Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Effects Of Eliminating The Cap On The Number Of Participants In The Statewide Parental Choice Program, Reginald Lawrence Ii

Dissertations

Funding provided for public education is also being utilized for charter, private and /or parochial voucher schools across the state of Wisconsin. Policy was passed that eliminates current enrollment caps in the statewide parental choice program. In 2016-17, enrollment is limited to 1% of the district’s school age population and increases by 1% annually until it reaches 10% then lifts entirely. In advocating against the proposed policy, three critical issues emerged – the cost of funding the additional program, the moral obligation to educate neediest students, and grading school performance. Policy recommendation includes, leave remaining enrollment cap in place, create …

Improving Student Achievement Of Private School Students Receiving Title Services: A Positional And Dispositional Change Plan, Dr Shandowlyon L. Hendricks-Williams

Dissertations

This change plan examined the current competencies, conditions, culture and context of a for-profit education corporation which resulted in low student achievement, “As Is”. As a means of developing strategies and actions for change, the competencies, conditions, culture and context necessary to increase student achievement was explored “To Be”. A change plan was developed and implemented. The change plan addressed my personal immunities to change as well as strategies and actions needed to improve student achievement. Private school students receiving title services were assessed using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test in May of 2014. The results of that …

Principals’ Experiences Adapting To A New State-Mandated Administrator Evaluation Process: A Phenomenological Study, Kathleen Ann Teed Ramirez

Dissertations

In the early stages of Michigan’s enactment of new educator evaluation statutory requirements, there is an opportunity to examine the readiness of Michigan’s principals to adapt to the new evaluation models and processes by engaging a sample of administrators who are in the process of adapting to both new teacher and new administrator evaluations. We can potentially get out in front of emerging patterns of impeding factors and reinforce enabling factors that impact the adaptation and transition process and impinge upon the potential for enactment of new educator evaluation models and processes to actually result in acceleration of the growth …

Principals’ Perspectives On The Professional Development Process And Its Outcomes, Sara Kathleen Moore

Dissertations

This study examined principals’ perspectives on the professional development process and its outcomes. Principals are in the best position to ensure a connection between research-based best practices and what actually happens in the classroom, but there is little research on how principals actually select professional development for their staff in the field. This study was conducted in a Midwestern state using data gathered from public elementary school principals in the form of a survey. The sample included all K-5 and K-8 elementary principals on record with the state department of education, with 242 principals responding. It examined how much control …

Student-Teacher Connection, Race, And Relationships To Academic Achievement, Timothy Brian Mabin Jr.

Dissertations

Urban, primarily minority and low-SES students continue to lag behind their suburban white non-low SES counterparts in terms of academic achievement. Some previous research suggests that strong bonds between teachers and students help such students succeed. This study therefore sought to investigate any relationships between student-teacher connection, race, and academic achievement.

Student perceptional data on student-teacher connections (i.e., a teacher caring about them) and student achievement data in the areas of math and reading from 3,359 high school students within a large urban Midwestern school district was examined. In addition, the race/ethnicity of both the students and teachers were examined …

Teaching Children Who Have Difficulty Mastering Auditory Discriminations, Sarah Lichtenberger

Dissertations

Simple and conditional visual and auditory discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills (Green, 2001). When auditory discrimination is not under instructional stimulus control, it can result in delayed acquisition of new skills and limit academic progress. The purpose of this study was to teach auditory discrimination to children with autism who had little to no progress on classroom procedures that required auditory discrimination, such as selecting an object from an array when given the name of the object as the direction. Auditory discrimination was taught starting with teaching …

A Case Study Of The Challenges And Strategies Of Rural School Superintendent/Principals In California, Christine Mccormick

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify the challenges faced by rural school superintendent/principals and the corresponding strategies used to mitigate those challenges. The role of the superintendent/principal is considered to be one of the most challenging administrative roles; little if no research had been conducted on the challenges and strategies of this dual administrative role. The target population for the present study was the forty-six superintendent/principals in California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), Region 2. Three superintendent/principals from this target population, who have served four years or more in their role, were selected to …

The Impact Of Principal Leadership Behaviors On The Efficacy Of New And Experienced Schools To Watch-Taking Center Stage Middle School Teachers, Melanie A. Dopson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study is to identify the impact of principal leadership behaviors on the efficacy of new and experienced teachers in California STW-TCS middle schools.

