Special education case managers experience barriers to community and vocational resources when writing Individualized Education Plan (IEP) transition plans. Lack of procedural information and coordination of transition services create obstacles that impact the quality of IEP planning and postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities.…

As science teachers gain increasing access to resources through an ever-expanding resource system, the study of how science teachers decide which resources to use and how to use them becomes increasingly important and complex. When science teachers exercise agency to select and adapt resources in alignment with their context, teaching and learning…

The problem explored in this study is the limited use of Open Educational Resources (OER) by health career community college faculty. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate local community college faculty members' perceptions about the use of OER in their program classrooms, the barriers to its use, and what resources they need…

My project addressed the broad questions of what barriers exist to accessibility for students and staff with disabilities at Arizona State University (ASU) and the reasons both historical and contemporary why those barriers exist. The second objective of my analysis was to provide potential solutions to these problems utilizing the voices and…

Student veterans may encounter educational barriers that can impact transitions to college. This research focused on veteran transitions to college during onboarding. Onboarding is beneficial in a higher education setting and, when properly deployed, can help ease transitions. This study involved the development, implementation, and assessment of…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers perceive the influence of extrinsic/hygiene and intrinsic/motivation support strategies in improving teacher retention in rural, under-resourced schools in Arizona. Frederick Herzberg's Two Factor Theory of Motivation was the primary theory guiding the study. Data…

A now-common question regarding whether or not individuals should pursue college degrees is whether college is worth the cost. One of the ways that institutions of higher learning may help students reduce cost of attending college, thereby reducing the financial stresses, is to reduce expenses where possible. One place where institutions of higher…

This study explores the experiences of families of young children with disabilities through the early childhood special education process in order to discuss supports that families found most helpful and identify areas in which additional support is required. The goal of this study is to inform practitioners within the early childhood special…

This qualitative narrative study aimed to explore the impact of the tutor-student relationship on students' perceptions of belonging in community colleges. This study employed a qualitative narrative approach to understand a distinct phenomenon: the influence of the student-tutor relationship on the sense of belonging among community college…

Public School educational leaders from around the United States are confronted with choices in how to invest resources that can create the greatest impact for students. An often-overlooked area of investment is early childhood education. As defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this is the period of…

The primary purpose of this research was to examine institutional characteristics of four-year, public colleges and universities that closed off-site locations between 2012 and 2019 through the lens of resource dependence theory. As institutions attempt to maximize their available resources and make the best use of existing resources, there will…

Zoos have been under attack by animal rights groups for decades. Despite significant reforms to improve animal welfare in accredited zoos and aquariums across North America, and significant participation in animal conservation efforts globally, these attacks persist. If zoos are to continue long-term, they need to establish themselves as community…

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) industry is a billion-dollar software industry with two prominent higher education ERP companies bringing in a combined $14.27 billion the third quarter of their 2024 fiscal years (Oracle, 2023; Workday, 2023). ERP systems stemmed from materials resource planning (MRP) systems in the manufacturing industry…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how school administrators described their understanding of the decision-making process in the allocation of funds to urban elementary schools in New York. Twelve participants took part in online questionnaires followed by Zoom interviews. A convenience sample of principals were…

Colleges and universities spend billions of dollars each year to enroll a shrinking population of college-bound students. However, relatively little is known about the high-ability, high achieving students whose enrollment decisions can have positive effects on retention, graduation, faculty satisfaction, alumni giving, and overall institutional…