Educational Leadership Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Using Improvement Science To Better Understand How Modeling The Inverted Pyramid Fosters Servant Leadership Characteristics In A Rural Public School District, Jennifer Anderson

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A rural superintendent is a community figure who is responsible for meeting the needs of students, families, teachers, community stakeholders, and school boards. The superintendent's job is complicated. It has been stated that career superintendency in a single district is extremely rare, and turnover is among the highest in the education field (Chingos et al., 2014). The rural, mid-size public school district in this study was not immune to this problem, with many seasoned leaders on the cusp of retirement. Of the 30 district and school administrators currently employed in the district, including the superintendent, 20 of these leaders are …

The Future Of Higher Education For Land-Grant Institutions: Considerations Beyond Short-Term Strategic Planning, Andrew Edmunds

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This research addresses future challenges for land-grant universities and calls on administrators to look beyond short-term strategic planning. Chapter One frames the research problem and presents a brief history of U.S. higher education defined by disruption and evolution. Statistical models provide a basis to identify future challenges for land-grant universities. I then propose to address those challenges by investigating University Industry Partnerships (UIP), increasing research productivity, and fostering sense of belonging for part-time graduate students. I use a systematic literature review of UIP structuring practices to reveal how UIPs are structured by time, personnel, and flexible horizontal organizational structures. I …

How Transformative Leaders Break Down Barriers To Increase Access To Arts Integration For Black And Hispanic Students: A Multiple Case Study, Julia Mcclanahan

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The purpose of this study was to understand how transformative leaders break down barriers to increase access to arts integration for Black and Hispanic students. To fulfill this purpose, I conducted a multiple case study of two school sites in two different school districts. I collected the data for the cases through interviews with the principal of each school, interviews with two teachers from each site, field notes from site visits, and documents and artifacts from each site. This study is significant because the data provides transformative leaders with an action plan in order to make arts-integrated programs more equitable …

Impact Of Interventions On Student Performance Among Eighth Graders In Algebra 1, Tiffany Osborne

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Educational leaders and practitioners face challenges in South Carolina schools, but through improvement science processes (Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, & LeMahieu, 2015), they can collectively develop solutions which directly address those issues. In this Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, I partnered with participants in ongoing Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles (Bryk, et al., 2015) to improve student outcomes. I triangulated multiple data points and corroborated findings with students’ own perceptions to provide evidence that students can achieve in eighth grade Algebra 1 when given the opportunity to enroll in the course and when afforded appropriate ongoing academic interventions that foster conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, …

The Impact Of Interlocking Systems Of Oppression On The Leadership And Decision-Making Experiences Of Black Women In Executive-Level Leadership Positions At Predominantly White Public Research Institutions In The United States, Altheia Richardson

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Despite having the necessary credentials to assume executive-level leadership positions at institutions of higher education, Black women continue to be among the least represented in these roles, especially at predominantly White institutions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate and understand how interlocking systems of oppression impact the leadership and decision-making experiences of Black women in executive-level leadership positions at predominantly White public research institutions in the U.S. The research question was: How do Black women in executive-level leadership positions at predominantly White public research institutions in the U.S. make sense of misogynoir in relation to their leadership …

Examining The Relationship Between Research Climate And Faculty Productivity At An Emerging Academic Health Center In The Southeastern U.S., Hagan E. Walker

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Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between research productivity and the research climate, as measured by 155 clinical faculty survey responses, in an Academic Health System in the Southeastern U.S. Subscales addressing the institutional characteristics of goals, culture, mentoring, network, resources, time, communication, rewards, opportunities, and governance were used as independent variables. The dichotomous dependent variable was whether clinical faculty were productive in research as measured by IRB protocols.

Results indicated that a positive view of the research climate for networking and resources significantly improves the odds for clinical faculty showing increased research productivity. The study demonstrated …

Doctoral Student Experiences Of Engagement In Social Media: An Exploration Of #Sadoc, Jessica G. Owens

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This phenomenological study aimed to understand how doctoral students perceived the influence of social media engagement, through Twitter, on their socialization and sense of belonging within academia. Eight participants were recruited from #sadoc on Twitter. Data from a participant selection questionnaire, in-depth, semi-structured interview, and posts to Twitter were used to understand their lived experiences in #sadoc. Thematic coding was employed to identify six common themes: (a) community of shared doctoral experiences; (b) exposure to doctoral education process; (c) celebration of doctoral student experiences; (d) expansion of boundaries; (e) doctoral student identification; and (f) visibility and authenticity of expression. The …

