Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Effects Of The Louisiana Scholarship Program On Student Achievement After Two Years, Jonathan N. Mills

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) is a statewide initiative offering publicly-funded vouchers to enroll in local private schools to students in low-performing schools with family income no greater than 250 percent of the poverty line. Initially established in 2008 as a pilot program in New Orleans, the LSP was expanded statewide in 2012. This paper examines the experimental effects of using an LSP scholarship to enroll in a private school on student achievement in the first two years following the program’s expansion. Our results indicate that the use of an LSP scholarship has negatively impacted both ELA and math achievement, …

Preservice Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy: Video Vs. Face-To-Face Observations, Debra Chisenhall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined preservice elementary education students’ sense of efficacy regarding student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management based on the type of observations they completed. A total sample size of 64 elementary education students enrolled in four sections of an introductory elementary education course and completed five hours of observation. Students in two sections of the course completed traditional face-to-face observations. Students in the other two sections of the course watched five hours of pre-recorded video observations of elementary education classroom and participated in class discussions regarding the observations. All students completed the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale to …

Why It’S Not Enough For Leaders To Just Be Clever, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In an invited commentary, SMU Behavioural Sciences Institute Director Professor David Chan explained why adaptive leaders must not just be clever, but more importantly, they must be wise. He suggested several learning points for leaders to be both clever and wise.

A Comparison Of International Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Shared Governance, Mei-Yan Lu, Michael Miller, Daniel Nadler

Faculty Publications

Shared governance has multiple dimensions of implementation in higher education, ranging from stakeholder input through trustee involvement to students and staff holding positions of representative power to have input into decision making. It has historically been a hallmark of higher education. The current study was developed to extend the Miller and Lu findings and specifically examining mainland Chinese faculty who are resident faculty in their homeland. The findings can have significant impact on understanding the global academy and how faculty perceive their role in higher education.

The Journey To The Top: Stories On The Intersection Of Race And Gender For African American Women In Academia And Business, Deanna R. Davis

Journal of Research Initiatives

This research study was designed to determine how the intersection of race and gender identities contributed to the elements of leadership development as perceived by eight African American female executives in academia and business. The researcher sought to explore strategies future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for African American females who aspire to leadership roles. A phenomenological research method was most appropriate for this research study to capture the lived experiences of individuals from their perspectives and to develop themes that challenged structural or normative assumptions.

This research study examined leadership development of eight African …

The Role Of Black Colleges In The Development Of Mathematicians, Viveka Borum, Adriel Adon Hilton, Erica Walker

Journal of Research Initiatives

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are home to almost 400,000 of the nation’s college and university population and account for nearly 25% of degrees conferred to African Americans, according to Hale (2006). They have been the launching pads for three-fourths of African Americans who hold doctorate degrees, three-fourths of Black officers in the military, and four-fifths of African American federal judges (Hale, 2006). In addition, fifty percent of African American faculty in predominantly White research universities received their bachelor’s degrees at an HBCU (Hale, 2006). These are significant percentages given the relatively small number of Black colleges and universities …

The Motivational Factors Of African American Men Enrolled At Selected Community Colleges, Ted N. Ingram, Lavon Williams, James Coaxum Iii, Adriel A. Hilton, Ivan Harrell

Journal of Research Initiatives

This manuscript is designed to call attention to the realities that are specific to African American male community college students. Using a qualitative research design, focus groups were conducted with 14 African American male students enrolled in an urban community college. This study uncovered that their educational experiences are consumed with personal challenges and academic obstacles. Students were asked to explain their motivation toward persistence at the urban community college. Participants within the study noted that motivational factors such as: (a) improving their life status, (b) societal pressure, (c) “man of the house,” and (d) faculty and staff encouragement, provided …

Friendships And Retention At A Historically Black University: A Quantitative Case Study, Mondrail Myrick, John A. Gipson Jr, Donald Mitchell Jr.

