Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

The Process And Impact Of A Catholic School Amalgamation: A Mixed Method, Single Case Study, Stephen Gough

Theses

This research provides an investigative analysis of the impact of a large-scale change process involving the amalgamation of two long-standing Catholic schools in a capital city of Australia. The study explores how a change process impacted staff, student and parent stakeholders within the initial year of a school amalgamation by examining Catholic school life and culture, student learning and wellbeing, the physical learning environment, and leadership and administration. The objective is to better understand the process and the impact of the change that took place during the amalgamation, in order to further inform the planning and leading of future Catholic …

Leading Through Partnership: An Examination Of Longitudinal Trends In A School-University Partnership, Kala Burrell-Craft, Patrick Doyle, Mary Gregory, Jori S. Beck, Peter D. Wiens

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to detail pre- and post- changes that occurred after a principal, Dr. D, was moved from one middle school to another. Dr. D brought an established partnership with him to his new school including a teacher residency program, UTeach replication program, and an on-site course. The results of ANOVAs are presented regarding the school climate according to student and teacher perspectives. Significant results were found on a number of variables including student belonging, bullying, and teacher autonomy. This manuscript addresses the National Association for Professional Development Schools Essential #5: Research and Results.

Internal Funding Newsletter, Academic Year 2021-2022, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Internal Funding Newsletters

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is committed to exceptional education, groundbreaking research, and the life-long success of our students and alumni. The 2021- 2022 Academic Year brought many exciting opportunities for us to invest in a multitude of funding programs that promote research and creative activity. This year’s programs provided over $600,000 for student and faculty projects that reflect the broad range of scholarly interests of the UNO community, including evaluating marmoset stress responses to music, examining factors that influence undergraduate women to leave (or remain in) computer science majors, the human experience of dementia, aging, and caregiving, and …

Student Disciplinary Proceedings In Universities: The Importance Of Due Process And Evidentiary Standards When Investigating And Adjudicating Serious Offences, Siyuan Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In Singapore, recent news about university students involved in sexual offences have generated considerable discourse on the features of its criminal justice system, with a pronounced focus on the appropriate sanctions that should have been meted out by either the university or the courts/police. What might have been overlooked, however, is the question of maintaining due process and evidentiary standards, particularly in relation to the role of universities when they conduct their internal disciplinary proceedings for students alleged to have committed serious criminal offences. But what is happening in Singapore is not anomalous; universities across the world are increasingly confronted …

Cell Phones And Schools: A Merc Research Brief, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

This MERC research brief explores the following questions:

What are examples of district-level cell phone policies? What are the arguments and evidence for and against restrictive cell phone policies? What are the legal issues connected to student cell phone use?

Book Review: Early Colleges As A Model For Schooling: Creating New Pathways For Access To Higher Education, Christopher W. Tremblay

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Who Takes Dual Enrollment Classes? A Research Brief, David Naff

MERC Publications

This research brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores three questions: 1) What are Dual Enrollment classes? 2) Who takes Dual Enrollment classes? and 3) What strategies promote greater access to Dual Enrollment? An accompanying podcast episode is linked in the research brief.

Creating A Sense Of Belonging For Latinx Students In Community College: You Matter, You Fit In, And You Belong, Francisco Javier Bataz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the perceptions of Latinx sense of belonging in a Midwest community college and how their academic and social experiences are impacted. Sense of belonging is meaningful to community college students because Latinx students are historically underserved in postsecondary education. The goal is to better understand the perceptions of Latinx students in a community college setting and to find out what factors impact sense of belonging. This study is significant because Latinx student retention outcomes in higher education are very low. The Latinx population is the fastest growing group in the United States. Therefore, providing support and an …

The Relationship Between The Diversity Of Illinois Community College Staff And Graduates: An Exploratory Quantitative Study, Rachel Boldman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to answer the research question, to what extent is the staff racial demographic profile, as a numeric representation of staff diversity, related to the diversity of graduating cohorts from public community colleges in Illinois? The exploratory quantitative study used five years of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey data for both the staff and graduate populations. The years connected to staff represented the years the graduating cohorts entered college, and the years connected to graduates represent 150% of the normal time to their degree following the year of entry (cohort year). The sample was comprised …

