Department of Educational Leadership, Policy & Technology Studies

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The University Military School, Its First Principal and Founder Julius Tutwiler Wright
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1946) Smith, Edmund Marvin; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The private academies of Alabama cannot justly be ignored in the history of education in this state. Their graduates have gone out to exert influence in various professions and vocations. Their provisions for high school education have in many instances preceded a similar provision by the state. Since many of these institutions no longer exist it seems worth while that their history be preserved for future reference. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to preserve the available data relative to the University Military School for the period 1893 to 1931. The school continues to operate under conditions different from those during the years indicated.
Analysis and appraisal of special legislation in the area of public education in Alabama.
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1964) Hubbert, Paul Ray; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Over three centuries ago the citizens of this country expressed a faith in education which abides until this day. The fact that education and this nation's political theory are inextricably woven is so axiomatic that no thinking person questions it today. Early in the life of this nation its founders espoused the belief that if the people were to be the ultimate source of power in this Republic, they must first be aware of the nature of the power vested in them and, secondly, know how to exercise this power both for the good of themselves and for the nation as a whole. Our forebearers reasoned that a people can be knowledgeable of the responsibility placed upon them by our system of government in only one way, through mass education.
A Study of Teacher Perception of Factors Related to Educational Research
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1966) Moseley, Aubrey Howard; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Many ideas and techniques relating to improved educational practices have been researched and are reported in the professional literature, both educational and that of related disciplines. In spite of the fact that educators express value for the results of research, seldom do the research results find their way into practice in educational programs via educational philosophy and objectives. The following could be said: (1) that to a great extent many of the ideas from research are not being tested and implemented in the education of our youth to the extent that they could be; (2) that though some of these ideas are being used by a few people, seldom is there a systematic plan for the introduction, implementation, or evaluation of ideas; and (3) that many teachers seem to be able to build a verbal ideology in regard to a new idea, but seem to face problems when they attempt to establish an action ideology in behavioral terms.
An Opinion Survey of Parents of Selcted Students in the Tuscaloosa City Schools Concerning the Issue of Consolidation of the Tuscaloosa City School System and the Tuscaloosa County School System
(1969) Hobbs, Edith M. Edmondson; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study has been to conduct an opinion survey and to make recommendations to the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education and to the Education Study Commission based on the opinions of parents of selected students in the Tuscaloosa City Schools relative to the consolidation of their school system with the Tuscaloosa County School System.
Contributions of Governor Braxton Bragg Comer to public education in Alabama, 1907-1911
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1970) Draper, Owen Hunter; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The influence of selected factors on the choice of teaching as a career
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1972) Perry, James Zachry; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
One of the most persistent problems facing public education today is the selection and retention of the most competent teachers available for our schools. Those responsible for conducting selective teacher recruitment and preparation programs are faced with the necessity of finding the answer to two important questions: Why do students enter upon courses of study leading to qualifying for teacher certification? Having qualified to do so, why then do such a large number of persons not teach? The complex reasoning which lies behind the motives of those who choose teaching as a profession is often a source of wonder.
A process for inventorying faculty potentials applicable to programs of faculty sharing in the Alabama Consortium for the Development of Higher Education
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1972) Sloan, Bernard James; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
An Analysis of the Nonprint Tasks Performed By Media Professionals in Junior College Library Media Centers
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1981) Dorin, Donald E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Innovation in instructional technologies appears to be expanding and producing genuine advances in teaching and learning methodologies in junior colleges. The state of the art in the development of print and nonprint resource innovation is extremely evident in these institutions. This is reflected in their efforts to combine all instructional resources into a single service under the heading of media programs, instructional resources, learning resource centers, instructional resources, learning resource centers, instructional materials centers, library media centers, and various other similar titles. Whatever they may be called, the library media center constitutes one of the most rapidly changing areas in the educational field.
Evaluation of Student Knowledge of Student Services at Shelton State Junior College
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1983) Lee, Humphrey L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The junior college emerged as a viable element of the American higher education system during the twentieth century. The first junior college established in this country was in Joliet, Illinois in 1901 and by 1976 approximately 1200 junior colleges had been established with a total student enrollment of over 4,000,000. The student services area in junior colleges, however, is a relatively new phenomenon having expanded and developed primarily after World War II. Historically, this area had a strong impetus in its development from the use of standardized tests for the classification of soldiers and the employment of psychologists and counselors for the screening and placement of new recruits during World War II.
