Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations

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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.
“LIBERATING MY MIND... DECOLONIZING MY PHYSICAL BODY”: EXPLORING AFROLATINE/A/O ACTIVISTS’ CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS USING PLÁTICA METHODOLOGY
(2024) Martinez-Benyarko, Marinel; Espino Lira, Michelle; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
My dissertation, “Liberating my mind...decolonizing my physical body”: Exploring AfroLatine/a/o activists’ critical consciousness using plática methodology, aimed to understand the experiences of 11 AfroLatine/a/o activists in the United States. Scholars have studied AfroLatine/a/os racial/ethnic identity development and activism separately, but this dissertation highlighted the critical consciousness that both these identities possess. Through a “me-search” process, a form of critical consciousness, AfroLatine/a/os assert agency and resilience to make meaning and reflect upon their Blackness and Latinidad (García-Louis & Cortes, 2020). Additionally, those who identify as activists also engage with critical consciousness in understanding social inequities and oppression (Freire, 1970a). My dissertation explored the critical consciousness that AfroLatine/a/os activists possess using plática methodology. Using a plática methodology, I cocreated knowledge, fostered healing and vulnerability, offered collaborators validation, and incorporated life experiences and community building. Pláticas also “constitute a method that recognizes and values familial and cultural knowledge, and platicando becomes the process of drawing on that knowledge and making meaning across experiences” (González Ybarra, 2018, p. 511). Through pláticas, cuentos, chismes, charlas, regaños, and consejos are shared (Fierros & Delgado Bernal, 2016; González Ybarra, 2018; M. Guajardo & Guajardo, 2007). To accomplish this work, I developed a conceptual framework titled, “Exploring AfroLatine/a/o activists critical consciousness,” that brings together (a) Latino critical race theory, (b) Daché et al.’s (2019) Black-imiento, and (c) Freire’s (1970a) conscientization to illuminate the experiences of AfroLatine/a/o activists in a way that highlights their embraced Blackness, heightened knowledge and critical action, and lived experiences. Data were collected via a survey (46 participants), a one-on-one plática (11 collaborators), and a community plática (11 collaborators). Data were analyzed first by collaborators during the community plática. Afterward, I conducted initial/open coding and focused coding strategies. The findings of this study showed that AfroLatine/a/o activists asserted agency and engaged in critical reflection through a continuous process of learning and unlearning to understand their own AfroLatine/a/o identity, country of origin history, colonization, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and internalized racism. The second finding described the racialideologies that AfroLatine/a/o activists created, which included (a) embracing Black identity by taking pride in their physical appearance, hair, and skin color; (b) centering their resistance in language; and (c) rejecting stereotypes and generalizations of Latine/a/o as a monolithic group. Additionally, this study found that AfroLatine/a/o activists defined their activism as community, advocacy, and compassion. Lastly, the collaborators shared how their AfroLatine/a/o identity was a form of existence as resistance, a form of activism. This study presents various contributions to higher education theory, praxis, research, policy, and AfroLatine/a/o activists. My dissertation makes the following contributions: (a) understanding how marginalized communities navigate and resist oppressive systems, (b) validating the experiences and knowledge of AfroLatine/a/o activists, and (c) challenging a monolithic perspective of Latinidad by showcasing how AfroLatine/a/os embrace their Blackness.
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.
