29098 research outputs found
Sort by
Bridging Gaps. The Role of School Leaders in Implementing the McKinney-Vento Act for Homeless Student Success
Get PDFThis qualitative narrative inquiry explores the role of school leaders in implementing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKVA) within a public school district in West Texas. The study addresses the challenges school leaders face in supporting homeless students and the strategies they employ to ensure academic success and socio-emotional well-being. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bertalanffy’s general systems theory, the research examines how school leaders\u27 personal understandings and professional experiences influence MKVA provisions\u27 implementation. The study employs semistructured interviews and reflective journals to gather participant data, followed by a member-checking process to enhance the accuracy and credibility of findings. Through thematic analysis, the research identifies key challenges, including resource limitations, inconsistent policy implementation, and the social-emotional impacts of homelessness on students. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of community partnerships and support systems in facilitating effective MKVA implementation. The findings suggest that school leaders play a pivotal role in creating supportive environments for homeless students but face significant barriers to fully realizing MKVA’s potential. The research concludes by offering recommendations for school leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to improve homeless students\u27 educational experiences and outcomes through more consistent and comprehensive MKVA application
Cabinet-Level School Administrators Intragroup and Intergroup Identity and Positive Leader-Member Exchange Dynamics: A Single Case Study
Get PDFThis qualitative case study explored the challenges faced by the cabinet-level administration of a South Texas K-12 public school district in navigating intragroup and intergroup identity dynamics, impacting leader-member exchange, follower obligation, organizational behavior, and citizenship. Poor integration led to silo mentalities due to a lack of communication skills and social identity awareness among leadership. The study explored the influence of leaders’ attitudes and behaviors on intergroup and intragroup identities by examining how positive leader-member exchange practices affected collective organizational behaviors. Employing the framework of social identity theory, this study contributed to understanding specific leadership domains and the effective motivation of followers within an organizational context influenced by their perceptions. Over three months, the researcher interviewed four cabinet-level leaders, observed eight direct reports, and reviewed artifacts. Thematic analysis revealed the importance of proximity in facilitating open communication and the challenges it introduced, such as perceptions of favoritism. Identified effective communication channels and quick responses are pivotal for fostering trust and organizational effectiveness. Followers’ perceptions highlighted the significance of trust, collaboration, and transparent communication in fostering ingroup dynamics and a positive sense of belonging, aligning with organizational goals. The study underscored the need for leaders to skillfully navigate complexities to foster purpose-aligned outcomes and cultivate a supportive environment in which team members feel empowered to contribute effectively towards shared objectives, thereby striving towards improvement
Perspectives on sexuality, marriage and relationships with Rubel Shelly and Don McLaughlin
No full textDisability Services as Related to Higher Education Leadership: An Exploratory Study
Get PDFOver the past three decades, the number of students with disabilities (SWD) attending postsecondary institutions has increased, yet their completion rates remain significantly lower than those of students without disabilities. This mixed methods exploratory study investigates the role of provost leadership in supporting disability services and understanding the needs of SWD in higher education. The study focuses on Texas higher education institutions, examining the relationships between provosts and directors of disability services. Data collected through the e-survey with open-ended questions primarily came from directors of disability services. Quantitative analysis of Likert scale items explored domains such as leadership, collaboration, consultation, information dissemination, access, equity, office administration, operations, and professional development. Qualitative analysis provided more profound insights into organizational structures, institutional characteristics, and the collaborative dynamics between provosts and disability services directors. The findings reveal diverse perceptions and approaches regarding the alignment of disability services with institutional missions and the effectiveness of collaboration in promoting accessibility and equity for SWD. The study highlights the importance of communication, collaboration, and alignment with institutional goals to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment on college campuses
Disparities in Autism Diagnosis: The Role of Cultural Perceptions and Systemic Bias
Get PDFAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. This article discusses the key characteristics, diagnosis, and disparities in ASD diagnosis and treatment, focusing on the Black community. The article also highlights the role of cultural competence in education and family involvement in advocating for appropriate services for children with ASD
