Educational Leadership Commons^™

Loving The Academy: Helping Educators Understand Characteristics Of Black College Students’ Romantic Relationships, Miriam Chitiga

Faculty Working Papers from the School of Education

The paper presents the results of a survey on the characteristics of black college students’ romantic relationships, including types of relationships, the reasons for beginning and ending relationships and the elements of successful relationships. The anonymous electronic survey was voluntarily completed and included questions that allowed for both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The findings of the study reveal that students, who may be involved in stable and committed relationships, begin relationships for emotional needs and romance but acknowledge that compatible personality traits are the key to successful relationships. They cite cheating, partner abuse, and control as major causes of break-ups. …

The Impact Of Performance Evaluations On Teachers' Instructional Practices And Student Achievement : Evidence From A Rural School District, Lee Ann Calvert

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance evaluation procedures in a local county school district to find out if the performance evaluation system influenced student achievement. Can effective teaching be linked, via evaluation tools and rubrics, to student achievement outcomes? A second focus of this research investigation was to examine the impact that the county's evaluation system had on teacher practice. Does the evaluation system provide a crucial link between student achievement and teacher performance, or do teachers view it as a formality, or worse, as a less-than-meaningful mandated exercise? This investigation will be the first step …

Determining Effective Leadership Competencies Of School-Based Administrators Overseeing Special Education Programs Within Virginia Public Schools, Patrice A. Thompson

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The effective leadership of special education programs is an essential component in providing students with disabilities access to a free and appropriate public education. Special education administrators are responsible for ensuring that special education programs are provided and that special education law is followed in order for students with disabilities to access a free and appropriate public education. Perceptions of competencies needed for the effective leadership of special education programs were similar between the participant groups in a state-wide survey. In addition, training experiences had an impact on the self-reported proficiency levels of competencies rated by school-based special education administrators.

Graduate School Experiences And Post-Graduation Plans Of International Science And Engineering Doctoral Students At A Public University, Dorothy N. Ugwu

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This quantitative study examines the graduate school experiences of international science and engineering doctoral students at a public University and aims at understanding to what extent graduate school experience influences their post-graduation plans. It highlights problems international doctoral students go through such as adapting to a new culture, struggling with English language difficulties, experiencing cultural, social, and academic adjustment problems. Recommendations include development of institutional initiatives to provide socio-cultural and academic support and also changes in immigration policies that can sustain the retention of more international doctoral students in science and engineering fields upon the completion of their studies. Finally, …

Teacher Self-Efficacy In A Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Classroom, Thomas Edward Cyprian

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Preparing students, in the K-12 pipeline and in higher education institutions, will require new skills, soft skills, to ensure success in a 21st century workforce (Wagner, 2008). Soft skills, defined as being able to communicate effectively, to collaborate with others, to think creatively, and to have strong ethics, are challenging for teachers to address in a traditional classroom setting. While traditional instruction systems focus primarily on quantifiable results, project-based learning (PBL) is a proven instructional delivery system in which teachers facilitate instruction to assist in the acquisition of soft skills. Through the lens of teacher self-efficacy, a tenet of academic …

Single-Gender School Settings And Student Achievement: A Study Of One Texas Girls' Academy, Rebecca Raemayhugh Navarre

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic success of female students selected to enter the single-gender school and female students' eligible but not selected to the single-gender school setting. Since single-gender settings are reported to narrow the academic achievement gap of underprivileged students, especially minority inner-city students, this population received additional review. Proponents of single-gender education have argued that boys and girls have different learning styles and need to be educated separately for maximum academic success (Sax, 2010). Single-gender education advocates believe in an equal but separate educational system based on the idea that males and females …

Non-Legal Factors And Judging In K-12 Race Discrimination Cases At United States Supreme Court: 1954-2013, Ryan Mccoy

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the influence of political ideology, appointment era, decisional era, and religious affiliation on voting at the United States Supreme Court in K-12 race discrimination cases using binary logistic regression as its main statistical tool. The principal findings for this group of K-12 decisions covering the period 1954-2013 are: (1) justices appointed by Republican presidents voted significantly more often in a conservative pro-school district direction in K-12 race discrimination disputes than justices appointed by Democratic presidents; (2) justices appointed in 1981 and later [the Reagan and later appointees voted significantly more often in a conservative pro-school district direction …

Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In United States Courts Of Appeal In Higher Education Sex Discrimination In Employment Cases, Leanne Marie Hutson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Despite the general increase of women in the workforce, there has been an increase in sex discrimination law suits brought in the U. S. every year (Beiner, 2005). Plaintiffs alleging gender-based workplace discrimination use three principal grounds for their claims - the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A. § 2000 ), and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.A. § 1681-1863). This study examines the important area of employment gender discrimination cases involving higher education institutions rendered in the United …

Superintendent's Practical Intelligence Across High And Low Performing School Districts, Sandra Brigette Whaley

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to compare the practical intelligence scores of Texas superintendents in high performing and low performing school districts. The Tacit Knowledge Inventory for Superintendents used in this study was developed by Dr. Christian Mueller with demographic questions added by the researcher. Responses to the tacit knowledge inventory scenario items were rated using a Likert scale. Superintendents in exemplary and academically unacceptable school districts were invited to participate in this research. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted and examined for differences in the superintendents' mean scores in the tacit knowledge categories. There were no statistically significant differences in …

Non-Legal Influences On Individual Voting And Decisional Outcomes In K-12 Sex Discrimination In Employment Claims In United States Courts Of Appeal: 1964-2013, Rachel Holloway Roberts

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This investigation examined K-12 gender discrimination education in the workplace and litigations arising through the United States Court of Appeals between the years of 1964 and 2013 through Equal Protection, Title VII and Title IX claims. This investigation consisted of judges individual voting decisions and panel effects on the United States Court of Appeals and their relationship to judge level characteristics (party affiliation, judge gender, plaintiff gender, decision date and appointment era), and panel composition in cases brought pursuant to Equal Protection, Title VII and Title IX K-12 gender discrimination decisions during the years of 1964-2013. This study attempts to …

The Strategies, Tools, And Visual Media Used By K-12 Curriculum Directors, Instructional Coaches, Specialists, And Writers To Teach Reading: A Delphi Study, Alexander Nghiem Frasier

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategies, tools, and visual media used by K-12 curriculum directors, instructional coaches, specialists, and writers to teach reading in Texas. Also, the study examined what strategies, tools, and visual media were encouraged to use during professional development courses among participants. Specifically, the potential of using visual media such as graphic novels, comic books, and Japanese manga were investigated. The study incorporated the Delphi Method. An expert panel composed of 35 participants took part in the study. Participants came to consensus on 21 important items composed of 2 strategies, 10 tools, and …

An Empirical Analysis Of Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In Student-Initiated Sex Discrimination Suits In Higher Education, Lynn Cope

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The sexual interaction among students and educators has become a significant social issue in higher education, resulting in claims being brought to the U.S. courts by students and parents alleging sex discrimination and sexual harassment. These claims have been based on three principal legal theories: 1) the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, (2) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A. §2000), and (3) Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.A. §1681-1863). During its first phase, this study examined U.S. Courts of Appeal and U.S. District Court …

Academic Trajectories Of Community College Students: A Comparative Study Of Ged Recipients And Traditional High School Graduates, Karen Leigh Blue

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of secondary education credential on the academic trajectories of community college students enrolled in courses and programs at a large urban community college in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The study is based on the assumption that academic capital acquired at college level, and evident in student outcomes, is built on pre-college academic preparedness and affected by one's college trajectory, being qualified by student's demographic characteristics. The results indicate that GED recipients required more remedial coursework than high school graduates, especially in mathematics. In addition, the GED recipients were less likely …

Do Teachers' Backgrounds Matter? Examining Teachers With Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds' Perceptions Of Teaching Economically Disadvantaged Students, Demetrus Liggins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This qualitative study explored how teachers from low-income backgrounds perceived their roles as teachers of economically disadvantaged students. The specific setting was Pinewood Park Elementary School in North Texas (a pseudonym), which was a Title I, low-income, elementary school campus with 96.2% economically, disadvantaged students that earned an "Exemplary" rating for the 2010-2011 academic year and a rating of "Recognized" for 2011-2012. Seven third - fifth grade teachers of varied ethnic groups and varying years of teaching experience, who all identified as having low-income backgrounds during grade school participated in one-on-one interviews. They were selected, because the students in their …

Investigating Student Engagement In Mathematical Conversation: Teacher Questions Eliciting Student Responses, Glenda L. Mitchell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Mathematics educators advocate that K-12 teachers should create classrooms where students are engaged in conversation about mathematical ideas. However to achieve these goals, it is important that teachers understand how to engage students in discussion. The purpose of this study was to identify teacher questions and student responses in a problem solving environment and examine how teachers used questioning to engage students in conversation. The findings provide descriptions of the dialogue that transpires between teachers and student as mathematical ideas are developing in the learning process. This study contributes to the mathematical research of constructivist learning theory by providing information …

