<p> Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore new principals&rsquo; and assistant principals&rsquo; lived experiences and perceptions of California teacher tenure law and challenges they faced when determining if a probationary teacher was ready for tenure. </p><p> Methodology. Phenomenology was the chosen methodology for this study. Semi-structured, in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted face-to face with participants in a private setting of their choice to obtain new administrators&rsquo; perspectives on teacher tenure. Eleven new principals and assistant principals who served in the capacity of administrator for two years or less and who already went through the evaluation process experience were interviewed representing three southern California school districts. </p><p> Findings. The study identified four major themes and thirteen overarching themes as perceived by new principals and assistant principals: job protection, non-arbitrary dismissal, comfort to try new things, difficult to terminate, teacher complacency, brief decision window to determine tenure, lack of diversity in the evaluation process, feedback and coaching, increased years to grant tenure, collaboration, informal classroom walkthroughs, student growth, and professional growth. </p><p> Conclusions. The results of the study led to recommendations for improving the tenure system. The study revealed the need for a probationary period longer than two years before granting tenure. Administrators need training and support to assist with due process, difficult dismissal policies, and teacher evaluations to provide teachers meaningful feedback and purposeful coaching. Create diversity in evaluations by including: peer and administrator input; how teachers collaborate and work with peers, parents, students, and administrators; and student growth/learning. </p><p> Recommendations. A comprehensive tenure evaluation system should be built based on the conclusions of this study. Future researchers should widen the investigation by replicating the study to include support staff; completing a longitudinal study by looking at state requirements for training teacher evaluators across the nation; conducting studies on computer applications to assist in teacher evaluations; and examining the different dismissal processes/policies in each state to determine where difficulty lies in the removal of ineffective teachers.</p>

<p> Recent educational reform efforts such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Race to the Top Initiative (RTT) have exhibited a proclivity to use centralized, top-down reform tactics to improve student achievement. The requirement of states to revise their previous teacher evaluation systems, in order to procure funding from the Race to the Top Initiative, represents a signature example of such tactics. Emerging research suggests that these policies may also unintentionally reduce teachers&rsquo; autonomy, deteriorate professional interactions, decrease teachers&rsquo; sense of worth and subsequently weaken teacher morale. Additional research indicates that early career teachers tend to respond to educational change differently than that of late career teachers. This study examined the impact of the Annual Professional Performance Review (3012-c) upon teacher morale, while exploring whether this policy may be perceived differently between early and late career teachers. A web-based survey was used to collect data from 235 public school teachers across the Hudson Valley Region in New York State. The study measured respondents&rsquo; teacher morale, autonomy, professional interactions, sense of worth, and positive perception of APPR. Findings from the study&rsquo;s quantitative analysis indicated that a majority of the study&rsquo;s participants (66.8%) reported disagreement with both the Positive Perception of APPR and the statement &ldquo;the morale in this school is high.&rdquo; However, teacher experience did not mediate this relationship. Despite this disagreement, teacher resilience surfaced as an additional finding from this study. For example, respondents indicated agreement with the statements &ldquo;Teachers take pride in this school&rdquo; (83%) and &ldquo;Teachers go about their work with enthusiasm&rdquo; (68%). Additionally, respondents indicated agreement with the statements, &ldquo;I receive support from my colleagues&rdquo; (91%) and &ldquo;Teachers in this school can rely on their colleagues for support and assistance when needed&rdquo; (90%).Additional findings were also drawn from the study&rsquo;s open-ended response and follow-up interviews. For example, some educators noted that the evaluation process prior to APPR (3012-c) lacked accountability and characterized the transition between these two systems as both hasty and overwhelming. In regards to APPR (3012-c), educators indicated a general lack of recognition for factors outside of their control, while adding that much of the time spent on collecting teaching evidence has taken away their ability to develop creative lessons. Other findings signified teachers&rsquo; appreciation for receiving regular feedback from their administrators. Several respondents observed that teacher accountability may play a role in developing their professional skills, while other educators discussed the relationships that they maintain with colleagues despite the pressures of APPR. During the course of this study, NYSED and Education Commissioner Elia initiated a transition period for APPR. This change effectively placed a hold on consequences for teacher and principal evaluations related to grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Math student assessments and growth scores on Regents exams until the start of the 2019-2020 school year. New York State&rsquo;s decision to initiate a transition period presents the opportunity to reconsider a teacher evaluation system that can leverage teacher pride, enthusiasm, and relationships with colleagues to promote instructional innovations.</p>

