African American (AA) youth with disabilities face significant challenges as they transition to adulthood. Currently, as a group, post-secondary education, employment, and living independently outcomes remain poor. As of 2021, only a quarter of African Americans with disabilities were employed (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). Without the proper…

Collective bargaining agreements are documents used by unionized workers to outline the scope of their job role and in many educational settings are perceived as a hindrance to improving teacher quality and thus student performance. The problem addressed by this study was that the restrictions of the collective bargaining agreement impede the time…

This basic qualitative research study explored the perceptions and experiences of low-income students of color regarding the value of higher education. Situated in critical race theory (CRT), this study intended to disrupt the deficit-based narratives surrounding the academic achievement and educational decisions of low-incomes students of color.…

The purpose of this study is to examine how and to what extent an afterschool program for marginalized youth assists in developing workforce readiness skills through a critical positive youth development (CPYD) framework that considers the social contexts of youth. There is little research on afterschool programs that prepare youth for the…

This study explored the perspectives and lived experiences of urban youth in relation to Restorative Practices at a free public charter school in Los Angeles, California. This qualitative study used a series of semi-structured interviews with four high school students. This adaptable design allowed for the nature of questions to evolve and shift…

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative, non-experimental study was to determine if there is a difference in reading self-efficacy and perceived learning among fourth- and fifth-grade inner city students who participated in experiential learning and those that did not participate in experiential learning. Experiential learning is…

The Progressive Movement in the United States was a complex, multifaceted, and organic reform movement, comprised of diverse reformers who instituted unique social and educational initiatives to improve society. This historical study focused on the establishment and success of the Children's School Farm of New York, an early twentieth-century…

The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of life, including education. This mixed-method study examines the effects of the pandemic on general interest in STEM lessons, the development and application of STEM soft skills, and observations of signs of trauma in urban classrooms. The foundation of this study is the…

Background: Youth from low-income, racially and ethnically diverse families are at increased risk for academic challenges and nutritionally inadequate diets. Summer programs offer an opportunity to foster interest and engage students in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) education while addressing summer learning loss.…

The main objective of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of secondary school principal's effectiveness and its perceived effect on student outcomes. This study focused on the collected data of teachers' perceptions and the leadership style of principals. This is essential to understand teachers' perceptions and a principal…

Mental health care in the United States is both important and expensive. In many instances, those with the least amount of access to quality mental health care services also face other social inequities. The government has addressed this issue in a myriad of ways, some effective, others not. The outpatient development model creates a barrier to…

The researcher investigated the achievement of third- and fifth-grade urban African American students who attended science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Non-STEM, and Theme Title I schools in science and mathematics on the 2015 Georgia Milestones Assessment. The researcher used data from 29 Non-STEM, 14 STEM, and 10 Theme…

The continued dismal performance of African American students calls for the establishment of better strategies and techniques. The available studies reveal very little regarding the initiatives pursued by middle and elementary school teacher in addressing the academic needs of African American students, however, this literature has not yet defined…

This dissertation explores the context of urban science education as it relates to the achievement and engagement of urban youth. This study provides a framework for Hip-Hop Pedagogy, an approach to teaching and learning anchored in the creative elements of Hip-Hop culture, in STEM as an innovative approach to teaching and learning demonstrates…

Theories of writing process have informed the teaching of writing for the past forty years, providing writing mentors with a language of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing that broadens ways to invite young writers to approach composition. In the past forty years, new technologies for composition have impacted the products,…