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ICPEL Executive Board
Term of Office: 2024-2027
- ICPEL Board Application John Decman--University of Houston--I am a professor of educational leadership at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. I have been at UHCL since 2001. In that time, I have served as Program Coordinator twice, for a cumulative period of 10 years, and was instrumental in writing the university’s first doctoral program, an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership. While I choose to teach mainly in the principal preparation program, I have taught in the Ed. D. program and regularly chair and serve on dissertation committees. As one might guess, I now am teaching the children of some of those that I had in classes early in my career and I am very proud to have several former students who are in university faculty positions in educational leadership.
The context in which educational leadership is practiced has changed considerably in the last decade. Because of this and the need to keep classroom instruction relevant, my research interests have focused on interactions between and among educational leadership professionals and the various environments in which they serve. In the past three years, I have co-authored publications that address leadership and organizational resiliency, confronting racism, social media practices, and educational equity. These particular areas, I believe, add to academic discussions that not only help illustrate academic leadership endeavors, but also provide depth and meaning to my efforts in the preparation of educational leaders. Most recently, I worked with a group of colleagues in a qualitative piece that utilized Herzberg’s Hygiene theory to understand teacher thoughts on retention and commitment to the profession.
In 2001, I was a freshly appointed Assistant Professor and my dissertation chair, Ted Kowalski, mandated that I join NCPEA and attend its annual conference in Houston, Texas. Since then, I have tried to attend all of its annual conferences and, with the exception of a health crisis in 2022, have been largely successful. Over the years, I have made a great many friends and acquaintances and have happily rekindled conversations through the networking and social activities that often surround the annual conference. I made a commitment to a paper presentation or roundtable each year and engaged in committee work through the years, most recently serving on the organization’s site committee for the 2024 conference.
In 2020, I was selected as the Executive Director of the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA) and I continue to serve in that role. Since then, TCPEA has weathered COVID and has emerged as a very different organization. Early in my tenure, we took a three-pronged approach to leadership: 1) a working board; 2) making membership matter; and 3) understanding our role in defining, leading and growing the profession.
Our “working board” model posited that board members should be expected to engage not only in policy decisions, but also in the planning and execution of organizational activities. We have developed standing committees and placed board members in leadership positions on each to share the load and to develop a greater span of organizational leadership. As a result, our organization boasts a healthy professional menu of activities through which we can make membership matter. We meet, in person, twice annually in conjunction with the state’s superintendent organization. We have implemented an annual writing workshop for both graduate students and professors. We have a spring webinar series each year that addresses relevant issues to the profession. Under our umbrella is a principal preparation program study group and a superintendent preparation program study group. We have plans to add a doctoral program study group as well. Through these and other activities, our goal is to study and grow those practices that make educational leadership a profession and to engage in a continuous improvement process. Finally, we purposely bring messages to our constituents through guest speakers at conferences to challenge us to understand and thrive in our various environments. From state education agency representatives, state superintendent organization personnel, panels of practitioners, and recognized voices in educational leadership, we strive to engage in activities that “make membership matter.”
In 2022, as the Executive Director of TCPEA, I initiated a call to professors in adjacent states to discuss the possibility of developing a regional affiliate to our organization and to ICPEL. The reasons were very simple: our profession needs to develop and grow voices that understand and embrace the constant demands of educational leadership and professors play a vital, intrinsic role in functioning as gatekeepers, researchers, and historians of the profession. Several of our surrounding states are significantly less populated than Texas and do not have the quantity of educational leadership programs and professors necessary to maintain a vibrant professional organization. It seemed only appropriate that make efforts to provide resources to colleagues in these situations.
It is this experience and this point in my career that make membership on the ICPEL Executive Board attractive. The organization, undoubtedly, will undergo a level of change and redefinition with a new Executive Director. There are a great many issues that need to be defined and addressed as we set and execute plans for the future of the organization. Because of my history with NCPEA/ICPEL and my experience in a leadership role in a large professional organization, I understand the challenges that will need to be met by the new board. I would like to participate in leading ICPEL because I believe that the organization can make a difference for more people through its intentional efforts to define and strengthen the profession and support professors in the vital roles they play. - ICPEL Board Application Krista Bixler--Florida Gulf Coast University --I have been an assistant professor at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) since August of 2000. I teach courses in the Ed.D., Accelerated and Traditional M.Ed., and Accelerated and Traditional M.A. Educational Leadership degrees and the B.A Special Education degree. I have developed or redesigned 5 of the 9 content area courses in the M.Ed. and M.A. program, one in the Ed.D. program and one in the B.A program. I am the program coordinator for the Accelerated M.Ed. and M.A. Educational Leadership programs, which have the largest student enrollment within the College of Education. Prior to FGCU, I was an adjunct instructor and TeachLivE© Lab Facilitator at the University of Central Florida.
