This study examined the relationship between Situational Leadership Theory and empathy as practiced by elementary school teachers in western Kentucky. Teachers from five public school districts in west Kentucky were surveyed to determine their affinity to Situational Leadership Theory and empathy with the added component of helping father-absent…

The employers in our country are claiming students are graduating high school and college without the soft skills to succeed in this country's workforce. This study examined what are soft skills and why are they missing from recent graduates. The study took a historical approach to trace how soft skills have been used and ignored in our nation's…

In this dissertation, I examine how two major social programs in Kentucky--state-funded preK and Family Resource and Youth Service Centers--impact children's outcomes across the state, including racial, ethnic, and economic equity through elementary school. In each chapter, I will analyze how early childhood opportunities relate to outcomes…

Environmental Education (EE) refers to a broad array of approaches in which an instructor uses the environment as a means to integrate various subjects and real world learning. Research supported the idea that EE instruction had a positive correlation to academic achievement. Under the Kentucky Education Cabinet of the Department of Education, the…

Parent-child sexual health communication (PCSHC) can have a positive impact on adolescents' sexual health choices, outcomes, and capabilities for communicating with others about sexual health. Many parents are hesitant and feel unprepared for and uncomfortable with communicating about sexual health with their children. Other parental factors as…

This study, using a practical action research design, examined the future of St. Mary School, a Catholic elementary school in southern Kentucky. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of 19 close-ended items and one open-ended item in order to elicit the attitudes and perceptions of the stakeholders (educational professionals,…

A mixed method, sequential explanatory approach provided insights' regarding critical issues relating to K-12 professional growth and development as well as understanding the effect upon their teaching practices and student achievement. The population of this study consisted of a convenience sample that contained a regional group of educators from…

This study addressed two types of delivery methods for professional development in educational technology. Face-to-face and online professional development sessions were held in a rural elementary school, located in Western Kentucky, with the purpose of teaching strategies for implementing educational technology. The researcher gave pre and…

This study investigated the impact of a district-wide mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. It also explored connections among teacher efficacy and socioeconomic status with student achievement. Using a quantitative approach, a job-embedded professional development initiative…

Students not having the positive opportunities of an education, often experience negative effects throughout their lives. Educators need to do more to meet the needs of elementary students at risk, and if this can be accomplished the students will receive a 21st Century education that will help students with a global education, which is necessary…

This research investigated the relationship of math intervention teachers' (MITs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and students' math achievement gains in primary math interventions. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics gathered data on the MITs and primary math intervention students included in this study. Longitudinal data were analyzed for a…

A significant body of research has shown that effective leadership is an essential element of successful efforts to improve student performance in primary and secondary schools. Emotional intelligence is an important component of effective leadership. This study--involving elementary school principals in a Kentucky school district--suggests there…