Methodology: This quantitative study investigated leadership behaviors of principals that enhance the efficacy of teachers. Teachers from Bay Area – Sacramento STW-TCS middle schools were surveyed using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and Principal Rating and Rating Scale (PRRS). Demographic information was obtained to compare principal behaviors and teacher efficacy in relation to teacher gender, teacher years of experience, poverty level of school, school size, and location of school …

Building And Maintaining Relationships Between Superintendents And School Board Members: The Approach Of Two Public School Superintendents, Lamont Alexander Jackson

Dissertations

The position of public school superintendent has experienced both a redefinition and a rebirth in its criticality. With increased accountability due to the shifting public school “Back to Basics” educational perspective in the 1980s, the launch of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, and the signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 by President Barack Obama, the role of superintendent has seen a shift from that of an organizational manager to that of an instructional leader.

Much has been studied about the importance of the public school superintendent, particularly the challenge of superintendent retention. …

Special Education Disproportionality Through A Social Lens: A Mixed Methods Approach, Marianne J. Fidishin

Dissertations

The disproportionate nature of special education, notably with African American students, is longstanding and most pronounced in judgmental eligibility categories such as intellectual disability and emotional disturbance. Numerous studies on disproportionality conclude there is not a single causative factor, but point to the multifactorial nature of the issue and the complex interplay among different factors. Research related to the role social factors exhibited in an institution have on special education referral and eligibility determination is more limited. This is important since practices employed during the eligibility process take place within the institution’s social environment and are underpinned by the beliefs …

Improving Causal Claims In Observational Research: An Investigation Of Propensity Score Methods In Applied Educational Research, Julie Diane Wren

Dissertations

This study used existing institutional data from a large, urban, public, very high research university to compare sixteen matching schemes, built from three separate datasets, to estimate the propensity score, achieve balance between groups and test the sensitivity of the average treatment effect (ATE). For each PS model, four different conditioning strategies were applied. The first four matching schemes used commonly collected data available within a student information system (referred to as SIS dataset). The next four matching schemes combined the SIS dataset with data from an entering student survey (referred to as ESS dataset). The next four matching schemes, …

Understanding The Role Of Leadership Motivation In College Student Leadership Development, Benjamin Paul Correia-Harker

Dissertations

Current scholarship situates leadership capacity, leadership self-efficacy, and motivation as core factors in predicting leadership action (Chan & Drasgow, 2001; Dugan, 2017). With relationships between leadership capacity and self-efficacy clearly established in college student leadership development literature (Dugan & Komives, 2007, 2010), this research endeavors to better understand motivation’s role in the student leadership development process. Using Dugan (2017) and Chan and Drasgow’s (2001) theoretical models as guides, this research will examine several models that test various relationships between leadership capacity, self-efficacy, and motivation. Because scholars have emphasized the importance of disaggregating data based on social identities (Kodama & Dugan, …

Enterprise Risk Management (Erm) At U.S. Colleges And Universities: Administration Processes Regarding The Adoption, Implementation, And Integration Of Erm, Anne E. Lundquist

Dissertations

The variety, type and volume of risks affecting higher education are numerous and the consequences for unmanaged risks and missed opportunities are more significant than ever before. In response, many institutions of higher education are adopting an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) approach. External factors, as well as institutional culture, play a role in the decision to adopt ERM, as well as the path of implementation. Because higher education has unique characteristics that differentiate it from other organizations, particularly a shared governance structure, the adoption and implementation decisions, and resulting ERM frameworks, have aspects that make them unique to the higher …

Equity And Excellence: The Story Of Lake Shore Community High School's Quest For Racial Justice In Education, Marcus Campbell

Dissertations

Institutional racism is integral to U.S. social structure, including the public schools. Instituting a limited high school detracking program as a strategy to deal with racial achievement disparities faced strong community resistance. Leadership and a perfect storm of social and political factors made successful implementation of a detracking initiative possible. School community leaders and staff were interviewed about their experiences of systemic change to further access for students of color to honors classes. Results suggest some leadership qualities and characteristics that facilitated the change; the external factors that contributed to the successful change for racial equity are also detailed.

