PHD, Kent State University, 2014, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The overarching purpose of this study was to explore how special education administrators experience spirituality in their work. Specifically, it sought to understand the meaning they make of their work, how they lead and support others, and how they cope with the demands they face. Eight special education administrators participated in this descriptive qualitative study. Data were gathered via written personal narratives, semi-structured interviews, and participant journals. Analysis of the data was conducted through a recursive coding and content analysis process. A researcher reflective journal and group member check were also utilized to facilitate interpretation and trustworthiness. The findings formed several themes, with the Ultimate at the center and service to students with disabilities as the essential motivator for the special education administrators' work. Appreciation of the grace of the Ultimate in success and reliance upon the support of the Ultimate during struggles was another key theme. Additionally, paradoxical pairings emerged: (a) productive thought processes/ feeling inadequate, (b) enacting core values/working within restrictions, (c) fulfilling collaboration/frustration with others, (d) resilience to/being overwhelmed by change, and (e) work integrated into life/work pushing life out of balance. Deeper analysis suggested three significant influences on the participants' experience, including (a) inherited factors, (b) environmental factors, and (c) choice factors. The swirl of special education administrators' spiritual leadership depicts the integrated themes revealed through this study. Vitally, the participants choose to cultivate a sense of the Ultimate throughout all aspects of their work life. The autonomy inherent in their ability to choose, especially, supports the conclusion that there is hope for improved outcomes for students with disabilities. Recommendations are provided for prospective (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Catherine Hackney Dr. (Committee Chair); Joffrey Jones Dr. (Committee Member); Karla Anhalt Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2003, Education : Educational Leadership

The passage of P.L. 94-142 greatly expanded the principal's role in serving the educational needs of all children. While some insights regarding administrator preparation were gained through the Hirth and Valesky (1991) study completed in 1989, the current status of the preparation of principals on special education issues was not known. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine how university educational administration programs prepare principals in special education issues. Ninety-four department chairs of educational administration programs responded to a web-based survey which was developed for the study. In addition to basic demographic information, participants were asked to respond to a range of questions regarding certification endorsements, course offerings, the perceived degree to which special education issues should be addressed and the degree of effectiveness in addressing them, and current methods for preparing future administrators on issues specific to special education. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. While department chairpersons value the inclusion of key special education topics in educational leadership preparation programs and perceive their programs to effectively address those topics, there is a perceived “need” for improving the effectiveness of preparing principals in those same special education topics areas. 2. A combination of university-based and field-based experiences is the most common method for addressing student learning in key special education topics. School Law is the primary course used to address key special education topics. 3. Nearly half of all educational leadership preparation programs plan to change the way they address special education issues through a variety of approaches. 4. An average of one-half of all programs that offer administrator certificates or licenses require a general knowledge of special education, which means that one-half of all programs do not r (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Nancy Evers (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2016, Educational Administration (Education)

The journey to understanding career readiness has never been more difficult for today's Kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) educational leaders. In this study, data was analyzed using Q-methodology which discovered three factors holding five interpretable viewpoints. K-12 educational leaders not only presented an understanding about career readiness as developing the appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities to compete in the 21st century global economy, but also identified with aspects of vocational psychology's perspective of career including self-awareness, making meaning in one's life, and having a drive and desire to succeed. Data interpretation and analysis emphasized the need for K-12 educational leaders to re-create K-12 school culture by developing students who are employable while strategically positioning each student's unique life stories to find purpose and meaning in life.

Committee: Dwan Robinson Dr. (Advisor); Krisanna Machtmes Dr. (Committee Member); William Larson Dr. (Committee Member); Jason Stoner Dr. (Committee Member); Steven Brown Dr. (Other) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Education; Vocational Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

This study explored how early childhood educators experience compassion fatigue and what the primary triggers of compassion fatigue are. Findings showed that the three primary triggers of compassion fatigue included poor communication, lack of administrative support, and lack of appropriate self-care opportunities. With this information, the study centered on alleviating compassion fatigue through administrative support, specifically through the coordinator role within the early childhood department. The action plan addressed the three main issues with the objectives of implementing a new communication system, monthly self-care stipends, and frequent administrative support through weekly check-ins and in-classroom support. As early childhood educators' compassion fatigue begins to alleviate, the number of call-offs will decrease, burnout will subside, and retention rates will improve (Palladino & et al., 2007). Overall, this action plan provides much-needed support to early childhood educators from administrators and demonstrates the importance of having a role such as a coordinator in early childhood education.

