Under federal law, parents have the right to decline, or waive, English language support services when their child is identified as an English learner (EL) in school. In this study, we focus on this important subgroup of ELs--referred to as waived ELs--at the understudied intersection of EL status and special education (SPED) status. Using…

Under federal law, parents have the right to decline, or waive, English language support services when their child is identified as an English learner (EL) in school. In this study, we focus on this important subgroup of ELs--referred to as waived ELs--at the understudied intersection of EL status and special education (SPED) status. Using…

There is continued concern over the inequitable distribution of highly experienced and effective teachers among historically marginalized student populations. Using longitudinal data from Tennessee, this study assesses whether students of racially/ethnically minoritized and economically disadvantaged backgrounds have unequal exposure to teachers…

This narrative qualitative research study delved into the perspectives of Black teachers regarding the accessibility of school leadership and the barriers encountered by school leaders during their transition into school leadership roles. Its objective was to highlight the underrepresentation of Black educators, particularly Black administrators.…

The shortage of African American faculty employed at higher education institutions is prevalent at two-year community colleges across Tennessee. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of African American faculty employed at Tennessee Board of Regents institutions. This qualitative multiple-case study examined why there is a lack of…

Minority and other at-risk students are disproportionately affected by punitive disciplinary practices in schools. These disciplinary actions' long-term and short-term effects include losing instructional time, low academic achievement, dropping out of school, and a chance of becoming part of the school-to-prison pipeline. Implementing restorative…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is an economic opportunity for an urban school district in Tennessee. Lack of interest in STEM courses was throughout schools with underrepresented populations. An urban district in Tennessee with few schools implementing STEM initiated instructional practices to increase…

Performance-based funding models for higher education, which tie state support for institutions to performance on student outcomes, have proliferated in recent decades. Some states now tie most of their higher education appropriations to completion outcomes and include bonus payments for historically underrepresented groups to address equity gaps…

Many factors influence whether Open Educational Resources (OER) and other affordable materials foster equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Cost savings to students and better outcomes are commonly cited as indicators. However, more research is needed to improve EDI outcomes in OER adoption. This article reports on survey responses from…

This study examined longitudinal education and career outcomes of the Meharry-Vanderbilt-Tennessee State University Cancer Partnership, the longest-running National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Partnerships in Advancing Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) program site in the United States. Degree completion rates were calculated and progression…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a method for providing academic support to students and for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Using interrupted time series and hazard models, we examined if statewide RTI adoption in the U.S. state of Tennessee was associated with changes in rates of SLD and first-time SLD identification in…

The purpose of this qualitative study focused on the experiences of first-generation students attending a technical college in rural West Tennessee. The results of this study may identify barriers faced by students from these special populations and may also provide insight into the support systems that motivate these students to persevere.…

Educational leaders throughout the United States have repeatedly emphasized the importance of increasing the number of Black and Latinx teachers in American schools. Prior qualitative work suggests that Black and Latinx teachers who are demographically isolated in their schools often report negative experiences. Drawing on theories of proportional…

The purpose of this qualitative, critical race analysis study is to explore how White faculty conceptualize and apply critical race theory (CRT) and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to curricula within a college of education and how the perceptions of their students' identities influence specific pedagogical decisions. The researcher sought to…

Performance-based funding models for higher education, which tie state support for institutions to performance on student outcomes, have proliferated in recent decades. Some states now tie most of their higher education appropriations to completion outcomes and include bonus payments for historically underrepresented groups to address equity gaps…