Educational Leadership Commons^™

Opt Out In Long Island: Demographic Predictors And Academic Consequences, David Sime

Theses and Dissertations

In the 2017-18 school year, 18% of New York students opted out of a mandated state assessment test. On Long Island, that number was closer to 50% of students opting out of one or more tests. The implications of this phenomenon are far-reaching, but unknown. This study seeks to better understand both who opts out and the potential impact of opt out on future academic performance. Using secondary data, it first identifies if the decision to opt out of the New York State 8th Grade Mathematics Assessment Test varied by race, gender, socioeconomic status, special education classification, or prior GPA …

Global Mindedness Of Superintendents: A Phenomenological Study Of Globalization And Its Implications For Education, Lauren Kate Dimartino

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization has quickly woven its way into every aspect of our economic, technological, and social lives. It is only natural that the educational system transforms into a globally competent powerhouse. We must hold our educational system accountable for creating quality education based on equity and realistic policies. With skilled leaders creating school districts that can compete, thrive, and communicate in the global community, we must work to nurture future generations that can maneuver and excel in the 21st century. The purpose of this research is to analyze the global mindedness of educational leaders, specifically superintendents, and to explore the future …

Food Insecurity Among College Students Who Are Parents Attending A Community College: A Qualitative Case Study, Deborah C. Harte

Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity has been a prevailing issue among college students for a number of years. Over the past decade, studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence rate of food insecurity on college campuses ((El Zein et al., 2019; Gaines et al., 2014; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018; Patton-Lopez et al., 2014; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Riddle et al., 2020), and the impact of food insecurity on academic achievement (Gaines et al., 2014; Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015; Stack & Meredith, 2017; Philips et al., 2018). Although these studies have involved college students, gaps in the research have led to an incomplete …

The Impact Of Blended Professional Development On Teacher Efficacy And Practice, Sonia Hood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of blended professional development on teacher efficacy. The variables hours of blended learning, subjects taught, and years of experience were investigated. Additionally, teacher efficacy was analyzed across domains of student engagement, instructional practices, and classroom management. Multiple regression analyses were conducted, and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale was administered to 112 teachers to investigate the following research questions: (a) What is the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and blended professional learning? (b) Is teacher efficacy influenced by the amount of time spent receiving blended professional learning, by the years …

Transforming Equity Into Lasting Solutions. An Examination Of The Effects Of Race On Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Aliceia Varriale

Theses and Dissertations

Culturally relevant teaching is proposed as a powerful method for increasing student achievement and engagement and for reducing achievement gaps. Nevertheless, the research demonstrating its effectiveness consists primarily of case studies of exemplary classrooms. This research sought to find any disparities that may arise due to challenges in equity policies by examining teachers’ racially conscious belief in operationalizing culturally responsive teaching. Due to its constructivist nature, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) approach relies on the beliefs and attitudes of educators with respect to cultural efficacy, their view-points of the world and its cultures and their dispositions on race. The Culturally Responsive …

The Effects And Impact Of Interdisciplinary Teaming On Teacher Practices And Efficacy, Lisa Depaola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects and impact of interdisciplinary teaming on teacher practices and efficacy. This study revealed the perspectives of eight 7th and 8th grade teachers, who teach one of the core disciplines (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) and the school principal by interviewing them for this case study in an Essential Elements School-to-Watch in Nassau County, New York. It included perceptions from the other 7th and 8th grade teachers on interdisciplinary teams through focus groups and observations during team meetings. Document analysis was performed on artifacts that were collected during …

The Response To Intervention Services Of A Large Suburban School District And Its Ability To Increase Student Achievement On I-Ready Reading Exams Across A Three-Year Period, Matthew Boccanfuso

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a large, suburban school district’s RTI interventions services in raising student achievement on i-Ready Reading exams over a three-year period. This study determined the effectiveness of RTI services on the i-Ready reading scores of a selection of 135 students at a large, suburban high school. In order to qualify for the study, the students must have received RTI services and sat for the i-Ready exam in each of the three years included in the study. The study analyzed the participants’ i-Ready scores over a three-year period from the 2017-2018 …

