Most researchers and policymakers rely on the share of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals when describing student socioeconomic background in schools. But shares of students receiving free and reduced-price meals, and other measures related to the distribution of school meals, vary by state and across time because of changes in…

I reported findings from a case study intended to investigate the perceptions related to support for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) in literacy instruction of a three-person elementary school leadership team in an urban school district in a Midwestern state. I utilized data from artifact analysis, semi-structured one-on-one interviews, and a…

The problem addressed through this study was the inconsistent implementation of RTI2 in the mathematics classes for special education (SPED) upper elementary (i.e., Grades 3-5) students at a Southwestern, urban Tennessee school district (SUTSD). Students in SPED have low mathematics proficiency. Researchers have demonstrated that RTI2 is a process…

This article presents a preliminary study of an urban school district, and its use of a scripted middle-school language arts and literacy curriculum. The majority of students served by this district are African American. By interviewing a small sample of four teachers and one literacy coach, gathering preliminary data, and observing students…

After decades of market-based education reforms, the landscape of urban school districts across the country have been transformed. Yet, this is neither a sign of the effectiveness of such reforms nor a widespread consensus over the contents and form of urban schooling. Education reform remains a wicked problem, particularly along racial lines,…

This qualitative case study explored an elementary school teacher's perspectives of integrated therapy service deliveries (ITSD) using a semi-structured interview. An inductive emergent sampling was used to select the participant from an urban school district. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data and understand the teacher's…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational predictive study was to determine if and to what extent the dimensions of organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative commitment) predicted teacher efficacy among K-8 teachers from an urban school district in the Southwest region of the United States. Bandura's Social Cognitive…

In an environment of increased accountability and autonomy for school leaders, insufficient assistance relationships between school leaders and district staff hinder the ability of principals to utilize autonomy in ways that translate to improved instruction and student performance. This study sought to examine and strengthen the assistance…

As schools grapple with the daunting challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, some leaders are galvanizing their staff to maintain focus on instruction, while others are overwhelmed by the operational logistics of constant change. What makes the difference? And what types of support can help struggling leaders to thrive despite the challenges? Through…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to understand and enhance the perceived efficacy of micro-credentialing and digital badging for K-12 educators within a large urban school district. Cycle 1 of this research engaged over 150 educators and included 14 semi-structured interviews, seeking to identify the primary reasons for engaging…

According to recent research, secondary disciplinary teachers'(DTs) role in increasing disciplinary literacy skills is vital. The problem in this urban school district in the Southern United States was that middle school DTs acknowledge they struggle to integrate literacy strategies in their specific disciplines to improve reading outcomes on…

This qualitative study examined what middle school and high school suburban and urban principals learned about equity and educating low socioeconomic status students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this study asked: What issues of equity were revealed, exacerbated, diminished, or resolved as a result of the pandemic? What key…

Access to technology has increased significantly in K-12 classrooms in recent years, with many districts and schools achieving a 1:1 device-to-student ratio. Considering this increased access to technology, blended learning has become more commonplace as an instructional approach. However, the advancement of blended learning has outpaced the…

District-level central office administrators (COA) and school principals influence the efficacy of reforms aimed at improving outcomes for marginalized students. This qualitative case study examines the experiences of COA and principals from one reform-oriented school district during their participation in a master's degree program in leadership…

This dissertation investigates the impact of cross-modal binding on word reading skills among English Language Learners (ELLs). Using Baddeley's updated working memory model, which includes the Episodic Buffer, this study examines how the ability to bind visual and phonological information in memory influences the reading development of ELL…