Objective: To examine whether a remote, online, group-based mindfulness intervention maintains long-term effects at one-year follow-up. Participants: 61 college students (38 in the intervention group, 23 controls) completed the follow-up survey. Methods: Follow-up to an RCT using a 4-week Koru Mindfulness program, investigating pre-to-follow-up…

Mental health challenges for youth continue to be a growing concern. Youth-serving organizations have the potential to play a significant role in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth. The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training course is widely used to equip adults working with youth with skills to support…

Ensuring consistent student attendance is pivotal for academic achievement in elementary education. An observed decline in attendance among elementary students in the United States, particularly in Georgia, signifies a pressing educational problem that requires effective interventions. The research addresses the gap in the literature concerning…

In this dissertation, I investigated the impact of the involvement of students with disabilities in the ASPIRE intervention program and examined the relationship between student involvement in the ASPIRE program and academic performance and growth. To do so, first, I outlined how I built my perspective for this study in the areas of transition,…

Objective: To examine whether a remote, online, group-based mindfulness intervention results in effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: 111 college students: 58 in the intervention group, 53 in a waitlist control group. Methods: Randomized control trial (RCT) using a 4-week Koru Mindfulness program, investigating pre-to-posttest…

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed an abundance of student protests at colleges and universities in the United States. Many of these protests cluster around the issues of white supremacy and anti-Black racism as they function in higher education settings--issues that have historically and contemporarily plagued United States colleges and…

State boards of education are well placed to advocate for more young children to be screened for dyslexia, a disability that by some measures affects up to 20 percent of the U.S. population. Boards can also ensure that identified students receive effective interventions, as those in Massachusetts and Georgia have done. This report discusses how…

This Spotlight explores key aspects of MTSS implementation, including its relationship to special education and effectiveness in improving student outcomes. Discover how MTSS can be used to support social-emotional learning, address discipline disparities, and ensure equitable access to resources and support. By combining data-driven…

New approaches are needed when working in rural communities to identify and communicate holistic evaluation impacts related to community-based health promotion efforts of Cooperative Extension. Specifically, there is a lack of recorded long-term programmatic impacts of these programs, including behavior changes related to consuming nutritious and…

As internet use continues to rise, school counselors encounter challenges related to problematic internet behaviors among secondary students. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Georgia school counselors when working to prevent, manage, and support these behaviors. I used a semi-structured format to interview 15 school counselors in…

Addressing the social and emotional learning of students can lead to increased social and emotional functioning, improved classroom and school behavior, and increased academic performance. This study investigated the effectiveness of a social and emotional learning (SEL) intervention program in a middle school in central Georgia. The study…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) face challenges in following rules and expectations. The problem addressed by this study was that SWDs experience disproportionate levels of exclusionary discipline when compared to their non-disabled peers. This quantitative causal-comparative study examined the impact of different levels of positive behavior…

This reflection examines the impact of a hybrid Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) mini-series developed through a partnership between a comprehensive public university's center for teaching and learning and its largest college. Longitudinal participant survey results indicate that this intervention was effectively designed, with broad…

In many mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculums, there are topics that are vital to the students' future careers in the manufacturing and design workforce that are not taught in-depth. As one of those topics, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, or GD&T, is vital to companies who develop and manufacture products because it allows…

Challenges to German Studies in the United States have been well documented and include questions of disciplinary mission and program viability. Existential threats stem from declining enrollments and increasing demands on faculty to sustain programs that require expanded expertise, opportunities, and networks. Calls for disciplinary…