The Relevance Of Ethical Standards Among Veteran Superintendents, Kevin Scanlon

Theses and Dissertations

Ethical violations in education exist worldwide. Superintendents of schools are in the unique position of exerting their authority and influence on the entire community. They also contend with ethically challenging situations. The purpose of the study is to determine the extent to which superintendents are influenced more by their experiences versus their training in ethical standards when ethically challenging situations confront them. In response to ethical issues that have occurred in education, academic institutions and districts have attempted to rectify the issue by further training and practices. This study determined that existing superintendents in New York utilize their own experiences …

The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Administrators Sensemaking During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren Lombardi

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study design examined the lived experiences of the challenges special education administrators faced in implementing federal and state guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were comprised of special education administrators from a suburban county in New York state. Half of the participants were from a Title I school district. In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the country to close their doors, forcing schools to shift to online learning platforms. This left to sudden shifts in the delivery of instruction, leadership, and support, and created logistical challenges for administrators serving students with …

Cracking The Code To Effective Marketing In Higher Education: A Case Study Of Recruitment And Retention Of First-Generation, Latinx Community College Students, Manuel L. Romero

Theses and Dissertations

Marketing strategy involves selecting a target market and determining the desired product positioning to attract the desired customers (Silk, 2006). Recently, community colleges have seen a decrease in student enrollment. In some cases, this was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic; in other cases budget constraints have posed challenges to community colleges and their recruitment marketing efforts. Successful advertising involves a marketing strategy where the student is considered the customer (Guilbault, 2017) and creative “edvertising” (DiMartino & Jessen, 2018) campaigns entice students to select one college above other competitors. With a growing Latinx population in the United States, college recruitment …

Charter Schools In Nassau County, New York: A Comparison Of Charter And Traditional Public Schools, Tyshawn Scarlett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of traditional public schools versus charter schools in serving low socioeconomic (low SES) communities in Nassau County. Results from the New York State Standardized Exams (Math and ELA) were used as a comparative measure between both school types serving high need students in that county. Data were collected from 2,250 eighth-graders enrolled in three (3) charter schools and six (6) public schools in Nassau County, NY in 2018-2019, and an Independent Samples t-test was employed to effect analysis. Results indicate that students in these charter schools outperformed public school students …

The Perception Of Mattering From Black Male Alumni Of Historically White Institutions, Gretchen Rodney

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study explored the lived experience of high achieving Black men who recently graduated from very highly selective historically White institutions (HWI). The research was guided by Nancy Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering and Shaun Harper’s anti-deficit achievement framework. Building on the work of Rosenberg and McCullough (1981), Schlossberg’s research shows that non-tradition students attending community college are more willing to persist to graduation when they feel they matter to the institution (Schlossberg, 1989). The dimensions of mattering are attention, importance, ego-extension, dependence, and appreciation. Harper’s anti-deficit framework counters the popular discourse in the literature around …

The Perceptions Of School Building And School District Leaders’ Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices And Discipline Actions, Equasia Yard-Jean

Theses and Dissertations

It is important for school leaders to understand how students who identify as belonging to specific races, ethnicities, or cultures experience school climate. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of school leaders on their culturally responsive leadership (CRSL) practices and discipline actions. This study focused on the perceptions of 142 school leaders (Principals and Superintendents) who work in public schools in New York State. The sample consisted of school building and district leaders who work in elementary, middle, and high school settings in urban, suburban, and rural communities. The study was conducted utilizing the Culturally …

Middle School Principals’ Perceptions On The Inclusion Of The Arts In New York Schools: A Qualitative Study, John Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of middle school principals regarding the implementation of the arts. Although the New York State Education Department (2015) has mandated arts curriculum into all grade levels within a middle school environment, not all schools comply. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions of middle school principals and to gain a better understanding of why their schools may not be fully following the specific learning requirements of the arts, the challenges principals face when implementing arts education into their curricula, and the social issue where …

Teacher Perceptions Of Cell Phone Use During The Instructional School Day, Megan Tricoli

Theses and Dissertations

As technology has advanced over time, cell phone usage has become a tool in an individual’s educational career. Previous research has shown that teacher perceptions have differed depending on the individual teacher (Baker et al., 2012; O’Bannon et al., 2014; Stachowski et al., 2020). Much of the research has suggested that teachers tend to have negative perceptions regarding cell phone use, especially during class time (O’Bannon et al., 2014). Several gaps in the existing literature have led to a need for an in-depth research study on the perceptions of cell phone use during the instructional school day. The purpose of …

