Identifying mediators in variable chains as part of a causal mediation analysis can shed light on issues of causation, assessment, and intervention. However, coefficients and effect sizes in a causal mediation analysis are nearly always small. This can lead those less familiar with the approach to reject the results of causal mediation analysis.…

Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs provide the majority of long-term services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Relatively new (2014) HCBS rules (CMS 2249-F/2296-F) governing these programs require "meaningful community" integration of people with disabilities…

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers' natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers' natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine…

This study examined the correlation between student achievement, the financial health of a diverse sample of public Illinois elementary school districts, and their local wealth. Research suggested that the wealth of the district within itself does not affect student performance. Specific possible associated factors included instructional methods,…

A retrospective data analysis using 2000-2008 three state Medicaid Analytic eXtract was conducted to examine the prevalence and association of comorbidities (psychiatric and non-psychiatric) with healthcare utilization and expenditures of fee-for-service enrolled adults (22-64 years) with and without autism spectrum disorders (International…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the perceived self-leadership capacity and behaviors of K-5 principals in the state of Illinois and to establish whether or not there was a correlation between principal self-leadership and student achievement. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed…

The present investigation examined the sexual dimorphic patterns of cardiorespiratory fitness to working memory in preadolescent children (age range: 7.7-10.9). Data were collected in three separate studies (Study 1: n = 97, 42 females; Study 2: n = 95, 45 females; Study 3: n = 84, 37 females). All participants completed a cardiorespiratory…

This technical supplement to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) evaluation final reports presents details of the technical approach used for creating analysis variables and estimating impacts of treatment group services on outcomes, including employment, earnings, and SNAP participation. It also…

Recruitment and retention in the sciences is both difficult and crucial, especially in the community college setting. In this study, the resources used by General Chemistry I students at two different public, predominantly two-year colleges in two states were studied via surveys for a semester. Data were analyzed with respect to student attitudes…

Educators face an ever-increasing challenge of addressing the impact of childhood trauma in the classroom. Children impacted by trauma experience a lack of ability to regulate their behavior and learn, and most school staff have little professional development on this topic and how to best address it in the classroom. The purpose of this study was…

Education research on gifted education has proven to be limited when examining principals' knowledge and skills to lead gifted programs. Professional development provided by school districts and principal preparation programs are lacking in the ability to provide principals with the capacity to impact instruction and growth for gifted students.…

The authors present an empirical analysis of what is taught in core micro-economics at a set of top U.S. doctoral economics programs. Their aim is to evaluate the diversity across programs and assess whether there are distinct "schools of thought" in graduate economics education. Their empirical findings reveal substantial, in fact,…

Visual narratives, including graphic novels, illustrated instructions, and picture books, convey event sequences constituting a plot but cannot depict all events that make up the plot. Viewers must generate inferences that fill the gaps between explicitly shown images. This study explored the inferential products and memory implications of…

The Schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention Support model (SWPBIS) continues to gain widespread use across schools in the United States and abroad. Despite its widespread implementation, little research has examined factors that influence its sustainability. Informed by Rogers's diffusion theory, this study examined school personnel's…

Modern day students in higher education are challenged by the daily struggle of balancing life outside of school, the impetus to use technology in many aspects of their daily tasks, and their self-identified placement along the Self-Determination Theory continuum; however, gamifying a class may benefit students needing motivational incentives as a…