Digital Commons Network^™

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Revere, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Established in 1989, the Massachusetts Legislature created the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy in response to a need for an improved understanding of the Latino experience in the commonwealth. Now in its 34th year, the Gastón Institute continues its mission of informing the public and policymakers about issues vital to the state’s growing Latino community and providing information and analysis necessary for effective Latino participation in public policy development. To learn more about the Gastón Institute, visit: www.umb.edu/gastoninstitute

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Saugus, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Established in 1989, the Massachusetts Legislature created the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy in response to a need for an improved understanding of the Latino experience in the commonwealth. Now in its 34th year, the Gastón Institute continues its mission of informing the public and policymakers about issues vital to the state’s growing Latino community and providing information and analysis necessary for effective Latino participation in public policy development. To learn more about the Gastón Institute, visit: www.umb.edu/gastoninstitute

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Newton, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Established in 1989, the Massachusetts Legislature created the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy in response to a need for an improved understanding of the Latino experience in the commonwealth. Now in its 34th year, the Gastón Institute continues its mission of informing the public and policymakers about issues vital to the state’s growing Latino community and providing information and analysis necessary for effective Latino participation in public policy development. To learn more about the Gastón Institute, visit: www.umb.edu/gastoninstitute

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Boston, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

The City of Boston Planning Department has found that Boston’s population was undercounted in the 2020 Census by as many as 25,000 people and that subsequent population estimates continue to understate the population.1 The Planning Department’s Research Division has developed a tool to display limited demographic data, but these population estimates are insufficient for purposes of this report.2 Therefore, this report uses 2019-2023 American Community Survey and may therefore undercount Boston’s population. Boston, the largest city in the Commonwealth, is home to an estimated 126,647 Latinos. This is the largest Latino population in the state, though other smaller cities (Lawrence, …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Lynn, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Established in 1989, the Massachusetts Legislature created the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy in response to a need for an improved understanding of the Latino experience in the commonwealth. Now in its 34th year, the Gastón Institute continues its mission of informing the public and policymakers about issues vital to the state’s growing Latino community and providing information and analysis necessary for effective Latino participation in public policy development. To learn more about the Gastón Institute, visit: www.umb.edu/gastoninstitute

Sustaining Progress—Investing In Adolescent Girls Amidst Global Challenges: Learnings From A Donor Roundtable, Coalition For Adolescent Girls, Akili Dada

Adolescents and Young People

The Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), hosted by the Population Council, in collaboration with Akili Dada, convened a high-level donor roundtable on June 4, 2025. Against the backdrop of funding freezes, policy shifts, and widening global crises, this convening brought together funders, grassroots organizations, adolescent and youth leaders, and global experts, to reflect on emerging trends, lived experiences, and actions needed urgently to ensure adolescent girls remain at the center of global development priorities. This knowledge brief synthesizes key insights from the roundtable discussion. It underscores the critical need for long-term, flexible, and intersectional funding approaches that center adolescent girls …

Bridging The Gap: Harnessing Emerging Technology To Narrow The Academic Achievement Gaps Of Minority Students, Dionne Williams, Terence Vinson, Kristi Young, Danielle Williams, James R. Mixon

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

The academic achievement gap of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students has historically lagged as it relates to Caucasian students. This work defines academic achievement as standardized test scores, graduation rates, and college completion rates. The persistent educational disparities faced by minority students remain a significant challenge for school systems. The integration of technology offers a promising solution to help narrow these academic achievement gaps and provide equitable learning opportunities. Technology offers educators the ability to utilize self-paced instructional programming, ensuring that the educational needs and deficiencies of minority students are addressed. This work explores how innovative technological tools, ranging …

Native Spaces: The Struggle For Colleges To Incorporate Native Frameworks Into Curriculums, Eleanor A. Gelb

Honors Scholar Theses

Out of the thousands of universities in America, there are only thirty-seven Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), schools with ten percent or more of the total student population being of Native American descent. While many typical American colleges offer courses on Native American history for students with Native American studies majors and minors, the students involved in these programs are often taught through the lens of traditional schooling, which negates the full effectiveness of these classes. Native leaders across the country are pushing for Native frameworks to be adopted by universities so that past and contemporary Native histories may …

