Educational Leadership Commons^™

What Is The Association Between The Financial Position Of Public Institutions To Tuition Discount Rates?, Richard Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations

Public higher education institutions have increased the practice of tuition discounting, which is the planned use of institutional provided financial aid to offset a portion of the tuition and fee price that students pay. As the cost of higher education has increased and the competition for students has increased, the use of tuition discounting as an enrollment management tool has also increased. The primary reason for the increase in the cost in public higher education, since the 2008 recession, is the funding cuts from state governments. The cuts in state funding have placed more pressure on public institutions to improve …

2017 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

An Instrumental Case Study Of Administrative Smart Practices For Fully Online Programs And Degrees, Charles V. Gregory

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore administrators’ responses to significant administrative challenges of fully online programs and degrees. The case was a single public community college located in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Plains Region. In this study Bardach’s (1994) method to identify and extrapolate smart practices used to resolve administrative challenges arising from an institution’s online and distance education programming. The concept of smart practice aims to exploit or take advantage of some latent opportunity for creating value. Organizational culture was identified to be of significant influence in identifying the value the institution placed …

Middle And High-School Teacher Perceptions Of The Mathematics Georgia Standards Of Excellence, Marnie Dutcher

Theses and Dissertations

Public education in the United States had frequent curriculum changes throughout history. The curriculum initiatives of the past had a focus on improving education in schools based on one of four topics: (a) common standards, (b) preparing students for post-secondary education, (c) improving the quality of education, and (d) increasing the rigor of the content (Wallender, 2014). In February 2015, the Georgia State Board of Education approved revisions to the Common Core Mathematics Curriculum, which was the third set of mathematics curriculum standards implemented in Georgia since 2012. The standards were named The Georgia Standards of Excellence Mathematics Curriculum (GSE). …

Why Do They Do It? A Case Study Of Factors Influencing Part-Time Faculty To Seek Employment At A Community College, Philip E. Pons, Dana Burnett, Mitchell R. Williams, Tisha M. Paredes

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the motivational factors influencing part-time faculty employment within the community college from the perspective of the part-time faculty. The study examined these reported motivational factors for differences influenced by age, gender, and employment status. A survey was distributed to a random sample of part-time faculty members at a large metropolitan community college in the Southeastern United States. Participants were asked to respond to categorical demographic questions and survey questions to determine workplace satisfaction. Three open-ended questions were presented to obtain in-depth information about the motivational factors leading adjunct faculty to seek …

Implementing A Cohort Model For Algebra 1, Geometry, And Algebra 2 At One High School: A Change Leadership Project., Agnes Ghansah, Agnes Ghansah Ed.D.

Dissertations

This project addresses a high school that has low test scores in the mathematics department. The scores, especially of the core math courses are at or below that of the district level. I investigated into potential causes of the problems and how this could be rectified by proposing a change.

I collected some students’ tests scores data of the math courses, and then conducted surveys and interviews of the teachers of these courses to gain a better insight into the problem. The results prove my previous notion that the scores were not good and that both teachers and administration would …

Lunch Tutoring In One High School’S Regular Daily Schedule: A Policy Advocacy Document., Agnes Ghansah, Agnes Ghansah Ed.D.

Dissertations

This project discusses capacity-building steps for reconfiguring a school culture as a learning community that values the potential of student and teacher school day time for effective, beyond the classroom, academic support. Stakeholders efficiently leverage all available time for highly engaged, innovative learning in a variety of interconnected contexts as a means for improving student-learning gains. The proposed policy centers on an initial pilot implementation of lunchtime tutoring, yet furthermore, the policy overall provides a way of looking at the school day as a valued time resource that has the potential to support student achievement success within an interconnected, flexible, …

Advocating For The Need Of A College And Career Readiness Preparation Accountablity Policy, Mellodie Brown

Dissertations

This proposed policy advocates for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to adopt a College and Career Readiness Preparation Accountability Policy wherein CPS sets district-wide criteria and structures for student college and career readiness at every grade level and ensures that resources and supportive services are available for its most at-risk students in underperforming schools. Also, it is important that CPS recognize the limited capacity of its teachers to transition students toward meeting Common Core State Standards. This can be addressed through professional development aligned to a proposed matrix for college and career readiness for all students. Supplemental funds are needed to …

