Leadership and Learning in Organizations Capstone Projects

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Capstone projects of the Peabody College Online Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations at Vanderbilt University. Authors retain copyright to their work.

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Trusteeship as Sensemaking: Preparing College Trustees for Leadership
(2019-04-19) McCord, Michael
By combining the use of surveys and interviews provided a rich understanding of how Martin Methodist College trustees experienced their roles and the potential for improvement. This study viewed the work of Martin trustees through the lens of sensemaking and identified the shared importance of both technical knowledge (fiduciary responsibilities) and the value of meaningful relationships within the context of leadership. The findings revealed a lack of an intentional, methodological approach to onboarding or ongoing support of trustees. This lack of formalized support created a scenario by which some members felt disconnected and underprepared, leading to division and disenchantment. Second, trustees valued the formation of meaningful relationships with the campus community and saw those relationships as critical in understanding their responsibilities. The recommendations are based on this shared interest in traditional support opportunities (onboarding, retreats, etc.) and a desire for new ways to more naturally connect with and understand the community (e.g., faculty and students). This combined approach supports trustees as they are called upon to make sense of complex, novel, and essential duties by providing the systems, frameworks, and responsibilities and a substantive, ongoing means to build relationships within the community. This study offers an opportunity to consider ways to evolve traditional trustee support programs by fundamentally understanding the work of trustees as that of sensemaking. Additionally, the use of multigenerational, multidisciplinary learning groups provides a novel approach to ongoing support that includes opportunities for both traditional technical learning (fiduciary responsibilities) and relationship-centered learning.
Removing the Lens of Bias: Promoting Self-Efficacy of Black Female Leaders in Turnaround Schools through Organizational Systems
(2020-07) Harrison, Opal
This is a study of how organizations support the self-efficacy of Black female principals leading turnaround schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted of Black female principals who currently lead or have lead turnaround schools with a focus on the following: (a) professional learning; (b) perceptions as a leader including the perceptions of supervisors, teachers, parents, students, and the greater school community; and (c) supports provided by the organization. The findings in this report couple the intrinsic (personal) motivations of Black female leaders constructed from their personal experiences and narratives with the extrinsic supports of the organizations that they work/worked in. The narratives of the Black female respondents were obtained solely through the interviews that were conducted. Based on themes that emerged from the interviews and research, recommendations are presented that organizations could implement to increase the support of Black female principals leading turnaround schools. Recommendations include a turnaround leader network within the organization, mentorship, targeted professional development and equity bias training while focusing on improved outcomes for turnaround schools. The goal of the recommended organizational support should align with and support the self-efficacy of Black female principals leading turnaround schools.
Professional Learning for Teachers: Aligning Needs & Vision at an Independent School
(2020-07) Holthaus, Lauren M.
This study sought to understand instructional staff perspectives on professional development that was provided or facilitated by the organization and the ways in which school leaders at the site planned for and managed this professional development at a small, independent school. Frameworks that guided the inquiry include features of effective teacher professional development, evaluation of professional development, and systemic improvements. An exploratory, sequential mixed-method was used to collect data and through thematic inductive coding coupled with analysis of quantitative survey data, findings revealed that the staff reported being largely satisfied with their PD but that there was a preference for more collaborative and individualized support. Findings also showed need for further learning and efforts directed towards skills in differentiation and potential for increased organizational support for implementation of this instructional skill. Additionally, staff indicated that their leadership conveyed a vision for the school, but data revealed that the planning processes involved in orchestrating professional development lacked a student-outcome focus or intention. Recommendations relate to both systemizing and regularly evaluating professional learning at both the organizational and individual level as well as the development of a coaching model for professional learning.
Alma Mater Matters: Designing Meaningful and Impactful Alumni Engagement within Independent School Communities
(2020-07) Grimes, Carrie M.
Independent schools' alumni engagement programming often lacks creative strategy and valid measures of engagement beyond dollars donated and attendance at alumni events. Despite the fact that independent school alumni are often well educated and uniquely strengthened by vast intergenerational social capital networks, the majority of independent schools struggle to inspire their alumni to give time, treasure and talent back to their alma mater. This phenomenon of alumni detachment should cause concern for independent school development officers and administrative leaders, who confront challenges in enrollment and fundraising as they endeavor to secure long-term financial security. This study focuses on exploring how independent schools can confront this challenge, and find ways to inspire more meaningful and impactful modalities of engagement for their alumni. For the purposes of this study, alumni engagement is defined as a group of behaviors in which alumni: dedicate their time to their alma mater, donate their talents to their alma mater, make a financial gift to their alma mater, and/or interact with fellow alumni in ways which enhance the alma mater’s social capital networks of collaboration and/or community. The study investigates this phenomenon within a conceptual framework undergirded by social identity theory and communities of practice theory.
