The privilege walk is a pedagogical tool used to teach students about often-ignored aspects of privilege. Despite their popularity, privilege walks are under-examined in the scholarship of teaching and learning. This leaves open questions about the efficacy of the walk, and whether, and to what extent, the walk yields different results among…

Substance use in adolescence is a significant public health issue, particularly in early-to-mid adolescence, which represents a window of risk in the etiology of substance abuse and dependence. Substance use during this development period often results from affiliation with deviant peers, who model, facilitate, and reinforce use. Existing…

Introduction: This study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Coping and Emotional Development for Adolescents to Reduce Stress (CEDARS) a positive psychological intervention (PPI), tailored for adolescents and administered in a classroom setting, in boosting CEDARS skill use and emotional well-being. Method: Adolescents (N = 102,…

This dissertation examines how implementing READ 180 for 9th grade students affects their Lexile level and reading ability. The research focuses on two questions: what changes were noticed in the students' Lexile levels? and what program recommendations can be made moving forward? The methodology used was PDSA and improvement science. The study…

Objective: This study examined the experiences of men in sexual violence bystander education programs at one institution of higher education. Participants: Twenty-three men participated in the study, of which 15 identified as men of color. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed in Dedoose 8.2.14 using thematic…

African American (AA) male youth across the United States are often detained or committed to juvenile facilities at a higher rate than most population groups due to criminal or delinquent behavior. The research explored the risk and protective factors associated with delinquency for this population while bringing awareness to delinquency and vital…

Delays in autism spectrum disorder identification/services could impact developmental outcomes. Although trends are encouraging, children from historically underrepresented minority backgrounds are often identified later and have reduced engagement in care. It is unclear if disparities exist throughout the screen-evaluate-treat chain, or if early…

Objective: This study explored how college freshmen, particularly those affected by health inequities, are affected by COVID-19 and whether they would use a university-created online wellness intervention for help. Participants: Nine-hundred and eighty-nine freshmen at a large southeastern university. Method: Students responded to an online survey…

Research suggests that the process of adolescents exploring and developing clarity about their ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is an important developmental competency. However, the extent to which individuals view their ERI as central to their overall self-concept (i.e., ERI centrality) informs the degree to which they choose to explore their ERI,…

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, with African Americans experiencing higher age-adjusted mortality compared to Whites. African American women in particular carry a high CVD burden due to more exposure to adverse personal and socioenvironmental challenges. Church-based interventions can…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) READ 180 program was effective in helping to bridge the gap in reading achievement between African American and White students in three middle schools within one school district. The study took place in a rural public school district in the southeastern…

The Office for Civil Rights has well documented the presence of disparities among Black students in schools as compared to other ethnic/racial groups of students. Although policies have been mandated and implemented in efforts to close gaps between Black students and other ethnic/racial groups of students, disparities continue to exist. As vital…

Background: To combat stereotype threat, several school-based field trials have leveraged self-affirmation theory (Steele & Liu, 1983; Liu & Steele, 1986), wherein affirming one's important beliefs and values can buffer against identity threats. Self-affirmation theory posits that individuals are motivated to maintain a positive overall…

Currently 15 percent of U.S. students receive special education services, a widespread intensive intervention with variable effects on students. Spurred by changes in federal policy, many states and districts have begun adopting the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach to identifying students to receive special education services. RTI seeks to…

This Education Leadership Portfolio's (ELP) improvement goal was to reduce student chronic absence at West Seaford Elementary School (WSES), a K-2 public school in the Seaford School District (SSD), where I serve as principal. Significant levels of student chronic absence have been and remain common at WSES, and--according to national and state…