Educational Leadership Commons^™

College And Career Ready Through Personalized Learning: Business And Industry Perspective Of The Don Tyson School Of Innovation, Joe R. Rollins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study describes perceptions of Northwest Arkansas’ business, industry and post-secondary institutions as to the Don Tyson School of Innovation (DTSOI) and its ability to prepare students for Northwest Arkansas’ college and career needs. Designated as one of the first schools of innovation in Arkansas through ACT 601 of 2013 by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the DTSOI employs Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in every aspect of curriculum. The DTSOI represents the first school in Arkansas to hold the distinction of holding both school of innovation status as well as being a public, district- conversion …

Presidential Fundraising: A Multiple Case Study Of Rural Serving Oklahoma Community Colleges, Jason Daniel Falkner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Community college presidents serving rural populations in the state of Oklahoma have been forced to take on new responsibilities related to institutional fundraising due to multiple economic challenges including continued budgetary shortfalls and limited resource allocation. Review of the academic literature addressing this subject exposed a wide variety of rationales associated with this leadership shift, as well as successful presidential approaches to fundraising in modern higher education. This qualitative study of rural community college presidents in Oklahoma examined the rationale for expanded presidential roles in fundraising, while outlining a number of other essential roles, characteristics, professional backgrounds, and stressors that …

Heritage Language Schools In The U.S.: Administration, Sustainability And School Operations, Nan Wang

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Heritage Language School (HLS) is a unique type of non-governmental educational organization in the U.S. It was first established in the 1880s by immigrants, who wanted to pursue freedom and wealth in the U.S. As those descendants melt into U.S. culture over generations, the Heritage Language School undertakes the responsibility to connect immigrants’ descendants with their heritage cultures and languages. The sustainability of heritage language schools affects the sustainability of heritage cultures in the U.S. Now heritage language schools flourish in all states in the U.S. To approach sustainability, administration in heritage language schools encounters various challenges. With limited …

A Study Of Perceived Leadership Styles As It Affects The Decision-Making Process Employed By Eleven Catholic School Principals In South Texas, Mary Olivia Agbakoba

Theses and Dissertations

Catholic School principals play an important role in the development of students' spiritual, social, and academic wellbeing. Consequently, in order to improve students' spiritual, social, and academic skill, it is vital to study the perceived leadership styles and decision-making of Catholic School Principals. Research questions include: "Is there a relationship between Catholic School Principals and teachers' perceptions on principals' leadership styles?", and "Is there an association between decision type and decision-making style used?" 11 Catholic School Principals and 179 Catholic School Teachers completed a paper and pencil survey that assessed the perceived leadership styles of principals. Data was analyzed using …

Motivating Teachers To Lead In Low-Performing Schools: A Qualitative Study Of School Leaders In Three Arkansas High Schools, Joseph D. Fisher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study addressed the problem of motivating teachers to take on leadership roles in “low-performing” schools. Coupled with the high demands of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) being placed on public school principals to ensure that all students achieve and successfully graduate high school, better ways to distribute leadership and share responsibilities among teachers were identified. The research question and purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify the perceived leadership behaviors of high school principals in once labeled “low-performing” schools that support the motivation of teachers to take on leadership roles. Nine identified teacher leaders and …

The Impact Of A Positive Environment And Shared Leadership To Empower Collegial School Culture, Ben Pretz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop an empowered collegial school culture to systemically improve the function of the academic institution through the impact of a positive environment and shared leadership. When compared to the other middle schools in the district, Eagle Middle School had the lowest math achievement growth index during the 2014-2015 school year. The discrepancy in math achievement is one element that has created a culture problem for the building. Additionally, the building has a reputation of poor customer service and not serving the community effectively. Because of the poor culture the staff had a lack …

Academic Interventions In Secondary Schools: Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Shannon Mortrud

Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2015) only 34% of eighth grade students in the U.S. scored at or above proficient in reading and only 33% were at or above proficient in math. Reading comprehension is essential for the acquisition of knowledge in all coursework and those students who have reading deficits may experience increased academic failure. Deficits in math skills may also increase core academic failure for secondary students expected to complete rigorous courses in algebra and beyond. In a review of the literature, Blount (2012) deduced that academic failure is one of the main predictive risk …

Understanding The Purpose Of Restorative Practices For Schools: A New Zealand Perspective, Dorry Lillard

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Alternative disciplinary strategies for K-12 educational institutions have been gaining popularity around the globe for challenging the epidemic of suspensions and expulsions that foster unsafe school climates and position youth on the pipeline-to-prison. This study used a qualitative approach to investigate Restorative Practices (RP) an innovative, alternative approach to discipline that appears to make a difference in New Zealand schools. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to gain qualitative insight from twelve experienced professionals in RP in New Zealand into an approach that appears to transform school cultures and helps students remain in school and continue learning. The …

The Relationship Between Roles And Responsibilities Of Co-Teachers And Co-Teacher Self-Efficacy, Janet Van Heck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a survey that was intended to measure the connection between what co-teachers actually do and what they think they should be doing as best practice. Second, it intended to study the roles and responsibilities that co-teachers report fulfilling. Finally, whether self-efficacy is a predictor of co-teacher roles and responsibilities is further reported.

