Despite the number of students and the growing diversity of the students served by rural districts, a lack of research exists on rural district systems to support the continuous improvement of schools. The lack of understanding around systems for rural district improvement stands to exacerbate long-standing inequities for rural communities. Using…

When looking at large, urban school districts across America, one may observe many common issues that act as limitations for students. However, when taking a closer look at the data, each district and school has unique barriers that impact students and families. This study focuses on Buffalo City School District (BCSD), the second largest school…

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the factors that support and hinder reform of career and technical education in Maine. The single case study design examined the experiences of eleven participants connected to a single Career and Technical Education (CTE) Regional School in Maine. Based upon the lived experiences at a single site,…

Education Abroad is often billed as a wonderful opportunity for international collaboration and enhanced intercultural understanding for students and community members alike. Unfortunately, the local individuals in contact with these programs often have little ability to share their perspectives and have their voices heard. Each year over 300,000…

Mental health continues to be a pressing issue in society as people continue to struggle with social misperceptions about what is mental health or the label of having a mental health diagnosis. These are some of the variables that continue to feed into the stigma associated with mental health that prevents college students from seeking services.…