<p> Disability is often perceived as a rare phenomenon that only affects a small number of people (Dewsbury, Clarke, Randall, Rouncefield, &amp; Sommerville, 2004), despite the fact that 12% of the U.S. public schools student population receives special education services (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016) that remove them from the general education setting. This state of affairs contradicts the mandates of IDEA (Ginsburg &amp; Rapp, 2013) and perpetuates the idea that it is acceptable to ostracize those who are born different (Waldschmidt, 2015). This qualitative study reported the findings from 16 interviews with secondary educators from Southern California regarding the inclusion of students who are disabled in the general education setting. An analysis of these interviews showed that the participants&rsquo; views of disability adhered to either the medical or social model of disability, and influenced what they perceived as barriers to, or facilitators of, inclusion. The findings also showed that the participants felt three major components were necessary for the successful implementation of inclusion: (positive) teacher perspectives, a campus culture that fosters inclusion, and administrative leadership. Implications for this study include: (a) the use of a disability studies framework throughout administration and teacher training programs; and (b) the hiring of employees who reflect the student population, such as people with disabilities.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate if and to what extent Northeast PA middle school principals&rsquo; use of a Transformational Leadership (TL) style related to their teachers&rsquo; perceptions of self-efficacy. TL includes four specific leadership behaviors: intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, and individual consideration. The sample included 217 middle-grade teachers (4^th&ndash;8^th) from six middle schools in four school districts. Instruments included: the Multi-Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) on Transformational Leadership (TL) behaviors, and Bandura&rsquo;s Teacher Self-Efficacy Scales (TSES). Transformational leadership and teacher self-efficacy were the theories used to undergird the study. Results indicated that principals&rsquo; TL style did have a statistically significant relationship with teacher self-efficacy in regard to total score (<i>r_s</i> = .331, p &lt; .001), and a statistically significant relationship with each of the four components of transformational leadership: intellectual stimulation (<i>r_s</i> = .301, p &lt; .001); idealized influence (<i>r_s</i> = .273, p &lt; .001); inspirational motivation (<i> r_s</i> = .289, p &lt; .001); and individual consideration (<i>r_s</i> = .243, p &lt; .001). Results revealed that teacher perceptions of their principals&rsquo; TL were related to higher levels of teacher self-efficacy. These results offer new insight and add to the existing body of knowledge on how principals can build higher performing schools by transforming teacher self-efficacy through attitudes of empowerment, growth, and improvement. The results of this study have implications for school leaders of all levels, educational researchers, and teachers in regard to facilitating teacher self-efficacy development by engaging in transformational leadership behaviors.</p><p>

<p> Many studies have examined private higher education in China as a roughly whole since 1978, or treated the most significant sector of China&rsquo;s private higher education system, the independent college, as a transient phenomenon, while its development has led to a constant progression of private higher education since the late 1990s. This paper adopted the theory of institutional isomorphism and explored how intertwined coercive, mimetic, and normative forces rooted in a dynamic socioeconomic, political, and cultural context shaped the evolution of the independent college in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in China from 1999 to 2005. The study amplified the progression of the independent college as well as private higher education through a systematic lens, and provided profound examination of this complex social progress that pulled and pushed this evolution of the independent college.</p><p>

This thesis examines England’s academy schools policy by integrating interpretive policy analysis (IPA) with a critical approach to scale. The thesis begins with the observation that studies of policy have an underdeveloped conceptualisation of scale. The concept of scale used here refers to how the social world is perceived to be vertically ordered and is given labels such as the ‘local’, ‘national’ and ‘global’. Categories of scale have typically been used by policy actors and social scientists alike to describe, understand and analyse policy. Policy and scale are thus inextricably linked and this thesis seeks to study policy by critically engaging with scale and in this way develops a research focus that has been largely unexplored. The implementation studies literature is identified as being a particularly striking example of policy analysis which has tended to use categories of scale in an unquestioned manner. Implementation studies have a tradition of discussing ‘bottom-up’ or ‘top-down’ processes which reveal an analytical framework that assumes the existence of a scalar hierarchy. While the thesis supports the critiques of implementation studies made by scholars associated with IPA, it is argued that the interpretive critique has not been extended to the concept of scale. In order to address the problematic approach to scale in interpretive studies of policy this thesis examines how actors adopt ‘scalar practices’ in their policy work, which is consistent with the critical approach to scale that has been developed by post-structuralist human geographers. The latter group of scholars describe scalar practices as the way actors use categories of scale to interpret and strategically construct their social worlds. A focus on scalar practices allows for scale to be understood as an epistemological concept; this marks a departure from how social scientists have tended to use scalar categories to explain things with which has, in turn, problematically suggested that scale has an ontological existence. Education has been identified as an arena where representative struggles over scale come sharply into focus. The way in which education has been mobilised in relation to a wide range of scalar constructs such as the state, local authorities and a school’s catchment area, demonstrates how education is understood to be part of a political world which is ordered according to a vertical hierarchy of scales. This is particularly striking in the case of England’s academies policy. The official policy narrative of academies describes how a school converting to academy status becomes free from local authority control, becomes directly accountable to the state and gains greater levels of individual autonomy. It is thus a policy that is underpinned by distinctly scalar claims, making it a highly appropriate case study through which to explore the scalar practices of policy actors. The case study design of the research project focused on two local authorities and four academies within each of these. Interviews were carried out with local authority officers, academy sponsors, principals and chairs of governors. The study identifies how actors deploy four key scalar practices: constructing scalar boundaries, dissolving scalar boundaries, shifting between scales and emphasising the interconnectedness of scales. A theoretical approach called the practice of scalecraft is subsequently developed which not only focuses on the nature of scalar practices but also on what kinds of political concepts underpin these practices. The thesis concludes by suggesting that scalecraft can be used as a framework through which to incorporate a critical approach to scale in future interpretive studies of policy.