Three hundred twenty co-teachers participated in the study: one hundred sixty special education and 160 general education teachers in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States. Bandura’s Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (1994) was used with a tool for co-teachers designed specifically for …

Race, Resilience, And Resistance: A Culturally Relevant Examination Of How Black Women School Leaders Advance Racial Equity And Social Justice In U.S. Schools, Tonya Evette Walls

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This culturally relevant qualitative examination of the leadership of Black women educational leaders (BWEL) committed to advancing a social justice leadership agenda within the contested spaces (Stovall, 2004) comprising United States (U.S.) P-12 schools, employs an African centered emancipatory methodology (Kershaw, 1990, 1992; Tillman, 2002), situated in a conceptual framework grounded in the research on applied critical leadership (Santamaria, 2013). It examines, highlights, celebrates, and makes transparent, the unique leadership of BWEL. Engaged to rebuke the silencing and marginalization of women educational leaders of color in the educational leadership discourse, this study bridges engages a multiple case study approach, phenomenological …

Changing The World Through The Word: Developing Critical Consciousness Through Multicultural Children’S Literature With Critical Literacy In An Elementary Classroom, Hyekyoung Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore how fifth graders develop critical consciousness regarding the self and the world through critical literacy approaches using multicultural children’s literature. I employed Lewison, Flint, and Van Sluys’ four dimensions of critical literacy. I used a qualitative case study to design, frame and conduct this study in order to collect data and examine students’ cultural patterns including values, beliefs, behaviors, and language that they enacted in the critical literacy practices. I collected data through classroom observations, semi-structured students and teacher interviews, informal conversation, researcher’s reflective journal entries and field notes, and student-made artifacts. …

2017-11- 30 Undergraduate Curriculum Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee meeting minutes for November 30, 2017.

2017-11-30 Pac-2 Update, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Proposed updates to PAc-2.

2017-11-30 Faculty Senate Newsletter, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate Newsletter for November 30, 2017.

2017-11-30 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate meeting minutes for November 30, 2017.

The Positive Actions Curriculum As A Special Education Intervention For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Erin Gibbons

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Positive Actions curriculum on the academic achievement, attendance, self-esteem and external behavior of students with emotional disturbance. This study was conducted using a quasi- experimental, ex post facto, casual comparative design. The sample population was made up of 2,954 sixth through eighth grade students from three middle schools in a suburban school district. Results revealed no measured impact from the Positive Actions curriculum after one year on academic achievement, attendance, as well as most areas of student reported measures of self-esteem. There was a statistically significant impact from …

2017-11-29 Announcement From The Provost, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Announcement delivered by the Provost's Office to faculty and staff on November 29, 2017.

An Examination Of The Instruction Of Religion Clause Issues In Massachusetts Teacher Education Programs, Matthew E. Henry

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevailing research, as well as reported complaints of academic, civic, personal, and social harm, indicates that public school teachers do not exhibit the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes grounded in the religion clauses of the U.S. Constitution. This study investigated how TEPs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts document their instruction of preservice teachers on religion clause issues as they apply to grade 6-12 content area pedagogy, curriculum, and professional ethos. The institutional documents presented to preservice teachers were collected from four teacher education programs in the Commonwealth. An evaluation tool— synthesized from the leading scholarship and research on the …

“I Never Planned To Be A Teacher!” An Interview With Margaret Hill, President Of The Board Of The San Bernardino City Unified School District, John M. Winslade, Margaret Hill

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

An interview with Margaret Hill, President of the Board of San Bernardino City Unified School District

Work-Related Stress And Burnout Factors Of Principals In Regional Greece: A Historical Perspective, Christos Leventis, Evangelos C. Papakitsos, Konstantinos Karakiozis, Argyrios Argyriou

Journal of Research Initiatives

Work-related stress and burnout is a reality in modern society, because the lack of time and the high work demands seem increasingly intensified. Thus, the study of working conditions and the factors that affect the physical and mental health becomes even more imperative. Professions that are particularly stressful are those where there is daily contact with people, for example, doctors, nurses, social workers, or school leaders. Besides administrative and official duties, modern principals perform additional functions such as the organization and management of schools, the coordination of people who are involved in the teaching and operational process and they intervene …

Faculty Expectations Of Administrative Leaders’ Behavior Of The Department Chairs: The University Of Belize, Theodore J.M. Ogaldez, Adriel Hilton

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

A new University of Belize (UB) was created through the assimilation of several smaller institutions and was only two years old at the time of this study. The authors recognized that the creation of this most-recent university would bring different expectations of leadership on the part of faculty and administrators. As higher education changes, particularly at the UB, the need for persons in leadership positions who can bring groups together in spite of differences, will be critical. According to Machiavelli (1961), there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of success, or more dangerous to manage than the …

Rural Superintendents As Political Agents: Grassroots Advocacy In Appalachian Districts Of Southeast Ohio, Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam, Michael Edward Hess, Chance D. Mays

