<p> The current obesity rates of our nation's youth continue to escalate at an alarming rate due to inactivity, poor nutrition, and lifestyle changes. The purpose of this research study was conducted to determine the effects of Missouri Senate Bill 291 on Missouri physical fitness scores as assessed by the <i>Missouri Physical Fitness Assessment.</i> </p><p> The state of Missouri adopted new physical activity requirements starting in the 2010-2011 school year. This study evaluated the impact of Missouri Senate Bill 291 on fifth and ninth grade physical fitness assessments. Eleven years of statewide data, were examined to determine the impact of the physical activity mandate. Quantitative data analysis revealed a significant improvement for all four fitness assessments for grades 5 and 9 since the passage of Missouri Senate Bill 291. Grade 9 indicated a statistical significant change in the flexibility assessment. Results suggested that Missouri Senate Bill 291 has had a positive impact on statewide physical fitness assessments. Despite this positive improvement, overall fitness of Missouri fifth and ninth graders is still a major concern due to approximately three out of ten students failing the <i>Missouri Physical Fitness Assessment.</i> </p><p> This study provided for the value of fitness data collection moving forward with improving youth health and wellness. Further research and recommendations are advised in order to study trends related to youth physical fitness. In conclusion, state education departments and school districts should consider the value of collecting and examining fitness scores to develop curriculum that promotes healthy lifestyles which can improve academic success.</p>

<p> The term &ldquo;at risk&rdquo; is a label that is used to describe students who encompass a host of prominent socially and politically constructed titles that are intended to simplify student understanding and awareness and allow for clear reporting. The purpose of this study was to demythologize the concept of &ldquo;at risk&rdquo; by creating the conditions for student voice and critical dialogue to emerge, through the use of narrative inquiry. This research hoped to provide an outlet for young people to find and use their own voices, while finding their own place within their lived histories. The research also aimed to raise awareness of the reality of the contemporary U.S. educational system: we often create policies and programs without considering the perspectives of the young people whom these services are designed to serve. Through critical narrative inquiry, six former student's engaged in unstructured interviews and a focus group. Through analysis of the data set, five themes emerged and include 1) relationships with bicultural adults who understand, 2) instrumentalizing pedagogy, 3) the impact of money-driven policy, 4) the awareness of limitations of opportunities, and 5) the overall theme of the transparency of hegemony. This research hoped to problematize the label in an effort to move toward an emancipatory understanding of how we speak about young people and make sense of the circumstances these young people must navigate through their education and their world.</p>

<p> In partial response to poverty, food insecurity, and other risk factors believed to adversely impact academic achievement, school districts have begun to implement the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program. While research identifies health, nutrition, and achievement-related benefits of school meal programs, few studies focus on leaders' perceptions of the BIC program. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of district and school leaders on the BIC program implemented in their schools, as well as to examine their recommendations for long-term program success. </p><p> This case study employed Bolman and Deal's framework through which structural, human resources, political, and symbolic aspects of the BIC program were examined at two elementary schools. Twelve participants were interviewed. Findings indicated that leaders perceived the BIC program to be a valuable social program with benefits that outweighed its flaws. They recommended the importance of school-site support, implementation differentiation, an improved menu, and the establishment of a food donation program or classroom food storage system to ensure BIC program success.</p>

<p> Private liberal arts colleges are uniquely American institutions whose very existence is due to the philanthropic generosity of individuals and organizations (Thelin, 2004). They receive little direct government support and rely on tuition revenues, endowment earnings, and philanthropy to balance their budgets, making them susceptible to shifts in the economy (Balderston, 1995). How these institutions plan for the future and how philanthropy factors into these plans was an important question to examine (Connell, 2006). This study addressed deficiencies in the literature by providing an in-depth view of how the constituencies of a singular four-year, private liberal arts college believed that philanthropy affected a strategic planning process and how administrative decision-making models were used during this process. </p><p> The following research questions were addressed: a.) How did philanthropy affect planning for capital projects within a strategic plan? b.) How did philanthropy affect the focus of current and future academic offerings of an institution? c.) How did philanthropic considerations affect the organizational structure which supports the fulfillment of the strategic plan? A total of 23 key informants were interview for this study and 58 pages of materials were reviewed. Using case study methodology provided practitioners and scholars with a deeper understanding of how philanthropy and strategic planning have a mutual influence upon one another. Also, exploring how decision-making models were utilized in this process provided an important insight into the practice of shared governance and decision-making at a liberal arts college. </p><p> It was evident during the case study of Selective College that philanthropy did play a role in facility planning, and the implementation of new value-added academic and co-curricular programs. The core mission, values, and academic focus of Selective College were not altered due to the influence of philanthropy during the strategic planning exercise. In addition, new administrative positions were created to increase philanthropic revenue. There was also a focus on increasing revenue through tuition and fees leading to investments in admissions and marketing efforts. A new form of institutional decision-making emerged during this study which allowed for feedback, but resulted in institutional leadership making final decisions with a focus on increasing revenues.</p>

