Professionals have found autism to be an enigmatic condition. While necessary biomedical research continues, a gap exists in the inclusion of parental opinions, knowledge, and experiences in educational planning for their autistic children. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the factors that the parents felt contributed to the academic success of their autistic child in the public school classroom environment and ways in which their ideas might contribute to overall educational planning and classroom design in structure, curriculum development, and intervention strategies which might lead to reduced stress. Parental input was explored through semistructured personal interviews with 8 parents and the administration of a 32-question survey questionnaire to 109 parents of autistic children. A content analysis was done on the qualitative data, and an analysis of quantitative data reported the frequency and percentages of the participant responses. Findings from the data revealed multiple areas in need of improved educational services that include the classroom organization, educator training and knowledge about the autistic condition, educator support, effective communication, and behavioral management of the symptoms of autism. The social change impact from the study's findings have the potential to inform educational planning, foster collaboration, increase educator participation in autism training methods, secure necessary funding for evidence based autism educational programs, promote further research, and provide awareness of existing empirically based approaches designed to meet the needs of a vulnerable population.

Researchers have determined that early childhood (EC) educators need to have personal and social skills and competencies to address the emotional demands of the EC profession. Research is lacking regarding how preservice programs help prepare students emotionally for the EC profession and on whether online courses are a suitable environment for future EC teachers to learn these skills. The purpose of this study was to explore if and how personal and social emotional intelligence (EI) competencies were being embedded and modeled in community college preservice EC educator online courses. This qualitative multiple case study design was employed using a conceptual framework based on Goleman's EI theory and included 3 community college preservice EC faculty member participants. Research questions targeted self-awareness, motivation, and empathy competencies and data sources included faculty interviews, syllabi, assignment descriptions, asynchronous discussion forum prompts, and faculty feedback on student assignments. Data analysis included using values coding and the identification of relevant themes as related to Goleman's EI theory. Results indicated that while faculty perceived EI as important and that they modeled competencies in online discussions and feedback, there were not many embedded activities in the online courses that provided practice or helped to show growth in EI competencies. This study contributes to positive social change for EC faculty by acting as an impetus for the intentional incorporation of EI activities in online environments, leading possibly to better prepared EC teachers and therefore improved teacher quality of life and teacher retention.

In an inner-city elementary school, students continue to lag in reading proficiency, and implementation of research-based, district-mandated teaching strategies is not well understood. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of mandated, read-aloud expository text strategies in K-2 classrooms. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's social constructivism model of learning, which envisions students learning by interacting with teachers and peers, in this case, using read-aloud strategies, until they become autonomous, expository readers. The research questions focused on benefits and challenges of the implementation of read-aloud expository text by K-2 teachers who were given a 5-year mandate by the school to use strategies of scaffolding, graphic organizers, think-alouds, and text talk. Data were gathered from 5 teachers who volunteered to participate and were trained in the strategies. Data collection included individual interviews, collaborating interviews, reflective journals, and field notes. Open coding and thematic analysis identified 6 themes of teacher perceptions, including benefits, situational strategies, and explanations for use, challenges, support, and implementation. Throughout the data collection process, teachers suggested the use of Text Talk Kit materials. These kits, in use by other districts, may be beneficial to all teachers and may lead to social change by allowing teachers to access materials to better instruct all struggling readers, a benefit across all curricular areas and for all students.

The problem at an elementary school is teachers' lack of knowledge and information on the perceptions and motivation of students to complete independent mathematics homework. The purpose of this study was to identify students' perceptions regarding their homework environment and academic motivation in mathematics. The study's conceptual framework, attribution theory, supported the examination of drivers of motivation for participants related to homework completion. Guiding research questions, supported by Keller's ARCS model, focused on the identification of students' perceptions of homework attention, relevance, curiosity, satisfaction, and their preferred homework environment. This qualitative research study obtained data from semistructured interviews with 44 fourth-grade participants. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis to identify motivational drivers of homework completion and students' preferred environment. Findings showed 48% of students preferred a traditional home environment, while 43% of students preferred a study hall environment. Despite these slight differences, students desired environmental conditions that were comfortable, offered resources, had teacher or other adult availability, and provided timely feedback as the primary motivational drivers of homework completion. The project, a white paper, should generate dialogue about understanding students' perceptions about motivation and homework. A proposed homework guide should be used to provide academic support, constructive feedback, and ways to create an environment that supports students' learning needs and work habits. This study may support social change within the community by creating awareness and action to improve student mathematics motivation.

At 2 primary schools in Western Jamaica, students at the Grade 1 level lacked basic literacy skills of comprehension, letter recognition, letter sounds, and oral communication. The purpose of this qualitative evaluation study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the Jolly Phonics program implemented to improve students' literacy in Grades 1-3. Guided by Engestrom's activity theory, the effectiveness of the Jolly Phonics approach was examined based on the sociocultural learning theories of Vygotsky, Dewey, and Piaget. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of the program's impact on students' literacy improvement and of the strategies used in the Jolly Phonics program. Data collection involved individual interviews with 8 teachers from 2 selected primary schools with a representation of at least 2 teachers from each grade level. Using open coding and thematic analysis, emerging minor and major themes were identified. Themes included (a) positive impact on curriculum and instructional delivery; (b) focus on all students who lacked basic literacy skills; (c) development of phonetic awareness, writing, comprehension, and listening skills; (d) workshops that are stimulating and informative; (e) support from teachers and administrators; and (g) greater focus placed at the lower grades. Overall, the findings indicated that the Jolly Phonics program had a positive impact on struggling readers in Grades 1-3. Implications for positive social change include providing the local district with research-based findings on teachers' perceptions of the impact of and strategies used in the Jolly Phonics Program. The findings can be used to support programming decisions and professional development to improve literacy skills of early and struggling readers.

