demographics, experience, and education and (b) after controlling for school level and school size what are the differences between traditional and charter public school principals in decision-making, working conditions, and perceptions of the position?

Analyses for research question 1 revealed that …

Focus And Priority Schools: How Principals Enact Leadership Responsibilities To Increase Student Achievement In Selected Mid-Western Counties, Jeffery P. Boggan

Dissertations

This study explored principal leadership in selected midwestern school districts as it relates to the use of Marzano et al.’s (2005) 21 responsibilities to improve student achievement. Using a phenomenological approach, this study sought to determine how principals: (a) enact leadership practices that correlate to Marzano et al.’s second-order change attributes; and (b) address barriers and prioritize the leadership responsibilities that support second-order change.

Ten principals participated in this study. Data were obtained through semistructured interviews, card sorting, and daily checklists. Findings revealed that the majority of participants held similar beliefs about enacting the leadership responsibilities identified by Marzano et …

A Phenomenological Study Into How Students Experience And Understand The University Presidency, Kahler B. Schuemann

Dissertations

Little is known about how college students experience and understand the university presidency. Students are important consumers of the academic experience and by affiliation are constituents of organizational leadership. The social distance between students and university presidents continues to narrow. To address the void in scholarly literature, my study explored how students experience and understand the university presidency.

My investigation utilized phenomenological methodology to form descriptive themes. I interviewed 10 college students who self-identified as being involved with extracurricular activities and having, at minimum, occasional interaction with their president. Participants were selected from two small, public, Midwestern universities where their …

The Influence Of Teacher Leadership And Professional Learning On Teachers’ Knowledge And Change Of Instructional Practices In Low Performing Schools, Christen Conklin Topolinski

Dissertations

A cross-sectional survey was utilized in this study to explore the perceptions of teacher in low performing schools. These perceptions concerned the influence of teacher leadership and professional learning on their changes in knowledge and instructional practices. Research advises that in order to help students grow, teachers must engage in professional learning activities which help them to develop and master new instructional strategies (Bredeson & Scribner, 2000; DuFour & Marzano, 2012; Harrison & Killion, 2007). Research also suggests that distributed leadership can have a positive influence on the professional culture in a building, creating a positive learning environment for both …

Administrators As Change Agents In Implementing Mtss: Beliefs, Skills, And Challenges, Tasha Frigmanski

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) is traditionally known as an alternative to the IQ-discrepancy model used for the identification of students suspected of having a specific learning disability. The focus of the study is to examine the challenges of RTI implementation, finding the perceptions and beliefs of administrators regarding RTI and determining if they are equipped with the skills necessary to serve as a change agent in implementing successful practices in RTI. This study uses survey research in a mixed-method design to collect information from administrators in the state of Michigan. Findings from this study indicate that (1) administrators believe RTI …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Special Meeting March 19, 2014, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees special meeting to approve an increase in the salary of the WMU President.

WMU Board of Trustees

Prism #78, March 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Prism #77, February 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session January 22, 2014, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Remarks by the Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Remarks by President John Dunn (incomplete)
• Remarks by the newly elected Board Chair James Hettinger

Prism #76, January 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 5, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the December 5, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees minutes include:

• Remarks by Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Remarks by President John Dunn
• WMU Tobacco-Free Campus Policy
• Building Project Priority List Revised FY 2015

WMU Board of Trustees

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Superintendents’ And Principals’ Experiences In A Shared Professional Development Process, John R. Severson

Dissertations

For this qualitative study, I explored and described how superintendents and principals interpreted and experienced a sustained professional development process focusing on instruction and student learning, a form of Elmore’s Superintendents in the Classroom (SITC) Network. Specifically, I examined how the addition of principals in the SITC learning model experience changed the superintendents’ and principals’ knowledge and beliefs as well as their behavior in three areas: their individual experiences, the working relationship between superintendent and principal, and the way they now think about and encourage student learning.

For this phenomenological study, superintendents and principals were selected and individually interviewed from …

Prism #75, November 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Prism #74, October 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session September 18, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the September 18, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees meeting include:

• Remarks by the Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Remarks by President John Dunn
• Lease Agreement with the WMU School of Medicine

WMU Board of Trustees

Prism #73, September 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session July 18, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the July 18, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees meeting include:

• Remarks by Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Remarks by President John Dunn
• Building Project Priority List FY 2015
• Affiliation Agreement with Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Personnel Report - revised

WMU Board of Trustees

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session June 12, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the June 12, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees meeting include:

• Remarks by President John Dunn
• Remarks by Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Recommendation re 2013/14 Tuition and Required Fees
• General Fund Budget Outlook for 2013/14
• Personnel Report

WMU Board of Trustees

Committed Seventh-Day Adventist Students At Secular Institutions Of Higher Education, Lashonda R. Anthony

Dissertations

The experiences of Seventh-day Adventist students at secular universities was examined. Seven women and two men attending universities in Michigan and New York were interviewed. The researcher employed a heuristically guided phenomenological method to get rich descriptions of the participants’ experiences in the secular university setting. Open-ended interviews were used to gather data regarding the student experience.

From an analysis of the data six themes arose detailing the experiences of Seventh-day Adventist students in secular environments. The themes were (a) challenges encountered in the secular environment led to a need for self-advocacy in the academic and work environment regarding maintaining …

Effective Leadership Behaviors: How One Principal Made Sense Of And Integrated Research-Based Behaviors Into His Daily Practice, Heidi Ann Beidinger-Burnett

Dissertations

Unlike the principalship of yesteryear, today’s principals are under great pressure to improve academic achievement for all students. Recent literature describes the need for principals to become instructional leaders whereby they can lead change and improve student achievement. However, a lack of quality principal preparation programs and a shortage of effective principals exist. Thus, principals are often unprepared or underprepared for their role. The purpose of this participatory action research study (PAR) was to follow the process of how one high school principal made sense of and integrated research-based leadership behaviors into his practice to lead the redesign of his …

Prism #72, May 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session April 18, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the April 18, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Policy on WMU Programs and Activities Involving Minors
• WMU Room and Board Rates
• Personnel Report

WMU Board of Trustees

Prism #71, April 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Climbing Into The Ivory Tower: A Look At Administrative Perspectives On Sexual Assault On The College Campus, Tasha Nichole Turner

Masters Theses

This study examines the attitudes of administrators about sexual violence on campus, as well as their knowledge of disciplinary policies and procedures to prevent and redress rape and sexual assault on campuses. This study begins the discussion about how administrators understand their current policies as well as the attitudes that may affect their understandings. I use Thematic Analysis to analyze responses to a series of open-ended questions surveying participants on their attitudes towards their universities policy and procedures for handling sexual assault. Findings suggest that the participants have overwhelming confidence in the established policies, the extent of their knowledge of …

Principal Leardership Behaviors Which Teachers At Different Career Stages Perceive As Affecting Job Satisfaction, Valari Hill

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers as to how the leadership of their principal affects their job satisfaction. This study collected the view of teachers at different career stages and examined their perceptions and needs. The participants consisted of 12 elementary school teachers at three different career stages (beginning, middle, and late).

Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed three major themes and nine subthemes.

The first theme reveals that principal leadership style is not consistent and includes the subthemes: (1.1) principals are not successfully sharing their vision with teachers, (1.2) principals attempt …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Special Conference Call Formal Session March 20, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Special conference call session was called to approve the collective bargaining agreement with the PIO (Professional Instructors Organization).

Prism #70, March 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Annual Formal Session February 17, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting.

WMU Board of Trustees

Prism #69, February 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Prism #68, January 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.