<p> Due to federal laws requiring standardized testing of only a select few of the core subjects, many students have been divested of fine arts instruction (Chen, 2008; Garcia, 2010; Jacobsen &amp; Rothstein, 2009; Maxwell, 2008; Suzuki, 2009). Moreover, school officials have reduced funding allocated to non-tested content areas as one means of balancing district budgets in a poor economy (Chen, 2008; Garcia, 2010). This mixed method study examined music educators' and curriculum directors' perceptions of how federal education laws have affected public school fine arts. Analysis of data from interviews of six music educators and six curriculum directors were conducted concurrently with the distribution of a Likert online survey. The interview and survey methodologies provided descriptive data of educators' perceptions regarding the consideration of fine arts as a core subject in policy and practice, the role of public school fine arts in the education of the whole child, the overall value of the fine arts in light of brain research, and the controversy surrounding the standardized assessment of the fine arts. The findings of the study revealed that even though all curriculum directors and music educators agreed the fine arts should be included in a child's holistic education, music educators possessed stronger beliefs regarding the fine arts being considered a core subject, Curriculum directors indicated their districts valued the fine arts as a public relations tool and as a means to boost achievement in other subjects, while music educators in the same district spoke of feeling devalued, indicating a disconnect in communication between administrators and staff. Finally, though many educators oppose the standardized testing of the fine arts, the assessments would provide valuable data.</p>

<p> <i>Objective:</i> This study explored views of outstanding leadership among the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals working in the United States within the business and industry sector. U.S. STEM occupations are projected to experience 11.1% growth between 2016 and 2026, higher than the projected 7.4% growth for all occupations (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017a). The U.S. has undertaken aggressive STEM educational reform and recruiting, to ensure the nation&rsquo;s continued prosperity and national security (National Science Board, 2018b; U.S. Department of Education, 2018). A shift in U.S. STEM demographics will present challenges for business leaders, human resources (HR) practitioners, and educators who prepare leaders for the increasingly cross-cultural workplace. <i> Method:</i> This correlational study applied the GLOBE leadership scales to explore study participants&rsquo; views according to gender, age, national origin group, number of years worked in the U.S, and workforce category. <i> Results:</i> The five leader attributes rated as most contributing to outstanding leadership were: (a) trustworthy, (b) clear, (c) sincere, (d) inspirational, and (e) diplomatic. There were 64 statistically significant correlations of low strength and 1 of moderate strength.</p><p>

<p> This study explored the relationship between a National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) College Readiness Program (CRP) Grant and student achievement outcomes in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and on AP Exams in four Alaska high schools. A logistic regression model returned the odds of students obtaining an A or B versus a C, D, or F in an AP course, and earning a passing score versus a failing score on the exam. The results indicate there are more frequent significant differences in exam scores than in course grades based on the independent variables in the regression model. Free-and-reduced lunch (FRL) status and a school&rsquo;s location were the most frequent predictors, followed by gender, grant status, and ethnicity. The lack of difference in AP course grades suggests that non-White, female students receiving FRL, attending an urban high school with the grant may be able to achieve at levels comparable to their more advantaged peers. Furthermore, the percent growth in exam pass rate at the grant schools in the study was higher than the non-grant schools and similar to other state-level studies of the NMSI CRP grant. Beyond the consistent increases in exam pass rate at grant schools, enrollment also grew by 13% for underrepresented students at the urban grant school and by 6% at the suburban grant school. These results can be understood in context of Bioecological Systems Theory, which posits that individuals who experience interactions that underlie development in one environment, which they have not routinely experienced in other environments, will show greater development. In light of this study, this means underserved students may be able to close to the achievement gap to their more affluent peers if they have the necessary academic support. As a result, this study supports reducing barriers to advanced course enrollment, and creating systems to extend time for classroom instruction and teacher professional development.</p><p>