State Divestment In Higher Education And Students Of Color Attending Four-Year Public Institutions In Illinois, Sirena M. Covington

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This correlational quantitative study examined a five-year (2014-2019) trend to analyze whether there is a relationship between the level of state funding and the enrollment and graduation rates of students of color attending public institutions in Illinois. For the purposes of this study, the students of color include the following groups: African American, Latinx and Native American students. Previous studies have shown that divestment in state funds have cause shortages in staffing, experienced faculty, and support services for students attending public institutions. However, there is very little research on the direct relationship between state funding and the collegiate success of …

Examining Teaching Styles And Classroom Management Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory: Implications For Race, Culture And Discipline, Peter J. Cunningham

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background/Purpose: Historical and contemporary research has clearly demonstrated that racial and cultural minority students experience discrepant school discipline when compared to their White peers, which leads to profound negative outcomes (Wu et al., 1980; Skiba et al., 2011; Fireman & Wang, 2010, Peguero & Shekarkhar,2011; Skiba et al., 2011; Rocque & Paternoster, 2011; Bates & Glick, 2013; Bal, Betters-Bubon, & Fish, 2019). While a number of steps have been taken to address this discrepancy, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and specifically the Basic Psychological Needs Mini-Theory (BPNT), can potentially inform teaching styles that could be used to increase motivation and engagement for …

Elementary School Staff Perceptions Of Alice Active Shooter Training, Jennifer Tavine Craig

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory descriptive research study examined elementary school staff perceptions of ALICE active shooter response training and how participating in the training impacted staff perceptions of their own preparedness and their perceptions of their school’s level of safety. This study also examined elementary staff experiences of ALICE training. Participants answered a pre-survey, engaged in a half-day, scenario-based ALICE training, and then answered a post-survey. Results showed that participating in ALICE training had an overall positive impact on elementary staff perceptions of preparedness, confidence, and empowerment in regards to responding to an active shooter incident at their school. Elementary staff expressed …

An Exploratory Case Study On The Perspectives Of African American Men Pursuing A Career And Technical Education (Cte) Pathway At An Urban Community College In Illinois, Kimberly Kay Hollingsworth

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the motivating factors that influence CTE pathway selection for African American men students and will investigate the interplay between two components of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), self-efficacy and outcome expectations, and their role in the career decision-making process. Drawing upon SCCT, this case study seeks to understand the decision-making process of African American men pursuing CTE programs at an urban community college in Illinois. This study further explored whether culture/race shapes the perspectives of African American men students and their decision to pursue a CTE pathway. Lastly, the study will investigate the types of …

“Not A Typical Adjunct”: Qualitative Case Studies Of Adjuncts Serving A Teacher Preparation Program, Rachel Lee Warren

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The teacher shortage in Illinois drives a need for robust teacher education programs. Simultaneously, changes in higher education have forced a dependence on adjunct instructors. While this provides an opportunity to have teacher candidates instructed by talented, accomplished current practitioners, adjuncting is a low-paid, exhausting job with little security. As adjuncts are predominantly women, this suggests the issue is gendered. In a descriptive case study of five adjuncts serving a teacher preparation program, findings show that adjuncts experiences gendered organizational practices through invisible and emotional labor as well as through interaction with the ideal worker norm.

Administrator Knowledge Of The First Amendment Rights In A School And How To Improve Legal Literacy Through Self-Efficacy, Stuart E. Wrzesinski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the legal literacy of school administrators and the lack of mandated training regarding school law, specific to the First Amendment. With continual changes in education school administrators can function as the change agent for schools through the lens of self-efficacy. This dissertation is organized into three bodies of work. Paper 1 is a review of literature specific to legal literacy and First Amendment rights in schools. Additional research on self-efficacy theory is presented as a potential catalyst for increasing legal literacy in schools. Paper 2 documents data based on survey questions specific to legal literacy within the …

