Educational Leadership Commons^™

Seeing The Line Move Up: Educator Perceptions Of Mastery Experiences As Drivers Of Student Engagement And Persistence In Rural Intervention Programs, Carter J. Baran

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study examined how educators in a rural secondary school district describe the influence of mastery experiences on student engagement and persistence within academic intervention programs. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 18 certified educators (six core content teachers, six elective teachers, and six administrators) and a subsequent focus group conducted in a single rural South Carolina school district, this qualitative analysis extends a larger dissertation study on teacher perceptions of dropout-prevention interventions. Using Bandura's (1986, 1997) social cognitive theory and Astin's (1984, 1999) theory of student involvement as a dual conceptual lens, findings indicate that educators consistently identified visible, incremental …

From Tasks To Transformation: How Coherently Sequenced Practicum Experiences Develop Collaborative Instructional Leaders, Daryl Ann Borel, Thomas Harvey

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This qualitative study examines principal preparation candidates' perceptions of a practicum designed to develop collaborative instructional leadership through coherently sequenced field-based tasks. The practicum required candidates to lead campus teams through needs assessment, strategy development, and implementation monitoring focused on instructional challenges affecting at-risk and economically disadvantaged students. Grounded in Personalized Educational Leadership Theory (PELT), the study analyzed archival written reflections from 150 randomly selected candidates enrolled in a large online principal preparation program. Using a basic interpretive qualitative approach, the analysis identified four themes: candidates' perceived growth in data-informed instructional leadership, structured collaboration as a leadership practice, leadership identity …

Leadership In Context: Examining School District Demographic And Socioeconomic Factors To Predict Superintendent Salary, Samuel F. Fancera, Lorena Valer, Ashley Mungiello

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study examines how district‑level demographic and socioeconomic factors predict superintendent base salaries in New Jersey through the lens of context‑responsive leadership theory. Using secondary data from 529 school districts, the analysis investigates whether student racial and ethnic composition and district socioeconomic status relate to salary outcomes. Correlation and multiple regression results show that all student demographic variables along with district socioeconomic status, significantly predict superintendent salary, with the proportion of White students accounting for the largest share of explained variance. Findings reveal persistent inequities. Superintendents serving high‑poverty, diverse districts tend to earn lower salaries despite facing more complex leadership …

Simulasi Hidrolika Saluran Terbuka Berbasis Microsoft Excel Sebagai Sumber Belajar Pada Pendidikan Vokasi Teknik, Fahrur Rozi, Linda Winiasri, Ranatika Purwayudhaningsari, Siti Fatimah, Agus Triyono, Wiwid Suryono

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study aims to model and analyze a Microsoft Excel-based open-channel hydraulics simulation as a contextual learning resource for technical vocational education. A quantitative modeling approach was employed using Manning’s formula with five flow-depth scenarios ranging from 0.70 to 0.90 m, while the channel bottom width of 0.60 m, Manning’s roughness coefficient of 0.01, and channel slope of 0.015 were kept constant. The simulation was used to calculate the wetted area, wetted perimeter, hydraulic radius, flow velocity, and discharge for each scenario. The results showed that increasing flow depth systematically changed the hydraulic characteristics, with discharge increasing from 1.819 to …

2026-09-03 Faculty Senate Newsletter, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate newsletter from September 3, 2026.

School Principals’ Perspectives Regarding Successful Professional Development, Kathryn L. Bauserman, Diana Quatroche, Linda E. Martin

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This descriptive study examined K–12 principals’ perspectives on providing and supporting school‑based professional development in one Midwestern state. Survey responses from 300 principals explored how they defined successful professional development, how they determined teacher learning needs, and the challenges they encountered. Findings revealed that principals valued professional development aligned with instructional improvement, yet many relied on their control of decision‑making processes. Professional development was commonly delivered by school or district personnel, funded through limited local and state resources, and typically offered in short sessions. Principals identified success through surveys, observations, and student achievement data while noting challenges related to funding, …

September 2026 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

September 11 SWOSU Charitable Hunt

October 30-31 SWOSU Homecoming

November 5 SWOSU Near You: Elk City

November 13 Shoot For The Stars Sporting Clay Shoot

“Voices Of Tomorrow”: A Youth Participatory Action Research Study Of A Middle School Advisory In An Urban Public Charter School, Seth Hull

Theses and Dissertations

Urban middle schools often grapple with how to create spaces that affirm students’ identities and foster authentic engagement within a broader landscape shaped by standardized testing and accountability pressures. This dissertation examines Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and advisory as two relationally grounded practices that can address these challenges. Grounded in critical hope (Zembylas, 2013), culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017), and community responsive education (Duncan-Andrade, 2022), the study explores the experiences of 12 middle school students who spent seven months investigating their school’s advisory program as student-researchers, as well as the findings that emerged about advisory. Data sources …

Designated Eld Through Evidence-Based Practices, Aida Walquí, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D.

