{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/118745"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/118745","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Leadership Experiences of Community in State-Level Supplemental Virtual School Programs: A Qualitative Case Analysis","abstract":"The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. Two research questions were: (1) How do leaders in state-level supplemental virtual programs describe their experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community: (a) At the program level for faculty and staff? (b) At the program and course levels for students? (2) How can instructional and course design practices address barriers to virtual learning in order to facilitate an equitable learning environment for students of diverse backgrounds? This research contributes to the field of virtual leadership by representing leaders' perspectives and practices regarding how to cultivate a sense of belonging in the online community and how to address challenges with teaching and learning in this setting. This qualitative case analysis involved leaders from six state-level supplemental virtual programs in the United States. Data were gathered using a demographic survey, semistructured one-on-one interviews, and focus groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership in this setting. An online survey collected demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. Two research questions were: (1) How do leaders in state-level supplemental virtual programs describe their experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community: (a) At the program level for faculty and staff? (b) At the program and course levels for students? (2) How can instructional and course design practices address barriers to virtual learning in order to facilitate an equitable learning environment for students of diverse backgrounds? This research contributes to the field of virtual leadership by representing leaders' perspectives and practices regarding how to cultivate a sense of belonging in the online community and how to address challenges with teaching and learning in this setting. This qualitative case analysis involved leaders from six state-level supplemental virtual programs in the United States. Data were gathered using a demographic survey, semistructured one-on-one interviews, and focus groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership in this setting. An online survey collected demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Warnick, Sarah Katherine"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Mullen, Carol Ann"],"committee_members":["Wickham, Barbara Martin","Cash, Carol S.","Lowery, Charles L."],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-05-02","date_published":"2024-05-02","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:37Z","subjects":["leadership experiences","virtual schools","online instruction","online course design","culturally inclusive community","presence","barriers to equity"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:39631"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:39631","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/118745","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Mullen, Carol Ann"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Wickham, Barbara Martin","Cash, Carol S.","Lowery, Charles L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Warnick, Sarah Katherine"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2024-05-03T08:00:36Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-05-03T08:00:36Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-05-02"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["leadership experiences","virtual schools","online instruction","online course design","culturally inclusive community","presence","barriers to equity"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:39631"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/118745"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. 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Data were gathered using a demographic survey, semistructured one-on-one interviews, and focus groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership in this setting. An online survey collected demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. This research contributes to the field of virtual leadership by representing leaders' perspectives and practices regarding how to cultivate a sense of belonging in the online community and how to address challenges with teaching and learning in this setting. This qualitative case analysis involved leaders from six state-level supplemental virtual programs in the United States. Data were collected using a demographic survey and semistructured interviews. An online survey was used to collect demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Information related to the purpose and research questions was gathered through one-on-one interviews and group interviews. A comparison of leaders' perspectives offered insight into leadership approaches to building relationships and with problem-solving how to help students access online content in state-run virtual programs. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Education"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Leadership Experiences of Community in State-Level Supplemental Virtual School Programs: A Qualitative Case Analysis"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Mullen, Carol Ann"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Wickham, Barbara Martin","Cash, Carol S.","Lowery, Charles L."],"dc:contributor.department":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"dc:creator":["Warnick, Sarah Katherine"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2024-05-03T08:00:36Z"],"dc:date.available":["2024-05-03T08:00:36Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2024-05-02"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. 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Data were gathered using a demographic survey, semistructured one-on-one interviews, and focus groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of leadership in this setting. An online survey collected demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["The purpose of this study was to investigate leaders' experiences with developing a culturally inclusive community and equitable learning environment in six state-level supplemental virtual programs. This research contributes to the field of virtual leadership by representing leaders' perspectives and practices regarding how to cultivate a sense of belonging in the online community and how to address challenges with teaching and learning in this setting. This qualitative case analysis involved leaders from six state-level supplemental virtual programs in the United States. Data were collected using a demographic survey and semistructured interviews. An online survey was used to collect demographic data from 22 program leaders, of whom 21 from various backgrounds were purposefully selected for interviews: four executive leaders, seven directors of instruction, four curriculum leaders, two instructional designers, and four other program-area leaders. Information related to the purpose and research questions was gathered through one-on-one interviews and group interviews. A comparison of leaders' perspectives offered insight into leadership approaches to building relationships and with problem-solving how to help students access online content in state-run virtual programs. Twelve findings were identified, with six related to a culturally inclusive community and six pertaining to an equitable learning environment. The findings described how leaders built community at the program level for virtual employees and at the course level for teachers and students. Considerations for creating a shared sense of community included collaboration with colleagues, multiple staff roles, relationship building, frequent communication, teacher visibility, and some student anonymity. The findings also identified barriers to equity, including student access to online content, cultural representation, connectivity, device limitations, individual readiness, and support from a supervising adult. Leaders navigated some challenges through standards-aligned course design and instructional practices. Finally, a team-based approach to resolving technology issues and supporting individual learners' needs was found to help students access content and engage in their online courses."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Education"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:39631"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/118745"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["leadership experiences","virtual schools","online instruction","online course design","culturally inclusive community","presence","barriers to equity"],"dc:title":["Leadership Experiences of Community in State-Level Supplemental Virtual School Programs: A Qualitative Case Analysis"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:37Z"}