“It Takes A Village”: Student Mothers’ Experiences With Barriers And Support While Navigating Community College, Jeanine Mcmillen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Student parents may feel invisible on college campuses, especially student mothers, who often feel ignored and overlooked when institutional policies and practices are not tailored to their needs and challenges. These students are especially vulnerable to withdrawing from college, even in institutional contexts that boast a positive and welcoming climate for underrepresented students. Using validation theory with a critical lens as the guiding theoretical framework, this qualitative case study examined how student mothers at one community college navigate barriers and supports within and outside of the institution. Findings revealed three themes, indicating that student mothers must cobble together a village …

Facilitating Equal Access For Disabled Students Who Are Incarcerated: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Community Colleges' Disability Services In For-Credit Correctional Education Programs, Jenifer K. Montag

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Issues regarding the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities exist in both traditional college environments and nonstandard settings such as medical and legal education settings. While the situation is less than optimal for disabled students seeking degrees in the general population, who are unfettered in their academic pursuits, little is known about accommodations for disabled students who are incarcerated and enrolled in for-credit courses through community colleges that have partnerships with local prisons. This mixed methods study is focused on exploring the current state of accommodation service provision by public community college disability service providers for disabled students’ who …

How Principals Influence, Facilitate, And Support Instructional Coaching Programs, Nadine Y. Norris

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative, multicase study examined how principals perceived the role of instructional coaches and how they facilitated, influenced, and supported teachers’ professional learning through the instructional coaching program. Including the researcher as a participant, 16 participants from three suburban school districts—including district-level administrators, principals, instructional coaches, and teachers—engaged in semistructured interviews. This study was framed by Desimone’s core conceptual framework for professional development and Spillane’s distributed leadership model. Data analysis revealed principals viewed instructional coaches as their partners in instructional leadership and professional learning facilitators. Principals facilitated and influenced the instructional coaching program by empowering teachers, promoting collaboration, and establishing …

Eat Glass And Walk On Fire, While Managing A Pandemic: A Narrative Study Of African American Women Who Serve As Chief Housing Officers, Valronica Marie Scales

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Creating uncertainty and stress, the COVID-19 pandemic and increased attention on racial relations, drastically changed how higher education and student affairs operated. For African American women, combatting racism and sexism has always been a daily occurrence in their professional and personal life but the pandemic heightened the challenges African American women had to overcome. This narrative inquiry study explored the lived experiences of African American women who were serving as Chief Housing Officers at Predominately White Institutions during the first 18-months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight how the intersection of sexism and racism shaped the lived experiences of the …

“There Was Me Before Prp, And Then There Was Me After I Participated In Prp”: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation Of A Pharmacy Summer Pipeline Program, Cynthia Schaefer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Nationwide, there has been a decline in the number of applicants to PharmD programs.

Additionally, there is a lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce that leads to inequitable healthcare for diverse populations of patients. As a result, various recruitment tactics, including pipeline programs, have been used to develop a larger, more diverse applicant pool to the College of Pharmacy at a regional satellite campus in the Midwest. The purpose of this mixed methods summative program evaluation was to examine the experiences of participants of a pipeline program hosted at a regional satellite campus for a pharmacy program to determine …

Formal Teacher Evaluation And Self-Determination Theory: The Role Of The Principal, Christine Trendel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores how early research in self-efficacy, teacher stress, and teacher job satisfaction directly relate to self-determination theory. Specifically, the role of the elementary school principal can directly impact teacher motivation when meeting teacher basic psychological needs outlined in self-determination theory; connectedness, competence and autonomy. Furthermore, principals can build teacher connectedness, competence and autonomy with interactions and feedback both inside and outside of the formal teacher evaluation process. When principals interact with teachers frequently, visit classrooms weekly, and provide specific and timely feedback, teachers experience higher levels of motivation through increased feelings of connectedness, competency, and autonomy.

