Educational Leadership Commons^™

Considerations Of A Tuition Reset At Small, Non-Selective Liberal Arts Colleges, Lynda J. Holt

All Theses And Dissertations

Small, non-selective liberal arts colleges have been increasingly caught in a cycle of deepening discount rates to ensure student enrollments while raising tuition rates to earn more funds from students paying the full cost. However, continually discounting tuitions to attract students can lead to a point of diminishing returns, at which the college is no longer able to achieve the net revenue necessary to cover the operational costs of the institution. Several colleges have undertaken a tuition reset to both lower listed tuition and limit the discount rate at the college. The action to undertake a tuition reset is a …

Leader Perspectives On Leadership Professional Development (Lpd): Impact And Implications For Training Efficacy, L. Rachel Cubas-Wilkinson

All Theses And Dissertations

In the United States, the field of Professional Development is a $160 billion per year market. The single largest audience of focus for professional development investment by organizations within the U.S. are leaders. Despite their position as important stakeholders, little is known or understood about their perceptions regarding leadership professional development (LPD). The purpose of this study was to explore how leaders in the U.S. understand and describe their viewpoints, beliefs, and attitudes of LPD. A qualitative, multi-case investigation was launched to bring discovery of leader perspectives as to the impact of LPD at a personal, team, and organizational level. …

Compassion Informed Mindfulness For Teachers: A Case Study, Michael Peter Nolden

All Theses And Dissertations

The professional duties of teaching can be stressful. The social pressures many teachers face beyond their workday (finances, family, career, peers, etc.) may exacerbate their feelings of work stress. Mindfulness-based practices in education show evidence they can alleviate teachers’ stress. The purpose of this study was to explore the framework of compassion as informed mindfulness in the professional lives of educators. Compassion Informed Mindfulness for Teachers (CIMT) was an original 6-week mindfulness-based intervention protocol (90 min. per week) addressing compassion, self-compassion, common humanity, mindfulness, and resilience exclusively for educators. Analysis of data through an ethnographic case study, supported by triangulated …

The Influence Of Noncognitive Skills In Physician Assistant Education, Lynn Eckrote

All Theses And Dissertations

A holistic approach to the admission process in a physician assistant (PA) program can emphasize skills beyond the traditional measures of cognitive skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences that directors of physician assistant programs have with applying the MMI as a measure of noncognitive skills in the admission process. Physician assistant programs often do not put an equal focus on cognitive and noncognitive skills. This study addressed the research question: What experiences have PA directors had with applying the MMI as a measure of noncognitive skills in the admission process? The participants of this study …

Improving Kindergarten Transition Practices For Students With Special Needs, Julia "Sandy" Flacke

All Theses And Dissertations

The transition to kindergarten is a magical milestone for children and families. For students identified with special needs, there are additional worries and celebrations to share with the transition team. The research site included in this study comprises pre-K programs that operated through a cooperative agreement between a Maine school district and Head Start. In the State of Maine, preschool students who are identified with a disability are provided services and programming through a Maine Department of Education (MDOE) agency: Child Development Services (CDS). For public pre-K programs in Maine, this created a unique situation. While the pre-K programs are …

The Impact Of Student Mindsets In The Virtual Math Classroom, Katrina Kremer

All Theses And Dissertations

Mindset has been studied in multiple traditional school settings, but its interaction with transactional distance in a virtual school environment is missing from the current research. This dissertation explores the experiences of students and learning coaches in a virtual high school through a series of interviews in order to present a better understanding of how students and learning coaches perceive the role of mindset and transactional distance in their interactions with each other, the content, and the teacher. The case study design applied the lenses of Transactional Distance Theory and Mindset Theory to descriptive coding of interview transcripts and relevant …

The Effects Of A Systematic Tier 2 Intervention On Kindergartners' Dibels Benchmarks, Richard Kyle Abernathy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of teaching prescriptive and teacher-guided decoding lessons to kindergarten students in need of Tier 2 interventions in the Georgia Response to Intervention protocol based on DIBELS curriculum-based measurements. A causal-comparative design was used to examine spring 2018 DIBELS benchmarks scores of kindergarten students in a large rural school district in northwest Georgia. Students in the treatment group received Tier 2 intervention following a newer curricula termed Differentiated Reading Instruction (DRI) from the manual How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction (2017). Students in the control group received a similar commercially-based intervention. The curriculum-based measurement, DIBELS, served …