<p> In the field of education, effective transformational leadership traits apply more to non-military educational institutions (Kindergarten through 12th Grade schools, colleges, and universities) than to military settings. Within military academic environments, the topic of the implementation of exemplary leadership practices by civilian educators and its potential influence on school change has been understudied. The military and civilian perspectives on what constitutes effective leadership have often been at odds and civilian academic leaders and their followers (faculty) tend to differ in their perceptions of effective leadership. In this particular study, the researcher investigated and explained the perceptual impact of five leadership practices, established by James Kouzes and Barry Posner (1995, 2007), at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) on the Central Coast of California in the United States. The participants were a sample of civilian educators (leaders and constituents) representing six distinctive foreign language basic course schools within DLIFLC. The mixed methods design used in the study included a survey instrument, the Leadership Practices Inventory, or LPI, and a one-on-one interview or a written questionnaire containing the same interview questions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were run on the quantitative survey data and they yielded particular statistically significant results (where p &lt;.05). Likewise, several distinctive themes emerged from the subsequent qualitative and mixed methods analyses. Findings suggest that civilian educators should be able to implement organizational changes within a strict military educational setting if they openly collaborated with one another and with their military counterparts to promote desired leadership practices that generate and sustain effective educational change.</p>

<p>Abstract A Study of School Board & Superintendent Relations: Strategies for Building Trust in the Mistrustful Context of K-12 Public Education By Kelly Dawn Bowers Doctor of Education University of California, Berkeley Professor Heinrich Mintrop, Chair As illuminated in my study, which is only a small subset of the larger public education governance system, the mounting political pressure that school boards and superintendents face does not seem to be diminishing. It is well documented that boards under fire from constituents often make the superintendent the scapegoat, which undermines trust and threatens their strength of relationship with an uneven power dynamic. Whether attributed to general dissatisfaction with American governance which leaves superintendents subject to the political whims and winds of school boards (Lutz & Iannaccone, 1978); their increasingly limited sphere of influence in an era of high stakes external accountability (Howell, 2005), or the acute pressures of the politics of personalism (Feuerstein & Opfer, 1998), the odds of forming solid, trusting relational bonds are stacked against them. Over the past few decades, there has been a growing movement in many fields and industries, including public education, to develop new, collaborative models and approaches to managing and governing, as an alternative to more adversarial, bureaucratic and top-down methods (Ansell & Gash, 2008). With this move away from competitive toward collaborative governance, relationship building at all levels has taken on new importance. In this case study, I examined the conflict-ridden relationship dynamic and tense micropolitical climate inherited by two superintendents and boards, within a general context of distrust directed toward public education and elected officials, which is further exacerbated by negative interactions with their immediate predecessors. Using Bryk and Schneider?s (2002) concept of relational trust which was developed in other public school system settings, as an ideal measure, I was able to gather evidence of substantive change in the tenor and positive quality of the board/superintendent relationship over time. My findings highlighted two newly hired superintendents who took stock of their somewhat damaged and mistrustful board/ superintendent relationship status upon entry and strategically cultivated relational trust with their respective school boards, as substantiated by increased and genuine displays of mutual respect, personal regard, integrity and competence in their public and private interactions. My findings indicated that a board/superintendent relationship is not static but malleable, and with concentrated focus and customized strategic intervention by a new superintendent, a previously damaged governance team relationship can be repaired and trust restored. Even in a high-trust situation, however, my conclusions divulged cautionary implications, as a board and superintendent that become too close, too trusting in the public?s perception or reality, risk becoming insular or out of touch with the larger constituency they represent and serve.

