Educational Leadership Commons^™

Policies Affecting Post-Traditional Students And Students Facing Economic Instability At The Community College, Joshua Patrick Bowens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation in practice researches policies from the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) that relate to Post-Traditional students and students experiencing economic instability. Using a conceptual framework of Motivational Theory (Maslow, 1943; Harrigan & Lamport-Commons, 2015; Herzberg, 1959) and the Principal-Agent theory (Jensen, & Meckling, 1976), this dissertation focuses on how one community college (CC) within the CCCS system interprets and implements those policies both college and campus wide, as well as departmentally. Although many studies exist pertaining to community college students, literature pertaining to Post-Traditional students in a community college setting has not been fully explored. This will …

Culturally Responsive School Leadership Agility: A Journey Through Critical Self-Reflection, Deborah Mckelvey Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how school leaders can differentiate their approach using a self-reporting psychometric instrument called the Emergenetics® Profile when engaged in critical self-reflection. Using a multiple case study approach, three urban school leaders engaged in the deconstructing and reconstructing of knowledge frameworks specific to deficit thinking. The Emergenetics Profile served as a lens to critically self-reflect in order to differentiate their approach to the disrupt deficit thinking practices in their schools (Browning 2007; Khalifa, 2018; Shields, 2018). This study integrated these insights from critical self-reflection and the awareness gained by school leaders through their Emergenetics preferences to change their …

Exploring The Impact Of Leadership Values And Practices To Support Equity And Social Justice In An Urban School, Susan-Marie Farmen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the leadership values and practices of a principal in a sixth through twelfth-grade school in the Rocky Mountain West to determine how leadership values and practices support the implementation of equitable and socially just practices in the school. Five key themes emerged: (a) equity as a Black/non-Black construct; (b) a lack of knowledge and awareness of the historical contexts of marginalized populations; (c) moral courage for all members of the school; (d) equity as an initiative or program; (e) resistance to deep equity work. From these themes, I devise three recommendations to support substantial and …

Pulling Back The Curtain: A Student Collaborative Case Study Of Equity Issues In Colorado’S School Finance System, Amy Jo Schwartz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After the Great Recession, a seven percent decrease in funding ended decades of academic growth and further widened the achievement gap between White and Black students (Jackson et al., 2020). Colorado’s school-finance system is particularly distorted and inequitable because of a series of tax-limiting policies which, combined, have led Colorado to become one of the lowest-funded per pupil states in the country (Resnick et al., 2015). The purpose of this study is to describe the policymaking context, as it relates to equity within Colorado’s school-finance system and explore policy alternatives to improve equity within the system. The study was designed …

Instructional Coaching For Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Kelly Shorb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growing up with a global perspective and teaching in highly diverse schools has fueled my desire to understand how instructional coaching and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy work together in education. This case study examined the current practices of instructional coaches to understand how they incorporate components of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Through observations and interviews of three coaches and a director this study explored the interactions, behaviors and language of coaches as they engaged with teachers to explore and understand prior knowledge, beliefs and current incorporation of CRP with teachers. The literature review provides an in-depth description of each of the components …

School Leaders' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Preparedness For The Online K - 12 Setting, Deirdre Daniels

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Nearly half of new teachers leave the profession within five years of employment, and most would not recommend teaching as a profession. A shortage of highly effective teachers continues in public schools across the nation; hence, meaningful professional development needs to be implemented to adequately prepare teachers for the classroom, and this is further compounded in the online setting. The goal of this study was to ascertain school leaders’ and teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for an online K – 12 school by examining perceptions of preparedness in three categories: student learning and engagement, curriculum and instruction, and data driven decision-making. …

Dying For Change: The Impact Of Awareness Prevention And Intervention On Graduate Assistant Stress, Marla Bruner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As challenges surrounding mental health and well-being in doctoral graduate students (GAs), continue to rise, it is imperative that higher education institutions evaluate the stressors that GAs experience, their awareness and use of campus resources for dealing with stressors, and the impact that additional resources and programming may have on stress. The research questions for this study sought to examine the stressors experienced by doctoral level graduate students working in GA positions and their corresponding awareness and use of campus resources, and to determine what impact, if any, providing additional services, resources, and programming in had after a three-year implementation …

Career Commitment Of Women In University Stem Leadership Roles: Professors, Chairs, And Deans, Denise Mariko Garretson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increased numbers of women in STEM over the last 2 decades, women are more likely than men to leave a STEM career. It is important to have women’s perspectives within the workplace and to have female role models from different backgrounds to support and encourage female students to move into STEM careers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify how female STEM university leaders perceive the influence of their personal vision and work-life balance on their career commitment. The framework included two concepts: Boyatzis’ ideal self and Poulose and Sudarsan’s work-life balance. The phenomenological design …

Book Review- The Mind Of The Leader, Rebecca Cofer

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Book review of The Mind of the Leader .

