Theses and Dissertations - Department of Educational Leadership, Policy & Technology Studies
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Item The 2004 Alabama teacher tenure act: issues and application(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Mays, Allison M.; Dagley, David L.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaIn 2004, Alabama abolished its previous teacher tenure law that allowed for teachers to appeal adverse board decisions to a seven member Alabama State Tenure Commission. In its place, the Alabama legislature provided a process for teachers to appeal terminations, transfers, and major/minor suspensions to a hearing officer. The hearing officer was either selected from a panel of arbitrators through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services’ Office of Arbitration Services (FMCS) or could be mutually agreed upon by the parties. Unlike the previous tenure law, the hearing officer was not required to given any deference or consideration to the board’s decision below. Not long after its adoption and implementation, the 2004 Alabama Teacher Tenure Act came under fire for not fulfilling its intended goals of providing for an expedited and less-costly method of review for adverse employment actions. By 2011, Alabama’s (as well as most other states’) political landscape had changed significantly and the 2004 Alabama Teacher Tenure Act was repealed and replaced with the Students First Act. This qualitative research project analyzes the issues and application of arbitration-type hearings in 106 Alabama K-12 tenured certified personnel adverse employment actions. Specifically, the research addresses the issues regarding Alabama’s 2004 Teacher Tenure Act, including how hearing officers trained as employment law arbitrators decided for or against board decisions in adverse employment actions, what trends emerged from their decisions, and what legal principles remain applicable for school administrators.Item 3D application effectiveness on nursing students' level of electrocardiogram knowledge(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Holthaus, Abbey; Wright, Vivian H.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaNursing students have difficulty interpreting ECG rhythms. The current classroom environment often lacks application and practice opportunities, and as a result, students struggle with identification of ECG rhythms at the patient's bedside. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 3D app on nursing student's ECG level of knowledge as evidenced by exam performance. A gap in the literature exists examining 3D app technology used as a teaching methodology for nursing students learning ECG interpretation. A quasi-experimental research design consisting of one experimental group and one control group was implemented. The instrument used in this study included an identical 10-item pretest and posttest. Paired or dependent t-tests and an independent t-test were used for the statistical analysis. The pretest and posttest allowed the researcher to identify the differences in learning outcomes between these two groups. The statistical significance was set at p < .05. The findings from this study did not show a statistical difference in learning from 3D app technology for ECG knowledge. Both the experimental and control groups posttest mean scores increased.Item Academic capitalism and the community college(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Kleinman, Ilene L.; Harris, Michael S.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaProfit generating entrepreneurial initiatives has become increasingly important as community colleges look for alternative revenue to support escalating costs in an environment characterized by funding constraints. Academic capitalism was used as the conceptual framework to determine whether community colleges have become increasingly market focused. Already externally driven as a consequence of their broad missions, many community colleges become involved in academic capitalism ranging from financial partnerships with local corporations to the lease and operation of conference center facilities. Although community colleges are not identical and may differ significantly from one another, revenue from external sources is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for all. This study sought to examine the types of revenue generating initiatives occurring on community college campuses and the factors that may facilitate or impede a community college's success. The study utilized quantitative methods. A survey was sent to a national sample of 537 rural, suburban and urban community college presidents yielding a response rate of 29.3%. Survey responses were categorized and a proxy variable was created based on the institutional characteristics of academic capitalism as described in the literature. Community colleges in this study identified contract training as the most frequently utilized revenue generating initiative. The revenue generated represents a very small contribution to a college's operating budget and college presidents are ambitious in terms of expectations for future revenue. Academic units are not perceived as being entrepreneurial. Revenue generating units report to the academic vice president who rises from academic unit rank. Expectations regarding future funding allocations do not seem to drive an entrepreneurial thrust. Based on responses to this survey, large rural, suburban and urban institutions behave the same. Given the decline in government support and the revenue potential of successful market focused initiatives, further studies are warranted to better understand how to ease the constraints on pursuing academic capitalism in the community college sector.Item The academic dean’s perception of financial management responses to eroding state appropriations(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Serna, Edward A.; Hardy, David E.