An Attack on Education: How South Carolina independent schools ensure campus safety and security in theface of potential violence
(2020-07) Seiden, Daniel
This project was an investigation into safety and security measures implemented by Heads of School within the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA). Interviews and an open-ended survey were conducted with both current and former Heads of School. The goal of the project was to determine a) how schools are currently addressing violence prevention; b) how Heads of School perceive safety and security issues; and c) how various factors serve to either facilitate or inhibit implementation of new safety and security initiatives. This report utilizes research conducted on school safety and violence prevention as well as relevant scholarly work on new program implementation. The qualitative data collected was evaluated using the Four Frame Model as developed by Bolman and Deal. This report indicates that SCISA schools are actively implementing new measures to prevent violence on their campus, but face significant challenges in the form of financial limitations and facility design. Heads of School consistently expressed that the topic of safety and security is one of their top priorities, if not the greatest single concern from their leadership perspective. The report suggests that successful implementation of preventative violence initiatives can be influenced by employee buy-in, appropriate training, and extensive communication with key stakeholders. Recommendations to SCISA include a clear vision and commitment from leadership, member schools developing a positive relationship with local law enforcement, consistent and dynamic training sessions with faculty and staff, and requiring a comprehensive safety and security audit as part of the accreditation process.
Ready or Not? : An anlysis of the Career Development Program efficacy in a non-profit setting
(2020-07) Barnett, Marquis H.
Why Teachers Don't Look Like Us: Critical Race Theory and Social Capital in Education
(2020-07) Mascarenaz, Lauryn Marie
The K-12 teaching career is a field that is heavily dominated by a white female demographic, with a large underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic educators. There are more than 50 million students in the public school-age population, with over 40% of those students identifying as Black and Hispanic. In North Carolina, Black teachers constitute greater than 90% of the total population of teachers of color, with a 75% annual retention rate. This retention rate is three points lower than the national average and reflects an alarming trend in our nation. This capstone research study sought to understand more deeply the connections between race, social capital and the decision to enroll in and complete an education program in the NC State School of Education. Due to its status as one of the largest public universities in the Southeastern United States, NC State was chosen to be a partner in this study. This capstone study then used a sequential mixed-methods approach to interview preservice teachers and analyze five years of enrollment data. The interview data used a master matrix to identify key concepts of Critical Race Theory and Social Capital Theory while the data analysis tracked trends across program completion for gender, race and generational status.
From Training to Learning in Workforce Development: A Critical Discourse Analysis
(2020-08) Thompsonowak, Sharon
Although labor market dynamics are highly complex, workforce development programs typically attempt to remediate unemployed or underemployed individuals through trainings focused on “soft skills,” or nontechnical skills centered on vague concepts like “professionalism.” But program participants experience these trainings as professional development sessions sparking meaningful personal growth. Using the chaos theory of careers and adult learning theory, this study focuses on five emergent discourse strands (soft skills, training/learning, applicability, community, and workforce development itself) that emerge in a sample soft-skills training program in Philadelphia, PA. By examining how soft skills are delivered, experienced, and credentialed through this program, I consider how the discourses intersecting within soft-skills trainings empower and are powered by program participants engaging in self-conceptualization through pursuing new careers. Drawing on training observations, facilitator and participant interviews, and analysis of student handbooks, facilitation tools, post-program surveys, and contextualizing documents, I explore how soft-skills credentials may enable individuals to learn by entering communities of professional practice throughout long, uncertain careers. For programs to move from training to learning, recommendations include leveraging program structures to support soft-skill achievement, strategic credentialing, supporting participant meaning-making, and contextualizing training materials within both broad professional disciplines and specific work environments.
Admissions, Enrollment & Pre-College Preparation: A Foundation Year Program In The Arabian Gulf
(2020-08) Schultes, Alexander E. O.
