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

This mixed-methods case study explores the establishment, change, and sustainability of grading practices among high school teachers. Through Q-methodology, this study investigates teachers' perspectives on grading, their motivations for adopting alternative practices, and the challenges they face in implementation. The study's findings reveal that teachers primarily rely on personal experience and limited training to develop grading practices. Social networks among teachers can play a crucial role in influencing the adoption of alternative grading practices. Additionally, collective leadership and professional development can help foster a culture of innovation and support for change. However, resistance to change and the dominance of traditional practices remain significant challenges.

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

This study investigated perceptions about the correlation between the college people attend and long-term happiness. Its inquiry into whether college graduates believe where they go to college affects the chance for long-term happiness is a response to the growing concerns of high school students who are anxious about acceptance into an elite undergraduate college. There is substantial literature demonstrating that graduates of elite schools earn more money and professional success than graduates of standard schools (Rumberger & Thomas, 1993). At the same time, there is evidence that individuals who attend a lower tier school while having similar characteristics to those who qualify for a top school are often as successful and prosperous as are their top-school counterparts (Dale & Krueger, 2011). This study addresses a gap in the existing literature about perceptions of the correlation between the college a person attends and his or her long-term happiness. The data indicates more than one-third of well-off participants in surveys report below-average levels of happiness (Pavot & Diener, 2013). Using a ranking system with four tiers of colleges based on admission rates, an anonymous survey with a seven-point Likert scale and an open-ended question was sent to a class of successful people (community college presidents) to determine respondents' perceptions of the correlation between the college they attended and their long-term happiness. The findings of the survey were clear. Seventy-three percent of respondents indicated that attending Tier 1 and 2 schools has no correlation to long-term happiness. Additionally, the survey results indicate that there is no tier of college attended that diminishes the chance for lifelong happiness. The significance of this study lies in gaining a greater understanding of the importance of the tier of college one attends and in providing the basis for future investigations into the value proposition of higher tier colleges. This dis (open full item for complete abstract)

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).

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

Adolescent Black girls often experience marginalization in schools due to zero-tolerance policies, oppressive classroom curricula, and teachers who lack cultural competency. The literature on adolescent Black girls in school revealed that there are spaces within schools that can serve as homeplaces for Black girls. This study explored how adolescent Black girls experienced homeplace in an afterschool club at a predominantly White middle school in Decatur, Georgia. This research also expands bell hooks's (2001) theory of homeplace from the home environment to school buildings. Narrative inquiry was the methodology used for the study, and interview data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Black feminist thought served as the theoretical lens. The findings revealed that during their participation in the afterschool club, the study's participants experienced homeplace through: (a) a sense of belonging, (b) experiences that provided them the opportunity to grow and develop, and (c) access to caring Black women who facilitated a safe space that the girls needed. Recommendations for school policy and practice that may reduce the marginalization of Black girls and increase access to homeplaces inside schools are included. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The purpose of this study was to bring awareness to the many roles schools play in the lives of young people, their families, and their community. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the surface the need for people of the community to cooperate and care for one another. This qualitative research study will add to the school district's knowledge and understanding that the impact of social-emotional teaching and learning greatly affect students' success in school. Additionally, a student's connection to school and academic learning can enhance their educational experience. Both students' and teachers' experiences around collaboration also amplify their engagement and motivation to succeed. Two focus groups, one of teachers and one of students, were administered to collect the qualitative data. The results of their testimony were reviewed, and the data revealed the need for an action plan that invites all members of the school neighborhood to participate in social events and workshops, thereby creating a community in practice that centers and uplifts students so they may find even more value in the educational experience

