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Researchers have noted that some primary grade teachers do not have the cultural competence to meet transcultural learning goals for primary grade students in diverse schools. This qualitative study explored perspectives of kindergarten through second grade teachers on their cultural competence to meet transcultural learning goals for primary-grade students in diverse schools. Mishra and Metha's 21st century learning model and Vernon's six principles of culturally competent practice were used as the framework for this study. This study addressed two research questions focusing on primary grade teachers' perspectives of their cultural competence to meet the transcultural learning goals for their students and what teachers need to develop their cultural competence to meet the transcultural needs of primary grade students in diverse schools. A basic qualitative study with interviews was conducted with 12 teachers, with a minimum of 3 years of experience, from Title I primary schools in an urban metro city in the southern United States. Data were analyzed, and four themes emerged: (a) resources improve teacher effectiveness in implementing culturally relevant pedagogy; (b) language barriers are addressed when individualized and personalized goals are established in primary classrooms; (c) mentor/coach support and collaboration following professional development enhances teachers' cultural competence; and (d) family participation builds teacher-family relationships through shared experiences. Results from this study contribute to positive social change by supporting the development of cultural competence in K-2 teachers, so they may act as social change agents to meet transcultural learning goals for primary-grade students in diverse schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This research examines the reasons why parent(s)/guardian(s) have chosen to enroll their child in a Catholic high school in the New Orleans area. Currently enrollment in Catholic high schools in the area is down post-Hurricane Katrina. This research is a qualitative study utilizing Grounded Theory methodology. An anonymous survey was sent to eighth grade parents of selected Catholic high schools, which they completed and submitted online. The results from the coding of the survey responses indicate that the primary reasons parent(s) selected a Catholic high school education for their child was academics, the importance of faith and/or Catholic education, the community of the high school, and the importance of discipline and safety for their child. With this information, the Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Catholic Education and Faith Formation and the individual order-run schools in the area can affect their recruiting and marketing strategies to increase enrollment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study has a dual focus: to assess the practice and effectiveness of education through the examination of research findings, empirical data, methodological implications, and theological integration, and to understand the concept and model of education within the social science framework, explicitly addressing the areas of need in educational provision and practice in Myanmar. The review of the literature aims to explore an educational trinity model, as articulated by Pazmino (2001), incorporating the five key elements proposed by Esqueda (2017): the teacher, student, objectives, lessons, and methods. The primary goal is to answer key research questions related to reforming primary and high school education in Myanmar. Each domain (Person, Content, and Context) is elaborated upon with dedicated subtopics supported by empirical research and findings from relevant scholars. The study looks into the role of Christian belief and practice in contributing to educational reform, investigating its manifestation in government-approved primary and high schools in Kachin State. It also explores how Christian schooling could adopt and demonstrate these reforms. Empirical research and findings from scholars contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the educational trinity, emphasizing the critical role of effective teaching in discerning and accommodating students' needs, formulating learning objectives, and designing course content aligned with students' educational journeys. The selection of appropriate teaching methodologies is highlighted as integral to successful content delivery. The literature review further discusses the impact of Myanmar's socio-political environment on its educational system, emphasizing a decline during prolonged military governance and its adverse repercussions on student learning outcomes, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Kachin State. This prompts a call for the establishment of quality Christian education in the region. The 'Person' domain of education, focusing on teachers and students, plays a central role in shaping inclusive and quality learning experiences. Teachers, as emphasized by Dahlqvist (2021), are crucial contributors to education, and Mustary (2020) underscores the importance of strong teacher-student relationships. Positive dynamics, meeting academic and emotional needs, and fostering healthy associations contribute to enhanced student engagement (Lee, 2016). High-quality teachers, as highlighted by Burroughs et al. (2019) and supported by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), are instrumental in achieving positive student outcomes, with studies such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) providing valuable insights. Examining education through various lenses, Pazmino (2001) defines education as a communal process guided by love and societal context, while Esqueda (2017) stresses understanding students' needs for effective learning experiences. In higher education, active learning, cooperative teaching approaches (Michael & Modell, 2003; Becker et al., 1990), formal lesson planning, and well-defined learning objectives (McClellan, 2009; Musbaing, 2020) are considered essential. Hamalik (2003) points to the alignment of policies, educators, students, strategies, media, and assessment for quality education assessment based on learning outcomes. The objective element considers challenges and significance, emphasizing Marzano and Kendall's (2008) New Taxonomy and the importance of critical thinking. Strategic planning in higher education integrates critical thinking through SWOT analyses, faculty engagement, and clear communication. Esqueda (2017) differentiates between sharing information and effective teaching, framing teaching as a transformative process. The lesson element stresses a student-centered approach, drawing on curriculum theories and introducing Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. The method element explores contemporary learning theories challenging traditional methods. Active, experiential, collaborative learning, problem-based learning, reflective writing, arts-based methods, and effective questioning are advocated for positive outcomes. The empirical findings provide a comprehensive understanding of education, focusing on clear instructional objectives, student-centered approaches, and diverse teaching methods fostering effective learning experiences. Education's transformative potential in shaping individuals and communities is highlighted, emphasizing the dynamic interplay of content, persons, and context within societies. Shifting focus to Myanmar's education system, shaped by historical challenges and exacerbated by the recent military coup, issues such as infrastructure deficiencies, traditional teaching methods, and inadequate teacher training hinder development. The complex interplay between political upheavals and educational policies, compounded by civil conflict, demands a comprehensive approach to addressing immediate needs and long-term goals. Efforts must encompass targeted interventions, infrastructure development, and teacher training to bridge educational gaps and ensure equitable access in rural areas. Without reforms, the rural education system faces decline, deepening social divides, and emphasizing the urgency for concerted efforts to build a more equitable and sustainable future for the nation (Soe, 2018). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how high school teachers describe problem-based learning as an instructional model for student learning in various academic disciplines in the United States. The research was grounded in constructivist learning theory and Problem-based learning (PBL). The study addressed two research questions RQ1: How do teachers describe the use of PBL as an instructional model for student learning in different disciplines? and RQ 2: How do teachers describe the benefits and shortcomings of PBL as an instructional model in the discipline they teach to enhance student learning? The sample consisted of N = 23 full-time licensed high school teachers who use PBL in their classrooms. The teachers were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. The two data sources were one-on-one semi-structured interviews (n=12) and two focus group interviews (n=6, n=5). The data were analyzed inductively using Braun and Clarke's (2022) six phases of thematic analysis. A codebook was developed to capture steps in the analysis process. The study revealed six themes that answered the research questions. RQ1: (1) purposeful learning experiences, (3) building and sustaining student agency, (4) equitable access to disciplinary content, and (5) collaborative engagement. RQ2: (2) transference of knowledge and skills and (6) perception of teaching and learning. Teachers described the benefits and shortcomings of using PBL in their academic disciplines. They shared insights on implementing PBL effectively to create a student-centered academic environment and encourage student ownership of learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the US-based First-Year Composition (FYC) instructors understand and facilitate metacognition in their classes and assess students' metacognition through exploratory, mixed methods approaches. I argue that even if we understand the importance of metacognition generally for student populations, we need to understand the FYC instructors' understanding of metacognition and the metacognitive strategies they use in teaching composition. I argue that FYC composition courses are not merely about developing writing but also it is about enabling students to reflect on their writing knowledge, skills, and strategies. Thus, the dissertation examines not only the FYC instructors' understanding of metacognition but also how they meaningfully incorporate metacognitive strategies in teaching composition. As metacognitive is commonly known as thinking for or about thinking, instructors' understanding of metacognitive strategies and the ways those strategies are incorporated into teaching composition not only helps them monitor and evaluate their own teaching practices but also has direct effects on students' metacognitive development in writing. That is, metacognitive teaching of composition enables students to monitor their level of understanding and develops students' reflection on their own writing processes. Therefore, writing to learn functions as a teaching tool to develop students' self-regulated learning. The quantitative analysis of my data from the online survey revealed that there is a significant correlation between the First-Year Composition (FYC) instructors' metacognitive knowledge, skills, experiences, and assessment. This suggests that teaching the FYC based on metacognition requires an objective understanding related to various aspects of metacognition. The quantitative findings are profoundly supported by the qualitative results descended from the analysis of two-open ended questions in the online survey in conjunction with insights received from interviews and analysis of teaching artifacts. In the same vein, after the qualitative analysis of the two open-ended questions, it is revealed that FYC instructors recognize metacognition as integral to their teaching. The results show that the participants identified 11 key premises through which they apply 15 major metacognitive strategies for developing students' metacognitive awareness in composition. Similarly, the interview analysis that includes 98 salient themes confirms