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In addition to teaching, I collaborate with local school districts on Memorandums of Understanding that allow FGCU M.Ed. graduates to be accepted in the districts’ assistant principal pool upon graduation. This collaboration has included co-creating internship experiences for students with the school districts. Through the MOU’s, I have conducted training for principal mentors who support FGCU students during their internship experiences.
I have served on multiple University and College committees. I have served on the College of Education Faculty Council for two years. On the council, I represent the College of Education Faculty as we work collaboratively with the College of Education Administration. I also serve on the Student Affairs Committee for the College of Education. I served the last two years as an alternate for the Faculty Senate and this coming year, I will be a senator, representing the College. During the 2023-2024 school year, I served as chairman on the Professional Development Leave Committee at the University level. I have also served for four years on the Scholarship of Excellence Awards, that award up to two faculty members per year to be recognized for their contribution to Scholarship. In addition, I also will be serving on the Doctoral Admissions and Policy Committee for next school year. Lastly, I was appointed by the Dean to represent the College of Education on the Graduate Polices, Processes and Procedures Committee that is headed by one of the University’s vice presidents and have served for the last two school years.
Currently, I am an outside evaluator for Collier County’s American Recovery Plan funds where I helped develop Key Performance Indicators and Outcomes for various county programs, including the Public Library System Homework Help Centers and The Pioneer Museum. I evaluate the programs’ performance and develop annual and quarterly program reports for the county’s submission to the U.S. Department of Treasury. I also support Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School by serving on their academic committee where we discuss implementation of Project Based Learning and Standards Based Grading initiatives.
Not only do I support the College of Education, but I support the education community at large. I peer review for multiple journals, and I sit on the Periodicals Committee for the Educational Law Association. I have presented at multiple conferences, including previous ICPEL conferences. This year I assisted in assigning reviewers for presentations/papers for the Division of PK-12 Leadership Preparation and Training for ICPEL. Lastly, I serve as associate editor for the Leading and Managing Journal of the Australin Council for Educational Leaders which is now transitioning to be a publication through partnership with FGCU.
Prior to arriving at FGCU, I worked for 20 years in Orange County Public Schools, Florida. I was an elementary special education teacher, school and district staffing specialist, elementary and high school assistant principal, and elementary principal. While an elementary school principal, I opened a STEAM Career Academy and opened several classes to be a district center school for students with significant cognitive and physical disabilities.
2.Summarize your most important and/or recent publications and presentations and indicate your current research interests or focus.
My research, publications, and presentations reflect my desire to prepare individuals to be successful school administrators. During 2023 until May of 2024, I published seven articles. My most recent publication this year was in the Journal of Educational Supervision, titled Advancing Instructional Leadership: Instructional Coaching Skills Development Through Mixed Reality Experiences. In this article, my co-author and I completed a mixed methods study on the development of instructional coaching skills after participation in a virtual experience. Students played the role of the supervisor, who must provide coaching feedback to a teacher after an observation. The teacher’s role is played by an interactor controlling an avatar. The student and avatar participate in a post-observation conference about a teaching scenario provided.
Continuing the theme of technology supporting principal preparation, I am collaborating on a conceptual article on how Artificial Intelligence can be used a coach/mentor for new principals or in districts with limited resources for principal coaching and mentoring.
Another recent publication, which is the first in a series of research papers, is about school leaders and school counselors and their understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. The findings of this line of research will assist principal preparation and school counselor preparation programs to build an understanding of shared collaboration and leadership within a school.
Since my background is in special education, I have completed research and presentations about how the COVID-19 pandemic created barriers to student learning and for school district to provide a Free and Appropriate Education as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Currently I am working on a study about mentoring educational leadership students through developing district mentors who oversee their internship experiences. I have conducted three trainings with Collier, Charolette and Lee School Districts to build district mentors’ mentoring skills. This line of research has recently completed data collection and is preparing for analysis of the data. The professional development training courses were so successful the school districts have asked to continue this training for next school year and to invite more individuals to participate.
