Educational Leadership Commons^™

Culture Change In A Rural High School, Kristen Levesque

All Theses And Dissertations

Rural high schools are most impacted by a negative organizational culture. Toxic behaviors prevail over the positive ones. Perspectives about what is possible to attain become jaded when school outcomes do not match individual expectations. If leadership does not treat sustaining a positive school culture as a priority, then the successful transition to the new demands of education is unlikely. The qualitative research was founded in the conceptual framework about change and culture in schools. A grounded theory approach was used in the methodology to examine the role collaboration and leadership play in establishing culture. Research questions addressed the role …

The Relationship Between Supervisor Interpersonal Approaches And Graduate Student Satisfaction At One University In The United Arab Emirates, Dalal Mohammed Aldosari

Foundations of Education Theses

This thesis is concerned with graduate students’ thesis/dissertation supervisors’ interpersonal approaches. As its framework, the study adopted Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon (2013) four approaches to supervision: directive control, directive informational, collaborative, and non-directive. The purpose of this explanatory mixed method study is to describe students’ perceptions of the approaches used, their satisfaction with these approaches, and whether satisfaction differed based on students’ gender, degree sought, or concentration. The study was conducted by distributing a questionnaire to all graduate students at one of the United Arab Emirates universities who have written a thesis/dissertation during 2015-2017 (N=213), and then, interviewing a group …

Quality Education In Idaho: A Case Study Of Academic Achievement In Three High-Poverty Rural Schools, Christine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is bridging the achievement gap for students living in poverty through quality education. Such a study is important because the percentage of students affected by poverty is increasing and the persistent gap in achievement evidences that the right to quality education for students in poverty is not being met. This is mixed-methods study of three high-poverty elementary schools in Idaho. Both quantitative (achievement test scores) and qualitative data (interviews of seventeen teachers and principals) are compared and contrasted. The findings provide evidence that quality education for students in poverty requires relatable curriculum, teachers who are …

Student Censorship In The Social Work Classrooms, Lisa Kozlowski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all …

Globalization, Internationalization, Marketing, And College Choice: Key Factors Affecting International Students’ Mobility, Eyad Alfattal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

While globalization, internationalization, and marketing in higher education were intensifying with an inexorable veracity, little was known about the strength of factors and the dynamics by which those factors that affect international students’ mobility operated. Previous studies used different and overlapping theoretical models, and findings were inconsistent and, in some cases, contradictory. The objective of the present study was to investigate what influenced international students’ choices to study at a comprehensive college in southern California, as well as, explore and propose a new combined conceptual model that could explain international students’ cross-national mobility. A two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods design …

U.S. Principals' Interpretation And Implementation Of Teacher Evaluation Policies, David B. Reid

The Qualitative Report

In the United States policymakers, states, and researchers are increasingly reliant on teacher evaluations as a means for identifying high-quality teachers. School principals are the primary school-based actors responsible for implementing teacher evaluation policies at the school level and must make sense of these policies at an ever-increasing pace. These sensemaking processes have great implications for how teacher evaluation policies play out in practice. In this paper I ask (a) what factors influence principals’ sensemaking of changing teacher evaluation policies and (b) how these factors influence both decision-making by principals, as well as the ways the policies are implemented. I …

2017 Faculty Letter To Students, Rhode Island School Of Design

RISD Faculty Values

An end of the year letter from the RISD faculty sent to RISD students reaffirming their support of the students, acknowledging the challenges of this past academic year in light of the current social and political turmoil and sharing the RISD Faculty Values Statement.

