America's reckoning with racial injustice and the pursuit of equity have led some public school systems to reduce or terminate (or at least question) special programs for high achievers, such as "gifted" education, honors courses, and selective high schools. Historically, such programs have served disproportionately few Black, Hispanic,…

High-quality afterschool and summer learning programs are effective ways to support children and teens and accelerate their academic growth. In fact, the American Rescue Plan prioritized a significant amount of funding for out-of-school time programs because of the evidence of their effectiveness. Over the past few years, state educational…

Due to a wide breadth of training, school psychologists are uniquely qualified to provide indirect and direct services outlined by best practices, such as school-based mental health services, special education evaluations, and trauma-informed practices. Professional standards indicate that school psychologists are equipped to identify trauma…

This dissertation explores strategies for creating a more inclusive and accessible music learning environment for students with autism. With many educators in mainstream music education unaware of the strategies and resources to cater effectively to children with neurodevelopmental disorders, I combine my previous experiences as a behavioral…

This quantitative research study investigates the relationship between teachers' evaluation rating and their classroom-based assessment practices using a survey approach. Four middle schools consisting of 39 (grades six through eight) teachers in the Southwestern U.S. participated in the study. Research has shown that when teachers regularly use a…

Developing interdisciplinary communication and leadership skills is considered a priority in nursing education. Nurse burnout, nurse turnover rates, patient safety issues, and sentinel events can all be associated with communication and leadership deficiencies in nursing practice. Recent literature has shown the impact of developing nontechnical…

Texas's educator workforce has been characterized over the past few decades by high attrition rates contributing to persistent teacher shortages and increased hiring of underprepared and uncertified teachers. These conditions have motivated state investment in a multifaceted strategy to seed and support teacher residency programs. State guidance,…

Teachers are the most important school-specific factor in student learning. Yet, little evidence exists linking teacher professional development programs and the strategies or activities that comprise them to student achievement. In this paper, we examine a fellowship model for professional development designed and implemented by Leading…

Demand for child care in the United States outpaces supply. Understanding access issues is critical for addressing them and supporting children, families, and the economy. However, the most widely available proxy for child care supply--authorized capacity--likely overestimates care availability. Authorized capacity represents the maximum children…

While researchers and practitioners have long known that differentiating formative feedback (FF) is a requisite for creating more equitable learning opportunities for students, less is known about how teachers plan for, enact, and reflect on differentiated FF dialogues with students individually, in small groups, or as a whole class--a lens on…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the potentialities of a learning module, created within an Erasmus+ project, which involved pre-service elementary teachers in a socio-scientific scenario related to green cities. The participants were involved in a panel discussion activity, with the main objective of discussing and reflecting on how to…

Early career teacher retention and progression are complex issues which inform discourse about and review of pre-service teacher preparation. Debate about how to best connect pre-service teachers' theoretical learning about teaching to practical application and reflection within the classroom (praxis) is ever-present within this dialogue. Extended…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) yields tremendous opportunities for educational leaders who are forward-thinking, adaptable, updated, and aligned with new technologies (Milton & Al-Busaidi,2023). AI necessitates leaders, particularly those leaders in educational domains, to undergo significant paradigmatic shifts in their cognitive frameworks,…

Purpose: This paper explores a five-year case example of two educators engaged in practice-based professional development (PBPD) for the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model in a middle school. It examines the transformative effects and challenges of improving writing instruction, the activities involved and alternative PBPD delivery…

Emerging adults (18-29 years) are at a vulnerable developmental stage for mental health issues. The counseling field has been slow to adapt to the evolving landscape of the specific needs of emerging adult clients. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the experiences of professional counselors who primarily counsel emerging…