<p> This study compared administrative expenditures among 542 traditional school districts and 258 charter schools in Michigan, exploring whether one organizational model might better minimize administrative spending. A non-experimental correlational research design was used with 2014-15 data available from public sources. Both a replication and modification of an earlier study (Arsen &amp; Ni, 2012) were used to model all analyses.</p><p> Multiple regression analyses were used to explore the predictive value of inputs on school, central office, and total administrative expenditures. Inputs included student enrollment, total revenues, percentage of students identified for special education services, percentage of students qualified for free/reduced meals, and whether the district/charter was in a rural area. Inputs specific to charter schools included years in operation, grades offered, and type of charter (for-profit, non-profit, or independent).</p><p> Replication of the original model found that charter schools spent more dollars and a higher percentage of dollars on administration, whether it was school, central office, or total administration. The results of the regression for total administration (including the additional variables for charter schools) indicated that the model explained 67.0% of the variance (R² =.670, F(11,788)=145.17, <i>p</i>&lt;.01). Other than charter type, all variables were statistically significant. The charter variable had the largest coefficient&mdash;controlling for other factors, charter schools spent $775 more per student on total administration with $617 going to central office administration and $158 going to school administration. These findings were consistent with the original study. Based on these data, Michigan charter schools are not minimizing administrative spending in comparison to districts. There was no statistically significant difference in administrative spending among the types of charter schools. Further research is needed as to why this difference in administrative spending persists between the organizational models of traditional school districts and charter schools.</p>

<p> School boards and superintendents have a responsibility to plan for the future, including preparing for the next leader. Superintendents function as the Chief Academic Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and the Chief Executive Officer of a district. High turnover in the superintendency and lack of succession planning can leave a district with a leadership crisis at a time when stability is needed. Succession planning in the corporate world has been utilized for years, but research clearly indicates that school districts have not followed suit. A grounded theory methodology was utilized to discover the current practices of school boards and superintendents in the North Texas Region related to superintendent succession. The researcher conducted 22 interviews with superintendents and school board members. No formal succession plans were uncovered, and data analysis did not result in theory development. Instead a descriptive qualitative methodology was adopted and two succession models were developed. They are referred to as the What&rsquo;s Next? district and the What Now? district. What&rsquo;s Next? districts had informal plans in place to fill the leadership void if and when a superintendent vacated the position. What Now? districts not only had no plan, but also had no discussion concerning succession.</p>

<p> A competitive international school market is influential to the increased pressure on American-sponsored overseas schools to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Teachers who feel they have more input into school decisions are more likely to desire employment at such schools, or once at the school, are more likely to stay for a longer period (Ingersoll, 2001; Mancuso, 2010). Purposefully developing teacher leadership in international schools may be a way to recruit and retain the best teachers (Weston, 2014), who positively influence school effectiveness and student learning results. With this study, I aimed to support American-sponsored overseas schools with recruiting and retaining the most effective teachers to fulfill their missions and contribute to the research base on variables that support teacher leadership to enhance school effectiveness within the unique context of American-sponsored overseas schools. With a multistage census sampling methodology, I investigated the type of leadership and intensity of leadership activities teachers perform and explored the extent school level variables teachers perceived to support the enactment of teacher leadership. The findings included (a) the large majority of teachers reported a high level and intensity of teacher leadership activities; (b) teachers desired more leadership responsibility; (c) teachers generally agreed that their schools provided the necessary supports for teacher leadership; (d) significant correlations were evident between teacher leadership levels and the school supports in the areas of organizational structure collaborative leadership, professional development, school culture in which teachers support each other, and school culture of trust; (e) no significant correlations existed between levels of teacher leadership and organizational structure autonomy, time, recognition, or role clarity; and (f) teachers who reported their schools to have a school culture, in which teachers support one another, also reported a greater number of leadership activities. No other school support variables had a significant correlation with leadership intensity. Teacher leaders feel supported, and they thrive in schools where leaders develop trusting relationships, promote an environment in which teachers support one another, establish collaborative leadership structures, and provide meaningful professional development opportunities. Teacher leadership has potentially positive implications for teacher retention and student learning.</p>

