<p> A mixed method study with a statewide sampling of both superintendents (<i>N</i> = 258) and school board members (<i>N</i> = 543) within the State of Illinois designed to identify the perceptions of the ideal superintendent candidate. Using the study defined professional standard sub-components of the superintendency developed from the American Association of School Administrators Professional Standards for the Superintendency (Hoyle, Bjork, Collier, &amp; Glass, 2005), a quantitative survey was develop and distributed to each superintendent and school board member within the State of Illinois. The following analysis provides a ranking of standard sub-components for each group, along with perception data comparing population characteristics including gender, tenure, type of district and size of district. Continuing from the quantitative analysis, four participants representing an even distribution of superintendents, school board members and gender were selected and interviewed. This qualitative stage of the study was conducted using semi-structured and open ended questioning to delve deeper into the quantitative findings. </p><p> This study brings affirmation of the importance of the identified professional standard sub-components while expanding on the perceptions of the role of superintendent through the lived experience of people within and overseeing this critical educational leadership position. The quantitative analysis found that of the twenty-two standard sub-components included within the study, Leadership Qualities (Ethics &amp; Values) was consistently found across both populations as ranking the highest. This was similarly found for the standard sub-component of Strong Communication Skills which was ranked second for both populations. The sub-component of Community / Public Relations Skills was found to be ranked in the top five most highly ranked sub-components for both populations. The qualitative analysis provides a categorical breakdown of each of the twenty identified themes relating to superintendency within three key indicator groupings including Situational, Personal Traits and Skills/Abilities. </p><p> Incongruency was identified between the quantitative and qualitative analyses of this study in a single area. Across the quantitative analysis, a total of 19 of the 22 sub-components were found to hold a statistically significant difference between male and female responses. This was in direct contrast to the consistent opinion held by each of the interview participants that gender held no impact on perceptions of the ideal superintendent candidate. </p>

<p> American politicians, policy makers, and educators continue to grapple with ways to improve the academic achievement for all student groups. In spite of recent reform efforts such as the No Child Left Behind Act, evidence suggests that America has yet to adopt changes that not only improve achievement for all student groups but also reduce the high school dropout rate for its highest-risk students. Empirical research suggests that when students participate in the particular extra-curricular offerings of athletics and (on a more individual basis) fine arts, they have greater chances of staying in school and not dropping out. Yet this area of the school curriculum is often elusive for students who have background characteristics that put them at greater risk for school failure. The phenomenon under study is the experience of at-risk student participants in athletics and fine arts, and this inquiry sought to discover what it is about these offerings that may contribute to decreases in school failure. Data collection took place through one-on-one interviews and focus groups with 12 high-risk students who met predetermined selection criteria of being at-risk, participating in athletics and/or fine arts, being on a trajectory toward success in conventional terms, and being willing to talk about these experiences in an interview and focus group. Participants indicated that supportive social connections played a critical role in their initial and/or their ongoing participation. Findings revealed that students&rsquo; participation in both athletics and fine arts cultivated and nourished the affective domain of learning by appealing to their interests, passions, and hopes. For participants, both athletics and fine arts appeared to play a significant role in their lives, to the point of being life changing. There were many attributions associated with participation, and included such things as improvement in academic achievement, staying in school and not dropping out, as a result of their participation in both athletics and fine arts. These and other findings identified in this study should provide guidance to politicians, policy makers, educational reformers, educators, communities, families, and students themselves about the value of participation in these specific school offerings. Thus, findings implied that schools should encourage greater pupil participation in the full curriculum and not decrease support to these specific offerings, which could be increasingly vulnerable to cuts during fiscal challenges because athletics and fine arts may often be thought of as a privilege for a select few or an unnecessary part of the school curriculum.</p>

<p> Reforms and changes in the public school system across the United States have affected all aspects of public school learning, governance, and the leadership roles of principals. This investigative, qualitative case study explored the educational reforms under Children First, a wide scale reform that re-ordered and re-designed the New York City public school system from 2002 to 2014, and its effects on the leadership roles of principals. Furthermore, it examined the New York City Public School System under this innovative mayoral reform. This qualitative study used interviews, observations, and survey methods of inquiry to examine how three veteran New York City principals perceived their leadership roles and their skills; and how they maintained their leadership roles during Children First. Through Bolman and Deal&rsquo;s (1991) four frames model, this research explored the number of frames that the participants exhibited while conducting their executive daily practices. The findings of the study highlighted the theory of the four frames model, in the context of NYC principals&rsquo; changing roles. The investigation examined the lens that veteran principals used to re-organize, re-adjust, and realign their approaches to educational leadership during Children First. One significant finding of this research was that principals were empowered as a result of Children First. </p>