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

This qualitative study examined the importance of mentoring for Ohio's novice public- school principals, along with their beliefs about the access and effectiveness of Ohio's current administrative mentoring model, and their views about essential elements to include in an entry- year mentoring program. This study included an online Google survey to approximately 1,600 principals and Zoom interviews with nine principals who volunteered. This study's participants shared that they believe mentoring is important, and many of them lacked any formal mentoring in the entry year. The study also revealed that the majority of new principals who participated had no knowledge of Ohio's mentoring program which indicates that better exposure and marketing needs to take place. Study participants also expressed that a mentoring program would be more effective if it was individualized, and if the mentor was local and had knowledge about the districts in which the new principals worked. In addition, with approximately only 100 available spaces in the Beginning Administrator Mentorship (BAM) program, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) does not sufficiently fund it to a level that supports the number of new leaders in Ohio–but the BAM program experience was satisfying according to the limited number (n=13) of this study's participants who took part in Ohio's program. Some implications of this study to consider include: honoring the local need and moving mentoring program oversight to regional ESC's; (2) structuring the mentoring program based on individualized needs; (3) prioritizing elements of a program based on data from this study; (4) considering small cohorts of principals working together.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

One of the challenges faced by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has been frequent turnover in crucial executive leadership positions. As of 2022, there were 99 HBCUs; two-year and four-year private and public institutions (NCES, 2024). In the fall of 2023, at least 18% of the HBCUs in the country were without a permanent president, institutions were being led by either an acting or interim president (Moody, 2023). Specifically focusing on HBCUs, this explanatory sequential research design was used to evaluate the organizational morale, climate, and culture of middle-management or what Lipsky's (2010) describes as, Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLB). In any organization in need of positive transformational change, effective and efficient communication from a place of cultural humility and servant leadership, could be beneficial. Using mixed-methods research, data were analyzed, and themes were identified; communication critical for effective collaboration among university members and communication and organizational direction from leadership. Through the findings, the THINK Communication Framework (Brown, 2023) was developed as the action plan/intervention to assist in strengthening the university's communication.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework is a research-based model that yields positive behavioral, social, emotional, and academic outcomes (Horner et al., 2009; Horner, 2014; Mathews et al., 2013). However, schools have reported varied success rates with implementation and achieving desired outcomes. While hundreds of studies have been conducted on PBIS implementation, few have focused on small, rural school populations. This mixed methods study used linear regression analysis to investigate the relationships between PBIS implementation levels, teacher efficacy, and professional development. It involved data from an administrator screener, multiple teacher surveys, and interviews with teachers and administrators from small, rural schools in Ohio. The independent variable examined was teacher efficacy and the dependent variables include quantity of training and type of training. Qualitative data from two administrator and two teacher interviews was used to gain insight into the challenges and obstacles that interfere with PBIS implementation. Their responses were recorded and transcribed using Zoom Meeting platform. Deductive and inductive coding processes were applied to identify facilitating and impeding factors. Results revealed no significant relationship between teacher efficacy levels and the type of training schools provided. However, a positive relationship was found between the quantity of training received and teachers' collective efficacy scores. These findings yielded a predictive model showing that collective efficacy scores increase about one point on a 9-point Likert scale for every 4-5 hours of training. In addition, qualitative results confirmed the previous research that identified administrative support, ongoing coaching and training, and positive teacher belief/staff “buy-in” as facilitating factors in PBIS implementation. Furthermore, the study found that a grassroots effort over legislative demands, staff collabora (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The purpose of this thesis is to explore why schools ought to educate for sustainability in response to the climate emergency. Moreover, the author explores why the elementary school is an appropriate place to begin such education as well as how such education can be implemented in the field of music education, specifically elementary music education. The research questions for this thesis are as follows: (1) Why should schools educate for sustainability? (2) Why is elementary school an appropriate place to begin education for sustainability (EfS)? (3) Why is the general music classroom a worthy space for EfS? The author uses social and educational theory, philosophy, and findings from other research to answer these questions. This thesis reviews and synthesizes research, theory, and philosophy from various foundational disciplines. This thesis concludes that EfS ought to be included in the school and begin at the elementary level. Every subject and teacher ought to consider how their subject might help attune students to nature and its protection for the sake of our love for the world, our subjects, and teaching. This thesis specifically explores and argues for EfS in the general music classroom, but practitioners in every field ought to consider EfS in their subject's context.