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaState appropriations to public higher education institutions are highly susceptible to economic downturns and changing political opinion. Over the past forty years, the overall effect of these factors was the steady erosion of this core revenue stream into public higher education. The Great Recession beginning in 2008 represents the latest in a series of economic decline events that negatively impacted public funding of higher education. Faced with little expectation that states will return to pre-recession funding levels and growing public resistance to tuition increases, public colleges and universities should implement well-informed, effective financial strategies encompassing a tailored mix of tactics to mitigate this loss. The ability of institutional leaders to craft this response to environmental decline is critical to ensuring the financial viability of their institution. Complicating this task are the competing and often conflicting interests of internal and external constituents. In developing their fiscal response, the CFO’s vision, as the architect of the institution’s financial strategy, should align with that of other institutional leaders. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the perceptions of academic deans at public four-year institutions that experienced a greater than 5% loss in state appropriation revenue in the 2009 fiscal year. Academic deans serve vital organizational roles as leaders charged with maintaining the integrity of core academic subunits and as boundary-spanners engaging multiple constituents. Utilizing an online survey instrument, the study gathers information on the tactics and strategies implemented by the institutions and the perceptions of academic deans regarding the effectiveness of these measures in mitigating lost state appropriation revenue. These findings are compared to Tate’s (2012) study of the perceptions of CFOs at the same population for fiscal year 2009.Item Academic dishonesty: the link between academics and the law(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Jackson, Judith Thompson; Dagley, David L.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThere have been many studies done and much research completed on the problem of academic dishonesty at the college and university level. However, there is a dearth of studies done on academic dishonesty as it relates to the legal issues and trends related to higher education administration. The purpose of this research is to analyze the issues, outcomes and trends in federal and state courts concerning academic dishonesty at the university level. The study also provides guiding principles for colleges and universities in situations of academic dishonesty. This study looked at 74 court cases involving academic dishonesty from the period beginning in 1974 and ending in 2009. The research provided a 35-year record of court cases that were analyzed to determine which policies and procedures would yield higher education administrators the desired results. The issues of due process rights (including First Amendment rights and equal protection rights), breach of contract, immunity, negligence, libel, slander, conflict of interest, Americans with Disabilities, defamation, tort, retaliation, discrimination, and general legal procedural issues (including Article 78 issues specific to the state of New York and Tennessee Code issues specific to the state of Tennessee) are the prevelant issues concerning litigation. By a large margin, the two top issues found by this research were procedural issues (37%) and due process rights issues (34%). Of the 74 cases analyzed, 48 occurred in a public institution and 26 occurred in a private institution. Thirty-three of the 74 cases, or 45%, involved students pursuing a professional degree iii to become a medical doctor, nurse, veterinarian, engineer, dentist, lawyer or pharmacist. Forty-five of the 74 cases analyzed, or 61%, involved graduate students. The courts have consistently ruled that students are to be given full due process rights in general, and that they are to be treated with decency and fairness specifically. Of the 74 cases analyzed in this study, 59 of the verdicts were in favor of the institutions, 12 were in favor of the student, and 3 were split decisions between the institution and the student. Academic dishonesty is treated by the court system as a mixture of purely academic matters and disciplinary matters. If the court deems the action taken by the university is based on a purely academic matter, it generally will not interfere, unless there is evidence of arbitrary and capricious behavior on the part of the institution. The main issue involved in cases stemming from public universities has historically been the issue of due process rights; the main issue involved in cases stemming from private unversitites has historically been breach of contract issues. However, the court system is now intermingling the obligations of public and private universities when it comes to due process rights and breach of contract rights.Item Academic integrity, academic sabotage, and moral disengagement in higher education(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Aurich, David Matthew; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAcademic cheating has firmly established itself as a mainstream practice by students in higher education (Bertram Gallant, 2008; Callahan, 2004). Much of the current academic integrity research has focused on the methods employed by students to cheat (Davis, Drinan, & Bertram Gallant, 2009; Eberhardt, Rice, & Smith, 2003; Higbee & Thomas, 2002), institutional responses to cheating (Aurich 2010, 2011), and the connection between cheating and student moral development (Stephens, Young, & Calabrese, 2007; Whitley, 1998). While these efforts are laudable, there exists a gap in knowledge on lesser-known