Educational Leadership Commons^™

Transforming Education And Changing School Culture, Gary Houchens, Ric Keaster

School of Leadership & Professional Studies Faculty Publications

An increasing number of schools and districts are building a common language of instruction and collaborative structures for instructional problem solving through the use of instructional rounds. Pioneered by Richard Elmore and colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, instructional rounds build on the model of medical rounds used in teaching hospitals and engage teachers and administrators in data collection and analysis around a school-wide problem of practice. This case study examines the experiences of the Simpson County Schools in Franklin, Kentucky, where one of the authors formerly served as a district administrator. In 2009, the district initiated a …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students' Standardized English Literacy Achievement And Language Redesignation Status: A Multiple Regression Analysis, Matthew R. Weyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation stated that by 2014 all students would reach proficiency in all subjects. However, this has not been the case as NCLB has had mixed effects for culturally and linguistically diverse students (CLDs) (Hopkins, Thompson, Linquanti, Hakuta, & August, 2013). Language redesignation policies, often termed reclassification, can be considered a significant contributor as the variation in policies and practices alone has led to significantly different achievement for CLDs across the country (Hill, Weston, & Hayes, 2014; Mahoney & MacSwan, 2005) and has created an expansive achievement gap with their non-CLD White counterparts (Reardon, …

"Repairs Are Pending": A Mixed Methods Investigation Of The Effects Of No Child Left Behind On Rhode Island's Public School Libraries, Laurie Anne Dias-Mitchell

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout history, free public and school libraries have been symbols of freedom and democracy, of equitable access to cultural, intellectual, and technical resources. Since the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, there have been only a narrow cluster of studies on the importance and impact of school libraries. This mixed-methods study explored the unintended impacts of No Child Left Behind on Rhode Island’s public school libraries and a potential framework for sustainability from the perspectives of the state’s school library leaders regarding the viability of school libraries in an era of high-stakes testing and accountability and a narrowing …

Examining Student Reading Gains Based On Vocabulary Instruction Based On Morphemic And Definitional Approaches, Jessica Lea Parthemore

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There has been a multitude of research about the effect of vocabulary instruction on reading achievement. The purpose of this study was to further examine the effectiveness of specific methods of vocabulary instruction, definitional and morphemic, as measured by reading achievement on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. This research study focused on 5 suburban classrooms in the Midwest, three teaching definitional methods and two teaching morphemic methods. The data were analyzed using a 2X 2 ANOVA to determine which method had the most effect on reading achievement, definitional or morphemic. The analyses revealed that there is a significant …

How Global Education Is Understood And To What Extent It Is Implemented In One Educator Preparation Program, Lydia Valentina Amewu-Sirleaf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method study investigated the overarching question "how global education is understood and implemented in an educator preparation program in a Colorado university". The sub-questions used to answer the research question are:

* How is global education/perspective understood and implemented by the faculty?

* How do students perceive global education/perspective to be implemented in the program?

* How are the faculty and student's perspective similar and how are they different?

* How do the documents and artifacts support this?

The faculty members and pre-service teachers in this program were the research participants in the study. This area of research …

The Evolution Of A New Technological University In Terms Of Policy Definition And Control Of Implementation, Kevin Kelly, Deborah Brennan

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

This paper derives from a Doctoral case study completed in the Technological University Dublin (DIT) in 2008. The main issues of the case study are still being addressed today as DIT prepares to amalgamate with the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) in 2015. The combined new institute will become a university in 2016 and is in the process of a move to a green field site. The rate and scope of these changes are challenging for all concerned. Through a series of interviews and focus groups in 2008, a story of DIT emerged. The …

The Transference Of Mindset: Middle School Student Perceptions Of The Influences Of Implicit Theories, Jodilu Anne Dodd

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown the predictive nature of mindset and motivation. Students tend to have one of two mindsets: a growth mindset or a fixed mindset (Dweck, 2000). Those with a growth mindset believe that their knowledge can increase and they are able to continuously improve. Students with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence was bestowed upon them, and that they cannot really change how smart they can become. This study examined the perceptions of middle school students about their mindsets and explored the question of where they think their mindset originates. Nearly 500 students were surveyed to determine …

