During the 2024-2025 school year, the state of South Dakota will implement a curriculum inspired by the conservative Hillsdale College model. South Dakota teachers will need to expand their content coverage without the benefit of additional instructional time; find ways to teach young students content that is developmentally inappropriate; base…

School counselors need to be intentional about implementing a comprehensive school counseling program, which will often include planning and teaching classroom lessons on topics connected to academic skills, career planning, and social/emotional learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically valid framework for providing access…

Change is a constant. At the same time, change can be hard for everyone involved. How do change leaders do it well? In this research study, I explored the planning and execution of state-level change initiatives within the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) strategic plan. I designed my study to identify and uncover the strategies change initiative…

For decades, research has explored racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline, illuminating the stark disproportionality concerning Black students. Black boys are most susceptible to harsher discipline, increasing their risk for future involvement in the juvenile justice system, a bridge to the school-to-prison pipeline. Recent…

Superintendents in Missouri public schools are revising their approach to strategic planning based on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new iteration of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6). MSIP 6 requires superintendents and other district leaders to rethink the utility of their district's Comprehensive School…

Superintendents in Missouri public schools are revising their approach to strategic planning based on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new iteration of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6). MSIP 6 requires superintendents and other district leaders to rethink the utility of their district's Comprehensive School…

Superintendents in Missouri public schools are revising their approach to strategic planning based on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new iteration of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6). MSIP 6 requires superintendents and other district leaders to rethink the utility of their district's Comprehensive School…

Up to 1.0% of the total tested state student population in a subject area may participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). This Brief presents the results of analyses of states' AA-AAAS participation rates from 2015-16 through 2018-19. Information is presented on: (a) the number of states…

Parents roared in 2022 and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools was proud to help their voices be heard while lifting the charter school movement to new heights. 2022 was a year of progress. The movement flexed its muscles, raised its voice, defeated threats, and seized opportunities to give more students access to a high-quality…

This dissertation contains two studies that examine family therapy services within public schools related to behavioral or discipline concerns. Both studies stem from an ecological and family systems theoretical framework in examining relationships between the student, family, and school systems. The first study is a scoping review on family…

Situations arise that cause schools to suddenly close. Before the Coronavirus pandemic forced school closures, teachers were not trained for online instruction. The problem is 92% of educators in K-12 schools were not trained in digital instruction before the forced shutdowns. More research is needed to determine if participation in technology…

Since 2020, the federal government has distributed almost $2 billion to American school districts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic school closures. Released in three separate tranches through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, the Trump and Biden administrations outlined parameters for spending this…

The purpose of this study was to examine enrollment management needs and potential processes in traditional public preschool through 12th grade school districts. This study allowed school districts to examine their own individual unique enrollment management needs and potential processes for moving forward in making equitable decisions for all…

The three articles that comprise this dissertation use a variety of methods associated with the field of educational measurement to address distinct research questions related to psychometric tools and their implications for practice in education. All three articles involve methods related to instrument design, while drawing on different…

Chronic absenteeism is associated with poor health and educational outcomes. School nurses have great potential to address the health and educational needs that contribute to absenteeism. Through qualitative analysis of interviews with school nurses, we characterize their current role in reducing absenteeism and identify barriers 3 that limit…