Educational Leadership Commons^™

Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory To Understand Community Partnerships: An Historical Case Study Of One Urban High School, Jack Leonard

Leadership in Education Faculty Publication Series

While the value of school-community partnerships is unquestioned, we do not understand sufficiently the reasons for success and failure. This mixed-methods case study examines 60 years of partnering at one urban high school using Bronfenbrenner‟s ecological systems theory to better understand the effect on student development as measured by variables such as graduation, attendance and dropout rates, Successful partners achieved “cultural cohesion” by building collaborative relationships that encircled students, while failed partnerships ignored ecological theory. In contrast to conventional reform strategies that focus on curriculum and/or school structure, the author offers a cultural reform strategy that emphasizes relationships.

Educational Computer Use In The Schools Of Southern Belize, Wesley Hickey, Peggy Gill, Joyce Nuner, Rowan Ljungdahl

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Developing countries are defined by their lack of wealth (The World Bank, 2011). This means that many of the educational innovations that developed countries take for granted, such as computer availability, may naot be as accessible for educational use in developing countries. This use of technology has become an important educational tool in most nations, as increasing comfort with and knowledge of its use plays an important role in the academic development of students. In the United States, greater access to technology based instruction has increased along with more access to computer-based technology (Russell, Damian, O’Dwyer, & O’Conner, 2003). Although …

Graduate Online Bulletin, 2011-2012 (2011), Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Volunteer Work And Socializing Activities: Impact On Campus Internationalization, Nasser Razek, Ghada M. Awad

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The social and cultural adjustment challenges facing international students have always attracted the attention of university and college administrators (Pinheiro, 2001; Reedstrom, 2005; Zhao, Kuh &, Carini, 2005). As colleges try to make up for the loss in international recruitment in the post 9/11 phase, various volunteer efforts are encouraged to welcome, orient, and integrate international students into the American life and society (Wit, 2002). While serving their original purpose of asserting the friendliness and the welcoming gestures of host institutions to international students, these volunteer efforts aim indirectly to increase international enrollment and campus internationalization. Recognizing the possible potentials …

Behind The Veil: Cultural Challenges And Opportunities For A New International Student Group, Nasser Razek, Sandra C. Coyner

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The number of Saudi students studying in the United States quintupled from 3,035 students in 2005 to 15,810 students in 2010 due to a fully funded Saudi government scholarship (Open Doors, 2010). As students originating in a cultural background differing from the prevailing principles of their higher education institutions, Saudi students face several challenges. The cultural challenges are one of the most frequently apparent among these challenges (Constantine, Okazaki, & Utsey, 2004; Miller, 2002). Building upon the relationship between the cultural beliefs and student academic achievement, this study aimed at examining the cultural aspects of the increased presence of Saudi …

Missions And Practices Of Student Learning Assessment: An International Comparative Study, Nasser Razek, Ghada M. Awad

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Classroom assessment of student learning is part and parcel of the educational processes that both faculty and administrators use to guide their practices, ensure program effectiveness, and use as checkpoints for student achievement (Palomba & Panta, 1999). Mission statements and articulated policies often mention varied and continuous assessment techniques of student learning. However, how much they are reflected on the educational practices varies due to different factors like government mandates, requirements of accreditation, social factors, market forces, and accountability to stake holders which can all be credited for the degree of adherence to assessment best practices (Burke, 2005). This qualitative …

Media Literacy Standard Implementation In Florida Perceptions Of High School Principals And Language Arts Curriculum Leaders, Andrew L. Ritchie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which educators in Florida public high schools perceived the Florida Media Literacy Standard to be implemented within their schools. This study also identified strategies that school leaders were using to successfully implement the Florida Media Literacy Standard and any perceived barriers to the implementation process. The Florida Media Literacy Standard was designed to address decision-making and critical thinking skills with regards to research, evaluation, and communication with various types of media. The standard was introduced in Florida public schools in 2007 with its inclusion in the Next Generation Sunshine …

Interdisciplinary Studies Students' Academic And Social Engagement A Quantitative Study, Jessica Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored interdisciplinary studies students‟ academic and social engagement. As the review of literature demonstrated, student engagement and satisfaction are important to retention and institutions can adopt policies and practices to foster student engagement. Because interdisciplinary studies programs often struggle to maintain relevance, fostering student engagement is one way to ensure maximum student satisfaction and retention. This study identified factors of student engagement that were positively related to satisfaction and confirmed that requiring core interdisciplinary studies courses had a positive impact on engagement. A quantitative instrument, the Interdisciplinary Studies Student Engagement Survey, was adapted from the National Survey of …

