Educational Leadership Commons^™

Coaching Secondary Teachers To Engage Students By Incorporating Storytelling Into Content-Area Instruction, Jane Dearani Calnan

All Theses And Dissertations

Currently, school leaders are being called to action to find ways of improving the literacy achievement of today’s youth in response to the escalating number of students exiting high school unprepared for postsecondary educational programs and the workforce. Literacy coaching, as an embedded professional development model is one effective approach that can provide essential leadership and support for school and district-wide literacy reform. This qualitative single case study considers secondary literacy coaching in situ (in the natural setting) as a professional development model and the extent to which it supports the integration of literacy practices within disciplinary subjects. This study …

Special Education Teachers' Resiliency To Remain In The Field Of Special Education, India Bruton Eubanks

Theses and Dissertations

The field of education has endured a significant shortage of qualified teachers for several decades (Prather-Jones, 2011). Over the past 20 years, across the U.S, a shortage in special education teachers has existed (Major, 2012; Prather-Jones, 2011). Special education teachers left the field of education at a greater rate than regular education teachers (Major, 2012). In order to ensure students with disabilities received appropriate educational instruction, it was important to retain special education teachers who were knowledgeable educators in the field of special education. This research focused on gaining a better understanding of special education teacher resiliency of special education …

Overcoming Failure: Characteristics Of Leaders Who Have Successfully Recovered From A Significant Setback, Richard Leo Hunt

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the characteristics of leaders who have experienced a setback or failure and have bounced back to success. A qualitative research design employing an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews with open ended questions allowed the respondents to share valuable insights into the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of their individual experiences. The results suggest that after experiencing a setback, a process develops where feelings and thoughts are experienced immediately following the event that is followed by a period of coping and adapting, a transition to a resilient state, and behavioral …

What Do You Believe? School Leaders And An Ideology Of Achievement, Andrew T. Lloyd

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Beliefs about achievement impact the educational experiences of students. The mainstream ideology of achievement espouses that anyone can be successful as long as they put forth effort and work hard. This belief fails to account for systemic barriers that have limited historically marginalized groups of people from achieving. Research has focused on the beliefs of teachers with scant research done on the beliefs of school leaders. This study focused on what school leaders believe about achievement and how it impacts their daily practice. In addition, the ideologies of the school leaders were compared and contrasted with an ideology rooted in …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, June 30, 2017

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on June 30, 2017.

Creating A Crisis Communication Plan For Small Or Mid-Sized Community Colleges With Monroe County Community College As The Model, Verkennes Joe

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

Community colleges need to develop crisis communication plans to protect themselves from the ramifications of crises. While colleges and universities have been diligent about ensuring that they have crisis management plans in place, the same cannot be said for crisis communication plans. The effects of crises on the reputations, operations, and finances of community colleges can include losses of enrollment, decreases in donations, reductions in government funding, accreditation issues, and the severing of key partnerships. This is because crises can negatively impact organizational reputations, which are widely recognized as valuable, intangible assets. Having a solid crisis communication plan can help …

Narrating Neoliberalism: Alternative Education Teachers’ Conceptions Of Their Changing Roles, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The signifier ‘alternative’ in education has largely shifted from progressive or humanizing pedagogies to deficit framings requiring alternate graduation criteria. This development is part of broader neoliberal educational reform efforts that disrupt longstanding conceptions of teachers’ roles. This study serves to investigate long-term teachers’ understandings of their shifting roles in one secondary-level alternative education program in New York City. Specifically, this narrative analysis study explores participating teachers’ meanings around agency and their ability to form the relationships that they argue are central to meaningful pedagogies. Findings demonstrate a sense of loss regarding teacher agency and relationships, and a belief that …

A Teacher’S Personal-Emotional Identity And Its Reflection Upon The Development Of His Professional Identity, Gustavo González-Calvo, Marta Arias-Carballal