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative inquiry explores the narratives of rural superintendents regarding their roles as moral agents in the politics of public school settings and how they view their moral and political advocacy as grassroots activism for student and community rights. Insights from superintendent narratives provided themes about the history, practice, and expectations of school leaders as political agents within their respective communities. These themes focused on activism and advocacy for equitable funding and policymaking that specifically related to transportation, testing, and technology. Findings describe and define how superintendents make meaning of their political and public obligations and provide data that can …

Undergraduate African American Males’ Narratives On The Personal Factors Influencing Retention In The Social Sciences, Dorrance Kennedy, Linda Wilson-Jones

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate African American social science majors on the personal factors that influenced their retention in higher education. This was a qualitative study with 15 African American males who were enrolled in three universities in the University of North Carolina system. The data were collected using face-to-face interviews of approximately 45 minutes duration that took place on two separate occasions. They appeared eager to discuss their experiences as freshmen and the factors that influenced them to return to the university a second year. The main findings from this study were …

The Impact Of Ethics And Faith On The Leadership Styles Of Black Women In Higher Education, Emetrude Lewis

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the connection between ethics and faith as well as the impact that such connection has on the leadership styles of Black women in institution of public education. For the sake of confidentiality, pseudonyms were used for the participants and to protect their privacy. Multiple data collection and analytical methods were utilized to document the experiences and voices of the participants. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the role and impact of ethics and faith on the leadership styles of Black women in higher education. The major goals of the research are: 1) …

Elementary Administrators' Exploring The Factors That Promote Or Inhibit Reading Achievement, Ashley Holder, Linda Wilson-Jones, Brian Phillips, Paris Jones, Jerry D. Jones

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that promote or inhibit the reading achievement of elementary children. The participants for this study were administrators who were employed at eleven Title I schools in North Carolina. The study used a qualitative design and collected data by phone interviews with elementary administrators.

Several recurring themes and patterns surfaced from the data gathered from the eleven participants. However, the overarching themes that promoted reading achievement were (a) family support, (b) early literacy exposure, and (c) teacher effectiveness and expectations. The reoccurring themes that inhibited reading achievement were (a) lack of …

Meeting The Needs Of The Times: A Doctoral Program In Leadership Shifts Paradigms, Linda E. Lapinta

Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership

In the 2013-2014 academic year, Spalding University charged the author with revamping its doctoral program in leadership education to, in the words of the University’s mission statement, “meet the needs of the times” for “a diverse community of learners.” This article focuses on how and why the increasingly interdisciplinary program revised its course delivery system, shifted the nature of its students’ leadership research, and emphasized community and global thinking through obtaining organizational partners. The article also addresses considerations for administrators contemplating creating or revising a graduate program in leadership.

A Multi-Generational Study Of Aspiring African American Female Superintendents In Texas, Patrice Lanette Allen, Joshua D. Hughes

Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership

Only 8 of the 1,247 public school districts served by the Texas Education Agency are headed by African American female superintendents. In order for African American women to be considered for the superintendency in Texas, they must understand the barriers marked by intersectional misconceptions.

The narrative methodology focuses on accounts derived from experiences expressed in a form of storytelling. This correlates the conceptual framework with the variables of critical race theory (CRT), glass ceiling theory, and generational theory. This process was vital to understanding generational differences of African American women on the journey to the superintendency. This research focused on …

Teachers’ Knowledge, Use, And Opinions Of Online Resource Centers For Evidence-Based Practices For Students With Learning Disabilities, Meredith Gapsis

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Students with learning disabilities represent a group of students who are frequently most in need of high-quality instruction in order to meet the academic goals consistent with their non-disabled peers (Kretlow & Blatz, 2011). Despite the existence of several easily accessible, free online resources and federal mandates in laws such as those in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), research has found that teachers still fail to implement evidence-based practices in their instruction (Cook, Smith & Tankersley, 2012). The purpose of this study was to measure the level of …

Examining The Impact Of Confucian Values On Leadership Preferences, Andrew Schenck, Merissa Waddey

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Efficacy of a leadership approach may be highly dependent upon cultural factors, making additional research in foreign contexts necessary. A methodology was developed to investigate the relationship between Confucian values and leadership preferences. Responses on the Chinese Values Survey (CVS) were compared to those of the Vannsimpco Leadership Survey (VLS) for both Korean (N = 48) and American (N = 47) university respondents. Correlations for both groups revealed a link between Confucian values and hybrid leadership styles. Among Korean faculty, this link was even more pronounced, yielding significant correlations to autocratic-transformational (r_s [30] = .513, p …

A Correlational Study Examining The Relationship Between Restorative Practices And School Climate In Selected Elementary Schools In A Large Mid-Atlantic Urban School District, Akil A. Boucaud

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Punitive consequences are extensively utilized when dealing with school discipline. Recently, positive approaches to discipline, such as restorative practices, have been implemented in many schools to address school discipline concerns and to improve school climate. Restorative practices is a philosophy that focuses on building positive relationships by changing mindsets. This study took place in a large mid-atlantic urban school district. The goal of the study was to determine the relationship between restorative practices and school climate from the perspectives of school staff members who utilize restorative practices in their schools. A quantitative correlational research design was utilized for this study …