Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that affects over 34.2 million or 10.5% of the U.S. population and ranks as the seventh leading cause of death. Tennessee's diabetes prevalence rate is ranked 45th overall in the nation, with 14.9% of the population affected, and in the local area for this project, the rate is greater than 15%,…

Parents of individuals with autism face many challenges in accessing appropriate services and supports for their offspring. Parents also play vital roles in advocating for their offspring's rights and needs. Furthermore, despite advocacy programs becoming increasingly common, it remains unclear how to best foster advocacy among parents of…

There is a growing body of research documenting the impact of traumatic stress on child development, which has resulted in a call to action for trauma-informed practices as a priority, yet implementation within schools and training for educators is lacking (American Academy of Physicians,…

The purpose of this study was to discover the potential relationships between principals' special-education training and experiences and the academic growth of students with disabilities (SWDs). The study also investigated the differences between the academic growth of SWDs at schools where principals have completed a degree, minor, and/or…

Theory of mind (ToM) involves understanding others' thoughts and feelings and is related to language abilities. Individuals with communication disorders are at risk of ToM difficulties; however, little is known about speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') knowledge, perceptions, and educational preparation related to ToM.U.S.SLPs (N = 95) completed…

This study explores the perceptions of teachers regarding the effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI[superscript 2]) and Teacher Support Team (TST; also known as Student Support team) frameworks in West Tennessee. The research investigates various facets such as teachers' familiarity with TST and RTI[superscript 2], adequacy of training,…

This study investigates the perspectives of University Human Resource Administrators in Tennessee regarding the integration of generative AI technologies in higher education. Focusing on administrators within the College & University Professional Association for HR TN Chapter, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing pre- and…

Familiarity with local disability information and resources can impact the ways educators support students with disabilities and their families. We surveyed 462 educators regarding their awareness of and access to disability-related information and resources. Specifically, we examined (a) their familiarity with resources and services across…

Educators have been leaving the field of education at a high rate each year with no signs of slowing down. Tennessee, as well as many other states across the country, have started the school year with unfilled positions due to so many vacancies. Previous researchers found educators left due to an overwhelming workload paired with an escalation in…

Because schools are a customary location to conduct child abuse and neglect investigative interviews, this study examines survey results from 109 principals in Tennessee to determine if the Title I status of a school or years of experience as a principal predict awareness of DCS interview policies and an ability to accurately interpret policies…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how coteaching dyads perceive their coteaching relationships including how they implemented coteaching and how their school leaders supported them. Participants in this study were located in one county school system in East Tennessee. Data was collected through an online survey…

As young children encounter animal and plant life, they are eager to figure out where plants and animals come from, which plants are edible, and which animals like to eat different plants. Gardening experiences provide ample opportunities to explore how plants grow, what plants need to grow, how to care for plants, and how to harvest the edible…

In response to increasing demand for the need for highly effective teachers, numerous pathways to teacher certification have emerged. Consequently, teacher residencies as an alternative route to certification have grown in number and scale across the country. Due to the recent growth and expansion of teacher residencies, there is limited research…

We delivered to growers and Extension educators a workshop addressing good agricultural practices (GAP) for produce safety. To assess the workshop's effects as applicable to behavioral intervention theory, we studied past behaviors, behavioral intentions, and changes in knowledge. Workshop participants had been aware of but did not fully…

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine how novice special education teachers perceive administrative support during the first five years of teaching. This study was guided by the Cooperrider's appreciative inquiry (AI), and the Critical Systems theory (CST) conceptual framework. Purposeful sampling was used to select…