Characterizing Exceptional Superintendent Leadership in Ethnically and Economically Diverse School Districts

This study examined ‘exceptional’ superintendent leadership in ethnically and economically diverse school districts. The purpose of the study was to use comparative case studies to better understand the beliefs and strategies these proven leaders employ to positively impact achievement and close the opportunity gap for students in ethnically and economically diverse school districts. The study examined three superintendents from the state of Illinois with respect to their philosophy, identified district strengths, culturally responsive attitudes and actions, leadership style, core beliefs, direct impact on students, and decision-making process to identify commonalities and differences that exist. Culturally responsive leadership was the theoretical lens for this study. The research questions reflected this framework and provided a focus for the study. Evidence was collected through individual interviews with each superintendent and members of his or her administrative team and by collecting and examining observation data and artifacts. After collecting and analyzing the data, patterns, and themes were identified and analyzed to develop superintendent portraits. These portraits illuminated the characteristics of exceptional superintendents, including: (a) The Superintendent Recognizes Culture as Paramount to Effective Instruction; (b) The Superintendent Has a Deep Understanding of What Quality Instruction Looks Like; (c) The Superintendent Effectively Engages the Community; (d) The Superintendent Hires Educators Who Believe Culture and Language is Essential to Learning; (e) The Superintendent Articulates a Vision that Denies Deficit-Thinking; (f) The Superintendent Innovates to Ensure Equity and Excellence for Every Child. One essential theme was identified much more frequently in the context of serving in ethnically and economically diverse school districts. The theme was that of the Superintendent as a Culturally Responsive Leader. This characteristic was identified in the leadership of all three identified superintendents. The findings from this study generated recommendations for practicing administrators, academic research, superintendent preparation programs and policy that may have significant implications for schools that are working to close the opportunity gap in a similar context. Specifically, these recommendations should focus on the identified Characteristics of Exceptional Superintendents with an emphasis on culturally responsive leadership. Recommendations for future research include additional studies on: exceptional superintendents serving in other geographical regions, the impact of culturally responsive leadership at the district-level, and the impact of school boards hiring from within the community

To make a better music school

This paper seeks to examine the elements that make an effective and high quality School of Music that prepares students for success beyond graduation. Through interviews with University of Northern Iowa (UNI) School of Music faculty, a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge currently emphasized in the music core at UNI was gained. A survey of UNI School of Music alumni provided an understanding of how well the current mix of skills and knowledge align with those that are necessary in the work force. Through this research, an understanding of the skills and knowledge required to work in the music industry was more clearly gained, and changes to the School of Music’s existing curriculum that will support those careers were identified. This research is significant because it makes a critical analysis of the existing program, which, if addressed, will improve the effectiveness of UNI students upon entering the workforce

Better Now Than Ever

A non-linear, non-representational theatre piece written and directed by Scott Henkle and performed in October of 1994.https://collected.jcu.edu/plays/1103/thumbnail.jp

Deconstructing the University: Contemporary DEI, Neoliberal Rationalities, and the Abolition of the Administrative Apparatus

The following chapters attempt to develop some working theories to combat capitalist exploitation and racist and gendered oppression in the university, culminating in a call for the abolition of the university’s administrative apparatus. The project is divided broadly into two parts, which are referential to each other, but maintain slightly different areas of focus. Part 1 details a preliminary critique of the political-economy of the contemporary neoliberal university, drawing influence from Marxian economics and structuralist theories of ideology, critiquing contemporary discourses of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). Part 2 focuses more directly on issues pertaining to oppression and difference, maintaining a predominantly Marxist critique which situates racism and patriarchy as co-constitutive of capitalist social relations. The project’s conclusion, seeks to join the theoretical developments of Parts 1 and 2 into a singular political mission: abolition

Multispecies reaction-diffusion systems

Multispecies reaction-diffusion systems, for which the time evolution equation of correlation functions become a closed set, are considered. A formal solution for the average densities is found. Some special interactions and the exact time dependence of the average densities in these cases are also studied. For the general case, the large time behaviour of the average densities has also been obtained.Comment: LaTeX file, 15 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Phase 2 Reese River Geothermal Project Slim Well 56-4 Drilling and Testing

This report covers the drilling and testing of the slim well 56-4 at the Reese River Geothermal Project in Lander County, Nevada. This well was partially funded through a GRED III Cooperative Funding Agreement # DE-FC36-04GO14344, from USDOE

Global supply chain design and optimization methodology

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 72).The work for this thesis was performed at Honeywell in the Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) division. The project focuses on ACS's manufacturing strategy regarding its global supply chain design, primarily discussing the manufacturing growth opportunities available in emerging regions. Honeywell ACS's current methodology for the development of a long-term manufacturing strategy is based on growth and total cost reduction objectives. In order to comprehend the total cost of the manufacturing strategy, considerations such as inventory, logistics and duties, outsourcing and material sourcing are evaluated. The project also considers a factory's geographical location and ACS's year-by-year implementation plan. An outcome of this Honeywell project and the basis of this thesis is the development of a general supply chain design and optimization methodology that utilizes three analytical tools (Country Selection Framework, Total Cost Model and Implementation Plan Process) that are capable of validating the supply chain design of any company. The analytical tools can be used to verify key strategic supply chain decisions or to create a baseline manufacturing strategy. The following results can be determined using this supply chain design methodology: Determine an appropriate operating region for current or future business needs; Evaluate the feasibility of factory relocation projects by considering all relevant costs; Evaluate the cost implications of the supply chain structure by considering logistics, inventory and material sourcing costs; Understand the impact of outsourcing on the manufacturing strategy; Recommend a year-by-year implementation plan in the case of multiple projects and limited capital resources.by Aimee L. Henkle.S.M.M.B.A