The Positioning Of Iran And Iranians In The Origins Of Western Civilization, Sheda Vasseghi

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how a select sample of college-level history textbooks position Iran and Iranians in the origins of Western Civilization. Western Civilization history marginalizes, misrepresents, misappropriates, and/or omits Iran’s positioning (Kincheloe, 2004; Daryaee, 2005; Anvarinejad, 2007; Daragahi, 2010; Ahkami, 2014; Vahdati, 2014). Further, the mainstream approach to teaching Western Civilization history includes the Judeo-Christian-Greco-Roman narrative. The researcher used a multi-faceted theoretical approach—decolonization, critical pedagogy, and Western Civilization History dilemma—since this study transcended historical revisionism. This collective case study involved eleven Western Civilization history textbooks that, according to the College Board’s College-Level Examination …

The Forgotten Population: Honors Math Students At A Vocational High School, Jarrod Richards

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods individual case study was to investigate why honors math students at a regional vocational high school felt that their mathematical ability decreased over their enrollment at the site under study from the levels they experienced in middle school. This study specifically focused on long term retention of material and motivational forces that can influence the perceptions of honors students’ ability in mathematics. The participants for this study were 23 students who had been in honors math for all four years at this school. A records review was conducted for the 23 participants, which yielded …

Competency Development In Community-Based Occupational Therapy, Sunny R. Winstead

All Theses And Dissertations

The aims of this study were: a) to discover which strategies community-based occupational therapists (OTs) find most effective for developing the competencies that have been identified as unique to community-based occupational therapy (OT) practice, b) to examine respondents’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their academic training and of current professional development resources, and c) to explore respondents’ suggestions for improving academic training and continuing education for OTs in community-based practice. Data collection was completed using an electronic survey that targeted members of the American Occupational Therapy Association who have experience in community-based OT. The survey was completed by 81 OTs …

Multiple Mini-Interview Performance And First Semester Achievement In A Baccalaureate Respiratory Care Program, Megan S. Koster

All Theses And Dissertations

Success in an undergraduate respiratory care program requires that students demonstrate skills that, although not traditionally assessed in the admissions process, are indicative of success in the clinical environment. Attributes like critical and interpersonal skills, empathy, and self-appraisal are competencies developed by different yet integrated intellectual processes and contribute significantly to the overall perception of intelligence. However, despite limited efficacy in predicting rate of attrition in an undergraduate clinical program such respiratory care, traditional admissions criteria continue to focus solely on objective indicators of academic ability. The purpose of this quantitative case study was to investigate the utility of the …

Examining Student Engagement In The Academic Environment, Michael Scott Milliken

All Theses And Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined the traits and engagement of five students. The students were high school boys at an independent (non-public) school. The participants’ Big Five personality traits and trait emotional intelligence were examined in depth. In addition, observation and interviews were employed to gain a deep understanding of the students’ behavioral and affective academic engagement. Many themes and subtopics were explored. The themes (and subtopics) were traits (conscientiousness, impulse control, extraversion, stress management, happiness, optimism, and self-esteem), engagement (participation, attention, effort, and perseverance), course content (general academics, English, math, history, and science), and academic tasks (in-class: passive vs. active, …

The Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Attendance Rates And Office Discipline Referrals At The Middle School Level, Amy Gill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and more recently the College and Career Ready Performance Index, was put into effect, schools felt pressure to increase student achievement and bring up attendance rates in order to make adequate yearly progress or now high index scores. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive approach that many schools have implemented in an attempt to decrease disruptive student behavior and possibly increase student attendance. The purpose of this quasi-experimental causal comparative study was to examine the impact of the treatment of PBIS, with its basis in behavioral theory, on …

Empowered Intersectionality Among Black Female School Leaders: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Carla Mcneal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black female school leaders remain underrepresented as educational leaders in the K-12 context as marginalizing factors persist in the field. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black female school leaders through the lens of intersectionality. For this research study, intersectionality was defined as the intersecting realities of oppression. For the Black female, it is her race and gender. The following research questions were addressed: How do Black female school leaders describe their experiences with the intersectionality of race and gender? How (if at all) do participants’ experiences w/intersectionality influence their leadership practices? …

