Teaching, Learning, Policy & Leadership Theses and Dissertations
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Item THE PRINCIPAL’S ROLE AND IMPACT ON TEACHER ATTRITION IN AN URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VANDERBILT ASSESSMENT OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION (VAL-ED) RATINGS AND TEACHER ATTRITION.(2018) Ashworth, Megan; Richardson, Pat; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The most significant factor that influences student achievement is the quality and commitment of the teachers who are providing rigorous instruction. As efforts to recruit more individuals into the teaching profession have been successful, determining how to keep highly qualified teachers who provide meaningful and effective instruction remains a concern. According to the U.S. Department of Education, teacher attrition is a local, state, and national problem. Principals play a key role in improving the quality of instruction in their schools through their daily instructional leadership behaviors. If teacher attrition across the United States is going to decrease, principals will be one of the key factors to making this a reality. Discovery Education recently developed the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) tool, which holds the potential to improve academic and social learning for students as well as supporting the teachers who are providing high-quality education. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between learning-centered leadership behaviors (average score measured on the VAL-ED assessment) and the teacher attrition percentages that determine whether teachers remain in a school longer than 5 years. In addition, the researcher wanted to determine whether there was a correlation between the core components of culture of learning and professional behavior as well as connections to external communities and teacher attrition percentages in an urban school district which are both core components within the VAL-ED tool inclusive of the development of a positive school culture which supports teachers. Findings that emerged from the analysis revealed a moderately significant relationship between attrition percentages and overall scores on the VAL-ED assessment and the VAL-ED scores on the core component culture of learning and professional behavior. According to the study, higher overall effectiveness ratings on the VAL-ED tool had moderately significant associations with lower teacher turnover rates, and culture of learning and professional behavior VAL-ED scores had moderately significant associations with lower teacher turnover rates. Last, connections to external communities scores on VAL-ED had associations with lower teacher turnover rates, but the relationship was not significant.Item A Qualitative Analysis Of Middle School Principal Retention In An Urban School District(2018) Cyrus, Barry S.; Imig, David; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The issue of principal retention remains a challenge for many school districts across the United States. Several studies have revealed alarming statistics regarding principal turnover and attrition and the negative effects these issues have on schools (Browne-Ferrigno & Johnson-Fusarelli, 2005; Clark et al., 2009; Partlow & Ridenour, 2008; Stoelinga et al., 2008; Walker & Qian, 2006; Whittal, 2002). Data show that the annual financial burden principal replacement places on these school districts is enormous (School Leaders Network, 2014); not to mention the tremendous effect that principal turnover has on school operations. Consistent school leadership is essential to the successful operation of schools. Evidence indicates that principals are the most importance catalysts for change in the school building—they spark academic success among students, improve working conditions, and encourage teacher retention (Beteille et al., 2012; Burkhauser, 2015; Johnson, 2006; Leithwood et al., 2006; McIver et al., 2009). This qualitative study examined the unique sociocultural, pedagogical, and personal factors that influence middle school principals’ decision to remain within a given school. Data were gathered from interviews with ten middle school principals with an average of 7.1 years in their position at the time of the study and a range of 2-14 years of experience as school leaders. Their tenure in the principalship far exceeded that of many middle school principals today. The study revealed that the participants’ decision to remain in their positions at the same schools for a prolonged period was influenced by several factors, including the socio-economic, racial, and ethnic composition of the student bodies; positive relationships with students, parents, and direct supervisors. Contrary to findings in other studies, the principals who participated in this inquiry truly enjoyed working with traditionally underserved populations. Additionally, most respondents viewed their work through an altruistic lens; genuinely valued their relationships with students, parents, and teachers; and approached each day with the perspective that each of these groups deserved the very best that the principals had to offer. Moreover, the participants consciously viewed students and their parents as a unit, and saw the family unit as a valuable stakeholder in the school building.Item An Analysis of Principal Attrition in a Large Urban School District(2016) Anthony, Douglas W; McLauglin, Margaret J; Norris, John; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Principal attrition is a national problem particularly in large urban school districts. Research confirms that schools that serve high proportions of children living in poverty have the most difficulty attracting and retaining competent school leaders. Principals who are at the helm of high poverty schools have a higher turnover rate than the national average of three to four years and higher rates of teacher attrition. This leadership turnover has a fiscal impact on districts and negatively affects student achievement. Research identifies a myriad of reasons why administrators leave the role of principal: some leave the position for retirement; some exit based on difficulty of the role and lack of support; and some simply leave for other opportunities within and outside of the profession altogether. As expectations for both teacher and learner performance drive the national education agenda, understanding how to keep effective principals in their jobs is critical. This study examined the factors that principals in a large urban district identified as potentially affecting their decisions to stay in the position. The study utilized a multi-dimensional, web-based questionnaire to examine principals’ perceptions regarding contributing factors that