<p> Secondary educators must be knowledgeable in their content while increasing the academic literacy of their students, a process further complicated when working with students who are long-term English learners (LTELs). This mixed-methods study explored the knowledge, practices, and perceptions of six secondary teachers working to develop the academic literacy of LTEL students in content-specific classrooms. Set within a sociocultural framework, the study provides a greater understanding of the challenges and successes educators experience when working at the secondary level with students with diverse learning needs. The data were collected in two phases. Phase I included a quantitative survey of teachers, designed to acquire demographic information from participants who met the inclusion criteria: educators who taught a content-specific course and had a minimum population of 10.7% LTEL students in at least one of their classes. These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Phase II consisted of qualitative one-on-one interviews, classroom observations, and follow-up interviews. Data analysis for Phase II included transcribing the interviews and taking notes on emerging themes. </p><p> Qualitative data were also provided by the classroom observations using the Observation Protocol for Academic Literacies. Notes created in each of the classrooms were coded by themes and used in the creation of profiles for each educator. Themes that emerged through the one-on-one interviews and classroom observations were used to create questions for the follow-up interviews. Findings add to the body of research regarding content-specific secondary teachers&rsquo; knowledge and perceptions about the academic literacy development of their LTELs.</p><p>

<p> This study surveys the knowledge base of culturally responsive instruction (i.e., culturally relevant, responsive, sustaining, revitalizing, and reality pedagogies) and consolidates them under the term Culturally Agile Pedagogies (CAPs). CAPs are defined as theories, principles, and methods of teaching that require the mutual understanding, valuing, and use of teachers' and students' linguistic and cultural identities to inform instruction and optimize learning. This study engages teachers who have been identified by their principals as exceptionally culturally responsive and helps those teachers reconcile their practice with empirically supported instructional strategies. This study uses culturally responsive instruction literature, a teacher questionnaire, lesson observations, and teacher interviews to develop and present a tool that might be used to identify and assess expertise in CAPs. This tool is the CAPs Practices Expertise Scale. The tool development process measures the teachers' shift from an intuitive sense of justice in teaching toward a more formal knowledge of CAPs practices. This new teacher learning is then applied to refine the tool so it more accurately describes observable instructional practices in the classroom.</p><p>

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore self-efficacy in teacher educational leadership and its connection to burnout as perceived by teacher-leaders in a confined small suburban school district.</p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> This research followed a qualitative case study research design. This approach allowed the researcher to interact extensively and intimately with the participants. This method also allowed the thorough exploration of phenomena through in-depth inquiry within a bounded system, time, place, or physical environment. Through semistructured interviews, the researcher was able to uncover the subtle personal understandings and perceptions of the teacher-leader participants in the real context. This helped the researcher gain insight into the relationships between the perceived self-efficacy of the participants and their experiences of burnout. Including the voices of the participants in the real context deepened the researcher&rsquo;s understanding of the participants&rsquo; experiences as teacher-leaders.</p><p> <b>Findings.</b> The findings of this study are consistent with prior research from Bandura&rsquo;s social cognitive theory and self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986, 1989, 1997, 2012). The researcher identified 11 themes that contribute to teacher-leaders&rsquo; perceived self-efficacy and feelings of burnout: (a) lack of organization at the district level, (b) credibility and broken trust, (c) administration turnover, (d) lack of funding to support the variety of programs, (e) lack of acknowledgement or recognition, (f) lack of student progress, (g) lack of support from colleagues due to broken relationships or friendships, (h) lack of clear expectations and communication, (i) loss of purpose, (j) lack of experience with a new task, and (k) lack of self-preparation. The researcher also found aspects distinctive to the participants of this school district, such as the substantial value the participants place on the friendships they have with their colleagues.</p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> This study adds to the knowledge base that identifies specific activities that organizations can implement to build the self-efficacy and capacity of their teacher-leaders and prevent teacher-leader burnout.</p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> District and school administration should explore ways to set the groundwork and help develop a financial framework to allocate resources that allow teacher-leaders the support they need to perform their work efficiently. In addition, administrators should design guidelines that promote inclusive behaviors in the organization to stimulate healthier work relationships and a support system for teacher-leaders. Finally, organizations should intentionally invest resources to create an environment at the workplace where the mental health of employees is nourished.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of leadership behaviors on youth specialist turnover in juvenile detention facilities. Youth specialist turnover causes financial burdens, staff shortages, and places incarcerated youth at risk for abuse (Minor et al., 2010). This quantitative study used a non-probability convenience sample of the superintendents and assistant superintendents of 37 juvenile detention centers in Ohio. In this study, the leadership behaviors of these juvenile detention leaders were self identified as possessing transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant leadership attributes using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader form 5X short. Two additional questions were included in the survey that measured youth specialist turnover rates for their respective detention centers. No statistically significant relationship existed between self identified leadership behaviors and youth specialist turnover. However, the safety of children confined in a detention center is dependent on the retention of quality youth specialists (Carter, 2014).</p><p>

