The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that impact achievement for African-American males in a charter school in hopes of providing insight as well as recommendations into effective ways to close the academic achievement gap between African-American males and their counterparts, specifically the so-called “achievement gap” through examination of leadership and other correlates of a successful school. Lastly, the habits of an effective leader and his impact on the belief system, values and behaviors in an African-American male charter school and the influence he has on teachers, parents and students was examined. Thirty participants responded to an online survey sent to teachers, parents and students. Two school principals, one past and the other current were interviewed. Data was collected through a single bounded longitudinal study for a period of six years. A holistic analysis of the entire case was conducted. Through this data collection, a detailed description of the case emerged in which detailed such aspects as the history of the case, the chronology of events, or the day-by-day rendering of the activities of the case. After this description, common or emerging themes were identified in an effort to identify lessons learned from the case. Qualitative analysis of the data provided evidence to support the three themes that emerged from the data collection. This research revealed the most important factor in African-American males and achievement is effective leadership, without that nothing else matters, with that everything is possible. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed the leader must see himself as the instructional leader in his school, have a shared belief system that all children can and will learn, and facilitate a culture that empowers students and teachers alike. Results of this research investigation provide implications and recommendations for all schools educating African-American males in single-gender environments, particularly for the administrators who lead these schools.

Rwanda has made significant progress in decreasing the number of maternal deaths and increasing the number of antenatal care visits and childbirths at health facilities. This thesis seeks to illuminate potential barriers for Rwanda’s goal for maternal survival. The studies explore the bottom-up perspective of policies and practices in regards to maternal care in Kigali. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2016 with women who nearly died (‘near-miss’) during pregnancy, their partners, and with other recent fathers and community members, as well as healthcare providers who work within abortion care. The framework of naturalistic inquiry guided the study design and data collection. Analysis was conducted using framework analysis, thematic analysis and naturalistic inquiry. The findings identify paradoxical outcomes in the implementation of maternal care policies. Despite recent amendments of the abortion law, safe abortion was identified as being non-accessible. Abortion-related symptoms continue to carry a criminalized and stigmatized label, which encourages risk-taking and clandestine solutions to unwanted pregnancies, and causes care-seeking delays for women with obstetric complications in early pregnancy. Healthcare providers had limited awareness of the current abortion law, and described tensions in exercising their profession due to fear of litigation. The first antenatal care visit appeared to require the accompaniment of a male partner, which underpinned women’s reliance on men in their care-seeking. Men expressed interest in taking part in maternal care, but faced resistance for further engagement from healthcare providers. Giving birth at a health facility was identified as mandatory, yet care was experienced as suboptimal. Disrespect during counseling and care was identified, leading to repeated care-seeking and may underpin the uptake of traditional medicine. An enhanced implementation of the current abortion law is recommended. Reconsideration of policy is recommended to ensure equitable and complete access to antenatal care: women should be able to seek care accompanied by their person of choice. These findings further recommend action for improved policy to better address men’s preferred inclusion in maternal health matters. The findings of this thesis promote continued attention to implementing changes to strengthen quality, and trust, in public maternal care.

This presentation focused on research that evaluates and examines the impact of Safe Space trainings on competency levels of a sample of school counselors/ school counselor trainees. Dr. Byrd also explored the relationship between LGBTQ competency and awareness of sexism and heterosexism in order to determine the effectiveness of Safe Space trainings.

Genderism may be understood as “an ideology that reinforces the negative evaluation of gender nonconformity or incongruence between sex and gender” (Hill & Willoughby, 2005, p. 534). Further, genderism may be similar to the concept of heterosexism. While western culture has operated within traditional binary thought systems and the LGBTQQIA subculture has been subject to these same ideas, affectional orientation and gender identity have also been significantly expanded through greater recognition of nonheterosexuality. Emerging research validates the complexity of affectional orientation and gender identity through the recognition of intersectionality as a more accurate framework. The presenters will discuss findings of their qualitative research study that examined how genderism is experienced within, among, and between members of the LGBTQQIA communities. For the purposes of the study, genderism was defined as bias resulting from a binary view of gender. Responses from ten individuals were analyzed for themes within and across participants using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings have implications for counseling practice, counselor education, and considerations for advocacy.

Research shows that teachers’ and educators’ responses to gender diversity issues in schools either improves or limits the experiences of students. The school counsellor has an important role to play in this process by working closely with other stakeholders to advocate for transgender, intersex and genderqueer (TIG) students. Following a review of recent developments in the USA, recommendations are made and resources identified to assist school counsellors in validating TIG students, and improving school systems in pursuit of their academic, social and emotional success

Counselors are legally and ethically called to provide affirmative services to trans and gender-expansive youth. Counselors, whether working in schools, agencies or private practices, must affirm all clients. This presentation will provide counselors with legal and ethical information and resources for honing skills for supporting gender-expansive youth.