Troubling Trigger Warnings: Toward An Informed Praxis Of Care Within Intercollegiate Forensics, Grace P. Smith, Mallory L. Marsh

Studies in Debate and Oratory

In light of widespread (mis)use of trigger warnings, content warnings, and content notes in intercollegiate competitive speech, in this essay we interrogate the implementation of these devices and propose an intervention to ensure the activity moves toward a better-informed praxis to accomplish its goal of community care. By identifying the activity’s current propensity for misused warnings, missed messages, a misrepresentation of safety, and misguided performances, our intervention aspires to ensure these important warnings are more thoughtfully employed so as to limit potential harm to our messages, our community members, our activity, and our collective educational aim toward advocacy.

From Anxiety To Action: Understanding Financial Worries And Strategies To Boost Insurance Take-Up, Hui Shan Lee, Kee Seng Kuang

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

In developing countries, inadequate insurance and financial planning have led experts to call for government intervention to avoid potential financial crises. In Malaysia, where increasing insurance uptake is a national priority, this study examines how education and socioeconomic factors influence financial concerns. Using a regression model, this study analyses data from 1,000 survey responses from Malaysia in the Global Findex database, examining the effects of education, income, gender, age, and urbanicity on various financial worries, including retirement, medical expenses, monthly bills, and education costs. Findings show that higher education levels are associated with reduced financial anxiety around medical expenses and …

Teachers' Justice And Its Relationship With Psychological Security Among Twelfth-Grade Students In Yatta Directorate Of Education, Kamal M Akhamreh, Inad Nawajah

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to assess the level of belief in teachers’ fairness and its relationship with the psychological safety of 12th graders at Yatta Directorate of Education. It also sought to identify the effect of two factors gender and field of specialization—on these variables. The population of the study consisted of all 12th graders (n = 865), from which a sample of 250 students was selected. The researchers used questionnaires measuring teachers’ fairness and psychological safety. The study’s findings indicated that both teachers’ fairness and psychological safety were at moderate levels, with a positive correlation between the two variables. Additionally, …

A Content Analysis Of The Cultural Content Of Reading Texts And Dialogues In Action Pack Eight, Considering The Inclusion Criterion, Bassmah Fraihat

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to analyze the reading texts and dialogues in the Student's Book of Action Pack Eight to determine the extent to which they incorporate cultural content. Frequencies and percentages were used to present the results related to the study’s questions. The findings revealed that the reading texts in Action Pack Eight include all types of cultural content: target cultural content, intercultural content, Arab-Islamic cultural content, and national (Jordanian) cultural content. On the other hand, the dialogues in the Student's Book include all types of cultural content except for the Arab-Islamic content. Overall, the presence of Arab-Islamic content in …

The Level Of Administrative Creativity Of High School Principals In Ajloun Governorate As Perceived By Teachers, Ghada Khatatbeh, Adnan Al-Ibrahim

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to assess the level of administrative creativity among high school principals in Ajloun Governorate, as perceived by teachers, and its relationship with the degree of teachers' acquisition of professional competencies. The study sample consisted of 153 high school teachers in Ajloun Governorate. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed to achieve the study's objectives. The results indicated that the level of administrative creativity among high school principals in Ajloun Governorate, as perceived by teachers, was high. Additionally, the degree of teachers' acquisition of professional competencies was also high. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between the …

The Educational Role Of The School Counselor In Reducing The Spread Of Drugs In Government Schools In The Ramallah And Al-Bireh Education Directorate, Motasem Mosleh, Bashar Anbosi

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to identify the role of educational school counselors in the public schools of the Directorate of Education and Higher Education of Ramallah and Al-Bireh in Palestine. The questionnaire for this study was designed to measure four dimensions: 1) the awareness role of the school counselor with students, 2) the awareness role of the school counselor with principals, 3) the awareness role of the school counselor with school staff, and 4) the awareness role of the school counselor with student families. The sample of the study consisted of 93 male and female school counselors. The results showed that …

