Electronic Theses and Dissertations - Open Access
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/2237
This collection contains electronic UTSA theses and dissertations (ETDs), primarily from 2005 to present. The collection is not comprehensive; search the UTSA Library Catalog for a complete list of UTSA theses and dissertations.
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Browsing Electronic Theses and Dissertations - Open Access by Department "Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"
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Item A Case Study of a Dual Language School: Principal and Teacher Perspectives(2018) Ponce, Gilberto MartinThe purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate the characteristics of a sustained dual language campus as well as the contributions made by the schools building principal. The exploration of the principals driving emphasis in the school may give insight into how to continue to sustain a progressive dual language program, and the understandings a principal must have when leading a dual language school. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from various teachers of at least five years of experience at the dual language campus as well as the building principal of said campus. A total of six teachers and one principal were interviewed once individually, then the teachers were broken into two focus groups of three members. The questions for the interviews were framed under a culturally relevant pedagogy model, then the responses were analyzed to form a new model of sustainability. The results of this study indicate that building principals must critically reflect on some cultural aspects of the school, specifically: a reflection of cultural consciousness, a belief that dual language education is an equitable practice, and advocacy for students and high achievement are necessary. Leaders of dual language campus' must validate the student's cultural wealth; this includes their role in the school, community, home and how language plays an important role in the functioning of the sustainability. Finally, principals should understand that the process of reflection and re-evaluation is constant and should continue as such.Item A Case Study of Leadership Practices in a Dual Language Program(2024) Almanza, OliviaThe purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perception of the principal and teachers regarding what transformational leadership practices meet the needs of EBs in a DLI PK-8th grade campus in South Texas. The research site was selected for having 40% emergent bilingual students. The campus principal has been implementing a comprehensive 80:20 dual language immersion program for more than five years, and the campus has received an "A" rating from the Texas Education Agency based on State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) assessments more than once. Data were collected from the research site by utilizing Seidman (2006) interview series which consist of three rounds of structured interviews from the principal, two interviews from two bilingual teachers, and one from the focus group which consisted of three bilingual teachers. Following Saldaña's (2021) coding process, the data were collected, categorized, and given a code aligned to the transformational leadership theory. The main themes that emerged on the leadership practices used to implement a comprehensive dual language program in a PK-8th grade campus are the following: (1) Build a Shared Vision through Stakeholder Involvement; (2) Model School Practices and Advocate; (3) Build relationships, Empower, and Distribute Leadership; (4) Facilitate Teacher Reflection for Student and School Improvement. The findings indicate that the principal set structures to transform a traditional school to a dual language immersion campus. He engaged stakeholders in building the vision of the school and modeled practices that he expected his staff to emulate. One of the core leadership practices that he implemented was collaboration and used it to engage staff in working as a team as they met and discussed school progress. He built positive relationships with staff, students, and families. He inspired his subordinates to explore new approaches, empowered them, and increased capacity. He also created space for students to meet with him so they could express campus improvements that needed to be made based on their lens. Transformational leadership practices have had a positive effect in a dual language campus in obtaining high levels of performance of teachers which ensured high academic achievement of students.Item A Multiple Case Study of Culturally Responsive Women Leaders in Southwest Texas Elementary Schools(2022) Castillo, Cynthia AnnThis study sought to extend the knowledge of the real-world application of leadership practices relevant and responsive to commonly marginalized students. This study focused on leadership practices of school leaders including principals and assistant principals through the lens of the theoretical framework crafted by Muhammad Khalifa (2018) titled Culturally Responsive School Leadership. This research provides a different perspective of school leadership and could help inform school administrators and district leaders regarding ways to implement leadership practices that would serve the specific needs of school communities. This study also identified the challenges that are faced in the efforts of serving as a culturally responsive school leader. The research design is a multiple case study (Merriam, 1998) model, in which two principals and one assistant principal took part in a three-interview series, discussing their personal and professional experiences with regard to education from their K-12 experiences through their school leader experiences. Two themes