Hougaard. R. & Carter, J. (2018). The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, And Your Organization for Extraordinary Results. Harvard Business Review Press. 224pp. ISBN 9781633693425. $25.20 suggested retail price.

Closing The Opportunity Gap In The Advanced Placement Program, Julie H. Lam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program has become ubiquitous in terms of earning college credit during high school. Since the College Board incorporated it in 1956, the AP Program has grown to include 38 courses across seven subjects/categories. Recently, approximately half the states have passed legislation guaranteeing credit towards an undergraduate degree contingent on passing AP Exam scores. Many studies, especially those from the College Board, have shown that students who pass AP exams are more likely to succeed in other academic areas, including earning higher undergraduate GPAs and graduating with an undergraduate degree in less time. With the opportunities and …

Exploration Of Principals’ Leadership Qualities And Their Associations With A School Learning Environment And School Outcomes, Gultekin John Aytekin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Charter schools have carved a niche in public education, but despite an increased number of studies in charter schools in recent years, the research in charter school leadership is not adequate. School Leadership is critical for school success; it is the second most significant factor for influencing student academic achievement after classroom teaching and curricula (Robinson et al., 2008; Day et al., 2008, Leithwood, 2006; Marzano, 2001).The purpose of this correlational study was to explore the Illinois charter school principals' characteristics and leadership qualities (leadership style, leadership outcome, and cultural intelligence) and their relationships with the school learning environment as …

Legal Literacy: A Survey Of Research, Legal Content Within Educator Preparation Programs And Improvement Through The Development Of Professional Learning, Susan A. Kondrat

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a component of a larger group project that examines the concept of legal literacy within the educational system. Research over the last fifty years has demonstrated concern that educators have gaps in their legal knowledge in many areas, including church-state relations, student record-keeping practices, discipline, rights of children with disabilities, and their own employment concerns related to law. Most of the current literature on legal literacy in education focuses on the lack of legal knowledge among educators in all roles (Militello, et.al, 2009) and indicates that gaps that have been identified are not narrowing over time (McCarthy, …

Supporting Instructors To Promote At-Promise Students’ Success: How Faculty Coordinators Facilitate Tslc’S Ecological Validation, Jonathan Toccoli

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent per annum to promote at-promise student—that is, low-income, first-generation, and/or racially/ethnically minoritized students—college success, at-promise students continue to be retained and graduate at lower rates than their traditionally college-going peers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how faculty coordinators in the Thompson Scholars Learning Community (TSLC) facilitate and integrate instructors into the program’s ecological validation which has been found to promote at-promise student success. This study is framed by the ecological validation model of student success in conjunction with a systems theory perspective of faculty roles to investigate how …

Higher Education And The Dei Climate: Exploring And Understanding The Role Of Social Media, Self Esteem, And Intercultural Communication In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives On The College Campus, Christian T. Cardona

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the effects and levels of impact that a university student’s intercultural communication competence, social media usage, and self-esteem have on the students’ attitudes towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts implemented by institutions of higher education. By studying these three independent variables, this research seeks to improve the understanding of the university students’ attitudes on DEI efforts for leaders and change agents in higher education, providing an inspiration for leaders, administrators, and change agents of higher education to continue collaborating to innovate methods and avenues towards creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus climate, as …

A Causal Comparative Study Of Burnout Among Public And Charter Elementary School Teachers In North Carolina, Kaleatha Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference between the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) scores of traditional public school teachers and those of public charter school teachers as measured by the three subscale levels of exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. A sample of 138 teachers from two school districts in North Carolina participated in this study by completing a demographic questionnaire and the MBI-ES. The total number of public schools in both districts totaled 118 and over 10 charter schools. The overall results of the independent t-tests indicate that there is no significant difference between traditional public …

