This dissertation investigates the relationship among language, gender/sexuality, and childhood through a digital and sociolinguistic ethnography with a national nonprofit organization, GLSEN. GLSEN's mission is to ensure K-12 schools provide safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ students, through interventions with educators, students, parents,…

Kindergarten unreadiness for children in poverty contributes to an early and persistent achievement gap in elementary school that can evolve into an opportunity gap in adulthood. This study explored the effect of the federally funded Preschool Development Grant program on school readiness for marginalized children in Southern Arizona. The…

This qualitative study examines students' perceptions of their bilingualism in a school that is attempting to disrupt inequalities through the promotion of social justice through bilingual/bicultural education. In order to understand students' perspectives of their bilingualism in Arizona's restrictive policy context, the researchers apply…

We present case studies of elementary school leaders in an Arizona district with a large enrollment of Latinx Spanish-speaking students who qualify for English language development services. The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Leadership dimensions are used as a lens to examine how school leaders navigate Arizona's restrictive language…

In its 2019 report, "Beyond the Border: Family Separation in the Trump Era" (see ED603926), UnidosUS demonstrates how the current trajectory of the nation's immigration policies is threatening the future of an entire generation of American children. Today, 80% of Latinos are U.S. citizens and half of those remaining are legal permanent…

The departure of an effective school leader can influence staff turnover and student achievement for several years. With school systems facing an unprecedented public health crisis due to COVID-19, principal retention is a key area of concern for many local and state education agencies. The Regional Educational Laboratory West undertook this study…

The "Principal Retention Patterns in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah" study examined principal retention rates in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The study sought to understand principal retention patterns in these states, so that their new statewide leadership support initiatives could identify areas where support could be most effective.…

This study explored the perceptions of district superintendents in Texas and Arizona concerning the internship activities of superintendent candidates they supervised. Twenty superintendents agreed to participate in interviews. Five uniform questions were presented during the interviews. A qualitative analysis of interview responses is shared, and…

Engineering schools have been unable to recruit and retain Native American students at the same rate as other students. Consequently, the Native American representation in engineering has been declining over the years in Arizona, even though the state ranks third in the number of degrees earned in the US by Native Americans. To understand the…

In Arizona, individuals can receive a tax credit of up to US$200 per individual taxpayer for donations to public schools. We analyze public school tax credit donations to charter schools and document inequalities in the distribution of donations associated with the percentages of more advantaged students charter schools serve. The differences in…

In the United States, beginning teacher retention rates are extraordinarily low; only 50% of teachers remain in the classroom after five years. In particular, the state of Arizona has been recruiting significant numbers of teachers from out of state and attempting to retain them with minimal success. This persistent problem has led the neediest of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused schools to close in an effort to prevent the further spread of the disease. This has impacted teachers and students around the world. This mixed-methods research study examines if social and emotional learning has a statistically significant relationship between teachers' participation in SEL training and teachers'…

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of first- and second-year migrant undergraduate students and staff in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Arizona State University (ASU). ASU CAMP, which started in 2016, is the first program of its kind at an Arizona public university. Using an ethnographic monitoring approach, a…

Public schools across the country are increasingly working with children who enter schools speaking a language other than English. Using a case study methodology, the authors examined Dual Language Program (DLP) implementation in Arizona, which by law supports English-only education. Several benefits (bilingualism, bi-literacy, biculturalism,…

This report provides key insights into the difficult working conditions endured by teachers in Arizona and across the nation. Arizona provides just $8,569 in per pupil funding, the lowest among all states. In fact, Arizona provides $5,477 "less" per pupil than the national average. Arizona also invests only 2.5% of its state wealth, as…