An Analysis Of The Effect Of Involuntary Mobility On Student Achievement As Measured By The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Mark Willard Mullins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of involuntary mobility on the academic achievement of tenth grade students in a Central Florida school district. Students of involuntary mobility were selected as the result of new attendance boundaries due to new high school construction. Students were compared against non-mobile peers at schools of like demographics (i.e. poverty level and ethnicity). Mobility status (involuntary or no mobility) was the independent variable. The dependent variable, academic achievement, was measured by students’ tenth grade developmental scale scores in reading and mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Students’ ninth grade test scores were used as a …

An Analysis Of Professional Education Course Content Specific To Classroom Management And Student Motivation Within Selected Ncate Accredited Teacher Preparation Programs, Donna M. Babcock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to complete a micro-examination of professional education course content related to classroom management and student motivation in approximately 24 traditional teacher preparation programs (TTPP) drawn from the eight of the10 largest teacher-producing states. Programs of study, course descriptions from the school catalogs, course syllabi, and student teaching handbooks or field guides for professional education courses were analyzed to determine what, if any, knowledge voids existed within selected programs designed to serve preservice teachers. Specifically, the researcher investigated materials to discover the depth and breadth of the professional education course content related to classroom management …

The School Leadership Program Communication Hub: Building Actionable Knowledge About Improving Leadership Preparation, Steve Myran, Karen Sanzo, Jennifer Clayton

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Recent critics of university-based educational leadership preparations programs have alleged that the programs are out of touch with the contemporary practices of PK-12 school leaders. These complaints about preparation programs have resulted in new and innovative ways to prepare leaders, including the federally funded United States Department of Education School Leadership Program. This manuscript documents the development of a "Communication Hub", which serves as a vehicle to disseminate lessons learned about the United States Department of Education School Leadership Program. While the Communication Hub is still in its early phases of development and finding the best paths to serve the …

The Impact Of The Nisl Executive Development Program On School Performance In Massachusetts: Cohort 2 Results, John A. Nunnery, Steven M. Ross, Shanan Chappell, Shana Pribesh, Elizabeth Hoag-Carhart

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School leaders are increasingly being asked, whether by rhetoric or policy, to measurably improve student achievement. The resultant need to assist school leaders in their ability to improve teaching and learning for all students in their schools led to the establishment of the National Institute of School Leadership's (NISL's) Executive Development Program. The NISL program emphasizes the role of principals as strategic thinkers, instructional leaders, and creators of a just, fair, and caring culture in which all students meet high standards. The current national focus on the importance of effective, instructional leadership has, in turn, led to calls for principal …

Novice Principals Need Peer Mentoring, Rosalinda Hernandez, Velma D. Menchaca

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

In this era of accountability, principals are now responsible for student achievement on high-stakes state-mandated assessments and the No Child Left Behind Act. The novice principals who enter the profession today face a multitude of issues as they learn on the job. Skills necessary to lead highly complex schools are not learned in traditional principal preparation programs, therefore, it becomes essential to support and assist novice principals at the beginning of the principalship career with a peer mentor, a more experienced school leader. Peer mentoring allows the principals to be socialized into the profession they are about to embark on …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Students' Anxiety And Test Performance On State-Mandated Assessments, Rosalinda Hernandez, Velma D. Menchaca, Jeffery J. Huerta

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined whether relationships exist between Hispanic fourth-grade students' anxiety and test performance on a state-mandated writing assessment. Quantitative methodologies were employed by using test performance and survey data from 291 participants. While no significantly direct relationship exists between students' levels of anxiety and their performance on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) writing assessment, other findings indicate that greater time spent on the writing assessment, result in higher scores as well as greater levels of anxiety. (Contains 3 tables.)