This study investigates ICT in Saudi HE as represented by the researcher’s own institution: King Saud University (KSU). Using a naturalistic approach in pursuing the inquiry and making use of mixed methods, the research questions were investigated using surveys and in-depth interviews. A convenient sample of the University’s stakeholders; namely the senior managers, the academic staff and the students were investigated and asked to explain the process of ICT adoption and deployment on the management level; their use and adoption of ICT in their personal and professional activities and elaborate on the ICT adoption process at KSU and compare it to that of other universities. They also related these experiences to the University’s plans and efforts in this regard. The findings indicated a boom in ICT adoption over the course of the recent years. However, this process did not follow a clear strategic plan. Rather, it was based on an administrative decision by the recently appointed KSU management. The rector’s positive attitude and belief in ICT played a role in this process. The study showed that KSU administration values ICT and views it as a means for the University to achieve its aims. The results also showed the increasing use of ICT among the three groups in the study both on personal and professional levels. While these professional purposes may differ between the three groups in this research, results indicate that there is an increasing implementation of ICT in the daily work of all the groups, both in and out of KSU. These uses are also supported by the positive attitudes all the stakeholders hold towards ICT, as the study indicated. The study also revealed the aspiration of both KSU and Higher Education System in the country in general, and the role that ICT is perceived to play in helping them to achieve these aspirations. Results indicated that the current state of ICT in Saudi HE is increasing when compared to that of other universities and countries, especially in terms of hardware implementation. Although it was not possible to achieve specific comparisons between Saudi universities due to lack of data and access, many different comparison points were pointed and elaborated on both nationally and internationally. Finally, the study revealed many ICT enablers in the Saudi HE system, such as the generous financial support provided by the government, the positive attitudes, and the changing role of the university, as well as the technical, administrative and sociocultural barriers facing more ICT integration in Saudi HE, and how KSU dealt with these opportunities and threats. Based on the results, implications for future research were elicited and recommendations for better practice were provided. The urgent need for a clear ICT strategic plan for KSU as well as the other Saudi universities seems inevitable. A need for clear benchmarks within this plan is an important indicator of the need for the institution to evaluate the process. Of importance concern is the fact that these plans need to include all the stakeholders in the planning phase so as to properly conduct the assessment, implementation and evaluation successfully.

<p> The Student Growth Objectives are assessments created locally or by commercial educational organizations. The students&rsquo; scores from the Student Growth Objectives are included in teacher summative evaluation as one of the measures of teacher&rsquo;s effectiveness. The Danielson Model for Teaching and Learning supports the idea that assessment literate teachers are highly effective. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to identify New Jersey teachers&rsquo; competence in student educational assessments. Prizovskaya measured teachers&rsquo; assessment literacy level between different groups based on subject taught, years of experience, school assignment and educational degree attained. The data collection occurred via e-mail. Seven hundred ninety eight teachers received an Assessment Literacy Inventory survey developed by Mertler and Campbell. Eighty-two teachers fully completed the survey (N=82). The inferential analysis included an independent-sample t test, One-Way Analyses of Variances test, a post hoc, Tukey test and Welch and Brown-Forsythe tests. The results of this study indicated teachers&rsquo; overall score of 51% on entire instrument. The highest overall score of 61% was for Standard 1, Choosing Appropriate Assessment Methods (M = 0.61, SD = 0.23). The lowest overall score of 39% (M = 0.39 and SD = 0.24) was for Standard 2, Developing Appropriate Assessment Methods. The conclusion of this study was that New Jersey teachers demonstrated a low level of competence in student educational assessments. In general, the teacher assessment literacy did not improve during the last two decades. Keywords: assessment literacy, teacher evaluation, student assessment, effective teaching</p><p>

