Educational Leadership Commons^™

Ideological, Legal, And Caseload Effects On Courts Of Appeals Judges’ Voting In Race-Based Title Vii Cases Brought By African-American Plaintiffs In K-12 Public Education, Herman Jackson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated how effectively U.S. Courts of Appeals judges’(1) political ideology, as measured by party of the appointing president or judges’ DW-nominate scores; (2) legal developments, as measured by the 1991 Amendments to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (3) judicial caseload carried by courts of appeals three-judge panels; and (4) plaintiffs’ gender predict liberal-pro-employee and conservative-pro-employer voting in K-12 Title VII racial discrimination cases brought by African-American plaintiffs decided between 1964 and 2015. The study used logistic regression as its primary statistical tool. The principal findings for this group of K-12 decisions are: (1) political …

Ideological And Legal Determinants Of U.S. Courts Of Appeals Judges' Voting In K-12 Idea Reimbursement Cases Involving Children With Learning Disabilities, Tara L. Stephens

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the seminal federal legislation entitling children with disabilities to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The law permits parents who contend their child was denied a FAPE to contest the education offered the child by removing their child to a private school, paying tuition for that education, and then seeking to recover those payments from the district. Under the IDEA, parents may prevail in such proceedings where they show the child was denied a FAPE by the school district, and the private program they selected met the child’s special needs. Legislation amending …

Applied Weaving: Mapping Creativity Into Every Strand Of A Curriculum, Jonathan P. Garra

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of adding creativity skills into curriculum mapping documents at the elementary and middle school level, with the goal of gaining some clarity regarding the intrinsic value and ubiquity of teaching for creativity. The language for the maps was taken from Weaving Creativity Into Every Strand of Your Curriculum (Burnett & Figliotti, 2015). The maps were developed after observations of and meetings with classroom teachers in order to assure their accuracy and authenticity. Because the intended purpose of a curriculum map is to provide a sweeping view of targeted content and …

The Impact Of Shared Leadership On A Career And Technical Education Campus, Samantha Lee Ward

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Programs of career and technical education (CTE) have grown in popularity across the U.S; over 7.5 million students enrolled in one or more CTE courses during the 2013-14 school year (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2017). With millions of students enrolled in these courses, it is imperative that school curriculum remains up-to-date and aligned with industry practices. School districts must adapt to changes occurring in business organizations so that CTE programs remain relevant for graduates looking to enter the workforce (Scott, Annexstein, Ordover, Esters, Bowen, & Reeve, 2003). Businesses increasingly are utilizing teams (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009; Pearce …

Capturing The Impact Of Career And Technical Education Participation On Graduation Likelihood, Jeffrey Shawn Seeton

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Graduation rate is a common measure of public school system productivity. Previous literature indicates some of the characteristics known to be associated with disparities in graduation rates include associations of race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and English language learner/proficiency status. In Texas, the graduation gap facing historically marginalized populations of students continues to present a problem for educators, citizens, policy makers, and society as a whole. Industry input, future earning potential, and potential future employment can play a significant role in most learners’ decisions. The integration of work-based learning with a streamlined curriculum can lead to higher wages after high …

Baccalaureate Attainment In Stemcommunity College Transfer Students’ Success In Stem Fields Of Study: The Impact Of Engagement On Baccalaureate Degree Attainment, Trang Van Dinh

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study focused on community college transfer students and sought to determine the extent to which their baccalaureate degree attainment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields of study can be predicted by their demographic characteristics, precollege academic preparation, and their engagement in a wide range of domains while in college. The study used data drawn from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS:2002) to examine the demographic background and college experiences of 1,761 community college transfer students. Astin’s (1993) theory of involvement, or the Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) model, was adopted as the guiding theoretical framework. In this study, the input variables …

What Motivates Secondary Social Studies Teachers To Be Politically Active: A Phenomenological Study, Tracey E. Louth

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Members of countries with democratic governments rely on the political involvement of its citizens to elect individuals to positions of power as well as to approve legislative initiatives that are presented for voter approval on ballots (Hahm, 2000; Mayer, 2011). However, voting is just one of many examples of political activity (Wiltfang & McAdams, 1991). This qualitative study was designed to address a gap in the research by analyzing factors that motivated secondary, social studies teachers to become politically active. Teachers are overwhelmingly absent from political activities other than voting (National Teacher Association, 2010). Even though they teach a subject …

