This dissertation discussed the impact of the North Carolina Tort Claims Act and the history of governmental immunity that has protected school districts and school employees in North Carolina. The research question addressed was: how have North Carolina state courts interpreted the North Carolina Tort Claims Act in litigation against North Carolina school districts and their employees? The North Carolina Tort Claims Act provided citizens with a vehicle to sue local governmental agencies and their employees, such as school employees. The act also provided immunity for schools, especially for excessive damages in the case of negligence by an employee. The study examined how state courts have responded to different plaintiffs since the passage of the North Carolina Tort Claims Act in 1951. The decisions in the cases analyzed have been mostly favorable to schools, which has strengthened immunity for school employees. There were four legal aspects addressed by the courts after the passage of the North Carolina Tort Claims Act either most frequently or were unique to the case law of North Carolina. Those legal aspects were tests of school districts' governmental immunity; contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff; the official capacity of school employees in lawsuits; and …

We live in a culture where school systems are accused of being negligent or at fault for any undesired outcome. This can leave school districts and their employees anxious about potential consequences, regardless if the negligent claim is warranted or not. Therefore, there is a need for all educators to understand their responsibilities to provide a safe learning environment, and this may look different from state to state across the United States. The purpose of this study was to analyze how California state courts have interpreted the concept of sovereign immunity and tort claims filed against California public-school districts and their public-school employees related to negligence of supervision on school grounds. This legal research case study design was guided by the following research question: what are the exceptions to sovereign immunity regarding negligence related to the supervision of students as required by California statute? This study analyzed twelve various cases of California public-school districts and employees involving negligence in supervision claims on school grounds after the 1963 California Tort Claims Act was enacted. Based on the issue, rule, application, and conclusion of the twelve cases, eight were ruled in favor of the plaintiff or appellant, and four cases had final …

To determine the impact of an administrator's decision on student placement in kindergarten classrooms, teachers were asked to share their perceptions on how that decision impacted their ability to deliver instruction and follow the district scope and sequence, as well as how that decision impacts student academic achievement and social and emotional development. This qualitative study was designed to gather data from kindergarten teachers using focus group interviews and individual interviews of campus principals from two campuses within the same district. The following two ways in which kindergarten classrooms were created were explored: (a) by random assignment or (b) knowledge of students' academic and behavioral performance based on information relevant to their Pre-K experience. Campus principal participants reported that they each chose their method to provide equity in the classrooms and fairness amongst their teachers. Teacher participants reported that overall, they preferred to have as much information about incoming students as possible and to be a part of the process of placing students into classrooms for the following year. By examining these teachers' perspectives, the findings from this study may positively influence policy and practice for campus administrators as they decide how they will place students in kindergarten classrooms. Continued …

The ever-changing role of public-school principals is complex and overwhelming. Because instructional leadership impacts teaching practices and student achievement, this important principal role should be cultivated with principals having sufficient time to engage as instructional leaders. A generic qualitative inquiry methodology was used to explore how the size of an administrative team impacts principals' instructional leadership self-efficacy. Exploration was achieved through 10 one-on-one, semi-structured interviews and one focus group interview. The data suggest that team size does impact an administrator's ability to serve as an instructional leader. Participants reported that larger teams provided more time for working with individual teachers and collaborative teams. Although interviewed administrators did not always abandon instructional leadership when there was insufficient time, they did often sacrifice personal time to fit it in. Administrators did not believe that they had enough time to be instructional leaders, regardless of the team size, but they shared that there was more time to develop their instructional leadership principal self-efficacy when working on larger teams. Larger teams also provided administrators with greater diversity of perspectives and experiences, which they said cultivated their self-efficacy. Consequently, an opportunity exists for district administrators to consider the specific needs of each campus, the exhaustive …

As rates of autism diagnosis continue to rise, more autistic students are graduating high school, and seeking to pursue postsecondary education options. Dual credit coursework has proven to be advantageous for college enrollment, success, and completion rates. Autistic students, however, are not equally represented in these college-level courses. The purpose of this qualitative study was to review dual credit recruitment practices and experiences, as told from the perspective of autistic students who completed one or more dual credit courses. Relying on student voice and a disability studies perspective, the intent of this study was to inform school leaders on how to facilitate the recruitment and participation of autistic students in dual credit courses, reducing the impact of institutional ableism. Traditional informational sessions proved ineffective as a recruitment tool. While parents influenced students' decisions to enroll in dual credit classes, parents' previous college experience factored into how much support students received. Teachers had the most meaningful influence due to their personal relationships with the students. Students with early-identified advanced academic ability received more encouragement to enroll, suggesting staff training and recruitment intentionality are key components for increasing autistic students' enrollment in dual credit programs. The intense bullying that students experienced in …

