Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations

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Problems and Possibilities: The identities and challenges of early career science teachers
(2024) Mesiner, Jennifer Elizabeth; Levin, Daniel M; Elby, Andrew; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Learning to teach is multifaceted and dynamic resulting in a turbulent, fast-changing era of professional life for early career science teachers (ECSTs). Teaching practice is uncertain and tensions are endemic to the profession (Ball, 1993). This dissertation connects to and extends current research of the challenges ECSTs face and how those challenges affect ECSTs’ work, identity, and experience. In the first chapter, I introduce my research focus and offer a personal narrative to provide context of my positionality and experiences between myself and my research. In Chapter 2, I offer a systematic review of the literature to provide a contemporary update to Davis and colleagues’ (2006) review Challenges New Science Teachers Face to answer the question: What challenges do ECSTs face while navigating their first years of teaching? Chapter 3 describes the research design, data sources, and general analysis for the longitudinal case study of an ECST, Alexa. The remaining body chapters build upon Chapter 2 and each other in answer to my remaining research questions: What challenges does Alexa face as an ECST? How does Alexa’s teacher role identity develop over time? In what ways do challenges shape Alexa’s teacher role identity? Chapter 4 builds upon the themes drawn from Chapter 2’s systematic review to explore the challenges Alexa experiences. Chapter 5 describes how Alexa’s identity develops across her early years as an ECST using a Dynamic Systems of Role Identity framework (Kaplan & Garner, 2018). Chapter 6 explores how those challenges impacted Alexa’s science teacher identity using a productive friction framework (Hagel & Brown, 2005a). In Chapter 7, I close by summarizing the research, describing its implications, and offering future directions for research and practice.
SUPPORTING EQUITABLE CLIMATE CHANGE DECISIONS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY THROUGH EXPANDED NOTIONS OF CLIMATE DATA: USING CRITICAL DATA PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES TO SUPPORT CLIMATE LEARNING WHILE CO-DESIGNING AN ONLINE, MAP-BASED, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE
(2024) Killen, Heather Ann; Clegg, Tamara; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Climate change threats are ever increasing, forcing communities to ask: what do they value and how are they going to protect it? Community-based climate education should play a central role in supporting equitable local decisions regarding local responses to climate challenges. However, there is little research about how to best support communities, especially rural communities that may be skeptical of climate change, to see how climate change is affecting their landscapes. In my dissertation I explore a community-based effort to build a map representing a valued local landscape feature and how this effort can act to convene knowledge about local landscape and climate, ratify that knowledge through inclusion onto a map, and ultimately inform community decision making. Guided by the perspectives and practices of critical data science and storylistening I frame my research around data and story. Prior work has considered the role of climate data within environmental education and story within community scholarship, but there is still a need to explore expanded notions of data within community learning and the role of community-held stories in local decision making. My dissertation focuses on how local, personally held landscape and climate data might complement and extend local, institutionally held data and how map building might support data-rich storytelling and listening. Working within a conservative-leaning, rural community and using the ArcGIS StoryMap web application, I engaged six community members over six design sessions to collaboratively design an online, public map of a creek and associated nature trail at the center of their town. I find that participants engaged in six key map-building design processes as they interacted with their local landscape in new ways. I also find that participants used the knowledge they brought into the design space to collaboratively expand, challenge, and occasionally transform their shared understanding. Together these processes allowed local, often generationally held, climate and landscape knowledge to become community-held understanding that could be included as data within the map. Using this analysis, I present my Evidentiary Landscape Learning (ELL) framework, placing my insights into a community-based learning context. The ELL framework demonstrates a pathway for engaging community members to understand how local and beyond-local socio-cultural values and systems are physically embodied in their local landscapes.
