1,720,992 research outputs found
Perceptions of Executive Directors of State Board Associations Regarding New School Board Member Training
No full textFindings indicate that the majority of executive directors were male (84.2%), White (89.1%), and had 10 or less years of experience in their positions (65.7%). The topics included in state board association training sessions generally were similar across the 38 states, and there was agreement about the importance of those topics. Included topics and importance ratings did not differ significantly based on whether or not there is a legislative mandate for training or by the number of school boards within a state. The training methods that were employed also were similar, with an emphasis on conference sessions, specialized workshops, and whole board training. States with more school districts were less likely to report that they utilized the general conference session and more likely to report use the web/Internet as a training tool. These larger states also viewed the Internet/web as more important than their smaller counterparts. Smaller states rated specialized training for new board members as more important than larger states. Non-mandated states also were more likely to indicate a role for the district superintendent and school board president in providing training to new board members.Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-25T19:55:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2009Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 81369
Lift date: Forever
Reason: Restricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsU of I Only185 p.Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009
Perceptions of Executive Directors of State Board Associations Regarding New School Board Member Training
No full text185 p.Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009.Findings indicate that the majority of executive directors were male (84.2%), White (89.1%), and had 10 or less years of experience in their positions (65.7%). The topics included in state board association training sessions generally were similar across the 38 states, and there was agreement about the importance of those topics. Included topics and importance ratings did not differ significantly based on whether or not there is a legislative mandate for training or by the number of school boards within a state. The training methods that were employed also were similar, with an emphasis on conference sessions, specialized workshops, and whole board training. States with more school districts were less likely to report that they utilized the general conference session and more likely to report use the web/Internet as a training tool. These larger states also viewed the Internet/web as more important than their smaller counterparts. Smaller states rated specialized training for new board members as more important than larger states. Non-mandated states also were more likely to indicate a role for the district superintendent and school board president in providing training to new board members.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD
A mixed methods study of teacher evaluation reforms and micropolitics in Illinois
Full text linkNational studies have shown that most teachers receive summative evaluation ratings of “satisfactory” or “excellent,” but more are underperforming than evaluation data indicate (Kraft & Gilmour, 2017). Illinois enacted education reforms known as Senate Bill 7 (SB7) and the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) that required the inclusion of student growth as a significant factor in evaluation processes, and policy advocates called for rigorous teacher evaluations to improve or remove underperforming educators from the classroom (Regenstein, 2011). Since the reforms have been enacted, Illinois policymakers have minimal information to determine whether these reforms have adequately addressed concerns about educator underperformance.
The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of teacher evaluation, focusing on how micropolitics have influenced the implementation of teacher evaluation reforms in Illinois. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design with the follow-up explanation variant was selected to collect data in two phases. The study examined two research questions: 1) to what extent has the implementation of teacher evaluation reforms affected the frequency of identifying underperforming teachers in Illinois public schools, and 2) how have micropolitical factors influenced principals in the identification of underperforming teachers in Illinois since the implementation of teacher evaluation reforms. The study used a conceptual framework based on education policy implementation theory (Honig, 2006) and micropolitics of personnel evaluation (Bridges & Groves, 1999).
