This volume draws together a selection of papers from YAC2018, the first meeting in the annual Year Abroad Conference series, which took place at Newcastle University in September 2018. The contributions collected here examine some of the opportunities, gains, and challenges the Year Abroad brings for both students and staff. They are presented…

Small Talk is a behaviour change campaign designed by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with the Department for Education. The campaign encourages parents to engage in behaviours which are known to create a positive home learning environment (HLE). This evaluation highlights the need and the effect of the Small Talk behaviour change…

Bridge-to-college programs aim to help people complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education, two milestones that increase access to economic opportunity. These programs help students obtain their high school credentials while encouraging postsecondary transition and success. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay,…

Across the social sectors, a growing number of organizations are embracing continuous improvement approaches and organizing themselves as networks in order to attack complex problems. To succeed, networks must learn quickly by studying their own practices, continuously adapting to changing circumstances within their organizations and in the…

This report completes a three-year (2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19) quasi-experimental evaluation of the fidelity of implementation of the Capturing Kids' Hearts program and its impact on two outcomes, teacher-student relationships and student behavior within the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Findings from focus groups, teacher…

Youth houses in Morocco are public institutions that focus on the integration of Moroccan youth in the social and economic fabric of society. The Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports made evaluation a pivotal component of its 2030 vision. Yet, it does not involve any mandates for internal evaluations. Given the fierce competition for grants and…

The following dissertation study will evaluate how, if at all, does participation in the La Comunidad de Latnios (LCL) small group improve the perceptions and high school experiences with regards to post-secondary options for Latino students. Focus groups were evaluated and discussed, and recurring themes were considered to understand how Latino…

Parents of children with ASD need access to a variety of services, resources, and parental knowledge to best meet the needs of their children. The lack of access to supportive services and resources in rural communities creates challenges for parents of children with ASD. The challenges of rural America can cause stress, impact familial…

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the managerial practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) higher education sector through the lens of "new managerialism". Design/methodology/approach: An extensive review of new managerialism literature in higher education was conducted to develop a structured survey questionnaire. Using 176…

Little is known about the long-term impact of faculty leadership development programs. Therefore, we assessed changes in leadership capabilities among faculty members (N=38, 46%) at an academic medical center four to seven years after their participation in a longitudinal leadership program. Descriptive and qualitative analyses of survey responses…

Schools are now filled with Digital Natives. There has been a vast growth in online courses offered at the high school level but little evidence as to how effective they are. It is important to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of a digital learning environment in order to keep up with the 21st century changes occurring in education using…

Case study methods were used to examine the implementation and process used to recruit STEM majors of color into teaching. This article describes a one-year pilot designed to recruit biology majors into teaching. Analyses of the meeting minutes, as well as focus group, and field notes, and participants' reflections revealed that mentorship was an…

The aim of the research is to measure interrelation between VET quality and the level of teachers' education and training and to identify directions for their improving. The working hypothesis of the research is the assumption that education and training of graduates from colleges (specialists) will be of high quality if competencies are developed…

Sex and gender are evolving identity categories with emergent public policy and administration needs. To respond to the diverse landscape of sex and gender issues in the public sector, greater competency is needed. This research will contribute to the body of work on sex and gender in public administration by asking the following questions: (a)…

Post-secondary institutions carry out cyclical program reviews (CPRs) to assess educational effectiveness. CPRs often use both qualitative and quantitative data analyses with the aim of improving teaching and learning. Though most of the CPR review studies identify various factors for this purpose, they fail to identify measures/indicators that…