This dissertation examines the fidelity in which school districts are prepared to implement their reunification plan in the event of a tragedy or emergency. School emergencies continue to occur, and safety plans need to be developed and administered to support and protect students and staff. This dissertation is organized into two separate papers.…

Research in the area of organizational learning has focused upon division leaders and the contexts that drive policy, reform, and professional learning in the area of literacy. The purpose of this case study was to examine the ways and means through which district leaders perceived their experiences within an organizational learning context of a…

Public school districts are frequently targeted by cybercriminals to gain access to a wealth of under-protected sensitive data. As a result, information technology (IT) leaders in public school districts must implement measures to maintain the security and confidentiality of sensitive data collected and stored by their schools. This qualitative…

District systems supporting the school-level implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a multi-tiered framework organizing the delivery of a continuum of evidence-based practices promoting positive student social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, are critical to its success. While literature recognizes the…

Professional development for teachers must evolve to provide a personalized approach to better meet the needs of the individual. Micro-credentialing is one way to provide teachers with personalized professional development. This case study explores the implementation of a micro-credentialing course in one school district. The district selected a…

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…

The purpose of this study was to determine the structures and support systems implemented to foster a district educational equity and culturally responsive professional development series. In this qualitative study, an action research design team implemented a four-part professional learning series to describe the impact of an educational equity…

There is a gap in research focusing on how leaders implement complex policies such as Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). To address this gap, this phenomenological case study examined school leaders' perceptions of their roles as leaders…

The study of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within a social and emotional learning (SEL) program is timely as it supports the increasing body of literature on narrowing the educational gaps prevalent among Black students. Current research is lacking regarding if and how educators utilize CRP to support the learning of SEL competencies with…

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…

This research seeks to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) program within the Mansfield Independent School District, catering to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The primary focus of the BTAM initiative is to detect early signs of potential violence in students'…

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.…

Beginning in the fall of 2017, forty-one districts and charter schools entered into three-year legal agreements with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to reduce the racial disproportionality in their district or school's exclusionary discipline practices, specifically the overrepresentation of students of color in suspensions and…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation case study on the impact of standards-based grading in a North Carolina school district. The implementation procedures and end products of grading reform were assessed using the CIPP model. Data from teacher questionnaires, principal implementation checklists, interviews, and…

Empathy plays a vital role in improving student engagement and supporting organizational change in schools. In fact, empathy is widely recognized as an essential skill for integration during such efforts. In collaboration with Battelle for Kids, the Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, launched a vision for school…