Many policymakers have sought greater levels of success in schools by implementing new and more distributive models of leadership. The problem is that many have not achieved desired outcomes. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover what happens within a school organization as it moves from a traditional leadership model to a district mandated distributive leadership (DL) model. DL is an egalitarian balance of leadership among multiple individuals rather than simply administrators within an organization. The method used in this study was grounded theory (GT) which was selected to illustrate events, situations, and conditions from the perspectives of teacher participants involved in the implementation of the new model. To answer the research question regarding teachers' perspectives of the DL model, a series of 30 teacher interviews were conducted; constant comparative analysis was used to develop themes and relationships. Results suggested the emergence of a theory of distributing leadership that has four main categories: building a plan, barriers, distribution, and recounting the story. Comprehensive and ongoing training was seen as the key to implementing a true and successful DL model. The theory of distributing leadership may be a useful tool for initiating and developing plans of actions for any school or district interested in implementing the DL model. Positive social change can be realized through the use of distributing leadership theory to create communities of learning and support among educational stakeholders that enhance organizational outcomes in school.

The purpose of this study was to determine how middle school students, parents, teachers, and community members perceived acts of violence. It focused indirectly on how a small community was impacted following a hostage situation. The theoretical framework for this study draws from the theories of violence as described by Aisenberg and Ell, Canady, Gottfredson and Hirschi, and Miller. In this qualitative study the research questions focused on perceptions of school violence acts and potential influences' on the participants in this study. The participants consisted of 6 middle school students, 4 middle school parents, 4 school officials, and 4 community members. The results of the interviews were analyzed using a color-coded system to find patterns within each group. These patterns were then compared to determine similarities and differences. Four common themes emerged from the interviews: (a) the main causes of school violence were bullying, substance abuse, low socioeconomic level, and a bad home environment, (b) peer pressure and lack of communication were perceived to lead to school violence, (c) the most frequent occurring acts of school violence were fighting, arguing, teasing, and hitting (d) the most serious acts of school violence were holding people against their will, fighting, and bullying. Findings confirmed that a difference emerged within three of the groups pertaining to who was to be held responsible for the safety of students. As a result of random acts of violence, two beneficial changes occur. First, the adult community is forced to collaborate and communicate about a topic never experienced before. Second, the students learn to rely on each other for support. Social change implications include changes in county policies and practices by establishing new measures related to school safety that protects school children.

In China, low-income and first generation college students in private institutions are faced with adversities which undermine their educational outcome. Since the previous researches are mainly deficit-focused, the researcher conducted an investigation which put emphasis on the students’ successful educational outcome in order to round out the knowledge of this problem. The researcher employed a qualitative multiple case study to explore how three students accomplished educational resilience despite their hardships. The researcher findings suggested that: 1) Internal locus of control, career and academic planning, financial aids, job-related experience, and rational occupational aspiration contribute to students’ educational success; 2) The primary risks that the low-income and first-generation college students undergo in private college are lack of social connection, psychological maladjustment and financial hardships; 3) The protective factors offset the risk and produce educational success; 4) The protective factors contribute to educational resilience by interacting one another. The findings have implications for national policy makers, college administrators and teachers. Future studies are suggested to include students of public institutions and explore the interaction between internal and external protective factors by conducting quantitative design.

<p> This dissertation explores the need for critical transformative leaders who critique oppression within schools and have a desire for social justice. This study attempts to learn more about the principal practices that maintain or disrupt the status quo and what ritual patterns emerge in relation to the work of principals. Two public elementary school principals were observed over the course of a three-day period to better understand the challenges that critical transformative leaders face in the field of education. Four lessons emerged regarding the ritual patterns of principals studied: (a) an emphasis on solidarity, which creates ends that support status quo practices and restricts the development of dialogue centered on social justice issues, (b) the need to expose the hidden curriculum through praxis and work toward liberation, (c) a limited resistance in leadership practice, and (d) that a theoretical understanding of social justice leadership is not enough for transformation to occur in schools. The lessons learned in this study suggest that the neoliberal influences placed upon public schools and public school principals are a major obstacle preventing principals from doing critical transformative work. Furthermore, the academic coursework that principals are involved in is not a sufficient condition for doing critical transformative work. These themes suggest that there is a great need to find ways to open dialogue amongst principals, school staff, parents, and those who make policy decisions so that these groups can begin examining oppressive conditions in schools. Reflection and action against unjust policies are essential to aspects of praxis for which dialogue can be used as a vehicle for change.</p>