Crossing the Cultural Bridge: Examining the Cross-Ethnic Interactions and Relationships Between Black Immigrant and Black American Students at a Predominantly White, Public, State Flagship Institution
(2024) Ogwo, Ashley; Fries-Britt, Sharon L; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The discourse surrounding Black immigrant and Black American student relationships in higher education has often centered tensions between the two groups related to their enrollment in private elite institutions (e.g., Bennett & Lutz, 2009; Charles et al., 2008; Massey et al., 2007). However, both inside and outside of the private elite context, there is little research that intentionally examines the cross-ethnic interactions and relationships between Black immigrant and Black American students (Awokoya, 2012; De Walt, 2011; George Mwangi et al., 2016; Jackson & Cothran, 2003). Existing literature’s primary focus on circumstances surrounding Black immigrant and Black American undergraduates that are out of their control, such as their respective over- and underrepresentation at elite colleges (Bennett & Lutz, 2009; Charles et al., 2008; Jaschik, 2017; Massey et al., 2007), has left a significant gap in the knowledge base regarding the actual communicative experiences of these student populations across ethnic lines. Few studies have ventured beyond the private elite institutional context to explore these relational dynamics, resulting in limited scholarly understanding of the benefits and challenges of Black immigrant and Black American interactions and relationship-building from the perspectives of students themselves. This study aims to address these knowledge gaps by examining the cross-ethnic relationship dynamics between Black immigrant and Black American undergraduates in the institutional context they more frequently attend: a predominantly white, moderately selective, public, state flagship institution (U.S. Department of Education National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2016, as cited in Espinosa et al., 2019).Utilizing communication theory of identity and case study methodology, this study empirically unpacks the cross-ethnic interactions and relationships between Black immigrant and Black American undergraduates at a predominantly white, public, state flagship institution in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. This study was guided by the following two research questions: 1) What do Black immigrant and Black American students at a predominantly white, public, state flagship institution perceive to be the role of their ethnic identities in their cross-ethnic interactions with one another? And 2) What do Black immigrant and Black American students at a predominantly white, public, state flagship institution perceive to be the benefits and challenges of Black cross-ethnic interactions and relationship-building? My study uncovered six themes that were prevalent across participants’ case narratives, including three challenges and three benefits to cross-ethnic interactions and relationship-building between Black immigrant and Black American students: 1) Challenge #1: “I Don’t Really Have Time”: How Students’ Schedules Limit Their Cross-Ethnic Engagement; 2) Benefit #1: “For the Sake of Community”: Developing Strong Cross-Ethnic Bonds to Support One Another at the PWI; 3) Challenge #2: “Instilled from Childhood”: The “Cycle” of Passing Down Cross-Ethnic Stereotypes and Preconceived Notions; 4) Benefit #2: “Breaking Generational Curses”: Combatting Instilled Interethnic Stereotypes through Cross-Ethnic Communication and Relationship-Building; 5) Challenge #3: “Trying to Reach and Understand the Other Side”: How Lack of Cultural Knowledge Limits Cross-Ethnic Interactions and Relationships; and 6) Benefit #3: “There’s So Much to Learn and Love”: Building Cross-Cultural Understanding through Cross-Ethnic Interactions and Relationships. The study’s findings provide critical insight into existing relational dynamics between Black immigrant and Black American undergraduates, detailing how these students perceive, describe, and make meaning of the relationship between their ethnic identities and their cross-cultural communication experiences with one another as well as the utility of their cross-ethnic interactions.
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF A COMPUTATIONAL THINKING MODULE FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE METHODS COURSES
(2024) Moon, Peter; Walkoe, Janet; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Computational thinking (CT) has great potential for enhancing mathematics and science lessons in K-12 education. Numerous studies demonstrate that under the right circumstances, CT integration in math and science can improve student learning and promote deeper understanding. However, teacher education currently does not include preparation for using CT in the classroom on a widespread scale. Instead, most current CT courses or professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers are taught by a local CT researcher who can only reach a limited number of teachers. This qualitative three-article dissertation summarizes the development, implementation, and effects of a five-lesson module on CT designed to be integrated within a math & science methods course or a similar course for teachers. The goal of this module is to provide learning about CT within most teacher education programs without substantially affecting that program’s requirements for teachers (i.e., adding a new course). In Study 1, “Module Implementation in a Mathematics and Science Methods Course,” I describe the module activities, the CT knowledge of the teacher candidates who participated in the study, and how that knowledge evolved. I argue that participants’ understanding of CT expanded from a limited scope to a wide variety of practices and skills, and that the experience-first design helped them build knowledge of CT as distinct from knowledge of their discipline. In Study 2, “Use of CT Knowledge as Classroom Teachers,” I discuss sets of interviews with two teachers who had previously participated in the CT module in different years, analyzing commonalities and differences in their organization and use of CT knowledge. I argue that the Preparation for Future Learning (PFL) (Bransford & Schwartz, 1999) perspective is particularly important when considering the impact of the CT module. In Study 3, “A Faculty Workshop on CT Implementation with Mathematics and Science Methods Courses,” I discuss the effects of a summer workshop with methods instructors from universities throughout Maryland, noting different perspectives around what “counts” as a CT activity, and two implementation profiles for CT that instructors used that fall. I argue that the PFL perspective is important to consider for methods instructors’ CT integration.
