Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2017, Educational Administration (Education)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of Ohio public high school principals regarding their roles as leaders of professional development and to identify the strategies they have undertaken to lead professional growth among their teachers. This study provides insights regarding the manner that principals perceive professional development in terms of the ways that they prioritize and execute these roles. Seven research objectives drove this study. The focus of these research objectives was to describe Ohio public school principals based upon their demographic characteristics, to identify the manner in which the decision-making of the principals regarding professional development was influenced, to determine the types and levels of influence on the implementation of professional development that was experienced by the participating principals, to ascertain the frequency with which the characteristics of professional development have occurred at the schools of the principals, to determine the perceptions of the principals regarding the efficacy of the professional development activities at their schools, to identify the leadership strategies that the principals used to foster professional development, and to identify the existence of statistically significant differences among the selected demographics emerging from this study. The study informs current practitioners about effective strategies for leading professional development and offers recommendations for policy makers. In regards to future research, the researcher offers recommendations for studies that would contribute to the relatively small existing body of research results regarding principals' perceptions of their role as leaders of professional development.

Committee: William Larson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Charles Lowery Ed.D. (Committee Member); Marsha Lewis Ph.D. (Committee Member); Leonard Allen Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Leadership

The Ohio Principal Evaluation System 2.0 (OPES 2.0) serves as the primary tool for assessing principal effectiveness in Ohio. This research explores Ohio principals' experiences with OPES 2.0 and how OPES 2.0 influences professional growth. It also identifies factors that either support or hinder successful evaluation outcomes. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, the study analyzed principals' perceptions of OPES 2.0, the competency of evaluators, impact on professional habits and development, and the challenges faced in OPES 2.0 implementation. The findings reveal that principals have ambivalent views about OPES 2.0. In its inaugural year of mandated use, strong negative sentiments were prevalent. Furthermore, inconsistent implementation across districts—often missing key evaluation components—led to varied experiences for principals, obstructing their ability to leverage evaluation results for growth. While principals believed they understood the system and trusted their evaluators' capabilities, they were unsure about the flexibility permitted in implementing OPES 2.0. Notably, principals with less than five years of experience found OPES 2.0 less beneficial for their growth compared to their more experienced counterparts. Principals were evenly divided on whether OPES 2.0 positively affected their professional practices and development. The study underscores the need for enhancements at all principal evaluation stages—planning, monitoring, assessment, and appraisal—and across all structural levels, from state to individual principal. These findings offer a foundation for state agencies and school districts to gauge the effectiveness and perceived value of the new state principal evaluation model. Crucially, the study highlights that certain aspects of OPES 2.0 implementation in 2022-2023 impeded its main objectives to foster professional growth in principals and improve school outcomes.

Committee: Thomas Lasley (Committee Chair); Meredith Wronowski (Committee Member); Susan Brown (Committee Member); Larry Smith (Committee Member); David Dolph (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; School Administration

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2015, College of Education

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore and conceptualize how teacher leaders are trained, developed, and supported both formally and informally to be effective in their roles. The study furthered examined teachers perceptions of the Ohio teacher leader endorsement and its' impact on them as teacher leaders. The study was conducted in an urban and suburban school district located in central Ohio. The eight teachers were selected to participate in the study because they held the Ohio teacher leader endorsement and work as teacher leaders in either a formal or informal role in their district. Five themes emerged from this study: (a) Formal training and support is essential for teacher leaders and can provide teachers with credibility among their colleagues, (b) Teacher leaders in both formal and informal roles are necessary to impact change in their organization, (c) Formal teacher leaders can lead from the classroom, (d) Informal support for teacher leaders, and (e) Stronger connections between statewide initiatives and the work of teacher leaders are necessary for educators to make sense out of the work of teacher leaders.

