This present study utilized a phenomenological design to investigate administrators' perceptions of barriers to student attendance, current approaches to mitigating or removing those barriers, and the extent to which those approaches were effective. This study utilized interviews with area administrators where they were able to provide detailed…

The issue of school safety has been interrogated as school shootings have occurred multiple times each year in the United States. This devastating reality has captured the attention of many throughout the United States. School leaders have implemented strategies to increase school safety, including the creation of practices to deter shooting…

Dual enrollment policies and programs, where students earn both high school and college credits, have been scaled up across the United States in the last two decades. In this mixed methods study, we survey high school principals in Ohio and Texas, two states with robust dual enrollment policies. The study addressed one broad research question:…

Globally, organizations are experiencing workforce and employee shortages that vary from one industry to another, and the hospitality industry is among the worst affected (De Smet et al., 2022). The primary purpose of this study was to identify and explore factors that contribute to turnover and attrition in the foodservice industry so that…

Through the years, the role of the school principal has shifted from managerial to an instructional focus, which required additional skills, strategies, oversight, and flexibility. Assuming the role of instructional leader challenged principals to ensure students achieve at high levels. Legislation over the years added to the high expectations…

The purpose of the study was to identify how effective communication on behalf of the building principal enhances school culture, management, instructional practices, and collaboration. Ten teachers from ten different school districts within Trumbull County, Ohio participated in semi-structured interviews and provided at least one school-based…

This qualitative study used Glaser and Strauss' (1967) grounded theory design and explored leader and teacher perspectives of driving and restraining forces when implementing Finnish strategies for joyful leading, teaching, and learning. The study examined teacher perceptions of autonomy as well as differences between Ohio school district…

This study explored the experience of Catholic school principals in Ohio whose schools have participated in the EdChoice Scholarship program. The researcher employed the lens of principal time usage to examine the experiences of Ohio Catholic school principals with EdChoice, with a focus on the direct experiences of principals participating in the…

This qualitative study used cognitive dissonance theory as a lens to examine the experience of elementary teachers and administrators implementing policy mandates and its potential impact on their beliefs. Additionally, this study sought to identify barriers and supports to implement educational policy mandates. The primary objectives of the study…

Health organizations recommend children get 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Research has shown that children in the United States of America are coming up well short of this number and are struggling with a variety of mental health and physical health issues while their academics are decreasing. These issues have been magnified by the…

An analysis of misinformation, disinformation, perverse rhetorical devices, and the origin of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) controversy were presented, as well as the motivations of those most likely to share misinformation and crisis communication strategies. The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore Ohio Superintendents' levels of…

Rural school districts face a unique set of challenges. This dissertation focuses on two rural counties in three school districts in southeastern Ohio and examines the difficulties special education teachers and administrators in rural communities often face. Two special education teachers, a general education teacher, two principals, a special…

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored the Dominance Influence Steadiness Conscientiousness (DISC) assessment's reported impact on self-awareness in Ohio National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III (DIII) athletic directors (ADs). Leadership development should be a priority of a leader because it helps ensure…

This mixed methods research study explores superintendents' beliefs about and engagement in state education policymaking processes. Through interviews with 58 superintendents and a national survey of superintendents, I find that many superintendents feel that their voices have value in state policymaking spaces; however, superintendents' actual…

The purpose of this cross-case study is to explore educational leaders' understanding and practice of ethical preparedness in two riparian school districts located along the Ohio River in counties determined by the Appalachian Regional Commission to be at-risk and distressed. As a cross-case analysis study, this research was conducted in the…