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to show how the professional identity of a teacher is built upon personal and emotional traits. Those traits determine his willingness to blur the emotional distance between teacher and student, thus shaping school as a fuller environment. The study revolves around three issues: (a) knowing and acknowledging students; (b) sensitivity towards the use of students’ proper names; and (c) positive sense of humour in the classroom. On the understanding that teaching identities may be interpreted from a narrative approach, autobiographical research will support our study. The conclusion is that a teacher’s professional identity is …

Dissertation Completion: Higher Education’S Invisible Problem, Sarah M. Marshall, Barbara Klocko, Jillian Davidson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Researchers agree that one in two doctoral students will not complete their degree, but there is little agreement on how to support and encourage these students in their scholarship. A qualitative inquiry was used to examine the reasons for delayed or expedited dissertation completion by doctoral students in an educational leadership program at a Midwestern university. Identified challenges of the dissertation process included imposter syndrome, writing anxiety, and overall productivity. Also identified were supports for the dissertation process, including the cohort model and strong mentorship. Findings indicated that doctoral candidates were highly influenced by personal or environmental factors and the …

Central Virginia Ews: Identifying Middle And High School Indicators Of On-Time Graduation With An Early Warning System, Ryan D. Yarzebinski

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between different variables and whether a student attained an on-time graduation outcome. A retrospective cohort study was conducted within a single school division in central Virginia serving a population of 8,338 students. The organizational structure of the school division was unique as it is comprised of two combined schools and two high schools fed by a separate middle school.

The study utilized logistic regression and ROC analysis to identify the variables most predictive of graduation for use in an EWS. The model was designed to be predictive in nature and …

A Study Of Digital Communications Between Universities And Students, Perry D. Drake

Dissertations

This study examined the digital and social media communication practices of nine urban universities including UMSL and compared those to known corporate best practices.

The purpose of this study was to (1) research how these universities are using social/digital communications to engage with students and prospective students; (2) compare the executional tactics of universities to corporate best practices; (3) determine if by applying corporate best practices universities reap the same benefits as corporate in terms of higher engagement rates with their customers; and (4) determine if a correlation exists between a university’s Forbes ranking and its use of social media …

The Plight Of The Gifted Student: A Call To Action, Krista M. Shilvock

Empowering Research for Educators

With so many needs in today’s public education classroom, we cannot forget the needs of those who excel in the classroom, too. Gifted students face severe neglect in class due to the appearance of their competence and maturity. However, we quickly face losing the contributions of a major group of students as this neglect causes them to lose interest in their own education. As teachers, we must challenge ourselves to help gifted students reach their potential just as we attempt to do for all subgroups of students. A poll of 22 gifted students confirms these frustrations and needs of students. …

Immigrant Parental Involvement In Student Academics, Charles Tebben

Empowering Research for Educators

Abstract

This study is meant to focus discussions about the importance of the involvement of immigrant parents in respect to student academics. In this study I intend to make evident a relationship between parental involvement and student academics, after which I will draw in a conclusion of the resources utilized by my community at the elementary and middle schools. I’m conducting my research study starting at elementary school and running through middle school. I’m eliminating the high school period because of their unique parental involvement complexities which share little constraints and outcomes with the lower levels. To build my study, …

Growth Mindset In The Classroom, Luther L. Kiger

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how Mindset can effect a students educational and social life.

The Language Of Learning In Family And Consumer Sciences: English Language Learners In Career Technical Education, Kali S. Lenhoff

Empowering Research for Educators

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) content and English as a Second Language (ESL) strategies can be organically incorporated to create a successful education for an English Language Learner (ELL). The first objective of this research project is to discover how prepared Family and Consumer Sciences teachers feel to work with English Language Learners in the classroom. The second objective is to identify practical and effective methods and strategies that are useful for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers instructing English Language Learners. The rationale for this project is that by identifying the challenges faced by English Language Learners in education, teachers …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.