Committee: Elizabeth Essex (Committee Chair); Marilyn Llewellyn (Committee Member); Charles Lu (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Nursing: Nursing - Doctoral Program

Background: Medication errors are the most common type of error affecting patient safety and the most preventable cause of adverse medical events globally. Medication errors occur most frequently (33.3%) during the administration phase. New graduate nurses are especially vulnerable to these errors due to reported insufficient educational preparedness and inexperience. There is limited literature examining the nurse's educational preparedness and perceptions of the importance of the medication competencies to its relationship with their confidence in medication administration. Studies show that the performance of success in a given task is based on a person's mindset and view of importance of the task. In addition, many nurses feel that the curriculum did not properly prepare them for practice and left them vulnerable to errors suggestive that current nursing curricula may be insufficiently preparing students to perform this task. Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation study was to determine the relationship between educational preparedness and perceived importance of the medication administration competencies for Ohio new graduate Registered Nurses' to their confidence in clinical medication administration. Design: A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was employed. Methods: Ohio new graduate nurses were surveyed using a research team-created survey. The Likert-style questions asked the participants their opinion on their educational preparedness, perceived importance, and confidence in the nine medication competencies identified. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used with T-tests, ANOVAs, Spearman's Rho correlations, and logistical regressions to identify relationships between the variables, as well as differences between the demographics. Results: A total of 201 Ohio new graduate nurses completed the study. A significant, positive relationship was found between both educational preparedness and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kimberly Johnson PH.D. C.E.N. (Committee Chair); Carolyn Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member); Benjamin Kelcey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2022, Educational Administration and Supervision

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) spends almost $50 billion, or 19% of its $254 billion budget, on education, but student achievement is still lagging in most international measures (e.g., TIMSS & PISA) relative to other countries, many of which spend far less than the KSA. These discrepancies between spending and achievement raise concerns about the KSA's public school finance system and its potential areas of inequity, inefficiency, inadequacy, and unaccountability. In research on public school funding, a few principles of a sound school finance system have emerged, namely the principles of Horizontal Equity, Vertical Equity, Adequacy, and Accountability (Crampton & Whitney & Crampton, 1996). However, most of the research on these principles has been on public school finance systems in various states around the United States, and to a lesser extent on some European and African countries. To date, little research on public school finance on the Saudi education system has been conducted in general, let alone on the principles of a sound school finance system listed above. Thus, the purpose of this study was to address this gap by studying the attitudes of General Supervisors in the Saudi Ministry of Education (MOE) towards the school finance principles of Horizontal Equity, Vertical Equity, Adequacy, and Accountability. Data was collected using a translated and modified version of Park's (2010) survey, named Attitudes toward Funding Equity in Public Education, in which the principles above were operationalized as four scales with seven items per scale (28 items total). The translated and modified survey was reviewed by experts in educational finance (n = 2) and instrument design (n = 1) in both English and Arabic and was distributed to participants electronically as a Qualtrics survey via email. A Classical Test Theory (CTT) approach was used to assess the measurement aspects of the data. The data was analyzed using descriptive and scores among each scale were exami (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Randall Vesely Ph.D (Committee Chair); Nancy Staub Ed.D (Committee Member); Michael Toland Ph.D (Committee Member); Edward Janak Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Finance; Education Policy

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2022, College of Education and Human Services

Culturally Responsive School Leadership is one of the most essential elements of the academic and longitudinal success of minoritized students from urban hyper-ghettoized communities. Despite the impact of Culturally Responsive School Leadership, the focus on improving learning has centered teachers instead of their leaders. Upon this realization, this study set out to center the Culturally Responsive School Leader, their context within the landscape of leadership and education, the history of Black Americans, and the frameworks of cultural and social capital as critical to the manner in which Culturally Responsive School Leaders engage with their students, families, communities, and the educational institution. This study interviewed twelve school leaders from a large metropolitan school district and its adjacent school districts about their journey to school leadership, their understandings of cultural capital, and how they performed their roles and responsibilities in light of their perceptions of cultural capital and their journey to school leadership. Participants consistently revealed a chronology of events throughout their lives that set them on the path of education and educational leadership that detailed them being Culturally Responsive, becoming a School Leader and doing Culturally Responsive School Leadership. They would also suggest that Culturally Responsive School Leaders emerge, they are not developed; they connect in authentic ways to those they serve, and they rectify, not repair, the harm executed against minoritized communities through their position as school leader.

