There is a persistent shortage of qualified special education teachers in schools across the country. This issue is exacerbated by the need for special education teachers of color who can help serve the disproportionate number of minority students in schools. Over time, researchers and government entities, alike, have considered ways to increase…

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational-predictive study was to assess if and to what extent second-grade student race (operationalized as minority status) and student socioeconomic status (operationalized as eligibility for Free and Reduced Lunch) predict second-grade student classification as gifted under two scenarios: using the current…

The Fountas and Pinnell "Leveled Literacy Intervention System" (LLI), first edition, is a textbook series designed for struggling elementary school readers. The materials have become entrenched in the nation's schools and are currently utilized as an intervention resource in all fifty states and four of the seven largest school districts…

Cultural taxation is a term used by some to describe the additional work required of faculty of color as representatives of their racial or ethnic groups. Padilla (1994) defines cultural taxation as "situations that are imposed [on faculty]... by the administration." Many prior studies about cultural taxation focus on the experiences of…

The Florida Department of Education requires that student teachers complete the Florida Teacher Certification General Knowledge (GK) Exam for certification. As of 2021, the Florida pass rate for the GK exam, the first of the required exams, is 63% and the pass rate at FIU is a similar 62%. There were also 28,517 GK retakes statewide that year. As…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of open access policies for Advanced Placement (AP) courses on student participation and performance, particularly focusing on minority and low-income students in a rural school district in Central Florida. The study addressed significant barriers to equitable access to AP courses, including…

Teacher turnover is a problem in all types of schools at all levels and is especially troubling in low-performing, high minority, urban schools. School principals have the challenge of building relationships with teachers in order to improve teacher retention while also balancing the many tasks and responsibilities they have throughout the day.…

This study addresses preservice teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and their readiness to teach in culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) classrooms. This study analyzed preservice teachers' understanding of CRP and the challenges or barriers that implementation may present. Also, the research examined preservice…

This dissertation is a mixed methods study of race, language, and writing using the racial equity gaps in student success data as a starting point for the conversation that calls the fields of Rhetoric and Compositions, Literacy Studies, and Higher Education to act more intentionally towards creating equitable spaces in our writing classrooms.…

College retention is a topic of concern for many leaders of post-secondary institutions. This study explores the multifaceted elements of a summer bridge program aimed at bolstering college retention for minority first-generation students through a combination of mentorship, academic support, and community-building initiatives. The purpose of the…

Black male teachers (BMEs) make up less than two percent of the entire educator workforce in the U.S. (Clark, 2020; DeRuy, 2016; Eng, 2020; Oakley et al., 2009), and in Florida, Black male elementary teachers (BMETs) comprise about 1.5% of all educators (FLDOE, 2022). Stephens et al. (2019) shared that all children benefit from experiences with…

There are widespread concerns about disparities in educational attainment in the United States. Unfortunately African American, Hispanic, Native American, and low-income Broward County Public Schools high school students participate in College Bound Type Programs at lower rates than students of other races and ethnicities. Many of these students…

Minority underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) perpetuates the income inequality that minorities experience and leads to a lack of diversity in STEM. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine the effect of student demographics, STEM, science technology, engineering, art, and…

To resolve the graduation gap among Black and Hispanic students in Central Florida, the development of equity-centered practices to improve high school graduation rates is essential. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of incorporating methods such as the self achievement theory, self-determination methodology, and equity…

A qualitative study was performed to evaluate the experiences and perceptions of Hispanic senior adults with health literacy while accessing the healthcare system. Research has shown that Hispanic Americans experience health inequalities due to low health literacy. Patients with low health literacy have trouble following medical directions and…