Online learning has grown exponentially in higher education during the past decade--and the trend is flourishing in public high schools. It has become a desirable alternative for busy high school students, as it offers flexibility and an alternative learning environment. This expansion to online has necessitated teachers to move to an electronic setting, many of who are veterans of the brick-and-mortar classroom. Most of these teachers have vast face-to-face teaching experience but have not had the proper training to teach online. This high demand for online teachers and the lack of training has resulted in mixed outcomes for online course takers. The purpose of this study was to get online teachers' perspectives about their needs for professional development for online pedagogy.

This study was conducted as a qualitative action research project to gain teacher perspective on their perception and experience in developing and participating in an online professional development for online pedagogy. Data was collected through interviews, action research group meetings, and an interactive online website, while the teachers participated in the professional development. The study revealed that teachers responded positively to professional development but need an ongoing program. Additionally, teachers need one another to support and collaborate about online strategies as well as active involvement from the administration.

Online learning continues to grow, and providing teachers with the proper training and professional development with time to collaborate is a solution to sustain rigorous and successful online course offerings.

This study examined the factors that influence the persistence of first-generation Latina commuter students toward college completion. This is a qualitative study that offered insight into the experiences of first-generation Latina commuter students attending a small independent, Catholic institution composed of a predominantly Hispanic student body in an urban environment. This study adds to the existing body of literature on the persistence of first-generation Latina college students and commuter students. Institutions of higher education can benefit from learning about the lived experiences shared by the participants, the issues that confront them and how best to support them in their endeavor toward college completion.

Prospective participants were collected from the Registrar's office at Mount St. Mary's College. Mount St. Mary's College is a Catholic, liberal arts, independent institution of higher education primarily for women. There are two campuses based in Los Angeles; the downtown campus, Doheny and the baccalaureate campus, Chalon, where the study was conducted.

The study consisted of 19 first-generation Latina commuter students in their senior year. The study involved purposeful sampling utilizing a questionnaire as a screening device. Eligible participants were then invited for a one hour, semi-structured interview in which the researcher investigated pre-college experiences, institutional support received in transition and adjustment to college, challenges they overcame while in college, institutional programs, services and resources utilized, on- and off-campus networks, academic self-concept, and level of commitment to obtaining a college degree. Interviews were transcribed, coded and a comparative analysis was conducted across all participant transcripts to identify themes. Member check of transcripts was conducted to check for accuracy.

Several factors were found to influence their persistence. They include parental expectations to attend college and the emotional support they provided. As well, the aspirational, social, familial, and resistant capitals they employed to remain resilient and successful in college. These factors validate existing theoretical frameworks. While the participants felt they had to navigate college on their own, they found attending college opened doors to their future and a desire to make a difference in their families and communities.

This traditional form of action research project, based on the work of Kurt Lewin (Coghlan, D. and Brannick, T., 2007), addresses the problem of how to make professional development effective for teachers and implement instructional strategies in all content areas as we move into the Common Core reform movement. The research was conducted at a middle school within a large urban school district located in Southern California and the participants consisted of 56 teachers, three counselors, seven coordinators, and four administrators. The research design consisted of mixed methods in order to provide an analysis of the experiences of teachers and administrators during the implementation of a professional development model that consisted of four 5-week cycles. The secondary data analysis looked at the effects of the model on participant perception and pedagogy. The professional development model data was gathered using surveys prior to the start and at the end of the professional development model, post-professional development reflections, post cycle reflections, Instructional Leadership team (ILT) observations, interviews, and focus groups. Data was analyzed by identifying trends and themes in reflections and participant responses. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the relationship among the observations, surveys, and professional development evaluations. The action research findings showed that based on the experiences of teachers and ILT members, time, communication, collaboration, accountability, and best practices were the five major themes that stood out as strengths and weaknesses of the model. In regards to the necessary components of effective professional development, the six themes that emerged were professional delivery method, observations, feedback, reflection, profession development scaffolding, and common planning time. The last finding showed the professional development model had the following impact on teaching: an increase in use of instructional strategies with regards to reading, writing, and discussion; increase in creation and use of departmental rubrics and assessments; and an increase in departmental lesson planning. Although there was variance among the sample sizes for the quantitative data, the triangulation of the data sources revealed that the professional development model was relevant to each content area, personalized, and created a unified focus for Common Core implementation.

