<p>Because their role is highly complex, school principals require ongoing professional learning to lead effectively and respond to the challenges inherent to school leadership. Networking among principals is frequently identified as a valuable source of professional learning for school leaders. Nevertheless, existing literature applies the term to a wide variety of principal relationships and affiliations, and there is little research that examines networking among principals and its effects upon their skills, knowledge, and convictions. This qualitative study, based on phenomenological research methods, investigates how networking promotes experienced principals&rsquo; professional growth through an exploration of what principals report about the nature, characteristics, and benefits of peer dialogue. Participants identified through purposeful selection included twenty-one practicing elementary or middle school principals from Maine and Massachusetts with at least five years experience who indicated that dialogue with role-alike peers is useful to them in their practice. Data were collected through focus group sessions, individual interviews, participant responses to a writing prompt, and work artifacts. </p><p> Participants in this study report that their practice is most influenced through interactions with peers characterized by high levels of trust. Findings indicate that peer learning networks provide instructive and affective support through dialogue that promotes principals&rsquo; development within three domains: leadership inventory, leadership judgment, and leadership integrity. Moreover, while peer learning networks can be a resource for principals&rsquo; learning, the manner in which they engage in dialogue may have consequences for whether they experience transformative learning that makes them more able to address adaptive challenges in their schools. Principals&rsquo; accounts suggest that superintendents are well situated to create conditions principals need to develop their skills, knowledge, and attitudes to effectively lead. Additional research is recommended to further explore peer dialogue processes as well as the factors that enhance or impede the development of school leaders&rsquo; adaptive capacity through participation in peer learning networks. </p>

<p>The most male-dominated executive position of any profession in the United States. The typical superintendent is a married, white male, between 51&ndash;55 years old. Women spend an average of 10.2 years in the classroom before seeking an administrative position; men spend an average of 5 years. The slowest of all K&ndash;12 administrative positions to integrate women and people of color. With the majority of educators being women, they are a logical source of candidates that has only marginally been activated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to reveal the narrative of women superintendents as well as to describe their perceptions of success ascending to the superintendency. If women are to seek the superintendency they will need to view the position as one that will offer them success. But what is success for women in the superintendency? How do women in this position experience it? This study probes the lived experiences of women superintendents, including significant moments in their childhood, in search of better understanding their perceptions and experiences with success. A narrative approach was used in this study to capture the essence of participants' lives along with documents and artifacts. Feminist Theory was used as the theoretical lens from which to frame the research. The data was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The findings surrounding female superintendents perceptions of themselves revealed four themes: <i>identity</i>, <i> education</i>, <i>roles</i>, and <i>support</i>. The findings surrounding women superintendents experiences with success is focused on relationship building and effective communication. The main conclusions drawn included aspiring superintendents need to obtain higher education degrees for advancement, site level administration and district office experience, and personal and professional support systems. </p>

Thailand is one of the South East Asian countries undergoing major economical and social changes. On the verge of becoming industrialized, it has a literacy rate of 91% which is well above international standards. Yet, handicapped people have very limited educational opportunities. Less than 4% of handicapped children in Thailand have access to education. / The purpose of this study is to determine specific needs of special education by comparing findings from agencies visited such as schools, foundations, government and non government organizations, with government policies. / The educational system is studied and special education policies described. A look at implemented laws shows that the government recognizes its responsibility towards the handicapped; it is also pointed out that the major causes for handicaps are generally due to avoidable situations. Finally, special government projects are highlighted and suggestions are submitted for future developments.

