This research study has been designed to be an evergreen project to help higher education institutions define their external partnerships. The action research model has been used to create and test a model of external engagement, which was later redefined as the Reaney Model of External Engagement with the intent for continuous improvement.…

This study examined a differentiated, bottom-up approach to school improvement planning through exploration of the qualities that make up a highly effective school department team as it related to their ability to create and meet a student-centered, data driven high achievement goal. While there are a multitude of factors that affect the ability…

Instructional leaders help shape the trajectory for academic performance in a learning institution. Therefore, this study examined the impact of the onboarding experience of novice instructional leaders. This was addressed through a phenomenological study exploring two research questions: what are the lived experiences of school leaders regarding…

Since at least the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (1983), the United States has used competition and top-down approaches in seeking student achievement in the country. Twenty years ago, to create a pathway for the lowest achieving schools in the country to have a clear path for improvement, the turnaround school movement was…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the impact of transformational educational leaders on improving the public school system in Saudi Arabia, in relation to the dimensions of transformational leadership that include school improvement, inspirational motivation, and empowerment. The Saudi Arabian government's Vision 2030 aims…

In this qualitative study, the researcher investigated and described the specific leadership practices employed by elementary principals in Texas to initiate school improvement in campuses designated as needing targeted support, additional targeted support, or comprehensive support and improvement by the Texas Education Agency (2023a). The…

The role of principal supervisors has changed significantly, moving away from a focus on compliance and towards a greater emphasis on nurturing principals' instructional leadership skills. As a result of this evolution, there is now an increased presence of supervisors in schools, but there are no clear guidelines for their activities. This study…

This Dissertation in Practice applied an improvement science approach to address an actionable problem of practice in higher education: lack of assessment of student satisfaction with academic advising. The study took place in a school within a public university in the Southeastern United States. A pre-intervention assessment of the current state…

In the wake of the global pandemic, K12 schools are experiencing significant challenges with educator retention, ambiguous policy mandates, increased accountability, and inadequate teacher and principal pipelines. At the same time, philanthropic investments have increased the growth and influence of educational intermediary organizations as change…

One of the greatest challenges for schools is to identify effective and ineffective teachers in a classroom. Teacher evaluation is an expensive process in both time and resources. It is important that evaluations provide data to improve teaching and learning. Therefore, each evaluation needs to communicate opportunities for growth. This…

Instructional coaching is used as a form of professional development to support teaching and learning in many school districts. To address the needs of the teacher relevant to improving instructional practices, instructional coaches employ the coaching model. The coach model serves as a strategy to determine the approach needed to support teacher…

Today, schools' climates impact every student across the globe (Thapa et al., 2013). "A positive school climate is critically related to school success" (National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning, 2021, para. 2). School climate consists of the many aspects of an educational atmosphere including the physical environment,…

The purpose of this action research study was to identify needs and improve higher education administrators' digital technology knowledge and skills. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of structured interviews and observations of subjects who, through academic credentialing or career attainment, were considered experts in the use…

One of the challenges faced by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has been frequent turnover in crucial executive leadership positions. As of 2022, there were 99 HBCUs; two-year and four-year private and public institutions (NCES, 2024). In the fall of 2023, at least 18% of the HBCUs in the country were without a permanent…

The importance of sexual education for students with disabilities cannot be overstated. The United Nations states that students with disabilities should have access to the same range and quality of sexual education as their nondisabled peers (Holmes, 2021). Despite this, students with disabilities, especially those with moderate to extensive…