This study examined if differences in the experiences of student support co-occurred with differences in student perceptions of safety and the experience of bullying victimization as functions of race (Black/African American students; White/Caucasian students) and grade band (middle school students; high school students). Participants for this…

This study explored doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students' attitudes, perceived knowledge, and perceived competence specific to social and structural determinants of health (SDOH). Current students in a DPT program housed within a college of public health in an urban research institution served as the participants for this research. The…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted face-to-face instruction in schools across the United States and the world. Using the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS), we analyzed data from three middle schools in a suburban school district in the southeastern United States in order to determine if there were any statistically significant interaction…

The opportunity gap continues to widen in the U.S. education setting due to the ever-growing diversification of student populations resulting in part from increasing numbers of BIPOC students in schools. Meanwhile, most educators continue to be White middle-class females. In this study, fourth- and fifth-grade students at a K-8 charter school were…

This report examines the results of the Personal Financial Literacy Curriculum Survey (PFLCS). The PFLCS was designed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools' (M-DCPS) Office of Program Evaluation and Department of Social Sciences to gain insight into a baseline measure of financial literacy proficiency by grade level and student demographics.…

This study aimed to investigate preservice physical education teachers' (PPETs') attitudes toward fitness testing, and factors that may influence such attitudes. One hundred fifty-seven PPETs participated in the study (54.1% male). A slightly modified quantitative survey on PPETs' attitudes toward fitness testing validated by Keating et al. (2001)…

Background: Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents during an important developmental and social period in their lives. This study examines the mental health impact of the pandemic on high school students shortly after closure of public schools in spring 2020, and whether this…

Guided by the social-ecological, social identity, and social misfit theories, the present study examined the gender, racial/ethnic, and grade-level differences of students' perceived school safety and their associations with bullying victimization and school-wide bullying using a sample of 25,896 students from 114 public schools. Results of…

Previous research suggests that a student's demographics can impact their experience of a mentoring relationship (e.g. Ortiz-Walters & Gilson, 2005). Mentors play a vital role in helping graduate students achieve their goals by investing in their personal and professional wellbeing (Ghosh & Reio, 2013). Using cross-sectional, self-report…

Educators and researchers highlight the important role that math plays as a consequential gateway to upward mobility in the United States (and globally). The purpose of this study was to develop a survey for teens in middle school and high school, to capture information about their math mindsets, identities, experiences studying math, and…

National debate over law enforcement in schools has largely overlooked student reporting of violent threats to school resource officer (SROs). This statewide assessment of Virginia high school students (n = 99,358) found that the majority of Black (64%), Hispanic (72%), White (71%), and other racial/ethnic identity (71%) students agreed the SRO…

How students feel about their schools--their perception of the safety, inclusiveness, rigor, and level of collaboration in the learning environment--is an increasingly important part of conversations about school quality and improvement. For these reasons, measures of school climate have become central to school accountability systems across the…

There are two important premises at the core of the American democracy: inclusion and dissent. Focusing on the premise of democratic dissent, the overarching goal of this study is understanding how colleges may encourage desirable civic outcomes. This dissertation is proceeds in an alternative format, containing three distinct manuscripts. Chapter…

Background: Threat assessment is a widely recommended practice used by schools to investigate and respond to student threats of violence; however, students are often reluctant to disclose threats. Methods: We developed an online educational program for students to increase their understanding of threat assessment and the need to report serious…

How students feel about their schools--their perception of the safety, inclusiveness, and rigor of the school environment--has important implications for their happiness, engagement, and academic success. A wide variety of research suggests that a positive school climate contributes to students' academic engagement, growth, and success. These…