Historically, education in the United States has been tailored to fulfill the needs of White students. As the Latina/o population increases in the United States, we must prepare teachers and school administrators to provide opportunities for an equal education for minority students of all races, cultural backgrounds, or ethnicities. School leadership plays an important role in the effectiveness of educational access for minority students. Leaders must review and modify their practices to ensure that minority students have the opportunity to be productive citizens in our society. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the characteristics of effective high school Leaders of Color and White leaders for Latina/o students in secondary schools and to provide recommendations for further investigation. This study revealed findings related to culturally responsive school leadership for Latina/o student success, with leaders of Color and White allies reporting different perspectives on equity leadership.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 3, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 208-227).

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This thesis examines South African policies addressing gender inequality in education management, and interrogates whether or not these policies made a difference to the career route of women principals of secondary schools. The under-representation of women in education management has been a long observed problem in many countries including South Africa. A number of initiatives have been put in place to address this issue but little improvement is seen in the South African situation in education management. The purpose was to understand why women are still under represented in school management and to learn from their experiences. The study used data from three sources. Firstly, policy documents and practices were analysed in terms of their symbolic, regulative and procedural functions. Secondly, the personal accounts of 28 women principals in KwaZulu-Natal who had been appointed after 1994 were collected through the use of extended interviews, and thirdly, interviews were conducted with key officials and members of School Governing Bodies that had participated in the selection of principals. The data generated were analysed at two levels in order to understand the factors constraining the participation of women in education management. At the micro level, I use the 'management route model' as an analytical framework that identifies the three phases women principals go through in their career route, namely anticipation, acquisition and performance (van Eck and Volman, 1996). The model reveals that factors influencing women's career paths into management are very complex and based firstly on the individual agency where women grapple with more internal issues such as professional qualifications and experience, aspirations, lack of ambition and family responsibilities. Secondly, these factors are at the organisational level where women suffer discrimination at the recruitment and selection processes, and lack of institutional support through mentoring and sponsorship. Thirdly, it is the social level, which involves the cultural discourses in which women operate. These discourses include sex role stereotypes that inform the social expectations about the role of men and women in society. On the macro level, I use feminist theory to interpret and understand the women's experiences and findings in general. The findings reveal that policy interventions put in place since 1994 to close the gender gap were mostly informed by liberal feminism that focused on affirming women in order to gain access into the school management without tackling the social practices that are defined by sex role socialisation and which therefore continue to work subtly and insidiously towards the discrimination of women. I conclude that although the liberal feminist interventions that have been put in place have been useful to some extent, the problems impeding women's full participation in education management cannot only be tackled at a policy level because this attempt leaves the most problematic social practices intact. However, I argue for policy and legal intervention as a starting point to combat the gender crisis in a society that has inherited so much inequality. While I acknowledge that women of all races in South Africa have all been negatively impacted upon by the historical and traditional values and expectations on the role of women and men in society, I argue that the situation has been worse for women of the Black African race, who suffered dual oppression in terms of gender and race. The study proposes the need to look beyond provision of legal and democratic reforms and more into social practices that prevent legal reforms from reaching the desired goals. Social structures and cultural practices that hamper the greater representation of women should be dealt with in order to allow women freedom to participate in discourses where their choice is not informed by gender subordination. / Theses (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