Movie: the musical! a three article dissertation examining the phenomenon of film as source material for Broadway musicals
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2004-08) Wallace, Richard; Burch, Steven D.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Prior to 1997, 52 musicals based on films were produced on Broadway over a time period of 45 years. From 1997 through April 24, 2017, 73 more film-based musicals opened, an increase of 138% in less than half the time. The shift in popularity of the film-based musical is what drives the research of this three-article dissertation. The mixed methods research of the first article verifies the phenomenon of film as source material for Broadway musicals. The research also establishes two theories why film-based musicals are more popular than other forms: they are perceived to be less risky to produce in an industry where only 23% of musicals recoup their investment and writers of Broadway musicals find it easier to adapt material that already has dramatic narrative content. The rationale of producing film-based musicals is tested by comparing the different types of musicals using industry related metrics. The research discussed in the second and third articles seeks to identify factors that relate to the success of a film-based musical that can then be used by Broadway producers and writers as they select and adapt films into musical productions. A statistical analysis is used in the second article and a formula is developed that can predict the success of film-based musicals with 79% accuracy. Qualitative methods are used in the third article to establish 5 rules for adapting and producing film-based musicals. A combination of these findings can be used by producers and writers as they embark on the selection and adaptation process.
Enabling school structure, mindfulness, and teacher empowerment: test of a theory
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Watts, Donald M.; Tarter, Clemens John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study looked at the relationship of an enabling school structure and mindfulness toward teacher empowerment. An enabling school structure is the perception in which leadership fosters collaboration, innovation, and trust among participants. Its rules and procedures are flexible and promote problem-solving (Hoy & Sweetland, 2000, 2001). Mindfulness is ongoing scrutiny of existing expectations, continuous refinement of those expectations based on new experiences, appreciation of the subtleties of context, and identification of novel aspects of context that can improve foresight and functioning (Hoy, 2003). Teacher empowerment is the process whereby teachers develop the competence to take charge of their own growth and resolve their own problems (Short, 1994a). It was hypothesized that a structure that supports mindfulness should combine with mindfulness to predict teacher empowerment. To test the central hypothesis, some 1,100 teachers at 23 schools responded to surveys that measured an enabling school structure (Enabling School Structure), mindfulness (Mindfulness Scale), and teacher empowerment (School Participant Empowerment Scale) in the 2008-2009 school year. Reliabilities for all measures, including the subscales of teacher empowerment, ranged from .71 to .92, indicating acceptable levels of reliability. As predicted, an enabling school structure and mindfulness were related. Although both an enabling school structure and mindfulness were related to subscales of the empowerment measure, there was no significant relationship to the overall measure. Significant relationships emerged through regressing the empowerment subscales of professional growth, self-efficacy, and impact, although there was no significant simultaneous relationship between the two predictors and the overall test of teacher empowerment. Further study should examine the theoretical base of broad teacher participation as an outcome desired by teachers. Raising the sample size might find relationships that had been hypothesized but were not sufficiently robust as to emerge in a sample of 23 schools. Finally, it may be that training teachers to become more active participants in the school at large is the precursor to useful teacher empowerment.
A study of the leadership styles and beliefs of students at Athens State University
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Smith, Jackie Lynn; Hardy, David E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The future employment market will require college graduates to possess strong and effective leadership skills. It is crucial that higher education provide numerous and practical opportunities for students to develop these skills. Research confirms that preparing students for leadership roles is one of the founding tenets of American higher education. However, studies regarding leadership and the nontraditional student have not been well documented. The conceptual framework for this research was based on the ecology theory of leadership that proposed a departure from the traditional hierarchical style of leadership towards a more systemic style through an open process that involves all members of the organization. Athens State University serves a population comprised mostly of nontraditional students, many of whom are already employed. This study used the Leadership Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (LABS-III) instrument developed by Dr. Richard Wielkiewicz to examine the preferred leadership styles of students at Athens State University and determine if there was a significant difference in those styles based upon a set of demographic variables that included gender, age group, employment status, and college of record. Results revealed that an overwhelming number of students still preferred the traditional hierarchical style of leadership, while a much smaller group preferred the systemic style of leadership. Statistical results revealed no significant differences in preferred leadership styles based upon any of the demographic variables. However, research did show that the older the study participant, the more likely they were to prefer the hierarchical style of leadership. Based upon the results of this study, it is apparent that institutions of higher education many want to consider redesigning the leadership development curriculum with an emphasis on building systemic leadership skills, specifically through the ecology of leadership theory. In addition, specific and meaningful learning opportunities in leadership should be incorporated into all curricula, not just business programs. As the population of nontraditional students continues to outnumber traditional college students, institutions may want to consider establishing an official point of contact for this student, such as an Office of Student Support Services for Returning Adult Students.
