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Thesis advisor: Andrew Miller / The purpose of this study is to investigate how Asian women educational leaders perceive their instructional leadership and the ways in which their racialized and gendered experiences impact their practices. This qualitative case study is anchored by the sympathetic instructional leadership framework that includes holding high expectations in a community context, keeping a focus on instruction, and managing critical negotiations with staff. This study was conducted in a predominantly white school district with stated goals for equity. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with Asian women building leaders and education leaders. Additionally, a survey was conducted across the district about how race and gender during the pandemic and our nation’s reckoning have either posed obstacles or opened opportunities for anti-racist work. The qualitative evidence collected about instructional leadership navigation led to the emergence of three main themes: these leaders lead by empowerment and mobilization, they lead through racism, and they focus on adult learning for instructional leadership. While the district survey found a high rate of anti-racist preparation and study on the part of the participants, Asian women leaders conducted more critical negotiations with colleagues than those surveyed across the district. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Traditional public-school settings are not meeting the needs of all students. Alternative educational settings have been established for students who struggled in traditional public schools. According to research by Beken et al. (2009); Cotton (2004); and Groves (1998), traditional schools often lack an understanding of social issues, positive peer relationships, personal interactions with teachers, and a school-wide emphasis on maturity and responsibility. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify leadership practices that alternative education leaders indicate are effective in increasing positive outcomes for students in alternative education programs. Alternative education program leaders from four public high schools in Southeastern Virginia were asked 11 interview questions regarding their leadership practices in developing and implementing an effective program and practices to increase alternative student outcomes as it relates to staff characteristics, attendance, positive behavior, and graduation rates. The alternative school leaders' interview responses were analyzed and coded for themes. The study findings suggest alternative educational program leaders who share their school vision, select competent and compassionate staff, and have an atmosphere of high academic expectations that foster positive relationships with at-risk students effectively increase positive outcomes for students in alternative education programs. The researcher proposes that the study's findings could contribute to research on best practices and strategies for promoting success in alternative education programs. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify leadership practices that alternative education leaders indicate are effective in increasing positive outcomes for students in alternative education programs. Alternative education program leaders from four public high schools in Southeastern Virginia were asked eleven interview questions regarding their leadership practices in developing and implementing an effective program and practices to increase alternative student outcomes as it relates to staff characteristics, attendance, positive behavior, and graduation rate. The study findings suggest alternative educational program leaders who share their school vision, select competent and compassionate staff. They have an atmosphere of high academic expectations that foster positive relationships with at-risk students effectively increase positive outcomes for students in alternative education programs. The researcher proposes that the study's findings could contribute to research on best practices and strategies for promoting success in alternative education programs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate East Tennessee State University alumni's perceptions of the effectiveness of internship experiences as students learned the PSEL and TILS standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for principalship. The participants obtained their administrative license and worked currently with an administrative license that is current in the state they reside. This research focused on the perception of the PESL and TILS standards, the effectiveness of the 540-hour internship experience, and the value of the site based and university mentor as the participants completed their activities in multiple settings. Findings supported that 16 out of the 17 ideas investigated had a strong positive significance, indicating they were highly supported by the data. These findings highlight the effectiveness of various aspects within aspiring principal preparation programs. Particularly noteworthy is the significance of internship experiences, which are guided by mentors from both the educational institution and the site of practice. This underscores the pivotal role these mentorship arrangements play in shaping future educational leaders. Findings revealed that participants in the program facilitated the practical application of the PESL and TILS Standards in preparation for assuming the role of a principal. Findings also supported the positive experience when participating in the 540 hours of internship hours required by the program.

This exploratory, qualitative multiple-site case study examined principals’ expectations of teaching practices and children’s learning for early elementary grade levels (K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd). Specifically, this study investigated principals’ understanding of developmentally appropriate practices regarding instructional methods, curriculum content, and assessment strategies. This study also examined how these constructs impact leadership decisions and offered contextual examples to exemplify their influence in real-life situations. Data collection included different school configurations (i.e., PreK-1st grade, PreK-3rd grade, K-5th grade, PreK-8th grade), and consisted of multiple data sources – school observations, teacher and principal interviews, questionnaires, teacher evaluations, a video clip, and artifacts. The twelve guidelines of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) and the Professional Standards of Educational Leaders (PSEL) provided a framework for thematic analysis. Results indicate principals have minimal training in early childhood pedagogy which may impact teacher evaluations and hiring practices. Results also suggest principals’ explicit leadership decisions conflict with DAP (utilization of external rewards, elimination of art, elimination of play, insufficient reporting measures, etc.). These leadership decisions may inhibit student growth, learning, and development including opportunities for self-regulation. Principals’ implicit leadership decisions may also be promoting inappropriate instructional practices (i.e., prescribed curriculum, teacher-directed whole group instruction, lengthy computerized testing, etc.), but data suggests external influences could be a factor as well. Policy implications and practice recommendations are included.

