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 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 WHY DO THEY STAY? A STUDY OF HIGH SCHOOL MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF WORKING CONDITION FACTORS IN A LARGE URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT(2018) Laney, Nathaniel Richard; Richardson, Patricia M; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In most U.S. school districts, a number of teachers are leaving the profession, and more specifically, math and science teachers. Moreover, school work conditions are important predictors of teacher attrition and it is important to understand both when and how these conditions affect teachers. The purpose of this mixed methods study design was to explore the extent high school mathematics and science teachers perceive the importance of specific working conditions and the principals control level in a large, urban, mid-Atlantic school district. Using purposive sampling the quantitative data collected used an anonymous web based survey distributed to 246 high school math and science teachers at eight high schools while using six items to collect background information (gender, ethnicity, years of teaching experience, certification status, current position, and grade level currently being taught). The qualitative data collected were face-to-face interviews with the eight high school principals for augmenting the survey data with layered and detailed expressions specifically pertaining to teacher retention. The results of the study indicate; teachers perceive pedagogical matters as the most important factors to teacher retention and that principals have a high level of control over the physical plant of a school as a working condition factor that may influence retention. In contrast, the principal identified that they have little to no influence on the physical plant and that it could be a factor to teacher retention for their specific school. However, all of the principals identified professional development and support as working condition factors that were important to teacher retention and that the responsibility was completely under their purview.Item Principals' Leadership Styles and the Impact on Student Achievement(2015) Shortridge, Karim; Strein, William; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Title of Dissertation: PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Karim K. Shortridge, Doctor of Education, 2015 Dissertation directed by: Dr. William Strein Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education As accountability efforts in education have increased, there has been an increased interest in the significance of effective instructional leadership. Policymakers have looked toward school-based leadership as a means to positively impact student achievement and to close the achievement gap. This political reliance on school-based leadership to accomplish the goals of school improvement can be seen in No Child Left Behind. The present research was based on the premise that specific leadership behaviors have been found to impact students' academic outcomes. The academic literature supports the view that school-based leadership influences student achievement. The purpose of the research was to examine the impact of middle school principals' leadership styles on students' academic achievement. Particularly, the study analyzed the leadership styles of middle schools principals that headed schools that have met or not met their school achievement indicators (AMO). Employing MLQ survey, the researcher examined principals' leadership styles. Moreover, the study examined whether AMO outcomes differed based on the principals' self-identifying characteristics of: age, gender, totals years of experience as principal, and years of experience in education. Transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles were singled out for investigation and these specific leadership styles were analyzed within the content of student achievement outcomes. Consequently, it was found that AMO status accounted for 22.4% of the variability in leadership style taken together; while AMO status accounted for 7.6% of the variability related to transformational leadership; and AMO status accounted for 5.7% of the variability on transactional leadership, laissez-faire had nearly no relationship.