<p> Enacting a vision and surviving as a first-year high school principal in a new suburban school district can be a complex and difficult journey. Secondary-level principals have varied roles, including the improvement of teachers&rsquo; practice and student achievement, branding (or rebranding) the school, and acting as community leaders. This retrospective autobiographical research study of an experienced school administrator during the first year of a high school principalship will examine how a principal enacts his vision and educational philosophy while managing the daily operations and expectations associated with a comprehensive suburban high school against the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015). Current educational research does not describe the experiences of high school principals&rsquo; comprehensively. Similarly, the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) (2015) are relatively new and unexplored concerning their alignment to the role and responsibilities of first year principals. The literature review reveals the role&rsquo;s complexity, its changing nature, and how principals lead change and deal with conflict while also defining and exploring the notion of a principal&rsquo;s style. The literature review examines the known aspects about the first year of the principalship. Lastly, the literature review examines the evolution of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015) and how these standards relate to professional practice. As the participant-researcher, the high school principal, engages in his first year in a new building and district, the question &ldquo;How do a first-year principal&rsquo;s experiences and understanding of their role and responsibilities align with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders?&rdquo; will be explored.</p><p>

<p> Contemporary social issues, such as poverty, inequality, and climate change, exceed the capacity of a single sector to solve and require the collaboration of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In this context, universities play a unique and increasingly comprehensive role in educating students, generating new knowledge, and advancing the social and economic conditions in their communities. </p><p> Over the past decade, explosive growth has occurred in social entrepreneurship and social innovation initiatives on university and college campuses. Whether offered through a center, initiative, or program, a groundswell of curricular, co-curricular, and convening activities has emerged that educates and engages students, faculty, and a range of stakeholders in the pursuit of solving pressing social issues in innovative ways. </p><p> Using qualitative research methodology and a grounded theory approach, the purpose of this study was to explore the broad phenomenon of and the proliferation of university-based social impact centers in the United States. Through the perspectives and lived experiences of 43 social impact leaders, from multiple higher education institutions, this study developed a grounded theory model which explains the forces driving the emergence and evolution of the university-based social impact centers. The phenomenon can be explained by these &ldquo;windows of opportunity&rdquo; where internal, external, and cultural forces intersect, interact, and overlap with one another, within institutional-specific contexts, to produce new centers. While each institution boasts a unique culture and contextual characteristics, the data demonstrated that mission-driven students, market pressures on higher education institutions, and donor support were the most significant forces driving the expansion of social innovation on college campuses. Akin to the double-bottom line, it was both mission and markets that catalyzed the university-based social impact phenomenon. </p><p> While the social impact phenomenon initially evolved out of elite graduate business schools, it has expanded cross-campus into public policy schools and central administrative units, and across all institutional types. Social impact education now expands across and down the curriculum and co-curriculum. Some universities now even have multiple social impact initiatives within their own institutions. Participants described the need to differentiate themselves and to compete for resources, students, and attention given the plethora of existing civic and socially-oriented programs on their campuses. </p><p> This study filled a distinct gap in the literature by studying university-based social impact centers, framed in the broader historical context of the evolutionary role of university engagement in their communities, coupled with the recognition of the realities of contemporary market pressures on higher education institutions. Social impact centers exhibit the intersectionality of a host of issues plaguing higher education, such as resource constraints, access, academic silos, specialization, and bureaucracy versus innovation. Finally, social impact centers are a microcosm of the tension that exists between the marketization of higher education and the pressure to hold true to public purposes&mdash;and ultimately, whether or not institutions can effectively mediate those two pressures.</p><p>

