Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Rise In Racial Tension: Metropolitan High School Administrators' Perceptions Of School Resource Officers, Joshua Stephen Mahan

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although heuristic models on safety for Black students have been proposed following the death of George Floyd (Edwards, 2021), little research to date has highlighted how Minnesota educational leaders perceive school resource officers (SROs) in schools. This phenomenological investigation explored the shared lived experiences of six Minnesota high school administrators from one school district that employed SROs. Five themes were determined in the course of data analysis, including qualified advocacy for SROs, SRO contributions to de-escalating for safer schools, SRO assistance in emergency situations, SRO caused escalation, and SRO caused racial harm. Findings from this study revealed support for SROs …

Teachers’ Attrition: Relationship Between Principals’ Communication And Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Jason Robert Menth

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and teachers’ satisfaction with their salary, the number of years teaching, and the principals’ communication about the kind of school they want. Teacher attrition in the K–12 public school system is a well-documented problem citing many motives and causes. The recruitment of educators and retention of teachers in public schools has vastly decreased, creating a significant teacher shortage problem. Resulting complications are fewer applicants for open positions, applicants without the desired licensure, added stress on current teachers to fulfill duties, decreasing student academic progress, and dissatisfied teachers. This quantitative study used …

Organizational Factors And Teachers' Burnout And Attrition, Tony Alberts

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates factors influencing teacher retention and attrition, emphasizing the roles of demographic characteristics, salary, salary satisfaction, burnout, and working conditions. Utilizing data from the 2020–2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), which included approximately 76,000 teachers across 9,000 public schools, the research applies logistic regression to identify significant relationships between these variables. The findings reveal that salary satisfaction, irrespective of actual salary levels, significantly enhances teacher retention. High job satisfaction and support from administrators and parents further contribute to lower attrition rates, while overwhelming job demands and insufficient support are closely associated with burnout and increased departures. Drawing …

More Mirrors In Leadership For Latina Students: A Quantitative Study On The Retention And Attrition Of K–12 Latina Principals In The United States, Dominique I. Dynes

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the impact of job satisfaction and salary on Latina principals' decisions to remain in their current positions. The research utilized data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). A logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between independent variables, such as time spent with students and parents, salary, and job satisfaction, and the dependent variable of Latina principal retention. and data analysis utilizing DataLab. The results indicated that job satisfaction was positively associated with retention, while salary was not a significant predictor. The study aimed to contribute to strategies that support the advancement and …

The Kids Are Not Alright: Teachers’ Perspectives On Social And Emotional Learning In Diverse Populations, Siobhan Dalrymple

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This dissertation was inspired by the researcher’s own experiences as a K-8 teacher. Reflecting on her struggles with classroom management and meeting the social and emotional needs of students who had experienced trauma, the researcher chose to take a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to studying Illinois elementary school teachers’ self-efficacy and motivation with regard to social and emotional learning (SEL) as influenced by community, district, and school level factors as well as the teachers’ own beliefs and practices. Five teachers in four different Illinois school districts were interviewed for this paper; the researcher also includes data from a pilot study with …

Associations Amongst Basic Psychological Needs And Burnout Amongst Illinois Principals, Matthew Zediker

Dissertations of Practice

Associations Amongst Basic Psychological Needs and Burnout Amongst Illinois Principals

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and the basic psychological needs of Illinois principals. The objective of this research was to gather more information on Illinois principals on their level of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and the association with the three basic needs psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) outlined within self-determination theory. The principal position is seeing attrition concerns and there are also training pipeline concerns for teachers to become principals. Because of this it is imperative to learn more …

Examining Onboarding Practices In School Settings: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Gabriel Medina

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation examines the onboarding practices implemented in several schools within a district and their impacts on teacher retention and the culture and climate of the schools. The theoretical lens of self-determination theory was used to determine areas of strength and growth of onboarding with respect to the three basic human psychological needs of autonomy, belonging, and competence. Drawing on this theory, the research aimed to reveal how onboarding practices support or hinder fulfillment of these basic psychological needs in a school setting. By examining how teachers perceive their onboarding experiences, the study sheds light on the relationship between the …

Understanding The Impacts Of Unified Administrative Service Delivery, Keith Van Inwegen, Megan Wood, Nick Fetzer, Garret Knudson, David Hunter Patrick, Lanee Prentice

