Working as a teacher educator today means working under an ever-present regulatory gaze. Accountability mechanisms, including state program approval processes, have been layered resulting in complexity. External assessments have failed to provide the data needed to support continuous improvement. There have been calls for combining external and…

The intention of this dissertation in practice is to provide structure to a peer-to-peer mentoring program to improve the academic success of students, while building students' engagement and social emotional skills through connections and relationships within the school district. This study is situated in a rural school community with an…

People have long found comfort and support by interacting and sharing their lives with animals, and from this interest has led to a specific modality in human healthcare called Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI). One application of AAI in higher education has gained much attention in the past 10 years. University campuses are a setting where…

This qualitative case study explored the perspectives of teachers towards their professional development (PD) in a school with a high population of low-income students. The study focus was driven by critical theory with a unique application of attribution theory as a part of the data analysis. This moved the data analysis beyond simply a…

There is a grave need for additions to the school psychologist's toolbox to support students with intellectual disability (ID) and sexual trauma. These children are especially vulnerable to adverse life experiences overall and are at a particularly high risk of experiencing sexual abuse and resulting trauma. Children with ID are less likely to…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model for a career development program for entry-level student affairs (SA) women professionals based on the lived experiences of current mid-level SA professionals and senior-level SA professionals. As new women professionals pursue their careers in SA, they must navigate many barriers…

This study utilizes Wesleyan models of discipleship to design a model of resourcing churches to enable church planting and the creation of ecclesial communities by training identified laity for future leadership roles in a Methodist setting. This intervention allows for a small but formative sample of the means needed to recruit, equip, and form…

This dissertation investigates the "Competence Model for Environmental Education" (Kaiser, Roczen, & Bogner, 2008), a theoretical environmental-behavior change model, for use in the United States with elementary-aged students. Paper #1 tests two new instruments developed for use with the "Competence Model," the Expanded…

Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) endure adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other traumatic experiences at higher rates than their non-disabled peers. Staff who work with these students can experience compassion fatigue, contributing to staff attrition and burnout. Trauma-informed care practices show promise in…

This capstone details the process of developing a qualitative principal appraisal system for the Houston Independent School District (HISD). I employed observational research, in-person interviews, and historical data analysis to inform the envisioning, development, and implementation process. Using Semler's (1997) Systematic Agreement Framework,…

Academic advising has been researched and linked to student retention and completion in numerous studies. New state initiatives, legislative funding pressure, and financial aid changes have increased pressure on accurate, timely, and intrusive advising to increase timely graduation and student success. As academic advising played a vital role in…

Phishing has become a preferred method among cyber criminals looking to gain access to confidential information. Although most businesses and governmental organizations provide employees with some sort of cyber security training, there is a lack of research examining whether such training methods work to actually reduce susceptibility to…

This study sought to understand concerns and levels of use of a group of teachers in the process of developing a project-based learning (PBL) program, and the effect of a change facilitator on these processes. The research was guided by the following research questions: One, what are the concerns of teachers regarding the planning of a PBL…

This research presents an innovative means of gauging Systems Engineering effectiveness through a Systems Engineering Relative Effectiveness Index (SE REI) model. The SE REI model uses a Bayesian Belief Network to map causal relationships in government acquisitions of Complex Information Systems (CIS), enabling practitioners to identify and…

The purpose of this research was to gain insight into the decision-making factors, priorities and process used when adding sports to NCAA Division I institutions. The media often focuses on gender equity and financial parameters when discussing athletic decision-making, but this study seeks to go beyond speculation and add to intercollegiate…