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Title: College Professors as Classroom Leaders: Strategic Thinking Capacity, Leader Influence Actions, and Classroom Performance.
Creator: Sfiropoulos, Mike, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This non-experimental, quantitative study explored the leadership of college professors and the relationship to student assessments of their teaching performance. The leadership constructs under investigation were strategic thinking capacity (cognitive agility) and leader influence actions (behavioral agility), which are rooted in the theories of behavioral and cognitive complexity. Research indicates that cognitive and behavioral agility are two factors that produce more effective results...
Show moreThis non-experimental, quantitative study explored the leadership of college professors and the relationship to student assessments of their teaching performance. The leadership constructs under investigation were strategic thinking capacity (cognitive agility) and leader influence actions (behavioral agility), which are rooted in the theories of behavioral and cognitive complexity. Research indicates that cognitive and behavioral agility are two factors that produce more effective results for leaders in varying organizational contexts. However, previous research does not include college professors in those studies. Thus, this study sought to explore professors as classroom leaders and the relationship between college professors’ cognitive and behavioral agility and their students’ perceptions of their teaching effectiveness, if behavioral agility plays a mediating role, and if that relationship is moderated by alterable and unalterable contextual variables. Ninety-two full-time professors from one Florida college participated in the study. The professors’ strategic thinking capacity (cognitive agility) was measured using the STQP, an adaptation of Pisapia and Reyes-Guerra’s (2007) Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQTM), and the professors’ leader influence actions (behavioral agility) were measured using the SLQP, an adaptation of Pisapia, Reyes-Guerra, and Yasin’s (2006) Strategic Leadership Questionnaire (SLQTM) with both instruments employing Pisapia’s (2009) framework of strategic leadership. The ‘P’ denotes the ‘professor’ version of the original STQTM and SLQTM. Locus of control orientation as a contextual variable was measured using Spector’s (1988) Work Locus of Control Scale (WLCS). To measure student perceptions of professor effectiveness, the student assessments of courses and faculty were compiled from existing records from Palm Beach State College’s Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) website. The data were statistically analyzed using correlational and regression analyses and tested for mediation and moderation effects. The findings of this study revealed that college professors demonstrated the same strategic thinking capacity and leader influence actions as leaders in more traditional leadership roles as measured by the STQP and SLQP. The findings were also consistent with previous studies that found that cognitive agility is a significant predictor of behavioral agility. However, it also found that student perceptions of professor effectiveness as measured by student assessments were not correlated to any of the research variables in this study. Findings and conclusions, as well as recommendations for future research, are presented in the concluding chapter.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004993, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004983
Subject Headings: Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University, College professors., Leaders., Classroom management., Teaching effectiveness.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Examining the Impact of a Leadership Team’s Cognitive and Behavioral Agility on Student Achievement in Broward County Middle Schools.
Creator: Grant, Shernette D., Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Pisapia, John, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: The extant literature on school leadership is bifurcated around the question: Are leaders important, or, is leadership important? Many who think leaders are important, do so because they believe the school’s tone, values, and aspirations start with “a” leader, the principal. However, there are those who believe leadership is not really about a single leader, but about a collective practice among people who work together, with a focus on accomplishing a shared goal. While leadership teams have...
Show moreThe extant literature on school leadership is bifurcated around the question: Are leaders important, or, is leadership important? Many who think leaders are important, do so because they believe the school’s tone, values, and aspirations start with “a” leader, the principal. However, there are those who believe leadership is not really about a single leader, but about a collective practice among people who work together, with a focus on accomplishing a shared goal. While leadership teams have been studied in a variety of contexts, little research is available on the cumulative effect of a school team’s ability to think collectively to raise student performance. Noteworthy however, is that this study makes the assumption that the sum total of individual agility as measure by instruments designed to assess individual agility equates to an accurate measure of team agility. This study was designed to better understand the relationship between a school leadership team’s cognitive and behavioral agility, school climate, and student achievement in a population of middle schools in Broward County, Florida. Theoretically, the study provides a model in support of the collective leadership approach in moving schools toward improved student achievement. A non-experimental, quantitative research design was utilized and The Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ) and Strategic Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) were used to assess cognitive and behavioral agility, respectively. Climate data, analyzed as a mediator, was extracted from the schools’ Annual Customer Survey. Student achievement was measured as overall school performance on standardized assessments as part of the State of Florida school accountability system. The STQ and SLQ were administered by way of a survey and descriptive statistics, correlation and mediation analysis were used to analyze data. The research did not point to any statistically significant correlations between school leadership teams’ cognitive and behavior agility as they relate to predicting student achievement; even with school climate acting as a mediator. This may be due in part to the assumption that agility data captured is an accurate reflection of team functioning. The study provides opportunities for additional research on the efficacy of leadership teams in K-12 education.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013126
Subject Headings: Middle schools--Florida, Educational leadership--Florida, Leadership -- Psychological aspects, Student achievement
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Why Parents Choose Non-Denominational Private Schools for Their Children: Preferences In International Settings.