The Professional Development Needs Of Teachers Necessary To Implement And Sustain Ipad Use In Secondary Classrooms, Diana Miller Fenton

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the recent adoptions of 1:1 technology initiatives with iPads in schools, it is urgent to provide professional development opportunities for teachers to maximize student use. This study provides vital information on the professional development needs of teachers for initial implementation of the iPad device and what is needed beyond the first year to sustain use. One hundred and ninety-one teachers from 10 school districts participated in the study. The results of this study indicate that successful professional development occurs when teachers are allowed time to collaborate with colleagues and learn from peers on how they integrated curriculum with the …

A Study Comparing Academic Achievement In Reading Of Gifted Students In Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Grouped Settings, Kimberly L. Grengs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a quantitative study using archival data to focus on the achievement of students identified as gifted and talented in four schools in the Midwest in the same district. This study attempted to find if differences in student reading performance existed between 27 students identified as gifted that were placed in a homogeneous classroom compared to those placed in heterogeneous classrooms. The researcher used the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) data from 2010 to 2014 in reading growth scores. The independent variable is heterogeneous and homogenous grouping classification and the dependent variables are all continuous and consist of the …

Career-Technical Students In Baccalaureate Programs: Predictors Of The Intent To Persist And Satisfaction With Educational Pathways, Julie Uranis

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the intersections of descriptive attributes, expectations, and influences (independent variables) and the degree to which they predict the intent to persist and satisfaction (dependent variables) of students enrolled in career-technical programs at four-year institutions. Little research exists for this population, and nothing based on the theoretical frameworks of Bean and Metzner (1985) and Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994). Expecting a significant relationship among several factors contributing to the intent to persist for career-technical students in degree programs, this research explores predictors for persistence in this population. This research revealed that there are simpler relationships among the variables …

Are There Whiter Shades Of Pale In Marketing The Ivory Tower? An Examination Of Differentiation In Institutional Public Service Announcements Through Content Analysis, Elizabeth Anne Wolfe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the public service announcements (PSAs) produced by institutions of higher education that competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s 2013-14 postseason football bowl games. Utilizing content analysis and survey results, the researcher examined the level of content distinction between and within institutional groups based on athletic conference, Carnegie classification, total student enrollment, and primary target audience. The researcher also investigated the role the PSAs played in marketing campaigns conducted by the institutions and the additional marketing strategies used in those campaigns. The analysis showed limited distinction between institutional groups and little to no distinction within groups. Further, …

Giftedness As Property: Troubling Whiteness, Wealth, And Gifted Education In The Us, Katherine Cumings Mansfield

Educational Leadership Publications

The purposes of this article are to illumine the racist genealogy of gifted education policies and practices in the United States, to demonstrate how deficit discourses continue today, and to provide personal examples from the field of how educators can begin to question the status quo, resist taken-for-granted assumptions, and alternatively make substantive changes at the local level. I also aim to demonstrate how giftedness is an example of whiteness as property, or unearned white privilege, that, unintentionally or not, maintains a social caste system in schools

The Impact Of Servant Leadership On School Climate, Michele M. Cooke

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this research was the impact that servant leadership has on school climate. The participants were educators employed in the International Schools Group School District housed in Saudi Arabia. This was a quantitative study employing a cluster sampling using the Servant Leadership Scale (SLS) and the R-SLEQ (Revised School Level Environment Questionnaire) delivered to participants using Qualtrics Survey Software. The research questions were: Does servant leadership impact school climate in the International Schools Group school district in Saudi Arabia? What is the relationship of the leaders’ perception of servant leadership and school climate? What is the relationship of …

Minds-In-Motion Maze Movement Activities In The Regular Education Classroom, Angela Rose Bray

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Movement is important for brain development. This qualitative, multi-case study investigated the effects of the Minds-In-Motion Maze targeted movement program on the students at a small, private school in the Midwest. Case studies encompassing 14 elementary students, represent the educational ability level, racial, and socio-economic diversity of the students in the school. The findings suggest that targeted movement activities showed noteworthy gains in auditory digit span in students who participated in the maze. A review of related literature highlighted the dominance of for-profit movement based interventions targeting students with social, emotional, and learning problems. This study sought to investigate the …

