This qualitative descriptive study delves into the strengths and challenges community-engaged faculty face in sustaining university-community partnerships through community engagement. Framed by Bender's community engagement model, the primary research question examines how university faculty articulate their strengths and challenges within these…

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,…

While coaching exists as a widely accepted employee development practice in the business world, the coaching mindset has not firmly taken hold in K-12 education. According to the 2015-2016 National Teacher and Principal Survey, the average percentage of public schools with at least one on-site instructional coach is 37% (United States Department…

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.…

Pre-apprenticeship programs are a very effective tool to help youth and adults enter a Registered Apprenticeship program. Participants can also use the experience to pursue further training or enter the workforce. The pre-apprenticeship is designed to help youth or adults take a snapshot of their current skills and use that data to address gaps in…

This qualitative historical case study explored the experiences of corporate and non-corporate organizations involved in educational partnerships. There is significant documentation that supports educational partnerships as they relate to the benefits for students. These beneficial experiences for the students are evident and seem to drive the…

Community engagement and service-learning programs have become staples in the curricula of colleges across the United States. While the intentions behind many of these programs are altruistic, they can often unwittingly replicate oppressive power dynamics with the communities they seek to serve. This dissertation explored how feminist community…

Intergenerational programs bring together two or more generations and engage them in shared activities that inspire, educate, and advance their mutual well-being. Current literature on intergenerational programs involving elementary school children and older individuals describes benefits for both groups. However, most studies concentrate on the…

Teacher attrition is a significant concern for many districts. Teachers cite leaving the profession for a variety of reasons. These high attrition rates have a negative impact on rural districts, creating a loss of experience and respect for the profession. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of leadership support and Grow Your Own…

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine the effectiveness of the selection criteria of the middle school Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program by examining the perceptions of the middle school AVID site team regarding the alignment of the AVID mission statement and the student selection process,…

Children today are confronted by a wide variety of stressful and traumatic events that may be overwhelming or may hinder their ability to cope and heal in a timely manner before reaching adulthood and becoming effective members of society. Child life specialists are academically trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their…

This research study examined the perceptions of educators and law enforcement professionals regarding the procedures used in schools by law enforcement. It examined their level of satisfaction with their general feelings about the relationship between schools and law enforcement and the current school districts' overall school safety in three…

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…

As the adult learner population in higher education continues to increase, there has been a renewed focus on how to best serve this student population in recent years. While adult learners are more likely to take online classes and to enroll part-time, engagement and retention efforts have not heavily focused on part-time online adult learners,…

The national teacher shortage seems to be a never-ending crisis in our country. This shortage is even more alarming for teachers of color. While more than half of the students in the United States are non-white, less than 25 percent of their teachers are people of color (U.S. Department of Education, 2016; Lindsay, Blom, & Tilsley, 2017).…