<p> This dissertation investigates the lived leadership experience of superintendents of American schools in Brazil. For this purpose, a phenomenological research methodology was utilized. Eight purposefully selected superintendents of American schools in Brazil comprised the sample. Data were collected via audio recordings of two in-depth interviews with each participant and notes taken during interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed, and transcribed data were analyzed. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of mission advocacy, community-building, communication, and environmental awareness as essential skills for superintendents of American schools in Brazil. Findings suggest that being the superintendent of an American school in Brazil is challenging and complex and that language, culture, and collegial support are key factors in the lived experience of these superintendents. Recommendations for practice and for future research are provided.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of the rural school district superintendent as instructional leader. Specifically, the study focused on rural superintendents who were known as effective instructional leaders and explored their understandings of and motivations for their instructional leadership work, how they fulfilled this work, and how this work was affected by recent federal and state policy initiatives. The study addressed these questions: (a) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; understandings of their role and responsibilities as instructional leader?; (b) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; perspectives on the various facets of instructional leadership?; (c) what do rural school district superintendents actually do to fulfill their roles as instructional leaders?; (d) what are rural school district superintendents&rsquo; perspectives on their preparation for instructional leadership and their need for continuous professional development?; and (e) how has recent federal and state legislation affected the work of the rural school superintendent as instructional leader? Data were collected through open-ended, phenomenologically oriented interviews with four rural school district superintendents in northeast Washington State. Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the unearthing of seven major themes: (a) setting direction, (b) supporting the instructional growth of the district, (c) the superintendents&rsquo; direct involvement with the classroom, (d) acquiring resources for the instructional program, (e) the superintendents&rsquo; work developing principal instructional leadership, (f) the self-development of the district instructional leader, and (g) challenges faced by rural school district instructional leaders. Each theme also discussed the impact of the rural district context on that theme. Four conclusions were drawn from the study: (a) rural school district superintendents communicate a focus on improved teaching and learning by being heavily engaged in the classrooms observing teaching; (b) rural school district superintendents engage with other rural districts to provide aligned and collaborative professional development; (c) superintendents rely heavily on one another to lead instructionally; and (d) the remote context provides rural school district superintendents with additional and unique challenges to instructional leadership. My hope is that this study will inform effective rural superintendent instructional leadership and lead to discussions regarding policy and research to support superintendents facing rural contextual leadership challenges.</p>

This study examines the integration of technology into teaching and learning mathematics for nontraditional adult-learners, in a public 2-year technical college environment. The study was based on comparing the impact on student outcomes of three teaching methodologies: traditional face-to-face, internet based on-line, and a new composite methodology combining the components of face-to-face and on-line called web-enhanced. The researcher found no significant difference on the impact of student achievement. However, a positive impact on attrition and persistence was observed. The conclusion drawn from these findings support implementing web-enhanced methodologies in educational institutions with a majority non-traditional student population.

This study examines students' perceptions in relationship to School-to-Work initiatives in a major metropolitan Atlanta school district. This study was based on the premise that education works best and is most useful for future careers when students apply what they learn to real life, real work situations. The researcher found that students who participate in School-to-Work initiatives appear to show an improvement in their persistence in school, show an improvement in the first time passing of the Georgia High School graduation Test in math and English; however, students show minimal to no improvement in academic achievement. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that proponents for School-to-Work initiatives must continue to lobby support for the program. At all levels, advocates must engage in discourse and further study to ensure program continuity.

The purpose of this research was to determine if parental selection criteria identified in the research literature were confirmed in a large metropolitan public school system that has a choice program. Further, the study investigated the relationships between demographic and institutional factors and choice of schools. The sample of the study consisted of 278 parents enrolling their children in a magnet school program for the first time during the 1993-94 school year. The population for the study consisted of Atlanta parents. Correlational statistical analyses of the data were conducted to determine relationships between the variables and choice of schools. Of the thirteen factors analyzed in the study, only four were significantly related to parents' choice: school size, magnet theme, reputation of staff, and friends' opinions. Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, choice was treated as the dependent variable. School student body size (GSIZE), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 1. Theme and emphasis of the magnet school program (ATHEME), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 2. Reputation of staff (DREPUTE), the independent variable, entered the regression equation on Step 3.

No description available.

This study reviewed the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI), in the form of the Prescription Learning (PL), in combination with basal-based instruction (BBI), on the 1987-1988 class of low SES and non-low SES Atlanta Public School second graders. The goal of this study was to inquire whether CAI, in combination with BBI was more effective at teaching low SES African-American student than BBI alone. To determine whether PL was an effective teaching tool with both low SES and non-low SES second t ratios and One Way ANOVA F ratios were conducted. The t and the F ratios indicated that PL did not promote the academic achievement of the 1987-1988 second graders.

As a result of low student achievement in a large school district in Georgia, the decision was made to implement a comprehensive school reform (CSR) model in each failing school so as to enhance the capability of teachers to increase student achievement. This study examined the extent to which student achievement was improved by a comprehensive school reform (CSR) model used in a large, independent school district in Georgia when controlling for selected school and teacher variables. A questionnaire was administered to 266 teachers at the schools that were implementing the CSR model. The dependent variable in the study was student achievement as measured by the extent to which a teacher rated the number of students who made gains as compared to where they started in reading and math skills and obtained an “A” or “B” grade. The major finding from the Pearson correlation analysis was that teacher experience was significantly related to thirteen independent variables in the study. The findings also suggest that experienced teachers with a record of three or more years of successful student outcomes should be used as teacher-leaders, model lead teachers, reading specialists and facilitators, math specialists and facilitators and in other roles as instructional support staff and should be allowed to conduct math, reading and classroom discipline professional development workshops for their local schools and for the school district.

The purpose of this study, a comparative analysis of selected characteristics, was to determine any similarities or differences in the career profiles of females who have been appointed college/university presidents within the past twenty years. Further, the secondary purpose of this study was to formulate a suggested career development model for women, especially women of color, who aspire to become leaders of institutions of higher learning in the 21st century and beyond. The data from the questionnaire were collected and coded to compare the relationship, if any, among the selected personal and situational variables by the calculation of means, percentages and frequencies, relative to the three research questions and hypotheses. Tables were used to display the data.

<p> The sibling relationship is one of the longest lasting human relationships with significant influence on an individual&rsquo;s social and emotional functioning. The current study was designed to examine both personal and parental influences on the sibling relationships of emerging adults. Specifically, it tested the mediating role of fairness evaluations on the links between parental differential treatment, personality and the quality of sibling relationships. A theorized path model was developed, and tested using Structural Equation Modeling. A total of 775 undergraduates at a northeastern university, who nominated a &lsquo;target sibling&rsquo;, completed the Big Five Inventory, the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale, the Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience, and fairness of parenting ratings.</p><p> The results indicated that the individual&rsquo;s perception of parental differential treatment, and the extent to which they evaluated that treatment as fair, were important predictors of the quality of sibling relationships. Moreover, the individual&rsquo;s personality was related to perception of fairness as well as the quality of sibling relationships.</p><p> More specifically, unequal parental treatment was associated with poorer sibling relationships and higher perception of unfairness regarding this treatment. Individuals who perceived a lower degree of parental differential treatment were likely to evaluate these treatments as more fair, and to report better relationships with their siblings. Furthermore, participants who scored high on Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness and low on Neuroticism were likely to have better relationships with their siblings. Moreover, participants who were high on Conscientiousness and low on Neuroticism tended to evaluate parental treatments as highly fair and were likely to report better relationships with their siblings.</p><p> Limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research, as well as some ways in which parents can encourage their children to evaluate parental treatment as fair, were discussed.</p>