forms of academically deviant behavior, such as academic sabotage. This dissertation is unique in that it proposes to be the very first of its kind. Although well documented through anecdotal evidence, to date, academic sabotage has gone without any deliberate research efforts or empirical evidence that establishes the phenomenon in higher education. This dissertation establishes academic sabotage as a phenomenon in higher education through the lens of student moral disengagement. In this study, I first develop theoretical assumptions and frameworks while simultaneously exposing the lack of literature on the topic of academic sabotage. The results of these efforts combine to provide a better understanding of the previously under studied phenomenon of the academically deviant behaviors known as academic sabotage. I then provide explanations of the research methodology and design, survey instrument, and data analyses that are used in this study. The expectations for this dissertation are twofold. First, I expect the results produced by this study to confirm the existence of academic sabotage in higher education. Second, I posit that that the information produced by this dissertation will provide practical knowledge for students, faculty, and staff to combat forms of academically deviant behavior, such as cheating and sabotage. This study aims to contribute to the body of literature on academic integrity and student moral development in higher education. The information contained in this dissertation should be used to inform policy, practice, and future research on academic integrity, academic sabotage, and student civility in higher education. Key words: Academic Integrity, Academic Sabotage, Cheating, Student Civility, Higher Education, Student Moral DevelopmentItem Academic medical faculty and their complex roles(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Howell, Malcolm Gracian; Jones, David; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAcademic medical centers serve an integral function in society in the training of physicians as well as the safety net provider for numerous patients that otherwise might not have access to healthcare. As resources continue to tighten and funding continues to be scarce, faculty accountability is under increased scrutiny. More specifically academic medical faculty members are feeling the pressure to increase individual production. As academic medical faculties struggle with balancing complex and oftentimes ambiguous roles, the ability to manage and justify resources, the ways academic medical faculty spend their time is increasingly relevant. The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand how academic medical faculties are spending their time and whether or not their time spent on tasks is shifting. This dissertation explored how to better understand the complexities of academic medical faculty members' roles and how these complexities affect local communities at the physician community at large. The study used a quantitative methodology to better understand how academic medical faculty members spend their time. The study compared trends over a recent five-year period (2004-2008) to see if a shift has taken place on academic medical faculties time spent on tasks. The study also followed up with the same physicians that worked at the institution for the same five-year period to compare how their perceptions of time spent on tasks compares with their actual hours worked.Item Academic optimism and organizational climate as predictors of academic achievement and school effectiveness(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Vaux, Nicole Danielle; Mitchell, Roxanne M.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaAn investigation into the relationship of organizational climate and academic optimism as predictors of student achievement and school effectiveness was conducted. De-identified secondary data from 67 elementary schools in the Northern portion of Alabama were used. The instrumentation for this study included School Academic Optimism Survey (SAOS), Organizational Climate Index (OCI), the Index of Perceived Organizational Effectiveness (IPOE) which is now known as the SE Index (School Effectiveness Index), a composite score for Academic Achievement (AA), and socioeconomic status (SES). Ordinary Least Squares Block Regression method was used to test the effects of the independent variables separately and together on school effectiveness and academic achievement. The results suggested that all variables had a moderate correlation with each other. Also, when controlling for SES both optimism and climate served as independent predictors for achievement and effectiveness. When entered into a regression model together while controlling for SES, climate predicted achievement while optimism did not. This was likely due to the small sample size as compared to the number of predictors in the model. Both climate and optimism served as predictors for effectiveness when in the regression model. The results of this study lend further support to the importance of School Academic Optimism and Organizational Climate as predictors of academic achievement and organizational effectiveness.Item Academic optimism and organizational climate: an elementary school effectiveness test of two measures(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Reeves, Jonathan Bart; Tarter, Clemens John; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis study examined the relationship of two climate constructs in academic optimism and organizational climate as each relates to school effectiveness. Academic optimism is an academic environment comprised of three dimensions: academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust (Hoy, Tarter, & Hoy, 2006). The Organizational Climate Index (OCI) is a short organizational climate descriptive measure for schools. The index is made up of four dimensions: principal