Educational Leadership Commons^™

Exploring The School Bus As An Environment For Bullying: A Phenomenological Study, Natalie Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research examined the school bus as an opportune environment for bullying behaviors. School bus drivers have the responsibility to transport students safely to and from school; however, when students use the school bus for bullying activities, the task of driving becomes a challenge to the school bus drivers. The study investigated the experiences from school bus drivers' stories of bullying behaviors on the school bus. A qualitative approach was used with a phenomenological design to obtain data for this research study. Seven school bus drivers from a metropolitan school system in southeastern United States participated in the study. …

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

All Dissertations

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

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

All Dissertations

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

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

All Dissertations

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

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

All Dissertations

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

Stakeholder Perceptions Of A University Response To Crisis, Katherine M. Kelley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to current theory-driven research in crisis communication by examining the perceptions of multiple stakeholder groups to a university crisis response strategy. Two main questions were examined in this dissertation. The first question attempted to determine if a significant difference existed between stakeholder groups and their perception of university reputation, responsibility for the crisis, and potential supportive behaviors toward the university following the university’s response to a crisis. The second asked if Coombs’s Situational Crisis Communication Theory is a practical application for universities.

The participants were from 4 stakeholder groups associated with a …

Driving And Thriving: School Bus Drivers And The Behavior Management Strategies They Use, Brian K. Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was first to determine the satisfaction level of bus drivers pertaining to school building administration, transportation department, and student behaviors, and second to identify the common behavior management strategies used by bus driver in a particular school system in east Tennessee. I also compared the common behavior management strategies used by school bus drivers who are also employed by the school system in some position in addition to this vocation with school bus drivers who are not employed by the school system other than driving the school bus. I also compared behavior management strategies in …

The Role Of Trustees In A Capital Campaign At A Public Research University, Marcia Lynn Overby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing financial environment of public universities includes competing priorities for state funding. In today's economy, state appropriations for higher education do not always keep pace with institutional need. During periods of declining state revenue, universities endure budget cuts reducing state funding. When tuition dollars cannot be increased further and state appropriations are decreased or flat, public university administrators rely on fundraising to meet their mission, goals, and vision for their institutions. The fundraising program believed to produce the greatest results is a capital campaign. Large and ambitious capital campaigns can help institutions of higher education respond to decreases in …

A Phenomenological Study Of Women Leaders In Adventist Higher Education Institutions, Nadine Anna Joseph

Human Subject Research Archive

Using purposive sampling techniques, this phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of 6 women who served as presidents of Adventist Higher Education Institutions, to uncover how they were able to become one of the few women presidents. Data was collected through interviews, observations/shadowing, field notes/researcher’s journal, the Leadership Practice Inventory–Self by Kouzes and Posner (1995), demographic survey sheet, and curriculum vitae. The findings revealed that the participants had positive experiences with parents, teachers, role models, and male mentors who influenced their leadership development. Interestingly, they did not struggle to earn the positions as presidents but rather felt led by God …

The Influence Of Curriculum Quality On Student Achievement On The New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge (Nj Ask) Language Arts And Mathematics For Fifth-Grade Students In The Lowest Socioeconomic School Districts, Jessica Luciano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the strength and direction of the relationships between student and school variables found in the present literature to influence student achievement on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) language arts and mathematics for fifth-grade students in the lowest socioeconomic school districts. The purpose of this study was to explain the influence of curriculum customization at the school level. The independent variables in this study were: curriculum design, curriculum development, influential forces that drive curriculum, socioeconomic status including free and reduced lunch status, teachers with graduate degrees, attendance rates, percentage of special education students, …

The Influence Of The Length Of The School Day On The Percentage Of Proficient And Advanced Proficient Scores On The New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge For Grades 6, 7, And 8, Danielle Rosalba Sammarone

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This cross-sectional, correlational, explanatory study aimed to explain the influence of the length of the school day on the total percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced Proficient (TPAP) on the New Jersey Ask (NJ ASK) in both Language Arts and Mathematics in Grades 6-8. The data analyzed included the length of the school day with controlled student, staff, and school variables. The study aimed to provide research-based evidence on the intervention that is being imposed on some school districts by policy makers and bureaucrats. The results from the study serve to distinguish how this intervention influences TPAP based …

A Principal’S Working Day, Danielle Meloney

Teacher infographics

What is the task that takes up the most time in a principal's working day? Find out in this Teacher infographic.