Principals are instrumental in establishing effective schools and positive learning communities. There is only one principal in every school and thus, the position clearly requires a knowledgeable, highly skilled, and well-prepared individual. Principal training programs provide generally effective instruction that seemingly prepares emerging leaders for the expectations and logistical demands of the principalship. Yet the state of the profession is unstable. The research on principals shows that fewer administrators are applying for the position, newly hired principals are younger and less experienced, and longevity is a problem. The position is synonymous with long hours, little appreciation, and high stressful situations. Although principal preparation programs do address logistical problem solving, there is no curriculum for incoming principals that addresses the phenomenon of the unexpected event. Surprise events are stressful, salient, disruptive, and can make or break a career. A principal who is able to control an unexpected event, whether the event is caused by them or not, and foster an appropriate outcome likely feels strongly self-efficacious. On the other hand, principals who are faced with unexpected events and handle their own role in a manner that leads to a negative outcome, likely develop low self-esteem, low feelings of efficacy, and are more likely to leave the position or be ineffective leaders. This research project queried high and middle school principals from a moderate sized urban school district about whether they have experienced an unexpected event and if so, the details of that event were recorded. Specifically, qualitative descriptions were collected to develop an understanding of the variety of events that could and do occur during a principal's career. Using both quantitative and qualitative data collection, the research documented the principal's role, feelings, and self-reflections about the event. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nature of unexpected events. The project also sought to discover, in depth, the personal experiences of the principal and the views of the principals about the event and outcome, and most importantly, the feelings of the principals about their role in the event and their role in the outcome. The investigation revealed several notable findings that linked event types and outcomes with principals' feelings. In all, principals experienced significant unexpected events that had a high impact on all involved. The principals mostly stated that they were unprepared yet most controlled their own emotions and behaviors well. Theoretical frameworks were used to conceptualize the events and the emotional impact on the principals was characterized. Further, principals were passionate about elucidating the concept of a surprise event as a component of principal training programs, as all felt that if they could expect these events on some level, their ability to handle them would have greatly improved. This important implication was discussed and further research suggested.

This paper presents the results of a study that examined the effects of using an action research process to explore science teachers' views on science literacy as well as improve collaboration among department members. Data were collected by documenting the action research process and interviewing teachers at a suburban K-12 school in Southern California. Findings suggest that teachers' views of science literacy vary more by context than by individual, and that collaboration seems to be useful in expanding teachers' beliefs about science literacy.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

This study examined how school leaders--teachers and administrators-at a high poverty middle school utilized formative assessment information to drive instructional improvement and increase achievement. The purpose of this study was to increase school participants' knowledge and effective application of formative assessment systems. By determining from the participant principal and teacher leaders what they do to support teachers using formative assessment systems in language arts and by synthesizing the research literature of assessment systems, an action research team of thirteen co-created a formative assessment system that met the particular needs of the site's language arts department.

Data collected through preliminary interviews, participant reflections, a review of documents, and post-interviews provided evidence that specific leadership actions led to an improved assessment practices. Teacher participants and the principal exhibited specific leadership actions that advanced improvement in assessment practices and in turn this led to instructional improvement. The leaders shared curricular expertise and instructional materials. Furthermore, the principal communicated a clear expectation for growth and accountability, and the principal articulated a clear vision and mission. The barriers to implementing best assessment practices included minimal time, resources, minimal collaboration, and curricular experience. Again, several leaders assuaged these barriers by sharing resources, content expertise, and pedagogical knowledge. Teacher leaders worked to improve collaboration, and as a result teachers were able to improve assessment practices.

Completing two plan, do, check, and act, action research cycles provided for a greater likelihood of sustained change. Significant implications exist in terms of the study's findings. High poverty schools must continue to utilize assessment results to target students and the particular standards that are most challenging. Teachers must be part of the instructional decision-making process. The findings also offer significant implications for education reform. If policy advocates continue to push for teachers to be evaluated utilizing assessment results, districts must build this capacity in teachers to use results to inform their instruction.

This study investigated how and why secondary school faculty use the learning software, Odyssey. Faculty were asked about their pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices, the perceived impact of using the software on student outcomes, and how, if at all, Odyssey-using faculty would change the software to increase utility. Data collection methods included a survey of using and non-using faculty, an instant poll, journal entry, and interviews with seven teachers who had used the software. Data revealed that while overall use at the school was low, users perceived myriad and significant value provided by the software. There was no demonstrated relationship between pedagogical beliefs and Odyssey use, and perceptions on the impact of Odyssey on student outcomes were minimal. In response to questions about how to change or improve the software, faculty suggested three main areas for improvement--technical, pedagogical, and visual.

