Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Apprenticeship Program Expansion Into Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Colby Webb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Despite substantial policy investment in apprenticeship expansion, fewer than 0.4% of the American workforce participates in registered apprenticeship programs, with adoption rates remaining particularly low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This qualitative multiple-case study examined the rationale, structure, implementation, and sustainability of formal apprenticeship programs across 11 SMEs representing manufacturing, woodworking, healthcare, energy, and food processing sectors. Three supplemental interviews with workforce development intermediaries and state-level apprenticeship support organizations provided contextual insight into regulatory processes and institutional supports. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and analyzed using iterative thematic coding in MAXQDA. Findings reveal that SME …

The Relationship Between Implementation Of Effective Schools Practices, School Performance, And Improvement, Kelly Mchugh Massinople

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Effective schools frameworks describe the evidence-based practices implemented at schools, including those with disproportionately high levels of students living in poverty, that have high levels of student achievement (Edmonds, 1979; Lezotte, 1982; Lezotte & McKee Snyder, 2010; Padilla et al., 2020; Sammons et al., 1995). This study examined the relationship between the implementation of effective schools practices, as described in the research, and school performance and school improvement, as reported in state accountability indicators. The analysis focused on improvement efforts initiated at 21 West Virginia schools identified in the fall of 2022 for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) under the …

Leadership And Literacy Assessment Systems: A Multi-Case Study Of System Coherence And Assessment Use In Mississippi Elementary Schools, Kristin P. Walters

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This qualitative embedded multiple-case study examined how school-level literacy leadership shaped the coherence and use of literacy assessment systems in five Mississippi Elementary Schools. Situated within the context of Mississippi’s recent literacy gains and the policy environment emerging from the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, this study explored how literacy leaders guide assessment systems to support coherence between literacy instruction and assessment practice.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 educators across five elementary schools in different districts. Analysis was conducted using descriptive and values coding organized into an analysis matrix that facilitated within-case and cross-case exploration of patterns in distributed …

2025-2026 Common Data Set, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Common Data Sets

This document contains data compiled by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Navigating Yellow Zone Sexual Misconduct Cases: Exploring Title Ix Administrators’ Discretion, Angela E. Hobbs

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This study examines how Title IX administrators exercise discretion when responding to ambiguous sexual misconduct reports referred to as yellow zone. The 2020 Title IX Rules and Regulations introduced a more restrictive definition of sexual misconduct, requiring behavior to be severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive (SPOO) to meet the threshold for formal institutional response. Despite the practical challenges these cases present for institutions, there is limited scholarly understanding of how Title IX administrators make decisions when responding to them. Guided by street-level bureaucracy theory (Lipsky, 1969, 1980, 2010), the study explored how institutional actors exercise discretion in response to regulatory …

A Review Of The Effect The Kentucky Center For School Safety Has On Kentucky School District’S Safe Schools Data, Patricia Greer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the impact of the Kentucky Center for School Safety on safety data from Kentucky Schools. The data consisted of behavior events reported in the Safe Schools Data collected from the student information system, Infinite Campus. The analysis was conducted using interaction data from the Kentucky Center for School Safety and behavioral data from Kentucky Public Schools.

Career Readiness Indicators In High School Influenced By Leaders In Alabama, Kevin J. Wieseman

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study investigated how educational leaders conceptualize and influence Career Readiness Indicators (CRI) in Alabama high schools. As Alabama places increasing emphasis on College and Career Readiness (CCR), this research explored how leaders’ lived experiences affect initiatives designed to prepare students for postsecondary achievement. Drawing on Transformational Leadership Theory and Distributed Leadership Theory, the study examined leadership practices associated with work-based learning, soft skills development, academic preparedness, and career-readiness outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with educational leaders from Alabama school systems recognized for exemplary CCR performance. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to identify shared leadership experiences and …

Considerations For School Leadership In Leveraging School-Based Behavior Analysis For Systemic Improvement In Public Education, Virginia Public Schools Behavior Analyst Network, Kira Austin, Elizabeth Boynton, Amanda K. Cash, Meredith Eads, Daniel Irwin, Selena Layden, Daria K. Lorio-Barsten, Emily Muise, Nadine Pittman, Felicia Shelton, Indya Watts-Graves

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Public schools face significant challenges, including rising student behavioral needs, chronic absenteeism, and high rates of teacher burnout. These issues are interconnected with and inextricably linked to a need for effective, evidence-based behavioral supports. Educators frequently enter the field lacking the necessary skills and training to manage complex student behavior, often resulting in a reliance on punitive practices that exacerbate problems.