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

This dissertation project used an interpretivist qualitative research design to study how the right-to-read claim made by seven teenagers attending Detroit public schools in 2016 reflects, addresses, or describes contemporary discussions about educational access. Using situational analysis (SA) as a theory/method, the entirety of the claim comprises the situation of the social phenomenon being studied, not the people. This research combines critical race theory (CRT) with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems and uses situation analysis to map historical discourses to conduct a study that examines the history of a present situation of inquiry as presented by this question: How does the 2016 right-to-read claim made by high school students in Detroit, Michigan reflect, address, or describe contemporary discussions about educational access? The study collected data to allow me to construct a prosopography that articulates an answer to the question that claims access to literacy is a public school policy right. Because situational analysis (SA) is designed to open research data to aspects of a circumstance that may have been overlooked, marginalized, or silenced, I was not certain the research results would answer this exact question. Additionally, critical theory and SA were used to conduct this qualitative research, examining historical data that addresses the right-to-read claim as a Foucaultian programmatic social problem. As such, it seeks to understand the complexities of recurring and historically situated education practices that limit actualizing U.S. education policies that embrace access to basic literacy skills as a human right. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 0, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Health organizations recommend children get 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Research has shown that children in the United States of America are coming up well short of this number and are struggling with a variety of mental health and physical health issues while their academics are decreasing. These issues have been magnified by the pandemic that lasted from 2019-2022. The structure of instruction in the classroom and the school day can help increase the amount of physical activity a child receives. The purpose of the study was to see if a relationship existed between Ohio elementary principals' knowledge of the benefits of physical activity and the amount students receive daily. The implications of the findings can be used to increase the amount of daily physical activity of elementary students while at school, so they can reap the benefits. The results of the survey found that most elementary principals were aware of the numerous benefits of physical activity for their students; however, a significant difference was noted between understanding and ensuring students were getting 60 minutes of daily physical activity in their buildings. A variety of barriers to implementation were stated by principals for a lack of implementation. There was a stronger awareness by principals of the mental health benefits when compared to the awareness of the academic benefits. Principals were able to list a variety of benefits provided by regular physical activity. Attention and focus were mentioned as the greatest benefits of physical activity by principals.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 0, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This quantitative study assessed teacher self-efficacy, principal supports, and feelings about working in education for n = 146 teachers in the state of Ohio. The respondents rated their feelings about self-efficacy and principal supports on a scale of 1 (none at all) to 9 (a great deal). The survey sought to determine if teachers' feelings changed about staying in the profession, if role changes were considered, and if incentives or salary increases play a role in their decisions. The results of this study align with the alternative hypothesis that teacher's feelings about working in education changed since the Great Resignation, which occurred simultaneously with COVID-19. There was greater significance among those who had a change of feelings since COVID-19 and considered changing career paths. When analyzing the teacher efficacy factors against feelings about staying in the profession, there was a negative correlation; thus, it can be assumed that as teachers' feelings about staying in the profession changed, their self-efficacy was impacted. Principal support factors were analyzed against the feelings about staying in the profession. There was a negative correlation between principal support factors and feelings about the profession, as the grade level of the respondents increased. The strongest power was found with the moral leadership factor. Based on these findings, it can be assumed that principals, in all grade levels, must display support factors that ensure they demonstrate the importance of a positive school culture. Lastly, respondents who consider incentives in their decision to change their role in education and have considered leaving education express the desire to have more than an increase in their salaries.

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2024, School Psychology

Most US states prohibit firearms in K-12 schools; however, some states have adopted exceptions that allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom. In the implementation of any policy, especially one that integrates the sensitive topics of education and gun policy, it is important to consider the perspectives of key stakeholders. The present study examined the perceptions of K-12 teachers on the topics of school safety and the carrying of firearms within the school setting as a preventative measure. Participants included K-12 teachers who responded to a survey request. Results were consistent with the majority of extant research, indicating that a majority of participants demonstrated some level of opposition to teachers carrying firearms in K-12 schools. Proper training yielded a slight increase in approval; however, a majority of respondents were opposed to faculty carry firearms in any capacity. The majority of K-12 teachers, regardless of district typology, express strong disagreement for these policies, however, the percentage of the majority is substantially larger within the urban population than within the suburban and rural populations. Implications regarding generalizability and future research are discussed.