<p> Political advocacy is comprised of speaking on the behalf of a cause or participating as part of a political action group (Weerts, Cabrera, &amp; Sanford, 2010). Because state financial support for public higher education has not been maintained at previous levels, higher education (HE) institutions have been recruiting alumni in an attempt to win state appropriations. As discovered by Avery (2012), very little research exists on the role of alumni associations in political advocacy efforts. In this study, a quantitative research approach was conducted to gather data on D1 public college and university alumni associations. The instrument utilized in this study was an online survey. Executive directors of alumni associations were invited to partake in the political advocacy survey over a 30-day period. The majority of alumni association executive directors reported their alumni association played a minor role in political advocacy. The largest group of alumni directors stated their associations had been politically active for more than 20 years. The most used tactic in political advocacy efforts was email. The least used tactic was to organize and hold public demonstrations. Data were collected for alumni associations nationwide and were compared by region of the country where each alumni association primarily operated. A majority of alumni directors said they did not collaborate with other colleges and universities. Even fewer alumni directors admitted collaborating with non-profit organizations or corporations. Alumni directors were asked to rate their level of support from the two major political parties in state legislatures. Ratings were assigned for political parties, HE committee members, and party leaders. Overall, Democrats and Republicans were rated somewhat similar except in the descriptive options of very supportive and unsupportive.</p>

<p> The goal of this study was to allow high school graduates who attended both traditional and alternative education schools to speak about their experiences in both schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school graduates who attended an alternative school and explore how they made meaning of their experiences. </p><p> This research was a basic, qualitative study exploring the voices of graduates. All graduates spent at least nine weeks in an alternative school to be deemed fully able to gauge their experience in an alternative school. Interviews were semi-structured and in-depth, allowing the graduates to speak freely in response to the questions. The graduates were also asked to write a letter to a student who may have been in the same situation they were in before being attending the alternative school. A set of a priori codes was developed before interviewing, which was based on information from the literature. </p><p> The findings of the interviews and letters provided rich information as to the importance of alternative education. A recurring theme observed in the results was the impact of instructional personnel on their experience at both the traditional and alternative high schools. Graduates credited the environment to their success, both in terms of the physical and emotional feeling in the building. When asked about making meaning of their experience, four themes emerged from the participants in their interviews: the way the graduates viewed themselves and others at the alternative school, their self-evaluation, their determination, and the role of their family. </p><p> This research can provide practical applications in the field of education. Principals and educational administrators can use this research to help students in alternative high schools, using the information to design programs to fit the needs of their students based on the information provided by the graduates. Teachers at both traditional and alternative schools can use this research to help them reach students who may be struggling as the graduates in this study did.</p>

<p>This study examined the interrelationships between principal beliefs and expectations on the principal&rsquo;s capacity to create the conditions for equity and excellence that result in increased student achievement for all students. The study population consisted of three elementary school principals with demonstrated success in increasing student achievement for all students in the selected schools during the fall and winter of the 2015&ndash;2016 academic year. Data included semi-structured interviews, participant shadowing, and artifacts observed or collected during the study period. Using the portraiture methodology, collected data informed the development of portraits of the participants to answer the research question &ldquo;How do personal beliefs, organizational structures, and decision-making processes influence principal practice in leading for equity?&rdquo; The study found that these three principals demonstrated democratic ethical leadership practices influenced by their personal and professional experiences. The research concluded with the construction of parallels between principal beliefs and the organizational structures and processes they employ to support equity and excellence for all students. </p>

<p> The study was designed to understand the role that the school leadership team (SLT) plays in fostering practices consistent with organizational learning. The study population included five administrators and eight teacher leaders in a large, comprehensive high school in a mid-Atlantic school district. A qualitative case study approach was employed, purposively selecting a site where the SLT members were intentionally involved in distributed leadership based on expertise. The findings indicated that SLT members engaged in four practices associated with improved teaching, all of which, past research suggests, are also aligned with organizational learning: providing feedback, engaging in collaborative decision-making, building positive relationships, and focusing on student results. Collaborative roles facilitated collegial discourse about teaching practices and built a culture of trust among members of the SLT. Collaborative structures supported common goals, values, and norms. Further, fostering a collaborative environment supported knowledge building and the development of shared ideas about teaching and learning. The school&rsquo;s administration, including a strong collaborative principal, provided leadership and support for the work of the SLT throughout the study.</p>

<p> Researchers have explored various antecedents to teacher efficacy in an effort to shape leadership practice to promote this elusive construct. This study was conducted as a meta-analysis of the extant literature regarding principal leadership and teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy. After a comprehensive search, a sample of 29 studies were determined to have met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. These studies referenced Bandura&rsquo;s theory of self-efficacy as a theoretical framework and tested a correlation between teacher efficacy and principal leadership.</p><p> The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of how much, if at all, principal leadership affects teachers&rsquo; sense of self-efficacy. The research questions for this study were as follows: (a) To what extent is school principal leadership associated with teachers&rsquo; sense of teaching efficacy? and (b) Does the relationship between school principal leadership and teachers&rsquo; sense of teaching efficacy vary as a function of the measured leadership constructs? (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify the challenges faced by rural school superintendent/principals and the corresponding strategies used to mitigate those challenges. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.) </p>