emerged from this study, including sense of belonging and serving the needs of the school community. Through these themes the findings suggest that school leaders in Southwest Texas employ Culturally Responsive School Leadership (Khalifa, 2018) by creating inclusive environments for their students and families, and by rejecting exclusionary practices. Different life experiences influenced all three school leaders as they do the work to lead schools with a majority of students of color. Common influences found across all three participants include the impact of their own cultural and socio-economic backgrounds from their upbringings, as well as experiences, good and bad, in the education system. Prospective school principals and assistant principals may benefit from this knowledge as they develop their own leadership style in preparation for the role of school leader. As higher education practitioners work to prepare prospective school leaders, the dissemination of non-traditional, community-based school leadership practices could be included in graduate coursework. Finally, this study could also contribute to the small but growing body of literature regarding Culturally Responsive School Leadership (Khalifa, 2018).Item A Restorative Momentum Model of Academic Success for Students Returning from Academic Dismissal: A Mixed Methods Approach(2019) Bledsoe, Ripsime KaraguezianWhile much research on student success has been conducted on retention, attrition and college completion among those that voluntarily withdraw from college, few studies have focused on involuntary withdrawal in the form of academic dismissal. More importantly, even less scholarship has been devoted to the subsequent restoration of academic momentum for returning students. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize a more holistic approach in examining and understanding the academic and psychosocial experiences of students returning from academic dismissal at a community college that centered on pre-college influences, classroom teaching and learning experiences, support services and student motivational attributes. Based on a Restorative Academic Momentum Model of Success, the study sought to examine the characteristics of students returning from academic dismissal with a focus on student experiences while they were involved in a program designed to restore academic momentum. Using a sequential, partial mixed methods approach, descriptive and qualitative data were collected through a survey (N = 171) and student interviews (N = 11). The findings disconfirmed the stereotype that academically dismissed students come to college severely underprepared scholastically. Moreover, the results also confirmed the importance that faculty and active learning play in the classroom as well as the value of advisors as contextualized change agents in the academic restoration process for students having experienced a critical incident like academic dismissal. Finally, the findings provided evidence that returning students exhibit a strong growth mindset, academic resilience and are highly self-determined, factors that play a significant role in restoring their academic momentum.Item Ancestral Knowledges: Chicanx and Latinx Leadership in Community Organizations of South Central Texas(2022) Mendoza Knecht, LisaThe purpose of this qualitative study is to highlight the racialized and gendered experiences of Chicanx and Latinx women leading community organizations in South Central Texas. This study is significant for documenting the experiences and leadership development of Chicanx and Latinx women in this region as well as adding to the transdisciplinary fields of education, educational leadership, women’s studies and ethnic studies. This study is rooted in Chicana feminist epistemologies (CFE) and draws from multiple methods, including CFE and conocimientos as part of the study design, theoretical framework, and lens for data analysis. Plática methodology was used for data collection (Fierros & Delgado Bernal, 2016) to conduct thirteen virtual pláticas from five mujeres who identify as Chicanx and/or Latinx who have dedicated their lives to community organization work in South Central Texas. Data analysis included three rounds of inductive coding for themes: first manual open coding, then organizing and sorting through the use of index cards, and the use of NVivo for final coding and organization. The findings in this study include the epistemological orientations of community serving and organizing through childhood, family, and schooling experiences. The findings further show how the mujeres respond to their experiences with racism, sexism, and homophobia and the ways they rely on femtors for support in their community organization work. The responses of these experiences are called ancestral conocimientos, a knowledge process and form of knowledge production that calls us to our ancestors and asks us to participate in community building through legacy work. Further findings suggest ancestral conocimientos have implications for practice via ethnic study courses and programs. Other implications of this study include: adding to the literature of Chicanx and Latinx leadership in South Central Texas, specifically San Antonio, relating to existing Chicana feminist theory with regard to the process of ancestral conocimientos, and finally, providing both theoretical and practical implications through the publication of my first solo-authored manuscript.Item Assistant Principal Balancing Act: Making Sense of Social Justice Leadership in a High-Stakes Testing and Accountability Environment(2024) Schlegel, Robert JohnThe purpose of this study was to examine variation in assistant principal (AP) social justice beliefs and high-stakes accountability perceptions and explore how APs balance accountability policies while addressing social justice issues in their schools. 