Correlation Between The Frequency Of Electronic Parent Monitoring Of Grades And Elementary Student Achievement, Michael Scott Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parent engagement in the education of a child is a scriptural obligation expressively outlined by 2 Timothy 3:16 - 17 (New International Version). Federal legislation also emphasized the importance of parent engagement via the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), which is supported by professional research to have a positive effect on student achievement. One important limitation of current research is the effect of technology as the intervening variable on elementary student achievement. The purpose of this study was to understand if a relationship exists between the frequency of electronic parent monitoring of grades, using gradebook views from a Student Information …

Why Stay? Retaining Veteran Teachers In Predominantly Minority, Low-Income, Rural Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Veronica Keyosha Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of veteran teachers who teach in predominantly minority, low-income, rural schools across South Carolina. This study also emphasized the motivational factors that participants attribute to remaining in rural school districts for five or more years. Lastly, this study looked at how participants describe the attribution of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in their perseverance, and how participants perceive social injustice as having an impact on retaining teachers in rural regions. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory proposed by Abraham Maslow and …

Teacher Factors And Student Achievement As Measured By The Act Assessment And Subsequent Teacher Perceptions Of Those Factors, Jessica Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate educator factors that have an impact on student achievement and overall school performance as indicated in the American College Test (ACT) scores from the district and the individual schools. Educators from a moderate-sized public school district participated in an anonymous online survey. According to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) Report Card, the district ACT composite is a 20.1 (TDOE, 2018e). Two of the district’s schools’ results are higher than the district composite, while the other five are consistent with or below the district composite. Participants of this study shared their …

Characteristics Of High Quality Teachers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Kelli Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the characteristics of high quality teachers. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information from a purposeful selection of people directly identified as high quality teachers by their principals. This study employed processes of data collection commonly used in observational analysis and included the use of interviews found in qualitative design.

The researcher was able to extract meaning using the coding process and the constant comparative method. Information was sorted into themes that supported and aligned with the research questions leading to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. This …

An Analysis Of Novice Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Their Teacher Preparation Program, Professional Support, And The Purpose Of School, Maria Veronica Paz Tagle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify existing relationships between the perceptions of novice teachers regarding their teacher preparation programs, the support given to teachers from their schools, and the purpose of school. The study took place in Northeast Tennessee. Seventeen teachers from three different school systems participated in individual qualitative interviews, which lasted about one hour each.

The finding corroborated the theory analyzed for this study and revealed areas for improvement in all levels of the education system. Teachers suggested meaningful changes to teacher preparation programs, including changes to general prerequisites and reorganizing education programs around meaningful field …

Technology For The 21st Century Workforce: A Case Study Of A Rural East Tennessee Workforce Community, Kim Bolton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess technology use, on-the-job technology training, education levels, and salary ranges of employees in low-, middle-, and high- skill jobs in a rural county in East Tennessee to create an example of a small town workforce. For this study, technology included computers, robotics, and mobile technology. A survey determined the technology used, training provided, salaries, and job skill levels based on education obtained and required by major employers. The study identified the level of jobs requiring more technology skills and salaries or training related to these job skill levels. Participants included 336 persons …

Fully Practicing The Middle School Concept: A Phenomenological Study Of Virginia Middle Schools Re-Designated Iii As A School To Watch, Sandra Frederick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of school staff as to the best practices utilized in successful middle schools. The researcher used the framework of This We Believe and the School To Watch application process to determine schools worthy of the study. Each school must have been designated three times or more as a School To Watch. Three schools were selected for the study that were each in three different school divisions and three different geographical regions in Virginia. The researcher went to each site to conduct interviews with participants. Fifteen interviews via focus groups …

The Change Process And The Implementation Of High School Jostens Renaissance Programs: A Multiple Case Study, Gregory G. English

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by the growing body of research relating to the impact school climate has on student achievement, attendance, behavior, and mental well-being, many educators have implemented initiatives and programs aimed at school climate improvement. Jostens Renaissance is one such program and was the program of focus for this study. Though Jostens has numerous publications and media sources to facilitate the sharing of ideas, there is very little information available regarding the implementation of Renaissance.

