<p> The purpose of this study was to discover if a relationship existed between cultural intelligence (CQ) and conflict management style preferences for community college faculty who work with culturally diverse student populations. Drawing from a sample of full- time community college faculty, this study used the 20-item cultural intelligence scale instrument that measures the four components of CQ, including motivational CQ, behavioral CQ metacognitive CQ, and cognitive CQ (Ang et al., 2007). This study used Rahim's Organizational Conflict Inventory Il (Rahim, 2010) to measure five styles of conflict management, including integrating, dominating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. The results of this study indicate that of the four factors of CQ, motivational CQ was the highest and cognitive CQ was the lowest in community college faculty. Factors such as number of languages spoken, academic discipline, and travel outside of the United States were predictors of CQ. The results of this study indicate that community college faculty have a preference for an integrating style of conflict management and that academic discipline, gender, and years teaching predict conflict management style preferences. The findings in this study also indicate that the four factors of CQ correlate with faculty conflict management style preferences. When controlling for gender, age, and ethnicity, there are significant correlations among the four factors of CQ and three of the conflict styles. The four factors of CQ combined correlated with integrating, dominating, and compromising conflict styles, and avoiding and obliging were nearing significance. Individually, metacognitive CQ and motivational CQ positively correlated to an integrating conflict style. Motivational CQ negatively correlated to dominating conflict style. Behavioral CQ correlated to a dominating conflict management style. None of the four factors of CQ individually predicted avoiding and obliging conflict style, though in both cases it was approaching significance. Based on the findings of this research study, there are four recommendations for practitioners in higher education: Expand research on cultural intelligence and conflict management within the domain of higher education; integrate cultural intelligence and conflict management into higher education curriculum; establish institutionally supported ongoing professional development in cultural intelligence and conflict management; and develop student-centered campus-level cultural intelligence and conflict management initiatives.</p>

<p> As a result of increased principal responsibilities in terms of complexity, accountability, and demands for improved student achievement, sources have concluded that in order for school districts to undertake transformations that improve teaching and learning, schools must be aligned to best practices, and have a functioning professional learning community and shared leadership (Copeland, 2003; Dufour, 1997; Elmore, 2004; Gronn, 2008; Lambert 2002; Murphy, Smylie, Mayrowetz, &amp; Louis, 2009). Most elementary schools have only one principal; therefore, the impact on teaching and learning led by one person may not result in organizational reform even if that individual is an instructional leader, due to the multitude of responsibilities carried by that individual as a result of the influence of other leaders (formal and informal) within the organization (Lambert, 2002; Shivers-Blackwell, 2006; Spillane 2005, 2006, and 2010). Districts take a variety of approaches to address this challenge, ranging from efforts to improve the content knowledge of their leaders to setting up formal structures to distribute instructional leadership in the form of formal teacher leaders (Timperley, 2005; Sherer, 2008). </p><p> This study determined, through analyzing decision-making styles of lead teachers and their perception of their principals, principals were more participatory and less laissez-faire than lead teachers. In addition, lead teachers utilize many leadership practices; however, they do not utilize them equally or consistently. The theory of distributed leadership and literature reviewed conclude that when leadership is distributed, schools have the ability to build capacity and grow initiatives around instructional improvement. Distributed leadership implies interdependency of leaders sharing responsibility with followers (Harris, 2003). This study has provided additional information for future researchers to use as the academic community continues to define the behaviors and practices that support a distributed leadership model. Recent studies express the way leadership is distributed in schools, suggesting the question is not if teachers lead along with the principal and district officials, but how (Katzenmeyer &amp; Moller, 2001; Margolis, 2008).</p>

A case study of the perceptions of stakeholders regarding transformational leadership processes and structures implemented in a high poverty, high achieving school