In the quantitative phase, 89 superintendents responded to a questionnaire requesting data from 2006-2007 through 2016-2017 on remediation plans, Professional Development Plans, and dismissals in their districts. Findings revealed trends showing small increases in the use of improvement levers and teacher dismissals following implementation of teacher evaluation reforms, but the number of underperforming educators identified was low compared to estimates of underperformance by evaluators and the literature. In the qualitative phase, 20 principals were interviewed about the influence of micropolitics on their implementation of evaluation reforms. The principals reported that joint committees in their districts created procedures for student growth measures and summative ratings that were favorable to educators, which ultimately increased the teachers’ overall summative evaluation ratings. Second, strategic decisions by evaluators included deferral of low summative ratings due to pending retirements, avoidance or discomfort to hold difficult conversations regarding teacher underperformance, and the increased workload and paperwork involved with the teacher evaluation process and development and monitoring of improvement plans. Finally, principals reported that, although teachers and unions advocated for their interests in designing the procedures, they believed all parties shared a mutual interest in having quality teachers in the classroom. Several recommendations for policy development, professional practice, and further study are presented.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2018-09-27 without embargo termsThe student, David Conrad, accepted the attached license on 2018-07-11 at 22:45.The student, David Conrad, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2018-07-11 at 22:50.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2018-07-12 at 13:51.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #12803 on 2018-09-27 at 10:47:40Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-27T16:17:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4
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Previous issue date: 2018-07-1
Effect of special education funding models in Illinois on district placement practice
Full text linkThe provision of special education services to students with disabilities has grown dramatically since the passage of Public Law 94-142, the first federal legislation guaranteeing this right to publicly educated children. This legislation ensured that students with disabilities adversely affecting their ability to access the general education curriculum must be provided services within the least restrictive environment of a school setting. For some students with more significant disabilities, the least restrictive environment can mean placement in a self-contained setting or even a separate school. The costs associated with self-contained settings can be high, and school districts rely on federal and state reimbursements to offset expenses. The structure of these special education reimbursements varies dramatically across the United States. In Illinois, school districts rely on a combination of revenue from federal, state, and local governments to address costs associated with educating students with disabilities. For students with severe disabilities, Illinois currently provides a greater reimbursement to school districts for students placed at private school placements rather than public settings, creating a potential incentive to access a more restrictive placement for these individuals. This study sought to examine whether this incentive occurs in practice and how it may influence decision making by special education administrators. A sequential mixed methods design was selected to collect data in two phases. Five research questions were developed to address this topic: (a) How does each Illinois school district’s placement rate of students into separate special education settings compare to the state average placement rate? (b) Are any of five demographic variables (operational expenditure per pupil, district size, percent of students in special education, percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, percentage of non-White students) characteristic of school districts that place students above the statewide average rate into separate settings? (c) What factors guide special education administrators in their decision-making practices regarding the placement of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment? (d) To what degree does a special education director's understanding of Illinois special education funding models influence placement of students into separate settings? and (e) To what extent do the placement decision-making practices of special education directors reflect children’s best interests? The study used a conceptual framework based on the Best Interests of the Student model (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2011). In the first quantitative phase, placement and demographic data from 859 school districts were used to analyze both the number of students placed into separate facilities and the characteristics of districts with significantly more students placed than the state average. Results showed that 11% of districts in Illinois placed into separate settings at a rate higher than the state average. Findings also revealed that districts with higher operating per pupil expenditures and districts with lower enrollments were more likely to place students into these private therapeutic settings. In the qualitative phase, special education directors working in 12 of 95 districts found significant in the first phase were interviewed regarding least restrictive environment, district placement practices, and awareness and involvement in district special education budgeting. These interviews revealed factors special education administrators considered when making placement decisions, including the severity of a student’s disability, the availability of a continuum of services, enrollment of the district, professional development for faculty and staff, and awareness of funding issues. District directors reported that independent decision making was a critical factor in making ethical decisions for students, and their placement decisions were not influenced by state incentives. Several recommendations for policy development, practice, and further study are presented.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2019-08-22 without embargo termsThe student, Ellen Ambuehl, accepted the attached license on 2019-04-01 at 19:10.The student, Ellen Ambuehl, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2019-04-01 at 19:20.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2019-04-02 at 11:32.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #13479 on 2019-08-22 at 14:41:34Made available in DSpace on 2019-08-23T19:51:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2019-04-0
High school principals’ leadership activities in policy development and implementation of standards-based grading
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Previous issue date: 2018-12-04As a result of the national shift to a more standards-based model for education, principals across the country are leading organizational change in all aspects of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and leadership for student learning. One reform initiative, entitled standards-based grading (SBG), attempts to reimagine the way schools measure and communicate student progress toward learning (Guskey, 2009). Although this approach is gaining traction and more schools are adopting this method for measuring and communicating student learning (Guskey et al., 2011; Jung & Guskey, 2011; Marzano & Heflebower, 2011), there is a void in the literature that documents how principals create and use policies to govern the implementation of standards-based grading, specifically in high schools. Although many districts give principals autonomy around the rollout of SBG within their schools, most districts have not published a common definition or guidelines for policy and implementation practices for this reform initiative. In the absence of a common definition, district policy, or implementation guidelines for SBG, principals are left to interpret, create policy, and implement this shift in grading practices based on their unique understandings and interpretations.
