<p> This study explored the perceptions that radiography faculty and students have of professionalism in health care. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand the substance and the meaning that radiography faculty and students give to professionalism. Learning professionalism in the imaging sciences necessitates emersion in authentic experiences, which the authors call "legitimate peripheral participation," so that skills and didactic knowledge gained in a classroom can be applied in real situations among a community of experts in a field of study (Lave &amp; Wenger, 1991). The research explored the perceptions that RT educators and students have of professionalism by asking the participants to define and describe professionalism and identify what aspects of the professional were meaningful to them. An anonymous survey and focus group discussions were used to gather the perceptions of the participants. The target population for the study was nine faculty members or instructors and ten students from the radiologic technology program of a private, not-for-profit, multi-campus university. These sets of participants were chosen because their firsthand knowledge and experiences of professionalism in the radiography program could aid in addressing the main research and sub-research questions. Both groups defined RT professionalism in terms of respect, empathy, and ethics. Important and meaningful aspects of professionalism included giving competent, compassionate patient care and assisting with diagnosis. The findings revealed that three major areas of professionalism in the imaging sciences must be addressed: interdisciplinary education, intradisciplinary education specifically around professionalism, and the development and implementation of specific competencies that encompass professionalism.</p><p>

<p> As a result of federal legislation (ESSA, 2015) accreditation ratings of elementary schools are based on the performance of third through fifth grade students on the end of year assessments in the content subjects of reading and math. As a result of these requirements schools that fail to meet these standards are identified as Accreditation Denied in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Once a school receives this designation certain requirements are mandated by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to assist in the improvement efforts toward accreditation. Two of these requirements are the implementation of a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan and the formation of a School Leadership Team. Schools and School districts implement a variety of approaches to the responsibilities of team members and the required components of school improvement planning. As a result of these approaches, toward school improvement processes and distributed leadership responsibilities, research confirms that when both are aligned with the needs of the school population improvement goals increase and accreditation ratings improve (Ahearn, 1998; Anfara et al., 2006; Benolieil, 2017; Bush &amp; Glover,2012; Cain &amp; Gunter,2012; Darling- Hammond et al., 1995; Dufour, 2004,2008; Elmore,2014; Fernandez,2011; Freeman &amp; Wilmes, 2009; Gronn,2000; Harris 2004,2008; hayge et al., 2014; Huber &amp; Conway,2015; Leithwood et al., 2004; Louis, 2015; Mintrop &amp; MacLellan,2002; Rigby,2013; Smylie,1992; Spillane, 2005; Wallace,2002). This study determined, through an instrumental case study, what the role of the school leadership team is in relation to the school improvement process in schools denied accreditation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The theoretical framework of distributed leadership was used as the foundation for the conceptual framework for this study. This study provides a systematic approach to the development of the school leadership team through the distributed leadership framework and professional development for the School Leadership Team in the Instructional leadership responsibilities in elementary schools denied accreditation.</p><p>

<p> Youth in foster care experience significant deficits in their educational journey due to their experienced trauma and involvement in the child welfare system. The unique challenges for this at-risk group include lags in academic progress, increased disciplinary and special education referrals, frequent mobility and transition in home and educational settings, and decreased opportunities for post-secondary education and employment. This study looks at these needs through the lens of Maslow&rsquo;s Hierarchy of Needs, that through fulfillment of lower-tier basic and psychological needs foster youth will reach the upper tier of self-actualization where learning can take place. Based on the idea that all foster youth have experienced some level of trauma, with many having experienced moderate to severe trauma, the researcher aimed to determine the types of trauma informed interventions which best met the needs of youth in foster care with a specific focus on an existing mentorship program. This study intended to determine whether this form of intervention adequately met the social-emotional and academic needs of foster youth. To this end, surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews were conducted with primary stakeholder groups of teachers, mentors, foster parents, and former foster youth over the age of 18. The results demonstrate positive effects from an on-site staff mentor, as long as they receive sufficient training in the specific needs of foster youth and understand the importance of confidentiality. With these concerns addressed, mentorship programs serve the unique needs of foster youth within the secondary academic setting.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the leadership attributes of special education central-office administrators. Using Senge&rsquo;s five disciplines of the learning organization and Marzano&rsquo;s 21 responsibilities of the school leader, this multicase study sought to discover the attributes of a special education leader. The focus of this dissertation study was to explore what leadership traits exist across systems-level special education leaders. </p><p> To understand special education leader engagement at the central-office level, interviews and observations were completed with special education leaders willing to participate in the research study. Additionally, each participant was required to submit a copy of his or her resume to the researcher. A multicase-study approach was used to analyze the attributes of each leader involved in the dissertation research. </p><p> The study analysis revealed that special education leaders in the State of Maryland demonstrate leadership attributes related to Senge&rsquo;s five disciplines of the learning organization and Marzano&rsquo;s 21 responsibilities of the school leader. Findings expanded the existing literature to include an analysis of special education leadership at a systems level.</p><p>

