As a form of teacher professional development, districts and schools are turning to an instructional coaching model for teacher learning, growth, and support. To date, however, few have sought to identify the specific characteristics and conditions that contribute to the success of the instructional coach, particularly in terms of the principal and instructional coach relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of instructional coaches regarding the types of supports, conditions, and relationships they encounter and believe they need in their work with principals to more effectively impact teacher instruction, thus, student achievement. An exploratory case study research design and approach was utilized. Two different data collection tools were used to interview instructional coaches: focus group interviews and semi-structured, face-to-face individual interviews. The following principal behaviors that impact the instructional coaches' work the most were identified: (a) time for the coach and principal to meet, (b) trust and mutual respect built from the principal and coach relationship, (c) protection of the coaching role from administrative duties, (d) a public endorsement of the coaches' work and impact, (e) shared vision and leadership, and (f) a culture of growth and continued learning. Specific principal actions, practices, and critical components …

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 …

Legal rights for public employees are not clear in the area of social media speech. Following the Garcetti v Ceballos (2006) U.S. Supreme Court case, the pursuant to duty test was established. The social media speech of public employees, including educators, could be considered pursuant to their duties as an employee. This means that public employees are vulnerable to disciplinary action from their employer for social media speech. Furthermore, public employees are vulnerable even when they believe their social media speech is done as a private citizen. For this research study, 28 cases at the federal and state levels were analyzed. Seven of the examined cases were U.S. Supreme Court cases involving public employee speech rights. The other 21 cases were extracted from cases determined at the federal and state levels. The cases taking place after the Garcetti v Ceballos (2006) pursuant to duty test were analyzed to see how the test was applied to employee speech. Cases were also analyzed to see what other precedents from the courts had been applied. Additionally, private sector social media rights research was analyzed and reviewed to create more clarity for employees. The findings of the research show the courts have tested employee …

Zero-tolerance discipline policies have been in use in U.S. schools for almost 25 years. Since their enactment in the 1990s, researchers have found that zero tolerance disciplinary policies and practices can cause students to enter the school-to-prison pipeline. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions of middle-school male students of color regarding the discipline process on a campus that supplemented zero-tolerance discipline with restorative practices (RPs). Additional intents of this study were to discover the challenges students encountered when they returned from a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) and determine whether RPs helped or hindered their transition to the home campus. Six middle-school male students of color who were placed at the district's DAEP and returned to their home campus participated in the study. The conceptual framework was based on Braithwaite's concept of stigmatized shame following an exclusion and Nathanson's human reactions to shame. The study yielded seven major themes: (a) student perceptions of exclusion, (b) behaviors related to exclusion from school, (c) human reactions to shame—attacking others, (d) human reactions to shame—avoidance, (e) the need for reintegration and acceptance, (f) traumatic events, and (g) dissonance in the discipline process.

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the practices and behaviors of successful Latin@ principals in high-need Texas middle schools focusing on the following three areas: learning, leadership, and context. Varying qualities of leadership essential for leading high-need middle schools coupled with contextual factors such as policy and community were examined. More importantly, this research sought how successful Latin@ leaders promoted a culture of learning in high-need middle schools with a focus on English learners (ELs). High-need schools are defined as those presenting a context that challenges the success of students. The study on leadership in high-need schools focuses on an investigation of strategies principals in these schools may employ and determining ways in which high-need school leaders are prepared and supported. Factors affecting the condition in high-need schools may include: (a) student and community characteristics (e.g., ethnic minorities, mobility, poverty, non-native language speakers), (b) student performance (e.g., math and reading scores, graduation rates, attendance), and (c) other factors (e.g., teacher and leader turnover, staff morale, student engagement). The context of schools matters and effective leaders in high-need schools must be able to lead using contextually appropriate responses. Two Latina principals serving in high-need middle schools, …

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state of community participation in Pakistani schools in the capitol city of Pakistan. All national education policies developed by the government of Pakistan stress the need for community participation in the schools. School leaders are mandated to develop strategies to involve parents and community members in schools. This research focused on a single case with multiple subunits geographically situated in Islamabad, Pakistan. In the current study, participants were educational leaders at the central office, campus principals, and representatives of parents and community members in the school and college management committees. Qualitative data included one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and collection of available documents related to community participation in Pakistani schools. Findings of the study revealed four goals and outcomes of the community participation in Pakistani schools. These goals are financial support to the schools, advocacy for schools, academic support and feedback, and support in administration. Major challenges faced by community members and parents during participation in schools include lack of information and awareness, role ambiguity and lack of training, financial constraint and unwelcoming behavior of school and central office administration. Data revealed that educational leadership behaviors which impact community engagement include …

