Reading Horizons partnered with LearnPlatform by Instructure to investigate the relationship between teacher implementation of Reading Horizons Discovery (RHD) and student literacy outcomes. The study involved 83 educators and 1,242 students across seven elementary schools in North Carolina during the 2022-23 school year. Researchers used mCLASS…

We examine how increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities impacted newborn health and prenatal care utilization in North Carolina around the time Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act was first being implemented within the state. Focusing on administrative data between 2004 and 2006, we conduct…

A public school superintendent, as the chief executive officer in a district, is in a unique position to influence the programs addressing the needs of gifted students in that district. A superintendent's beliefs could impact program content, resource allocation, and priority status. This study looked at superintendents' perceptions of the North…

Bullying is a significant problem in U.S. schools. Policies have been developed to reduce bullying, yet policy implementation by educators is an essential yet difficult and complex process. Few studies have investigated factors that act as barriers to or facilitators of bullying policy implementation and teacher protection of students. This study…

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework that has been employed in schools in order to promote not only improved behavioral outcomes but academic outcomes as well. PBIS has three core elements: use of a three-tiered prevention model, application of evidence-based practices, and creation of systems to support and sustain…

Despite empirical evidence suggesting social-emotional learning (SEL) is critical for reducing risk behaviors and promoting mental health, prosocial behaviors, and academic achievement, SEL programs have not been routinely adopted in school settings (Durlak et al., 2011). Due to associated implications for adoption and implementation, recent…

This article provides a descriptive case study of the process used at one of North Carolina's public universities to respond to a state-mandated "revisioning" directive for educational leadership preparation programs. The case provides an overview of the state educational leadership policy context, discussion of state and local support…

Research has shown that there is a strong link between reading comprehension and vocabulary, yet many children lack the required vocabulary needed to perform adequately on reading comprehension assessments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the teaching of Larry Bell's 12 Powerful Words vocabulary program in order to raise third, fourth…

This study used two surveys, the Activities of Instruction 2.0 (AOI 2.0) and the School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) to assess the relationship between teachers' level of constructivism and their level of technology use. Results indicate that constructivist practices and beliefs were significant predictors of technology use, after accounting…

Spurred by the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001, virtually every educational reform program now includes an accountability component that requires sound data collection and reporting (NCLB, 2002, section 101). Drawing from empirically based and theoretical literature in the field, this dissertation examines Adequate Yearly Progress…