▼ School systems across the state of Ohio, as well as across the country, are continually investigating ways to improve student achievement and student outcomes on standardized tests. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship between school culture and student outcomes on the 6th grade reading section of the Ohio Proficiency Test. More specifically, this study examined the presence of a specific type of school culture based on resiliency theory. This study examined the presence of a resilient culture as perceived by the teachers within the school and the relationship to student outcomes on the 6th grade reading section of the Ohio Proficiency Test. The following conclusions were drawn: 1.This study indicates that school culture should be one variable considered when examining student outcomes and how to improve student success on high stakes tests. Furthermore, two sub-scales (Teaching of Life Skills and High Expectations) of a specific type of school culture known as a resilient school culture have been found to significantly impact proficiency scores in this exploratory study. 2.Even though one participating school had greater than 50% of its students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, it was able to get more than 50% of its students to pass the 6th grade Reading Proficiency Test. This same school had the highest average response rate on 14 of the 36 items administered on the “Assessing School Resiliency Building” survey. The information discussed and the findings of this study have implications for school administrators, teachers, superintendents, state agencies, intervention specialists, researchers, parents, and most of all students. Advisors/Committee Members: Evers, Dr. Nancy.

▼ This qualitative photo-ethnography was designed to determine if visual documentation of an innovative, introductory pre-service program for educational administrators, which emphasizes reflective journaling and interpersonal relationships, can produce a rich, accurate depiction of the products, processes, activities, content, and interactions that participants believe are important to growth of their interpersonal communication, collegiality, and team-building in an organization. The study assumes a cultural perspective of the participants (Spradley, 1980) to collect and discover that data. Ethnographic field data collection methods were used to collect field notes and visual documentation of the actions and interactions of participants and instructional staff. Documents related to the program’s content were collected throughout field observation for review and analysis. Forty-three members of a pre-service administrative leadership-training program were visually documented using digital/traditional photography to record/analyze the products, processes, activities, content, and interactions that participants believe are important to growth of their interpersonal communication, collegiality, and team-building in an organization. Temporally recorded insider images are utilized to validate journal entries/personal reflections, and enable outsiders to viscerally enter the leadership academy training experience in the pre-service administrator training program. Analysis of this data suggests that this preparation program builds upon best practice preparation programs for school leaders. Participant journals and contemporaneous photo production were found to be an authentic way to document a shared experience, expanding methodology technique in educational research. The data suggests that the program’s success may be linked to its emphasis on practical application and collegial relationships in a shared immersion experience. Advisors/Committee Members: Hill, Dr. John C.