Browsing by Subject "Administration"
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Item A study of leadership in the implementation of an online curriculum management system(2009-06-02) Sanders, Betty MurdockResearchers have indicated that innovations in schools often do not have the intended impact leaders hope to see when implementation occurs. Reasons cited for this failure include time allotted for the change to occur, failure to implement change based on research, and leadership qualities associated with responsible parties. This study focuses on qualities of leaders who were effective in implementing an innovation in a school district in a midsized Central Texas school district. Participants in the study were technology trainers, principals, and teachers. Two years of usage reports and teachers surveys were used to compare data. Interviews were conducted with trainers, teachers, and principals from high usage campuses. Since the study focused on happenings within a particular context, an action research model was used. This model was built upon principles of naturalistic research and targeted quantitative data. The results of the study indicate that the leaders on these campuses possessed certain leadership characteristics that could be attributed to successful implementation of the online curriculum management system. Successful leaders in this study held certain expectations for their faculty, monitored to see that the expectations were met, and were flexible enough to meet the needs of all of their teachers. These characteristics were consistent with the literature on effective leadership, leadership and professional development, leadership and technology, and leadership through the change process. Information from this study was used by the school district in which the study took place to guide them in making decisions about the current curriculum management system they now have in place.Item An investigation of the interpersonal sensitivity of selected secondary school principals as perceived by campus improvement teams(Texas A&M University, 2008-10-10) Walters, William RobertTo anyone who wishes to work in educational administration, having a clear understanding of how one perceives others, how one is perceived, and how one interprets what one perceives is a great advantage in relating to many different kinds of people (Owens, 1995, p. 40). Schoonover (1988, p. vi) stated, "Interpersonal skills are the basis for all management practices. They represent the foundation for productive work and employee satisfaction." The degree to which school principals possess interpersonal skills could be pivotal in the creation of a school climate conducive to student success. Unfortunately, research findings are very limited in clarifying high school principals' interpersonal skills. Thus, the research is vital in the investigation of the perceived relationship between principals' interpersonal sensitivity and the perceptions of the campus improvement teams of the principals' interpersonal sensitivity. Research is needed to add to the theoretical and practical dimensions of the principal's interpersonal skills. This study utilized a blend of descriptive research methods and naturalistic inquiry to gain insight into the differences between the principal's perception of his own interpersonal sensitivity and the perceptions of his campus team members. An important implication of the study was that awareness of the differences in perception between the principal and the campus team members is an important step in the development of interpersonal skills for the principal. The findings of the survey instrument showed that there were differences in the self-assessments of the principals and their respective campus teams' assessment of their interpersonal sensitivity. Among the differences was overall, the male principals tended to rate themselves higher on the instrument than did their campus teams and the female principals tended to be rate themselves lower than did their campus teams. The ability to perceive the needs of others and affect their behavior is essential in leadership. Being aware of the skills of interpersonal sensitivity is the first step to putting into practice the theories of management, motivation, and decision making.Item Beyond the Park at the Horse Farm : exploring best practices in public-private partnerships to improve Lafayette's growing park system(2014-12) Brooks, Elizabeth Tarleton; Oden, Michael; Lieberknecht, Katherine E.Municipalities throughout the country are increasingly seeking out innovative partnerships with the private sector to acquire, operate, and/or maintain public parks. An example of this is found in Lafayette, Louisiana, where Lafayette Consolidated Government recently purchased a 100-acre farm from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and collaborated with community leaders to form a public-private partnership with a new non-profit, Lafayette Central Park, Inc. This entity is currently undertaking the necessary steps to lease, plan, design, fund, build, operate, and maintain a new community park on the property. This report explores the history of public-private partnerships found within park administration, as well as the myriad legal, organizational, and financial structures in place within those partnerships. The research also highlights potential benefits and drawbacks to these partnerships, found within four case studies in the Southeast, as well as through precedents found in previous research. The four case studies are Audubon Park and City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Memorial Park and Discovery Green in Houston, Texas. The insights, challenges, and best practices found through the examination in this report are used to create a series of recommendations for the fledgling non-profit organization, Lafayette Central Park, for both short-term and long-term success.Item Chief academic officers in public community colleges: an analysis of leadership attributes(Texas Tech University, 2004-08) Fons, August MarionForemost among the challenges facing public community colleges in the United States is a predicted shortage of leaders. Chief Academic Officers not only hold a crucial position of leadership but are also prime candidates for future presidencies. Very little research has been conducted regarding community college chief academic officers and specifically, the study of leader attributes has received minimal attention despite previous research outside the realm of education documenting the positive relationship between attributes and behavior. This study compared chief academic officers' perceptions of their leadership attributes to the perceptions of their immediate subordinates. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of both public community college chief academic officers and their subordinates specifically related to thirty-seven validated, categorical leader attributes shown to affect desirable leader performance and overall leadership effectiveness. Specifically, the study will: (1) demonstrate whether or not there is a statistically significant mean difference between CAO's perceptions of their individual leadership attributes and the perceptions of their immediate subordinates related to each of the thirty-seven leader attributes, the total scale of the leader attribute inventory, management skills scale of the LAI, personal characteristics of the LAI, and the social skills scale of the LAI, and (2) determine the overall leadership effectiveness of chief academic officers in the United States as measured by their immediate subordinates' responses to effectiveness measurement items on the companion instrument to the Observer-Rating LAI, the leader effectiveness index. This researcher concluded that while there were statistically significant mean differences in perceptions related to six of 37 leader attributes there was general agreement between the CAOs and their immediate subordinates related to the leader attribute inventory in it's totality as well as three sub-scales: management skills, personal characteristics, and social skills and characteristics. Additionally, immediate subordinates rated their CAOs leadership effectiveness as being effective to very effective on all of seven effectiveness measures. There were two populations for this study. The first included chief academic officers of single and multi-campus public community colleges in the United States whose colleges are members of the American Association of Community Colleges. The second population included individuals who hold an academic position and report directly to the chief academic officer. A stratified sampling process was used to maximize the potential for a national representative sample utilizing the six accreditation regions. The results of this study may be beneficial to current and aspiring chief academic officers in that k will provide an increased knowledge base which may be used to improve leader behavior. Educational institutions may find this research valuable in considering leadership development programs. Selection committees and governing boards may find this information useful as they consider selecting chief academic officers and meeting future institutional leadership needs.Item Empirically based components related to students with disabilities in tier I research institutions' educational administration preparation programs(2010-05) Cusson, Megan Melanie; Yates, James R.The passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 gave the public schools a clear responsibility to appropriately educate students with disabilities. This responsibility emerged from a combination of philosophy, law, policy, and procedures oriented towards the "normalization" of services to persons with disabilities. These services have developed as a general responsibility of the whole system and not as a separate component of the educational enterprise. In order to meet federal mandates, the complementary disciplines of general and special education leadership have had to integrate or link, in order to address the responsibility for the delivery of services to students with disabilities. In doing so, general education administrators have become responsible for the education and success of all students, including those students with disabilities. Yet, many of these administrators have not been prepared or trained to serve special population groups, so their task of educating all students becomes more complex. A literature synthesis suggested 12 components that all educational administrators should be trained in to serve students with disabilities: (a) relationship building and communication; (b) leadership and vision; (c) budget and capital; (d) laws and policies; (e) curriculum and instruction; (f) personnel; (g) evaluation of data, programs, students, and teachers; (h) collaboration and consultation; (i) special education programming; (j) organization; (k) professional development; and (l) advocacy. To determine if such training is occurring in elite institutions, 293 professors at University Council for Educational Administration member institutions completed an online survey. Results indicated that relationship building and communication as well as leadership and vision were being taught at the highest percentages. The components of budget and capital, advocacy, and special education programming were incorporated the least. Interestingly, the results showed that the component being required learning in the institution's program or the professor believing the component to be essential for future administrators had little impact on whether it was taught. The major factors in professors regularly teaching a component was their expertise in the area and whether it was part of