Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of The Experiences Of African American Students At Eastern Michigan University During The Civil Rights Era And In The 21st Century: A Historical Case Study, Maria A. Jackson-Smith

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examined links between Reconstruction and Civil Rights Era educational policies and practices and the impact of Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) institutional policies and practices on black students. This historical case study delineated the experiences of black EMU students who attended the institution at the end of the Civil Rights Era and during the first two decades of the 21^st century. The study is significant because, despite landmark Civil Rights Era legislation whose objective sought to narrow the achievement gap, the retention rates of black students at EMU remain disproportionate to those of white students in the …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Factors Leading To Academic Improvement In Minnesota Elementary Schools, Sean D. Dubé

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the principals’ perceptions of factors leading to academic improvement in Title I elementary schools in Minnesota. Participants included eight Title I elementary principals who led their schools from 2016-2019 and significantly improved their students’ math and reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) scores during that time period. Interviews were coded through MaxQDA and synthesized to develop themes connected to school improvement. The data suggested seven total themes for perceived factors in school improvement: the principal’s focus and intentionality, the principal’s continuous improvement mindset, strategic use of academic data, a culture of …

The Rise Of Segregated Charter Schools In Minnesota, Josiah Jackson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, urban charter schools gained prominence in the United States. They specifically made substantial growth in the metro areas in Minnesota. The vitality of these schools and their accomplishments were seen and recognized by parents and community stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the successes and challenges of urban charter schools through the lens of principals in metro area schools. The respondents for this study were six elementary principals in metro Minnesota. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes. Eight themes emerged from the interviewees' responses specific to the successes and challenges …

Culturally Responsive School Leadership: Examining White Male Principals’ Practices, Alex Schukow

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

K-12 principals must enact culturally responsive school leadership to close the opportunity gaps Black students and economically disadvantaged students experience. Critical race theory, the key model, and culturally responsive school leadership theory form the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. The overarching research question for the study is as follows: How do Whiteness and masculinity influence the enactment of culturally responsive school leadership by White male K-12 principals in exurban school settings? Interviews, school handbook policy analysis, and examinations of participants’ professional social media posts provide data to critique the actions of four White male principals in Midwestern, exurban public …

From College To Career: Do You Know How To Behave? Impact Of Instructional Practices On Soft-Skill Competencies, Robbya R. Green-Weir

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Soft-skill competencies are essential for successful careers. However, recent graduates lack in soft skill development. The reason may be because there is no set list of soft skills. Soft skills are subjective and poorly defined in Health Administration and competency models are not defined in terms of attitudes, behaviors, or dispositions for training and development of students.

Purpose: Provides a platform for health administrators to define soft skills more clearly by drawing on research conducted by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance [HLA]. This research also examines health administration programs to gain a better understanding of why graduates lack soft skills. …

Self-Contained And Departmental Educational Delivery Systems: A Case Study Of Differences In Student Achievement And Behavior, Robert Eugene Smith Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the differences in achievement and behavior for fifth-grade students taught using a self-contained instructional model compared to students taught using a departmentalized model. Differences based on selected demographic/attribute variables were also investigated. Teacher perceptions regarding the differences in the two organizational models were also examined. Data were collected from the West Virginia Department of Education’s end of the year student academic achievement assessment (The West Virginia General Summative Assessment), the West Virginia Department of Education’s online information system (WVEIS), and teacher surveys. Data suggest differences in the two instructional models along with significant differences in male and …

Losing As And Fs: What Works For Schools Implementing Standards-Based Grading?, Matt Townsley, Tom Buckmiller

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this essay is to document what works when K-12 schools implement standards-based grading through a deep dive into related literature and to suggest areas for future considerations. To ignore what others are doing and what is presented in the research literature on teaching and learning is not only inefficient, it is also irresponsible and unprofessional (Gupton, 2010). As more schools work to implement a robust teaching, learning and assessment system, K-12 teachers and administrators in the early stages of redesigning their grading practices will be looking towards the successes and struggles of early adopters in order to …

Factors That Contribute To High School Senior African American Male Students’ Academic Success, John Jeffrey Baker

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are many studies that examine the negative academic factors that hold African American male students back from being academically successful students. This research changes the narrative because it examines the positive factors that help African American male students become academically successful in school. These students are the future role models of the African American community, and their footsteps could possibly show other African American male students how to become stronger students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors that contribute to high school senior African American male students’ academic success. The participants were African American senior …