Committee: Judy Alston PhD (Committee Chair); Belinda Gimbert PhD (Committee Member); Ann Shelly PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Teacher Education

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This research examined, through a qualitative grounded theory approach, perceptions of classified, non-instructional staff, and leaders in business and operations on a best practices professional development framework for operational staff. The study also examined the responsibility of leaders to provide professional development opportunities to their staff and touched on how it affects the workplace culture. In the past, studies have examined the benefits of continuous job-embedded training and professional development opportunities for teachers, the administrators' responsibility to provide such opportunities, and the effect professional development has on school culture; but there is limited research about providing consistent professional development opportunities for classified and non-instructional staff. Classified and non-instructional staff in business and operations have both a direct and indirect impact on student learning and achievement. Providing continuous professional development opportunities to this population, to mirror that of teachers, may help increase the knowledge and skill capacity in a school district. This study was conducted using a survey for classified and non-instructional staff, a semi-structured focus group interview of leaders in business and operations, and document reviews from the same leaders. Results from this research supported the existing literature summarized in Chapter Two about professional development for teachers and the theoretical framework that guided the study. The researcher highly recommends that K-12 districts adopt this best practices framework for the continuous development of non-teaching staff.

Committee: Jane Beese EdD (Advisor); Melissa Mlakar EdD (Committee Member); Richard VanVoorhis EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Organizational Behavior; Teacher Education

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Education

The present study investigated the effects teacher selection of professional development had on the implementation of the learned professional development. A group of 15 elementary school teachers participated in the study in which they were asked to complete surveys and participate in professional development. All teachers were assessed on their thoughts about professional development within the school, were given the opportunity to choose a professional development, and then ultimately implement the new professional development into their classrooms. The results showed that implementation of the professional development was not positively affected by teacher selection.

Committee: Brian Yontz (Advisor); Kathryn Randenburg (Committee Member); Amy McGuffey (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this DiP is to explore existing fire service professional development programs, specifically identifying current program weaknesses and potential avenues for growth. The methods used for this action research included a document analysis of the selected sample departments and three interviews of command staff members of the selected population departments. The study was conducted using three different Ohio fire departments as the primary stage one population, with a secondary stage two survey to other Ohio fire departments. The result of this research supports earlier research that identified there is a direct relationship between participation in a structured professional development process program and success. The research established that to improve the likelihood for success, both for team members and departmentally, organizations must devote time and energy towards professional development. This research will add to the existing research foundation for future professional development research specific to the fire service. The quantitative data, specifically the results of survey data could be a baseline data set regarding any future research. This research could be utilized as a kickoff point for a future longitudinal long term studies regarding PLC impact on professional development.

Committee: James Olive (Advisor) Subjects: Public Administration

Doctor of Education, University of Akron, 2018, Educational Leadership

Veterans are enrolling in higher education in increasing numbers. Many institutions are positioning themselves to receive these students by providing support services and personnel. Despite these efforts, the success rates of this student population have been called into question, and they report poor goodness of fit within the classroom. Professional development initiatives which specifically explore the needs of student veterans within the classroom environment have been limited, or not readily accessible to faculty. This study took place at a community college in the Midwest United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to invite feedback from both student veterans and faculty who are veterans by asking them to provide context for, and direct input into, a proposed faculty professional development product. An interpretivist epistemology was used so as to capture the social reality of these stakeholders. This feedback served to validate and enhance critical content for three online training modules entitled The VET RESPECT CHECK. Each word within The VET RESPECT CHECK is an acronym for the content of three topic areas: first module: the veteran as student; second module: the classroom environment; and third module: resources. The development of these three modules was guided by Lawler and King's Adult Learning Model for Faculty Development, as well as Allen's CCAF best practice model for online learning. Both groups independently voted and agreed that content regarding the physical, emotional, and behavioral environment was the most important information for faculty to understand. Despite the fact that the topic of suicide was not directly brought forth within the program outline, both groups expressed clear concerns for the safety of veteran students. Furthermore, these groups believe that there is a need for faculty to be sensitive to the issue of veteran suicide and understand their role in facilitating access to resources.

