So Deeply Embedded: Using Inquiry to Understand the Influence of Popular Media in the Classroom

This inquiry originated with discussions among a group of colleagues’ after viewing Happy Feet, a Warner Brothers film released in November 2006. This film, like many other animated films aimed at preschool and school-aged children, contained hidden messages

Assessing the Influence of Brain-based Instructional Methods and Its Impact on Systemic Change for Learning Communities

Background: As scholars who prepare future school leaders to be innovative instructional leaders for their learning communities, we are on the verge of a curriculum design revolution. The application of brain research findings promotes educational reform efforts to systemically change the way in which children experience school. However, most educators, school leaders, board members, and policy makers are ill prepared to reconsider the implications for assessment, pedagogy, school climate, daily schedules, and use of technology. This qualitative study asked future school leaders to reconsider how school leadership preparedness programs prepared them to become instructional leaders for the 21st century. The findings from this study will enhance the field of school leadership, challenging the current emphasis placed on standardized testing, traditional school calendars, assessments, monocultural instructional methods, and meeting the needs of diverse learning communities. [See PDF for complete abstract

Intravenous tPA for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased risk of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), however, there is a paucity of data regarding outcomes after administration of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) for stroke in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We present a multicenter case series from 9 centers in the United States of patients with acute neurological deficits consistent with AIS and COVID-19 who were treated with IV tPA. RESULTS: We identified 13 patients (mean age 62 (±9.8) years, 9 (69.2%) male). All received IV tPA and 3 cases also underwent mechanical thrombectomy. All patients had systemic symptoms consistent with COVID-19 at the time of admission: fever (5 patients), cough (7 patients), and dyspnea (8 patients). The median admission NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) score was 14.5 (range 3-26) and most patients (61.5%) improved at follow up (median NIHSS score 7.5, range 0-25). No systemic or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages were seen. Stroke mechanisms included cardioembolic (3 patients), large artery atherosclerosis (2 patients), small vessel disease (1 patient), embolic stroke of undetermined source (3 patients), and cryptogenic with incomplete investigation (1 patient). Three patients were determined to have transient ischemic attacks or aborted strokes. Two out of 12 (16.6%) patients had elevated fibrinogen levels on admission (mean 262.2 ± 87.5 mg/dl), and 7 out of 11 (63.6%) patients had an elevated D-dimer level (mean 4284.6 ±3368.9 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: IV tPA may be safe and efficacious in COVID-19, but larger studies are needed to validate these results

Using the Senses in Reflective Practice: Preparing School Leaders for Non-text-based Understandings

This article seeks to push at current conceptual boundaries within the field of educational leadership in understanding the relationships between preparing candidates to lead for social justice through the senses"”ways in which school leaders perceive their lived experiences and relation to others. Four case examples are presented. Findings suggest school leaders deepen their understanding, ways of knowing and responses towards children and families who live on the margins by engaging in sense-making reflective practices. The article concludes with understanding the implications of this reflective practice in preparing school leaders to address issues of justice in US public school

Preparing School Leaders to Interrupt Racism at Various Levels in Educational Systems

This narrative inquiry seeks to advance the field of educational leadership preparation by exploring ways to interrupt personal, interpersonal, and institutional racism through the senses—ways in which people perceive their experiences and relation to others. Findings suggest that participants engage in actions aligned with revelations from their reflective process and utilize their positions as a lever to address racism at various levels within educational systems. Participants utilized their transformed storied selves to challenge the disparate impact of power and privilege on educational and social equity within school communities.&nbsp

A study of multicultural attitudes and actions among superintendents in school districts experiencing demographic changes

Includes bibliographical references (pages [176]-198).This quantitative study investigated superintendents’ multicultural attitudes and actions. To achieve this objective, 1,087 superintendents, who were members of the American Association of School Administrators, completed the self-reported, singlestaged, electronic survey. The survey consisted of four sections: (1) A modified Multicultural Questionnaire (MCQ); (2) A modified Diversity Action Survey (DAS); (3) A National Diversity Leadership Questionnaire; and (4) A Personal Heritage Questionnaire. Smith’s (1998) conceptual framework, adopted by the National Association of Colleges of Education, was the lens used to conceptualize this study. In this framework, Smith suggests that educators who do not believe that specific knowledge and skills are required to educate marginalize students are genericists, while those who believe otherwise, are multiculturalists. Completed data sets were analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlations, ANOVA analyses, and regression. In this study, the respondents scored moderate (2.0-3.0) on both multicultural attitudes and diversity actions. The study found a positive correlation between multicultural attitudes and diversity actions. There were significant differences in multicultural attitudes and diversity actions between superintendents who served school districts with up to 25% and over 25% marginalized populations. When groups were compared, only minority respondents scored significantly higher on both multicultural attitudes and diversity actions over their White counterparts. Among other groups (gender, age, socio-economic status of childhood family, religion, type of district served, and childhood family composition) significant differences were found only in multicultural attitudes. Through a regression analysis, a significant model predicting diversity actions from multicultural attitudes was selected. The study found a positive significant correlation between attitudes and diversity actions. The study also indicated that personal heritage characteristics impact multicultural attitudes and diversity actions. In this study, respondents projected increases up to 15% in marginalized populations over the next 10 years. These findings suggest that respondents leaned towards Smith’s genericist perspective. The discrepancy between the marginalized population projections and respondents’ moderate scores, in both attitudes and diversity actions, suggests the need for greater awareness of multicultural attitudes and how these impact diversity actions. Based on this study, it is recommended that schools of education encourage diverse student/faculty composition, create interactive multicultural experiences, model effective diverse pedagogical practices, encourage self-analysis, and immerse educators/school leaders in purposeful diverse learning communities.Ed.D. (Doctor of Education