Awake And Alive: An Investigation Into Content For A Music Course Incorporating The Sciences, Harrison Boraas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to identify the content for an interdisciplinary course about music and the brain that educates collegiate students about the benefits of lifelong music engagement. Despite increasing awareness of musical relevance to the human brain, many institutions of higher learning continue to teach music as its isolated area of study without connecting it to other fields that could benefit from incorporating it or vice versa. The sample size consisted of four to seven experts that were either community experts or Liberty University faculty in the fields of science, medicine, or music within …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study: The Lived Experiences Of Women Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorders And The Stigma Associated With Their Disorder, Emily E. Fitzgerald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of women with the stigma of being diagnosed with substance use disorders within the Northeastern United States. Women diagnosed with substance use disorders who experience significant barriers to recovery were defined as a vulnerable population that experiences significant adversities and hardships navigating stigma and the wellness process. Substance use disorders have been a rising public health issue that affect millions of Americans across the United States, and societal and self-perceived stigma have continued to mitigate recovery efforts and individuals’ access to treatment and healthcare. This study focused …

The Impact Of Cello Training On Spatial Orientation Abilities In Adult Learners, Circe Diaz Gamero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic discourse lacks exploration of the effects that musical training during adulthood has on spatial orientation abilities through their connection between cognitive science and music education. This study seeks to address this knowledge gap through research that evaluates cello training effects on spatial orientation abilities in adult learners. The rising interest in non-medicine-based methods for brain function improvement and recovery establishes the urgent need to research possible cognitive advantages that occur when adults participate in music education. This research study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach that studied adults with minimal musical background in an eight-week structured cello training program, aiming …

Generational Divide: Exploring Instructional Designers' Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence In The Instructional Design Process, Cynthia R. Malone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of instructional designers as they designed courses using AI technology and to understand their perceptions surrounding the integration of AI into the instructional design process. The theory that guided this study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), a framework that involves the pillars of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, which collectively influence one’s intention to adopt a new technology. Varying generational perceptions impacted instructional designers' adoption of AI. The central research question for this study asked, What are the …

Evaluating Mental Health Providers’ Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Stigma Among Teenagers Aged 13 To 19 Years With Mental Illness, Fredrica Murray-Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Limited knowledge and poor attitudes among mental health providers contribute to stigma towards individuals with mental illness, adversely affecting treatment experience and outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving mental health providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward stigma-based practices. The clinical question stated: Among mental health providers, does an educational intervention, compared to standard practice, improve knowledge and attitudes of stigma and promote evidence-based care delivery to teenagers aged 13 to 19 with mental illness within six weeks? The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was used as a framework for implementing this study. The quasi-experimental …

Comparing The Effects Of Numerical Versus Syllable-Based Pedagogy On Kindergarten Academics, Tocorey C. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of numerically based and syllable-based pedagogical approaches on kindergarten students in a school located in Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The Kodály Method, a well-established and effective music education strategy, offers numerous classroom benefits. Teachers can utilize both numerically based and syllable-based approaches within the Kodály framework. However, additional data are required to ascertain whether these approaches can enhance academic performance among kindergarten students. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of syllable-based music training on kindergarten reading scores and numerical-based music training on kindergarten math scores. The initial …

Spending In Islam: Nurturing And Education, Sereen Ashour, “Mohammad Adnan” Al-Aishat, Abdullah Hardan, Yousef Saadeh

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

Islam urges its followers to spend on their parents, offspring, and lineage. This paper addresses spending in the way of Islam for its protection (preserving its authenticity), advocacy (Da’wah), and to support its adherents against those who manifest enmity towards it. Thus, spending aims to instill in Muslims the practice of giving for the sake of their faith and to educate them about the principles of this type of spending. Da’wah to Islam has been associated with calls to spend in the way of Allah to seek His satisfaction and pleasure. Even before the establishment of an Islamic state, or …

Accelerating The Fusion Workforce In The Usa, Carlos Paz-Soldan, Eva Belonohy, Troy Carter, Laleh E. Coté, Evdokiya Kostadinova, Calvin Lowe, Subash L. Sharma, Sybil De Clark, Jaydeep Deshpande, Kate Kelly, Bobbi Makani, David A. Schaffner, Kathreen E. Thome

