Educational Leadership Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Existence And Responses To Disruptive Or Violent Behavior In Arkansas Alternative School, Karen Joan Curtner

Student Theses and Dissertations

Concern about disruptive and violent behavior has become the focus of the public schools today because of the number of incidents of violence that has occurred in the past few years across the country. The Federal and State of Arkansas legislation have focused on making schools safer by creating rules and guidelines that address policies and practices for public school districts. The number of alternative schools in Arkansas has increased due to the increasing number of students who have problems that disrupt their own and others' educational opportunities and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Middle Schools Principals' Attitudes About Inclusion, Gloria Denise Lindsey

Student Theses and Dissertations

Important legislation has demanded the education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Administrators, principals and educators in the local schools are impacted tremendously by this decision. The necessity to provide an appropriate education for special needs children while successfully implementing inclusion is a priority of all stakeholders. The need to ensure compliance with federal and state laws while providing a quality education to all children with disabilities is a primary concern. This concern has given impetus for this research study. This study examined the attitudes of 189 middle school principals in the state of Tennessee toward inclusion. …

The Relationship Between Post Reach Exit Exam (E2) Failure Remediation And Nclex-Rn Success Of Graduates Of Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Patricia Gale Allen

Student Theses and Dissertations

An ex post facto study was conducted to determine whether any relationship exists between remediation post Reach Exit Exam (E2) failure and NCLEX-RN success of graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs. Data was gathered from responses to the seventh annual validity study (V7S) offered to deans and directors of nursing programs by the Director of Research for Elsevier, Incorporated. Data focused on test groups which received administration of the E2 between September 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007. Responses from 28 baccalaureate nursing programs were included in the study. After considering each program offering of either version one, version two or …

2009-12-17 General Education Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., General Education Council.

Faculty Senate Records

General Education Council meeting minutes from December 17, 2009.

2009-12-14 General Education Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., General Education Council.

Faculty Senate Records

General Education Council meeting minutes from December 14, 2009.

Effectiveness Of Fiscal Management Tactics Used At Public Two-Year Colleges, Muriel Elaine Novak

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of fiscal management tactics public two-year chief financial officers (CFO) selected in the FY 2006-2007 budget cycle to meet budget goals. This study solicited specific effective fiscal management tactics used by two-year public colleges in FY 2006-2007. CFOs or their designee, were asked to rate the effectiveness of the tactics in executing their 2006-2007 budget. The public community college members of the American Association of Community Colleges were polled using web-based service Hosted Survey to conduct the survey. The response of 321 returned surveys meant a return rate to the …

2009-12-04 Student Media Board Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Student Media Board Meeting Minutes for December 4, 2009.

A Multidimensional Measure Of Professional Learning Communities: The Development And Validation Of The Learning Community Culture Indicator (Lcci), Courtney D. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Because of disunity among prominent professional learning community (PLC) authors, experts, and researchers, the literature was studied to develop a ten-element model that represents a unified and reconceptualized list of characteristics of a PLC. From this model, the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) was developed to measure professional learning community (PLC) implementation levels based on the ten-element model. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to determine the structural validity of the LCCI. Factor analyses provided successful levels of fit for the models tested in representing the constructs of the LCCI. Reliability measures also indicated high levels of internal consistency …

2009-12-03 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for December 3, 2009.

2009-12-03 General Education Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., General Education Council.

Faculty Senate Records

General Education Council meeting minutes from December 3, 2009.

