The systematic oppression of Black men and women throughout U.S. history has resulted in persistent unequal access to opportunity. U.S. leaders have long attempted to improve the outcomes of Black Americans through public policy. With nearly all key long-term measures--employment, wealth, incarceration, health--correlating with educational…

Measurement and statistical investigation are areas of mathematics visibly neglected in educational intervention research, particularly studies involving students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD). This shortage is concerning given the importance these areas hold in students' pursuit of mathematical proficiency. This study…

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, school buildings across the United States shut their doors and transitioned students and teachers to remote learning, most often utilizing internet-based technology to provide either asynchronous or synchronous lessons. I was a high school English Language Arts teacher in Stone Valley School District in…

This case study was an exploration into the digital distraction occurring in a 1:1 integrated American high school. Twenty-first century education allows students and teachers to navigate learning using digital resources (internet, social media, academic databases) via school-issued and student-owned mobile digital technology (laptops, tablets,…

This study explores the experience of teacher candidates and instructors in teacher education programs in California and Denmark. With both California and Denmark grappling with the way their current education system is or is not meeting the needs of the current population, this comparative study aims to better understand the dichotomy present.…

Measurement and statistical investigation are areas of mathematics visibly neglected in educational intervention research, particularly studies involving students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD). This shortage is concerning given the importance these areas hold in students' pursuit of mathematical proficiency. This study…

The teaching of mathematical modeling is limited in P-12 classrooms. Little is known in regards to how to support teachers to successfully enact modeling activities. Teachers do not always appreciate the value of modeling activities in mathematics learning and often feel unprepared to implement modeling in their classrooms. Teachers often struggle…

This dissertation consists of three papers. Online Learning, Offline Outcomes: Online Course Taking and High School Student Performance. This paper uses fixed effects models to estimate differences in contemporaneous and downstream academic outcomes for students who take courses virtually and face-to-face, both for initial attempts and for…

Prior research has established preservice literacy teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning are often misguided and/or overly-simplistic, yet limited work has examined in what ways their in-the-moment teaching decisions align or misalign with what they believe. This qualitative study used deductive analysis methods to: (1) Identify three…

Scientific modeling is a scientific practice that uses models to prepare elementary and middle school science teachers to engage students using scientific inquiry. Model-based inquiry (MBI) is a pedagogical teaching approach that engages students using scientific inquiry during scientific modeling. However, preservice teachers lack understanding…

This study examined the extent of perspective taking and language features represented in secondary students' text-based analytical writing. We investigated (1) whether perspective taking is related to writing quality, accounting for language features in writing; (2) whether students' English learner status is related to perspectives represented…

The first year of teaching is filled with many challenges. In Ohio Catholic urban elementary schools, those challenges are further intensified considering the requirements of knowledge and skills in cultural capital and classroom management for teacher and student success. The purpose of the phenomenological study is to explore the self-efficacy…

In 2015, Congress added a provision in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to help protect students from sexual abuse and misconduct in schools. ESEA Section 85461 requires states to have in place laws or policies that prohibit schools, local school districts, or state education agencies (SEAs) from…

This study sought to understand the societal and educational barriers African-American high school male teens encounter preventing the participation of organizations providing college and career training. This project utilized an exploratory sequential mixed-method study that included research-based surveys to measure developed individual and…

This correlational study sought to measure the relationships between sense of belonging and support received in peer mentoring programs for self-identified Latinx/a/o college students. Latinx/a/o college students faced discrimination, oppression, and marginalization in colleges and universities, which hinder their sense of belonging. There were…