After The Protests: A Campus Racial Climate Case Study Of The Perception And Curricular Responses For Institutional Reforms, Following The Black Students’ Demands For Interventions At The University Of Missouri-Columbia, Bruce E. Mitchell Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative method single case study explores the phenomenon of a racially tense campus climate at the University of Missouri Columbia, a Predominantly White Midwestern Institution. At the forefront of the media regarding student and athlete protests, leading to the resignation of senior level administrators, African American students put forth eight demands to their administrators. Included, was the creation and implementation of a required racial awareness and inclusion curriculum. The study explores the perceptions of the institutional response to an exceptional campus racial climate issue and the process of formulating and participating in a diversity training course and a semester …

Identifying Characteristics That Lead To Better Academic Performance For International Students In U.S. Colleges, Hadi Rajabbeigi

Theses and Dissertations

A large proportion of students in the United States is international students. Thus, educational leaders need to facilitate the learning process for this population. This study investigated the characteristics of international students that affect their academic performance. The purpose of this study was to determine how individual characteristics of international students affect the learning strategies they choose and how it affects their academic performance. For this purpose, the survey was designed according to the literature, which measures characteristic variables based on VIA character strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), learning strategies (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich et al. (1991), and academic performance …

Examining Collaboration In Faculty And Student Partnerships Of A Community College Pilot Mentoring Program, Raquel Corona, Madiha Shameem

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

This essay presents a study of a pilot mentoring program at a community college in the New York City area that was structured in alignment with Students as Partners. The faculty and peer mentors in this pilot program were partnered to work together to mentor a group of incoming freshmen exiting remediation. The study focuses on the mentor partnerships specifically. Through the analysis of end-of-semester reflection mentors composed together, we reflect on how they collaborated to mentor their students and implement a program for mentees.

Developing Student Leadership Opportunities Through Mentoring, Shirley P. O'Brien, Bethany Wheatley, Elizabeth Hannon, Olivia Ann Lauer

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

Graduate assistants fulfill many roles and functions within the university setting. The partnership formed with supervisors is critical for mutual development and implementation of programs, building professionalism and student confidence. Supervisors provide many opportunities through coaching, sponsoring and connector roles. Intentional collaboration maximizes best practices supporting graduate student leadership development.

The School Principal And Teacher Retention, Jonathan D. Becker, Lauren Grob

MERC Publications

This report comes from the MERC Teacher Retention study. This study was designed to identify patterns of teacher retention in the MERC region and to determine the school and system-level factors driving them. The study also provides an overview of state and regional policies and programs relevant to teacher retention, and includes evaluations of existing policies and initiatives to determine efficacy and cost benefit. This policy brief examines the role of leadership, and specifically the school principal, in retaining teachers. The brief includes a review of studies that used survey scales to measure leadership and then disaggregate and re-aggregate the …

Will They Stay Or Will They Go? Analysis Of The 2019 Doe Working Conditions Survey, Jonathan D. Becker, Valerie Robnolt, Kasey Dye, Erica Ross

MERC Publications

This report is part of the MERC Teacher Retention study. This study was designed to identify patterns of teacher retention in the MERC region and to determine the school and system-level factors driving them. The study also provides an overview of state and regional policies and programs relevant to teacher retention, and includes evaluations of existing policies and initiatives to determine efficacy and cost benefit. Teacher shortages continue to be a problem in the United States. While a range of policy solutions have attempted to stem the loss of teachers, at the base of many of these efforts is the …

Collective Teacher Efficacy And Its Enabling Conditions: Measurement And Associations, Christine Marie Anderson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background/Purpose: Over two decades of research has demonstrated that collective teacher efficacy has a significant effect on student learning, and numerous studies have explored environmental variables related to high levels of collective teacher efficacy (Donohoo, 2018, Donohoo et al., 2020; Eells, 2011; Hattie, 2016). Donohoo et al.’s (2020) enabling conditions for collective teacher efficacy (EC-CTES) propose a synthesized framework educational practitioners can implement to foster collective teacher efficacy in their schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the validity of Donohoo et al.’s (2020) emerging EC-CTES and evaluate the strength and direction of its relationship to measures …

Enrolling And Matriculatiing Adult Learners At A Public Community College In Illinois, Christina J. Coclanis-Loding

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Christina J. Coclanis-LodingDepartment of Higher Education and Student Affairs Northern Illinois University, 2021 Carrie A. Kortegast, Director