As advocates and leaders, school counselors play a vital role in school communities working for and with transgender, intersex and genderqueer (TIG) students. Learn how the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success can bolster your curriculum planning efforts and promote safe and healthy outcomes for TIG students and with school stakeholders. Discover the mindsets and beliefs about TIG student success, and engage your school community in creating an inclusive and welcoming culture. After attending this session, you should be able to: 1) Discuss the risk and protective factors among TIG students. 2) Explain the rationale for curriculum material use with TIG students. 3) Integrate the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors to TIG youth in school counseling core curriculum and across various school settings. 4) Examine your school counseling program and share inclusive curriculum resources.

Even though America has seen an increase in the level of acceptance for people who identify as LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming, certain aspects within society continue to hinder their rights, especially within public education. Specifically, there are insufficiencies regarding content of and attitudes toward including LGBTQ issues in teaching and leadership training programs. Add to that, the deficits in most Family Life Education (FLE) programs in elementary schools as they lack adequate coverage of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning about gender and sexuality. Taken together, it remains questionable whether the needs of LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming children can truly be met. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the policy discourse concerning teaching and learning gender and sexuality issues during early childhood at an elementary school in Virginia. Another purpose was to understand how educators perceive developmentally appropriate timing and content for these topics as well. A combination of critical policy analysis and critical advocacy research was utilized to compare and analyze the written policy discourse as presented within Virginia’s FLE policy to educators’ (teachers, counselors, principals) interpretation and enactment of these written discourses in their classrooms and schools. Findings revealed specific ways the written, spoken, and enacted discourses diverged and coalesced and how these similarities and differences inform future policy and practice. A critical analysis of the written discourses (and silences) suggest Virginia’s FLE curriculum and instruction maintains heteronormative undertones, while the spoken and enacted discourses indicates concern for expanding elementary students’ understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming children and non-normative family structures. Implications of findings include suggestions for future research and changes in policy and practice that aim to create more inclusive classrooms and schools.

Current research indicates that caregivers’ responses and behaviors to young children’s emotion expressions communicate messages that teach young children how to understand, label, recognize and modify emotions in socially desirable ways. This process is referred to as emotion socialization. This topic is timely and relevant due to the large numbers of preschoolers suspended and expelled each year. Several reports indicate that 50,000 preschoolers are suspended each year and that Black boys are the largest recipients of such actions. Black boys comprise just 19% of preschool enrollment, but 45% of male suspensions. In addition, data show that preschool teachers expect challenging behavior to occur when Black boys are present, even when there is no challenging behavior. Cultural and contextual factors such as child’s race/ethnicity, gender, social status, are also influencing differences in preschool caregiver’s emotion socialization behaviors. The goal of this study was to examine whether a professional development (PD) model increases preschool teachers’ use of emotionally supportive responses to the negative emotion expressions of Black boys with low levels of emotional competence. The research design was a multiple-baseline across participants design. There were two Black female teacher participants and the model was implemented in a private not-for profit center and a non-profit center that targeted families and children at risk for developmental delays. Findings from the study showed a functional relation between the PD model and teachers’ use of emotionally supportive instructional practices. Implications for the future include examining the impact of setting on implementation of the PD model using a multiple baseline across settings design and examining the role of teachers’ thoughts and beliefs about negative emotion expressions on teachers’ use of emotionally supportive responses.

<p>The study concentrates on a particular type of state intervention in social policy. It considers whether policy reforms and subsequent provision of information with regards to the issue of parental leave and part-time work arrangements, makes an impact on gender equity in the labour market (Del Boca, 2002 / Naldini &amp / Saraceno, 2008). Giddens&rsquo / theory of structuration is the conceptual framework from which this study approaches these questions. It is thus held that agents (in this instance, women) are constrained by structures (labour policy framework and institutionalised labour practices) to achieve specific social goals. And further: that the apparent lack of power on the part of agents requires intervention on the part of the state apparatus to correct the failure (or inability) of the labour market to deliver the social justice as aspired to in the cited European Employment Strategy, as well as fostering economic efficiency (Barr, 1992). I further contend that not only are agents constrained by structural properties, but that institutional reform (in the form of labour policy reform) is constrained by the human action1 of the management of firms and enterprises as economic agents within the policy framework.</p>