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

National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day, established in 2022 and celebrated on February 15th, provides a focal point for exploring the role of School Resource Officers (SROs) in Midwestern school districts. Through qualitative research involving interviews with 10 administrators, this study examined how districts decide to add, eliminate, or maintain SROs. Triangulated data, including interviews and policy reviews, offered comprehensive insights into the decision-making processes and key factors involved. Findings revealed the significant influence of student safety, emotional triggers, and budget considerations on administrators' choices regarding SRO presence. Utilizing the constant comparative method, data analysis identified distinct categories, enhancing our understanding of influencing factors. This study contributes valuable insights into the changing aspects surrounding SROs in Midwestern school districts, emphasizing the importance of future research-informed decision-making.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The United States still faces difficulties with its teacher shortage and consistently depends on international educators for assistance. The Philippines played a vital role in providing American educators. Regrettably, this method resulted in unexpected problems. Unfamiliarity with American society hindered Filipino immigrant teachers. As a result of this lack of knowledge, further problems emerged. There is a lack of resources to support immigrant teachers in the U.S. classrooms, issues with credentialing, misconceptions about how immigrant teachers' teaching methods affect student achievements, and recommendations for policies that could assist Filipino immigrant teachers. These issues demonstrate that U.S. school systems are not adequately prepared to assist Filipino immigrant teachers in enhancing their cultural competence and developing their teaching skills to fit into U.S. schools' systems and American society. This study's results were highly significant for improving the onboarding and support systems for immigrant teachers within the U.S. educational system. Denzin's concept of interpretive interactionism focuses on highlighting the many interpretations of personal experiences. This methodology is well-suited for the study as it emphasizes on individuals' subjective experiences, meanings, and interpretations within their social environments. The study revealed that Filipino immigrant teachers underwent culture shock. The research discovered that U.S. schools were not adequately prepared for immigrants, leading to difficulties faced by Filipino immigrant teachers. Cultivating cultural knowledge can enhance communication, promote inclusivity, and support diversity in educational institutions. Utilizing a critical pedagogy framework can stimulate additional scholarly inquiries. By acknowledging and appreciating the viewpoints of Filipino immigrant teachers, who have not received much recognition for their achievements, substantial progress is being made in cr (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Many school districts in the United States struggle to retain assistant principals (APs), thus losing the opportunity to prepare and promote quality internal candidates for the principalship. The purpose of the critical participatory action research study was to add to the limited research on AP experiences and how to support their professional development in a way that successfully leads APs to the principalship. The research aimed to add qualitative data from APs employed in public school districts in Ohio to provide much-needed insight into how to better retain school administrators and create an internal candidate pool of highly qualified school principals. The research questions centered around providing insights into AP on-the-job socialization and experiences that impacted their career path decisions and gathered their recommendations for school districts when creating a principal pipeline program or other intentional supportive professional development opportunities for APs. Purposive, stratified/cell sampling was used to collect data from homogeneous participants who share a geographic location (state) and the same biographical background of making lateral career moves as APs of one school district to another, but are considered representative of various demographic groups. The APs shared their experiences through semi-structured interviews and made recommendations for how school districts could better support APs and prepare them for a future principalship. The questions encouraged interviewees to employ a systems thinking approach and DSRP metacognitive process to reflect. I used a critical constructivist grounded theory methodology to analyze the data collected through an iterative inductive process of initial and focused coding and memoing combined with input from participants to uncover, compare, and synthesize common themes. Four APs were interviewed, which provided insights into their on-the-job socialization and experiences. Two (open full item for complete abstract)

