Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 130 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-117).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-96).

Thesis (M. Ed. (Educational Management))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 106-116).

Educators all over the world are facing the challenges brought by education reform. Schools need to become more aware how Knowledge Management (KM) can help them be more effective in leveraging organizational knowledge to improve organizational effectiveness to face the increasing requirements for school improvement. Although KM has been regarded as the advanced management strategy in the business world for leveraging their intellectual assets, few studies have been conducted in the school setting. The present study will shed light on how to implement KM in a school setting through the leadership provided by the principal. This study can be a model for those educators who would like to implement KM in their schools. Although KM researchers have identified that leadership is a critical factor in KM implementation, few studies have explored the actual impact of leadership in the process of KM implementation. Moreover, the literature review shows that leadership by the principal is the essential element for school success in KM. This study shows that a principal’s leadership-driven approach is necessary for KM implementation and explores its impact on the process of KM implementation for school improvement. The study uses insider action research to explore how the principal’s leadership can be incorporated into KM in a school environment and evaluate the effectiveness of this Leadership-Driven KM Implementation in a school setting, so that this study can offer practical advice and guidance to the principals who would like to try KM in their practice. In this study, KM was implemented in a school by starting with two basic approaches: Information-Based and People-/Interaction Based Approaches. The Principal’s Knowledge Leadership was integrated with the two approaches to strengthen the implementation of the KM strategies. The principal acted as the knowledge leader with the roles of knowledge vision builder, knowledge enabler builder and knowledge role model. Under the strong leadership of the principal, both the Information-Based and People-/Interaction Based Approaches have been implemented with achievements in sharing information/knowledge and nurturing a sharing culture and trust. The principal assessed teacher’ readiness, implemented Information-Based and People-/Interaction-Based approaches and strengthened knowledge leadership through the process. This study can serve as a model for implementing KM in schools. This study shows that the principal’s leadership was the key driver for KM Implementation. The principal performed his leadership with clear direction and thoughtful procedures of implementing Information-Based and People-/Interaction-Based Approaches, thoughtful allocation of the school resources, and shaping learning for staff. As a result, the school developed a Knowledge Base and a Digital Archive as knowledge repositories and Lesson Study and Communities of Practice as platforms for knowledge sharing. The School’s achievements in KM implementation were recognized through improvement in students’ testing achievements, appreciation by KM practitioners, and recognition and awards from government examiners and experts. This study recommends that Leadership-Driven Knowledge Management is of value in the implementation of KM in schools to help schools become learning organizations so they can better face the challenges brought by waves of education reform and societal change. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

The purpose of this study was to determine what impact high-stakes testing had on one school district's central office organizational culture, and how changes affected district-wide practices, central office administrators and campus principals. Three research questions guided the study: 1) What changes in the central office organizational culture occurred due to the increased implementation of and pressure from high-stakes testing? 2) How have the changes in the central office culture affected district administrators and campus leaders? 3) How have changes in central office organizational culture affected district-wide practices? This study utilized a qualitative methodology and a case study approach, focusing on one Texas school district. Three types of data collection methods were used: focus groups, interviews, and document review. The data were coded and analyzed using the constant comparison method in order for themes and propositions to surface. This resulted in a rich description of the case and provided answers to the three research questions. The findings of the study revealed that high-stakes testing has affected the central office organizational culture, as well as campus and district administrators, in four distinct ways: It has instilled fear of failure and fear of losing one's job; it has invoked frustration, both because of the narrow focus of the test and the demands of outside stakeholders; it has inhibited freedom, particularly in goal-setting; and it has improved focus by ensuring the use of research-based teaching practices and detailed student achievement data analysis. These changes have led to six alterations in district-wide practices: more precise student data analysis, reactive and targeted intervention for particular grade levels and students, increased discussion about testing throughout the district, improved curriculum alignment in classrooms, research-based professional development, and district support staff members becoming aware of testing demands. The findings contribute to literature in the field by investigating the connection between two areas of research, high-stakes testing and school district central office organizational culture. The study generated information to assist practitioners as they work to maintain or improve school district organizational culture while implementing high-stakes testing or other high-impact, mandated changes. / text

The purpose of this dissertation was to apply a proposed classification system based on six categorical divisions of a seven circle pattern to the concept, administration. Its applicability was measured by comparison of this classification system with that of the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) concerning administration. The proposed system might prove more efficient in locating terms in this subject-field. For the purpose of the study, administration was viewed as a process for the accomplishment of goals. Six generic terms proposed by the researcher form the structure of a proposed septimal classification system which was applied to the administrative process. These generic terms were used: (1) permanence, (2) change, (3) value, (4) interrelationships, (5) structure, and (6) application. This structure provides a different sequence and order from the various designs of this concept as proposed by scholars of administration, from Fayol through Getzels and Halpin. The researcher selected six generic facets to categorize terms in administration which were cited as sub-processes of the administrative process. The generic categories used to categorize the major sub-processes of administration represent those derived from the cultural scope, knowledge and experience of the researcher; these generic categories could form the divisions of any single concept. They were projected to divide administration, but together represented a complete administrative process from goals to their achievement, and conveyed an understanding of the concept of administration. The proposed Septimal Classification System was applied by categorizing terms used to describe this process by selected authors. A comparative test of the proposed Septimal Classification System with the DDC was made; also, the terms used by authorities in the field to divide their subject matter were subjected to narrative analysis. An attempt was made to show the completeness of the concept of administration from its associative elements. In this analysis, the terms and content were developed from a review of authors on administration and were compared with those developed in the proposed classification system. A comparison of classification systems was made (with the DDC) by differential criteria. Each classification system categorized ideas in administration; the categories of the Septimal system provided a guide or structure for, and unified the process of administration for the student or practitioner in a way that was found lacking in the DDC. The results of the comparison were not conclusive. Whether the proposed system would improve the book classification of the DDC could not be determined by this study. This study showed the ideas within the concept, administration, could be classified into a meaningful process containing the terms of selected authors in the field in different categories. Its ease of use, however, was largely dependent on the selection and allocation by the user of the generic categories, proposed in the study. This led to the conclusion that the application of the Septimal Classification System, if perfected by other users in the field, could lead to an ordered view of the concept, administration, which would encompass the various cited approaches explaining this subject-field. Continued application of the Septimal classification and its generic categories as a structural model to classify subjects in other subject areas, could facilitate an understanding of any subject-field. The student of administration in fields other than education could discover new relationships by application of the Septimal Classification System.

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