The purpose of this case study was to examine policies and procedures used by high school leaders that positively impact the access and participation of African American students in Advanced Placement courses. The research targeted the chronic and persistent problem of underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in secondary school Advanced Placement…

This action research study used data from multiple assessments in Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism to determine the viability of Modeling Instruction as a pedagogy for students in AP Physics C: Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism. Modeling Instruction is a guided-inquiry approach to teaching science in which students progress through…

This dissertation is a qualitative, single case study of an international school in Brazil that explores how school administrators and teachers conceptualize international mindedness, and how it is developed within the curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. I provide a rich description of the context, developing four themes…

In a school district with over 60% of the school population African American and Hispanic, it would seem judicious to believe the gifted, talented, and high ability programming would similarly represent these populations. Yet, based on the findings of this study, the representation of African American and Hispanic students in these programs is…

This study examined an International Baccalaureate school that has been able to perform at a high level on state accountability measures while integrating 21st Century skills into the curriculum through a clearly defined organizational model. This study was designed to examine the manner and extent to which an International Baccalaureate School…

This study investigated how university officials at five public universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia responded in the aftermath of a law concerning credit policies for International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. Mandated by the Code of Virginia § 23-9.2:3.8, this policy is unique in the area of AP and IB…

This qualitative case study addressed the problem of teachers at an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) site attempting a change to instructional practice without participation in a site-embedded professional development plan specifically designed to support a change in practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the…

The 21st century learner resides in an advanced global society that is led by the waves of the economy, advances in the technological world, concern around our safety and security, as well as demographical changes (Carver & Markatos-Soriano, 2007). The trends suggest education needs to equip students with the attitudes that promote respect for…

Although the United States resettles more refugee students than any other country, little research examines the ways that schools in the United States prepare these students to participate in their political community. At the same time, a growing number of schools serving refugee students are adopting curricula with a global focus. This research…

The purpose of this qualitative, explanatory multiple-case study was to examine the perceptions of staff members at two Southern California high schools as they related to the disparate participation in advanced academic programs by ethnic and racial minority and economically disadvantaged students as compared to their White and economically…

This case study explored Advanced Placement open enrollment programs in New Mexico in an attempt to identify mechanisms embedded within the implementation practices which possibly prevent the equitable enrollment of students of color. Advanced Placement (AP) courses have become a gate-keeper in competitive college admissions. Therefore, a study of…

Helping teachers to effectively use culturally relevant instructional practices can help the educational community close the literacy gap for African American males. This study examines effective secondary English teachers and their high achieving African American male students. Using critical race and sociocultural theories as a conceptual…

This case study examined the relationships between the programmatic features of service learning and student willingness to participate in and development during a service learning opportunity in the secondary, Social Studies classroom. The sample included two sections of Advanced Placement Psychology which consisted of 58 junior and senior…