The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore how elementary principals describe, plan for, measure, interpret, and use perception data to make decisions to build a positive school climate within the school improvement process. Five participants were selected based on the criterion of being an elementary principal within the school…

In this age of deteriorating school buildings and increasing state oversight, few studies study the factors that influence the state of school facilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how do "At-Risk" and "Non-At-Risk" school district business leaders approach and perceive planning for capital projects. Most…

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence stakeholder support of bond elections targeted for capital improvements in a rural school district in Kansas. The study uses existing research to identify factors that influence school bond referendum success. To better understand the factors identified in the research literature that…

This dissertation explored the current perceptions and preferences for residence hall construction lifespan standards among campus master planners and housing administrators in higher education. Historically, universities have built residence halls with the intention of spanning many decades (Guckert & King, 2004). However, there has been a…

This dissertation examined how faculty learn how to host and facilitate experiential learning activities for their classes and how the faculty are impacted by the work. Findings based upon nine semi-structured interviews indicated that fewer than half of participants had been formally trained to host experiential learning activities and some…

In an era of accountability, educational leaders seek and implement reform efforts to help promote school improvement and student achievement on a regular basis (Marzano et al., 2014). When considering school improvement, a possible strategy to increase student achievement could be the relationship between the school leadership style and the…

In May of 2002, Wichita Falls ISD, a district in Texas with a stagnate enrollment of 14,000 students for multiple years, asked for the community to support a $120 million bond to help cover the cost of four new elementary campuses and to maintain and upgrade aging facilities. The bond failed. Additionally, a 2004 bond failed again. Finally, in…

This case study explored the impacts of school shootings on K-12 school principals. Eleven school principals and assistant principals from rural, suburban, and urban areas in all regions of the United States were interviewed. The study answered two research questions: What impact do school shootings have on school principals? and What do…

In the digital age, academic libraries are increasingly spending more money on online resources and less on print materials (Wolff-Eisenberg, 2017). The decrease in print resources in libraries has led to available space for libraries to repurpose. As this trend continues, and more and more students bring their own individual electronic devices…

Whether it is 1968 or 2020, there appears to be a consistency within public education that may be impacting America: poverty levels can have a dramatic impact on academic performance. However, there are some school districts that have been able to achieve success despite the various challenges that come with a high-poverty community. This bounded…

College and university campuses are designed and maintained by experts in facilities management and planning. What is lacking in these processes is expertise in learning environments and creating spaces that are healthy and inclusive. University organizational structures aid in the autonomy of academic freedom and the nimbleness of research…

The purpose of this study was to understand the overall experience of the school improvement specialist position in schools within the state of Arkansas that were labeled in need of improvement. In the study, there were seven participants who represented a variety of schools including homogeneous, a low graduation rate, culturally diverse, an…

This qualitative case study examined the role of three support advocates in an urban middle school setting when working with tier 3 students. Support advocates are support staff members who work with a specific caseload of students- identified because they are at risk of early drop out from high school- but defining their role as a wraparound…

Active learning, a constructivist approach to learning, can be an effective pedagogical tool. As active learning becomes more ubiquitous and begins to replace some lecture-style content delivery, the built environment should also change. A design case study, "a description of a real artifact or experience that has been intentionally…

School districts continue to face economic challenges as they evaluate the need to make improvements to support student learning. Public school buildings across the United States are in need of immediate repairs and renovations. In some cases, schools need to be rebuilt in order to meet the educational needs of students. As school districts…