Journal of Research Initiatives

The retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority, first-generation and low-income college students persist as problems in U.S. higher education. While researchers have documented the ways in which minority-serving institutions have been successful in serving these students, little is known about how friendships influence retention at these institutions. This study examines retention factors of first-year students who began college with close friends at a historically Black university. The researchers used exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regressions to determine the factors and significance. In addition, the researchers used linear structural relations to estimate hypothesized causal models. Results of the study …

Impact Of Class Size On Learning, Behavioral And General Attitudes Of Students In Secondary Schools In Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, Taofeek Ayotunde Yusuf, C A. Onifade, O S. Bello

Journal of Research Initiatives

Poor performance of university undergraduate students has been traced to their poor academic performance and attitudes in secondary schools. There was concern over whether class size was responsible for this. Researches on the effect of class size on academic performance and achievement exist. The study was carried out to investigate the impact of class size on students’ attitude to studies using four (4) selected secondary schools in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria. Possible effect of class size on the general, learning and behavioral attitudes were considered. Its impact was also correlated with effect of other possible factors. Questionnaires were administered to …

Realizing The Dream: African American Males’ Narratives That Encouraged The Pursuit Of Doctoral Education, Ted N. Ingram

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article used personal narratives to discover factors affecting the decision of African American males to consider doctoral education. This study was based on qualitative interviews with 18 African American male doctoral students enrolled at predominantly white institutions as they reflected on their reasons for pursuing an advanced degree. The following were found to influence their decision: (a) need for faculty encouragement, (b) motivation to pursue a doctorate, and (c) their personal motivations. Recommendations are offered for increasing the numbers of African American male doctoral students.

The Journey From Welcoming To Belonging: Stories Of A New Principal In A Latino Community, Corena Marasco

Journal of Catholic Education

From Catholic education’s inception in the United States, Catholic schools were established for the immigrant population and the leadership was successful at building enrollment with the high European immigrant populations. At this point in United States history, Catholic education is in need of innovative change, especially in regard to attracting the Latino community, the largest Catholic group, to Catholic schools. In this study, I detailed my own journey as a new, first time, first year, Catholic school principal in a 100% Latino environment, where I was welcomed by a Latino community, eventually leading me to a deep sense of belonging. …

2016-01-28 General Education Council Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., General Education Council.

Faculty Senate Records

General Education Council meeting minutes from January 28, 2016.

Compassion Leads To The Creation Of The Backpack Program In Kentucky--Research, Katrina Sexton, Sherwood Thompson

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

Children all over the United States currently endure food insecurity, which presents significant issues for their academic performance and general quality of life. This paper examines how the generosity of compassionate individuals and agencies helpsto improve the wellbeing and self-motivation of students who go without food. To this end, we review the literature oncompassion, particularly how it is theoretically described by positive organizational scholarship (POS). We also review some of the major programs and agencies that have arisen in recent decades to counter the problem of food insecurity and its related concerns—programs such as the Backpack Food program, which exists …

Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, January 25, 2016

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, January 25, 2016.

2016-01-21 Pac-27 Revision, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Revised PAc-27 as approved by the Faculty Senate on January 21, 2016.

2016-01-21 Faculty Senate Newsletter, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Newsletter for January 21, 2016.

2016-01-21 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for January 21, 2016.

Fostering An Inclusive Stem Workforce, Cary A. Supalo Dr.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The following keynote address was delivered by Dr. Cary A. Supalo at the 2015 Training Workforce and Development and diversity conference which is one of the divisions that is part of NIH’s general medical sciences. This conference was attended by over 500 program directors from all of the T32 sponsored projects in 2015. This presentation discussed the importance of a full inclusive STEM workforce that includes persons with disabilities

2019-01-16 Employee Benefits Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Faculty Senate Records

Employee Benefits Committee meeting minutes for January 16, 2019.

University Update - March 24, 2016, Academic Affairs

University Updates & Communications from the University President

Included in this update are:

• Academic Affairs
• Institutional Advancement
• Office of Marketing and Communications
• Alumni Relations
• Office of Development
• Student Affairs
• Leadership Nomination
• Promise House Grand Opening
• STEAM Center Update
• Awards and Recognition

University Update - May 26, 2016, Academic Affairs

University Updates & Communications from the University President

Included in this update are:

• Academic Affairs
• Business Affairs
• Enrollment Management
• IT Services
• Institutional Advancement
• Student Affairs
• Special Awards/Recognition

Job Attainment And Perceived Role Differences Of Cyberschool Leaders, Jayson W. Richardson, Dennis Beck, Jason Lafrance, Scott Mcleod

Educational Leadership Studies Faculty Publications

As cyberschooling options expand, it is vital that we understand the nuances of these particular learning opportunities. Because little research exists on leaders of K-12 cyberschools, this exploratory case study had two purposes. We first examined how 18 cyberschool leaders in the United States obtained their position. Second, we explored the perceptions of cyberschool leaders regarding the differences between their job and that of a traditional brick-and-mortar school leader. We found that cyberschool leaders tend to be predominantly new, technology savvy administrators who have some background in online learning. Main differences between cyberschool leadership and brick-and-mortar school leadership included interactions …