A Grounded Theory Study On Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Approachability And The Influence Of Those Perceptions On Student-Teacher Interactions, Kathryn Teston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate how middle school student perceptions of teacher approachability influenced their interactions with teachers. The fourteen participants were sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade general education middle school students from three school models (public, private, and Christian) in the metro area of a city in the southeastern United States. The Approach-Avoidance Theory, first proposed by Kurt Lewin, (1935) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The central research question that shaped this grounded theory study was: How do general education middle school students’ perceptions of teacher approachability influence the students’ interactions with their …

Colorism Among African-American Teachers: A Qualitative Study Of Intra-Racial Discrimination In The Classroom, Shannan Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the presence and effects, if any, of colorism among African American teachers and their African American students in two public high schools in the Southeast region of the United States. The sample size consisted of 10 study participants. The theory guiding this study was Serge Moscovici’s Social Representation Theory. This theory studies people, ideas, and values of institutions in a cultural context. Most recent studies on the phenomenon of colorism have focused on preferential treatment in the workforce and media. These studies concluded that lighter-skinned Black people are frequently provided opportunities …

From Following To Leading: Experiencing The Phenomena Of Becoming A Teacher Leader, Alan L. Carter

Dissertations

Teacher leadership is not a new idea. It has become popular in waves over the last century, and has been used primarily to make change in schools on a grassroots level. Though teacher leaders rarely gain degrees in this field of work or accept formal positions as teacher leaders, they acquire knowledge, skills, insights, and strategies that help change, shape, and mold their current school environments. Additionally, teacher leader positions, while normally informal, offer greater potential for influence than a normal classroom teacher may have or can offer to their colleagues.

The purpose of this study was to examine charter …

The Social Validity Of Online Parent Involvement In A School-Based Social And Emotional Learning Program: Whytry For Parents, Gina P. Hales

Theses and Dissertations

Involving parents in school-based learning can be difficult for both schools and parents, and more innovative approaches to involving parents are needed. Internet-based programs have the potential to address barriers to parent participation, but more research is needed to determine the effectiveness and social validity of such programs. This study explored the social validity of WhyTry for Parents, an internet-based program for parents of students enrolled in WhyTry, a school-based social and emotional learning program for students in grades K through 12. Eleven elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States participated in the study by inviting parents of …

The Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Of Hispanic Students In Higher Education, Catherine Johnston Lui

Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses the question of whether higher education Hispanic students of different nationalities have different perceptual learning style preferences. Independent samples t-tests findings suggest the country of origin of a Hispanic student's parents has a statistically significant relationship (n=165, p<0.0073) with student's learning style preferences. ANOVA results also identified a statistically significant relationship between SES and group learning style (p<0.004,) and between visual learning style and two factors: age (p<0.011) and family education (p<0.033).

Grouping Structures Of Gifted And High Achieving Middle School Students: Teacher Perceptions And Data Analysis Of The Impact Of Grouping, April Leigh Smith

Theses and Dissertations

In this mixed methods study on teacher perceptions and data related to the impact of grouping structures on middle school gifted and high achieving students, the researcher addresses the gap in literature relating to recent gifted grouping research in rural areas. The study took place in two middle schools of a rural school district in Georgia. A sequential explanatory design was applied to survey responses and focus group data regarding teacher perception of grouping; a comparative ex post facto design was applied to state-issued end of year assessment results and analyzed for trends regarding grouping for gifted and high achieving …

Educating The Whole Child: Using Positive Adult Relationships To Develop Noncognitive Skills In Students Facing Adversity, Virginia A. Saurine

Honors Theses

Under-resourced children often experience multiple stressors in their everyday lives that can negatively impact their performance in schools. However, numerous research studies have shown that the most significant protective factor for under-resourced children is a caring, adult relationship. This study focuses on what needs to happen in the teacher-student relationship in order for the teacher to be that protective relationship. Building the teacher-student relationship aids all children, not just under-resourced children, in developing the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to be successful in the classroom. Development and presence of academic perseverance and an academic mindset of students are the …

Examining The Relationship Between Selected Grade 3-12 Teachers’ Perceived Assessment Literacy And Their Classroom Assessment Practices, Mark E. Hudson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The study examined the self-reported understandings of selected 3rd to 12th grade teachers had of assessment and the assessment practices they reported implementing in their classrooms along with evidence extracted from written lesson plans. The literature on classroom assessment supports the idea that teachers who create meaningful assessments, offer corrective action, and give students multiple opportunities to demonstrate success can improve their instruction and increase student learning (Guskey, 2003). McMillan, Myran, and Workman (2002) argued that teachers’ understanding of assessment matters are inadequate; although there is common use of standardized math and reading tests, there is limited knowledge of how …