To better understand this phenomenon, this qualitative research study sought to examine and understand how 10 public high school principals from six states created policies, implemented, and sustained the use of standards-based grading in their schools. Three research questions framed this study: (a) from principals’ perspectives, how has the implementation of standards-based grading promoted improved student learning; (b) what core systems and structures must be in place to implement standards-based grading and what process did principals use to create and communicate the policies governing standards-based grading in their high schools; and (c) what factors have advanced or hindered the implementation of standards-based grading in high schools? To guide data collection and analysis, the Transformation of Intentions (Hall, 1995; Hall & McGinty, 1997) conceptual framework was used to explore how high school principals led the policy creation process used to govern the implementation of standards-based grading. I explored three aspects of the Transformation of Intentions framework: intentions, process intentions, and content intentions.
Findings revealed that principals decided to implement standards-based grading ultimately to improve student learning, teacher practice, improve the validity and reliability of grading, and to communicate student learning more clearly to stakeholder groups. The principals reported that school-wide systems and structures, such as the use of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), time built into the master schedule for intervention and acceleration of student learning, progress monitoring, and the establishment of common language, beliefs, and consistent practices school-wide must all be in place to support the adoption of grading reform measures. Finally, in addition to the identification of recommended policies and practices associated with sustained implementation of standards-based grading, results showed the need to include teachers and other stakeholder groups in all decision and implementation processes. Implications from this study focused on principals garnering support to lead grading reform from central office and implications for principal leadership, teacher practice, the student and parent experience, and postsecondary institutions.Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2019-02-05 without embargo termsThe student, D'Andre Weaver, accepted the attached license on 2018-12-03 at 20:12.The student, D'Andre Weaver, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2018-12-03 at 20:13.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2018-12-04 at 16:42.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #13168 on 2019-02-05 at 11:13:2
The influence of literacy leadership on teaching and learning in Illinois elementary schools: a multiple case study
Full text linkIn the current climate of high-stakes educational accountability, school leaders are charged with not only ensuring sustainable school improvement but also addressing and rectifying achievement gaps that exist across student subgroups, fully complying with national and state educational mandates, and successfully overseeing all managerial aspects of their positions. The challenging demands associated with creating a learning-focused school culture demand a paradigm shift away from traditional authoritative leadership models that conceptualized the principal as the sole heroic leader whose charisma and vision, alone, could elevate school improvement to a leadership model that presents leadership in terms of activities and interactions that are distributed across multiple people and situations.
The purpose of this comparative study was to critically examine the leadership practices of two Illinois elementary school principals who functioned as exemplary literacy leaders within their buildings, exploring the actions and activities of these principals to build their staffs' professional capacities, positively influence student learning, as well as the challenges and barriers they encountered when attempting to act as a literacy leader and the strategies or practices employed to overcome them. Data were collected through 12 interviews of principals, district administrators, assistant principals and teachers, observations of building leadership during eight visits, and document analysis. The participants included two principals; each interviewed on three different occasions; two central office supervisors; two assistant principals; and 13 teachers, including classroom teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, and a fine arts teacher. Observations of building leadership during data meetings and staff meetings and information from document analysis also provided relevant data for this study.