impact tenure. Results indicated that: • having a quality teaching staff and establishing a positive work-life balance were important stay factors for principals; • having an effective supervisor and collegial support from other principals, were helpful supports; and • having adequate resources, time for long-term planning, and teacher support and resources were critical working conditions. Taken together, these indicators were the most frequently cited factors that would keep principals in their positions. The results were used to create a framework that may serve as a potential guide for addressing principal retention.Item Principals' Leadership Styles and the Impact on Student Achievement(2015) Shortridge, Karim; Strein, William; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Title of Dissertation: PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Karim K. Shortridge, Doctor of Education, 2015 Dissertation directed by: Dr. William Strein Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education As accountability efforts in education have increased, there has been an increased interest in the significance of effective instructional leadership. Policymakers have looked toward school-based leadership as a means to positively impact student achievement and to close the achievement gap. This political reliance on school-based leadership to accomplish the goals of school improvement can be seen in No Child Left Behind. The present research was based on the premise that specific leadership behaviors have been found to impact students' academic outcomes. The academic literature supports the view that school-based leadership influences student achievement. The purpose of the research was to examine the impact of middle school principals' leadership styles on students' academic achievement. Particularly, the study analyzed the leadership styles of middle schools principals that headed schools that have met or not met their school achievement indicators (AMO). Employing MLQ survey, the researcher examined principals' leadership styles. Moreover, the study examined whether AMO outcomes differed based on the principals' self-identifying characteristics of: age, gender, totals years of experience as principal, and years of experience in education. Transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles were singled out for investigation and these specific leadership styles were analyzed within the content of student achievement outcomes. Consequently, it was found that AMO status accounted for 22.4% of the variability in leadership style taken together; while AMO status accounted for 7.6% of the variability related to transformational leadership; and AMO status accounted for 5.7% of the variability on transactional leadership, laissez-faire had nearly no relationship.Item EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN(2014) Mason, Gwendolyn J.; Parham, Carol S; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The inclusion of students with disabilities and the increasing demands in public education including the nation's changing economics, racial and ethnic diversity, complex social environments and increased accountability for student academic achievement have impacted the role of principal leadership. Today, principals face increasing demands to create an environment that supports the needs of all students (Burdette, 2010). Middle school principals in particular have the responsibility of addressing these new varied issues while leading in a variety of subject areas. This mixed-method study was designed to explore the perceptions of middle school principals, grade 6 English general education teachers and grade 6 special education teachers regarding the effective leadership practices of middle school principals' implementation of inclusion in grade 6 English classes. The conceptual framework of Powell's (2004) School Leadership Survey and its five domains was used to collect the data in the quantitative phase of the study. These data were collected by survey responses from middle school principals, grade 6 general education English teachers and grade 6 special education teachers. The quantitative phase of this study was conducted in 38 middle schools in a single school district in the mid-Atlantic United States. The results of the quantitative study indicated that there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups: middle school principals, grade 6 general education English teachers and grade 6 special education teachers, whether in the early or later implementation phase. The means for the principals, although not statistically significantly different, were generally higher than those of the two groups of teachers. The grade 6 general education English teachers and the grade 6 special education teachers had very similar means on the effective leadership behavior and practices of the principals. The qualitative aspect of this study found agreement among the middle school principals which was consistent with the quantitative findings of the study. The interview probes used in a focus group were based on information gathered in the quantitative part of the study and the review of the literature on inclusion. The effective leadership behaviors and practices of the principal are essential for the inclusion of students with disabilities. Further research is recommended to gain deeper insight in the effective leadership practices of principals who include students with disabilities from the sole perspectives of general education teachers. In addition, future research should examine principal preparation programs and their impact on leading in the area of special education and inclusion.Item The Changing Role of Human Resources in Urban Schools: Perceptions of Human Resources Leaders in the Recruitment and Retention of Quality Teachers and Principals(2014) Merry, Darlene; Parham, Carol S; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Educators and policymakers have faced persistent challenges in closing achievement gaps between low-income and minority students in urban school districts and their peers with greater financial resources and from majority backgrounds. Human Resources Leaders must work to ensure that they are implementing strategic actions that will result in recruiting and retaining highly effective teachers and principals in our most disadvantaged school districts. This qualitative study examines the perceptions of three Human Resources Leaders from urban school districts engaged in a cohort learning experience about strategic actions they have implemented to improve teacher and leader quality in their school districts. The cohort experience, with the pseudonym of the Urban Schools Human Resources Improvement Project, involved ten school districts in a learning