Doctor of Education / This case study looks at the impact of closing an urban secondary school. It considers the experiences of the students, the staff and the parents. It does not argue with the decision to close the school but concentrates on the experience for those most closely involved. The thesis is guided by the main research question which is: “What is the impact of school closure on the various elements of a school community and is there a way to close a school and minimise this impact?” Supplementary questions seek to describe how the closure was undertaken and what factors can be identified which helped ease the transition for those involved. While seeking to develop theory grounded in the research the findings have also been informed by theory associated with grief, place attachment, emotion in the workplace and change. Unpublished primary documents such as transcripts of group interviews, responses to written questionnaires and minutes of meetings are the basic sources of data for this thesis. The researcher was an active participant in the closure and well known to all respondents. The thesis concludes that although keeping the school open for the final year was of benefit to the morale and adjustment of staff it was probably less beneficial for the students involved. It suggests that with proper counselling support and identification of the closure as a critical incident, a quick closure would help student learning outcomes and prevent teacher de-skilling. It also confirms the importance of a school, or probably any institution, in the emotional life of those associated with it. Note: The students in this study range in age from 13 to 18 years of age in Years 7 through to 12.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 270-291). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 150-160).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 277-285). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 309-318). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-160). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 309-318). Also available on the Internet.

Three-fourths of educational change in recent years has been mandated by external groups such as legislative bodies, executive agencies, and accrediting organizations. Much of this mandated change affected the academic realm of the colleges and universities. Newcombe and Conrad's development of their 1981 mandated academic change (MAC) model, which identified four stages of progression of implementation and four variable categories that affected this implementation, was the only research which addressed this important topic. More research was needed to add to the knowledge base regarding mandated academic change as a strand of planned organizational change. The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of Newcombe and Conrad's theory of mandated academic change to two-year public institutions in Virginia in the context of the state mandate for all public colleges to adopt student outcome assessment plans. This research employed the qualitative case study method at two community colleges in Virginia which provided real-life examples of the extent of the MAC model's applicability to the implementation of student outcome assessment plans. One-on-one interviews with the college personnel most closely associated with the implementation were utilized. The principal finding was that the stage theory of the MAC model was unsubstantiated. It was also determined that the four variable categories described by the authors were appropriate in a community college setting, but further refinement of these categories using Creamer and Creamer Probability of Adoption of Change model of planned change might be helpful. It was also found that communication and vision, particularly determining the lines of authority, dissemination of information, and the early involvement of those affected by the change, should be given consideration as separate variables in studying mandated academic change. / Ed. D.