Educational Leadership Commons^™

Higher Education Administrators' Perspective On Service Learning, Briana Cicero-Johns

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An economic downturn beginning in late 2007 has led to decreased funding and greater competition to recruit and retain students in higher education. Service-learning, while demonstrated to be an effective recruiting and retention strategy, could fall victim to budgetary constraints – thus undermining institutions’ historical commitment to service and engagement – unless administrators are convinced of its value. This study examined administrators’ perspectives on the perceived financial benefits, if any, that accrue to the institution from the implementation of service-learning courses and programs, and whether service-learning requirements are perceived to contribute to student learning, recruitment, retention, and fundraising.

The study …

Evaluating High School Mathematics Performance Measures And Student Attributes For Predicting Remedial Mathematics Success And Student Retention In College, Sherri L. Stepp

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate multiple high school student attributes and performance measures that could be considered for use in predicting success in developmental mathematics courses and college-level math courses at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. This study also evaluated the predictive ability of the same high school student attributes and performance measures in determining first-year fall-to-fall retention rates for successful math students.

The study population consisted of first-time freshmen who entered the case study institution in the fall semesters of 2010 through 2014 and graduated from West Virginia public high schools. The population was stratified …

Implementation And Perceived Effectiveness Of Distributed Leadership In Resa 1 Schools In Southern West Virginia, Ingrida Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study explored the implementation and effectiveness of distributed leadership as perceived by school administrators in selected schools in southern West Virginia. The data for the study were collected via survey and semi-structured interviews. Ninety-three building level administrators responded to the survey and eleven central office administrators were interviewed.

Generally, building level administrators described the level of implementation of distributed leadership components as partial or above partial. They also described effectiveness levels of distributed leadership components to positively influence student learning as some of the time to most of the time. Statistically significant differences were found for a limited number …

Supportive Leadership: The Principal's Role In Beginning Teacher Retention, Kelli Leann Epling

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

School districts in West Virginia and across the nation have been experiencing a mass exodus of teachers over the last two decades, creating a widespread shortage of certified educators in the classroom. In the United States approximately a half-million teachers leave their schools every year, and only 16% of those exits can be attributed to retirement. The rest is due to movement between schools and to teachers leaving the profession. While a great deal of research has been completed in order to ascertain why teachers are leaving the profession most focuses on the individual teacher’s perspective – and that perspective …

Recruitment, Retention And Socialization Of Underrepresented Minority Populations To West Virginia Higher Education Administrative Positions, Dedriell Dewin Taylor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study contributed to the body of knowledge dealing with recruitment, retention and socialization of underrepresented (UREP) minority populations for academic leadership positions in West Virginia higher education. The purpose of the study was to examine both the institutional and personal factors that are most effective in attracting members of UREP minority groups to administrative leadership positions at institutions of higher education, specifically higher education institutions in West Virginia. The study was conducted using a mixed method research approach consisting of a non-experimental research design in the quantitative phase of the study and individual interviews in the qualitative phase.

A Case Study : The Perception Of Higher Education Administrators At Historically Black Colleges And Universities On The Importance Of Academic Student Organizations As A Retention Technique, Sherri Lynn Shafer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This is a mixed methods study looking at the perception of student affairs administrators on the value of student academic organizations as a retention technique at historically black colleges and universities. The study is based on survey responses from administrators throughout the United States utilizing a researcher developed survey tool. Despite long standing research, findings suggest that administrators perceive some value in such organizations, although they are not administrator’s first choice as a retention technique. Administrators indicate that their roles in retention within the office of student affairs vary, as do retention plans. Furthermore, they specify that barriers limiting the …

The Quality Of Education Leadership Doctoral Dissertations In The United States: An Empirical Review, Jessica M. Hanna

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the field of education, doctoral programs are expected to prepare the future leaders of the field. With the doctoral process being so unique, a necessary interaction between the student and faculty is essential in order for the student to develop an expert-level understanding of the field. Literature indicates, however, that doctoral programs in education are trending toward being offered as online programs, which is causing many researchers and leaders in the field to worry that the lack of traditional instruction and interaction will have a damaging effect on the quality of educational doctoral programs. This nationwide, cross-sectional exploratory study …

