The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) has long been concerned about the educational success of students, particularly underrepresented groups of students. As part of its Creating Pathways to Educational and Economic Opportunity in Urban Colleges and Universities project (the Pathways Project), CIC organized 19 institutions, nine in urban and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of urban students in Central Alabama with high self-efficacy who have dropped out of school to pursue a GED. This study: (a) provided a platform that gave voice to students to share their lived experience as they made the decision to drop out of high school, (b) identified the character…

This dissertation explores fifth and eighth grade students' interpretations of three kinds of mathematical representations: number lines, the Cartesian plane, and graphs of linear functions. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, I administered the paper-and-pencil Linear Representations Assessment (LRA) to examine students'…

In the fall of 2009, Michigan State University (MSU) implemented a new policy regarding reports of undergraduate academic dishonesty. Under the new system, instructors are required to submit an academic dishonesty report for any student that they penalize for violations of academic integrity, and these students are placed into a remediation class…

The lack of women represented in high level student affairs positions has been documented in the literature (Ting & Watt, 1999). The literature suggest that an existing pool of qualified, experienced women is present on university campuses, but has yet to be tapped to enhance the gender diversity at senior administrative level positions (King…

Sabbaticals have long been linked to higher education institutions and their employees. Sabbaticals have been granted for the development and respite of employees teaching classes and conducting research. However, sabbaticals are not just limited to faculty at colleges or just linked to education. A number of businesses have also turned to…

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system industry accounts for $8.8 billion annually. Enterprise resource planning systems are not performing as expected due to implementation barriers, changes in job responsibilities, and access to information; 50% of all information technology failures are due to the implementation of ERP systems. Guided by…

This qualitative multi-case study identified institutional structures and assessment processes that support general education learning outcomes assessment initiatives at three community colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission under the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). In support of this purpose, data collection involved…

To receive National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)/National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation, Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs must meet the six NASPE standards (NASPE, 2009). The NASPE/NCATE regulations ensure PETE programs provide a curriculum aligned with NASPE.…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of two male students and their teacher who participated in a Teacher Cadet Program over the 2010-2011 academic year. The qualitative case study took place at the Royal Fern High School (RFHS) (pseudonym) in Cypress Grove County (pseudonym), located outside of Charleston, SC. The…

This research focuses on a cohort of pre-service elementary teachers and their perspectives with respect to the knowledge required for teaching science and mathematics at the beginning and end of their first academic year in a teacher preparation program. An activity, designed to emphasize the differences between factual/procedural knowledge and…

Data generated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from the 2010 census indicates that out of four million children born in the United States "approximately 36,500 children will eventually be diagnosed with an [Autism Spectrum Disorder] ASD" ("http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html"). The process of caring for an…

The number of homeless children in the United States is increasing. The National Center on Family Homelessness (2010) reports that on average one in 50 children in the United States have experienced homelessness, defined as unstable housing. The needs of this student demographic are varied and complex. For the purpose of this study, the homeless…

Retaining teachers is a pressing issue facing many urban middle schools in the southern US. Urban middle schools continually face increased teacher turnover rates in spite of state mandated induction and mentoring programs. Drawing from Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of the qualitative case study was to examine urban middle…

Lange (1988) has defined "articulation" as "the interrelationship and continuity of contents, curriculum, instruction, and evaluation with programs which focus on the progress of student in learning to both comprehend and communicate in a second language" (p. 16-17). It is the continuity of one course to the next without…