Educational Leadership Commons^™

Syntactic Accidents In The Spontaneous Speech Of English And Armenian Speakers, Karen Velyan

ECTESOL Review

Fragmented syntax or a break of the flow of surface syntax is well known to be an indispensable part of spontaneous spoken language. Interruptions in the flow of speech may be triggered by pragmatic reasons, changes in syntactic planning and performance errors, which results in syntactic fragments. Syntactic accidents may take different forms in the actual flow of speech. This study presents a cross-linguistic comparative analysis of the cases of syntax in the speech of low socioeconomic status speakers of English and Armenian. Based on data from informal interviews with native speakers, the analysis presents a variety of syntactic accidents, …

The Reflective Approach To Teaching Culture Within The Efl Classroom, Lucia Schiopu

ECTESOL Review

This article examines the reflective approach in the teaching of culture in the EFL classroom, which is not just a mere gathering of information, but is the creation and construction of discourses that break or maintain cultural stereotypes. This is also an approach where meaning is constructed that is shaped by the quality and depth of cultural sensitivity and awareness. Teaching and learning a culture reflectively does not necessarily mean that the learner is taught to behave in accordance with specific social norms but to introduce an acceptable and appropriate conduct for the use of language in terms of intelligibility, …

From The Editor, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

No abstract provided.

Prism Intro Student's Book With Online Workbook Listening And Speaking, And Reading And Writing, Robert Leier, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

Prism Intro books use American English along with international and American topics to teach reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. Videos and American college life sections keep student interest.

Student-Directed Esol Family Literacy Program Design, Laureen Fregeau, Robert D. Leier

ECTESOL Review

ESOL Family Literacy programs for Hispanic immigrants have proliferated over past decades to serve the increasing population of ELs needing services. Several factors can disrupt or prevent participation in ESOL Family Literacy programs designed to enhance the academic success of Latin American adult and child immigrants. This qualitative case study set in the Deep South examined a student-directed design process to gain understanding of what would constitute an ideal program for the participating ELs, their families and their community. Emergent categories identified areas of design importance including site locations, time and frequency of class scheduling, curricular design, instructional materials, instructor …

The Benefits Of Implementing Cognitively-Demanding And Context-Embedded Language Translation In The El Classroom, Timothy Rodriquez

ECTESOL Review

The role of the first language in English Learner (EL) programs has been a historically controversial one. In addition, how the first language should be used is not without controversy. This article examines the role of translation in the EL classroom and how teachers should employ it. One approach, concurrent translation, may be considered to be cognitively-undemanding and context-reduced. The author argues that purposeful translation should be cognitively-demanding and context-embedded.

University Update - January 2020, Academic Affairs

University Updates & Communications from the University President

No abstract provided.

Poverty, According To Gorski, Kristyna M. Rudio

The Montana English Journal

In this poem, "Poverty, According to Gorski", the main points of Paul Gorski's book Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap (Second Edition) are outlined. The poem discusses and summarizes topics heavily researched by Gorski such as meritocracy, equality, equity, equity literacy, ideologies, and strategies to help classroom teachers, administrators, and leaders in literacy help to break down barriers for students and families experiencing poverty.

How Far Is Your Love?, Milo A. Rediger

Milo Rediger Writings & Addresses

No abstract provided.

Talk To (Students) Faculty, Milo A. Rediger

Milo Rediger Writings & Addresses

No abstract provided.

What Is A Christian College?, Milo A. Rediger

Milo Rediger Writings & Addresses

What is a Christian college? If it is Christian, it is a good college; it cannot be Christian and condone either inferiority or mediocrity -- it emphasizes excellence or it should not be dignified with the name Christian. It cannot accept all of the young people of a given denomination just because the churches of that denomination support it with finances. Suitability of students is one of the five major concerns of a Christian college.

Goals, procedures, teachers, students, and the college image are the focal points of this presentation.

Brokering Access, Belief And Opportunities: A Phenomenology Of Black Principals’ Leadership Through A Racialized Lens, Natalie Denise Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The educational landscape of the twenty-first century currently faces several significant challenges, including widening academic opportunity gaps. These gaps suggest that there is need to examine the perspectives of leaders in the role of principals more deeply. However, as leadership theories continue to develop, there has been limited research conducted on the impact of principals’ racialized experiences and their approach to leadership. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to center race by exploring the essence of Black principals’ understanding of their racialized experiences and its meaning to their leadership and school communities. Findings indicate that Black principals’ (a) understanding …

Conceptions And Factors Associated With Effective School Leadership, Anaghaa Wagh

Teacher India

Anaghaa Wagh discusses the school leadership phenomenon from the school leaders’ perspective.

