Poverty is a pressing yet overlooked sociopolitical issue in the United States. Poverty experiences include social and economic barriers limiting access and increasing mental health illnesses (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Poverty is problematic due to the impact on society-at-large, including physical and social implications, such as lack of…

This study examined the quality of pre-K educational programs in New York City. I identified how program quality relates to student and teacher variables. The study used NYC Department of Education public ECERS-R data to measure program quality. I examined and analyzed to determine their influence on program quality. The independent variables are…

Historically, the role of district central offices has been to efficiently execute policy and compliance demands around enrollment, funding, licensure, facilities, and academic standards with little attention to the processes and learning that is needed to promote high-quality instruction. This capstone examines the implications of organizing…

Education and academic related services have become as important as manufacturing and, in some cases, even more important. Considering the importance of these services as it relates to manufacturing, a problem exists. Products such as education and academic services are far less specific in value when comparing with manufactured goods, even though…

Online learning provides students greater access to higher education opportunities when regular, on-campus options are not viable. However, for administrators and educators, online learning can be difficult to assess and ensure quality, which leads institutions to use quality assurance frameworks such as the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program…

Higher education administrators are well versed with the learning loss and disruption issues surrounding the COVID-19 lockdown. Students entering college now may not be prepared for the rigors of higher education coursework. This study was conducted to examine the perception of academic preparedness and success of first-year college students who…

This research assesses the extent to which asynchronous online STEM courses at a public university integrate Merrill's First Principles of Instruction. Through a quantitative content analysis of thirty unique online courses within the College of Arts and Sciences, the study investigates the extent, if any, to which these courses embody principles…

This dissertation conducts an evaluative case study on a community college's Career-Technical Education (CTE) Cultural Resource Management (CRM) technical certificate program to bridge the CRM workforce gap. The study assesses the program's design and development quality by aligning the program theory with stakeholders' needs, including…

Public school campuses in rural South Texas are struggling to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Districts now have flexibility in hiring certified teachers, but the need for teachers continues to grow annually. The challenge lies in attracting teachers to smaller school districts, when there are larger districts throughout the State of…

Graduate courses and programs in the educational field are intended to enhance instructional practice and leadership skills and prepare leaders with increased critical thinking skills applicable to their profession. With attrition rates rising in graduate programs, universities must seek the reasons why, and this begins with instructors and…

This research study was conducted to illuminate teacher attitudes toward professional development in a large urban school district and to discern if differences existed in teachers' perceptions of professional development are dependent upon employment in a high-achieving school or low-achieving school. This study also sought to determine whether…

Customers in the higher education industry in the U.S. are unable to make value decisions about their educational purchases due to a lack of quality measures that enable comparisons of institutions' academic offerings. In an environment in which all student work is posted online, it would be possible to evaluate bodies of student work to enable…

In 2003, the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Education recommended that the early childhood care and education sector be regulated to improve the quality of programs. The problem is that the sector remains unregulated, and improving program quality in the private sector remains a challenge. This basic qualitative study examined private early…

Novice reading teachers often struggle to provide high-quality reading instruction. The reasons for their difficulties include "transition shock," challenging school contexts, lack of proper preparation, and poor support. One way to improve the quality of novice teachers' reading instruction is through improving their access to high…

This is a study of the digital divide across African based higher educational institutions using the SCImago Institutions Rankings and other country level technology variables as predictors. Based on the study and past studies, a consolidated rankings of higher educational institutions by country as the dependent variable was analyzed using…