<p> Educational technology can be a powerful tool and the advantages of using it in instruction are abundant. However, it is important that instructors use technology effectively. Recent rapid changes in technology have coincided with rapid growth in online learning. Since the 1990s, learning management systems (LMS) have been adopted in higher education as a means for providing instructors with educational technology tools to manage and facilitate their higher education classes. LMS tools play a significant role in the facilitation of online learning. The changes in educational technology and the growth in online learning have led educators in higher education to examine best practices for integrating technology in online learning. Retention is a major focus of higher education administrators. Thus, student satisfaction in online courses is a concern in order to decrease attrition and improve student persistence in online education. This study examines the relationships between student perception of the usefulness of LMS tools and student online course satisfaction in higher education.</p>

<p> This study is a hermeneutic phenomenology focused on a virtual high school in Central Louisiana. Because virtual education is growing quickly, and student performance in virtual high schools is inconsistent, the study seeks to provide a conceptual model from which to design virtual school curricula and develop virtual school teaches. The proposed model is grounded in three theoretical frameworks and validated through the experience of virtual school teachers. The theoretical frameworks informing the study are the Community of Inquiry model, Sense of Community theory, and the Theory of Transactional Distance. The research participants&rsquo; experiences are used to validate the proposed conceptual model for virtual high school course development. The result is a conceptual model that can be used by virtual high school course designers to guide the development of virtual school curricula. </p><p> The study can also be used to guide the development of strategies for delivering online courses and conducting professional development in a virtual learning environment. The study makes four major findings. The study finds virtual high school students vary in their motivation and autonomy. The study finds the teacher-student relationship to more individualized in the virtual school than in the traditional school. The study finds that virtual high school students do not perceive value in virtual learning communities. Finally, the study finds that virtual school teachers experience with technology is positive, but their students often experience trouble with technology. The study uses these findings to suggest a conceptual model from which to develop virtual high school curricula and teach virtual high school classes.</p>

<p> Educational leadership preparation programs are fundamental in developing confident educational leaders with the capacity to lead schools with effective sound decision-making practices. In order to effectively balance the demands of educational leadership, principal leaders must be developed through effective models of preparation programs that are grounded in a societal vision of leading and learning for schools in the twenty-first century. Critical to this discourse is curricula delivered through dynamic instructional pedagogy that frames evidence-based best practices to link leadership development with student achievement and extraordinary teaching. Principal preparation programs have the initial responsibility to prepare future school leaders for the various duties and responsibilities they will face, primarily impacting student academic achievement. </p><p> The primary purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of educational leaders who completed the Preliminary Administrative Credential Program in the Educational Leadership Department at California University Long Beach (CSULB), and uncover the impact specific program components had on their leadership capacity and ability to be instructional leaders. The intent of this study is to reveal the experiences of those who have completed the program, by reflecting on their program leadership development and its application to their current practice as school site leaders. These stakeholders include student alumni who completed their Preliminary Administrative Credential at CSULB and are now serving as school leaders. Additionally, faculty who teach in the program, were asked to share their perceptions of the program, specifically around curriculum and development, and leadership capacity of graduates. This study will attempt to inform State, Universities and districts, of the components of leadership preparation that are most useful to practitioners in the field. </p><p> The findings from this case study included a descriptive picture of Alumni perceptions and learning experiences in the Preliminary Administrative Credential Program at CSULB. Alumni identified key components of the program that were integral in their educational leadership development, and instructional leadership capacity. Qualitative interviews of Alumni and Faculty combined with document analysis of program curriculum and assignments highlight the need for continued research on quality fieldwork internship, and barriers to effective instructional supervision.</p>