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East Tennessee State University

Strategies and Processes that Promote Sustainability of Campus Laboratory Schools in the Twenty-First Century.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze patterns of institutional strategies and processes that promote the sustainability of laboratory schools housed and managed by institutions of higher education. First, a comprehensive analysis of the development, growth, decline, and current status of the laboratory school movement was conducted by means of a review of relevant literature. Next, an interview with the Director of the International Association of Laboratory and University Affiliated Schools (NALS) was conducted to gather information regarding the changing role of laboratory schools in the modern educational landscape of America. Subsequently, a survey of laboratory school directors was conducted to assess the current status of laboratory schools, examine the changing function of laboratory schools, and consider the effects of these changes. Open-ended interviews were conducted with laboratory school administrators whose schools had successfully transformed their mission to better serve the 21<sup>st</sup> century needs of their parent institutions and communities. Concurrently, document analysis was performed in order to triangulate findings with interview and survey data.</p><p>The data showed that laboratory schools were originally designed for the purposes of testing educational theories, developing innovative practices, and training teachers. Modern laboratory schools serve those same functions. They are clinical teaching facilities, demonstration facilities, research and development schools, and curriculum development centers. Their current and future challenges are: (1) to find innovative roles or niches that serve the diverse and sometimes divergent needs of their parent institutions and (2) ensure that staff have adequate resources (e.g., training, partnerships, and time) to fulfill those roles. Findings from this study describe schools that have failed and succeeded in undertaking complex change processes to promote sustainability.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation - unrestricted
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Educational Leadership
Year dc:date.issued
2009

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Blakely, April

Subjects

dc:subject × 9

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Copyright by the authors.

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1849
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-3201

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
East Tennessee State University
Base URL
dc.etsu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Blakely, April. Strategies and Processes that Promote Sustainability of Campus Laboratory Schools in the Twenty-First Century.. Dissertation - unrestricted thesis, 2009. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1849