The primary purpose of this study was to identify factors that facilitated change in the process of implementing high school Jostens Renaissance programs in order to …

Doctoral Student Experiences Of Engagement In Social Media: An Exploration Of #Sadoc, Jessica G. Owens

All Dissertations

This phenomenological study aimed to understand how doctoral students perceived the influence of social media engagement, through Twitter, on their socialization and sense of belonging within academia. Eight participants were recruited from #sadoc on Twitter. Data from a participant selection questionnaire, in-depth, semi-structured interview, and posts to Twitter were used to understand their lived experiences in #sadoc. Thematic coding was employed to identify six common themes: (a) community of shared doctoral experiences; (b) exposure to doctoral education process; (c) celebration of doctoral student experiences; (d) expansion of boundaries; (e) doctoral student identification; and (f) visibility and authenticity of expression. The …

Leadership Succession And Onboarding Processes Of: Mid-West United States International Baccalaureate (Ib) Primary Years Program (Pyp) Schools, Mary Nandra Kay Campbell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) model of education is unique and comprehensive, and so is the PYP principal. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of Mid-West United States IB PYP leaders related to leadership succession, the onboarding processes experienced by the new leaders, and the effective leadership traits possessed by the new leaders. This study involved a phenomenological study in nature. A criterion sampling approach was used to identify six participants of the study. A semi-structured interviewing protocol allowed elaboration by participants and to discover aspects not originally considered. The key findings included the following: lack of …

Building A Positive School Climate: What Principals Have Done To Effect Change, An Ethnographic Case Study, Suzanne C. Showers

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

The importance of school climate has been known for over 100 years. School climate sets the tone for the teaching and learning interactions that take place within the school setting. “School climate refers to the quality and character of school life. School climate is based on patterns of students', parents' and school personnel's experience of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures” (National School Climate Center, 2015). Research indicates that positive school climates increase teacher retention, lower dropout rates, decrease school violence, and increase student achievement (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, …

Exemplar Advisors Fostering A Sense Of Mattering Within Undergraduate Students In The College Of Agricultural Sciences And Natural Resources, Nicole Michelle Smith

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

The purpose of this study was to identify what CASNR professional advisors are and could be doing to foster a sense of mattering within the undergraduate student population, which ultimately could impact retention and graduation rates. There was a need to understand the variance of advising experiences of undergraduate students and how exemplar professional advisors foster a sense of mattering in undergraduate students of CASNR. The focus of this research was to decipher if and how professional advisors foster a sense of mattering with undergraduate advisees. The problem of practice was that advising can impact retention and graduation rates through …

Organizational Culture In Community Colleges: Making Connections To Diverse Student Success, Darcy A. Orellana

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The lack of equitable educational outcomes for students of color continues to be a glaring problem for community colleges. Community colleges are challenged to find solutions to address long-standing achievement gaps. One institutional response has been to implement high impact practices (HIPs) as a means to improve persistence, retention, and graduation rates for all students. HIPs, however, have produced mixed results in terms of enhancing student success, and evidence suggests that students of color participate in fewer HIPs and thus receive less benefit from them. This study considers the proposition that students of color may decide not to participate in …

A Study Of Elementary School Involvement By Parents Currently Serving In The U.S. Armed Forces, Jonathan W. Williams I

All Theses And Dissertations

A phenomenological qualitative research study was conducted using currently serving military parents with children enrolled in elementary school. The intent of the research was to reveal factors that contributed to military parents’ participation in the education of their elementary-aged child, analyze factors that contributed to the lack of involvement of military parents in the education of their elementary-aged child, and deduce ways the elementary school, that serve military families, can encourage parental involvement in the education of their child. The study was aimed to understand better how the parent–school partnership of military families can be improved.

