This dissertation presents a mixed-data investigation aiming to comprehensively understand math anxiety in teachers. Math anxiety is defined as "feelings of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and solving of mathematics problems in a variety of ordinary life and academic situations" (Richardson &…

All in-service teachers in PK-12 public school systems must participate in professional development sessions. Professional development can negatively affect many teachers but serves an essential purpose in improving education. Social learning theories can help shape practical professional development sessions. This quantitative study focused on…

The purpose of this study was to determine motivators that influence Midwest public school principals' career plans. A coming shortage of school principals has been recognized nationally. This new phenomenon has been labeled by some as Principal "Churn" or "Turnover". Principals are leaving the position and education for…

Rural school success is crucial for the Nebraska education system. Without rural schools, many students and families would be without access to high quality educational opportunities. Despite the importance of rural education, the number of rural schools in Nebraska continues to decline, and "one thing is clear from academic research on rural…

The complicated history of the education of Native American children through U.S. government-sponsored practices has led to the elimination of the Native children's sense of Indian identity, culture, and language (Noel, 2002). In addition, increased emphasis on standardization and high-stakes accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act of…

In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a children's mental health crisis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the prevalence of youth mental health needs stating that adolescents are in crisis (Reinert et al., 2021). Since 2021, a significant amount of literature has been published, indicating that,…

Emotional intelligence is a crucial and key ingredient of great leadership and can be seen as a transformational part of leadership that can bring unparalleled leader, member, and organizational success. While a plethora of research and data exists on emotional intelligence, deficiencies in evidence exist to understand the relevance in school…

Nebraska is committed to pursuing a new vision for science education based on "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC, 2012), that advocates for rigorous, high-quality science education for all students. Following an ambitious four year timeline, Nebraska is working to develop new assessments aligned to and designed for these…

The state of Nebraska recently adopted and implemented a set of Science standards that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards which include engineering practices such as engineering design and the use of technology. Curriculum administrators throughout the state are responsible for the implementation of these standards including…

This study utilized a semi-structured interview approach to identify how college methods professors in Nebraska are engaging pre-service K-12 teachers with the Next Generation Science Standards and to determine if this information is being carried over to Nebraska K-12 classrooms. The study attempted to address these items by answering the…

In the fall of 2011, the state of Nebraska experienced a watershed moment in public education: results of the first standardized mathematics achievement test administered to all students in grades 3-8 and 11 the previous spring (2011) were reported to the public. One state senator referred to some of the results as "shocking." Only four…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between student mathematics performance of 4th, 8th, and 11th grade students in Nebraska and the mode of test administration, online and paper-pencil. Schools were allowed to select the mode of test administration for their school with some exceptions for students needing…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students with identified behavioral needs were provided a different level of behavioral intervention based on their special education disability category verification. A second purpose of this study was to determine what caused potential differences as interpreted by individuals working in the…