State law requires the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to annually report to the Legislature the number of schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The report must identify barriers to participation and make recommendations to increase participation. The CEP…

The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore current paraprofessional training programs offered to support paraprofessionals working with students with disabilities (SWDs), including both pre-service and in-service training. Specifically, this study evaluated training offered by local school districts within Southern…

School change is difficult and is both leveraged and hindered by interactive influences within complex systems of social practice. Whole-school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a growing trend with unique aspects of change required of educators. A qualitative case study was used to analyze educator perspectives of the…

This dissertation presents a phenomenological qualitative study that examines the lived experiences of six Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Directors representing county, urban, and suburban school districts. The study aims to explore the perspectives, challenges, and strategies of SEL Directors in implementing SEL programs district-wide. The…

Teachers significantly impact students' academic success amidst life difficulties and societal influences (Harlacher & Merrell, 2010; Malureanu & Enachi-Vasluianu, 2021). This qualitative research study was designed to understand the impact of implementing a district-wide social-emotional learning initiative from the teachers' perspective.…

The implementation of sustainability and green public procurement (GPP) initiatives in school districts has been the subject of some debate; questions over definitions and programme goals have led to inconsistency and concerns about programme achievements. The legitimacy of programmes rests not only with the announcement of policy by officials,…

This study examined the prevalence of student-to-student and staff-to-student sexual harassment in K-12 schools and school district compliance with Title IX using a retrospective survey of young adults. Participants (n = 511) were asked to describe their knowledge of policies and procedures regarding Title IX, the prevalence of sexual harassment,…

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic life events experienced in childhood that can have negative and long-lasting effects throughout life. This qualitative exploratory study investigates the implementation of a novel programme aimed at supporting children experiencing adversity and trauma across primary schools in one…

In this qualitative study we sought to understand the experiences of K-12 school personnel serving on Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership teams. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews and five focus groups across three states and five school districts to determine team members' perceptions regarding facilitators and…

Student achievement in California has not rebounded after the precipitous declines of the COVID-19 pandemic, with English language arts (ELA) and math scores remaining well below prepandemic levels. Student attendance has declined dramatically, and trauma and time away from school have led to mental health challenges, delays in social development,…

Within general education settings, students with disabilities may not gain maximum benefit from the use of emerging inclusive pedagogical frameworks unless the role of special educators is reconfigured so that their expertise can be applied to instructional design and delivery. The purpose of this study was to investigate how special educators…

A public school district in southeast South Carolina implemented a new arts-based initiative due to the surge in demand for mental health services for students following the pandemic. With more students in the research site requiring intensive mental health support during the 2021-2022 academic year, compared to the 2016-2017 school year, the…

High-impact tutoring has emerged as a primary school district investment for addressing learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing research shows that high-impact tutoring is effective for accelerating student learning, this study examined the school-level facilitators and barriers to scaling high-impact tutoring.…

Yoga programs to enhance student well-being are being integrated into school settings at increasing rates. Addressing the issues and challenges of implementing yoga programs in schools is essential for effective program delivery and outcomes. Prior literature has identified the need for further qualitative research from major stakeholders that…

The study explores the implementation of teacher evaluation models and federal education policies, particularly AchieveNJ, in an urban public school district in New Jersey. It focuses on principals' experiences and perceptions, uncovering their challenges and thoughts on the policy's effectiveness in enhancing teacher performance and student…