Are There Whiter Shades Of Pale In Marketing The Ivory Tower? An Examination Of Differentiation In Institutional Public Service Announcements Through Content Analysis, Elizabeth Anne Wolfe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the public service announcements (PSAs) produced by institutions of higher education that competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s 2013-14 postseason football bowl games. Utilizing content analysis and survey results, the researcher examined the level of content distinction between and within institutional groups based on athletic conference, Carnegie classification, total student enrollment, and primary target audience. The researcher also investigated the role the PSAs played in marketing campaigns conducted by the institutions and the additional marketing strategies used in those campaigns. The analysis showed limited distinction between institutional groups and little to no distinction within groups. Further, …

Investigating Principals’ Instructional Philosophical Orientation And Their Students’ Level Of Engagement A Case Study, Loujeania Lee Maynus

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this case study was to investigate principals’ instructional philosophical orientations (IPOs) and the students’ level of engagement in Kanawha County Schools (KCS). The district was in the fourth year of analyzing student well-being, hope, and engagement data through Gallup Surveys (Gallup, 2014) in an effort to help move the system forward. This study considered the differences between the principal and student engagement levels by analyzing the principals’ instructional philosophical orientation holistically and within each of four families of instructional models. This study described the principals’ preference for the instructional models and compares these preferences to student engagement …

Superintendent And Board Of Education Member Perceptions Regarding Preferred Leadership Behaviors For Superintendents In West Virginia, Keith A. Butcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptions of West Virginia school superintendents and West Virginia district school board of education members regarding the preferred leadership behaviors for superintendents in West Virginia. A review of the literature provided a list of 11 leadership behaviors: (a) leadership for vision and organizational culture; (b) leadership for policy and governance; (c) leadership for organizational management; (d) leadership for the instructional program; (e) leadership for system improvement; (f) leadership for budgeting and finance; (g) leadership for recruiting, developing and motivating personnel; (h) leadership that demonstrates effective communication; (i) leadership for improving community …

A Study Of Kindergarten Teachers' Ability To Teach The Kindergarten Informational Text Common Core Standards In Fifteen West Virginia School Districts, Shelly Ann Ratliff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study sought to determine kindergarten teachers’ perceived knowledge of the informational text Common Core State Standards within the population of 185 kindergarten teachers in 15 West Virginia counties.

A four part researcher-developed survey was mailed to each participant. Subjects were also given the option of participating in a follow-up telephone interview and interviewees were asked a series of questions based on a researcher-developed interview protocol. Subjects that participated in the interviews were asked if they were willing to be observed by the researcher for 30 minutes during reading instruction and an observation checklist was used to guide the time …

Perceptions Of Nursing Education Administrators Regarding The Relationship Of Admission Criteria To Student Graduation, Joy F. Cline

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research investigated admission criteria of baccalaureate nursing students related to their success in a multi-state sample of peer universities in the United States. The researcher used mixed methods to collect data that were analyzed using descriptive and phenomenological approaches. The sample of the study was chairpersons from peer institutions of nursing. Data were collected based on the lived experiences of the chairpersons. The purpose of the study was to identify admission criteria that the schools in the study were using and to identify the criteria that predicted success as defined by graduation. The premise of the study was that …

The Principalship: A Study Of The Principal's Time On Task From 1960 To The Twenty-First Century, Jacqueline A. Mcpeake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine legislative and societal developments in the United States in relation to changes in educational administration and determine the existence of bifurcation points of change. The effects of legislative and societal changes on the tasks on which administrators focus their time were evaluated. The administrators were surveyed to determine if changes in time on task have occurred to meet the demands of current legislative priorities and if any demographic relationships existed. The study’s population consisted of 1950 (N=1950) administrators in public elementary, middle and high schools in the Southern Regional Educational Board 16 …

The Relationship Between Leadership Styles And Organizational Culture Withinschools Of Nursing, Debra K. Vankovich Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between leadership styles and organizational culture within schools of nursing. A non-probability convenience sample (N=149) of subjects was obtained from BSN schools of nursing within the Southern Regional Education Board geographical area. Three data collection tools were utilized including a demographic questionnaire; the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio) which measures transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles; and the Organizational Culture Assessment Inventory (Cameron & Quinn) which measures four culture types including clan, market, adhocracy and hierarchy cultures. A descriptive – correlational design was used. Inferential statistics utilized included multiple …

The Relationship Between Leadership Practices Of Principals And Student Achievement, Serena L. Starcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study sought to determine if a significant relationship existed between the leadership practices of school principals and student achievement in mathematics and reading. The leadership practices of principals were measured using Kouzes’and Posner’s Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) which measures leadership practices in five distinct areas: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart. Student achievement in reading and mathematics was determined using the percentage of students proficient in reading and mathematics as measured by the state of West Virginia’s standardized exam, the West Virginia Educational Standards Test (WESTEST) for …

