Electronic textiles (e-textiles) weave computational and electronic components into fabric, enabling students to design and build fabric-based projects that interact with their surroundings. This meshing of physical hardware and virtual software can be difficult for students to untangle when debugging. Is an LED failing to light up because of an…

READ 180 was adopted by a school district in Southern Alabama (SDSA) in response to students' low state reading and comprehension scores statewide. However, after years of implementation, it is unclear whether the READ 180 curriculum and the instructional practices characteristics of the READ 180 have been implemented with fidelity across district…

Changes in Washington State law require all school districts to adopt policies and procedures concerned with student reengagement. This dissertation describes the action research undertaken in the Mead School District to address requirements of the new law to successfully reenter students after being absent due to exclusionary discipline. The…

This dissertation empirically examines the Guerra-Lopez (2007a) Impact Evaluation Process (IEP), which is a prescriptive program evaluation model. Since there is no generally accepted process for arriving at final judgments about the usefulness, appropriateness, effectiveness, reliability, and validity of evaluation models, this study used a…

Many students with disabilities lack the skills needed to transition into society as successful, independent adults (Test, Aspel, & Everson, 2006). Emphasis has been placed on transition preparation. Several skills deficits have been identified as reasons for poor outcomes for students with disabilities. One skill identified as being critical…

This study was intended to enhance the limited research on the knowledge and confidence of special education teachers in public education regarding transition services and the quality of transition plans they develop. The key variables examined in this study are knowledge, confidence, and the quality of student transition plans. The sample…

The purpose of this case study explores the impact of an immersion experience to a least developed country on the vocation of lay teacher leaders in American Jesuit High Schools. Nine lay teacher leaders engaged in a four stage process of immersion from November 2009 to August 2010. The study employed the conceptual framework of Edward…

According to Planty et al. (2009) in 2006, nearly 3.3 million students in the United States received out of school suspensions, demonstrating that exclusionary discipline is on the rise and a frequently used practice in schools across the country. Research shows that African Americans are suspended at higher rates and are more likely to receive…

This study was conducted to identify the factors that may influence the academic and social adjustment of college students with hearing loss in Taiwan. These factors included age, gender, degree of hearing loss, primary communication mode, amplification, high school educational experience, and family relationship. The instruments used to address…

Preparing teachers for roles in 21st century learning environments has been a challenge for higher education institutions in the United States. In particular, researchers have documented that college preparatory programs should examine current standards as well as pertinent trends in the external environment as a means to tailor coursework. The…

Student failure is a prominent issue in many comprehensive secondary schools nationwide. Researchers studying error, reliability, and performance in organizations have developed and employed a method known as critical incident technique (CIT) for investigating failure. Adopting an action research model, this study involved gathering and analyzing…

The purpose of the study was to understand the relationships among facility conditions, school climate, and school safety of high school tenth graders in the United States. Previous research on the quality of educational facilities influence on student achievement has varied. Recent research has suggested that the quality of educational facilities…

Within the African American community, African American males, arguably, experience a great deal of difficulty in the current educational system (Biggs, 1992; Kleinfeld, 1998a, 1998b; Kunjufu, 2005; Tatum, 2003; Wynn, 1992; Wynn, 2005). This study seeks to examine the role of culturally relevant texts and comprehension strategy instruction in the…

This researcher addresses whether transition planning with classified special education students is being implemented in accordance with the Kohler model for successful transition programming. Using archival data obtained from two high schools, one with a specialized on campus program (School A) and the latter as an excluded site specializing in…

The purpose of this research was to understand the development of teachers' perception of self-efficacy as a result of reflective conversations conducted between a principal/school administrator and a teacher. Self-efficacy, based on social cognitive theory, is dependent upon the perceived level of competency or mastery of the individual and their…