Faculty members at a rural elementary school in a southeastern U.S. state have implemented a student leadership program called Leader in Me (LIM) in order to address increased behavioral disruptions and declining academic achievement scores and also better prepare students for the workforce. To determine the efficacy of the intervention, a mixed methods bounded case study of LIM was conducted. Watson's and Hull's theories of behaviorism support the objectives of the program. The focus of the research questions was on determining whether students' behavior, academic achievement, and leadership skills had changed based on their participation in the program. Quantitative data consisted of standardized test scores in the areas of reading and mathematics, administrative records, and a faculty survey. Qualitative data consisted of 10 interviews, which were conducted with a stratified purposeful sample of 3rd through 5th grade teachers participating in the program at the school. Quantitative data were analyzed using analysis of variance while qualitative data were coded and analyzed for common themes. Using these methods, a significant decrease in the instances of negative classroom behaviors was noted in relation to an increase in leadership behaviors of students in the LIM program. Interview data revealed the presence of a positive culture of leadership and learning in the classroom. Based on study findings, a policy recommendation paper advocating adoption of the leadership program was created. Adoption of the LIM program may help educators in better preparing students to be responsible individuals who use their leadership skills to positively impact their own learning and school and community cultures.

Abstract MAKING LEADERS: EXAMINING HOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF LEADERSHIP AND SHOW EMERGING LEADERSHIP TENDENCIES By Sarah E. Evans, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Director: Whitney Sherman Newcomb, Ph.D. Professor, Educational Leadership The purpose of this study was to understand how young children develop skills and concepts of leadership, when nurtured in a developmentally appropriate manner. Leadership was defined as a process that people use to bring out the best in themselves and others, while working towards a common purpose. This study examined a leadership curriculum, The Leader in Me, as it was being taught in an elementary school, grades K-5. The researcher used a qualitative lens to understand parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of the program, and the study findings indicated that The Leader in Me was used as both a way to teach leadership and for behavior modification. Teachers reported teaching leadership through direct instruction, informal instruction, curriculum materials, and practice. In addition, the children’s leadership behaviors were analyzed through the transformational leadership model to find The Leader in Me resulted in attempting to make transformational leaders. The children showed signs of transformational leadership through the behaviors of the 4 I’s: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The data further showed positive gains in school culture, leadership development, and personal growth. Standardized testing pass rates were examined, but the researcher found the leadership program had no discernable impact on student achievement. This study found that there is merit in looking to our nation’s educational system to support the intentional process of developing leaders in schools. Keywords: leaders, leadership, leadership development in children, The Leader in Me, 7 Habits, transformational leadership

Title of the Master 's Thesis: ,,7 habits - action research in the primary school" Summary: The topic of my diploma thesis is ,,7 habits - action research in the primary school". The text is divided into two parts. In the first part I have defined the basic terminology used in the work and then I have focused on the classification of 7 habits. I have concentrated on the description of 7 habits of Happy kids and critically discuss about the implications of learning them in the primary school. In the practical part I have template to connect the information about 7 habits of Happy kids and programme The Leader in Me with their didactic usage in the lessons with a group. Key words: habits, self - management, leadership, action research, The Leader in Me

Character education has increased over the past years to build student character in such a way that students are more successful and teachers spend maximal time for classroom instruction as well as minimal time with behavioral concerns. If a student experiences positive character traits and practices success in earlier grades, then it is logical to assume that the positive habits he or she establishes will transfer into the upper grades. However, very few studies have determined whether positive habits established in early grades will continue to bring success in subsequent grades. The purpose of this study was to examine the success of students in subsequent years after they were taught character traits and 21st-century skills in elementary school using The Leader in Me program. Previous research indicates a lack of studies that measure results after students leave the program setting. The main question for this study was the following: Do middle school students who have received instruction in The Leader in Me program for two years during elementary school show more improvement on selected measures of student behavior and academics than students who have not received such instruction? In order to determine the success of the program, the researcher reviewed discipline referrals, attendance records, and cumulative grade point averages (GPA) for reading and math students in grades six and seven. Independent samples t-tests were performed on the data sets to find relationships between the treatment population who had received The Leader In Me instruction for two or more years during elementary school and the control population who had not received any instruction in The Leader in Me during elementary school. Descriptive statistics showed fewer discipline referrals for the treatment group, but the numbers were not statistically significant. The results of the study showed a significant difference in attendance between the two groups. The students who had been instructed in The Leader in Me missed significantly fewer days than those who had not been instructed. Reading and math GPA did not show a significant difference for either group. / Ed. D.

School leaders face increasing demands related to student achievement. These demands involve annual data reporting related to overall student, school, and district success. In Florida, this accountability and transparency requirement is addressed through an annual school grading system. It is essential that leaders utilize successful programs that directly influence positive student outcomes and demonstrate high quality education. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a youth leadership development program, specifically The Leader in Me (TLIM) program, on school grades. Based on data obtained from 16 public elementary schools across Florida, a repeated measures ANCOVA analysis revealed that no statistically significant differences in the mean school grade percentages were observed between schools that implemented TLIM and schools that did not utilize the program. In addition, no significant differences were noted in the mean school-wide achievement scores on state mandated assessments in the areas of English/Language arts, mathematics, and science. Furthermore,regression analysis revealed that the percentage of students identified as minority, the percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, and the percentage of students reported as chronically absent significantly influence school grades. A review of the existing literature related to The Leader in Me, staff and student leadership, and the study variables follows, as well as a discussion of the findings and implications for future practice and research.

TITLE: The program "The Leader in Me" as one of the methods for personal development of primary school pupil AUTHOR: Lenka Ioannidis SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Tereza Krčmářová, Ph. D. ABSTRACT: This study is focused on the implementation of the program "The Leader in Me" in elementary schools. Theoretical part is an approach to self- management within primary education. The research section includes current picture of program implementation, "The Leader in Me" in the Czech Republic. The outcome of this work is an original designed leisure activity elaborated on the theme of The 7 Habits. KEYWORDS: self-management, action research, case study, Program "The Leader in Me", Personal and social development, 7 habits, S. R. Covey.

This thesis examines the educational program "The leader in me" and its functioning within the first grades of elementary school. The thesis is divided into three chapters - theoretical, analytical and practical. The first theoretical part introduces the program and defines and explaines the term "habit". The outcomes of the first presented chapter focus on the interconnections between self-management and the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education. The analytical part summarizes experiences and results gathered during researching the sample elementary school A.B. Combs and other schools that use the examined program in their classrooms. This has been achieved based on the analysis of Czech and foreign resources. The last practical part presents a qualitative survey, whose main objective was to reflect on teaching practices that have been based on methods of self- management and on knowledge gained in the theoretical part of this thesis.