<p> This study examined principals&rsquo; perceptions of faith-based schools in Southern California. A 6-item survey was distributed by hard copy to 217 Catholic principals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by e-mail to 218 Protestant school principals affiliated with the Association of Christian School International. The survey was completed by 148 principals (101 from Catholic schools and 47 from Protestant schools, 34% of population), suggesting that hand-delivered surveys yielded a higher return. However, the Protestant principals who responded exclusively online completed significantly more comprehensive written comments or transcripts to the survey. </p><p> Both groups of principals revealed high parent engagement in both types of schools and the selection by parents of a faith-based school was based upon personal values. However, highlights revealed that these administrators placed a high level of importance on open and consistent communication with parents and being visibly present on the campus. Principals were present at morning drop-off, visible on-site throughout the day, and at pick-up. In addition, the schools maintained a current website, frequent parent conferences by teachers and principals, and weekly or daily messages using various technological forms. Principals commented that they desired that every interaction with the school was positive and informative. Principals indicated that parent volunteer activity tended to be different in the two types of schools. Catholic school parents were expected to volunteer to work at the school, and participate in fund raising activities for the school. These parental expectations were vital to the school&rsquo;s financial base, as nuns continue to be replaced by lay teachers. In addition, Catholic school parents were required to supervise completion of a child&rsquo;s homework and support school rules, such as children wearing uniforms. Protestant school principals indicated that their parents were active in school-based activities such as sports, the performing arts, classroom support, as well as in school-wide activities such as open houses and fundraisers. Although the Catholic and Protestant schools provided opportunities for parents to participate in the school decision-making process, few principals reported all parent school boards or parents making the primary decisions beyond participation in the selection of the school principal.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational values, their influence and alignment, in the ethical decision-making of Catholic school principals. Semi-structured interviews allowed the 12 participants to explore personal and school values, areas of congruence and dissonance, methods for resolving dissonance, the process of values alignment, and the influence of the Catholic school culture. Site observations and analyses of mission statements provided insight as to community values for each of the participating schools. </p><p> The review of the literature yielded a means by which to connect values of the principal with those of the school community. The individual level examined the formation of the school leader through personal values, professional preparation programs, and ongoing self-reflection. The communal level analyzed the nature of school culture, namely the Catholic school framework, and how community members perceived their organizational climate. The process of ethical decision-making through multiple paradigms formed the active connection relating individual and communal value sets. </p><p> The conceptual framework depicted the aforementioned values relationship. Values alignment and values congruence formed the theoretical framework, exploring how to bring personal and organizational values into alignment and the resulting congruence or dissonance between them. Although prevalent in the business sector, this study&rsquo;s application of the theory in education suggested ramifications for decision-making, job satisfaction, and professional success. </p><p> Findings showed salient values across participant responses, observations, and documents and highlighted concepts of organizational fit, prayer as process of reflection, and individual versus communal goods. Further, values awareness and values negotiation were found to be layers in the dynamic process of alignment by which an appreciation of pre-existing stakeholder values could be brought to bear in discerning potential success or failure of change through ethical decision-making. The Catholic school culture, consisting of a seemingly unified values framework, provided a common sense of mission, vernacular, and expression through artifacts and d&eacute;cor. Recommendations were posited for &ldquo;match&rdquo; programs that could connect aspiring principals with schools of similar values. Delving more deeply into values awareness and negotiation by further examining principal motive and collecting broader stakeholder feedback could stimulate additional research.</p><p>

