Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Meet The Board: A Jaqi Rountable, Ashley Gregory

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

This roundtable introduces readers to the founding members of the Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education's editorial board. Through their reflections, readers will gain insight into the experiences, interests, and aspirations that collectively inform the journal's mission and strategic direction.

Strengthening The Science And Practice Of Accreditation And Quality Improvement, Jason C. Booza, Raquel Hernández Givens

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

This editorial welcomes readers to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education (JAQI).

Students Drive Cqi In Step 1 Support Using The After-Action Review: A Replicable Model For Student Engagement In Accreditation-Driven Quality Improvement, Lauren B. Stumpp, Abigail Yohannes, Greg Null, Allison Serra

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

Background. Medical schools increasingly recognize the importance of engaging students in continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes, yet most institutions rely primarily on surveys that offer limited depth and no leadership role for students. This study describes a student-led CQI model combining a structured survey instrument with the After-Action Review (AAR) framework, implemented across two consecutive cohorts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Methods. Students who completed the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 in 2023 and 2024 were invited to complete a survey evaluating school-provided academic, emotional, and decision-support resources. Following each survey, 12 and 14 …

Mission Seemingly Impossible: Student Satisfaction With Time For Self-Directed Learning, Sara Bradley, Robyn Bockrath, Mara Johnson, Celia Laird O'Brien

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

Background. Medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) are often required to demonstrate improvement on accreditation elements in a relatively short amount of time. In October 2021, the LCME cited our institution as Unsatisfactory for the self-directed learning (SDL) element after 21.3% of second-year medical (M2) students reported dissatisfaction with unscheduled time for SDL. The LCME required us to demonstrate improvement in a status update due December 2022. In this paper, we describe a rapid continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach that successfully increased student satisfaction and achieved full compliance within 1 year.

Methods. We employed a …

Front Matter, Jason C. Booza, Raquel Hernández Givens

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

Front matter for the Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education, Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2026.

A Community's Next Chapter: Introducing The Journal Of Accreditation And Quality Improvement In Medical Education, Melisa Pierce, Jason Booza, Colleen Hayden

Journal of Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Medical Education

No abstract provided.

Performing Proficiency: Ethnodrama As Arts-Based Research In An Esl Acting Classroom, Angel M. Morales

Journal of English Learner Education

This study explores the use of ethnodrama as an arts-based research method and pedagogical tool in English as a Second Language (ESL) education. Drawing on the work of Saldaña, Salvatore, and Denzin, the project examines how performance can communicate lived experiences, foster language development, and promote social justice in multicultural classrooms. Based on interviews and observations of ESL students in an Acting I course, the resulting ethnodrama, What?! Acting?!, presents verbatim narratives that reveal learners’ identities, struggles, and resilience. The findings highlight how theatrical practice enhances linguistic fluency, self-expression, and cultural understanding, demonstrating the transformative potential of performance in …

A Franco-American University Collaboration: Oral Assessment With Cefr And Star, Nadia Yassine-Diab, Christina Torres University Of Central Florida, Aimee Schoonmaker

Journal of English Learner Education

This article describes the collaboration between faculty at two international
universities, one in France and one in the U.S., who partnered their students to practice and assess oral skills. Using computer-mediated communication with both synchronous and asynchronous elements, the collaboration provided a valuable opportunity for both groups to engage in pedagogically meaningful and structured exchanges integrated into coursework that mirror their future professional situations (O’Dowd et. al., 2020). More specifically, each semester, the U.S. TESOL students interview and assess French speaking English language learners using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the Situation Task Action Results (STAR) interview …

Math Language Acquisition And Improving English Language Learners’ Ability To Understand And Solve Math Word Problems, Crystal L. Gammon, Jillian Skelton

Journal of English Learner Education

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore third- through fifth-grade teachers’ perceptions of effective vocabulary instruction and collaboration practices used to support English Language Learners (ELLs) in understanding, discussing, and solving math word problems. The problem addressed was that ELL students in rural southeastern U.S. school districts were not achieving mathematics proficiency at the same rate as their native English-speaking peers, particularly when solving word problems requiring academic language comprehension. The findings revealed that teachers viewed math vocabulary instruction as essential for closing academic gaps while also identifying vocabulary as a major barrier when it was not explicitly …

