Despite the fact that American public schools are subject to First Amendment restrictions that prohibit government establishment of a national religion and interference in individuals' worship practices, there is evidence that Christianity may be privileged over other faith traditions and non-belief in some public school environments (Blumenfeld,…

This study investigated the impact of professional development support structures for enhancing teacher mastery of Response to Intervention (RTI) in an urban elementary school setting. With a focus on effective implementation strategies, the research explored the role of tailored professional development initiatives in equipping educators with the…

This qualitative exploratory study investigated how leaders establish trust among their faculty to reduce higher turnover and increased stress. The study was motivated by the observed leadership problem and its failure to foster trust within public elementary schools, leading to detrimental outcomes for faculty and students alike. Guided by the…

Despite costly and innovative initiatives, Georgia's schools have failed to show significant gains in student achievement. According to the Turnaround Eligible Schools produced by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (2017), elementary schools comprise the majority of the historically failing schools in Georgia. The purpose of this study…

Virtual community of practice (VCoP) teams are becoming a typical function in many knowledge-based organizations. VCoP teams can consist of team members located in various cities, states, and countries. The main characteristic of the VCoP is team members' sense of community that allows individuals to share knowledge. Knowledge sharing in a VCoP…

The study detailed the life history of a family of five, Georgia high school graduates, undocumented students using semi-structured interviews. Because the five participants were all of Latino descent and undocumented students, their lived experiences were expected to add to the relatively young research concerning the sensitive, yet powerful,…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the effects of professional learning communities on veteran teachers with three or more years of experience assigned to new grade levels or subject areas and the implications for school leaders. The specific research questions that framed the study were: (1) What do veteran teachers assigned…

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' current and retrospective perceptions of empowerment within the context of the No Child Left Behind Legislation. Much of the empowerment research to date was conducted prior to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act which was signed into law in January, 2002. The legislation mandates that K-12 public…