<p> New Castle County Vocational Technical School District (NCCVT) is a vocational school district in Delaware consisting of four high schools. NCCVT&rsquo;s vision &ldquo;is to deliver world-class Career and Technical programs combined with rigorous academic curricula to equip students with the 21st century skills that will best serve the State of Delaware and the global community&rdquo; (NCCVT, 2018, para. 1). I have served as the principal of St. Georges Technical High School (St. Georges) since 2012. As the principal, I have recognized the value of distributive leadership. </p><p> Distributive leadership involves working with several people to help inform decision-making that will improve the performance of educators and increase student achievement. The shared responsibility and experiences that teachers encounter through distributive leadership affect teacher capacities and motivation. The portfolio focuses on building the necessary leadership capacity to both achieve our instructional focus and reach our student achievement goals. Specifically, the ELP (Building the leadership capacity to achieve instructional focus and increase student achievement) centers on developing three school-based teams of teachers and administrators working together to improve teacher practices focused on literacy. The three leadership teams developed are the Powerful Development Team (PDT), Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), and the Instructional Coaches. Particular attention is given to the PDT because they exemplified an effective model of how distributive leadership can be operationalized at the building level. The improvement strategies centered on achieving the instructional focus goals, increasing capacity and distributing leadership. Teachers and administrators worked collaboratively to complete the following: a) select leaders and establish the PDT, b) build leadership capacity, and c) teach leadership skills and literacy strategies. The improvement strategies resulted in the development of: a) a qualified team of teachers working collaboratively to accomplish the school-wide instructional goals, b) two teams of teachers (ILT and coaches) supporting instructors with implementation of the school-wide instructional focus, c) a PDT team learning leadership skills and literacy strategies; d) three teams (PDT, ILT, and coaches) enhancing the instruction of teachers. These developments led to an increase in student achievement, including an increase in scores on the PSAT and SAT. On both assessments the school scored above the district and state average. The PDT believes that our instructional focus on research-based literacy strategies that is aligned with the Common Core Standards played a major factor in the students&rsquo; increased achievement on the PSAT and SAT. Recommendations for the future include providing specific feedback and resources for candidates who are not selected to participate on the PDT, collecting and analyzing data to determine goals for the instructional leadership groups, reevaluating the administrative walkthrough tool, creating a coaches&rsquo; walkthrough tool, and providing additional training on the four disciplines that will help build a cohesive team and healthy organization. </p><p>

<p> Poor mathematics and science skills are one of the leading challenges for advanced STEM career preparedness. There is currently a national deficit in prepared STEM career interest and readiness. A national decline prompted plans for the development of more rigorous standards. Changes in K-12 education were developed through Common Core and New Generation Science Standards. These changes were expected to better prepare students for post secondary educational opportunities such as college or technical school. This research studied effects of perceptions of the impact of high school STEM classes on career choices in two Tennessee schools that are actively participating in the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network and have actively implemented a STEM program since 2012. There is no evidence of research regarding student perceptions of STEM classes regarding STEM implementation in the state of Tennessee since 2012. According to the results of this study, students&rsquo; perceptions between subgroups showed no statistical significance regarding readiness or interest in STEM regarding college and career. The subgroups studied included race/culture, gender, classification by grade, and school attended.</p><p>

<p> There exists a blatant need in the Gateway City region of Los Angeles County to serve the Hispanic population in their caregiving needs. In serving a prominently Hispanic population, La Paz Home Care Agency will be distinctive as it will present specialty, expertise, and cultural sensitivity to clients&rsquo; home health and caregiving needs. As with national trends, there exists a growing demand for home health providers in the Los Angeles County and Orange County metropolitan region. Home health care services allow a person with special needs stay in their home as they are getting older, are chronically ill, recovering from surgery, or are disabled. Laz Paz Home Health Agency will meet the growing demand for caregiver services by providing services like bathing, dressing, meal preparation, assistance with self-care such as grooming, using the toilet, assisting with ambulation, transfer, light housekeeping, laundry, errands, medication reminders, escorting to appointments, hobby engagement, and supervision for someone with dementia or Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. In this business plan a detailed account of La Paz Home Care&rsquo;s competitive environment, aims, and operations will be covered in detail.</p><p>

<p> This basic qualitative study sought to understand the supports and procedures special education teachers were using to write transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities ranging from 16-21 years of age. The focus of the study was to explore the supports and procedures used by the special educators for writing transition IEPs that are compliant with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the federal compliance indicator, Indicator 13. Data were collected using purposive nonprobability and network sampling methods to recruit the 14 special educators who teach in a K-12 school district, case manage students with disabilities ages 16-21, write compliant transition IEPs, and have taught for three or more years. The participants from a Midwestern state in the United States were asked interview questions in face-to-face, semistructured, and individualized interviews. Data from the interviews indicated that special educators are including information from transition assessments, gaining insights from training opportunities, collaborating with colleagues, retrieving information from websites, using examples, accessing special education unit or district supports to write compliant transition IEPs for students with disabilities. Although special educators indicated a variety of different supports and procedures, there were clear barriers to continually writing compliant transition IEPs, with the greatest barriers being the need for better training and resources. The results of the study provide an opportunity for further exploration and understanding of supports and procedures special educators are using to write compliant transition IEPs. Future research is recommended to determine if the results of this study correspond to the supports and procedures special educators are using in other states to write compliant transition IEPs and to analyze why particular age-appropriate transition assessments are being used to support the transition planning for students with disabilities.</p><p>