Knowing more about student enrollment at preparatory programs is particularly significant to the field of international admissions and recruitment. Struggling to meet aggressive admissions targets, and the inability to attract students who fit an institutional profile, is an existential threat to an institution’s core business. Unlike previous studies, which examine students enrolled in traditional degree programs, this study focuses on international student enrollment at a foundation year program, in an emerging Arab Gulf country, using a qualitative approach. Two research questions are investigated: What drives enrollment decisions at university academic preparation programs? After accounting for student variables of any type, what institutional factors most influence the enrollment of new students? This study found the emergence of three interconnected identities for students, staff and programs. Identity can assist decision makers by providing a form of analysis to focus on critical factors impacting student enrollment. After identifying the linkages of enrollment decisions to factors that influence staff development and retention, this study makes eight recommendations to foster a community that will more effectively support new students.
Exploring How Pilgrimage Experiences Affect Identity: Place, Religion, Culture, Community, and Individuality
(2020-08) Barzel, Ur
This study uses a pilgrimage experience in Israel as one example to inform the process through which identification with Judaism and Israel is formed. Participants expressed their identification in response to events and experiences that were part of their pilgrimage to Israel. I was able to capture these expressions of sensemaking through a process of oral journaling. Participants responded to a daily prompt (i.e., What one thing happened today that you'll remember most?) as a means of reflecting on meaningful experiences that shaped their understanding of their relationship to faith and place (Henry, 1994). I relied on both quantitative (i.e., pre and post-survey) and qualitative (a narrative analysis of the participants' daily journals) methods to investigate changes in identification. This pilgrimage, in particular, was designed to influence young adults; to strengthen their identification with Judaism and Israel. This pilgrimage relies on rhetorical narrative (Suddaby, Foster, & Trank, 2010) to create opportunities for participants to engage in sensemaking and reflection (Boud, Keogh, & Walker, 1985). The participants' lived experience within the group, and throughout their pilgrimage journey is at the heart of this narrative research.
A Moment Defined: Corporate Board Composition and Intersectionality, the Broadening Conceptualization of Gender-only to Gender and Race
(2020-08) Clark, Agenia W.
This study explores the experiences of African-American females (AA/Fs) who serve as corporate board directors of public and private corporations in the United States. Questions that guided this research attempted to offer insights into who these AA/Fs are and how they ascended to corporate boardrooms. Because there are few AA/Fs on corporate boards, this study aims to identify the commonalities that attribute to success among these women. Findings from this study included: (1) AA/F corporate directors felt that the most important resources available to them included networks, connections, and a dependency on white men who are already in the boardroom. The data also showed that these women had all served on non-profit boards, which served as resources for their networks and relationships, along with a heavy reliance on academics. All had advanced-level degrees (JDs, MBAs, PhDs, etc.) and had amassed mid- to senior-level business experience. (2) Respondents named a willingness to prepare for each board meeting, being comfortable asking questions, and accepting that one is not in the boardroom to be an expert on everything. Many discussed their initial fears that they had to compete and know about everything regarding the business. The skill they most heavily relied on were overcoming their fear of being the only woman and the only black person in the boardroom, which can be uncomfortable, but is necessary to overcome. It is also interesting to note that, according to the data, the majority of the women did not think that knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order, a standard in boardroom governance, was a necessary skill to have in order to effectively serve on boards. (3) All were confident that this is the best time to seek out boardroom opportunities. AA/Fs bring perspectives that can fill many gaps as businesses look to represent more of their constituents, an observation repeatedly made by the respondents. Study participants also shared that, in order for AA/Fs to secure board seats, there must be an intentional and targeted effort at networking because, in order to get an invitation, someone has to know you. These AA/Fs felt that their invitations occurred when they least expected them, but they felt that their professional experiences best prepared them to serve. Most of the women in this study had served on at least one corporate board, while several had served on as many as six. Many felt that one invitation into a corporate boardroom is an entrée into others if the opportunity is approached intentionally.
