Purpose: Our purpose was to gather and evaluate accurate, up-to-date information on physical education (PE) policy implementation across multiple U.S. states and regions. Methods: A U.S. Physical Education and Physical Activity Policy questionnaire was developed and completed by 4,845 public-school PE teachers from 25 U.S. states. The U.S.…

Online learning is one form of distance education mediated through information and communications technology. We used a descriptive research design to develop and validate a multidimensional instrument to assess readiness and motivations for online learning. We provided a theoretical framework to better understand the concept of readiness for…

The Everyday Discrimination Scale is the most commonly used instrument to assess discrimination. The survey asks respondents about a range of negative interpersonal experiences and then asks them to provide a single main reason for all these experiences. Theories of intersectionality cast doubt on the idea that marginalized individuals generally…

With the changing faces of America's public school classrooms, colleges and universities that are responsible for the preparation of quality teachers will need to ensure that these future educators are equipped with the knowledge and ability to address the learning needs of students of color. This study was designed to examine how North Carolina…

Using information from precision farmer surveys conducted in the southern United States in 2005 and 2013, we evaluated changes in the use of precision farming information sources among cotton producers. Although Extension remains an important source for producers interested in precision farming information, the percentage of cotton producers using…

Stackable credentials--sequential postsecondary awards that allow individuals to progress on a career path--have been suggested as a way to enhance the labor market prospects of middle-skill workers. Yet, thus far, little evidence has been provided on the economic value of these credentials. Here, we report a series of estimates on the association…

This study examined the impact that PLCs, communication, and the playbook had on a kindergarten through Grade 5 school merger in a suburban attendance zone. This merger involved two former elementary schools in the southeastern United States. The school merger created a new school model with a pre-K through Grade 2 school and a Grade 3 through…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent of success and the challenges faced by community college presidents in creating an entrepreneurial culture. Fourteen American community colleges, identified by Roueche and Jones (2005), were surveyed for this study. These fourteen community colleges are located in Texas, Florida,…

Children spend as much as ten hours per day, five days a week in childcare centers and preschools. In providing healthy environments, these facilities deal with a variety of pest and pesticide issues influenced by their geographic location, local environment, and pesticide regulations. Some rely extensively on pesticides while others use…

Evidence-based programming and the importance of research has gained attention among outdoor and adventure-based programs in recent years (Sibthorp, 2009) regardless of the challenges that often accompany this type of investigation (Bialeschki, Henderson, Hickerson, & Browne, 2012). Programs must often develop their own evaluation instruments,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which diverse schools engage in culturally responsive beliefs and practices within response to intervention (RTI). Eight diverse elementary schools participated, and 200 general and special education teachers in grades K-5 completed surveys. Areas surveyed included culturally responsive…

School districts across the nation are grappling with the issue of high principal turnover coupled with a decrease in number of experienced applicants to fill vacancies (Guterman, 2007; Hall, 2008; Johnson, 2005; United States Department of Education, 2010; Villani, 2008). In addition, college preparation programs are being called into question as…

North Carolina's Race to the Top (RttT) grant earmarked approximately $17.5 million to "increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas" (NCDPI, 2010, p.10). To accomplish this, the state established three Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs)…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a new teacher induction program as implemented in a rural school district in central North Carolina. All beginning teachers with 3 or less years of experience, all school-based administrators, and all mentoring teachers were the target participants. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the…

This study evaluates dual enrollment programs through the eyes of North Carolina's community college chief academic officers (CAOs). Grounded in Tinto's theory of integration and the transformational leadership construct, a mixed methods approach was utilized to evaluate the perceptions of CAOs regarding the integration of high school students…