<p> The varied academic needs of students with learning disabilities throughout the U.S. and in Southern California, specifically, have driven demand for private learning centers. For the purposes of this study, a learning center refers to a private business that teaches primary and secondary school students with learning disabilities outside of the school system. However, these centers often struggle with business success and the retention of employees and clients. Little research exists to address this topic. Therefore, there is a need to explore strategies to sustain these centers for students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies used by a successful K-12 learning center for students with learning disabilities in Southern California to sustain their business. Data was collected from interviews with four employees, observations from four visits, and seven types of archival data. The data were analyzed and grouped into the five deductive themes found in the literature review: training, relationships, innovation, structure, and customer development. Five new inductively developed themes resulted from the analysis of the data: Theme 1: Engaging in closed-loop communication with all stakeholders; Theme 2: Taking a holistic approach to student improvement; Theme 3: Providing differentiated instruction for a personalized experience; Theme 4: Engaging in a growth mindset; Theme 5: Setting an intention for the learning center to follow. Aspects such as innovation, flexibility, and intentionality proved to be beneficial to improving student outcomes and sustaining a learning center. Three conclusions were made from the study: Conclusion 1: A learning center can be sustained through a focus on the five literature themes of training, relationships, innovation, structure, and customer development; Conclusion 2: Flexibility allows for individualization, and continual improvement; Conclusion 3: Learning centers seeking a competitive advantage should focus on innovation. </p><p>

<p> As the teaching profession becomes increasingly challenging and teachers leave the profession at an alarming rate, school leaders need to understand the factors that influence teacher resiliency and longevity. A teacher&rsquo;s self-efficacy beliefs have been found to affect teacher&rsquo;s emotional and physiological well being (Bandura &amp; Locke, 2003), job satisfaction (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Steck, &amp; Malone, 2006, Hoigaard, Giske, &amp; Sundsli, 2012), and stress management (Bandura, 1997). Self-efficacy also impacts effort and performance (Tschannen-Moran &amp; Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), professional commitment (Coladarci, 1992; Ware &amp; Kitsantas, 2007, 2011; Klassen et al., 2013), and longevity in the profession (Wentzel &amp; Wigfield, 2009). In consideration of the value of teacher self-efficacy, there is a lack of qualitative research explaining how self-efficacy develops in teachers. </p><p> The present study used a qualitative phenomenology methodology to explore beliefs, factors, and experiences that influence the development and strengthening of self-efficacy in teachers. The choice of a phenomenological study reflected my belief that the best way to grasp the very essence of individual teacher beliefs was to dialogue with teachers about their lived experiences in the context of a particular situation (Moustakas, 1994; Creswell, 2013). The present study utilized focus groups and individual conversations with teachers in a K-12 international school in the Dominican Republic. This study also embedded a quantitative teacher self-efficacy survey instrument to select participants and to describe their perceived self-efficacy levels. </p><p> The results indicated emerging themes of Connection, Support, Knowledge and Growth, Balance, and Gratification as factors shaping self-efficacy beliefs. This study contributes to our understanding of how self-efficacy develops by illuminating a self-efficacy growth cycle with eight stages: The Gold Standard, Teaching Challenges, Dissonance, Perspective, Teacher Behavior Change, Intentional Practice, Equilibrium, and Self-Efficacy Growth. The study also revealed cognitive processes of self-reflection, self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, growth mindset, intentional positivity, reminding oneself of calling/commitment and mental models of prior success and growth as catalysts to develop, change, and strengthen self-efficacy. </p><p> In conclusion, the results from this study may inform administrators, teachers, mentors, instructional coaches and university programs about intentional, proactive ways to guide teacher self-efficacy growth.</p><p>