Toxic leadership is a prevalent issue in public education, with toxic leaders showing harmful behaviors and inconsistent personalities. This leadership style can have lasting consequences on public education. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of toxic leadership in public education. This study aimed to examine the effects of…

Cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) provide pedagogically relevant information in the form of a student profile of multiple binary categorizations of students into mastery or nonmastery statuses on latent traits called attributes. Federal educational accountability requires accountability measures to designate students into one of at least three…

This study investigated teacher-driven change efforts. A review of existing literature posits that the current education system is largely driven by top-down mandates, such as the implementation of evidence-based practices generated by large scale and randomized controlled trials. While these approaches provide the field with important knowledge,…

State University Systems look to increase success as part of accountability to stakeholders, while at the same time competing for a decreasing college age population and declining annual state appropriations. Research has been limited on State University Systems and the examination of the institutional characteristics and their ability to assist…

This study explored how institutions can empower minoritized graduate students by leveraging their existing forms of capital, shifting from a deficit view to an assets-based approach. Through qualitative case study methodology, data from interviews and documentation illustrated the vital role of institutional agents, such as faculty and staff,…

Despite increasing enrollment rates among Great Lakes state charter schools, a growing body of research acknowledged the disproportionate number of charter school closures experienced by a marginalized student population. The purpose of this qualitative comparison case study was to examine whether inequities existed in the contract renewal process…

States recognize that a workforce skill shortage exists and have started educational initiatives to prepare students for workforce readiness and postsecondary success. There is a growing consensus among states that the goal of our education system is to prepare students for a career, college, or the military by providing all students with…

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of how primary teachers (K-2) perceive and manage accountability pressures. Accountability pressures are the consequences of high-stakes and standardized testing. This can be overtly represented by inappropriately aligned standards or a fast-paced curriculum design to match tested…

A growing body of research distinguishes between official systems of accountability and "felt" accountability - how people feel responsible to one another across a web of complex, intersecting relationships. Research in the behavioral sciences suggests that while such feelings have a dramatic effect on results, these have been…

The demands placed on principals to meet the wide range of needs present within the learning community continue to expand within the context of school reform. While there is some research on the ideals of successful turnaround school reform strategies, there is a lack of research on the essential key levers it takes to reform a school and district…

This study explored the phenomenon of collective leader efficacy and its potential influence on principal perceptions of self-efficacy with high school leaders in rural school districts. Research shows that school leaders have a positive impact on student achievement and the overall culture and climate of a building (Waters et al., 2004). Yet,…

Community leadership development programs (CLDPs) purport to train and equip individuals for leadership role participation in 5,500 communities across the United States. These communities seem to see value in these programs, yet there is little accountability for what graduates are actually doing in the community after program completion. The…

The study compared the Outcome Measures (OM) to the traditional Graduation Rates (GR) to ascertain if OM portrayed the performance of higher education institutions differently than GR and to determine which of the two metrics aligned better with accountability policy objectives. GR refers to the percentages of first-time, full-time students who…

In college athletics, there appears to be evidence of misalignment between stated commitments and institutional practices. Though institutions publicly promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), college athletic departments have failed to create large scale systemic change in the representation and retention of women and people of color.…

This study sought to understand why disparate healthcare between White Americans and minoritized populations has been allowed to persist despite decades of research about unequal treatment. It is widely proven and accepted that systemic racism drives health disparities yet disparate health outcomes continue to rise for minoritized populations.…