Promoting Preservice Stem Education Teachers' Metacognitive Awareness: Professional Development Designed To Improve Teacher Metacognitive Awareness, Andrew John Hughes, Eddie Partida

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

This quantitative portion of a convergent complementarity, mixed-methods, exploratory study describes the design and implementation of a 5-week preservice teacher professional development (PD) experience and the associated Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) measures before and after the experience. The PD experience was designed to explicitly address participants’ domain-general and domain-specific knowledge and regulation of cognition through a highly integrated academic and clinical preparation regimen centered on a cognitive coaching model. The study participants comprised preservice STEM education teachers (N = 11) enrolled in a dual teaching certification and Master’s in Education program. The findings showed an increase in participants’ regulation …

Concrete Beam Design: Pouring The Foundation To Engineering In T&E Classrooms, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Ask a middle or high school student if they could design a concrete beam that weighs only 20 pounds and is 36” long but must hold 600 pounds without failing. What is the student likely to say? What if the student was told that, with some optimized decision making based on relatively straightforward mathematics, their beam could hold 2400 pounds or more? The focus of this article is not on concrete beam design, it is rather an introduction to engineering principles in beam design using a lab activity. The concepts and skills learned in this article will lead students into …

Analyzing Concrete Beam Design: Verifying Predictions In T&Ee Classrooms, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Design is often accepted as a fundamental aspect of engineering (Dym, et al., 2005). The design process is frequently portrayed as a set of steps. However, the design process is more complex than just a set of steps in a relatively fixed process. The complex nature of design, design thinking, questioning, and decision-making is exactly what technology and engineering classrooms are well suited to address. When addressing the question—“Why is technology and engineering education (T&EE) so important?”—the authors believe T&EE’s importance relates to our discipline’s ability to solve complex problems by balancing theory and practice in engaging hands-on learning scenarios …

Equity-Minded Teacher Preparation In The California Community College, Jesus Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

California Community Colleges (CCC) is the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the United States. It serves 2.1 million students, 54% of whom are from historically racially marginalized communities in the United States (California Community College Chancellor’s Offices, 2020). As with all higher education settings in this country, such diversity results in large racial disparities in classroom outcomes. While the classroom remains the primary point of contact for students, CCC instruction is vastly underresearched, with existing research tending to focus on issues outside the classroom (Zapata, 2019). In an effort to identify an effective method to support …

The Lived Experiences Of First-Generation African American Males During Their Freshman Year At A Rural, Middle Atlantic Predominately White Institution, Sharon E. Procter

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There has been a great deal of scholarly research over the past 50 years concerning the disparities in education for minority populations. Research relating to African American males specifically has increased over the past decade, highlighting the disparities and plight of Black males in kindergarten through postsecondary education. Additionally, the body of literature regarding this population of scholars has been from a deficit model. This is a phenomenological study that investigates the lived experiences of five first-generation African American male students during their freshman year at a rural, mid-Atlantic predominately White institution (PWI). The study specifically sought to learn about …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Experiences Of African American Students At Eastern Michigan University During The Civil Rights Era And In The 21st Century: A Historical Case Study, Maria A. Jackson-Smith

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examined links between Reconstruction and Civil Rights Era educational policies and practices and the impact of Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) institutional policies and practices on black students. This historical case study delineated the experiences of black EMU students who attended the institution at the end of the Civil Rights Era and during the first two decades of the 21^st century. The study is significant because, despite landmark Civil Rights Era legislation whose objective sought to narrow the achievement gap, the retention rates of black students at EMU remain disproportionate to those of white students in the …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Factors Leading To Academic Improvement In Minnesota Elementary Schools, Sean D. Dubé

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the principals’ perceptions of factors leading to academic improvement in Title I elementary schools in Minnesota. Participants included eight Title I elementary principals who led their schools from 2016-2019 and significantly improved their students’ math and reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) scores during that time period. Interviews were coded through MaxQDA and synthesized to develop themes connected to school improvement. The data suggested seven total themes for perceived factors in school improvement: the principal’s focus and intentionality, the principal’s continuous improvement mindset, strategic use of academic data, a culture of …

The Rise Of Segregated Charter Schools In Minnesota, Josiah Jackson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, urban charter schools gained prominence in the United States. They specifically made substantial growth in the metro areas in Minnesota. The vitality of these schools and their accomplishments were seen and recognized by parents and community stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the successes and challenges of urban charter schools through the lens of principals in metro area schools. The respondents for this study were six elementary principals in metro Minnesota. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes. Eight themes emerged from the interviewees' responses specific to the successes and challenges …

Culturally Responsive School Leadership: Examining White Male Principals’ Practices, Alex Schukow

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

K-12 principals must enact culturally responsive school leadership to close the opportunity gaps Black students and economically disadvantaged students experience. Critical race theory, the key model, and culturally responsive school leadership theory form the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. The overarching research question for the study is as follows: How do Whiteness and masculinity influence the enactment of culturally responsive school leadership by White male K-12 principals in exurban school settings? Interviews, school handbook policy analysis, and examinations of participants’ professional social media posts provide data to critique the actions of four White male principals in Midwestern, exurban public …

From College To Career: Do You Know How To Behave? Impact Of Instructional Practices On Soft-Skill Competencies, Robbya R. Green-Weir

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Soft-skill competencies are essential for successful careers. However, recent graduates lack in soft skill development. The reason may be because there is no set list of soft skills. Soft skills are subjective and poorly defined in Health Administration and competency models are not defined in terms of attitudes, behaviors, or dispositions for training and development of students.