Supporting The Intrinsically Motivated Learner, Alison Attura Loud

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This study investigated the use of student-led goal setting, and the use of student-choice with assessments, in a 4th grade mathematics classroom. Specifically, this study analyzed how the goal setting and assessment choice of students impacted their intrinsic motivation with regard to learning mathematics skills. The research was conducted using a mixed methods approach. Results found that these implemented strategies increased student intrinsic motivation in regards to meeting their goals and their ability to prove mastery of math standards. Recommendations for classroom teachers included providing guidance for students in goal setting and increase student autonomy in the classroom.

Factors In School Choice And Parent Satisfaction At Cornville Regional Charter School, Philip Estabrook

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Charter schools are in their earliest days in the state of Maine. The first charter school in Maine offering elementary services opened in Cornville in 2012. Parents sending students to the school have a variety of reasons for choosing an alternate model for educating their students. First, parents felt the agricultural focus of the CRCS was a strong foundation for their students. Second, parents were very happy with the smaller classroom populations. Finally, the impression that the administrators at CRCS more quickly responded to the needs of the parents and student were noted as being especially important.

Using Twitter To Promote Civic Education, Katelyn Ross

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Twitter could be used to support civic education in a rural, low-income school district in Maine. Twitter was used in the classroom to supplement and enrich a unit on the Civil Rights Movement and also to inform students about the political process. Findings indicate that Twitter can effectively be used to engage students, inform about the political process, and enrich content when used with purposeful instruction. Recommendations for educators include long-term implementation of the tool, on-going feedback from students, and purposeful implementation into curriculum.

Making Lexia® Work: A Backward Design Approach To Helping Teachers Utilize Technology, Matthew Mcgreevy

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This action research investigation applied data driven teaching practices to the task of improving the delivery of Lexia® reading software, a computer aided instruction (CAI) program, in middle and secondary special education classes. Special educators need the opportunity to utilize technology with the potential to make their practices more efficient and effective. This investigation used qualitative and quantitative data to give teachers the technological ability to allow their students efficient use of Lexia® software and improved teacher understanding of how computer aided instruction (CAI) fits with their academic and classroom management goals.

Educator’S Perceptions Of Effective Professional Learning Communities, Sandra Jamison

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This research explored the experiences of educators with a professional learning community (PLC) and focused on their perceptions of what constituted essential elements for an effective PLC. This mixed methods study sought to understand more completely the group dynamics of various PLC teams in a Maine rural school with an emphasis on defining key components of those communities. This study revealed that if key elements such as trust, respect and collaboration were in place, then PLCs were often able to fulfill its designated purpose. Findings determined that PLCs at the school had the prerequisite key elements and thus could be …

Engagement Through Brain Breaks In The Secondary Classroom, Sheryl F. Morton

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This study was implemented to investigate the theory of using brain breaks with secondary students to maximize their engagement during an 80 minute course. Educators are faced with the substantial task of promoting classroom environments conducive to student engagement. Relevant to such engagement is the retention of information and improved educational performance. Findings indicated that if given a five minute break, a majority of students reported an improvement in their ability to remain engaged. Students also responded that continued brain breaks would be beneficial to their learning. This study recommends that teachers implement these breaks to ultimately increase student engagement.

Principal Perceptions Of Standards-Based Teacher Evaluation In West Virginia, Brent Douglas Griffith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Standards-based teacher evaluations have become the norm in many states due to an increased focus on student achievement and teacher effectiveness. These evaluations have become integral to the improvement of classroom instruction efforts and the planning of specific professional development for teachers. West Virginia deployed a new standards-based teacher evaluation system in 2014, using the West Virginia Professional Teaching Standards as a basis for measuring teacher performance and growth in certain areas. The new evaluation system also included teacher self-reflection and goal-setting portions. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of school principals as to the effectiveness …

Effectiveness Of An Online Ferpa Training Program, Sonja G. Cantrell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This two-phase study focuses primarily on improving faculty and staff knowledge as it relates to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Phase one of the study examined the current FERPA training practices at four year, public higher education institutions in West Virginia via an interview process, using a mixed quantitative and qualitative design. Phase two of the study determined the effectiveness of an online comprehensive FERPA training module as compared to an online simple notification of the FERPA regulation module, and whether either significantly increased the level of FERPA knowledge among faculty and staff at one …