School counselors, NDEA, and school desegregation in Alabama: the evolution of a profession
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Givens, Mary Burke; Petrovic, John E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, Congress funded the National Defense Education Act of 1958 (NDEA) which created school counselor training institutes throughout the country in order to identify highly talented students, especially in the sciences, mathematics, and foreign languages. The National Defense Counseling and Guidance Training Institutes greatly increased the number of school counselors, especially in the Southern states, and also coincided with the desegregation of Southern schools. Along with the involvement of the federal government in funding higher education preparation, was the rise of standardized testing employed in the selection and separation of students. This project investigates the relationship between the NDEA, school counselors and whether or not the NDEA helped shaped an institutional identity of school counseling that interfered with equal educational opportunity (EEO) for African American students in public schools in the South. It is a qualitative study relying on historical documents and interviews of counselors, and counselor educators.
An analysis of court cases involving student due process in dismissal from higher education
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Grindle, Christopher Carl; Dagley, David L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution holds that states must provide due process and equal protection to those with a life, liberty, or property right. College students have a property and liberty interest in the public education that they receive and the courts require notice and hearing before a deprivation of one of these interests. As administrators in higher education face the challenges involved in properly deciding disputes with students, they can find guidance in a line of U. S. Supreme Court cases that describe due process in terms of the proper relationship between American citizens and their government. By understanding the process that state governments are required by the Fourteenth Amendment to provide, administrators can determine a method of fair inquiry. The problem of this study is focused on the need for university administrators to have a good understanding of the procedures that should be followed when faced with dismissing a student. The fear of litigation has tempted administrators at some institutions of higher education to spend unjustified amounts of money, to award unjustified grades, and even to modify longstanding academic requirements. The basis of this fear stems from uncertainty of the law, especially the responsibilities generated by the Fourteenth Amendment. Many administrators at public institutions of higher education understand that the Fourteenth Amendment requires due process before depriving one of a property or liberty interest, but they are confused about the practical steps that should be followed. The purpose of this study is to examine federal and state court cases related to the dismissal of a student from an institution of higher education during the period of 1981-2008. The cases were briefed and examined for trends. Additionally, court decisions provided information that may be useful for higher education administrators. Trends discovered were identified and reported, conclusions were developed from the rulings of the courts, and guiding principles were established for higher education administrators.
Technology leadership, school climate, and technology integration: a correlational study in grades K-12
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Watts, Cathy Dianne; Tarter, Clemens John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
ABSTRACT This study tested the relationship of technology leadership and school climate to the teachers' integration of technology. In the 2008-2009 school year, data were collected using three instruments: the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) survey (administered to principals and assistant principals), the Taking a Good Look at Instructional Technology (TAGLIT) survey, and the Organizational Climate Index (OCI) survey (administered to teachers). It was hypothesized that administrators' leadership as measured by NETS-A would predict teachers' use of technology as measured by TAGLIT. In addition, it was hypothesized that administrators' leadership and a positive school climate as measured by the OCI both contribute to more integration of technology. Respondents were 968 teachers and 44 administrators in 32 public schools with the school being the unit of analysis. Technological leadership from administrators was not associated with teachers' use of technology. Technological leadership was predictive of institutional vulnerability but not the other measures of school climate. Finally, achievement press, one of the measures of school climate, was negatively correlated, indicating schools with higher levels of achievement press tended to have lower levels of teachers' use of technology. Recommendations for practice suggested that administrators improve skills by becoming more familiar with the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for technology implementation and that technological innovations be more closely allied to in-class instruction and use focused program development to that end.
