UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
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Item Leveraging Complexity Science to Promote Learning Analytics Adoption in Higher Education: An Embedded Case Study(2024) Moses, Phillip Scott; Ketelhut, Diane J; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) defines learning analytics as “the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs” (SoLAR, n.d.). To fully realize the potential of learning analytics, especially in its perceived ability to reveal previously hidden aspects of the learning process, researchers have called for more intentional approaches in order to harness resources and affect change. These researchers argue that without this coordinated effort to integrate learning analytics into the fabric of higher education institutions, the field will continue to languish, with learning analytics tools and approaches left forever incapable of affecting more systemic change. At the same time, other researchers focused on leadership and change management have recognized the difficulty, if not impossibility, of such top-down approaches. Instead, many researchers have pointed to the need to view higher education institutions through the lens of complexity science, and, in particular, to consider higher education institutions as complex adaptive systems (CAS) in which change tends to happen through the process of emergence. Within such a paradigm, change occurs from the ground up, as a result of countless interactions among many different agents (students, educators, and administrators, to name a few). Recognizing this conflict between the sort of top-down approaches suggested by many learning analytics researchers, and the ground-up reality recognized by many complexity science researchers, this dissertation project investigates how learning analytics usage is happening within a higher education institution. Using an embedded case study methodology to examine current learning analytics practices across multiple academic units and stakeholders within a single higher education institution, I apply a CAS framework to determine how this institution might expand and grow their approach to learning analytics across key areas.Item Dual Enrollment and College and Career Readiness: An Investigation of One School System(2024) Pearson, Olivia Weaver; Eubanks, Segun; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Too few students are graduating from high school college and career-ready. For this dissertation, a qualitative design that included a data analysis was implemented to review a dual enrollment program and the impact of implementing various change ideas to increase enrollment of students in the program. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 was a quantitative review of dual enrollment eligibility and registration data of all comprehensive high schools in the studied district over four years. Phase 2 was a focus group comprised of school-based personnel involved with dual enrollment. The focus group provided a more in-depth understanding of school needs in support of dual enrollment. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What does data suggest about implementing change ideas designed to reduce barriers to enrollment in schools and the enrollment of eligible students in college courses? (2) What additional support of the dual enrollment program do school personnel suggest that may increase eligible student enrollment? (3) How do the school personnel’s perceptions of dual enrollment impact the way they interact with and support eligible dual enrollment students? Findings from this research suggest that schools that implemented a change idea observed an overall increase in dual enrollment registration over the four-year review period. The research findings also indicate that multiple factors can influence the implementation of a dual enrollment program such as the knowledge and support of the principal and counselor, and how dual enrollment fits into each school's overall culture.Item PRIORITIZING NEW TEACHER RETENTION FOR PRINCIPALS IN HARD TO STAFF DIVERSE SCHOOLS(2024) Lane-Pettway, Kimberly; Eubanks, Segun; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Teacher attrition is a major challenge for public school districts across the country, especially in poor, urban and/or high needs schools. Sixty-one percent of school district superintendents identified teacher retention as a top concern. The majority of the teachers who leave are the new, well-prepared, successful teachers and the mid-career teachers. The study design used a mixed methods approach, with an improvement science methodology and an action research design to explore the principal’s role in the retention of non-tenured effective teachers. The design incorporated a focus group, implementing a teacher retention change strategy/change idea, and a survey to assess the potential influence of the teacher retention change strategy/change idea. The research was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 consisted of a qualitative focus group and brief training. Phase 2 consisted of a qualitative and quantitative implementation of a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle and the completion of a PDSA instrument. Phase 3 consisted of a quantitative survey. The findings supported that principals do consider the retention of effective teachers to be important, however they are not implementing effective strategies. Findings highlighted that when principals implement specific, research-based retention strategies it can enhance the focus on retaining effective teachers; and it shows promise that it may help to retain new teachers. Two recommendations of this study include identifying new and innovative teacher retention strategies and providing principals with targeted training opportunities in order to enhance collaboration and retention strategy implementation at the school level.Item EXPLORING THE ROLE OF PRINCIPALS AND BIAS IN DISPROPORTIONATE SUSPENSIONS OF BLACK BOYS(2024) Scales, Tangela Contessa; Shetley, Pamela; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation examines the decision-making processes of principals regarding out-of-school suspension of Black boys. Employing a mixed-method approach integrating survey questions and interviews, it delves into the multifaceted layers influencing disciplinary decisions in educational settings. A primary objective is to investigate the potential impact of implicit biases, training, and lived experiences on principals' suspension decision-making. This research sheds light on the underlying factors shaping educational leaders' disciplinary actions through a nuanced exploration of their perspectives and practices. It aims to contribute to more equitable disciplinary policies and practices in schools. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, misbehavior, discipline issues, and suspensions have surged in schools, with 87% of public schools reporting negative impacts on students' socio-emotional development and 84% on behavioral development during the 2021–22 school year. These issues, highlighted by increased classroom disruptions and disrespect towards staff, underscore the need for comprehensive social, emotional, and behavioral support, as NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr emphasized. The mixed-methods study found a correlation between disproportionality in disciplinary actions to lower academic achievement and a negative impact on student attendance. Implementing restorative practices was positively associated with student well-being, while alternative discipline approaches showed promise in reducing suspension rates without compromising safety. These findings underscore the importance of holistic disciplinary approaches for fostering equitable, supportive school environments conducive to student success. The findings also underscore the prevalence of disproportionate suspensions of Black boys as a result of principal disciplinary decision-making for a select group of principals in an identified school district. The results from this study illustrate that principals' decision-making for the select sample group of principals in the study is influenced by a combination of implicit biases and professional experiences, emphasizing their pivotal role in disciplinary actions. The results of this study help provide insight into the significance of restorative practices and cultural competency training in mitigating disproportionate suspension. This study explores the interplay between lived experience, training, institutional policies, and sociocultural influences, illuminating the complexities of disciplinary practices in educational settings.Item Developing Methods and Theories for Modeling Student Leadership and Students' Experiences of Academic Support(2024) Dalka, Robert Paul; Turpen, Chandra; Physics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation brings together two research strands that study: (a) the ways in which physics and STEM students contribute to growing capacity for institutional change within collaborative teams and (b) the support structures of graduate programs through an innovative methodology grounded in network science. The first research strand is explored within two different team environments, one of a student-centric interinstitutional team and a second of departmental change teams. Across both of these contexts, I identify how by engaging in an interaction-based agency, students are able to jointly define their own roles and the projects they pursue. In comparing across these contexts, we identify how students navigate different leadership structures and how this can support or limit student contributions in these teams. A central contribution of this work is a model for cultivating capacity for change through shared leadership and relational agency. This model captures how capacity can be built in different domains tied to the activity systems of the work. We show how this model can help practitioners and facilitators better partner with students as well as how researchers can use this model to capture how students contribute to the work of the team. The second research strand focuses on developing and applying an innovative methodology for network analysis of Likert-style surveys. This methodology generates a meaningful network based on survey item response similarity. I show how researchers can use modular analysis of the network to identify larger themes built from the connections of particular aspects. Additionally, I apply this methodology to provide a unique interpretation of responses to the Aspects of Student Experience Scale instrument for well-defined demographic groups to show how thematic clusters identified in the full data set re-emerge or change for different groups of respondents. These results are important for practitioners who seek to make targeted changes to their physics graduate programs in hopes of seeing particular benefits for particular groups. This dissertation opens up lines for future work within both strands. The model for building capacity for change draws attention to the mediating processes that emerge on a team and in students’ interactions with others. This model can be developed further to include additional constructs and leadership structures, as well as explore the relevance to other academic contexts. For quantitative researchers, the network analysis for Likert-style surveys methodology is widely applicable and provides a new way to investigate the wide range of phenomena assessed by Likert-style surveys.Item The Certainty of Navigating the Uncertain: Resource Allocation Decisions of Business School Deans at Public and Private Research Universities(2024) LaRiviere, Kristin; O'Meara, KerryAnn; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Business school deans at public and private research universities today face particular fiscal challenges due to declining MBA enrollment, shifting student enrollment choices and changing international student enrollment trends. Social and political forces such as the COVID-19 pandemic and recent social justice movements also impacted college campuses as a whole. As a result, business school deans are pivotal decision makers who must make difficult choices, such as initiating layoff or eliminating programs. Given this milieu of factors, understanding how business school deans make resource allocation decisions provides value to understanding college-level leadership. This study examined how organizational factors impact business school deans’ resource allocation decisions. Decisions are also impacted by personal perspectives, which were explored in this study. Framed by Hackman’s Theory of Resource Allocation (1984) and Bolman and Deal’s (2017) Four Frames of Leadership, the findings from written artifacts and oral interviews with 13 business school deans indicated that business deans’ resource allocation decisions were motivated by a desire to increase revenue and generating prestige for their college. Resource allocation choices were also focused on mitigating conflict, managing their personal and college’s relationship with central university leadership, and adjusting their college’s structure to efficiently meet the college’s goals. As such, business school deans most often relied on Hackman’s (1985) environmental power and Bolman and Deal’s (2017) political and structural frames. Implications for preparation and professional development of business school deans emerged, as well as propositions for future research regarding college-level resource allocation decisions.Item DEVELOPING