Contextual multi-armed bandits have previously been used to personalize student support messages given to learners by supplying a model with relevant context about the user, problem, and available student supports. In this work, we propose using careful feature selection with relevant domain knowledge to improve the quality of student support…

Research has shown that schools across the Nation are continuing to face the challenge of a special education teacher shortage. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how the systemic factors of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory explain selected special educator's decisions to stay in the profession in a…

Though teachers in schools are increasingly being asked to take responsibility for the education and training of prospective and practicing teachers, little empirical research has been undertaken into the support that they require to perform their duties effectively. This study provides an international needs analysis of the professional learning…

In this manuscript, we offer a brief understanding of the educational experiences of gang-impacted students in K-12 and postsecondary education. Using evidence-based and interconnected support systems that account for the multifaceted needs of gang-impacted students, such as basic needs, mental health, workforce development, technology, and other…

The Joint Educational Project's (JEP) STEM Education Programs at the University of Southern California (USC) present an elementary-level curriculum centered on the science of stem cells in partnership with Dr. Adam MacLean, an Assistant Professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology at USC for the broader impacts of a National Science…

Despite the rhetoric of inclusion and equal participation, educational practices end up producing social exclusion. In this research, we are interested in practices where outcomes fail to match efforts with respect to students' opportunities to participate equally. The research was carried out as a focused ethnography with young people who arrived…

The problem addressed in this study was the inability of school counselors to assist students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover the lived experiences of professional school counselors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Bandura's Social Learning Theory, I looked at eight professional school…

The period of a child's growth and development that is most notable is from 0 to 8 years old. These are the years when all that is learned is laid down. Putting strong foundations in place today will yield big dividends later. Greater learning in the classroom and better educational results have a positive social and economic impact on society.…

Background: Early language delay is exacerbated by social disadvantage. Factors such as parents' low levels of literacy, confidence and self-perception can affect the capacity to act on advice received, critical to empowerment. Methods used to achieve successful health outcomes in socially disadvantaged clinical populations may need enhancing.…

ADHD symptoms in emerging adult college students are associated with multiple impairments. Social support may buffer the relation between ADHD and impairment. Social support can be defined in terms of quantity or quality; more research is needed to better understand this distinction. Thus, the current study examined the moderating effect of social…

Background/Context: Many college students experience basic needs insecurity, which includes a lack of -- or fear of the lack of -- access to healthy food, stable housing, reliable transportation, affordable child care, physical and mental health care services, the internet and technology, and other necessities students need to survive and thrive…

This brief is a continuation of NWEA's research series examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement and progress toward academic recovery. Initiated in the early phase of the pandemic, this series has leveraged NWEA's large national sample of longitudinal MAP® Growth™ data to track student performance and compare it to…

This dissertation explores the intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the socio-academic success of graduate students enrolled in exclusively online degree programs. The research aims to understand how a sense of belonging, fostered through interactions with peers, faculty, and the university community, contributes to socio-academic success.…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive, multi-site case study was to determine the criteria individualized education program (IEP) teams used to find the least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the elementary school level. The theoretical framework of this study was Maslow's theory…

The research on the religious experience of international students is limited. This study explored international undergraduate female students' narratives on the importance of religion and spirituality in their international sojourn. Using a narrative case study, I interviewed six students (three Christian and three Hindu students) to discuss the…