Search

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate, through the lens of Adult Learning Theory, the perceived influence of TeleNGAGE on educators' and families' capacity to collaborate in equitable and transformative ways. Findings suggest that educators' and families' capacity for collaborative problem-solving was enhanced through TeleNGAGE. This social learning space, which supported adult preferences and motivations for learning, created a synergy that led to equitable social status, the application of new knowledge, and innovative approaches to problem-solving. These findings provide insight into equitable collaborative initiatives as educators seek to find solutions to complex problems in their schools.

This qualitative case study sought to gain a better understanding of the role of fictive kin relationships in a successful, long standing partnership between one Black Church and a high school in a high poverty, urban district in the Midwest. Four themes emerged: commitment, hope, strength, and equality. This study offers important insight into autonomy support, competence support, and relational support, key tenets of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), in fictive kin relationships within this school/community partnership. Findings support the importance of fictive kin relationships that exist within many African American communities and align with long-held traditions within the Black community. These finding build upon cultural capital embedded in African American communities by explaining how fictive kin relationships are developed within partnership efforts.

Findings in the literature strongly support the importance of family engagement in education. However, effective partnerships between families and schools are rare, especially in ethnically diverse communities where families may lack efficacy or face structural challenges for engagement. Additionally, educator perspectives toward engagement are often framed by White, middle-class paradigms. Educators often fail to acknowledge structural challenges faced by low-income families or the cultural contributions low-income and/or minoritized families can bring. To facilitate engagement between families and schools, a new ECHO® line, TeleNGAGE, was developed at Oklahoma State University, Educational Leadership program. ECHO®, traditionally used in the field of medicine, has utility for professional development for educators because it offers a platform for case-based learning where real problems are addressed in real-time. Additionally, didactic presentations provide professional development for collaborative learning. Through the lens of Communities of Practice (CoP), this qualitative case study explores how relationships between families and schools changed as a result of participation in TeleNGAGE. Tenets of CoP, negotiated meaning, mutual engagement, and a shared repertoire, support a collaborative approach to addressing complex problems. Findings suggest that a CoP has emerged through TeleNGAGE and has resulted in changes in perspectives across families and educational leaders about "what it means to be engaged," enhanced family efficacy for engagement, and changes in engagement practice as family voice has expanded through sharing of concerns/perspectives. These findings have important implications for equitable engagement in a convenient, cost-free environment where educators and families can communicate and develop mutually supportive understandings and practices.

Despite efforts of educators across the nation, African American students in the United States underperform their peers and experience graduation rates lower than any other ethnicity. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding, through the lenses of social learning theory (SLT) and critical race theory (CRT), of how a partnership between a Black church and an urban high school supports the achievement of African American students. Findings, consistent with the literature on the Black church's foundation, include the importance of relationships, equity, community, and commitment. Implications include the partnership's positive influence on student educational outcomes by meeting student needs of relationship and community. Interest convergence and counterstorytelling, tenets of CRT, are used to explain student success and support provided through partnership efforts.

A vast amount of research addressing school choice seeks to understand how and why parents/families choose schools. However, little is understood concerning the influence of choice on family beliefs and behavior. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand family perspectives, through the lens of Choice Theory (Glasser, 1998), of the influence of involvement in a school of choice on family perceptions of what it means to be engaged in their child's education and of desired educational outcomes. Findings indicate that participation in this school of choice influenced family on-campus engagement and that, even though families sought this school because of small class sizes and proximity to home, family perceptions of desired educational outcomes changed to a more academic focus as families engaged with the school and other families in the school. Choice Theory is utilized to explain these findings.

The expansion of the school choice movement and greater flexibility allowed by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) means that education governance is emerging as an important issue for school effectiveness. This longitudinal case study sought to gain an understanding of the implementation of a new governance structure, Policy Governance, in a private, independent school with deeply entrenched culture and patterns of behavior. Findings suggest an immediate positive influence on leadership and culture in the district, including a "trickle down" effect on shared leadership. However, challenges to sustainability indicate that even strict adherence to the model, unanimous support among board members, and strong board and administrator leadership may not be enough to support sustainability.

Utilizing the conceptual framework of cross-boundary leadership, researchers conducted this qualitative case study to gain a better understanding of district-level leaders' actions and attitudes that led to meaningful, sustainable partnerships between the school, families, and community. Administrators in two urban, two suburban, and two rural districts participated in individual interviews to discuss their experiences in and perspectives of each district's ongoing school-community partnership efforts. Administrators included a district-level and building-level administrator for each district type; researchers also interviewed a state department administrator who worked with several districts. Findings suggest that leaders with a strong emphasis on social justice with an intentional school- and districtwide emphasis on collaborative efforts encourage the shared influence and shared responsibility necessary to support student learning. Findings further suggest that a common vision provides a foundation and the motivation for collaborative efforts; partnership efforts became embedded in district culture.

Through the conceptual framework of Cross-boundary leadership, this case study examines the influence of EDLE 6633 School/Community Collaboration, a doctoral course at Oklahoma State University, on course completer's capacity to effectively facilitate and sustain collaborative partnerships between schools and communities. Findings suggest that the course prepared educational leaders to lead from the perspectives of shared influence and shared responsibility; however, evidence also suggests modification to the existing course to more fully meet education goals.

