The present study evaluated the effects of online training on educators' knowledge and use of the system of least prompts (SLP) to support the communication of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). A quasi-experimental pre/post test group design with switching replications was…

21st century preparedness is a prevalent topic in the field of education. The Common Core State Standards were developed to promote continuity for all students. Research indicates that student preparedness for college and the workforce is lacking. In order to bridge the gap, students must become intellectually autonomous. In addition to content…

The purpose of this study was to research the perceptions of teachers concerning the implementation and effectiveness of professional learning communities in a middle school in a rural school district in North Carolina. The data were gathered using the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) survey and individual one-on-one…

Many states throughout our country are faced with hiring teachers who are not certified and do not have any prior teaching experience. There are various factors contributing to states hiring alternatively licensed teachers: low teacher pay, demands of teaching, and a decline in individuals entering traditional teacher training programs at colleges…

In order to upgrade school buildings and make them healthier for students and staff, a recent trend has been to build environmentally sustainable schools, which benefit the environment and offer improved learning experiences for students. This qualitative case study examined Sustainability High School, a school in Massachusetts that successfully…

Existing literature suggests principal responses to teacher resistance to equity change remain crucial to the success of equity-based changes, yet great variability exists in format and effectiveness of principal responses. A gap emerged in the literature related to the role of identity development in principal response to staff resistance to…

Adventure Education is the field of study that uses human-powered activities in the wilderness to facilitate both individual and group growth and development. Over the past few decades, this field has focused on a return to the natural environment to provide experiential learning for students to develop both technical skills and higher-level…

Using data to inform instructional decisions is a pillar of special education practice. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a systematic, ongoing assessment framework that allows special educators to monitor the progress of their students to determine the need for instructional adaptations. CBM and data-based instructional decision-making have a…

The purpose of this study was to determine Pennsylvania principals' perceptions and understanding of the physical and psychosocial impact of childhood obesity, whether they believe schools should be addressing the issue, who they feel should be leading efforts within schools, what actions they believe are taking place to address the issue within…

The speed and availability of Internet-capable devices, such as computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, TVs, and tablets have made it possible for our society to be connected, and stay connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a new environment where common objects are uniquely identifiable and accessible…

Since the turn of the 21st century, the implementation of instructional technologies in the secondary classroom has increased exponentially. As a result, teacher support in its implementation has become paramount. Using a qualitative case study design, this research explored teachers' and administrators' perceptions of teacher support teams that…

This study seeks to examine the role of presidential leadership in internationalization on historically Black college and university (HBCU) campuses. HBCUs comprise a small but important segment of U.S. higher education, as they are responsible for 20% of African American graduates in the country. Unfortunately, many of these institutions have yet…

Policymakers have long been infatuated with education reform (Berliner & Biddle, 1995; Stein, 2004), including at the state level (Lusi, 1997). Consistent with this longer tradition, the Nebraska State Legislature (a.k.a. the "Unicameral') passed Legislative Bill 438 (LB 438) in 2014, providing a statutory outline for a new education…

Universities and colleges have experienced a reduction in state appropriations since the 2008 Great Recession. The purpose of this phenomenological dissertation in practice study was to examine whether distance education would be a viable strategy to compensate for declining state appropriations at four-year public higher education institutions in…

Service-learning is a form of experiential learning whereby students learn and develop through active participation in a carefully organized service that addresses the needs of the community. It is rooted in the reflective experiential traditions of Dewey, Kolb, and Freire. It provides students with opportunities for development in a variety of…