Set in 2023, this study was deployed at the lowest point of enrollment in the California Community College (CCC) system since 2008, which was the highest point of enrollment in the system's history. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was twofold: (a) to understand the phenomenon of California community colleges (CCCs)…

In many large-scale testing programs, examinees are frequently categorized into different performance levels. These classifications are then used to make high-stakes decisions about examinees in contexts such as in licensure, certification, and educational assessments. Numerous approaches to estimating the consistency and accuracy of this…

When measuring latent constructs, for example, language ability, we use statistical models to specify appropriate relationships between the latent construct and observe responses to test items. These models rely on theoretical assumptions to ensure accurate parameter estimates for valid inferences based on the test results. This dissertation…

This dissertation discusses the relationship between teacher sensemaking, attributions, and instructional adjustments prompted in response to student performance data. Through this qualitative observation study, this paper explores the varying perspectives of teachers, including their level of assessment literacy, and the dynamics of their…

The Q-diffusion model is a cognitive process model that considers decision making as an unobservable information accumulation process. Both item and person parameters decide the trace line of the cognitive process, which further decides observed response and response time. Because the likelihood function for the Q-diffusion model is intractable,…

The current global trends demand that we remain conscious of how distinct norms in groups we affiliate with affect decisions. Among developmental aspects, childhood language acquisition depends heavily on epigenetic interactions between the innate and the immediate environment (Sinha, 2017). This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explored…

The problem is staff fear being involved in the next campus shooting, which has pushed campus safety experts to update safety policies and procedures. One of the policies being addressed is the option of allowing concealed carry on campus (CCOC). However, allowing CCOC makes some staff feel less safe. The purpose of this causal-comparative study…

Language comprehension requires a complex series of decisions under uncertainty. This is especially obvious when one string may have multiple different interpretations, whether due to lexical ambiguity, or the potential for an inference beyond literal content. This dissertation profiles how the human system for language comprehension times those…

Study 1: The present work examined the connection between language and conceptual development, investigating whether false-belief reasoning (FBR) and source-monitoring ability (SMA) abilities within the theory of mind (ToM) framework constrained the comprehension of semantic and pragmatic knowledge (evidential scalar implicatures) encoded in the…

In this dissertation, I establish a research program that uses computational modeling as a testbed for theories of phonological learning. This dissertation focuses on a fundamental question: how do children acquire sound patterns from noisy, real-world data, especially in the presence of lexical exceptions that defy regular patterns? For instance,…

This research study makes a significant contribution to understanding the experiences of Native Hawaiian students in higher education and their college choice process. Research and literature focused on or inclusive of Native Hawaiians in higher education is scarce and limited (Reyes, 2018), so there is very little known about how Native Hawaiian…

While language aptitude and motivation are considered to be important contributors to second language (L2) attainment, two major gaps in the past research have been (1) a lack of nonlinear models stemming from a naive and tacit assumption that learning outcomes are linearly related to their predictors, and (2) a lack of unified and integrative…

Career decision-making is critical involving the selection of a career path that aligns with one's interests, skills, and values. Many students, however, find it difficult to determine their career pathways for one reason or another. Ultimately, their ability to decide can be impacted by their self-awareness and assessment, interactions within the…

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental correlational study is to test the relationship between children having special needs and the rate of homeschooling and to test the relationship between parental dissatisfaction with the learning environments in public or private schools and the choice to homeschool. The theoretical framework in…

The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how politics affects the ethical decision-making processes of elementary principals. Participants were comprised of five elementary school principals, with varied years of experience, across neighboring suburban public school districts in eastern New York. Data was collected through…