This study is an examination of the social experiences and school processes that high school immigrant students from Mexico encounter during their first year in U.S. schools and the meaning the subjects attribute to those experiences and processes in relation to their academic performance. The study is designed to answer the following research questions. How do high school age, newcomer-immigrants from Mexico characterize their first year in the American school system? How do high school age, newcomer-immigrants from Mexico perceive the social experiences and school processes they encountered during their first year in an American school? What is the role of social experiences and school processes in the academic performance of high school age, newcomer-immigrants from Mexico in their first year in an American school?

Thirty high school students, ages 14-20 were interviewed in this study. Parity in gender was controlled for, selecting an equal number of females and males. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview protocol that included a variety of closed and open-ended questions with opportunities for follow-up questions to clarify meaning and add depth to responses. The interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method in order to examine, compare, conceptualize and categorize data to derive findings.

Data suggest that newcomer adolescent students from Mexico generally keep a positive perception of their first year in school. The immediate obstacles faced by newcomers in schools are unfamiliar school processes, structures, grade demotion and their inability to speak English. These obstacles impact academic performance. Positive relationships with peers, teachers and other school agents are critical for confronting and overcoming these obstacles. Additionally, relations with peers were reported to be most significant in determining the academic performance of newcomers, as peers served as academic supports, language brokers, mentors, and champions of other newcomers.

Of noticeable concern, however, is that peer relationships were defined almost entirely as relationships with other newcomers, and dominated by interactions in Spanish, suggesting a degree of social and linguistic isolation at schools.

Moreover, interview data suggest that only about half the participants felt like their teachers knew them, tried to know them or catered to their linguistic and or academic needs. Only a quarter of the participants reported having minimal relationships with non-teacher school employees. Data analyzed by gender suggest that females have a more positive appraisal of their first year experience than their male counterparts, report more positive relations with peers and adults on campus than their male counterparts, and have a more positive outlook on those relationships than male participants. Data also suggest an association between age and participants' perceptions of school, and the development and perceptions of relationships with peers and adults on campus. Findings for each age group in the study shows that as the participants increase in age, their perceptions of their school experience improves, the nature of their relationships with adults and peers is more positive, and their appraisal of those relationships is also more positive.

Lastly, participants reported that learning English quickly, improving relations with peers and adults on campus, in addition to gaining a better understanding of school processes earlier in their experience can lead to improved academic performance.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

Strategic Planning in the Business Enterprise of Christian Colleges and Universities: A Multi-Case Study Approach

by

Wayne Lewis Fletcher

Doctor of Education

University of California, Los Angeles, 2013

Professor Robert Cooper, Co-Chair

Professor Eugene Tucker, Co-Chair

Many tuition-driven private colleges and universities struggled for economic survival in the first decade of this millennium. The current study views higher education from a two-good framework that posits that every college and university provides teaching and service for the societal good while generating revenue from traditional business-like practices (B. Weisbrod, Ballou, & Asch, 2010). This study sought to understand the strategic and tactical planning philosophies and practices within financially successful Christian colleges and universities as well as the practices that allowed these institutions to remain faithful to their mission. Through a case study approach, I identified and researched three colleges that demonstrated financial success for the academic years 2006-07 through 2009-10, comparing the cross-case analysis against the literature regarding best business practices. From these findings I concluded with recommendations that mission-driven institutions of higher education seeking to remain financially successful and true to their mission should first ensure that they have distinctive missions through which the institution views all institutional practices. Second, ingrain a flexible strategic planning mentality within the institution that is clearly and inextricably linked to the mission. Third, operate the basic institutional functions of the college like a business, ensuring that earned tuition fully supports campus operations. Fourth, make institutional advancement an institutional priority. Finally, diversify the institutional portfolio, consistent with the mission, in order to hedge against market changes in demand from specific demographics or professions.

This quantitative study draws on 11 years worth of longitudinal financial data collected from United States independent schools from 2003 to 2013 by the National Association of Independent Schools via StatsOnline. Tuition price and tuition growth rates were analyzed by school type, proportion of students on financial aid, the ratio of total annual giving to total income and the ratio of total endowment to total annual giving. Additionally, the proportion of students on financial aid was analyzed by school type, ratio of total annual giving to total income, ratio of total endowment to total income and tuition price. The relationship between total endowment and annual giving and total endowment and tuition price was also analyzed. Findings include the most expensive type of school, the relationship between annual giving and financial aid, suggestions for independent school praxis and also suggestions further research. Because the data used includes the years 2008-2010, observations regarding independent school response to the United States recession of 2009 are also included.