Novice reading teachers often struggle to provide high-quality reading instruction. The reasons for their difficulties include "transition shock," challenging school contexts, lack of proper preparation, and poor support. One way to improve the quality of novice teachers' reading instruction is through improving their access to high…

Despite the use of literacy coaching to help improve the instructional practices of teachers and increase reading achievement, data of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) indicate that Florida's students are averaging about 60% below NAEP proficient level. This dissertation reported the results of a nonexperimental study that…

This paper is an evaluation of undergraduate college students' participation in the Student Alumni Association (SAA) at the University of South Florida. I evaluated benefits of participating in the program, why students do not participate in the program, and if participation affected students' persistence through college. Undergraduate students…

There are widespread concerns about disparities in educational attainment in the United States. Unfortunately African American, Hispanic, Native American, and low-income Broward County Public Schools high school students participate in College Bound Type Programs at lower rates than students of other races and ethnicities. Many of these students…

Anthropogenic climate change and recreational use of coral reefs has led to the degradation of essential ecosystems globally. Over half of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed causing a loss in biodiversity due to overfishing, sea level rise, intensifying storm activity, and habitat destruction from human activity, making reefs one of the…

This multiple case study was designed to examine the facilitating factors and barriers of the PBIS implementations from the perspectives of the administrators and PBIS coaches. Three middle schools, three administrators and three PBIS coaches in a school district in Florida participated in 30-40 minute interviews. Within-case analysis and cross…

Despite an abundance of research centered on reading and applied behavior analysis, minimal literature exists on the use of applied behavior analysis methodologies to treat reading disabilities. This dissertation-in-practice action research study examined the extent to which a behavior-analytic intervention infused with the science of reading…

Only 3% of alternatively certified teachers in Florida are retained after receiving certification. When teachers' self-efficacy improves, so does their motivation, mental health, job satisfaction, and student performance. Teacher self-efficacy is unstable and often influenced by situational conditions. A gap in the literature exists regarding how…

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the extent of high school principals' instructional leadership (IL) support regarding world languages (WL) programs in Florida in 2022. Research on WL programs in K-12th and IL asserts that administrators neglect WL programs. In the first phase, a Principal's Instructional Management Rating…

The gap in achievement and discipline between White and Black students is a significant problem in education across the nation. The objective of this study was to determine if the achievement gap increases once schools decrease suspension rates and offer alternatives to out-of-school suspension. The purpose of this study was to determine the…

School violence is a problem that affects students, families, teachers, staff, and administration (Crews, 2019). Restorative justice is a proactive, alternative method to penal discipline (Payne & Welch, 2018). My study sought to understand the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and students with a restorative justice program at Happy…

Improving student achievement is a continual focus of educational and political leaders. The strategies used to impact student achievement are varied as are the results. The United States Department of Education provides grant funding to states and local educational agencies with the goal of impacting student achievement through the use of…

Many university leaders lack the knowledge necessary to retain skilled employees and decrease employee turnover. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that leaders of colleges/universities in the United States used to retain skilled employees. Research participants included 7 leaders in higher education in central…

Public school leaders struggle to find teachers to fill the vacancies in America's classrooms. The teacher shortage crisis is a result of many overlapping causes which include the disparity in resources to attract potential teachers, a declining enrollment in teacher preparatory programs, a lack of teachers certified to teach critical shortage…

Theatre instructional techniques, including reader's theatre and process drama teaching strategies, have been employed as instructional strategies in classrooms to enhance reading comprehension and vocabulary learning in students. In this era of increasing accountability for educational outcomes, quantifying what, if any, impact such instructional…