This paper considers recent efforts to conduct experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of career and technical education programs. It focuses on understanding the counterfactual, or control population, for these program evaluations, discussing how the educational experiences of the control population might vary from those of the treated…

Discussions surrounding incarcerated juveniles, education programs, and recidivism are difficult to find. In fact, gathering data is incredibly difficult in juvenile facilities because of high turnover rates and difficult of obtaining permission to conduct studies in juvenile facilities (Calderone, Bennett, Homan, Dedrick, & Chatfield, 2009;…

The purpose of this study was to understand two things. One was understanding the similarities and the differences among Curriculum & Instruction PhD programs through their curriculum, and whether those programs are comparable or not; Second was to understand the meaning of the quality of education based on academic rankings, and the…

Functional communication training (FCT) is highly effective in reducing challenging behavior and increasing appropriate communication in children with developmental disabilities. However, the challenging behavior may re-occur following successful treatment with functional communication training when the functional communication response contacts…

A small rural university in the southern United States was unsure if its first-year student information literacy (IL) program was effectively preparing its rural students for the university's IL learning goals. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the IL program is effective for rural students. Carol Kuhlthau's Information…

Professional development is a critical part of implementing new instructional strategies. Despite its importance, little information is available explaining if and how professional development motivates teachers' instruction. This qualitative descriptive study examined what influences teachers' motivation to implement STEM instructional…

This purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore teacher knowledge of cultural proficiency as it relates to student achievement in a large, North Texas school district. In addition, the case study investigated teacher attitudes toward and perceived barriers to implementing a district cultural proficiency initiative. The following…

The purpose of this study was to determine the Leader in Me's effectiveness as an influence on academic achievement in reading and mathematics for elementary students in a school district in Central Texas. The Reading and Mathematics State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores of 748 first-graders provided data to determine if…

Even though teacher identity is an important part of becoming a teacher, many teacher candidates and beginning teachers struggle to acquire a clear sense of who they are as a teacher. A sense of identity provides the professional with a sense of purpose and job satisfaction, the absence of which can result the teacher in leaving the profession or…

Effective preceptor-guided clinical orientation programs (PGCOP) help new graduate nurses (NGNs) across the theory-practice gap to provide safe, effective, and efficient patient care. This constructivist-designed qualitative program evaluation study explored NGNs' and preceptors' perceptions of a local hospital's PGCOP as an effective transition…

A classroom physical activity break is any physical activity done in the classroom. It can take place at any time and occur in one or several brief periods during the school day. It includes integrating physical activity into academic instruction as well as providing breaks from instruction specifically designed for physical activity. Classroom…

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach programs are one of the many tools currently utilized to grow the appreciation of STEM in young minds. The hope behind these outreach efforts is to ensure a future workforce of Scientist and Engineers. A great bolstering of the ranks is needed due to the continuous decline in the…

This study examined the ramifications of the skill gap and the ways in which it can be mitigated. It touches upon numerous facets of employability, such as the skills needed and the strength or weakness of a university's curriculum. The stark differences between how employers perceive recent graduates and the ways in which graduates perceive their…

Childhood poverty is a prevalent concern in the United States and is associated with poor psychological and academic outcomes. Psychosocial stressors associated with life in poverty may interrupt the development of a positive self-concept, ultimately hampering the academic achievement of children in poverty. As the therapeutic objectives of…

This program evaluation of the University of Pittsburgh EdD program was conducted to determine potential changes and modifications to create a more successful EdD program. The study had three purposes. The first was to determine how the Foundations and Practitioner Inquiry courses were structured to accommodate areas of concentration (ARCOs) and…