Public Administration Commons^™

Cultural Integration In Newly Formed Public-Private Partnership Organizations, Scotty O. Izevbigie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) formed public-private partnerships (PPPs) with local and international private companies during the construction of the Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) project. These PPPs had employees from different cultural backgrounds who brought new cultures, ideas, innovation, and experiences to their PPPs. The limited PPP literature did indicate that different cultures should be properly integrated to avoid challenges and conflicts in the new organization. If not properly managed and integrated, cultural conflict can create communication problems, increased employee dissatisfaction, higher turnover, and poor employee performance. Using Risberg's communication theoretical foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study …

Impact Of Charter School Legislation On Public K-12 Education In Pennsylvania, Stuart Whiteleather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Charter and cyber charter schools were legislatively permitted to operate as publicly funded educational institutions in Pennsylvania with the passage of Act 22 of 1997. Examining the tuition payments from traditional school districts funding charter schools and resulting economic, operational, and programmatic impacts on traditional K-12 education was the purpose of this study. Conflict theory provided the theoretical framework which proposes that inequity and competition for limited resources is the result of powerful groups exerting their influence on the greater society. This study's research questions focused on determining the impact tuition payments to charter schools had on public K-12 student …

Gender Competency In Public Administration Education, Nicole Elias, Maria J. D’Agostino

Publications and Research

Sex and gender are evolving identity categories with emergent public policy and administration needs. To respond to the diverse landscape of sex and gender issues in the public sector, greater competency is needed. This research will contribute to the body of work on sex and gender in public administration by asking the following questions: (a) what do graduate students in Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs know about gender competency, (b) have graduate students learned gender competency in their MPA coursework, and (c) how can gender competency in MPA education be further developed and promoted? This study provides a critical …

Transgender An At-Risk Population During And Following Emergencies And Disasters, Joshua Aaron Fontanez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experiences and needs of transgendered individuals immediately following a natural or human-caused disaster are largely ignored in practice and absent from previous academic literature. Using Schneider and Ingram's conceptualization of the social construction of target populations as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and perspectives of transgendered people who sought shelter in the aftermath of a natural disaster in 2018. Data were collected through interviews with 12 displaced, transgendered individuals to explore their experiences while staying at shelters in 2018. Interview data were transcribed, inductively coded, and then a thematic analysis procedure …

Teachers' And Principals' Perceptions Of Antibullying Programs In A U.S. Middle School, Nneka Uzoma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School bullying has become a serious issue in U.S. schools, with children being harassed, hurt, and even killed or driven to suicide or homicide as a result of being bullied. Bullying in schools has persisted despite the various intervention measures taken to curtail the phenomenon. The purpose of this phenomenological exploration was to explore how teachers and principals at a U.S. middle school perceive the school's existing bullying programs and elicit recommendations about how to improve the programs. The theoretical basis of this investigation was Bandura's social learning theory. Data were collected through interviews with 4 principles and 6 teachers. …

Admission Members' Perceptions Of Predictive Validity Of The Graduate Record Examinations, Janet Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparate student academic outcomes and program access is a problem at Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs in the Northeast United States The current admission committee members at the case university did not know institution leaders' rationale for eliminating the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) criterion. The decision to exclude the GRE as an MPA admission requirement was enacted prior to their respective tenures. The program leadership expressed interest in exploring research-based admission criteria to enhance student access and predictive outcomes. Supported by critical pedagogy and humanist theories, the purpose of this case study was to investigate admission committee members' viewpoints …

Strerss On Educators At A Discipline Alternative Education Program, Anthony G. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interaction with their students during classroom instruction is often a source of stress among many teachers. The academic setting of Disciplinary Alternative Educational Programs (DAEP) poses a risk factor for teachers to experience stress, given that student disruptive behavior has been associated with higher stress levels among teachers. The problem underlying this study was that most studies on DAEP have focused on the experiences of students, with limited information available about the experiences of teachers in this type of academic setting. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the role of job-related stress and coping on the …

Accomplished Education Leaders' Perspectives On Competition, Capacity, Trust, And Quality, Robert Lee Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2017 to 2019, the primary strategy to improve public schools in the U.S. was increasing competition through the expansion of charter schools and the promotion of vouchers to send public school students to private schools. The problem this presented was that key education leaders had not provided adequate input and feedback into this strategy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather the perspectives of accomplished education leaders on how Tiebout's theory of competition and the concept of the Ontario K-12 School Effectiveness Framework impacted quality, trust, and capacity. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with a purposeful …