Perspectives on Power Structures in U.S.-Funded Foreign Aid
(2024) Bloom, Heidi Nicole; Lin, Jing; Ginsburg, Mark; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This research explores U.S.-funded foreign aid policies and practices from the perspectives of foreign aid professionals, focusing on their views regarding the impact of neocolonialism, obstacles in decolonizing the sector, and power dynamics within crucial aspects of foreign aid practices. Historically, U.S.-funded foreign aid has prioritized national interests, reflected colonial dynamics, and perpetuated neocolonial legacies. Using a decolonial lens as its conceptual framework, the study examines the discursive construction of meanings and relationships within the foreign aid sector. Through a mixed-methods approach involving 91 survey responses, 15 interviews, and post-interview questionnaires conducted one year later, the research gathers diverse perspectives across various foreign aid sectors. The findings underscore neocolonial practices, stressing the importance of local consultation in program design and highlighting challenges in funding allocation and political imperatives. While positive shifts prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement suggest progress toward power redistribution and diversity initiatives, skepticism remains about their depth. The study concludes with a systems approach, advocating for interventions at individual, organizational, and governmental levels to disrupt neocolonial practices, promote anti-racism, empower local counterparts, and reform policies. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance equity and effectiveness in the foreign aid ecosystem through self-reflection and critical analysis from the perspectives of foreign aid professionals.
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.
INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGES AND GLOBAL CLASSROOMS: EDUCATING GLOBAL CITIZENS FOR PEACE
(2024) Weaver, Gregory; Lin, Jing; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The outbreak of a global pandemic in the form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ever-increasing xenophobia on immigration policies have called for a need to reexamine how universities can internationalize beyond traditional classroom instruction methods. Virtual exchanges have been shown to provide students with a more equal opportunity to develop their global competencies and cultural skills than study abroad. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of virtual classroom exchanges in higher education for global citizenship development and peace education at a public institution in the United States. It examined university administrators, faculty, and student experiences, perceptions, and voices on global citizenship and peacebuilding within virtual exchange/global classrooms. The study utilized a qualitative case study approach. The qualitative approach consisted of interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis allowing for students and faculty to share their experiences of learning and teaching in the virtual global classroom respectively, and administrators managing the virtual global classroom. The research found that university and departmental administrators served as curators of virtual exchange enabling global citizenship development by providing support via funding, pedagogy models, and navigating several of the international partnerships. Faculty served as facilitators of global citizenship development both within the classroom and outside of the classroom, shaping the project-based projects and challenging their students to think in a non-local mindset. The student participants in the virtual exchanges experienced development of cultural competencies for global citizenship by gaining direct, collaborative experiences working with students of other countries. Promotion of peace education within the virtual exchanges can happen. Albeit as unintentional outcome, students were able to develop much-needed peacebuilding skills that otherwise would not have been possible due to this being the sole form of internalization open to them and their community at the time of the study.
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.
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.