An exploration of the relationship between student engagement and academic performance of undergraduate students at a public historically Black higher education institution in the southeast
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Alexander, Jr., Matthew; Erevelles, Nirmala; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Many colleges and universities are grappling with the ever-increasing challenge of understanding the impact that college has on students. Research has validated the fact that student engagement has a significant impact on academic performance, satisfaction with college experience, and graduation rates. Student engagement is the connection that students have, both academically and extracurricular, to their institution. Beyond that, student engagement is the manner in which higher education institutions help to foster student success. Undeniably, African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) seem to face greater, perhaps unique, challenges in their quest to obtain a degree. The number of barriers that many of these students face is surreal, and the impact that HBCUs have on the educational outcomes of their students warrants further exploration. Exploratory in nature, this study examined the relationships between student engagement patterns and academic performance of undergraduate students at a public historically Black higher education institution in the Southeast. This study was ex post facto, since the data from students' responses to the survey items on the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) had been collected prior to the design of this research study. In an effort to answer the research questions that were posed, the general linear model univariate analysis of variance statistical procedure was employed to model the relationships between the NSSE Benchmarks (i.e., academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, study-faculty interaction, supportive campus environment, and enriching educational experiences) and the outcome variable, student self-reported academic performance. The findings support the conclusion that student engagement has multi-dimensional effects. While a particular independent variable in one model might have had a statistically significant linear relationship with the dependent variable, student self-reported academic performance, that independent variable might not have had a statistically significant linear relationship when other independent variables were added to the model. For the most part, in some models, several of the independent variables did not have an additive effect and failed to contribute to the statistical significance, relationship, or prediction of the dependent variable.
An exploratory study of the presentation of special education law in administrative preparation programs for aspiring administrators
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Powell, Patricia; Siders, James A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Administrators must have a strong command of education and special education law. Case law rulings, additions to procedural safeguards, and legislation in the area of special education are demonstrative of the need for additional training in the area of law for preservice administrators to increase their competency level. Valesky and Hirth (1992) examined training received by administrators in administrative preparation programs and the number of due processes and complaints received at the State Department of Education level for each state. This study uses the results of the seventeen-year old study as a baseline of information to review the impact of IDEA 1997, NCLB 2001, and the reauthorization of the IDEIA 2004 on licensure requirements, numbers of complaints, appeals, and due process hearings. This study found no significant differences between clock hours of special education law presented in administrator preparation programs and complaints, due process hearings requests, and fully adjudicated hearings. The overall presence of special education law has increased tremendously since Valesky and Hirth (1992) investigated the topic prior to IDEA 1997. Descriptive conclusions were based on the continued abundance of complaints, due process hearing requests, and fully adjudicated hearings. After almost twenty years of reform efforts, a large percentage of university administrator preparation programs are not increasing the time focused on special education law; special education litigation continues to be faced by many school districts across the United States.
A geographical classification of Master's Colleges and Universities
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Kinkead, John Clinton; Katsinas, Stephen G.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study had two primary objectives. First, this study sought to create a classification system to which publicly-controlled Carnegie classified Master's Colleges and Universities could be grouped according to geographical service (rural-serving, suburban-serving, or urban-serving. Second, once the classification system was developed and applied, the study, using descriptive statistics, sought to describe selected characteristics of these institutions. The variables chosen to describe these institutions included membership status in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), student unduplicated headcount enrollments, number of degrees awarded, student race/ethnicity, student financial aid, and student loan indebtedness. Using population data from the 2000 United States decennial census, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this study had four major findings. First, most (94%) of publicly-controlled Carnegie classified Master's Colleges and Universities are participating members of AASCU. Second, publicly-controlled Carnegie classified Master's Colleges and Universities are approximately 61% rural-serving, 21% suburban-serving, and 17% urban-serving. Of the 2.5 million students enrolled during academic year 2006-07, 50% were enrolled in a rural-serving institution, while 25% and 24% were enrolled in suburban-serving and urban-serving institutions, respectively. Third, publicly-controlled Carnegie classified Master's Colleges and Universities enroll and graduate a very diverse student body. In total, students at public master's institutions are 61% White, 13% Black, and 11% Hispanic. While this is true in total, significant minority enrollments were observed from the rural, suburban, and urban subclasses. Fourth and finally, student financial aid at public master's institutions has not kept pace with the need for student loans. In nearly every subclass, loans represent the single largest percentage of financial aid. Regretfully, the average loan taken out by a student at a public master's institution is nearly $4,000. Moreover, the suburban-serving sector of public master's institutions posts the highest loan figure of $4,474. The study concludes with recommendations for policy, practice, and future studies. Discussions of the findings with an overall relevance to the future of higher education in the 21st century are offered.