Thriving Online: Retention Factors for Students in a Graduate Online Nursing Program
(2020-08) Harkleroad, Laralee
This study examines the relationship between retention and student satisfaction within a graduate nursing program offered fully online by a large, private university in the northeast region of the United States. Relying primarily on the persistence framework developed by Braxton, et al. (2014), this study generates insights about the student experience within this program, particularly through the lenses of cultural capital, communal potential, psychological engagement, social integration, student-faculty engagement, and the role of institutional integrity and perceived commitment to student welfare. Situating my work within emerging research on the importance of building a sense of community and online retention (Byrom & Bingham, 2001; Hart, 2012; Rovai, 2002; Wighting, Lue & Rovai, 2008; Tinto, 2012), qualitative interviews led to specific insights from which six findings emerged and ten actionable strategies identified to sustainably improve student retention. This study reinforces that a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing retention issues is unlikely to be effective across institutions or programs. The broader access afforded through fully online programs means blanket policies and interventions may continue to fall short and supporting students within an online academic program requires a more tailored and responsive approach based on unique student needs.
Understanding Current Processes and Bottlenecks before Reengineering Processes: A Case Study of Pilot Express
(2020-09) Thomas, Shenika
Business process reengineering (BPR) is a management strategy appropriatefor the leadership at Pilot Express to use to meet the demands of reshaping and improving the way they run their operations. Through careful planning for the use of BPR techniques, Pilot Express will be able to achieve the radical and fundamental improvement in their business processes that are required to be competitive and meet its mission.
Organizational Realignment: Mission Shift for the 21st Century
(2020-09) Douglas, Janai
A teacher preparation program sought to explore the role that their organization could play in equipping students for a successful entry into the 21st century labor market. The organization recognized a disparity between their current teacher preparation model and the educational experiences students need to be adequately prepared. This paper surveyed key stakeholders and reviewed extant literature to gain perspective on how the organization should pivot to better meet students’ 21st century learning needs. Key findings included students having inadequate access to technology, a lack of aligned instruction for students and teachers, the organization’s short teacher tenure, and stakeholders viewing 21st century learning as a set of advanced skills as opposed to an approach to learning and problem solving. The paper recommends that the organization implement a teacher preparation program of study focused on training teachers how to implement 21st century learning in their classrooms, establishing partnerships to adequately supply partner schools with high caliber technology, develop alumni pipelines to keep alums in the region, and using select models to implement an effective change initiative.
Student Engagement in Advanced Placement Courses at Rosenblatt High School
(2020-09) Baron, Michael H.
With the growth in interest in Advanced Placement courses, administrators are often faced with concerns about how to create a program that both achieves the goals parents and students have for AP study and creates an engaging experience. Administrators at Rosenblatt High School (RHS) in Boca Raton, Florida, had just such a question: they sought to increase student engagement in classes. This study examines stories students tell their parents about their most exciting and memorable experiences relevant to AP classes and the conditions in which they occurred. The research provides insights on how teachers can increase the amount of class engagement and the quality of engagement. This investigation critically assesses the antecedents to student motivation and engagement in AP classrooms to identify support strategies that can be implemented by key stakeholders, such as teachers, to improve student success. Based on an indepth review of relevant literature and a comparative analysis of parent storytelling and interpretations derived from conversations with their children, this research revealed several opportunities for shaping the effectiveness of AP courses. This includes developing support systems that strategically improve student motivation and class engagement. A key mechanism for support effectiveness identified in the data is student self-determination.
How Do First American Tribes Define and Achieve Success in Tourism?
(2020-09) Shepherd, Paige Williams
Since the early 2000s, First American tribes in Oklahoma began establishing tribal tourism departments within their sovereign government structures to promote tribal businesses and tribal territories as travel and tourism destinations. The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association was incorporated in 2002 as a nonprofit to advance Indian Country tourism. Collectively and independently, AIANTA and Oklahoma tribes have been actively involved in instituting tribal tourism as a means of economic diversification and growth for sovereign nations. After more than a decade of evolution, tribal tourism departments within Oklahoma and across the United States continue to struggle in understanding how First American tribes define and achieve success in tourism. In collaboration with AIANTA, a comparative case study was conducted, using interviews of four First American tribes in Oklahoma who had established tribal tourism departments with tenured leadership. Members of The Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation were interviewed to understand tribal tourism and its impact on surrounding communities. For this study, a modified framework based on Yoon et al. (2001) was utilized as an integrated approach to identifying patterns and relationships using the economic, cultural and social impact factors.