Midwest Elementary School Principals And The Use Of Social Media, Jennifer Christine Hill

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the use of social media among elementary school principals in Minnesota. The survey collected data from elementary school principals across the state of Minnesota gathering demographic information on age, years of service, presence of a district social media policy, gender, school location, school size, and school poverty level as defined by its free and reduced lunch rate. As a result of the study, it was found that a negative relationship exists between the number of years of service from an elementary school principal and their use of social media. Age, gender, …

Teacher Perception Of Principal Leadership And School Climate In Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools, Kerri L. Nelson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the outcome of principal leadership and school climate in persistently lowest-achieving (PLA) middle schools in Iowa as perceived by teachers. Additionally, it attempted to answer whether or not school climate in PLA middle schools in Iowa is viewed the same by all staff or if there are differences based on years of teacher experience, gender and content area taught. The outcome of principal leadership (effectiveness, extra effort, and satisfaction with leadership) was assessed using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire was used to measure the predicators …

The Impact Of 1:1 Ipad Devices On Student Engagement In The High School Classroom, Jennifer L. Middendorf

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A technology initiative was adopted in a Minnesota suburban school district integrating 1:1 iPad devices into the elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the impact 1:1 iPad devices had on student engagement within the high school classrooms. The research questions focused on how educators are using the 1:1 iPad adoption to impact student engagement, the most and least effective iPad engagement strategies found within the 1:1 adoption, and the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the engagement strategies employed when using iPads in a 1:1 adoption. Through quantitative student …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Evangelical Christians Leading In Public Schools During Culture War Skirmishes, Gary F. Sehorn

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this exploratory, descriptive narrative inquiry was to understand the experiences of selected evangelicals serving as public school administrators who lead in the midst of skirmishes involving evangelical Christians and the local public schools where they serve. These conflicts are part of the larger cultural conflict between evangelical Christianity and public education. The narratives of five leaders were captured through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The purposeful sample of participants included administrators from Texas, Southern California, and the South, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest. Each participant shared a skirmish story and its cultural and geographic context. In the process, …

Evaluating Teacher Immediacy In K-12 Online Learning Environments, Lisa M. Silmser

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators who serve students in online classrooms display a unique set of skills necessary to engage students, however little research and no teacher evaluation tools exist to guide K-12 online teachers in the evidence-based practices needed to perfect their craft. The research that does exist focuses on the post-secondary classroom which is assumed to be significantly different from K-12 environments. Using a Delphi study, an expert group of MN K-12 online educators confirmed that the research from the college level related to teacher immediacy and interaction, the teacher behaviors that most impact student engagement, are applicable to the K-12 online …

“If You’Re Not Having Fun, What’S The Point Of Playing?” Adolescents’ Best And Worst Interscholastic Sport Experiences, Troy D. Urdahl

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interscholastic athletics are purported to provide many benefits for participants. Some studies have shown the benefits of playing sports, but others have cautioned the expense is not worth the investment and not all outcomes of participation are positive. High school athletics are deeply woven into the American educational system, yet limited research has been conducted to capture the voices of student-athletes to identify their perceptions of sport experiences. Learning this information may help various stakeholders improve interscholastic sport experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to examine the best and worst sports experiences of interscholastic athletes in team …

A Place For Dialogue, Scott Kelley

Mission and Ministry Publications

Pope Francis, through his recent encyclical on the environment and his upcoming remarks to the United Nations, offers Catholic higher education the opportunity to reflect on its mission. - See more at: http://www.accunet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3800#sthash.95ltCmnu.dpuf

Development Of The Readiness To Teach Online Scale, Angel Chi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing importance of online education, faculty acceptance has remained unchanged. Training programs developed for faculty to teach online have often focused on assessing their cognitive rather than affective and behavioral outcomes. The Readiness To Teach Online scale was developed as part of a multiphase mixed method research project to measure faculty perceptions and motivations toward teaching online. Items in the subcategory Teaching and Learning measured perceptions of technology and online teaching, and motivations regarding resources and other external factors. Items in the subcategories Social and Student Engagement, Faculty and Technology Support, Course Development and Instructional Design, and Evaluation …