<p> The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory to understand the perspectives, attitudes, and actions of secondary principals about students with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues. Building on Theoharis' (2004) pivotal work on social justice leadership as a theoretical framework, and using the influence of culture as a secondary fundamental concept, my overall aim was to understand what influenced these principals in their work with these students. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) What has enabled principals who demonstrate particular care and concern for students with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues? (2) What resistance do they face and what are leadership consequences for their actions? (3) How do they convey their leadership to others and sustain themselves as they face leadership pressures with regards to these issues? I used a grounded theory qualitative research design with interviews and positioned subjects as the methodological basis for the study. Themes that emerged in the analysis of the data include (1) background, (2) perspectives of their leadership, (3) actions of their leadership, and (4) challenges to their leadership. I discovered five major findings concerning perspectives these principals have about students with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues. They include findings on (1) social justice leadership for students with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues, (2) the impact of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on their own lives; (3) preparation to do this work; (4) empathy and compassion for these students; and (5) the resilience of these principals. The findings resulted in grounding a theory that principal leadership for social justice seems to be rooted in life experiences stemming from childhood. Implications for action, practice, and/or policy are listed. Results of this research add to the body of knowledge about social justice leadership and perspectives educational leaders have that contribute to opportunities for academic success of students with non-academic barriers to learning. Further research is needed to explore the impact of social justice leadership on student attendance, dropout, and academic success; and the role of pre-service preparation coursework for these and other non-academic barriers to student learning.</p>

<p> The study is based on two designs. The first design is the development of the Principal Induction Practices (PPIP) survey to gain information from Missouri public high school principals about their perceptions of specific induction practices implemented with newly hired teachers. The second design is a factorial non-experimental quantitative study to assess newly hired teacher induction to school culture. This study was initiated because a lack of information exists of induction practices implemented by principals for newly hired teachers. Many studies have focused on teacher perception of induction practices, but few have focused on the administrative perceptions of these practices. With high costs of teacher turnover in schools, this study is looking at teacher induction through the practices of the supervising administrator. This study is based on Kosek&rsquo;s (2006) case study of a school&rsquo;s induction practices and Glenn&rsquo;s (2007) Teacher Perceptions of School Culture (TPSC) survey. The TPSC survey was examined to develop the online self-reporting PPIP survey which, was sent to 361 Missouri public high school principals. A small sample size was used in data analysis. The PPIP was reduced to 26 items. The PPIP field study showed overall perceptions did not vary because of respondent&rsquo;s gender, school size, years of experience, or teacher certification type. State education entities, universities, leadership academies and principal organizations can use the PPIP to inform them of areas needing change in the induction practices being implemented to help newly hired teachers transition to school culture. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to collaboratively construct Mexican American adolescent males' counter-stories on resiliency and perseverance in life and school. The target population included five Mexican American adolescent males in their freshman year at the same suburban high school in the U. S. Northwest. The study obtained in-depth experiences and counter-stories by employing qualitative methodologies. Qualitative data analyses involved coding of semi-structured interviews to identify common themes and patterns shared among the Latino adolescent males. The researcher and participants analyzed the counter-stories separately, jointly, and collaboratively to identify emerging themes on resiliency and perseverance. Together, the researcher and participants constructed the counter-stories through a restorying process. </p><p> The underlying themes, revealed by this research, have implications for educators, students, and families. The participants identified their educational family value, <i>educaci&oacute;n,</i> and support from significant family members through <i>consejos</i> (narrative advice or homilies) as reasons for why they persevered in life and school. The strong connections with family provided participants with a strong ethnic identity, responsibility to family, and access to significant family members as supports for success in school and life. The participants identified the themes of familistic orientation and strong ethnic identity development as the root of their resiliency. The interconnection of Bronfenbrenner's (1994) ecological systems provided a deeper understanding for why familistic orientation and strong ethnic identified development were critical in the adolescents' resilience. Most importantly, participants advised educators to get to know the students and families by building relationships in order to support the students' academic success in school. Participants shared counter-stories challenging dominant social order and most importantly legitimized their funds of knowledge as assets. </p><p> Educators wanting to support Latino adolescent males' success in schools can use the information in this study to better understand the importance of student voice in academic achievement. By hearing the multiple perspectives in educational environments, educators, students, and families create spaces where equitable outcomes are possible.</p>

<p> This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to determine the mentoring process Black mentors used when mentoring White beginning teachers. Five mentors and their six mentees were surveyed and interviewed to find how cross-race mentoring processes in an urban school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia work. Seven themes emerged from the study: (a) perceptions of the mentoring process; (b) perceptions of classroom management; (c) perceptions of school quality; (d) perceptions of urban teaching; (e) perceptions of White advantage; and (f) presence of White privilege.</p>