79 assistant principals participated in a phase 1 survey with 10 APs selected to participate in phase 2 interviews. Findings revealed divergent AP views across social justice and accountability beliefs. APs are not a monolithic block, but individuals with complex histories, working in distinct organizational contexts that shape their ongoing sensemaking and nuanced perspectives regarding social justice leadership and high-stakes testing accountability. Findings drove recommendations for policy, practice, and future research by connecting what APs shared regarding leadership balancing actions that support social justice goals and mitigate impacts of high-stakes testing. Policy recommendations include reducing frequency of testing, development of alternative authentic assessments, and redesigning more robust measures of school-based accountability. Recommendations for practice include continued support for APs beyond initial certification, democratic leadership practices by APs, and more professional development that address issues of marginalization. Recommendations for future research include research to investigate relationships between schools with more students with disabilities and APs' social justice beliefs, and AP mentoring and rotational assignments. The study highlighted the complexity and ambiguity of the assistant principal position, the complicated, nuanced, and ongoing sensemaking of assistant principals, their importance at the forefront of campus leadership, and the impact these often-unnoticed school leaders have on their students, teachers, schools, and communities.Item Beyond a "Labor of Love": Exploring the Experiences of College Advising Professions in Central Texas(2020) Severance, Elizabeth JaneRecent legislation and educational strategic plans within Texas strive to increase the rates of direct-high school-to-college enrollment; however, limited research exists on the professionals working in pre-college outreach, college advising professionals. A growing Latina/o/x population, coupled with their lagging college completion rates, creates a focus on Latina/o/x students and the ways college access professionals, support and/or affect their educational context and outcomes. Traditional models of college choice and access contribute to a deficit model of thinking about Latina/o/x students that are not enrolling in or completing college. This dissertation addresses gaps in the literature by exploring the practices of college access professionals within a P-20 framework. A phenomenological qualitative study conducted with eight participants in Central Texas revealed the essence of the college advising professional experience was found in the relationships created with students. This relationship is an integral component of the four themes found: the pervasive systems that permeate and affect their work, the personal motivation and passion behind this work, the unique space they operate in, and the student outreach performed. Validation theory is applied to make meaning out of the data and provide implications for creating a culturally relevant, college-going culture. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.Item Black face-brown space: Narratives of black graduate women attending Hispanic-serving institutions(2017) Bowers Cook, Elizabeth J.Bannerji (2000), hooks (2003), and Razack (1998) maintain that universities generally are premised on an ideology of whiteness, patriarchy, and classism as the dominant culture, which functions to colonize, marginalize, and silence racialized students..." Black women doctoral experiences matter particularly in this case, because despite pursuing enrollment within the context of a minority serving institutional model, the historical underpinnings of an HSI may be continuing to perpetrate a system of hegemony and patriarchy that serve to reinforce white supremacy in an institution that may publically adhere to a minority serving ideology and moniker. This critical narrative inquiry study highlights both voices and experiences of Black women doctoral scholars through a critical race feminist theoretical lens and offers a critique to the larger body of literature that addresses minority serving educational spaces and assumptions of diversity and equity made within the confines of federally designated MSIs. The findings reveal that the historical and structural allegiances to white patriarchy in university systems and structures may perpetually work against Black women, specifically in the context of higher education and degree attainment and imply that a 'masked' or 'misidentified' academic space of safety may inadvertently operate in ways that are reflective of "Historically White" or "Predominantly White" institutions. By challenging standard norms and protocol by creating spaces that are responsive to the needs of Black women scholars, institutions could simultaneously create spaces that are inclusive of other underrepresented students as well.Item Career paths of Latina high school assistant principals: perceived barriers and support systems(2015) Reyes, Marco AlfonsoLatina principals and assistant principals at the high school level have been overlooked in academic research. A review of literature is explored indicating how Latina, public high school assistant principals and principals are disproportionately underrepresented and face the double challenge of being a gender and an ethnic minority in the field of educational leadership. A qualitative study was conducted that begins with a statement of the problem, review of literature, and continues with a description of the research design, data collection, analysis of the data, discussion of findings, and concludes with the researcher's challenges. Phenomenology was the research methodology