This paper proposes that the expertise of school-based behavior analysts (SBBAs), who are Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) specializing in education, offers a powerful, underutilized solution. SBBAs are trained in applied behavior analysis (ABA), a data-driven science focused on …

The Relationship Of Federal Title V Funding To Retention And Graduation Rates Of Hispanic-Serving Institutions In The Southeastern United States, Julio Cesar Llanos Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The number of Latino/a or Hispanic students, also known as Latinx students, are expected to grow demographically in various regions of the United States over the next several years. To ensure Latinx students are progressing toward graduation in their respective cohorts, it may be beneficial to anticipate and prepare for the increase in this student demographic. This study focused on institutions in the Southeastern region of the United States. This study compared the relationship of federal Title V funding and retention rates and graduation rates of students; it also compared degrees awarded to Hispanic students and enrollment of Hispanic students …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Role Of White Racial Identity Development In Leadership Practices: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study In White Educational Leaders, Kaitlyn Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how white educational leaders experience and make meaning of their racial identity development as they lead adult professional learning focused on racial equity and culturally responsive practice. Grounded in Helms’s White Racial Identity Development (WRID) model and guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study explored the lived experiences of ten white leaders across PK–12 and Institution of Higher Education (IHE). Data were collected through three semi‑structured interviews per participant and analyzed using IPA’s six‑step process. Five major themes emerged: transformational experiences that shifted leaders’ understanding of race and privilege; the critical role of white affinity …

Identifying Barriers To High School Graduation Based On Experiences Of Former Students With Limited Or Interrupted Formal Education (Slife): A Case Study, Marcia Gaudet

Dissertations and Theses

Multilingual students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) were underrepresented in the professional literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this research brief was to contribute to an emerging line of research by documenting the voices of SLIFE with regard to barriers to high school graduation they experienced during their educational experiences alongside what supports they experienced that helped remove such barriers. Data was collected through interviews and focus groups, where participants provided first hand accounts of their high school experiences. The researcher’s results showed the importance of personal relationships with teachers, administrators, and mentors from the community. The researcher’s findings …

"What Does It Mean If I Am Silent?”: Bipoc And Lgbtq+ Educators’ Narratives Of Identity, Responsibility, And Student Protection, Julie Nicole Von Stein

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative study examined how BIPOC and LGBTQ+ educators describe their experiences navigating curriculum restrictions and book bans in politically restrictive educational environments, their perceptions of administrator support, and how their identities uniquely shape their decisions about resistance and risk. Grounded in Scott’s theory of everyday resistance, the study explored the ways BIPOC and LGBTQ+ educators make decisions about resistance when curricular content connected to race, gender, sexuality, and marginalized identities is challenged or restricted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with educators who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+, allowing participants to describe their experiences, decision-making processes, perceived risks, and …

The Impact Of Vulnerability On Building Trust: A Qualitative Study Of Superintendents In Northern California, Jasmin Hasmukhlal Patel

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explain how exemplary superintendents in Northern California practice vulnerability to build trust within their organizations, guided by Brené Brown’s framework of vulnerability-based leadership: Authenticity, courage over comfort, curiosity and learning, practicing empathy, and leading with heart. An additional purpose was to examine the challenges these leaders encounter when practicing vulnerability in complex public education contexts. This study addresses a gap in leadership research by providing empirical insight into how vulnerability functions as a trust-building practice at the highest level of K–12 educational leadership.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological design was …

Negotiating Disability Stigma In Undergraduate Students With Academic Accommodations, Demetruis Leonard, Pietro A. Sasso

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

To understand how undergraduate students diagnosed with a disability who receive academic accommodations negotiate stigma, this phenomenological qualitative study was conducted at a midwestern private university using Gibson's (2006) Disability Identity Development Model. Findings from this study of six undergraduates receiving academic accommodations suggest they qualified for reasonable accommodations to guarantee equal access and mitigate the impact of their diagnosed ADHD, depression, and/or anxiety and were granted academic accommodations such as extended time for testing and assignments. These students also used family, friends, and peers to support the navigation of the negative stigma of being perceived as “lazy” or “taking …

Where You Work Still Matters: A Content Analysis, Catherine E. Gonzalez, Ramona Meraz Lewis, Brianne Steele

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This qualitative content analysis examines institutional differences in student affairs work through 234 articles from JCSD and JSARP (2006-2023). The study explores the relevance of Hirt's (2006) original framework and identifies emerging themes. Findings reveal research imbalances across institutional types and growing attention to diversity, equity, inclusion, and Professional Competencies. Gaps exist in reward structures, career transitions, and research on institutional fit. Implications for scholarship, graduate preparation, and practice are discussed.

