<p>The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of trained and untrained school administrators toward inclusive education initiatives. The &ldquo;Principal&rsquo;s Inclusion Survey,&rdquo; developed by Cindy Praisner and G.H. Stainback, was distributed electronically to 3,250 school administrators in the southeast region of the United States and a quantitative study approach using a convenience sampling methodology was used to test the research hypotheses. In this study, the following research question was answered: What is the difference in the attitudes toward inclusion of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education? The following research hypotheses were the primary focus of the research: H1 There is a difference in the special education attitudes of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education toward inclusive education initiatives. H0 There is no difference in the special education attitudes of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education toward inclusive education initiatives. The results of the study indicated that there is no difference between trained and untrained administrators&rsquo; attitudes toward inclusive education initiatives based on their special education training. Therefore, the analyses of the data resulted in failure to reject the null hypothesis. Implications for practice based on the results of this study can be applied to university administrator training programs, school district administrators, educational leaders, and state and federal departments of education. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of alumni&rsquo;s perceptions of the impact and effectiveness of field education on their professional/career preparations for full-time ministry. The theoretical framework for this study, David Kolb&rsquo;s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle, identified the key elements upon which an effective field education program might be structured and provided a framework through which to analyze alumni&rsquo;s perceptions of the career/professional preparation they received. </p><p> This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of 18 recent alumni to understand their perceptions of the development of their career capacities as they relate to the role and responsibilities of a Salvation Army officer. The participants were all recent alumni of the Salvation Army&rsquo;s College for officer Training (USA Western Territory) and were selected based on their age and time since graduation. </p><p> Three main themes emerged: Meaningful Experiences, Attitudes, and The Field Supervisor. The alumni&rsquo;s meaningful experiences included hands-on opportunities to test and apply the theory learned in the classroom, insight to the role and responsibilities of the corps officer, and exposure to new and/or different expressions and traditions of worship and service to the community. Additionally, though alumni were divided on their attitudes towards tasks that were more menial, it was, ultimately, this attitude that determined the perceived value of that experience for both learning and ministry. To fully benefit from their field education opportunities, alumni had to be self-directed in their learning and make a conscious decision to want to learn, see value in experiences, and engage in reflection on their experiences. Finally, field supervisors not only determined the experiences that are offered, but their willingness to invest in the learning experiences of the alumni (being available for shadowing and observation, and providing feedback) was critical to the effectiveness of the field training experience. </p><p> Recommendations for policy and practice include the selection of appropriate field education locations, orienting and preparing the students for their field education experiences, selecting and preparing/training practitioners in the field to be effective field supervisors, and some best practices for field education programs.</p>

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Liberty University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 106 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-93).

<p> The development of student voice is included under the social and emotional learning (SEL) umbrella and is the focus of this practitioner action research study with a youth cooperative co-inquiry component. The research was designed to develop a thorough understanding of student and faculty perceptions of the prioritization of student voice for the creation and implementation of advising curriculum that is relevant and useful to students, and the supports for and inhibitors to the development and practice of student voice through the school&rsquo;s advising program. </p><p> In this study, student voice is defined as the articulation (through words and behaviors) of one&rsquo;s sense of self (which includes one&rsquo;s identity, one&rsquo;s truth&mdash;including ideas, perspectives, and beliefs&mdash;and one&rsquo;s values). Student focus groups, faculty interviews, fieldnote journal entries, and archival data were collected and analyzed. Findings include the need for (1) a clear, shared vision that includes student and faculty voices, (2) strong and authentic mentor-mentee relationships, (3) distributed leadership, (4) ongoing faculty training and support, and (5) a dependable structure for regular and ongoing feedback. The implications of these findings for practice and research involve the relationship between a strong, distributed leadership model and the creation of authentic spaces for student voice.</p><p>

<p> Often considered the gateway to the middle class in the United States, community colleges are struggling to find ways to support all students in career planning and preparation. Unfortunately, increasing numbers of first generation students who enter community colleges through the door of open access, place into developmental education (remedial) courses and must satisfactorily complete this often-rigid sequence before beginning college level classes. For many first-generation, under-prepared, underresourced students, this is a frustrating and often insurmountable barrier, causing many students to abort their postsecondary training. </p><p> Creating intentional conditions and instructional strategies that support student learning is essential in increasing the number of first-generation, under-prepared and under-resourced students who enter and complete postsecondary training and degrees. Advancement via Individual Determination Higher Education (AVID HE) is one identified holistic support strategy showing positive trends in supporting this student population on one community college campus. </p><p> This study used a mixed methods approach which included both a statistical analysis of a treatment group in a combined reading/writing course called WR91 Mt Hood Community College AVID HE Learning Communities and two stand-alone reading/writing courses called RD90/WR90 courses, along with a case study qualitative methodology to investigate how AVID HE supports pre-college developmental education students to develop sufficient social capital to transition from non-credit (pre-college) to credited courses and programs.</p><p>