'Gender imbalances in the school governance' was studied in two schools and amongst community members of Umbumbulu, a rural area, and 60 kilometres from Durban in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Data collected from the study reveal that governance structures of the studied schools are male dominated with men holding highest positions and women in middle or lower ranks. The status quo in the two schools is found to be reflective of the Umbumbulu community's cultural beliefs. There are entrenched beliefs regarding which gender should hold management positions, rather than what constitutes and is required for good leadership. The study found that although there are other factors that lead to gender imbalances, the overriding one is the fact that the culture and beliefs that the community subscribes to is highly gendered and stereotypical. In turn policies formulated e.g. selection and hiring policies reflect a low regard for women and practically discriminate against them. It is found that the trend leads to problems, which affect the entire schooling system. Most respondents are aware of the imbalances and are not content with them but do not commit in bringing about change. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This study presents the significance of primary and secondary school funding in the State of New Hampshire and its related effects on the University System. Two main research questions are examined. Does the primary and secondary school funding structure impact University System of New Hampshire funding? What impact has the debate around the terms "adequate" and "equitable" had on educational funding? Comparisons between primary and secondary school funding and the University System of New Hampshire funding are examined.With New Hampshire's unique history and large Legislative body, educational funding at all levels can become an often discussed topic. A seventy-five person sample is analyzed and presented in the thesis; as are recommendations for further study. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the perceptions of Indiana’s special and general education administrators and teachers regarding service delivery and instructional models used with secondary students with emotional disabilities (ED) and the transitional outcomes for this population of students. Study participants were provided an electronic survey using Ball State’s inQsit software program. Demographic data (i.e. age, gender, and ethnicity) were collected along with school size and educational roundtable location. Study participants were asked to report which service delivery (placement) and instructional (personnel) models were currently being used with their students with ED and also what transitional outcome (i.e. graduating with a diploma) best summarized their students with emotional disabilities. Respondents rated the effectiveness of current placements and personnel used with their students using a Likert-type scale. The study found that administrators and teachers regardless of specialty area perceived their students with ED being educated in the regular classroom or resource room. They also indicated this service delivery model was effective. In regards to personnel, the teacher with paraprofessional support was still reported as the dominant choice for instructional model and was perceived as being effective. Respondents also reported that their students with ED were leaving school with a diploma or certificate of completion. However, over 15% of respondents indicated their students with ED were dropping out of school. The study recommended follow up research to investigate current curriculums used to provide instruction to students with emotional disabilities. Survey participant size (n=245) was considered too small to make generalizations, but the study provides useful insight into potential future research. / Department of Special Education

This study described and analyzed the experiences of administrators in six Indiana school corporations that adopted a school-year budget under authorization provided by Public Law 50 (PL 50-1996). The study had the following objectives: (a) to identify reasons why school corporations became involved in the pilot project, (b) to determine what happened as a result of the pilot project, (c) to determine if the pilot project was perceived as successful by the school officials in the pilot group, and (d) to identify recommendations of superintendents and business officials about further use of a fiscal year budget in Indiana school corporations. A qualitative research methodology was used in this study. Data collection consisted of interviews with superintendents and business officials in the pilot group during January 2000.The administrators joined the pilot group because they believed all Indiana school corporations would eventually convert to a fiscal year budget and that their experiences would facilitate the conversion. They supported the concept of a fiscal year budget because it was congruous with the school-year. During implementation of the fiscal year budget, the administrators felt abandoned and did not receive the support they expected. Yet, based on their experiences with a fiscal year budget, the administrators supported a conversion to a fiscal year budget for all school corporations. Administrators recommended the state phase-in a fiscal year budget for other non-pilot school corporations.These findings suggest that administrators had valid reasons for joining the pilot group. In addition, administrators viewed the absence of key leaders at the state level as problematic for the pilot project. Based on the evidence, it appears that a fiscal year budget produced the following advantages for the participating corporation administrators: (a) allowed for better tracking of expenditures, (b) required less work to determine the cost of a school-year program, (c) allowed for more freedom in the summer, and (d) provided for a less stressful year-end. The success of the pilot group did not produce support for fiscal year budgets from either non-pilot school corporation officials or from state officials. Recommendations for piloting policy change and for further study on fiscal year budgets are included. / Department of Educational Leadership

Students with learning disabilities have been attending postsecondary education in increasing numbers since the early 1990’s. Improvements in secondary education services, legal rights to reasonable accommodations, and college services for these students have been credited with this increase (Browning, 1997; Flexer, Simmons, Luft, & Baer, 2005; Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006; PL 93-12, Wilkinson & Rund, 2000). Legal mandates have stressed that secondary service providers must create services that prepare these students for adult life and postsecondary education options (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004). This study examined the perspective of secondary teachers/administrators and postsecondary service providers in Indiana to determine their awareness and perception of key skills related to postsecondary success for students with learning disabilities in institutions of higher education. Factors examined were related to academic, social, self-determination/advocacy, and emotional readiness. / Department of Special Education