<p> This study found that current selective admission practices continue to reflect traditional norms of leadership in which title and prestige of organization are most valued, in part driven by increasing external pressure for quantification which emphasizes higher positions in prestigious or familiar organizations because they are easier to enumerate and are perceived as having higher status. </p><p> Professionals in this study were asked a series of questions to identify how leadership could be better defined and measured in their current practices. Eighteen constructs across the three categories of Personal Traits, Interpersonal Skills, and Capacities for Socially Conscious Behaviors were identified as preferred characteristics demonstrating good leadership. </p><p> Forms of cultural capital shared by admission officers in this study include having college-educated parents, being raised in a home where college was an expectation, and who had earned at least a bachelor's degree. Further, most had worked as an undergraduate in admission, residence life, orientation, or as a tour guide. </p><p> Several of those interviewed questioned if and in what ways their own biases impacted their evaluation of an application. There was a genuine desire to be objective but also to understand the student in her or his own context. This contrasts with Bourdieu, but does agree with Swartz (1997) who posits that habitus can be raised to a conscious level and therefore can be adaptive. </p><p> A final emergent finding addressed a gender dynamic in which female staff expressed concern that female students are less likely to explicate their accomplishments compared to male students. Another aspect of this unexpected finding about perceptions of leadership in the office revealed some staff felt adherence to traditional forms of hierarchical leadership minimized or even excluded opportunities for younger staff, particularly female, to share their insights and participate in decision-making.</p><p>

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-101). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-101). Also available on the Internet.

<p> This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of co-taught inclusion classrooms, using a case study design with descriptive and inferential statistics and survey data. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether or not students with mild/moderate disabilities experience greater academic growth from participating in full inclusion co-taught classrooms, than in non-co-taught inclusion classes. Research analysis was based on quantifiable data: summative or benchmark assessments, SRI tests, grades, attendance, discipline records, and survey data. This study focused on seventh- and eighth- grade co-taught inclusion classes containing students with mild/moderate disabilities at one junior high school within a large urban school district. The results indicated that co-taught students with mild/moderate disabilities demonstrated significantly greater growth than non-co-taught students with mild/moderate disabilities. The statistical analysis was supported by triangulating student attendance, grades, discipline records, and survey responses.</p>

<p> This study examines parents of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings within a school in the Northeastern United States. School districts have created programs to seek feedback from the parents of ASD students to improve disconnect and confusion. The study examines the parent point of view on the IEP meetings and seeks to gain information from the parents to improve a disconnection or confusion they may be feeling. The information secured in the research provided vital information for both parents and the School District to sustain or improve the overall interactions within the IEP team. The research data focused on the experiences of the parents. The research had completed 5 interviews and 26 questionnaires to gain study information. The parents felt secure and comfortable when teachers and special education staff included them in the meeting process. The parents felt lost, confused, and insignificant when communication was not used in the meetings. The study recommends workshops, training, and education to improve communication. The study recommends transparency, workload mapping, and accountability to improve the parent and teacher relationship. The study is a unique process which gives the parents a sounding board and a voice.</p>

<p>Service-learning, with a longstanding history in American higher education (Burkhardt &amp; Pasque, 2005), includes three key tenets: superior academic learning, meaningful and relevant community service, and persistent civic learning (McGoldrick and Ziegert, 2002). The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has created an elective classification system&mdash;Carnegie Community Engagement Classification&mdash;for institutions of higher education to demonstrate the breadth and depth of student involvement and learning through partnerships and engagement in the community (Dalton &amp; Crosby, 2011; Hurtado &amp; DeAngelo, 2012; Kuh et al., 2008; Pryor, Hurtado, Saenz, Santos, &amp; Korn, 2007). Community engagement &ldquo;is in the culture, commonly understood practices and knowledge, and (CCEC helps determine) whether it is really happening&mdash;rhetoric versus reality&rdquo; (J. Saltmarsh, personal communication, August 11, 2014). The study considers the applications of three Carnegie Community Engagement Classification designated institutions to understand the institutionalization of service-learning over time by examining the 2008 designation and 2015 reclassification across institution types&mdash;a Private Liberal Arts College, a Private Teaching University, and a Public Research University located in the same metropolitan area. Organizational Change Theory was used as a theoretical model. Case study methodology was used in the present qualitative research to perform document analysis with qualitative interviews conducted to elucidate the data from the 2008 and 2015 CCEC applications from the three institutions. Using intra- and inter-comparative analysis, this study highlights approaches, policies, ethos, and emerging concepts to inform how higher education institutions increase the quality and quantity of service-learning opportunities that benefit higher education practitioners as well as community leaders. </p>