Recent scholarship has suggested that evaluation is becoming increasingly institutionalized and entrenched in problematic discourses, leading to a narrowing of possibilities for evaluators to contribute to meaningful social change. At the same time, evaluation approaches which are grounded in values of social justice and equity are receiving…

Since at least the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (1983), the United States has used competition and top-down approaches in seeking student achievement in the country. Twenty years ago, to create a pathway for the lowest achieving schools in the country to have a clear path for improvement, the turnaround school movement was…

As the world contends with a global pandemic, climate catastrophes, white supremacy, coloniality, and concurrent genocides my attention splinters. In an act of futurity, or future making, I ask myself: "What is needed to move from this place toward softer, more liberatory futures?" This body of work finds its answer in exploring two…

This study is focused on exploring ways to disrupt imbalanced power dynamics in educational settings, specifically elementary schools. It includes reflections of the researcher's journey and experiences as a teacher in District of Columbia public and charter schools and how those experiences shaped who she became when she entered school…

Chronic absenteeism is a critical predictor for student achievement and high school graduation rates and helps to identify at-risk students. It is a significant challenge in the NYC public school system, driving inequitable outcomes for marginalized students. Since 2014, NYC public schools have used the community school model as an equity…

Critical whiteness scholars have described whiteness as a system of oppression that privileges White identities above others and perpetuates White supremacy. On the college campus, institutional, social, and historical norms reinforce the educational status quo and work together to maintain a system of whiteness that marginalizes Black students.…

This study examines the ways that school policies are understood and taken up by teachers. A review of the relevant literature suggests that much school policy, even that which is explicitly designed to ameliorate inequities that exist within schools and school systems, often have an inverse effect. It is also established that teachers, for many…

Special education eligibility determinations are decision making processes that involve multiple stakeholders who bring a variety of power, privilege, and influence that impacts the overall decision and trajectory of the evaluation team. Eligibility for special education is a prescriptive process outlined by federal and state regulations that…

First-year university students often encounter challenges related to academic success, with their ability to persist influenced by various factors, including their perception of themselves as leaders and their leadership competencies. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of higher education has evolved, necessitating a more…

In this dissertation, I investigate the learning of inclusive mathematics teaching as a process of mathematics teacher identity development. Current research on teacher learning in teacher education often uses situated perspectives that have contributed knowledge about the ways that contexts impact preservice teachers' learning of beliefs and…

Environmental stewardship and leave no trace educational programming promote a message of "nature/wilderness/outdoors" for all while also urging recreationists towards specific, responsible (i.e. permitted), and voluntary behaviors in outdoor public spaces. Yet notions of nature and wilderness, as well as the strategies employed to…

This IPA study examines how professional college writing tutors feel their role is understood and appreciated (or not). While writing tutoring is a hallmark service at many undergraduate institutions, there remains an incongruence between what tutors, professors, students, and administrators expect from the role. In order to bring more clarity to…

This study addressed the lack of empirical research that exists on the experiences of counselors in training who identify as trans or gender nonconforming (GNC). The literature that does exist paints a troubling picture of systemic oppression and othering (Blumer & Barbachano, 2008; Bryan, 2018; Carroll & Gilroy, 2002; Chan et al., 2018;…

Historically white institutions (HWIs) across the country are, in some way or another, working to address racial disparities within their organizations. As a part of campus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, DEI advocates work to examine ways to increase faculty and student recruitment and boost the retention of marginalized groups.…

Clinical supervision is an opportunity for supervisors to influence and shape the education of counselors-in-training. Exchanging feedback between supervisees and supervisors can be a challenging aspect of supervision and can have profound impact on the efficacy of supervision, the safety of clients, and the supervision relationship. Understanding…