The Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) system in New York State (NYS) has been called into question by educators since its adoption nearly 10 years ago, yet it remains the mandated evaluation system in NYS schools today. Much of the concern has been over changes such as assigning teachers final evaluation scores, as well as for the…

The purpose of this study was to better understand educators' perceptions of testing accommodations decision-making practices at New York area independent schools. Through the analysis and coding of questionnaires, interviews, and documents, this study explored perceptions and descriptions of testing accommodations decision-making procedures as…

The enactment of various federal mandates has increased accountability measures for schools and superintendents. The mandates aim to increase student achievement and learning. With the growing diversity of student populations in schools, districts are required to address the varied academic and non-academic needs of students. As the system leader…

When immigrant youth are harmed by institutional policies and practices that reinforce idealized notions of nationalism and assimilation through subtractive and coercive strategies, school leaders can turn to restorative justice as a technology of resistance. This participatory action research study, with the author as a participant, captures four…

Undocumented students face a multitude of barriers to access higher education. Academic advisors can support these students as they pursue their college degrees. This hermeneutic phenomenological study used the Undocumented/ DACAmented Status Competency (UDSC) tripartite framework to learn about the awareness, knowledge, and skills of academic…

This research highlighted the critical importance of colleges and universities to prioritize the education of diverse students, foster inclusive communities, and cultivate awareness of inclusive learning environments. As higher education continues to evolve with an increasingly diverse student body, a one-size-fits-all institutional model is…

Access to the college readiness curriculum has become a civil rights issue. Social class continues to impact those underrepresented on college campuses. This dissertation study aims to gain foundational knowledge that can be used to take action by developing recommendations that support a culture in which students from an economically…

Technology use has been identified as a key contributor to the decrease in youth mental health (Children's Bureau, 2019; Lebrun-Harris et al., 2022; Dwyer, 2022; Mojtabai et al., 2016; Yasakci, 2019; Odgers & Jensen, 2020). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to investigate how school district administrators are…

The purpose of this case study is to understand higher education administrators' perceptions of New York State's tuition-free initiative, the Excelsior Scholarship. A comprehensive literature review offers insights into a select history of higher education policy, as well as the current condition of public higher education. Guided by a…

With the growing population of English Language Learners, there is a need to focus on ELL education from a new perspective as principals' school priorities and practices directly influence teacher priorities and practices (Dufour & Marzano, 2011; Walker et al., 2004). Elmore (2000) stated that "leadership is the guidance and direction of…

Drawing upon Weick's (1995) theory of sensemaking, this qualitative study described how high school social studies teachers make meaning of culturally responsive sustaining education (CR-SE) as outlined in New York State's (NYS) CR-SE framework. This study also examined how that sensemaking is reflected in social studies teachers' curricular and…

The purpose of this study was to explore how middle school principals stay current with social media used by young adolescents. This study also explored middle school principals' developmentally responsive practices that guide young adolescent use of social media. Although middle school principals may believe their practices to be effective, these…

This proposal sought to understand the decision-making of the K-12 public school super-intendents during the COVID-19 crisis and periods of recovery. Western New York school district leaders participated in focus groups organized according to the New York State Department of Education classifications of high-, average-, and low-needs districts. By…

Currently, the perceived use of critical theoretical frameworks to shape instruction in public K-12 education is undergoing intense scrutiny in popular and political debate. Chief among such frameworks has been Critical Race Theory (CRT), which, at the time of this writing, has been legally banned or restricted in eighteen states -- with similar…

The evolving educational landscape of our students' needs post-Covid has highlighted that student response to intervention must be of concern to all educators. Our student population has experienced an event that is like no other in our shared educational histories and our response to the aftermath of this event and how we assist students who are…