The purpose of this special issue is to share the best research, theory, practice, and perspectives from presenters at the 2017 Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Identities Convergence conference, alongside the new writing of scholars and practitioners who were inspired by the themes of the conference. Readers will have access both to the best of…

Sub-Saharan Africa trails other regions in the realm of key human development indicators, produces less than 1 percent of the global research output despite having 12.5 percent of the global population. If the region is to improve on its human capital development indicators, it must embrace action research in addressing the many developmental…

This chapter examines the growing inclusion of transgender student-athletes as well as the barriers that transgender student-athletes continue to face in intercollegiate athletics. The chapter concludes with a discussion of suggested practices and implications.

Cooperative learning activities are a staple in many physical education programs. Teachers often use team building and trust activities at the beginning of the school year to get to know their students. However, many physical education teachers focus solely on the affective domain. The purpose of this article is to provide physical education…

This study employed a two-stage exploratory research design to empirically collect, verify and analyze the challenges and barriers that influence the Cooperative Extension Service's ability to deliver educational programming and resources to urban residents. Each stage of the study was designed to build on the previous stage and to accomplish…

This dissertation contributes to the body of knowledge about the utilization of synergistic supervision in practice and about the adult learning experiences reported by participants within the context of supervision. The research questions guiding this study are: (1) What are the synergistic practices of mid-level Student Affairs supervisors at a…

The subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have grown in importance because they are fundamental to the future quality of life and the ability to compete in today's global society. The demand for STEM careers is increasing; however, the United States is having difficulty meeting this demand. Society needs students who can…

Educational practice does not, for the most part, rely on research findings. Instead, there's a preference for relying on our intuitions about what's best for learning. But relying on intuition may be a bad idea for teachers and learners alike. This accessible guide helps teachers to integrate effective, research-backed strategies for learning…

Is homework an essential component of rigorous schooling or a harmful practice that alienates and discourages a significant number of students? Nine years after "Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs" was published, the debate over this complex question endures. In this updated edition, Cathy Vatterott examines…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a brief training on the cultural competence and perceived self-efficacy of school psychologists without formal training in working with deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/Dhh) students. Participants were trained on Deaf culture and best practices in the assessment of d/Dhh individuals. In Phase…

There are a number of reasons why apprenticeships have been relatively slow to get off the ground in New York--from an overly cumbersome state process for registering new apprenticeship programs to a paucity of employers that have embraced this model, particularly outside of the building trades. But as several other states have shown in recent…

The discipline of assessment has matured to the point where there is general agreement on best practices. However, the field has made little progress in developing a theoretical basis -- whether for assessment in general or for more specific dimensions of assessment as they emerge. Without a generalizable theory to work from, assessment…

Results from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges' (AGB's) educational quality study are based on a 27-question web survey conducted between Nov. 15, 2017, and Jan. 15, 2018. The survey asked a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions about three aspects of educational quality that are pertinent to board…

The United States has seen an increase focus in science education at the same time that more students with disabilities (SWDs) are educated in a general education classroom. Because of this, science teachers must know how to implement best practices of working with SWDs. However, many science teachers report they do not feel prepared for this.…

We consider an emerging challenge in special education that involves the interplay between an emphasis on evidence-based practices (EBPs) and the need to provide individualized intensive interventions for students with significant emotional and behavioral problems. With the use of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), teachers are expected to…