EQUITY-CENTERED LEADERS FOR HIGH POVERTY SCHOOLS: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS(2024) Nash, Johnny; Anthony, Douglas W; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This quantitative study delved into the knowledge and skills of equitable practices among a cohort of principals overseeing high-poverty schools and examined how this understanding influences their capacity to implement school-wide leadership practices in line with Standard 3 of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL, 2017). PSEL Standard 3 delineates a framework for effective educational leaders to ensure equitable educational opportunities and culturally proficient practices, fostering the academic success and well-being of every student. The study aimed to assess the knowledge of high-poverty school principals within ECPS in implementing PSEL Standard 3 and the four dimensions of instructional leadership practices in their respective school. An online anonymous questionnaire was employed to gauge the knowledge and skills of 38 principals from high-poverty elementary, middle, and high schools. Among them, 25 high-poverty principals completed the questionnaire. Despite the identification of several limitations in this quantitative study, the survey results were leveraged to identify equity-centered leadership practices and formulate professional development initiatives aimed at enhancing the understanding of PSEL Standard 3 among high-poverty principals.Item STUDENT AFFAIRS AND INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT PARTNERSHIPS AT CATHOLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: A CASE STUDY(2024) Puma, Michael A.; O'Meara, KerryAnn; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Catholic institutions of higher education have continued to operate at a crossroads as challenges to long-term financial sustainability have intensified the need to reduce costs and increase revenue. Institutional personnel must find ways to streamline offerings in academic programs and student services while maintaining a commitment to their distinct Catholic identities. Given the primacy of academics to the educational enterprise, student affairs divisions are particularly vulnerable in an environment aiming to reduce operating expenses. For student affairs, fundraising may serve as an avenue to offset the impact of budget cuts, enhance cocurricular programs, and promote mission-specific strategic initiatives. Conversely, leaders of institutional advancement divisions may expand and diversify their donor base by partnering with student affairs colleagues. Student affairs initiatives may appeal to donors who value contributing directly to student success and well-being. The purpose of this multisite, case study was to understand how Catholic universities create third-space organizational partnerships between their institutional advancement and student affairs divisions. The third space of partnership was defined as “an emerging technical and sociocultural entity distinct from those within the partnership’s home organizations” (Hora & Millar, 2011, p. 16). The research design included 41 semistructured virtual interviews, three virtual focus groups, document analysis, and site visits at three Catholic institutions over a span of 18 months. Interestingly, the findings did not indicate a distinct third space was necessary to create and sustain partnerships between institutional advancement and student affairs divisions. Still, the following organizational practices supported the development of partnerships: presidential and divisional leaders supported the partnerships and were motivated by enlightened self-interest (Hora & Millar, 2011); leaders agreed on clear goals, scope, and objectives; and adequate resources were dedicated to the partnership. There were also similar characteristics of partnerships between the three institutions. Characteristics included the embrace of a mission-informed approach to the partnership; institutional advancement boundary spanners guiding the development of structures and routines governing the partnership; the creation of workflows around annual events; and consensus on how to communicate and use technology across divisions and with prospective donors. Definitions of success and effectiveness of the partnership varied by campus and constituent group. Institutional advancement participants defined success through traditional fundraising metrics such as dollars raised and increasing the number of donors who make annual gifts. Student affairs participants tended to conflate success and effectiveness as they were more focused on operational efficiencies, expanding student programs, and developing connections with alumni and parents. These findings led to the development of a best-practice model to inform future student affairs fundraising partnerships. Suggestions for future research on student affairs fundraising partnerships at both Catholic and nonreligiously affiliated institutions are included in the final chapter.Item AN EXPLORATION OF STRUCTURED DATA DISCOURSE AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ALGEBRA I, Jaime Bowers(2024) Bowers, Jaime M; Shetley, Pamela; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)For the first time in 32 years, the national average scale score in mathematics dropped by seven points across the country in grades four and eight, according to the latest results of the National Assessment on Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2022 results in mathematics were staggering, in which “math performance fell for the first time in the history of the long-term trend assessments since its first administration in 1990 (Socol, 2022). This is an urgent reminder that education leaders must double down on and fully fund efforts to accelerate student learning” (Socol, 2022).For this Doctoral Capstone in School System Leadership, two researchers worked collectively on a Problem of Practice (PoP) related to mathematics and the challenges in student achievement. The PoP statement, in alignment with the persistent downward trend in Algebra I performance, states: “LMSD students are not meaningfully engaged in the Algebra I instructional classroom, resulting in a decrease of proficiency on state and district assessments”. The researchers sought to answer two research questions: 1) Does the use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol have an impact on teacher practice in engaging students in dialogue about Algebra I assessment data? 2) What are the teacher perceptions about the fidelity and use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol? The researchers proposed the implementation of one change idea; the collaborative creation and implementation of a student data-driven protocol in a subset of Algebra I classrooms. The