This mixed methods study was designed for two purposes: (1) to provide district and campus leaders data about the effectiveness of how the studied district's READ 180 and System 44 literacy intervention programs were implemented, and (2) to assess the programs' impact on student outcomes to determine whether the district was meeting literacy goals…

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher and administrator perceptions of teacher evaluation system modeled after "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching" (Danielson, 2007). It is universally agreed that teachers are the most significant variable to student educational outcomes. Extensive research has been…

Modern-day educators often share a sense they lack voice and agency with school administration. A classic example is curriculum development, where third-party designers develop uncontextualized curricula, and teachers then must implement the design even if inefficient and ineffective. What happens if this identical situation occurs at the program…

Educators are faced with increased accountability and decreased funding. This means that school districts must carefully determine how they can best invest their limited resources. Informed decisions that serve the best education interests of the students should be the practice of all schools. One small, rural school district has invested…

Studies in the current research paradigm follow a pattern of pre-exhibit activities, in-exhibit monitoring and post-exhibit test to evaluate learning and program effectiveness in museums. These efforts helped identify some important factors correlative to learning, but little is known about how exhibits are designed in a way that space, materials…

The 21st century world is increasingly globalized and interconnected, and migration is a reality that substantially impacts the US educational system, and often requires specialized services for migrant students to successfully transition to higher education. While higher education has many benefits, it also presents inherent risks and challenges…

The University Center Model was designed to serve as an option for attainment of baccalaureate and master's degrees by making 4-year institutions accessible through partnerships with a community college. This model has been prevalent on select community college campus for almost 20 years, with little research to substantiate the effectiveness of…

There is a gap in research focusing on how leaders implement complex policies such as Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). To address this gap, this phenomenological case study examined school leaders' perceptions of their roles as leaders…

Transitioning from high school to the real world is a difficult issue for students with disabilities. Special education students may get lost not knowing what their future holds. Special education teachers are most times challenged in the process of linking transition plans to academic Individual education plan(IEP) goals. The problem addressed by…

Since 2000, school-based mentoring programs have become a popular intervention for students who are struggling in school. The goals of school-based mentoring programs target the reduction of office visits and tardiness, while working to increase grades and social development. Past research includes recommendations for more qualitative examinations…

This dissertation investigates shifts in the languages ideologies of four Latina English-Spanish dual language teacher candidates (DLTCs) over four quarters in a Teacher Education Program (TEP) and bilingual endorsement. The goal was to determine whether any ideological shifts aligned with the goals of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) or…

Individual readiness assurance tests (iRATs) are frequently graded in team-based learning (TBL) classrooms, with the goal of incentivizing individual pre-class preparation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether shifting to an ungraded iRAT process affects student preparation and learning, as measured using assessment scores, and…

Student support services are critical to a student's university experience and success. The main purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore pre-service teachers' lived experiences with student support services and the implications for retention at a particular teacher training institution in Jamaica. Ten final-year Jamaican…

The purpose of this mixed methods dissertation is to examine the impact of the Professional Learning Community Continuous Improvement Model (PLCCIM) on school-based instructional coaches (SBICs) within a large school district in one of the nation's southeastern states. The effect of the implementation, along with coaches' perceptions, was measured…

The country is facing infrastructure crises simultaneous with a labor shortage in fields related to construction management and engineering. These challenges necessitate better and quicker preparation of the incoming workforce so they are prepared to take on responsibilities with more skill and efficiency than has been expected previously.…