Parent advocacy is often critical for families of individuals with disabilities. Prior research has suggested that parent advocacy occurs across three levels: individual, peer, and systemic. Yet, little empirical research has identified the correlates of advocacy for each level. For this study, we examined the survey responses of 246 parents of…

Although ethical sensitivity is a well-defined concept, few scales specifically assess the ethical sensitivity of students in higher education referring to academic honor codes. We conducted the current study to develop and validate a scale that measures the Ethical Sensitivity Scale in Academic Activities (ESS). Scale development followed a…

The purpose of the current investigation is to analyze existing research examining the impact of play therapy on the development of language skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As rates of ASD diagnoses continue to increase, families and educators are faced with making critical decisions regarding the selection and…

This memorandum provides information on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)/American College Test (ACT) participation and performance for 2024 high school graduates in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) compared to those in the State of Maryland and the nation. Trends of SAT/ACT participation and performance in 2022 and 2024 are included in…

This paper studies families' capacity to pay for college in the United States, focusing on changes over time and differences by race and socioeconomic status. I use data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to document changes over time in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid…

If racial gaps in measures of human capital like educational attainment and standardized test scores were eliminated, what would happen to racial disparities in wages, employment, and other labor market outcomes? A credible answer to this question is foundational for understanding the nature and scope of racial inequality and discrimination in the…

Parent education interventions for children with autism have grown steadily over the past few decades. As such, it is essential to define, capture, and map the characteristics of parent education-focused interventions, particularly for parents of adolescents with autism. We conducted a scoping review of parent education interventions for parents…

This transcendental phenomenological dissertation is a study that examined culturally responsive teaching perceptions and self-efficacy among elementary school teachers and whether or not teacher race impacted those individual perceptions and beliefs of self-efficacy. Data were gathered through a qualitative approach with the use of one-to-one…

Corporal punishment (CP), or inflicting pain through spanking, hitting, and paddling, is still legally sanctioned and exercised in U.S. schools. We use critical discourse analysis and draw on state policy documents and data from the Office of Civil Rights to investigate which discourses pervade policy texts and how CP is practiced. These sources…

The intersectional identities of African American women leaders come with challenges and obstacles that few thoroughly comprehend. This phenomenological study sought to understand the impact of intersectionality on the leadership styles and journey of African American women in K-12 district leadership. Historically, leadership literature…

Wage gap statistics continue to show that efforts around equitable pay distributions continue to fail. These data inform us that the outcomes are not meeting expectations therefore something must change. We still see nationally that white men are paid more than any other gender or racial group, which tells us that we are hiring more diverse…

Mental health treatment utilization is low among Black undergraduate women, despite the prevalence of mental health stressors and difficulties. The consideration of pre-treatment preferences and expectations may help address this disparity. The current study is an attempted replication and extension of prior findings demonstrating race-based…

Little is known about how race and ethnicity influence the association between college enrollment and past-year suicide attempts. In this brief report, the relationship between college enrollment and past-year suicide attempts varied across racial groups in a nationally representative sample of 12,474 full-time college enrolled and unenrolled…

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked with caloric overeating and weight gain. We employed a mediation analysis to determine whether pandemic-associated overeating was a direct effect of COVID-19-related anxiety (affect regulation theory) or mediated by a coping mechanism of escape eating (escape theory). A diverse pool of college…

Adolescent substance misuse is a persistent concern in the USA and student substance possession on campus presents as an increasing challenge for administrators. This study seeks to understand how students are differentially disciplined for substance possession based on substance type and student race/ethnicity in US schools. Based a national…