Beyond Delay: A Qualitative Examination Of The Successful Delay Of Postsecondary Education Of Latter-Day Saint Returned Missionaries, Jared A. Jepson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This qualitative study fills a void in the research on postsecondary education delayers by examining the postsecondary experiences of six male Latter-day Saint Return Missionaries from the North Texas area who delayed enrolling in college in favor of serving two year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a group, Latter-day Saints have shown to be successful at attaining bachelor's degrees despite the risks of delay. But until this study, little has been understood about their experiences. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris's (2006) Bioecological Model of Human Development as a conceptual framework for the coding and analysis …

Important Factors Impacting Grade Placement Committee Decisions: Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers, David Trimble

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The Student Success Initiative was designed and implemented to make sure students in the state of Texas were academically prepared before moving to the next grade. If a student in the state of Texas does not pass the reading and or mathematics portion of the STAAR test in the fifth and eighth grade, that student is automatically retained. Parents have the right to appeal this retention and that appeal is conducted through a Grade Placement Committee. Grade Placement Committees are made up of school administrators, teachers, and parents. The decision of the Grade Placement Committee must be unanimous or the …

Beyond The Content And Pedagogy : A Step Forward Towards Value Based Teacher’S Professional Development, Sharifullah Baig

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

This paper reviews the contemporary literature of human values and valuation processes, and proposes a re-conceptualized model of a teacher’s professional development. This paper suggests a thorough analysis of the teacher’s personality and devises alternative, well thought-out strategies and approaches to alter self-knowledge, values, valuation processes, and beliefs to imbed the desired impact on their teaching practices. This paper supports the use of deliberate attempts to alter the basic motivation level of teachers and to deliberately expose them to available knowledge to modify their values, attitudes, and actions in their respective professions, organizations, and formal associations. Hence, such professional development …

Reaching An Invisible Minority: A Survey Of Admissions Department Leaders' Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Student Outreach Efforts And Campus Climate In The Upper Midwest, Pollard David Sorquist

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students face challenges and barriers to higher education that heterosexual students do not. Many of these challenges are rooted in negative high school experiences of LGB youth, such as social stigmatization and family rejection. Additionally, LGB students have historically been excluded from admissions office outreach considerations. This has resulted in structural and symbolic barriers in secondary and post-secondary institutions. These barriers limit LBG student access and also limit available resources to support the successful transition to higher education institutions. Higher education admissions leaders have a unique opportunity to reach out to and actively support LGB …

Nuestra Realidad: Illumnating The Lived Experiences Of Middle-Class Hispanic Parents In Predominanty White Texas Public Schools, Olga Martinez Hickman

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

As the student population across the nation becomes increasingly diverse, educators are constantly met with challenges that go beyond teaching. While the Latino population continues to grow, and the projection of the U.S. becoming a majority-minority nation is fulfilled, it is important to pay close attention to the educational inequities and challenges that continue to exist for students of color. Parents of color , which is defined in this study as Hispanic parents of Mexican origin, have been urged to actively participate in schools in an effort to increase student achievement. However, the literature seldom distinguishes between the experiences of …

The North Texas Aerospace Manufacturing And Aviation Industries: An Explanatory Case Study Of School-To-Work Collaborative Networks, Cynthia Ann Miller

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study is to explore how educators, business partners and facilitators developed ties or networks to initiate a school-to-work collaboration to prepare students for jobs and careers in the aerospace manufacturing and aviation industries. There is growing concern about preparing a future workforce supply in these industries in North Texas. Workforce projections call for 8000 additional jobs between 2010 and 2020 (North Central Texas Council of Governments, 2013). Collaboration is recognized as a valuable asset to connect disjointed segments within the K-16 trajectory. This study explores the contradiction between the stated need for collaborative strategies and the …

Exit Exam Requirements And High School Graduation: A Texas Perspective, Kelvin Stroy Sr.

