This dissertation investigates the impact and reported and intended use of educators' culturally responsive and sustaining (CR-S) practices. Conducted in California, one of the most diverse states in the U.S., the dissertation summarizes information so that the pressing need for educators to incorporate CR-S practices to support a diverse student…

Research on arts education notes the positive impact of arts education on educational outcomes for students, particularly students of color, students in poverty, and students needing additional academic support. Students living in low-income communities receive different educational opportunities than those in high-wealth districts. This disparity…

This qualitative dissertation examines how teacher preparation programs take up policy messages from two state agencies. These questions guided the study: (1) What are the messages about RTI and MTSS from the California Department of Education [CDE] and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [CCTC]; and (2) How are RtI and MTSS taken…

This study addresses the lived experience of ESL department chairs in California community colleges. It adds to existing literature that aims to support these individuals who are serving in critical roles in institutions of higher education. Using phenomenological methods, four ESL department chairs were interviewed to explore their journeys…

Higher education is experiencing a time of unprecedented disruption. Growing public dissatisfaction, declining state and federal funding, increased state and federal regulation, and technological innovations threaten the academic core. The current climate provides new opportunities for core academic departments to partner with market driven…

By focusing on the problem of graduate student persistence, researchers have tended to either discount or ignore the impact and value of advising relationships as a context for the successful completion of a doctoral program. Little information exists regarding the advising experiences and relationships between African-American female doctoral…

This paper presents the results of a study that examined the effects of using an action research process to explore science teachers' views on science literacy as well as improve collaboration among department members. Data were collected by documenting the action research process and interviewing teachers at a suburban K-12 school in Southern…

This study utilizes a mixed methods exploratory design to examine the nature of math faculty engagement in the student learning outcomes assessment cycle. The focus of the study is on the types of changes that math faculty are implementing as a result of assessment outcomes and the institutional environmental factors that impact faculty engagement…

The Department Chair position is perhaps the most important position on a college campus. Not only do Department Chairs have a large number of individual tasks to perform, but a Chair's actions have potentially large repercussions, since the bulk of the pedagogical and administrative decisions made at institutions of higher education are made at…

This two-phase exploratory study examined department chairs' perspectives of online learning in a California community college district and examined if differences existed in This two-phase exploratory study examined department chairs' perspectives of online learning in a California community college district and examined if differences existed in…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine professional leadership experiences of college deans of education with formal and informal mentoring in the course of their career progression at 4-year nonprofit private colleges and universities in California. Methodology: Using a mixed-methods approach that emphasized the qualitative data…

The purpose of this study was to redress the paucity of research regarding superintendents and their role in implementing parent and community involvement policies. Another aim was to examine which types of parent and community involvement practices, if any, may be related to student achievement. A mixed methods inquiry was applied. The Measure of…

Abundant research chronicles the backgrounds and characteristics of community college students assigned to developmental reading. Many are members of underrepresented groups and first in their families to attend college. English may not be their primary language. Developmental students often struggle with learning disabilities. Nontraditional…