Good News! Students With Disabilities Are Overrepresented In Private School Choice Programs, Patrick J. Wolf, John Kristof, Alex Wolf, Alli Aldis

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

• Critics predicted that, once private school choice was implemented on a large scale, students with disabilities would become highly concentrated in the public school system. That hasn’t happened.
• We conservatively estimate that 258,844 students with disabilities are participating in private school choice programs.
• Students with disabilities are being served in the private school choice sector at a rate higher than that in the public school sector.
• Private school choice programs provide important educational options for many students with disabilities, helping ensure they can access the education that best meets their needs.

Navigating Leadership Transitions In Academic Affairs At Small Historically Black Colleges And Universities In The Southern United States: A Qualitative Study, Marquita Renee Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the specific problem that necessitates the functionality of departmental leadership, its outcomes, and emphasized leadership transitions. Researching leadership transitions can potentially enhance our understanding of how small HBCUs, particularly HBCUs with a student population of fewer than 5,000, can effectively navigate, ensuring the continuity and sustained success of the academic affairs department within the Southern U.S. region. To address this gap, this study engaged narrative methods while employing transformational leadership theory as a theoretical lens to explore the immediate and long-term impacts of leadership transitioning on strategic initiatives, staff morale, and outcomes within the academic affairs department, …

Does Gender Spell Success? Exploring Female Students' Perspectives Of Faculty At A Higher Educational Institution, Chitora Jackson, Terrence Hicks, Jill Channing, Arnold Nyarambi

Journal of Research Initiatives

Numerous studies have pointed to connections and positive interactions with faculty that result in positive outcomes for students (Beckowski & Gebauer, 2018; Jones, 2020; Trolian et al., 2021). However, despite this knowledge, there are still some areas related to this topic that remain under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of female students at a higher educational institution and to understand how those experiences shape their perspectives of female and male faculty. Additionally, this study sought to discover how faculty gender influences their interactions with students and the similarities and differences between …

Human-Centered Ai Governance In K–12 Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy Gaps In Massachusetts School Districts, Simone Elias, Noran Moffett, Jeremy Womack, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools have rapidly permeated K–12 education, outpacing governance structures and raising urgent concerns about equity, student data privacy, and academic integrity (Eutsler et al., 2026; OECD, 2023). Although a growing body of scholarship proposes multi-level AI governance models for education, empirical evidence on implementing these frameworks at the district policy level remains limited. This article contributes to the field by first synthesizing and adapting a K–12 AI governance framework based on peer-reviewed and policy literature, structured around macro-meso-micro levels and six pillars: ethical and equity-centered use, data governance and privacy, teaching and academic integrity, …

Oral History As A Tool For First-Year Student Success, Justin Willis, Saul Araujo

Journal of Research Initiatives

First-year college students often face significant challenges as they transition into higher education, particularly when balancing academic responsibilities with employment. Many students work out of financial necessity, which can increase stress, limit campus engagement, and negatively affect academic performance and well-being. This qualitative case study explores how oral history methods can support first-year college students as they adjust to the demands of balancing education and work. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the study examines how firsthand narratives from individuals who have navigated similar challenges can foster reflection, resilience, and practical skill development. The …

From Silos To Systems In Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration In Academic Planning, Linda Wilson-Jones, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems …

Education System Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

School and system improvement

The Education System Improvement Tool (ESIT) identifies the practices most critical to highly effective education systems. It is recognised that across the world, education systems operate in diverse contexts with varying governance arrangements. Therefore, the ESIT should be interpreted in context, recognising that effective system practices are shaped by the characteristics, priorities and circumstances of each education system and the communities it serves. Informed by international research findings and the lived experiences of education system leaders, the ESIT supports stakeholders across education systems to review, reflect on and strengthen strategies and practices that contribute to system-wide improvement and improved outcomes …

Access In Teaching Stem Subjects To The Blind, Ashley E. Neybert

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

There are still many gaps in the literature regarding the difficulties faced by instructors of students who are blind and low vision and who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. We surveyed 26 K-12 STEM teachers about accessible materials they are aware of versus which accessible materials they use in their classrooms, their thoughts on how common challenges identified in the extent literature affect them in their teaching, and their perspective on how much extra time may be required for blind and low vision students (if any) to effectively learn STEM subjects.