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

Team UNified is exploring how the current Finance, HR, and IT reporting structures function across the university. Currently, each unit independently manages how these services are delivered. Team UNified posits the current model may lead to issues such as inconsistent customer service, noncompliance with university policies and procedures, and fewer promotional opportunities within those job families. We plan to interview key stakeholders, review the current organizational structure, analyze internal turnover data, and benchmark against other institutions. Based on the results of our research, we will document the potential risks related to the current model and offer recommendations for where it …

Unlocking Undeniable Talent At Vcu, Kenda Boone, Tabatha Dunlap, Aaron Jones, Nicole Porter, Khaleliah Williams

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

To unlock the undeniable talent within the VCU community, our team aims to enhance the student internship experience at the university. We plan to equip students with tailored internship guidance, consolidating resources for comprehensive career preparation. By providing insights into relevant opportunities and effective strategies, we empower students to unleash their full potential. Our vision is to enable meaningful professional experiences, fostering success beyond graduation.

Wayfinding For All, Yosssera Bouchtia, Serra De Arment, Mahesh Jonnalagadda, Jada Wright, Julie Arendt, Cynthia Myron

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

Quest 2028 challenges us to nurture an institutional culture of care. Team Affirmation supports robust digital wayfinding to ensure accurate information for all members of the VCU community, including those with disabilities. This project collects data about accessible facilities on campus and includes a survey on wayfinding needs, such as accessibility beyond wheelchair accessibility, gender-inclusive facilities, wellness resources, and map iconography to ensure comprehensive data collection and meaningful engagement that informs wayfinding at VCU.

Place Matters: The Role Of Public Libraries As Change Agents In Central Appalachia, Jasmyne R. Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and governing board members are faced with challenges such as decreased funding, community division regarding library services, and soaring costs for library materials and services, as they develop and adopt policies and practices to navigate this ever-changing environment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from the public …

Setting The Field: A Framework For Leadership Success On And Off The Sports Field...And Why It Matters, Mary Semler

Teaching and Learning (MA) Theses

ABSTRACT

Navigating the difficulties of adolescence and young adulthood has been an age-old subject studied in fields like psychology, sociology, biology, and education, to name a few, as well as significantly addressed in literature and other aspects of culture. But, there is an important and often-overlooked area where much can be done to help this age group thrive and go on to become productive and successful adults, good citizens and quality stewards of the world in which they live. It is the participation in athletic-team sports at school.

Because of the hyper-pace of life today resulting from ever-advancing technology, our …

Driving On Empty: Exploring Principal Burnout And Intent To Turnover, Colleen Cook

Dissertations of Practice

This study used a quantitative design analyzing extant data from the NTPS distributed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This is a national survey distributed to principals to gather information about the principalship, individual factors, and organizational factors for the school they lead. Using extant data, analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among individual factors, situational factors, and overall levels of burnout.

Overall, 17.5% to 19% of the public school principals across the nation reported experiencing feelings of burnout. While there was a moderate level of burnout reported, principals were generally satisfied with their role, reporting an …

Mentorship Matters: Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders Today, Thomas Davidson

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation explores the advantages and disadvantages of both tightly and loosely defined principal mentorship programs from the perspective of secondary principals, focusing on how they assess the effectiveness of these programs during their inaugural year. The dissertation is divided into three distinct papers. Paper One reviews existing literature on mentoring, teacher mentorship, principal mentorship, and principal turnover. Paper Two presents an empirical study that investigates how first-year principals view the effectiveness of different mentorship program structures. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 first-year principals; 8 participated in the Illinois Principals Association mentorship program, while 4 had a mentor …

Teacher Retention And Quality In The Four-Day School Week, Andrew Camp

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The four-day school week is a school calendar that has become increasingly common following the COVID-19 pandemic. Proponents of the calendar often claim that offering teachers a regular 3-day weekend will help schools better retain existing teachers and recruit new teachers to their district without incurring additional costs due to higher salaries or other pecuniary benefits. However, there is scant empirical evidence assessing these claims. I use difference-in-differences and synthetic difference-in-differences models to assess the impact of four-day school week calendars on teacher retention and teacher quality in Arkansas. I find evidence that the calendar may help retain teachers who …

Loan Debt Burden, Student Experiences, And Livelihood: A Study Examining Relationships Between Students’ Education Costs, Financial Viability, And Life Impact, Christa A. Reid

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the complex connections among loan debt burden, student experiences, and post-bachelor’s outcomes, situated within the framework of systemic disparities in educational funding and opportunities. It identifies declines in state funding across educational levels as a systemic and politicized issue, disproportionately affecting students in underserved and underresourced school districts. The study emphasizes the impact of systemic racism and policymaking in perpetuating poverty through higher education, emphasizing the need for equitable policy establishment. Economic downturns and reduced higher education funding necessitate the exploration of alternative revenue streams, such as endowed funds and fundraising efforts, to prevent increased tuition costs …