Leadership Competency Perceptions Of Rural Community College Presidents In The Coastal Southeast Region, Keith A. Harkins

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In a 2012 study, the American Association of Community Colleges noted over three quarters of community college presidents surveyed planned to retire in the next ten years. The rural community colleges in the Coastal Southeast Region face additional and unique challenges beyond the growing leadership shortage. Rural community colleges in the Coastal Southeast Region are often the focus of both educational and cultural development within the community. The rural community college president must lead the effort to advance the mission of the college and ensure the college leads the community in a positive direction. This study explored the perceptions of …

Photosynthesis: An Integrated, Hands-On Approach Supporting The Ngss And Ccss Ela, Laura Robertson, Chih-Che Tai, Renee Rice Moran, Lashay Jennings, Kari Eubanks, S. Honeycutt

ETSU Faculty Works

We will combine hands-on science investigations with supporting literacy activities to help students build conceptual models of photosynthesis.

Pluralism And Religious Education In Bali: How Lack Of Implementation Of Educational Reform Threatens Indonesian Identity In The System Used To Construct It, Nikolai O. Birch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indonesia’s education system was developed with the construction of the Indonesian as a cohesive people in mind. In doing so, the system adopted the practice of mandatory religious education as a means of developing the character of the Indonesian student through religion, a component imperative to the nation’s statehood. In the years and decades following, the education system, and subsequently its program of religious education, has been reformed and changed many times. This research attempts to look at how and why this changed system has struggled to implement these changes in the classroom, and why pluralism has been included in …

Work-Family Balance: A Narrative Analysis Of The Personal And Professional Histories Of Female Superintendents, Nicole White

Dissertations (1934 -)

According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2014), 74 percent of Wisconsin’s teachers are women, while only 26 percent of Wisconsin’s superintendents are women indicating a significant disparity among the educational ranks. Studies have claimed that women are obtaining their superintendent credentials at the same rate as men, yet in the state of Wisconsin, women account for a mere 22 percent of licensed candidates. Much of the previous literature identifies this problem and rationalizes it with the gender biases that have plagued women for centuries. This study went beyond that and focused on women in the 26 percent who …

Forming And Supporting Lay Catholic Elementary School Principals As Spiritual Leaders, Erin C.O. Barisano

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The role of a Catholic school principal is complex and includes promoting Catholic faith and spirituality throughout the school community. The additional job requirements of spiritual leadership are intentional formation for prospective and novice principals and efforts to sustain spirituality for experienced principals. This qualitative study explored the perceptions held by experienced lay elementary principals of their role as spiritual leader as well as how prepared they felt to serve in this role. Additionally, the study explored suggestions for sustaining principals in their role as spiritual leader. Participants were six lay Catholic elementary principals working in the Archdiocese of Los …

The Factors Affecting Undergraduate Retention Among Minority Adult Learners, Dianna R. Montfort

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of minority adult learners who have experienced academic difficulty while pursuing their college degree. Participants were asked to reflect on their past educational experiences, the obstacles they faced, their motivation to persist, and any recommendations they could render in an effort to assist other students who may face similar obstacles. Interviews were conducted to give a voice to nine participants who experienced academic difficulty, yet persisted.

To understand the factors that affected undergraduate minority adults, the participants were asked to reflect on their past experiences, obstacles, and their motivation to persist. To …

Pathways Of Leadership For Women In Higher Education Unions In Illinois: A Comparative Study Using Grounded Theory, Rochelle Robinson-Dukes

All Capstone Projects

This study focused on qualitative elements in its design. It sought to explore the process of women ascending to leaders in higher education unions and discover the barriers that derailed them or which they broke through on their leadership journey. It investigated the stereotypes and assumptions about women as leaders. The researcher looked at similarities and differences of the experiences of women in leadership roles to discover unknown phenomena within their unique experiences. Women in unions may be limited by proliferation of negative stereotypes and sexism. The purpose of this study was to explore the gender barriers of five women …