Principal workloads and demands are steadily increasing while principal health and well-being are declining, resulting in increased rates of principal turnover. Currently, principals are experiencing numerous work-related stressors that are increasing burnout. In many cases, school leaders are sacrificing their families and health to lead their schools. As school success is linked with principal leadership, principal burnout and wellness demands further discussion and investigation. Yet, there is a limited body of research that examines the lived experiences of principals who experience burnout. Consequently, this researcher conducted a phenomenological qualitative study of 12 Texas K-12 elementary and secondary public school principals in central Texas. Findings pointed out that principals experience burnout in waves. While the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the burnout principal experienced, political divisiveness and social media attacks intensified their burnout. Additional findings revealed that burnout can cause principals to question staying in their role and negatively affect the quality of their family relationships as well as their health. Principals coped with their burnout by being aware of their emotions, spending time doing things that brought happiness, exercising, and reverting back to their faith in God. Additionally, principals believed that having knowledgeable district leaders who are visible, trust their leadership, …

Since the reveal of the Black-White achievement gap in 1966, leaders and policymakers have attempted to close the gap to no avail. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the relationships between self-efficacy, grit, and academic achievement of Black and White students. For the first two research questions,I sought to determine whether there were relationships between self-efficacy, grit, and academic achievement as defined by the PSAT 10 Reading or Math results. Students were administered self-efficacy and grit surveys to establish their corresponding self-efficacy and grit levels. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the bivariate relationships between participants' self-efficacy and grit levels and their 2021 PSAT 10 Reading and Math results. Statistical significance was discovered; specifically, a positive correlation existed between Black students, grit, and their academic achievement on PSAT 10 Math. For the final two research questions, I solicited students' perspectives of self-efficacy and grit and how they perceived the two constructs were associated with their academic success. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted to better explain student perspectives from their Phase 1 survey responses, which produced themes associated with self-efficacy and grit. Students shared how they perceived these traits impacted their academic …

The aim of this quantitative study was to explore the connection between self-perceived cultural proficiency among school leaders and the discipline gap for Black students in high schools in North Texas. The study sought to achieve this by (a) identifying the level of cultural proficiency perceived by school leaders, (b) examining the disciplinary rates of Black students in each participating high school, and (c) exploring how school administrators' beliefs regarding cultural proficiency impacted the disciplinary rates of Black students on their campuses. To assess their implementation of cultural proficiency practices, Hine's cultural proficiency leadership framework was utilized. The study found a significant positive correlation between the total cultural proficiency score and the number of out-of-school suspensions for Black students, while a negative correlation was observed for White students. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the total cultural proficiency score and the number of in-school suspensions for Black students, while no statistically significant correlation was found for White students. The participants in the study met three criteria: (a) working at a 5A or 6A UIL-identified campus in North Texas, (b) having at least 9% of the student population identified as Black and African American, and (c) serving as school leaders …

The study of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within a social and emotional learning (SEL) program is timely as it supports the increasing body of literature on narrowing the educational gaps prevalent among Black students. Current research is lacking regarding if and how educators utilize CRP to support the learning of SEL competencies with Black students. For this study, the tenets of cultural relevance, SEL competencies, and the leadership practices of one urban district seeking to increase its overall accountability rating as deemed by the state of Texas were examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the adequacy of the district's response to the needs of Black students in terms of cultural relevance when selecting a SEL program and developing a support plan for the program's implementation at the campus level. A secondary purpose was to examine the extent to which the district embedded CRP practices into their adopted SEL program. A qualitative exploratory research design and case study research approach were utilized. Documents related to the SEL program chosen by the district were analyzed. In addition, semi-structured interviews with district leaders and a focus group with campus administrators were conducted. It was found that there were no direct …