Building The Organizational Leader Brand: Change Agent, Scholar, Thought Leader, Barbara Holmes, Christopher Hahn, Carson Perry

Leadership Education Capstones

Who we are matters. Developing the personal brand communicates to the world the values that fuel daily leadership habits and practices. Exposure to branding is constant in everyday life. People are continuously exposed to various brands, including clothing, vehicles, food selection, recreation, and media. Building the organizational leader brand requires the same processes, strategies, and tactics as branding and promoting traditional products, yet is much more involved. Research supports that millennial audiences connect best with individuals, rather than organizations. Consequently, effective personal branding is essential to building trust and a reputation that supports such viable relationships within organizations. Successful brands …

Measuring Student Satisfaction In Online Mathematics Courses -- Research, Antoinette Davis

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

For many years, various colleges and universities have found it difficult to measure student satisfaction in online courses. This study examined the growth of math courses that are delivered in the online format. This study looks to address the gaps in the research literature concerning online, hybrid, and traditional education. In particular, it is the intention of this study to investigate satisfaction and its effect on the performance of students as a result of enrolling in online mathematics courses. Many researchers have sought to find ways to determine student satisfaction in online courses. Satisfaction and performance in distance education have …

Faculty Inter - Rater Reliability Of A Reflective Journaling Rubric -- Research, Mari Alschuler

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

There has been a lack of research regarding faculty training in the grading of student reflective journals (RJs). Whether or how one should evaluate RJs remains contentious. This quasi-experimental study assessed whether providing faculty in-service training on scoring RJs using a rubric would result in statistically significant inter-rater reliability.Prior to the study, faculty raters received training on reflective practice and scoring RJs with a rubric based on five levels of reflection. Percent agreement between rater pairs, with 80% set as the inter-rater reliability benchmark, was utilized. Faculty raters scored anonymous BSW and MSW RJs assigned in cultural diversity and oppression …

Planning For Differentiated Instruction: Comparing Instructional Leadership Practices As Perceived By Administrators And Teachers In Middle School, Mark L. Lang

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Scholars have purported that teachers infrequently implement differentiated instruction due to self-imposed obstacles or misconceived notions that promote barriers. This study was designed to generate an awareness of the differences between school administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of instructional leadership practices towards implementation of differentiated instruction. From the existing research, six functions of instructional leadership and 27 practices were identified as being effective in supporting the implementation of differentiated instruction. These functions of instructional leadership along with related practices served as the basis for a two-part, six subset, and 27 item researcher-designed survey. Data were collected from 34 middle school administrators …

Is Restorative Justice Doing Enough To Address The Power Imbalances Caused By Systems Of Privilege And Oppression, Matthew Furnell

Capstone Collection

Restorative justice is an ever growing philosophy which is causing a paradigm shift in the way society understands and responds to crime, punishment and victimization. The State of Vermont has become a pioneer and an example of how to implement restorative practices into the official criminal justice system, developing an alternative process to traditional punitive approaches. However, it is now more important than ever to ensure that there is not a false sense of success or a level of complacency in the further development of restorative practices. It is time to critically analyse the current restorative process and explore the …

Enhancing Global Education In China - A Global Citizen Language Program, Wen Amy Luo

Capstone Collection

The acceleration of globalization calls for education with an aim of creating global citizens who are able to learn, live and function in an increasingly interconnected world. Educators should remember that they are creating future leaders who need to understand how to perform and interact in a global arena. For global citizens to effectively function in such an environment, they are required to have competencies such as: intercultural understanding, curiosity for discovery, cultural self-awareness, sociolinguistic awareness, and ability to listen, observe, interpret and analyze etc.

Chinese students who live in second and third-tier cities receive significantly less global education due …

Towards Soulful And Sustainable Service: The Role Of Ethics In Global Service-Learning Programs Within Faith-Based Tertiary Institutions, Corrie Johnson

Capstone Collection

This research evaluates the practices of specified faith-based institutions within the field of undergraduate global service learning through the lens of each of the major themes in the Fair Trade Learning framework. These themes include equal partnership, mutual learning, cooperative and positive social change, economic equity, transparency, and sustainability. Initial survey outcomes present an overall picture of where these particular universities are at in regards to balancing student and community outcomes. Interview outcomes provide a more in-depth perspective of how mutual benefit for student participants and host communities is being considered within the global service-learning programs these programs facilitate. Some …

