For decades, policymakers in the U.S. have leveraged accountability policy as a governing tool to lift school performance and close the achievement gap. Accountability become so widespread that it arguably became a "policy paradigm" with the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. Yet after just 13 years of…

It is becoming ever more challenging to address the changing landscape faced by California Community Colleges. Change agents strive to implement needed interventions but are often disappointed in the outcomes. However, the literature shows that the odds of successful change increase when interventions align with the organization's culture. The…

As campus leaders called students, faculty, and staff back to in-person courses and student activities after the COVID-19 global pandemic, they were faced with employee retention challenges, burnout, recruitment limitations, and the changing nature of on-campus learning; there is ongoing discourse around these challenges and the extent to which…

Restorative practices (RP) have been shown through research to produce positive results on school culture and reductions in measures of exclusionary discipline especially when a whole-school and culture change approach is utilized. Further, the benefits of RP include fostering community, belonging, and supporting the development of positive…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to examine if and to what extent one or more administrators' emotional intelligence (EI) abilities of emotional perceiving and expressing (EPE), emotional utilization (EUT), emotional understanding (EUN) and emotional regulation (ERE), predicted teacher rating of school…

Indigenous students often see higher education as a means by which they can meet their familial, community, and cultural responsibilities. Unfortunately, many collegiate institutions emphasize values and social protocols, a way of understanding, and a way of knowing that are unfamiliar and even hostile to Indigenous worldviews. To better…

The problem addressed by this study was how food insecurity influences the school environment and student academic achievement in grades kindergarten through eight (K-8). This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore how K-8 school leaders describe the influence of food insecurity on K-8 students' school environment and academic achievement.…

The study was qualitative, phenomenological in its methodology and design. The problem addressed in this study was that leaders may overlook the potential benefits of CBL decision making. The guiding theoretical framework for the study was grounded in the change theory, diffusion of innovation. The framework was interconnected to the study because…

The COVID-19 pandemic and shifts to virtual learning drastically altered school environments, often leaving students without a say in the many changes happening in their lives. To understand how diverse adolescents experienced their school's climate during the COVID-19 pandemic and elevate youth voice in school decisions, we conducted a…

This qualitative study contributed new insights into the complex interplay between California Community College (CCC) campus climate and faculty-led diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) changemaking. Using focus groups and interviews with 22 full-time faculty, this study found that supportive campus policies and practices, such as…

The U.S. college-going population has diversified significantly in the past five decades. That fact, combined with a large community college capacity, an increased need for highly skilled workers, and the knowledge that higher education means social and economic mobility, makes improving student success at community colleges essential. All 116…

This research was a descriptive study in which the researcher explored the beginning phases of Ethnic Studies implementation in a Kindergarten through Eighth grade (K-8) school district in Northern California. Using a social justice lens, and through a review of Ethnic Studies, Collective Efficacy, Critical Consciousness, and School Culture…

Teacher leaders, who are stakeholders in the school and implement policies designed to improve student achievement, are a crucial part of educational reform efforts. However, the responsibilities of teacher leaders vary widely at the site level. Teacher leaders' self-efficacy must be substantive in order for them to enact change. This quantitative…

This brief on including student voice, agency, and co-creation in education decision-making proceeds from the premise that successfully transforming education systems to be more student centered involves addressing four key elements: Individual Mindsets, Interpersonal Relationships, Community Culture, and Structural and Systemic Supports. The…

The challenge of managing student behavior and fostering a positive school culture has become increasingly important, especially among schools serving diverse and marginalized populations. Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) offer a promising solution by focusing on conflict resolution and relationship-building rather than punitive measures. This…