<p> Urban high school educators continue to struggle with providing quality educational experiences that meet students&rsquo; varying needs. Socio-economic status plays a powerful role in the educational opportunities afforded to students in the United States. Low socio-economic status can have an impact on the types of educational experiences students encounter, which, in turn, influences student performance. Howard suggested the residuals of poverty, limited access to medical care, low-income status, and homelessness affect a student&rsquo;s performance in school. Moreover, Gorski contended that low-income status students are likely to attend schools with inadequate resources and poorly trained teachers dealing with higher class sizes. </p><p> Using Purkey&rsquo;s invitational education and the Teacher Expectation Student Achievement (TESA) conceptual framework as lenses for analysis, this mixed-methods study sought to examine the effects of teacher expectations and eleventh grade student perceptions on student engagement. Through teacher interviews, this study evaluated the causal factors that have developed teacher perceptions in one urban high school. It describes possible misconceptions, deficit views, and biases that influence expectations and their impact on student performance outcomes. Through student surveys, this study also explored the relationship between student perceptions of their learning experiences in school, teachers, and themselves and their impact on student engagement in the classroom. </p><p> Teacher interviews and student survey results provided deep insight into the overall culture of their school. Interviews provided a forum where teachers shared their stories and expressed experiences that they believed shaped their expectations of the students they teach. Student responses about their school, teachers, and themselves provided the researcher with a deeper understanding of the influences that may help or hinder student engagement. </p><p>

<p> Leadership in the 21^st century continues to be an ongoing concern and challenge for leaders and followers alike. According to the Servant Leadership Theory (SLT), individuals with a natural desire to serve have the potential to become servant leaders, lead unselfishly, and demonstrate leadership through authenticity, humility and trustworthiness that focuses on the one-on-one relations with the follower (Greenleaf, 1977). The following research questions guided the study: (1) What are the servant leadership behaviors of GED graduates? (2) To what extent are the servant leadership behaviors of GED graduates affected by their selected demographic characteristics? </p><p> The study took place in South Texas. The GED participants (n = 75) were scholarship recipients of the Education is Our Freedom GED College Scholarship Program (EIOF). A 2-part survey instrument, the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), was developed by the researcher. The first part was designed to measure the servant leadership behaviors, utilizing a previously published instrument. The second part was designed to collect the selected demographic characteristics of the respondents. A web-based version of the SLQ was used for the purpose of data collection, utilizing Qualtrics survey software. A series of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze and report the data. Due to non-experimental nature of the study, no causal inferences were drawn. </p><p> The respondents were predominantly Hispanic and female, likely to be attending a 4-year university full-time and employed part-time. A typical participant was 27 years old. Analysis of the data showed that the study participants demonstrated agreement with serval leadership behaviors. Specifically, Conceptual Skills and Emotional Healing were ranked the highest, followed by Behaving Ethically, Creating Value, Helping Others Grow, Empowering Others, and Putting Others First. The behaviors were not impacted by the overwhelming majority of the respondents&rsquo; selected demographic variables that were investigated in the study. The three exceptions were age in association with Helping Others and years of attending college&rsquo;s associations with Empowering Behaviors and Putting Others First. </p><p> The study&rsquo;s findings are helpful in offering practical implications. For example, servant leadership training sessions can be developed for GED graduates to add to their leadership skills. Through practice of servant leadership behaviors, GED graduates may contribute to the society by giving of their time, energy, and resources to serve others. Practicing servant leadership may facilitate higher education, afford leadership opportunities within school and community, and ultimately provide a better quality of life. The GED graduates who exhibit and maintain leadership skills through authenticity, trustworthiness, and humility may likely to become exemplary servant leaders.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of student organization membership on the development of leadership practices among traditional-aged undergraduate students. Specifically, the influence academic-related student organizations have on the leadership development of its student officers and members. This quantitative study explored the transformational leadership behavior of student officers and members of academic-related student organizations at a large research I public university in the mid-west. The student version of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) was utilized to provide self-reported assessments of the leadership practices of the student organization officers, student organization members, and of students not involved in student organizations. </p><p> Analysis was completed to determine the level of practice of the five leadership practices identified by the Student Leadership Practices Inventory and to compare these levels of practice between students involved in academic-related student organizations and students who were not involved in a student organization. The study documented a significant difference for all five leadership practices between students who served as academic student organization officers and students who were not involved in a student organization. The results for the comparison between students who were members of an academic student organization and students who were not involved in a student organization found no significant difference for all five leadership practices identified by the Student Leadership Practices Inventory. </p><p> Analysis was also completed to determine any differences in leadership practice based upon sex. The majority of these comparisons showed no significant difference. However, there was a significant difference between student organization officers and students not involved in a student organization. Female student organization officers self-reported higher scores in the practices of Inspire a Vision, Challenge the Process, and Enable Others to Act. Male student organization officers self-reported higher scores in the practices of Model the Way, Inspire a Vision, and Challenge the Process. There were no significant differences within study groups.</p><p>

<p> Many school districts are utilizing instructional coaches to support teachers as they implement their professional learning in the classroom. This study examined teachers&rsquo; perceptions of effective instructional coaching practices to gain insight about which aspects of instructional coaching teachers find most supportive in implementing change in the classroom. Adult learning theory, andragogy, was used as the theoretical framework guiding this study. Survey data from the Perceptions of Coaching Survey (PCS) was collected from 116 teachers across six states. These teachers were engaged in professional development on supporting English learners and were receiving follow-up coaching support from their district. Five participants were interviewed to further investigate teachers&rsquo; perceptions of coaching practices. Two maintained a month-long journal to reflect on any coaching interactions that occurred. The findings of this study revealed that teachers perceive coaching to have a positive impact in supporting the implementation of change in the classroom, and a primary theme emerged that coaching aims to improve instruction. The aspects of coaching that teachers were most satisfied with focused on implementing classroom strategies including having a coach modeling strategies in the classroom, being observed and receiving feedback from a coach, and watching fellow colleagues teaching the same things. Teachers also identified desirable qualities of coaches, including knowledge, trustworthiness, confidence, positivity, and flexibility from a supportive and consistent, non-administrative presence in the classroom. Teachers reported that what they learn from coaching applies to their current teaching situation and that coaching motivates them to try new things in the classroom. </p><p>