Alexandria Digital Research Library

Teachers' and Administrators' Views of Organizational Improvement and Student Success in a Themed Professional Learning Community

Author:
Wold, Todd Michael
Degree Grantor:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Education
Degree Supervisor:
Sharon Conley and Danielle Harlow
Place of Publication:
[Santa Barbara, Calif.]
Publisher:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Creation Date:
2016
Issued Date:
2016
Topics:
Organization theory and Educational leadership
Keywords:
Professional Learning Community
California Partnership Academy
Four Frames for Evaluating Organizations
Case Study
Linked Learning
Learning Organization
Genres:
Online resources and Dissertations, Academic
Dissertation:
Ed.D.--University of California, Santa Barbara, 2016
Description:

California Partnership Academies (CPAs) are a form of school reform. CPAs build on previous reform efforts by addressing site-specific theme-based learning. Further, CPAs are theme-based professional learning communities, established as small schools within a school, preparing students for college and as well as the careers associated with given themes. Green Careers (GCA) is one such academy. In this study, I explored participants' perspectives about one existing CPA, with particular attention to its development as being initially denied state certification as Linked Learning to it successfully becoming Linked Learning certified (i.e. designating it as a career pathway that combines rigorous academics, demanding technical education, personalized student supports and real-world experiences in order to engage students and make learning relevant). I explored the requirements placed on CPAs and how the GCA Academy operated within those requirements. Utilizing participant research, interviews, and documents, I examined district Pathways support, and how site administration, academy advisory board, and the academy team members made "changes in practice" (Stern, Dayton, & Raby, 2010, p. 24) as a professional learning community, a small learning community, and a learning organization. Also examined was how those perspectives reflected the four frames for understanding organizations (Bolman and Deal, 2008) and to what extent these views reflected the GCA Academy operating as a unique-case and in what ways they operated as a typical-case (Yin, 2009).

Physical Description:
1 online resource (111 pages)
Format:
Text
Collection(s):
UCSB electronic theses and dissertations
ARK:
ark:/48907/f33b5zxr
ISBN:
9781339671529
Catalog System Number:
990046534760203776
Rights:
Inc.icon only.dark In Copyright
Copyright Holder:
Todd Wold
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