Differences In Teachers’ Self-Reported Levels Of Gratitude Between High-Poverty And Low-Poverty Schools, Theresa Marie Anderson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher turnover is a major issue in the U.S. education system because teachers are leaving the profession at astounding rates (Castro, Quinn, Fuller, & Barnes, 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Teacher turnover disproportionately impacts schools with higher numbers of students from predominantly low socioeconomic status backgrounds (Castro et al., 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Exploring gratitude, a positive psychology practice, may provide insight into attrition and teachers’ well-being. The intent of this study was to explore the potential contribution gratitude may have as a tool to help teachers develop resilience in light of the complex and dynamic issues in education. …

Professional Learning Communities And Collective Mindfulness, Melissa J. Johnson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of professional learning communities, collective mindfulness, and student achievement in high-poverty Minnesota schools. The School Professional Staff as Learning Community Questionnaire (SPSLCQ) and School Mindfulness Scale (M-Scale) collected data from K-12 faculty in high-poverty schools across Minnesota. Results of the t-test indicate there was a difference between the level of collective mindfulness and faculty perceptions of professional learning communities in high-achieving, high-poverty schools and low-achieving or average-achieving, high-poverty schools. Collective mindfulness increased in high-achieving, high-poverty schools and faculty perceptions of professional learning communities increased in low-achieving or average-achieving, high-poverty schools. …

The Relationship Of Psychological Capital And Leader Humility In Minnesota Secondary Schools, Kristine Fehr Flesher

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between leader humility and teacher psychological capital in Minnesota secondary schools through a quantitative, cross-sectional study design. The four independent variables examined in this study were teacher-reported leader humility, as measured by the Expressed Humility Scale (Owens et al., 2913), principal gender, teacher gender, geographical location of Minnesota schools, and principal longevity. Teacher psychological capital, as measured by the Psychological Capital -12 Questionnaire (Avey, et al., 2011) was the dependent variable. Principals in 597 Minnesota secondary schools were given the opportunity to forward a survey to their teachers. Respondents were …

Understanding The Whole Student Approach And Its Influence On The Graduation Rates Of Hispanic/Latino Ell Students Within Catholic High Schools, Pamela Marie Patnode

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spanish speaking English Language Learners (ELLs) represent a large and rapidly growing student population. Although many Hispanic/Latino ELL students are at risk for academic failure, Hispanic/Latino students who attend Catholic schools are more likely than their public school peers to graduate from both high school and college. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role that student validation plays within the academic, cultural, and spiritual practices that lead to Hispanic/Latino ELL student academic achievement in Catholic high schools. The researcher performed on-site observations, document analysis, as well as interviews and focus groups at a culturally diverse, high …

Determinants Of Professional Practice Experience Satisfaction In Health Information Management Students, Katie Lea Kerr

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational study was to determine the degree to which factors of a high-quality professional practice experience (PPE) in undergraduate health information management (HIM) programs relate to HIM student PPE satisfaction. This study utilized a web-based PPE satisfaction survey of HIM students who completed a PPE from an accredited undergraduate HIM program during the 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020 school years. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for survey Likert scale items, the use of Pearson correlation to determine the relationship between the independent variables and student PPE satisfaction, Cronbach alpha for the full PPE scale …

Elementary Charter School Enrollment And Economic Segregation In Two Urban Minnesota Public School Districts, Jeffrey Michael Sambs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a quantitative historical research design and multivariate mixed method analysis to examine whether there is a relationship between charter school enrollment and economic segregation at the elementary level in the public schools of two urban Minnesota districts, Saint Paul Public Schools and Minneapolis Public Schools. Economic segregation is measured using dissimilarity index scores calculated from 2006 to 2010. Data were collected from the Minnesota Department of Education using the federally mandated October 1 reporting statistics database. The results of the study were different for each school district. There was a statistically significant, and positive, relationship between charter …

Positive Behavioral Intervention And Supports: Effective Elementary School Tier Two And Three Interventions, Ashley Schaefer

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how one ambassador school that has been implementing PBIS with fidelity over the last few years is meeting the needs of all students using the Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) framework. An ambassador school is defined as a cohort that has a sustained exemplary state rating, measured Tier 1 fidelity within the last 12 months, is committed to measuring fidelity every 12 months, has data to show progress. This study looked closely at one school and their uses of interventions to meet the needs of students in Tier 2 and 3, and the perceptions teachers had regarding …