Preparing Education Leaders To Meet Diverse School Needs: A Cross-Case Analysis Of Principal Preparation Programs, Angela W. Cox

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As schools become increasingly culturally diverse, school leaders require the preparation to assist them with the challenges they may face. Educational leaders have a responsibility to guarantee that all students are receiving an equitable and fair education. School leaders have a duty to promote teaching and learning for all students. Principal preparation program should prepare today's school leaders with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be culturally aware and hold high expectation for all students and create inclusive school environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and determine if principal preparation programs in South Carolina are preparing school …

Examining The Influence Of Whiteness On The Group Of Socialization Process Of College Men In The Traditionally White Fraternity System, S. Brian Joyce

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Recent national examples demonstrate the incongruence between the traditionally White fraternity system and race. A 2014 racially and sexually suggestive email led to the suspension of a Kappa Sigma fraternity member at the University of Maryland (Associated Press, 2015, March 14). In December 2014, the Clemson University chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted a gang-themed and racially offensive party, titled “Cripmas”, near the holiday season (WYFF, 2014, December 9). Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma chanted racist songs on a bus in 2015 (Associated Press, 2015, April 3).

The purpose of this study is to understand …

Exploring The Perceptions Of Campus Climate Among Mixed Race Students Attending A Predominantly White Institution, Catherine Team Sturm

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This narrative inquiry intended to capture the lived stories told by nine, full-time, undergraduate students, who self-identified as two or more races, to better understand their perceptions of campus climate at a predominately white institution (PWI). The conceptual framework consisted of the study of multiraciality, Renn’s Ecological Theory of Mixed Race Student Identity Development, perceptions of campus climate at a PWI, and the relationships between perceptions of campus climate and individual differences.

A written prompt activity and background questions elicited written and verbal responses that assisted with identifying ecological factors and identity patterns of each study participant. Each study participant …

A Case Study Of Complex Systems In Leadership In Higher Education Fundraising, J. Michael Bonnette

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Institutions of higher education are more focused on raising private funds today than ever before. This need to increase funding has provided opportunity for emergent behavior among all levels of the institution and has provided an opportunity for the study of leadership among those responsible for managing the fundraising operation. This study will endeavor to understand the emergent enabling and adapting leadership in an institution of higher education during a change to a centralized fundraising model. A case study approach will build a narrative of interaction among those involved in the change and develop insight through the lens of Complexity …

Early College High School Principals As Democratic, Socially Just, Culturally Responsive Leaders, Hattie L. Hammonds

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The purpose of this qualitative, multi-site, multi-case study was to examine how early college high school principals promote the success of the first generation, students of color and low-income students they serve. The study examined three early college high school principals in North Carolina through two lenses: the traditional role of principals and a conceptual framework of democratic, socially just, culturally responsive leaders. The study used semi-structured interview and focus groups as the primary data sources. Additional data sources included documents, state databases and observations. The research questions guiding the study were:

1. How do early college high school principals promote …

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Understanding The Experiences Of Underrepresented Women In Student Affairs At A Predominately White Institution Through A Dynamic Network Analysis Framework, Lani San Antonio

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As institutions become more diverse among the student body, minority faculty and staff are recruited to better support underrepresented students. However, while much thought is often placed in recruitment efforts, institutions often fail to execute appropriate retention efforts of their minority faculty and staff (Turner, Gonzalez & Wood, 2008). Due to this, underrepresented women often find themselves faced with many barriers and lack of resources needed to successfully transition into new roles and environments (Harris, Wright & Msengi, 2011; Jackson & Harrison, 2007; Maramba, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of underrepresented women in student …

An Embedded Case Study Of The Proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Statute & The Proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Statute, James Vines

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The purpose of this explanatory, embedded case study was to understand why the proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention statute and the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment statute did not passed. The data for the study was conducted through direct observations of congressional committee hearings, document analysis and open-ended interviews. The proposed Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention statute addresses cyberbullying by imposing criminal sanctions. The proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Statute seeks to provide federal grants to institutions of higher education to implement anti-harassment programs. The findings revealed that vague terminology, language dealing with LGBT people and sexual orientation as well …

The Implications Of A University Brand: Institutional Brand Alignment And The Experience Of Honors Students Attending Clemson University, Lori Pindar