Ell Teachers’ Attitudes Of Google Earth For Inquiry-Based Instruction On Ell Students’ Language Development In A Rural New England State, Mark Congdon Jr., Ian Mette, Andrea Mercado, Laura Lindenfeld, Emily Tupper

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

This study investigated factors predicting the intentions of English Language Learner (ELL) teachers to use Google Earth for language development instruction. The researchers used quantitative research methods using an electronic survey (n=40), with a 28% return rate. Results indicated that attitude was a significant predictor of ELL teachers’ intentions to use Google Earth during instruction in a rural New England state. Additional findings indicate that when comparing teachers who intended or were using Google Earth during instruction to those who did not, there were significant differences between groups. However, 95% of ELL teachers within this rural state received no training …

The Development Of The Multicultural Awareness, Skills, And Knowledge Survey: An Instrument For Assessing The Cultural Competency Of Pre-Service Teachers, Jeannette Jones, Scott L. Walker

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

Based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics in the United States, the public school student population is becoming more diverse (2003, 2011). As a result of this, teachers need to be culturally competent so they can meet the unique needs of the diverse student body they will be teaching. This quantitative study offers an examination into the creation of an instrument, the Multicultural Awareness, Skills, and Knowledge Survey (MASKS), used to measure the cultural competency of pre-service teachers, as well as a preliminary analysis of the data findings. This document provides a description of the steps used …

The Implementation Of Visible Learning Practices Among Refugee Learners In North-West Texas, Laurie A. Sharp, Jane Dougherty, Genie Baca, Elsa Diego-Medrano

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

The resettlement of refugees has enriched the diversity of many communities throughout the United States. However, the transition associated with refugee resettlement has significant effects on both refugees and the communities in which they have been resettled. Due to the extreme diversity represented among refugees who have been resettled, public school systems and education professionals must identify best practices that meet the rigor of state accountability requirements and foster educational equity among all students. The purpose of this article is to describe how one large elementary public school campus located in North-West Texas has addressed these challenges through an ongoing …

The Impact Of Local-Control Accountability Plan Implementation On Long Term English Learners, John P. Sanchez Sr.

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study was conducted in California, using a selected sample of 20 local education agencies (LEA). This sample was utilized to analyze the effectiveness of how K-12 school districts are meeting the needs of long-term English learners (LTEL) while implementing the local-control accountability plan. The sample of local education agencies was comprised of school districts with student enrollments ranging from 1,500 to 30,000, located in urban, suburban, and rural communities. The results of the study revealed that 13 of 20 LEAs (65%) implemented interventions above and beyond the state required English language development standards. The study also reviewed …

The Voices Of Special Educators: How Do Special Educators Teach English Language Learners Who Are Receiving Special Education Services?, Elizabeth Ann Dubois

Dissertations and Theses

Disproportionality in special education has been examined from various perspectives over a 50-year period. English Language Learner (ELL) students have been included in the discussion among researchers in the past two decades as a disproportionate number of ELL students are referred to special education. Though the problem of disproportionality has been acknowledged, documented and discussed over a period of decades, there is a lack of research from the voices of special educators. The purpose of this study was to describe special education teachers' experiences teaching students currently or previously enrolled in an English language learner program who are receiving special …

Summer 2017 Letter From The President, Academic Affairs

University Updates & Communications from the University President

No abstract provided.

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, June 8, 2017

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on June 8, 2017.

And So The Pendulum Swings: Senior Student Affairs Officers Balancing Implementation Of Federal Campus Safety Mandates At Small Colleges, Kimberly J. Blea

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Issues of campus safety are being addressed on campuses nationwide because of the requirements set forth by the Clery Act, Title IX, and the Campus Sexual Assault Violence Elimination Act. The purpose of this qualitative study was to deeply understand experiences of senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at small colleges and universities who have implemented federal campus safety mandates. Their experiences, offered insight into how SSAOs used these experiences to inform their own professional growth, and contribute to the student affairs profession. I utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach and conducted multiple semi-structured interviews with three SSAOs at small colleges and …