COMPUTATIONAL THINKING IN EARLY GRADE CLASSROOMS: HOW YOUNG LEARNERS INTERACT WITH PHYSICAL DEVICES TO GROUND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
(2024) Bih epse Fofang, Janet Shufor; Weintrop, David; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Computational thinking (CT) has been supported as an important skill every young person should possess for the 21st century, with possible implications for problem-solving, self-expression, and creativity. Numerous initiatives, both within and outside classroom settings, have been developed in response to policy mandates aiming at broadening participation for all K-12 learners to acquire CT skills. Consequently, there has been a proliferation of computational toys and tools specifically designed for young learners, including codable robots introduced into classrooms and educational environments. With the growing prevalence of computational devices in educational settings, educators, curriculum designers, and researchers must cultivate diverse teaching approaches and deepen their understanding of how young learners engage with these devices to acquire CT skills effectively within classroom contexts. In this dissertation, I present findings of how elementary-grade learners develop CT skills when they program Sphero robots in mathematics classroom activities. I specifically focused on the kinds of representations students developed, considering their perspectives (understanding) of the environment, and the practices they engaged in to accomplish given tasks.To understand how young learners acquired CT skills, I observed fourth-grade learners as they interacted with activities on the Sphero.Math curriculum to program the Sphero robot in mathematics classrooms. The Sphero.Math curriculum was developed through a collaborative effort between researchers and DCPS partners. Findings from this work revealed that representations play an important role in supporting young learners to engage in CT practices such as Pattern recognition, algorithm design, problem decomposition, and abstraction (PRADA). Findings showed that representations such as (1) concrete manipulatives, (2) language, (3) graphic, (4) symbolic and (5) embodied representations provide scaffolds for learners to gain (PRADA), CT skills through iterating, testing, debugging, abstracting, modularizing, and reusing code. Additionally, the design features of the Sphero robot and its programming environment support CT knowledge acquisition. Features such as (1) programmable LEDs provided opportunities for learners to break down tasks and create opportunities to organize and structure components to get visual feedback that helped them recognize patterns. (2) Taillight (“aim”) LED provided visual cues, that facilitated the involvement of geocentric orientation and embodied practices that empowered students to establish sensorimotor references. (3) Sphero’s virtual protractor supported students through the CT component of abstraction to address the geocentric aspects of the Sphero robot. (4) block-based environment/language, that involves the use of shapes and colors as effective visual aids and abstraction tools, to support the learners’ construct to algorithms. This research can serve as a resource for researchers, curriculum designers, educators, and designers to answer questions about design, choice of computational tools, and their respective programming environments that can afford meaningful CT experiences. Familiarizing learners with representations within CT robotics learning environments serves as a gentle initiation into emerging topics in education such as AI, ML, and data science, given the pivotal role representations play within these fields.
SWITCH MODE: SCAFFOLD LEARNERS FROM BLOCK-BASED PROGRAMMING TO TEXT-BASED PROGRAMMING
(2024) Lin, Yuhan; Weintrop, David; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Block-based programming environments have become increasingly commonplace in computer science education. Despite a rapidly expanding ecosystem of block-based programming environments, text-based languages remain the dominant programming paradigm outside of educational contexts, motivating the transition from block-based to text-based programming. Supporting students in transitioning from block-based to text-based programming is an important and open design question. This dissertation presents the design and evaluation of a novel hybrid programming environment, Switch mode, to scaffold learners from block-based to text-based programming.Switch mode blocks allow learners to write text-based commands inside of blocks within a conventional block-based programming environment. Switch mode blocks can be added by either directly drag-and-dropping them into a program or by right clicking a block and converting it into a Switch mode block. This scaffolded approach can support learners in transitioning from block-based programming to text-based programming. This dissertation understands students’ perception and how they author in Switch mode. Findings from coding activities presents an analysis of the eight distinct strategies that learners developed to compose programs using Switch mode blocks. This categorization of programming strategies contributes to our understanding of how we can design environments that support students of varying levels of prior experience and confidence in transitioning from introductory (block-based) to more powerful (text-based) programming modalities. Findings from the classroom study shows how novices were able to smoothly move from block-based to text-based programming with the help of Switch mode blocks. The case study on the differing experiences of two students with differing prior programming experiences shows how Switch mode supported both students and helped them find their level of comfort with programming. This dissertation demonstrates the potential of hybrid programming environments that can support learners in developing distinct programming approaches suited to their confidence, preference, and previous experiences. Collectively this work contributes to our understanding of the hybrid programming environment and can be used to inform the tools that will scaffold the next generation of learners. This work will help prepare learners to excel in a computationally driving world.