Committee: Renee Mudrey-Camino Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gary Holliday Ph.D. (Committee Member); Robert C. Schwartz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nasser Razek Ed.D. (Committee Member); Wondimu Ahmed Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2004, College of Education

Professional development offers teachers the training for new instructional practices that support student learning. To assist school leaders implementing professional development programs, the National Staff Development Council's Standards for Staff Development serves as a valuable guide. This study was designed to determine the number of Ohio public schools aligned with these standards using a questionnaire, alignment schema, and scoring rubric designed by the researcher. Of the 58 Ohio public schools that participated in this study, 20 were considered aligned with the National Staff Development Council's standards. Of the schools not aligned with these standards, the family involvement standard was typically not implemented. The major challenges experienced by school leaders when implementing professional development opportunities were resources and the change process.

Committee: Kathleen Flanagan Hudson (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

The racial diversity of children in US public schools continues to increase while most teachers and school leaders are White. In addition, systemic racism, whitewashing of curricula, microaggressions, and deficit mindsets persist within schools across the country. These pervasive injustices that plague the student experiences of children of the Global Majority must be addressed with focused, sustained intention. This study offers social justice school leadership as an effective strategy to dismantle oppressive approaches to schooling. Specifically, it explores how social justice-oriented school leaders set the conditions for impactful, sustained staff development in social justice practice. By employing multiple case study methodology, the experiences of leaders within two New York City public middle schools that have established commitments to culturally responsive/relevant teaching (CR/RT) will be explored. Semi-structured interviews were used to uncover how school leaders leveraged both adaptive and technical leadership to enact school-wide efforts to embed CR/RT into instructional practice. Analysis was built on an existing framework to identify specific leadership roles that best support impactful social justice professional development over time. This study seeks to understand frequently overlooked aspects of this topic by delving into mindsets and actions, acknowledging both formal and informal school leadership and how such efforts play out within multiracial staff. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive (https://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Lemuel Watson EdD (Committee Chair); Philomena Essed PhD (Committee Member); Shannon R. Waite EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; School Administration; Teacher Education

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2024, Education

This dissertation presents research pertaining to how classroom teachers can become more effective in teaching their students of color. Through an examination of literature pertaining to critical whiteness studies, critical pedagogy, antiracist education, and transformative leadership, a professional learning program has been designed to offer space for educators to recognize their roles within the school system pertaining to whiteness ideologies and racist policies and practices. Backward design and Understanding by Design were applied to develop a professional learning program and allows for flexibility in the learning process. It is the goal that this program be delivered for the participants to critically reflect on their current teaching practices and how they may be unintentionally harming their students of color. Furthermore, the professional learning program will offer opportunities for implementation of new learning that will lead to changes in instructional practices that create equitable learning experiences for all students. Included in the program design is formative assessment as well as impact assessment questions to determine the merit and worth of the program. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohio.link.edu).

Committee: Lesley Jackson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Heidi Oliver-O’Gilvie Ph.D. (Committee Member); Emiliano Gonzalez Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Teaching

EDD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

Scripted/narrowed curricula are tangled in the webs of school reforms and standardization. Teachers are experiencing a monumental challenge: the deprofessionalization of their roles as educators. I sought teachers' understandings of how scripted/narrowed curricula impact their curriculum autonomy, specifically, their professional responsibility and pedagogical artistry. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from K–12 public educators in Rhode Island using an adapted Curriculum Autonomy Survey and Curriculum Autonomy interviews. I analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive and inferential statistics, which provided a broader picture of the experiences of Rhode Island educators faced with teaching scripted/narrowed curricula, and a second group emerged: teachers who develop their own curricula. Interview questions asked teachers to reflect on their experiences with the curriculum. By coding and conducting thematic analysis, I analyzed the interview transcripts, and multiple themes emerged after the data proved consistent across the survey and interview. Teachers using scripted/narrowed curricula are experiencing a loss of their curriculum autonomy. Their professional responsibility is being challenged because they are no longer stakeholders in the curricular and pedagogical decisions or curriculum changes for their content areas. This lack of decision-making has led to questioning the equity of curricula and questioning the breadth and depth of subjects and topics in curricula. These educators are facing challenges to pedagogical artistry, meaning they cannot modify/accommodate student needs or create lessons to promote cultural and social learning opportunities, and they have felt a loss of creativity in building lessons to ensure students are learning skills to be citizens of the world.