Exploring Lived Experiences Of University Students Attending A Residential University In The Midwest Who Have Moved Home As A Result Of Covid-19, Hendrika B. Schoon

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students’ stress levels and mental health problems continue to rise (Acharya, Collins, & Jin, 2016; Galatzer-Levy & Bonanno, 2013; Gallagher, 2009; Gallagher, 2012; Giamos, Lee, Suleiman, Stuart, & Chen, 2017; Li 2018; Ketchen-Lipson, Gaddis, Heinze, & Eisenberg, 2015; Shepherd & Edleman, 2009; Wood, 2012). Social support experienced in a residential university setting mitigates the negative impact of these dynamics on student success, health, and retention (Bland, Melton, Welle, & Bigham, 2012; Buote, 2007; Gosnell, 2019; Nicpon et al., 2006; Watkins & Hill, 2016). However, in mid-March 2020, a major disruptor in the form of an outbreak of COVID-19 (a …

Becoming A Stem Magnet School: The Story Of Two Schools, Leanne M. Peterson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study explored the journey of two elementary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) magnet schools. Both schools are marketed as using integrated, hands-on, problem solving approaches; science is the focus at one school while the other uses engineering. A survey was used to collect data to analyze the frequency of use of science and engineering practices between. No statistical differences in frequency of use was found between the two STEM magnet schools. Interviews revealed practices were used more often than reported on the survey. A chi-squared test was completed to compare five years of data on state assessments. …

The Cause And Impact Of Charter School Leadership Turnover, Curtis Grant Windham

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes and impact of charter school leadership turnover. Participants in this study included 10 charter school leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Data discovered in this study included challenges in the following areas: policy and legal, organizational management, and student and family. Key concepts identified included the benefits of previous leadership experiences, business management experience, which included financial and facility management, and human resources experience. Key challenges identified included support of charter school leader’s increased workload, range of skills and previous experience necessary for successful leadership, minimal support systems …

School Facet Through Surrounding Factors: A Geospatial Analysis Of Community Social Capital Impacting Elementary Schools, Sajjid Budhwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School performance rating is an important factor which not only provides a quick snapshot of how the students are performing on various measurement indicators but also decides a school’s future course of actions, strategies, resources, and its existence. Despite its significant importance, the school performance framework does not consider where the schools are geographically located and the surrounding factors within which they operate. The researcher of this study presented a landscape of the surrounding factors and its impact on the elementary schools within Denver Public Schools district. In this study, the surrounding factors are geospatially analyzed to determine the extent …

The Athletic Training Clinical Experience: A Phenomenological Study, Courtney M. Lewis

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how students experience the clinical component of their preparation and the phenomenon of integration. Integration is the application of scientific content knowledge into a setting that reflects the real world of practice. Within the athletic training literature, this concept of integration, or the bridging of didactic and clinical preparation, is often referred to as clinical integration The concept of integration has been studied, but unfortunately, it has not been studied from the perspective of athletic training students. My goal was to conduct a qualitative research study using phenomenological research methods to understand …

Aggie First Scholars: A Quality Workforce Initiative For Promoting First-Generation Student Success, Amanda M. Hagman, John Louviere, Heidi Kesler, Mykel Beorchia, Lisa Simmons, Mitchell Colver

Publications

Introduction: First-generation students lag behind continuing-generation peers in terms of graduation rates and average time to graduation. This phenomenon has been extensively studied in higher education with the intent of closing the gap seen between generational statuses. Utah State University provides services to support first-generation students. In the 2018/2019 academic year, USU initiative a full-kit initiative to help first-generation student participate in several proven first-year student milestones. This report explores the impact of full-kit use of services and the individual impact of each service on first-generation student persistence. METHODS: Students who self-identified as first-generation on their USU application were invited …

Student Leadership: Why Is It Important And How Do We Support It?, Amy Lightfoot

Teacher India

Teachers and other educators can play an important role in helping young people to realise their ambitions and to hone their leadership skills. The author explains how.