The Nurse’S Story: A Qualitative Study Of How Nurses Experience Caring For Patients Who Die Unexpectedly, Shantel Sullivan

All Theses And Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of compassion fatigue among nurse professionals in order to examine natural grieving reactions and how they potentially change nurses’ lives. The focus of this study included nurse professionals working in rural community hospitals in Upstate New York. The nurse professionals in the study were exclusively those who identify and practice as registered nurses (RN). The nurses were asked to share their experiences of repetitive exposure to critical incidents (unexpected outcomes, mass casualties, and/or death of infant/child/young adult). Purposive sampling was utilized as a means to select participants. The …

Teaching Mindful Awareness Skills To Middle School Students And Its Relationship To Student Engagement With School And Student Test Anxiety, Kathy Shoemaker

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examined the relationship between teaching mindful awareness skills to middle school students and both student engagement and test anxiety. The moderating effects of certain cultural characteristics (gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status [SES], English as a second language [ESL], and disability status) on the relationship between teaching mindful awareness skills and both student engagement and test anxiety was also examined. A quasi-experimental pre-/post-test research design with a control group was employed. The Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), the Healthy Self-Regulation Scale (HSR), the Student School Engagement Measure (SSEM), and the brief version of the FRIEDBEN Test Anxiety …

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Relationships And Classroom Engagement On Student Growth Percentiles Of 7th And 8th Grade Students In One Rural School In Southwest Georgia, Dave Dennie

Theses and Dissertations

A number of states throughout the United States, including Georgia, are implementing a relatively new metric, student growth percentiles, as part of teacher and leader evaluations. Student growth plays a tremendous role in evaluations, accounting for up to 50% of a teacher or leader evaluations, yet there is little to no peer reviewed research on classroom factors that influence student growth percentiles. This quantitative study examined the extent that teacher-student relationships influenced basic psychological needs, engagement, and student growth using the Self-systems Process Model as a framework using structural equation modeling. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that context …

Perceptions Of Value Of Faculty Toward Doctoral Programs In Outdoor Adventure Education, Koby Garick

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher’s purpose for this dissertation was to determine how and why doctoral programs in outdoor adventure education (OAE) related fields (which included, leisure studies, park, recreation, tourism, and therapeutic recreation) operated, how the programs were financed, what the value of the programs were, and what makes the programs unique. The researcher conducted a detailed review of the literature. Then the researcher surveyed and interviewed doctoral program chairs in OAE related programs.

Fourteen schools were identified by the researcher as having OAE related doctoral programs. The researcher solicited survey responses from the doctoral program chairs of the schools’ and received …

To What Extent Do General Education Elementary Teachers Perceive They Are Prepared To Teach Students With Disabilities?, Susan Fuller Elder

Theses and Dissertations

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2010 brought many changes to classes but it did not bring changes to the way teachers were trained. Many teacher preparation programs only required one exceptional child course for general education teachers. This dissertation analyzed the data gathered from 12 elementary, general education teachers on their perception of their preparedness to teach students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. The participants’ perceptions of preparedness were evaluated in regards to their pre-service training and their post-service, in-service, and professional development. The interviewees responses to this study demonstrated the need for …

Effects Of Developing Edtpa As A Teaching Portfolio On Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy In A Teacher Preparation Program, Pam Wetherington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of developing edTPA as a teaching portfolio on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy, specifically their perceptions of confidence related to the edTPA’s constructs of planning, instruction, and assessment within a tied-to-licensure state. The researcher employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to study the effects and experiences for developing edTPA as a teaching portfolio. Three repeated measures ANCOVAs were conducted to determine the change in pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy after developing the edTPA teaching portfolio while controlling for the cooperating teachers’ support of pre-service teachers’ planning, instruction, and assessment decisions and practices. The …

Novice Teachers: Using Professional Development To Discover Whether They Continue To Use The Behavior Management Strategies Taught In The Undergraduate Program, Katherine O. Barnetson

Theses and Dissertations

The need for supporting novice teachers is not a theoretical concept, it is a real concept. Teacher education programs are preparing and graduating new teachers at a fast rate, however; these new teachers are also leaving the profession at staggering rates (Clark, 2012). According to Ingersoll (2012), between 40% and 50% of all new teachers in the United States leave the profession in the first five years. This research was designed to study teacher professional development with novice special education teachers as they move from a teacher preparation program to a full-time teaching position. The participants for this study included …

Role Model Stories That Unite Children Of Oaxacan Immigrants, Erica Juarez Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Through my internship at Castroville Library Homework Center I endure power by telling stories to unite with children of Oaxacan immigrants while helping them with homework. Dacher Keltner power principles helped me have a trusting communication to learn the success and struggles in the children of Oaxacan immigrant’s education.

