Educational Leadership Commons^™

How School Leaders Shape School Culture: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer L. Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify how school leaders shape school culture and specifically what behaviors contribute to a positive school culture. The central question framing this study was: How do school leaders influence a positive school culture? I conducted a multiple case study at two central Pennsylvania public middle schools, referred to by the pseudonyms of Montem Middle School and Silvan Middle School. These schools were identified by the 2018 Niche report as having a positive school culture, which was affirmed through the district’s own survey data. Through purposeful sampling, I identified school leaders to …

The Impact Of Formal Panhellenic Recruitment On The Development Of Efficacy For Sorority Women, Amanda Jill Horvat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Little to no research has been conducted to assess the impact of formal sorority recruitment processes on efficacy levels of sorority women. While numerous studies have been conducted concerning the development of individual women and skills gathered throughout their collegiate experience, there has been limited research on how participation in sorority recruitment may impact psychological and physiological states, and increase or decrease self and collective efficacy.

If the original intent of sororities was to provide friendship, support, and encouragement, are current formal recruitment methods, supported by the National Panhellenic Conference, meeting that goal? Addressing this question requires an in-depth understanding …

Impactful Mentoring Of Women Graduate Students: Guiding The Development Of Leadership Behaviors, Ashley N. Greig, Barbara Holmes

Leadership Education Capstones

Women graduate students continue to express interest in developing as leaders and are looking to the university to provide support for this endeavor. In classroom discussions about leadership development, women graduate students indicate strong desire for professional mentoring for leadership development. Yet, there are no uniform ideas about what mentors should do or how mentors should support women graduate students. The need for mentoring is supported in the research literature. Bowling (2018) asserts that sustainable female leadership is best supported through mentorship. Bowling (2018) further explains that mentorship is a critical component of preparing women for the workplace and continued …

The Impact Of Unified Enrollment On School Choice For Parents Of Students With Disabilities: A Phenomenology Of Real Choice, Bridget Denise Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to investigate the effects of a unified enrollment system on school choice for parents of students with disabilities in a charter-dominant school district. Previous research indicated that charter schools provide parents with enrollment choices outside of the traditional public school (Rhim & McLaughlin, 2000; Finn, Caldwell & Raub, 2006).

This study was conducted in an urban, southeastern district that transitioned from a traditional school district to a district of independent charter schools. Research questions examined the availability of resources for parents to identify and receive placement in schools that are appropriate for meeting …

Cultural Appropriation: The Continued Phenomena Of American Indian High School Mascots, Joshua Bullock

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomenon of how high school administrators view the identity of their school’s American Indian mascot and how it creates school culture, views of American Indians, and cultural appropriation. Critical race theory offered a positional framework to contextualize the phenomena as experienced by each participant. Understanding the influence of an American Indian mascot has on administration is important because it adds insight into the controversial conversation about American Indian mascots and their use nationwide. This research study added to the body of knowledge regarding American Indian mascots by specifically engaging in …

An Evaluation Of Lead Turnaround Partners’ Services In Virginia, Tamara A. Sterling

All Theses And Dissertations

School reform in K–12 education has experienced a cycle of changes that requires the implementation of stringent mandates for increased student achievement and sanctions for school divisions not meeting the required benchmarks. The purpose of this study is to identify school-based services that Lead Turnaround Partners (LTPs) provided to priority elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia relative to the improvement, if any, of third through fifth grade students’ Standard of Learning (SOL) reading assessment scores. The study utilized a systematic review approach to data collection that will analyze Lead Turnaround Partners’ Scope of Work, Quarterly Reports, and Standards of …

Examining Student Perspectives On Information Literacy, Kathleen Conklin Brenner

All Theses And Dissertations

The American Library Association released its Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education in response to the changing needs and demographics of today’s digital native students. This study was designed to ascertain first-year undergraduate students’ definitions and perspectives of information literacy to determine how they are aligned to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) six frames of information literacy. The overarching research question was: How is the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy aligned to first-year undergraduate student expectations of information literacy instruction? The following supplemental research questions supported the study:
1. How do …

