Preparing Students For College And Careers: Recommendations For Scaling College And Career Pathways In Southwestern Illinois, Laura Monteagudo

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

Education Systems Center (EdSystems) at Northern Illinois University provided strategic counsel and support to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) for a 12-month period to develop comprehensive college and career pathways. Our support included the development of a unified, regionwide college and career pathway system aligned with Illinois’ College and Career Pathway Endorsement framework, Perkins V, and the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides.

Instead of each district building pathways independently, this regional approach brings together high schools, community college faculty, and local employers to create shared structures that reflect real workforce needs and rural access challenges.

In this report, …

Taking Back The Trades: Southwestern Illinois Work-Based Learning Inventory Report, Alexia Santiago

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

In 2025, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University (EdSystems) partnered with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), regional school districts, and industry partners to build a strong and comprehensive system of work-based learning opportunities for K-12 students that is aligned with Illinois statutes and frameworks. In this report, EdSystems identifies the existing regional events and activities that promote high-quality work-based learning for college and career pathways in the health sciences and manufacturing sectors.

Chronic Absenteeism: A Case Study In A Central Virginia High School Investigating Student Habits And Potential Interventions, Ronald R. Proffitt

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

The purpose of this single case study was to discover and determine the contributing factors for chronic absenteeism for high school students at a rural Central Virginia high school in order to discover potential solutions to increase attendance and to combat chronic absenteeism. An additional factor considered was habits that may have formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have led to an increase in chronic absenteeism rates. The theory that guided this study was Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, as it directly addressed how a child relates and reacts to their environments based upon their interactions. The participants …

Cv: Kelly Vaughan (Secondary/Middle School/Foreign Language Education), Kelly Vaughan

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Graduate Employability Through The Role Of The School Career Center (Bursa Kerja Khusus) At Smkn 1 Bandung, Dwi Purwanto, Didik Nurhadi, Widiyanti Widiyanti

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study examines the role of the Bursa Kerja Khusus (BKK) in enhancing graduate employability at SMKN 1 Bandung. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through interviews with BKK staff, teachers, alumni, and industry partners, supported by observations and document analysis. The findings reveal that BKK functions as a strategic bridge between school and industry by providing digital job information services, facilitating structured recruitment processes, and maintaining strong industry partnerships. These practices effectively support graduates’ transition into the workforce. However, challenges persist, particularly related to limited soft skills and occasional mismatches between school competencies and industry demands. Supporting …

Finding Black Joy: Understanding How Black Students Are Seen, Affirmed, And Nourished In Expanded Learning Opportunities., Jamila Mosley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black students experience Black joy within expanded learning opportunity (ELO) programs and how those programs are structured to nurture that joy. It is guided by the central research question: How do Black students describe the ways in which an expanded learning opportunity program fosters their joy through experiences of being seen, affirmed, and nourished? Using an instrumental case study design at two secondary schools, the study draws on semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of students participating in robotics, debate, Sister Circle, cheer, basketball, and creative writing. Data were analyzed through multiple cycles of coding, first …

Beyond The Grade: Validity In Global Virtual Team Peer Evaluation, Maria Randazzo-Davis, Phd., Christopher Nelson , Phd., Hillary Nelson, Graduate Student

International Journal for Business Education

This study examines how peer evaluation functions in global virtual teams, a setting that reflects the collaborative demands of contemporary international business education. The authors tested whether peer evaluation subscales, total peer-report score, and various indicators of team diversity predict team performance, assessed by instructors in a sample of 2,012 students from 445 X-Culture teams. The variables that were good predictors of team performance included the quality of team communication, work ethic, technical competence, generation of ideas, peer engagement, and peer writing skills. Less predictive of performance were leadership and effort ratings. In addition, students' self-ratings (i.e., peer ratings) were, …

Bridging The Gap: Designing A Vertically Aligned 5–12 Instrumental Music Curriculum For Comprehensive Literacy And Musicianship, Philip D. Deyoung

Masters Projects

This project aims to address the widespread issue of vertically misaligned curriculum in secondary instrumental music programs. Students frequently encounter inconsistent expectations, repeated or skipped content, and uneven literacy development when transitioning from one ensemble to another. These gaps can reduce achievement, hinder persistence, and heighten inequities for students with fewer resources. To solve this problem, the project develops a vertically aligned 5–12 instrumental music curriculum grounded in constructivist learning theory and self-regulated learning, emphasizing active knowledge building and student independence. The framework includes ten Priority Standards, grade-band proficiency scales, rehearsal routines aligned with the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), …

The In-Between: Poetic Counter-Narratives Reimaging The Canon, Yisheika Lawrence

Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-based study examined how tenth grade students in a rural early college Multicultural Literature course engaged with and reinterpreted canonical texts through poetic counter-narratives. Grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017), and poetic inquiry (Faulkner, 2019), the study explored how students from marginalized backgrounds used poetry to articulate identity, resist erasure, and construct belonging within an academic context that often privileges dominant cultural narratives.

Data sources included 22 student poems, five semi-structured interviews, four end-of-unit reflections, and researcher memos. Analysis used a triangulated approach: qualitative coding in ATLAS.ti, computational text analysis …

Do They Matter? What Role Do 5th-12th Grade Teachers' Attitudes Have In The Academic Success Of Black Girls In Classrooms?, Kamita R. Thigpen

Dissertations

There is a recognized need to focus on the intersectionality of race and gender to determine the specific needs of Black girls in education and for them to gain more academic success. This study set out to determine teachers' attitudes towards Black girls in the post-racial era. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodological approach was used to determine if the attitudes of teachers towards Black girls maintain racial barriers that have been found in education.