<p> District leaders play a pivotal role in shaping federally-mandated policies that impact how digital citizenship curriculum is developed and implemented in schools. Yet, for many school leaders, teaching about digital participation may appear as a daunting and unfamiliar practice. In fact, most educators do not participate in digital communities, in contrast to the large number of youth who do. Over 1,200 district administrators from across the nation reported that they ban collaborative digital spaces such as social media in the classroom due to safety, privacy, and classroom management concerns. Yet, emerging research demonstrates that when students are given a structured opportunity to experience digital engagement in productive and constructive ways, students become producers rather than consumers of content and are able to develop an understanding of their digital participation in relation to their participation in society. </p><p> For educators who want to delve into digital citizenship, there currently exists a plethora of resources to support teachers in classroom-level integration of digital citizenship, but supports and resources for system-level, implementation remain limited. Moreover, these resources represent varied conceptualizations of digital citizenship, which results in inconsistent implementations of digital citizenship across classrooms, schools, and districts. Thus, how can district leaders such as superintendents, chief academic officers, or chief technology officers provide a cohesive and comprehensive digital citizenship program when the very conceptualization of digital citizenship remains unclear? </p><p> The purpose of this study was to utilize a case study approach to examine a large, urban school district&rsquo;s approach to defining, developing, and maintaining a digital citizenship initiative focused on empowering students over the course of four years. By documenting and unpacking the elements of a district-wide approach to digital citizenship, this study provides a foundation for systemic practices and a common language aimed at informing organizational policy and practice. Despite the concept of digital citizenship being in its infancy, this study provides an organizational perspective of its conceptualization and implementation across a large system. Findings revealed that the district&rsquo;s complex organizational efforts were rooted in political and symbolic decisions that facilitated the influence of digital citizenship across policy and program implementation efforts.</p><p>

<p> Few studies have focused on middle school students&rsquo; academic achievement and overall performances (Flowers, 2003; Leithwood &amp; Jantzi, 2006). Delaware Comprehensive Assessment system (DCAS) used by school officials recognized an emerging trend in which a large percentage of students&rsquo; academic performances consistently declined over a period of three years. Indications point to standardized test scores lower on each grade level. Students&rsquo; assessment scores were sixty-six percent lower on the State&rsquo;s DCAS assessment tests in math for sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Fifty-seven percent of the students on the same grade level scored &ldquo;below standard&rdquo; in Reading.</p><p> The method of this research study is a quantitative multiple regression design seeking to find the relationship between the seven dimensions of distributed leadership and students&rsquo; achievement scores in Reading and Math. Results from the four schools showed a high statistical significance of correlational scores between distributed leadership practices and student assessment scores. </p><p> Implications of the study will allow transferability for stakeholders to generalize how to apply distributed leadership practices and improve student assessment scores. Findings from this research will fill gaps in the literature. </p><p>

<p> This qualitative case study analyzed a teacher development and evaluation program implemented in an independent school district in Southeast Minnesota. Teacher effectiveness is a complex construct, which makes teacher evaluation challenging. Three stakeholder group&rsquo;s perspectives were analyzed in this multiyear qualitative case study. Through interviews, teachers and administrative team members&rsquo; perspectives were gathered in the 2011-2012 academic school year and the implementation team members&rsquo; perspectives were gathered five years later in the 2016-2017 academic school year. The qualitative data was analyzed to answer the research sub-questions: (a) how and to what extent did the 2011-2012 implementation of the district&rsquo;s Teacher Professional Growth Protocol build a foundation to meet the 2014-2015 Minnesota Statute requirements on teacher evaluation?, (b) how and to what extent did the district&rsquo;s Teacher Professional Growth Protocol engage teachers in reflective practice focused on growth?, and (c) how and to what extent did the district&rsquo;s Teacher Professional Growth Protocol build a foundation for continuous improvement? Triangulated data indicated commonalities as well as discrepancies in perspectives resulting in two lessons learned: (1) research and practice align; bridging the two is a concern; and (2) continued and expanded application of implementation science is needed for system effectiveness. There is a discrepancy bridging research and practice, which this study demonstrates. The findings indicate a strong need to reallocate time to meet the needs of a public school district to develop its teachers and to grow their effectiveness. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore policy as it exists amongst literacy professors working with linguistically diverse students in higher education. The goal of this study was to provide research-based guidance on how explicit and implicit policies are created and implemented within a higher education setting. This study explored the declared, practiced, and perceived language policies related to the literacy instruction of linguistically diverse students at a four-year, post-secondary institution. </p><p> The design was a qualitative, embedded case study. Semi-structured interviews of professors, a student diversity survey, and an artifact review were performed. Study results found that higher education&rsquo;s management of its program provided ample space for policy interpretation. Professor practices were influenced by their knowledge of teaching and influenced student learning. Also, although professors believed in improving student literacy, ideologies around power and bilingualism complicated this goal.</p><p>