New teachers have been trained by mentor teachers for hundreds of years. While Kolb's theory of experiential learning (Fry & Kolb, 1979) provides a framework supporting the long-held traditional model of clinical practice, more recent models have emerged including the co-teaching model of clinical practice. In 2010, a report commissioned by…

This qualitative study examined the impact of parental engagement on academically high-performing high school students and the perceptions administrators and parents have on the school-parent partnership. Participants were parents and administrators of students in four large urban, Title I high schools within a large independent school district in…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the instructional coaching experiences for primary and intermediate teachers in a rural public school district located in Southeast Texas. The researcher used qualitative phenomenological design. Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants who were then interviewed individually.…

This study explored student perceptions regarding persistence in online coursework at the community college level. Using a case study design and thematic analysis, the researcher conducted focus group interviews and then identified themes related to the academic, economic, and social supports and barriers that impacted student persistence at one…

This study was designed to explore the impact of professional development in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) of secondary mathematics teachers using The DuFour PLC model in one Southeast Texas School District. Descriptive statistics were compiled based on survey data from 19 participants. Internal consistency reliability was analyzed…

Background: College students need the ability to generalize and apply solutions through reflective practice. University faculty need professional development to use authentic cases to prepare students for the future. Purpose: This study was to explore the experiences of faculty through a year-long professional development program that included a…

This study examined a state-wide, policy-directed teacher evaluation model implemented across public schools and educator preparation programs. Such models are grounded in a theory of action that situates teacher learning within social relationships, yet does not account for the complexity of systems. Results challenge policy's implicit theory…

The purpose of this case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of job satisfaction in a secondary school setting in a Central Texas school district following the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) appraisal process. The methods used to collect perspectives from teachers were an online interview survey and teacher interviews.…

This study is quantitative and includes a non-experimental research design between the constructs of the Full Range Leadership Model and Burnout dimensions. This study examined the relationship between leadership styles and burnout as perceived by the follower while controlling gender, age, tenure, and educational attainment. Participants were…

School districts choose programs based on limited data, word of mouth, or cost-effectiveness. STEM-based schools often choose project-based learning (PBL) programs to deliver curricula through limited research and word of mouth effectiveness. This study evaluated one PBL program implementation in the context of a suburban Texas middle school by…

This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in economics of education. In the first chapter, I develop and estimate an equilibrium model of endogenous instruction and student effort in order to empirically investigate the relationship between instructional choices, classroom composition, and student achievement in elementary school. The…

Background: Educators are under mounting pressure to address increasing standards for student performance, which includes meeting the needs of an equally increasing diverse student population. Building educators' capacity to respond to these growing demands necessitates a professional development model that will address individual teacher's needs…

The concept of political justice is deeply tied to our professional Code of Ethics. Social workers are well suited to challenge political inequalities that keep clients and communities from political participation. Laws affecting access to voter registration, casting a ballot, and having that ballot counted vary widely across the United States,…

Purpose: Applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions are considered an evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, behavior analytic professionals quickly pivoted ABA therapy to the telehealth modality to ensure continuity of services. In particular, this modality has been reported to…

This quantitative study examined first-time-in-college students' (FTIC) perceptions of a first- year-experience program, "Transition Course". The study used survey methodological techniques to examine variables and answer research questions. The theoretical frameworks for this study were based on the conceptualization of student success:…