This research aimed to test Difference-Education Intervention (DEI) to determine the impact of this intervention on first-generation students' sense of belonging, mindset, and hope in Hispanic Serving Institutions. Social Learning Theory was used to understand that individuals must internalize what is learned and perceived socially, as learning…

Self-efficacy is considered a key component for successful leadership; however, educational leadership doctoral programs do not often focus on leader self-efficacy (LSE) for principals. The purpose of this study was to understand perceptions of Ed.D. alumni who are currently principals regarding what contributed to the development of leader…

Since professional learning is about shifting adult mindsets and behavior, it is work that frequently challenges assumptions, expectations, beliefs, instructional practices, and long-standing habits. To have meaningful and productive conversations about evaluation and data, educators must be equipped with effective practices and tools that allow…

This qualitative study assesses the influence of a college-level intervention program on its student participants' self-efficacy. Self-efficacy theory provides an essential foundational lens for this study as it provides the necessary sources to broaden an intervention program's plans from students' individualized experiences. Study participants…

Background: The SMART Moms/Mamás LÍSTAS Project was a randomized control trial that tested the efficacy of a prenatal stress management program in reducing stress and cortisol levels among low-income women. The current study is a process evaluation of the stress management program (intervention arm of the original randomized controlled trial) and…

Gamification is a term first coined early in the 21st century, and the application of its principles has been seen in the business world. Department stores, convenient stores, airlines, and credit card companies have implemented loyalty points to keep customers buying their products. From the business world, to the daily lives of students,…

In 2015, the University of Southern California (USC) began a longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of the Thompson Scholars Learning Communities (TSLC), a comprehensive college transition program that provides students with multiple, integrated types of support. The evaluation as a whole examined whether, how, and why TSLC, as implemented at the…

Most interventions designed to prevent HIV/STI/pregnancy risk behaviours in young people have multiple components based on psychosocial theories (e.g. social cognitive theory) dictating sets of mediating variables to influence to achieve desired changes in behaviours. Mediation analysis is a method for investigating the extent to which a variable…

P.E. classes are often the only opportunity for inner-city youth to engage in physical activity, but budget cuts and pressure to perform well on standardized tests has made P.E. an afterthought for many school administrators. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a new P.E. curriculum in five Los Angeles inner-city schools. Interviews were…

Bullying prevention efforts have yielded mixed effects over the last 20 years. Program effectiveness is driven by a number of factors (e.g., program elements and implementation), but there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the role of school climate on the impact of bullying prevention programs. This gap is surprising, given research…

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a universal yoga-based social-emotional wellness promotion program, Transformative Life Skills, on indicators of adolescent emotional distress, prosocial behavior, and attitudes toward violence in a high-risk sample. Participants included 49 students attending an alternative education school in an…

Leisure activity participation has been found to have a positive impact on our health and well-being (e.g., Rowe & Kahn, 1998), and interest in lifelong learning as a leisure time activity is rising. This study compared self-reported measures of demographics, life satisfaction, cognitive status, and mood states in adult populations (over 50…

This study examined the short-term effects of a web-based alcohol misuse and harm prevention course (College Alc) among incoming freshmen at a California public university. Analysis results indicated that at the end of the fall semester, students randomly assigned to College Alc (n = 173) had a higher level of alcohol-related knowledge and less…

In this special issue, we have sought to explore the strategies, programming, interventions, and policy decisions that institutions and communities use collaboratively as they attempt to cope with this educational crisis. Some of those strategies involve working with nontraditional constituencies such as parents or involve nontraditional and…

The impacts of 20 welfare-to-work programs across the United States were evaluated to determine which clients derive the greatest benefits from different approaches to moving individuals from welfare to work. Of the 20 programs examined, 7 were characterized as employment focused, 5 provided a mix of first activities without an employment focus, 4…