Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Professional Development Of Rural School Principals: The Elements, Contexts, And Topics Desired By Principals In A Rural School District, Thomas Cothern

School Leadership Review

Abstract

Effective professional development for school principals is crucial to the successful administration of schools. This data from a mixed methods study to determine the elements, contexts, and topics found in the principals’ professional development in a rural school district in Louisiana. Educational leadership literature and studies have indicated professional development for principals should be ongoing and occur during all phases of the principals’ career. The participants in the study included the principals of the schools in the rural district.

The data collected through the survey used and the interview provided a glimpse of the professional development found in the …

Implementing Discipline Reform: One District’S Experience With Pbis, Catherine Robert Ed.D.

School Leadership Review

This study examines the case of one large urban school district’s implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to review competing needs and challenges encountered over a four-year period. There are encouraging results supporting the finding of a successful PBIS implementation and plans for continued implementation of Tier I practices and expand Tier II supports. Reducing the continuing disparity between the percentages of African American and White students receiving disciplinary consequences remains a challenge for Middleton ISD. In addition, work remains to reduce the disproportionate number of students receiving special education services who receive higher levels of disciplinary consequences.

The Implementation Of A Regional Education Network Through The Application Of The Developmental Evaluation Process: A Case Study, Amy Jane Griffiths, John Brady

School Leadership Review

Abstract: One in three young adults with autism or developmental disability have never been employed within eight years of their leaving high school (Newman et al., 2011). These students graduate from schools and may then work with multiple services providers across agencies. Collaboration between these agencies is critical. This case study describes the successful efforts of a group of educational leaders, parents, individuals with disabilities, and service providers who came together to improve the transition outcomes of young adults with disabilities. The success of this large and complex effort was facilitated by the application of a developmental evaluation process which …

Graduate Student Perceptions Of Cohort Delivery And Problem-Based Learning In Online Principal Certification Courses, Pam Winn Ed. D., James Gentry Ed. D., An Nguyen Ed. D.

School Leadership Review

This qualitative study examined graduate/post-graduate student perceptions regarding the use of a cohort model and Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a completely online principal certification preparation classes. As part of a TEA funded grant, two districts (a cohort of 17 students) completed 24-semester hours of principal certification courses. All classes were online and emphasized PBL to engage the students in higher-level thinking skills. Participants responded to an open-ended survey regarding their perceptions of cohort and PBL experiences. Findings indicate graduate/post-graduate student perceptions were positive concerning both the cohort model and the PBL learning experiences. However, participants provided valuable feedback for improvements …

Teacher Retention In A Rural East Texas School District, Gary J. Miller

School Leadership Review

This qualitative study investigated what factors kept teachers committed to teaching in one rural east Texas school district despite the perceived educational inequalities of rural districts compared to suburban and urban districts. When it comes to teacher retention, rural school leaders cite school environment and community lifestyle compatibility as the primary reasons for staying. Despite the considerable number of rural school districts throughout the United States, research continues to largely ignore the unique relationships found in rural locales. Rural school districts offer many advantages over their suburban and urban counterparts; it is a matter of identifying what is important to …

Educational Leaders Can Lead The Way For Increased Academic Achievement For Students On The Autism Spectrum, Stephanie C. Holmes, Jennifer Butcher

School Leadership Review

The problem that drove this study was the increasing number of students with autism entering the school system, and the barriers often encountered for both academic and social inclusion for students on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by diagnostic criteria, includes deficits in social-relational communication; social-communication deficits can lead to educational impacts and limit opportunities upon transitioning from the public-school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to inclusion, from the perspectives of key stakeholders to include Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives, general and special education teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists …

Lessons From Principals Of High-Performing Ethnically Diverse High-Poverty Schools, Elizabeth T. Murakami, W Sean Kearney

School Leadership Review

This study examines practices of principals working in high-performing, high-poverty schools with a high representation of students of color in south central Texas. This study explores how leaders build individual and organizational capacity in high-needs schools. Using a criterion sample, and a conceptual framework focused on leadership for learning, three principals were included in this study. Their schools each had 85% representation of students of color, 85% or more of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and at least 85% of students demonstrating mastery on state assessments. Principals demonstrated that while it is paramount to set organizational structures and policies conducive …

Talk Or Walk: School Principals And Shared Instructional Leadership, Sheila Baker, John Decman, Jana M. Willis

School Leadership Review

Beginning in March of 2020, public school educators at all levels were thrown into a situation in which they were required to drastically alter pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. The move from classroom-based instruction to a virtual platform, whether synchronous or not, was too often done on-the-fly and with mixed results. With the realization and acceptance, albeit grudgingly, that web-based, internet-based, and/or virtual platforms need to be greatly expanded to the population and may become the norm for public education, there clearly exists a need for an expanded definition of instructional leadership.

