Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 6

4 Sharon Lee, Ph.D. AWORD FROM THE EDITOR Journal of K-12 Educational Research 2018, VOL. 2, ISSUE 1 www.dbu.edu/doctoral/edd Dallas Baptist University is proud to present the second annual issue of the Journal of K-12 Educational Research. In this issue, you will read articles written by a selection of recent graduates of the Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership K-12. The Ed.D. K-12 program is a practitioner’s degree which highlights skills needed to lead districts in North Texas and beyond. The final project of the degree is a treatise that provides data and poten - tial answers to a question of local interest. While the data for the treatise may come from a single district, we believe the answers may be applicable to many districts in this area. Stu- dent researchers are encouraged to look for immediate and site-based solutions that could be easily transferrable to issues that concern schools in the North Texas region. In this issue, you will find articles that have statewide impact such as the study by Dr. Mark Ramirez who interviewed Texas superintendents about issues related to Hispanic student achievement and how the district’s highest-ranking educator can influence that achieve - ment. Dr. DeAnna Jenkins developed and deployed a survey about teacher evaluation systems in Texas (PDAS and T-TESS) and the importance of using reflective conversations as part of those evaluations. Some of the research was conducted in the authors’ home districts on topics of local interest, yet can be applied in all dis- tricts in Texas. Dr. James Howard and Dr. Shea Stanfield-McGarrah studied the impact of an effective pre-kindergarten program on student achievement both in Kindergarten and in later elementary grades. Their findings will be interesting for any district with a pre-K program. Many districts in the North Texas region have been using instructional coaching for both job-embedded professional devel- opment and teacher growth. Dr. Pamela Reece and Dr. June Ritchlin have rich qualitative data to add to the discussion of coaching as a viable professional learning model. Dr. Sally Scoggins and Dr. Ladye Welpman explored STEM education and student performance. Both studies provide information about science education—grouping for advanced academics and preparation for college readiness. Dr. Lacey Rainey provides information about a standards-based grading system with interesting insights for districts who may want to explore this system. The second issue ends with an exploration of teacher preparation and pathways to certification. Dr. Joey Grizzle inter - viewed school leaders about their perceptions of alternate pathways to certification, and Dr. Pamela Linton explored the retention rates of alternatively and traditionally certified teachers. Both studies have strong impact for hiring and retention of highly qualified teachers. DBU’s Ed.D. K-12 program is based on the Biblical servant leader model of putting the needs of others first. Students ex - plore problems that have immediate concern in their districts and are encouraged to bring answers to their districts. The articles included in this issue and the final treatises upon which they were based have the potential to empower educational leaders and classroom educators, while making a difference for students in the classroom throughout the North Texas re - gion and beyond. Sharon Lee, Ph.D. Director of Research in K-12 Education Editor, Journal of K-12 Educational Research