I am also supporting doctoral candidates in their research internship by having them participate in conducting a large research study for the School District of Lee County, Florida. This study reviews exit survey data and determines themes as to why teachers choose to leave the school district. This study is in conjunction with a professor at the University of Central Florida. Not only does this internship experience allow the students to interact with school districts, but it also allows them to see the collaboration of working across educational institutions. The findings of this study will be used by the school district to make changes in supporting teachers and staff to increase retention rates.
The presentations that I have completed focus on my completed research and published articles, focusing on principal preparation and special education students. I am very active in conference presentations. During 2023 through May of 2024, I have completed eleven presentations. My last presentation was about litigation school districts need to be aware of concerning the denial of FAPE for students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. I will be co-presenting at ICPEL this summer on the latest publication I have been involved in, which is the article Advancing Instructional Leadership: Instructional Coaching Skills Development Through Mixed Reality Experiences.
3.Briefly indicate your experience with NCPEA/ICPEL and the larger profession and any organizational roles you have held in the past in professional associations.
The first experiences I had with ICPEL were through attending conferences and by conducting six presentations at ICPEL conferences. This year, I was asked to be division Co-Chair for the PK-12 Leadership Preparation and Training division. Through co-chairing this division, I worked on recruiting individuals to review conference papers for the upcoming 2024 ICPEL conference. Currently, I am the Associate Editor for Leading and Managing, Journal of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and I also serve on the periodicals committee for the Educational Law Association.
4.Briefly indicate why you wish to serve as a member of the ICPEL Executive Board.
I wish to grow my service to the profession by applying for the ICPEL Executive Board. ICPEL has contributed to my professional growth as a newer assistant professor in Educational Leadership. I want to be a part of this commitment to provide valuable learning experiences by assisting in organizing conferences where all faculty in Educational Leadership from around the world can learn and network with each other. I am an organized and dedicated worker, which I believe will allow me to make significant contributions to ICPEL by serving on the Executive Board. - ICPEL Executive Board Application Ken Young--Lamar University--Professional Experience
- I have been at Lamar University since January of 2009, after completing a Ph. D. in educational psychology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. My primary teaching responsibilities include courses in applied research methods, basic applied statistics, adult learning theories in practice, program evaluation, and scholarly writing. I have also taught doctoral level courses in educational leadership/ethics, organizational change, social justice, and multiculturalism.
In addition to my teaching load, I have served as a chair/co-chair for over 70 educational leadership dissertations and a committee member on over 50. I have served as a co-editor for Learning for Democracy: An International Journal of Thought and Practice and currently the editor for Education Leadership Review (ICPEL) and School Leadership Review (TCPEA). I have also served as a reviewer for several NCPEA/ICPEL publications, Frontiers in Psychology journal, and Teacher Development Journal.
At Lamar, I served as the program director for the doctoral program in educational leadership for 2 years. I have also been the educational leadership representative to the faculty senate for two terms, co-chair of the Research and Development committee, and an IRB committee member. I am a past member of the University Research Council and Lamar University Athletics Council. I also served as a member of the College of Education and Human Development’s Educator Preparation Programs Assessment Steering Committee and the evaluation coordinator for the Center for Doctoral Studies in Education.
Prior to coming to Lamar, I was involved in full-time Christian ministry for 15 years as a youth minister, university campus pastor, minister of music, senior minister, and as a men’s educational program director for a non-profit organization.
Scholarship
My research interests are in the fields of cognitive epidemiology, individual differences, and hiring practices in education, but have also presented and/or published on various topics related to online education and mentoring. To date, I have made 61 academic and research presentations and 28 published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. A few of my most recent presentations and publications are listed below.
Presentations (2022-2024)
Decman, J., Young, J. K., Simieou, F., Morrison, S. (2023). The regional affiliate: Year one of the Texas Approach. Roundtable presentation and the 2023 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference, Orlando, FL.
Otto, J. A., Young, J. K., Hinerman, K., Thompson, J., & O’Connor, J. (2022). Barriers to Hispanic students’ literacy development: Faculty perceptions at a rural north Texas school district. Paper presentation at the 2022 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference, Denver, CO.
Young, J. K., & Hinerman, K., (2022). All in this together: The consultation model dissertation as a model for higher education and public education partnerships. Roundtable presentation at the 2022 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference, Denver, CO.