Resegregation: a case study of the failure of the color blind ideal in K-12 schooling policy
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Kinslow, Kathleen Mary; Tomlinson, Stephen; Rosiek, Jerry; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Given the current trend for school districts to reorganize once unitary status is achieved, a cultural ethnography was conducted to determine how high school students experienced the inevitable resegregation in their school system. The findings of this study reinforced and extended the arguments Kenneth Clark presented about the deleterious effects of social and school segregation on Black children in the court cases leading up to Brown v. Board of Education . Like the child participants in his famous doll experiments, students assigned to the all Black high school internalized a type of social deficit theory about themselves, which they explained through race, geographic, and to a lesser extent, class identity--revealing a clear social text that marked them as less in virtually every aspect of their schooling experience. The study highlights the negative consequences of the Supreme Court's color blind ideology, as realized in the assignment of students to neighborhood schools after desegregation plans are dismantled. Despite promises of equity by school leaders resegregation has a profoundly negative effect on students, the vast majority of those involved clearly believing they were second class citizens within a caste system. Resegregated students especially noted newly created barriers to academic, social, and other curricular experiences important for their post-secondary aspirations. The meaning of racial separation for student participants was especially significant due to hidden messages associated with diversity on the emotional, psychological, and intellectual development of adolescents. It was concluded that given the racialized meaning of inequitable educational opportunities produced by resegregation, there is an urgent need to reconsider the color blind ideology undergirding the received reading of the Fourteenth Amendment to adopt more color conscious policies sensitive to the damaging effects Black students now experience through policies that unintentionally or intentionally produce racially isolated schools.
An examination of the effectiveness of a principal leadership screening program on teacher perception and teacher retention
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) McKinney, Barbara D.; McKnight, Douglas; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The school principal is accountable for an environment conducive to learning. Qualified leaders improve student learning and affect the perceptions of members of the organization and their intention to stay. The responsibilities for school success and the shortage of applicants make it imperative that qualified principals are recruited and hired. Effective screening programs can ensure the candidates selected are prepared for leadership positions. Teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership are related to job satisfaction, job resignation, and transfers. Therefore, teachers' perceptions of principals provide a basis to evaluate the quality of principals' leadership. The effectiveness of a principal leadership-screening instrument on teacher perceptions and teacher retention was examined. Two groups of principals were analyzed-those principals who completed the PrincipalInsight process and those who did not. Data were collected from a staff perception survey and teacher retention records. The PrincipalInsight scores of the principals who were hired did not correlate to the teacher ratings from the staff perception survey. Nor did the PrincipalInsight scores correlate with retention rates at schools with novice principals. Therefore, the recruitment and hiring of candidates for principal based on scores from the PrincipalInsight is a matter for concern. However, findings indicated a significant correlation between the teacher ratings and teacher retention for veteran principals. Recommendations include using veteran teachers to prescreen and evaluate candidates in light of, and with respect to the criteria developed for the screening program. The findings suggest veteran principals provide a sense of community where teachers feel valued, supported, and applauded for their talents and skills, which encourages them to remain employed at their schools. Efforts must be made to implement professional development for new principals to facilitate an understanding for the necessity of building relationships, peer support, and a community for teachers, which are major factors in retaining teachers. The findings provide information on structured screenings and their effectiveness in leadership hiring practices. Information from this study can serve to establish a protocol for the hiring of quality applicants for principal position. The participation of veteran principals and teachers is strongly encouraged in the process of the selection of new principals as their expertise and knowledge is most aligned with the responsibilities needed for present leadership positions.

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