leadership, teacher professionalism, achievement press for students to perform academically, and vulnerability to the community (Hoy et al., 2002). An examination was conducted on each framework. Their relationship was tested and analyzed how they would predict overall effectiveness and student performance. It was hypothesized that academic optimism and the organizational climate index are positively correlated. To test this hypothesis, elementary school teachers at 67 schools located in the northern half of Alabama responded to surveys that measured academic optimism, organizational climate index (OCI), and school effectiveness. Effectiveness was measured by student performance, in particular, the 4th grade Stanford Achievement Test and by overall effectiveness, the index of perceived organizational effectiveness (IPOE) in the 2009-2010 school year. Reliabilities for all measures ranged from .82 to .92, indicating acceptable levels of reliability. As predicted in hypothesis 1, academic optimism and organizational climate index were related. Hypothesis 2 predicted that academic optimism is a stronger predictor in student achievement and it was found to be significant and supported. However, hypothesis 3 did not indicate that OCI is a better predictor in overall effectiveness. Academic optimism was found to be a significant and stronger predictor in overall effectiveness.Item Academic performance differences among male and female African American students: an urban high school study(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Simmons, Livia Ann; Newton, Rose Mary; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe purpose of this study was to examine differences between male and female African American high school students in an urban setting. The participants were from a senior academy located in a Southern state. Of the 270 participants in the study, 76 were seniors, 89 were juniors, 95 were sophomores, and 10 were freshmen. The gender composition consisted of 167 females and 103 males. The system database was used to identify the cumulative grade point average for each student. Also, the students completed the School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R), which measures academic self-perception, attitudes toward teaches, attitudes toward school, goal valuation, and motivation/self-regulation. A series of independent samples t tests were performed to assess differences in male and female academic achievement levels, academic self-perception, attitudes toward teachers, attitudes, toward school, goal valuation, and motivation/self-regulation. A multiple regression analysis was performed using gender and the five variables measured by the SAAS-R as independent variables and academic achievement as the dependent variable. The major findings were as follows. Moderate positive correlations existed between (a) attitudes toward school and attitudes toward teachers, (b) academic self-perception and motivation/self-regulation, and (c) goal valuation and motivation/self-regulation. The means scores for academic self-perception and goal valuation were significantly more positive for African American females than African American males. Regression analysis revealed that academic self-perception, attitudes toward teachers, attitudes toward school, goal valuation, motivation/self-regulation were not significant predictors of academic achievement. The findings have practical implications for educators and identify areas warranting additional research.Item Academic success among softball and baseball student-athletes in Alabama rural community colleges: an exploration of the relationship between demographic, socioeconomic, and academic background characteristics and student academic outcomes(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Spry, Ryan Gerald; Hardy, David E.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaCommunity colleges have come under increased scrutiny lately for their low retention and graduation rates, but these institutions are not the only focal point of public criticism. Intercollegiate athletics has recently been admonished for its emphasis on athletic excellence, often in place of academic achievement. Alabama Community College Conference member institutions, however, lack empirical evidence that identifies whether these assertions are evident within the ACCC, thus preventing campus leaders from implementing strategies designed to enhance lower student success rates among student-athletes enrolled at their schools. Therefore, this study sought to determine rates of student success among Alabama community college baseball and softball players. In particular, the research explored which demographic factors might be useful in predicting these student-athletes’ cumulative community college grade point averages, as well as retention rates and degree completion rates. Univariate analyses, along with linear and logistic regression methodologies, were employed to analyze the data and to answer the six research questions. The sample used for this study included baseball and softball players previously enrolled at three Alabama rural community colleges. Results indicated females, White student-athletes, those from a higher socioeconomic status, and student-athletes earning high school diplomas each outperformed their counterparts. Within all three regression models, gender was noted as a significant predictor, followed by socioeconomic status in two of the three regression analyses (cumulative community college grade point average and degree completion rates), then race and educational background in one analysis (retention rates and cumulative community college grade point average respectively).Item ACT, Compass, or prerequisite course: which is the better predictor of student success in a college-level credit(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Colvin, Cheri Richey; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaStudent success is a hot topic in higher education, especially around the issue of students placing into mathematics courses using different types of assessment tests. Currently, there are two nationally known assessment placement tests: the ACT and the COMPASS. Students are either placed into a college-level course or a remedial mathematics course based on their placement test score. The students placing into remedial mathematics courses are increasing at a large rate. Using Astin's IEO Model as a conceptual framework, this research study used quantitative methodology to consider the influence of the input variables including age, race, gender, instructor status, and placement as inputs on the outcome of success defined as a final course grade of C or higher for students at Snead State Community College in Boaz, Alabama from Fall 2008 through Spring 2013, excluding summer semesters. Logistic regressions were employed to investigate the likelihood of success of students placed into MTH 100 (Intermediate/College Algebra) or MTH 112 (Pre-Calculus Algebra) according to the input variables. This research study found that students placed into MTH 100 or MTH 112 based on the successful completion of the prerequisite course were not as likely to successfully complete MTH 100 or MTH 112 as compared to students placed based on their ACT or COMPASS mathematics score. Furthermore, this research study demonstrates that the COMPASS placement is the better indicator of student success at Snead State Community College, compared to the ACT placement, or successful completion of the prerequisite mathematics course.Item Active learning strategies in classroom teaching: practices of associate degree nurse educators in a southern state(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Nabors, Karen Lynne; Dunn, Linda; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe complex role of today's nurses warrants higher levels of critical thinking and clinical judgment skills. Critical thinking is recognized as an essential component of nursing practice by the National League for Nursing (NLN). Nursing graduates must be prepared to practice as competent healthcare professionals in a highly complex, diverse, and ever-changing environment. Critical thinking is crucial to providing safe, competent, and skillful nursing practice. Important decisions related to patient care require nurses to master critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills can be developed with practice. Nurse educators are obligated to create learning environments that support critical thinking. Not only is it important what students learn, but equally important is how they learn. Traditional teaching methods should be transformed to improve learning experiences and facilitate lifelong learning. Teaching strategies that involve experience by "doing" and dialogue with "others" will promote more significant learning. There is a lack of evidence of consistent teaching methods among nurse educators. Nursing graduates with an associate degree outnumber those with a bachelor's degree but overall do not perform as well on the nurse licensure exam as baccalaureate graduates. The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine which teaching methods community college associate degree nurse (ADN) educators in a southern state were utilizing in the classroom to enhance student learning and develop critical thinking in nursing students enrolled in fundamentals and/or medical-surgical nursing courses. The researcher sought to answer six research questions: 1) What teaching strategies are community college associate degree nurse educators who teach fundamentals and medical-surgical nursing courses using in the classroom to enhance student learning and develop critical thinking? 2) What barriers are encountered when utilizing ALS in the nursing classroom? 3) What are the perceived benefits of utilizing ALS in the nursing classroom? 4) Is there a difference in the frequency of utilization of teaching strategies that involve experience by "doing" and experience by "observing"? 5) Is there a difference in the frequency of utilization of teaching strategies that involve dialogue with "self" and dialogue with "others"? 6) What is the perceived effectiveness of teaching strategies used by associate degree nurse educators in the classroom to enhance student learning and develop critical thinking?Item Adjunct experiences with and perceptions of professional development at a Texas community college(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Miles, R. Mark; Major, Claire Howell; University of Alabama TuscaloosaUniversities and colleges have developed an over-reliance on adjunct faculty, and as a result, researchers have begun to study adjunct faculty satisfaction as it relates to their working conditions. Current research indicates that professional development is a source that can contribute to satisfaction at work (Hoyt, 2012). However, the research does not give us a sense of the adjunct experience with and perceptions of professional development. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of adjuncts with professional development at a single Texas community college. I conducted a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. I interviewed sixteen participants. Of this 16, twelve were adjunct faculty, and four were administrators at a Texas community college in the Houston area. Interviews proceeded in 2 rounds and were guided by the major research question: what are adjunct faculty experiences with faculty development at a single institution. During data collection and analysis, adjunct faculty stated they do not frequently participate in professional development; however, when they do participate, it lessens their feelings of being invisible on-campus and connects them to their colleagues. In addition, participants described meaningful professional development. I identified six key themes: scheduling, communication, level/target, content, focus, and participation.Item Administrators' perceptions of the enrollment management practices at the comprehensive public associate's colleges in Alabama(University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) Abston, Byron Oscar; Hardy, David E.