CULTURE WARS AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE GATE: SCHOOL BOARD DECISION MAKING & STUDENTS’ SPEECH RIGHTS
(2024) Callahan, Pamela Catherine; Scribner, Campbell F; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
School boards occupy a unique space in the fabric of American governance. School board members are often called upon to make decisions about how the values of a community are reflected in its schools, their classrooms, and even the school district’s library collection. These decisions are far from inconsequential. School board members serve as a link between federal case law and the ways students in the district will experience their First Amendment rights to free speech and expression. School boards have been in the spotlight regarding the retention and/or removal of challenged school library books (Natanson, 2020). One of the most frequent reasons for book challenges has been the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) characters and themes in library books (American Library Association, 2023). After studying culture war conflicts, Hunter (1991), Zimmerman (2002), and Harman (2019) posit that the bounds of pluralistic living, such as whether to include or exclude educational materials with LGBTQIA+ characters, are never settled for good. Instead, culture war-related conflicts will follow a cycle of conflict and peace. When the issue of library book challenges resurfaces, school boards must decide how to respond. Although school boards are often tasked with making difficult decisions related to the speech and expression rights of public-school students and culture war issues such as religion in schools (Ross, 1994) and the inclusion of intelligent design (Superfine, 2009); they are also responsible for ensuring that the constitutional rights of public-school students are protected. Where, if at all, might a school board member turn for guidance on these persistent challenges? For legal guidance, they might consider turning to the Supreme Court of the United States. In Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), the Supreme Court ruled that the removal of school library books was enmeshed with the First Amendment rights of public school students. As such, Justice William Brennan argued in the plurality opinion, that school board members must avoid removing library books due to a disagreement with the ideas in the book or because of one’s motivation to remove the book for political or partisan reasons (Driver, 2018). Do board members heed this guidance and if so the degree to which school boards use the decision in Pico (1982) when making decisions about challenged library books is an open empirical question and the focus of this study. This dissertation study uses case study methodology to examine the influence of Pico (1982) on one district school board’s decision-making process during two different library book challenges in the same suburban public school district in Virginia (Yin, 2014). The first case study centers on the 2008 challenge to the book And Tango Makes Three and the second case study centers on the 2019 challenge to the book My Princess Boy. Both And Tango Makes Three and My Princess Boy were challenged by members of the school community due to LGBTQIA+ characters. Each case study offers insights into an important but little-studied phenomenon of school board decision-making, which has consequences for understanding how school boards conceptualize and balance the rights of public school students during culture war-related conflicts. The findings for each case study indicate that Pico (1982) was not a factor of influence in school board decision-making in the cases examined. This finding has implications for how the First Amendment rights of public school students are protected during library book challenges. Despite the lack of influence of Pico (1982) on board member deliberation and decision-making, each case study does offer insight into the ways that school board members engaged in the decision-making process following a book challenge as well as the way the guidance in Pico (1982) does not align to the process used by each school board. Taken together, these case studies highlight the internal processes school boards use when making book challenge decisions, the complicated legal role of school board members, areas of misalignment between the law as written and the law in practice, and how district policy is used by school board members during a culture war-related conflict.
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.
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.
Stories from the English Teaching Industry in Taiwan: Uncovering Hidden (and Overt) Belief Systems & Ideologies of English Through Storytelling
(2023) Fiore, Amanda Jane; Lin, Jing; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: STORIES FROM THE ENGLISH TEACHING INDUSTRY IN TAIWAN:UNCOVERING HIDDEN (AND OVERT) BELIEF SYSTEMS & IDEOLOGIES OF ENGLISH THROUGH STORYTELLING Amanda J. Fiore, Dr. of International Education Policy, 2024 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Jing Lin, Department of International Education Policy This dissertation is a critical exploration of power, privilege, and oppression in the private English teaching industry in Taiwan. It collected and examined the lived experiences of 9 Taiwanese students, 7 Taiwanese teachers, and 27 “foreign” teachers from around the world (43 total). All participants were living in Taiwan and teaching or studying English in the cross-cultural environment of Taiwan’s private English schools at the time of this study. The design was a multiple case study with a narrative lens. Case study was used to separate and bound the 43 participants into 5 Cases, which were formed according to participants’ role (as teacher/student) and their racial, national, and linguistic identities. Two types of qualitative analysis were applied: 1) thematic coding across all interviews, resulting in both in-Case and cross-Case analyses; and 2) emplotment, which was applied to 4 of the 43 participant’s interview data, turning their data into stories. Primary findings included the discovery and articulation of belief systems which associated English with power and prestige, as well as whiteness, Westernness, and “foreignness,” where “foreignness” was racialized in the Taiwanese context as not Asian. These belief systems created a structurally embedded hierarchy of racial, national, and linguistic identities within the English teaching industry in Taiwan, where white Westerners were the most privileged, followed by Western Teachers of Color (who are not Asian), then Western teachers with Asian racial identities, and finally non-Western foreign teachers. In all Cases, local Taiwanese teachers were the most marginalized and oppressed. Secondary findings included a set of personal characteristics held by all participants successfully able to connect with the “foreign other,” leading to the argument that personal orientation is more important than any other factor in creating cross-cultural understanding. Regarding research, this study argues that “emplotment” is an effective narrative tool for helping researchers with privileged identities navigate unequal power dynamics between themselves and their participants. This finding is corroborated by my own experience as a white Western researcher interpreting interview data from Participants of Color with a variety of national and linguistic identities.