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 …

For students with moderate to severe disabilities, their secondary education, specific to Grades 9 through 12, greatly impacts postsecondary outcomes. Key components of secondary education for this learner population include classroom structures and alternative curricula implementation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine selected secondary programs to determine whether classroom structures and alternative curricula were meeting the postsecondary needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities. One school district was selected for participation in this study. One document, the selected district's special education operating procedures, was used in the document analysis portion of this study. Six parents of students with moderate to severe disabilities and six special education district-level administrators were selected as interview participants. Findings revealed that current secondary programs were not consistently meeting postsecondary needs for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Findings also showed inconsistences with classroom structures and alternative curriculum implementation that would facilitate postsecondary readiness. A need for additional staff training and parent preparation for the transition into postsecondary life with their adult child was discovered. A notable finding was that teacher characteristics played a role in promoting postsecondary success. In summary, all participants had pure intentions to produce desirable postsecondary outcomes for …

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 …

The purpose of this study was to analyze and determine the predictive power of individual and a combination of different indicators that are used to determine college readiness. For this study a logistic regression analysis was conducted due to the dichotomous nature of the dependent variable. The dependent variable for the study was the earning of a post-secondary credential. The independent variables included high school diploma type, Advanced Placement course taken, Advanced Placement test performance, SAT performance, ACT performance, a multidimensional index made up of all the variables, and high school GPA. The study found that high school GPA had the strongest odds ratio, Exp(B), for the participants earning a post-secondary credential (Exp(B) = 6.597), followed by diploma type (Exp(B) = 6.316), taking an Advanced Placement course (Exp(B) = 4.368), earning at least one qualifying Advanced Placement test score (Exp(B) = 3.846), a multidimensional index (Exp(B) = 2.318), ACT score (Exp(B) = 1.161) and SAT score (Exp(B) = 1.003). Future analysis is needed by using live data of student's college performance, stratifying the data to account for differences in post-secondary performance by different racial and socio-economic groups, and studying the effects of the State of Texas' chosen college readiness variables.

Overwhelming evidence supports the fact that music instruction greatly increases academic achievement on standardized test scores at the elementary, middle and high school level. When school districts face budget deficits, typically they alleviate the shortfall by eliminating music programs. Currently in Dallas ISD, teacher salaries are affected by how well a student performs on the STAAR exam. In this quantitative, causal-comparative study, 5th grade music STAAR mathematics scores are investigated to discover if instrumental music instruction using the Little Kids Rock Modern Band method improves academic achievement on the STAAR exam.

Special education in the public-school setting is designed to support students with disabilities by providing them specially designed instruction to meet their unique needs. This cannot be achieved without special education teachers who undergo specialized training to enable students with a disability to reach their maximum potential. Special education teachers' job duties differ greatly from that of a general education teacher, and they require specialized supports from their administrators. This qualitative study was designed for three purposes: (a) to understand the current teacher evaluation system along with the state and local policies from which the evaluation system is created; (b) to define the unique roles and responsibilities of the special education teacher that the current evaluation process may be failing to identify; and (c) to give special education teachers a voice to describe their experiences with the current teacher evaluation system. A document review of the current Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) evaluation rubric and of current state and local teacher evaluation policies preceded focus groups of high school special education teachers from three special education settings: inclusion, self-contained, and resource. Findings showed that teachers across all three settings agreed that T-TESS is not a true reflection of …

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to identify the priorities that Texas school board presidents perceive to be most important in their role as a school board member; (b) to describe the specific activities, behaviors, and actions that Texas school board presidents say they take to support the priorities they identify; and (c) to compare with and contrast board members' reported priorities, activities, behaviors, and actions with the eight characteristics of effective school board practices. A mixed-methods research design was used to explore school board presidents' perceptions of their role and its relationship to effective board practices. Quantitative data were gathered using an online survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were obtained from one-on-one semi-structured interviews which were manually coded using a three-step, hybrid-coding process, as well as from an observation protocol. Evidence from this study identified four top priorities: accountability driven actions, a untied team with the superintendent, aligned and sustained resources, and a vision of high expectations. Eleven subthemes emerged that describe the activities, behaviors, and beliefs that support these priorities including: clear goals, community partnerships, data-driven informed, governance, human capital, policy adoption, professional development, strong communication, student outcomes, training, and trust.

The overarching purpose of the study was specifically designed to examine how teacher preparation programs contributed to novice teachers' sense of self-efficacy. The significance of this study related to how well teachers were prepared, based upon their preparation program. This qualitative methods study incorporated a research design consisting of phenomenological research. Eleven thematic findings derived based upon the participants' input after several series of data analysis and reduction, using a general deductive approach. Results showed many implications of how teacher preparation programs contributed to the participants' sense of self-efficacy. Major implications for teacher preparation programs and their impact on novice teachers are discussed, such as improvement measures for preparation programs, and opportunities to increase teacher effectiveness.

