Each year, thousands of prospective students are denied admission to universities because they possess a criminal record. Prior research finds that university officials and faculty are generally accepting of those with records attending universities. To date, few studies have examined the perspectives of college students on this matter. The…

As state legislatures increasingly turn their gaze to education and school policy, one intervention that is particularly concerning is the proposal to arm civilian school personnel. Under the guise of school safety, these policies suggest that allowing teachers, who often have little if any training, to carry weapons on school grounds may deter a…

Most private schools in the United States have a history of racialized segregation. Despite this, families from historically oppressed backgrounds often choose to navigate private schools for the academic and social benefits they promise. As diversifying institutions, private schools must attend to how the unique context of private funding changes…

Traditionally, educator preparation programs only provide classes related to content, practical pedagogy, and classroom management. If we hope to see any level of justice in the education system, preparation programs must include courses that take an honest and deep dive into the ways in which racism shows up in schools and communities. Aspiring…

This qualitative case study seeks to understand the lived experiences of school principals acknowledging and elevating student counternarratives shared via Instagram during the Black@ movement about the impact of race in their schools. This study also explores how school principals demonstrate racial literacy attentive to school context through…

The journey of Black women into senior leadership roles within higher education institutions is characterized by a complex interplay of personal and professional realms shaped by the intersecting forces of racism and sexism. This dissertation examined the lived experiences of these trailblazing leaders, revealing the systemic barriers they…

Among the most urgent matters in contemporary education discourses are those that delve into the justice issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Colleges of Education are critical sites for such discourse. In particular, the teaching methods course is where candidates are to acquire tools to take up such issues. Success of justice…

Most students released from detention never return to school. This study uses youth participatory action research and Social Justice Youth Development Theory to explore the experiences of those who do. Findings demonstrate that formerly incarcerated students want to return to school but face institutionalized resistance that amounts to racialized…

This research presents the testimonios of Mexicana youth. Through a qualitative research design, this centered on the central question: How does testimonio in the social studies classroom serve as a decolonizing practice and how does this impact Mexicana students? and secondary question: How do Mexicana make meaning and reclaim identity using…

Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ individuals occupy a unique intersection of identities that inform their lived experiences and the ways in which they navigate colonial settler educational institutions. Despite a considerable body of evidence demonstrating the importance of inclusion, educational policies in Australia remain outdated. These policies are…

Kent State University (KSU) has been associated with campus activism history since May 4, 1970. Using a case study approach, we interrogated if and how KSU student affairs administrators' approach to activism has changed in the intervening decades and how the legacy of the shootings informed their practice during the Black Lives Matters protests…

This qualitative study collected recommendations provided by Black doctoral students in engineering to explicitly inform the institutional efforts necessary to enhance their academic experiences. This process has informed what needs to be done to support Black students through their direct accounts that provided in-depth understanding of the…

The Committee on Education and the Workforce met to hear testimony on "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism." Opening statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Virginia Foxx, Chairwoman, Committee on Education and the Workforce; and (2) Honorable Robert C. Scott, Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the…

Despite welcoming millions of displaced individuals over the past 50 years, there is limited policy consideration of US higher education access for displaced learners. This study threads together Critical Race Theory and racialized organization theory to examine institutional websites and key administrator interviews to consider institutional…

As many U.S. school administrators create policies around hair, many often neglect to consider racial differences, especially those pertaining to hair care and maintenance styles. News media outlets have recently highlighted the ways schools create and sustain racially biased policies and schooling environments, demonstrating the media's role in…