Advocates of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) often champion a neoliberal agenda of privatization, deregulation, the mass firings of teachers and administrators, and takeovers of schools deemed to be "failing." School takeovers are sanctioned under the No Child Left Behind Act's Corrective Action measures, in which…

Colleges and Universities have a myriad of choices in how to organize enrollment services delivery. Formalizing collaborative services to create stronger more comprehensive linkages and cross-functional service delivery in a student-centric, relationship-oriented manner is important for meeting the expectations of today's students. In support…

This qualitative study explores how Latina/os recount their experiences and successes (or lack thereof) at a flagship public university. It examines how Latina/os form their identities in relation to their notions of academic success in the college environment, where social dynamics of race/ethnicity, class, and gender operate and intersect.…

The overarching aim of this mixed methods study was to explore the online experiences of students with disabilities, with particular focus on students' use of assistive technologies, mobile media and self-efficacy. Using a multifaceted an integrative approach, this study considered a framework of universal design, Scherer's Matching…

Innovation is needed to create new industries and jobs to strengthen our nation's security, protect our planet and have an insurmountable amount of new jobs for our people. A great starting point would be educating our children with disabilities. Students with disabilities who were once absent from public school campuses have since been…

The purpose of this study was to identify strategies and behaviors that successful superintendents used to build strong relationships and trust with their boards within their entry period. The three research questions were developed to guide this study: 1. What strategies and behaviors were successful superintendents using to build strong…

Although social stratification usually calls to mind the hierarchical ranking of individuals, sociology often broadly considers it the ranking of any social objects. The Treiman Socio-Economic Index (SEI), for example, provides a quantitative assessment of the hierarchical ranking of occupations. This dissertation considers the hierarchical…

The superintendents have become more of educational leaders in order to meet the federal mandates of NCLB and IDEA which have the goal of students with disabilities being proficient in reading and math by 2014, while providing FAPE to meet their individual program and service requirements. The increased accountability pressure of NCLB for federal…

This study demonstrates that institutional agents at the community college make a significant difference in the lives of students by supporting them during the transfer process. This study brings a critical perspective to the education field by giving a voice to institutional agents at the community college level. Utilizing the social capital…

This study examined three institutional researchers from three different Hispanic-serving community colleges in southern California to examine how they would use data to act as agents of organizational learning and raise awareness of Hispanic students' educational outcomes within their respective institutions. This study was of a qualitative…

As the notion of globalization becomes more and more important, students from all over the world decide to study abroad in order to gain multicultural experiences. The United States has always been the leading country, with the most international enrollment; yet the increasing demand for enrollment in universities between English-speaking…

In response to a growing trend towards alternative teacher education programs, this study aims to direct the focus on traditional teacher preparation programs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the processes of how classroom teachers are selected, trained, and supported as guiding teachers in one urban teacher education program. The…

This dissertation served as a pilot study that tested a set of ideas drawn from the existing literature grounded in organizational learning theory, leadership theory, sociocultural theory, and the social and psychological constructs demonstrating leader behavior and capacity. The study examined the intersection within four individual components of…

This report describes a problem-based learning project focused on determining the barriers to the implementation of technological innovations. that properly executed technology implementation is an instructional variable related to student achievement; yet, school district leaders are faced with the problem of recognizing and identifying the…

"The Role of the Chief Student Affairs Officer in Promoting the Jesuit Mission of the University" is a qualitative comparative case study of three lay (non-cleric, non-Jesuit) chief student affairs officers employed in three U.S. Jesuit higher educational institutions. As the number of Jesuits decreases, a significant question is how the…