The appropriate selection of standardized tests is integral to establishing an accurate early diagnosis and providing timely treatment to optimize language outcomes in young children. However, clinicians sometimes utilize tests that are not validated for this specific purpose. This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the validity of…

The use of social media is swiftly increasing, especially among the adolescent population. At the same time, student engagement in school is waning, leading to poor grades, dropping out, health problems, and low lifetime earning potential. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to determine if a relationship exists between…

High school graduation represents a pivotal milestone with far-reaching implications for an individual's future in social, economic, professional, and personal spheres. Despite its significance, only approximately 85.5% of students in the United States successfully earn their diploma each year, with groups such as black, Hispanic, American…

The Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) scholarship marked a significant advancement in education by offering expanded opportunities for Georgia students earning a high school GPA of 3.00 or higher to attend a University System of Georgia (USG) institution. This quantitative study examined individuals who earned a bachelor's degree…

Research over the past decade suggests teachers have low instructional self-efficacy/confidence and more concerns about implementing inclusive teaching practices. This quantitative correlational study explored whether reported concerns and demographic variables (gender, age, education, and years of teaching experience) predicts teachers'…

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) during virtual instruction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined whether teachers' race/ethnicity, years of teaching experience, level of education, and gender separately and…

The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the demands of the already challenging teaching profession. This study sought to investigate if correlations existed among the perceptions of teachers' regarding job satisfaction, principal leadership behaviors and school climate using pre- and post-surveys. Survey data was collected from a target…

As homeschooling numbers rose following the COVID-19 pandemic, nontraditional education such as hybrid homeschooling was reported as a desirable option by parents. This dissertation examines the academic outcomes of homeschool and hybrid homeschool students in Georgia following the rise of post-COVID nontraditional education. Hybrid homeschooling,…

Military students face many challenges in the transition from military life to higher education. From psychological, mental health issues, career changes, and difficulties interacting and building relationships, many obstacles can delay or stop a military student's path to degree attainment. This study sought to determine if military students are…

Due to the required amount of time, financial resources, and the potential effects of the evaluation on teacher performance and student learning outcomes, teacher perceptions and experiences with the Georgia TKES need to be examined. This quantitative non-experimental design study aimed to examine the perceptions and experiences of teachers with…

Building a culturally responsive school allows for teachers to expand their teaching practices to individualize instruction based on students' culture and background. Teachers must do this even more so now as many students have suffered severe learning loss due to school closures during the pandemic. Culturally Responsive Teaching allow teachers…

Positive relationships can facilitate the adjustment to college. However, it is uncertain what specific characteristics of college students' personal networks of fellow college students lead to increased social connectedness and college wellbeing. Thus, the role of emerging personal networks in new students' transition to and adjustment to college…

This dissertation investigates the relationship between ethnicity and place among 44 young adult Latino English speakers in the state of Georgia using a mixed-methods approach. While varieties of Latino English have been studied in traditional destination communities (TDCs) like Texas, California, or New York, where the Latino populations are…

Despite the fact that American public schools are subject to First Amendment restrictions that prohibit government establishment of a national religion and interference in individuals' worship practices, there is evidence that Christianity may be privileged over other faith traditions and non-belief in some public school environments (Blumenfeld,…

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative research study was to compare the mathematics and science achievement of eighth-grade students in STEM vs. nonSTEM middle schools in Middle Georgia. There was minimal research in regard to the benefits STEM education has on middle schools in Middle Georgia as the initial push and adoption of STEM…