Committee: Anne Galletta (Committee Chair); Joanne Gooddell (Committee Member); Tachelle Banks (Committee Member); Jeffrey Snyder (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2021, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This mixed-methods study explored how a Black female school principal serves a low-income urban school based on a partnership with a private STEM industry in an effort to improve students' math and science performance. Using Lidens et al.'s (2008) servant leadership instrument and ad-hoc survey items related to the principal's contribution level of improving students' academic performance, exploratory factor analyses identified the principal's servant leadership and partnership competencies in a sample of 49 school community members consisting of 15 teachers, 13 paraprofessionals, and 21 parents. The servant leadership and partnership competencies included empowering community and helping others succeed, problem solving for others and organization, ethical and critical thinking skills, others' needs and interests, and principal's partnership with a private STEM industry. One sample T-Test revealed that the school community members perceived the principal's servant leadership and partnership competencies significantly contributed to the improvement of science and math performance. Further, the principal's partnership competency was significantly and positively correlated with the following two servant leadership competencies: Problem solving for others and organization and Ethical and critical thinking skills. The principal perceived that students have built authentic relationships with their mentors including the private STEM industry's volunteered staff and tutors, thereby contributing to student academic growth and community engagement. The survey findings were consistent with the narratives of the principal as shown a positive correlation with the principal's servant leadership competencies and students' academic growth in math and science through the partnership with a private STEM industry. Therefore, the study's data provide evidence that the Black female principal is well equipped with the competencies necessary for a servant leader and for building a partner (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ahlam Lee Ph.D. (Advisor); Littisha Bates Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rhonda Norman Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, History

As Ohio rural public schools' administration transitioned from local control to county and state control, Amish families allied with each other and with non-Amish rural families to retain their influence in the schools their children attended, negotiating a mediated freedom to educate their children. When it became clear by the mid-twentieth century that school officials prioritized following state education policy and keeping state funding over allowing school patrons to run the local schools, Amish families started parochial schools. In these schools, Amish women gained both a professional space and cultural influence, as school classrooms became a feminized domain. Amish schools' gendered organization resembled early twentieth-century public schools' masculinized administration and feminized workforce. I contend that just as rural public schools carved out a space of mediated freedom in administering their schools, even with ever-growing county and state bureaucracy, Amish women have developed their own space of mediated freedom, within the confines of male school administration.

Committee: Renee Sentilles (Committee Chair); John Grabowski (Committee Member); Peter Shulman (Committee Member) Subjects: History

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Leadership Studies

School leadership matters. Specifically, principals play a major role in the success of their schools (Bartoletti and Connelly, 2013). Research indicated that after quality of instruction the most important variable for student achievement was the effectiveness of the school principal (Wallace Foundation, 2011; Branch, Hanushek and Rivikin, 2013). Tschannen-Moran and Gareis (2004) argued that a strong sense of self-efficacy was a critical characteristic of an effective school leader. Tim Kight R Factor training offered an actionable system that could be employed by principals to improve themselves and thereby their schools. This framework uniquely combined elements of organizational culture improvement as well as improving the individual leaders behavior and decision making skills. Currently, a gap in knowledge exists regarding whether the system actually improves school leaders performance. Simply put, the system had not been empirically tested. In addition, self-efficacy researchers revealed a gap in the research and a recommendation for future study; how to educate, train and develop principals to improve their sense of self-efficacy? (Federici, 2013; Federici and Skaalvik, 2011; Federici and Skaalvik, 2012; Tschannen-Moran and Gareis, 2005; Osterman and Sullivan, 1996; Licklider and Niska, 1993; Versland and Erickson, 2017; Hallinger, Hosseingholizadeh, Hashemi and Kouhsari, 2018) Therefore, this study adds to the developing literature. The purpose of this quasi-experimental retrospective study was to examine principals perceptions in regards to the impact R Factor training had on their sense of efficacy in their professional responsibilities as measured by the PSE Scale (Tschannen-Moran and Gareis, 2004). The target population included all principals in the state of Ohio trained in R Factor spread across over 60 school districts. Principals (n = 104) completed the Principal response to R Factor Training Survey (PRRFTS). The PRRFTS contains 28 close-form items, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Advisor); I-Fin Lin Ph.D. (Other); John Marschhausen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rachel Vannatta Ph.D. (Committee Member); Chris Willis Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Leadership Studies

