The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of training students in peer mediation (Mediator Mentors Curriculum), and how peer mediation-training influences third- through fifth-grade student perceptions of self-esteem, resiliency, and social competence. The research was a mixed-methods design with both quantitative and…

Research on the influence of relationship education on marital satisfaction over the last decade has demonstrated positive outcomes for both high school and premarital programs within the general American population. Yet few studies have examined relationship education as a factor of marital satisfaction specifically within the North American…

This dissertation is a qualitative study of the benefits of a student-initiated apartment theme-housing program at a small private university in the southern United States. This study used in-depth interviews to determine what benefits existed from participation in the theme-housing program, and to determine if the program was beneficial to…

Although many leaders in evaluation advise evaluators to address the diverse needs of stakeholders, very little is known about how or if practicing evaluators address this injunction. Understanding how practicing evaluators address the needs of multiple stakeholders could inform evaluator training. The purpose of this qualitative study was to…

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence the actions taken by school boards that advance student achievement in high-achieving rural public school districts. Much of what is discussed in the literature on school improvement efforts is centered on the work carried out by school personnel at the school level. What is…

School safety is a very important issue for school staff, parents, and students. When school safety is lacking, students suffer in emotional, academic, and social areas. One recent intervention middle schools are examining is the student uniform policy. In some cases, school uniforms have been shown to have a profound effect on school safety,…

The purpose of this study was to explore variables which might influence the frequency of Texas special education mediations used for dispute resolution. Variables such as district size, location, economic level, and the State Accountability Rating were investigated and evaluated. In order to determine if there were any relationships between the…

Previous research suggests that academic deans follow the human relations and structural perspectives in conflict management (Feltner & Goodsell, 1972). However, the position of an academic dean has been described to have undertones that are more political and social than hierarchical and technical. Hence, the current study evaluated the role of…

The purpose of this qualitative study, which utilized a case study approach, was to evaluate administrator's perceptions of the role of high school counselors. To evaluate those perceptions, the researcher analyzed data collected from two focus group interviews. The focus group interviews were conducted utilizing administrators employed at two…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) contains procedural safeguard provisions for parents [20 U.S.C. section 615]. Among these safeguards are (1) dispute resolution, (2) mediation, and (3) administrative hearing. Getty and Summy (2004) contend that some district litigation could be prevented if districts were…

The problem addressed in this study was that leaders at an urban elementary school had not examined the implementation of culturally proficient practices, nor the challenges, barriers, or support needed for implementation. The purpose of the study was to inform instructional and leadership practices involving culturally proficient instruction.…

The purpose of this study was to examine school counselors' perceived role and self-efficacy in managing multiparty student conflict. Literature on conflict resolution in the field of education has not addressed conflicts that take place among three or more students, or multiparty student conflict. Therefore, investigated in this study were middle…

This study examined Texas high school teachers' perceptions of their principals as culturally proficient leaders, focusing specifically on how teacher-, school-, and principal-related factors impacted these perceptions. A sample of 104 teachers in culturally diverse secondary schools from a large urban district in Texas participated. An electronic…

Antisocial behavior has a direct impact on the public elementary school setting. While considerable research has been conducted on collegiality in postsecondary schools, this study addressed the gap in practice concerning the lack of attention in regard to the impact of antisocial behavior on collegial relationships in the elementary school…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the conflict management styles in an HBCU and HSI community college and how gender, power position, age, educational level, and ethnicity influence conflict management. A convenience sample of 80 administrators and 220 subordinates completed an electronic demographic survey and the…