Federal Offices Of Inspectors General: The Relationship Between Per Capita Staffing Levels And Performance Results, Craig Yuen

Theses and Dissertations

Each year, the federal government spends trillions of dollars on operations and in awarding contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance. Federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) are charged with auditing and investigating fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct affecting the government. There are 73 such OIGs – 40 of which have law enforcement authority and oversight responsibilities for a parent agency – and each is a separate organization with varying staffing levels and performance results. This study examined, on a per capita level, the relationship between staffing levels and performance results (criminal charges filed, financial recoveries, and questioned …

Letter From The Editors, Administrative Issues Journal Editors

Administrative Issues Journal

No abstract provided.

Examining The Relationship Of Textbooks And Labs On Student Achievement In Eighth Grade Science, Don Jones, Marie-Ann Mundy, Lavonne Fedynich, Anacita Sugalan

Administrative Issues Journal

One of the most important objectives of teachers, parents, school administrators, and students is to improve student scores on standardized tests, such as the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) in eighth-grade science. This quasi-experimental study examined the science achievement scores between schools that used different textbooks and labs when delivering instruction. This study utilized a quantitative approach, using archival data and survey design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression were used to analyze the data while controlling STAAR eighth-grade reading scores to reveal significant differences between classes. The sample and population for this study were predominantly …

State Of Practice In Accessible Instructional Material Policy In Public Post-Secondary Settings, Veronica Mcgowan

Administrative Issues Journal

For many students, easy access to instructional materials is an expectation of course enrollment. However, for students with disabilities, obtaining instructional materials may involve hurdles such as transcription, captioning, and requesting a braille or large-print version. In order to explore themes related to accessibility and services for students with disabilities, the goal of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between publicly communicated policies related to accessible instructional materials in public post-secondary educational settings. To that end, this study consists of website-provided accessible instructional materials policy of 60 higher educational institutions, representing five American geographic areas and four …

The Relationship Between Admission Criteria And Pre-Service Teacher Preparedness For A Small Rural Educator Preparation Provider, Gerald Mihelic, Chancey Bosch, Kim Boyd, Mary Lou Miller

Administrative Issues Journal

Pre-service teacher preparedness is a measurement of a teacher candidate’s ability to become an effective teacher (Clark, Byrnes, & Sudweeks, 2015). A growing number of Educator Preparation Providers’ (EPPs’) accrediting agencies are insisting that to improve pre-service teacher preparedness, EPPs must increase the rigor of their admission criteria. However, the research is inconclusive regarding whether a relationship exists between admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Educator Preparation Provider’s (EPP’s) current teacher education program admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness measurements to determine if the EPP should increase …

Universities Can Learn Too: Extracting The Value Stram From Small-Dollar Transactions, Richard J. Palmer, Mahendra Gupta, James Brandt

Administrative Issues Journal

Based on survey responses of 350 colleges and universities in North America in 2017, we find that the majority of benefits from purchasing card use are falling to a minority of card-using educational institutions. This study examines the extent to which p-card programs at colleges and universities in North America “fail to launch,” and presents an outline for program selfassessment, identifies common obstacles in implementing a successful p-card program, and provides a roadmap to rehabilitate a languishing p-card program.

Overcoming Employer Perceptions Of Online Accounting Education With Knowledge, Rhonda J. Richards, Robert Stevens, Lawrence Silver, Stephanie Metts

Administrative Issues Journal

Accounting education is moving toward an online learning environment. While many universities teach in the face-to-face environment, or at least offer that option, there are also many universities offering online accounting education. Attitudes and intentions of potential employers of accounting students need to be understood by academics as well as by university students. Accreditation and training can play a key role in effective online accounting education. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine factors that have a significant impact on employer perceptions of online accounting education. A survey was developed from literature review and interviews and then …

Using Curriculum Mapping And Visualization To Maximize Effective Change, Kelli Schutte, Chris Mccullick, David Line

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper shares the process of developing a fully integrated assessment framework and model for a mapping curriculum. The foundational aspects of this model are the development of layered outcomes that occur at each level of the curriculum and the linking of courses together to ensure building blocks that are progressive within a program. The presented framework not only measures this integrated nature but also allows for assessment that is both summative and formative. A view of the different aspects of curriculum application—from knowledge building, application of knowledge, and transferability of knowledge to new contexts—is a focus of the course …