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaEnrollment management is a major component within the organizational structure of most four-year universities today. However, this is not necessarily the case with community colleges. With the continual decrease in public funding and increased competition with private colleges and universities, public community colleges are now being forced to recognize the need for managing their enrollments more closely. This study examines administrators' perceptions of enrollment management practices at the comprehensive public associate's colleges in Alabama. This study surveyed administrators from 21 comprehensive community colleges within the state of Alabama. Participants surveyed included presidents, chief student affairs officers, chief academic officers, chief financial officers, directors of admissions, registrars, directors of financial aid, directors of recruitment, directors of counseling/advising, public relations officers, institutional researchers, and enrollment managers. The survey collected data that pertained to activities related to various elements of enrollment management: marketing, recruitment, academic advising, career services, learning assistance, institutional research, orientation, financial aid, retention, and student services. The questions surveyed the availability and importance of a particular activity and the effectiveness of the component at their respective institutions. The final portion of the survey instrument gathered information concerning the organization of enrollment management structures. And lastly, the remaining open-response question asked for any perceived barriers to developing or implementing an enrollment management plan at their respective institutions. Results indicated that most enrollment management components identified within this study were available, important, and effective. However, significant findings indicated that retention and academic advising were two integral components that were lacking within many of the respondents' institutions. In addition, it was determined that only about a half of all respondents indicated that their institution had a formal enrollment management plan. Given the future consequences of an unmanaged enrollment, community colleges in the state of Alabama, and across the country, must recognized the importance of enrollment management concepts and practices in order to be successful in the coming future. Appendices include the raw data which includes the Carnegie geographic classifications (rural, suburban, and urban).Item Admission factors used to determine entry into a nursing program based on student success indicators at a public university(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Tofani, Peter; Bray, Nathaniel J.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThis study compared application data for an undergraduate nursing program at a public health science center university in the southeast. The study covered five years of application cohorts from 2009 to 2014 from admission through graduation. The application data analyzed two dependent variables to predict students likely to achieve success in the nursing program. These two variables to measures success were: the ability of the admitted student to successfully achieve graduation requirements; and those graduates that were able to pass the national nursing certification exam on the first attempt. The application data was assessed to determine if a relationship existed between the data used to select students for admission and the success outcomes from an undergraduate nursing program. The application data was analyzed using a logistic regression and decision tree model to explore the relationship between the variables. The scores provided by the faculty members’ overall assessment of the entire application file was significant in three of the four logistic regression models and race was significant in the national certification logistic regression model. A similar finding resulted with scores provided by the faculty members’ overall assessment of the entire application file placed as the first node in three of the four decision tree models, and race placed as the first node in the national certification exam decision tree model. The study found that the data provided by faculty members in the admission process yielded results with the highest predictability related to student success in a nursing program.Item Adverse employment actions against teachers for excessive or unexcused absences(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Holland, AnnaKay Franklin; Dagley, David L.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaSchool leaders need to be equipped with knowledge concerning the litigation and procedures for conducting adverse employment actions against K-12 employees for excessive or unexcused absences. School administrator graduate programs are filled with courses in leadership, management, and curriculum, with school law many times maintaining the smallest percentage of the knowledge base. There is a need to understand and maintain teachers’ rights while fulfilling the school system’s goal of student success. Research data illustrate that good teaching matters, and many believe that educators should be held accountable for the outcomes of the students in their classrooms. With the rigorous educational accountability measures currently mandated in school systems today, school leaders should search for ways to ensure that students are in class receiving quality instruction from quality teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the