Creator: Segovia Bonet, Jorge, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This study offers a better understanding of the reasons why parents from six different countries across the Western hemisphere chose private, non-denominational schools for their children’s education. The findings deepen the knowledge in what is currently an underdeveloped field of research in education. The overarching research question was: What are the primary reasons why parents chose a private nondenominational school in Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, United States, United Kingdom, and South...
Show moreThis study offers a better understanding of the reasons why parents from six different countries across the Western hemisphere chose private, non-denominational schools for their children’s education. The findings deepen the knowledge in what is currently an underdeveloped field of research in education. The overarching research question was: What are the primary reasons why parents chose a private nondenominational school in Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa for their children’s education? To explore this question in depth, the researcher considered five sub-questions and employed a grounded theory qualitative research design. Data were collected twofold through focus groups and individual interviews and analyzed iteratively to develop a fresh theoretical perspective on the topic of parent school choice. Extant literature explains that the most frequent reasons to choose a private school include quality of education, location, participation of parents and being able to be heard, financial resources, and parents’ prior educational experiences. Contributing to the literature, this study revealed four major reasons for private school selection: consideration of private education as an investment for the future, smaller class size, the opportunity for students and their families to establish social contacts, and the academic quality of the school. In addition, three reasons specific to certain countries were identified: importance of learning the English language, quality of the facilities, and extended school day. Finally, eight additional secondary reasons were found including: international character of the school, happiness of the students in the school, distance from parents’ home, quality of the environment, prestige or tradition of the school, private management and organization, values and ethos of the school, and the non-denominational nature of the school. These findings can help private—and public—school administrators make better decisions to improve the quality of their educational offerings in knowing what parents most value. Parents may also find value in understanding the factors for consideration when evaluating public versus private school options. Finally, recommendations for practice and research for the field of education are offered.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013260
Subject Headings: Private schools, Parents, School choice, International
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The relationship between principal leadership actions and business and social justice cultures in schools.
Creator: Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This study detected and explored the existence of two proposed school cultures, the use of leader actions by principals, and the relationships between them, of a sample of 42 public schools in Southeast Florida. A quantitative non-experimental design was used, guided by eight research questions. One instrument, the BSJQ, was created for the purposes of detecting school normative cultures and another, the SLQ, was refined and used to detect principal leader actions. The existence of Business...
Show moreThis study detected and explored the existence of two proposed school cultures, the use of leader actions by principals, and the relationships between them, of a sample of 42 public schools in Southeast Florida. A quantitative non-experimental design was used, guided by eight research questions. One instrument, the BSJQ, was created for the purposes of detecting school normative cultures and another, the SLQ, was refined and used to detect principal leader actions. The existence of Business and Social Justice cultures was confirmed, and three latent cultures of Standards Performance, Democratic Community and Equity Curriculum were discovered. Of the schools participating, 74% had at least one of these cultures. The use of four leader actions was measured and statistically associated with different detected cultures. Managing/Transforming and Bridging actions were associated with all, Bonding was associated with all except the Equity Curriculum culture, and Bartering was associated only with the Business/Standards Performance culture. The schools' context had limited impact on the relationship between actions and culture., Only higher student poverty increased the principal's use of Managing/Transforming actions in schools with a Democratic Community culture. Four principal demographics - years as principal, years at the school, undergraduate major, and level of graduate study - had a actions and school culture. The study reinforces Pisapia's (2009) theory of strategic leadership, develops new instrumentation to measure cultures associated with social justice and accountability, and provides guidance to principals and those who educate them on leader actions associated with desired school cultures.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/215295
Subject Headings: Educational leadership, Critical pedagogy, Social justice, Study and teaching, Marginality, Social, School management and organization
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Relationship Between Mandatory 3rd Grade Retention and School Performance in Florida.
Creator: Shields-Proctor, Cheryl A., Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: The mixed method study analyzed Florida’s 3rd grade retention policy found in F.S. 1008.25 for its rational and intended purpose. In addition, the study investigated the relationship and hypothetical impact of 3rd grade mandatory retention policy on school grades in elementary schools across the state of Florida. A critical policy analysis used policy document analysis through the lens of critical race theory. Correlation analyses investigated the relationship between the practice of holding...
