The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore how students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tell stories about experiences transitioning into the collegiate environment in Nebraska. The problem addressed in this study was that students with ASD often do not have the available needed resources needed to successfully transition…

Limited studies address high school gifted students' social and emotional needs (Knudsen, 2018; Kregel, 2015). Additionally, there is a lack of research regarding high school gifted students' and Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) directors' perspectives on the social and emotional strategies implemented locally within their school…

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the shared experiences of novice school principals' mentor training and to gain an understanding of the experience of peer educators. This dissertation employed a qualitative case study methodology to interview Arizona principals with less than three years of experience who did not receive…

The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand licensed professional counselors' perceptions of ethics and diversity implications for serving youth identifying as sexual and gender minorities. The research question at the center of this endeavor asked what are licensed professional counselors' perceptions of ethics and diversity…

Champion Academy teachers in this mixed methods action research case study illuminate the conditions which support or hinder the process of making collective commitments with "cycles for iterative improvement." The results of the study demonstrate how closely connected process is to outcome in the work of school improvement. Since the…

Internalized oppression is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects Women of Color in education. Continuous exposure to systemic oppression, such as sexism and racism, can further exacerbate existing internalized oppression (Crenshaw, 1991) and can result in severe implications on the overall emotional, physical, and spiritual health of…

As the entry point into higher education for over half of the bachelor's degree earners, (Trapani & Hale, 2019), community colleges are positioned to have a positive impact of bringing a more diverse student group into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. However, the vertical transfer function from community…

Culturally responsive school counseling (CRSC) is the call to action for school counselors, aimed at meeting the needs of underrepresented groups. CRSC is often described as an approach that serves all students, but definitions fail to mention and center underrepresented populations (i.e., students of color). Literature has included varying…

Collective bargaining agreements are documents used by unionized workers to outline the scope of their job role and in many educational settings are perceived as a hindrance to improving teacher quality and thus student performance. The problem addressed by this study was that the restrictions of the collective bargaining agreement impede the time…

Transgender and/or Nonbinary populations in the United States experience significant rates of harassment, discrimination, victimization, and psychological distress in nearly all aspects of life due to systemic stigmatization against those who violate societal gender norms. Such social disparities are often enacted through the environmental and…

This research aims to uncover the narratives of teacher candidates of color and their experiences with race and racism while learning to teach in a PDS context, develop an understanding of how state and local policies manifest within these experiences, and explore the roles of platicas as a context for critical conversations. This research study…

The rapid shift in schools' demographics across the United States calls for a strategic and thoughtful change in the recruitment, retention, and development efforts of school districts as they cultivate the leadership pipeline to prepare future school leaders. District leadership pipeline programs must strategically and actively recruit and…

A student's sense of belonging can affect many aspects of their achievements, and their academic and social life (Freeman et al., 2007; Hausman et al., 2007; Hoffman et al., 2002; Strayhorn, 2012). Vaccaro and Newman (2022) contended only by understanding the process of belonging development, one can develop a sense of being as students navigate…

This study aimed to identify the factors that affect the job satisfaction and retention of special education teachers. The researcher sought to determine the factors affecting job satisfaction and retention among special education teachers in the Midlands of South Carolina and suggestions for improvement within those areas to assist in retaining…

For over 30 years, international educators have recognized that Students of Color participate in study abroad opportunities at considerably lower rates than their white peers. Despite concerted efforts to address this disparity, the proportion of Students of Color studying abroad has largely remained unchanged over the last three decades. To…