Andrew Hodges Dissertation

135 Pages·2017·1.05 MB·English

DISSERTATION APPROVED BY
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Date Jesus Rodriguez, Ed.D., Chair
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Laura Hiclcnan Ed.D., Committee Merrber
Moss Breen, Ph.D., Program Director
Gail M. Jensen, Ph.D., Dean
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT:
REVITALIZING THE MISSION OF CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
THROUGH DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION
AND A BLENDED LEARNING NETWORK

___________________________________

By
ANDREW W. HODGES

___________________________________

A DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE

Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Creighton University in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in
Interdisciplinary Leadership
_________________________________

Omaha, NE
December 13, 2016
Copyright (2016), Andrew W. Hodges

This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no part of this document
may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author.
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT iii

Abstract
Many Catholic educational practitioners and researchers believe that if Catholic schools in
the United States are to survive a crisis of decreased enrollment, they must shift gears to
new models of sustainability in order to compete in educational markets (D’Agostino,
2014; Kennedy, 2012; Linbeck, 2012). Data-driven blended learning is for some a
promising innovation, in an effort to do this. However, only limited research exists. Some
schools do blended learning through a model where a third party educational resource
offers support to a school network. The purpose of this study was to explore ways that
Catholic schools can partner with third party educational resources and employ disruptive
techniques, such as blended learning, to remain competitive while still maintaining a
Catholic culture and identity. The findings demonstrated a school improvement process in
two Catholic elementary schools in partnership with a third party organization that shifted
three critical gears to achieve increased student academic achievement and enrollment:
(1) operational vitality through the provision of human, financial, and technological
resources; (2) personalization of curriculum delivery through a rotational blended learning
model; and (3) building a school growth mindset culture. Recommendations are offered to
Catholic school decision makers considering blended learning solutions.

Keywords: blended learning, disruptive innovation, rotational blended learning, K-8
Catholic school, school improvement, growth mindset
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT iv

Acknowledgements
I truly cannot express in words the gratitude I have for my family and the sacrifices
they each have made to allow this research to be done. My wife, Heather, sacrificed by
caring for our three children, managing a busy household, providing encouragement when
it was needed most, and making the space in our life for me to write. To my children,
Hayden, Kelly, and Therese, I want to tell you: “Daddy is now free to play any time.”
There is no other place I’d rather be! One day I hope each of you will recognize the
contributions you made to allow this work come to fruition and discover the value of
pursuing your own education. My mother, Janice, and sister, Elizabeth, have been lifelong
companions in journeying through poverty to higher levels of education and then
dedication to lives of service to young people. Know that this work and the Doctor of
Education degree is inspired by our collective experience of seeking social justice through
education. The gift of education my sister and I received through your advocacy, Mom,
has become the gift that gives to others and promotes social justice daily.
I am exceptionally grateful to my Dissertation Chairperson, Dr. Jesse Rodriguez,
for responding with great patience and wisdom to my late night texts, providing
proofreading and edits on short notice, bringing reassurance as needed, making himself
available for planned and unplanned phone conversations. Your approach to guiding me
through the dissertation process has touched me and one day I hope I will do the same for
another. Lastly, thank you, Dr. Hickman, for just the right amount of challenge and asking
the critical questions that needed to be asked of anyone doing sound research. Your
attention to detail sparked in-depth research and writing I did not know I was capable of.
This dissertation is a much better read and higher quality product as a result of your
mentoring.
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT v

Table of Contents
Page
Abstract ................................................................................................................................ iii
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. iv
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. v
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... viii
List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1
Background of the Problem .................................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 1
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................. 2
Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 3
Method Overview ................................................................................................................. 3
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................... 5
Delimitations and Limitations ............................................................................................... 7
Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 8
Summary ............................................................................................................................. 10
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...................................................... 11
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 11
Theme 1 .............................................................................................................................. 14
Theme 2 .............................................................................................................................. 18

Theme 3 .............................................................................................................................. 20

Theme 4 ............................................................................................................................. 23
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT vi

Theme 5 .............................................................................................................................. 27

Theme 6 .............................................................................................................................. 29

Theme 7 .............................................................................................................................. 32

Theme 8 .............................................................................................................................. 34

Theme 9 .............................................................................................................................. 39

Summary ............................................................................................................................. 40

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 42
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 42
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 43
Method ................................................................................................................................ 43
Study Site Descriptions/Rationale of Participants/Sample ................................................. 44
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................... 48
The Researcher’s Role ........................................................................................................ 49
Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................. 49
Data Analysis Plan .............................................................................................................. 52
Verification ......................................................................................................................... 53
Ethical Considerations ........................................................................................................ 54
Summary ............................................................................................................................. 55
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 56
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 56
Review of the Methodology................................................................................................ 57
Data Analysis Procedures ................................................................................................... 59
Results ................................................................................................................................. 60
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT vii

Finding 1 ............................................................................................................................. 61
Finding 2 ............................................................................................................................. 67
Finding 3 ............................................................................................................................. 75
Summary ............................................................................................................................. 82
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................... 83
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 83
Summary of the Study ........................................................................................................ 83
Summary of the Findings .................................................................................................... 85
Implications for Action/Recommendations for Further Research ...................................... 87
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 105
References ......................................................................................................................... 107
Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 117
SHIFTING GEARS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT viii

List of Tables
Page
Table 1. Study School Demographics and End of Year Academic Results 2015-2016 .... 46

Table 2. Interview Participants ........................................................................................... 47

Table 3. Study Schools Enrollment ..................................................................................... 47