This study examined the relationship between labels used to refer to mental health, whether or not participants were asked to reflect on their preconceived notions around these labels, and endorsement of mental health stigma across multiple dimensions. Based on the body of literature addressing how mental health stigma is transmitted via the…

This research captures the experiences of high school graduates who were labeled English Learners while they were enrolled in a public high school in the greater Sacramento area of California. The study examined what these bilingual high school graduates report as beneficial and detrimental experiences faced while completing the course…

The way teachers discipline students in school has wide-ranging effects on students' learning, behavior, and perceptions of themselves. Despite research indicating that punitive discipline negatively affects students, teachers persist in their use of harsh discipline methods. While there is evidence that racial biases may shape teachers'…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether scores of attitudes based on labels as measured by the Attitudes Toward Prostitutes and Prostitutions Scale (APPS) and the Attitudes Toward Trafficked Women and Sex Trafficking Scale (ATTS) and counselor attributes predicted scores of empathy on the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI) and scores of rape…

This action research design drew on socioemotional conceptualizations of student validation. These concepts are based on stigmas, negative labels, and isolation bestowed on marginalized and oppressed students supported through special education, English language learners, foster care, and mental health services. This study examines conscious and…

School personnel are accountable for the academic "achievement" of students with and without disability labels (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA], 2015). In Wisconsin, "achievement" is measured via performance on standardized academic assessments (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction [DPI], 2019). The use of these…

This study explores the impact of implementing a peer mediation program in a middle school setting through an action research framework, presented as a series of case studies. The group of students receiving the intervention are on one "team" in the middle school, sharing the same group of teachers. The team is on a lower academic track,…

A large body of recent research calls for expanding what it means to teach literacy in the content areas. This includes movement away from conceiving of content literacy instruction as generic literacy strategies superimposed on content-area text. Instead, the focus is on the discursive literate practices of the disciplines, including ways of…

Today's education reform movement is funded heavily by a network of wealthy elite that often prize neoliberal and free-market interests. Within this network, Teach for America (TFA) is at the nexus of overlapping interests in an educational marketplace where corporate values become the norm for defining both progress and success. Students labeled…

What does it mean to be "smart?" Being identified as intelligent, gifted, or high achieving affords students stimulating experiences, motivating social environments, and advanced educational and career opportunities. However, research has also identified potential negative psychological and social costs to being labeled smart. These are…

Stigmatization of students with disabilities is related to a variety of adverse long-term effects and many teachers experience challenges implementing empirically-based practices to address this stigma. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that predict teachers' efforts to address stigma in the classroom and barriers to…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the feelings and experiences of state college transfer STEM students regarding transfer from the state college to the university. The 25 participants in this study were asked to describe their feelings about the transfer process. Data were gathered from the interviews and from a review of…

This study utilized symbolic interaction theory and a phenomenological methodology to explore the meanings and perceptions of special education by parents whose children have special needs (i.e., disabilities) and their experiences working with school professionals. Parents who accepted Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) services and parents…

Student discipline issues can impact student achievement and disrupt the learning process in the school setting. Behavioral issues among female students have become prevalent in public schools, and disciplinary rates of African American female students are disproportionately high. School administrators have the responsibility to manage student…