In the first chapter titled "Cognitive Ability, Education, and Fertility Risk", I explore the role of cognitive ability in fertility timing. Women in the bottom quartile of the cognitive ability distribution are nine times more likely to have their first child as a teenager. First, I document the differences in age at childbirth by…

Although the Every Student Succeeds Act sets the parameters for parents and families to be involved in their children's education, there are no specified guidelines on how that involvement should be designed to best impact student achievement. The purpose of this study was to compare Grade 3-5 students' mean Milestones test scores in English…

This study focuses on the academic progress of English learners (ELs) from 2018 to 2023 during remote learning and compares it to their non-EL peers. Using a mixed-methods approach, data was collected from a southern California middle school. The findings reveal that a decrease in GPAs, an increase in chronic absenteeism, and a decrease in state…

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the potential moderating role of boundaries between adolescents (N = 46) and their parent(s) in the families of African American adolescents who have experienced trauma, and the effect it had on the adolescent's self-esteem, through the lens of Structural Family Therapy (SFT). The 2014…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties with social communication skills that negatively impacts quality of life. Training parents to implement effective interventions that improve the social communication skills of children with ASD may facilitate parent-child interaction and ameliorate the impact of social…

There is a large body of research that has focused on ways that we can develop preschool-aged children's early literacy and language skills within early childhood educational settings. Evidence supports how important a young child's literacy experiences are on their future reading skills. However, there continues to be little research that focuses…

This study explores information seeking behavior of second-generation Muslim immigrants utilizing factors such as critical, cultural, and religious literacy skills. The study examined the second-generation immigrants' ability to balance their parents' and grandparents' native culture and traditions with the culture and traditions of their country.…

This dissertation builds on literature centering first-generation college students (FGCS) with immigrant parentage in order to develop an understanding of how many of their unique and intersectional experiences may function as assets that could promote retention and degree completion. The sample is comprised of 30 FGCS who are also first- or…

Lowel Mason highlights the importance of integrating music learning into the curriculum alongside other fundamental skills such as reading, promoting his belief in the transformative power of music education and its impact on child development. Mason stated, "Children must be taught music as they are taught to read" (Pemberton, 1992).…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard military parents concerning their efforts to cultivate an environment of academic success for their children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bowlby and Ainsworth's theory on attachment guided this…

Bilingual children, the majority of whom are Spanish-English learners, now constitute over a third of the preschool population in the United States (Migration Policy Institute, 2021). Bilingual children and their families face multiple barriers to high-quality early childhood education, which are largely due to the underutilization of culturally…

For decades, educational researchers have reported joint book reading with caregivers promotes children's emergent literacy development (Bus et al., 1995; Demir-Lira et al., 2019; NELP, 2008; Pelligrini et al., 1990). However, the bulk of this research has been conducted with mothers (Bingham, 2007; Bojczyk, 2016; Roberts et al., 2005). Mothers…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how Black alumnae, women who have attained undergraduate degree completion, perceived their cultural and social capital and its influence on post-graduate career outcomes. For a Black woman seeking to make the transition from college to career, there are many institutional structures and…

The purpose of this autoethnography and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by mothers of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia and the strategies they use to address these challenges. In addition, explore the feelings and meanings associated with…

This study applied a descriptive phenomenological approach to the exploration of the school counselor's role in parent-adolescent communication. While there is an abundance of research regarding issues of adolescence and parenting, an inordinate amount of studies concentrates on atypical development. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation is…