Bias Across The Data Lifecycle: Data Governors’ Perceptions In Land-Grant Higher Education, Shauna N. Mcclure, Lisa Lambert Snodgrass

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Higher education institutions increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools and predictive analytics to inform decisions in areas such as admissions, student success, and resource allocation. This reliance heightens the need for data governance frameworks that address the policies, processes, and technologies governing student data. Data governors shape how institutional data are collected, interpreted, and used, yet existing approaches often assume that data are neutral, overlooking how bias can become embedded and compounded across the stages of the data lifecycle. This exploratory study investigates whether data governors perceive implicit bias as present across these stages. Using a quantitative survey, we …

Rethinking Dfw In Gateway Mathematics: Preserved, Disrupted, And Dissipated Momentum Pathways To Student Retention, John Alan Nunnery, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study examines how disaggregated first-year mathematics outcomes, including failure, low-passing grades, course withdrawal, and no attempt at a credit-bearing mathematics course, are associated with second-year retention at a large, diverse, urban public university. The study extends academic momentum theory by positing and operationalizing preserved (marginal passing), disrupted (failure or withdrawal), and dissipated (non-enrollment) as qualitatively distinct momentum states rather than a single condition. Using a segmented binary logistic regression model with more than 26,000 first-time, full-time students across ten entry cohorts (2012–2021), we estimate differences in retention by mathematics outcome, course type, and cohort context. Results show a pronounced …

(Trans*)Gressing Discourse: Producing And Disrupting Normativity In Education For Trans* Students With Dis/Abilities, Meagan Meredith

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates how political rhetoric, education policy, and educational community member discourse construct, circulate, and contest meanings about trans*ness and dis/ability in K-12 public schools. In doing so, the study examines how meanings about normativity are discursively produced and disrupted for students living at this specific intersection. Grounded in a trans* methodology, this study performs a critical discourse analysis through a rhizomatic reading of policy texts, political rhetoric, and publicly available stakeholder discourse. This work responds to a gap in the literature that fails to understand the complexities experienced by trans* students with dis/abilities, particularly in hostile school climates. …

A Descriptive Study Of Culturally Responsive Practices In Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis) In West Virginia Elementary Schools, Janna Rae Coleman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This descriptive mixed-methods study examined elementary teachers’ implementation and perceived effectiveness of culturally responsive practices within existing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) systems in a West Virginia school district. Guided by Leverson et al.’s (2021) Culturally Responsive PBIS (CRPBIS) framework, the study explored five components of culturally responsive practice: identity, voice, supportive environment, situational appropriateness, and data for equity. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 86 elementary teachers using the researcher-developed Culturally Responsive Practices in Existing PBIS Survey. Findings indicated that teachers reported frequent implementation and perceived effectiveness across all five components, with the supportive environment receiving …

The Role Of Education In Reducing Social Inequality: A Systems-Level Analysis Of Socio-Technical Infrastructures And Policy Governance, Aisling O'Shea, Batzorig Dashnyam, Ximena Quintanilla

Women's & Gender Studies Faculty Publications

Social inequality remains one of the most persistent challenges to global systemic stability, threatening the robustness of democratic institutions and economic sustainability. Education has long been theorized as the primary mechanism for social mobility and the mitigation of disparate life outcomes; however, its role within modern socio-technical infrastructures is increasingly complex and often contradictory. This paper provides a comprehensive systems-level analysis of the relationship between educational architecture and social stratification. By examining the structural trade-offs inherent in contemporary pedagogical deployment, the research evaluates how institutional governance, digital infrastructure, and policy mandates either facilitate or hinder the reduction of inequality. The …

Intersectionality Of Race And Disability: The School Counselors' Role In Policy Reformation, Jenna M. Alvarez, Rachel Saunders, Vanessa Sinclair, Stephanie Smith-Durkin, Emily Goodman-Scott

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The United States K-12 education system is riddled with inequities within the intersection of race and disabilities; relatedly, the school counseling literature also demonstrates a similar gap in the literature. As a result, through three case illustrations highlighting the unique experiences of historically marginalized students of color with disabilities, we illustrate the multiplex intersection of race and disability and how a school counselor can utilize leadership, advocacy, and social justice for systemic change. Further, the three cases are structured through the ADDRESSING framework, to systematically consider the complexities of identity, overlapping cultural influences, and the connections to practice (Hays, 2022). …

Equity In Coastal Resilience: A Framework For University Engagement In Community-Based Projects, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Marina Saitgalina, Ogechukwu N. Nwandu-Vincent, Khairul A. Anuar, Thomas Allen, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

As communities face intensifying climate hazards, it is vital to strengthen resilience in ways that explicitly prioritize social equity. This study examines how higher education institutions can better support government, nonprofit, and community partners in advancing equity-centered coastal resilience in the U.S. Utilizing a qualitative research design, we analyze discussions among researchers and practitioners during a three-day workshop. We present a framework derived from a thematic analysis of breakout group transcripts from a three-day national virtual workshop involving 113 researchers and practitioners. The analysis identified four core themes: the necessity of aligning projects with community-defined priorities; the foundational role of …

