In this dissertation, I examined the experiences of QuestBridge Scholars attending three different elite universities that enroll more students from the top income quintile than from the lowest three income quintiles combined. The universities attended by participants in this study are among the few that are both need-blind and that fully meet…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Latinx graduates who had interactions with professionals represented in the Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Team (BAIT) at a small, private college during their undergraduate experience. While BAITs on college campuses can be effective…

The problem addressed by this study is low retention rates of U.S. African American males at historically Black colleges. At an Eastern historically Black college, a mentoring program is being used to address this problem. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate African American male students' perspectives on their experience…

The transition to five-year-old kindergarten is a pivotal time in children's development, setting the tone for the children's and their families' subsequent formal education experiences. Establishing connections between home and school is a key to creating a supportive learning environment for every child. This dissertation examines how home…

The Empowering Children with Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) program has collected data for 20 years. The ECHO staff has fallen short in using this data to clearly demonstrate any impacts and to engage in continuous improvement of the ECHO organization. Thus, the purpose of the current research project is to demonstrate how effective the counseling,…

Most parents want their children to be successful in school and want to help them succeed (Mapp, 2003). When school personnel initiate practices inviting parents to the school, creating a welcoming environment for them, honoring their contributions, and connecting them to the school community, practices cultivate and sustain respectful, caring,…

There is a consensus that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) fall short of the recommended 60-minute daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and some experience motor delays and abnormalities. Yet ASD interventions focusing on addressing these challenges are insufficient in the existing literature. Research evidence…

Effective collaboration among family professional partnerships (FPPs) and work groups such as a multidisciplinary individualized education program (IEP) team has been identified as a critical characteristic in developing a specially designed program for students with a disability. Unfortunately, educators often do not feel prepared to interact and…

Parent involvement in children's education has a long history in the United States. Over the last several decades, research has demonstrated the positive effects of parent involvement on student outcomes. Consequently, parent involvement strategies have been written into education law in the United States and abroad. An intrinsic case study was…

School leaders are continually searching for innovative and effective methods to address disruptive behaviors. Most research on educational technology focuses on academic subjects such as math and reading, as opposed to behavior. ClassDojo provides a structured format for monitoring and reporting students' behavior, and ClassDojo also allows…

This ethnographic study explores the crucial role of family engagement in educational systems and the impact a human-centered design team has on students' success at an elementary school. The research addresses the historical impact of racism and colonization on student outcomes alongside the ongoing challenge of narrowing the opportunity gap.…

This single qualitative case study explored teacher and parent perceptions of the kindergarten transition program at a small, rural school district in a Midwestern state. Thirteen subjects met the criteria of either being a kindergarten transition teacher or a parent of an incoming kindergarten student and participated in this study. Data was…

Family engagement is a major component in assisting student success and academic growth; however, within the inner city, it can be difficult to get families engaged due to many different factors. Schools can increase family engagement by giving families the knowledge to be successful. The purpose of this dissertation is to present how effective it…

Caregivers play an integral role in a child's academic development, including their literacy development (Compton-Lilly et al., 2019; Cunningham, 2021; Edwards, 2004; Edwards, 2016; Smith, 2020; Volk, 2021). One way caregivers have supported their children's literacy development is by assisting them with school activities at home. While some…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the social-emotional effects of looping in a multiage program at a Title 1 Elementary School with a high population of multilingual learners. The Elementary School was located in a neighborhood within the southeastern portion of the United States of America. The research questions were "How do…