Educational Leadership Commons^™

High School Biology Preparation: Do Students Feel They Have Been Adequately Prepared For Introductory College Biology?, Mara Neitzel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this study was to determine how well students are being prepared in high school for introductory college biology courses. Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows: To gain a better understanding about how well students feel they have been prepared for college science classes based on their high school education, to gain insight on how college preparation in high school impacts students’ self-confidence, and to determine if the accessibility of advanced education courses is influenced by the size of a high school. A mixed methods survey was distributed to freshman in the fall semester of …

In Support Of The Tinker V. Des Moines Decision, Matthew Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position outlines a case for the Tinker v. Des Moines decision, including a historical and modern perspective. With freedom of speech and protest being a regular part of the discussion about U.S. society and schools, now is a good time to look back.

Incorporating The Fifth Domain To The Danielson Framework To Support Charism In Catholic Education, Emily Jane Hanson Ramos

All Theses And Dissertations

Catholic school academic leaders need to work to not only increase student achievement and instructional outcomes for students but also to increase those through the lens of the Catholic school identity and the individual school’s charism (Belmonte & Cranston, 2009; Cook, 2015; Dygert, 1998). The research was driven by the central research question: How have Catholic school academic leaders utilized the Danielson Framework to improve definitions of good teaching within a Catholic school through the addition of a 5th domain to the Danielson Framework for Teaching? Catholic school academic leaders need to create a culture where these processes also support …

Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In An Alternative Education Setting: Examining The Risk And Protective Factors Of Responders And Non-Responders, Amy-Jane Griffiths, Jared T. Izumi, James Alsip, Michael Furlong, Gale M. Morrison

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This research examined the risk and protective factors of responders and nonresponders to a schoolwide implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) within an alternative school. Students completed self-perception measures of individual, school, community, and home systems. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant difference between responders and nonresponders on the individual and school systems models. Direct logistic regression indicated that within these models, hostility, destructive expression of anger, depression, academic self-concept, attitude to teachers, and attitude to school each made a significant contribution in identifying responders and nonresponders. Findings suggest that factors at the individual and school …

Local Labor Market Conditions, Principals’ Leadership, Conscientiousness, And Beginning Teacher Turnover: A Study During The Great Recession, Dillon Fuchsman, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

An abundance of literature sheds light on which factors determine teacher turnover, but it has yet to consider the role that local labor market conditions may play in teachers’ turnover decisions and how these labor market conditions may influence the quality of teachers who might be retained. The effect of local labor market conditions on teacher turnover could be relevant especially in times of high economic instability like the Great Recession. To study the determinants of teacher turnover, we match the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS) with local unemployment rates from the USC Great Recession Indicators Database (GRID). We also …

Community-Engaged Teaching: Lessons From A Participatory History Project, Amie Thurber, Sarah V. Suiter

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

How can we create opportunities for students to gain experience in community-engaged scholarship that truly benefits the community given the constraints of the academic calendar, students’ varied capacity to develop reciprocal and responsive community relationships, and the tendency for community-engaged research to instrumentalize community partners in service to academic deliverables? This paper explores one attempt to meet this challenge: an experimental graduate course in community development that linked course content to a participatory history project. Designed as a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study, instructors studied the instructional process as well as outcomes for students and community partners. We …

Gender And The Yale Faculty: A View Of The Data, Emily Stark, Nancy Ruther, Paula Kavathas, Claire Bowern

Yale Day of Data

Every five years, the Women Faculty Forum compiles the demographics of the University’s faculty in a report called “The View.” The findings of The View of 2016-2017 belong in the context of a series of structural changes at Yale over the past five years that contribute to a widespread effort to foster gender equity and to recruit, retain, and support a more diverse faculty.

The 2016-2017 report shows the gains made in university leadership (particularly administrative leadership and Heads of College) by women faculty since 2012 but a stagnation in numbers of URM (under-represented minorities) faculty and women with tenured …

An Analysis Of The Research Methods Used In Select Peer-Reviewed Law Enforcement Journals, 2010 To 2014, David L. Lemmon Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study provided a descriptive analysis of five peer-reviewed journals related to various law enforcement topics within a five-year period, 2010- 2014. It determined the type of research methodology that was applied and specified the authors’ characteristics of sex and role/function for all research related articles selected from the five peer-reviewed journals published during this time period. The five journals used in this study were International Journal of Police Science and Management, The Official Journal of the Society for Police Criminal Psychology, Police Practice and Research, Policing and Society, and Police Quarterly. This descriptive study provides practitioners, academicians, and other …

A Grounded Theory Exploration Of Teacher Grading Practices, Ingrid Rockhead

Education Dissertations and Projects

An examination of the history of grading reveals that many of the problems associated with current traditional grading practices are not new. Despite impassioned pleas from researchers and grading experts, practices such as assigning zeros on a percentage grading scale, assigning grades for practice such as homework and classwork while students are still learning, using the mean to report on students’ overall grades, and not allowing reassessments continue to occur. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and report on Title I teachers’ grading practices and explain using grounded theory methods, the influences on those practices. This study …

