Browsing by Author "Johnson, Timothy Erskine"
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- Perceptions of High School General and Special Education Teachers Regarding Principal Leadership Practices in Support of Co-teachingShears-Walker, Barbara Jean (Virginia Tech, 2024-01-02)The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify the perceptions of general and special education teachers currently participating in collaborative co-teaching team models regarding the leadership practices of principals in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools. The literature review findings indicated the importance of administrative leadership and support being essential for the implementation of co-teaching. Therefore, the two research questions for this qualitative study focused on administrative practices that support co-teaching. The two research questions for this qualitative research study were a) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by general education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools? and b) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by special education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools? This research study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research approach which was an interview protocol used to collect data from high school general and special education teachers participating in the study. The criteria for participation included: a) high school general and special education teachers currently participating or had participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities, and b) high school general and special education teachers participating or had previously participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities in core-content areas. The findings for school divisions and high school principals are common vision, expectations for co-teaching, ongoing, job-embedded professional development, and amenities that support co-teaching. The findings in this study resulted in five implications for school divisions and high school principals. Implications for practice were provided at the conclusion of the study and focused on identifying the practices of principal leadership, as perceived by general and special education teachers, in support of co-teaching in high schools. Also, suggestions for future research were addressed in this study.
- Perceptions of School Leaders regarding the effectiveness of their Principal Preparation ProgramHairston, Sonji Chavez (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-24)The George W. Bush Institute (2016) stated the following: "Across the United States, as many as 700 principal preparation programs are preparing and certifying principals to lead our nation's schools. The methods that preparation programs use to train principals vary nationally and are a source of concern among policymakers, university faculty, and educators (p. 2)." The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze administrators' perceptions of the program components they perceived prepared them to be effective school leaders, and whether their preparation program components were aligned with the Professional Standards of Educational Leaders (PSEL). The literature review findings indicated that the PSEL, in addition to program components, are necessary for an effective program. A non-experimental quantitative Likert-style scale survey was used to collect data from a snowball sampling of 46 school leaders pursuing or having completed their doctoral degrees. Doctoral students have developed research skills that can be used to apply new knowledge to the education field; therefore, reflecting upon their initial administrative experiences may provide insight into Principal Preparation Programs (PPP). The research findings indicated that school leaders perceived that their program experiences were aligned with the PSEL and they were prepared for administrative assignments after completion of their PPP. The findings also indicated despite being prepared for their assignment, changes were suggested to improve their PPP. Implications for practice for improving their PPP are included in this study, as well as, suggestions for future studies.
- Principal's Perspective of the Implementation of Interventions and Strategies to decrease Chronic Absenteeism in One Virginia Urban School DivisionSherrod-Wilson, Sherri Teresa (Virginia Tech, 2020-06-23)Chronic absenteeism is a growing concern nationwide. Millions of students are absent from school, with the number summing to one month's worth of absences per student per year. As a result of Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA), many states have included chronic absenteeism as part of their school quality indicator. For the 2018-2019 school year, attendance was included in standards of accreditation. Reducing chronic absenteeism has long been a goal for many public principals at each grade level nationwide. The purpose of this study was to identify what interventions and strategies principals were implementing to decrease chronic absenteeism. This study further identified principals' perceptions of the interventions and strategies with the greatest and least effect on decreasing chronic absenteeism. A qualitative research design was used with semi-structured interviews to determine principals' perceptions of interventions and strategies to decrease chronic absenteeism. Participants were principals from secondary schools in one urban school district, located in the Southeastern region of Virginia. Findings from the research revealed that principals in this district are implementing interventions and strategies that include: positive behavioral interventions and supports, parent contacts, community partnerships, district supports, and professional development to decrease chronic absenteeism. The findings also suggested that interventions and strategies that help build relationships between the school, students, and parents are being most effective in decreasing chronic absenteeism in this district. Implications for continued decrease in chronic absenteeism at all level of practice are recommended and suggestions for future research
- Professional Development for Secondary School Principals: Delivery, Duration and DiscernmentsJohnson, Timothy Erskine (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-03)School leaders are charged with the articulation of a clear vision for bringing about school change and providing students with an instructional program that promotes optimal learning (ISLLC, 2015). The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school principals' perceptions of professional development to achieve and/or maintain school accreditation. The study used a quantitative non-experimental research method along with simple descriptive statistics to analyze professional development experiences of principals and principal perceptions. The study included Virginia secondary schools in Region 2. Region 2 consists of 16 different school divisions with a total of 63 middle schools and 53 high schools. The research measured alignment of professional development to national ISLLC standards revealed in the literature review. Further examining relationship among relevance, quality, duration, format and differentiation of professional development for principals and variables such as school accreditation status. The research findings identified professional development experiences that were grouped by the following administrative themes: administrative, culture, data analyzing, instruction and technology. Approximately 99% of the professional development experiences were presented to principals face-to-face. All (100%) of the professional development experiences were aligned with the national ISLLC standards. Principals in the research study participated in only four online professional development experiences. Principals assigned to fully accredited schools accounted for 54.5% of the professional development experiences. Principals assigned to schools rated conditionally accredited reconstituted accounted for 28.7% of the professional development experiences. Implications for practice for improving the work of principals in secondary schools are recommended, as well as suggestions for future research. '