Solving For X: Centering Black Girls’ Experiences In Mathematics Education, Natasha A. Fortes

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Black girls can grow up, attend school, and move through their math classes without ever feeling seen as capable mathematical thinkers. Their teachers may not affirm their brilliance. Their voices may even go unheard. Math classes may not be a space where they can imagine themselves belonging. These experiences do not reflect ability. Instead, they reflect on the conditions in which they are expected to learn. This study centers the voices of Black girls and asks what they deserve from their mathematics education and instructors to develop a mathematics identity. The study is grounded in Black feminist traditions and draws …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Black Students In Criminal Justice Programs And Its Implications On Social Justice, Demetrius C. Dacres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the experiences of Black students who graduated with degrees in criminal justice within the last five years, as well as professors serving criminal justice programs. In this study, Black students are defined as those who identify as Black or African American, and the research focused on a criminal justice higher education institution’s educational program in the Northeast. This qualitative phenomenological study drew on Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory and Tinto’s Student Integration Model to investigate how Black students experienced criminal justice programs and the resources and strategies they utilized to navigate and adapt. The study addressed a …

Shared Equity Leadership In An Offshore Medical School: Distributing Responsibility For Equity, Vishal B. Surender, Sreekrishna Penna, Oluwabusola Osimosu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay applies the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) framework to an offshore MD program at a private Caribbean medical school where students complete basic sciences on an island and clinical clerkships across multiple international sites. Using SEL scholarship and de-identified institutional data, we ask how equity work is currently distributed, where gaps emerge in assessment, remediation, and mobility for historically underrepresented students in medicine, and how responsibility for equity might be more deliberately shared. The Woven model of SEL provides a lens to map existing structures like curriculum committees, CQI dashboards, advising systems, and clinical site partnerships. We propose a …

What Makes Implicit Bias Training Effective? An Examination Of Training Program Interventions And K-12 Educator Experiences, Kyleigh K. Mcaloon

McNair Summer Research Program

Differences in disciplinary referrals based on race have led many to argue that bias may influence disciplinary decisions. Implicit bias (IB) training is designed to address such disparities by raising awareness of biases that may impact assessment of behavior and disciplinary decisions. In recent years, many have questioned the validity of IB as a construct and also the potential impact of training. Some scholars argue that these programs fail to produce meaningful behavioral change and may unintentionally reinforce or increase bias. The aim of the present study was to investigate how individuals receive and respond to such training. Sixteen K-12 …

Evidence In Action: Community Schools, Volume 1, Ucf Center For Community Schools

Community Schools Research

No abstract provided.

Measuring Administrative Hiring Confidence Of Music Teachers In The Context Of Shallow Hiring Pools, Aaron M. Strum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the confidence of K-12 administrators in hiring music faculty. This study also aimed to analyze administrators’ perspectives and confidence in key stages of the hiring process, including defining job expectations, posting, advertising, interviewing, and selecting highly specialized music teachers in K-12 settings. Confidence of K-12 administrators can be gauged through their understanding of how well an applicant aligns with the specific needs of the school’s program. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1a) How confident are K-12 administrators in their understanding of music teaching pedagogy when interviewing music teacher candidates …

Disruption, Recovery, And Divergence: How Prepandemic Achievement Levels Shaped Learning Loss, Recovery, And Spending Efficiency In Tennessee Public High Schools, Wilson Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant and uneven learning loss in Tennessee public high schools. The statewide ACT composite average fell from 20.2 in 2019 to 19.1 in 2021. By 2024-2025, it recovered only to 19.3. During the same period, Tennessee received approximately $3.86 billion in additional federal funds and $1.15 billion in new state funding. This ex post facto quantitative study examined whether prepandemic achievement levels predicted learning loss severity and recovery patterns of a census of 322 Tennessee public high schools from 2018-2019 through 2024-2025.