used to study four Latina assistant principals' experiences and perceptions of barriers and support systems in relation to their career journey. Role congruity theory was used as a theoretical lens to explore the prejudices, discrimination, and career path barriers that female leaders encounter. Findings revealed that the four participants interviewed had similar experiences and perceptions concerning four main themes of motivation, challenges, support systems, and cultural identification; subthemes were also explored. Discussed is a new conceptual model which outlines the career stages of the participants. Overall, the narrative data from the participants, the coded themes and subthemes, and the new conceptual model highlight that there are various barriers and support systems that impact Latina high school assistant principals' career path experiences. Specifically, the challenges identified are institutional challenges in the form of poor educational leadership, prejudicial hiring practices, and internal challenges in the form of conflicts about family verses job obligations.Item Chicana Feminism Informs Educational Trajectories and Leadership: Graduate Student Testimonios from Nepantla(2018) Cordova, Amanda JoThis qualitative testimonio study centered the voices of two Chicana graduate students and two doctoral students of an Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program to examine how they interpret the positioning of their intersectionality as well as how these interpretations influenced their college trajectories and conceptualization of educational leadership. Chicana Feminist Epistemology grounded the investigation to claim research as a site of equality where collaborators participated fully in data collection and data analysis. Methods of plática and reflexión were employed to engage collaborators in a critical reflection of their lived experiences relevant to their intersectionality with the aim of translating these reflections into individual testimonios. Specifically, a Mestiza Methodology Framework was introduced as a model in which collaborators integrated data collection and data analysis to yield a synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of their testimonios presented in the format of a collective testimonio. Findings demonstrated by interrogating the imposition of dualities that split the intersections of their identity, collaborators located Nepantla, the space between these dualities to excavate knowledge from El Cenote, the intersection of dualities. From El Cenote findings revealed the family as an intersection of identity with the largest influence on initial educational trajectories defined at the undergraduate level. In addition, overall educational experiences fragmented Chicana intersectionality operating to threaten their academic survival. Lastly, the search for the healing and reconciliation of a fragmented identity re-set educational trajectories towards advanced degrees in Educational Leadership framed by a praxis of social justice.Item Collateral damage: The impact of educator sexual misconduct on a school community(2016) Krimbill, Elisabeth M.This phenomenological study examines the impact of educator sexual misconduct on the secondary school community as seen through the lens of the principal. This study offers a greater understanding for school leaders who may face this challenging situation and provide insight into the impact educator sexual misconduct has on the school community. Through the open-ended interview protocol, participants reflected on their experiences of the events surrounding the accusation, investigation, loss of certification, and possible conviction and sentencing of a teacher on their staff who engaged in a sexual relationship with a student.Item Competency gaps among assistant principals: Impacts on satisfaction and job role differentiation(2012) Woods, Brian T.The problem to be investigated in this study is caused by the juxtaposition of several factors. First, there is significant evidence that principal leadership has positive, albeit indirect, impacts on student achievement. Second, there is also evidence that sitting principals are leaving the profession for a variety of reasons. Third, assistant principals have traditionally been the likely source of principal replacement candidates. However, assistant principals seem less likely to aspire to the principalship and there is significant evidence that even among aspirants, these APs are poorly prepared for the work of the principalship. This combination of factors points to a possible leadership crisis in schools and is the rationale behind an in-depth study of the work and job satisfaction of assistant principals. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which perceived competency gaps in the work of assistant principals (APs) impact their job satisfaction and whether there is a significant difference in these competency gaps and job satisfaction between traditionally managerial assistant principals and a new group of academic administrators. A portion of this study attempts to replicate the work of Kwan and Walker (2008, 2010) in a completely different context. Kwan and Walker (2008, 2010) found that competency gaps exist for APs and that these gaps are tied to job satisfaction. The remainder of this study attempts to separate APs into two groups - one whose work is managerial and the other who is tasked, at least by job description, as involved primarily in the work of curriculum and instruction. The goal of this last portion of the study is to determine if job competencies and job satisfaction are really different between the two groups of APs. The first portion of this study utilized t-tests to verify the existence of competency gaps for APs, Pearson Product Moment correlation to determine the relationship