Family, Stability, Mentors & Money: Student Definitions Of Success, Arturo Caldera

CMC Senior Theses

This research takes a deep dive into the factors shaping marginalized communities’ educational experiences, particularly for low-income Latino students from migrant backgrounds navigating public schooling spaces. Across sixteen qualitative interviews, participant narratives reveal how a systemic lack of resources at the institutional, interpersonal, and structural levels undermines the quality of support students receive and shapes their academic trajectories. Grounded in student-centered practices and informed by scholarship in multicultural education, Chicanx/Latinx studies, feminism, and psychology, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to move beyond deficit-based frameworks and instead recognize the cultural wealth, knowledge, and resilience students bring from their homes and …

The Art Of Giving Good Feedback: How Principals And Other Factors Build Or Break Teacher Efficacy Through Evaluations And Feedback In The Public Elementary School Setting, Kayla Davidson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The aim of this study was to explore how public elementary school teachers experience and interpret principal feedback in relation to their sense of self-efficacy, including how their lived experiences align with Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) ratings. Understanding how feedback shapes teacher confidence may help school leaders design evaluation systems that better support professional growth and retention. In this study, feedback was most influential when it was grounded in direct observation, specific, and delivered within trusting professional relationships, while formal evaluation feedback was often perceived as compliance-oriented and less impactful on teacher confidence. Findings indicated that self-efficacy was …

Factors That Impact K-6th Grade Teachers’ Sense Of Self-Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study, Becky A. Eckburg

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Although there have been efforts to narrow the "achievement gap," research shows that the academic achievement levels of students in low socioeconomic school settings are likely to be significantly lower than the academic achievement levels of students in higher socioeconomic school settings (Babayiğit et al., 2021; Rahman et al., 2024). Studies also show that teachers have a significant impact on their students' growth, no matter what their academic setting may be (Petek & Pope, 2023), and that collective teacher self-efficacy is a significant factor in positive student achievement (Hattie, 2008). If targeted professional development could support teachers' self-efficacy, student achievement …

The Impact Of Strategic Planning On Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Practice: A Mixed-Methods Study, Vivian Robert

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Strategic planning is a vital endeavor for school districts across New York State. Often, however, significant human and financial capital is invested in these processes without investigating their impact beyond immediate student outcomes. While student success is the ultimate priority, little attention has been paid to the effect strategic planning has on the practitioners charged with implementing it, specifically teachers. This phenomenological mixed-method case study investigates how strategic planning influences teachers’ perceptions of their practice and identifies how districts can better engage educators to ensure the successful realization of district goals. In this study, district leaders participated in semi-structured interviews, …

Fiscal Illusion And Property Tax Porportionality, Cathy Lynn Johnson

Dissertations of Practice

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) has become a widely utilized economic development tool, allowing municipalities to capture future increases in property tax revenue within designated redevelopment areas.

The study’s purpose was to examine how TIF districts in Illinois affect the proportional distribution of property tax burdens and the allocation of property tax revenues to public school districts. Guided by Resource Allocation Theory, Public Choice Theory, and Fiscal Illusion, the study investigated how the exclusion of incremental EAV alters tax rate calculations and redistributes tax responsibility among taxpayers both within and outside of TIF boundaries. A quantitative analytical framework was developed and …

Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model: A Quantitative Evaluation Of Governors State University’S Summer Bridge Program, Stacy Amedeo

Dissertations of Practice

Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model: A Quantitative Evaluation of Governors State University’s Summer Bridge Program

This program evaluation assesses the academic and social outcomes of Governors State University’s Jaguar “Live, Experience, and Prepare” (LEAP) summer bridge program, which is designed to support first-year students as they transition into college. Grounded in the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model, this study examines whether LEAP participants differ from non-participants in their experiences of culturally engaging environments, sense of belonging, retention, cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), and total credit hours earned. The study used a quantitative correlational design analyzing two data sources: CECE …

Early Childhood Classrooms And Higher Education Faculty: Partnerships With Far-Reaching Benefits, Anita Weisburger

Essays in Education

The relationship between a community college early childhood teacher education faculty member and the director of an early learning center grew into a deep and meaningful partnership that went beyond the two main participants.  This description and analysis of their collaboration demonstrates the value of these partnerships to the early childhood classrooms and the faculty at the college, but it also highlights the positive impact on the college students, the young children, the school families and the community at large.  The goal of this article is to reflect on the benefits and challenges in these collaborative endeavors and highlight lessons …