For the current research, the researcher set out to explore the impact of distributed leadership in terms of teacher empowerment and effects on school culture. The first main objective was to assess the approaches considered by school leaders when distributing tasks. The researcher also investigated the various factors considered by the leaders…

Previous research related to Youth Adult Partnership, Empowerment and Empowering Environments, and Liberatory School Design all highlight the importance of relationships in ensuring that young people experience school environments as empowering. Currently, there is a lot of interest and energy around redesigning schools to be Learner-Centered, in…

Massachusetts General Law does not recognize students as stakeholders in school turnaround, despite extant literature supporting the benefits of including students as decision makers in their education experiences. The purpose of this Action Research study was to understand why student voices are critical to successful school turnaround, and to…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore African American students and school administrators' experiences with out-of-school suspension (OSS) and their perceptions of strategies to reduce suspensions. Researchers have identified research-based strategies to reduce OSS, including restorative practices and Positive Behavior…

This study aimed to research the impact Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) programs have on the development of student agency in high school students. AVID was founded in San Diego, California by teacher Mary Catherine Swanson in 1980 (AVID.org). The AVID framework is divided into two sections, "What Students Need" and…

While evidence suggests PBL teachers' roles support higher student learning outcomes, there was a general lack of data that explores how PBL teachers describe their roles in teaching (Kaplan & Garner, 2017; Leng et al., 2018). The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how high school teachers, who used project-based…

Undocumented students graduate from high school at 98,000 per year nationally (27,000 annually in California). School counselors are certificated campus professionals tasked with social, emotional, college, and career interventions for all students and also provide advocacy between students and any barriers interfering with school safety, mental…

The purpose of the study was to gain deeper understanding of the PBIS process in high schools and high school principal perceptions of leadership qualities that enable, and challenge, school-wide change to facilitate PBIS successfully. The study provided an opportunity for high school principals to give a voice to PBIS leadership through sharing…

This qualitative study explored how LGBTQ+ ally teachers understand their ally identity in the context of teaching high school social studies. Specifically, it examined how teachers enacted their ally identity in the informal and informal curriculum through the production of classroom spaces, classroom relationships, queer representation in the…

It was not known if, and to what extent, differences exist in decision-making, impact, status, autonomy, professional development, and self-efficacy dimensions of teacher empowerment for high school teacher race, gender, and administrative staff gender composition among high school teachers in the Southeastern United States, as measured by the…

In the present study, I attempted to understand how students perceive their voice in the 2900 student public high school where I serve as principal. The study is a qualitative inquiry that combines human-centered design and action research for its conceptual framework. My dual roles of researcher and principal influenced every aspect of this…

School safety is a wicked problem due to shifting needs and available information, the diverse actors affected and involved, fluctuating budgetary demands and ramifications, and relations to broader social and political issues. School safety challenges encompass a range of factors, including threats of violence and fears related to school…

The concept of overall subjective well-being has been highlighted in recent years. As society wrestles with mental health struggles, communities often look to schools to fill in the gaps. As such, many schools have added well-being components to their structure. Because many of the most vulnerable students are considered at risk of dropping out of…

The teaching profession is in peril. Teacher recruitment and teacher retention are issues that have compounded the teacher shortage crisis, particularly in Black and Latinx communities. Research has demonstrated that there are a plethora of academic and socio-emotional benefits when Black and Latinx teachers are educating Black and Latinx…

There is a broad disconnect between the beauty cultivated by disabled communities and the ways in which schools continue to position disability as a problem that resides in the individual student. To shift conceptions of disability in schools, there is a significant need to educate folks about disability history and pride, especially disabled…