Findings demonstrated that the two literacy leader principals engaged in various practices and behaviors to ensure that high impact literacy teaching and learning occurred within their schools. In addition to establishing a strong culture of learning in general and literacy learning in particular, the principals developed strong systems and structures to proactively monitor students' literacy achievement, engaged in ongoing collaboration with and professional development for teachers to expand their literacy leadership and instructional capacities, and strategically allocated resources such as prioritizing uninterrupted instructional time for literacy, providing curricular materials and funding for staff development, and maximizing human resources within the organization to advance the literacy mission of their schools. The principals also were skilled at purposefully distributing leadership to engage multiple stakeholders to apply their leadership skills and expertise toward making a substantive contribution to the organization’s literacy mission, which in turn increased the leadership density of the school. The findings from this study also suggested that literacy leader principals' efforts to build organizational capacity were strengthened by their purposeful efforts at fostering school climates that engender high levels of trust and respect.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2018-05-01The student, Mary Gorr, accepted the attached license on 2016-03-01 at 14:39.The student, Mary Gorr, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-03-01 at 14:47.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-03-04 at 14:43.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9088 on 2016-07-07 at 13:48:30Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T20:26:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2016-03-04Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93074
Lift date: 2018-07-07T20:28:14Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93074
Lift date: 2018-07-07T20:35:34Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 93074 on 2018-07-08T09:15:23Z
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Central office leadership for learning in an Illinois school district: Building collective capacity to improve achievement for all students
Full text linkDistrict leaders are challenged by the demand to increase overall student performance. The 2015 reauthorization, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), continues to require an improvement of instructional effectiveness for all students to close achievement gaps. As our nation’s public school enrollments grow more diverse, the persistent academic performance gap for students of low-income levels and special student populations of English language learners and students with disabilities is a continued reality that challenges district leaders in Illinois. District leaders are expected to improve student outcomes through an emphasis on standards- based instruction and assessments that can predict the success of all students. Many Illinois superintendents and district leaders operate independently, without direct state assistance, to initiate efforts or establish partnerships to build district capacity to meet the challenge of improving the achievement of all students. Research in the last decade has focused on the correlation between central office leadership practices and student achievement with special attention to how the superintendent works with the central office administrators in partnership to build the capacity of school leaders and faculty to improve student outcomes.
This case study examined the leadership of one Illinois school district to understand the critical work of an exemplary public school district superintendent and few central office leaders to build district capacity. Using the conceptual framework of leadership for learning, two research questions structured the study: (a) what do the superintendent and central office leaders of an exemplary district identify as key elements in improving the organizational learning and academic performance of all students; and (b) what leadership for learning activities and practices do the superintendent and central office leaders of an exemplary district demonstrate to develop the collective organizational capacity to increase academic performance of all students.
The district selected for the study was based on an enrollment of 1,000-2,500 students. A district of medium size allowed to investigate the broader role of the superintendent with the limited central office leadership team as learning leaders. The findings from the study revealed three key leadership elements identified by the superintendent and central office leaders: (a) a shared focus on learning, (b) effective and collaborative communication, and (c) results-focused accountability. The central office leaders demonstrated leadership actions and behaviors supporting the leadership for learning research. The beliefs and actions of the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and the two central office leaders were aligned with the five principles of leadership for learning: (a) establishing a focus or vision of the organization on learning; (b) building professional communities that value learning; (c) allocating resources and external partnerships that build the organizational capacity to foster student learning; (d) sharing leadership to develop a collective and common knowledge and competencies across the organization; and (e) creating coherent, connected and aligned systems to support a focus on learning (Knapp, Honig et al., 2014).
The superintendent was the motivating factor and the conductor behind the leadership for learning throughout the district, facilitating a collective vision and direction for the organization with all stakeholders. The learning-focused partnership between executive-level central office administrators and school principals and leaders demonstrate the collective work to improve adult and student learning. Findings from this study can provide guidance to central office leaders in other school districts as they strive to improve student learning and increase the collective leadership to build the capacity of their organization. More specifically, this study provided insight into how central office and school leaders work together to build teaching and assessment literacy and utilize evidence-based decision making to improve the learning of all students. Communication and professional learning communities was identified as an important practice to support the collective capacity for learning improvement within the organization. The central office leaders created a system of coherence in the organization. The shared work and commitment of the superintendent and central office leaders in this study is an example of a learning- focused organization. Decreasing the disparity in performance between learners is a continued challenge. Leadership for learning principles promote a focus on student learning, professional learning communities, shared leadership, and a coherent and aligned system focused on learning to develop the capacity of the district to improve the achievement of all students.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2020-05-01The student, Karen Gordon, accepted the attached license on 2018-04-18 at 11:30.The student, Karen Gordon, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2018-04-18 at 11:33.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2018-04-18 at 12:16.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #12297 on 2018-08-31 at 17:19:25Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T20:36:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2018-04-18Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 107262
Lift date: 2020-09-04T20:37:00Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 107262
Lift date: 2020-09-04T20:42:08Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 107262 on 2020-09-05T09:15:23Z
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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