Illinois has enacted legislative policies to provide access to higher education and state funding opportunities for undocumented students. Public Act 093-0007, Illinois RISE Act, and Illinois House Bill 3438 all have implications for Illinois four-year public universities and community colleges. This dissertation focused on understanding the…

In many parts of the country, enrollment in traditional public schools has fallen to its lowest point in decades. However, states, cities, and school districts have been slow to respond to the reality of empty desks. This report examines trends in school enrollment, focusing on several of America's most populous cities, as well as the budgetary…

This study investigated the knowledge, skills, and perceptions of school psychologists regarding prenatal opioid exposure in school-aged children. The study also aimed to explore school psychologists' awareness of the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on children's academic, social, and emotional development. Utilizing a quantitative approach,…

Community Colleges were thrust to the forefront to develop, train, and re-train American workers for an altered labor environment. This occurred at a period of time when community colleges experienced their own reductions in workforce due to retirements. The business industry had long been a consumer of succession planning which utilized the…

Twenty percent of occupational therapists are employed in schools nationwide. Despite years of service since the Brown vs. U.S. Board of Education Law was enacted in 1954, school-based occupational therapists are restricted from advancing into formal Professional Educator License leadership roles. Due to state legislation and credentialing issues,…

A web-based survey was disseminated to examine the relationship between high school special education teachers and direct-service transition professionals' understanding of stakeholders' roles in transition, frequency of communication with transition stakeholders, and level of collaboration among stakeholders. Path analyses were also conducted to…

Paraeducators support students in schools throughout the United States by fulfilling duties such as providing instructional reinforcement, assisting with clerical tasks, supervising students, and supporting the mobility and/or hygiene of students with physical disabilities. However, although data show that approximately 91% of schools in the…

This article provides empirical findings associated with the perceptions of faculty, staff, and administrators regarding a decision to reclassify a metropolitan university's athletics program from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I. A survey is developed that asks respondents about their perceptions of the current state of the athletics program,…

This study examined technical and nontechnical employee attitudes toward participation in training. A survey was administered to 337 self-identified technical and nontechnical university employees. Our findings are as follows: (a) most employees prefer training that is less than 2 hours in length, (b) employees do not want training outside their…

The current study is designed to investigate the mediating effects of work-related stress on the relationship between mentoring functions (i.e., career support, psychosocial support, and role modeling) and measures of job attitude (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment). Mentoring is widely used as a means of assisting in the new…

In a typical workplace in the United States, two knowledge-producing activity systems are in motion. Each produces knowledge about how to do the work of that workplace, but they are differently motivated: one toward productivity, and the other toward earning a living. The conflict between these two systems is addressed through the process of…