Generation Z, Employee Enagement And Leadership Communication Behaviors, Natalie Kompa

All Theses And Dissertations

As Generation Z enters the workforce, new and perplexing questions for leaders emerge. Members of Generation Z, the generational cohort following the Millennials, were born in 1995 and later and come with unique characteristics, including an ability to use technology and consume online data in accelerated ways. Much has been written about the Millennials but little can be found in the current literature about Generation Z and workplace behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine if there is a correlation between Generation Z’s levels of employee engagement (trust, control mutuality, commitment and job satisfaction) and leadership’s …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Technology Into Pedagogy, Joe George Gerez

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technology into pedagogy. Data collection occurred from analyzing middle school teacher’s experiences, observations, and motivation following a technological implementation initiative into pedagogy. The evaluation of the study data included the analysis of surveys and interpretation of in-depth interviews of teachers. A pedagogical focus on teacher integration of technology supported by the self-determination theory as the research study’s theoretical framework examining human motivation was appropriated to the case study. As educational leaders face significant challenges in understanding the impact of teachers’ perceptions …

Critical Soft Skills And The Stem Professional, Elizabeth J. Kranz

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the implementation of soft skills that are critical to the success, as defined by promotability and long-term career trajectory, of STEM professionals from the perspective of STEM professionals and those with whom they work closely. Participants for the study represented two professional categories, (a) late-career STEM professionals and (b) human resources professionals with experience in succession planning for STEM professionals. These two groups of participants were selected for their experience with the soft skills and capabilities necessary for STEM professional career progression.

The primary research question was: What components and …

The Effects Of Whole Child Education Safety Needs, Brittany Valdez

All Theses And Dissertations

The research topic explored in this study are the outcome effects of the whole child education model. The purpose of the study was to examine these outcomes due to the current state of federal laws providing states and schools more flexibility to incorporate these programs into their accountability systems. The research questions sought to address the efficacy of the safety tenet of these programs and to determine if schools implementing whole child programs had demonstrated fewer suspension related incidents, increased student performance, and evidence of a safe school building, climate, and culture. The setting for this study was an elementary …

How Private International School Leaders Meet The National Education Transformation Agenda In Dubai, Marie-Pascale Addison

All Theses And Dissertations

In 2014, Dubai Government adopted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Agenda, a strategic plan for Vision 2021, whereas leaders are associated with improving the quality and accessibility to education, which represents a major priority in sustaining economic prosperity and achieving social development goals (Government of the UAE, 2016). Managing this seven-year transformation plan in the educational context has been reported in part by Litz and Scott (2016), in which their study revealed that Emirati school leaders needed to change their leadership practice in order to align with the National Agenda expectations. This study explores critical challenges and opportunities for …

The Impact Of Prior Communication About Organizational Turbulence On Members’ Perceptions During Institutional Change, Evelyn J. Thomas

All Theses And Dissertations

In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the perceptions of select faculty who were experiencing their university’s sale of their college to another academic entity, and to whom accurate levels organizational turbulence might not have been fully communicated prior to significant institutional change. Communicating levels of organizational turbulence is an important factor, and it is a necessary first step in transformational change. Members’ prior perceptions of organizational turbulence could affect their willingness to accept and progress through a substantive change plan. In this study, the researcher used turbulence theory as a conceptual framework to explore the level of foreknowledge of …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of High School Students Engaged In An Established 1:1 Technology Program, Kevin Michael Mathes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to seek understanding as to the impact of an established 1:1 technology program on the educational experiences of high school students. The theories guiding this study were constructivism, based on the works of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, and connectivism, based on the work of George Siemens. Three high schools in a mid-Atlantic state with established 1:1 technology programs were identified as sites for this study. Participants included five high school students from each school site. The sequential data collection process began with one-on-one interviews with the participants, then a focus …