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The fusion energy research and development landscape has seen significant advances in recent years, with important scientific and technological breakthroughs and a rapid rise of investment in the private sector. The workforce needs of the nascent fusion industry are growing at a rate that academic workforce development programs are not currently able to match. This paper presents the findings of the Workforce Accelerator for Fusion Energy Development Conference held in Hampton, Virginia, United States of America (USA), on 29-30 May 2024, which was funded by the National Science Foundation of the USA. A major goal of the conference was to …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Diabetes Duration And Self-Management In Adults With Diabetes, Caroline Noel Stroo

Master's Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease that affects 14.7% of adults in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Prevalence of diabetes increases with age, with rates for adults aged 65 and older reaching 29.2% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Factors such as age, race, obesity, physical activity level, and genetics strongly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, 2016). Diabetes requires complex and comprehensive management to reduce the risk of developing comorbidities (Al-Shabeeb et al., 2021). Factors such as education, familial support, …

Homelessness Among School-Aged Children In The Mountain West, 2022-2023, Mohit Pande, Sean Curry, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet presents data on homelessness among school-aged children in the Mountain West during the 2022-2023 school year. The data are sourced from the “Child and Youth Homelessness in the United States: Data Profiles” dashboard produced by SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. State-level data profiles include information about child and youth homelessness at the national, state, county, school district, and congressional district levels. This fact sheet focuses on homelessness among school-aged children within the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Public School Funding In The Mountain West, 2020-2021, Sean Curry, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet examines the state of public school funding across the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are sourced from the Education Law Center’s 2023 Making the Grade report, which provides data for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The original report provides grades for school funding, enrollment data, and funding data based on the 2020-2021 school year.

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Kyla Wright

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Identifying all learned ten competencies of social work incorporated into educational settings. Utilizing theoretical practices and an integrated, justified intervention for mental health success.

Pride Or Prejudice: An Examination Of Queer Content In Florida High Schools, Niamh L. Harrop

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores how queer individuals reflect on the presence—or more often, the absence—of queer content in their high school education. Despite increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ people in popular culture and legal reform, formal educational spaces remain largely heteronormative and cisnormative structured from a heterosexual and cisgender standpoint. Through a critical qualitative approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with 13 queer participants who attended high school in Florida in the years between the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and the passage of Florida’s H.B. 1557 (“Don’t Say Gay” law) in 2022. Using thematic analysis, four key themes were …

Evaluating Current Practices In Operative Nontechnical Skills Training And Feedback In General Surgery Residency: A Mixed Methods Approach, Madeline Cloonan

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) are the interpersonal and cognitive abilities that are critical to accomplishing high-risk tasks. Deficiencies in NTS, including communication, teamwork, leadership, and decision-making, are linked to errors in the operating room. Structured training and feedback in NTS remain inconsistent and have not been integrated into daily training. This dissertation addresses this gap by evaluating current NTS training and feedback practices and developing a rubric to enhance the effectiveness of NTS feedback.

Methods: We conducted five complementary studies to assess current NTS training and feedback. The first was a systematic review aimed at identifying intraoperative NTS training interventions …

A Web-Based Review Of Global Training In United States Ophthalmology Residency Programs, Shalini Shah, Chris Raif Alabiad, Zubair Ansari

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To review the currently publicly available information on global ophthalmology experiences during residency training.

Methods: All 122 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–approved ophthalmology residency programs’ websites were evaluated.

Results: Of the 122 ophthalmology residency programs, 30 (25%) list global ophthalmology experiences on their websites. Of these 30, 21 (80%) offer electives and 12 (40%) list the experiences as a mix of clinical and surgical exposure. One-third of these programs 2 weeks or less in length; one-third of programs do not list the duration of the experience. In total, 21 programs (80%) work with partner …

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Education, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

First published in October 2020. Significantly revised in October 2022 to reflect credentialing changes, and in September 2024 to incorporate updated labor market information. An update in April 2025 included minor corrections. In August 2025, two new sections were added: key terminology and the relationship between concepts.