Purpose: Provides a platform for health administrators to define soft skills more clearly by drawing on research conducted by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance [HLA]. This research also examines health administration programs to gain a better understanding of why graduates lack soft skills. …

Self-Contained And Departmental Educational Delivery Systems: A Case Study Of Differences In Student Achievement And Behavior, Robert Eugene Smith Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the differences in achievement and behavior for fifth-grade students taught using a self-contained instructional model compared to students taught using a departmentalized model. Differences based on selected demographic/attribute variables were also investigated. Teacher perceptions regarding the differences in the two organizational models were also examined. Data were collected from the West Virginia Department of Education’s end of the year student academic achievement assessment (The West Virginia General Summative Assessment), the West Virginia Department of Education’s online information system (WVEIS), and teacher surveys. Data suggest differences in the two instructional models along with significant differences in male and …

Losing As And Fs: What Works For Schools Implementing Standards-Based Grading?, Matt Townsley, Tom Buckmiller

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this essay is to document what works when K-12 schools implement standards-based grading through a deep dive into related literature and to suggest areas for future considerations. To ignore what others are doing and what is presented in the research literature on teaching and learning is not only inefficient, it is also irresponsible and unprofessional (Gupton, 2010). As more schools work to implement a robust teaching, learning and assessment system, K-12 teachers and administrators in the early stages of redesigning their grading practices will be looking towards the successes and struggles of early adopters in order to …

Factors That Contribute To High School Senior African American Male Students’ Academic Success, John Jeffrey Baker

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are many studies that examine the negative academic factors that hold African American male students back from being academically successful students. This research changes the narrative because it examines the positive factors that help African American male students become academically successful in school. These students are the future role models of the African American community, and their footsteps could possibly show other African American male students how to become stronger students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors that contribute to high school senior African American male students’ academic success. The participants were African American senior …

Differences In Teachers’ Self-Reported Levels Of Gratitude Between High-Poverty And Low-Poverty Schools, Theresa Marie Anderson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher turnover is a major issue in the U.S. education system because teachers are leaving the profession at astounding rates (Castro, Quinn, Fuller, & Barnes, 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Teacher turnover disproportionately impacts schools with higher numbers of students from predominantly low socioeconomic status backgrounds (Castro et al., 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Exploring gratitude, a positive psychology practice, may provide insight into attrition and teachers’ well-being. The intent of this study was to explore the potential contribution gratitude may have as a tool to help teachers develop resilience in light of the complex and dynamic issues in education. …

Professional Learning Communities And Collective Mindfulness, Melissa J. Johnson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of professional learning communities, collective mindfulness, and student achievement in high-poverty Minnesota schools. The School Professional Staff as Learning Community Questionnaire (SPSLCQ) and School Mindfulness Scale (M-Scale) collected data from K-12 faculty in high-poverty schools across Minnesota. Results of the t-test indicate there was a difference between the level of collective mindfulness and faculty perceptions of professional learning communities in high-achieving, high-poverty schools and low-achieving or average-achieving, high-poverty schools. Collective mindfulness increased in high-achieving, high-poverty schools and faculty perceptions of professional learning communities increased in low-achieving or average-achieving, high-poverty schools. …

The Relationship Of Psychological Capital And Leader Humility In Minnesota Secondary Schools, Kristine Fehr Flesher

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between leader humility and teacher psychological capital in Minnesota secondary schools through a quantitative, cross-sectional study design. The four independent variables examined in this study were teacher-reported leader humility, as measured by the Expressed Humility Scale (Owens et al., 2913), principal gender, teacher gender, geographical location of Minnesota schools, and principal longevity. Teacher psychological capital, as measured by the Psychological Capital -12 Questionnaire (Avey, et al., 2011) was the dependent variable. Principals in 597 Minnesota secondary schools were given the opportunity to forward a survey to their teachers. Respondents were …

Understanding The Whole Student Approach And Its Influence On The Graduation Rates Of Hispanic/Latino Ell Students Within Catholic High Schools, Pamela Marie Patnode

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spanish speaking English Language Learners (ELLs) represent a large and rapidly growing student population. Although many Hispanic/Latino ELL students are at risk for academic failure, Hispanic/Latino students who attend Catholic schools are more likely than their public school peers to graduate from both high school and college. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role that student validation plays within the academic, cultural, and spiritual practices that lead to Hispanic/Latino ELL student academic achievement in Catholic high schools. The researcher performed on-site observations, document analysis, as well as interviews and focus groups at a culturally diverse, high …