There are 44 million adults over the age of 24 who hold a high school diploma, and another 35 million adult who have some college credit, but have not earned their college degree. These numbers make adult learners a viable population to attract and matriculate at community colleges. Considering the impact adult learners would have on enrollment in a time when enrollment numbers have been declining and the benefits to the local economies by providing skilled workers, the recruitment of adult learners is …

An Investigation Into The Legal Literacy Of Educators: A Professional Development Approach, Gina Louis Pogue Reeder

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In almost 60 years, the requirements of educators to be knowledgeable about the law have barely changed. The concept of legal literacy first appeared in educational research in 1963 by Nolte & Linn. Their original work recommended that state legislatures and boards of education mandate legal coursework as part of every teacher certification program (Nolte & Linn, 1963). Forty-five years later, Gadja (2008) researched all 50 states, and only one required a law class as part of their teacher preparation programs. The most current research indicates that teachers still have little knowledge of educational law (Summers et al., 2021).

This …

“They Just Think No One Struggles Here”: A Qualitative Case Study On The Experiences Of Students With Food Insecurity At A Small, Liberal Arts College In The Midwestern United States, Rachel Costello Pridgen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Food insecurity is more prevalent on college campuses than nationwide, though many assume it is not an issue. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of students with food insecurities at a small, liberal arts college. This study particularly focuses on how the liberal arts context influences the experiences of students with food insecurities. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis and analyzed through a single qualitative case study. Five themes emerged from the research: a) the perceptions of students as well-off created unique barriers; b) student participants had limited access to food …

Understanding Teacher Legal Literacy In Pre-Service Education Programs And How To Improve Teacher Legal Literacy Through Self-Efficacy Professional Development, Peter T. Kupfer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the term legal literacy as it applies to education, the state of legal literacy in educators today, and how that might be improved through lens self-efficacy. This dissertation is organized into four separate papers. Paper 1 is a review of the literature about legal literacy in both the field of education and in the legal field. Having determined in Paper 1 that teachers possess a low legal literacy, Paper 2 examined the role of pre-service teacher programs in exposing teaching candidates to legal topics. Having found in Paper 2 that pre-service undergraduate programs in the US do …

Oh, You're The One That's Keeping Us Open: Senior Student Affairs Officers' Crisis Leadership And Decision Making In Response To Covid-19, Michael R. Lango

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the experience of higher education crisis leaders while facing an unprecedented crisis. COVID-19 thrust senior student affairs professionals, who most often serve as crisis leaders on small college campuses, into the position of decision-maker guiding the campus response to the pandemic. The research explored the crisis leadership experience of SSAOs during the first year of their crisis response. Five themes emerged from the data collected during the research: a) the influence of institutional structure and culture on decisions, b) uniqueness of crisis decision making, c) engagement and utilization of human resources, d) …

An Investigation Into The Legal Literacy Of Educators: A Professional Development Approach, Ariana L. Leonard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the term legal literacy as it applies to the education field and looks at the legal literacy of educators across the country. The dissertation is organized into three separate papers. Paper 1 is a review of the research literature on the legal literacy of educators in the United States and how educators develop legal literacy, as well as the legal issues and mandates required for educators related to English Learners. Paper 1 ends with a definition of legal literacy as it pertains to the fields of education and law. Paper 2 is an in-depth data analysis of …

Graduate Students As Partners In Their Writing Instructor Training, Rachel Hampton, Cailin Wile, Erin Presley

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

This article addresses writing instructor preparation with a focus on challenges new instructors may face in classroom settings. Drawing on their writing center training, the contributors discuss strategies for better serving English as a Second Language (ESL) and American Sign Language (ASL) students, and explore the transformative experience of working alongside a composition professor as a Course-Embedded Consultant (CEC). The contributors address practical issues and offer solutions, including ways to better engage different populations of students. Ultimately, the contributors illustrate how treating students as partners in their writing teacher training can make instructor preparation more effective, providing new insights on …

Student-Parenting During A Global Pandemic: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Experience Of Community College Student-Parents, Malinde Althaus

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Approximately one-quarter of undergraduate students are parents or guardians of dependent children. While having similar or higher GPAs, student-parents have lower rates of graduation than peers without children and often struggle with finances, childcare, and scheduling. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many new stressors to our lives. In addition to the mental and physical health risks during the pandemic, college students experienced a change in delivery of classes to largely online and for parents of school age children, it has added challenges of supporting children at home in distance learning. This study used a feminist phenomenological approach to discover the lived …