Young, J. K., Hinerman, K., Hewitt, J., & *Hubbard, B. (2023). Bridging the gap: Using dissertation teams to assist in continuous school improvement. Presentation at the 2023 Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration Mid-Winter Conference-Within-a- Conference, Austin, TX.
Young, J. K., & Sanchez, J. (2022). Publishing with ICPEL. Presentation at the 2022 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference, Denver, CO.
Young, J. K., Templeton, N., Wells, C., & Sanchez, J. (2023). Publishing with ICPEL. Presentation at the 2023 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Conference, Orlando, Fl.
Young, J. K. (2022). Navigating the whitewater: Time management and managerial leadership. Presentation for Texas A&M Commerce DILI Mini-Intensive, September 21, 2022.
Young, J. K. (2023). Opportunities for publication and journal reviewers. TCPEA Membership Engagement Committee virtual professional development presentation, January 17, 2023.
Young, J. K. (2023). Navigating the whitewater: Time management and managerial leadership. Presentation for Texas A&M Commerce DILI Mini-Intensive, September 28, 2023.
Young, J. K. (2024). Best practices and coaching students to develop research questions. Invited presentation to educational leadership faculty, January 8, 2024.
Publications (2022-2024)
Barton, J., Shelton, K., &Young, J. K. (2022). Producing college, career, and military readiness graduates: A study of efficiency in Texas public schools. School Leadership Review, 17(1), Article 8.
Decman, J., & Young, J. K. (2024, Winter). Things are not what the used to be. Insight: Texas Association of School Administrators Professional Journal, 38(4), 23-25.
Mullen, C. A. & Young, J. K. (In Press). Social justice advocacy through critical consciousness: A cultural dialogue with school leaders and teachers. In I. Bogotch & C. Shields (Eds.) Second International handbook of educational leadership and social [in]justice: Critical perspectives (pp.TBD, vol. TBD). Springer Publishing.
Young, J. K., & Decman, J. (2022, Spring). Better. Insight: Texas Association of School Administrators Professional Journal, 37(1), 25-28.
ICPEL & Professional Organizations
Below is a bulleted summary of my experiences with ICPEL and the larger profession:
National Council of Professors of Educational Administration/ International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership - Past President/Executive Board member (2021-2022)
- President (2020-2021)
- ICPEL Executive Board (Fall 2018 to 2022)
- Editor of Educational Leadership Review (2019-Present)
- NCPEA/ICPEL Morphet Dissertation Award Co-Chair/Chair (2013-Present)
- · Assistant Editor of Education Leadership Review (2016-2019)
· ICPEL Program Chair (2022)
· Recipient of Theodore “Ted” Creighton Publication Award (2023)
· Presenter at annual conference.
Texas Council of Professors of Educational Leadership - President (2022)
- Executive Board Member (2021-2023)
- Dissertation of the Year Award Committee (2019-Present)
- Editor of School Leadership Review (2018-Present)
- Webmaster/Communications (2022-Present)
- Awards Committee, Chair (2022-2023)
- Graduate Research Exchange Program Chair (2022)
- Southwest Educational Research Association
· Coordinate and co-host monthly webinars (2015-2018)
· Board Member (2015-2018)
· A/V chair for annual conference (2014-2018)
· Program co-chair for Division I: Educational Administration, Policy, Leadership and Program Evaluation (2013-2018)
· Discussant/reviewer for Conference (2011-2018)
Texas Association of School Administrators
· Higher Education Committee member (2022-Present)
· Chair, Member Engagement Sub-Committee (2022-2024)
Rational for Consideration
I am interested in serving as board member for a couple of reasons. First, in addition to being an active member for many years, serving as the chair of the Morphet Dissertation committee, the current editor for Educational Leadership Review, and a former executive board member and president, I have continuously sought ways to be involved with ICPEL and our field. Over the last couple of years, I have been using my creativity, organizational skills, and strong relational skills to grow our state organization, the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration, which has resulted in several important changes in how our organization has served the needs of our members and relates to our state’s professional organizations for school leaders. It has also resulted in continuous membership growth as we have expanded the benefits of membership to find ways to explicitly make membership matter. I believe having the opportunity to serve on the executive board for ICPEL would allow me to bring those same skills and attributes to the full benefit of ICPEL memberships and hopefully continue the good work begun by those who brought this organization to fruition. - Sonia Rodriguez