Beginnings Of The History And Philosophy Of Andragogy 1833-2000, John Henschke

Adult Education Faculty Works

Andragogy had a very slow beginning over a period of almost one century as a term referring to the theory and practice of adult education. Numerous elements were involved in the seventy years it took to establish its foundation: starting in England and the USA; andragogy and human resource development (HRD); andragogy and self-directed learning (SDL); conflict between supporters and detractors; comparing European and USA perspectives; trust in learners' abilities; scientific foundation of andragogy; skepticism and its counter-balance; and, antecedents of andragogy. Trends in usage and considering its possible benefits set the tone for the future of andragogy from 2000 …

Women Administrators' Perceptions Of The Senior Student Affairs Officer Job Search Process, Julie Payne-Kirchmeier

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the job search perceptions of women recently interviewing for a Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) position. Six women were interviewed using a semi-structured initial interview process and a reflective follow up interview. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and sent back to the women for their review. Six major themes were identified across the women's stories concerning the SSAO job search process: gender differences were perceived in the treatment of candidates during the SSAO job search process; communication is vital for women throughout the duration of the SSAO job search process; direct interaction with …

Faculty Perceptions Of Faculty Evaluation Programs At Selected Private Colleges/Universities In The Southeast United States, Jeffrey L. Rector

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the faculty performance appraisal programs at the participating institutions. Faculty perception, regarding the effectiveness of the faculty evaluation appraisal program at their institution can be an important part of assessing the program itself. The study attempted to identify whether or not faculty members perceive that faculty performance appraisal is effective? Institutions continue to have difficulty in implementing a successful faculty performance appraisal program (Cashin, 1978). This difficulty and the need for institutions to implement effective faculty performance appraisal programs were the rationale for this study. Through analysis of the appraisal programs …

Perceptions Of Mentoring And Induction In The State Of Arkansas, Bruce W. Bryant

College of Education Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of novice teachers and mentors concerning the Arkansas model of mentoring. The independent variables of roles of the teachers (mentor teacher versus novice teacher) and gender (male versus female) were compared among the dependent variable for the overall score and its component parts that measured attitudes represented by scores related to activities, funding, time, and use of Pathwise®. A sample of teachers in Arkansas public schools who were employed as novice teachers (n = 160) or as mentors (n = 158) who have been involved in the process as outlined by the Arkansas Department of …

Principals Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Teacher Collaboration In Secondary Schools, Lonnie E. Myers

College of Education Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study examined how various practicing secondary principals in the Northwest Region of Arkansas perceive teacher collaboration within secondary schools. Job-embedded opportunities for teacher collaboration have been cited as successful ways for promoting teacher learning, which in turn will promote increased student learning (Little, 1990). Researchers and theorists cite properly supported collaboration as key to lasting school improvement (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Fullan, 1997; Little, 1990). In order for the practice of collaboration to be embedded in secondary schools, a culture must be created within a supportive environment to support the collaborative efforts. DuFour and Eaker (1998) credit …

Persistence And Success: A Study Of Cognitive, Social, And Institutional Factors Related To Retention Of Kalamazoo Promise Recipients At Western Michigan University, Michelle Ann Bakerson

Dissertations

The Kalamazoo Promise, a universal scholarship program announced in November 2005 provides four years of tuition and fees at any of Michigan's two- or fouryear public colleges or universities for students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools. This investment in the community is being replicated elsewhere across the nation, including Denver and Pittsburgh. The scholarship program lowers the cost of postsecondary education, thereby increasing incentives for high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion. Of the 307 Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship recipients who have attended Western Michigan University since its inception, 16% have been academically dismissed.

The main objectives of this …

Teacher Leadership Practices In Large Texas High Schools With Different Accountability Ratings: A Mixed Methods Study, Cynthia Molina Saldivar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A promising strategy for improving education is to use the energy of teacher leaders as agents of school change. According to Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001), teaching and learning improve where shared leadership exists, and when there is no expectation of “heroic leadership” from one person. Therefore, this mixed methods study was designed to examine teacher leadership and the leadership styles and practices of principals in large Texas high schools with different accountability ratings. Two hundred and fifteen participants consisting of teachers, teacher leaders, and leadership team members from 24 high schools were surveyed; and personal interviews were held with principals …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Implementation Of Quality Staff Development And Campus Success, Cindy Hays Sadler

