The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of higher education organizational structure and institutional quality assurance practices to and the culture of teaching and learning in artistic disciplines from the perspectives of three artist-educators. The research questions addressed by this study are as follows: 1. How do…

The purpose of the study was to gain an in-depth perspective of rural special education teachers' experiences and beliefs regarding the characteristics of mentoring programs that will assist beginning special education teachers to remain in rural districts. A basic qualitative design was used in the study. The following research question guided…

Developing students' creative problem solving skills should be one of the top goals in general education. One teaching model that was developed to increase students' creative problem solving abilities is the Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS) model. This model was used as an intervention in classrooms in many studies. However, the…

With the mounting pressures on institutions of higher education to do more with limited resources, the opportunity to collaborate with other colleges has emerged as a viable tool to create efficiencies and obtain valuable knowledge otherwise unattainable by an institution, even if that collaboration takes place with a competing institution.…

Early intervention services are intended to be family-centered, meaning families are honored, respected, and involved in service delivery (Dunst, 2002). However, little research has been conducted to explore family perceptions of their participation in early intervention services. This study explored 12 families' perceptions about their…

For approximately three years, the Chicago Public School (CPS) district has been undergoing a process of creating protocols, structures, and tools that will assist schools with the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). An on-going area of development for the district as well as for my school is developing teachers' abilities to…

The problem statement for this project based learning was that loose-coupling, when applied to the PBIS framework, translates into major gaps with district-wide implementation of Tier II and Tier III interventions. Additionally, lack of superintendent adaptive schools' knowledge and practices impact fidelity of implementation. Tier II and Tier III…

This dissertation investigates the "Competence Model for Environmental Education" (Kaiser, Roczen, & Bogner, 2008), a theoretical environmental-behavior change model, for use in the United States with elementary-aged students. Paper #1 tests two new instruments developed for use with the "Competence Model," the Expanded…

Because of the increase of the rigor of state standards and of accountability, the Lincoln County School District sought to become a part of the state Teacher Leader Network during the 2016-2017 school year as a way to provide teachers best practices for improving the culture and climate of their schools, participating in collaborative…

Teachers in today's society are having increasing difficulties with Individualized Education Program (IEP) implementation because teachers struggle with assessing data, designing instruction to fit individual needs, providing accommodations, and working as a team with a general education teacher in a co-teaching environment (Cawthon, 2009; Kosko…

School principals' leadership strategies and collaborative efforts contribute immensely to defining and managing goals in response to any educational initiatives, including social-emotional learning (SEL) programs. The problem prompting this study was the disproportionate special education referral and school suspension of minority students.…

Declining achievement in reading has put enormous pressure on Title I middle schools to improve adolescent literacy performance. Poor student achievement in reading has incited the development of a national initiative; therefore, Response to Intervention (RTI) was created to comprehensively change educational practices. RTI was derived from the…

This study consisted of a mixed-methods comparative analysis of the implementation of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in public school districts in the state of Missouri. The researcher surveyed nine public school districts similar in demographics of socio-economic representation, free and reduced lunch percentage, and average daily…

Higher education institutions provide programs and services in support of personal, professional, and community development. The positive impact of higher education is threatened by the imminent departures of experienced employees responsible for implementing institutional programs and services. Research suggests succession planning assists…

Characteristics of effective transition programs include (a) providing realistic experiences of middle school expectations for incoming students, (b) frequent communication with students, parents, and staff, and (c) extensive and ongoing planning, assessment, and redesign of the transition program. While these effective components of a transition…