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Departmental Dissertation Research

As the culminating experience of their graduate programs, with the guidance of the faculty, our PhD and EdS students are producing dissertations and field studies which contribute to the knowledge base regarding education and offer important insights about improving educational practices and policies.

Listed below are the titles of the dissertations in progress and those that have been completed recently.  Click on the title to view an abstract of the study in Microsoft Word format.  We encourage you to contact the dissertators or recent graduates to learn more about their study. You may email the students by clicking on their names.


Dissertations In Process
6/23/06 John Hill

The Search, Selection and Implementation of Ideas: How Principals Search For, Select, and Begin to Implement Educational Innovations

8/01/07 Charles E. Moore Opening New High Schools: How Principals Design Cultural Features in Newly Developed High Schools
01/21/09 Lisa Elsinger Toward a Grounded Theory of Factors Influencing Physicians' Decisions to Pursue Learning
04/14/2009 Elizabeth O'Callaghan A Study of the Glass Ceiling Structural Equation Modeling of Gender Differences in Professorial Rank at a Research University
6/2009 Kevin Flynn Hughes An Urban High School That Makes a Difference: A Case Study of Dylan High School
7/09 Erin Kuehn-Schettler

Passing The Torch Of Social Justice Leadership: Leadership Succession In Socially Just Elementary Schools

8/2009 Raul Alejandro Leon Strategies For Institutional Transformation: A Multi-Site Case Study Of The Chief Diversitt Officer Position
8/2009 Lavar J Charleston Examining Key Factors that Contribute to African Americans' Pursuit of Computing Sciences Degrees: Implications for Cultivating Career Choice and Aspirations
8/2009 Connie Negaard Attributes of two alternative reading interventions that contribute to improved reading proficiency among secondary English Language Learners and Students With Learning Disabilities

 

Recently Completed Dissertations
08/2009 Peggy S. Smith Promises to Keep: The Alignment of State Policy Implementations with Best Practices for New Principal Mentorship
07/2009 Robert W. Smiley Characteristics of Systems and Leadership in K-12 Public School Educational Technology Programs: Understanding Data Use, Decision Making, and Contextual Factors
06/2009 Matt Clifford Exploring High School Teachers' Decision to Use Contextual Instruction
07/2009 Bradley Andrews The Role of Pre-Institutional Commitment in Freshmen Persistance Decisions at a Small, Private, Liberal Arts College
06/2009 Alexis Kasmarick Leading Coherently for Equity and Excellence
05/11/2009 Tony Bolz Screening Teacher Candidates: Luck of the Draw or Objective Selection?
05/05/2009 Mark Benedict Teacher Leaders Building Social Capital in Seconary Departments: Three Case Studies
12/2008 Catherine M. Winters Pursuing a Degree Completion Program in Nursing: A Grounded Theory Study
12/2008 Dennis M. Baskin The Influence of Pre-College Interventions on Underrepresented Minority Student Persistence and Graduation: Evidence from a Midwest Comprehensive Institution
12/2008 Joshua Emmett Innovation, Leadership, and Resource Utilization Practices in Three High Schools With Significant Learning Gains: A Multi-site Case Study
11/2008 Sal Carranza Distance Learning
08/2009 Victoria J. Maslow The American High School: The Role of Small and Professional Learning Communities in Addressing Inequities in Student Learning
08/2008 Pamela J. Bork The Principal's Paradox: Examining the Balance of Personal and Professional Life
07/2008 George Karling In What Ways Does Participation in a Dual Enrollment Vocational Program Enhance the Educational Engagement of Participating High School Students?
07/22/08 Jason Johnson

Speaking of Higher Education: Documenting, Interpreting and Advancing the Academy's Rhetoric

 

03/03/08 Jeffrey G. Nicholson Physician Assistant Medical Practice in the Health Care Workforce: A Study of Medical Malpractice and Safety Comparing Physician Assistants to Physicians and Advanced Practice Nurses
07/22/08 Natalie Tran

The Connection Between Students' Out-of-School Experiences and Science Learning

 

04/15/08 Todd Andrew Berry The Role of Social Capital in Human Capital Investment: A Social Network Approach to College Success in the First Year
12/2007 Miriam Simmons Examining Boyer's Scholarship of Engagement: A Case Study of a Faculty Development Program
12/2007

Michelle DeBose
(CAVE student)

Breast Cancer Among Older African American Women: Sources of Information About Breast Cancer

 

11/2007 Genella M. Taylor

Ingredients of the Classroom: Attributes that Contribute to and Militate Against Socio-cultural Identity Development

12/2007 Ray J. Walter

An Analysis of Earnings and Job Satisfaction Outcomes Associated with Sub-baccalaureate Educational Achievement

 

08/2007

Robert A. Jecklin, Jr. (CAVE student)