Adaptive Change For An All Boys College Preparatory Public Middle School: A Change Leadership Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

As a result of district, state, and national attention on academic achievement, as measured by state assessment tests and end of course examinations, teacher and school leaders at the school identified for this Change Leadership Project (CLP) have worked diligently to raise student rigor and achievement. However, they have used largely instructional practices that rely heavily on the work of educators rather than emphasizing the engagement of students. This CLP provides the basis for a paradigm shift in instructional practice that promotes a full understanding of the value of authentic learning, project based learning, exhibitions of mastery, and capstone projects …

Academic Support Staff As Servant Leaders And The Relationship To Student Satisfaction, Joan M. Arrington

Dissertations

This study examined servant leadership practiced by academic support staff of academic departments within four-year, post-secondary institutions. These support staff include employees within academic departments such as secretaries, administrative assistants, and coordinators that do not have managerial responsibilities and are not instructional faculty. The target population for this study was all full-time and part-time students, both undergraduate and graduate, eighteen years of age or older, and enrolled at post-secondary four-year higher education institutions in Mississippi. Results based on the data collected suggested a majority of academic support staff rated at four of the seven institutions exhibited the characteristics of servant …

Perceptions Of Teacher Evaluation Systems At Cte Centers In Michigan, Michael A. Martel

Dissertations

This study investigated Career and Technical Centers in Michigan and their teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of their teacher evaluation systems which include a student growth mandate. CTE center teachers and principals were asked to provide their perceptions on how well their teacher evaluation systems provide information to improve teaching and learning. Differences between teachers and principals were explored.

The study was quantitative in design using survey research to obtain perceptions of CTE center teachers and principals. The data collection tool utilized a Likert scale moving from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Open-ended questions provided system quality information from respondents. Demographic …

Teacher Professional Learning And High School Students' Mississippi Subject Area Test Performance, Christine A. Moseley

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any significant relationship between specific elements of professional learning and students’ performance on the state mandated Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program (SATP2). The study includes the design qualities of professional learning, the level of teacher involvement in the professional learning process, teacher beliefs regarding professional learning, and perceived administrative support of professional learning programs. The researcher utilized an original survey instrument entitled Professional Learning Design and Perception to gather quantitative data for the study. High school teachers of Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and U. S. History in …

National Survey On Leadership Capacity And Scaling-Up Of Pbis Implementation, Julie L. Lowery

Dissertations

This study examined State Education Agency (SEA) efforts to scale up Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation across K-12 public schools within the United States of America. The researcher used archival data to determine percentages of school within each state currently implementing PBIS and a survey method to determine each state’s status regarding standards of PBIS implementation and variables of leadership capacity. The survey instrument was the State PBIS Implementation and Leadership Survey (SPILS). The participants were SEAs from each state and the District of Columbia, as represented by PBIS Coordinators or other designated PBIS professionals. The purpose of …

Impact Of Single Gender Programs On Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Character: A Program Evaluation Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

The instance of single gender education in American public schools has risen since the 2006 amendments to Title IX permitting public schools to separate boys and girls for academic purposes. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of single gender education to promote gains in student academic achievement, increase attendance levels, support character development, and decrease student discipline problems. The context of this inquiry is a large public school district that incorporates single gender education applications across the district. My study is focused on an all-girls middle school and an all-boys middle school, and it demonstrates outcomes …

From Networked Learning To Operational Practice: Constructing And Transferring Superintendent Knowledge In A Regional Instructional Rounds Network, Timothy J. Travis

Dissertations

Instructional rounds are an emerging network structure with processes and protocols designed to develop superintendents’ knowledge and skills in leading large-scale improvement, to enable superintendents to build an infrastructure that supports the work of improvement, to assist superintendents in distributing leadership throughout their district, and to develop a cadre of educational leaders focused on developing their practice (Rallis, Tedder, Lachman, & Elmore, 2006). In a platform-learning model, learning in a superintendents’ network can be viewed as occurring both individually and collectively on an external platform outside each individual school district (Schulz & Geithner, 2010). In this phenomenological study, I explored …

An Examination Of Academic Grit In Urban High Schools, Ronald Gorman

Dissertations

Currently, in America’s schools, approximately one in five high school students will not graduate with his or her peers, and many others will never receive a high school diploma (Stillwell & Sable, 2013). Many students arrive in our nation’s high schools without the requisite skills to be successful, and when they exhibit failure for the first time, a large percentage of them do not have the passion and perseverance to accomplish their long term goals – otherwise known as “academic grit,” a term coined by Duckworth (2007), a leading researcher in the area.