between the gaps and overall AP job satisfaction and linear regression to determine which areas of competency gap predicted job satisfaction. The second portion of the study utilized ANOVA to measure the differences on job competencies and satisfaction between the two types of APs. Evidence was found to indicate that competency gaps exist for the overall group of APs and that these gaps are related to job satisfaction. Further, the evidence shows that the two groups of APs have significantly different competency gaps. However, there was no statistical difference found in job satisfaction between the two types of APs.Item COVID-19: An Autoethnographical Perspective on School Leadership During Time of Crisis(2023) Forde, GlennThis study utilizes an autoethnographic qualitative methodological approach in which I explore the ways in which my personal and professional experiences across my lifetime shaped my responses to COVID-19 as a Black principal in an urban school district in southwest Texas, during the 14-month period between March 16, 2020, and May 28, 2021. I focused specifically on my responses to the educational and social-emotional needs of my staff members, teachers, students, and their families during the four distinct transition phases my school district implemented as we educated students during the period of study. I not only described my experiences as a principal during a specific period during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I also analyzed data about myself - critical events both personally and professionally that influenced my responses as principal during the time of study. Using autoethnography allowed me to be the primary participant of the investigation while a purposeful selection of secondary participants and other data sources enabled me to utilize triangulation to ensure trustworthiness. Bronfenbrenner's Socio-Ecological Systems Theory was useful in analyzing my interaction with various entities within the different systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was more useful for explaining the context of my study than it is for interpreting the question my study explored - How did my personal and professional experiences influence my responses as principal to the different challenges presented by COVID-19? To effectively explore the question that guided my study, I had to consider myself as the main interpretive tool. I identified the consistent themes across each experience and interpreted how the themes influenced my behaviors as principal during COVID-19.The findings reveal that the personal and professional experiences across my lifetime forced me to live in space that existed at the intersection of courage and fear. My experiences provided the training ground that enabled me to successfully navigate this space throughout my life. The skillset I acquired were the very same ones that allowed me to successfully navigate the challenges presented by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic during the period of study.Item Developing an Undocumented Resource Center: The Case of Mountain West University(2023) De Leon, BriandaThis critical case study explores creating and implementing an undocumented resource center (USRC) in Utah. Using a qualitative research approach, the study draws on interviews with key stakeholders involved in the development and operation of USRCs and an analysis of policy documents and other relevant materials. The study finds that creating USRCs is a complex process that involves navigating various political, institutional, and social factors. While there is significant variation in how USRCs are structured and operate across different campuses, they generally aim to provide various services and resources to support undocumented students, including academic advising, legal assistance, and community building. In particular, the study highlights the importance of understanding the political and social contexts in which USRCs are situated and how power dynamics and competing interests can shape their development and implementation. Overall, this critical case study contributes to the growing body of research on the role of USRCs in supporting undocumented students in higher education and provides insights and proposes that leaders build a race-conscious (LatCrit) Leadership in higher education for those who are policymakers, administrators, and advocates seeking to create and sustain these critical resources.Item Do You Really See Me: Understanding and Enhancing Educators' Recognition and Response to Middle School Students' Social and Emotional Needs(2024) Gonzales, RoseannThis qualitative multi-case study engaged the testimonios of three educators who openly shared their social and emotional experiences from their middle school years. The central inquiry, "What valuable insights can you offer from your middle school experiences to help other educators recognize and respond to the social and emotional needs of their students" directed their reflection on their journeys. The primary focus was to investigate how these experiences can offer help into recognizing and addressing the social and emotional concerns of other educator's students, explicitly utilizing the Ethics of Care theoretical framework as the basis for their evolution. This framework centers on building nurturing connections with teachers and staff and is a blueprint for fostering encouraging connections with students. Demonstrating care through modeling can foster mutual respect among teachers, staff, and students, as Noddings (2005) suggested. Through data collection, open coding, theme coding, overall analysis, and interpretation, the results created a conceptual framework termed "The Chain of Social and Emotional Trauma." This framework offered another lens to visualize the pathway of emotional