Committee: Scott Courtney (Committee Chair) Subjects: Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Education History; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; Higher Education

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

The study examined the high turnover rate of academic advisors at The University and focused on potential growth areas and strategies to slow down employee turnover. The study focused on conducting qualitative research around areas that may cause academic advisers to leave the field, such as pay, connection to work, relatable professional development, job satisfaction, and career mobility, to see if those play significant factors in turnover. Findings show that these factors are a major cause of employee turnover. I have generated a professional development opportunity that promotes career progression in my action research. As an English academic advisor at The University, my action plan consists of engaging the academic advisors in being a part of their professional development that can help build their resume for potential career growth or growth in their current role. Academic advisors will have the opportunity to measure their levels of transferable skills with a list generated by the research and a focus group. Academic advisors will build their learning plan on the transferable skills they must include. I hope academic advisors take pride and accountability in building their professional development plan to further their career development. Overall, this action plan is designed to bridge the gap between qualified employees and meaningful professional development, promote connection with the university, and provide an opportunity for the administration to communicate with academic advisors.

Committee: Dr. Aaliyah Baker (Advisor) Subjects: Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

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

Readers' advisory, a library service where library workers connect patrons with their next read, has historically been considered a core responsibility of public library workers. Competing and increasing priorities, along with a long-held preference for reference work, has resulted in many library workers feeling less confident and engaged with readers' advisory work. This critical research study sought to better understand how, if at all, public library staff engaged with readers' advisory services and how, if at all, library leadership could support front-line staff provide this service. Additionally, this study sought to better understand the relationship between library administration and the professional development needs of front-line staff through a networked care (Barnes, 2015) lens. In this two-phase qualitative action research study, participants at a multi-location public library system in Northeast Ohio were surveyed and interviewed about their confidence and engagement with readers' advisory. Findings indicated that few library workers utilized established, purchased readers' advisory resources (such as journals and databases) and instead relied on crowd-sourcing and peer assistance. Findings also indicated an ambiguity with readers' advisory best practices and professional development in general. Support in the form of time, money, and staffing aligned in the interviews with prior research. 4 A multiple phase professional development intervention plan was designed and outlined in the final chapter of this work. The professional development plan focused on shoring up the skills of existing library staff while providing an outline for onboarding new employees to this work. Using a combination of organization created resources, database purchased resources, and a subject matter expert, this intervention approach could be used in other organizations.

Committee: Corinne Brion (Committee Chair); Amy Koester (Committee Member); Stephanie Shreffler (Committee Member) Subjects: Library Science; Organization Theory

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore how and to what extent teacher educators evaluate, align, and demonstrate technology within teacher preparation programs. The literature revealed the need for teacher educators to follow frameworks, taxonomies, and standards containing technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge utilized appropriately within various contexts. In addition, teacher preparation program leadership can provide relevant and purposively professional learning as well as the support needed for teacher educators when the TPP leadership possesses a basic understanding of adult learning. Using Teacher Educator Technology Competency #1, ten teacher educators were interviewed regarding their experiences utilizing technology within their teacher preparation program. The findings revealed teacher educators, whose technological knowledge, skills, and attitudes varied, utilized a variety of paths in the evaluation, alignment, and demonstration of technology. When their knowledge and skills were put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic, most teacher educators transitioned smoothly to the various formats required by the pandemic and have also seen the “blessings in disguise” from this global challenge. Leadership varies among the institutions represented in the study, particularly in the area of technology integration. Many teacher educators have stepped up to the plate and provided the needed leadership in technology integration. This study has implications for policy and practice in the realms of teacher educator technology competencies, technology infusion throughout teacher preparation programs, professional learning, and leadership.