Practices To Possibility: A Narrative Inquiry Examining Practices Supporting Post-School Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Joshua Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to examine how educators in high-performing districts that met or exceeded state targets for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) post-school outcomes implemented and sustained evidence-based practices to support successful transitions for students with disabilities. Despite decades of legislative mandates and educational reforms, students with disabilities continue to experience disproportionately lower rates of employment, postsecondary education, and independent living compared to their peers. This study sought to identify not only which practices are effective but also how they are operationalized and maintained within school systems.

Two Tennessee districts identified by exemplary performance …

Thesis A Reimagined World Language Curriculum For Secondary Education-Does Culture Matter?, Florence Duncan

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The focus of this study is culture within the New Mexico high school world language

curriculum. Culture, as a topic, over time has evolved from near nonexistence to

becoming a fundamental element helping students derive multilingual and multicultural

understanding.

This study is an effort to reveal practices high school teachers use to teach, discuss and

evaluate cultural understanding. It uses qualitative interviews with high schools world

language teachers. Practices are evaluated against research findings and analyzed for

reliability and effectiveness. Findings will help with curriculum design for world language

application.

Overall, the study’s findings were positive. Interviewed teachers generally incorporate …

Resources For The Beginning And Intermediate Jazz Educator: Reviews Of Modern Resources And Implementation In The Classroom, Bryan Canonigo

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This document is a compilation and discussion of different modern jazz education resources geared towards beginning and intermediate students. It is intended for the younger high school jazz educator who may have just started their careers and are searching for new(er) resources to aid their teaching and rehearsal techniques. For the seasoned high school jazz educator, this document may suggest additions to their current lesson plans and/or updates to their current resource compilations and rehearsal practices. A primary goal of this document is to suggest ideas to aid these educators in teaching jazz music more wholistically, in small or large …

The Graphic Shift: Leveraging Superhero Graphica To Un-Ban Critical Conversations In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Avery Clason

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis investigates the challenges that books are receiving during an era of social and political turmoil based on their content. Understanding why these books are polarizing for most readers and the general public is in direct connection with finding different books that can harbor the same conversations about dense topics and cultivating connections between students, the text, the world, and themselves. While there has been a search to find alternate books that are not considered "political flashpoints,” there has been limited research into the use of superhero graphica in the ELA classroom, especially in connection to utilizing this genre …

College Ready Or Not? Exploring Undergraduate Perceptions Of Their High School College Preparation, Charles M. Morgan Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate students’ perceptions of their high school preparation for college. Rather than relying on institutional measures like test scores or course completion, the study focused on how students themselves described their readiness and the supports they received in high school. By highlighting student voice, the research aimed to reveal strengths and gaps in current approaches to preparing students for higher education.

The study was grounded in Educational Equity Theory (Darling-Hammond, 1997), which emphasizes that fairness in education requires supports tailored to students’ individual needs. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used. Undergraduate participants …

Reported Value Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Of Virginia Agricultural Education Teachers, Natalie K. Ferand, Kendrick Spencer, Bradley Bowen

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

To address the increasing diversity in schools and the monolithic culture of teachers, researchers have called for pedagogies that reflect the diverse and pluralistic identities of students. While core academic areas have long adopted culturally relevant pedagogy, school-based agricultural education (SBAE) has lagged behind. This study aimed to determine the views of agricultural education teachers in Virginia on culturally responsive pedagogy dispositions and identify areas of professional development need. Teachers valued the differences among students and the communities in which their schools are located. However, results revealed a need for professional development in using the local community as a resource …

Online Experiential Learning In Career And Technical Education, Matthew Bornak

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This scoping review investigates the integration of OEL into Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step scoping review framework, articles were identified through ERIC and Google Scholar and managed in Zotero. MAXQDA was used for coding, revealing thematic clusters related to modalities (synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid), technologies (LMS, AR/VR, simulation tools), and learner characteristics (nontraditional students, CTE-specific learning styles). The review highlights the conceptual anchors of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, Carver et al.’s Experiential E-Learning Model, and Baasanjav’s online experiential design. Findings reveal that while OEL in CTE remains underexplored, it offers potential to increase accessibility, inclusivity, …

An Investigation Of The Characteristics And Uses Of School Farms In California Ffa’S Superior Region, Emily R. Fuller, Jessica M. Toombs

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study investigates the characteristics and uses of school farms within Northern California, focusing on their role in school-based agricultural education (SBAE). The research aims to determine the structural and operational attributes of these facilities and to identify their primary uses as experiential learning tools. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 74 agricultural educators. Findings reveal that school farms, averaging 21.27 acres, are predominantly managed by agriculture teachers and are primarily used for housing market animals, supporting Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects. The study highlights the need for diversified school farm facilities to enhance experiential learning across …

Cv: Sarah Drake Brown (Secondary Education, Elementary Education/Special Education), Sarah Drake Brown

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Student Engagement In High School Mathematics Blended Learning Classrooms, Therese A. Rinehart

Dissertations

Engagement is a student’s interest, participation, and motivation in the learning process and is a cornerstone of success in the classroom. The COVID-19 Pandemic overturned the traditional classroom, making the task of fostering engagement nearly impossible. Although pandemic-related research has largely focused on mental health and academic achievement, less attention has been given to instructional models promoting engagement in remote learning environments. Self-directed learning (SDL) is one model offering students digital autonomy and access to teachers and peers. This study examined the longitudinal data of student perceptions of their engagement through the COVID-19 Pandemic at an alternative high school and …