that FYC instructors possess all four aspects of metacognition: metacognitive knowledge (N=36), metacognitive skill (N=33), metacognitive experience (N=16), and metacognitive assessment (N=13).In addition, the analysis of teaching artifacts revealed the FYC instructors' metacognitive knowledge, skills, experience, and assessment in teaching composition through five salient themes: preassessments, the muddiest point, retrospective post-assessments, integrating reflection into students' learning goals, and reflective journals. The participants' metacognitive knowledge emerged from the integration of reflective practices into student learning objectives. Also, their metacognitive skills and experience are embodied in providing students with tools to identify confusions and assigning reflective journals. In addition, the FYC instructors' metacognitive assessment was analyzed and observed the use of preassessments and retrospective post-assessments. This dissertation greatly contributes to the field of FYC teaching in five particular ways: First, it discovers and examines 11 metacognitive strategies in teaching writing pertaining to the FYC instructors' metacognitive perceptions and 15 metacognitive strategies in teaching writing pertaining to effective metacognitive pedagogical strategies emerging from the online surveys. Second, it constructs five strategies under each metacognitive component: knowledge, skills, experience, and assessment, which are 20 strategies in general emerging from the interviews of the participants. Third, this study provides theoretical venues for infusing metacognitive strategies through teaching artifacts. In addition, it formulates pedagogical implications through constructing four metacognitive pedagogical approaches for teaching the FYC courses. Lastly, this study highlights a number of possible future directions for metacognitive research in the FYC context. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The study compared the Outcome Measures (OM) to the traditional Graduation Rates (GR) to ascertain if OM portrayed the performance of higher education institutions differently than GR and to determine which of the two metrics aligned better with accountability policy objectives. GR refers to the percentages of first-time, full-time students who obtain a degree or certificate within 150% of the normal time. OM presents the award status of all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students on four cohorts: first-time, full-time (FTFT); first-time, part-time (FTPT); non-first-time, full-time (NFTFT); and non-first-time, part-time (NFTPT). OM was a more comprehensive indicator than GR, particularly for 2-year institutions, as OM tracked six times more 2-year students and twice as many 4-year students. OM revealed that when part-time students and transfer students were included in reporting and when institutions were given more time, higher education institutions performed significantly better than GR portrayed. The significant difference in completion rates among OM cohorts suggests that the attendance level (full-time and part-time) and prior postsecondary experience (first-time and non-first-time) are strong predictors of student success and that the disaggregated data provide actionable feedback to policymakers and administrators. GR and OM exhibited a weak to moderate correlation in FTPT and NFTPT cohorts, suggesting that GR is not an adequate output indicator for institutions with a large part-time student population, i.e., 2-year institutions and 4- year for-profit institutions. IPEDS should consider combining Graduation Rates (GR), 200% Graduation Rates (GR 200), and Outcome Measures (OM) into one survey component to make the outcomes data more comprehensive while alleviating data collection burden and minimizing confusion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Accredited schools of public health are required to prepare graduate students to competently discuss how racism undermines health equity. A systematic assessment of academic public health norms is needed to clarify how graduate education structures the profession of public health to address racial health inequities. Three aims guided my investigation of common practices of knowledge transmission and production in schools of public health: (1) to determine what is taught to students regarding racial health equity; (2) to classify students' use of race and theory; and (3) to categorize and contextualize students' discussions of racism. In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study of existing documents, I examined accreditation self-study reports (N=34) and course syllabi (N=67) from schools of public health (Aim 1) and public health theses and dissertations published between 2018-2022 in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (N=13,797 abstracts for Aim 2; N=25 full-text dissertations for Aim 3). I conducted computational text analysis to estimate keyword distributions, manual content analysis to trace racial health equity concepts, and critical race discourse analysis to interpret patterns. Paper 1 revealed unequal exposure to race-related content. Fewer than half of the course syllabi listed learning objectives with racial health equity concepts. Two-thirds of schools of public health assigned journal articles with 'race' or 'racism'. In Paper 2, 36% of abstracts from students' dissertations and theses contained racial group and explicit theory terms; 62% omitted 'race.' The relative distribution of theories indicated students' focus on proximal exposures rather than structural determinants. In Paper 3, eight percent of abstracts (N=403) contained social inequality theory and racial group terms. I identified three racism narratives within the full-text sample of dissertations: exposure to racism (N=9); potential exposure to racial inequity (N=3); and another exposure among people (N=13). Student-authors' reflexivity and race conscious campus climates appear to promote public health research on racism. Dissertation findings can inform teaching, research, and practice approaches to racial health inequities. Exposing how everyday practices uphold white supremacist hegemony in schools of public health can accelerate the public health profession toward health equity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Workplace bullying within K-12 education settings has become an increasingly recognized concern, with potentially profound implications for educators' well-being. This quantitative research study aims to explore the phenomenon of workplace bullying among teachers and administrators in K-12 educational institutions. Findings from this study will contribute to the existing literature by shedding light on the prevalence and manifestations of workplace bullying in K-12 education, as well as its implications for individual well-being, organizational culture, and educational outcomes. The study aims to inform the development of targeted interventions and policies to prevent and address workplace bullying, thereby fostering healthier and more supportive educational environments for educators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher and administrator perceptions of teacher evaluation system modeled after "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching" (Danielson, 2007). It is universally agreed that teachers are the most significant variable to student educational outcomes. Extensive research has been conducted on what constitutes good teaching and quality evaluation models; however, there is limited research on teacher and evaluator perceptions of the process and how those perceptions influence the professional practice of teaching. Teachers' and evaluators' perceptions, considering their lived experiences as active participants in the evaluation process, are essential components to help guide state and federal policymakers in the improved design and implementation of teacher evaluation systems. This study sought to examine the perceived purpose and goals, intended and actual implementation, and overall effectiveness on teaching professional practice and student achievement as described by teachers and certified evaluators in one south-suburban Chicago high school district consisting of three attendance centers. A mixed-methods design was used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data using a survey presented to each employee group. Study participants include classroom teachers, assistant principals, principals, and any other administrator qualified to evaluate certified staff and involved in the evaluation process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Modern-day educators often share a sense they lack voice and agency with school administration. A classic example is curriculum development, where third-party designers develop uncontextualized curricula, and teachers then must implement the design even if inefficient and ineffective. What happens if this identical situation occurs at the program level? This question is a critical one for the School of the Arts (SOTA) at Arthur High School, which has been managed by faculty granted full autonomy over their curriculum and agency over their respective arts-based programs. Through incomplete design by original program designers who established SOTA and the governance by an outside principal based on a "school within a school" model, SOTA has yet to develop effective program operations. The purpose of this study, as made apparent when it was discovered that SOTA did not possess a solidified program theory, was to utilize an evaluation committee to design, implement, and evaluate a SOTA logic model to enhance a program's merit. The evaluation committee combined curriculum and program design best practices to inform their process, utilizing Giancola's (2021) conceptualization of program evaluation as a primary methodological guide. The evaluation committee also sought to establish a culture of continuous improvement to more effectively address SOTA's long-term goals. Using primarily qualitative methods, an evaluation was conducted, drawing findings from collaborative discussions and artifacts that were analyzed for themes such as growth and community. Evaluation findings showcase how SOTA's core values informed the design, implementation, and evaluation of its logic model. This dissertation study presents the findings as well as recommendations that inform contextual practices and add to the empirical body of literature. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There is a gap in research focusing on how leaders implement complex policies such as Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). To address this gap, this phenomenological case study examined school leaders' perceptions of their roles as leaders collectively implementing RTI/MTSS in their school district to uncover how leaders approach complex policy implementation. In this study, I sought to understand how their individual leadership and the system of leadership in their district influenced RTI/MTSS implementation. Six participants, including two teacher leaders, two building leaders, and two district leaders, were interviewed using Seidman's (2019) three-part interview approach. The design implemented horizontal and vertical data analysis across leadership roles in the district. Inductive coding and thematic data analysis yielded five leadership themes, interpreted differently depending on each participant's role: (a) leaders' vision grounds implementation, (b) leaders support implementation, (c) leadership is collaborative and founded on relationships, (d) leaders prioritize implementation, and (e) providing staff with examples of implementation success shifts mindsets across roles. The themes suggested several conclusions that similar districts may apply when leading policy implementation in their schools. Vision is a lynchpin for policy implementation. Leaders must communicate the vision over time and set vision-aligned implementation goals. Strong relationships support collaboration among leaders, and collective leadership develops from collaborative work on vision-aligned tasks. During implementation, leaders must prioritize the initiative and provide tailored support to others. Ongoing professional development for leaders deepens their ability to support others in their organization with the initiative. Finally, leaders should provide staff with experiences to show how RTI/MTSS practices meet their students' needs to shift mindsets over time. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Care is something we expect educators to demonstrate towards their students, but are they themselves being taught the importance of care in education and prepared to enact it in their classrooms? The existing literature on care and care theory in education is limited, but shows a link between care and student success; many educators also point to anecdotal evidence of the importance of care. This study sought to examine themes of care in national standards for teacher preparation. Through the use of directed qualitative content analysis, three national teacher preparation standards (the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, and the National Council for the Social Studies National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers) were analyzed for elements of care. Document analysis revealed that although care is reflected in the standards, it is included only to a limited extent. Since care and student success seem to be linked, the findings of this study are used to argue for significant changes to teacher preparation with respect to care and care theory. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A growing body of research distinguishes between official systems of accountability and "felt" accountability - how people feel responsible to one another across a web of complex, intersecting relationships. Research in the behavioral sciences suggests that while such feelings have a dramatic effect on results, these have been inadequately studied in schools. Within schools, this effect is especially critical for adolescents at risk of dropping out as these youth are highly aware of the influence of accountability on them and their futures. This case study explores Jackie Robinson Academy (JRA), a high school that enrolls students who had previously failed. Qualitative analysis is employed to understand the experience of accountability for five recent successful graduates and the educators and education leaders who hold them accountable. While standards-based accountability is the dominant paradigm in American education today, this study finds three other forms - goals-based, inquiry-based, and community-based - that appear in many cases particularly well suited to the skills graduates identify for life success. Further, accountability for staff at JRA is echoed in many ways in accountability for students, such that attention to how staff are held accountable is inseparable from attention to how youth learn. Finally, the findings suggest that certain people occupy roles that place them at critical junctures where they must shelter others from one form of accountability to protect effective education through other forms of accountability. The study expands understanding of the complex ecosystem of felt accountability when that system yields reclaimed success for youth. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Student support services are critical to a student's university experience and success. The main purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore pre-service teachers' lived experiences with student support services and the implications for retention at a particular teacher training institution in Jamaica. Ten final-year Jamaican pre-service teachers participated in this study. The data were collected through interviews, journals, and documents. To guide the analysis of the data, Moustakas's (1994, p.120-138) version of phenomenological data analysis was utilized. The findings showed that the participants' experiences with the academic and non-academic support services were positive and negative. The participants indicated that the student support services played a crucial role in shaping their growth and development, while it also ensured that they stayed focused to achieve their educational goals. Some participants indicated that they encountered challenges accessing some of the support services. The findings also showed that some participants indicated that the student support services significantly influenced their retention. Based on the findings it is recommended that the institution utilizes technology to schedule appointments and provide virtual support services to students. Future researchers may conduct a longitudinal study to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers over an extended period from year one enrolment to year four completion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

When multiple clients are collaboratively learning and training a shared model, incentives problems can arise. The clients may have different learning objectives and application domains, or they may be competitors whose participation in the learning system could reduce their competitive advantage. While collaborative learning is a powerful framework that leverages vast networks of compute and data to generate a better model for all, participants may defect from collaboration if their incentives are misaligned with the guarantees of the system. In this dissertation, I examine three areas where accounting for incentives is critical in designing an effective collaborative learning system. I. When clients in the system have heterogeneous data distributions and divergent learning tasks, full collaboration within the system can result in a global model which performs poorly for individual clients. Personalization of the global model to clusters of clients with similar learning objectives is a solution to this problem. We propose a personalization method which has optimal convergence guarantees and is provably robust to malicious attackers. II. Clients who are competitors may not want to participate in collaborative learning system if their contributions will benefit their competitors and disadvantage themselves. We design a collaborative learning scheme which guarantees that clients lose no utility by participating. Additionally, we show that even as clients focus on increasing their own revenues, their model qualities converge to the Nash bargaining solution, thus optimizing for joint surplus. III. Finally, privacy concerns are a major deterrent for joining collaborative learning systems. In the final chapter, we look at privacy dynamics in systems of learning agents more broadly. Specifically, we study a repeated-interaction game between potentially antagonistic learning agents -- a buyer and a price-discriminating seller -- and show that privacy-protecting behavior endogenously arises at equilibrium. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation contributes to our comprehension of the impact of gamification on online cooperative learning, particularly in enhancing educational outcomes (behavior, cognition, and attitudes). Through explanatory mixed-method research, this study aims to answer to what extent gamification influences educational outcomes in the context of cooperative learning and in what way gamification facilitates learners through cooperative learning. The growing utilization of gamification in motivating people to pursue shared goals in various contexts, such as healthy behavior, business, and crowdsourcing, is the main drive for this study. This study strives to understand the interplay between dedicated cooperation theory, social interdependence theory embedded in cooperative learning, and gamification, and how they influence educational outcomes. In this study, the influence of gamification on behavior and cognitive outcomes in cooperative learning is evident. On the contrary, the study found no evidence to support the positive effects of gamification on attitudinal outcomes. Furthermore, from the qualitative investigation, learners perceive the presence of gamification to be positive in motivating them to engage in learning activities and collaborate with others. On the other hand, learners perceive that the overemphasis on quantitative feedback, such as points and grades, might overshadow qualitative feedback on learning. This research paves the way for further exploration into the multifaceted roles of gamification in cooperative learning and offers insights for designing effective online cooperative learning experiences enriched by gamification. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study was situated at Mountain Middle School (Pseudonym). Students at Mountain Middle School often engage in collaborative compositions embedded within week-long multidisciplinary and multiage units of study called Odysseys. These units of study and the collaborative composition projects are classified as formal cooperative learning. Johnson et al., (2010) identified five elements that make cooperative learning effective. These effective elements are: "positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, appropriate use of social skills, and group processing" (Johnson et al., 2010, p. 1). The teachers currently design collaborative learning experiences emphasizing four of the five elements of cooperative learning. Together, we identified group processing as the element currently missing from their lessons. The purpose of this study was to develop a narrative reflection group processing tool to help teachers facilitate student discussion during group processing sessions to improve collaborative composition processes and products. Group processing is a reflective process in which students need clear instruction, guidance, and practice (Bertucci et al., 2012). According to Sutherland et al (2019), Group processing is often the essential element left out of cooperative learning because of time constraints, the erroneous belief that students are processing their group experience naturally as it happens, and because teachers lack guidance on how to facilitate group processing. Using narrative reflection embedded within a sociocultural framework, I engaged in a Design Based Research process to develop a narrative reflection group processing tool. In the final version of the tool, small groups of students engaged in a four step reflection processes based on mini narratives, Dewey's (1910, 1944, 1986; Rogers, 2002) theory of experiential learning, and the identification of effective actions for collaboration (Johnson & Johnson, 2009). Key findings include: (1) Without group processing, students identified problems, but they did not fully engage in a reflective process. (2) To facilitate group processing sessions, which students both want and need, teachers need to teach effective actions and use graphic organizers to guide students. This is aided by access to detailed facilitation guidelines. (3) Group processing helped students develop their understanding of leadership, reframe and redirect disruptive behavior, and increase promotive interaction during work sessions. (4) Students developed positive collaborative composition behaviors. Students took opportunities to plan their compositions, review and revise plans, listened and accepted others' ideas, gave their own ideas, and told positive mini narratives about group members' collaboration successes. (5) Teachers did not notice a measured difference in quality of compositions compared to other times they have implemented these learning units. These findings reveal a positive impact of group processing using mini narratives of effective actions on student attitudes, collaborative behavior, and composition processes, but do not show a change in composition product. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The dual curriculum model ubiquitous to Orthodox Jewish day schools in North America typically bifurcates into religious (Judaic) studies and general studies. While most classes generally fit into one of those two halves of the curriculum, some classes are not intuitively categorized as wholly belonging to one part over the other. One of those classes is "Ivrit" (Modern Hebrew). This study aims to describe "Ivrit's" place in the dual curriculum model and the various factors that contribute to that reality by exploring the context in which "Ivrit" emerged as a subject-matter for Orthodox schools and seeking to identify trends in the ways "Ivrit" is taught. This paper lays out the theories behind how ideology influences curriculum formation and documents how Hebrew has fit into the curriculum of Jewish Education throughout the ages. It also provides a picture of the particular context of North American Orthodox Jewry that this study focuses on, as well as a review of the different theories behind Hebrew education (heritage language vs. communicative language). With this theoretical background in hand, this dissertation surveyed 36 Orthodox high schools in North America to better understand how they viewed "Ivrit's" place and shows that ultimately this subject's place in the dual curriculum model remains ambiguous. Documenting how "Ivrit" is taught and examining the reasons as to why "Ivrit" is taught helped shed light on "Ivrit's" precarious place in the dual curriculum model, as some of those policies/techniques/motives seem to line up with the aims of the Judaic studies curriculum, while others seemingly reflect the goals of the general studies curriculum.

