Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Superintendent efficacy and addressing community needs(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Kirchner, Derek Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tena VerslandThe purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore how a self-efficacious superintendent mitigates the challenges of addressing community needs. In previous literature on community dissatisfaction, superintendents who have neglected the needs of community members have lost their jobs. Despite being trained for and required to demonstrate knowledge on ways to identify and address the needs of the school district community, many superintendents fall short and end up being removed from their positions by the school board and community. Self-Efficacy theory postulates that individuals with a high degree of efficacy for their jobs seek out and are more receptive to innovations within their workplaces. This research study utilized a document review of school board meeting minutes, public voting data, and superintendent correspondence to determine instances of community needs. This information was utilized to conduct semiformal interviews with a superintendent to explore strategies he used to address needs in the community. The results of the document revealed that dissatisfaction occurred around four events: the Cougar's Cave playground structure, the Economic Development District, the High School project, and COVID-19. The analysis of the interviews indicated that the superintendent employed three strategies to mitigate community dissatisfaction: Developed a Culture of Learning within the District, Involved the Community, and Built Relationships. The strategies in this research echo what has already been written regarding successful superintendent leadership. Conclusions drawn from this project include the idea that both the superintendent and the school board should research each other prior to offering and accepting employment in a district to ensure superintendent skillsets match district needs. A second conclusion is the superintendent should develop a strong relationship with the school board but should remain open to feedback and concerns from the community. A final conclusion drawn from the research is that the superintendent should selectively choose mentors and be receptive to their advice.Item A multisite case study of state policy and teacher perceptions of recruitment and retention in rural school districts impacted by the critical quality educator shortage(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Hancock, Hailey Suzanne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christine Rogers StantonThe purpose of this qualitative multisite case study is to explore the history of school funding and policy in Montana K-12 schools with a focus on how the State legislature is or is not providing equality of educational opportunity. Because teachers are the most significant school-related factor on student performance, the analyses will focus on data involving recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in rural contexts. This case study occurs from 2004-2019 when school districts sued the State legislature in Columbia Falls v. State of Montana (2004/2005) for not providing an adequate education. The Montana legislature revised their school finance model and, while the State claims the funding is sufficient, Montana continues to face a critical quality educator shortage in rural communities. Since 74% of Montana schools identify as rural this is especially problematic. Critical place-conscious theory was applied to the multisite case study, which consists of five interconnected phases where the semi-structured interviews influence critical policy discourse analysis. The study focused on two rural school districts impacted by the educator shortage, identified as the Glacier and Yellowstone sites. Findings demonstrate that there is a disconnect between Montana policies addressing teacher recruitment and retention, and the reality of educators' professional lives. The unsustainable workloads of teachers, inadequate staffing, low-compensation, and unaffordable housing are all challenges faced by Montana teachers. Rurality is not the primary cause of these challenges rather these issues appear to be systemic. A major conclusion is that teacher attrition impacts the quality of education students receive therefore equality of opportunity does not exist between rural and non-rural schools in Montana. Local school districts are integrating place-conscious solutions to fill this opportunity gap such as teacherages and innovative scheduling, however, not all schools have the financial capacity or leadership to do so, therefore the Montana legislature has a responsibility to provide more funding to schools impacted by the critical quality educator shortage. Furthermore, a new framework, the Place-Conscious Social- Ecological Model, is suggested to create education policy that values Montana's rurality.Item The impact of a middle grade professional development school on teacher training and retention(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Stierman, Catherine Rowan; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael BrodyTeacher preparation and retention are in a state of crisis. Just under 20% of all pre-service teachers will still be in the classroom four years after graduation (AACTE, 2018; Cowen, Goldhaber, Hayes & Theobald, 2016; Darling-Hammond, 2003; Ingersoll, Merrill & Stuckey, 2018; Latham & Vogt, 2007; NCES, 2016; NCTAF, 2003). The quality of training and the sense of self have been identified as the determining factors for persistence in the education profession. The research is very clear that professional development school (PDS) prepared teachers are significantly more likely to enter and to persist in the field. This case study focused on ten undergraduate education majors in a middle grade professional development school with a significantly higher than average retention in the field. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously. Sources included five inventories, twelve sets of interviews, and eleven reflections. It was determined that governance at both the university and middle school sites allowed the classroom teachers and professors to provide a curriculum that centered on the identification, practice, and internalization of effective educators through active learning and student-centered pedagogy. Three curricular practices were identified by the participants as being significant influences on their development and success as teachers: opportunities to see classroom teachers and professors model best practice, substantial time to practice their own skills, and a structure for reflection and processing of learning events.Item The space between: the plight of rurally isolated, impoverished Montana school districts(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2019) Patterson, Joshua Glenn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David HendersonDespite growing awareness of the teacher staffing crisis in rurally isolated, impoverished Montana school districts, little has been done to effectively address the issue. As opposed to a general lack of supply, current state and national research attribute the problem to challenges in teacher recruitment and retention. While many of these studies have identified factors associated with teacher staffing challenges, none have fully conveyed the essence of the struggle through the experiences of school leaders who endure the crisis. Therefore as revealed through the experience of eligible superintendents, the purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teacher staffing challenges in rurally isolated, impoverished Montana school districts and the role of state school funding policy in the recruitment and retention of high quality teachers. Anchored by punctuated equilibrium social theory, the study's conceptual model provides a basis for multiple instrumental case studies. Investigative research began with two focus groups of eligible superintendents and was followed by multiple interviews with the superintendents of four representative case study school districts. Audio recordings of interviews were transcribed and reviewed using typological data analysis methods to identify semantic relationships, themes, and significant statements. Study trustworthiness was established through bracketing the researcher's personal experiences with teacher staffing challenges, thick description, peer review, member checking, and triangulation with school district related information and other state research. Findings indicate that current Montana school funding policy may exacerbate the staffing challenges experienced in these remote and poor districts as well as their organizational functioning.Item An investigation of factors related to teacher retention in small rural school districts in Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2002) Davis, Marsha Smith