abstract: Assessments at the international, national, state, and local levels demonstrate that students’ reading scores in Arizona lack growth. Current trends in education encourage teachers to engage in close reading as a strategy to help improve reading efficacy. The close reading process helps students learn how to analyze complex text. A mixed method study examined the effect of ten weeks of instruction in close reading on the reading comprehension skills of fifth grade students. Also examined were any differential effects of close reading on literary versus informational texts. Students in an upper income public school community were taught the specifics of close reading procedures approximately four days per week for about 30 minutes daily. Research-based procedures for close reading strategies were followed. Students self-reported changes in their use of strategies prior to receiving close reading strategies and again post-instruction. Six students were interviewed and responded to journal questions concerning their use of the close reading strategies to ascertain how they made meaning from text. Results suggest that close reading was beneficial in helping students to make academic achievements in overall reading comprehension, as well as growth in literary content. Data also reflected that students used close reading strategies to make meaning out of the text and used it to influence their overall reading comprehension. The discussion focused on the triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data and analyzed connections to current research. Also explored were implications for practice and future research, as well as limitations and the role of the researcher. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

abstract: This study assessed ways that culture influences our communication and the development of both professional and personal relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds. My goal was to provide the theoretical base and practical application of concepts that will improve overall effectiveness in communicating with members of different cultural groups across the globe. The action research involved in this project will ultimately guide my community of practice toward a critical understanding of the importance of increasing student’s social awareness through intercultural communication, awareness, discourse and action. This increased awareness will ultimately guide them to becoming architects of social change. The data analysis assessed the experiences of undergraduates at a major four-year University (ASU). The study also gathered responses to a questionnaire that measure perceptions and experiences of the campus cultural climate. The participants were students of various ages from Arizona State University. Results revealed significant differences between racial and ethnic groups on multiple dimensions of the campus cultural climate. The outcome was an intercultural communication class that advanced innovative intercultural communication curriculum that also provides students an opportunity to discuss cultural issues related to race, culture and social injustices. The research was aimed at finding ways to encourage student’s civic participation, activism, enlightenment, and inspiration to speak out, and be heard. Research Design: Mixed-methods research design involving the following data from one section of quantitative analyses (analysis of covariance) of pre-post surveys, qualitative analyses of semi-structured interviews, and analysis of student assignments. The innovation, as a whole, focuses on the improvement of diversity, activism, and increasing sociocultural learning and participation, with particular interest in understanding how academic programs are engaged in this activity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

abstract: This study addresses the problem of high school graduates with learning disabilities who are unprepared for higher education and the workplace because of limited exposure to career professionals and perceived barriers. The purpose of this study is to examine how a career exploration model, entitled CaMPs (Career Model Professionals) influences students’ career decision-making self-efficacy. CaMPs incorporates exposure to career role models, as well as career research and self-reflection. CaMPs proivides students with learning disabilities first-hand accounts of successful career professionals, to assist them in setting academic and career goals that are aligned to their personal strengths. This mixed methods study develops and evaluates a career based innovation for high school students and reviews the relationship between the innovation and students’ self-efficacy. Students completed a self-efficacy survey (Career Decision Self-Efficacy - Short Form: CDSE) before and after the implementation of the CaMPs program. A t-test comparing pre- and post-survey scores indicated that there was a significant increase in self-efficacy after completion of the program. Qualitative data revealed changes in students’ career interests and new considerations to their career preparation process after participating in the CaMPs innovation. This study will be useful in the development of career programs for high school students, particularly those with learning disabilities, to assist them in choosing and preparing for their future careers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