Macc Curriculum And Cpa Exam Passage Rates: An Exploratory Study, Evan M. Shough, Beth Stetson, Aubree Walton, Kaimee Tankersley

Administrative Issues Journal

The growing popularity of Master of Accounting programs can be attributed to multiple factors, but the states’ adoption of the 150-credit hour educational prerequisite for Certified Public Accountant licensure was clearly influential in stimulating enrollment growth. Despite the growth and importance of Master of Accounting programs, comparative data of program prerequisites and curriculum is scarce. Equally limited are empirical analyses of the effects of graduate curriculum upon CPA Exam passage rates. To address the paucity of information, we examined the program prerequisites and curriculum of 283 Master of Accounting programs, all of which are based in the United States and …

The Relationship Of Academic Indicators And Professional Disposition To Teaching Skills: A Secondary Data Analysis, Justin J. Wageman, Sarah K. Anderson, Stacy Duffield, James Nyachwaya

Administrative Issues Journal

This study compared teaching skill evaluations and professional disposition evaluations for candidates accepted and denied admission to an educator preparation program based upon GPA and testing requirements. The study sought to determine the relationship between academic and non-academic indicators and teaching skills. The data revealed academic indicators of GPA and test scores do not relate to teaching skills. A correlation was found between non-academic indicators, professional dispositions, and the teaching skills evaluation score. The results suggest professional dispositions may be a stronger indicator of success for admission to educator preparation programs and future licensure than GPA and test scores.

Ready For Action: Developing Classroom Teams To Prepare Students For The Business World, Bradley Wesner, Ashly Smith, Traci Austin

Administrative Issues Journal

The ability to work in teams is one of the most highly valued professional skills. Preparing students to operate effectively in workplace teams, therefore, is naturally a priority for business and management faculty. Managing course-based teams, however, can be a challenging and complicated process for many instructors. This article offers instructors practical solutions to those challenges. After a brief review of relevant literature on workplace and course-based teams, the authors provide the results of a survey of 207 current undergraduate business students conducted in the fall of 2015 in which the authors sought to determine: (1) the factors that influence …

"This Doesn't Happen Here": Child Sex Trafficking In Rural Oklahoma, Denise Blum, Tania Benoiton, Sean Kinder

Administrative Issues Journal

The sex trafficking of minors is a hard-to-detect and underreported crime. Its insidiousness makes it exceedingly difficult to recognize, and treatment, once a victim is recovered, is long-term and costly. Urban areas are in the spotlight when it comes to the trafficking of minors. However, the unsuspecting rural context consists of specific dynamics that may make children in the countryside more vulnerable than in the city. Using the case of an Oklahoma town, the researchers conducted a presentation on child sex trafficking for school personnel at a K-8 rural school. They administered pre- and post-surveys and conducted follow-up interviews with …

Effects Of Racial Microaggressions On Black Women’S Work Performance As Government Workers, Samantha-Rae Dickenson

All Theses And Dissertations

This study explored the connection between society’s perception of Black women and their experiences of racial microaggressions in a work environment, and further understand the effect these experiences have on their work performance. Despite federal regulations to eliminate workplace discrimination, there are still racially neutral workplace policies and a lack of inclusion in work environments. Work environments that do not actively account for diversity in formal policies can promote the occurrence of racial microaggressions. Black women’s unique experiences with racial microaggressions may affect their job performance. This study used Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality Theory, and Black Feminist Theory as a …

The Role Of The Academic Analyst In Shared Governance, Rebecca Ann Mathern

Dissertations and Theses

This research explores the roles of academic professionals in higher education, specific to how they engage in decision-making processes. Academic professionals provide important functions in higher education work but there is little in the literature about these actors and their contributions to leadership and governance. A literature review triangulated role theory, organization theory, and the shared-governance field of study to bring together actors within higher education and compare their involvement based on the shared-governance model in operation at different institutions. The researcher introduced the hypothesis that when registrars are not involved in curriculum management, there may be negative effects on …

The ‘Just City’ Or Just A City? : Evaluating Social Justice And Equity In Planning Education., Wes Grooms