experience over a three-year period of time. The findings from this study identify the high impact actions of three Human Resources Leaders from urban school districts engaged in the Urban Schools Human Resources Improvement Project. Data was gathered through the use of a case study methodology using purposeful sampling to identify the Human Resources Leaders in the project who met a set of criteria based on years in their positions, implementation level of the work of the Project, and their leadership experiences outside of the educational field. The Odden Framework for Strategic Management of Human Capital provided a construct through which the strategic actions of the Human Resources Leaders could be examined. Findings from this study revealed that there was evidence to suggest that Human Resources Leaders' strategic actions were aligned with the Odden framework. The Human Resources Leaders indicated that having a clear district goal and strategy drives the work of Human Resources to design the roles of high quality teachers and principals and select candidates who have the competencies and motivations that match the role expectations; they identified numerous strategies for recruitment and retention that are promising in urban school districts; and having a context that supports strong selection, performance management, and compensation of high quality candidates will improve the conditions for students in urban school settings.Item The Relationship Between Research-Based Leadership Practices and Emotional Intelligence of High School Principals(2014) Hanlin, Donna Carey; Kivlighan, Dennis; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Abstract Dissertation title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH-BASED LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS Donna C. Hanlin Doctor of Education, 2014 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Dennis Kivlighan Chair, Department of Counseling and Personnel Services The complexity of the role of school principal in today's era of high accountability is often overwhelming. For decades, policy makers and business leaders have voiced concerns about the ability of the public school system in the United States to keep pace with other nations. Many continue to believe that our graduates cannot compete in today's global economy. Those who express such concerns have encouraged the adoption of accountability systems that put pressure on teachers and administrators to produce highly successful students. As pressure increases, fewer principals are entering this stress-filled career; and those who do, are unprepared for the demands that lie ahead. Educators are continuously grasping for the answer to how to best prepare and how to select the best principals in today's world of accountability. Looking to the business arena for guidance, research shows that emotional intelligence is a critical quality in organizational leadership. In education, while research has linked certain leadership practices and qualities of principals to increases in student achievement, there is very little mention of the emotional intelligence of principals. This study was designed to determine if a relationship exists between emotional intelligence and effective school leadership practices; and which proven leadership practices have the strongest correlation to the competencies of emotional intelligence. Data were collected with a validated two part questionnaire using a Likert scale to determine to what extent participants practice specific leadership behaviors (part I) and also possess emotional intelligence competencies (part II). The survey was designed based upon Marzano's 21 areas of leadership responsibility (Waters, Marzano, & and McNulty, 2003) and Goleman's four domains of emotional intelligence (2002). The research was approached through quantitative, correlational analysis. A strong positive correlation (r= 0.74) was found between high school principals' research-based leadership practices and their emotional intelligence, and 55% of the variance in principals' leadership practices could be explained by their emotional intelligence. Therefore, a focus on emotional intelligence should be encouraged as part of education reform; from university curriculum and coursework, to principal hiring practices, to professional development for aspiring and practicing principals. School principals equipped with emotional intelligence competencies will be much more effective in successfully leading meaningful school reform. Educators have been reluctant to embrace this notion in the midst of a standardized test-ridden and data-driven world; however, after decades of unsuccessful reform initiatives in the United States, it is indeed time for a paradigm shift.Item Examining the Perceptions and Sources of the Self-efficacy Beliefs of Principals of High-achieving Elementary Schools(2012) Virga, Jr., James John; Parham, Carol S; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)School principals have a significant impact on the academic achievement of their students (Leithwood et al., 2004; Marzano et al., 2005). This important responsibility is magnified by the fact that principals have a job that is increasingly complex and demanding (Copland, 2001; West et al., 2010). Recently, researchers and educators have voiced concern over whether current programs for principal preparation are sufficient to prepare school leaders for their challenging jobs (Hess & Kelly, 2005, 2007). When individuals are dealing with demanding circumstances, such as those encountered in a stressful job with high accountability, the self-efficacy beliefs of the individuals involved are a key factor in performance and success. Research is needed to better understand the self-efficacy beliefs of schools principals, especially how these beliefs are formed and sustained through professional development experiences. This mixed-methods study focused on the perceptions and sources of the self-efficacy beliefs of elementary school principals whose schools had demonstrated high levels of student achievement in comparison to similar schools. In the quantitative phase of the study, 40 high-achieving elementary schools were identified through analysis of state assessment data. All 40 schools were from a single school district in the mid-Atlantic United States, which had a history of structured leadership development for aspiring principals. The principals of the schools were asked to complete the Principal Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004) and answer demographic questions. Analysis of the survey data did not find any statistically significant relationships between PSES scores and demographic factors. Then the researcher conducted interviews with six of the principals who had completed the PSES. Participants were selected based on their PSES scores and demographic data. The qualitative data confirmed that the principals derived their self-efficacy beliefs from the four sources identified by Bandura: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and affective states. The study found that the district's multiyear leadership development program provided multiple opportunities for developing principals to build their self-efficacy beliefs. Further research is recommended with larger samples of principals. In addition, future research should examine the relationships among principal efficacy, teacher efficacy, and student achievement.Item SQUARING THEIR ROOTS: LEADERSHIP PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF SOME U.S.