Creating A Learning Environment To Increase Early Adolescent Motivation: A Dissertation, Mark Logan

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study focuses on early adolescent motivation in school. It is an inquiry that seeks to understand the factors that contribute to students’ engagement in their learning through student and teacher perceptions. I examined significant research often cited as impacting motivation, including early adolescent development, middle school structures, transitions, student/teacher relationships, and parental involvement. I surveyed 345 sixth grade students on their perceptions of their own learning, thoughts, and behaviors. Participating students attended schools with various middle school age configurations, including K-8, K-12, 5-8, and 6-8. Schools represented public and charter public schools and were located in urban, suburban, and …

Gender Differences In Student Engagement Among Emerging Adults Attending A Small Faith-Based University, Melvin P. Shuster

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

The single best predictor of the success of university sponsored student development activities is the degree to which the students are engaged in these activities (Kuh, 2007). Sax (2008) observes though that much of our understanding of the impact of the college experience is based on the study of students in the aggregate, with relatively little work done on how the college environment differentially influences men and women. The present work investigated gender differences among Emerging Adults (ages 18- 29) (Arnett, 2000) in their engagement of university sponsored activities at a small faith based university located in Northern California. The …

Learning Organization Principles: The Impact On A Midwest State Government As Perceived By Its Employees, Rosalee Billingslea Rush

Dissertations

This study sought to determine the extent to which learning organization constructs influence performance in state government. The overarching purpose was to examine the relationship between Peter Senge’s five learning disciplines and organizational performance.

The study utilized an ex post facto survey design. The sample population was composed of supervisors and professional and administrative staff within the 19 agencies of a Midwestern state government. Participants were administered an instrument that asked them to rate their perception of the organization and its performance along seven dimensions of learning. Of the randomly selected 381 participants, 110 (or 28.9%) returned the survey instrument. …

Highly Qualified Public School Teacher: Its Status, Distribution, Determinants, And Relationship With Job Commitment And Job Satisfaction, Samuel Striker

Dissertations

Highly qualified teacher (HQT) has been promoted as a policy instrument to improve our public education. In this study, I investigated the quality of public school teachers by examining the distribution pattern of highly qualified teachers across school level, urbanicity, minority student population, and core academic fields. I also investigated what teacher characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, total years of teaching, certification, bachelor's degree in mathematics and sciences vs. in other areas, teaching level) predict highly qualified teacher status after controlling for school characteristics (% of minority students, % of free and reduced-price lunch, school size, and school location). Finally, I …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Perceptions And Use Of Adventist Edge : An Initiative Developed In Response To The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists' Document, "Journey To Excellence", Pamela C. Forbes

Dissertations

Problem. The Southern Union started the Adventist EDGE initiative as an action plan in response to the North American Division's document, Journey to Excellence . The Adventist EDGE became a comprehensive educational reform initiative. However, there were different ideas on how the innovation should look when inaction in the schools, and these differences became obvious during the initial EDGE school validation visit, resulting in hurt feelings and confusion. Thus, the need for my study to clarify EDGE became critical for the survival of the initiative.

Purpose. The purpose of my study was to develop two operational definitions or …

Students With Special Needs, Reading Education, And Principals: Bridging The Divide Through Instructional Leadership, Sanzo Karen, Jennifer Clayton, Whitney Sherman

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Principals are held accountable for achievement results of students on state-mandated assessments. Special needs students who struggle with literacy can impact the pass rates on these assessments. This study identifies how reading is taught to special needs students in both self-contained and inclusion settings at the secondary level in one school district determines how school leaders may or may not be facilitating this process and identifies ways school leaders can more effectively facilitate special education reading programs and processes.

Considering Distributed Leadership And Its Effects On Teacher Leadership Practices And Student Achievement, Justin Finney

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the construct of distributed leadership in schools. This work presents the results of a theory building study investigating the following research questions: (a) In schools, is there a relationship between distributed leadership practices and increased student achievement? (b) How does distributed leadership shape and inform the experiences, practices, and agency of teachers and school administrators within a school that espouses a distributed paradigm with regard to its leadership and management practices? These questions were considered through a longitudinal mixed methods study of the leadership practices at Grantham Middle School and Bishop Elementary. The findings suggest that distributed …

Certification Of Financial Aid Administrators, Stacey A. Peterson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The certification of financial aid administrators has been debated for over 37 years. A job satisfaction survey conducted by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA, 2008a) revealed that college and university administrators' perceptions of the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the services provided by the financial aid office have a direct effect on the job satisfaction of financial aid practitioners. The study also hinted at a possible link between these perceptions and the resources allocated to the financial aid office. Open-ended comments collected as a part of the survey suggested that while members of the financial aid …

The Relationship Between Leader-Member Exchange And Job Satisfaction: Measuring Lmx Quality And Job Satisfaction Of Supervisors And Subordinates, Colleen M. Hayden