School accountability has been a focus for state and federal legislators for over 50 years. In 2017, Texas passed House Bill 22 to align their accountability system with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. This piece of legislation gives every Texas public school a letter grade based on state assessment scores, attendance, and other factors. Schools that received a D or F, or schools that need to improve the scores of certain subpopulations, were identified as in need of targeted support. Further, these schools needed to make immediate changes to improve their state assessment scores and improve their letter grade. This exploratory phenomenological qualitative study explored how six school principals leading schools in need of targeted support made changes to their school's culture and expectations to improve student achievement scores. Data were drawn from six individual school principal interviews and were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive coding. Thirteen themes emerged from the data analysis: principal self-efficacy, shared mission and vision, hiring practices, collegial relationships, parents and community support, teacher capacity and efficacy, professional learning communities, expectations of teachers, mentoring and onboarding, campus-level support, parent support, student behavior, and teacher motivation and support. The findings from this …

African American women in educational leadership roles face a myriad of barriers and challenges. Black feminist theory and impostor phenomenon theory offered a potent conceptual lens for understanding the experiences of successful African American women. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine and explore strategies that African American women use to (a) navigate the impostor phenomenon in relation to career mobility, and (b) identify and understand how social constructs in educational leadership organizations can contribute to their experiences. The research also examined the historical and contemporary problems of subjugation, oppression, racism, and sexism as narrated by 12 African American women who are in educational leadership roles. Data collected from the participants were triangulated and analyzed thematically resulting in six themes: (1) experiences of being questioned and undermined by superiors; (2) experiences of other people's perceptions about African American female leaders; (3) the need for a mentor; (4) giving others a chance to question them; (5) intentional self-care; and (6) lack of support from leaders and mentors. It is recommended that those who work within the education systems focus on acquiring an understanding of the internal struggles African American women navigate in response to systemic, external challenges, so they can …

Factors that influence a school leader's disciplinary determination for student discretionary decisions are many times difficult to measure. The purpose of this study was to investigate leadership style factors that may be linked to contributable factors for African American male disciplinary incidents. The following leadership factors were examined: (a)self -awareness, (b) collaborative dialogue, (c) drive to achieve, (d) internalization of campus disciplinary vision, (e) building relationships, and (f) proactive decision making. This study focused on identifying various leadership styles of administrators that impact the disciplinary rates of African American males at each campus studied. Data for this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study included a survey, a focus group, and one-on-one semi structured interviews. Participants were campus administrators having more than one year of experience as a campus administrator and were completing at least one full year at their current campus site. The analysis of quantitative data collected from the survey of campus administrators' leadership emotional intelligence provided insight into the research questions. The qualitative findings revealed that for campus administrators in the selected urban north Texas school, their leadership style does not significantly contribute to African American male's discretionary disciplinary incident rates. However qualitative data revealed discrepancies in administrators' …

At a time where technology is easily accessible, emotions are high, and students are dealing with more and more as they earn a basic education, in-person and cyberbullying add to students' stress. As 21st century students have easy access to technology, adolescents have multiple ways to encounter bullying and cyberbullying. The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to identify the relationship between bullying and cyberbullying and student engagement; (b) to identify the impact of school culture and climate on the incidences of bullying and cyberbullying; and (c) to identify how the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills into the curriculum could mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. The five SEL core competencies are self-regulation, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. In this mixed methods study, district discipline data, a culture and climate survey, and focus groups were utilized to examine how each SEL competency impacted classroom engagement and school climate and culture and mitigated any negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. Findings showed that a positive school culture and SEL can increase student engagement. In addition, SEL was shown to improve classroom engagement as well as mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying …

I designed an explanatory sequential mixed-method study to explore the relationship between leadership practices, collective teacher efficacy (CTE), and educational outcomes of low SES students in an open school system. Four data sources were analyzed: K-5 student Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) results of 1,170 students, Collective Teacher Belief Scale (CTBS) survey to measure CTE perceptions of 48 teachers, focus group interviews composed of a stratified sample of 11 K-5 teachers, and two one-on-one principal interviews. The study took place in two elementary schools in north Texas during the 2020-2021 school year. A Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis indicated that the relationship between CTBS scores and student reading scores was mixed. While one school showed a positive association between CTE and the reading data of low SES students, the other school showed a weak correlation between the variables. The quantitative data indicated that CTBS scores did not independently explain reading achievements at both campuses. The data also showed that while teachers had a large effect size on the reading performance of low SES students, as measured through a Cohen's d for paired sample t-test, achievement gaps continued to widen. Two themes emerged through a grounded theory approach when principals described their sensemaking …

By building self-efficacy in individual teachers and collective efficacy in grade level teams, principals can improve the instructional practices that take place on campuses. Instruction impacts student achievement. Principals indirectly impact student achievement through instruction that happens in the classroom. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationship between the behavior of instructional leaders and teachers' self-efficacy and collective efficacy. Data collection tools included a survey, semi-structured interviews, and observations of interactions and behaviors of teachers and principals at two Title I elementary schools in a large suburban school district in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy were seen through the lens of classroom management, instructional strategies, group competency, student engagement and task analysis. Teacher efficacy at both schools were influenced by leadership behaviors through direct and indirect actions. Instructional leaders must be adept at using tools, such as PLCs and walkthroughs, to contextualize the needs of all stakeholders and bring about high levels of efficacy in teachers and student achievement.