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In this research, the process by which honors students interact with the institutional brand and become part of their university is examined. Branding and the brand experience is the process by which institutions differentiate themselves from other competing organizations. It was assumed that the degree to which honor students consume the brand impacts not only how they understand their student identity on campus but also their beliefs about their education, their campus community, and their own intellectual and social development. A single-site case study approach was employed to illuminate and provide an in-depth description and analysis of the effects of …

Identifying The Effects Of Narcissistic Leadership On Employee Job Satisfaction: A Study Within The Accounting Profession, Susan Shurden

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Narcissism is a personality disorder now identified in professionals in both education and business. The disorder is diagnosed when an individual possesses five of nine characteristics listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders/ (fourth edition, text revision version). Narcissism is prevalent in most successful leaders and is both destructive and constructive. The focus of this Dissertation is on the destructive characteristics and how narcissistic leadership affects job satisfaction among employees within the accounting profession.

University Response To The Dear Colleague Letter On Sexual Violence: A Case Study, Kimberly Poole

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Sexual violence at institutions of higher education has been a problem of concern for several decades. In April 2011, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights issued the Dear Colleague Letter on sexual violence. This document offered guidance and recommendations to schools on ways to educate about and respond to sexual harassment including sexual violence. Since its release there has been limited research on its impact and university response. The purpose of this study was to learn more about one institution's administrators' response to the Dear Colleague Letter on sexual violence. A case study design was used to complete …

A Content Analysis Of Implicit Legislator Discourses Within The Passage Of The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act (2008): Implications For Opportunity And Access To Higher Education, Katie Smith

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On June 4, 2008, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford signed the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act into law. According to the Act (Section 59-101-430), 'an alien unlawfully present in the United States is not eligible to attend a public institution of higher learning in [South Carolina]'. After the passage of this legislation, public colleges and universities in South Carolina were prohibited from enrolling (or reenrolling) undocumented immigrants as students, and are now required to verify the legal status of all students, through the federal e-verify system. This legislation represents a true limiting of higher education opportunities, as well as …

A Phenomenological Study Of Two-Year College Students' Transition Experiences At A Four-Year Institution, Mary Von Kaenel

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Two-year college students experience challenges as they transfer to a four-year institution. To investigate these documented challenges, the present study used Weidman's Model of Undergraduate Socialization (1989) and Deil-Amen's (2011) notion of socio-academic integrative moments to examine these transitions. Specifically, a qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore the experiences of twelve two-year college students during their transition to a four-year university in the fall 2013. The results include four themes, which were developed through an iterative data analysis process. These emergent themes were: (a) A student's age impacted their transition and social integration, (b) the academic transition was challenging, …

South Carolina Public High Schools: Leadership, Network Dynamics And Innovation, Brandon Blackwell

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The purpose of this study was to identify and model the role of leaders in a complex organization. This paper analyzed the spread of innovations through use of Complexity Theory, Complexity Leadership Theory, and Social Network Theory. Complexity Leadership Theory suggests that certain 'conditions', 'attractors', or relationships must be present during the early stages of innovation, causing the emergence of innovation, long before an innovation reaches institutionalization. A Dynamic Network Analysis will be used to explore the inner workings and relationships that are present that influence the innovation as it moves through from emergence to possible institutionalization.

Examining The Effects Of School-Level Variables On Elementary School Students' Academic Achievement: The Use Of Structural Equation Modeling, Matthew Robert Della Sala

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School finance scholars have called for the alignment of accountability policies with state finance formulae to allocate resources toward student learning goals (Adams, 2008; Ryan, 2008; Superfine, 2009; Verstegen, 2002). With the presence of accountability policies that focus on improving students’ academic achievement, state finance systems must be repurposed to allocate educational resources to schools based on research-based practices that are linked to student achievement. The purpose of this study is to test the sufficiency of a new conceptual model of the effects of educational resources on student achievement using structural equation modeling. The goal of this study is to …

An Examination Of The Role That Academic, Athletic, And Social Integration Play In The First-Year Freshman Student Athlete Experience, Adam Mcfarlane

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The focus on student athlete experiences continues to be a growing area of inquiry for researchers in higher education. While much of the focus for student athletes is on their academic performance in relation to their retention and persistence, there is an increasing concern for educational administrators to understand the experiences of student athletes in higher education settings. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the student athlete experience in higher education. To capture an understanding of the student athlete experience, the researcher asked: How do academic, athletic, and social experiences integrate to affect the freshman student athlete …

Life After Study Abroad: A Narrative Inquiry Of Graduate Student Study Abroad Returnees, Meredith Wilson