Research has shown that LGBTQI youth are four to six times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Many schools across the nation have focused their efforts on creating safer climates for diverse populations, including LGBTQI youth and staff. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which school leaders practice culturally proficient school leadership in order to build and foster positive relationships with students and staff who are members of the LGBTQI community. The overarching research question was: To what extent do school leaders identify and practice culturally proficient leadership in relation to LGBTQI students and staff? A sequential mixed-methods explanatory research design was utilized to examine the perceptions of secondary school leaders and staff in one mid-sized urban school district regarding culturally proficient school leadership. For the quantitative portion of the study, a School Climate Questionnaire and a School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist was employed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative responses. For the qualitative portion of the study, data pertaining to the experiences and perceptions of secondary school leaders, obtained through focus group interviews, were examined. A two-part data analysis process, including both deductive and inductive coding, was used. Evidence from …

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the cultural competence of district leaders and their potential resulting influence on campus leaders in the face of a rapidly changing educational and community landscape. A secondary purpose was to ascertain district and school leaders' placement on the cultural proficiency continuum to gain a greater understanding of (a) the potential effect, if any, that district leaders' level of cultural competency had on the cultural competency of campus leaders, and (b) how the cultural competency level of both district and campus leaders influenced district policies, practices, and school climate. The analysis and interpretation of findings of this research study were based on a conceptual framework, informed by the six constructs of the cultural proficiency continuum as developed by R. Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, D. Lindsey and Terrell. Four district office leaders and three campus principals, from the same district, were selected as participants. The campus principals represented elementary, middle, and high schools. Data were gathered from semi-structured face-to-face interviews with each participant, three meeting observations, and document analysis. Findings revealed evidence of a strong relationship between district leaders' cultural competence, campus principals' cultural competence, and district policies and procedures. There was also a direct …

The transition from middle school to high school can be challenging for some students. Many school districts are implementing practices to ease the transition to high school. The current study examined one school district's practices and procedures for the development and implementation of a ninth-grade center. In this study, I examined the perceptions of 12 participants (teachers, counselors, and campus and district administrators) in a suburban Texas school district with a ninth-grade center. Using a qualitative descriptive case study methodology, data were collected and analyzed from face-to-face in-depth interviews and a focus group. The findings revealed an overall positive view of ninth-grade centers and a generally favorable impression of separating ninth graders from the remainder of the high school student body, to focus specifically on ninth graders' unique and individual needs. There were some identified concerns related to communication and logistical issues between the ninth-grade center and the main high school campus. From participant feedback, effective campus leadership, providing engaging and ongoing professional learning, having a separate facility, and creating a sense of team through building strong relationships are the specific top four elements that are most effective in developing a ninth-grade center. While this study provides a practical set …

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 …

Although one-to-one technology programs are rapidly expanding in secondary schools, the literature about how to effectively leverage these programs to improve teaching and learning is relatively small. Little guidance is available for school leaders attempting to improve teachers' willingness and ability to incorporate technology effectively into their instruction. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to discovery what supports school leaders provide to promote high levels of computer self-efficacy and transformational digital pedagogies in one-to-one learning environments. Data were collected from English language arts, Social Studies, and science teachers in three high schools in a suburban school district in northeast Texas using an online survey, eight virtual semi-structured interviews, and two virtual focus group interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and deductive and inductive analysis. The findings of the study reveal most teachers perceived their ability to effectively deliver digital instruction as strong, and most were able to incorporate technology into their lessons at transformational levels. The following themes emerged from data regarding teachers' perceptions of support: shared vision, realistic and supportive climate, collaboration, encouragement, job-embedded professional learning, continuous improvement, equity, and safe, legal, and ethical use. The findings of this study serve as a foundation for understanding …

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 …

As administrators start to hire more alternative certified teachers in Texas who pursue a career in K–12 education, it becomes important to understand the impact this experience has on teacher quality. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore administrators' beliefs and experiences when hiring alternative certified teachers. The primary research question was: What are alternative certified teachers' strengths? The additional questions of the study were: What are alternative certified teachers' weaknesses? Are administrators satisfied with the alternative certified teachers' performance? This study was conceptually framed within the theory of instruction. Participants in the study were seven secondary administrators in a Texas urban school district. Data were collected through seven qualitative surveys, semi-structured interviews, and short narrative inquiry responses. Data were analyzed through a thematic analysis. The results of this study provide insights into the experiences secondary administrators face when hiring alternative certified teachers. This study contributes to the growing research in the area of alternative certified teachers, specifically by secondary administrators who hire them to be a high-quality teacher in the field of education.

What causes a teacher to leave and move to another district or campus? Many times, teachers leave because they are unsatisfied, overwhelmed, or unprepared for the demands of the job. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that may explain why teachers decide to transfer to another campus or leave their current district to pursue a position at another district. The following factors, as told from the teachers' perspective, were examined: (a) campus culture, (b) campus leadership, (c) working conditions, and (d) other contributing factors. This study focused on the types of experiences teachers reported encountering, whether positive or negative, that contributed to teacher turnover. Data for this qualitative study included a survey and focus group. Participants selected to participate in this study were teachers who either exited from a public-school district or transferred from one campus to another campus within the same school district. An analysis of the qualitative responses from the teacher survey and a focus group interview provided answers and insight into the research questions. The data were collected and analyzed to further understand the types of experiences or factors that contribute to teacher turnover within one school district. …

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' …

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 …