Four recent University of Wyoming Department of Educational Leadership doctoral program graduates received top honors from the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association (NRMERA).
Liann Brenneman, Jayne Hellenberg, Margaret Hudson and Kim Miller presented their dissertation research at the NRMERA's annual conference earlier this month in Big Sky, Mont. Their dissertation, "Wyoming Teachers Perceptions of Teaching Quality: Effects of National Board Certification and Teacher Education Level," received the organization's most prestigious honor -- the Distinguished Paper Award.
The award is highly competitive and brings with it automatic acceptance at the Spring 2011 annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, a $500 travel stipend for the conference and priority consideration for NRMERA's journal, The Researcher.
Brenneman is the Albany County School District (ACSD) No. 1 principal at Spring Creek Elementary School; Hellenberg is the owner of "TALK" (literacy consulting firm) based in Longmont, Colo., Hudson is the ACSD No. 1 UW Laboratory School principal; and Miller is a Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education academic professional lecturer in the UW College of Education.
The four received their doctoral degrees in May, having completed a thematic dissertation, collaborating to conduct a study examining the relationship between National Board certification and teacher quality. Their dissertation was directed by Suzanne Young, UW College of Education associate dean and professor.
The UW Educational Leadership programs include degree and endorsement programs for school principals and superintendents designed to help graduates learn and apply the skills necessary for effective leadership for K-12 schools and higher education.