The study used two theoretical frameworks. Baumol's cost disease theory predicted that structural productivity …

Unlocking Potential: How High-Fidelity Plcs Protect First Graders From Over-Identification In Tiered Placement, Tomeka D. Love

All Dissertations

Nationally, the demand for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has reached an unprecedented peak, serving 7.5 million students (representing 15% of all public school students) in the 2022–23 school year. While national academic discussions regarding socioeconomic hurdles and systemic inequities frequently center on urban environments, minoritized students in rural communities face a persistent and disproportionate over-representation in special education. This trend is driven by complex intersections of geographic isolation, systemic resource allocation issues, and cultural misalignments in assessment practices.

At the local level, Love and Logic Elementary School [pseudonym], a rural K-5 institution, faces …

From Referral To Results: Strengthening Mtss Pre-Referral Practices To Improve Special Education Referral Decision-Making, Capricia K. White

All Dissertations

The steady rise in special education identification rates continues to outpace overall U.S. public school enrollment trends, raising important questions about how students are identified, labeled, and referred for services. Despite South Carolina's MTSS mandate under Act 213, implementation remains inconsistent across schools. As a result, referral decisions may be based on limited evidence of student response to targeted general education supports.

The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice was to examine how a school-based improvement initiative, Project FOCUS (Fidelity, Outcomes, Collaboration, and Unified Support), strengthened MTSS pre-referral practices to support special education referral decision-making. Guided by Improvement Science, the …

The Stories Of College Faculty Navigating Student Trauma Disclosures: A Narrative Inquiry, Samantha Daluz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to understand how faculty who navigate student trauma disclosures construct stories about themselves as educators and how those stories shape their understanding of teaching and learning. Although the literature has increasingly focused on trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning, little research has explored how faculty navigate student trauma disclosures or how those experiences shape their understanding of teaching and learning. This study sought to better understand those experiences and provide institutional leaders with insight into how faculty experience student trauma disclosures within higher education. Narrative inquiry was employed using Mahayana Buddhism as the …

The Role Of Perceived Academic And Peer Support In Mitigating Imposter Syndrome Among Adhd Students, Eden Morley Dr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in higher education is associated with significant executive functioning deficits and performance inconsistencies. These challenges, alongside heightened rejection sensitivity, may predispose students to the Imposter Phenomenon (IP)—the persistent belief that one’s success is undeserved. While social and academic supports are known to buffer psychological distress, their specific role in mitigating IP within the ADHD student population remains under-researched.

Objectives: This study investigated the severity of IP among undergraduate students with ADHD and examined the protective roles of Perceived Social Support (PSS) and Perceived Academic Support (PAS), while exploring gender as a potential moderator.

Methodology: A cross-sectional …

The Relationship Between School Connectedness And Well-Being Among Racial Minority English Language Learners: Implications For School Counselors, Laura Craven, Jonathan Ohrt, Keeland Lodato

Journal of English Learner Education

Students who feel connected to their school experience better academic performance, social competence, and mental health. English Language Learners (ELL) face unique challenges to school connectedness compared to their English-speaking peers. In this study, we explored the relationship between school connectedness and well-being for 205 racial minority ELL students. ELL students’ perceived school belonging was a significant predictor of well-being. We discuss implications for school counselors, including specific strategies for increasing ELL students’ school connectedness.

How Disability Inclusion Shapes Student Experiences In Egyptian Public Universities, Ramez Maher

Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education is a critical aspect of equity, social justice, and human rights, particularly in Egypt, where systemic barriers continue to hinder access to education for this demographic. Despite the enrollment of approximately 19.4 million students in 2018, only 38,135 students with disabilities were admitted, highlighting the significant challenges they face in accessing higher education.   Through a qualitative approach employing reflexive thematic analysis, this study explores the interplay of institutional policies, cultural attitudes, and accessibility challenges that affect the educational experiences of students with disabilities in Egyptian public universities. The analysis of 21 …