UNDERSTANDING POLICY ENACTMENT IN DIVERSE INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINGLE NATIONAL CURRICULUM POLICY IN PAKISTAN
(2023) Ali, Fatimah; Klees, Steven J; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Education reform is a contested and complicated terrain where multiple stakeholders with competing visions seek to influence the direction of reform in alignment with their own interests. As a result of these competing visions, education policy is not value free or neutral and favors those who hold the political and economic power to maintain the inertia of the status quo. Despite this unequal balance, education reform remains a dialectic process which is affected by several factors including contexts, resources, accountability processes and the agency of those tasked with policy implementation. Since policy is rarely implemented without some refraction from its original formulation, it is important to examine the implementation process to understand its complexities that can aid in better policymaking by decisionmakers. This multi-case qualitative study examines the implementation of the Single National Curriculum (SNC) Policy introduced during the 2021-2022 academic year in Punjab, Pakistan in primary schools (grade 1-5). Using an institutional lens, this study investigates how public and private schools interpreted the Single National Curriculum Policy and implemented it in classrooms. To highlight the complexity of policy implementation and provide a variegated and nuanced view of policy implementation within different institutional and social contexts, the study was conducted in a public school, a low-cost private school, and a high-cost private school in the cities of Lahore and Kamalia. In total, 22 teachers and administrators across the three schools were interviewed for this research. This study found that the alignment of belief systems, the institutional arrangements of schools and perceived costs of deviation all influenced how closely the SNC curriculum was implemented in each school. Schools interpreted the policy in light of mediating factors which included institutional factors such as the learning environment, capacity and agency of the teachers and administrators as well as their hierarchies and support systems. Adherence to policy was also dependent on the perceived risk of being inspected by government officials and monitoring frameworks established to assess policy implementation. Lastly, in all three schools, administrators and teachers adhered to a spectrum of beliefs that were in alignment with or opposed to the SNC policy. These governed how closely the SNC was implemented in classrooms and or if corrective pressure was applied to maintain their desired student outcomes. As a result of this variation, gaps in student learning remained intact as the new policy did not address the roots of quality differences across schools. However, the government was able to successfully coerce all schools into incorporating more religious instruction and nationalistic citizenship education leading to more tight coupling between the schools on this front.
Enacting "Equitable" Computer Science: How U.S. PK-12 District and School Leaders Interpret Educational Policy
(2023) Kramarczuk, Kristina; Terrell Shockley, Ebony; Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
As technology continues to permeate all aspects of modern society, it is critical for PK-12 students to participate in computer science (CS) learning opportunities that prepare them to navigate and leverage technology in their future careers. However, research consistently shows that Black, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and Native American students, students who qualify for the National School Lunch Program, and rural students are significantly less likely to attend a high school that offers foundational CS courses like Advanced Placement CS A (APCSA) or Advanced Placement CS Principles (APCSP). One way to challenge inequities within PK-12 public CS education is for federal, state, and local leaders to develop and enact CS education reform that specifically addresses disparities in CS education across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. This dissertation unpacks how local leaders–central office leaders and public high school principals–perceive the expansion of CS education in their local contexts and how they leverage their power to bring CS to all students, not just the White and Asian elite. This study includes three articles: 1) an exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis of national Google and Gallup (2020) survey data on U.S. PK-12 superintendents’ and principals’ perceptions of CS education in their local contexts, 2) a multiple case study analysis of interview data with 30 central office leaders and high school principals from six distinct school districts in two states on the East Coast, and 3) a policy brief that summarizes findings from the first two studies and proposes federal, state, and local level policies that can address disparities in U.S. public high school CS education. Findings from the first study revealed that U.S. superintendents and high school principals express positive support for CS education but do not feel that other stakeholders in their school districts, like school board members, parents/guardians, teachers, and students, are equally supportive. Perceptions of stakeholder support were lowest for leaders in the Western part of the U.S. and for leaders who oversee majority low-wealth students. Using the Capacity for, Access to, Participation in, and Experiences in CS framework (CAPE) by Fletcher and Warner (2021), as well as the educational debt theory proposed by Ladson-Billings (2006), the second study showed that support for CS education is fragmented between the state and local levels, even in a state with robust CS education policy in place. Interviews with central office leaders and high school principals confirmed that mainly White, male, and college-bound students are enrolling in APCS courses. Additionally, White-identifying central office leaders, despite recognizing these disparities, placed the blame on students rather than the lack of infrastructure for CS education in their school divisions; they claimed that without enough student interest in elective APCS courses, it is difficult to justify allocating district resources for CS. Whereas in larger school districts, leaders were aware of disparities and actively working to dismantle disparities in CS education. Any challenges that these advocates faced were most likely due to capacity issues, such as a sparse CS teacher workforce or limited funds to establish concrete CS education units at the district level. Five policies are recommended for federal, state and local leaders to enact: 1) federal leaders should develop CS education mandates that require U.S. states to create comprehensive plans for PK-12 CS education, 2) federal and state funds should be allocated towards district and school leadership professional development for CS education, 3) states should develop state-specific CS course sequences for PK-8 education that prepare all students for advanced high school CS coursework, 4) states should consider creating longitudinal data systems that track student enrollment in middle and high school CS courses, and 5) school districts should distribute funds to hire a CS advocate who oversees CS course expansion in the district. Researchers can use the data from this dissertation to develop interventions that address the unique needs of different U.S. PK-12 educational leaders and promote productive relationships between CS education policy and practice.
ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS THROUGH THE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF A DETRACKING PROGRAM
(2023) Sutton, Catherine; Neumerski, Christine; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The American education system has consistently produced disparate outcomes for Black students in terms of graduation rates and college readiness. A deep exploration of this problem reveals that Black students are oftentimes placed in less rigorous courses with less qualified educators who lack the skills to manage student behavior and provide high-quality instruction. A possible solution to this problem is the elimination of tracking, an approach to sorting students by ability levels that more often sorts students by privilege and social status. However, the removal of tracks (i.e., detracking) is a controversial change as it disrupts both teachers’ and the community’s deep-rooted idea of “what school should look like.” Teachers, who are on the front lines of detracking, must feel supported and heard when this initiative is in its initial implementation phase. More importantly, they must have a shared commitment, along with school leaders, to the program’s success. This qualitative study, which was done through individual teacher interviews, a review of training materials, and a focus group compiled of those interviewed to discuss initial findings, explores teacher perceptions of how they were prepared, engaged, and supported by school and system leaders during a detracking initiative that took place in three different high schools in one school district. The findings of this study will help educational leaders understand the complexities of this initiative and the planning and support needed to make it sustainable. Such themes that were discovered include the need for a pre-established collaborative culture and regular time for teacher collaboration. Most importantly though, this study reveals a larger issue with today’s educational practices. In a society that is rapidly changing, detracking should be considered an important re-structuring of our traditional school practices that better aligns with equity and the needs of today’s learners, rather than just another initiative.
PREDICTIVE ACCURACY OF THIRD AND FIFTH GRADERS ON LINGUISTIC AND NON-LINGUISTIC COMPREHENSION MEASURES: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE ON GRADUATED PASSAGE QUESTIONS UNDER LISTENING AND READING CONDITIONS AND THE STANDARD PROGRESSIVE MATRICES
(1981) Alexander, Patricia; Garner, Ruth; Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
This study, as an investigation of predictive accuracy, examined the relationship of subjects' performance on a non-linguistic measure of comprehension, the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, to their performance on linguistic measures of comprehension, graduated passages and questions from the Barnell-Loft Specific Skills Drawing Conclusions Series. These linguistic passages and questions were presented under silent reading and listening conditions. All third graders and fifth graders at a suburban Maryland parochial school served as the study population from which twenty subjects at each grade level were randomly selected. This sample was comprised of eighteen males and twenty-two females. All subjects received all treatment levels which consisted of four tasks administered in two sessions. Session I included the administration of the Raven's, with the added verbalization of item C-9, and passages and questions presented in a silent reading mode. In Session II all subjects completed passages and questions presented in a listening mode and the Slosson Intelligence Test. The graduated passages and question were contained in Comprehension Inventory I and II which were administered in counterbalanced format. Half of the subjects received Inventory I as the listening task and II as the silent reading task, while half received Inventory I as the silent reading task and II as the listening task. The first question under research in this study was whether there was a relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic predictive accuracy. A multiple correlation technique was used to ascertain the relationship between the Raven's and the listening and silent reading linguistic comprehension measures. A correlation coefficient significantly different from zero was achieved in the comparison of subjects' performance data for these tasks. The second question addressed by this study was whether the relationship between the non-linguistic and the listening linguistic measure of predictive accuracy would be stronger than the relationship between the non-linguistic and the reading linguistic measure of predictive accuracy. Through the use of a partial correlation technique it was determined that the relationship between the Raven's and the listening task was not statistically stronger than the relationship between the Raven's and the silent reading task. Both partial correlations, however, were determined to be significantly different from zero. The third question investigated by this study was whether there was a significant relationship between the Raven's, as a non-linguistic measure of predictive accuracy, and the Slosson, as a linguistic measure of intellig ence. The coefficient produced by the Pearson Product-Moment technique was assessed to be significantly different from zero. Finally, the study sought to ascertain if there were developmental differences in predictive accuracy. At test for related samples produced significant differences for all outcome measures in the direction of the fifth-grade subjects. These findings confirmed the hypothesis that older students would perform the specified tasks at a higher level of predictive accuracy than younger students. Possible explanations of the outcomes of this investigation, and their relationship to research in the areas of language/thought, analogous reasoning, intelligence/cognition, reading/listening and comprehension/prediction were discussed, along with implications for theory, research, classroom and diagnostic practices.