Show moreThe mixed method study analyzed Florida’s 3rd grade retention policy found in F.S. 1008.25 for its rational and intended purpose. In addition, the study investigated the relationship and hypothetical impact of 3rd grade mandatory retention policy on school grades in elementary schools across the state of Florida. A critical policy analysis used policy document analysis through the lens of critical race theory. Correlation analyses investigated the relationship between the practice of holding students back in grade and the outcomes resulting from high stakes tests moderated by school characteristics of minority rate, free reduced lunch rate and Title I status. The findings show Florida Statute 1008.25 places some schools with high Minority rates, and high FRL rates in a paradoxical situation from which the schools cannot escape. All schools are obligated to enact the terms of education legislation, yet my study demonstrates a negative correlation for the “majority minority” schools (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004823, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004823
Subject Headings: Education, Elementary--Florida., Educational tests and measurements--Florida., Grade repetition--Florida., School children.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Supportive Programs in Synergistic Middle and High Schools to Increase Engagement and Prevent Students From Dropping Out.
Creator: Collado, Washington B., Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This study examined how two high schools have successfully increased graduation rates while serving minority-majority and impoverished communities. Data collected for this qualitative, multi-site, case study employed publicly-available archival materials, interviews, focus groups, and observations in leadership meetings to help narrate a story that takes into account the complexities of human relations, specifically those in school settings in an urban school district. Thirty-four...
Show moreThis study examined how two high schools have successfully increased graduation rates while serving minority-majority and impoverished communities. Data collected for this qualitative, multi-site, case study employed publicly-available archival materials, interviews, focus groups, and observations in leadership meetings to help narrate a story that takes into account the complexities of human relations, specifically those in school settings in an urban school district. Thirty-four participants were selected by the principals at the participating schools and included members of their leadership teams, such as literacy coaches, assistant principals, magnet coordinators, students, parents, security specialists, and guidance counselors. The conceptual framework of the study was based on three research questions. The first question examined the synergistic relationships between the selected middle and the high schools with the purpose of addressing students’ at risk of dropping out factors in the areas of academic engagement, behavior, and attendance. The second question investigated the different types of initiatives enacted to provide support and efforts to engage or reengage students. The third question was used as a guide to observe the effects that the principals have on the work of stakeholders and how they serve their students. This study examined the various ways in which two high schools and their three feeder middle schools combine efforts to reengage students academically and socially. The selected high schools have demonstrated success in graduation rates while serving minority-majority students in areas of poverty, as determined by the high percentage of students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. The findings indicate the existence of purposeful collaboration between personnel with an emphasis on programmatic continuum, communication, and other initiatives to strengthen articulation. Further, this study identified various forms of support programs for students to remain engaged or reengage, such as extracurricular activities, mentoring, and expansion of interest-based classes. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that the principals involved in this study clearly established a mission and vision and their leadership teams enact such with a balance between their own initiatives and adherence to the goals of their respective school leaders.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013056
Subject Headings: Low-income high school students., Minority high school students., Dropouts--Prevention.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Build a Better Mousetrap: A Review of State School Accountability Models and Their Relation to the Socio-Economic Status of Students.
Creator: Houchens, Paul, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: This study aims to identify [or create] equitable accountability systems that can be used to drive sustainable school improvement. In this context, equitable accountability is defined as a measure more of the school’s impact on student achievement and less a measure of the socio-economic status of the students enrolled in the school. To do this, the study begins with a review of the history and current state of school accountability policies in the US and its relation to the concepts of...
Show moreThis study aims to identify [or create] equitable accountability systems that can be used to drive sustainable school improvement. In this context, equitable accountability is defined as a measure more of the school’s impact on student achievement and less a measure of the socio-economic status of the students enrolled in the school. To do this, the study begins with a review of the history and current state of school accountability policies in the US and its relation to the concepts of school improvement, between accountability and student achievement, a review of accountability policy in each state and the possible future model of accountability policy. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods with a policy analysis informing state correlational comparisons, which in turn informed the models to be applied to the Florida data to identify how they perform (correlate), culminating in the development of a new school accountability model. The policy analysis revealed current school accountability in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as the relationship between socio-economic status and school accountability in each where data were available. Five of these state models were shown to be significantly less related to socio-economic status than Florida. However, only two of these models performed similarly when applied to Florida data. Finally, a model was proposed that included aspects from these states and available literature that performed similarly to these two states. This study represents an important first step in a larger policy discussion of how to hold schools accountable for their impact on students and not a measure of the demographics of the students they are serving.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014138
Subject Headings: Education policy, Education and state, Educational sociology, Educational leadership
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: IS IT ENOUGH? EXAMINING INSTRUCTIONAL MANAGEMENT IN A NEW PARADIGM OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
Creator: Critelli Jr., John E., Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: For decades, educational leadership researchers have focused on school leadership behaviors, competencies, and skills that impact student outcomes measured by the students’ performance on standardized tests. This practice has narrowed the focus for how the field approaches teaching and learning and the evaluation models that measure school, teacher, leader, and student academic performance. To examine leadership and teaching and learning that support the development of the whole child and not...