Women continue to be underrepresented in superintendent roles in public schools. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of women superintendents regarding the professional and personal factors that impacted their ability to be promoted to the position of superintendent in Texas public school districts. I applied role congruity theory (RCT) to participants' shared stories to ascertain how their promotion to the superintendency was affected by gender-related role stereotypes. Based on that lens, my findings revealed that every woman believed both formal and informal mentorship and networking opportunities were critical factors in being promoted to the superintendency and their continued success in that role; they perceived they had control over deciding how to balance family and work-life, they agreed they needed to have a supportive family; they perceived that hard work was directly correlated to promotion to or success in the superintendency, more so than gender. While each of the women may have experienced gender-related issues in their career, none perceived that gender-related issues impacted their ability to be promoted. Most of my participants said the career path they followed was a factor, and suggested that other women should be strategic about which superintendent …

The findings of this study serve as an exploratory case-study examining the conditions of professional learning for in-service principals in one north Texas suburban district with changing student demographics. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of a variety of data collected sought to reveal how professional development of principals increased a principal's contingent leadership skills to positively affect student achievement through school improvement efforts. Perceptions were examined from the sample of seven executive directors at the district level; six campus principals (two elementary, two middle, and two high school); and eight teachers selected from among four of the six campuses whose principal participated in a semi-structured interview. Additionally, responses from a principal survey were examined. Findings were organized around three themes that surfaced from the deductive and inductive analysis of data collected in response to the three research questions. The themes were: instructional leadership and other principal responsibilities, principal professional development and components of professional learning, and measuring the effectiveness of principal professional learning. Findings revealed that there are many offerings of professional development opportunities available to principals in Learning ISD. The components essential in effective principal professional learning opportunities in the studied district consisted of embedding social capital, professional capital, and …

Do federal policies influence program offerings for career and technical education(CTE)? Often the implication of compliance and the expectation of connecting compliance to funding is considered a tactic to leverage expectations on a large scale. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the CTE programs located in a singular region of Texas were compliant with federal expectations by way of evaluating the alignment of programs offered and local labor markets prior to the implementation of Perkins V. The evaluation of a variety of archival data and subsequent findings of the correlation of alignment of programs within the region along with the amount of federal Perkins's dollars spent on CTE was a confirmed as an effective policy reform measure. Additional evaluations included the combination of federal and state spending in correlation to the number of programs offered in career and technical education along with the actual CTE student enrollment of a given district. Major findings showed that through a moderation analysis for some districts the number of programs offered could be influenced by program funding and size. In addition, this study confirmed that many programs are indeed compliant, however compliance does not guarantee program opportunities when resources and …

The implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) has led to systemwide reform within school districts and campuses regarding how campus leaders support the teachers' collaborative work and continued professional learning. Current research emphasizes the importance of campus administrators cultivating an environment where PLCs can flourish and ensuring that PLC teams have the resources to work effectively. However, campus administrators simply putting these supports in place does not make them effective. This study sought to explore campus leader and teacher perceptions of administrator actions that support PLCs for teachers in core-content subjects at two suburban north Texas high schools. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was utilized, and three data collections tools were used: an electronic survey, interviews with campus administrators and teachers, and the analysis of campus and PLC artifacts. Survey data indicated that participating teachers had an overall positive perception of the current campus practices which support PLC teams. Teacher interview data revealed that teachers preferred that campus administrators take a neutral role in PLC team meetings, that administrators ensure PLC teams are meeting the established campus PLC expectations, and that administrators observe the team, listen, and ask questions to help the team. Campus administrators viewed their actions …

