Blind youth have reported unfavorable PE experiences, however, are optimistic that positive changes could be made. Despite recommendations to involve students in learning decisions, those made for teaching blind youth in PE have largely been constructed from non-disabled adults. This dissertation used a participatory research method and positioned…

Professional learning communities have developed into one of the greatest tools of school improvement, along with being a critical component of educational reform. The problem addressed in this study was decreased teacher performance and student achievement in six North Carolina schools resulting from negative perceptions of professional learning…

Since the inception of the guided pathways model in 2015, most related research has focused on the interconnecting processes and practices that lead to student persistence and completion. While the processes and practices are the basis of the model, scholars acknowledge that the model's human capital and change management components are just as…

Implementing organizational change within complex organizations involves responding to external forces that impact business operations. Leaders guide their organizations through planned change processes by implementing strategic initiatives that affect the entire organization, impact business operations, and influence organizational values (Nadler…

Implementing organizational change within complex organizations involves responding to external forces that impact business operations. Leaders guide their organizations through planned change processes by implementing strategic initiatives that affect the entire organization, impact business operations, and influence organizational values (Nadler…

Implementing organizational change within complex organizations involves responding to external forces that impact business operations. Leaders guide their organizations through planned change processes by implementing strategic initiatives that affect the entire organization, impact business operations, and influence organizational values (Nadler…

Implementing organizational change within complex organizations involves responding to external forces that impact business operations. Leaders guide their organizations through planned change processes by implementing strategic initiatives that affect the entire organization, impact business operations, and influence organizational values (Nadler…

In this action research study, I explored and developed a means to address the challenge of developing, supporting, and retaining effective elementary school principals skilled in instructional leadership and serving in historically marginalized communities. Evidence from the research literature and earlier action research cycles indicated…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the implementation of Restorative Practices in selected elementary schools in southeast Texas. Restorative Practices will generally be defined as a social science that studies how to build social capital and achieve social discipline through participatory learning and decision…

Twelve years after passage of No Child Left Behind, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report on 510,000 fifteen year-olds in 65 countries ranked the U. S. 31st in math, 24th in science, and 21st in literacy. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan commenting on the PISA report said that the brutal truth must serve as a…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of professional learning communities by comparing practices and strategies of content and grade level teams in middle schools. Utilizing data from student assessment, comparison of teams in this middle school was conducted to determine practices and conversations that have an impact on…

School based leadership is an increasingly complex task that requires leaders to find ways to spread responsibility throughout organizations to achieve goals. This dissertation research is an exploratory study in the field of sustainability of distributed leadership at Capital High School, a large urban high school. Exploring the sustainability of…

A choice-making strategy is an antecedent control that has proven to be effective for students with problem behaviors. Because students with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may display disruptive behaviors and show poor academic performance, it has been suggested that incorporating choice-making strategies into academic instruction…

This research was conducted as a qualitative comparative case study of two Northern New England school districts that were in the process of responding to declining enrollments. The purpose of the study was to explore decision-making through the lens of declining enrollments. An award winning rural school in an affluent town with high performing…

Decades of differing philosophies and conventions have placed the idea of change at the forefront of reform efforts (Rothkopf, 2009). With the implementation of the rigorous, complex Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, a deeper understanding of subject matter is required, and the complexities of these standards require specialized content…