-TRAINED AFRICAN PROFESSIONALS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR(2010) Dant, William Patrick; Herschbach, Dennis; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This qualitative study looks at the leadership perceptions and practices of career professionals in the public sector across three countries of sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana and Madagascar). All participants were alumni of the Humphrey Fellowship program, a year-long mid-career fellowship in the United States for professional development and leadership. The study sought to understand the participants' perceptions of leadership and how they apply it in their professional practice. The research questions were How do U.S.-trained Africans perceive the relevance of their U.S. leadership training in their home-country practice? To what extent can they incorporate U.S. leadership approaches into their leadership practice there? The literature review includes the history and current state of leadership research and theory, the field of intercultural communications and recent scholarship and program evaluations on leadership and leadership training across cultures. Noteworthy are the lack of recent scholarship on public sector leadership in Africa and the transference of western-developed models in most international training. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews with 16 primary research participants who were mid- to upper-level career professionals in their respective countries' public service. Additional related data were gathered from participants' fellowship documents; data gathered from primary participants were reviewed with focus groups including primary and secondary participants. Data analysis followed a grounded theory method, allowing themes to emerge directly from the data collected. Findings were compared across participants within and across research sites considering professional sector, gender, cultural and educational background and political/economic contexts. The substantive grounded theories emerging from the study identified as the central theme the importance of "operating space" as an environment around individual capacity to exercise leadership practices, and its interaction with issues of culture. Results reflected the importance of the macro-context and levels of democratization within which participants operate on the micro-context of their own professional leadership practice. The study recommends that future research on leadership in Africa pay more attention to the importance of macro-context and culture in developing leadership capacity in such individuals, and recommends specific approaches for enhancing leadership training for individuals from such backgrounds, including peer mentoring, case study and experiential exercises.Item Supporting Professional Development in an Era of Accountability: The Elementary School Principal Perspective(2004-11-18) Arbogast, Allan D; Mawhinney, Hanne B.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Supporting Professional Learning in an Era of Accountability: The Elementary School Principal Perspective Abstract The current wave of school reform demands high levels of accountability from districts and from individual schools. The accountability is measured in terms of student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 demands that each state report student proficiency levels and hold schools accountable for student progress. How students increase achievement is left to the districts and to the schools. There is a large body of evidence that links student achievement to teacher professional development, although the linkage may be indirect. There is also a large body of evidence that links the quality of teacher professional development to the structure and culture of the school. The research in organizational learning links professional development to the creation of learning communities that support shared decision-making, a supportive environment for experimentation, collaboration among peers and supportive leadership. The school principal is a key component in the creation of learning communities. However, there is very little work done that examines the practices that principals use to create environments that support professional learning in an era of high stakes accountability. This study seeks to uncover the practices that elementary school principals utilize that balance the demands of accountability with the creation of support learning environments. To uncover these practices, this study will utilize a multi-case study of schools identified as having supportive environments for professional learning. The case study is situated in a large suburban school district in a mid-Atlantic state under a state mandated accountability program. To determine which schools to study, supervisors will be surveyed to generate a list of schools that support professional learning from a pool of 78 schools. Four schools will then be selected that vary in achievement scores and socio-economic demographics. A case study approach utilizing interviews will gather evidence of the practices that principals use the support professional learning. The data will be categorized using a guiding conceptual framework developed from a review of the literature on organizational learning, principal leadership and teacher professional development. These conditions include the district effects, beliefs of the school, the school culture, school decision-making structures and planning strategies. In addition, this study will identify and categorize the actions that principals utilized to support professional learning in an era of high-stakes accountability. The identification of the practices principals use to support professional learning is significant because accountability and student achievement impact virtually every school in the country. The study will add to our knowledge about the effects of accountability, leadership and the development of environments that support learning.