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There is an abundance of literature focusing on the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and job satisfaction of subordinates. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between the leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and job satisfaction of subordinates as well as introduce the analysis of this relationship for supervisors into the literature. This non-experimental, correlational study focused on the analysis of 22 pairs of supervisor and subordinate LMX and job satisfaction survey responses. The data were analyzed to determine the relationship between: (1) subordinate LMX quality and job satisfaction; (2) supervisor LMX quality and job satisfaction; …

A Comparison Of Eighth Grade Athletes And Non-Athletes Academic Achievement, Time Spent On Homework, Future Educational Goals, And Socioeconomic Status, John F. Shelby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the differences between eighth grade athletes and nonathletes in terms of mathematics and reading achievement based on standardized test scores from direct cognitive assessments in mathematics and reading. The data for this study came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998- 1999 (ECLS-K). Data were collected from student and parent surveys in conjunction with direct cognitive assessments. The research questions were as follows: 1. To what extent is there a difference in mathematics achievement between eighth grade athletes and non-athletes while controlling for self-reported future educational goals and socioeconomic status? 2. To what extent …

Equity In Mississippi: A Study Of Public School Funding, Michael Lee Putnam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study analyzes the level of equity of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula through an analysis of the base per-pupil per district allocation system. This study researches the levels of horizontal equity, vertical equity, and fiscal neutrality in relation to the equity designed in the original 1993 proposal. The relationship between the current levels of equity found in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program and the proposed levels of equity holds significant interest for the Mississippi state legislature and educational leaders throughout the state of Mississippi. The funding formulas for Fiscal Year 2004 and Fiscal Year 2010 are …

Examining The Relationship Between Financial Aid And Three Aspects Of Students' First-Year Experience: Grade Point Averages, Persistence, And Housing Decisions, Aaron M. Skira

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between financial aid and three aspects of students' first-year experience: grade point averages, persistence, and housing decisions. Analyses from data obtained from one public four-year institution in the Midwest found few differences in grade point averages, persistence, and housing decisions between students who received financial aid and those who did not. However, when examining the dependent variables among students who received different types of financial aid, several significant differences were found. Students who received scholarships and work study had significantly higher grade point averages than those who did not; …

Measuring Leaders' Attitudes About The Use Of Story To Communicate Organizational Vision, Tamala S. Vaughn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot an instrument to measure leaders' attitudes concerning the use of story in communicating organizational vision. Although story can be an effective communication tool, an instrument that measures leaders' attitudes could not be found. In this research, an instrument to measure leaders' attitudes regarding the use of story to communicate organizational vision was developed and piloted. The instrument was administered to a pilot group of for-profit and non-profit leaders in the final phase of this research. The results indicated that leaders perceive it is favorable to use story to communicate organizational …

The Cuny Academic Commons: Fostering Faculty Use Of The Social Web, Matthew K. Gold, George Otte

Publications and Research

This paper analyzes the implementation of an academic social network that connects faculty members, administrators, and graduate students in a multi-campus university system. Part of a new generation of university-sponsored virtual spaces that foreground social networking, the CUNY Academic Commons has fostered a growing community of members who use the site to collaborate with colleagues across the system. This paper describes the processes involved in creating the site and offers guidance to institutions considering similar projects.

The Impact Of Leadership Training On Collegiate Student Athletes, Jerry Bergsma

Dissertations

This research is an exploratory study of the impact of leadership training on the student-athletes at an NCAA Division III member institution. Leadership education and training for athletics has seen a lack of research that could give insight into identifying attributes and actions that are associated with high-quality leadership training experiences. The purpose of this study is to identify the: (a) quality and outcomes of the Gainey Leadership Retreat training program, and (b) the attributes and impact of the Gainey program using the lens of Eich's (2008) wounded theory of high-quality student leadership programs.

The study participants are 60 female …

Assessment Of Case-Based Integrated Learning As A Part Of Dental Curriculum Reform, Nader A. Nadershahi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There has been a growing call for change in the management of dental education programs, and, in response to this call, the faculty and staff at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry developed the Pacific Dental Helix Curriculum management model. The first major component of this curriculum was the development of the Integrated Clinical Science Strand of the Helix focused on multidisciplinary and case-based andragogies. The mixed method research design was used to identify common aspects of Case-Based Learning and multi-disciplinary teaching through a qualitative analysis of curricular materials and to analyze their impact on …