The Relationship Between Levels Of Moral Reasoning And Transformational Leadership Behaviors Of West Virginia Public School Administrators, Cynthia L. Daniel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between levels of moral reasoning and the use of transformational leadership behaviors of public school administrators in West Virginia. The Defining Issues Test-2 was used to measure levels of moral reasoning. Transformational leadership behaviors were measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5x. The population for the study consisted of 55 superintendents; 62 deputy, assistant, or associate superintendents and 250 randomly selected principals. A total of 103 administrators participated in the study. A one-shot case study design was used. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation, T-Test for independent samples, and one-way analysis …

Filling A Need: Administrative Practices In Mason County, Wv One-Room Schools From 1935-1950, Douglas A. Sturgeon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how administrative practices were carried out in Mason County, West Virginia’s one-room schools from 1935-1950. These practices were examined using Gulick and Urwick’s (1936) seven functions of the administrator and school-community relations as the framework. Twelve persons were interviewed for this study over the span of three months. Eleven of these persons were former one-room school teachers in Mason County. Of these eleven former teachers, two became central office administrators overseeing one-room schools. The twelfth person was a community leader in Mason County who attended a one-room school. The results of …

Running Water Cuts Deep: An Action Research Study Of At-Risk Students In A Rural High School, Lara K. Dial

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As a high school teacher, I have formulated a standing comeback for the complaints of my students who whine, “That’s not fair!” My retort is the very cliche, “Life’s not fair”. I tell my students they might as well get used to things that are unfair because they simply cannot go through the rest of their lives whining about it. If life is indeed unfair, students who choose to drop out of school are reducing the chance that they will experience their fair portion of “The good life”. While it is true that the dropout rate in the United States …

A Study Of Job Satisfaction Of Female Administrators In The National Education Association And Its Affiliates, Jacqueline G. Goodwin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between age, tenure of employment, level of administrative position, educational level, and personality type and the degree of self-expressed job satisfaction among female administrators in the National Education Association (NEA) and affiliate organizations. The total population of 181 female administrators employed at the National Education Association and its affiliates were surveyed.

Each participant was mailed a survey packet containing a cover letter, a demographics sheet, and two questionnaires. Personality type was determined by scores on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-Form G (1977). Demographic information was collected using the Survey of National …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Consumer Satisfaction And Direct Care Staff Turnover In An Agency For The Developmentally Disabled, Delia B. Root

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the relationship between direct care staff turnover and consumer satisfaction in an agency for the developmentally disabled. Twenty out of a possible 42 individuals with a developmental disability participated in the survey. There was a significant relationship between staff turnover and consumer satisfaction of day habilitation services. No significant relationship was evident in the areas of residential habilitation or respite. The findings indicate that agencies may need to prioritize direct care staffing patterns to reduce the negative effect on consumer satisfaction.

An Advocacy Coalition Approach To A Study Of The Politics Of Education In Tennessee, Patricia Ehle Ceperley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This was an instrumental case study that examined the extent to which the politics of education in Tennessee that resulted in the passage of the Education Improvement Act of 1992 and related tax increases conformed to the assumptions of the Advocacy Coalition Framework as articulated by Sabatier. The framework viewed education policy change as the result of the interaction of (a) competing advocacy coalitions within a policy subsystem over a decade or more, (b) changes that are external to the policy subsystem, and the (c) effects of stable system parameters.

The researcher used a snowballing technique to identify 12 key …

The Relationship Between The Method Of Selection And Length Of Service Of Department Chairs And Degree Of Subordinate Faculty Support, P. Michael Ditchen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The preparation of individuals that assume the role of department chair is a critical challenge facing administrators of institutions of higher education (Gmelch & Houchen; 1994). Department chairs assume the position without leadership training, without administrative experience, without clear understanding of the role, and without an awareness of the personal cost of the position (Gmelch & Houchen; 1994). Much of the literature pertaining to the department chair is derived from speeches, journal articles and how-to books and is anecdotal in nature (Creswell, Wheeler, Seagren, Egly, & Beyer, 1990; Gmelch, Burns, Carroll, Harris & Wentz; 1992; Gmelch, Carroll, Seedorf & Wentz, …

The Relationship Between And Among Policy Variables, Type Of Institution, And Perceptions Of Academic Administrators With Regard To Post- Tenure Review, Beverly Jo Harris

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was designed to examine the relationship between and among post-tenure review policy variables and types of institutions, as perceived by chief academic administrators at colleges and universities across the United States.

