Animal assisted interventions are becoming more prevalent in our society. Animal interventions have become a popular therapy technique that exist to aid a variety of disabilities. Equine therapeutic riding has become one of the most popular forms of animal assisted therapy for both children and adults. While research shows the importance and benefits of animal assisted therapy for children, there is a lack of research concerning parental satisfaction within therapeutic riding programs. This study tested a newly developed instrument for measuring parental satisfaction for therapeutic riding programs. The Parent/Caregiver Evaluation Tool (Kerr, 2021) was administered to parents/caregivers whose children participated at the North Dakota State University Bison Strides Riding Program to determine the instrument’s reliability. Secondly, the instrument was administered the parents/caregivers of the MSU Equine Assisted Therapeutic Riding Program. It was found that parents/caregivers were satisfied with the program, but there were some recommendations given.

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As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases. In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education organizations. The survey's face and content validity were established, and its construct validity was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Items within each subscale were highly correlated, with coefficients ranging from 0.6 to 0.9. Besides, reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α, which ranged from .815 to .939. The quantitative findings revealed that public elementary principals may lack ECE backgrounds. Moreover, most public elementary principals were responsible for state-funded Pre-K programs, but their responsibilities differed widely. Furthermore, public elementary principals may need varying levels of support and development in ECE leadership competencies. The inferential analysis found that receiving ECE content or experience during principal training may not significantly influence their perceived need for these competencies. However, receiving professional development opportunities focused on leading ECE programs may impact certain aspects of their perceived need. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants from the first phase. The qualitative findings identified two themes. The first theme consisted of factors that support ECE leadership competencies and experiences. The second theme included factors needed to enhance principals' ECE leadership competencies and experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative results were integrated to explain the quantitative results. The study implications, limitations, and future research areas were then discussed. This study adds to the ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between ECE and elementary education. It highlights the significance of supporting elementary principals in becoming competent ECE leaders who can enhance the quality of state-funded Pre-K programs and sustain their positive impacts through the following grades.

There have been relatively few studies examining the leadership of Black men, and even fewer studies examining the leadership of Black men from the phenomenology of Black men, themselves. The purpose of this Q Methodology study was to examine Black male perspectives of the role race plays with Black male leader/leadership development in the world of work. The study was designed as an exploratory attempt to surface and understand how 40 emerging African American male leaders in a large, urban city in the SE United States viewed their own leadership development. Elements of socio-analytic theory and leader-member exchange theories were the basis for the conceptual framework. The 40 participants sorted 41 statements reflecting distinct perspectives on the role race plays with Black male leader/leadership development within the world of work. Participants sorted these 41 statements within a forced distribution response grid based on what best reflected their perspectives. These 40 sorts were then correlated and the correlations were factor analyzed and rotated, leading to the extraction of five factors, each representing five distinct, shared perspectives. Following examination and analysis of these five factors, or shared perspectives, the researcher named them: 1) Faithful, Familial, and Resilient, 2) Creative, Faithful, and Independent, 3) Attentive, Connected, and Woke, and 4) Knowledgeable, Congruent, and Unapologetically Black, and 5) Responsible, Faithful, and Supportive. The results of this study suggest there is rich diversity among Black male perspectives regarding their leadership development, and demonstrates important functions outside the workplace. These diverse perspectives and those elements characterizing them should be considered as educators prepare to work with Black males and those preparing to support their development, leadership and otherwise. Finally, the researcher suggests that future research into the experiences and perceptions of Black men continue to seek methodologies that honor and magnify their voices.