Center on English Language Proficiency Implementation Briefs

Designated English Language Development through Evidence-Based Practices is the third in a four-part series assisting educational agencies in implementing high-quality, comprehensive English Language Development (ELD) systems. This brief bridges the gap between research and practice by illustrating what implementation looks like for evidence-based practices in Designated ELD (DELD) curriculum and instruction. It introduces an ecological model of learning—conceptualizing education across macro- and micro-systems—alongside five fundamental shifts in classroom practice: Teaching as Apprenticeship, Language as Action, No Isolated Language Practice, Non-Linear Spiraling Design, and Vocabulary Taught in Context. Additionally, the brief outlines key guidelines for heterogeneous group composition and a productive …

Designing System Coherence For Designated English Language Development, Raquel Gonzalez, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D., Jeimee Estrada-Miller, Britt Jung

Center on English Language Proficiency Implementation Briefs

Designing System Coherence for Designated English Language Development is the fourth and final brief in a series designed to guide state, regional, and local educational agencies in establishing equitable, high-quality comprehensive English Language Development (ELD) systems. The brief examines the organizational infrastructure, leadership, and resource alignment needed to scale and sustain high-quality designated ELD. An adapted framework of seven interconnected foundational practices guides the discussion of how educational leaders can protect instructional time, support sustained professional learning and coaching, and connect designated ELD to grade-level academic content. The brief also examines systemic coherence across three levels—state education agencies, local education …

Centering California’S Black Multilingual Learners: Intersections, Equity, And (In)Visibilities, Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D., Malane Morales Van-Hecke

Education and Policy Briefs

Grounded in an asset-based approach to educational transformation, this education and policy brief presents an exploratory inquiry into Black Multilingual Learners (BMLs) in California, recognizing the intersection of their racial, linguistic, and cultural identities. The inquiry draws on statewide demographic and English language proficiency data, relevant research, student and educator bright spots, and the Young, Bilingual and Black in California Survey of local educational agency representatives. Three key findings emerged: Visibility Gaps in state reporting systems, an Intersectional Data Gap caused by the absence of disaggregated racial data on public-facing data platforms, and an Infrastructure Gap in local data collection …

2026-09-01 Rivisal To Uar 906.02, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Proposed revisal to UAR 906.02 submitted to the Faculty Senate for review on September 1, 2026.

Pengembangan Media Komik Untuk Meningkatkan Pengetahuan Tentang Menggambar Komik Pada Peserta Didik Kelas Viii Smpn 15 Kota Malang, Khairani Indah Damayanti, Abdul Rahman Prasetyo

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study was motivated by students’ limited understanding of comic drawing concepts and the need for learning media to support art education. It aimed to analyze learning needs, develop comic-based learning media, and examine its feasibility, practicality, and effectiveness. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the ADDIE model, comprising analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The implementation involved 29 eighth-grade students at SMPN 15 Malang, Indonesia. Media feasibility was assessed by subject-matter and media experts, practicality was evaluated based on student and teacher responses, and effectiveness was analyzed using pre-test, post-test, and N-gain scores. The validation …

The Starvation Of High Education, Heather Stassen

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

The author demonstrates from her experiences as a university administrator and from her observation of the market environment that higher education is being systematically starved of resources. This overview is not a representation or the voice of her current institution, but rather a description of her experiences in the field and discussions with other college administrators.