understanding, enabling educators to identify and address potential struggles faced by students. The insights from testimonios shared in two off campus sessions sparked candid reflections on the educators' experiences. Common themes, including vulnerability, trauma, silent suffering, coping mechanisms, resiliency, and social and emotional resources, emerged with profound sincerity. These themes served as inspiration for constructing the conceptual framework, offering a transition into the potential struggles and challenges middle school students may be facing today. This study was meant to increase awareness among educational leaders, empowering them to strategically plan future initiatives to meet students' needs through advocacy and implementing school-based mentorship programs.Item Early Childhood Virtual and Hybrid Learning With Social Emotional Learning: A Phenomenological Research Study(2023) Ashworth, Katrina D.The COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in early 2020. With it, came a range of concerns, panic, and scrambling for "quick fixes," as families learned to navigate rapid and sometimes confusing pandemic changes. Thirty million Americans were under- or uninsured at the start of the pandemic, so both preventive measures and access to care were valid concerns (Gaffney et al., 2020). According to former assistant surgeon general Dr. Schuchat (2020) from the national COVID-19 Response Team, documented cases jumped from fourteen in late February 2020 to over 790,000 by the end of April 2020. Immediate changes were recommended, such as limited mass gatherings, restricted visitor access in public settings, reduced travel, and closure of public-space (Schuchat, 2020). Social, educational, and economic environments also changed dramatically with higher caseloads. Many states declared states of emergency with closures of restaurants, bars, public spaces, and schools (Adolph et al., 2021). Everyday folks were expected to social distance, wear protective gear, and limit social gatherings. Early reports also stressed the importance of quarantining, mandatory airport screenings, and symptom monitoring (Schuchat, 2020). Unemployment rates spiked during the early pandemic months. In April 2020, the U.S. saw a record-high unemployment rate of 14.8%, with more than 6,000,000 people filing for unemployment benefits (Tang et al., 2022). Drastic changes in the educationally system ensued. With school closures, families quarantined at home, and educational leaders scrambling to adjust. Many schools were forced to shift to virtual learning. Moving online created other challenges for families, including access to technology (such as devices, internet services, etc.) and childcare, and the overall mental health and wellbeing of children attending online school (Anderson et al., 2021). Like other states, Texas had to adapt. However, as one of the most underinsured states among non-elderly adults, healthcare costs and statewide unemployment rates had an outsized impact (Gaffney et al., 2020). Socially distancing, wearing personal protective equipment, and ensuring that sanitation supplies remained stocked were also economic and social concerns at the state level. On March 19, 2020, Governor Abbott signed an executive order that temporarily shuttered restaurants, bars, and gyms. By May 2020, the state started to reopen of bars and gyms to 25% capacity; by June 2020, restaurant and other businesses were allowed to open to 50% capacity (McClure & Wowk, 2022). Educationally, the state focused on access to school meal programs, high burnout and turnover rates among staff, and transitioning students to online learning with eventually some hybrid learning approaches in place. Enrollment numbers dropped, programs were forced to close, and families struggled with access to technology, childcare, and overall work and household responsibilities (Crawford et al., 2021).Item Elementary Principals' Attitudes toward Engaging Families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Schools(2020) Meza, Maria ElenaThe diverse student enrollment in Texas public schools mirrors the changing demographics in American society. The principal is responsible for creating equitable schools for all students and is key in nurturing authentic partnerships with all families. There is evidence that parent engagement correlates with student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap. However, school centered parent involvement may marginalize diverse families. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the attitudes of elementary school principals toward engaging families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in schools. This quantitative, survey research study was adapted from Brittle's (1994) dissertation, and combined descriptive and correlational research. Due to a scarcity of published instruments, the "The Meza Survey of Culturally Responsive Family Engagement" was developed and validated. Descriptive statistics were calculated to generate an overall view of questionnaire responses and respondent characteristics. Stepwise multiple regression (forward selection) was used to determine if the dependent variables (components of attitude items) could be predicted from the eleven independent variables (principal demographic information). Transformative leadership, social justice leadership, and culturally responsive leadership informed the study. A critical quantitative approach was used to analyze the findings. The findings indicated that principals in this study had mostly positive attitudes toward culturally responsive family engagement; however, there were some significant differences between the principals' gender, ethnicity, age, teaching and principal experience, school Title 1 designation, and those with higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students