White individuals can play a key role in the realization of an education policy and can drastically impact how a policy is implemented because of their resources and the status that come with associating with the privileged racial group in the current racial hierarchy that exists in the United States. Several education policies, such as school…

Lacking a union and having a lower salary rating than most of the nation's states, North Carolina has had an increased number of teacher vacancies over the past decade. The problem addressed by this study was the lack of retention of qualified K-6 teachers across the state of North Carolina. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study…

The purpose of this causal-comparative, ex post facto quantitative study was to determine "What are the differences in third-grade reading at the college and career readiness level in charter schools compared to traditional public schools?" The study took place in North Carolina charter and traditional public schools. The sample…

A problem exists in NC Montessori schools with effective data analysis for specific learning disabilities (SLD) placement. The purpose of this study was to identify administrators' and teachers' perceptions of data collection and analysis within multitiered systems of support (MTSS) in a Montessori school. Fixsen's implementation science theory…

The study delves into the utilization of ESSER III funds, revealing three central themes: top-down decision-making in fund application, varied experiences among educators and administrators in fund usage, and distinct roles of educators and administrators in the process. It emphasizes strategic resource allocation, collaborative decision-making,…

Instructional coaching is a popular form of professional development for improving teacher instruction and student achievement. While there are numerous studies that have examined the impact of instructional coaching on student academic outcomes, very few studies have explored the influence of specific coaching models on student achievement.…

Gill, Brandi. Student Achievement Comparison between Traditional Schools and Schools of Choice: A Quantitative Study, (under the direction of Theodore Kaniuka, Ed.D) This study provides a detailed review of school choice literature nationally and within the state of North Carolina. The literature revealed limited studies focused on school choice…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to describe North Carolina charter school principal perceptions of school-based mental health services in their buildings. The research used an online survey instrument and descriptive statistics to gather and analyze data. Principals of all 182 North Carolina charter schools (excluding the state's two…

In the intensifying marketplace of American compulsory education, public school leaders are increasingly obligated to compete with charter schools and other schools of choice for the enrollment of students in their communities. Facing this new challenge, school leaders are beginning to adapt marketing strategies and practices long used by leaders…

North Carolina public charter schools are schools of choice authorized by the State Board of Education. North Carolina has nearly 200 charter schools, which are evaluated for effectiveness annually by a tool called the Performance Framework. However, to date, the evidence collected through the Performance Framework has not been offered to scholars…

This dissertation consists of three essays in the economics of education. The first essay considers the impact of charter school openings on student achievement, behavior, and demographics in the traditional public sector. Using longitudinal school- and student-level data, I estimate the effect of charter school openings on traditional public…

School principals often contend that having the ability to be the instructional leaders that they were trained to be hinges in part upon maximizing their decision making latitude. These leaders assert that policy flexibility allows schools to make necessary changes without the bureaucracy that they believe stifles reform, improvement strategies,…

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a multi-tiered framework utilized in over 26,000 schools across the United States, to create a school culture consisting of a positive learning environment and successful student (Sugai & Horner, 2020). This study sought to determine the effectiveness of PBIS at a North Carolina public…

The focus of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the differences in school leadership responsibilities, preparation, and training of traditional public school principals and charter school principals and their effect on principal retention. The study included five principals from traditional public schools and five…

This research study was conducted to gain a better understanding of teacher perceptions, in both low-performing and high-performing urban charter schools, of the impact of administrative support, professional development, and teacher preparation in closing the achievement gap among fourth grade students. The trend over the last five years among…