"I'm a dual language teacher": Examining Teachers' Identities in Dual Language Bilingual Education
(2024) Cataneo, Amanda; Martin-Beltran, Melinda; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Dual language bilingual education (DLBE) seeks to promote the goals of bilingualism and biliteracy, academic achievement, and sociocultural competence, upon a foundation of critical consciousness (Howard et al., 2018; Palmer et al., 2019). Due to the unique blending of content and language instruction (Cammarata & Tedick, 2012) in these programs, DLBE teachers need specialized skills and knowledge to effectively meet the goals of the program. However, research has found that teachers in DLBE programs lack DLBE-specific training (Amanti, 2019; Cammarata & Tedick, 2012; Freeman et al., 2005; Freire & Valdez, 2017; Lachance, 2017a, Lachance, 2017b) and instead have backgrounds of mainstream or content teaching (de Jong & Barko-Alva, 2015) which would not otherwise prepare them to teach language learners. For DLBE programs to meet their goals to be equitable for MLs, qualified teachers are needed. This dissertation study examines how teachers DLBE conceptualize their identity as language teachers within their DLBE programs, the factors that contribute to a language teacher identity, and the subsequent effect that their identity has on instruction. This qualitative, multiple case study (Yin, 2018) examines the teacher identities and pedagogies of eight DLBE teachers in two different schools and districts. Drawing on language teacher identity and professional learning frameworks, I developed a framework to guide my investigation of DLBE teacher identity (Bunch, 2013; Cammarata & Tedick, 2012; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Martin & Strom, 2016; Yazan, 2018). Data collection included interviews with focus teachers and observations of classroom and collaborative planning meetings, triangulated with interviews with two school administrators. Findings reveal that DLBE teachers’ professional identity acknowledges the distinct focus on language in DLBE contexts and displays nuanced levels of understanding of DLBE goals, especially about the roles of language and sociocultural competence in teaching. Findings also reveal the complex intersection of factors that contribute to the formation of a DLBE teacher identity, including teacher backgrounds, contextual influences of the program, and teacher beliefs. I discuss implications for research and teacher education in understanding and developing professional identity among current and future DLBE teachers.
TEACHER RETENTION AS A PREDICTOR OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL CLIMATE
(2024) Miller, Julie Elizabeth; Brantlinger, Andrew; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This dissertation examines the relationship between teacher retention and student perceptions of school climate in an urban school district, both in individual school years and across multiple school years. This secondary analysis uses a school-level measure of teacher retention from New York City (NYC) public schools and measures of school climate constructed from the student version of the NYC School Surveys for 2014-2015 through 2018-2019. Specifically, I constructed an overall measure of school climate that was a school-level, unweighted mean and I used exploratory factor analysis which resulted in three factors (Teacher Support, Classroom Behavior, and School Safety). Using linear regression for individual school years, I found teacher retention rates collected in the fall were a significant, positive predictor of school-wide averages of student school climate survey scores collected in the spring. Using a fixed effects regression model of repeated measures I also found a significant, positive relationship between teacher retention and student perceptions of school climate over the five-year period. Teacher retention was a significant positive predictor of the Teacher Support factor in the fixed effects regression of repeated measures for 2015-2016 through 2018-2019 and also in three of the five individual school years. Teacher retention had a significant, positive relationship with the Classroom Behavior factor in each individual school year but was not significantly related in the multi-year model. Teacher retention was not significantly related to the School Safety factor in any individual school year nor in the multi-year model.
WHITE RACIAL ALLYSHIP AMONG STAFF AT TRADITIONALLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS
(2024) McGuire, Teon Donté; Fries-Britt, Sharon; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Interrupting Whiteness at Traditionally White Institutions (TWIs) is first and foremost a White problem. Those who have been unjustly privileged due to their race (i.e., White people) have both the resources and primary responsibility to challenge and interrupt the very systems that unjustly oppress People of Color. This study sought to understand the experiences of White staff members at TWIs who intentionally challenge racism and interrupt Whiteness. This study used a multiple case study design with White staff members as the unit of analysis and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and journals from seven White staff members at working at TWIs across the U.S. White staff member practiced racial at the intrapersonal (i.e., working on themselves), interpersonal (e.g., educating students, serving as a resource Students of Color, and being an amplifier), and organizational and institutional (e.g., via hiring and participating in DEI initiatives) levels. Additionally, their actions revealed multiple forms of Whiteness such as, preference of White centric course content, tokenizing People of Color, shifting the blame from racism to those challenging racism, and unfair reward processes.
