The present study explored relationships between two larger streams of research--faculty-student interactions and destructive leadership embodied in faculty incivility towards students. While interactions with faculty outside of class offer tremendous benefits for students' intellectual and socio-emotional development, avoidance is one of the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among emerging adults in college aged 18-25 years. CVD risks that develop during this period often persist into adulthood making it an ideal time to target CVD prevention. The specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) explore perceptions…

This study examined the effect of the NOVA program, a Students Support Services program at Eastern Kentucky University, on academic success for first-generation and low-income college students. An archival database was used to identify differences in the level of academic success among first-year students in the NOVA program from fall-to-fall of…

The persistence of second-year college students is gaining attention nationally. Vast resources have been dedicated to the retention of first-year students only to lose them at some point during the second year. Much of the research about the second-year experience is qualitative and focused on institutional inputs. This study examined pre-entry…

Classrooms in the United States are more diverse than ever. It is predicted that nearly half of the public education students in the United States will be other than White by 2019. Teachers should have positive attitudes towards classroom diversity and inclusion. They should be well prepared to teach effectively in a diverse classroom. The purpose…

As cities and regions seek to increase the stock of college educated citizens in order to compete in the twenty-first century knowledge-economy, colleges and universities are realizing increased enrollment. At the same time, much is being written about the skills needed by graduates for the new economy. These studies articulate skills in critical…

Too few community college students who intend to transfer and earn a baccalaureate degree actually do. Further, low-income and first-generation college students are overrepresented at community colleges. Education is considered a means of social and economic mobility for low-income, first-generation students; therefore, retaining this population…

This research investigated the relationship of math intervention teachers' (MITs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and students' math achievement gains in primary math interventions. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics gathered data on the MITs and primary math intervention students included in this study. Longitudinal data were analyzed for a…

The purpose of this study was to investigate--by utilizing data obtained from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) PeopleSoft database-- whether the American College Testing (ACT) assessment was a predictor of student success for students who had graduated from respiratory, radiography, and nursing programs at Southeast…

This study examined the perceptions of Kentucky SBDM council members concerning the productivity and efficacy of the councils. The major variables studied were council member position, council member demographic characteristics, perceived efficacy, and perceived productivity. The research data came from an already completed field survey. This…

This study investigated the impact of a district-wide mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. It also explored connections among teacher efficacy and socioeconomic status with student achievement. Using a quantitative approach, a job-embedded professional development initiative…

Education reform has been in progress for at least two decades, yet our nation's postsecondary institutions continue to see increasing numbers of underprepared students. Despite numerous and varied attempts at nationwide reform at the secondary education level, the number of students requiring remedial education courses in postsecondary education…

This dissertation is a study of factors that contribute to dropout from distance learning classes in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). It is divided into five chapters. Chapter One gives a history of distance learning through in KCTCS. It includes the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the…

More than a decade after the state of Kentucky enacted higher education reform that provided specific direction to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, this research study sought to examine the effect of student characteristics and program characteristics on doctoral degree completion. This study attempted to address the…