Standing Rules Of The Board Of Regents Of The University Of Nebraska, As Adopted July 18, 2014, University Of Nebraska Board Of Regents

University of Nebraska Board of Regents: Policies, Acts, and Other Materials

SECTION 1. Structure of the Board

SECTION 2. Meetings of the Board

SECTION 3. Agenda for Board Meetings

SECTION 4. Conduct of Board Meetings

SECTION 5. Appearances Before the Board

SECTION 6. Records of the Board

SECTION 7. Waiver of and Amendments to Standing Rules of the Board

SECTION 8. Reference Guide for Board Meetings

SECTION 9. Expenses

SECTION 10. Board Member Requests for Reports

Graduate Program Practices At Western University, Gloria J. Leckie

Purple Guides

Based on interviews with graduate chairs and faculty, the guide catalogues practices in graduate education, from recruitment through coursework, comprehensive exams, thesis proposals, to placement and tracking.

Parts Of The Whole: Strategies For The Spread Of Quantitative Literacy: What Models Can Tell Us, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

Two conceptual frameworks, one from graph theory and one from dynamical systems, have been offered as explanations for complex phenomena in biology and also as possible models for the spread of ideas. The two models are based on different assumptions and thus predict quite different outcomes for the fate of either biological species or ideas. We argue that, depending on the culture in which they exist, one can identify which model is more likely to reflect the survival of two competing ideas. Based on this argument we suggest how two strategies for embedding and normalizing quantitative literacy in a given …

Can A One-Size-Fits-All Parental Involvement Framework Be Applied To An Entire School District? A Comparative Case Study Of A District Magnet Program, Bradley Wayne Finkbiner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a district magnet program that required high levels of actual parental involvement. The district that houses this program uses Epstein's framework of parent involvement to reach out to all families. The research sought to match parent responses with the magnet program expectations and the Epstein framework. Interviews were conducted and completed with twenty-four participants including diverse backgrounds. Particularly sought after were parents from different ethnic groups and gender within two separate middle schools. The research also endeavored to learn how the district school choice program forced parents to navigate their child's enrollment, whether at the elementary school …

Conceptual Frameworks And Research Models On Resilience In Leadership, Janet Ledesma

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article was to discuss conceptual frameworks and research models on resilience theory. The constructs of resilience, the history of resilience theory, models of resilience, variables of resilience, career resilience, and organizational resilience will be examined and discussed as they relate to leadership development. The literature demonstrates that there is a direct relationship between the stress of the leader’s job and his or her ability to maintain resilience in the face of prolonged contact with adversity. This article discusses resilience theory as it relates to leadership development. The concept associated with resilience, which includes thriving and hardiness, …

The Greenbook, Faculty Handbook, 2014-2015, Marshall University Academic Affairs

The Greenbook

This book has been published for the faculty of Marshall University for the specified period of time. This book was created by what is now known as Academic Affairs and is for the period of 2014-2015.

Instructional Leadership Practices Of Louisiana Elementary And Middle School Principals, Michael Ramon Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations

For principals in Louisiana, instructional leadership, in theory and practice, informs the foundation of ways they are trained and evaluated as school leaders. Identifying the specific instructional leadership practices that are tied to gains in student achievement has become critical for principals, and more importantly for their students. The focus of this research is in the area of principals' instructional leadership practices and student achievement in two northwestern Louisiana school districts. Such a study is important in order to provide effective training and development to Louisiana principals.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' perceptions …

The Relationship Between Configurations Of The New Tech High School Model And Student Achievement, Kyle Grant Machen

Doctoral Dissertations

Traditional educational environments have been documented as being potential barriers to improving student achievement. Consequently, reform models, such as the New Tech High School (NTHS), were created to enable educators to fundamentally rethink teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the NTHS, as a reform model, is an effective vehicle to increase student achievement. The study examined the relationship between NTHS models and desired outcomes of the New Tech Network (NTN) as indicated by: state proficiency exams, End of Course (EOC) exams; a college and career readiness exam, the American College Test (ACT); and, School …

Coaching Teachers Of English Language Learners, Alma D. Rodríguez, Michelle H. Abrego, Renee Rubin

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

The following qualitative study examined how Reading First Literacy Coaches refined their literacy coaching to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in 30 elementary schools located along the US Mexico Border. Data were gathered from the coaches through written surveys and a focus group. Findings from the coaches' practices identified three themes: 1) Coaches understood bilingual programs and the theory underlying such instruction; 2) Coaches supported teachers of ELLs by sharing their knowledge and experiences about ELLs; and 3) Coaches faced challenges in meeting the needs of teachers of Hispanic ELLs. This study is …

Effects Of Poverty Funding On Literacy Achievement Over Time In Arkansas Schools, Rick Gales

College of Education Dissertations

This dissertation provides additional background to the limited research regarding the effectiveness of the use of state categorical money on literacy achievement measured by the Arkansas Literacy Benchmark Exam for a cohort of third through sixth grade students and a cohort of fifth through eighth grade students in Arkansas school districts. Using a non-experimental design, the researcher tested two hypotheses using a mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). The independent variables for the two hypotheses were change over time with two levels measured in school years (2008 versus 2009 versus 2010 versus 2011) and the two NSLA funding levels. The …

Negligence, Student Supervision, And School Business Officials, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

With a new school year on the horizon, the topic of adequate student supervision is once again on educators’ minds. Whether students are attending classes, playing in school yards, or participating in extracurricular sports or other activities, educators are at risk of liability for injuries that children sustain if officials fail to meet their duty to protect youngsters from unreasonable risks of harm.