An Exploratory Case Study: Writing Center Usage As A Form Of Social Capital, Aisha Wilson-Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring success in higher education among underrepresented students is vital to social equity. The current study seeks to discover the relationships between writing center usage, engagement, and social capital acquisition among underrepresented student populations. The current research contextualizes interaction and engagement opportunities for underrepresented students by drawing on multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to consider the influence of writing center usage in relationship to social capital gains in the context of a large, private suburban university. The related literature and concepts in the fields of interaction, engagement, and social capital ultimately link to writing centers, writing center work, and underrepresented student populations. …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions Of Virtual Professional Development Through The Lens Of Adult Learning Theory, Mary-Ellen Montauredes-Kakalos

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study design explored the lived experiences of teachers’ perceptions of virtual professional experiences through the lens of adult learning theory. The participants were comprised of elementary educators from a suburban county in New York state. The participants in this study were all forced to shift to virtual teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions addressed were how do educators describe their experiences with virtual professional development, what characteristics of adult learning do educators value most, and how does virtual professional development compare to traditional in person professional development as it relates to educators' professional growth …

The Impact Of Acceleration In Secondary Math On All Students, James Grover

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is a collection of mental practices, attitudes and tools that humans have developed in our quest to understand the world (Singh & Brownwell, 2019). Educators have identified math and reading as the two core subjects that are essential for academic success. Achievement in math is considered to be the one of the most important predictors of economic success (Chazan, 2008). Educational leaders have become increasingly interested in finding the ideal placement for students to gain access to benchmark math curriculum that opens doors for advancement. In a competitive global market, educational and political leaders in the United States have …

Agency And Self-Efficacy In Corequisite Math Courses, Silvia Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

Students identified as unprepared for college work face considerable barriers to performance and college completion. To improve underprepared student outcomes, community colleges where most underprepared students enroll are using different models of developmental education. A recently implemented model in mathematics is a corequisite course designed to increase students’ chances of success by using different methods of instruction to decrease student time to completion. This corequisite course accelerates students placed in developmental math classes and offers students the opportunity to complete their developmental requirements while taking college-level work and earning college credit. As developmental mathematics poses the biggest barrier for underprepared …

Trust In Schools, Student Race, And Third Grade Reading In New York City Public Schools, Alexa Sorden

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examines the relationship between teachers' and parents' trust in the school principal in association with third-grade students reading proficiency as determined by the New York State Testing Program. In addition, this study examines the association between combined trust scores and their influence on Black and Latino students’ reading proficiency. This study merged preexisting New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Learning Environment Survey data and the New York State Testing Program examination data. Six hundred eleven schools comprised the final sample from the 708 public elementary schools that currently make up the NYCDOE traditional public school system …

Personnel Administrators’ Use Of The Interview Process As A Predictor Of Quality Principal Candidates: A Quantitative Survey Approach, Cynthia M. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

The hiring of qualified staff that believe in the vision and mission of the school in which they have applied can be seen as the most important and significant decision a school district can make. Poor hiring decisions can affect a school’s culture and climate for many years, as well as significantly impact the academic prowess of its students. Inadequate interview practices poorly vet job candidates resulting in a lack of performance in newly hired administrators, leaving schools vulnerable to mediocre teaching and low student achievement. The research looked to recognize the changing role of the school principal and to …

The Principal Effect: Examining Administrators’ Influences On Behavioral Outcomes For African American Male Students, Michelle Soussoudis-Mathis

Theses and Dissertations

For more than forty years, the United States’ public education system’s “zero-tolerance” policies, and disciplinary practices rooted in those policies, have negatively impacted and marginalized minority students far greater than the general student body population. Over the years, nationwide studies have identified complex multifaceted predictors of negative disciplinary practices, such as: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, teacher-student matches, gender, student behaviors and attitudes. Studies indicated clear and undeniable correlations between exclusionary practices, “zero-tolerance” policies and its disproportionate use toward minority students, particularly African American males who can be identified as a specific minority group within a larger minority and racial group. This …

Perceptions Of Shared Governance: Do Faculty And Administrators Share The Same Perceptions?, Laurie Pezzullo