No country can afford mass access and high quality-it will never happen (Altbatch, 2012). Massification has characterized global higher education since the mid-1940s starting in the United States, spreading to Europe and East Asia in the 20th Century, before expanding to Sub-Sahara Africa. Various scholars have linked massification, and the transformation of higher education to the dilution of quality university education, leading to Juakalization. The term Juakalization is a metaphor derived from the word `Jua kali' is used in this study to denote low-quality education standards witnessed in universities, by relating institutions of higher education in Kenya with the country's informal, economic artisan sector known as Jua Kali. The expansion of higher education in Kenya after the year 2010, resulted in confusion, frustration, lack of employee loyalty, and clashes in corporate culture, posing leadership challenges. This mixed methods, sequential, and explanatory study, sought to gain new insights into leadership behavior at seven public universities operating in Kenya before 2010. The research explored the relationship between leaders self-perception and the perception of their followers with regard to leadership effectiveness in managing the performance of universities during the Juakalization phenomenon. The findings indicated that university vice-chancellors frequently utilized effective leadership practices and that their followers were aware of effective leadership behavior. However, all indications point to the dilution of quality higher education. Three conclusions arise from the study findings: first, leaders and followers must produce change; second, the desired change ought to be transformational; and third, the leader follower relationship must produce quality products, because leading is about practice and transformation.

Committee: Patrick Pauken Dr. (Advisor); Chris Willis Dr. (Committee Member); Paul Johnson Dr. (Committee Member); Gituro Wainaina Dr. (Committee Member); Susan Peet Dr. (Other) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This exploratory case study identified administrative competencies that multiple stakeholders perceive to be important for fostering an inclusive and accessible learning environment for students with disabilities in a small, suburban school district located in Southwest Ohio. It consists of a comparative assessment of stakeholder perceptions of core administrative competencies including both knowledge and skills for leaders of special education programs as defined by the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC's) standards. To investigate Research Question 1, this study utilized a survey to gauge the importance of each standard to multiple stakeholders in the educational process. Research Question 2 was investigated through open-ended survey questions asking stakeholders to provide additional competencies that they feel need to include the CEC standards in order to develop a more comprehensive list of inclusive leadership. Notably, data gleaned from quantitative analysis found that the administrators group marked higher priority than special education teachers and parents on the two competencies pertaining to 1) ongoing evaluations of Special Education programs (SPED) and personnel, and 2) data driven decision making regarding SPED programs and services. Further, overall school administrators tended to mark high priority on the multiple sets of survey items related to the skills compared with the other stakeholder groups. The findings for Research Question 1 suggest that future research should revolve around developing ways to assess SPED programs, services, and staff as well as reliable, consistent data sources to base these and other decisions pertaining to SPED programs upon. Another possible avenue of inquiry would be to seek to understand special education teachers varying perspectives regarding the priority they place on the individual CEC standards. Data regarding Research Question 2 yielded novel practices; knowledge items that emerged from the research incl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ahlam Lee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gail F. Latta Ph.D. (Committee Member); Shirley Curtis Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide an intrinsic case study investigation of The City of Miami Beach and Miami - Dade County Public School's Education Compact. The Education Compact provides a model of how school districts are using innovative educational governance strategies to improve failing and low performing schools. The impetus for the design and instigation of The Education Compact was to address the rapidly growing changes in 21st century demographics of The City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County. The underlying goals of this case study are not to build theory, but to provide context-specific knowledge, and provide a detailed example and understanding of the intrinsic value of The City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County Public School Education Compact.