Show moreFor decades, educational leadership researchers have focused on school leadership behaviors, competencies, and skills that impact student outcomes measured by the students’ performance on standardized tests. This practice has narrowed the focus for how the field approaches teaching and learning and the evaluation models that measure school, teacher, leader, and student academic performance. To examine leadership and teaching and learning that support the development of the whole child and not just their performance on exams, this quantitative study set out to examine: Is there a relationship between a school leadership teams’ prioritization of SEL, their instructional management practice, and the teachers’ use of SEL pedagogy in the classroom? To examine the research question, a set of five sub-research questions were developed to organize and guide this work. Interest to participate in this study was gained by aligning the research to the district’s strategic plan. The sample included 107 teacher participants drawn from five participant public elementary schools in a large diverse urban school district. Data applied in the analysis were collected through the application of three instruments. Two of the instruments were developed and pilot tested as part of this research. The results of this research indicate that despite the ample evidence that shows instructional management having a positive impact on student learning, its effect on the pedagogies examined that support the development of social and emotional competence was limited. The greatest contribution of this study was the development of a valid and reliable tool to evaluate ten social and emotional learning teacher/pedagogical practices.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014176
Subject Headings: Educational leadership, Effective teaching, Instructional management, Learning
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING: A MULTI-SITE STUDY.
Creator: Steadham, Elena, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this multi-site study is to gain an understanding of what practices principals are employing that are impacting the effectiveness of the instructional coaches, as measured by student achievement on end of year state assessments. This study looked at three Tier 3 schools in Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) that showed significant improvement in student achievement as measured by the statewide assessments. Tier 3 schools are schools in MDCPS that have been identified by...
Show moreThe purpose of this multi-site study is to gain an understanding of what practices principals are employing that are impacting the effectiveness of the instructional coaches, as measured by student achievement on end of year state assessments. This study looked at three Tier 3 schools in Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) that showed significant improvement in student achievement as measured by the statewide assessments. Tier 3 schools are schools in MDCPS that have been identified by the Florida Department of Education as consistently underperforming. This dissertation sought to understand what practices were implemented by the principals in these schools that the instructional coaches considered supportive of their instructional coaching. The study participants consisted of 3 principals, 3 assistant principals, 3 coaches, and 3 teachers, for a total of 12 participants. The assistant principals were interviewed because they are tasked with supervising various content areas and as such work directly with the coaches. The teachers were interviewed because the role of coaches is to work directly with the teachers, therefore the teachers have insight into their effectives. The participants were asked to reflect on their experience either as an instructional coach or working with the instructional coach. They participated in a 30-to-45-minute interview. Additionally, the school improvement plans, and coaching logs were analyzed.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014237
Subject Headings: Instructional coaching, Student achievement, Educational leadership
Format: Document (PDF)

Educational leadership (4)	+ -
Student achievement (2)	+ -
Classroom management. (1)	+ -
College professors. (1)	+ -
Critical pedagogy (1)	+ -

Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University (1)	+ -
Dropouts--Prevention. (1)	+ -
Education and state (1)	+ -
Education policy (1)	+ -
Education, Elementary--Florida. (1)	+ -
Educational leadership--Florida (1)	+ -
Educational sociology (1)	+ -
Educational tests and measurements--Florida. (1)	+ -
Effective teaching (1)	+ -
Grade repetition--Florida. (1)	+ -
Instructional coaching (1)	+ -
Instructional management (1)	+ -
International (1)	+ -
Leaders. (1)	+ -
Leadership -- Psychological aspects (1)	+ -
Learning (1)	+ -
Low-income high school students. (1)	+ -
Marginality, Social (1)	+ -
Middle schools--Florida (1)	+ -
Minority high school students. (1)	+ -
Parents (1)	+ -
Private schools (1)	+ -
School children. (1)	+ -
School choice (1)	+ -
School management and organization (1)	+ -

Florida (1)	+ -
United States (1)	+ -

College of Education (9)	+ -
Florida Atlantic University (8)	+ -
Collado, Washington B. (1)	+ -
Critelli Jr., John E. (1)	+ -
Grant, Shernette D. (1)	+ -

Houchens, Paul (1)	+ -
Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia (1)	+ -
Pisapia, John (1)	+ -
Segovia Bonet, Jorge (1)	+ -
Sfiropoulos, Mike (1)	+ -
Shields-Proctor, Cheryl A. (1)	+ -
Steadham, Elena (1)	+ -

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