The Church’S Social Vocation In World War I And Postwar Recovery: Theodor Zöckler’S Pastoral Ministry In Stanislaviv And Its Relevance For Contemporary Ukraine, Liudmyla Tymchuk, Yurii Klonovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines Theodor Zöckler’s pastoral ministry in Stanislaviv during the First World War and the difficult years of postwar reconstruction, and assesses the relevance of that experience for churches in contemporary Ukraine. Drawing on archival records, institutional reports, church periodicals, correspondence, and historical scholarship, the study analyzes how Zöckler combined spiritual care with evacuation, humanitarian relief, medical service, child protection, education, vocational training, and institutional advocacy. Historical-genetic, problem-chronological, hermeneutic, and comparative methods are used to reconstruct the transformation of his ministry under conditions of occupation, forced displacement, political transition, and economic collapse. The findings show that Zöckler’s response moved …

The Role Of Critical Professional Development In Transforming The Teaching And Learning Practices Of White Faculty: Elevating Racial Consciousness To Center Equity, Kaitlyn E. Siner-Cappas

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of white faculty participants in a critical professional development (CPD) program that seeks to enhance racial consciousness at a public research university. The goal of the study was to understand any perceived changes in faculty positionality and teaching and learning practices following their participation in the program, as well as identify the extent to which the program supported participants in a journey towards enhanced racial consciousness.

Four themes characterized the experiences of faculty participants in this CPD program: 1) experiencing the benefits of a learning community, 2) gaining confidence in …

Traversing The Broken Staircase: The Experiences Of Academic Neglect For Black & Brown First-Generation College Students, Kashmeel D. Mckoena

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Although Black and Brown students are diversifying college campuses and opening doors for their families as new cohorts of first-generation collegians, they often find themselves silently dealing with the aftermath of academic neglect from U.S. secondary education. This phenomenon can be understood from extant literature as absence of reliable guidance, mentorship, resources, and support that help students persist and succeed in their academic goals. Existing explanations of grit and resilience (Duckworth et al., 2007) not only erase the existence and impact of academic neglect, but also mask the creative solutions and compensatory strategies that Black and Brown first-generation college students …

Solving For X: Centering Black Girls’ Experiences In Mathematics Education, Natasha A. Fortes

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Black girls can grow up, attend school, and move through their math classes without ever feeling seen as capable mathematical thinkers. Their teachers may not affirm their brilliance. Their voices may even go unheard. Math classes may not be a space where they can imagine themselves belonging. These experiences do not reflect ability. Instead, they reflect on the conditions in which they are expected to learn. This study centers the voices of Black girls and asks what they deserve from their mathematics education and instructors to develop a mathematics identity. The study is grounded in Black feminist traditions and draws …

The Role Of Male Early Childhood Teachers In Responding To Fatherless Parenting Issues Through Inclusive Education, Dyah Ageng Pramesty Koenarso

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

Growing attention to father absence and limited paternal involvement in Indonesia highlights the importance of professional and supportive practices in early childhood education (ECE). This study examines how male ECE teachers respond professionally to children whom they understand to experience father absence or limited paternal involvement. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved 13 male ECE teachers from 13 institutions in South Kalimantan. Data were collected from May to August 2025 through 26 semi-structured interviews and 39 classroom observations and were analyzed using an interactive qualitative analysis approach. The findings show that participants provided pedagogical guidance, relational and …

Perubahan Kompleksitas Pertanyaan Siswa Melalui Inkuiri Terbimbing Dalam Lesson Study, Utari Ramadhanti, Dyne Rizki Puspitasari, Imraatul Mufidah, Siti Zubaidah, Bayu Koen Anggoro

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

The ability to formulate questions at higher levels of cognitive complexity is an important part of the learning process, as it can reflect how students connect, analyze, and develop concepts. This study aims to describe changes in the complexity of students’ questions through the implementation of guided inquiry within a lesson study framework on vibration and wave concepts. The study involved 32 eighth-grade students from the Laboratory Junior High School of Universitas Negeri Malang. The lesson study was conducted through the plan, do, and see stages, involving a model teacher, pre-service teacher education students, a mentor teacher, and a supervising …

Restorative Practices And Resilience Among Trauma-Impacted Elementary Students, Rose E. Ostenson

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined how restorative practices may promote resilience among trauma-impacted elementary school students. Fifteen peer-reviewed studies were analyzed to address the following research question: How do restorative practices promote resilience among trauma-impacted students in elementary schools? Three consistent themes emerged from the literature: relationship building and relational safety, school connectedness and belonging, and emotional regulation and co-regulation. These themes represent crucial protective factors associated with resilience among children who have experienced trauma. Although resilience was not directly measured in most of the studies reviewed, the findings consistently suggested that restorative practices may strengthen the relational, social, and emotional conditions …

Perfect Storm Impeding Strategic Leadership Decision-Making At Uc Berkeley, John Kraft, Arthur Kraft, Hank Adler