Committee: Patrick Pauken Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ellen Gorsevski Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kristina LaVenia Ph.D. (Committee Member); Savilla Banister Ph.D. (Committee Member); Teresa Foulger Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Technology; Higher Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

School districts spend millions of dollars each year to provide training and learning to staff working in direct and indirect service to students (National Council on Teacher Quality, 2021). This financial commitment says nothing about what is even more important: the need for school employees and the systems in which we work to serve students more effectively. Despite vast allocations of time and money and presumably best intentions for better social and academic outcomes for students, very little data exist that reflect regular transfer and application of training/learning into professional practice (Nittler et al., 2015). By and large, schools and school systems look the same today as they did 50+ years ago despite the fact that the world looks very different and so much more is known about the cognitive process and contextual contributors involved in erudition development. Teacher application of critical competencies such as cultural responsiveness, trauma informed practices, social emotional learning and basic neuroscience in the ways they conceptualize and implement instructional practices may not be easily apparent during casual observation, yet they are inextricably linked to positive academic and social outcomes for students, thus imperative to effective professional practice. This study investigates the ways in which professional educators make decisions about the transfer and application of professional learning centered on critical competencies (soft skills) in their daily work. Narrative Inquiry (NI) provided the methodological frame for this exploratory study that through thematic analysis surfaced five key factors influencing learning transfer: Instructor/Presenter/Facilitator; Connection to Lived Experience; Relevance to Job Assignment; Alignment with Self-Identity; and COVID–19. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu ) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Chair); J. Beth Mabry PhD (Committee Member); Leann Kaiser PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Continuing Education; Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Inservice Training; Instructional Design; Organizational Behavior; School Administration; Teacher Education; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

The intent of this qualitative critical incident study was to explore the interpretation of equity by White equity-trained suburban educators (WETSE) and minoritized parents (MP) in a Midwestern suburban school district to address and change inequitable student outcomes. WETSE and MP participated independently in focus groups. The research design used critical incident technique (CIT) as the methodology; focus groups as the data collection tool; and thematic analysis (TA) as the analytical tool. Zones of Mediation (ZONE) and Transformative Leadership Theory (TLT) were used to distill and categorize the research findings. WETSE and MP established an agreement on four themes thought to represent impediments to achieving equity in schools (implicit bias, White privilege, diversity, and power). Two divergent themes (WETSE—deficit thinking and MP—stereotyping) and one emergent theme (Equity Training) were generated. The singular stand-alone theme, assimilation, was a complete outlier, and it was generated by MP. All themes were categorized as “normative” or “political” elements of ZONE, demonstrating that technical changes are disconnected from WETSE and MP equity perspectives. Transformative leadership theory (TLT) is composed of eight tenets. WETSE and MP prioritized two of the eight tenets as essential to achieving equity. These findings indicate that changing mindsets (tenet #2) and redistributing power in more equitable ways (tenet #3) are central to achieving equitable school conditions. This study contributes to existing, albeit minimal, literature detailing longitudinal equity training's effectiveness at deconstructing beliefs and ideologies of White equity-trained suburban teachers and comparing them to minoritized parents' interpretation of equity using critical incidents. There is a disconnect between this study's findings and what researchers and practitioners are doing to achieve equitable school outcomes. This dissertation is available in open access at AUR (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donna Ladkin Ph.D (Committee Chair); Laurien Alexandre Ph.D (Committee Member); Carolyn M. Shields Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education History; Education Philosophy; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2021, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The researcher utilized a correlational, non-experimental design to gain a better understanding of the relationship between teachers' ratings of factors of school culture and their motivation to integrate professional development into practice. The survey, a cross-sectional design, studied data from teachers who participated in professional development from Educational Service Centers (ESCs) in northeast Ohio (n=80). The constructs of leadership that impact school culture: vision, trust, power, and collective efficacy were also explored. Using the School Culture Survey (Gruenert & Valentine, 1998) and the Expectancy-Value-Cost for Professional Development scale (EVC-PD) (Osman & Warner, 2020), the researcher considered the relationship between teachers' ratings of their school culture factors (collaborative leadership, teacher collaboration, unity of purpose, professional development, collegial support, and learning partnership) and their quantitative measure of motivation from the EVC-PD scale. The results suggest that three out of the six school culture factors show a statistically significant positive association with the EVC-PD scale. Results show that the factors of school culture predict a significant variation in the EVC-PD composite scores. Additional variables were measured to investigate if demographic data and teachers' professional development experience would predict the outcome of teachers' motivation to implement professional development. The results suggest that following up with teachers or leaders after a professional development is associated with teachers' increased motivation to integrate the professional development into their practice Results of this study support previous research regarding instructional leadership practices, with specific connections to student-centered and collective leadership approaches.