<p> This research is an attempt to explore the various strategies employed by the principals of Title I schools in order to foster an environment of student progress and achievement. Since the inception of the NCLB Act, pressures have been increasing on the schools, especially on Title I Schools, and on their principals to increase academic performance. The researcher selected four Title I Schools and used questionnaires for teachers and interviews for principals to explore the answer to the research questions. The research philosophy acknowledges both the mainstream approaches of positivism and interpretivism and follows a mixed methods approach. The sample questionnaires were selected with a simple random sampling method. The literature review puts forward a great deal of studies, which show that there is a strong correlation between strategies and techniques employed by the school leaders and the performance of students. Collaboration with teachers, motivation, emotional intelligence, respecting diversity, integration of technology, strategic focus, constant coaching and mentoring of teachers, and others are highlighted as a few of the techniques employed by principals. The data helped in concluding that the prime reasons behind the success of these schools are discipline, collaboration of school leaders with teachers, involvement of principals in every aspect of student development, understanding the needs of different students, tailoring educational styles for different students, and strategic vision. Furthermore, the study arrived at the conclusion that these schools are in dire need of transformational leadership as opposed to transactional leadership from their school leaders considering the increasing pressures on Title I schools.</p>

<p> The case study takes place in a North Carolina School district diverse in student population and land use, which by some records is experiencing some success with the students it serves. Standardized test data reveals the existence of academic achievement gaps within schools throughout the district. The school district&rsquo;s superintendent declared &ldquo;closing academic achievement gaps&rdquo; as a part of the district&rsquo;s strategic plan. This study examines the perceptions of educators at various levels of service and how their perceptions influence their educational practices through a qualitative methodology. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with the superintendent, regional superintendents and principals of each of the five regions within the district. Board of Education minutes as well as documents provided by the participants were analyzed. Participant responses were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed based on the study&rsquo;s conceptual framework, problem definition, into themes: perceptions, reality, solutions and practices. Regional findings were used to create a case of the region based on the similarities and differences of participants&rsquo; responses. A cross-case analysis of the data was conducted to create a case of the school district. Although the administrators of the district provided a common definition of the academic achievement gap, the way the administrators frame the issue of the academic achievement gap is different hence their approaches to resolving the issue of the academic achievement gap is different as well.</p>

<p> Policymakers lack hard evidence that points toward specific educational best practices for charter schools at the school and authorizer level. This study uses proficiency rates and scale scores on the MEAP standardized exam to identify differences in the effectiveness of authorizers, school-level practices, and curricula among charter schools in Michigan. Following the work of Carlson, Lavery, and Witte (2012), I compare university-authorized charter schools to district-authorized charter schools but find little difference in proficiency rates or scale scores in individual grades or for white, black, and FRL-eligible subgroups. However, I am able to specifically identify several authorizers in Michigan as having below-average performance. I also find significant achievement gains associated with schools that use Core Knowledge and Montessori curricula, no positive achievement effects associated with arts-based curricula, and negative effects from attending a virtual charter school. Finally, I conduct a secondary analysis of charter school expulsions and conclude that it is unlikely that the achievement effects I observe are related to differences in the expulsion policies of charter schools.</p>

<p> This thesis examines the trend and problems surrounding Chinese students studying in the US in general and Chinese students studying at University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) in particular. The first chapter provides a review of the Chinese student enrollments in US colleges and universities, as well as the University of Hawaii at Hilo's participation in the Sino American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program. The second chapter reviews research in the fields of Globalization, Internationalization, and Dual Degree programs. It provides a brief history on government sponsored higher education initiatives between China and the United States. The third chapter is a case study of the UH Hilo's Participation in the Sino American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program. The historical context of the program's initiation, its administrative structure, course articulation process, individual student academic planning, financial system, language requirements, participating colleges and departments, and reasons for the slow growth of the program will be analyzed. Changes in academic policy over the life of the programs will be discussed in detail. </p><p> The fourth chapter provides projections of the student enrollments in China and Chinese students attending colleges and universities in the US using a univariate approach. Several projections using the univariate techniques of double moving average, double exponential smoothing, and ARIMA procedures will be presented. Evaluations on these alternative techniques and their applications are discussed. The fifth chapter provides projections of the Chinese students studying in the US using a multivariate approach. Regressions will be performed, and the results will be compared with those in the fourth chapter. Based on the results in the third, fourth, and fifth chapters, the final chapter will summarize the trend and problems concerning Chinese students studying in the US, analyze policy implications at UH Hilo, and provide suggestions for future Dual Degree programs specific to this university.</p>