Vocational Formation, Belonging and Christian Higher Education
Get PDFVocational formation and belonging are complimentary concepts. Vocational formation seeks human flourishing by attending to the healing of our social environments. Vocational formation is responding to God’s invitation to participate in the healing of creation from a particular social context, with others, for the sake of the world. Belonging, then, is the natural consequence of such an endeavor. This paper assumes the notion of institutional belonging in Christian higher education to be a kingdom characteristic that is best realized through the various postures of vocational formation. Radical hospitality, missional eschatology and communion with God are among the distinctive qualities of vocational formation. It is my belief that environments will naturally exhibit genuine belonging as they embrace these postures
Implementation of a Transition-of-Care Model for Adult Ischemic Stroke Survivors
Get PDFThe lasting physical and cognitive deficits associated with the complexities of newly acquired
disabilities resulting from an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) may lead to hospital readmissions. The
participating healthcare facility on the U.S. West Coast reported a hospital readmission rate for
AIS survivors of 24.29% within 30 days of discharge. This doctoral nursing project aimed to
determine if implementing the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) model
would reduce 30-day readmission rates compared to no standardized transition-of-care model in
adult AIS survivors over 30 days. Implementing the COMPASS model in this patient population
was expected to better educate and support stroke survivors during their transition from acute
care to home. A quantitative quasi-experimental design was used to implement the COMPASS
model to support postdischarge education in a project sample of 20 adult AIS survivors. A two-
proportion z test analysis demonstrated that the elements implemented using the COMPASS
model significantly improved AIS 30-day readmission rates. Results from the two-proportion z
test were significant based on an alpha value of .05, z = 2.73, p = .006, 95% CI [0.05, 0.33],
which demonstrated that the readmission rate was reduced from 24.29% prior to the
implementation of the COMPASS model to 5% following implementation. These findings
support the COMPASS model as an effective model aiming to address readmission rates among
AIS survivors following discharge. It is recommended that by implementing the COMPASS
model, providers can improve 30-day readmission rates for AIS survivors.
Keywords: adult acute ischemic stroke (AIS) survivors, readmission, COMPASS model,
transition-of-care model, ischemic strok
The Recruitment and Retention of Professional Volunteers to Mentor Dental Students
Get PDFThe recruitment and retention of volunteers in society is a critical endeavor for many nonprofit organizations that look to serve our communities. For many organizations, it is a way to keep costs down and to supplement the physical resources necessary to keep the organization afloat. This study centered on recruiting and retaining professional dental volunteers to mentor dental students at the Social Wellness Services (SWS: pseudonym) organization in Upstate, NY. The general problem addressed in this study was that many nonprofits need help acquiring highly specialized volunteers, which requires a unique amalgamation of education, skill/experience, selfless attitude, resolve, and available time. Like other nonprofits, SWS depends on volunteers to augment their professional staff and finds obtaining and retaining volunteers difficult. As a result, it remains challenging to maintain these volunteers due to the rarity of finding skilled people who encapsulate these qualities over the long term. Previous studies have entertained the plight of obtaining and retaining volunteers with the critical skills needed to help those in need. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to understand how the SWS nonprofit organization that supports the education of dental students pursuing completion of their degree requirements can better recruit and retain experienced dental volunteers to mentor dental students within their dental clinic in Upstate NY while providing needed dental care to the marginalized community. This qualitative narrative study examined the nature of SWS volunteers and ascertained why they stay or leave the organization. Participants were identified via purposive sampling for this qualitative narrative study. The sample included 12 participants, comprising professional dental volunteers, dental students, and SWS leaders at the SWS organization in Upstate NY. The conceptual models (i.e., person-organization fit, servant leadership, and motivation) from the literature review provided the context for the data collection. The qualitative data collection method consisted of recorded semistructured interviews with individual participants, comprising five research questions and 26 interview statements. Each interview was transcribed and coded to determine recurring subthemes. The transcript summaries identified seven subthemes: association, strong leadership, empathy, building community, flexibility and structure, self-efficacy, and rewards, which are crucial to enabling positive volunteer recruitment and retention efforts. This study supplements the current literature and provides new insight for future research
