Having the ability to read is an essential skill for an individual. However, comprehension, the aim of reading, is a complex cognitive process that involves constructing meaning through deliberate thinking. Unfortunately, students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle with reading, which impairs their comprehension abilities. Repeated…

In January 2000, the Alternative and Safe Schools Instructional and Support Division (ASSIS) of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) was charged with developing guidelines that determined how districts could establish and maintain effective Alternative Learning Programs (NC DPI, 2014). In 2003, ASSIS produced the first…

This mixed-methods study examined the factors contributing to teachers' self-efficacy in teaching for conceptual understanding and investigated the impacts of a targeted intervention on their self-efficacy to work toward all students having equitable access to teaching that builds their conceptual understanding. This three-manuscript dissertation…

Effective classroom management (CM) is critical to promoting student success, as there is a clear connection between teacher CM practices and student academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. Research demonstrates that children spend more time academically engaged, progress more rapidly, and have higher levels of academic achievement when they…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a behavioral based intervention program on minority student behavior. The Breakfast Club was an intervention created with the goal of improving the negative behavior of minority adolescent students. The participants in this study were minority, high school students who displayed frequent…

For the purposes of this study, criteria for non-traditional students were: adults ages 25 and older, race/ethnicity, gender, entry date or transfer to a community college in Middle Tennessee during fall 2015 through summer 2021, and Pell/Grant eligibility. The problem is that non-traditional students have lower completions than traditional…

The purpose of this formative program evaluation of a military-to-civilian transition program at a university sought to evaluate participant perceptions of the program. The evaluation focused on the perceptions of program effectiveness after one year of program participation. Because the program was in its first year, it was appropriate to examine…

There is limited empirical evidence about educational interventions for students experiencing homelessness, who experience distinct disadvantages compared to their low-income peers. We explore how two school staffing interventions in New York City shaped the attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records…

Middle school offers an entryway onto the path of college readiness. However, many practitioners and researchers have focused their efforts on high school students. Remaining is a population of potential college-going students, whose opportunities to prepare for college at an earlier stage are overlooked because middle school is not viewed as the…

Student retention in higher education is a primary indicator of institutional reputation, impacting factors such as national rankings, admissions selectivity, and alumni support (Lee, Sanford, and Lee 2014). Programs designed to support student success in the first year and beyond generally intersect with the institutional mission. Utilizing…

The MITCA method (Homework Implementation Method) was developed with the purpose of turning homework into an educational resource capable of improving students' self-regulated learning and school engagement. In this paper, following current theoretical frameworks, we evaluate the effect of the MITCA method on students' self-regulated learning. In…

This doctoral study collected and analyzed the narratives of four adult professionals who work to reduce truancy in school-age children grades K-12. Truancy is a complex issue that has far-reaching consequences for all stakeholders from the single student up through the collective society at large. While truancy studies can be found in the…

This dissertation investigates the influence of interventions on the behavior outcomes of alternative education students in the Midwest United States, addressing the gap in literature regarding the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in alternative education settings. Grounded in B.F. Skinner's…

Population dynamics modeling using stage-based transition matrices has been used in ecology for six decades. However, the data analysis method has never been used for students in higher education. This applied doctoral project used the principles of population dynamics to assess two student populations at an institution of higher education…

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by significant distress and avoidance surrounding social and performance situations with marked interpersonal and academic impairment. This review paper highlights cultural considerations relevant to the conceptualization, identification and treatment of SAD in Black youth. Research evaluating the…