A Praxis Briefing: Mental Health On The Campus: Defining Challenges And Opportunities, Stephen Beers, Connie Horton, Brad A. Lau, Nathan Greer, C. Skip Trudeau, Kim Stave, Brenda Roth

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Ecologies Of Faith In A Digital Age: Spiritual Growth Through Online Education, Eric Fehr

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Parent Involvement In Contested Times: A Brief Analysis Of The Effects Of Anti-Immigrant Policies On Latinx Immigrant Parent Involvement, Maria Isabel Morales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement.

This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 …

The Effect Of Advanced Stem Certification On Elementary Achievement, Christopher Stotts

Ed.D. Dissertations

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has become a panacea for many woes in our country’s educational and economic systems. Each year schools struggle with judiciously allocating their limited funds to various STEM programs in hopes that they may reap academic returns. This study examined the effect of a STEM certification from the AdvancED educational accreditation organization on elementary student achievement. The researcher analyzed extant student achievement data from twenty Georgia elementary schools that earned the AdvancED STEM certification to investigate any statistically significant difference between pre-certification and post-certification scores. The researcher analyzed scores from four content areas: English …

Quality Enhancement Plans At Community Colleges: Caring Attitudes, Intentional Advising, And Open Communication, Anthony Strawn

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In 2004 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges, (SACSCOC) started requiring a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as part of the decennial reaffirmation process. Since 2004, over one billion dollars have been spent by the 794 accredited SACSCOC institutions completing their QEPs. Fifth-Year Impact Reports must be completed by the institution at the end of the QEP as part of the Fifth-Year Compliance Report. Once that report is accepted by SACSCOC, no additional reporting on the QEP is required. This study looked at six Track A, Level I institutions in five states that started a QEP …

Community As An Institutional Learning Goal At The Unversity Of Dayton, Steve Herndon, Kelly S. Johnson, Kimberly Edginton Bigelow, Una M. Cadegan, Diana Cuy-Castellanos, Alan Demmitt, Chris Fishpaw, Hunter Phillips Goodman, Daria-Yvonne J. Graham, Joseph Krella, Chad Painter, Kathy Sales, Kellie Schneider, Castel Sweet, William Vance Trollinger, Erick Salvador Vasquez, Chanel Wright, Mary B. Ziskin

Documents of the Provost's Office

This working paper summarizes the work of the Habits of Inquiry and Reflection Community Fellows. It considers the meaning of community both in UD’s historic mission and in the ways it is practiced at UD now; identifies obstacles and failures; and offers recommendations for advancing community as a learning goal at UD.

The Spiritual Formation Of Recent College Graduates And Residence Life Influences Attributed To The Spiritual Formation, Natalie Jorde

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This study investigated the spiritual formation experience of alumni from a Midwest Christian college six months to five years after graduation and the spiritual formation factors they attribute to their Residence Life experience. The data revealed that alumni persist in their Christian faith, and seek growth in Christian beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. Findings regarding Residence Life were consistent with the literature, revealing that the most significant source of spiritual formation for alumni are peer relationships, interactions, and conversations. Programming was not a significant factor in a student’s spiritual formation. This study led to several recommendations for application including a re-orienting …

Generation Z Goes To College, Alison A. Spencer

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Restoring The Soul Of The University: Unifying Christian Higher Education In The Fragmented Age, Morgan K. Morris

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Listening To Sexual Minorities: A Study On Faith And Sexual Identity On Christian College Campuses, Brad A. Lau

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Impact Of A Student Leadership Experience On The Development Of Creativity In Undergraduate Students, Austin Smith

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a leadership experience on the development of creativity in undergraduate students in order to help student affairs professionals, faculty, and administrators better understand how they can develop creativity in their students. A phenomenological study was conducted on students who held a leadership position as a Resident Assistant or cabinet member of a student organization on the campus of a small institution in the Midwestern United States. The study consisted of an open-ended survey and semistructured interviews. Key findings from this study include insight into various aspects of students’ experiences …

The Rise And Impact Of Premarital Cohabitation: Implications For Christian Higher Education, Heidi Morris, Suzie Macaluso, Prentice Ashford

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Premarital cohabitation is an increasingly common aspect of relationships today. Despite Christian theology that often frowns on cohabitation, modern students entering institutions of Christian higher education are influenced by this societal trend. For some students, cohabitation does not carry the negative connotation as in previous years. However, how aware are students of the implications of cohabitation on relationship satisfaction? This study examines whether the level of satisfaction within a relationship is affected by having lived in a cohabiting relationship before marriage. Through an analysis of U.S. data from the 2010 Married and Cohabiting Couples survey, levels of relationship satisfaction were …

