From academic years 2003-04 through 2008-09, enrollment in WCPSS grew by more than 26%, from 108,970 to 137,607 students. Such unprecedented enrollment growth presented challenges for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Enrollment outpaced new school construction and led to overcrowding. In addition to constructing mobile classrooms, the…

Principals' instructional leadership has been the focus of research for decades. Research shows that principals' impact on student achievement is second only to teachers (Grissom et al., 2021; Herman et al., 2017). Student literacy achievement concerns that continue trending nationwide, and specifically in North Carolina, indicate the need for…

Research has been conducted on instructional leadership and the importance of instructional leadership, yet minimal research has been conducted on instructional leadership training models and principal perceptions on the impact of instructional leadership training on low performing schools. The problem addressed in this study was the current…

Summer school programs have been a part of national, state, and local education systems' instructional programming for decades. These programs exist in varying forms and rarely have a prescribed way in which they should be implemented. There is little to no research about teacher and administrator perceptions about these summer programs. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between visits to college campuses by middle school and high school students and postsecondary enrollment rates, where campus visits are classified as both formal college visits and also informal campus visits. Specifically, Traditional Campus Visits and Educational Campus Field Trips are…

Double-dosing in math expands the time for students to learn by having them enroll in two (or occasionally more) math courses during the regular school day. Although the practice can take different forms and be used at different grade levels (Chait, Muller, Goldware, & Housman, 2007; Nomi & Allensworth, 2009), most research on…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe/summarize the perceptions of the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES) for 10 educational leaders in two small rural school districts in eastern North Carolina. This study was conducted through the problem definition lens. The 10 educational leaders for this study included two…

The purpose of this study was to examine the Cumberland County Schools district-wide issue surrounding the disproportional performance of eighth grade Math I students' proficiency scores on standardized end-of-grade and end-of-course assessments. The study focused on the impact of the school district incorporating eighth grade math standards in…

In 2016, the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina, the nation's 15th-largest school district, confronted two dilemmas common in U.S. education. First, a quality review had revealed weaknesses in its literacy curriculum. Although curriculum can have profound effects on student learning, not all curricula are rigorous and engaging…

This study evaluates the relationship between the Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program (RAMP) designation and students' achievement and attendance outcomes in elementary and middle schools. We used data from 2009 through 2015 from Wake County Public Schools, the largest school district in North Carolina. Our analyses use…

The purpose of this study was to research the perceptions of teachers concerning the implementation and effectiveness of professional learning communities in a middle school in a rural school district in North Carolina. The data were gathered using the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) survey and individual one-on-one…

Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, N.C., have partnered with the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County to develop strategies for responding to the emotional and mental health needs of middle school students in those districts. More than 40 community partners have joined their efforts, which include a focus on…

This dissertation was designed to examine how experiences, education, and professional development informed culturally responsive pedagogy and influenced teacher beliefs in their ability to guide students to success when employing culturally responsive teaching practices. The research school district was located in the piedmont region of North…

In 2016, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) senior leadership determined that students were not consistently engaged with content, instruction, or tasks that support the specific instructional shifts in the North Carolina State Standards and 4Cs (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity). After an internal review…

The purpose of Science Education Against Drug Abuse Partnership (SEADAP) is to use the planarian animal model to develop an inquiry-based program to teach the science of drug addiction and pharmacology of drugs being abused. Upon completion of a SEADAP teacher professional development, study data reveals a favorable increase in teacher awareness…