School readiness includes a range of competencies and is influenced by both parental beliefs and teacher perceptions. Despite its significance, only a small number of states have an established definition of school readiness, which raises questions about how well stakeholder understandings align and the effectiveness of parental activities in…

Play dates are inclusive opportunities outside of school for young children to practice skills with their playmates. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, have challenges socially interacting with typically developing playmates. Previous research supports that parents hold great promise as facilitators to support their children…

The education system is governed by rules set in place by the state. Each school has a leader in place to implement and follow these guidelines. How well the leader directs their staff to meet objectives and create a high functioning and successful learning environment is shown in the data produced by student success and teacher efficacy.…

In this qualitative study, I examined the perspectives of public elementary school parents/caregivers on their definition of a positive school climate and what factors add to or detract from a positive school climate. For this study, I define school climate as the norms, beliefs, and expectations held by teachers, students, school staff and…

This mixed methods study shed light on the issue of attrition within Catholic education and points to opportunities for leaders to improve the effectiveness of elementary and secondary schools as well as identify barriers impacting access to poor and vulnerable populations. The purpose was to: describe factors eighth-grade Catholic school students…

This dissertation was conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to investigate the needs and perceptions of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in regard to the support and services provided in Saudi Arabia. Fifty-eight parents of children who are DHH were surveyed. Participants were asked to complete the survey…

Awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively new in Saudi Arabia and systematic information about existing services is lacking. A convenience sample of 293 parents of children with ASD completed an online survey about their experiences and opinions attaining the ASD diagnosis for their children as well as the use of early intervention…

The purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing Korean parents' and students' university application choice decisions in three international schools in the Republic of Korea (South). Institutional and individual factors that influenced Korean students' university application choice decisions and their parents' university application…

This mixed-methods case study examined two out-of-school (OST) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs at a science-oriented high school on students' Self-Efficacy. Because STEM is a key for future innovation and economic growth, Americans have been developing a variety of approaches to increase student interest in science within…

In this qualitative study, I explore the experiences of parents of children with autism in China. I investigate how the parents negotiate their day-to-day life of raising a child with autism in contemporary urban Chinese society. I also examine the socially constructed nature of autism within this specific social and cultural context and how the…

This dissertation investigated cyber- and face-to-face bullying of autistic youth (aged 13-18). Autism represents a neurological-developmental disability that affects language and communication, socialization, sensory processing, motor coordination, and thinking around planning, self-regulation, and self-reflection. Prior studies indicate that…

Promising Black males are an understudied and underserved population in the field of higher education. The purpose of this study was to understand how promising Black males define academic success and to identify the factors that affect academic success at a large predominately White public institutions of higher education located in the…

The purpose of the study was to examine the perceived needs and correlates of Maine parents of premature infants related to the chronological distance from the NICU. The study focused on identifying the perceived service needs of parents of premature children and how these needs changed over time, revealed the relationships between perceived…

Autism now occurs in 1 out of 150 births in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2008). Increasing numbers and complexity of the disorder make the need for identifying effective interventions critical. DSM-IVTR identifies core characteristics of autism as significant deficits in communication, social interaction, and symbolic play.…