A Pivotal Point In Identity Development: The Impact Of The Resident Assistant Experience, Levi C. Huffman, Erin M. Lefdahl-Davis

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Does serving as a Resident Assistant (RA) in college impact students’ identity and long-term leadership skills? This article details a grounded theory qualitative research study where alumni are interviewed about their RA experience five to ten years post-graduation. The study revealed that a profound change (labelled a pivotal point) occurred in participants’ lives while they were serving as RAs. These former student leaders unanimously identified the role as important to their overall identity development and leadership skills. Even though the RA experience often caused a significant disruption in self-perception, it was also a catalyst for significant change in areas such …

The Missing Image-Bearers At College: The Inclusion Of People With Intellectual Disabilities On The Christian University Campus, Emmy Edwards

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Since the passage of the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008, higher education has expanded and improved access for individuals with intellectual disabilities. However, Christian colleges and universities have fallen behind in terms of creating innovative and spiritually formative programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Through the exploration of a literature review, a theological framework, and the description of three Christian programs that currently exist, this paper argues for the good of the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities on the Christian college campus as fellow image-bearers. Additionally it contends that the Christian university has a unique position of to …

Professors Of Higher Education/Student Affairs And The Scholarship Of Practice, Drew Moser, Kate Austin

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

For professors of higher education/student affairs, the primary object of inquiry is the university. Yet lore of the divide among faculty and administration looms large over the academy, ranging from perceived dissonance to overt hostility (Bess and Dee, 2014; McMillian and Berberet, 2002; Rice, 1996). With the multitude of issues emerging in the present landscape of higher education, it is worth exploring the real extent of this divide. This article explores the question: Do scholars of higher education/student affairs have or take the opportunity to translate their technical, disciplinary skill into practical assistance to the benefit of their respective institutions? …

Growth No. 18 (2019) - Full Issue

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the eighteenth edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

Leading Change For School Improvement, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This teaching case study is meant to help current and future school leaders become change agents who lead effectively and improve their schools. I discuss one case in a fictitious city and school that is representative of many other American schools. In particular, I examine adaptive challenges that educational leaders commonly face. This case encourages administrators to participate in meaningful conversations with stakeholders to solve complex issues around leading change. The hope is to better understand how school leaders can transform schools, embrace adaptive challenges, and use change as opportunities for growth. I also pose questions designed to make future …

Voices Of Ghanaian Head-Teachers Working In Low-Fee Private Schools, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The year 2000 was pivotal for the developing nations of the world. During the Millennium Summit, 189 member nations of the United Nations and 23 international organizations came together to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration and to commit to help achieve eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Those goals were to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. These ambitious goals had specific targets to be achieved by 2015 (United …

Making A Diplomat: Study Abroad Pathways To International Relations Occupations, Anthony E. Ciero

Capstone Collection

This case study surveys and interviews alumni of International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) direct enroll study abroad programs to learn about their post-program career path. ISEP alumni study from and in over 50 countries worldwide. Survey and data analysis methodology for this study used Cognitive Information Processing, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Chaos Theory, and Systems Theory of career development to determine what guides alumni toward or away from international relations (IR) related occupations.

Alumni in IR-related careers usually had an internationalized personal history prior to university and reported that their ISEP program improved their ability to secure and perform their …

Educational Leadership Doctoral Faculty Academic Qualifications And Practitioner Experiences In Georgia, Steven Tolman, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Deborah Evans

Leadership, Technology & Human Development: Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose

This study examined doctoral faculty of educational leadership within the state of Georgia in the United States. The aim was to illustrate the academic qualifications and practitioner experiences of the faculty that develop students in educational leadership programs to be scholarly practitioners and future educational leaders.

Background

Faculty of educational leadership programs prepare their students to hold imminent senior leadership roles in P-12 school administration and higher education administration. In this apprenticeship model, doctoral faculty utilize their academic qualifications and/or practitioner experiences to develop students into scholarly practitioners.

Methodology

A descriptive quantitative study utilizing content analysis was conducted to …

“We’Re Trying To Have A Childhood”: Parent Notions Of Kindergarten Readiness, Isabel F. Johnson

All Theses And Dissertations

In response to the chronic third-grade achievement-gap, public school kindergartens have abandoned Froëbel’s traditional child-centered pedagogy in favor of an early academic preparation model that promotes the idea of kindergarten readiness. But top-down implementation of readiness curriculum has not led to sustainable gains and may result in poorer student outcomes. The bioecological repercussions of early academic expectations on young children and their families are not well understood, and parent perspectives on the topic are often marginalized. This qualitative case study explored parent notions of kindergarten readiness using word coding analysis of eight kindergarten and preschool parent interviews. Findings from thematic …