African American women's transformation into leadership positions in higher education has been a challenge. The negotiation of gender, race, and equality have complicated how women lead in educational institutions. In the reconstruction of leadership roles, males have been the dominant ones as observed through promotions, salary increases, and job…

Women are underrepresented as college and university (school) presidents and currently hold about 30% of school presidencies. In 2014, the American Council on Education (ACE) launched an initiative to achieve gender parity among U.S. school presidencies by 2030. To support this initiative, Dr. Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association…

Research has shown teachers are the most important factor when determining student success, even with the field of education in a constant state of uncertainty. Schools all over the nation are struggling to acquire quality teachers into their buildings, and teacher preparation programs are having a difficult time producing enough teacher…

Regardless of type or student body size, every college or university relies on a chief business officer (CBO) to manage resources and lead most day-to-day operations. Unfortunately, demographic employment reports show that a high percentage of college and university CBOs are White, and a low percentage are Black (College and University…

With one glance at higher education web pages across the nation, one consistent factor is the absence of African American women in higher education leadership roles. Equally significant to Black women's absence is the lack of advancement for Black females. Even though colleges and universities hiring practices normalized the notion of equity and…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological dissertation was to understand the perceived lived challenges Latina leaders faced when serving in the position of school district superintendent. The review of the literature affirmed the oppressive forces that Latina leaders encounter, as well as the lack of mentorship programs available for them;…

New Mexico is home to more than 28 cultures and ethnicities that deserve to be recognized, celebrated, respected, and accepted (NMDCA, 2019). In 2022, 318,613 students enrolled in New Mexico public schools, with the demographics breakdown of 22% of students reported as White, 61% Hispanic, 9% American Indian, 1% African American, 1% Asian, and 2%…

This study sought to examine the underlying issues and perceptions of sitting male and female superintendents in order to add to the current literature on feminism in the K-12 school setting. Specifically, this study sought to examine the perceptions of currently employed superintendents about how they experienced the intersection of gender and…

The study addressed the problem of underrepresenting individuals of color as athletic directors at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions. The qualitative case study aimed to explore why so few people of color work as athletic directors at NCAA Division I schools despite their high participation in college…

Early childhood (EC) teachers are not receiving adequate professional development (PD) to support their development of capacities to improve EC program quality. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore EC teacher perspectives on PD to support their development of capacities to improve EC program quality. The conceptual framework…

From the 1930s through modern times, African Americans have faced marginalization regarding equal access to higher-paying job opportunities, including job opportunities in the information technology (IT) industry. This study adopts social capital theory as its framework to investigate the influence of social capital on individuals' careers,…

This is a qualitative analysis of women working in district level administration in Northeast Kansas who hold their district level administration licenses. It seeks to understand and gain insight into women who reach the role of district level administration leadership and discover their career path, future aspirations, and any challenges or bias…

This dissertation investigates the social determinants of STEM curriculum tracking and changes in the nature of STEM tracking in both US and cross-national settings over recent decades in five NCES High School longitudinal datasets and in seven TIMSS studies. Methodologically, this dissertation contributes to the field by developing a consistent…

Graduate students are an often-overlooked student population in a traditional undergraduate institution, but these students provide significant enhancement to the culture of a college or university. This study investigated how instructional modalities and other critical factors impact graduate student experience and sense of belonging.…

The shift from institutional living to community integration for people with disabilities, including autistic people, has been significantly influenced by legislative measures and advocacy. Despite these efforts, autistic youth and adults still experience a unique transition to independent living compared to their peers with other disabilities.…