researchers tested the change idea with three Algebra I teachers in their classrooms within LMSD. The intention was to examine a particular theory of improvement: if students are active participants in reviewing their own data from district-administered assessments, then they would gain a better understanding of Algebra I content. This exploratory research study utilized the Improvement Science Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) approach and the incorporation of a change idea (Algebra I Data-driven Protocol), intended to improve one aspect of teacher practice, greater preparedness in data literacy. This study found that even though at the beginning of the study, each of the three teachers felt that they were very comfortable reviewing data on their own and reviewing it with their students, all three teachers stated they felt even more comfortable in doing so after the study had concluded. This conclusion provided evidence for the researchers that the Aim Statement, Teachers in select Algebra I classes will engage all students in a structured data participation activity, which will result in routine data discourse that was able to be documented as an outcome. Each participating teacher saw the need and benefit of incorporating this into their instructional practice on a regular basis and strengthening their data literacy. Five next steps were identified as a result: 1) the researchers will discuss these findings with the secondary mathematics curriculum office and propose the addition of a larger pilot group before adding the data protocol to the Algebra I curriculum, 2) the researchers will advocate for more innovative strategies to engage students in the Algebra I classroom to be added to current curriculum and instruction, 3) revise the protocol to ensure its inclusion as a differentiated strategy to use with a variety of student groups from various assessment types, 4) continue to conduct further large-scale studies in which the data protocol is utilized in other mathematics classrooms in other select middle and high school classrooms through an organized pilot over the span of an entire school year, and 5) devise a plan for how to measure student achievement over time with incorporation of the data protocol in piloted mathematics classrooms in order to revisit the original PoP and Aim statement. The plan of action for future development of the findings will include steps to measure student achievement data at incremental points throughout the school year to determine effectiveness of the protocol.Item ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ALGEBRA I THROUGH STRUCTURED DATA DISCOURSE, Elizabeth Stuart(2023) Stuart, Elizabeth G; Shetley, Pamela; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)For the first time in 32 years, the national average scale score in mathematics dropped by seven points across the country in grades four and eight, according to the latest results of the National Assessment on Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2022 results in mathematics were staggering, in which “math performance fell for the first time in the history of the long-term trend assessments since its first administration in 1990 (Socol, 2022). This is an urgent reminder that education leaders must double down on and fully fund efforts to accelerate student learning” (Socol, 2022).For this Doctoral Capstone in School System Leadership, two researchers worked collectively on a Problem of Practice (PoP) related to mathematics and the challenges in student achievement. The PoP statement, in alignment with the persistent downward trend in Algebra I performance, states: “LMSD middle and high school students are not meaningfully engaged in instruction in the Algebra I classroom”. The researchers sought to answer two research questions: 1) Does the use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol have an impact on teacher practice in engaging students in dialogue about Algebra I assessment data? 2) What are the teacher perceptions about the fidelity and use of a student Algebra I Data-driven Protocol? The researchers proposed the implementation of one change idea: the creation and implementation of the Algebra I Data-driven Protocol in a subset of Algebra I classrooms. The researchers tested the change idea with three Algebra I teachers in their classrooms within the Large Metropolitan School District (LMSD). The intention was to examine a particular theory of improvement: if students are active participants in reviewing their own data from district-administered assessments, then they would gain a better understanding of Algebra I content. This exploratory research study utilized the Improvement Science Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) approach and the incorporation of a change idea (Algebra I Data-driven Protocol), intended to improve one aspect of teacher practice, greater preparedness in data literacy. At the beginning of the study, each of the three teachers felt that they were very comfortable reviewing data on their own and reviewing it with their students, all three teachers stated they felt even more comfortable in doing so after the study had concluded. This exploration provided evidence for the researchers that the Aim Statement, Teachers in select Algebra I classes will engage all students in a structured data participation activity, which will result in routine data discourse that was able to be documented as an outcome. Each participating teacher saw the need and benefit of incorporating this into their instructional practice on a regular basis and strengthening their data literacy. Five next steps were identified as a result: 1) the researchers will discuss these findings with the secondary mathematics curriculum office and propose the addition of a larger pilot group before adding the data protocol to the Algebra I curriculum, 2) the researchers will advocate for more innovative strategies to engage students in the Algebra I classroom to be added to current curriculum and instruction, 3) revise the protocol to ensure its inclusion as a differentiated strategy to use with a variety of student groups from various assessment types, 4) continue to conduct further large-scale studies in which the data protocol is utilized in other mathematics classrooms in other select middle and high school classrooms through an organized pilot over the span of an entire school year, and 5) devise a plan for how to measure student achievement over time with incorporation of the data protocol in piloted mathematics classrooms in order to revisit the original PoP and Aim statement. The plan of action for future development of the findings will include steps to measure student achievement data at incremental points throughout the school year to determine effectiveness of the protocol.