Theses and Dissertations

Shared governance is important to accreditation because it informs assessment for Standard VII of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (Governance, Leadership, and Administration), building trust, increasing effective communication, policy and procedures, and decision making on an institutional level. However, prior research has indicated that there is not one standard method of shared governance and there is no consensus as to whether shared governance benefits the institution. This study employed a cross-sectional survey to gather pertinent information on the constructs of shared governance. Collected data were analyzed using: (a) a t-test to determine whether there is a significant difference …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Teaming Practices In Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support And Overall Implementation Fidelity Of Elementary School-Wide Reading Models, Stephney Anderson Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) have been increasingly implemented in schools since the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Despite researchers’ efforts to identify elements of MTSS— including evidence-based practices, leadership and communication systems and structures to address learning needs— it has been challenging to identify what makes MTSS work in schools. In fact, researchers have found that schools who implement MTSS on their own tend to stray from the intended practices when the external support of coaches or research teams fades from the school (Balu, Zhu, Doolittle, …

School District Leadership, Resources And Literacy Development: A Phenomenological Study On School District Leaders’ Experiences On Budget Allocation For Literacy, Jared E. Littman

Theses and Dissertations

School district leaders can have a vast influence on school improvement and student achievement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of school district leaders with budget allocation and decision-making responsibility for literacy and the factors that determined their budget allocation decisions. This study also addressed school district leaders perceived benefits of funding allocated to literacy development. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews. A thematic analysis, interpretive phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Themes and patterns that emerged from the data were: 1)literacy sets the foundation for the budget although doesn’t represent …

Revisión Sistemática De Competencias De Liderazgo En Formación Inicial Docente [Systematic Review Of Leadership Skills In Initial Teacher Training], Maria M. Martinez-Mena

Theses and Dissertations

La presente investigación se enfocó en analizar el desarrollo de competencias de liderazgo más relevantes para la formación inicial docente de futuros profesionales de la educación mediante una revisión sistemática. El liderazgo es un factor importante en el éxito o el fracaso tanto individual, de grupo u organizacional. El desarrollo, formación y las competencias de liderazgo en la educación es un tema relevante el cual debe ser investigado. Siendo el rol de los docentes fundamental para los procesos formativos de los estudiantes se debe desarrollar las competencias de liderazgo en su formación inicial. Los procesos formativos incluyen tanto en el …

An Analysis Of Florida Educators' Perceptions Of The School Superintendency, Qualifications, Leadership Skills, Longevity, And Student Achievement: A Quantitative Study, Natalie Whitco

Theses and Dissertations

High turnover in the role of school superintendent signaled functional disruption, decreased morale and impaired student achievement. The principal researcher sought to explain perceptions among professional Florida K-12 public school educators about key factors related to the role of school superintendent, necessary qualifications, important leadership skills, longevity and its impact on student achievement.

The principal researcher disseminated a 10-question online self-administered survey she developed for the study to a sample of 199 professional Florida K-12 public school educators. Independent demographic variables among sample participants included: gender, current job, highest level of completed education and years of experience as an educator. …

Supporting The Mental Health Of Black Students: A Framework For Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Systems, Shenita Williams

Theses and Dissertations

School-based mental health is plagued with two primary challenges: (a) design and (b) service delivery. The design of school-based mental health is often comprised of fragmented, individual programs and services, and the delivery of mental-health services and support are culturally insensitive. The purpose of this Delphi study, grounded in African-centered thought (Afrocentricity), was to identify essential components of a comprehensive school-based mental-health system necessary to adequately address and support the mental health of Black students in K–12 public school settings. Through the cultural lens of Black experts, the needs of Black students along a continuum of mental health was highlighted. …

Leading Through Crisis: The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Impact On The School Principalship, A Delphi Study, Matthew J. Togna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the K-12 School Principalship and attempted to forecast the future of the principalship post-Pandemic. Using a forecasting method known as the Delphi Technique, I solicited public K-12 principals working in the Commonwealth of Virginia with at least 3 years of administrative experience to serve as participants. In total, 26 practicing principals completed three questionnaires offering their expert opinions on pre-Pandemic roles and responsibilities of the school principal and how those roles were impacted throughout the Pandemic. Additionally, the participants made predictions about the future of the school principalship. Findings …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Teacher-Student Relationships, Whitney Pasch

Theses and Dissertations

The single most impactful person in a student’s life is his or her teacher, and the relationships that are cultivated within a teacher’s classroom are lasting. When teachers bring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into the classroom, the influence of these traumatic events may have an effect on the development of teacher-student relationships. To better understand the potential relationships between teachers with two or more ACEs and their students, a qualitative case study guided by the following research questions was conducted: 1) What are teachers’ perceptions of the development of relationships with students when the teacher has experienced at least two …