Exclusionary discipline is a consequence of behavior for students who break the student code of conduct. Extensive research about the effects that exclusionary discipline can have on secondary students, as evidenced by reduced graduation rates, has been conducted; but, research studies investigating the potential impact that exclusionary discipline can have on the academic outcomes of students at the elementary level have yet to be conducted. The use of exclusionary discipline is overrepresented in students with low socio-economic (SES) backgrounds; large populations of low-SES students are educated at Title I schools that receive federal funding to support academic growth. The purpose of this causal-comparative, non-experimental study was to investigate the impact that exclusionary discipline consequences had on fifth-grade students who attended all of the elementary schools within one north Texas school district during the 2018-2019 school year. In conjunction with the examination of the effect that the assignment of exclusionary discipline consequences can have on the academic outcomes of fifth-grade students, student-specific variables such as attendance at a Title I or non-Title I campus, student race, timing of exclusionary discipline assignment, and students in various educational programs were investigated to determine the potential impact of exclusionary discipline on fifth-grade students by …

Using an exploratory case study approach, this study examined the school leadership factors that contribute to building Latinx student social capital as well as the best practices for creating a more equitable AP program. Through this qualitative study, the organizational and leadership factors of the AP program at Stripes High School (pseudonym) were examined, and how these factors contributed toward closing the opportunity gap. This study used semi-structured interviews with district and campus leaders and an AP teachers focus group to determine leadership beliefs and actions that were successful in building an accessible and equitable advanced academics program for Latinx students, as well as an AP student focus group to triangulate the findings. The results of this study showed Latinx students, already lacking social capital, also face many barriers of different forms: systemic, structural and cultural in their educational opportunities for AP courses and exams. The case study campus overcame these barriers and increased equity by allowing Latinx students more access to AP courses and exams through district- and campus-level administrators working to remove barriers and hire and support the most capable and socially aware AP teachers who aim to grow and nurture the students who they serve. Based on …

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the feelings, thoughts, critical incidents, and coping mechanisms of female high school principals and their experiences with the impostor phenomenon. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that none of the demographic factors such as number of years as a head high school principal, age, percentage of female high school principals in the district, race/ethnicity, marital status, mentorship status, and community type, were statistically significant predictors of the varying levels of the impostor phenomenon. Eighteen female principals who represented an array of backgrounds and impostor phenomenon experiences were subsequently interviewed. The interviews were evaluated using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Seven themes, including several subthemes, emerged from the data. The themes were (1) childhood socialization, including the subthemes of gender roles, familial support, and early experiences of exclusion; (2) transitional uncertainty, including hiring self-doubt, school politics, and pressure to turn around a school; (3) the principalship, including relational leadership, constant pressure, and loneliness of the position; (4) critical incidents of the impostor phenomenon, including the subthemes of lack of experience, external criticism, and self-doubt; (5) gender issues, including a male dominated position, emotional capacity, and physical appearance, (6) coping strategies for the impostor phenomenon, …

A quantitative, causal-comparative study between single gender and traditional mixed gender schools was conducted to examine how single gender schooling affected the academic achievement of African American males in a high-poverty urban community. This study examined the differences in TSI and EOC scores between African American males who attended a single gender male high school and a traditionally mixed gender high school serving students in the same community in Fort Worth, Texas. A two sample t-test was used to compare the STAAR and TSI scores of the two groups of African American males. Microsoft Excel was used to collect the descriptive statistical data and analysis was conducted in SPSS version 25.0 for Windows. A detailed description of the participants, the research design that was used in the study, a description of instruments that was used to analyze the data, research problem, research questions on which the study was based, and a description of data analysis methods that was used. This quantitative research compared the STAAR and TSI scores in language arts, math, and reading. The findings of study indicate the single-gender school model impacts the academic achievement of African American males in a particular community in Fort Worth, Texas. The …

Across the United States, African American males face barriers to securing a quality education. Barriers such as educational gatekeeping, and low identification, have caused African American males' enrollment in advanced placement courses to be at a rate lower than all other ethnicity and gender populations. A qualitative approach to research was used to explore how and in what ways district and school leaders created or hindered equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males. Through the lens of critical social theory, individual face-to-face interviews with district/campus educators and a focus group interview with African American male students, the lived experiences of participants within the advanced placement program were brought to the fore. Three questions guided the study: 1) How do district and school policies and practices create equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males; 2) How and in what ways do district and school leaders create or hinder equitable advanced academic program opportunities for African American males; and 3) What conditions have supported or hindered African American males in their ability to enroll and succeed in advanced academic courses. Findings revealed four themes to creating equity for African American males within the advanced placement program which included, …