The Wisconsin Role In The School Choice Movement, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson led a Midwestern policy revolution in the late 1980s and early 1990s centered on providing parents with more school choices. Since those early years, school choice in the forms of private school vouchers, public charter schools, and public school open enrollment have spread across almost all of the country. Longitudinal evaluations of the effects of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), the voucher program initiated by Governor Thompson, indicate that student achievement outcomes were not consistently affected by vouchers but other vital student outcomes, including educational attainment, civic values, criminal proclivities as well as parent and …

The Heart Of Experience: The Education Of A Practitioner's Journey, Tai Mesches

Capstone Collection

This Capstone, The Heart of Experience: The Education of a Practitioner’s Journey, is an illustrative reflection of myself experiencing my learning cycle, taking the reader through my own journey of growth as an experiential education practitioner. To engage the reader, I first shine light on the context of what role experience played in my life as a form of education, specifically reflecting on my time living abroad in China and my cross-cultural work with Chinese youth in Manhattan, New York, emphasizing basketball’s involvement as a tool for engagement. I describe how such experiences helped me return to school. To portray …

2017-05-24 Report Of The General Education Review Task Force, Morehead State University. General Education Review Task Force.

Faculty Senate Records

Report of the General Education Review Task Force submitted May 24, 2017.

2017-05-19 Response To Athletic Program Budget, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., Annie Adams

Faculty Senate Records

A response by Faculty Senate Chair Annie Adams to the MSU Athletic Program Budget Overview of December 3, 2015. The response was added to the Faculty Senate Blackboard shell on May 19, 2017.

A Challenge To Inclusive Excellence: What We Can Learn From A Jesuit Catholic University, Terri Lewis-King

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper draws attention to the ethics of the organization (institutional structure) to fulfill its mission by examining what does it mean that a Jesuit higher education institution strives for "inclusive excellence". From a staff member lens, what does the campus climate tell us about how that impact is felt. The result of this project are tools for professionals to use in their assessment and development of organizational support for staff.

Teaching A Human Rights Education Through Youth Athletics, Jacob J. Beaman

Master's Projects and Capstones

Throughout my research and work in education I realized there is often a disconnect between schooling and students especially in low-income areas. It can be incredibly difficult to feel confident at school when the curriculum is not relatable to your experiences and life. In this paper I explore how an athletic program can be used to teach a Human Rights Education to fill in the gaps the traditional school day may not provide. I used a Human Rights Education framework with the teacher/coach as a facilitator and a Critical Race Theory lens examining intersectionality, counter-story telling, and interest convergence in …

Preparing Historically Underserved Students For Stem Careers: The Role Of An Inquiry-Based High School Science Sequence Beginning With Physics, Jon P. Bridges

Dissertations and Theses

Improving the STEM readiness of students from historically underserved groups is a moral and economic imperative requiring greater attention and effort than has been shown to date. The current literature suggests a high school science sequence beginning with physics and centered on developing conceptual understanding, using inquiry labs and modeling to allow students to explore new ideas, and addressing and correcting student misconceptions can increase student interest in and preparation for STEM careers.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the science college readiness of historically underserved students can be improved by implementing an inquiry-based high school science …

Report Of The President / May 17, 2017, José M. Torres

President's Report

To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I organize the Report of the President, where appropriate, around the Priorities for 2016-2017 (a) Finalize and publish an “IMSA Operational Excellence Dashboard;” (b) Strengthen identity as a learning laboratory as expressed through grand challenges; (c) Develop and nurture my direct reports’ leadership orientation, equity commitment, and systems level management; and (d) Prepare original material suitable for publication as evidence of IMSA thought leadership and the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations …

The Effects Of Instructional Leadership On Teacher Efficacy, Michelle L. Pearce

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This study sought to examine the effects of instructional leadership behaviors on teacher efficacy. The body of literature examined influenced the nature and implementation of this study. Previous studies were used to shape the lens of this body of work. The focus was at the elementary level examining the perceptions of principals and teachers. The two forms of instrumentation included the Principal Instructional Rating Management Scale developed by Phillip Hallinger and used in similar studies cited in this work. The teachers completed the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale based on the work of Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk-Hoy. The perceptions of participants were examined …

Teacher Perceptions Of An Evaluation Process: A Qualitative Case Study, Lisa M. Puckett

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the evaluation system currently used in their district. This study was guided by the following research question: How do teachers perceive the teacher evaluation process in a Midwestern Teacher and student Advancement Program (TAP) school? The theoretical foundations used in this study were Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluating training programs. The researcher learned that Midwestern teachers in a TAP school perceived the evaluation system to have impacted their teaching in a positive manner and, at the same time, contributed to their stress level. …

2017-05-16 Pac-26 Resolution, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate resolution on PAc-26.

Survive Or Thrive: A Mixed Method Study Of Visiting Chinese Language Teachers' Identity Formation In The U.S. Classrooms, Li Xiang

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years in the United States, an increasing number of people are learning Mandarin, the dominant Chinese language in China. Because of the shortage of Mandarin teachers, many visiting teachers from China with Chinese educational background are teaching Mandarin in the U.S. schools. In the U.S. classrooms, these teachers are challenged to adapt to a new setting. This experience can lead them to changing their teaching identity, that is, their basic beliefs, attitudes and practices about teaching. Understanding how Chinese teachers may form a new teaching identity in the U.S. context serves to inform future professional development activities designed …

Three Perspectives Of Planning, Implementation, And Consistency In Instructional Coaching, Judith Tanner, Lisa Quintis, Thomas Gamboa Jr.

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

School administrators are choosing or required to implement instructional coaching on their campuses to improve student-learning opportunities. The school community must be aware that effective instructional coaching is job embedded, encourages teachers to become reflective practitioners, and requires time to commit to the implementation. School administrators must support instructional coaches by ensuring there is significant time allotted to provide coaches time in the classroom to observe, provide feedback, and support classroom teachers in their practice and reflection. Instructional coaches build trust and rapport with the instructional staff by implementing best-practice protocols, providing feedback, and planning the next steps. The instructional …

Generative Leadership: A Thematic Book Review, Rebecca S. Monroe

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This thematic book review looks at how four texts interweave the topic of generative leadership into a cohesive structure so the reader can bring about change in our educational system. The authors of these texts begin by defining generative leadership and complexity, then move on to discuss mirror neurons and empathy, relationships and the importance of feeling a part of something, and how experience equals learning, which in turns sculpts the brain physically. As you think of the leadership style you want to emulate as you build your own and your staff’s capacity, these resources may easily sum this up …

Perceptions Of Elementary School Principals Regarding The Use Of Critical Thinking In Their Leadership., Michael Hanna

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

The necessity of critical thinking to functional democratic citizenship and 21st century thriving is supported by the research literature, social theory and the history of philosophy. An environment that is mission driven for fostering critical thinking is the American public school. Research is reviewed in this study that demonstrates the close causal connection between the instructional focus of a school, and the public priorities of the principal. The necessary cause of critical thinking growth in students, therefore, is strong critical thinking based leadership by the principal. This study is the first to explore research questions concerning the perceptions of …

A Narrative Study On The Leadership Development Of Female Superintendents In New Jersey, Mitzi N. Morillo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore, through the lived experiences of 8 women who achieved the superintendency in New Jersey, the intersectionality of gender, social norms, and race and how these women developed as leaders. The study was designed to identify perceived barriers to career ascension in education administration and the successful strategies that female superintendents in New Jersey utilized to overcome those barriers. The study explored strategies that future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for women who aspire to the superintendency. For this study, a narrative research design was best suited to …