In educational institutions, employee turnover decreases productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In 2015, organizations lost $60 million in assets as the result of employee turnover. High employee turnover rates have an adverse influence on productivity, which leads to unsustainable business practices. Some college leaders lack strategies to reduce employee turnover and maintain sustainability. Using the motivation-hygiene needs (2-factor theory), the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies for-profit educational leaders used to reduce employee turnover and maintain sustainability in Florida. Participants were purposefully selected to ensure they had experience implementing effective employee turnover reduction strategies. The data collection was through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 managers and the review of organizational documents on employee turnover. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases, word frequency searches, and theme interpretation. The 3 themes that emerged were: Effective communication reduced employee turnover, creating a supportive work environment reduced employee turnover, and job satisfaction and competitive compensation decreased turnover. Reducing employee turnover contributes to social change by providing college leaders with valuable insight that can lead to improved organizational growth, enhanced sustainability, and increased profitability. A reduction of employee turnover might help leaders provide new employment opportunities and promote prosperity for local families and the community.

This study gives a historical analysis of the life and career of John F. Walvoord. He has served Dallas Theological Seminary for over fifty years in various capacities. The process of gathering information included a review of literature, a review of the institutional records of the Seminary, and a systematic search of the Archives, providing a chronological history of personal correspondence from the Office of the President from 1924 through 1954. An interviewing process concluded the study and served as the means of evaluation and review.

This thesis presents an interpretative study of an Australian offshore education program in educational leadership conducted at Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China from 2002 to 2003. It is a study of the influence of international education on the conceptions of the participants in a particular context, where Chinese culture and Western cultures came into contact. The study is significant because it investigated a relatively new aspect of international education, offshore education, this time from the perspective of the participants. It explored the conceptions of learning and leadership brought by a group of Chinese educational leaders to the course and investigated the perceived influence of the course upon their conceptions and self-reported leadership practice. It employed a culturally sensitive approach which recognizes that a complex interaction between Chinese and Western cultures is occurring in the participants of this study. This interpretative study was inspired by the phenomenographic approach. Phenomenography is an approach to research that has been used to help understand the key aspects of the variations in the experiences of groups of people (Marton & Booth, 1997). The study examined the experiences and understandings about learning and leadership of Chinese leaders in an offshore program, a Master of Educational Leadership. The program was delivered in a flexible mode in three intensive teaching brackets of six subjects. The study employed a semi-structured and in-depth interview technique. Twenty participants were interviewed twice over a 12-month period. The study sought a better understanding of their conceptions by making a comparison between their perceptions prior to and after undertaking the course. Participants were from schools, universities and educational departments. Potential differences across the three sectors were also considered in the analysis. The findings showed that most participants developed more complex understandings of learning and leadership throughout the course. Comparison of conceptions prior to and after the course indicated an expanded range of conceptions. There was reportedly a movement towards more complex and diversified perspectives. Prior to the course, participants reported comparatively traditional conceptions of learning and leadership in quite a limited range. Learning experience and exposure to Western educational ideas and practices seems to have led participants to reflect on their inherited assumptions and to expand their conceptions. They generally increased their awareness of key aspects of variations in learning and leadership. This study identified a general shift from content/utilitarian-oriented learning conceptions to meaning/developmental-oriented conceptions after undertaking the course. There was also a shift from task/directiveorientated conceptions about leadership to motivation/collaborative-oriented leadership conceptions. Many participants reported that they expanded their leadership practice after the course. The findings also revealed some differences regarding conceptual and practice changes across the three sectors. The study contributes to understanding of learning and leadership in an international education context. The learning and leadership conceptions and self-reported practices are context and culture dependent. The study illustrates the tensions between different cultural forces in the process of teaching and learning. The methodology which explores the subjective understandings of participants renders more complex understandings of intercultural processes than cross-cultural comparisons which have been predominant in the educational leadership field in the past. The results highlight the need for appreciation of local contexts in designing international programs. The discussion questions the universal applicability and transferability of Western ideas, and also highlights the importance of critical reflection and adaptation on the part of educational practitioners from non-Western cultures. It highlights the potential for growth of change in both providers and recipients of international education as a result of very different cultures and traditions coming into contact. Intercultural dialogue and integration of educational ideas and practices are likely to come about when East meets West in an open and reflective dialogue.

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This mixed-methods study was conducted to explore the professional opinions of educational leaders regarding selected components in the Race to the Top (RTTT) grant concerning teacher evaluation and compensation and the potential impact on student achievement. A target university was selected that had students who were professionals in the field of education in either instructional or administrative jobs and were pursuing their doctorates in both Education and Educational Leadership. A researcher created survey and follow-up interview were utilized to gather both quantitative and qualitative data for analysis. Quantitative findings revealed that statistically significant differences in the opinions of educational leaders about the potential impact of the RTTT grant teacher evaluation and compensation components on student achievement existed between two types of professional classification (instructional or administrative). No statistically significant relationship was found between self-reported knowledge of the RTTT and opinions of the fairness of the RTTT teacher evaluation and compensation components. Also, no statistically significant difference was found in the professional opinions about the potential impact of the RTTT grant teacher evaluation and compensation components on student achievement when self-reported school poverty percentage was considered. From qualitative findings, themes emerged surrounding the uncertainty and lack of understanding about the RTTT grant’s implementation. Though this study provided baseline data on the opinions of educational leaders on the RTTT teacher evaluation and compensation components, there is still much to be learned about the RTTT grant.