Prior research studies point to a correlational relationship between music instruction and academic achievement studies, but varying results and confounding factors prevent causality. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to test Vygotsky's sociocultural cognitive theory that playing a musical instrument is significantly associated with academic achievement in reading for 1st graders who attend 1 of 2 schools in Alaska. Using Analysis of Covariance, this study investigates the relationship between instrumental music and academic achievement on measures of academic progress (MAP) reading scores of 1st graders (n = 76) who received at least 90 minutes per week of string instruction for 2 consecutive years at a Title I school in comparison with those who attended another Title I school without the string program. Although the results of this study did not show a relationship between instrumental music and academic achievement on MAP reading scores of 1st graders, this study has implications for positive social change. This study contributes to this new field of music for social change and underscores the need from public school administrators and music educators for more research at the local and national level on the benefits of music education as a contributor to academic achievement and student success.

Literature that depicts females in restrictive roles may limit girls' aspirations and success. Previous studies of award-winning books for young children have found gender-stereotypical role portrayal to be common. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to identify the archetypal roles assigned to female characters in picture books read aloud by teachers in the preschool classroom. The conceptual framework for this study was derived from feminist theory and Jungian archetypes. Data were collected in the form of teachers' logs of books they read aloud over a 2-week period. Data were analyzed by employing the 3-read method developed by Madsen, which was revised to assign Jungian archetypes to each female character in a sample of 20 books. According to study results, female characters were portrayed as passive and often silent. Most of the female characters in these books were assigned archetypes typified by low personal agency, passivity, and service to others (orphan, innocent, and caretaker) and none were assigned archetypes associated with innovation (magician, jester, and creator). Of the 106 female characters portrayed in this sample, only 26% were verbal, and of those who spoke, 46% were limited to the one or two words needed to ask for assistance or to offer to serve. Female characters who did advance the plot through dialogue were often in animal form. Gender stereotypes still exist in children's picture books, as evidenced by objectification of females, female servitude, and lack of positive agentic female roles. This study has potential to elicit positive social change, benefiting both boys and girls, through increased awareness of archetypal role portrayal of female characters in picture books and teachers' increased care in selecting read-aloud books with regard to the gender-based messages they send.

Preschool special education students lack of personal-social skills is affecting their kindergarten readiness and placing them at risk for exposure to school discipline in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the quality of school discipline policies and personal-social skills of preschool special education students within the focus district. Ecological systems theory provided the framework for the study. Data collection included archived personal-social skills scores, as measured by the Battelle Developmental Inventory 2 (BDI 2), of 354 preschool special education students. Four trained educators rated the effectiveness of the schools' discipline policies using the Teaching and Guidance Policies Essentials Checklist (TAGPEC). Findings from simple linear regression analysis indicated no significant relationship between the TAGPEC ratings and students' BDI 2 scores. An ANCOVA was used to compare BDI 2 scores of students in Title I and non-Title I schools (n = 96 students per group) while conrolling for TAGPEC ratings, but results showed no statistically significant differences. The average quality of the discipline policies was rated as inadequate overall. Findings may be used by district administrators to improve the quality of current discipline policies. A policy recommendation was developed to encourage effective discipline policies and create a supportive school environment to promote positive social behaviors of all students, including the youngest and most vulnerable.

America is in the midst of a high school dropout crisis that will cost $3 trillion in lost wages over the lifetime of the 12 million students who are predicted to drop out. Each year, in an America's northern states, approximately 10,000 students drop out of high school; the majority of these students are Hispanic. Guided by Ogbu's cultural-ecological theory of academic disengagement, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Hispanics who dropped out of high school and their rationales for dropping out.. Eight Hispanic dropouts in a local community were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and interrogated via inductive analysis. Findings in this study show that the system and community forces that impeded academic achievement were in similar to those of Ogbu's findings. However, contrary to this theory, the participants in this study did not report any discrimination. The participants dropped out due to academic difficulties, early parenthood, and a lack of parental support. Hispanics' perspectives are needed if administrators and other stakeholders are to develop and apply ethnically skilled policies and performances that could be effective in accommodating Hispanics' educational needs. Reducing Hispanics' high school dropout rates will benefit taxpayers by providing substantial economic return. Guided by these findings, the school board will be equipped to support their educators, which in return could produce quality academic performance among Hispanic students.

The Framework for 21st-Century Learning (The Framework) is focused on the mastery of core subjects and been found to be essential to student success. Teachers in a suburban school district in Ohio were struggling to address the challenges associated with the implementation of The Framework. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers implemented the program in their classrooms. Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development guided the exploration of how elementary teachers were implementing critical elements of The Framework to scaffold literacy instruction. A qualitative case study design was used to allow the researcher to examine the ways elementary teachers were addressing the challenges of The Framework. Nine elementary teachers (grades K-3) with varying levels of experience from 2 elementary schools similar in demographics in a school district were selected to participate in the study. Each completed a questionnaire pertaining to The Framework and was observed in the classroom using a checklist based on The Framework, guided by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of learning, and focused on best-practice literacy principles. Axial coding was used to identify patterns and themes from the questionnaires, observations, and public documents. Results indicated that educators were implementing The Framework, but were using outdated terminology, were creating misconceptions and confusion about some literature principles, and were not using student-driven assessment strategies. The findings informed creation of a professional development project that will provide elementary teachers in the district with support while integrating The Framework. This study affects positive social change by providing increased understanding of literacy instruction to enhance student learning within The Framework.