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.
A NECESSARY INTERVENTION: CONCEPTUALIZING AND EMPLOYING CRITICAL RACIAL ETHNIC STUDIES
(2024) Charity, Crystal; Brown, Tara; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Over the last decade, secondary schools around the United States have rapidly adopted ethnic studies courses. For instance, California’s governor mandated ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement in 2021 (Magcalas, 2023). According to scholars, ethnic studies courses offer educational experiences that disrupt the erasure and oppression of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color through Eurocentrism in schools (Hu-Dehart, 1993; Lowy, 1995). However, there is currently no universally accepted understanding of ethnic studies curricula, and ethnic studies programs vary widely. As K-12 ethnic studies programs expand around the country, educators need a unifying framework that retains ethnic studies’ critical integrity. This three-paper dissertation proposes critical racial ethnic studies (CRES), a curricular and pedagogical framework grounded in critical race theory and critical pedagogies, as a tool for organizing ethnic studies curricula. Collectively, this dissertation offers practical tools for educators to cultivate critical consciousness and racial literacies among youth and for teacher educators to do the same among teachers and teacher candidates. In study 1, “Conceptualizing critical racial ethnic studies: A critical analysis of the literature,” I use the CRES framework to analyze the research on secondary-level ethnic studies curricula and pedagogy, its limitations as a means of achieving racial justice, and possible future directions for the field. Drawing from this literature, I develop a definition of CRES and establish the historical context out of which CRES emerged, thereby demonstrating an alignment between the original goals of ethnic studies and the CRES framework. I also identify several patterns in the literature: (1) the variation in critical pedagogies employed by ethnic studies educators, (2) how youth experience CRES, (3) the CRES tenets most frequently highlighted by researchers, and (4) the differences between out-of-school and in-school CRES curricula. In study 2, “Building new worlds through an ethnic studies community education program,” I employ the CRES framework to analyze the development and implementation of an out-of-school CRES program. Through individual and focus group interviews, observations, and participant reflections, this qualitative study examines the decision-making processes of three Asian American undergraduate students working collaboratively to create an Asian American Studies curriculum for local youth of color. This study reveals that educators’ desire and ability to enact a CRES curriculum is largely dependent upon their backgrounds, experiences, and resources. For instance, the participants relied on their peers to help with curriculum development. This study reveals that access to university-level ethnic studies courses and a robust network of critically conscious peers can support facilitators' racial literacies and critical consciousness and, thus, their commitment to critical interpretations of ethnic studies. In study 3, “‘I wish I had this program in high school’: What motivates and sustains ethnic studies community educators,” I build upon the previous study by examining what motivated the three students to create the CRES program and how they persevered despite myriad barriers that can lead to burn out. Through individual and focus group interviews and participant reflections, this qualitative study interrogates how participants describe their pathways to becoming and remaining CRES educators. The findings reveal CRES educators may be inspired to pursue teaching because of their lived experiences during childhood and adolescence, particularly in schools and their families, and their subsequent involvement in ethnic studies courses and politically engaged student groups in college. The study highlights how important community networks and resources are in the development of educators’ critical consciousness and racial literacies, two key factors in employing CRES curricula. Thus, the findings provide insight into how to effectively recruit, train, support, and learn from CRES educators.
In Pursuit of a Nonpublic Special Education Placement
(2024) Healy, Charlotte Eileen; Scribner, Campbell F; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intends parents to be equal members of the team that makes their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), parents face barriers to participation, particularly exclusionary procedures, school structures, professional behaviors, and racial and cultural biases. Little wonder that some seek placements outside the public school system. However, IDEA also mandates that students receive services in the “least restrictive environment,” which means alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. This dissertation is an exploratory, qualitative study of parents who pursue publicly funded special education placements in nonpublic institutions for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This research documents parents’ reasons, perceptions, and experiences when seeking a nonpublic placement, as well as their strategies and challenges. The questions, and my interpretation of responses, are informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s (1985) socio-cultural capital theory, as well as Audrey A. Trainor’s (2010a, 2010b) descriptions of social and cultural capital use when advocating for children with disabilities. This study found parents of children with ASD sought nonpublic placement only when significant issues arose in their child’s public school, particularly around their child’s safety or lack of meaningful improvement, and only after their efforts to resolve these issues failed and their distrust of school and district personnel grew. No longer focused on coming to a consensus or compromise with their child’s IEP team, parents began an advocacy process that involved: a) consulting or retaining professional representation (attorneys, professional advocates, and/or educational consultants); b) building and presenting the argument that the school district was and could not providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE); c) securing a placement in a nonpublic school.