A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Demonstrations, Verbal Statements, and Hands-on Experiences on Correcting a Misconception of First-Graders Regarding Magnets
(1987) Benbow, Ann E.; Lockard, J. David; Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of five instructional interventions which were designed to correct a size-related science misconception in a group of first graders. The particular misconception chosen for the study is the belief that larger magnets are always of greater strength than smaller magnets. These interventions consisted of: a. a demonstration lesson, b. a hands-on lesson, c. a verbal statements lesson, d. a demonstration-plus-verbal statements lesson, and e. a hands-on-plus-verbal statements lesson. At the beginning of each magnet lesson, students were first exposed to evidence contradicting the size-related magnet misconception. This was followed by the introduction of cognitive conflict via the use of a small weak rectangular magnet and a larger strong rectangular magnet to pick up paper clips. Finally, students interacted with two (apparently) identical rectangular magnets of clearly differing strengths. The second major component of each intervention was the use of iron filings and a magnet to "show" lines of force. The purpose of this last activity was to give the students some information about magnets that would assist them in accommodating the events witnessed in the first part of the intervention. Subjects were tested three days before the treatment, one day after treatment to determine change of knowledge effect, then six weeks after treatment as a check for knowledge retention. Six subjects were randomly chosen from each treatment group to be interviewed using a format based upon Novak's Interview-about-Instances (1984) prior to the instruction, and on two occasions (one day, and six weeks) after the instruction. It was hypothesized that a demonstration treatment would result in the highest frequency of students who received a score of 100% on four misconception-related items on the post-test. It was also hypothesized that the demonstration treatment would result in the greatest retention. Analysis of both test scores and interview data indicates that, although there is strong support for the corrective properties of a demonstration which directly confronts the misconception that a necessary direct relation ship exists between magnetic strength and magnet size, a demonstration alone is not more effective than all of the remaining treatments in achieving change of knowledge or retention. Therefore, there is a lack of support for both research hypotheses. Both treatments containing demonstrations, however, were more effective in achieving correction of the size-related misconception than the treatments consisting of a hands-on treatment alone and verbal statements alone.
The Effects of Instruction in Sentence Combining and Revision on Ninth and Tenth Graders' Explanatory Writing
(1989) Horstman, Franklin; Slater, Wayne H.; Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
In this study, I examined the effects of instruction in sentence combining on three measures of student writing : 1.) syntactic fluency; 2.) overall writing quality; and 3.) sentence -combining ability. Sentence combining is a method of writing instruction in which students rewrite a series of sentences into one syntactically more complex sentence. Two teachers instructed experimental group one (37 students) in sentence combining applied to revision. The same two teachers also instructed experimental group two (37 students) in sentence combining alone. A third teacher instructed the control students (38 students) in the standard ninth-grade English curriculum. To examine syntactic fluency, I analyzed students' writing for words per T-unit, clauses per T-unit, and words per clause. To examine overall writing quality, two trained raters assessed students' writing using forced choice holistic scoring. I also assessed students' sentence-combining ability. On syntactic fluency, the control group demonstrated statistically significant gains for mean number of words per clause. On overall writing quality, the control group also demonstrated statistically significant gains. On sentence-combining ability, both experimental group one and experimental group two demonstrated statistically significant gains. While the results do not support the first two research questions, on sentence-combining ability, the results suggest that ninth-grade writers can be taught sentence combining in a four-week, intensive instructional unit. Additionally, results suggest links between rhetorical and psychological theories and writing. However, the limitations of the results also suggest further sentence-combining research.

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