The Relationship Between English Learners’ English Language Proficiency And High Stakes Assessments In Virginia, Jannette Duhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to increases in immigration patterns, U.S. schools face many challenges when educating this fast-growing minority immigrant population who confront many social, cultural, economic, and linguistic obstacles. Lack of English proficiency, in many instances, impedes this newly arrived group from fully integrating and participating within societal contexts. Children of immigrants have the dichotomous task of learning academic content and demonstrating subject knowledge on high stakes assessments while learning English as a new language. English Learners, Hispanics in particular, are twice as likely to drop out of school. Dropout rates create accountability issues for schools in the U.S. that have experienced …

The Impact Of State Equity Standards On Leaders' Espoused Beliefs About Social Justice, Amanda Hadgraft

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

School leaders are tasked with greater responsibilities than ever before. Today’s school leaders are expected to act as social justice leaders, ensuring all students have an equitable environment to learn in. State departments of education hold leaders accountable by comparing standardized test scores of students in majority and minority groups. The problem is these assessments measure the outcome of learning, but fail to measure the environments learning occurs in. The purpose of this study was to understand, within the context of the accountability climate, school leaders’ espoused beliefs about social justice, and the practices they employ to those ends. Using …

Who Am I Now? Teachers’ Development Of Leadership Identity A Phenomenologically-Informed Qualitative Research Study, Kimberly Alicia Richardson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Due to the complexity of schools and more challenges to teaching and learning, teacher leadership is an answer to reform that addresses both improving teaching and restructuring of schools (Smylie & Denny, 1990). While empirical research exists that speaks to teacher leadership work, what teacher leaders do and why particular teachers emerge as leaders. An expanding body of research (e.g., Day and Harrison, 2007; Day, Kington, Stobart, & Sammons, 2006; Lord and Hall, 2005) advocates the acceptance of coupling identity and leadership, and the acknowledgment of the influence on leader’s development and behaviors. This phenomenological study examined the leadership identity …

Principal Actions That Foster Positive School Climate, Courtney Mccormick

Graduate Teacher Education

School climate has become a focus of the work of educational leaders due to the potential positive influence on student achievement. The overall climate of a school is ultimately the responsibility of the principal and requires knowledge of effective strategies to employ to support staff to ensure that student learning is maximized. This review of research synthesized current research to determine what specific actions and strategies a principal can employ to foster a positive school climate that supports student achievement. Three themes emerged in the current research to guide a principal’s actions to impact school climate: shared-leadership, collaboration, and trust. …

The Impact Of Social-Emotional Development In Preschool, Gena Jadwin

Graduate Teacher Education

The development of children’s cognitive and social-emotional learning is of significant importance in education, specifically in early childhood education. Early childhood administrators, educators, and support staff have noticed an increase in the amount of students displaying underdeveloped or lacking social-skills within preschool classrooms. This paper will analyze and summarize research to explain the relationship between social-emotional skills and temperament, classroom environment, and educational outcomes in preschool aged students. It was found through research that a lack of social-emotional understanding and skills was impactful to a child’s future emotional responses and academic achievement. In order for leaders to best prepare teachers …

2019-06-27 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate meeting minutes for June 27, 2019.

Building Pathways: Nurturing A Female Generation Of School Leaders In China, Lixia Qin, Mario Torres, Jean Madsen

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

International feminist perspectives recognize the continuing inequalities of power between men and women across all classes. In China’s male-dominant society, for example, women often have been inhibited from pursuing leadership positions. One particular reason that has been drawing increasing attention across the world is the lack of appropriate training and guidance in young women’s leadership. This paper probes in greater depth one of the most important, yet largely overlooked aspects in the educational leadership of China – women’s leadership roles in education and young women’s leadership preparation. Drawing from published data, literature, and the data collected by the authors, the …

Motivation And Confidence: More Than Cheerleading, Dr. Paul Olsen

Celebration of Learning

What empowers self-confidence in athletic performance? Most of us know the psychology and language of motivation in positive reinforcement: "way to go"; "good work"; "I believe in you" are some examples. It's a sort of "cheerleading." But confidence goes much deeper into the realm of how the athlete understands the "existential self" in the world. Is he more than a point getter? Is she more than "all-conference" or a "record holder"?