Portraits of Necessary Learning: Retelling Stories of Being Sick and Uninsured in the U.S.
08/2007 Louisa M. Havlik Leadership, Learning and School Change: The Elementary Principal's Role in Teacher Professional Development
08/2007 Alda S. Preston Admission Factors That Influence Program Completion and Professional Licensure: A Case Study of An Associate Degree Program in Nursing
08/2007 Peter Clement Critical Consumer Issues in St. Lucia: An Examination of Consumer Challenges and Related Learning Among Rural Adults
07/2007 Darin J. Eich

Toward a Grounded Theory of High Quality Leadership Programs

05/2007 Susan Corwith Attributes of High Quality Programs for Academically Talented Students: Learning from an Exemplary Model
08/2007 Latish Reed

Same Path, Different Shoes: The Challenges of African American Principals in Predominantly African American Low-Performing Schools

 

05/2007 Liz Fulton School Factors That Contribute to Student Disengagement: Perspective of Alternative School Students
05/2007 Michelle Mangan Turner School-Level Resource Use in Arkansas: A Statewide Study
05/2007 Sarah Archibald How Well Do Standards-Based Teacher Evaluations Identify High-Quality Teachers? A Multilevel, Longitudinal Analysis of One District
12/06/06 Michael Uden

Understanding the Impact of Teacher Efficacy on the Professional Trajectory
of Teachers

12/2006 Thomas Van Winkle Expeditionary Learning Schools: The Relationship Between Implementation Gains and Growth in Student Achievement
12/2006

Ruttanatip
Chonwerawong

The Educational Experiences of Low-Income First Generation College Students of Color at a Major Public University: An Illusion of Meritocracy and Educational Opportunity
12/2006 Patrick F. Gould Professional Development Decision-Making
12/2006 Timothy L. Taylor

Touchstones of Online Program Performance

 

11/27/06 Jeffrey Biessman An Examination of Wisconsin High School and Postsecondary Introductory Biology Courses’ Curriculum Articulation
8/30/06 Byron C. Anderson The Influence of Diverse and Shifting Accountability Policies on Non-core High School Curriculum: An Analysis of Technology Education
8/15/06 Michael P. Garvey

The Wisconsin Youth Options Program: What Do Participants Say About How the Program Affected Their Transition to College?

5/18/06 Janet Heiss Moving Into Student Spaces: Impact of Location of Academic Advising on Student Engagement Among Undecided Students
5/15/06 Marcia S. Willson Examining Professional Learning Community Aspects as They Relate to Teachers' Receptivity to Professional Development
05/2006 Liz Fulton School Factors That Contribute to Student Disengagement: Perspective of Alternative School Students
4/26/06 Rodney Marty

Antinepotism in Large American School Districts

12/15/05 Kim Rapp Persistence Decisions of Doctoral Students Affiliated with Interdisciplinary Programs: A Case Study
12/14/05 Timothy Schaid The Impact of Struggle on Spiritually-Centered Educational Leaders and their Leadership
12/08/05 Heidi Schmidt The Relationship Between The Personal and Professional Lives of Wisconsin Female Principals and How They and Their School Districts Respond to Any Subsequent Tension
9/9/05 Joseph Baggot The Effects of Remedial Coursework and Reduced Credit Load on Persistence for College Students with Learning Disabilities
8/29/05 Diane Leuck

Women with Physical Disabilities: Experiences at "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" Workshops

8/2/05 Frank Hernandez K-12 Latino Leaders on Leading and Leadership: Racial Identity Development
and Its Impact on Leadership Practice
8/2/05 Shelby Cosner

An Exploratory Study of Capacity Building from a Social and Human Capital Perspective

7/29/05

Attributes of Quality Programs in Universities in Developing Countries: Case Studies of Two Private Universities in Ecuador and Beyond