Committee: Candace Stout (Committee Chair); Joni Acuff (Committee Member); Wayne Lawson (Committee Member); James Sanders (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education; Arts Management; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Demographics; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Multicultural Education; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, EDU Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms by which domination and resistance operate within suburban schooling spaces. Situated within a body of research focused on power, resistance, and social justice leadership in education, the author explores the following question: How can district administrators utilize autoethnographic research to name expressions of power and illuminate avenues for resistance within schooling spaces? Two theoretical frameworks guide the analysis within this dissertation: Amy Allen's Rethinking Power (1998) and Meyerson and Scully's Tempered Radicalism (1995). Written from the unique perspective of a district administrator supporting work around diversity, equity, inclusion, and curriculum, this dissertation utilizes autoethnography coupled with grounded theory methods to capture interactions, observations, and reflections that reveal practices of domination. The primary source of data for this dissertation was the author's journal, which was written over the course of sixteen months. After engaging in an extensive incident-by-incident coding process, the analysis revealed two major findings. First, the data demonstrates that acts of domination and acts of resistance operate simultaneously and oppositionally within suburban districts. Vignettes are utilized to demonstrate the routine and unconsidered ways in which power is enacted within school systems, while also revealing how resistance is employed as a response to acts of domination, marginalization, and oppression. When faced with dominating behaviors, policies, and practices, the author captures three primary responses: disengagement (e.g., self-silencing), fear, and active resistance. Concurrently, when presented with acts of resistance, teachers and district leadership members showcased two common reactions: re-centering the majority voice and placing blame outside themselves. Second, the data suggests that there are multiple avenues of resistance that provide possibi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cynthia Tyson (Advisor); Antoinette Errante (Committee Member); Timothy San Pedro (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Multicultural Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2016, Educational Leadership

This paper is a qualitative case study of how an African American female principal in an urban school with a predominately African American student population practices culturally responsive leadership. The study was designed to enhance the understanding of how culturally responsive leaders impact African American students and other students of color within a 21st century educational system. The participants were interviewed and asked questions that pertained to how the principal employed a culturally responsive leadership framework. The study yielded findings that may change the discourse within educational leadership. The methodological approach utilized was that of a narrative portraiture. The study provides a two-fold model, outlining the practices of culturally responsive leadership for use within the daily routines of the principal and five emergent themes that define the embodiment of those practices. According to the study results, a culturally responsive leader should: espouse a culturally responsive ethic of care, develop a culture and climate of excellence for all students (especially African American students), maintain a disciplined and structured environment, develop a familial culture within the school, and be driven by a greater purpose or higher calling. The paper also discusses limitations to the study and implications for future research.

Committee: Denise Baszile (Committee Chair); Tom Poetter (Committee Member); Lisa Weems (Committee Member); Anthony James (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Educational Leadership; School Administration; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2016, College of Education and Human Services

The purpose of this research was to explore the ways in which race and gender impact the leadership effectiveness of female leaders in urban school districts. An effective educational leader demonstrates certain leadership qualities. Realizing that barriers will inevitably accompany the leadership role assumed, the leader must be able to identify these barriers and work to overcome them. Six educational female leaders participated in this study. As a result of this study, four themes emerged. The themes identified how the leaders viewed their leadership style, ways to lead effectively and how others perceived them. The information that was revealed through the interviews of females in educational leadership roles will be beneficial to other females who are considering pursuing similar positions. History demonstrates that the majority of leaders in education are men, however, studies of this nature may inspire women to balance the field.

Committee: Frederick Hampton Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Brian Harper Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ralph Mawdsley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Elice Rogers Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Williams Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mittie Jones Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2014, Educational Administration (Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents. Secondly, this study examined to what extent ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents vary according to school district characteristics. Furthermore, the study examined to what extent do ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents vary according to leader demographics. A survey was used to collect data of both superintendent demographics and school district characteristics. Included in this survey were an Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) and Social Desirability Scale (SDS). The ELS was used to measure ethical leadership perspectives of the superintendents. The SDS was used to measure social desirability of the superintendents. The survey was sent to 606 public school district superintendents in the State of Ohio of which 231 responded. Additionally, this study included an ancillary study in which the researcher conducted interviews with 15 superintendents from across the State of Ohio. The goal of these small group and individual interviews was to gain further information regarding ethical leadership perspectives and social desirability of superintendents in the State of Ohio, and furthermore, to identify district characteristics and leader demographics associated with ethical leadership perspectives. Included in these interviews, the researcher administered the ELS and SDS instruments to each participant.

