This study explored the implementation of data driven decision making (DDDM) among superintendents to improve low-performing schools in the Western United States. Specifically, this study utilized the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework to understand superintendents' knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related…

Students with disabilities are faced with overwhelming challenges as they transition from high school to postsecondary education, careers, and independent living. Legislation has mandated that schools provide services for students with disabilities to prepare them for these transitions into adult life (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,…

Remedial education, also known as developmental education, college preparation courses, or skills courses, are usually offered by two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the United States to students deemed underprepared for college-level coursework. In sharp contrast with the prevalent offering of remedial courses in post-secondary…

Preschool is an important educational setting for child development, and problem behavior is a prevalent barrier within this setting. Preschool teachers have expressed the need for evidence-based classroom management interventions to address problem behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that…

Teachers' efforts to manage classroom social dynamics can have positive effects on students' social relationships. One way that teachers may seek to manage these relationships is through seating arrangements. In a randomized control trial, van den Berg, Segers, and Cillessen (2012) found that closer proximity in the classroom can reduce disliking…

Chronic health conditions in children and young people can have a significant impact on their ability to maintain engagement in school, education, and learning. While this functional limitation affects only about 1.6% of all children and young people, the absolute number is not inconsequential. In Australia, for example, the number is in the order…

Musical-aesthetic education represents an essential hallmark of schooling due to its substantial contribution to society and culture. As understood here, musical-aesthetic education means to make musical-aesthetic situations possible, resulting in musical-aesthetic experiences. In his recently published postdoctoral philosophical thesis from…

This dissertation consists of three essays at the intersection of higher education and inequality within the field of economics of education. The first essay estimates the effects of adopting an instructional approach blending online and in-person elements called the emporium model in remedial college courses. Under this model, students complete…

This report describes how rural districts navigated school closures due to the COVID- 19 pandemic in Spring 2020. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 out of 49 districts in New York and Ohio that were part of the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN). The majority of interviews took place when schools were…

Introduction: The present study examined the efficacy of the universal prevention version of the Coping Power Program in reducing behavioral and emotional problems and in promoting prosocial behaviors in middle-school classrooms. Methods: The study used a randomized control study design; and the sample included 839 middle-school Italian youths…

We describe the production of an educational game ("Catastrophic") for supporting biology learning in higher education (HE) that was developed through a partnership between students and academic staff. We consider the ways in which the development project intersects with the use of game-based learning in HE and with Students as Partners…

Background: Chronic disease management constitutes a special challenge in the United States due to deficiencies in the healthcare system. Chronic disease self-management (CDSM) using technology and gaming principles is a promising way to overcome these challenges. Yet, there are few disease-specific apps to benefit the populations likely to…

Middle school teachers without level-specific certification, preparation, and training from universities lack foundations for best practices in connecting students with course material. Foundations include recognizing the educational, emotional, and social needs of early adolescents. The three-pronged purpose of this qualitative instrumental case…

Although the promise of universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs enhancing student academic outcomes has captured public attention, there has been limited research regarding such programs' impact on students' state test scores. We used multilevel modeling of follow-up data from a multiyear, multisite cluster-randomized efficacy trial to…

Although the promise of universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs enhancing student academic outcomes has captured public attention, there has been limited research regarding such programs' impact on students' state test scores. We used multilevel modeling of follow-up data from a multiyear, multisite cluster-randomized efficacy trial to…