<p> This study uses a mixed methods research design to explore the relationship between institutional financial aid practice and graduation rates at a subset of private, non-profit four-year colleges and universities and explores how institutions prioritize allocations to financial aid within the framework of institutional mission, culture, and leadership. The quantitative part of the study explored the relationship between the percentage of need met and graduation rates: overall, African American, and Latino and the percentage of institutional aid allocated to needy students and graduation rates of the same student populations. Four qualitative case studies explored how institutional leaders interpreted mission and made decisions with regard to enrollment and financial aid policy especially as it relates to underrepresented minority students. </p><p> The quantitative path analyses showed no relationship between financial aid (percentage of need met and the percentage of institutional aid allocated to students with need) and graduation rates overall and of African American and Latino students at the institutions in the population examined. The qualitative case studies found that institutions, consistent with their espoused missions, sought to support&mdash;financially and programmatically&mdash;underrepresented minority students but face economic, demographic, and political trends that are making it increasingly difficult to align mission with financial aid practice. There were distinct differences among the institutions in the case studies in terms of tactics they adopted to respond to these economic, demographic, and political trends.</p>

<p>This study analyzes the growing trend in the development of online learning in public school K-12 districts in California. Specifically, it analyzes school board members' perceptions of the benefits and challenges to implementing online learning in their districts. Barbour and Reeves (2009) indicate four primary themes regarding challenges connected with online schools, and they include high startup costs, access issues related to technology and high speed internet, the approval and/or accreditation process of online schools, and student readiness issues. Areas indicated as advantages to online learning in the literature include increased educational access, high-quality learning opportunities, improved skills and educational outcomes, increased choice, and administrative efficiency (Barbour &amp; Reeves, 2009). While there is research regarding perceptions of administrators, student, teachers, and parents there is a lack of research regarding school board members' perceptions of online learning. </p><p> A total of 82 school board members in California responded to the California Online Education Survey. The California Online Education Survey accessed school board members' perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning and their district's perceived support for implementing online learning in the future. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The following key findings emerged: First, school board members' perceptions of the current implementation of online learning were not consistent with current research. However, findings from the study supported evidence that online learning is reaching a tipping point toward being a common practice in school districts in California. Second, school board members' perceptions of the advantages of online learning centered on increasing educational access for students, and their perceptions of the barriers focused on concerns related to high startup costs. Third, while the limited sample size (N=82) prevented definitively answering the research questions, the findings suggest that support for implementing online learning is positively influenced by city community types but not by rural settings. Fourth, while the limited sample size (N=82) prevented definitively answering the research questions, the respondents in this study indicated that, in times of economic disparity, boards that identify themselves as matching the characteristics of an arena board take a more conservative approach to spending money on the development of online learning. </p>

<p> In this study the researcher examined the influence between a principal's self-perceived emotional intelligence and the overall organizational climate of one public elementary school as perceived by the principal's followers. These followers included teaching and non-teaching staff. It was not known how self-perceived emotional intelligence of a principal in a public elementary school influences the overall organizational climate as perceived by staff members within the school. The main research question of this study was: What is the nature of the self-perceived emotional intelligence of the principal? The additional research questions focus on emotional intelligence components. In the study, the researcher assessed a principal from a public elementary school and numerous followers from the school. Four instruments were selected and used in the study to best fit the research questions. Interviews were conducted with the principal and followers. Interview questionnaires were created by the researcher; one for the principal, and one for the followers. The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-I) and Organizational Climate Questionnaire (OCQ) were also used throughout the study to determine the influence of self-perceived emotional intelligence on overall organizational climate. Using a descriptive qualitative case study design within a public elementary school in the Midwest, the researcher interviewed and surveyed one principal and numerous followers from each school. The researcher found numerous recurring themes throughout the interviews and found that the principal's emotional intelligence scores were related to the overall organizational climate.</p>