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The number of graduate students who chose to participate in study abroad experiences has grown within recent years. As this population of study abroad participants continues to expand, it is necessary for study abroad faculty and staff to understand the learning outcomes that graduate students experience after their study abroad program. This study sought to uncover the long-term impact of a study abroad experience on a graduate student participant. By utilizing narrative inquiry as a methodology, the researcher collected lived experiences from four graduate student study abroad alumni. Each participant's narrative story was re-told and analyzed for growth experienced as …

Lottery Tuition Assistance As A Predictor Of Retention At A Public Two-Year College, Joel Darby Welch

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between unmet financial need, lottery tuition assistance and retention. This study considered whether unmet financial need served as a predictor of retention and how the addition of lottery tuition assistance (LTA) to a financial aid package reduced unmet financial need. Retention was defined as a student who started in Fall, 2008 and returned in Fall, 2009.The two-year college, Greenville Technical College, considered in this study was a mid-size, public, two-year college in the southeastern United States.

A secondary data sources was used in the study of first time students taking …

Growing Pains: Exploring The Transition From A Community College Into A Four-Year Comprehensive College, Edna Martinez

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The highest degree awarded by the community college has generally been the associate in arts or the associate in science degree (Cohen & Brawer, 2008); however, an increasing number of community colleges have expanded their missions to award baccalaureate degrees (Levin, 2004; Russell, 2010; Walker, 2005). Although some community colleges have adopted the four-year degree function while maintaining their community college mission, others have become full baccalaureate degree granting colleges. In fact, this trend contributed to a 70% increase in the number of baccalaureate colleges from 1995-2006 (Longanecker, 2008). Nevertheless, little research exists on what this process looks like (Longanecker, …

Perceptions Of Academic And Social Integration Of First-Generation College Students At A Less-Selective Private Faith-Based University, Ann Watson

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The overarching goal of this qualitative research project was to fill a gap in first-generation retention literature pertaining to the particular academic and social integration issues weighting the probability of persistence for first-generation students who choose to attend a less-selective, private, faith-based university with strictly limited resources available to support high-risk students. This project was a single case study of a university that serves an undergraduate population where close to 60% fit the first-generation student profile of primary interest in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on a purposeful sample of 12 first-generation college students at the university during their …

A Computational Model Of Memetic Evolution: Optimizing Collective Intelligence, Noah Welsh

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The purpose of this study was to create an adaptive agent based simulation modeling the processes of creative collaboration. This model aided in the development of a new evolutionary based framework through which education scholars, academics, and professionals in all disciplines and industries can work to optimize their collective ability to find creative solutions to complex problems. The basic premise follows that the process of idea exchange, parallels the role sexual reproduction in biological evolution and is essential to society's collective ability to solve complex problems. The study outlined a set of assumptions used to develop a new theory of …

Municipalities And University Athletic Departments: Economic Policy Development For Collaborative Capital Projects, Anthony Franklin

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Universities, intercollegiate athletic departments and municipalities regularly collaborate to improve their relationship and the atmosphere in which its constituents coexist. Leaders and elected officials within these institutions strive to offer state of the art facilities for their constituents, however financial allocations for these projects are often scarce. Stakeholder relationships, governmental structure, athletic event economic impact claims, citizen involvement and taxation influence university athletic capital improvement project subsidies. The purpose of this study is to investigate how university athletic departments collaborate with municipalities to create legislative policy that subsidizes athletic capital improvement projects while improving both entities.

Theoretical frameworks underlying this …

A Phenomenological Study Of College Seniors In A Performing Arts Music Program, Eric Lapin

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Music has been an integral component of higher education dating back to the Middle Ages. As higher education developed in American institutions a traditional degree program began to emerge. Students in American higher education music programs focused on either performance or music education. However, a review of the literature has shown that these traditional programs are rife with limitations, and in many cases are not properly preparing students. As a result, Performing Arts style undergraduate degree programs are gaining popularity. These Performing Arts programs seek to offer a more comprehensive music and arts experience that more adequately prepares graduates for …

The Effects Of Political Culture Of Fear On Student Perceptions Of Leadership In Student-Faculty Relationships, Amin Mohamed

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The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a political culture of fear and power distance on student perceptions regarding the leader-member exchange theory (LMX) relationship with faculty, and their perceptions of nature of leadership in Libyan business schools. 650 Faculty members and students from business school in seven Libyan Universities were invited to participate in this study. The final number of participants that were accepted was 314. A survey was used to measure the relationship between faculty members and students, leadership style, culture of fear, and power distance. Different kinds of analysis were used to answer …