The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental causal comparative research study is to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in reading and math achievement as measured by the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students with disabilities (SWD) who attended the…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation of ACME's worksite weight loss initiative and collect evidence relative to the efficacy of the program. An anonymous online survey was administered to participants of the weight loss initiative. The survey was designed to gather information relative to the research questions, which…

The purpose of this case study was to gain insight on teachers' perceptions on implementing a balanced literacy framework and determine the effects of the Literacy Partnership Professional Development (LPPD) on classroom instruction, teacher perceptions, and student achievement on End-of-year Benchmark Text Level assessments. This study sought to…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects social development and social communication. As the prevalence of ASD increases, more children on the spectrum are growing into adolescents and young adults. Adolescents have unique needs as they transition from childhood to adulthood. One imperative skill deficit…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that noninstructional staff--including guidance counselors, social workers, school psychologists, office staff, bus drivers, maintenance and facility staff, and food service staff--can take to support school…

This qualitative, collective case study documented the development of the self-efficacy beliefs of special education preservice candidates during one semester of a course-embedded field experience in a small, private, faith-based university in the Midwest. Interviews of candidates regarding critical incidents in field experiences as documented by…

Numerous studies, including our own, have documented that teacher noticing interventions can be effective in developing teachers' abilities to notice salient aspects of the mathematics classroom. In this study, we explore how specific aspects of one such intervention may have supported three prospective teachers in learning to notice…

By participating within the educational setting in making decisions about their lives that reach beyond choice-making, students with disabilities who acquire the skills of self-determination may express interests and goals through their own authentic voice. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the experiences and…

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information on program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement. However,…

To examine to what extent current general education pre-service teachers within a teacher preparation program at a private institution of higher education know and understand the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), expert focus groups were conducted. General education program syllabi were examined for UDL content and found to be…

Northeast Ohio is similar to the rest of the United States in that there is a rise in the need for the products that advanced manufacturers supply (Center for American Progress, 2013). However, advanced manufacturers in Northeast Ohio are unable to find the technically skilled workers to fill the jobs that are currently available in the workforce.…

The increase of Spanish-speaking populations in the U.S. has resulted in an increased demand for culturally competent, Spanish-speaking mental health providers. Yet, little is known about the methods in which academic programs and clinical training sites are preparing their bilingual students to deliver services in Spanish to the Latino…

As a response to accountability and pressure from the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, the South Dakota Department of Education informed school administrators of a state-wide transformation of the way districts measure teacher effectiveness in their schools. In 2011, "The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument" (Danielson, 2002)…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact literacy coaches had on Mississippi's lower-performing schools. To guide the study, the researcher developed four research questions and four null hypotheses. The population of this study was derived from a sample of Mississippi students in Grades K-3 who were administered the Early Literacy STAR…