<p> Research has documented numerous benefits of parent involvement in children's education including increased attendance, increased test scores and better behavior. Access to increased and meaningful communication between home and school enhances parent involvement. The utilization of technology through the use of the Internet and e- mail for school to home communications is growing rapidly as an additional means of two-way communications between home and school. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of emerging technologies, specifically social media use by school principals and how its use affects communication between schools and parents. Data gathered from three principals, parents in their schools and actual social media communications were triangulated across these three perspectives as part of a case study analysis, using a convenience sample to further our understanding of the benefits and challenges of using social media tools to build home-school partnerships. </p><p> Findings suggest that school principals are mainly responsible for social media use at the school. Consistent, child-centered use of these tools has the opportunity to complement face-to-face, two-way communications between home and school, provided there is a relationship with the school to begin with. In identifying the communication needs of the school, both technology and non-technology related communications must be utilized as part of a "menu of offerings" based upon solicitation of technology and non-technology related tools used by a school's families. This differentiated home- school communication approach allows for more families to engage in two-way communications with the school. </p><p> Ultimately, the outcomes of the study may help lead to changes in family and community partnerships, leadership practices by principals, as well as teachers and parent groups expanding their use of social media tools to build a connected and transparent learning community. The insights included in this study may be used to support the development and implementation of a school or district's communication strategies and professional development plans for all stakeholders.</p>

<p>Education leaders have turned to alternative schools and classroom settings for help as students continue to fail classes and fall behind in acquiring the required units for graduation. Alternative programs, such as Opportunity Education, help at-risk students make academic progress, recover graduation units, learn appropriate classroom behavior, reintegrate into the comprehensive high school setting, and graduate from a comprehensive high school. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of participation in the Opportunity Program on student academic success. Data included graduation units recovered, graduation requirements met in the comprehensive or alternative setting, attendance rates, and length of time spent in alternative education. Findings indicate that students in the Opportunity program did not recover sufficient graduation units while enrolled but did improve daily school attendance during and after exit from the program. The majority of students enrolled in the Opportunity program did not return to the comprehensive high school setting, sustain academic progress, or graduate on time with their four-year cohort. At-risk factors continued to influence students' academic progress after intervention. </p>

<p>This study examines the perceptions expert teachers have about the ways the culture and the context of their schools influence their definition of expertise and their enactment of expert teaching. The teachers, nominated as expert by their respective school principals, teach in the same city, but in three schools with distinctly different contexts and cultures. The underlying assumption of this study is that expertise in teaching, in different school contexts and cultures, may present itself in distinct and particular ways. </p><p> The teachers are examined through case studies constructed with the use of interviews, observations, and school documents. Each teacher articulates qualities of expertise, which fall into three distinct categories. They describe personal attributes, perspectives on teaching and specific classroom practices. </p><p> The teachers were adept at acknowledging factors in their school culture and context that influenced their teaching and were aware of the organizational structures of their schools and the impact that brings to bear on their practice. They define qualities of expertise in their teaching practice that are more similar than different, yet their core educational beliefs and philosophies differ one from the other in substantial ways as does their teaching practice. Each believes that expert teaching practice requires distinctive teaching that best meets the needs of their very distinct populations of students. </p><p> One of the main implications of this study is that it may be easier to get teachers to generate characteristics of an expert teacher, but far more complex to explore a teacher&rsquo;s personal vision and qualify a teacher&rsquo;s commitment and motivation, which appear to be the true distinguishing characteristics of each of these teachers. These complex processes may need to be more thoroughly addressed in teacher education, school reform and educational research to gain a better picture of what comprises expert teacher practice. </p>

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of educationally-related peer relationships, students&rsquo; understanding of faculty expectations, and student characteristics on the persistence of doctoral students in non-traditional, residential, cohort programs in educational leadership. Drawing on the concepts of academic and social integration (Tinto, 1975, 1993) and role ambiguity (Rizzo, House, &amp; Lirtzman, 1970), this correlational, cross-sectional study used a quantitative survey instrument to examine students&rsquo; perceptions of their doctoral program experiences. </p><p> Scales were drawn from four existing instruments to measure students&rsquo; relationships with peers and students&rsquo; understanding of faculty expectations. In addition, demographic questions that are typical to persistence studies were included to measure student characteristics. Participants chose to respond to the survey either online or via postal mail. A total of 243 participants responded to the survey, yielding a 54.73% response rate. </p><p> Hierarchical logistic regression was used to answer each of the research questions. Gender, educationally-related peer relationships, and students&rsquo; understanding of faculty expectations increased the odds of persistence of doctoral students in educational leadership cohort programs. The influence of race, marital or domestic partner status, and the number of dependents varied based on the program of study that was examined. Age and employment did not influence the persistence of doctoral students. Peer relationships were recognized for being more assistive in achieving persistence than was previously understood. Therefore, the results of this study may help to refine theory on doctoral student persistence as it pertains to peer relationships. Students with a clear understanding of faculty expectations were more likely to persist than students who were uncertain about faculty expectations. This outcome was expected given the critical role that faculty play in clarifying students&rsquo; responsibilities and helping them navigate their graduate programs. Several recommendations were offered to administrators to assist them in developing environments that foster collaborative relationships among students and accessible relationships between students and faculty. </p>