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to explore what proportion of staff development as measured by the National Staff Development Council’s Standard Assessment Inventory (SAI) contributes to campus success as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Two exploratory null hypotheses were generated and tested in an attempt to explore outcomes using the SAI and TAKS scores. H0 Campus Success (Y) based on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is not a function of implementation of the National Staff Development Council Standards (X) based on Standard Assessment Inventory. H0 Campus success (Y) is not a function …

The Effect Of A State Department Of Education Mentoring Program For Teachers On Science Student Achievement, Gilda Darlene Lyon

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the Georgia Department of Education Science Specialist teacher-mentoring program on student achievement on science standardized tests. This study analyzed the impact this program has had on student achievement in participating high schools when compared with high schools across the state where the program had not intervened. The Georgia High School Graduation Test, physical science end-of-course, and biology end-of-course test data, from a three year period, we re collected from the Georgia Department of Education website and analyzed using an independent-t test and the Mann-Whitney test. While test score improvements …

Impact Of Increased Technology Use In The Free-Time Choices Of Fifth And Seventh Grade Students In A Southern School District, Cynthia Susan Miller

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The study sought to determine if increased technology use affects the free-time choices of students. While technology options have grown exponentially, time remains a fixed commodity. Therefore, it is suggested that students who increasingly use technology must draw time from more traditional childhood activities. Students' free-time activities were examined to document discernable patterns among the activities valued by students who use technology extensively and the activities valued by students who use technology less frequently. Study participants were fifth and seventh grade students in a semi-rural suburban county in the southeastern United States. The data collection instrument was a self-reporting survey …

Mathematics Achievement Of Regular Education Students By Placement In Inclusion And Non-Inclusion Classrooms And Their Principals' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Loretta Rodgers Hartfield

Dissertations

This study examined mathematics achievement of fourth and fifth grade students in Mississippi and principals' perceptions of inclusion.

A sample of 462 students from eight separate elementary schools was selected for this study. Fifteen principals completed the Principal and Inclusion Survey regarding inclusion education. Eight of the 15 principals were interviewed with 10 open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of inclusion.

Data were analyzed using an independent two-tailed t test and Pearson product moment correlation. The independent two-tailed / test was used to determine differences in mathematics achievement for fourth and fifth grade students in inclusion classrooms compared to non-inclusion classrooms …

Principal Efficacy: An Investigation Of School Principals' Sense Of Efficacy And Indicators Of School Effectiveness, Charles Wayne Lovell

Dissertations

At the individual school level, the responsibility for demonstrating school effectiveness lies on the shoulders of the building administrator. In fact, "it is widely accepted that good principals are the cornerstones of good schools and that, without a principal's leadership efforts to raise student achievement, schools cannot succeed" (Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004, p. 573). However, federal, state, and local mandates have increased the pressure on school administrators to demonstrate effectiveness. As a result, the work of school administrators has changed. Furthermore, Fullan (2003) identifies a trend that demonstrates a dramatic decrease in the principal's perceptions of effectiveness, authority, trust, and …

The Advanced Placement And International Baccalaureate Programs: The Graduates' Perspective, Shannon Saxby Smith

Dissertations

This study was designed to solicit the perspectives of AP and IB graduates who have completed at least one semester of postsecondary education about their experiences while in their respective programs. This study was also conducted to determine whether these IB graduates report that they were better prepared for postsecondary studies than students who participated in the AP program. The researcher was also able to determine whether AP and IB graduates believed they experienced any long-term benefits or detriments by having been in their programs and whether they believed their experiences were worthwhile. Lastly, the researcher was able to determine …

The Relationship Between Leadership Behaviors, Teacher Collaboration, And Student Achievement, Angela Nix Mchenry

Dissertations

Educational administrators face the unprecedented challenge of increasing student achievement for all students. One response to this challenge has been to increase and improve teacher collaboration. This study analyzed the relationship between elementary principals' leadership behaviors, teacher collaboration, and student achievement. The relationship between the variables of teacher age, years of experience, and years working with the current principal were also analyzed using multiple regression.

