School counselors serve students' academic, career, and social/emotional needs through a comprehensive school counseling program, and center their work on concepts of equity, advocacy, social justice, and systemic change, to remove barriers and increase opportunities for all PK-12 students. Charter schools are also unique public school settings as…

Throughout the United States, the makeup of our student population continues to change, growing more diverse where our teaching populations grow stagnant and consist of White women. Can teacher preparation programs do more to meet the needs of their evolving student population? Unfortunately, few studies on teacher preparation programs can refute…

The longstanding call to prioritize science education has gained momentum, particularly with the noticeable changes aligned with reform-era practices. This quantitative study explored the relationship between policy, time allocation, and teacher practices in elementary science education, guided by constructive learning theory as the theoretical…

There are considerable challenges experienced by female South Sudanese refugees to access post-secondary education in the United States. Although these challenges are many, but little was known about their experiences to access and enroll into US post-secondary education. There has been a significant lack of research on how South Sudanese female…

This study explored the experiences of White women working in higher education and their capacity and willingness to participate in allyship behavior towards diversity, equity, and inclusion changes on campus. White women may utilize their majority social identity to become allies for and advocates of multicultural competence and understanding on…

This study examined the ways school counselors adapted their roles and responsibilities to address African American students' pandemic-related challenges and concerns. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) aligns with the constructivist foundation of this research and was the method of data analysis. Twenty school counselors participated, from…

This study explores the queer history of the University of North Dakota from 1980 to present day and demonstrates how LGBTQ+ student activism lead to the development of LGBTQ+ programs and services at the University. Situated in a socially and politically conservative state, the University of North Dakota provides an understanding of how LGBTQ+…

School counselors are positioned as leaders to be effective advocates promoting access and equity for all students. Public arena advocacy requires collective action and collaboration with stakeholders and elected officials. Multiple barriers exist for school counselors who advocate for students at a systemic level. Additionally, there is a lack of…

Decades after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka in 1954, the push continues to make schools a safe and welcoming environment for Black and Brown students. Black students in particular are continuing to be oppressed and marginalized in PK-12 educational settings. Accounting for…

This research seeks to understand how secondary science students make space for themselves in the classroom. Specifically, this study examines the interplay between classroom structures and students' agentic negotiations while identifying the relationship between students' enacted agency and their authored science identities by drawing from a…

This dissertation, "A Need to Teach Differently: Storied Experiences of Transformative Educators in Nigerian Special Education," explored the narratives of educators who have significantly impacted the special education landscape in Nigeria. The study aimed to highlight the motivations, challenges, and transformative practices of these…

Quality physical education, pivotal for the development of physical, social, and emotional skills for an active and healthy lifestyle (Society of Health and Physical Educators [SHAPE] America, 2014; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2021), has been globally marginalized, necessitating a heightened focus on…

Since culturally relevant teaching was first introduced by Ladson-Billings in 1994, American schools have become even more racially and ethnically diverse, and post-COVID revealed a wider performance gap between Black and Hispanic students compared to White students. What is less clear is how culturally responsive school leaders are standing up…

This qualitative, multi-case study investigates veteran, dual-language teachers in urban elementary schools in the Southwest United States and how these teachers manage to continue teaching despite education "reforms" that have contributed to increased attrition among their peers. Each participant contributed qualitative data through a…

For many first-generation college students, the opportunity to participate in education abroad is an important part of college success, achievement, and growth. However, the opportunity may feel unattainable for some. This dissertation examined interviews with selected CSU administrators, a self-study of my work, and first-generation college…