<p> Contemporary high school reforms are centered on small school size as an approach to ameliorate disengagement and underachievement of minority and economically disadvantaged students in urban comprehensive high schools. A common strategy is to reconfigure high schools into smaller subunits known as Small Learning Communities (SLCs). Although widespread research on SLCs has found this reform promising in helping educators increase students' sense of belonging in school, studies have revealed varying outcomes on the impact of SLC implementation in improving student achievement.</p><p> Using Invitational Theory as a theoretical framework, a single case study was utilized to examine the perceptions of faculty members and school leaders regarding strategies implemented within SLCs to improve student engagement and academic achievement. This study investigated an urban high school that demonstrated 4 years of sustained growth in student engagement (i.e., attendance, suspension, and graduation rates) and academic achievement (i.e., standardized test scores) through SLC implementation. This study underscored the promise of SLC implementation as a viable approach to increase students' sense of belonging in school and address achievement disparities among minority and economically disadvantaged students.</p><p> The findings pointed to an intentional vision and effort among professionals as the impetus for developing SLCs that summon students to recognize their unbounded potential. Furthermore, the findings corroborated the importance of several strategies found in the literature that foster a sense of community between students and adults and professional communities among staff. Recommendations are provided for policy and practice to sustain the efficacy of SLC implementation in urban high schools.</p>

<p> This multi-site case study is really the story of three same-state community colleges (Bridge and Buffer Community College, Grants and Reserves Community College, and Crystal Ball Community College) two years after they suffered a potentially catastrophic 50% reduction in state allocations. This study examined their responses to those reductions and attempted to frame those responses according to existing research on strategic activity and strategic positioning. </p><p> The theoretical framework used, referenced as a theoretical mesh, consisted of academic capitalism (Slaughter &amp; Leslie, 1997; Slaughter &amp; Rhoades, 2004), resource dependence theory (Pfeffer &amp; Salancik, 1978), state relative autonomy perspective (Dougherty, 1994), and neo-institutional theory (DiMaggio &amp; Powell, 1983). The synthesis of these theories facilitated the analysis of the findings of this study. </p><p> This study identified three key phenomena: The <i>Quartering of Community Colleges</i> to conceptualize and organize the abundance of external pressures facing community colleges, <i>Mandates to Neutralize </i> to explain the importance of an aggressive and formal approach to neutralizing external pressures, and <i>Embedded Community Colleges</i> whose strategic positions are strengthened through a deliberate, committed approach to fostering close relationships with their local communities.</p>

<p> The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze how high school principals approached developing a collaborative culture and providing collaborative leadership in a large high school setting. The population sample for this study was 82 principals of large comprehensive high schools of grades 9 through 12 or some combination thereof with student populations of more than 1700 students from nine states in the middle region of the United States including Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Of the 82 respondents, 81 fully completed the survey and one was incomplete. The survey was developed from questions from several survey instruments by Dr. Jeffrey Glanz, Professor, Yeshiva University, Dr. Jerry Valentine, Professor Emeritus at University of Missouri, Dr. Hank Rubin, Professor at South Dakota State University, and the researcher.</p><p> Quantitative data examined beliefs, practices, and self assessments by the principal based on collaborative leadership, collaborative learning, and school culture. Inferential statistics were used to draw conclusions from the sample population tested. The study through an analysis of variance and bivariate correlations analyzed differences sorted by degree of collaboration and relationships among variables correlated with collaborative learning and leadership of principals in a large high school setting. In addition, demographic data were analyzed using ANOVA to test for correlations between these interrelated variables of the degree of collaborative learning in the school as described by the schools&rsquo; principals (a) the degree to which the principals&rsquo; self-described their leadership practices, (b) the degree to which the principals&rsquo; self-described their beliefs about collaborative leadership, and (c) the demographic characteristics of the principals&rsquo; professional experiences and background. </p><p> The study found principals in large high schools their learning practices, their beliefs about collaborative leadership, examples of their work, and their perceptions about the degree of collaborative learning were evident. The study found there are significant differences in leadership practices and beliefs for schools that are perceived as more collaborative compared to those perceived as less collaborative. The study found, however, there was no significant relationship between demographic characteristics of professional experiences and background were related to collaborative leadership and learning practices and beliefs. Overall, the findings from this study created awareness about the uniqueness of collaborative leadership in a large high school setting and how principals of large high schools can more readily facilitate collaborative learning in these complex settings.</p>

<p>The purpose of this multiple case study described and compared practices utilized to implement the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) approach at 3 purposely selected Central California elementary school sites. More specifically, this study described and compared: (a) school practices for defining and teaching school rules/expectations; (b) the reward systems being used; (c) systems for documenting and reporting office-managed student behavior violations; (d) systems for collecting and summarizing discipline referrals; (e) the priority given to improving behavior-support systems in school site plans; (f) school budget allocations for SWPBS; and (g) district support, financial and otherwise, for SWPBS at these schools. </p><p> This study did not attempt to prove a causal relationship between SWPBS and improved student achievement; rather, it focused on describing and comparing specific practices that these 3 schools were utilizing in relation to the SWPBS approach. The intention was thus to learn more about specific practices that might be replicated in other schools. </p><p> This research was qualitative in nature and utilized a multiple case-study methodology. Interviews, observations, and artifact reviews were conducted at 3 Central California elementary schools, all purposely selected because they had each implemented the SWPBS Framework for more than 1 year, had subsequently decreased negative student behavior, and had increased student achievement. 3 types of data were collected in order to understand each school&lsquo;s SWPBS practices and the level of support for the program. School principals, campus supervisors, and classroom teachers were interviewed; classroom and playground observations were conducted; and reports were reviewed by the researcher and the principal. The 3 types of data were triangulated for each school and compared. </p><p> The findings led to the conclusions that SWPBS is a systems approach that uses interventions to help students succeed in school. Furthermore, it has to have consistent, committed leadership in order to be successful. It has to be built on the foundation of implementing clear and precise rules that are embedded in all areas of the school. Lastly, SWPBS can be implemented without the district&lsquo;s assistance; however it is difficult to sustain unless the district fully supports the approach. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perceptions that first year K&mdash;12 principals had about their mentorship relationship while leading their school through transformational change. The transformational change from the 1997 California Content Standards to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) caused a significant shift in the focus of educational leaders in California. Along with this challenge, there are many other new experiences that a first year principal will encounter. Mentorship is one way to support new principals to effectively navigate these new experiences. </p><p> The target population was first year K&ndash;12 principals in Fresno County during 2013&ndash;2014 who were involved in a formal mentoring relationship. The homogeneous sample included one high school, two middle, and three elementary principals. The interview protocol was created by the researcher to address the four research questions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, which were, then, transcribed into NVivo for coding using the grounded theory approach to data analysis. </p><p> Each of the four research questions produced key findings in order to contribute to the overall conclusion of the study, which was that the mentor was more important to the success of the mentorship relationship than the design of the program and that the person chosen to be a mentor needs to (a) believe in their mentee's ability to lead change, (b) have a similar mindset as their mentee in how to lead change, (c) be familiar enough with the current system of their mentee in order to help him/her navigate through the change, and (d) build a trusting relationship with their mentee.</p>

<p> Studies suggest that the academic identity of liberal arts faculty is changing due to the introduction and use of new managerialism practices in higher education. Increasingly, faculty members are being asked to take on tasks considered to be outside of traditional teaching, research, and service functions. These tasks are largely administrative in nature, and while previous research has documented some shifts in faculty duties, none has detailed the explicit impacts these shifts have on faculty identity. </p><p> This phenomenological study documents how 15 tenured and tenure-track liberal arts faculty members at a well-respected and highly ranked research 1 (R1) university in the Mid-Atlantic region have experienced new managerialism. It tells a story of a faculty devoted not only to research but also to teaching&mdash;one that values both the high caliber of undergraduate students and his colleagues and the strong academic tradition and reputation of the institution. The data in some ways paint a portrait of what one would expect to find: faculty members who fervently believe in the intellectual freedom that comes with tenure. At the same time, the data challenge previously held generalisms, such as a faculty member's primary identification with his or her discipline. The study also details concerns about what has been described as the rapidly expanding administrative core of the university&mdash;those individuals not primarily focused on conducting research or teaching students. </p><p> My conclusions question higher education's societal role and the academy's present challenges and opportunities, and depict faculty members who are clinging to an idealized image of the professoriate of the past and, at the same time, attempting to define their future identity.</p>