Guide To The Nicholas Tillinghast Collection, 1840 - 2008, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Nicholas Tillinghast (1804-1856) was the first principal of the State Normal School at Bridgewater, serving from the school’s opening in September 1840 until failing health compelled his resignation in July 1853. His term saw the successful transition from the experimental status of the state normal schools in Massachusetts to their status as permanent State institutions. This was exemplified by the dedication in 1846 of the first State Normal School Building in America. The school, under Tillinghast, was based upon the “fine art of teaching,” not the “lecture-examination” or “recitation-examination” model common at the time.

The collection has two main categories. …

Ua3/2/1 President's Office-Garrett Correspondence/Subject File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

General correspondence and subject files regarding Western Kentucky University.

Annual Report 2015 Australian College Of Educators, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

No abstract provided.

Developing Agency For Advocacy: Collaborative Inquiry-Focused School Change Projects As Transformative Learning For Practicing Teachers. The New Educator, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Many mainstream educators of English language learners (ELLs) have experienced neither adequate pre-service preparation nor appropriate in-service professional development. Yet, ELLs are one of the fastest growing student populations in the United States. While practicing teachers typically espouse the view that all students can learn, they often lack the knowledge and skills necessary to support ELLs in their academic and language development.This gap in preservice teacher education programs often leads general education teachers to rely heavily on bilingual paraprofessionals and language teachers for educating ELL students. This paper describes a 5-year professional development initiative, Project Alianza, during which the researchers …

Understanding The Help-Seeking Experiences Of Latino Male Community College Students, Serafin Sanjuan Garcia

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

On a national scale Latinos are the fastest growing segment of the population, and in the state of Texas the Hispanic population is projected to eclipse non-Hispanic whites as the largest race or ethnic group within the next decade. However, today we are experiencing a growing gender gap in academic achievement across the P-16 educational continuum. In fact, compared to their Latina peers, Latino males are more likely to repeat a grade, be suspended and expelled, placed in special education, diagnosed as ADHD, and dropout or be pushed out of school. Additionally, Latino males’ continue to be underrepresented in U.S. …

African American Undergraduate Women And Their Perceptions Of The Influence Of Engagement On Their Academic Achievement, Bernice Norvella King-Strong

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This phenomenological study examined how nine African American undergraduate women perceive the influences of their academic and social engagement practices on their academic achievement. This study took place at the University of California at Joplin, an elite, public predominantly White, institution (PWI) in Northern California. . The participants, who included four juniors, four sophomores, and one senior, came from diverse familial, academic and social backgrounds.Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000; 2009) and Engagement Theory (Kuh et al., 2005) were the theoretical constructs used in this study. The data collection process included: 1) two semi structured interviews with each participant about their …

Career Pathways In A Knowledge-Based Economy: Earnings Inequality Among Science And Engineering Doctorate Recipients, Throy Alexander Campbell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation explored the intersectional effects of social factors (i.e., gender, race) and field of study on science and engineering (S&E) doctorate recipients' labor market outcomes (i.e., career paths and salaries). These social factors represent the participants' unique gendered and racialized experiences (Collins, 1999; James & Busia, 1993) within the labor market. The objectives of the study were achieved through a) an examination of participants' employment sector and earning profiles; b) comparative analysis of participants' career paths defined by the sequence of employment sectors in which workers have jobs between 2003-2010; c) modeling of participants salaries in 2010 when taking …

The Influences Of The Texas Accountability Ratings On Local Practices In A Suburban Elementary School: A Case Study Approach, Courtney Elise Hart

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This case study explores the perspectives of stakeholders at a diverse, suburban elementary school regarding the Texas Educational Accountability Rating system. Specifically, it seeks to understand how they perceive the campus rating of Met Standard to have influenced the daily practices and campus culture of their school, and to understand what factors seem to have influenced the formation of these perceptions. Using the organizational theory of loose coupling as a lens, interviews with 15 participants provide a narrative that demonstrates how the campus rating negatively affects teacher stress levels and teacher morale. Realtor ratings are identified as a primary catalyst …