Factors Contributing To The Problem Of Student Absenteeism In A Rural School, Angela Denean Durborow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student attendance would seem to be a vital link in measuring student success in school. If students are not in school, they miss instruction from the teacher. Without instruction it seems incredibly difficult to complete the work needed to pass classes and be successful in school. The research explored the problem of practice of student absenteeism in a rural school. The study was conducted using mixed methods research methodology, specifically a sequential mixed methods research design. The research questions were as follows: (1) What explicit or implicit messages are parents and the school sending about school attendance? (2) What is …

Characteristics And Behaviors Of School Board Members In "Grade A" Arkansas Public School Districts, Bridget Lynn Polk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to describe characteristics and behaviors of school board members in Arkansas school districts where 50% or more of their campuses earned a letter grade of “A” on the 2014 Arkansas School Performance Report (Arkansas Department of Education [ADE], 2015). This purpose was achieved through analysis of artifacts from selected school districts including: achievement patterns; board minutes; and board member professional development records. A web-based survey of school board members was also utilized to gather demographic and background information. Finally, personal interviews were completed with a small group of board members to collect …

Survey Of Teacher Attitude Regarding Inclusive Education Within Rural School Districts, Laura Daniel

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if teacher attitudes towards inclusive education were influenced by the variables of gender, age, educational level, teaching level, and number of special education courses taken for regular general education teachers in rural school districts in South-Central Arkansas. Next, the purpose of the study was to determine the predictive effects of teaching years at the teachers’ current level, total years teaching experience, and years of special needs teaching experience on perception of inclusion for regular general education teachers in rural school districts in South-Central Arkansas. Third, the purpose of the study was to …

Effects Of The Master Principal Program On Perceived Principal Leadership Effectiveness In Arkansas, Lewis Villines

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the perceptions of stakeholders of principals who were participating in the Master Principal Institution to determine principals’ leadership effectiveness in regard to the ISLLC 2008 Standards. This study surveyed stakeholders of principals who were participating in the Master Principal Institute. A quantitative, causal-comparative strategy was used in this study. Hypotheses 1-5 were tested by 2 x 2 factorial between-groups designs. The independent variables were level of school (Elementary or Secondary) and Master Principal Program phase (Phase I and II) for each of the hypotheses. The dependent variables for the hypotheses were the …

“The Golden Rule”: A Portable Escape Room Designed To Promote Empathy And Playfulness In Challenging Social Contexts, Isabella Gomati

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The development of a Portable Escape Room (PER) board game aims to promote empathy as one of the key skills that, for a society in constant change, is necessary to face and solve complex social challenges. The development of a PER is a way of addressing the need for both innovative and accessible tools that can be used in different sectors of the economy. The PER not only encourages creative collaboration, but it also introduces the possibility of playfulness as a bridge for learning and problem-solving in a variety of scenarios. The product itself encompasses an excellent example of a …

Low-Fee Private Schools In West Africa: Case Studies From Burkina Faso And Ghana, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Every year billions of dollars are spent on development aid and training around the world. However, only 10% of this training results in the transfer of knowledge, skills, or behaviors learned in the training to the work place. Ideally, learning transfer produces effective and continued application by learners of the knowledge and skills they gained through their learning activities. Some studies suggest that technology usage can serve as an effective post-learning intervention to enhance the transfer of learning. Currently, there is a limited body of research examining the factors that hinder and promote learning transfer in professional development, particularly the …

Sustaining Millennials In Teaching Careers: A Comparison Of Entering And Veteran Teacher Views: A Pilot Study, Michelle Lemieux

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Staffing secondary schools has become difficult in the past 10 years in conjunction with a changing and challenging economy for Millennials. Secondary school leaders have difficulty finding, employing, and retaining content specialists each school year due to the lack of trained teachers to fill positions left by large numbers of retirees. The problem is there is a need for content specialists in secondary schools and only a limited number of new teachers, which is insufficient in replacing retirees, leaving educational leaders scrambling to fill positions each year. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that are deterring Millennials …