The demand for highly qualified teachers is well documented, yet numerous stressors influence educators to leave their positions. The guiding question for this study was: Is there a relationship between perceived principal leadership behavior and the stress experienced by the novice secondary teacher? The target population was novice teachers in Louisiana. The purposive sample was delimited to novice secondary teachers having six semesters of teaching experience or less in grades 6 through 12. The ten largest parishes in Louisiana were selected to sample. Four of the ten parishes granted permission to survey novice secondary teachers. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Form XII (Stogdill, 1963) was used to determine the perception of principal leadership in two dimensions: consideration behavior and initiation of structure behavior. The Teacher Stress Inventory (Fimian, 1988) was used to collect demographic data on the participants and to determine a composite stress score from five sources of stress and five manifestations of stress. The statistical analyses included stepwise multiple regression and one-way ANOVA. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Science Version16.0 (SPSS). Time management, along with discipline and motivation, were the top two sources of stress for novice teachers. Fatigue manifestation and emotional manifestation were the most conspicuous manifestations of stress. These results reflect relevant issues facing the contemporary teacher. Professional investment, the diminished autonomy teachers experience when the locus of control is external to the classroom, was the single most reliable source of stress to predict both initiating structure and consideration leadership behavior. Emotional manifestation was the single most reliable manifestation of stress to predict initiating structure xiv and consideration leadership behavior. No significant relationship was found between the demographic and organizational variables and stress in the novice secondary teacher. Principal leadership is a potential predictor of teacher retention. Thus, the findings of this study have implications for three specific areas: programs of support for new teachers, preparation and training of principal leadership, and policies that are critical for the successful principal.

This case study explored the use of site-visitation as a diagnostic tool for school improvement. Nine charter schools in New Orleans were selected for the study. Based on qualitative research and systems theory, a within- and cross-case analysis of nine semi-structured interviews with school leaders were conducted. The school leaders’ experiences with the state-run site-visitation model and their use of the findings for school improvement was explored. The findings led to the development of a hybrid accountability model that encompasses the components school leaders believe will lead to school improvement. This study aims to assist educators, policy makers, and researchers to better understand site-visitation and its role in school improvement.

This purpose of the study was to explore the personal perspectives of three select state college administrators regarding their purpose, values, and beliefs they inherently espouse about leadership, developmental education and academic success. The researcher examined the ways in which community college administrators used communication strategies to lead change processes within their organizations. The researcher identified the administrators’ leadership approaches in leading a major redesign of a developmental education program at a large community college in Florida. The following primary research question was explored: What are the strategies adopted by the select state college administrators leading a major developmental education redesign initiative within a community college? Utilizing a qualitative approach, the methodology encompassed comparative case study including interviews, observations, and selected document analysis. The conceptual framework utilized Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson’s (2008) authentic leadership model, adaptive communication from Heifetz, Linsky, and Grashow’s (2009) adaptive change model, agile leadership approaches based on elements of Eddy’s (2010a) multidimensional leadership model, and leadership competencies identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (2005). Results of the study included four primary considerations: (a) the influence of a leader’s past experiences contextualized the approach to leading change in developmental education redesign; (b) the leader’s intrinsic values and beliefs formed the foundation to conceptualize change in developmental education redesign; (c) the leader’s sensemaking and communication necessitated the understanding of complex change; (d) leadership qualities and approaches facilitated acceptance, adaptation, and management of leading change in developmental education redesign. Recommendations included processes for new employee orientation, educational advocacy, professional development, strategic planning, mentorship, and collective bargaining.

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all ideologies or are there biases towards any ideologies or beliefs by the students. This study used a qualitative method data collection approach, which consisted of a six-member focus group with a demographics questionnaire. The findings of this research has brought to the surface that there are more liberal ideologies and less moderate or conservative viewpoints being shared in the classrooms because of self-censorship. The potential impact of this study is to increase awareness that there are underrepresented groups within the MSW population, which decreases the diversity in the field of social work.

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Short-term missions participants encounter difference in purportedly captivating ways. Current research, however, indicates the practice does not lead to long-lasting, positive change. Brian M. Howell (2012) argues the short-term missions experience is confined to the limitations of the short-term missions narrative. People who engage in short-term missions build assumptions, seek experiences, understand difference, and convey meaning, as a result of this narrative. The process of telling and retelling travel stories is integral to the short-term missions experience. Drawing upon literature on tourism, narrative, development, and photography, this study intends to evaluate the inefficacy of short-term missions through the stories which produce and are produced by photography. Through storytelling and photography from 21 short-term missions participants who have served in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, this project deconstructs the short-term missions narrative to understand, what is the relationship between the use of photography and the short-term missions experience? The results indicate a unique relationship between people, photography, and experiences within the framework of short-term missions.