“In All Their Diversity": Examining Participation, Funds of Knowledge, and Identity Representation in Art-Based Social Media Posts
(2024) Hernly, Kenna; Clegg, Tamara; McGrew, Sarah; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Many art museums are currently facing issues of inequity at every level, including in collections, staffing, audiences, and engagement practices. In this dissertation, I hypothesize that one way to address these issues is by altering engagement and learning practices, which are traditionally grounded in didactic, expert-led approaches. In this multiple-method, three-paper dissertation, I use The Museum Challenge (TMC) – a social media challenge to re-create works of art with household materials – as a case study of participatory art engagement. This large-scale, global challenge, which was initiated by the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, relied on participatory engagement practices with digitized museum collection objects. To better understand the implications of TMC for participatory art engagement, I combine quantitative data on 81,086 Instagram posts from the first four months of the challenge and qualitative data from post samples and interviews with participants in TMC. As others who have researched social media use in art museums have found, these platforms can afford visitors and remote users alike the ability to choose what is important to them and to engage with art museum collections in a self-led, playful manner that is not always encouraged by the museum environment, especially for adults (Budge, 2017, 2018b, 2018a; Budge & Burness, 2018; Villaespesa & Wowkowych, 2020). My findings predominantly speak to three things: 1) Participants drew on slow-looking and embodied learning as they re-created art, often in an instinctive way connected to their funds of knowledge; 2) Participants offered their interpretations of artworks, adapting art for our times and in some cases challenging norms to represent their individual and group identities; and 3) Participants found joy in the process, learning and building a positive and supportive community that has had a lasting impact. My research presents an example of audiences showing museums what they want and challenging expert-led interpretations to adapt art for our times and, in the process, representing themselves “in all their diversity” (Wong, 2012, p. 284; Ebben & Bull, 2022).
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.
Race, Space, and Equity: How Local Youth, Longtime Resident Parents, and Local Policymakers Perceive and Experience School Gentrification
(2024) Quarles, Bradley; Galindo, Claudia; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Public education has become increasingly entwined with gentrification, which involves the transformation of historically underinvested, predominantly minority neighborhoods for middle- and upper-income residential and commercial use. This phenomenon is supported by neoliberal reforms that marketize urban schools, with some policymakers and reformers assuming that these practices will attract parent gentrifiers, who will drive urban school transformation. However, this reform agenda rests on an uneven literature base that primarily highlights the perspectives of parent gentrifiers. This three-paper dissertation applies critical racial and spatial perspectives to three complementary qualitative investigations in Washington, D.C., a critical site of gentrification and market-based education reforms, to deepen our understanding of the relationship between gentrification and educational equity and amplify voices underrepresented in the existing literature. Study 1, “‘It Feels Like the City Pushed Us Aside’: Mapping Local Youths’ Experiences of Gentrification and Education in Washington, D.C.,” draws on data derived from participatory mapping activities and focus groups involving 23 Black and 7 Latinx public high school students. It explores how these young people depict and utilize space, perceive gentrification’s educational and environmental impacts, and construct narratives of belonging and justice in a gentrified city. The analysis delves into how racism, spatial disparities, and various forms of oppression mold the landscapes encountered by local youths, shaping the narratives they construct about themselves and their surroundings. The findings highlight their complex understanding of gentrification as a source of both opportunities and challenges, with many conveying that city leaders view them as disposable. Through their words and maps, a counter-narrative emerges to essentializing discourses that undermine the agency and capacity of local youth to propose policy solutions for improving neighborhood and school dynamics central to their lives. Study 2, “‘A Prisoner’s Dilemma: How Longtime Resident Black Parents Navigate School Choice, Gentrification, and Antiblackness,” uses retrospective interviews with 19 longtime resident Black parents with deep ties to the community that predate revitalization. It investigates how the intertwined dynamics of race, place, and power influence their experiences of gentrification and decision-making. The findings illuminate the tension between neoliberal school choice policies that assume all families operate in a minimally restrictive marketplace and the racial hostility and spatial disparities constraining Black parents’ agency within a gentrified school choice landscape. Instead of empowering families and compelling schools to be more responsive, the study reveals that for many longtime resident parents, school choice bred precarity, offering them “a chance, not a choice,” at securing academically rigorous and culturally affirming educational opportunities. Study 3, “Local Policymakers Sensemaking on Gentrification and Education: Working Towards Equity Across a Contested Landscape,” examines how 21 elected officials and education administrators responsible for citywide education reforms process the multiple messages and sources of influence concerning the competing interests of longtime resident families and parent gentrifiers. The study explores how local policymakers conceptualize whether gentrification enables or constrains educational opportunities throughout Washington, D.C., emphasizing its impact on longtime resident families. Additionally, it investigates how local policymakers’ conceptions of race, space, and equity shape their sensemaking of gentrification. The findings challenge simplistic portrayals of all local policymakers as advocates for gentrification catering to parent gentrifiers. Instead, participants voiced a deep commitment to advancing transformative and adequacy notions of equity and centering marginalized families in their decision-making. Transformative policymakers aimed to disrupt racially spatialized disparities, whiteness, and entrenched power dynamics, while adequacy policymakers sought to address inequities within the city’s existing policy frameworks. The findings provide insights for urban policy agendas that prioritize the needs of longtime resident families and other racially minoritized, historically disenfranchised communities.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FULL-SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY IN BALTIMORE CITY: A CASE STUDY
(2024) Manko, Joseph Nguyen; Galindo, Claudia; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The community school strategy was first introduced in Baltimore City in 2012. Community schools are public elementary or secondary schools that provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, families, and community members (U.S. Department of Education, 2023). In 2021, the state of Maryland made a substantial commitment to the expansion of community schools in landmark legislation entitled The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Through the Blueprint, Baltimore City’s community schools footprint rapidly expanded from 51 to 123 community schools during the 2019-2020 school year. In this dissertation, I present findings from a case study conducted on a newly constituted community school resulting from the Blueprint expansion. This study utilized the four pillars of community schools as a framework for examining programming and implementation of the community strategy, as well as its successes and challenges.To examine implementation of the community school strategy at the case study site, I interviewed key implementers and stakeholders including school administrators, teachers, parents, community partners, and the community school coordinator. The study found that all four pillars of the community school strategy were present at the case study site and surfaced four major successes: 1) the development of a welcoming environment; 2) buy-in from Bayfront personnel to the strategy; 3) the responsiveness of the community school strategy to feedback from students and families; and 4) robust ramp up in programs and services to provide much needed support for the community. The research findings also surfaced six challenges with community school implementation that included: 1) challenges around communication; 2) challenges posed by the Covid school closures; 3) challenges around the lack of a deep connection with parents; 4) challenges serving a Latinx population; 5) challenges associated with the lack of extended day opportunities for students; and 6) challenges that are even too large for community schools to address. The study resulted in four major findings that include an exploration of: 1) the critical role of people in the successful implementation of the community school strategy; 2) the importance of the United Way as a lead agent; 3) the existence of a siloed community schools structure that resulted in divides between academic and community functions of the school; 4) and the presence of a transactional community schools approach resulting in a unidirectional flow of resources and support. I examined several aspects of these findings through Honig’s (2006) contemporary implementation policy framework, which seeks to elevate the crucial role that people, policy, and places play in shaping how implementation unfolds. This research study can serve as a resource for researchers, policy makers, educators, community school implementers, and educational advocates seeking to answer questions about potential challenges and opportunities as community school expansion continues across Maryland as a result of the Blueprint. As the community school strategy continues to expand nationwide, this study can provide insights into key implementation considerations for schools in the early stages of strategy adoption.
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.

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