7/8/05 Anne E. Hoffmann Developing a Grounded Theory of Effective Alcohol-Control in Higher Education
7/7/05 John LaNear Academic freedom in Public Higher Education: For the Faculty or Institution?
5/24/05 Lynda Sullivan Pathways to National Board Certification
5/4/05 Marla Berg Shaping School CultureWhile Implementing a Structured School Improvement Plan
4/29/05 David Vitale Developing Technology Integrators: The Role of Professional Development for Meaningful Instructional Technology Use
4/26/05 Rebecca Blink How Do K-12 School Districts Design a Data-driven System to Enhance Student Achievement
2/22/05 Christa Bruhn The Power of the University: Palestinian Universities as Vehicles of Social and Political Change
1/25/05 Seonmin Cha The School Administrator’s Transfer-Enhancing Supervisory Practices and Their Influence on Teachers’ Transfer-of-Learning
12/17/04 Dawn Crowley Reconciling Educational Excellence with Organizational Efficiency: Administrative Leadership to Advance High-quality Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
12/15/04 Jan Gaura Chynoweth The Policies, Practices, and Beliefs of Educators that Influence the Identification of Students with Disabilities
12/10/04 Jennifer Thayer Professional Development: Costs and Effectiveness in One Rural District
10/29/04 Tammy Huth Enhancing Teacher Quality: An Examination of two teacher development models
09/19/04 David Meixelsperger School Climate: Creating an environment for learning
05/14/04 Dale Carlson The Principal’s Role in Retaining Teachers: Effective Practices That Enhance Teacher Retention and Impact Teacher Mobility
05/14/04 Laura Ketchum-Ciftci Student Employment Factors that Contribute to the Acquisition of Educational Outcomes
05/14/04 Judith Risch The General Counsel in a School District: Examining Prevalence and Roles
05/14/04 Kurt Schneider Barriers and Supports to Providing Non-School Vocational and Related Instruction as an Alternative to School Failure for Youth in Foster Care in an Urban District
05/13/04 Donald Fraynd The Politics of Controversy & Public Opinion in and around PK-12 Education
05/07/04 Paul Kreutzer

The Use of Illegal Ergogenic Aids and Creatine by Female Senior High School Athletes Attending Four Large Suburban Schools: Implications for School Leaders

04/22/04 Shihmei Shu Barger The Impact of International Students on Domestic Students in U.S. Institutions of Higher Education
04/21/04 Mark A. Nelson Unsung Leaders: An Examination of Effective Department Chairpersons
03/22/04 Gary Schumacher Perceptions of the Impact of a Standards-based Teacher Evaluation System, Based on the Danielson Framework for Teaching Model, on Teaching and Student Learning
01/05/04 Eric Anctil An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship Between Higher Education and Television: A Focus on Big-time College Sports
10/31/03 Debra Hunt Exploring Training Function Deployment (TFD): A New Approach to Professional Development in Education
08/06/03 Bong-Woon Ha Assessment of the Motivational Effects of Teachers to a Performance-based Bonus Pay Program in Korea

07/22/03

Mark Fermanich

School Resources and Student Achievement: The Effect of School-Level Resources on Instructional Practices and Student Outcomes in Minneapolis Public Schools

06/10/03 Jeongyon Kim A Formative Evaluation of a College Preparation Program Based on a Model of the Attributes of Effective Programs and a Preliminary Explanation of the Program's Impact on Student Participants
05/14/03 Reginald Parks Overcoming Organizational Challenges to the Use of Distance Education Technology in Three Schools of a Public Research University
05/14/03 Stanley Roy Jonjak A Pragmatic Analysis of Rural School Consolidation: How Past Experiences in the Closing of Hawkins High School Shape Future Aims for Hawkins Elementary School in the Consolidated Ladysmith-Hawkins (Wisconsin) School District

05/06/03

Kathryn Dey Huggett A Grounded Theory of High-Quality Undergraduate Honors Programs
05/06/03 Myra Misles-Krhin Technical and Symbolic Leadership in the Work of Multi-School Principals
05/06/03 So-Young Park Teacher Variables Affecting Student Engagement
05/06/03 Ann E. Dingman Impact of Service-Learning on Students' Subject-Centered Coursework Learning, Skills, Attitudes, and Values: An Examination of the Effects of Best Practices in Innovative Liberal Arts Courses
03/24/03 John D. Kolander Quality Philosophy Characteristics of the Schools of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
01/13/03 Bradley J. Peck A High School Principal's Challenge: Toward Work Environments that Enhance New Teacher Satisfaction and Retention
12/16/02 Janet Elko Learning Persistence Among Rural Adults: A Study of Academic Persistence Among Adults from Rural Communities Enrolled in Online Degree Programs
08/27/02 Vicki J. Martin Institutional Leadership in High Performing Colleges and Universities Based on Baldrige Awards: A Case Study of Eight North Central Regional Institutions
08/05/02 Dianne C. Gardner-Gletty Student Learning Outcomes Assessment and Faculty Work in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Assessment Implementation in a Research Extensive Setting
07/15/02 Apinwong Kutalad The Preparedness of Thai Schools to Implement Inclusive Education
06/05/02 Brenda L. Hooper Atlas The Role of Spirituality in the Work of African-American Female Principals in Urban Schools
05/29/02 H. Alix Gallagher The Relationship Between Measures of Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: The Case of Vaughn Elementary
05/14/02 Kathy Forslund The Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program on Catholic Schools, Families, and Students
04/23/02 Todd Bloom Principal Behaviors Associated with the Implementation of State Academic Standards
06/15/01 Rose Ylimaki

A Grounded Theory of Collaborative Actions: A Multi-Case Study of the Successful Implementation of Literacy Reform

01/22/01 Patricia Frohrib An Analysis of Transformational Leadership Attributes and Leadership Development in Two Year Colleges

 

 

 

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