Committee: Jane Beese Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Charles Vergon J.D. (Committee Member); Richard Rogers Ph.D. (Committee Member); Melissa Mlakar Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Leadership and Change

Inservice teachers' influence and power are vital components for academic success among Black children. Previous research has shown that when teacher/student interactions are culturally responsive, engaging, and equitable, student learning is positively impacted (Banks, 2001; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 2011; Sleeter, 2000; Warren, 2018). However, equity gaps between Black and White k-12 students continue to exist within classroom settings (Grant & Sleeter, 2012; Ladson-Billings, 2018). Using a mixed-method approach that includes Repertory Grid Technique underpinned by Personal Construct theory to identify the teaching perceptions of inservice teachers, I gathered data that indicate how k-12 teachers understand what enables Black students to learn. The findings reveal that respondents shared five key constructs as being important to Black students' learning: “professional and skills development,” “impacts of administrative responsiveness and supports,” “caring,” “trust,” and “inclusion of lived experiences.” However, what is important to note is that my study indicates that neither Black nor White teachers held the entire picture of what enables Black students to learn. By integrating the results of both Black and White teachers' responses, I theorize a framework which represents a path for Black student learning. I call this framework Culturally Collaborative Teaching, which takes into account both Black and White teachers' understandings of what the critical factors are when educating Black students. Culturally Collaborative teaching is a framework in which teachers, regardless of their race and cultural background, can integrate and develop a shared set of skills and values. The inclusion of administrator support and understanding of cultural practices, serves as the foundation for positively impacting academic learning for Black students. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donna Ladkin PhD (Committee Chair); Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Member); Elmar Kutsch PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; Middle School Education; Multicultural Education; Pedagogy; Secondary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

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

The purpose of this case study was to measure the impact on elements of schools' professional environment after a K-12 administrator participates in action learning as a form of professional development. The study also seeks to contribute more quantitative data to the field of action learning as called upon by researchers. The goal of this case study is to discern any impact felt by the certified teaching staff of schools that have a building administrator participate in eight sessions of action-learning over one summer. The guiding research question asks, what, if any, impact on a building level administrator's leadership practices result after their participation in an Action-Learning program? Data collection and analysis were structured to focus on the impact of the following collaborative environmental factors among certified teachers following their administrator's participation in the action learning program: Perceived School-Leader Support, Actual Participation in Decision Making, Satisfaction with Participation in Decision Making, and Formalization of Participation in Decision Making. These factors were measured with a pre-survey and post survey following administrator participation. Additional analyses of two more factors include Teacher's Orientation Toward Student Performance and Teacher Collaboration. With Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick's (2016) model for program evaluation in mind, this study focuses within the fourth level and measures leading indicators toward desired results. Findings of the Related Samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indicate a significant, positive difference from pre-survey to post survey for Perceived School-Leader Support for Collaboration.

Committee: D. Mark Meyers Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gail F. Latta Ph.D. (Advisor); Brenda Levya-Gardner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2018, Educational Administration (Education)

The purpose of this study was to explore practices from the Reading First Grant implementation, which itself no longer exists, with an intent of identifying those practices that have continued to be utilized through the Response to Intervention process and the practices that have changed in the interim. This research reports the results of an instrumental multi-case study design involving three former high performing Reading First elementary schools that have continued to be successful through Response to Intervention (RtI) as a school framework. A mixed methodology approach incorporating semi-structured interviews, quantitative survey results, and state assessment data were triangulated and analyzed in an attempt to answer by what methods these former high performing Reading First schools have continued to be successful through RtI as a school framework, as well as what leadership practices and current professional development practices have impacted the RtI process. The results of this study may allow others in education and in related disciplines to benefit by learning about practices that have and have not been used effectively in the Reading First implementation and Response to Intervention process. The results of this study may also contribute to the relevant literature regarding leadership practices, which can influence student achievement.

Committee: William Larson (Committee Chair); Sara Helfrich (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education