Chief academic administrators at 680 randomly selected accredited institutions were mailed the Post-tenure Review Survey, an instrument designed by the researcher. A total of 347 (51%) administrators returned the survey.

Demographic data indicated that tenure was operative at 67.4 percent of the institutions. Tenured faculty evaluation was reported by 87.2 percent of the institutions where tenure was operative. Formal, written post-tenure review policies were in effect at …

Self-Perceived Leader Behavior And Characteristics Of Black And White Chief Administrators Of Colleges And Universities: A Comparative Study, Gregory D. Epps

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study was designed to examine and compare self-perceived leader behavior and characteristics of black and white chief administrators of colleges and universities. The population for this study included chief administrators of the 538 four year colleges and universities, both public and private, within the 15 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states. A randomly selected sample of 18 black and 12 white (total n=150) chief administrators was used for this study.

Data collected by the LBDQ-S focuses on two types of self-perceived leader behavior, initiating structure and consideration. The demographic questionnaire collected data which included respondents, race, gender, age, years …

Predictors Of College Choice For First-Time College Students At American Colleges And Universities Associated With The Church Of Christ, Robert W. Stephens Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to rate the significance of selected factors that influence college choice for first-year students who chose to attend, during fall, 1994, 1 of 10 American liberal arts colleges and universities associated with the Churches of Christ. This study further evaluated the relationship of the rating of these factors with specific student demographic data and the timing of the college choice decision.

Completed surveys were received from 2,677 respondents representing 76% rate of return. According to the results, the most influential college choice factors were the college's religious affiliation, academic reputation, job placement reputation, offer …

Gender Differences In Work And Family Commitments And Their Effect On Work-Family Role Conflict Among Administrators In Higher Education, Maudie Elizabeth Karickhoff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study intended to determine 1) if, among administrators in higher education, commitment to the work role, commitment to the family role, and work-family role conflict varied by gender and other demographic variables, and 2) what combination of variables best explained level of work-family role conflict in this population.

A random sample, stratified by type of institution, was selected from the 4,679 department chairs in 196 public colleges and universities in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) member states. Questionnaires measured work commitment (Organizational Commitment, Career Commitment, Job Involvement), Family Commitment, work-family role conflict, and demographic variables. One-way analysis of …

The Social Climate Of Allied Health Educational Programs As Perceived By Program Directors, Bruce Joseph Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study compared social climate perceptions of allied health educational (AHE) program directors in order to discover the potential for high performance in accredited allied health educational programs. The study sought similarities, differences, and relationships in workplace social climate perceptions of program directors grouped by selected demographic characteristics.

Directors from accredited AHE programs were surveyed using the unmodified Work Environment Scale (WES) instrument. Forty null hypotheses were tested using multiple means comparison and linear regression.

WES scores showed no significant differences when compared by levels of allied health specialty, tenure status, highest degree, public or private institutional governance, and number …

A History Of The West Virginia Board Of Regents As The Governing Board For Higher Education, 1969-1989, Joseph Wayne Corder Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the history of the West Virginia Board of Regents from its inception in 1969 until its termination in 1989. The history was developed around a social systems theory concept and the identification of internal factors and forces that had an impact as the Board attempted to deal with the higher education issues that came before it. The specific purpose of this study was to identify, chronicle, and interpret the key issues faced by the Board of Regents, and the related perceptions of the key personnel.

Data for the study came from minutes of the meetings of the …

Restructuring In State Departments Of Education: An Analysis Of Structural Evolution, Harriet Maxey Deel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to address the nature of structural changes evolving in state departments of education which are perceived by chief state school officers as useful in implementing educational reforms. As a context for the inquiry on structural evolution, the study examined restatement of mission and goals in response to the reform movement. Examination of structural elements related to five areas: (a) reduction in vertical layers in the organization hierarchy, (b) adoption of flexible, (d) delivery models for training and technical assistance to local education agencies and schools, and (e) linkages of departments of education with outside …

Planning For Changes: A Study Of Satellite Distance Learning Administrative Policy Development In Higher Education, H. Keith Spears

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The problem investigated was the process by which policy is formulated for satellite distance learning systems in higher education. Effects of reporting levels, areas of origination, political pressure, discipline interest administrator characteristics, and type of positions were measured on the methods used by institutions create policies for satellite delivery of courses. The influences that other variables have on the decision makers were part of the study.

The population studied was made up of all administrators of higher education satellite distance learning systems in the United States. The population was the sample. The research instrument was a nominal survey developed by …