their research agenda.Item Latina Administrators' Ways of Leadership: Preparando Chicanas(2013-04-04) Lopez, Michelle MarieThe purpose of this study was to 1) identify the pathways and strategies by which Latina administrators reach their positions within student affairs, 2) examine how the intersection of gender and ethnicity influence their leadership and 3) describe their leadership styles utilizing traditional models, or something unique to Latinas. As the number of Latinas enrolling in higher education continues to rise and outweigh those of their male counterparts, this knowledge can help inform current student affairs administrators about ways to recruit and increase the pipeline of Latinas prepared to assume administrative positions within higher education, particularly in student affairs. A naturalistic inquiry research method was employed utilizing both a feminist and Chicana feminist lens. The author interviewed 12 Mexican American women in the state of Texas who were employed at both public and private four-year institutions in the division of student affairs. Their positions ranged from that of Director to Vice President. Family and personal influences, education, university environment and external influences were identified as factors leading these administrators to their positions. Both gender and ethnicity were intertwined in who they are and how they lead. Components of the leadership styles employed by the women studied included those of constructed knowledge for effective leadership. Additionally, these women?s Latinidad shaped their leadership styles, operating from a collectivist orientation as experienced in the typical Chicana/o family versus an individualistic orientation typically espoused in an Anglo family. As our campuses experience Latino students enrolling in greater numbers, particularly women, it is important to ensure suitable numbers of Latina administrators who are able to advocate for these students.Item The career development of successful Hispanic administrators in higher education: a Delphi study(2009-06-02) Silva, Rito , Jr.The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify the successful experiences and strategies implemented by Hispanic administrators who have a successful career in higher education and (2) to take a futuristic look at the careers of Hispanic administrators in higher education by identifying recommendations and strategies proposed by a panel of successful Hispanic administrators to help Hispanics in the future. To focus on the career development of Hispanic administrators, a Delphi panel of 11 administrators who serve in the role of Vice-Presidents, Presidents and Chancellors from across the country was utilized. This research used a computer-based Delphi technique. A portion of the three-round study was sponsored by the Center for Distance Learning Research (CDLR) at Texas A&M University. The first round was open-ended. Panelists were asked to answer four research questions. Those items were then put into common themes and sent out for rankings on a 4 point Likert scale for Round 2. Panelists were also given another opportunity to add items to the list during Round 2. Round 3 asked panelists to review their rankings, group rankings and standard deviations. Then they were given an opportunity to change their rankings or keep them the same. Panelists also ranked items that were added during Round 2. A consensus was established on items that were rated either a 3 (agree) or a 4 (strongly agree) by all panelists. Through this study, a total of 48 items met consensus on the four research questions. Many of the items that met consensus addressed the need of inter- and intrapersonal skills as well as leadership abilities. Among the highest ranking items were obtaining a doctoral degree, personal motivation, ability to work with others, communication skills and people skills. Among the recommendations, based on the consensus items, are the creation of a University Minority Graduate Identification Program and the development of an Executive Leadership Program for Minorities.Item Women in Community College Administration: A West Texas Perspective(2010-08) Gill, Kristina M.; Paton, Valerie O.; Price, Margaret A.; Jones, Stephanie J.Women who move into and work within administration in higher education face many struggles. Both the traits that are specific to most females and their leadership style can impede their rise into and within administrative ranks. In addition, higher education has traditionally been a hierarchical and patriarchal system that makes it more difficult for women to advance into administrative positions. Over the past few decades, women have been making significant increases in community college administration. Community colleges have been more accepting of women both as students and as faculty and now they are leading higher education in reaching gender parity in administration. Across the nation, women hold over fifty percent of the executive/administrative and managerial positions in community colleges. In contrast to the national numbers, women in West Texas are in the minority as administrators in community colleges. Using a naturalistic inquiry and case study format, this study investigated environmental factors in West Texas community colleges that contribute to the marginalization of four women in leadership roles. In addition, the study also investigated the perceived leadership style and the mentorship opportunities of these women. This research gives access to the success stories of West Texas women in community college administration. The stories of these women could serve as a model for other women wanting to move into administration in West Texas community colleges. This study will also help these and other women to be more aware of the community college environment and how it is affected by the leaders and leadership styles on the campus.