A new study reveals four responses school leaders typically take toward conflict among students--but one rises above the rest for success. Research shows that community-driven responses to acts of intolerance can reenforce a school culture of inclusivity. Researchers John Rogers and Joseph Kahne present case studies from schools across the country…

This brief reports findings from a survey with middle and high school youth in a midsize district in the Mid-Atlantic. We find that belonging varies by race and ethnicity for young people. Overall, Black and Latino/x youth report lower belonging when compared to their White peers in a pro-diversity and inclusion district. Implications for policy…

National and local data sets reveal that students with disabilities have yet to gain full access to the opportunities that science, technology, and engineering (STE) education has to offer. Through an improvement science lens, this three-manuscript dissertation attempts to define, diagnose, explain, and address this pervasive problem of practice.…

This case study was built following an examination of a series of disparities regarding LGBTQ+ High School aged students. Data has been collected that highlights the differences in Mental Health, well-being, School Performance and School Belonging which all factor into an overtly negative experience for this population. In order to better…

Women and ethnic minoritized individuals are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains in postsecondary education and in the workforce. The aim of the current study was to examine whether adolescents' perceptions of inclusivity, belonging, and discrimination in high school STEM classes are related to…

Purpose: This study examines how English teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) to support postsecondary readiness for underrepresented students in the context of dual credit (DC) coursework in the USA. Postsecondary readiness, termed "college readiness" in the USA, refers to the skills and knowledge students need to succeed at…

In this article, we describe the conceptualization and development of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure intended for use by high school leadership teams to examine secondary programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful outcomes for secondary students with and without disabilities. We describe…

This study investigated whether and to what extent shared leadership in school was associated with a positive and equitable sense of school belonging among students from diverse backgrounds in the United States. We denoted shared leadership as collective practices that take place in schools in which principals enact inclusive practices in the…

In today's education context, not all young people are able to complete their high school education. In fact, in 2016, the number of low-income young people ages 16 to 24 years who did not complete high school or were not enrolled in high school was 3.7 times higher than those of high-income families (McFarland et al., 2018). This may be due to…

Traditional approaches to professional development for inclusive education narrowly frame inclusive education as a special education reform. Such approaches emphasize technical practices rather than surfacing and disrupting harmful ideologies that normalize the segregation of students with disabilities. Alternatively, there is potential for a…

This community-based participatory research case study demonstrates how Dakota Wico?a? utilized Indigenous and feminist epistemologies to create, implement, and evaluate a cultural intervention, the Mni Sota Makoce: Dakota Homelands Curriculum, to increase Native 6th- and 10th-grade social studies students' peoplehood sense of belonging (Tachine…

Many low-income young people of color living in cities today face great adversity and the resiliency of the cities they live in is being challenged on many fronts: violence, poverty, gentrification, and homelessness as well as the threat of global climate change. The predicament is that, despite their enthusiasm and innate intelligence on the…

Purpose: This exploratory qualitative case study investigated one school district's use of peer mentors during the traditional school day to help freshmen excel. It explored teachers' perceptions of how peer mentors use the lenses of belonging and mattering to impact freshmen success. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this study…

This paper, based on the Praxis Lecture I delivered at the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education Conference in January 2024, articulates how my experiences at a Danish gymnastic folkehøjskole (folk high school) and højskole pedagogy inform my teaching and service. After defining højskole pedagogy, I discuss how I incorporate its…

For most young people, social capital plays an important role in transitioning to postsecondary education and employment. For youth who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), social capital can mitigate negative effects of challenges they will likely encounter after high school. In phase 2 of a two-phase qualitative study in Australia, we investigated…