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

Students today have various feelings of distrust among many of their teachers and administrators regarding the handling of violent episodes. As such, an examination of existing educational research to assess strategies that promote school safety and how to access community partnerships within this study is warranted. The efficacy of nonviolent and restorative disciplinary practices, with characteristics of social/emotional wellness programs supported by community partnership school resource officer (SRO) initiatives, are examined. Demonstrations of how positive school culture, features of emotional wellness programs, and an SRO's community-based role can promote school safety rather than exacerbate the school-to-prison pipeline are shared. This study further builds on the current pool of knowledge through an investigation of the viewpoints of 18 participants including school personnel and recent graduates in rural, suburban, and urban school districts across three counties in Northeast Ohio. Specifically, the researcher examined the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups to study their ideas regarding school safety, SROs performing law enforcement duties at the school and the associated impacts on learning, recommendations for ensuring building-wide safety, existing school climate and safety strategies, and SROs implementing the triad model (i.e., law enforcement, teacher/mentor, counselor). The investigation utilized Q-methodology and follow-up questions. Seventeen of the 18 Q-sorts loaded significantly on one of the three factors (summarized as Factor 1: We Are In This Together, Factor 2: Keep Us Safe, and Factor 3: Teachers Teach), which together explained 67% of the study variance. Follow-up questions provided additional support and context for the researcher's operationalization of the participants' collective viewpoints across these three main lines. Implications of this research will provide districts and educational professionals a blueprint for restor (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the RTI process and its impact on student achievement. Data analysis will be used to identify areas of strength and weakness in the current system and provide insights into how to create a more effective RTI program. The findings from this study will be used to inform future decision-making at Anchor Academy, with the aim of strengthening the RTI system and improving overall student outcomes.

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

Black students in high schools do not matriculate in advanced level coursework, such as advanced placement (AP) classes, at the same rate as their White peers. The opportunity to participate in AP in high school has been shown to influence enrollment in college, earning higher overall grades, and better performance on high stakes assessments such as the ACT. A quantitative survey tool was administered to high school administrators from the Cleveland Area Minority Educators Recruitment Association (CAMERA) consortium, whose main objective was the recruitment and retention of minority educator candidates through networking opportunities, hiring, supporting minority educators, and promoting multicultural and multiracial relations. The study explored the relationships between the factors of poverty, caregiver education, teacher and school counselor expectations, Black teacher exposure, and peer influence and enrollment in advanced placement coursework. Additional influences were examined to determine if a correlation could be drawn between the demographic information of building administration and AP enrollment. The study showed certified staff and personal/familial factors as having the greatest influence on Black student AP enrollment. Leveraging current staff, recruiting, and retaining a more diverse staff, and removing any financial barriers for minority students were all possible solutions offered to improve AP enrollment. The outcomes of this study benefitted school principals, other school administrators, teachers, school counselors, and community members to mitigate the negative impact of these barriers. In turn, addressing these issues will help to shrink the current opportunity gap found between Black and White students in AP courses.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

While Perkins V legislation and newer career and technical education programs were designed to prepare students for success in both college and career pathways and modern career and technical education programs are supposed to expand college and career readiness outcomes for students, there is a lack of research examining supports that promote the academic engagement and success of Black male students in high school career academies. Career academies are a type of high school reform initiative that is designed to prepare students for college and careers in career fields such as engineering and informing technology (Fletcher & Tan, 2022; Fletcher et al., 2018). In the 1970s, career academies were designed as career-oriented schools that delivered college preparatory instructional curriculum, and operated as smaller schools within larger schools (ACTE, 2019; NAF, 2023). Comprehensive school reform efforts like career academies are likely to ensure that Black male students are prepared for college and careers with personalized resources and services such as trade and apprenticeship pathways, work-based learning, early career exploration, guidance counseling, and college-level examination programs. In this study, I described the need for research to examine college and career readiness of high school Black male students at a NAF (formerly known as the National Foundation Academy) Academy of Engineering. I utilized the theoretical frameworks of college and career ready by Stone and Lewis (2012) and culturally relevant pedagogy by Ladson-Billings (1992) to review the research questions, background of the problem, problem statement, purpose statement, and significance of the study. Since Black males are a vulnerable group of youth with lower academic achievement and performance and barriers to career prospects and access to higher education (Brown et al., 2019; Hines et al., 2014; Wright, 2019), I explored the role of career academies, culturally relevant education for Bla (open full item for complete abstract)