Literature (novels, poetry, essays) often demonstrates that the depth of confidence is found in demonstrative love. If one feels worthy of love, and the love is demonstrated, fear of …

An Exploration Of Trust In Community Leadership Contexts, Richard Hudanick, Kimberlie M. Straatmann, Michael Miller, Andrea Harper, Joshua White

Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study of effective community engagement process examines community leader’s perceptions of their experiences and the role fostering and building trust plays in producing sustainable change in a Midwestern regional context. The purpose of this study was to explore how trust interacts with asset-based thinking and social learning experiences, including trauma-informed awareness, meaning-making, and empathy, to support community engagement efforts. The research team interviewed 26 individuals who were selected via purposive sampling. Study participants were active in their communities and practitioners in their respective professions. The study identified five overarching themes that emerged from participant interviews, including themes …

Women In History: Virginia Roth – Innovative Educator, Barbara Shousha

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

“There has to be a better way.” In 1964, Virginia Roth, then known as Sr. Pacis principal at Ryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska, set out to devise a new system of education. Her goal, as expressed in her essay, “A Model for an Alternate High School” was to, “realize those objectives we defined as essential for education.” The “we” referred to the School Sisters of St. Francis, the religious order to which she belonged at that time. Roth described the period from 1964 to 1966 as a “two year experimentation program of brainstorming, trying new methods, committee work for …

Heterogenity Of Private School Effects In Sub-Saharan Africa, Isaac Riley, Donald Baum

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The “private school effect” or “private school advantage” is often treated in the literature as monolithic and constant across countries (Srivastava and Walford 2007), and much of the debate is between two camps arguing whether private education helps or harms, with special emphasis on the poor (Tooley and Dixon 2006; Walford and Robertson 2014). The impression of a monolithic “private school effect” in Sub-Saharan Africa is harmful if results from one country may prove misleading when applied directly to another. If private schooling in makes pupils significantly better off in Country A and worse off in Country B, officials in …

Student Perceptions Of Dual Enrollment Participation, Susan Hochstrat

Dissertations

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to explore students’ perceptions of the impact of dual enrollment participation on academic preparation and college knowledge prior to their first year of college.

Methodology: This was a qualitative research study that utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the impact of dual enrollment participation. Twelve previous dual enrollment students participated in semi-structure interviews.

Findings: The findings from this research study illustrate the impact of dual enrollment participation. Based on the findings students’ state that dual enrollment participation exposes them to rigorous coursework. Students expressed that they were prepared for college because dual …

School-Wide Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In An Alternative School Setting: A Case Study, Amy-Jane Griffiths, Elena Lilles Diamond, James Alsip, Michael Furlong, Gale M. Morrison, Bich Do

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Aims

The purpose of this 1‐year case study was to identify how School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW‐PBIS) can be adapted to meet the needs of students in alternative schools and to evaluate the early impact of SW‐PBIS on discipline outcomes.

Methods

Suggestions for adaptations are provided at each stage of the intervention process with a focus on buy‐in, training, data collection, and resource allocation.

Results

Data from this case study included information about key components of the implementation process as well as initial outcomes. Process data revealed the importance of stakeholder buy‐in, training opportunities, and potential adaptations to …

Social Media In A High School English Class, Angela M. Wells

Virtual Research Symposium 2019

Poster by Angela Wells, UNE Doctorate of Education Class of 2019, presented on June 15, 2019, for the UNE College of Graduate and Professional Studies' Virtual Research Symposium.

What Do Students Think? A Study Of Maine Community College System Online Education, Jennifer Graham, Lynne Nelson Manion

Virtual Research Symposium 2019

Poster by Jennifer Graham, UNE Doctorate of Education Class of 2017, presented on June 15, 2019, for the UNE College of Graduate and Professional Studies' Virtual Research Symposium.

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, June 14, 2019

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on June 14, 2019.