The majority of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are leaving high school ill prepared to integrate successfully into adult life, which comes at a huge cost, not only to themselves and to their families, but also to society at large. Technology supports have the potential to improve their outcomes and thus enhance their quality of life.…

This purpose of this mixed methods study was to fill a gap in existing literature related to examining the perceptions of safety for faculty, staff, and students by utilizing data from a single community college in the southeastern United States within a three-county service area. Central Carolina Community College has three campus locations each…

This study examines relationships of African-American high school equivalency (HSE) students' sense of belonging to their peers, faculty, and community college environment. A sense of belonging is an important factor in understanding students' internal and external motivations, perceptions, desires, and academic successes. For many…

Central Piedmont Community College is exploring ways to help at-risk students achieve academic success by utilizing an early-alert system called Success Through Academic Reporting (STAR). All First-Time, Full-time Degree-seeking students (FFD) receive an opportunity for follow-up services that support a centralized strategy, which has the…

Background: This process study is a companion to a randomized evaluation of a school-based, peer-led comprehensive sexual health education program, Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP), in which 11th- and 12th-grade students are trained by school health educators to conduct informative workshops with ninth-grade peers in schools in North…

Technology may play a critical role in impacting student engagement, specifically within an assessment context. Using a mixed methods approach, I examined the relationship between varying degrees of technology-enhancements applied in a mathematics performance task on the outcome of student cognitive engagement. Using a counterbalanced…

The purpose of this research study was to determine if trial and error learning was an effective, practical, and efficient learning method for Technology, Engineering, and Design Education students at the post-secondary level. A mixed methods explanatory research design was used to measure the viability of the learning source. The study sample was…

This paper outlines the major dimensions and overall effectiveness of the Student Athlete Leadership Academy (or "SALA"). SALA is a character development and college preparatory program designed for middle grade student athletes. The focus of this paper is to provide information about year 1 of SALA. At the same time the paper will…

There is much concern regarding the underachievement of gifted students. Gifted students have the potential to make outstanding contributions to society. The present study analyzed the perceptions of teachers, principals, and one director of gifted education of gifted 4th and 5th grade students in the area of reading and explored constructs of…

When massive open online courses (MOOCs) began, they held the promise of bringing high-quality, college-level courses from leading academic institutions to people who otherwise would not have access to that type of content. In the ensuing years, it has become clear that the majority of MOOC students are not underserved in terms of educational…

Research has called into question the suitability of fully-online instruction for certain teacher preparation courses. Methodology coursework, in particular, has been singled out in research as ill-suited to online instruction. Recent research, for example, involving second language (L2) teacher candidates has demonstrated that aspiring teachers…

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized as a complex brain disorder that impacts the life of an individual (Autism Society, n.d.; Autism Speaks, 2013). The prevalence of autism is on the rise (Baio, 2012; CDC, 2012), impacting the stress of the family (Haimer, 2012; Hall & Graff) and the need for services (Haney, 2012). This capstone study…

We argue that Latino/a students are more likely to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in college if they were educated in high schools where they studied with satisfied teachers who worked in collaborative professional communities. Quantitative results demonstrate that collaborative professional communities in high school…

This case study examined the impact of a site-specific intervention for at-risk students in a small rural elementary school in the foothills of North Carolina. The research site uses a small homogenous class setting as a basis for accelerating academic growth for students who are considered at-risk in literacy based on the state-required literacy…

Developing globally minded citizens has become a national push and a stated priority for many higher education institutions in the United States. This article focuses on one university's efforts to develop globally minded school leaders who are accepting of and comfortable with diversity. The University of North Carolina Wilmington has created an…