Browsing by Author "Holleb, Aimee Joy"

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    Case Study of the Factors Contributing to Graduation from a Secondary Dropout Prevention Program
    Runkle, Marya Anne (Virginia Tech, 2022-05-12)
    The decision to drop out of high school can affect a person's life in many ways, as lifetime earnings, employment options, overall health, and the probability of incarceration are all negatively influenced when students drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of faculty, staff, parents, and high school graduates regarding factors leading to the high graduation rates of students in a dropout prevention program during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. A total of 15 one-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data around participants' perceptions of how the application process; onboarding and orientation program; academic progress monitoring and interventions; and social, emotional, and mental health supports contributed to the program's high graduation rate. Data were reviewed, analyzed, and coded, resulting in emerging themes across the data set. Themes were then synthesized and aggregated into four findings. Findings indicated the advisor role and the student–advisor relationship, staff training in trauma-informed practices, staff collaboration, and providing a flexible and responsive program structure were factors influencing the high graduation rate of students in this dropout prevention program. These findings were used to develop four corresponding implications for district and school leaders to create and maintain structures where students are supported by at least one trusted adult, provide meaningful and consistent trauma-informed professional learning, create an environment where staff collaboration around student needs is a priority, and provide flexible schedules and options for students to positively affect student graduation from alternative educational settings.
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    Principal Self-Efficacy Beliefs: What Factors Matter?
    Holleb, Aimee Joy (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-03)
    Self-efficacy beliefs are evaluations people make about their capability to handle specific, future challenges. Self-efficacy belief levels predict actual success. Public school principals face ever-changing challenges. Understanding school principal self-efficacy beliefs and supporting the development of these beliefs is one way supervisors can help the future effectiveness of school principals. There are four main sources of information used to develop self-efficacy beliefs. These four sources of information are: mastery learning, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. This multiple case study research examined the factors that influenced self-efficacy beliefs of elementary school principals prior to facing a personally meaningful challenge. The overall research question was: What Factors Attend to the Domains of Self-Efficacy Belief Formation in School Principals? The purpose of the research was to understand what information influenced the mindsets of principals as they formed their initial self-efficacy beliefs prior to facing a personally meaningful challenge.