A Brief Intervention To Increase The Use Of Precorrection And Praise By Elementary School Teachers, Dustin Bindreiff

Dissertations and Theses

There is an evidence base supporting the use of positive behavior supports in schools; however effectively and efficiently transferring these interventions into classroom settings remains a challenge. Precorrection is a highly-regarded behavior support strategy that relies on antecedent prompting to reduce problem behavior and teach socially appropriate skills. This study examined how a brief training in precorrection and praise paired with regular feedback impacted the behavior of four Title I elementary school teachers and students. As a result of the intervention, the four teachers increased use of precorrection and praise, while concomitantly reducing their use of reprimands. Limitations and suggestions …

Rural Interprofessional Health Care Education: A Study Of Student Perspectives, Curt Carlton Stilp

Dissertations and Theses

As the cost for health care delivery increases, so does the demand for access to care. However, individuals in a rural community often do not have access to the care they need. Shortages of rural health care professionals are an ever-increasing problem. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 sought to increase health care access by focusing on team-based care delivery. Thus, the need to educate health care students in the fundamentals of team-based practice has led to an increased emphasis on Interprofessional Education (IPE). While past research focused on urban IPE, a literature gap exists for the effects of a …

Teachers’ Expectations Of Educational Leaders’ Leadership Approach And Perspectives On The Principalship: Identifying Critical Leadership Paradigms For The 21st Century, Canute Sylvester Thompson Dr.

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Using an exploratory design, with a sample of 97 teachers, this research sought to ascertain teachers’ perspectives on the behaviours and approaches that educational leaders, particularly their principals, should display. This exploration was done against the backdrop of the attitudes to, and expectations of, leaders that are deemed to be characteristics 21^st century perspectives on leadership.

The research uncovered four main behaviours that teachers expected their principals and other educational leaders to employ in their leadership approaches. These behaviours are: recognition of staff’s commitment, facilitation of participation in decision-making, embrace of teachers’ diverse strengths, and openness to criticism.

The …

Letter From The Editor, Steven Bingham

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

At the end of our second year of publication of Journal of Organizational and Educational Leadership, we find ourselves, as stewards of scholarship, in uncharted waters. The very notion of what is factual, not just ideas behind facts, but empirical reality itself, has become malleable. As if what is real may be actualized upon popular demand, acceptable based solely upon the belief system of one’s tribe, the term “alternative facts” has entered the lexicon.

For scholarly communities and truth-seekers everywhere, the time has never been more important than now to distinguish between fact and opinion, truth and supposition, science …

Letter To The President: Longitudinal Critical Discourse Analysis Of Academic And Hip Hop Genres In A Rap Narrative Program, Debangshu Roygardner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The objective of this study was to examine an in-school rap narrative workshop through critical discourse theory (Bamberg, 2012; Daiute, 2014). Twelve youth from a public school serving youth in urban Houston, TX were recruited from an in-school and after-school Hip hop/Rap narrative program to participate in a two-year cohort research study. The primary research question guiding the study was “How do young people participating in a school-based Hip hop/Rap program use a wide range of narrative genres for literacy and psycho-social development over two years in the program?”

The data-intensive study involved assessments of literacy and psycho-social development via …

The Socioemotional Impact Of Disparate Student Discipline: An Examination Of Racial Bias And Out-Of-School Suspensions, Amelia Barbadoro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most schools find it challenging to effectively manage disruptive student conduct such as violent outbursts, antisocial behavior, bullying, talking back, and truancy. One management tool utilized by teachers and administrators attempting to quell unruly behavior is exclusion through the use of suspension. Out-of-school suspension rates within the United States have been rising since the 1970’s, with a dramatic increase evident after 2002, with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. The higher use of out-of-school suspensions reflects the growth of zero tolerance policies which mandate predetermined, typically harsh consequences or punishments (such as suspension and expulsion) for a …