To investigate the issues mentioned above, a …

A Mixed-Methods (Quantitative-Qualitative) Study To Identify The Perceived Level Of, Zeky Zardo

Dissertations

Different approaches to developing leaders have been established through various forms of self-assessment, action learning, and education and training activities (Smither et al., 2005). The existing body of research on the impact and success of college and university leadership development programs focuses heavily on undergraduate leadership programs and not graduate-level programs such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or the doctorate. The purpose of this mixed-methods (quantitative–qualitative) study was to identify the perceived level of transformational leadership skill development by students enrolled in a doctoral program in organizational leadership. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to …

The Examination Of Grit In California Superintendents, Jacqueline Kearns

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between grit and successful California superintendents. Grit is a topic in infancy, only being first introduced in 2007. While there has been much research on the superintendency, there has yet to be any research exploring grit and the superintendency. The population of this study consisted of California superintendents who met the following criteria: 1. California public school district superintendent, 2. located in California, 3. Have more than three consecutive years in their current position, 4. Superintendents must meet at least two of the following criteria: a) have membership in professional …

Investigating The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) And Technology Leadership Capacities Of K-12 Public School Principals, Randall Depew

Dissertations

It is understood that principals play a key role the integration of computer technology their schools, however there have been limited studies exploring the level of technology knowledge and technology leadership skills possessed by school principals and how these measures relate to each other. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a popular framework for understanding the teacher knowledge required for effective technology integration. This framework has been used to study a number of different populations including pre-service and in-service teachers in a variety of grade levels, subject areas, and pedagogical contexts. This is the first time this framework has been …

Mississippi High School Assistant Principals' Perceptions Of Their Readiness To Pursue The Principalship And Factors That Might Influence Readiness, Bennett Teague Burchfield

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if certain factors, as well as the influence of these factors, affect the perceptions of assistant principals’ readiness to pursue the principalship. Mississippi high school assistant principals (n=107) responded to an online questionnaire that gathered personal and professional demographic data and also collected a readiness rating as well as an influence of factors ratings both based on a 5-point Likert scale.

A multiple linear regression was used to predict the readiness of assistant principals to pursue the principalship based on personal and professional factors as well the influence of those …

Special Education Teachers' Knowledge Of The Discipline Section Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Of 2004 As It Relates To Functional Behavioral Assessment And Behavior Intervention Plans, Tricia Michelle Cox

Dissertations

This study explored the overall special education teachers’ knowledge of the discipline section of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) as it relates to Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans. The variables associated with this research included the special education teachers’ route of certification, level of education, years or experience, and the type, quality, and time of training associated with Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans. The participants were special education teachers in the state of Mississippi. The research revealed no significant differences or relationships between any of the variables identified above. However, even though the study …

School Connectedness And Racial-Ethnic Identity Among Alaska Native Students: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Robert J. Picou

Dissertations

This study was conducted from a theoretical foundation of Feagin’s (2010) racial framing and Brayboy’s (2005) tribal critical race theory. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of school connectedness as those perceptions relate to racial-ethnic identity among Alaska Native students in a large, predominately White school district. A quantitative phase in which School Climate and Connectedness Survey data were used to evaluate perceptions of school connectedness was followed up by a qualitative phase in which two focus group interviews were conducted to evaluate the degree to which Alaska Native students attributed their perceptions of school connectedness to …

The Relationship Between Professional Preparedness And Long Term Teacher Retention, Deborah Ann Smith

Dissertations

In an effort to identify relationships between certain demographic variables (i.e. age, years of experience, type of certification) and long-term retention, a group of public school teachers from a South-Central district of Mississippi were surveyed and asked to provide both demographic and opinion data that was compared to their response to a question asking how long they expected to remain in the teaching profession.

One purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between certain demographic factors and the amount of time teachers spend in the profession. Another purpose of this study was to examine the …

One Instructional Leadership Team’S Journey Through A Professional Learning Cycle, Elizabeth A. England

Dissertations

Schools often set a large number of goals, making it difficult to plan, support, monitor, and match strategic levers in a systematic way. This study narrates the actions and findings of one instructional leadership team as they implement an eight week cycle of professional learning around a single focus. Scripted observations of teachers and students, achievement data, student work samples, as well as exit slips with action items recount the team members’ perspectives and experiences. The team chronicled its journey, which proved to be one of inquiry, trial and error, reflection and retooling. The study closes with highlighting the changes …