Committee: Gordon Brooks (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Ethics

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2013, Educational Leadership

While the academic field of educational administration is multivocal and contested, its field of policy and practice is increasingly trapped in the logic of economic efficiency and the language of standardization and accountability. The modern department of educational administration is nowadays at this difficult crossroad, constantly forced to justify any kind of intellectual multivocality against a standard of means-end rationality. Still, celebrating and negotiating multivocality while resisting the technical logic covert in neo-capitalism should be a prime concern to any liberal democracy, including its democratic public schools. This is because democratic public education should be deep-rooted in culture and its politics. Based on a historical review of the field of educational administration, and using a critical pragmatist framework that draws from George Herbert Mead's pragmatist sociology of language, John Dewey's naturalism, Valentin N. Voloshinov's critical philosophy of language,019 and work by Helen Gunter and Peter Ribbins on mappers, mapping, and maps, this study investigates four popular introductory educational administration textbooks used in the preparation of educational administrators in pre-service educational administration programs in colleges of education. More specifically, this study investigates (1) the degree of multivocality reflected in these textbooks and (2) their critical democratic potentials and limitations. In the course of this investigation, the selected textbooks are found to be monovocal, drawing mainly from a structural, functional, and rational organizational theory. By naturalizing one specific version of the ontology, epistemology, and axiology of schooling, and by ignoring any substantive debate about education in its relation to democracy, culture, and politics, these textbooks are also found to lack in critical democratic inclinations.

Committee: Kathleen Knight Abowitz PhD (Committee Chair); Richard Quantz PhD (Committee Member); Karen Stansberry Beard PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Misco PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Theory

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2001, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of western Pennsylvania principals and assistant principals regarding the importance of university training programs in preparation for the role of the assistant principalship. The participants' perceptions of individual educational administration courses were also surveyed, as were the roles and responsibilities of the principals and assistant principals. Surveys were distributed to 1113 principals and assistant principals in 171 school districts in western Pennsylvania. The study found that principals and assistant principals perceived university certification programs as very important in the preparation of assistant principals. Both principals and assistant principals identified that school law, student discipline, leadership, supervision of instruction, school and community relations, internship and field experience, curriculum development, and personnel administration were very important educational administration courses. Psychology of learning, human growth and development, and foundation of education courses were rated less important. Instructional strategies used in educational administration courses that incorporate interpersonal skills, mentoring programs, stress management, and simulations/role playing were preferable to student presentations and lectures. The role and responsibilities of the principal and assistant principal in western Pennsylvania were investigated. Principals and assistant principals responded in six areas: personnel activities, school/community relations, student activities, student personnel, curriculum and instruction, and school management. The survey results indicated that both principals and assistant principals were included in every aspect of the school's operation. However, they each had duties for which they assumed major responsibility. If the principal had major responsibilities for a duty, the assistant principal's responsibilities for that duty were typically lowe (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Reene Alley (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 1995, Department of Educational Administration, Research and Foundations

This study examines the place of women in the culture of the high school principal. I used feminist analysis as a critique of the positivist paradigm of educational bureaucracy and the masculinist discourse that forms the culture of the high school principal. I used this culture as a microcosm of the larger culture. Through semi-structured interviews with five female high school principals from northern Ohio, I provided an opportunity for them to give voice to their discourses regarding their places in the culture of the high school principal. Through an examination of their discourses, I looked for expression of resistance and acceptance of the masculinized discourse of the culture that they inhabit. I proposed that an interpretation of their discourses can be used to make visible the link between gender and power relations. This visibility will further enable people to re-evaluate their own processes and situations and may provide a forum for mulitvoiced negotiation of difference and possible emancipatory constructions.

Committee: Robert Beebe (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration