Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Liberty University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-144).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1934. / "Private edition, distributed by the University of Chicago Libraries." "A selected bibliography": p. 152-153.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Lehigh University, 2009. / Adviser: Roland K. Yoshida.

Abstract not available.

No description available.

<p> Time-based reform proposals are founded on the assumption that more time in school will produce great learning outcomes. Research shows that when schools adopt time-based reform initiatives, there are certain considerations that they should make and methods they should follow to ensure the change produces the outcomes intended. This was not the case in a local Archdiocese where a calendar extension was adopted by several elementary schools. </p><p> This qualitative case study focused on the adoption of a calendar extension at one Catholic elementary school. The researcher gathered data from the pastor, principal, teachers, parents, and students to determine how these stakeholders envisioned the outcomes of this change, how they perceived the time was being used for curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular purposes, and the challenges and opportunities that they felt existed after three years of implementation. Data collected over a four-month period included classroom observations, stakeholder interviews, focus group meetings, and document analysis. </p><p> An inductive analysis of the data collected was used to determine emergent themes and domains within the school. The seven themes that emerged include: decision making, planning and implementation, advantages, financial motivations, the culture of teaching, leadership, challenges and complications of the extended calendar. </p><p> Recommendations include the need for school leaders to familiarize themselves with change management techniques including setting a shared vision, establishing a collaborative implementation plan, and developing a system of assessment prior to embarking on school reform.</p>

<p> In September of 2011, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the approval of the <i>Policy on Transgender Inclusion.</i> The NCAA published a handbook, which detailed the policy, policy interpretation, and best practice resources for implementation. The study examined the relationship of athletic directors' leadership frames to the presence of best practices for implementation of transgender inclusion policies at colleges and universities with NCAA athletics.</p><p> The study employed a correlational research design. The independent variables were the four leadership frames of athletic directors and the outcome measure was the presence of the best practices for implementing transgender inclusion policies. The participants were recruited from active member NCAA schools. In 2013, the NCAA reported that there were 1,066 active member schools; 340 in Division I, 290 in Division II, and 436 in Division III. All athletic directors, who served at active NCAA member schools as of March 2014, were invited to participate in the study, 119 athletic directors responded.</p><p> Results indicated participants were most likely to use leadership behaviors associated with the <i>human resource frame,</i> and least likely to use leadership behaviors associated with the <i>political frame.</i> Post hoc analyses showed that, with the exception of the <i>structural frame</i> vs. <i>human resource frame</i> and the <i> political frame</i> vs. <i>symbolic frame,</i> all pairwise comparisons were statistically significant. Multivariate analysis of variance showed no statistically significant differences among the three NCAA Divisions and between private and public institutions. Examination of the unique and combined contributions of the four leadership frames in explaining the variation in the outcome measure revealed that none was statistically significant.</p><p> While the four frames all provide a greater insight into the general behaviors of athletic directors, they do not necessarily help us to understand the extent to which best practices for implementation of the NCAA <i> Policy on Transgender Inclusion</i> is present in intercollegiate athletic departments. The infancy of the NCAA <i>Policy on Transgender Inclusion </i> may be a factor in the results of this study, however that should not prevent administrators from protecting the rights of student athletes and creating the most inclusive environment for athletic participation possible.</p>

<p> A qualitative research study utilizing the Delphi research technique was used to explore the integration of leadership, ethics, and organizational culture into the curriculum of a Military Aviation Safety Leader. Despite the existence of safety programs and education, the military services still experience deadly aviation mishaps. There is a dearth of literature that has focused on curricula for Military Aviation Safety Leaders, specifically on whether or not leadership, ethics, and organizational culture should be integrated into safety topics. As a result, there is wide variance in curricula for Military Aviation Safety Leaders across the military services. The problem addressed in the present study is the incomplete understanding of how integration of leadership, ethics, and organizational culture may enhance the unique educational needs of the Military Aviation Safety Leader and the issues that stem from the dearth of research and understanding. The issues that directly stem from the paucity of research and understanding include poor standardization in curricula; curricula that are inadequate to the needs of the Military Aviation Safety Leader; and ultimately, poor safety practice and increased aviation mishaps as a result of non-optimal education for the Military Aviation Safety Leader. A qualitative research method utilizing the Delphi research technique was chosen as the best approach to investigating the research problem. The Delphi technique of probing experts over several rounds of focused questions achieved development of information in the form of expert consensus which in turn yielded relevant information for the literature and school curricula. In turn, future Military Aviation Safety Leaders will benefit from the information generated by the study, elevating their awareness of how ethics, leadership, and organizational culture may enhance safety in the organization. Thirteen Military Aviation Leaders were chosen to participate in the Delphi study. The research revealed that there are positive relationships between ethics, leadership, organizational culture, and safety. The research demonstrated that these topics should be integrated in safety curricula for Military Aviation Safety Leaders. The research examined methods and media for curriculum delivery. Case studies and small group scenario-based discussions ranked as methods of curriculum delivery most preferred by the experts. Resident teaching was preferred over on-line teaching media for curriculum delivery. The expertise and experience of the Delphi panel was a significant strength of the study in its findings which will improve and enhance understanding of the benefits of integrating leadership, ethics, and organizational culture into the curriculum for a Military Aviation Safety Leader.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes toward creativity and leadership characteristics according to the agency context for extension agents in Uruguay. Extension agents come from the three different agency contexts in Uruguay of the University, government, and private institutions. Leadership characteristics are those that combine to describe leadership approaches or styles. Attitudes towards creativity concerns the values one holds about using creativity in work situations. The link between these variables is important due to the diverse challenges that agriculture extension agents face in a small country like Uruguay whose economy depends on agriculture. There are three major conclusions based on the findings of this study. First, factor analysis performed in the scales related with leadership did not cluster as Bass and Avolio (2000) suggested. Rather, results show a different combination of the traits (Motivating demanding, Compliant, and Charismatic controller). The second conclusion is that attitudes and values to promote innovation likely expected to be one of the values of the university group were not shown in the results. One possible explanation could be the philosophy of the university, while the government and private institutions showed an attitude that tends to promote creativity and innovation which in their case is aligned with their jobs goals, which has to do with a model of extension that provides regulation and provision of inputs and also emphasize National production goals and productivity. Third there is a difference between working contexts for agricultural extension agents in Uruguay. The results of the study were able to discriminate between the university context and government and the private contexts which showed a similar behavior. Both the government and the private contexts showed a positive approach to creativity and a compliant leadership behavior.</p>

Thesis advisor: Diana Pullin / Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / This dissertation of practice utilized a multiple case-study approach to examine distributed leadership within five school districts that were attempting to gain acceptance of a large-scale 1:1 technology initiative. Using frame theory and distributed leadership theory as theoretical frameworks, this study interviewed each district's superintendent and members of the technology leadership team and assessed how they interacted with the superintendent and each other. Using these theoretical frameworks, this study made several findings relevant to scholarship around technology leadership at the school district level. One finding related to frame theory was that superintendents achieved acceptance of these large-scale 1:1 technology initiatives using the prognostic and motivational frames. Furthermore, superintendents considered constraints and developed strategic processes for implementation of technology initiatives. With respect to distributed leadership theory, this study found that the technology leadership teams included a primary leader and secondary leaders. Furthermore, superintendents interacted with the technology leadership team through institutional practices and took on tasks that fell within their job responsibilities. Typically, these institutional practices were regularly scheduled meetings, such as a district leadership team meeting. Lastly, the technology leadership team interacted through institutional practices, intuitive working relations, spontaneous collaboration and coordinated tasks that fell both in and outside of their typical job responsibilities. Many of the technology teams' interactions that fell within spontaneous collaboration and intuitive working relations were to problem solve issues with the technology implementation, such as members meeting with the technology director to troubleshoot infrastructure challenges. This dissertation of practice is beneficial for educational and organizational scholars and practitioners interested in how large-scale initiatives are accepted within a school district. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.