School desegregation policies aim to redistribute educational resources and opportunities more equitably, but they have not always done so. Evidence indicates that political factors, including resistance from White parents and legal constraints, have undermined desegregation policies' potential to fulfill their aims. Yet, a few studies suggest…

Students designated as English learners (ELs) make up a substantial and growing portion of the K-12 population in the U.S., so all teachers should expect, at some point, to be teachers of language learners and will need to address the complexities of managing a multilingual classroom. This management is considered classroom-level educational…

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…

Sexual violence is a pervasive problem at institutions of higher education, contributing to a hostile environment that impedes institutional missions and individuals' success. Institutions are challenged to comply with regulations and laws, while responding to the needs of their communities. The purpose of this study was to understand the…

Transgender and gender non-conforming (trans*) students are growing in visibility and advocacy in the higher education landscape, yet students must navigate a collegiate environment not historically structured to meet their needs (Herman et al., 2022; Nicolazzo, 2017). This mixed-methods research study examined the higher education institutional…

This research study examined how school leaders internalize new state-level reading policy aligned with the body of research known as the Science of Reading and how they make sense of district expectations to make decisions for their school community and its impact on students at-risk for reading difficulty. The Ready to Read Act is a Maryland…

There has been an increasing movement to include children with disabilities in general education classrooms. However, the goal of inclusion is often not met by teachers. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to gain insight and understanding about general education teachers' perceptions concerning the performance of…

This mini-ethnographic study explored virtual elementary student teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on mathematics instruction. It was framed using Ecological Systems Theory and Critical Pedagogy. Data were collected from interviews, focus groups, observations, and site documents. Thematic analysis methods were used to analyze the…

Parent participation continues to decline among African American communities in urban schools. Parental involvement is essential to closing the achievement gap in urban schools. This grounded theory study explored the principals' perceptions and experiences of elementary school principals, parents, and district office staff as it relates to…

To uphold Maryland's environmental literacy high school graduation requirement and curricular standards, local school districts must develop programs that graduate environmentally literate students and provide effective teacher professional development. This study focused on assessing the confidence and ability of elementary teachers in a Maryland…

Alternative teacher certification programs have become a prominent policy option to address teacher quality issues. Despite recent headway in the analysis of alternative teacher preparation graduates and programs (e.g., Weschler, et al., 2009; Boyd, et al., 2007), the literature has been plagued by incomplete program descriptions, limited research…

Numerous empirical studies have been conducted to examine the factors that influence African American community college students' decisions to pursue a higher education. Studies have also examined the causes of the achievement gap between African-Americans and European American community college students. However, there is limited research about…

In 2003, the United States Supreme Court decided on two cases that involved affirmative action policies for admission to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor Law School and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Those cases, "Gratz v. Bollinger" (2003) and "Grutter v. Bollinger" (2003) had implications for the…

This was a mixed methods study that examined the developmental education program at an urban public Maryland community college. The data were collected from interviews with a former English Chair, a former Math Chair, and the Director of Institutional Research. Each was selected because of his and her expertise. Data were also collected from one…