Accordingly, awareness of the principles relating to the legal duty to supervise students adequately and the defenses to negligence can go a long way toward shielding school districts from liability. As evidenced by the representative cases cited …

Examining The Perceptions Of Trust Between Principals And Teachers In Elementary Schools With High Student Academic Achievement, Gabriela Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of trust between principals and teachers. The problem identified that few scholars have examined the perceptions of trust of Hispanic Teachers and Administrators to determine if there are similarities or differences, and how this is sustained to improve student achievement. The reviewed literature argues that school administrators need to carefully assess if their interactions include characteristics of building trust because it may be related to student academic achievement. This research study was quantitative and conducted in Brownsville, Texas in Cameron County. The Brownsville ISD is comprised of 37 elementary schools …

Single Gender Language Arts Classes And The Impact On Achievement Of Males, Brock English

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative research design was to analyze the relationship between Language Arts scale scores of elementary male students on the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Version 2 (MCT2) and the type of classroom, mixed-gender or single-gender. The study also analyzed the percentage of questions answered correctly on the MCT2 in the English Language Arts sub-categories of vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and grammar. Archival data of 222 students was used, 100 male students in single-gender classes and 122 students in mixed-gender classes. The study was conducted in an urban elementary public school with a diverse population in northeast Mississippi. …

Teacher Perspectives Of Professional Learning Community Teams With Respect To Their Collective Inquiries: A Case Study, Allen Pratt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perspectives of secondary level teachers in East Tennessee who are involved in Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams regarding both the environment and sharing of best teaching practices. The study examined PLC teams to better understand how the team design, interaction, and the process of collaboration enabled teachers to coexist as adult learners. The basic research question lies in what are teacher perspectives of PLCs relating to the environment of the collective inquiry and the transfer of knowledge at the secondary school level. The study examined PLC teams to better …

The Effect That Confidence Has On The Behavior Of The Principal And Superintendent As The School's Educational Leader, Thomas Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative bounded, multi-site case study was to explore the effect that confidence has on the behavior of the principal and superintendent as the school's educational leader. The participants of this study were principals and superintendents of eight K-12 institutions in Northern Colorado. While the data addressing this multi-level epistemological observation are revealed through the narrative process, the framework for observing and codifying the research was derived from a qualitative multi-site case methodology where participants engaged in interviews and surveys, and whereby the researcher synthesized three research fields into one. Data were collected from the participant leaders …

Conflict Handling Styles Among College Students: The Influence Of Conflict Training, Personality, And Family Conflict Resolution, Abel Waithaka

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold; first, it was to examine the influence of personality and family conflict resolution on conflict handling styles. Second, the study aimed to investigate the impact of conflict resolution skills training on conflict handling styles, and conflict orientation of the participants. Personality was measured by Big Five Inventory (BFI), while family conflict was measure by Family Conflict Resolution scale. Conflict handling styles was measured by the Thomas-Kilmann MODE instrument, while Conflict orientation was measured by conflict orientation survey instrument. The training was carried out using a conflict handling video training. Data was collected in …

A Case Study Of The Characteristics Of A Lead Administrator Of A Full-Time Faith-Based Virtual School, Todd English

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study is to investigate the leadership characteristics of the lead administrator at East Online Academy (EOA). At this stage in the research, characteristics will be generally defined as the daily actions that affect the success or failure of leading the organization. The term "lead administrator" will refer to any individual who is the overall leader of the organization. The lead administrator for this study will be the director of the online school. The rationale for the study is a void in the literature addressing the characteristics of an administrator in the daily operation of …

Leadership Qualities Necessary For Educational Leaders To Become Effective Turnaround Principals: A Grounded Theory Study, Sherri Irish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was two-fold: to understand how educational leaders help failing schools and to generate a theoretical model to explain the leadership qualities necessary to elicit a successful turnaround. Four research questions related to turnaround principals' experiences and leadership qualities guided this study. Participants included four middle and high school principals within the state of Michigan. Participants were selected based on their involvement in successfully turning around a failing school. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and observations. Data was analyzed using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding …