The issue of unfinished learning and achievement gaps in schools has been a persistent concern in recent years, particularly among underrepresented and disadvantaged student populations. AVID Elementary is a promising solution for ensuring students have the necessary knowledge and skills to be college and career ready, as it is based on proven…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the key elements of success in the Bonner Service Leaders program--a four-year leadership and community engagement program on my campus--and how to leverage the key elements of success in Bonner to increase student achievement in the program. In the first research cycle, I interviewed…

This applied action research with program evaluation aimed to determine if teacher-led professional development and empowerment initiatives such as the Teacher Leader Collaborative (TLC) contributed to a group of teachers' efficacy and professional growth to reduce teacher turnover of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers at Bernard Williams Middle…

A relatively recent phenomenon of interest within the field of twice-exceptionality involves gifted children with autism. A literature search reveals a lack of published works about these individuals and empirical studies exploring the distinctive special educational needs of these children remain scarce (Nicpon et al., 2011; Rubenstein et al.,…

The teaching profession is in peril. Teacher recruitment and teacher retention are issues that have compounded the teacher shortage crisis, particularly in Black and Latinx communities. Research has demonstrated that there are a plethora of academic and socio-emotional benefits when Black and Latinx teachers are educating Black and Latinx…

One in three teens is estimated to experience an anxiety disorder between 13 to 18 years of age. Developed mental health burdens in adolescents can go undetected and untreated. About 50% of those with mental health disorders noted in adulthood started by age 14 years. Therefore, adolescence may be a critical phase for developing positive coping…

Central Piedmont Community College is exploring ways to help at-risk students achieve academic success by utilizing an early-alert system called Success Through Academic Reporting (STAR). All First-Time, Full-time Degree-seeking students (FFD) receive an opportunity for follow-up services that support a centralized strategy, which has the…

This research evaluates the effectiveness and curricular quality of the Conflict Boot Camp Program. Conflict Boot Camp is a no-cost, court-mandated intervention program for high conflict parents and caretakers involved in a dependency court in the greater Los Angeles area. This program evaluation utilizes qualitative methods and triangulates…

From President Kennedy's first announcement of a non-military US volunteer corps in 1961, the Peace Corps has been one of the preeminent government grassroots volunteer development agency. This study explores the history of the ambiguities inherent in this contention, pressure primarily stemming from the organization's role as both a governmental…

Students with disabilities face a variety of challenges that extend beyond the classroom, as they are often behind their peers in social and life skills. As they exit their secondary education programs they are often ill prepared to meet the multi-dimensional demands of the work place. According to the United States Department of Labor (2011),…

The goal of the current study was to conduct a formative evaluation of a female adolescent empowerment program. Participants were recruited through a mail survey. A total of 32 school counselors (response rate 40%) participated. The following questions were investigated: (1) What do the school counselors perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of…

This applied dissertation described the evaluation of a program designed to provide students with the necessary academic and social skills needed to matriculate and graduate from the university. The problem was that there was no evidence of a formalized program evaluation to determine if the Academic Empowerment Center (AEC) was effective in…