The purpose of this study is to …

Creating Stem Momentum: Culturally Relevant Leadership And Hispanic Girls In High School T- Stem Programs In The Southwest Border Region, Antoinette Howard, Pamela Gray, Kristin Kew

School Leadership Review

This qualitative multi-case research study identified culturally relevant leadership practices that influence the outreach, recruitment, and retention of Hispanic girls in Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (T-STEM) programs in a School District in the Southwest Border region. Educators have a social justice responsibility to challenge the inequitable social, cultural, and political constructs in their schools and districts and address the unique needs of students who represent underserved racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. Administrators in this study acknowledged the hegemonic structures and barriers they and their students faced and shared some of their strategies and ideologies for school improvement and …

Latina Superintendents In New Mexico And Their Glass Ceilings, Leanne Salazar Montoya, Kristin Kew

School Leadership Review

This paper looks at the stories shared by Latina school leaders regarding their ascendance to the superintendency in New Mexico. The social, political, and cultural supports and challenges that they experienced along the way to their top positions in school leadership are discussed including the impact of gender barriers, power differentials, the value of their trusted networks and mentors, and maintaining a sense of mission and direction for themselves and their districts. Authors employed a qualitative portraiture design to ensure authenticity of voice and critical race and feminist frameworks to commit to a vision of liberation in learning and leadership.

Pandemic Policy Preparedness: Unintentional Student Discrimination In The Wake Of Covid-19, Jerry Burkett, Danielle Reynolds

School Leadership Review

Educational leadership requires a set of skills and practices that are shaped by professional ethics. Professional ethics are the dynamics of both personal and professional ethics and requires educational leaders to understand how these ethical codes drive interactions and decisions especially in difficult situations (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). Anderson (2014) argues that educational leaders may not have the deeper understanding of social justice necessary to “better scholarship, but also to better practice” (pp. x) due to the current expectations of leaders including increasing test scores and accountability ratings and addressing social and emotional learning.

Adding to the current expectations of …

Personal Reflections / 12.14.20, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

On Saturday, December 7, 2020, I got up early at 5:00 a.m., put on a white shirt, a black jacket, and shorts, and joined a zoom call broadcasted from Alexandria, Egypt. A longtime friend, Bill, passed away at age 90 from COVID-19 complications. Bill and his wife Peg, who passed away 12 years ago, opened their home to me in 1980, when I was only 20 years old and needed a place to stay. Six months later, I found a more permanent home. While my time living with them in their home was short, this experience and our continued relationship …

Making Summer Learning Equitable For Students In A Rural, Title I School District: Turning On The Faucet Of Resources, Kathrina O'Connell

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning Infographics

This research explores summer learning loss and the effect of summer resources on students’ literacy growth. Using the faucet theory, this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was designed to provide equitable resources and educational support for students in grades five through eight in a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged school district. Transportation, breakfast, lunch, books, and a literacy-focused enrichment program were coordinated and provided for all participants in an effort to reduce learning loss during summer break. The pragmatic approach to inquiry incorporated both quantitative (e.g., literacy outputs, registration, and attendance data) and qualitative data (e.g., parent open-ended question responses). Convenience sampling …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, December 11, 2020

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on December 11, 2020

Minority Student Food Insecurity In Higher Education, Joe Sevillano

Master's Theses

The minority student population in higher education has been affected by food insecurity at a disproportionate rate. Several studies have captured some of the issues associated with the material deficit but fail to identify more in-depth contributing factors. Using the theoretical framework of intersectionality, the researcher examines the experience, interpretation, and navigation of food insecurity in a medium-sized university located in a major city on the west coast. The researcher interviewed three students that self-identified as having multiple minority identities and experiencing some level of food insecurity while pursuing a degree. Findings from three rounds of interviews gave further context …

Understanding Teacher Experience With Instructional Coaching To Inform Program Improvement Reflecting The Principles Of Adult Learning Theory: A Mixed Method Case Study, Shay Reitz

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Instructional Coaching (IC) is a strand of Professional Development (PD) during which an instructional coach provides individualized support and feedback to teachers, focused on instruction, generally within the context of the teacher’s classroom (Kraft et al., 2018). This fully integrated mixed method case study examined teacher experience with IC in order to understand which operational and emotional components of IC had the greatest perceived impact, in order to inform program improvement. Adult learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this study; the process of teaching adults is known as andragogy (Knowles, 1980). Andragogy indicates that teaching adults in a …

2020-12-09 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee meeting minutes for December 9, 2020.

Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By Public School District Superintendents, Robin Stout

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe K12 public school superintendents’ perceived impact of the seven servant leadership constructs established by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: This phenomenological research study identified and described the extent to which superintendents perceived the impact servant leadership has on establishing a culture of high performance. Eight participants were selected through non probability purposeful and convenience sampling based on specific criteria including a minimum of three years of experience at their current district and a minimum of five years of experience as a superintendent. The …

From Teacher To Teacher-Leader: A Phenomenographic Study Of Transition, Jennifer Santi

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

As Education evolves, the roles within traditional teaching and learning also evolve. School structures change and leadership roles within those structures change as well, creating and recreating the educational experience for students and practitioners alike. As these structures change the nature of education, the roles found within them also transform what it means to be a professional educator. Increases in teacher-leadership positions have led to more instructional coaching roles for teachers and it is necessary to understand how those roles are perceived by those that are now changing the nature of their chosen work. As teachers leave the classroom to …

