A Dissertation in Practice was conducted which connected theories of action and Yosso's (2015) community cultural wealth framework to address the absence of diverse parental perspectives and oversight at Freedom Middle School in South Texas. Platicas with seven parent volunteers and a parent engagement survey available to all Freedom Middle School…

Amidst debates over book-banning and diversity legislation, this study investigated teachers' literature selection processes, emphasizing the impact of mandates on decision-making. Employing a mixed method design, the research analyzed quantitative survey data from 60 middle-grade teachers, revealing a stable emphasis on specific text…

The problem addressed in this study is that, in a rural Title I public school in the Northeastern United States, administrators have struggled to implement leadership strategies to support the reduction of student discipline issues in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to investigate how administrators implement leadership strategies that…

Annual goals are an essential component of Individual Educational Programs (IEP), which are developed for students with disabilities, and which are informed by data. However, the methods and practices that special educators use to make sense of data to inform the annual IEP goals represent a gap in research literature. This qualitative study was…

Equity in education and the role of the principal are critical reasons for this study. Equity-centered leadership challenges other leadership practices in its' focus on affecting change concerning equitability, access, diversity, and society. However, there is a gap in research in understanding the lived experiences as an equity-centered leader.…

As instructional leaders, principals must apply leadership to ensure achievement of all students. There is a gap in practice involving challenges principals face while supporting the ELA achievement of their inclusive special education students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand instructional leadership challenges elementary…

Nationally, collective teacher efficacy (CTE) has been correlated with higher levels of student achievement. The problem addressed through this study was that local school district leaders have been unsuccessful in cultivating CTE through the district's collaborative planning process. Guided by the enabling conditions of CTE, the purpose of this…

Incorporating technology into instructional practices is needed to cultivate learners who are digitally competent to function in a society in which technology keeps evolving. The problem that exists at the study site is that although technology is available, it is primarily being used to enhance learning rather than transform learning.…

During the spring of 2020, a South Georgia school implemented distance learning due to COVID-19, with little administrative support for the teachers for online instruction. This quick transition may have impacted teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about teaching online. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school…

The mental health of students is a critical concern in educational settings, particularly in the context of remote learning environments, which have become increasingly prevalent due to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This dissertation explores the perceptions of elementary and middle school teachers in Missouri regarding student…

Twenty-first-century competencies have been identified as vital thinking and working skills for the 21st century. Students could contribute to social change by using information and communication technology (ICT) while developing 21st-century competencies, but this type of experience is not frequent at schools. The purpose of this qualitative case…

Some Southwestern Pennsylvania middle school (MS) principals who employ the teaming model, an aspect of transformational leadership (TL), are meeting the state proficiency standards. There are schools in the same geographic region whose principals employ the teaming model but are failing to meet the state proficiency standards. The purpose of this…

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of a history teacher's ability to historically contextualize primary sources. Contextualization gives life to primary sources that many students feel are flat and lifeless. Moreover, due to their limited experience and knowledge, preservice teachers often lack the sophistication to thematically…

The U.S. government has stated in federal guidelines that parents must be involved in their children's education in order for student achievement to increase. For more than 5 years, a small rural middle school in Mississippi was designated a low-performing school due to its failure to achieve the required standards for quality distribution index…

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how five sixth grade female students navigated the process of project-based learning as they designed and implemented their own project centered on mathematics while using a social justice lens. The theoretical frameworks of Authentic Intellectual Work and Social Justice…