Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Policy and Leadership

Amidst the growing number of school shootings taking place around the United States, the Clinton Administration called for the passage of the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994. The Act mandated that all states receiving federal funding enact policies that would expel students who were found in possession of a firearm on school grounds for a minimum of one-year. However, this federal statute did not prohibit states from enacting policies that barred more than just possession of firearms. California, for example, amended Section 48915(c) to the California Education Code, which indicated that an administrator had the authority to recommend expulsion of any student in possession of a firearm, knife, or explosive, or who sexually assaulted or battered another, or who engaged in the sale of illegal substances. Moreover, Section 48915(c) expanded other sections of the California Education, giving administrators greater discretion to recommend expulsion for minor offenses that normally warrant suspension. In addition, California courts emphasized that school districts have great deference in implementing their own regulations to satisfy California statutory law as long as those regulations are consistent with the state legislature's intent. This indicates that school administrators have broad discretion in implementing state law with minimal limitations. The purpose of this thesis is three-fold. First analyzes some of the ambiguities in the 1994 Gun Free Schools Act and California's zero tolerance policy under Section 48915(c) of the California Education Code. Second, it examines some of the implications associated with the enforcement of the language in these laws. Third, it observes some of the consequences that result from the implementation and enforcement of these laws. Ultimately, this analysis encourages school administrators to understand the laws and learn to adequately apply them without relinquishing their ethical responsibility to education and the well-being of stud (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Philip T.K. Daniel EdD/JD (Advisor); Scott Sweetland MBA/PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1982, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1976, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1973, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

Partnerships between museums and schools never have been more important than they are today. Schools, especially urban schools, are facing challenges, including low student achievement and difficulty obtaining funding. Partners can help schools overcome these challenges by sharing educational and financial resources. Nearly 11,000 American museums spend more than $1 billion annually to provide over 18 million instructional hours for k-12 educational programs such as professional development for teachers, guided field trips, and staff visits to schools. Museums would seem like natural partners for challenged urban schools. Yet museums and schools struggle to establish and maintain effective partnerships. This study examined a partnership between a science center and an urban elementary school to provide additional knowledge and resources for those in the field to overcome these challenges in order to create relationships that help students. Using qualitative methods with interpretive descriptive purposes (Erickson, 1986; Glesne, 1999; Lincoln & Guba, 2000), the research design is based on several methods of data collection, including face-to-face, semi-structured interviews; observations; written text; and field notes. Participants in this study included students, parents, teachers, school administrators and museum educators. In addition, adult representatives of community organizations were interviewed to determine the impact of the partnership on the community. The study found that an effective partnership will have four basic elements: mutual goals, communication plan, key leader support, planning and research, and four interpersonal elements: personal responsibility, honesty, communication at the intimate level, and trust. Partners may have difficulty developing these to their fullest extent due to time limitations. No partnership is perfect. By creating strong interpersonal relationships, partners can mitigate challenges caused by limited basic elements and in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Barbara Seidl PhD (Committee Chair); Joseph Heimlich PhD (Committee Member); Rebecca Kantor-Martin PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Museums