Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly stigmatized health conditions, exhibiting significant disparities in prevalence at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities (Eisenberg et al., 2022; Jones et al., 2021; Wakeman & Rich, 2018). This pervasive stigmatization represents a profound social injustice and public health crisis,…

The U.S. Surgeon General defines determinants of health as "the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status" (Donatelle, 2019). These determinants encompass various health goals but despite them, health-related issues persist across the population, indicating a need for comprehensive…

This dissertation examines the perceptions of Texas principals regarding how adequately they felt their preparation program trained them for the principalship. Across the U.S., variations in curricula and preparation exist in principal preparation programs. Varied preparation result in leaders who are not prepared to face the demanding challenges…

The purpose of the exploratory case study was to examine the perceptions of mentees and how they receive a mentorship program and its perceived effectiveness for novice teachers at a high-poverty elementary school. The theory guiding this study was by Katz, which focused on the four dimensions of training for preschool teachers. The approach…

People with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities require extra supports to have fulfilling life experiences. The problem in practice experienced by the postsecondary school was the nature and extent of supports required for individuals with intellectual disabilities to fully participate in daily life activities. The purpose of this study was…

This qualitative phenomenological study collected the first-hand narrative experiences of emerging introverted leaders and explored the impact of leadership coaching on their development of communication skills and leadership presence. Two semistructured interviews were conducted to develop the description of the leader and collect their…

The mixed methods study aimed to measure the impact professional development programs have on STEM professionals' job satisfaction and organizational commitment, specifically, through the level of participation in the professional development program, and employees' perceived effectiveness of said professional development program. Four research…

Upon identifying a problem of practice centering on students and staff alike focusing on points and grades instead of learning, a small team of teachers were assembled to participate in a cycle of inquiry. The purpose of this cycle of inquiry was to research and test the effectiveness of an intervention related to assessment. The team selected a…

Many middle school students come to Computer Science (CS) classes without any previous CS instruction or any Computational Thinking (CT) skills that are needed to be successful. To overcome this, many curriculums and programming environments have been used to engage students and to instill a love of CS. Which curriculum should be used to develop…

The role of a school leader is an important one that has a significant impact on the school. To address this, some school districts have created an internal program that aims to develop potential school leaders. The purpose of this program evaluation is to explore the extent to which a local school district's Aspiring Administrators Academy can…

Completion of a college degree has been highlighted as a prerequisite for opportunity (Obama White House Archives, February 24, 2009); necessary for a strong economy (Koropeckyj, et al., 2017). Yet, the rate of completion in the United States remains lower than desired, directing focus toward efforts to promote student success and degree…

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a complex, life-preserving treatment for unstable patients who require hemodialysis in the intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses responsible for managing the CRRT machine in this large academic medical center's cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) complete a one-hour basic training course focused on…

With research supporting that teachers have the greatest effect on student achievement, it is imperative that highly qualified teachers are retained while new teachers are recruited to the profession. The purpose of this mixed-methods inquiry was to focus on a year-long onboarding process to see the effect on the retention of first-year beginning…

A significant teacher shortage exists across the United States due to factors ranging from accountability policies for the performance growth of students, the overwhelming workload due to teacher shortages, and the lack of competitive salaries that other professions offer. Consequently, state officials have introduced and implemented changes to…

The proposed work focused on the development and feasibility of a project aiming to introduce college readiness skills to youth who were in the foster care system in order to increase their perception of self-efficacy in an educational setting. With this increase in self-efficacy, foster youth who are generally disadvantaged when attaining and…