The purpose of this study was to begin the work of closing the current research-to-practice gap for evidence-based practices (EBP) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study looked at the professional wisdom side of the EBPs for ASD through the eyes of the professionals in the field of education. It provides more insight into how the EBPs are…

Among researchers, educators, and other stakeholders in literacy education, there has been a growing emphasis on developing literacy pedagogies that are more responsive to the ways young people experience literacy in their everyday lives, which often make use of digital media and other technologies for exchanging meaning. This dissertation project…

Problem: There are many societal, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapsychic factors that prevent first-generation students from college success. Though researchers have discussed a plethora of factors that inhibit first-generation student success in the K-16 pipeline, there has been little research focused on the ways in which this group…

Development and implementation of promise scholarship programs has risen over the last 15 years, yet research into their effects on the higher education landscape has been relatively scarce. While researchers have mostly examined how these programs impact students and communities, they have neglected to study how promise programs impact…

This study explores the nature of collaboration between language students and technology developers while designing an application for language teaching. This project was part of a university course on language learning and teaching in technology-rich environments. An important aspect of the course was to help the university students to explore…

Empowering students to utilize science and mathematics to solve the world's problems is needed to prepare them for their future. To do that, science and mathematics teachers must know how to integrate engineering into their classrooms. In this chapter, we describe a novel museum-based field experience for novice science and mathematics teachers to…

Underlying all What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) products are WWC Study Review Guides, which are intended for use by WWC certified reviewers to assess studies against the WWC evidence standards. As part of an ongoing effort to increase transparency, promote collaboration, and encourage widespread use of the WWC standards, the Institute of Education…

In this dissertation, I explore, through qualitative means, the perceptions of parents related to discourse (what is said and not said) within formalized and required processes of special education. These processes are federal requirements that parents of children with disabilities or suspected disabilities encounter as their children progress…

Due to low student academic achievement, state and federal governments continue to implement educational mandates in the hopes of improving American schools and education. This trend continued in the state of Maine in which Governor LePage and the 125th Maine State Legislature in 2012 passed Public Law, Chapter 635, legislative document, (LD)…

The purpose of this study was to conduct an external program evaluation of a higher education teacher preparation program and its partnerships with local school districts using a mixed methods case study approach. A small regional, state-supported university's department of teacher education partnered with two local, high-poverty school districts…

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the most common compensation practices community colleges in the United States provided to faculty for online course development and delivery. Many community colleges provided compensation as an incentive for faculty participation in supporting their online learning initiatives; however, limited…

Hospital emergency rooms document approximately 500,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and adolescents aged 0-14 annually; these prevalence rates do not include those learners evaluated in primary care facilities nor those never evaluated by medical professionals. In this chapter, information on TBI and its effect on learners is…

School safety is a critical issue that has steadily gained more attention over the past two decades. High-profile school shootings like the tragic incident at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have reignited calls to address school security and behavioral health so that all students have access to a safe learning environment.…

Homelessness is a reality for many families with young children in the United States. In 2016, about a third of all people who stayed in a shelter were families with children, and nearly half of children served by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded emergency and transitional housing providers were age five or younger…

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effects of K-12 early career teacher participation in a mentoring or induction program as well as personal resiliency on intention to teach next year and still be teaching in five years. Teacher retention has been an issue for over 50 years and is one of the least understood issues in the…