issues related to adverse employment actions involving K-12 school employees in which the school boards had taken action against for excessive and/or unexcused absences. Research included identifying relevant court cases from 1914 to 2013 to determine fact patterns, outcomes, and court case trends. The study contained 63 cases involving adverse personnel actions against school employees for excessive and/or unexcused absences. The Board of Education prevailed in 46 of the 63 cases examined in this study. The school employee was successful in 14 of the cases, and the court decision was split in 3 court cases. The court decisions in this research study established 15 guidelines for school administrators to follow when taking adverse employment action against employees for excessive and/or unexcused absences.Item Adverse employment actions and public school administrators: an analysis of litigation, 1981-2010(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Flatt, Michael Chad; Dagley, David L.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe purpose of this research study was to examine adverse employment actions levied against school administrators, which, for the purpose of this study, included public school principals and assistant principals. The adverse employment actions considered in this study were demotions, reassignments, suspensions, and terminations. These employment actions have led to a considerable amount of litigation. The study focused upon court cases from 1981-2010 where administrators had contested the actions taken against them by school systems. These cases led the research study to focus on three distinct areas of data. Those areas were the actions of school systems that school administrators cited as the impetus for litigation, the behaviors of school administrators that school systems cited as the impetus for adverse employment actions, and the employment protections that school administrators claimed as the defense against adverse employment actions. Moreover, the research study led to the development of guiding principles for district-level school personnel as well as school administrators to follow when encountering adverse employment actions.Item Advising the academically underprepared first-year community college student athlete for transferability(University of Alabama Libraries, 2009) Smith, Kelly Leland; Harris, Michael S.; Holley, Karri A.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaStudent athletes attending and competing at a two-year community college often aspire to compete their last 2 years at a Division I four-year college or university. The impact of advising community college athletes can influence their ability to transfer to an NCAA Division I institution. Students intending to be Division I athletes after high school fall into one of two categories: qualifiers and non-qualifiers. Non-qualifiers can enroll in a community college with the hope of meeting NCAA criteria to transfer. Many of these student athletes enter community college underprepared for the rigors of higher education and, of particular importance to academic advisors in community colleges, are the students who are deemed to be of "academically underprepared" status. The process of taking remedial courses and graduating from a community college combined with meeting the demands of the new NCAA transfer guidelines needs to actively involve the academic advisor. Some first-year community college student athlete issues to consider are as follows: 1. How is the impact of academic advising affecting community college student athletes who aspire to transfer to NCAA Division I institutions? 2. How is the student athlete educated on transferability to NCAA institutions? 3. How is the student athlete being assured that academic advisors are knowledgeable of transfer guidelines to NCAA Division I institutions? ii The most important aspect of this study is the first-year community college student athlete. The student athlete carries the burden of producing "on and off the court," which entails not only being studious but also athletically successful. This study examined the experiences of academically underprepared first-year community college student athletes as well as their experiences related to transferability and NCAA Division I athletic programs. An increased awareness of transferability rules by the academic advising staff and the student athletes will only enhance the educational experience and involvement for the students. Data for this study consist of qualitative interviews from questions that were formulated and posed to academic advisors for student athletes, academically underprepared student athletes, the institution's coaching staff, and the athletic department personnel within a community college in Alabama. iiiItem Agricultural education at the Virginia Military Institute during the 1850s: forerunner of practical higher education in the South(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Wallace, Michael Mitchell; Hutcheson, Philo A.; Holley, Karri A.; University of Alabama TuscaloosaThroughout the first half of the 19th Century, Virginia planters, farmers, educators, and agricultural societies wrote about the need, and advocated for, formal university agricultural education. While this need was identified as early as the 1800s, it was not until the early 1850s that the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) started offering courses in agricultural chemistry. By the mid-to-late 1850s, the success of these courses led to an expanded agricultural chemistry program based on European modes; finally, an agricultural major and discipline had been created – the only program of its kind in the state of Virginia, and one of the first in the Southern states. However, the coming war at the end of 1859 would shift the focus of educators and state leaders, prohibiting the full implementation of the agricultural education plan.