Title 1 principals face many day-to-day challenges due to the complexity and demands of their jobs. Research has found (Levin et al., 2019) that principals valued professional development (PD) more if it allowed them to address their school's specific needs and circumstances and increase their leadership capacity. This research aims to explore the systemic professional development opportunities offered by Washington, DC Public Schools (DCPS) for high-performing principals who stayed at their schools longer than the national average of four years. This study examines how professional development supports principals' achievement of mandated school goals and self-identified leader goals. Additionally, the study investigates how DCPS's PD offerings influenced school principals' commitment to remain with the district. Interviews were conducted with principals employed by DCPS, between three and twenty years, and engaged in the district's PD offerings to learn about their experiences with district-offered PD. The literature review focuses on leader development, leadership development, principal turnover and retention, PD, and organizational commitment. The findings reveal that school principal development could be an effective retention tool that engages and enhances employees' leadership ability and their ability to lead effectively. As a result, principals' loyalty to their school district is influenced by their perception of the level of commitment and support they receive from district agents toward their development and attaining district-mandated leadership goals and their self-identified leadership goals. According to the research, school principals demonstrate organizational commitment through normative, continuous, and affective behaviors. Their affective commitment to the district will be further influenced by the district leadership's continuous use of a human-centered leadership approach to assist school principals in achieving their mandated leadership goals. Suppose district leaders adopt concepts from adult learning theory and human resource management practices to create a supportive workplace for school leaders. In that case, this could have an even more significant impact on their affective commitment to the school district. Moreover, district leaders could offer differentiated PD opportunities aligned with principals' self-identified leadership goals as part of their PD plan. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Study abroad, for any length of time and in any location, is widely recognized in higher education as a positive educational activity. While individual benefits of study abroad have been explored for decades, recent research has pushed the field to consider benefits for the local and global community. This program evaluation contributes to this line of inquiry by asking international business majors about the influences on their study abroad program choice process and the involvement of the university's mission to positively impact the public good. Using developmental program evaluation and UNESCO's global citizenship education theory, this study found that students are involved in a dynamic choice process that is influenced by three systems: the university, the personal network, and the societal system. While interacting with these systems, students develop meaningful study abroad goals, including participation in experiential learning and positively impacting the public good. These findings lead to a number of recommendations: faculty and staff should emphasize advising for first year students, sharing data with the study abroad office, and building a peer advising program and a faculty career advising structure. Study abroad administrators and leaders should evaluate their programs for their impact on the public good, which can be found in coursework, events, and marketing/advising. This program evaluation calls for further research on how Gen Z students make their study abroad program selections while considering their impact on the global public good. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In citizen science, project leaders rely on volunteer contributors to collect, classify, and analyze data in both natural and digital environments. To be successful, volunteers are often provided with specialized training that supports the learning goals of the project. Yet, little is understood regarding the contextual influences of both the project "and" the volunteer that affect what those learning goals are and how they are supported. Additionally, the use of technology to deliver and support learning opportunities to volunteers is increasingly relied upon regardless of the project's physical setting. However, the degree to which the transition to digital supports for volunteer learning has been successfully leveraged by projects to meet their unique goals and the needs of their volunteers has not been thoroughly examined. Unlike much of the research that is available, this exploratory study examined volunteer learning from a different perspective, that of the citizen science project leader, and investigated the influences at play that impact the project's volunteer learning goals and the project's ability to support those objectives. Through semi-structured interviews with project leadership and the analyses of digital and physical documents, this study revealed the need for a new framework to better understand how the personal, social, organizational, and physical contexts of the project and their volunteers impact a citizen science project's approach to volunteer learning. This dissertation introduces the Contextual Model of Citizen Science Learning to meet this need. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In this dissertation study, we investigated professional learning practices common to tiered systems, with specific focus on the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. First, we outlined tiered models and how they address the rising, multiple needs of students, and the fitness of Ci3T for the current educational landscape (i.e., Ci3T addresses students' academic, behavior, and social and emotional well-being learning needs in one integrated model). We highlighted practice-based professional learning as one mechanism to deliver high-quality professional learning and highlighted the importance of assessment of adult learning outcomes to ensure teachers have garnered necessary skills to implement tiered models with success. (Chapter 1). Then, we conducted a literature review to map the professional learning literature of prevention and response efforts common to tiered models. We noted the gap in the literature of reporting adult learning outcomes from professional learning (Chapter 2). Next, we described the method we developed to examine: (1) participants' professional learning outcomes; and (2) their views of the Ci3T Professional Learning Series (Lane et al., 2019). Moreover, we extended the work Lane and colleagues (2020) to determine if participants' learning outcomes in this study were similar, when professional learning efforts were led primarily by district-level professionals. We examined the extent to which participants gained perceived knowledge, confidence, and usefulness as well as actual knowledge from pre-training to post-training. Next, we inspected relations between perceived and actual knowledge, replicating the perceived and actual knowledge analysis featured in Lane et al. (2020). We extended to examine differences in these professional learning outcomes across two cohorts. Lastly, we explored data from a series evaluation to note participants' evaluation of the professional learning series. We analyzed this data for the overall sample and conducted a comparison between cohorts (Chapter 3). Results indicated all educators demonstrated positive changes in knowledge, confidence, and usefulness over the course of the Ci3T Professional Learning Series, with no statistically significant differences between cohorts. Additionally, actual and perceived knowledge scores maintained notable differences between constructs at pre-training and post-training. Finally, educators evaluated the series positively, with little differences between cohorts. Then, we discussed results, including educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research. We encourage trainers and coaches of future Ci3T Professional Learnings to adhere to the manualized training as doing so will likely result in similar outcomes (e.g., significant increases across all constructs for all participants) and to reassess learning outcomes once participants are implementing Ci3T to continue to gauge progress toward mastery and inform professional learning efforts. We note limitations of the design, homogenous sample of participants, and limited scope of the study. Thus, we recommend future research incorporating the following: control groups (e.g., RCT) to determine causal relations between training and learning outcomes, samples representing a diverse pool of educators (e.g., race, geography, level of education, role), and studies including outcomes of training and implementation covering multiple years of interacting with Ci3T content (Chapter 5). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Historically, opportunities to develop cultural competency in sport and exercise psychology graduate programs have been limited (Lee, 2015). Recently, major sport psychology organizations across the world have started to require cultural competency in their credentialling requirements. While this represents progress, these requirements can be met with a single course, which falls below the ideal of integrated cultural competency education (Martens et al., 2000). The present study investigated how to maximize the quality of a single course by coming to agreement on a proposed set of impactful and feasible learning outcomes and assessments in that proposed single course related to cultural competency. Eleven sport and exercise psychology professionals with significant expertise in teaching and/or researching cultural competency development completed a three-round Delphi study which resulted in 71 learning outcomes and 33 learning assessments. Of those, the panel fully agreed on the impact and feasibility of 11 learning outcomes and 3 assessments. Further, these professionals provided critical feedback on how to continue to enhance cultural competency in sport and exercise psychology graduate education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Chief diversity officers (CDOs) are leaders in higher education and are called upon to play a transformational role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Williams and Wade-Golden (2013) position CDOs as change agents, strategic partners, and invested advisors on our college campuses (Aguilar, 2020; O'Neil Green, 2013). Although the role of the CDO will differ at each institution based on type, mission, and goals, studies show that when institutions fail to retain diverse professionals, their departure negatively impacts campus culture (Harper & Hurtado, 2007; Milem et al., 2005; Turner et al., 2008; Williams & Wade-Golden, 2013). Melaku and Winkler (2022) suggest that DEI work should be integrated across the institution rather than assigned as the sole responsibility of a single individual. Compared with other senior-level administrators in higher education, CDOs are under increased scrutiny as the point person for all diversity issues on campus (Williams & Wade-Golden, 2013). This qualitative descriptive study explored the perspectives of underrepresented CDOs as they described their institutional role and purpose at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The following research question guided this study: RQ: What are the perspectives of underrepresented CDOs at PWIs regarding their role, scope, and purpose? Four data sources were used in this study: (1) purposefully selected experts (N=2), (2) purposefully selected current CDOs who identified as a member of an underrepresented group at a PWI for at least two or more years (N=7), (3) follow-up reflective questionnaires with participants (N=4), and (4) document analysis using extant evidence from participants' institutional websites (N=23). Four themes emerged: (1) CDOs are here to disrupt the status quo as educators and translators of DEI, (2) CDOs are meta-functional experts, not field workers, (3) CDOs perform the invisible work, (4) CDOs professionalize their roles, and (5) CDOs are the campus conscience. Participants shared that the misalignment of individual beliefs by people in positions of influence and decision-making was seen as a barrier to advancing DEI goals and, ultimately, a factor in retaining CDOs at PWIs. Recommendations may inform campus stakeholders about supporting CDOs more effectively. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry study examined principal perceptions of self-efficacy and EB's student achievement. This study collected interview data from a purposeful sample of six elementary, six middle school, and six high school principals from the Region 4 Education Service Center, Harris County area, in the state of Texas utilizing an interview protocol. An inductive coding process was implemented to discover emergent themes that arose from semi-structured interviews. The findings are based on principal perceptions regarding the impact of their self-efficacy on EB student achievement, facilitation of EB student learning, shared vision for EB students, and motivating teachers with EB students. The data analysis revealed 10 themes and 13 subthemes, which were deeply rooted within the vast literature on principal leadership constructs. The findings illustrated the expansive skills and competencies necessary for principals to lead teacher teams and focus on student achievement. Considering principal perceptions regarding the impact of their self-efficacy on EB student achievement, 100% (n = 18) agreed principal's confidence influences EB achievement. The data revealed that the principal's leadership can either improve or decrease student achievement based on the decisions that are made. When examining the perceptions of principals concerning the impact of their self-efficacy in the facilitation of EB student learning, four emerging themes developed. These themes are: (a) Ensuring Teacher Quality (b) Promoting High-Quality Instruction (c) Understanding the Unique Needs of EB Students (d) Navigating Accountability. Based on the summary of findings, implications are warranted for principals, district leaders, teacher preparation programs, and state leaders. It is recommended principals build collaborative teams with different experts to help set goals and participate in the planning sessions to support students. District leaders could benefit from the findings by ensuring staffing support is available at each campus since EB enrollment numbers are increasing, and districts need to consider varying levels of staffing support for campuses with different English proficiency levels such as new arrivals or long-term EBs. Also, district leaders could benefit from the findings by providing and designing professional development opportunities that target the needs of EL students in instructional leadership and coaching. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This convergent mixed methods study examined the impact of student learning objectives (SLOs) and the evaluation process on teachers' sense of efficacy. The study participants included kindergarten through eighth grade teachers from one large urban Midwestern school district. The quantitative research questions examined teachers' reported sense of efficacy in the following areas: efficacy for student engagement, efficacy for instructional strategies, and efficacy for classroom management. The qualitative questions attempted to understand teachers' perceptions of the evaluation process. The qualitative portion of the study focused on which elements of the evaluation process influenced teachers' efficacy and attempted to identify the extent to which incorporating an SLO impacted teacher efficacy. Several themes emerged from the qualitative data including the ability to focus instruction, the role of reflection on teaching, being able to collaborate with administration and/or colleagues, the importance of quality feedback, and the concern for lack of authenticity of the SLO. Data from this study revealed that specific teacher characteristics were associated with statistically significant differences in teacher efficacy. Teachers reported that collaborating with their PLC, administrators, and instructional coaches increased their teacher efficacy. Implications for practice include providing preservice teachers experiences in racially diverse, low income school districts, providing administrators ongoing professional development opportunities to increase their ability to provide specific, data-driven feedback, and implementing a professional learning community model to build teacher's self-efficacy and collective efficacy. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In 2014 the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation replacing end-of-course, multiple-choice assessments with locally developed alternative assessments in five courses, including two middle school social studies courses. This policy allowed Virginia school divisions the autonomy to develop the format, quantity, and focus of their assessments to meet state accountability. Given the grassroots nature of this policy, there has been little oversight of these local alternative assessments (LAAs). Thus, this exploratory study sought to gain insight into how divisions approached the process of preparing for and developing local alternative assessments and Balanced Assessment Plans, as well as the quality of the assessments created. Through a professional referral sampling process 12 divisions were interviewed and submitted two assessments each to be evaluated against the Virginia Quality Criteria Tool for Performance Assessments (VQCT). The divisions in the study responded to the autonomy granted by the state by first engaging in on-going, quality professional development to build teacher capacity. Using a variety of templates and the VQCT, divisions involved teachers in the process of developing the set of LAAs. The division assessments focus on writing prompts centered around tasks authentic to the social studies which require deeper-learning competencies by students, but the structure of the implementation of the assessments are less consistent potentially lessening the quality of the assessments. The work of these divisions suggest that the success of a grassroots performance assessment policy requires quality, on-going professional development and thoughtful analysis of the assessments and their alignment to desired learning goals. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Individual readiness assurance tests (iRATs) are frequently graded in team-based learning (TBL) classrooms, with the goal of incentivizing individual pre-class preparation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether shifting to an ungraded iRAT process affects student preparation and learning, as measured using assessment scores, and whether this is accompanied by a change in achievement goals. Using a crossover design in a required second-year Doctor of Pharmacy pharmacotherapy course, students were assigned to one of two iRAT grading sequences: graded/ungraded (G/UG) or ungraded/graded (UG/G). In the G condition iRATs were graded based on correctness and in the UG condition based on completion. Each period consisted of four iRATs and one examination. Students completed the Achievement Goal Questionnaire at the conclusion of each period. A one-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test within-subject differences of mean iRAT and examination scores across grading conditions. A separate one-way repeated measures MANOVA was used to analyze differences in achievement goal scores. A total of 91 doctor of pharmacy students were included in the study. There was a statistically significant main effect for iRAT grading condition on assessment scores, F(2,88) = 3.851, Wilks' [lambda] = 0.992, p = 0.025. Univariate testing using one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction demonstrated a significant difference only in iRAT scores, with the mean score higher in the G condition (72.51% versus 67.99%; p = 0.011). Examination scores were similar in the G and UG conditions (81.07% versus 80.32%, p = 0.397). There was not a statistically significant difference in achievement goals based on iRAT grading condition, F(4,85) = 1.109, n[superscript 2] =0.050, p = 0.358. In conclusion, a modest reduction in iRAT performance was observed when shifting from a graded to ungraded iRAT; however, this had no effect on examination performance. Achievement goals were unaffected by the change in iRAT grading condition. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Higher education in post-independence Africa remains trapped in foreign knowledge systems, despite decades of strong cries to replace them with Afrocentric systems. The purpose of this dissertation-in-practice was to evaluate the Africanization of an undergraduate program at a college in Southern Africa. Using the CIPP Model of evaluation, a formative Input evaluation focused was conducted on a newly developed Bachelor of Theology degree. The evaluation included a document analysis of the pre-implementation plans, academic policies, program design, and the curricular learning objectives, resources, and summative evaluations of student performance. The program evaluation focused on five characteristics of Africanization and contextualization: curriculum, language, resources, instruction, and policy (financial barriers to student access and personnel hiring and promotion). The program demonstrated strong Africanization in instruction, policy, and curriculum with language and resources as weaknesses. The evaluation included eight recommendations for strengthening the program Africanization across all five characteristics. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation argues for the importance of prioritizing the student experience in music theory discourse, both in teaching practice and content. To achieve this, a student centered curriculum and methodology are proposed, using learning objectives that align with student experiences. The concept of music literacy is defined as the sum of undergraduate music theory experience. Bloom's Taxonomy is proposed as a means of delivery to ensure a student centered experience. The methodology and curriculum are based on the principles of student centered learning with an emphasis on personalized instruction and collaborative learning. The use of Bloom's Taxonomy as a framework for instruction and assessment ensures that learning objectives are aligned with student experiences. This approach aims to promote student success, enhance the relevancy of undergraduate music theory for contemporary students, and facilitate interdisciplinary learning from cognate disciplines. The dissertation concludes by highlighting the importance of prioritizing the student experience in music theory discourse and suggests further research to explore the potential of student centered learning in music theory education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation is a critical study of the contemporary relationship between education and technology. It develops a philosophy on technology that both tries to make sense of the specific technologies our universities have chosen to embrace and imagines ways of making critical use of them. The intersection of this treatment of technology and education is Composition and Rhetoric, a pedagogical field. The application of this intersection, then, is a study of a particular, prominent technology of composition pedagogy, which is the Learning Management System. This pedagogical technology is explored in three main ways: narrative-based analysis of three case studies of student writing on the platform, rhetorical analysis of one LMS company's public discourse, and content analysis of one LMS's internal architecture. The dissertation finds that LMS companies rely on neoliberal rhetorical syllogisms which bypass public deliberation over enthymemes concerning the purposes of higher education, and thus join an assemblage of rhetorical projects that unite higher education with neoliberal interests. These enthymemes are the "terms of use" teachers and students accept. Finally, new terms of use are forwarded based on an updated method of critical literacy. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigates shifts in the languages ideologies of four Latina English-Spanish dual language teacher candidates (DLTCs) over four quarters in a Teacher Education Program (TEP) and bilingual endorsement. The goal was to determine whether any ideological shifts aligned with the goals of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) or continued to perpetuate the hegemony of the English language. Research on language ideologies has shown that both DL teachers and DLTCs enact multiple and, at times, conflicting language ideologies in educational settings. However, shifts in the DLTCs' language ideologies over time have been understudied and not much is known about how TEPs, field placements and other aspects of context impact their language ideologies. This gap is consequential because a shift in the DLTCs' language ideologies toward alignment with the goals of DLBE could be an indicator of their becoming critically conscious educators committed to the disruption of inequities. Data sources include semi-structured interviews, focus group sessions, observations and written documents. Findings across the three papers showed that the DLTCs' followed individual, non-linear trajectories that sustained the development of language ideologies that promoted equity-oriented views about multilingualism and multilingual speakers in DLBE, although they also exposed conflicting views, at times. This research draws attention to aspects of Latina DLTCs' academic and non-academic experiences which may play a part in shaping their language ideologies, and may inform opportunities to take up language ideologies in TEPs and schools to disrupt dominant views about language and further equity for racially and linguistically minoritized students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study aims to examine Black educators' experiences within cultural heritage institutions that are documenting topics that include the long arc of the American Civil Rights Movement. Black educators are powerful conduits of the African American story because they align with African American cultural heritage institution's goals to foster equality, identity, pride, and honor in the community. These shared goals lead to Black educators using teaching methods that liberate, advocate, and empower students. This allows them to share new knowledge, strategies, techniques, and concepts on diverse topics. Considering their fundamental mission, it is essential to gain an awareness of the educators' lived experiences, as these experiences will influence their teaching promulgation. Specifically, this research seeks to discover how the lived experiences of Black educators inform their previous, initial, and post reactions to these cultural heritage sites. The theoretical frameworks used were Reader Response and Experiential Learning. This narrative inquiry used observations and interviews to understand the lived experiences of the participants of this study. Following the data collection, the researcher analyzed the data using values coding to glean themes of family, community, and rejection of the dominant narrative in the participants' values, attitudes, and beliefs. Findings from this study reveal that the influence of the exhibits spanned beyond the walls of the site. There was a transformative effect on the participants' personal and professional understandings of racial issues, the value of community, and their perceived obligations to educate society. The findings from this study could inform professionals in the fields of education, library and information science, and museum studies on the effectiveness or limitations of museum exhibitions towards the education of students and teachers. It could also influence future policies. Therefore, leaders of these fields can use this newfound knowledge to modify exhibitions to promote a more authentic design that informs the diverse visitor experience. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined secondary science teachers' conceptions of democratic citizenship and their beliefs about how citizenship relates to science education. These beliefs and conceptions were studied through a framework comprised of theories of belief, citizenship education, and civic engagement with science. Data were collected from 10 teachers representing a range of science courses through semi-structured interviews. Relevant documentation of their teaching was also collected and analyzed. The first finding of this study was that participants think of citizenship as an obvious and uncontroversial goal for their teaching. However, citizenship was found to be a nominal concern, while college and career readiness were the main justifications given for science education. Participants believed that citizenship and career aims were both met simultaneously by science education as currently practiced. The second finding indicated that participants worked from a simple model of "well-informed" citizenship in which science is to supply knowledge while citizens are to adopt and integrate this knowledge into their civic discourse. Teachers' representations flattened the realities of how scientific knowledge is produced as well as used. Participants framed public-science dysfunction as a knowledge deficit problem that should be remedied by more effective means of top-down communication of facts. The third and final set of findings related to what participants felt were appropriate and effective ways for their teaching to address citizenship goals. Most participants sought to limit the presence of sociopolitical issues in their teaching. Such issues were sometimes mentioned as external points of reference meant to increase students' motivation to learn traditional science content. Relatedly, participants also sought to maintain a professional border between science and other subjects. This mirrored the strict separation between science and politics they thought not only existed but served as a source of credibility for science. For participants who did feel it was appropriate to cross disciplinary borders to achieve civic aims, school structures and external mandates were cited as serious impediments. The study's implication for teacher educators is that a deep belief in the power of traditional science teaching to overcome misinformation and citizens' lack of trust in scientific experts must be addressed. Additionally, for those arguing for interdisciplinary teaching, attention must be paid not only to limitations imposed from outside the science classroom, but to the science teacher's internal commitments to remain within their discipline. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The 21st century world is increasingly globalized and interconnected, and migration is a reality that substantially impacts the US educational system, and often requires specialized services for migrant students to successfully transition to higher education. While higher education has many benefits, it also presents inherent risks and challenges for students from migrant families, whose academic and life experiences may be vastly different from traditional college students. Federal collegiate transition programs like the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) recognize this and aim to support students holistically throughout their transition to higher education. Such programs are in continual search of effective ways to understand and foster student success. Within the field of positive youth development, the study of self-identified or self-defined purpose has shown promise in helping students from diverse cultural backgrounds to flourish in terms of both social-emotional health and academic persistence. This is an exploratory study conducted with six Latina students from migrant farmworker families entering a new university living-learning community through the CAMP program. It explores these students' perceptions of their transition to college and the role purpose may play in it, using semi-structured interviews and a participant-driven photo elicitation technique. A modified reflexive thematic analysis revealed a number of emergent themes and findings. These included identification of purpose as a protective factor against adversity, and in particular beyond-the-self purpose areas such as serving one's community, advocacy for migrant farmworkers, and bringing financial stability to one's family. In addition, findings showed the bidirectional relationship of family support in transition to college, the importance of spiritual life and critical role of CAMP's approach in meeting the students' needs holistically. These needs included mentorship, goal setting, career exploration, service learning or work experiences oriented towards students' purpose, and specialized academic tutoring/advising. These discoveries provide useful information that may assist parents, counselors, teachers, educational administrators and other stakeholders working with this unique student population. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Studies in the current research paradigm follow a pattern of pre-exhibit activities, in-exhibit monitoring and post-exhibit test to evaluate learning and program effectiveness in museums. These efforts helped identify some important factors correlative to learning, but little is known about how exhibits are designed in a way that space, materials and instruction are organized as an integrated pedagogy. By examining knowledge production in-situ, in progress and in interaction at a Doc McStuffins exhibit in a children's museum, this study aims to find out how the exhibit is designed effectively as a pedagogical effort to engage children and parents and achieve its teaching objectives. In order to unpack the complex and dynamic pedagogy, I examine the three major components of the pedagogy separately for the convenience of analysis, namely, physical space organization, materiality (human-object interactivity), and differentiated instructions (parent-child and educator-visitor interaction), even though these components are organically interwoven together in practice. As a reconstruction of a toy hospital from children's favorite TV show, the Doc McStuffins exhibit organizes its pedagogies into narrative, performative and simulated spaces. This consistent and coherent arrangement of space, time and activities offers a backdrop of familiarity and fantasy that excites young children's imagination and offers them easy access to content learning. The study has discovered: (1) how the organization of physical space communicated to visitors the themes of the exhibit and impacted the ways in which parents and children interact with each other; (2) how materials and technologies are used for effective teaching and learning; and (3) and how parents and educators worked together to construct pedagogy in the form of differentiated instructions. These findings can provide useful information for children's museums that are committed to creating a family-centered learning environment. They could also have widespread implications for classroom environment design and the design of community-based learning environments that involve a nexus of materials, space and a diverse population. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Data collection and analyzation practices for English language development services are scarcely found in research, but needed in the subgroup of minority students commonly known as English language learners (Wiseman & Bell, 2021). Wiseman and Bell (2021) identified ELLs as one of the most under-documented student subgroups in the American educational system. This quantitative correlational survey study explored the importance of data collection and analyzation practices for New Hampshire ELD educators through the lens of Mandinach et al.'s (2006) data-driven decision-making (DDDM) framework. DDDM is the process of identifying data, collecting it to be analyzed and interpreted, and using it to set goals to improve educational experiences (Mandinach & Schildkamp, 2021a). The present study explored the outcome of the dependent variable of teacher self-reported data collection and analyzation, and teacher perceived importance of data through a cross-sectional survey and correlational analysis, using the length of teaching experience as the independent variable in the measurement of covariation. Based on the findings, ELD data standards may be evaluated and better informed by the current data collection and analyzation practices in New Hampshire public school districts. With meaningful data and intentional analysis, the DDDM framework and research suggest that instructional quality will likely increase to positively impact student achievement (Dodman et al., 2021), offering exponential benefit to a subgroup of struggling ELLs (Garver, 2022). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative case study explored how grading can be used to support learning by analyzing the implementation of a skills-based grading system in a high school English department. Black and Wiliam's (2018) model for assessment in relation to pedagogy was used as a lens through which to examine the relationship between the grading system and student learning. The grading system was analyzed for alignment with each component of Black and Wiliam's (2018) model: pedagogical aims, the planning and design of learning activities, the implementation of formative and summative assessment, and external summative testing. A literature review of research on assessment and grading also informed this study. The data sources were semi-structured interviews with eight English teachers, observations of five one-hour English classes, and review of documents including rubrics, assignments sheets, and state curriculum frameworks. Data was analyzed using thematic coding. Ten major themes emerged, which were distilled down to four criteria that determined the extent to which the grading system studied supported learning. These four criteria were alignment with learning aims; compatibility with learning theories and school culture; clear communication of aims and achievement; and reflective and responsive implementation. The findings of this study have the potential to inform grading and assessment policy at the study site and other similar settings to which the findings may be transferable. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Teacher decision-making has been widely studied; however, teacher decision-making specifically with students who have been identified as aggressive has not. This qualitative case study investigated teacher decision-making with three traditional public-school K-12 teachers through case study methodology. Data were gathered through a semi-structured interview, a stimulated recall interview, journal entries, and an observation. The Listening Guide as well as emotion coding of facial expressions was used in the analysis process. Three themes emerged across the case studies: school context, teachers' inner landscape, and the student and teacher relationship. In all three cases, the power of the environment had a significant effect on the range and type of decisions teachers were able to make. Levels of autonomy and efficacy (high and low) were also affected. The data showed the importance of positive relationships and suggested that conscious and unconscious internal states influence teachers' decisions. The data also suggested that high-stakes teacher evaluation systems negatively affect decision-making specifically with this population, possibly due to the reprioritization of goals and teacher stress. Based on these findings, recommendations are offered for policy and practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The problem targeted by the study was that while nontraditional students are increasingly attending college in record numbers, they are more than twice as likely as other students to drop out in their first year of study, indicating the delayed promise of degree completion may never be realized. The study focused on the opportunities and fiscal challenges accompanying this exponential growth of students who are typically older, financially independent of their parents, employed full time, parents of dependent children, possibly ex-military, and often have a GED rather than a traditional high school diploma. Using case study methodology and the lens of Malcolm Knowles's theory of andragogy, the research identified the campus culture, philosophies, and institutional behaviors used to successfully recruit, retain, and graduate nontraditional students at a traditional college or university. The case was a four-year public state college in the northwestern United States that was nationally ranked as having the highest completion rate of nontraditional students. Two research questions guided the study: (a) In what ways do the mission, core values, and culture of a higher education institution that has created a nontraditional student program reflect the tenets of Malcolm Knowles's theory of andragogy? and (b) What are students and leadership's perceptions of the impact of student loan debt on student success? Data were collected and triangulated from (a) interviews with the college president, vice presidents, faculty, and staff, (b) analyses of 46 documents, and (c) surveys received from 87 current students. Using interpretivism to bring meaning to data identified five themes: Access, Employment Connection, Intentional Focus, Nimbleness, and Support that were pervasive in Perseverance College's culture and demonstrated evidence of andragogy in their commitment to serve the nontraditional student population. Perseverance College Intentional Focus created greater Access and Support for nontraditional students, and their Employment Connection and Nimbleness ensured education programs formed connections to employment opportunities, the number one goal of nontraditional students. The researcher recommends additional research on new benchmarks for nontraditional student graduation rates, nontraditional student stop-outs, connecting education to employment, and further applications of andragogy. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

States founded, control, and fund public postsecondary institutions because higher education helps meet state goals. Public institutions of higher education provide considerable public benefits to states, but these benefits have not been systematically measured. As a result, public conversations about the broad value proposition of higher education do not center the public benefits produced by institutions. Using a framework of empirical and realized publicness, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study used content analysis of state agency mission and vision statements to identify state goals for public higher education. Quantitative measurements of institutional contributions to common state goals for higher education were developed using exploratory factor analysis. This study examined the extent to which public institutions such as research institutions, regional comprehensive institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and enrollment-based Minority Serving institutions provide realized publicness outcomes related to states' goals for higher education. Random-effects and fixed-effects regression models were used to test the impacts of financial publicness, state governance structures, and state accountability on institutional realized publicness outcomes. State goals for public higher education's contributions to society centered around providing broad access to affordability education regardless of a student's demographic background, ensuring equal success for all students and boosting state attainment, educating the state's workforce and providing economic development, and engaging with their communities and providing community development. The various contributions of public institutions to each of these state goals varied by the type of institution and, to a certain extent, varied based on the empirical publicness of the institution. Notably, financial publicness positively impacts institutional access and affordability incomes, and increased state authority has mixed and sometimes negative impacts on access, affordability, and workforce outcomes. This evidence indicates that the long-term trend toward privatization in higher education revenues negatively affects some of states' primary purposes for higher education. As one of the first analyses of publicness in higher education, this study provides empirical evidence about the connection between publicness and institutional outcomes, which may aid state policymakers as they consider changes in their funding allocations, governance structure, and measures of accountability for higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is an emerging field of research that focusses on how information and communication technologies (ICT) are applied in language teaching and learning. CALL lies at the intersection of several other independent fields of study, i.e. technology, education, and linguistics. The aim of this study is to investigate Finnish EFL teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards using CALL tools in their classrooms. First, the study presents an overview of the CALL tools that the teachers use in their EFL instruction. Then, it explores the teachers' reasons behind choosing the said tools. Lastly, this study presents the teachers' own experiences on the benefits and potential these tools hold in the Finnish comprehensive and upper secondary schools. This study traces the roots and development of the field of CALL and its implications to the theory and practice of technology-enhanced language learning. Evidently, the benefits of using CALL are not limited to the teachers and students but also extend to the other stakeholders in the learning enterprise. For instance, technologies help motivate learners, and promote novel instructional and assessment practices. The study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods in the data collection and analysis. The advantage of using dual instruments of survey and interview helped delve deeper into the subject matter to discover answers to the research problem. With an online survey, the study contacted 687 EFL teachers in Finnish comprehensive and upper secondary school and received 91 respondents. In addition, the study purposively selected four teachers for in-depth interviews. The data was analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The findings from this study confirm that the use of ICTs in language learning settings continues to grow. In essence, EFL teachers extensively use a variety of CALL tools based on the perceived usefulness and effectiveness in a learning activity. The popular tools are computer applications (word processing) and web resources (audio and video), while mobile applications and social media are rarely used. Secondly, EFL teachers view technologies as complementary tools for instruction, assessment and learning motivation. In most cases, they are confident about integrating the tools in their teaching and learning activities. Furthermore, the teachers hope for more resources and ICT training and support in order to effectively and efficiently use the CALL tools on a wider scale. In conclusion, further research would help establish how teachers have been trained to incorporate technologies in their instructional methodologies and also, there is a need to assess which technologies have a greater impact on attainment of learning objectives.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical text analysis of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) policy documents and the resources teachers have access to help them implement these standards into their classroom. NGSS outlines the skills and content needed for students to become proficient in STEM fields. These standards increase the rigor of student expectations and will influence science education through curriculum, teacher development, and assessment accountability. Included in this review will be state documents that outline the new science curriculum, district documents outlining implementation plans, and websites teachers have access to for resources. The document analysis will focus on how the NGSS was impacted by the power elite and what long-term implications are for science education. The power elite make decisions, which have consequences for society. Using C. Wright Mills Power Elite theory will help shed light on the potential overall purpose and goals of these new standards. With these standards students are being trained to fill the needs of capital by enhancing the power to increase the wealth of individuals or companies within the power elite. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Although there is consensus on the relevance of the feedback given to student teachers, few instances in the literature have addressed this topic. Even less is said about feedback to mathematics lesson plans and how to characterize it. Lesson plans are artifacts that help establish a link between theory and practice, relate to a broader sense of assessment, beyond merely assigning grades, and keep the mathematics of the lesson as a central component. Focusing on the opportunities to think and reason that students will have on the lesson, the anticipatory work done when establishing a goal, selecting a task and declaring teaching practices, makes the concept of cognitive demand to emerge. Teachers should be able to plan high cognitive demand lessons and implement them in ways that preserve this demand. Mathematics teacher educators, therefore, have a valuable opportunity when providing feedback to the cognitive demand of student teacher lesson plans. This research addresses the characterization of the feedback giving process of two Chilean Mathematics teacher educators, and eventual shifts that might have happened after a professional development workshop focused on cognitive demand of goals and tasks in a mathematics lesson plan, and the effects that certain teaching practices could have to this demand. Results suggest that the overall experience of reflecting about the cognitive demand of a mathematics lesson elicited different kinds of shifts at different stages of the research for both participants, who were able, at the end, to use the concepts of cognitive demand to articulate their feedback to student teacher mathematics lesson plans. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Educators are faced with increased accountability and decreased funding. This means that school districts must carefully determine how they can best invest their limited resources. Informed decisions that serve the best education interests of the students should be the practice of all schools. One small, rural school district has invested considerable funds in the use of Renaissance Learning's Star Reading assessments and Accelerated Reader. This pragmatic, qualitative study set out to support the district determination of whether these programs met the needs of the district, and more importantly the needs of the students. The study findings indicated that the teachers did not have measurable goals for use of the program. Although the teachers viewed AR as a motivator for students, they provided tangible rewards for completing a percentage of the students' established reading goals. The participants were shown assessment data that indicated students' reading ability scores comparing beginning of the year to end of the year. Although the assessment data showed minimal growth for the students, most of the teachers continued to demonstrate a closed mind set and held on to their belief the AR program was beneficial to their students. Recommendations from this study include providing teacher professional development to increase the knowledge base of the program itself as well as guiding administrators and teachers through training on data-based instruction and evidence-based programming. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This mixed methods study was designed for two purposes: (1) to provide district and campus leaders data about the effectiveness of how the studied district's READ 180 and System 44 literacy intervention programs were implemented, and (2) to assess the programs' impact on student outcomes to determine whether the district was meeting literacy goals and if recommendations identified in the previous program evaluation report were addressed. Archival de-identified student achievement data and focus group interviews comprised gathered data. Although quantitative data show some growth from both programs since the prior program evaluation, the programs failed to meet the 2018-2019 intended outcome of at least 70% of participating students meeting expected Lexile growth except for READ 180 participants at four elementary and six secondary campuses. System 44 participants failed to meet the district's intended outcome at any campus level. Data showed that placement of elementary English learner (EL) students in both literacy programs was disproportionate to the district's EL population. System 44 students with an EL indicator had a negative correlation with growth in Lexile score, indicating that ELs are not being served well by this program. Qualitative data presented little evidence that the 2017-2018 program evaluation recommendations were effectively implemented. Emerged themes related to monitoring and controlling program processes by district and campus leaders were perceived fidelity, data alignment, and immutable factors. Both quantitative and qualitative data highlighted areas in which program fidelity was lower than expected; therefore, district administrators were not able to achieve the intended purpose of the programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how STEM professionals described the influence of collective impact conditions on their educational ecosystems for high school students in the US. The framework was collective impact as supported by transformational leadership theory. The research was guided by five research questions: How do STEM professionals who lead an educational ecosystems involving high school students describe the influence of (a) a common agenda, (b) shared measurement, (c) mutually reinforcing activities, (d) continuous communication, and (e) backbone support on their initiatives? The sample included 22 US STEM leaders. The adult participants led STEM initiatives with at least three organizations and had worked in a STEM field for at least five years. Fourteen participants took part in interviews and eight participated in two focus groups (i.e., four in each). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicated the most established practices were having a common agenda, implementing mutually reinforcing activities, and developing continuous communication. Most participants were seeking guidance to develop shared measurement and secure backbone support. Participants understood the need to collect data to determine their ecosystems' outcomes but struggled to do so. Hiring staff was dependent on the ecosystem's backbone support, and participants were seeking the funding streams and support to grow and sustain their ecosystems. This study added to the academic research on collective impact and demonstrated that such an initiative aligns well with the practices needed to lead a STEM educational ecosystem. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Special education team members have shown an inability to write rigorous individualized education program (IEP) goals that meet students' needs. Researchers have focused on special education team members' ability to write IEP goals, and the phenomenon continues to be a vital concern. This basic qualitative study was conducted to examine the abilities of special education team members in writing IEP goals that align with student needs. The research questions focus on how IEP teams currently develop goals for students that align with best practices in the local setting. Gathering and analyzing data from special education team members regarding their experiences with IEP goal writing brings awareness to improvements necessary for the process. The framework for this study was Hauser's operation, benchmark, scale, and evaluate model. Open-ended semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 special education team members to gather data. A priori coding was used to analyze, label, and organize themes from the data. A color-coded systematic process was used to capture the collected data's in-depth meaning further. The analysis revealed that special education team members need a comprehensive and personalized model of steps to write high-quality IEP goals that meet student needs. These findings led to the creation of a professional development program to improve the IEP goal-writing process among special education team members by creating a model to support team members. Stronger IEP goal writing skills matched to student needs will increase student learning and may lead to greater satisfaction among special education team members, both of which have potential implications for positive social change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This paper examines community-campus partnerships, specifically regarding community partner representatives' lived experience of trust and reciprocity with community-engaged administrators at an institution. This research focused on how trust and reciprocity manifested and was sustained within these relationships, with the goal of supporting administrators in building stronger relations with community organization representatives and bridging the connection between a community and campus. With the creation of community engagement offices that focus on public engagement, administrators have emerged that specifically seek to work with the community. Many best practices have evolved to support the growth of community-campus relationships, including the significance of trust and reciprocity.Using a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed eleven community partner representatives that worked with community-engaged administrators from Washington and Lee University. Four critical concepts and four themes emerged from this research. Critical concepts discovered are Community Partners as Educators, Positive Interpersonal Relationships, Overlapping Goals, and the Role of the Institution. Themes that manifested included Administrators as Liaisons, Mutual Respect, Resource Sharing, and Transparency of Expectations. Based on these critical concepts and themes the researcher recommended actions that community-engaged administrators can enact that supports the manifestation of trust and reciprocity. This includes providing community partners' access to resources, knowledge about the institution and its students, a way to formalize the partnership, increased communication at the beginning, middle, and especially the end of a community partnership project, etc. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined how tenured community college faculty learn, select, and refine teaching methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six tenured faculty at Hudson Valley Community College in New York. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis to identify themes. Three major themes were identified: "The love of teaching," "Teaching requires being human," and "Change is VITAL." Two findings emerged: quality approaching, and academe disconnect. These findings were considered with respect to existing literature, Kegan's constructive development theory, and immunity to change. They confirm prior findings that tenured faculty are dedicated practitioners whose mental complexity and immunity to change derives from a desire to maintain expert status, to achieve teaching-learning goals effectively and comfortably, and to complete all their duties and responsibilities in a timely manner. The implications of this study affect three areas of higher education. First, administrative support: time to practice, acceptance of divergent practices, and review the tenure process while prioritizing quality teaching. This is followed by requesting that faculty developers design programs in which faculty are in community with one another. This would normalize human-centered teaching-learning practices and peer evaluations in a way that is systematized, progressive, and sustainable. Finally, the faculty are invited to be vulnerable, actively engage in critical self-reflection, and develop a growth mindset. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]