Samuel F Fancera

Professor • Educational Leadership and Professional Studies

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Dr. Fancera joined the faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership & Professional Studies after spending 16 years in NJ public schools as a principal (nine years), supervisor (two years), and teacher (five years). He holds the rank of Assistant Professor and serves as Director for the MEd in Educational Leadership and the School Principal Certificate programs. Dr. Fancera enjoys his role in preparing future school leaders and is proud of the work program graduates do to improve school and student level outcomes. Dr. Fancera also teaches research design and methods courses in the Doctor of Education in Leadership program, and he works with doctoral candidates to develop, design, and conduct their dissertation research. He invites you to connect with him on Twitter: @SamFancera

Professional Interests

Dr. Fancera's scholarship is focused on school leadership in general. More specific lines of inquiry include the principal's role in professional development & learning, positive psychology in schools, the utility of state-level data sets for school leaders, and leadership preparation.

Degrees

EdD Educational Theory, Policy, & Administration, Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ

MEd Educational Theory, Policy, & Administration, Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ

MS Exercise & Sport Sciences, University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

BA Biology, Kean College Union, NJ

Specialization

School leadership; principals; K-12 schools

Licenses and Certifications

Certificate of Eligibility 06/30/2010
School Administrator CE, NJDoE State

Standard Certificate 07/31/2010
Principal, NJDoE State

Standard Certificate 05/31/2005
Supervisor, NJDoE State

Standard Certificate 06/30/2003
Teacher of Physical Science, NJDoE State

Standard Certificate 06/30/2002
Teacher of Biological Science, NJDoE State

Representative Publications

School leadership for professional development: The role of social media and networks; Leadership for Professional Learning: Perspectives, Constructs and Connections; Routledge; 2023

The role of context on leadership transition: Building to district-level leadership; , Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership; 2022
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1108&context=joel

Preparation, expectations, and external school contexts: Navigating the COVID-19 school closures; , Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership; 2021
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/joel/vol6/iss3/2

A scale to measure school leaders’ use of Twitter for professional development and learning; , NASSP Bulletin; Volume 105, 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01926365211008990

School leadership for professional development: The role of social media and networks; , Professional Development in Education; Volume 46, 2020
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19415257.2019.1629615

Representative Presentations

Professional learning via Twitter in global citizenship education: Considerations for school leaders
Leadership for Professional Learning Hybrid Symposium International Professional Development Association
Dublin, 2022

Professional development and learning in a Quebec global citizenship education course
Leadership for Professional Learning Hybrid Symposium International Professional Development Association
Dublin, 2022

School leaders’ use of Twitter for professional learning
Leadership for Professional Learning Symposium International Professional Development Association
, 2021

External school contexts and the COVID-19 school closures
International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership 2020 Virtual Conference
, 2020

A measure of school leaders’ use of Twitter for professional development
International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership 2020 Virtual Conference
, 2020

Awards and Honors

Nominated for Excellence in Educational Leadership Award
University Council for Educational Administration
04/01/2012

Reward School, Indiana Avenue School #18, Woodbridge Township School District, Woodbridge, New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Education
04/01/2012

Dissertation Proposal Award
Delta Xi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, Rutgers University
04/01/2008

Media

PDiE Author Interview
https://strath.zoom.us/rec/play/TZ1OcGZ6BPuFQsOn_1Cv5-hNbsL_sb6btYMuLQmBelQleerXsd3QP1I3EvLpNFYIICNuDbKziRKloPP6.XJ1fA3vlzkbL-gXE?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=JDdJC6cRRqumxqiIVBDZ4w.1624882689687.5dad7928f26efb9ae68488e458157a5c&_x_zm_rhtaid=79
A short interview with a number of authors, whose articles have recently been published in PDiE and the focus of these conversations is leadership within technology enhanced professional learning spaces.

Fellowships, Grants and Research

Fostering pathways for STEM teachers and leaders
Grant

The professional development and learning landscape for urban and rural teachers and administrators: Factors to consider for the post pandemic era
Grant

Notable Courses Taught

Spring 2023
EDLP 6110 Problems in Practice: Legal & School Centered Issues
EDLP 6131/6134 Internship in Educational Leadership
LEAD 7901 Leader Learner Community

Undergraduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions

International Students

Administration

Faculty and Staff