Investigating Beliefs: White Female Teachers' Perceptions Of Black Boys And Their Subsequent Achievement-A Qualitative Study, Kirky L. Morris

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Black males continue to be the lowest-performing subgroup on state standardized tests in the United States of America. A very large majority of teachers are White females. This study examined the impact of White female teachers' beliefs and actions on the achievement of Black male students. Data was collected via interviews with White female teachers that teach in grades 3, 4, and 5 in a Midwestern urban city. Because I’m a Black male principal and the participants were White females, we were intentional about having a White female do the interviews so that the participants could answer questions about their …

Identifying The Impact Of Online Toolkit Training On Paraprofessionals In Two Rural States, Kyle William Laughlin

Dissertations and Theses

The need for more paraprofessionals is growing due to the increasing number of students who are qualifying for specialized educational support. In addition, paraprofessionals have been called upon to provide support in the general education setting in schools. This research study was designed to determine the impact of online paraprofessional training on paraprofessionals’ knowledge and perceived knowledge around supporting students with disabilities. The paraprofessional toolkit was first developed by using survey data and feedback from districts and building administrators, special education and general education teachers, and paraprofessionals. This study helped identify what numerous content areas that resulted in paraprofessionals knowledge …

Perceptions Of Experienced African American Male Principals Of Supports Needed To Improve Their Instructional Leadership Skills, Vance M. Benton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male principals frequently are placed in low-achieving schools but provided limited support. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of experienced African American principals regarding the support they receive to improve their instructional leadership skills as a way to improve student academic achievement. The social cognitive career theory and the transformative learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study. The research questions for this study examined principals’ perceptions of how they were being supported, the challenges of getting support, and how their support could be improved. Nine experienced African …

Women Superintendents’ Mentoring Experiences And Attainment Of The Superintendency, Araceli Chavarín

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in the school superintendency in the United States may be attributed to a lack of role models, mentoring, and educational networking. The problem that this study addressed is the lack of insight into how mentoring influences women’s attainment of the superintendency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the mentoring experiences women superintendents identified as important in their lives and work. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Higgins and Kram’s developmental network. The research questions in the study explored how women superintendents describe mentorship experiences in their careers and describe …

Principals’ Leadership Role In Supporting Culturally Responsive English Language Learner Programs, Lawrence Cowger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners face different challenges in accessing relevant curriculum content compared to native English speakers. There is limited research on effective strategies that teachers use to ensure learning outcomes among English language learners. The purpose of this case study was to explore the leadership strategies that principals implement to support teachers’ culturally responsive strategies when working with English language learning (ELL) students. Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) was the basis of the conceptual framework, using research from Walker and five CRSL concepts. The research questions focused on school leadership and how administrators support teachers of ELL programs using CRSL. …

Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Online Student Engagement, Teri R. Cruzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low student engagement and high attrition rates in online classes were observed at community colleges in a Western U.S. state. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore online faculty members’ perceptions of student engagement and how they described their teaching practices and experiences. The study was grounded in the community of inquiry, a collaborative and constructivist model, which posits that social, cognitive, and teaching presences are critical to engagement and online learning. Data were collected from 10 online faculty members who provided responses to an online qualitative survey. Data analysis involved coding by hand in several stages to …

Undergraduate Nontraditional Adult Students’ And University Administrator Perceptions Of Supports For Program Completion, Sarah Franchesca Ellison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated by this study is the low completion rates of nontraditional undergraduate adult students attending a 4-year university located in the West coast region of the United States. In 2020, the program completion rate was less than 44% at the study site and 45.8% for nontraditional undergraduate adult students nationally. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore undergraduate nontraditional adult students’ and university administrators’ perceptions and experiences of supports needed for success as it relates to retention, persistence, and program completion. Using Knowles’s andragogy and Tinto’s persistence theories as the conceptual framework, research questions …

Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face In Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships, Deborah Sue Fingerhut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Education

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Deborah Fingerhut

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Joanna Karet, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Sydney Parent, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Leslie VanGelder, University Reviewer, Education Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

Abstract Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face in Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships by Deborah Fingerhut

MA, Mills College, 1983BS, California State University, Sacramento, …

Disciplinary Practices Among High School Administrators, Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators are responsible for the safety and physical well-being of the students. Although school disciplinary policies are in place, there is a problem with school administrators' practices and decisions when administering discipline for students' inappropriate behavior. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the disciplinary processes used by school administrators when administering student discipline to determine the relationship between levels of offenses and the gender and race of students. Guided by the theory of justice, this study investigated the relationship between the level of offenses and disciplinary processes that reflect the level of offenses, as described in …