A random sample of 161 Mississippi elementary teachers in 15 schools were surveyed, using the researcher-designed questionnaire, Leadership for Collaboration. These responses measured the teachers' perception of their elementary principals' leadership behaviors and the level …

The Effect Of The Alabama Mathematics, Science, And Technology Initiative (Amsti) On Middle School Students' Scores In Mathematics And Science, Toni Boyd Ramey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program in middle schools reduced the gaps found between students' CRT scores; specifically, did the gaps found in the CRT scores within the respective subgroups race, gender, SES, and special/regular education narrow? The subject areas considered by this study were mathematics and science. Student-level data were collected and examined for longitudinal changes over a three year period in which the AMSTI program was implemented at two participating public middle schools. The dependent variables used were mathematics and science CRT scores …

Teacher Education Preparation Assessment System And The National Council For Accreditation Of Teacher Education Accreditation, Deborah Lynn Vaughan Stoulig

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the assessment systems of teacher preparation programs have changed since the new NCATE Standards were implemented in 2004, what methods of data collections are being used, and to measure coordinators' perceptions of the assessment systems. An electronic survey was developed by the researcher based upon a review of related literature, the researcher's personal experience, and years of reviewing data collection software. An invitation to the survey was emailed to 631 NCATE Coordinators or equivalent as identified from their institution's website with 221 participants completing the survey for a return rate of …

Correlates Of Teachers' Job Satisfaction: A Hierarchical Linear Model Study Using 2003-2004 Schools And Staffing Survey, Jeffrey M. Leslie

Dissertations

This study examines the correlates of teachers' job satisfaction. Based on the literature, it proposes that teacher satisfaction is a function of, among others, the following school process variables: (a) school influence, (b) classroom control, (c) student behavior, (d) parental support, (e) staff collegiality, (f) career/working conditions, (g) administrative communication, and (h) administrative support. The research first decomposed the amount of variance attributable to the teacher level and the school level. Since there was a significant amount of variance at the school level, the next step was to determine if and how the above school process variables were associated with …

Roles, Responsibilities, Celebrations, And Post-Presidency Aspirations Of Female College Presidents, Almeda Jacks

All Dissertations

Of the 3,300 university and college presidents in higher education in the United States, only 23% are held by females (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2007). The percentage of female students in most institutions in higher education is higher than those of male students.
The Central questions that guided this research study are as follows: What are the roles and responsibilities of presidents of higher educational institutions? How do presidents of higher education celebrate their professional and personal accomplishments? Additionally, what are the post-presidency aspirations of the eight women interviewed who all currently are in their first presidency position in …

An Analysis Of Working Conditions Of South Carolina Teachers And Expected Working Conditions Of Clemson University Student Teachers, Tammy Bobo

All Dissertations

Results of the 2007-2008 South Carolina inservice teachers' survey were analyzed for levels of reported competence, autonomy, and relatedness in existing working conditions. These results were compared to the expected level of competence, autonomy, and relatedness indicated by preservice teachers in January of 2009 at Clemson University. Levels of existing competence, autonomy, and relatedness reported by inservice teachers in their working conditions were consistently higher than the levels expected by preservice teachers and these differences were found to be significantly different using an analysis of variance.
Themes revealed by principal component analysis showed similarities to the basic needs of competence, …

Comparing Indigenous And External Teachers: Beliefs, Origins Of Beliefs, And Expectations, Richard H. Fowler

Dissertations

This phenomenology examines rural economically poor school teachers' beliefs, belief origins, and their expectations of and for their students. Data analysis employed two lenses. The proposed lens examined participants as either indigenous or external utilizing Banks' (2001) cross-cultural teaching experiences. In this study, the indigenous participants experienced childhoods in poor rural towns, while external participants experienced childhoods in urban/suburban areas. A second emergent lens examined participants as experiencing working-class or middle-class childhoods. Findings utilizing lens one were mixed and varied with no definitive pattern. The emergent lens utilizing economic class of participants' childhoods found a number of consistent differences between …