<p> This qualitative research is a study of four Alumni from Omega Boys Club of San Francisco, a strengths-based youth development and violence prevention program. A strengths-based approach uses positive understanding, positive relationships and cultural competency to interrupt the effects of violence in youth's lives. </p><p> The study sought to answer the following questions: What does a strength-based intervention program in response to community violence look like? How, if at all, are young people's behaviors changed by their participation in strengths-based intervention programs? How, if at all, is young people's thinking changed by their participation in a strengths-based intervention program? </p><p> This study answers these questions through the lens of qualitative case studies from the perspective of the four alumni participants and identifies the essential elements of strengths-based approaches to a successful, sustainable, and culturally appropriate youth development and violence prevention program. </p><p> Significant themes emerged from the data. Three primary themes from the conceptual framework were confirmed by the data: (a) positive understanding of community (b) sense of belonging/positive relationships and (c) cultural competence. Two other themes also emerged (a) the importance of family values and (b) persistence. </p><p> Positive understanding is defined in this study is the ability of a strengths-based organization to understand adolescent development and character strengths contributing to the healthy development of the whole person&mdash;intellectually, emotionally and socially. A sense of belonging was shared by participants as key to their connectedness to good relationships and trust with peers and caring adults. Culturally competent youth development programs come with the understanding that cultural competency is an important social and political element in efforts to model positive self-images&mdash; psychological, intellectual, and social development of participants. Finally, family and persistence themes are associated with the successful transformational journey of Omega Boys Club of San Francisco alumni and alumnae. Self-regulation, support and encouragement&mdash;friends and family&mdash;and family values, juxtaposed with persistence to change&mdash;struggle and progression--catapulted the Omega participants into reconstructed norms, values and beliefs&mdash;<i>alive and free</i>. </p><p> This research is useful information to community-based organizations to formulate an understanding of youth violence prevention programming and to recruit and retain culturally competent staff and implement culturally relevant programs. This information is fundamental to teachers and school site administrators because it plants the seeds to successfully cultivate culturally competent and culturally relevant teaching and learning that garners academic success and cultural awareness, especially for African American males. </p>

<p> There is a significant body of research that establishes the benefits of early parental involvement in schools. However, very little attention has been devoted to exploring the experiences and expectations of immigrant Pakistani parents in this context. For this study, the researcher explored the experiences and expectations of immigrant Pakistani parents regarding parental involvement in their children's schools in the United States. The theoretical perspectives that guided this study were based on the teachings of Bronfenbrenner, Epstein, and Spry and Graham who explained how the environment and the surrounding community influence the child. A qualitative research design, using a phenomenological lens, was employed to interview eight Pakistani parents from diverse backgrounds. This ensured that a wide range of Pakistani parental experiences were observed and recorded. The primary data collection instruments were interviews, and publically available documents from the school websites. </p><p> Findings from the study demonstrate that Pakistani parents are very involved in their children's schooling. Their involvement includes the academic realm as well as</p>

<p> This qualitative study had two goals. The first goal was to understand how a critical, non-formal, adult literacy program addresses the challenges and successes, which the students and volunteers identify at Amanecer Adult School. The second goal was to explore the perception of the student Spanish-speaking immigrants on the extent to which this program contributes to their second language acquisition and critical citizenship. These goals were examined through studying a local nonprofit organization, Amanecer Adult School, (AAS) that espouses critical literacy as its main goal. Using qualitative methodology and an inductive analysis approach to the data, the findings of the study were disheartening. At best, functional language learning was being both taught and learned in class, focusing on basic verbs and vocabulary. There was no critical work being done in the classroom. </p><p> The challenges of the program far outweighed the positives found in the data. The students, while respecting their teachers, were rarely assessed; there was no established curriculum nor means to discuss the students' lived realities. Additionally, the lack of resources, including money, time, space and classroom materials, at AAS was almost overwhelming for the volunteers. The lack of training in, and no understanding of, popular education by the volunteers at AAS stood out as a major issue.</p>