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary evaluations of accredited planning education performance have eschewed the principles and methodologies of formal program evaluation and performance management. This dissertation tests hypotheses that this contributes to the lack of social equity and justice commitment, content, and inquiry on the part of accredited graduate planning degree programs, their clients, and administrators. The organizations, resources, and processes involved in the purveyance of accredited graduate planning education were conceptualized as a singular, evaluable program and illustrated in a series of program logic models. These models revealed sources of the inattentiveness to normative issues that past evaluations have evidenced, and informed assertions …

Developing An Implementation Plan For Program Success: Sjsu Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-Cert), Waynette Fernandez Santos

Master's Projects

San Jose State University would benefit from the implementation of the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT), a program that many higher education institutions use to train community members in disaster preparedness. With a C-CERT program, trained people are empowered to know how to conduct themselves during an emergency, and learn how to keep themselves, their friends and colleagues safe. This research surveyed and interviewed emergency management professionals in other higher education institutions to determine best practices for C-CERT implementation. The goal of this research was to analyze other higher education institutions’ C-CERT success, identify what characteristics make their C-CERT …

D-Stem Equity Model: Diversifying The Stem Education To Career Pathway!!!, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

According to the National Science Foundation, “the U.S. STEM workforce must be considered in the context of an expanding and vibrant global scientific and technological enterprise” (2014). “The National Academy of Sciences further suggests that, without the participation of individuals of all races and genders, the increasing demand for workers in STEM fields will not be met, potentially compromising the position of the United States as a global leader”. The stark reality is that there are a disproportionate number of Blacks and Latinos who lack the access and exposure to become STEM-literate. In order for the U.S. to remain a …

Letter From The Editors

Administrative Issues Journal

The Summer 2018 issue of the AIJ focuses on challenges and opportunities in our educational system.

School Board Governance In Changing Times: A School’S Transition To Policy Governance, Katherine Curry, Sean Kinder, Tania Benoiton, Jessica Noonan

Administrative Issues Journal

The expansion of the school choice movement and greater flexibility allowed by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) means that education governance is emerging as an important issue for school effectiveness. This longitudinal case study sought to gain an understanding of the implementation of a new governance structure, Policy Governance, in a private, independent school with deeply entrenched culture and patterns of behavior. Findings suggest an immediate positive influence on leadership and culture in the district, including a “trickle down” effect on shared leadership. However, challenges to sustainability indicate that even strict adherence to the model, unanimous support among board members, …

Enhancing The Cultural Competency Of Prospective Leaders Via A Study Abroad Experience, Douglas Hermond, Mathias R. Vairez, Jr., Tyrone Tanner

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an experiential learning opportunity, specifically a study tour experience, would improve the cultural intelligence of prospective educational leaders and would challenge them to expand their own cultural understanding and behavior. Several prospective leaders who enrolled in a graduate program in Educational Leadership volunteered to attend a study abroad program that was intended, in part, to enhance their cultural competence. They were then asked to complete a survey that measured the four domains of cultural intelligence, namely metacognition, cognition, motivation and behavior. They were also asked to respond to prompts about how …

“Your Fears Are Appreciated Here”: Exploring A Humanistic Approach To Public Speaking Instruction, Justin D. Walton

Administrative Issues Journal

Communication teachers have long been concerned with the development of students’ oral communication competencies. Regrettably, public speaking remains one of the most feared communicative contexts. Though there has been extensive interest in cognitive/behavioral strategies for alleviating communication apprehension, there has been surprisingly little descriptive pedagogical research conducted on the subject within actual classroom settings. This qualitative case study examines the way one communication teacher dealt with issues of student reticence and fear in her introductory public speaking courses through the use of humanistic, student-centered principles. Findings reveal that her pedagogy emphasized (a) the expression of feelings and emotions, (b) prizing …

Developing The Capacity Of Culturally Competent Leaders To Redress Inequitable Outcomes: Increasing Opportunities For Historically Marginalized Students, Sheri Williams

Administrative Issues Journal

Objective: This study investigated the practices and impact of interdisciplinary faculty at a flagship university in the American Southwest who were engaged in the process of redesigning curriculum in order to center candidates on what they need to know and do as culturally competent school leaders.

Method: Participants were 31 interdisciplinary faculty involved in preparing candidates for leadership in early childhood and elementary and secondary education, in diverse contexts including high need and Native American-serving schools. The qualitative study utilized document analysis of faculty’s multi-year work in developing the capacity of candidates to increase opportunities for historically marginalized students. An …