Parent Engagement in an Independent School Setting
(2020-09) Walters-Sachs, Whitney
Many independent schools today struggle to engage parents in ways that meet parents’ needs, particularly as these critical stakeholders have become more demanding and involved in recent years. Parents assume multiple roles. Even in schools that enjoy a healthy relationship with their parent body, the evolving role of private school parents can present a source of significant conflict, necessitating a negotiation over the extent to which parents should participate in, sway, or control school policies, procedures, and decisions. Because independent schools rely heavily on parents to further their mission; foster community; and contribute their time, energy, and money to the school, it is critical to understand not only what motivates and satisfies parents, but also how parents forge collaborative relationships with administrators and other parents and participate in community life. This qualitative study explored how parents and administrators view the role of the parent, with the goal of ascertaining meaningful and mutually-beneficial ways to engage parents in the life of the school through the lenses of parent involvement literature and negotiated order theory. Individual and focus group interviews with parents and school leadership in this independent school case study led to nine findings and three recommendations for school leadership.
Relational Leadership & Church Health: An Inquiry into the Perceptions of the Congregants of Eastwood Church, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
(2020-12) Trahan, Jimmy F.
This study sought to provide insight to the leadership of Eastwood church by ascertaining congregant perceptions of leadership and church health. Congregant perceptions were ascertained using the Beeson Church Health Questionnaire (BCHQ). Data collected from the BCQH was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the researcher discovered critical strengths and weakness of leadership and church health from the perspective of the congregants. Based on these findings, support from the literature, and the mechanism of improvement science, the researcher made several recommendations for active and continual improvement to the leadership of Eastwood Church.
Mentor Coaching and Entrepreneurial Outcomes
(2020-12) Courtney, Angela
This research initiative is a comprehensive program evaluation that was conducted in 2020 to gain insight into the effectiveness of the Vanderbilt Wond’ry mentor program and determine which attributes of the program were viewed as most valuable by the participants. The Vanderbilt Innovation Center, called the Wond’ry, is a not for profit organization supported by the university that provides innovation and entrepreneur support to students, professors, alumni, staff, and community members. A mentor coaching program is an important program offered by the Wond’ry that provides individualized support to entrepreneurs. A mixed methods approach using a survey with quantitative and qualitative questions along with selected Master Mentor and program administrator interviews was used to conduct the assessment. Key findings from the synthesized research include: 1. Mentees are solution-oriented and highly value the specific advice provided by mentors that can lead to discovering new opportunities. This is perceived as being more impactful than processing the emotions associated with entrepreneurship and innovation. 2. Providing direct information on how to solve problems and potential solutions is highly valuable to entrepreneurs. 3. Mentors currently engage in high-impact coaching behaviors. 4. The mentees are generally driven, highly motivated, and also willing to ask for assistance when needed. 5. Specific outcomes derived directly from mentor coaching are difficult to pinpoint, although program participants attribute their success in part to their mentors. 6. Overall, mentor program participants are highly satisfied with the mentor support they received. 7. Additional structure and training can be helpful for mentors so that they can be as effective as possible when guiding program participants. Based on these overarching findings and taken in conjunction with the history and objectives of the Wond’ry, recommendations were developed to help the program continue to develop and improve. Primary recommendations included: 1. Training – Offer more formal training and support to mentors to increase effectiveness for entrepreneurs. 2. Documentation - Take a more structured approach to supporting mentees and documenting outcomes from mentor meetings to ensure needs are being met optimally. 3. Coaching Model – Consider implementing a solution-oriented coaching model such as the GROW Model to help frame mentor meetings and support mentees with meeting their specific goals. 4. Continuous Improvement - Conduct mentee and mentor satisfaction assessments to understand what is and is not effective on a regular basis, at least annually.
Making Sense Leading Change: A New Superintendent's Challenge
(2020-12) Schmuhl, Aaryn T.
This quality improvement study seeks to inform the school district of additional actions, decisions, and conditions the superintendent and leadership team can make to improve sensemaking of their individual and collective roles during the transition to a new superintendent. The capstone project explored the ways that a new superintendent and district leadership team individually and collectively interpreted and understood their roles in leading a small rural district to enact new policies and practices related to both re-opening schools amidst the Covid-19 global pandemic and simultaneously creating a significant shift through a new strategic plan. Central to this capstone is the notion that individual and collective policy interpretations influence what practitioners do or do not do as a result of the sensemaking they experience (Yannow, 1996).

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