and English Language Learners.Item Elementary Principals' Perspectives of Texas Teacher Non-Renewal Policies and Practices Permitting Teachers to Resign in Lieu of Non-Renewal(2023) Aliano, DanielleThis research delves into the complex realm of teacher non-renewal policies and practices within the context of elementary education in Texas. It focuses on the unique phenomenon where, despite principals diligently documenting teacher incompetency, teachers are often given the option to resign instead of facing non-renewal. This study employs a phenomenological qualitative approach, drawing upon the lived experiences and perspectives of three retired elementary school principals. Organizational culture theory is used to explore the disjunction between the espoused theory and theory-in-use in district policies surrounding teacher non-renewal. The problem statement underscores the principal's responsibility in hiring, developing, supporting, and evaluating teachers as paramount. When faced with persistent teacher incompetence, principals must navigate the complex process of documenting and potentially recommending non-renewal, often involving the district's human resources personnel and legal team. In many cases, teachers are offered the option to resign, raising concerns about their potential continuation of ineffective teaching elsewhere. This study explored how elementary principals in Texas experience the application of Texas teacher non-renewal policies, the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding teacher resignations, and the level of support and organizational culture within their respective districts. The significance of this research lies in bridging a gap in the current knowledge by providing insights into principals' perspectives on teacher non-renewal, thus potentially influencing district practices and policy development. Furthermore, this research sets the stage for further investigations into strategies to support administrators in making informed hiring practices.Item English Learners Along the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Multiplicity of Crossroads(2018) Guajardo, DianaLanguage learners continue to lag behind their counterparts academically. Statistics reveal EL's data as follows: Hispanic students continue to lag behind their White counterparts by 23% according to state report Texas Academic Performance Report: TAPR formally called the AEIS report for the 2014-2015 scholastic year in two or more subjects. Therefore, this single case qualitative study was conducted in search of strategies or methods to better serve language learners. More precisely transnational learners; these students balance two diverse worlds. They commute between two countries and at times leave family behind as they come to school in the US. Identifying strategies which principals are delivering to support ELs was the core of this study. The purpose of this study was to seek mediums to better prepare our ELs for what is currently happening in our state, testing in English. Through this study the hope was to find strategies to better serve this population and thereby closing the academic achievement gap currently existing. As mentioned above a single case qualitative study was the method of investigation. This was utilized to better understand the participants. Through this type of qualitative design the researcher was in close proximity and came to know her participants very intimately. The theoretical framework implemented was positioning theory due to the participant and vii administrators who are in constant change. Each is impacted by what they confront and thereby making for a constant metamorphosis of each. By "identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data (Braun & Clarke, 2006, pg. 79) the following themes emerged: a)family, b) community, c) teachers, and d) support for English Learners. From analysis of the data this study demonstrates some strategies being implemented to support English Learners. Only time will tell if the strategies have closed the achievement gap academically for ELs.Item Fostering the success of learners through support programs: student perceptions on the role of TRIO Student Support Services from the voices of active and non-active TRIO eligible participants(2015) Garcia, Amada AngelaThis study examined the experiences of first-generation, economically disadvantaged, and disabled students' utilization of TRIO Student Support Services and their perceptions related to factors associated with the services. The populace studied were Mexican-Americans, a subgroup of the Latin@ population as it is the fastest growing racial/ethnic minority group in the United States totaling approximately 12.5% of the nation and expected to almost double to 24% by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Due to the abundance of Latin@s enrolling at community colleges (Fry, 2002; Tierney, 2005), it is important to do individualized studies on student experiences on their perspective of college interventions as a means to find ways to retain higher numbers of students, leading to higher graduation and transfer rates. Using a qualitative, multiple case study approach, the researcher explored a border, rural community college. Social capital was used as the theoretical framework. Six, Mexican-American students served as the participants. The data collection methods were through semi-structured interviews over the course of the summer semester of 2013 at a Hispanic-Serving institution. The expected results were that students' perceptions would validate the necessity for programs such as TRIO Student Support Services to serve as a tool for retention and completion at the two-year college or transferring to a university and completing.
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