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NATIONAL FORUM OF APPLIED EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL

Volume 23, Numbers 1&2, 2009-2010

FOREWORD

STRATEGIC PLANNING USING THE WAYS OF KNOWING THROUGH THE REALMS OF MEANING By Queinnise Miller, PhD Student in Educational Leadership, Cohort 5 – PVAMU – The Texas A&M University System

About the Issue

The year 2004 marked the inception of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education at Prairie View A&M University.  Since then over 32 educational professionals have graduated and joined the academy of Doctors of Philosophy in Educational Leadership.  As the program grows each year new cohorts of educational professionals are established, and the future of research becomes brighter.  This special issue contains the thoughts and theories based on research  of  Cohort  5, as  it  relates  to  strategic  planning as a theoretical framework by utilizing  the Ways  of  Knowing Through  the Realms of  Meaning (2007) by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis.  These articles were a partial requirement for a course in the doctoral program taught by Professor Kritsonis.

In the first article, Queinnise Miller explores professional learning communities while taking a look at how they impact school improvement and their place in strategic planning in education.  In the second article, Rosnisha Stevenson discusses ways school districts can meet one of their goals on their campus improvement plan and increase their standardized test scores by using the six realms of meaning in the classrooms.  In the third article, Carmelita Thompson discusses ways in which strategic planning implemented by utilizing the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2007) creates a high performing educational organization.  In the fourth article, Barbara Thompson discusses significant aspects of the six realms of meaning as it relates to strategic planning in instructional leadership.  In the fifth article, Kashan Ishaq discusses how school leaders’ understanding of the six realms of meaning can be strategically integrated in solving the educational problems of today and improving the schools of tomorrow.  The sixth article, Christine Lewis discusses ways our educational leaders in public schools can incorporate the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis 2007) to take strategic planning from the modernism age to postmodernism age to improve our nation’s educational system.   In the seventh article, Tyrus Doctor discusses strategies used within our current school environment, while implementing postmodern thinking. In the eight article, David Palmer shows the linkage between the realms of meaning and strategic planning and to show how symbolics, empirics, esthetics, synnoetics, ethics and synoptics has an under pinning value to the planning that is required for successful schools.  In the ninth article, Sheri Miller-Williams introduces the concept of systems thinking and suggest two frameworks that could work to support comprehensive school reform. In the tenth article, Simone Gardiner discusses how postmodernism and the realms of meaning can be implemented in students’ learning with the use of strategic planning.  In the eleventh and final article, Demetria Diggs apprises educators of how incorporating the six realms from the Ways of Knowing Tthrough the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2007), into school improvement and strategic plans to yield avant-garde results for all educational stakeholders.            (Over)…

Cohort 5 at PVAMU sincerely appreciates the opportunity to publish in the National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal. We thank the National Policy Board representing all National FORUM Journals for their confidence in our work. To be published as doctoral students in a national refereed journal is professionally rewarding. We thank our professor Dr. William Allan Kritsonis for providing outstanding mentorship in guiding us in our writing pursuits.

Queinnise Miller

PhD Student in Educational Leadership – Cohort 5

Prairie View A&M University

Teacher

Alief Independent School District

National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal

Volume 23, Numbers 1&2 2009-2010

Issue Distribution and Circulation (Approximations)

Issue Distribution Libraries……………………………..    948

Association of College and Research Libraries……   383

Deans, College of Education …………………………….   396

NCATE Accredited Institutions…………………………     632

Selected Professors……………………………………….  1,289

State Superintendents……………………………………        52

Editors of National, Regional, State Journals………….  95

School Superintendents/Principals/Supervisors…2,005

Bureaus of Educational Research Services……………243

Conference Distribution…………………………………       279

National Organizations………………………………….       104

International Distribution/Worldwide…………………  641

2,839 Circulation