<p> As the push for inclusion continues to grow, professionals are encouraged to collaborate with one another in order to support the students on their caseloads (IDEA, 2004). Despite the need for collaboration, there continue to be barriers that impede the successful use of this service delivery model. This study aimed to investigate the possible barriers to collaboration among educators and specialists in the educational setting. Ways to improve collaborative interactions among educators and specialists on a regular basis was also explored as they relate to the common core state standards.</p><p> Three classroom teachers, three special education teachers, and three speech and language pathologists were surveyed in order to further investigate their knowledge and views of collaboration and the common core state standards. All of the professionals surveyed had a positive view of what collaboration could accomplish. As a result, positive trends are anticipated for the future of collaboration.</p>

<p> This generic qualitative inquiry research study investigated the effectiveness of self-directed learning and experiential learning theory on the business process modeling notation (BPMN) learning process and subsequent development of business process models. The goal was to analyze the experiences of participants&rsquo; individual learning processes for acquiring BPMN knowledge. The research study sought to answer, &ldquo;How do experiential and self-directed learning approaches to BPMN affect business process model development?&rdquo; The generic qualitative inquiry examined 13 participants&rsquo; responses from semi-structured interview questions. The semi-structured interview questions required participants to reflect and describe their learning process. The data analysis was completed using an inductive thematic analysis with a constant comparison method to identify themes from the codes. The self-directed learning processes, experiential learning, and key success factors themes emerged as the study&rsquo;s participants described their learning process for BPMN and factors that affected the development of business process models using BPMN. The findings of this study add the BPMN self-directed learner&rsquo;s mental model and BPMN experiential learning mental model that enable BPMN practitioners to understand the influences and factors of the adult learning process and how the creation of BPMN knowledge occurs for the purpose of developing business process models with BPMN.</p>

<p> The retention of quality school leaders is critical to school success and improvement (Fuller, Orr, &amp; Young, 2008; National Association of Elementary and Secondary Principals, 2013; School Leaders Network, 2015). It is unlikely that student achievement will improve in schools with rapid turnover of school principals (Mascall &amp; Leithwood, 2010). Research contends that fifty percent of new principals will quit within three years of being hired and those that do stay often leave high poverty schools for less demanding leadership roles (Fuller et al., 2008; School Leaders Network, 2015). School change is more successfully implemented when a principal remains in the position for a minimum of three to five years (Fuller, Young, &amp; Baker, 2007). Understanding what factors lead to principal job retention may provide insight to minimize principal turnover and increase student achievement. </p><p> The purpose of this explanatory, sequential, mixed methods study was to investigate the factors that lead to principal job retention in traditional public elementary and secondary schools in a small northeast state. </p><p> This study addressed the following research questions: 1. What factors do principals rate as important for job retention in their current position? 2. What is the relationship between principal identified factors related to job retention and the following demographic variables: gender, school urbanicity, school level, school enrollment, socio-economic status, priority school status, overall happiness in their current job, and principal tenure status? 3. How do principals describe the factors that influence their job retention? </p><p> During the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was administered to elementary and secondary principals (<i>N</i>=270) to measure perceptions of the factors that contribute to their decisions to persist in their current positions. During the qualitative phase, interviews (<i>n</i>=6) were conducted to explore how principals describe the factors that contribute to job retention. Significant findings were found related to school level, priority school status, overall happiness, and principal tenure. Six prominent themes emerged from the qualitative data. </p><p> Results from this study may benefit school superintendents and other educational leaders to help them better identify the conditions necessary to retain school leadership that may lead to student academic success and decrease principal turnover.</p>

<p> As a society, America has struggled to resolve some deep-seated differences over values. These differences are most visible and divisive in the historical White-Black dichotomy. In the realm of education, the Black male achievement gap is a vivid reminder of this previously legalized oppressor-oppressed relationship. </p><p> The Black male achievement gap is a particularly unique phenomenon in that Black male students surpass every other racial and gender category in educational achievement gaps (NCES, 2013a, 2013b, 2014a, 2014b; NAEP, 2011, 2013). This phenomenon is well-known and well researched. Many researchers point to a fundamental conflict over values that results in this lingering gap between Black male students and their peers. Though these value differences have been researched, how these differences are being reconciled in efforts to close Black male achievement gaps is not known. </p><p> Argyris and Sch&ouml;n&rsquo;s (1978, 1989b) theoretical framework provides a practical way to engage the values of the school organization. This perspective allows social scientists to understand whether or not the values guiding the actions of the organization are enabling the organization to effectively meet its stated goals. This research study analyzes a school&rsquo;s process of responding to the Black male achievement gap, focusing on the school leader&rsquo;s efforts to close these gaps. The theory of action framework allows the school leader&rsquo;s efforts to be mapped, distinguishing between espoused and in-use theories of action and understanding if and how the in-use theories are reconciling value differences within the school organization.</p>

