The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to examine if and to what extent principal support of school climate related to student weapons and student aggression incidents in a southwest school district. Three theoretical foundations supported this research: Socio-ecological theory, Social Learning Theory, and School Climate…

Despite the progress that has been made regarding racism in education, Black teachers continue to be an underrepresented community among the teaching population. Addressing this underrepresentation can begin with better understanding the experiences of these Black teachers who have served in K-12 institutions. Although these experiences are…

Past and current research has explored the link between the "blackness" of a person's name and socioeconomic outcomes in American society. Black-sounding names were shown to influence employment prospects, access to credit markets, and choice of housing among other opportunities. While education research had identified a relationship…

The purpose of this dissertation was to gain an understanding of Muslim college students and campus administrators' responses to microaggressions that occur on college campuses. This study examined what were the reporting behaviors of Muslim college students when encountering microaggressions and discrimination. This study also sought to…

This dissertation explores the effectiveness of both narrative therapy and art therapy practices incorporated into a participatory action research (PAR) project to foster alternate stories of hope in addressing bullying and other aggressive actions. Results indicate that narrative therapy, when incorporated into a PAR design, can assist with the…

Education is often thought of as the great equalizer that is capable of offsetting societal inequities (Holmes & Zajacova, 2014). Elite universities are characterized by the most selective admissions criteria, and attendance at these universities often provides access to the social capital necessary to pursue prestigious careers. Research…

Throughout history, society in the United States has marginalized women, People of Color, and queer individuals. Various systems of oppression often intersect to further subjugate individuals due to their inclusion in various underrepresented communities. Utilizing concepts from critical race theory and Latine critical theory (LatCrit), this…

Since the early 1990s, American schools adopted exclusionary sanctions such as zero-tolerance policies (ZTP) to reduce student misbehavior as well as to sustain school safety. Due to the punitive nature of ZTP, some schools have sought alternative discipline models, like the restorative practices, to manage student infraction. This mixed methods…

Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis this study explored the rich experiences of seven racially minoritized student affairs professionals (RMSAPs) who experienced racial battle fatigue (RBF) and the impact it had on their health at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Social psychological research has identified both blatant and…

Using creative autoethnographic "testimonio" (CAT), a story is told about the injustices within the learning environment and work environment of higher education toward a person with disabilities: sleep apnea, learning disabilities, negative mental health. The author explores the health difficulties of addressing sleep deprivation while…

Teachers continually seek to find new and innovative ways to create classroom environments conducive to learning to discourage problem behaviors in students. Alternative seating, such as therapy balls and seat cushions, has been widely researched and found to have a positive relationship in decreasing student problem behavior and increasing…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to describe experiences of incivility in undergraduate psychology courses from both students and faculty in central Oregon. This study utilized the social exchange theory to support classroom behavior and reactions to those behaviors. Three research questions guided this study that include…

The purpose of this study was to gain recently graduated Black high school students' perceptions of racial climate and to examine to what extent their perceptions impact their overall perception of school climate. Additionally, the study explored the opportunities students were given to use their voice and how this may have affected change in…

African-American women face substantial career barriers when seeking ascension to educational leadership. Numerous factors contribute to career advancement barriers, such as systemic, institutional challenges, organizational factors, personality, and individual contributors. Various systemic and managerial aspects, directly and indirectly, were…

This Educational Leadership Portfolio is documentation of my efforts to better understand the perspectives and racialized and gendered lived leadership experiences of Women of Color K-12 educational leaders who work in predominantly White public school systems within a county in a mid-Atlantic state. The problem addressed is that there is too…