Recent changes to Advanced Placement U.S. History have sparked a national debate concerning goals and purposes of college level history courses. Critics suggest that the revisions result in a national curriculum that promotes a revisionist history perspective. Defenders claim that revisions are an important step in preparing students for 21st century citizenship. This document analysis identifies key differences between the 2010 and 2014 AP U.S. History frameworks and considers changes made in 2015 by College Board in response to the national debate. The challenges of applying a social justice lens to curriculum are discussed, and suggestions are made concerning the application of procedural social justice to stimulate voluntary cooperative behavior on the part of members of groups, thereby enhancing true social justice for all members of society. A procedural justice lens is suggested to enhance commitment and cooperation among individuals, groups, and societies.

Despite reform efforts to involve parents, parent--school relationships in urban districts are rare. This qualitative study used a constructivist grounded theory approach to gain an understanding of how parent social networks, specifically relationships with other parents in the school, influence parent perceptions of their role in the educational process and their efficacy to fulfill perceived roles. Findings suggest that parents have differing perceptions about their role and differences in efficacy for involvement; however, relationships with other parents are important resources for role construction and efficacy, and may serve to lessen the disconnect between parents and schools in high-poverty districts.

Educational leaders are faced with multi-faceted dilemmas that place decision-making at the heart of their day-to-day work. For support, they often turn to collaborative networks of experienced educators, such as Project ECHO, for solutions to address challenges they encounter while working in the field. The availability of generative AI technology, however, may have potential for informing the solutions to complex educational dilemmas as well, saving time and offering efficiency for problem solving. This study compares solutions for three problems of practice (PoP) that were generated through ChatGPT software and those proposed by the educational leaders in TeleED, an online professional development platform. The problem of practice in this study refers to complex, real-world challenges or problems shared by educational leaders. Findings indicate that solutions to these PoPs showed similarities, suggesting that both ChatGPT and the educational leaders in TeleED highlight ideas such as documentation and peer mentoring to address challenges. This reflects ChatGPT's ability to generate applicable solutions to complex problems that somewhat mirror solutions posed by leaders. However, educational leaders offered solutions that were nuanced, context specific, and contained explanations of resources and experiences that enhanced discussions. Findings suggest that ChatGPT may have utility for enhancing decision-making but not replacing the human element. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative case study utilized distributed leadership theory and Capobianco and Feldman's (2006) conceptualization of conditions for collaborative action research (CAR) to describe the implementation of CAR as professional development (PD) and school improvement strategy in two educational contexts, one alternative school and one rural, in a Midwestern state. Findings indicate that distributed leadership facilitates CAR as a powerful PD tool and results in development of action plans for school improvement; however, conditions are necessary for CAR to effect professional practice.

Background: Despite devotion of substantial resources and effort to increase parent/school partnerships, gaps remain between policy rhetoric and practice, especially in high-poverty communities. Current research focuses on parent involvement or effects of parent motivational beliefs on parent choice for behavior; however, it does not address the formation of beliefs or social factors that influence parent motivation to become involved. To gain a better understanding of factors that influence parent motivational beliefs, we examined the effects of parent social network, school outreach, and neighborhood health on parent role construction and parent efficacy in an urban school district. Method/Analysis: Survey data were collected from a random sample of 30 fifth-grade parents from 56 elementary schools in a large urban district in the Midwest. Using a partially latent structural regression model, we tested the relationships between school outreach, neighborhood health, parent social network, and parent motivational beliefs. Findings: The theoretical specification of the hypothesized model was observed in the pattern of the relationships among school outreach, neighborhood health, parent network, and parent motivational beliefs. Results: The results of the structural model confirm the association between parent social network and parent motivational beliefs. Combined parent social network and school outreach accounted for 10% of the variance in parent motivational beliefs. Implications for Research and Practice: Results from this study provide a different lens through which to view parent-school partnerships. Understanding parents as social actors whose perceptions are influenced through connections with other parents can help schools facilitate motivational beliefs that lead to effective partnerships.

Current high-stakes accountability mandates emphasize data use for school improvement. However, teachers often lack training for effective data use, and data is often too far removed from students to actually influence instructional practice. This qualitative case study was designed to gain a better understanding of a district-wide, teacher-centered approach to data use. Findings suggest that when data is used to "inform" instruction rather than "evaluate" instruction, teachers begin to practice reflective teaching. A common language emerged across grade levels facilitating a collaborative approach to data use. Using the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory, we propose a data informed instructional theoretical model that stakeholders in K-12 education systems can use to enhance instruction and learning at the classroom level. This teacher-centered model is of particular importance as a framework to build collective capacity by meeting psychological needs of teachers of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Family-school partnerships are difficult to initiate and sustain in ways that actually promote student learning, especially in high-poverty communities. This quantitative study was designed to better understand how social forces shape parent responsibility in education. Based on social cognitive theory as the conceptual framework, the relationships between parent responsibility and two types of parent social networks were tested according to a partially latent structural equation model. Findings indicate limited contact among parents in schools and a positive, statistically significant relationship between both types of networks and parent responsibility.

Group decision-making can result in important benefits for organizational effectiveness. However, collaborative environments do not emerge organically. Effective leadership is critical for group success. Educational leaders must understand group processes and the importance of creating a culture that supports collaboration. Student discipline for off-campus behavior is an example of a complex situation that offers opportunity for group decision-making. Legal questions have yielded new twists in recent years with districts taking a more aggressive stance toward off-campus behavior that has a spillover effect at school. In this case study, team leadership and legal aspects of discipline are examined in the context of Superintendent Carter's attempt to lead a group through a complex, ambiguous, emotionally charged situation that has potential consequences for a wide variety of stakeholders.

Enteral and parenteral feeding techniques are now used to maintain indefinitely patients who are unable to take food orally. Ethical, moral, and legal issues regarding the use and/or discontinuance of […]