Return On Investment: Identifying K-12 Funding Inequities To Improve Postsecondary Achievement And Affordability For Marginalized Students, Austin Woodside

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The research investigates persistent inequities in K-12 school funding in Michigan, emphasizingthe correlation between funding disparities and the socioeconomic status of communities. The study highlights how historically segregated communities of color face significant challenges in securing equitable funding compared to predominantly White communities, perpetuating racial inequalities in educational resources. The study explores the impact of funding on key factors affecting student achievement, such as teacher quality, class size, and socio-emotional support, while analyzing the role of parental education attainment in perpetuating intergenerational inequality. Using structural equation modeling, the findings reveal that socioeconomic status significantly influences educational outcomes and per pupil …

Compassion Fatigue In School Principals As A Contributing Factor To School Principal Burnout, Donald D. Howard, Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In recent years, within the United States and globally, workforce members who directly and tangentially treat and serve traumatized individuals have begun to experience an additional occupational hazard in the form of compassion fatigue.

Consistent school leadership can be a critical factor in increased student achievement and school-based performance outcomes. However, the principalship has become more physically and emotionally taxing due to increasing demands, duties, and expectations. Principal burnout has become a critical factor that has escalated principal turnover, often destabilizing a school community (Buckman, 2021). While many individual and organizational factors contribute to principal burnout but remain relatively unexamined, …

Survival Of Regional Theater In A Post-Covid America, Sasha Brätt

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the qualitative narrative study is to better understand the innovative strategies and programs used by regional theaters to bring their audiences and revenues back to pre-pandemic levels in a post-pandemic world. 11 current artistic leaders from across the United States were interviewed for this study using a semi-structured interview protocol. The leaders chosen for this study had been associated with a regional theater from the onset of the Covid-19 shutdowns through the various stages of re-opening thereafter. Nine themes emerged from the data: (1) Loyalty; (2) Financial Stability; (3) Adapting and Staying Relevant; (4) Navigating Obstacles; (5) …

Chronic Absenteeism In Ohio: An Analysis Of Four School Districts In Scioto County, Ohio, Gregory Williams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This present study utilized a phenomenological design to investigate administrators’ perceptions of barriers to student attendance, current approaches to mitigating or removing those barriers, and the extent to which those approaches were effective. This study utilized interviews with area administrators where they were able to provide detailed responses to questions aligned with the research questions. Results found that, in this region of Ohio, administrators believed the biggest barrier to student attendance was parental support and transportation. Through the implementation of multiple innovative and out-of-the-box strategies, administrators felt strongly about the future success of the implementation of state required attendance supports …

Enhancing Public Safety At Virginia Commonwealth University, Rigby Bendele, Les Harrison, Oswaldo Moreno, Chernoh Wurie, Carolina Yaber

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

The authors of this report will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of safety and security measures on both Virginia Commonwealth University campuses (VCU) in comparison to those of similar urban research institutions (N=10). This evaluation will provide campus leaders with recommendations for proactive strategies, community partnerships, and ongoing evaluation through which VCU can increase both actual and perceived safety for members of VCU and neighboring communities.

Community Ramgagement: Vcu Festival Of The Arts, Stephen Bar, Paula Coates, Laxmikant Deshpande, Faika Zanjani

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

The proposed project aims to align with VCU's Quest 2028 vision to seek community partnerships and opportunities to elevate awareness and collaborative action between VCU and communities. The VCU Festival of the Arts (VFOTA) is envisioned to embody community engagement and collaborative excellence. Drawing inspiration from established and successful art fairs, VFOTA fosters direct artist-audience interaction, promotes enrichment, and can highlight student accomplishments and education. Celebrating diverse artistic expression, the VFOTA can support regional talent and the local arts ecosystem that can enhance community well-being. Through initiatives like the VFOTA, VCU can demonstrate its UNwavering dedication to fostering thriving communities.

An Analysis Of K-8 School Transportation: Understanding The Need, Gauging The Effectiveness, And Defining Best Practice, Leeann D. Taylor

Dissertations of Practice

School transportation plays a critical role in schools, helping students gain access to their education and school sponsored extracurricular activities each day. This study examined the history, need, and future of school-provided transportation in efforts to establish the components of a tool by which districts can gauge the effectiveness of current transportation practices. To organize the research, data, and final framework in the most meaningful way, the final product was divided into three individual papers.