School Leaders’ Work During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Two-Pronged Approach, Katina Pollock

Education Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the nature of school principals’ work. Today, principals are expected to be exceptional managers and excellent leaders in a time where the pace of change has increased exponentially. Preliminary data suggest that principals in Ontario, Canada are pivoting their work: They are engaging in a two-pronged approach to lead public schools during the pandemic crisis. They are extending their roles around (a) safe schooling and setting the context for future schooling while (b) simultaneously extending their role of instructional leader to digital instructional leader. This paper, informed by preliminary focus group data, poses thought-provoking questions …

Student Employability In Covid-19 Project Summary, Melody Viczko Dr., Shannon Mckechnie

Education Publications

The impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic on higher education could be seen in education in early 2020. Significant labour market disruptions places students among the group experiencing the heaviest burden from layoffs and work insecurity during this time. Higher education institutions also face financial uncertainty, bracing for shifts in enrolment and tuition revenue, particularly related to international student cohorts. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student employability are on the radar of policymakers, university faculty and administrators, employers, and students alike.

School Safety In Rural Settings, Daniel W. Eadens, Larry Walker, Vasily Yurin

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Extreme violence is in our communities and sometimes flows into our schools. Read no further than the local newspapers if you want to see the impact on campus: physical violence, serious injury, suicide, mental crises, and threats with deadly weapon. In fact, the first documented school shooting in this country occurred in the year 1764 in rural Pennsylvania (Keenan & Rush, 2016). Unfortunately, shootings continue to plague our society and occur on rural school campuses today. Are rural schools safe? Is there a way to better predict school violence so it can be prevented? What kind of rural schools are …

Assessment Of Student Learning Outcomes In Professional Athletic Training Programs, Mary Elizabeth Westby

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the type of program-level student learning outcomes (SLOs) that athletic training programs (ATPs) are citing and how athletic training programs are assessing these student learning outcomes (assessment environment and measurement utilized for assessment). This study utilized a cross-sectional web-based survey of ATP directors to gather program-level data on the variables. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for frequency counts of SLOs, assessment measure type, assessment environment, and related groupings of those variables. The five most frequently cited SLOs were evidence-based practice and related areas, critical thinking and related areas, Board of Certification (BOC) …

Case Study: Formative Assessment Driven Instruction And Standardized Test Scores For 10th Grade Biology Students, Gregory Laurence Nelson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accountability measures have been employed in United States schools to meet the demands of a globalized society with a standardized testing system used to assess student growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between a research-backed pedagogical instructional approach, formative assessment-driven instruction, and success in a large-scale standardized test system. Standardized testing is a practical necessity for an accountability system and if an authentic instructional process could be of support, a key piece of evidence will be brought forward to the educational equation. This was a quantitative ex-post facto archival case study. An analysis of data …

The Impact Of A University/Online Program Management Provider Partnership On Faculty Approaches To Teaching Design: A Case Study Using Activity Theory, Swati Ramani

CGU Theses & Dissertations

As the number of online courses increase in Higher Education, many higher education institutions outsource online course development to an Online Program Management (OPM) provider because of a lack of budget, staff, and technology. Current research indicates that OPMs often do not have instructional design (ID) services tailored to a specific university. This research uses a Case Study in order to analyze how the nature and dynamics of a business partnership between a research university and an OPM provider impact faculty engagement and development of pedagogical and technological knowledge. They Activity Theory conceptual framework was used to direct inquiry and …

Transcending Compromise: Principal Practices Predicting Teacher Effectiveness And Teacher Morale, David George Grant

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Two leadership styles have dominated the literature- instructional leadership and transformational leadership. No study could be found quantitatively integrating principal practices from these styles in ways that simultaneously predicted teacher effectiveness and teacher morale. Therefore, this study sought to better understand the complex relationships between principal practices, teacher effectiveness and teacher morale. First, this study synthesized meta analyses of principal effects for studies produced between 1978-2008 and presented a unique empirically grounded integration framework summarizing principal effects for student achievement and teacher morale. Second, the study used this framework to explore four research questions. An online survey was utilized to …

A Thirty State Analysis Of Teacher Supervision And Evaluation Systems In The Essa Era, Ian M. Mette, Israel Aguilar, Doug Wieczorek

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

We analyzed teacher supervision and evaluation policy systems in 30 states since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 in the United States (US). This qualitative study of state ESSA policy documents and legislation examined how teacher supervision and evaluation systems (TSES) models have been developed under ESSA, specifically regarding how the construction of TSES models conflated formative feedback with summative evaluation. Despite evolving federal-level and state-level education accountability policies spurred by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001, we argue that TSES systems are influenced by state-level historical political culture (Elazar, 1994; Fowler, 2013), workplace …