The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how school administrators described their understanding of the decision-making process in the allocation of funds to urban elementary schools in New York. Twelve participants took part in online questionnaires followed by Zoom interviews. A convenience sample of principals were…

This narrative inquiry examines the experiences of K-12 Title 1 Urban Public-School principals to understand their involvement in the process of school-level budgeting and their efforts to incorporate principles of equity into their budgetary decisions. I recorded the challenges faced by principals when making practical decisions equitable. This…

Virtual schools have gained popularity by providing students with the flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere. The appeal of virtual education lies in its capacity to enhance student choices and improve the efficiency of public education (Molnar et al., 2019). Online learning, with its adaptable and personalized approach, proves more effective than…

In recent years, within the United States and globally, workforce members who directly and tangentially treat and serve traumatized individuals have begun to experience an additional occupational hazard in the form of compassion fatigue. Consistent school leadership can be a critical factor in increased student achievement and school-based…

A continuing focus for American Education is to bridge, lessen, and eliminate the persistent achievement gap that has existed for over 50 years. Due to mandates of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), each state currently creates an individualized plan to narrow the gap. This study allowed for understanding of how the percentage of the total…

This comparative case study was conducted to explore how family contributions are garnered and allocated at two socioeconomically different schools in Kansas and how those contributions mitigate or exacerbate existing inequities between schools. The Parent Teacher Association at each school was a focus of the study as it is the main avenue for…

Since culturally relevant teaching was first introduced by Ladson-Billings in 1994, American schools have become even more racially and ethnically diverse, and post-COVID revealed a wider performance gap between Black and Hispanic students compared to White students. What is less clear is how culturally responsive school leaders are standing up…

This capstone reports the findings of a narrative study examining principal turnover in priority schools/districts and the conditions that influence turnover intention. The purpose of the study was to identify factors influencing principals' turnover intention and conditions that improve retention of quality principals. Qualitative data were…

Instructional leadership has been discussed in the literature of educational administration for decades. However, there are still important issues that need further study, especially in order to carefully consider the impact of instructional leadership at all levels of a school district's administrative team and the interplay between those levels…

The purpose of my study is to explore the stories of the ethical tensions K-12 educational administrators navigate when implementing high-stakes assessment policy in a culture of measurement during testing season. Some educational leaders, in particular K-12 school and district administrators, struggle with the tensions existing between their own…

Many districts and schools are having difficulty implementing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in school settings. This quantitative study set out to examine the stage of MTSS implementation schools are at and identify factors from the implementation science framework that account for the different reported student outcomes related to MTSS…

The purpose of this study was to explore high school principals' perceptions, perception formation, and resultant behavior toward student online learning options. Using the theory of cognitive dissonance as the theoretical foundation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with high school principals in a large, suburban school district. The…

The phenomenon of school leadership in Puerto Rico is explored in this study, which was an examination of the perceptions and practices of 12 elementary school principals. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory that functions within a unique political structure yet is held to the same standards as all U.S. districts. The primary method of data collection…

This qualitative mixed methods study explored how Special Education Directors transformed and maintained a successful inclusion model throughout their district. The study identified leadership strategies and inclusive behaviors utilized by Special Education Directors who have successfully transformed their district into inclusive school districts.…

Principals in rural schools lead with an awareness of multiple contingent factors that influence their decisions every day regarding programming for students. The purpose of this research is to examine how rural elementary school principals conceptualize programs in their schools, the processes used to connect students to these programs, and their…