The purpose of this qualitative research study was to evaluate the readiness of educators to implement classroom discipline interventions and strategies after attending an equity-based professional development (PD) and identify effective action steps that address the disparity in discipline referrals towards students of color and sanctions through…

The problem addressed in this study was that, when enforced, the Zero Tolerance Policy (ZTP) prematurely introduced Black, Brown, and mentally ill students into the juvenile justice system. The central purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover if the ZTP influenced the school principal's past discretion, how that influence changed…

In response to the national problem of overrepresentation of Latinx students in general education classes, this study addresses Latinx access to Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, enrollment, and completion patterns in Virginia, a growing destination state for many Latinx families and students. Through a secondary data analysis of both the Civil…

There are approximately 28,000 to 55,000 undocumented enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States (Passel, 2003). In order to achieve their educational ambitions despite the structural social, socioeconomic, political, and legislative barriers facing them, undocumented students utilize various resources they have at their disposal.…

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the application of the teaching and learning theory of social constructivism in order to determine if mathematics instruction provided in a departmentalized classroom setting at the fifth grade level resulted in a statistically significant difference in student achievement…

This research examined the impact of teacher licensure routes, particularly those identified as either traditional or alternative on student achievement by comparing Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) end of year scores in math and reading for minority students in grades six through eight during the period from 2005 through 2009. To compare the…

This study sought to determine the nature of the relationship between cultural competence and teacher efficacy. According to 30 years of NAEP data, stagnant achievement among minority students persists; among factors related to student achievement, teacher efficacy represents the school-related variable that is most closely correlated and…

Students transitioning into the middle school often experience difficulty adjusting to their new environment. During this transition, declines in academic motivation, academic achievement, and connectedness have been noted. Most research on this transition has taken place in public school settings. This research investigated the impact of the…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Collective Teacher Efficacy and minority student achievement gap over and above that explained by socioeconomics, school size, and prior achievement gaps for Black and Hispanic students with White students. Forty-seven Virginia middle schools were selected to participate in the…