This study examined principals' perceptions of faith-based schools in Southern California. A 6-item survey was distributed by hard copy to 217 Catholic principals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by e-mail to 218 Protestant school principals affiliated with the Association of Christian School International. The survey was…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of parents involved in the IEP process. More specifically, the study explored how parents in the IEP process experience trust in their relationship with educational professionals. The two research questions addressed in this study were: What is the lived experience of…

The purpose of this study was to understand the implementation and impacts of Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) in secondary grades. LLI is a short-term, intensive intervention system designed to help teachers provide small-group instruction to struggling readers. Many school districts across the country have used LLI, which has shown promise in…

Launched to "advance a new vision for what constitutes success for our schools and our students," the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (NCSEAD) began their work by listening to students who shared their thoughts on how they learn best. The young people were clear and unequivocal: They want positive…

The institution of schooling can be an anxiety provoking space for some students (Reda, 2009; White, 2011). One in every five children has mental health illnesses, and anxiety disorders are the most frequent condition (Merikangas, Nakamura, & Kessler, 2009). Teachers are in the unique position of being able to observe students' variations in…

This descriptive qualitative study investigated the experiences of novice assistant principals regarding how participation in a Grow-Your-Own leadership program influenced their self-efficacy to fulfill their administrative duties in one Southwestern U.S. state. Social learning theory, situated learning theory, and self-efficacy theory provided…

Transition from high school to adulthood for students with developmental disabilities is a monumental stage for both the individual and his or her family. Past research has shown that one of the most salient predictors of students' successful transition is their parents' involvement with transition planning, however, during this time parent…

This study was designed to assess continuing and potential students' perceptions regarding factors affecting the overall quality of one Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program in the southeastern United States. The study also sought to assess program participants' perceptions of the impact of hypothesized situational, institutional, and…

Along with the burgeoning expansion of online platforms for student learning in higher education have come complementary analytics tools to rate student engagement, learning, success and progression. As, in the UK, institutions embrace these tools as part of government-led attainment targets and awards (e.g. Teaching Excellence Framework), the…

The Advanced Placement (AP) program represents a critical element in Houston Independent School District's (HISD's) efforts to inject rigor into the high school classrooms. Since 2009, the AP course offerings in HISD have been vastly expanded, with more campuses offering a wider selection of AP courses that exposes a larger percentage of the high…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological case study was to investigate the experiences of eight New Jersey teachers involved in state-mandated school improvement processes in order to determine what teachers value in the improvement process and identify how involvement impacts their perception of their practice. In-depth phenomenological…

In ensuring that their children achieve the best results in education, parents play a vital role in participative learning. Most of them in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia understand that children with special needs require more care for learning to take place especially children with learning disabilities. The kind of help that parents are expected…

There is national and international pressure for schools to increase student engagement and skills in more challenging mathematics, in particular for disadvantaged students. This study repurposes school level data to examine patterns of participation and achievement in advanced year 12 mathematics. It confirms that school socio-economic status…

This dissertation characterized trainings designed to prepare citizen scientists to collect ecological data in natural outdoor settings. Citizen scientists are volunteers who participate in scientific activities under the guidance of professional scientists and organizations. The work of citizen scientists greatly expands the data collection…

The Creative Responsibility Based Teaching (CRBT) model is an innovative physics-teaching model designed to enhance students' scientific creativity and responsibility. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the effectiveness of CRBT model to improve scientific creativity and first year students' responsibility on Basic Physics learning in…