<p> Keywords: Gamification, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, academic performance, mathematics, test scores, <i>Edufocal</i>&copy; </p><p> Children have been playing computer games for many years. Today's children are very technologically savvy compared to 10 years ago. However, no concrete research was done in the Caribbean and in Jamaica to be specific, that investigates the impact of gamification on student academic scores and motivation. Gamification is used to describe the use of gaming mechanics in non-game contexts that can be used to influence behavior, improve motivation and increase engagement (Marczewski, 2013). The present study is an experiment to investigate the effects of a gamified software intervention in mathematics achievement among sixth-grade students.</p><p> The experimental method was used to collect data. A two-group pre and post-test design method was employed. The treatment involved a set of mathematical instructional games created using the Jamaican curriculum. Two sets of scores from standardized tests were analyzed; a diagnostic test and the final GSAT exam. An attitude survey was also conducted to investigate student motivation pre and post-gamification.</p><p> A Gain Score Analysis (GSA) with an independent sample <i>t-test </i> was conducted on the pre and final post-test scores. Upon analyzing the gain scores from students in the treatment group, the results saw (<i> M</i>=-2.67, <i>SD</i>=2.27) while in the control group, on the other hand, the mean difference was (<i>M</i>=-2.67, <i> SD</i> =2.39) and <i>t</i> (59) = -1.172. The results indicate that the intervention student scores had a negative correlation, and we fail to reject the null hypothesis as (<i>p</i>>.246). As such, the intervention did not statistically improve students performance in the short or long-term. The findings from the attitude analysis revealed that students in the gamified group had a more positive attitude towards math at the beginning of the year. At the end of the school year, students in the gamified group also had a more positive attitude toward math compared to the traditional control group. Based on the results from the test scores, the change in attitude was not consistent with the use of the gamified software.</p><p> This research is significant as an extensive study of this nature has never been done in Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean. The findings will be of benefit to educators, instructional technologists, administrators and the Ministry of Education in Jamaica. While the study focused on math scores, the results can be used to assist in future planning on whether or not to include some aspects of gamification in each institution as a way to improve student scores in other subjects.</p><p>

The Impact of Prolonged Participation in a Pro-Social Cognitive Behavioral Skills Program on Elementary Age Students, with Behavior Related Disorders, Behavior Accelerative, Behavior Reductive, and Return to Regular Classroom Outcomes

<p> The placement of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in school leadership roles emerged as a feature of comprehensive reform models and school improvement initiatives. Educational practitioners must verify the saliency of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) process in preparing NBCTs for school leadership, particularly how NBCTs demonstrate leadership behavior in the principalship role. These prompts inspired the central research questions of this study. How did an NBCT demonstrate leadership behavior in the principalship? What perceived role (if any) did the NBPTS process play in developing those leadership behaviors? I designed this single-case study to examine the leadership behaviors of one NBCT who ascended to the principalship. </p><p> Therefore, I investigated the influence of the NBPTS process to determine its role in developing the participant&rsquo;s leadership behaviors. In my initial analysis, I applied Pitner&rsquo;s (1988) conceptual path models to describe, categorize, and analyze, the leadership behaviors of the NBCT participant. These models depicted leadership behaviors as direct, mediated, reciprocal, and antecedent (DMRA). In my second analysis of the data, I pursued a thematic approach. I analyzed the data for code words and phrases that ultimately signaled the emergence of four major themes: setting the vision and mission, school and community relationships, religion, spirituality, and faith, and the 5 core propositions approach to school leadership. The four themes were instrumental in answering the central research questions of the study. </p><p> I used multiple interviews, observations, a survey, and documents to collect data. The resulting wide range of data captured a detailed picture of the participant, the school&rsquo;s operations, and provided an indication of the extent to which survey respondents corroborated the participants&rsquo; perceptions. Findings indicated that the NBCT participant used each DMRA leadership approach; however those behaviors were subordinate to the five core propositions of the NBPTS. I concluded that the NBPTS process was vital to development of the participant&rsquo;s knowledge relative to curricula, instruction, assessment, and reflection; all were important components of the participant&rsquo;s school leadership behaviors. The findings represent a step toward confirming the unintended effect of the NBPTS process in preparing the participant for the principalship.</p>