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Exogenous events have disrupted higher education and impacted the decision-making skills of university presidents. While all university presidents are affected, the problem is most acute at the thirty-six AAU members of the power four conferences. The exogenous events were the precipitous cancellation of federal research grants, the on again and off again restrictions on both new and current foreign students studying at US universities, the proposed 15% limit on indirect costs, the tax on university endowments, the changes in student loan programs, the annual $20.5 million NIL revenue sharing settlement for Division I (DI) athletes, and their share of the …

Healthcare Students’ Experiences Using Artificial Intelligence Simulation Tools In Clinical Simulated Laboratory Practice, Delicia S. Cousin

Student Dissertations

Artificial intelligence-driven simulation has become an important component of healthcare education by providing students with opportunities to strengthen clinical reasoning, decision-making, and technical skills in a safe learning environment. Despite its growing adoption, limited research has explored how healthcare students experience artificial intelligence-driven simulation during clinical laboratory practice. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore healthcare students’ experiences using artificial intelligence-driven simulation tools during clinical laboratory practice. Guided by Experiential Learning Theory and Transformative Learning Theory, the study examined how students interpreted, reflected upon, and learned from these experiences. Data were collected through a researcher-developed Qualtrics questionnaire …

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Leadership On The Educational Experiences Of Impoverished Urban Children: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Tanmai Talari Pena

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological case study was to understand the educational experiences of impoverished urban children as perceived and addressed by school administrators in a K–12 school within the United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which emphasizes the importance of social interaction, cultural context, and community in shaping learning and development, and aligns with the study’s focus on how educational leaders interpret and respond to the needs of marginalized student populations. The central research question guiding this study was: How do school administrators perceive and address the educational experiences of impoverished urban children …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of A Principal’S Instructional Leadership: Cultivating And Increasing Meaningful Teacher Collaboration, Allen Cleon Craine Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration at a school district in Northeast Georgia. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which describes the work school principals perform to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration and serves as a blueprint for improving instruction through the collective efforts of educators. The central question of the research is: What are the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher …

Investigating K-12 Principals Assigning Non-Licensed, Uncertified Personnel As Teachers: A Case Study, Hugues Pericles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single case study was to describe how principals assign non-licensed, uncertified personnel as teachers for students at K-12 public schools. The theory guiding this study was Weick’s sensemaking theory on organization, as it explains the relationship between the theory and leaders’ management in times of organizational crisis. The Central Research Question was: How do principals assign non-licensed, uncertified personnel as teachers at their K-12 public schools in one large urban school district? This study was a holistic single case study. The study sample included the lived experiences of K-12 public school principals in one of the …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Administrators’ Experiences Supporting Career And Technical Education Teacher Self-Efficacy, Korbin T. Shoemaker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the support of career and technical education teacher self-efficacy development for secondary public-school administrative leaders at West Central Maryland school districts. The theory guiding this study was behavioral leadership theory, as it provided a lens for understanding how leaders’ observable actions and interactions intentionally influence teachers’ confidence and professional growth. The central research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of secondary public school administrative leaders as they support the development of self-efficacy in CTE teachers? This qualitative study utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological design informed by van …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Elementary And Middle School Teachers’ Experience With Curriculum Development And Classroom Instruction While Being Mentored Through The First Year Of Teaching In A Rural Title I Public School Setting, Faith L. Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experience of teacher mentorship programs for new teachers in a Title I public school setting. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s (1978) theory on the sociocultural and zone of proximal development theories as they relate to how learning is a social process where individual skills and learning take place through social interaction. The central research questions were: How do new teachers describe their first years of teaching while being mentored? This was a transcendental phenomenological study as the focus will be on the lived experiences of elementary and …

Passing The Mantle: An Explanatory Sequential Study Of Mentoring And Succession In Ministry, Carol Anne Hankinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project developed an eight-week mentorship framework to address leadership succession in collaborative organizations. According to the Barna Group (2023), the aging of the American clergy has reached crisis levels for the Church. Christian institutions of worship must adopt a plan of action to address this concern. Scripturally and historically, mentorship has been God's plan for passing the mantle from senior to junior leaders (Akoto, 2024). Burns's (1978) theory of transformational leadership advocates relational mentorship to advance an organization's mission and purpose. To this end, the researcher explored an intentional mentorship program with 28 participants. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design …