Paper 1 reviews the existing literature reviewed the history, significance, and anticipated developments in the field of school transportation. Paper 2 curates the results of …

Learning To Lead With An Equity Lens: A Case Study Of A Principal Residency Program, Maurice L. Davis

Dissertations of Practice

School districts throughout the United States are challenged with the plague of educator turnover. In particular, building principals are exiting school buildings causing gaps in system consistencies leading to negative perceptions of school culture and decreases in student achievement. Universities are working to assess and redevelop principal preparation programs (PPPs) to support principals and the skill sets needed to be successful within schools today. By increasing the skill of a building principal to lead using an equity lens and developing theories of action to address the frustration initiated by urban school working conditions, principals may develop a greater sense of …

It Takes A Village: Understanding Community College Chief Diversity Officers’ Experiences With Mentoring Relationships, Keith R. Barnes Dr.

Dissertations of Practice

This interpretive phenomenological analysis explores community college CDOs’ experiences with mentoring relationships. Seven CDOs employed at community colleges in the US Midwest Region participated in a semi-structured interview to share how they made meaning of their mentoring experiences and their impact on their career and psychosocial development. The findings highlighted two pivotal moments when the community college CDOs in the study received mentoring experiences to form an evolutionary process: the onboarding phase, when the participants sought mentoring relationships from the institution, and the sustaining phase, when the participants were more self-directed in securing high-quality mentoring experiences. The findings illuminated five …

Lean On Me: The Importance Of An Informal Social Support Group From The Community College Workplace For Black Women Doctoral Students (Bwds) To Foster Degree Completion, Terrica J. Huntley

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative study investigates the importance and impact of social supports from the Mountain View Community College (Pseudonym) on Black Women employees who have completed doctoral studies, are currently pursuing doctoral degrees and are considering the pursuit of doctoral education as a vehicle to foster degree completion. Six Black Women employed at the college engaged in conversation through SistaCircles to discuss the impact of being a black woman and working professional at the community college on their degree attainment. The impact of social supports within the workplace were also discussed. The findings of the study illuminated the following themes: 1. …

Talking Leadership: Voices Of High School Athletes (And Their Coaches), Ann Senn

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every organization in every geography and discipline is challenged to develop leaders who can be effective in complex situations. The ethical conduct of appointed leaders is of particular concern. While some individuals possess natural leadership qualities, anyone can build leadership capacity if they put in the work and have the opportunity. Adolescents and even young children can develop foundational leadership skills; in fact, research suggests that it is vital they do so as these skills correlate with later success in both professional and personal pursuits. Youth sports programs are a promising platform for developing leadership capacity due to strong participation …

Factors That Inhibit And Support The Work Of School-Based Mental Health Providers, David B. Naff, Jennifer Murphy, Alexandra Javna, Wyatt Aldrich, Erin Standish, Jeen Joy, Ciana Cross, Sandra Saji

MERC Publications

This research brief comes from the MERC Supporting Mental Health in Schools study. Launched in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores research-based strategies for supporting mental health in PK-12 school settings, as well as the emotional and professional capacity of PK-12 faculty and staff in the MERC region to support the social and emotional wellness of their students. This brief shares takeaways from a systematic literature review that highlight the factors that inhibit and support the work of school-based mental health providers, including school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. It outlines the roles …

The Impact Of Cooperative Learning On Student Success: A Program Evaluation, Alyssa M. Gomez

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an elementary school’s use of a Cooperative Learning Model Program and consider the impact on students’ behavior, social emotional learning, and academic achievement. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected and analyzed to understand the impact of the program on the school’s staff and students. Interviews were conducted to gather the school administrator’s and teachers’ perceptions of the effects of the program on students’ academic performance, engagement, behavior, and social-emotional learning in the classroom. A self-completing student climate survey was also utilized to gather insight on students’ social-emotional states …

Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Program Assessment Practices And Institutional Performance, Nicholas T. Christian

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Researchers (Stanny & Bryan, 2021; Tinto, 2012) have claimed without empirical evidence that academic program assessment is important to student success. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the relationships between academic program assessment practices and institutional performance based on responses from faculty at U.S.-located four-year institutions of higher education. The theoretical foundations of best practices in program assessment, organizational learning, faculty motivation, and institutional performance were examined and included as the primary variables. Assessment practices in higher education are best summarized by the assessment loop: articulating the intended learning outcomes; selecting appropriate assessment measures; developing curriculum and …