<p> The human experience occupies the central role in phenomenological research. In this interpretive phenomenological study, the researcher recruited and interviewed secondary school teachers from three public urban schools in the Pacific Northwest in order to have them describe their lived experiences that relate to instructing students affected by homelessness. The researcher used two semi-structured, conversational interviews with six participants who reflected on how their classroom experiences influenced their teaching, engagement strategies, emotional states, and student relationships. The conceptual framework for this study included: Homelessness in America, public school setting, impact of homelessness, and teacher perspective. In this study, the researcher identified gaps in pre-service teacher programs with regard to supporting the marginalized population of students affected by the homeless experience. The essence of the lived experience of the participants&rsquo; in this study is centered around a teachers&rsquo; drive to seek introspective reflection and gain knowledge, along with building positive relationships with their students, which leads to increasing engagement strategies with all students, including those affected with homelessness. Based on discovering the essence of the lived experience of educators who work with homeless adolescents in a public school, the researcher has begun to fill in the missing gap of literature and potentially assist educators to be more effective in supporting this marginalized population of students.</p><p>

<p> In 2014 the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) adopted the <i> Framework for Great Schools</i> to act as a gauge for measuring and monitoring school improvement. The amalgamation of this framework entails six components- two of which are the foci of this study: trust and strong family-community ties as it relates to the engagement of families. Educational research (Mapp &amp; Kuttner, 2013) has revealed the direct correlation of school improvement and student achievement with purposeful-intentional parent engagement. Therefore, this qualitative- comparative study explored school leaders&rsquo; capacity to address issues of impoverished and homeless families, their ability to foster trust and strong family-community ties with families and their protocol for progress monitoring and refinement. Participants in this study include six principals, four parents, four Students in Temporary Housing Liaisons (STHL) and two Community-based Organization representatives. All of these principals are affiliated with Title 1 elementary schools in NYC and Long Island which have a temporary housing population of 10% or greater. Data was collected using interview questions designed by the researcher, 3.4 indicator of NYC&rsquo;s 2015-2016 Quality Review Rubric and NYC&rsquo;s 2015-2016 Learning Environment (LE) survey. </p><p> This study focused on identifying leadership ability and embedded school cultures to answer three research questions: 1. How are school leaders addressing issues of poverty and homelessness faced by families of their student population? 2. What structures or partnerships have schools established to address the needs of this population of families? 3. How is or to what extent is the school building trust in creating strong family-community ties? </p><p> The findings of this study revealed that issues of poverty and homelessness hamper the building of trust and strong family- community ties. The contributing factors that are barriers to building trust and strong family-community ties are poor student attendance and parent involvement, immigration status, language/culture, negative experiences with schools, lack of communication and the disregard of parents as stakeholders. The barriers school leaders encountered vary from school to school thus their approaches to addressing the needs of families differed. Schools were most effective in meeting the needs of students and their families when they worked collaboratively with CBO partnerships and other agencies. This collaborative effort provided additional resources both human and financial to support addressing the needs of homeless and impoverished families. Lastly, protocols and methods used at the school level did not specifically measure trust and community-ties but success of activities or events that were geared toward families. </p><p>

<p> Instructional coaching has become a popular and widely-used form of professional development for educators. The influence instructional coaches have on individual teachers, students in classes where teachers are coached, and the general effectiveness of coaching programs can be complicated to decipher. This dissertation analyzed the instructional coaching arm of a program entitled Teachers Coaching Teachers (TCT), collaboratively created through a partnership with district leadership and a local teachers&rsquo; union. Two analyses were conducted. Pre and post instructional survey results from 139 teachers on instructional competency and job satisfaction, and student growth data from 30 teachers&rsquo; classes over the course of two years were analyzed using a first differencing statistical approach. In both studies, coaching was found to produce a statistically significant positive impact.</p><p>