Dissertations Chaired.

In chronological order.

  • Ulferts, John. (Spring 2015).   An evaluation of staff recruitment and retention in the smallest Illinois school district: What are the implications?  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.  Dissertation won the  Edward W. Chance Dissertation Award from the National Rural Education Association (October 2015).

  • Johnson, Crystal.  (2015).  Key factors that led to a district’s reorganization: A case study of two Eastern Illinois school districts.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Crotty, Angela.  (February, 2016). The effects of a summer learning program on early elementary students’ reading achievement.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Schiffman, Michael.  (April 2016).  Standards-based grading: Educators’ perceptions on teaching, student motivation, and assessment at the high school level.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Koenig, Georgie. (Month 2016).  Coaching principals to improve teaching and learning through the Iowa administrator evaluation process: Perceptions of superintendents and principals.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Curry, Michael.  (December 2016).  Role and responsibility priorities of the superintendent/principal as perceived by superintendent/principals, board of education presidents, and teachers’ union presidents.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • McConnell, Anthony.  (August 2017).  The perceived leadership capacity of K-5 Illinois principals and its impact on student achievement.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • DeBaene, Matthew.  (September 2017).  Hidden diversity: Generational perceptions of workplace values in the profession of education.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Everett, R. Tad. (April 2017).  A case study of a high school one-to-one technology initiative and its affects on students’ enjoyment and motivation to learn.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Schagrin, Jeffrey.  (October 2017).  High school peer tutoring: Evaluating an out-of-class model.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Crozier, Andrew.  (March 2018).  Millennial superintendents: A phenomenological study of the next generation of K-12 public educational leadership.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Ehrman, Adam.  (August 2018). The examination of self-perceptions regarding the impact of stress on Illinois superintendents.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Sapp, Sara. (September 2018). Corequisite remediation in higher education mathematics: A community college perspective and experience.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Dorsey, Kim.  (September 2018).  Exploring the effects of program changes in mathematics on students with IEPs and students without IEPs in a Midwestern urban school district.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Hogue, Darryl. (October 2018).  Understanding the perceived benefit for students, employers, and parents who participate in work-study programs at Fulton High School.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • McKay, James. (November 2018).  Principals’ use of the Illinois 5Essentials survey data in data driven decision making.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Graber, Brian. (November 2018).  From frantic to focused: The impact of environmental factors and personal factors on teacher stress. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • McHugh, Jeff. (February 2019).  The Fulfilling Five: A quantitative study of the relationship between uilding administrator behaviors and teacher job satisfaction.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Carmona, Alfonso. (April 2019).  Factors affecting teacher retention in charter schools in Milwaukee. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Dougherty, Christine. (April 2019). The impact of principal evaluation on leadership practices in Regional Office #28 (Bureau, Henry, and Stark Counties, Illinois).  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Kapala, Sebastian.  (April 2019). Educators’ perceptions of blended learning in a non-traditional high school setting. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Briatta, Nicole.  (April 2019). The effects of a ninth grade mathematics intervention on academic achievement and perceptions of mathematics.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • La Prad, Tamara. (November 2019).  The rural Illinois teacher shortage as an existential crisis: A study of school and teacher purpose through the perceptions of west central Illinois high school students.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Smetana, Kristin. (January 2020). Examining the perceptions of teachers’ social-emotional competence and well-being on classroom management from the perspective of students and the classroom teacher.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Gordon, Shane. (February 2020).  The Illinois’ evidence based funding model: How are Tier I school districts spending new money.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Price, John.  (Summer 2020, Qualitative).  Intent And Impact: A Case Study Analysis of District Intervention by the State of Illinois in North Chicago and East St. Louis, 2011 – 2018.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Anderson-Maier, Brandi.  (Fall 2020, Quantitative).  Balanced Leadership: A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Principal Leadership Responsibilities and Collective Teacher Efficacy.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Faust, Marcie.  (Fall 2020, Mixed Methods).  The Role of Parents in the Continuation of Children’s Instrumental Music Participation.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Ruff, Mike.  (Fall 2020, Mixed Methods).  The Effects of Five Factors on the Job Satisfaction of Rural Elementary (K-8) Principals.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Zahn, Anne.  (Fall 2020, Mixed Methods). The Impact of Content Allocation of Instructional Minutes on Eleentary Achievement in Northeastern Illinois.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  • Lesniak, Maggie.  (Fall 2020, Quantitative).  Lead and Achieve: A Quantitative Study of the Correlation Between High School Principals’ Leadership Behaviors and Student Achievement.  Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

  •  Fray, Michaela. (Fall 2020, Quantitative).  Leaders as Lead Learners: Is There a Need for Developing, Supporting, and Networking Illinois School Leaders Regionally? Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.