The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore elementary school teachers' perceptions of their level of confidence and preparation for implementing Common Core State Standards in Alabama. The researcher used NVivo to identify common themes among the responses of the participants. The results of this study indicated five major themes:…

The effective delivery of interactive read-alouds to young children fosters language and literacy development. Such development is attainable only when students can read proficiently and on grade level, starting from pre-k and kindergarten. The effectiveness of read-alouds is highly dependent on how teachers interact with their students during the…

This qualitative narrative study explored the unique lived experiences of K-12 educators implementing the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), a professional development and reading intervention program in the Black Belt region of Alabama. The study involved purposeful sampling of 32 participants from 16 schools in that region, 8 schools excelling…

The purpose of the qualitative study was to discover instructional practices used by developmental math instructors that facilitate learning and academic success of students in developmental math courses at select community colleges in Alabama in order to generate improved instructional practices in the developmental education field. Emergent data…

In 2016, six of six American Nobel Prize winners in science were immigrants. The numbers of U.S. educated graduates who enter the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields have been on the decline, and policymakers and educators have continually sought new policies and programs to try resolve this problem with long-term…

The problem is that many general education teacher's face challenges with including students with ASD in general education classrooms due to the lack of training, resources, and support. These impotent outcomes have not been well document in the research-based literature. General education teacher's challenges of providing research based evidence…

The use of blended learning is fast becoming a practice used in public schools to address 21st century learning challenges. However, despite the growing use of instructional delivery models that blend online learning platforms with traditional instruction in brick and mortar classrooms, little is known about teachers' experiences with the…

The qualitative study explored the (a) self-identity and individual experiences of five African American female higher education administrators, (b) educational and background preparedness of each African American female administrator, (c) individual support mechanisms of each African American female administrator, (i.e., mentoring, community and…

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe how inmate students incarcerated in an Alabama Department of Correctional Services (ADOC) work release facility, and who are enrolled in a prison-based GED program, perceive the role of education in curtailing criminal activity among prisoners who are released back into society.…

The electronic medical record (EMR) is an information technology tool supporting the examination, treatment, and care of a patient. The EMR allows physicians to view a patient's record showing current medications, a history of visits from health care providers with notes from those visits, a problem list, a functional status assessment, a schedule…

Although dual enrollment and other programs that allow high school students to earn college credit are viable and beneficial, articulation is not being extensively utilized. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the articulation policy and its implementation between Alabama's high schools and two-year colleges. It was expected that…

In a rural Alabama school district, 38.46% of the students failed the reading portion of the high school graduation examination. While the teachers in the school district were trained to differentiate instruction according to ability and gender, the impact of gender-differentiated reading instruction was unknown. The purpose of this case study was…

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians are a segment of the original Creek Nation that avoided removal and remained in Alabama. This dissertation is a qualitative study designed to record oral histories of Poarch Creek people. Together the tribe and I collected and recorded oral histories from four generations of four Poarch Creek families. In addition,…

Nationwide, there is an emphasis on the performance and accountability of principals. School districts are looking at the use of principal evaluation as a tool for improving the performance of principals, planning professional development, and school improvement. The development of the Alabama Professional Education Personnel Evaluation (PEPE)…

Recruiters and marketers within the Alabama Community College System are tasked with increasing enrollment at their institutions. The methods of accomplishing this goal include traditional strategies as well as new and emerging ones. Unlike personnel at other institutions of higher learning, however, community college recruiters and marketers have…