Effects Of A Collegiate Employee Wellness Program On Participant Perceived Wellness And The Transtheoretical Model Of Change: Voices Of Participants, Amy Jeanette Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

With rising costs of healthcare, due to high counts of obesity and chronic diseases, employers are exploring ways to have healthier and more productive employees by implementing wellness programs. Previous studies conducted on wellness programs and physical activity interventions took place at worksites, in the general public or at four-year universities (Butler, Clark, Brulis, Castillo, & Racette, 2015; Haines, et al., 2007; Rongen, et al., 2014a). These intervention programs focused primarily on the physical dimension of wellness to the exclusion of the other dimensions. The purpose of this mixed methods wellness program study was to investigate the effects of an …

Factors In Public School Settings That Result In Teacher Agency, Jessica Hadid

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

A quality system for educating a nation’s youth depends upon a teaching force that continually learns, and applies its learning outcomes to active problem solving and development. Many current school and district models minimize teacher ability to engage in meaningful change, ultimately undermining the teachers’ sense of personal and professional agency. Literature suggests that internal forms of motivation are likely to result in the development of agency via self-determination of actions and behaviors. This mixed methods study examined five public schools in a small K-12 district through the lens of self-determination theory. An initial set of quantitative data were collected …

The Role Of Administrative Support In The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Atinart Koonkongsatian

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Administrative support of special education teachers can be a determining factor towards their success in teacher retention, motivation, and overall well-being. Special education teachers manage paperwork, meetings, and other administrative duties in addition to their teaching responsibilities. The extensive workload often leads these teachers to feel stressed, inadequate, and most importantly, this reduces their desire to continue working in their field. Administrative support of special education teachers can play an important role in promoting retention, increasing motivation, and supporting the overall well-being of a special education teacher. Their caseload of students is extensive, and often these teachers do not receive …

Will You Be My Mentor? Self-Selecting A Mentor During Student Teaching., Linda Ludwig

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research study was to investigate student teachers who self-selected mentors during student teachings and the ways they perceived support and professional advice compared to student teachers who did not self-select mentors. The study looked at the nature of the mentoring relationship with student teachers and their self-selected mentor. This mixed-methods research collected data using a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Questionnaires were given to students during their 16-week student teaching placement. The common themes to emerge were that a self-selected mentor’s greatest influences included: offering advice, teaching strategies, encouragement and being a role model. The …

Principal Leader Of The Band: A Conversation Between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke And Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean, College Of Education At California State University, San Bernardino, Lorraine Hedtke, Jay Fiene

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This is an interview that took place between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke and Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean of The College of Education at CSUSB, to explore the trajectory of his professional career. What was unearthed were intersecting themes between being a math teacher, a band leader, a professor in higher education and a college dean. All speak to similar values of caring and justice that drive Dr. Fiene to make a difference in communities where he has been involved.

Of Lizards And Language, Bernadette Gongora

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Empowering The Self, The Researcher, And The Leader: A Testimonio Of A Latina In Higher Education, Daria Lisa Cardoza

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, my testimonio, is a critical self-reflection about my experiences as a Latina in higher education. I write my story with an awareness, a critical consciousness, of who I am as an individual in the shared spaces of my life—as a daughter, a sister, a mother, a student, a researcher, a teacher, a learner, a partner, a lover, a leader, and a work in progress—and an acute desire to be an agent of change. Through my educational journey, I have been able to honor my epistemological, mestiza consciousness, challenge how I view the world, my ontological framework, and understand …

A Critical Reflection Of The Self: An Autoethnography Of A Mexican American Educational Leader, Adriana Flores-Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study seeks to explain how my "lived experiences" both personal and academic have had a profound effect on the course of my life. Autoethnography has allowed me to utilize "reflexivity, multiple voices, and introspection" to "invoke" readers to enter into my "emergent experience" of doing and writing research. As a first generation, Latina, migrant, high school dropout, I was destined to fail according to research. Through the use of testimonies, I have inscribed the struggles and understanding, creating new knowledge, and affirming my epistemology by writing about what I know best, "familia, barrio, life experiences." Through testimonio pedagogy, …