The purpose of this study was to identify current institutional practices at two Hispanic-serving community colleges that may have caused attrition and affected retention among first-year Hispanic students. The objective was to determine which programs and services have been most effective at the respective community college campuses in assisting…

This quantitative study examined the science-related attitudes of middle school girls who attended a science-focused mentoring program and those of middle school girls who attended a traditional mentoring program. Theories related to this study include social cognitive theory, cognitive development theory, and possible selves' theory. These…

Mindfulness practices, used to focus and sustain attention, have been shown to promote school readiness, and to positively impact students' academic success. Yet, incorporating these practices into the normal school day has been difficult due to the curriculum changes and teacher training necessary for implementation and sustainable operation.…

This brief summarizes McKinney-Vento Act mandates for local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools. It includes additional explanation on two issues about which charter schools have frequently raised questions: transportation, specifically to and from the school of origin, and enrollment policies, which may create barriers for homeless students.…

The effects of a socially interactive robot on the conversational turns between four young children with autism and their mothers were investigated as part of the intervention study described in this research report. The interventions with each child were conducted over 4 or 5 days in the children's homes where a practitioner facilitated…

Community and technical colleges (CTCs) play an important role in producing baccalaureate degree graduates in Washington State. Baccalaureate degrees that build upon the professional-technical associate degree provide expanded opportunities for both graduates and employers by providing the upper-division coursework in an applied field. Programs…

How can you protect young people from the dangers of the internet, now that they are living increasingly hidden lives online? Cyber bullying, sexual harassment, cyber stalking--these are all risks that young people may face every day, and effective e-safety is more important than ever. This practical, hands-on resource will help you understand…

In conjunction with the relaunch of the Digital Learning Transition (DLT) Massive Open Online Course for Educatos (MOOC-Ed) in September 2013, the Alliance and the Friday Institute released "The Digital Learning Transition MOOC for Educators: Exploring a Scalable Approach to Professional Development", a new paper that describes the…

Yearly, approximately 100,000 former students who had an individual education program (IEP) when they left high school are contacted to participate in a post-school survey. Efforts are made to contact youth who represent a variety of disabilities, as well as, minority youth and those who left high school with a diploma or dropped out of high…

This research investigated pre-service secondary teachers understanding of the term viable argument a new term introduced with the Common Core Standards. The research investigated how they define and understand viable argument, how they construct arguments, and how they evaluate mathematical arguments. The research was conducted using…

Variations in educational policy outcomes have always been perceived as policy failures, and they are often associated with policymakers insensitivity to what is happening down at the grass roots level, and with implementers' inefficiency and non-compliance. Based on institutional theory, the nested layers theory in particular, and the Four…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand, interpret, and present the finding of how second year participants of the Teach for America (TFA) program perceived their professional needs from the mentor assigned to then within the school district and within the Teach for America program. The participants were Teach for…

This study investigated associations between enrollment in preschool special education and school readiness skills for children with mild to moderate delays. Findings indicated that on average, children who received preschool special education services had lower scores in reading and math in kindergarten than similar children who did not receive…

This dissertation addresses the need for critical assessment and evaluation of human rights education (HRE) programs and activities, especially newer initiatives that incorporate the use of digital information and communications technology (ICT). It provides an in-depth case study of the use of digital ICT in Amnesty International's HRE efforts,…

Considering the amount of funding that is distributed to educational research each year, leaders and policymakers have a vested interest in finding scientifically based evidence that answers causal questions regarding program effectiveness. The importance of program evaluation has long been recognized in many fields of research; however, the most…