Narratives from the nine …

Examining The Phenomenon Of Elementary School Principal Succession Through The Perspectives And Experiences Of Novice Principals, Dayna Kay Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States are confronted with a shortage of highly qualified principal applicants, a situation compounded by a haphazard approach to leadership succession planning. While the vast majority of principals and superintendents endorse the promotion of assistant principals as the most effective way to develop successful school leaders, few structures exist to support that endeavor. Despite their essential role in the school’s operations and escalating demands for accountability for high standards and performance at the school level, assistant principals have been rendered virtually invisible in the scholarly literature. This study sought to fill the glaring gap in …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

The Relationship Between Teacher Communication, And Teacher Credibility, Student Motivation, And Academic Achievement In India, Cyril Fernandes

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study was conducted in India, where teachers use the lecture method of communication in the classroom. It is important for the teacher to establish credibility while communicating to motivate the students in the classroom. The study examined the relationship between teacher communication, and teacher credibility, student motivation, and academic achievement. The researcher visited 11 schools in India, and 519 ninth-grade students participated in the research. A questionnaire was prepared to collect data on teacher credibility and student motivation, and four English-subject examination grades of the participants were collected. The participants were also asked to evaluate their English teachers’ communication …

The Effects Of Student-Centered Coaching On The Reading Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Instructional Practice, Merlette Frederick-Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

With student achievement as the focus of educational reform, teachers in today’s classrooms are faced with meeting the needs of a diverse population. These teachers need to have the skill set to meet their students’ varied learning needs. This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the impact of student-centered coaching on student learning and attitude toward reading using a comparative group (archival data, 2016–2017 school year, of students whose teachers did not receive coaching) and an experimental group (2017–2018 school year, students whose teachers received student-centered coaching). Three teachers and 276 students were taken from a Title I school in a suburban …

Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Principals, Teachers, And Parents Regarding The Implementation Of The Arkansas Dyslexia Law, Joeanna Lynn Cooper

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of principals, teachers, and parents regarding the implementation of the Arkansas Dyslexia Law. Principals, teachers, and parents were interviewed in regard to multiple aspects of the state’s mandated dyslexia law implementation. The overall findings of this study revealed that the Arkansas Dyslexia Law had substantial effects in Arkansas Schools on program funding, interventions and basic understanding of statutory requirements. Although findings indicated that the training of teachers and interventionists created an initial delay of services in some schools, the majority of participants agreed that the dyslexia intervention program selected …

Examining Mediating Effects Of Students’ Academic Mindsets On Relationships Between Leadership Practices, Teachers’ Classroom Practices, And Students’ Academic Achievement, Laura Francis Fee

Theses and Dissertations

The ESSA of 2015 empowered state and local decision-makers to develop accountability systems that focus on both cognitive and non-cognitive indicators of success. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether any relationships existed among instructional and distributed leadership practices, teachers’ instructional practices, the classroom environment, teacher-student relationships, students’ academic mindsets, and students’ academic achievement in mathematics at the secondary level. Data was drawn from the 2012 PISA. Participating school principals and students completed questionnaires that assessed components of the school system and students’ beliefs with regard to the mathematics classroom. Through HLM, the null model revealed 26% …

High-Needs Schools: Preparing Teachers For Today's World

Occasional Paper Series

In the second decade of the 21st century, some schools are in trouble and some schools are not. The subject of this Occasional Paper is the preparation of teachers for schools that--lacking sufficient resources, effective leadership, or vocal advocates--are failing to educate their students by any reasonable measures. The teachers and teacher educator contributors to this volume offer a more variegated set of responses grounded in a diversity of local experiences. Their approaches to researching and understanding the immediacy of becoming a teacher are based on decades of working in hard-pressed urban schools and the institutions that supply them with …

Do You Get Cream With Your Choice? Characteristics Of Students Who Moved Into Or Out Of The Louisiana Scholarship Program, Yujie Sude, Patrick J. Wolf

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Private school choice programs often are accused of failing to serve disadvantaged students. Critics claim that participating private schools “skim the cream off the top” by admitting only the best students and “push out” students who are the most difficult to teach. This study tests these student selection hypotheses in the context of the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP). We find LSP applicants are less advantaged than their public school peers regarding their family socioeconomic status and initial test scores. No consistent evidence indicates that the LSP private schools are “skimming the cream” or “pushing out” students based on their family …

Heterogeneous Impacts Across Schools In The First Four Years Of The Louisiana Scholarship Program, Patrick J. Wolf

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) is a school voucher initiative that offers publicly- funded scholarships to students from economically-disadvantaged families to attend a participating private school of their choice. While school choice theory suggests that market- based reforms such as the LSP should improve student outcomes, experimental evaluations of the program instead find significant negative effects of the program on math and reading scores after its first year. Those effects diminish to insignificant differences by the end of the third year before becoming negative again in the fourth year. Our study builds on previous work with an exploratory analysis of …