Early intervention is a method institutions use to identify and support students who are having academic difficulty and might be designated as "at-risk", or more likely to leave an institution (Villano et al., 2018). Institutions often adopt early alert systems to support early intervention efforts and student retention (Barefoot et al.,…

Freshman orientation programs are essential in facilitating the successful transition of high school students to college. At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), these programs have become essential for supporting and advising students as they begin their academic journey. However, the extent to which faculty members of freshman…

In the United States, 44.7 million individuals carry student loan debt (Bustamante, 2020). Female students borrow money at higher rates than males (Qian & Fan, 2021). First-generation students borrow more than students whose parents attended college (Redford & Hoyer, 2017). Therefore, female first-generation students carry the highest…

This qualitative, improvement science, autoethnographic case study aims to examine a unique perspective on rural research through the lens of place-conscious leadership. With an identified problem of inequity in advanced-level course offerings, which resulted in lost student opportunities and student attrition to neighboring schools, the…

Environmental education has an important role in higher education institutions as it leads to understanding the importance of sustainability, thus creating a positive impact on students. This impact extends beyond the classroom, inspiring them to actively engage in environmentally responsible behaviors and become conscientious stewards of our…

Educator preparation programs design their coursework and field experiences to help future teachers with knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively teach mathematics. However, implementation of mathematical pedagogy and content has been seen as challenging for many school systems. Elementary and middle school teachers' experiences in their…

The phenomenological study explored how effectively the MTSS process was implemented pre-COVID and post-COVID based on participants' lived experiences. The participants were educators with 10+ years of experience who shared their perspectives about the MTSS process before, during, and after COVID. The participant interviews revealed that many…

Transitioning adult education students to post-secondary programs and community college requires deliberate intervention and support services. This dissertation study was part of a larger action research study aimed at increasing transitions to college for non-traditional adult students by providing support and resources to adult education…

The problem that drives this study is that, although there is significant research showing positive outcomes from social emotional learning (SEL), many schools still struggle to effectively implement and support SEL (Dix, Slee, Lawson, & Keeves, 2012). The purpose of this study is to understand how school leaders interpret their lived…

Special education teachers are tasked with meeting the unique academic, social, vocational, and communication needs of students with extensive support needs. However, studies have shown that pre-service special education teachers vary in their preparedness to address the needs of students with extensive support needs who also have complex…

The Anatomy Outreach Program (AOP) at The Ohio State University aspires to enhance anatomical knowledge and appreciation of the human body through interactive laboratory experiences. In May 2022, the AOP held a 3-day outreach event called Anatomy Outreach Days (AOD). AOD exposed more than 300 high school students across Ohio to various human…

The student teaching experience is often an important capstone experience of teacher preparatory programs. Student teaching is designed to provide college students who are preparing to be educators with experience in an actual classroom while supervised by a certified teacher. The purpose of this study was to determine preservice teachers'…

Teacher turnover is an issue not only in the state of Idaho but across the nation. This study examined the attrition outcomes of 6,572 beginning teachers in Idaho that were trained in one of four types of teacher preparation programs and started teaching between the 2014-15 and 2019- 20 school years. Teachers in the ABCTE preparation program were…

This mixed methods study addresses special education teachers' (SETs) knowledge and beliefs about specially designed instruction for reading, individualized education program (IEP) development, and aspects of future professional development opportunities that are supportive on these topics. Special education teachers are the primary authors of the…

Objective: In 2009, the Kentucky General Assembly found unacceptable and costly the ongoing high numbers of high school students requiring remediation once they enter higher education. The state passed legislation to better align secondary and college education, establishing a diagnostic cycle that would become its Targeted Interventions (TI)…