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The movement towards exit exams requirements prior to a student graduating from high school is one of the most prominent developments on the education policy landscape nationwide. Previous research on the impact of exit exams on students' graduation status has presented conflicting results. Some research finds that exit exams have no significant impact on a state's graduation rate, increase the likelihood of high school graduation and that teachers and students have risen to the challenge of higher accountability. But much of the existing literature found evidence that exit exams were associated with increased dropout rates, decreased completion rates, increase enrollment …

Perceived Educator Knowledge Of Response To Intervention (Rti), Lilly Moreno

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study examined the perceived knowledge level of the Response to Intervention (RTI) practices among general education teachers, special education teachers, and principals in three school districts located in Northeast Texas. An on-line survey assessed the participants' perceived knowledge of the four major components needed to implement RTI. Additionally, this study allowed respondents to determine if there was a need for additional RTI staff development opportunities for effective RTI implementation. Furthermore, this study allowed respondents to determine if there was a need to incorporate at least one RTI course in higher education institutions. A total of 98 respondents participated in …

Predicting High School Student Success From Extracurricular Activity Participation: A Logistic Regression Analysis, Jennifer Mason Klaerner

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

There is a large number of students who do not finish high school, and there is an even larger number of students who do not go on to college (Chapman, Laird, Ifill, Kewal Ramani, 2011). School officials are challenged with the task of implementing programs to help at risk students stay in school. Although there are many factors that are out of our control, school districts play a role in creating a supportive environment that promotes successful high school completion and college readiness. It is imperative that school officials make meaningful changes to current systems in order to better meet …

Fostering Organizational Learning: Superintendent And Principal Relationships, Ryan P. Clark

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Schools have a responsibility to prepare students for the 21^st century because the global economy demands a workforce that can adapt to a constantly changing and increasingly complex environment. High-stakes accountability for student learning is the United States’ strategy to ensure that schools adequately prepare students. This high-stakes environment requires school leaders to make curricular and instructional decisions intended to simply prepare students for tests. Yielding to the pressure to perform on tests often neglects students’ opportunities to think critically or engage in complex problem solving, which are both important skills for today’s workplace.

Some school and district leaders …

Student Assessment Of Professor Effectiveness, Roger Emil Knutson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Despite progressive changes, subtle sexism is still present in modern society. The present study used role congruity theory to explain how subtle sexism influences the ratings students provide for professors. Participants were presented with fictional scenarios where professor gender was manipulated and source of a mistake (student versus professor) was manipulated. For each scenario, students provided ratings of competence, likability, and likelihood to take another class with the professor. Multiple t-tests revealed no difference in student ratings between female professors and male professors who made mistakes and between female professors and male professors overall, although there was a significant difference …

Instituting Large Scale Change At A Research Intensive University: A Case Study, Robert Drake, James Crawford, Chad Rohrbacher

Publications

This paper uses Bolman and Deal’s four analytic frames to examine the difficulty of instituting large-scale change at one research-intensive university. In this case, the partially successful attempt to implement a new curriculum for undergraduates at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is explored. The authors theorize that if an institution is to attempt a far-reaching, innovative transformation, it must have consistent leadership and the commitment of middle managers. Otherwise well-crafted plans are doomed to meet resistance.

Leadership Characteristics And Practices Of American Association Of School Administrators (Aasa) Superintendents Of The Year And Finalists, Doris Lynette Crawford

Online Theses and Dissertations

Houston (2007) concluded, "To preserve the possibilities for our children requires leadership, and that leadership is also a critical condition for success. While the educational journey takes place in the classroom and school, the trip is planned, the fuel is acquired, and the steering is done in the superintendent's office" (p. 432). The purpose of this study was to determine the key characteristics and practices needed by school district superintendents to meet the demands of this position in the twenty-first century. The key characteristics were identified by exemplary superintendents who had been recognized for their effectiveness. 55% of the population …

A Reflective Conversation: Community And Hei Perspectives On Community-Based Research., Niamh O'Reilly, Catherine Bates

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This paper is a reflective correspondence between a community partner and a community-based research coordinator in a higher education institute (HEI). We asked each other questions about our experience of collaborating on two community-based research (CBR) projects, in order to share our learning from our collaboration, and to relate this to the wider context in order to develop recommendations for others – community partners and HEI staff – who would like to initiate CBR projects in the future.

Identification Of Specific Learning Disabilities: Georgia School Psychologists' Perceptions, Marie T. Underwood

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

An on-line survey was conducted to investigate the assessment practices and perceptions of 366 practicing school psychologist in the state of Georgia concerning various operational components, and the use of RTI when determining SLD eligibility. Results were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression to determine if psychologists’ perceptions could be predicted based on various explanatory variables. Results revealed that a little over half of the respondents preferred assessment of cognitive processing deficits evidenced through patterns of strengths and weaknesses for establishing SLD classification; while well over two-thirds continue to also value analysis of cognitive ability (IQ) scores. Psychologists’ assessment practices were …