Copyright Information, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscript, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Coaching Initiative For Beginning Teachers (Bt): Lessons Learned From One District’S Bt Support Program, Kathleen Brown, Monica Davis, Casey Elrod, Evan Hill, Derrick D. Jordan

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Instructional coaching is a way to support classroom teachers in their efforts to provide high quality instruction across academic content areas. Because of beginner teachers’ needs for extra support, many districts are now embracing instructional coaches to provide specific pedagogical feedback to their beginning teachers via job-embedded, individualized, and sustained professional guidance. This initial, exploratory study employed mixed methods to gain both qualitative and quantitative insights into one district’s Beginning Teacher Support Program in general and Coaching Program in particular. Results indicate that, without a laser-like focus on instruction, the impact of coaching on student achievement and teacher retention is …

The Correlation Between Mushroom Management Approach And School Leadership Behavior Of School Administrators Based On Teacher Perceptions, Gönül Şener, Seda Gündüzalp

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

In this study, starting from the studies in the literature, it was found worthy of the research to determine the level of school leaders 'adoption of the mushroom management approach according to the teachers' perceptions. For this purpose, teachers employed in preschool, primary, secondary and high schools in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Region during 2018-2019 academic year were selected as the study sample with random and disproportionate cluster sampling methods. Relational screening model was used in the study. To determine the extent that the mushroom management approach adopted by school administrators predicted their school leadership levels, a literature-assisted model was …

Impact Of Transformational Leadership Behaviors Of Administrators As Predictors Of High Performing And Low Performing Schools In Mississippi, Audra Rester

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the relative impact of principal transformational leadership as it relates to school accountability status. Teachers from schools that have been assigned the labels of A, B, C, D, and F by the Mississippi Department of Education were surveyed. A quantitative design was used to test six research hypotheses to see if any differences exist between the perceived leadership behaviors of school administrators by teachers among the accountability labels. The principal leadership behaviors, which were based on transformational leadership theory, were (1) provides vision, (2) models appropriate behavior, (3) fosters …

Diversity And Inclusion: Examining The Lived Experiences Of Lgbtq Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus) In The Bible Belt, Steven Jones

Dissertations

Throughout the twentieth century, the Gay Rights Movement has gained momentum as LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) individuals have fought for civil equality and social acceptance. However, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been slow to adapt, implement, and effect change that improves the quality of education for LGBTQ students. Strong religious beliefs derived from the church; especially in the South, may be the connection to understanding why homosexuality isn’t vastly accepted or celebrated in the Black Community and at HBCUs; particularly, in the Bible Belt.

Thus, this phenomenological qualitative study, guided by the theory of care framework, …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

Becoming A Champion Of Orientation, Gregory V. Wolcott, William J. Reckmeyer, Andrene Kaiwi Connor, Rigoberto Flores

Journal of Research on the College President

New student orientation programs are one of the most important high impact practices for student success. These introductory programs not only empower students to be able to selfidentify how their academic support needs can be met, they also provide the critically important introduction to building social support networks. College presidents must embrace the critical role of new student orientation programs, understand their complexities, and find ways to illustrate the role of these programs to faculty, staff, and students.

Liaison, Delegates, And Advisors:An Examination Of The Chief Of Staff Role On College Campuses, Laura Jacobs

Journal of Research on the College President

The chief of staff role first emerged as a military and government position to strategize battles and advise generals centuries ago (O’Brien, 2020). It has been more common in the United States to find chiefs of staff (or COS) in political environments: The White House chief of staff often comes to mind when the title is mentioned. In recent years the role has been adopted by corporate entities. Companies often create and hire individuals into the title to organize senior level, institution work (Ciampa, 2020) and the corporatization and resulting organizational changes in higher education (Bleikliea & Kogan, 2007) have …

The Effectiveness And Priorities Of The American College President:Perceptions From The Faculty Lounge, G. David Gearhart, Daniel P. Nadler, Michael T. Miller

Journal of Research on the College President

The American college presidency has become increasingly complex, particularly due to the wide variety of demands placed on the position. Indeed, the effectiveness of a president is often seen through the lens of different constituents. Historically, the faculty have played a key role in determining the success of a president, and the current study sought to identify the perceptions of faculty members regarding the effectiveness of presidents. Additionally, the study sought to compare faculty perception of desired versus actual effectiveness of presidential responsibilities.

Stepping Down? Theorizing The Process Of Returning To The Faculty After Senior Academicleadership, Lisa Jasinski

Journal of Research on the College President

While scholars have devoted considerable attention to identifying and developing future academic leaders, scant empirical research has considered the firsthand experiences of senior leaders who returned to the faculty. This grounded theory study developed a theoretical understanding of the process of returning to the faculty after serving as a senior campus administrator. This research examined a common academic rite of passage using the analysis of interviews with 43 former college presidents, provosts, deans, and “other senior leaders” from a variety of postsecondary institutions. Academic leaders in the study characterized the process of returning to the faculty as mostly positive and …