<p> In the United States, a staggering four thousand students drop out every school day. Moreover, in 2016, the graduation rate in Oregon was only 74.8%, one of the lowest in the nation. Research shows that a disproportionate number of youth leaving school are from historically marginalized communities. Many of these youth resiliently return to education at alternative schools. This research sought to explore the educational experiences of youth in alternative schools in their own voices and perspectives. From a theoretical framework based in sociocultural theory, cultural capital, and critical theory, this study underscored the importance of youth voice in changing the education system by incorporating qualitative methods and YPAR (Youth Participatory Action Research). Working alongside seven youth co-researchers who attended an alternative school in Oregon, we interviewed eight other students at the same school about their educational experiences and perceptions of the education system. The youth co-researchers and I co-constructed four themes collectively: &ldquo;I felt invisible to the teachers&rdquo;; &ldquo;Teaching is a sacred act&rdquo;; &ldquo;Regular high school is like drowning, it&rsquo;s cruel&rdquo;; and &ldquo;Dropping out was [actually] a success.&rdquo; We also compiled counternarratives in the words of the eight student participants, which highlighted how the school system pushed them out despite their desire to learn. Finally, we spoke truth to power, in solidarity with the youth in this study, by presenting our recommendations for educational change to teachers, including how they can co-create spaces with students that foster care and empathy, value youth voice, and are culturally sustaining and identity affirming.</p><p>

<p> Advocates of market-based reform strategies such as school choice claim they will offer families better options to obtain a high-quality education for their child, yet empirical studies offer inconclusive evidence of gains in student achievement and point to the growing trends of racial and economic segregation emanating from increased schooling options. Furthermore, research indicates numerous contextual factors affecting families&rsquo; participation and benefit from the expanded marketplace, with marginalized populations facing considerably more barriers in their search for high-quality education. This is particularly true for Latinx families, whose unique cultural, linguistic, social, and economic backgrounds influence their schooling decisions in ways that vary from the normative expectations of choice policies. Although their enrollment in public schools across the United States is steadily increasing, their participation in choice schools is often limited and impedes equitable access to high-quality schools. Because few empirical studies focus on this sector of the population, there is a great need for more comprehensive understanding of the behaviors and decisions of Latinx families across various nationalities, generations, and social classes. </p><p> This study aims to begin to fill this void in the literature, using a descriptive case study design to examine the ways in which Latinxs are and are not participating in the school choice process in Mecklenburg County. Data was triangulated among interviews of 17 immigrant Latinx families and four school personnel, public documents providing school data and county demographics, and participant observations of school choice related events. Findings revealed a trend in the timing of families&rsquo; participation: a majority did not engage in the educational marketplace until the middle or high school levels. A second notable trend was in the sectors of their participation: a majority of families applied to public magnet schools; the home school option was not mentioned; private schools were out of reach for the one family who looked into them; and charter schools were unfamiliar options to all but one family. Though parents sought to utilize their individual and cultural assets to obtain improved educational opportunities beyond their traditional public school, they faced numerous constraints in their participation due to their social stratification as immigrants with limited financial resources. These findings suggest implications for policy and practice particularly in resolving theoretical contradictions emanating from economic applications to democratic education.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this comparative study was to examine the relationship between student achievement and social-emotional well-being in three different school configurations for at-risk sixth grade students. This study sought to apply the stage-environment fit theory to investigate the effect of mismatched school environments on young adolescents when developmental changes occur. The mixed methods research measured academic and behavioral success and school connectedness using surveys and focus group interviews. The sample was made of 109 sixth grade students who qualified as at-risk in three northwest states. Results indicated alternative schools deliver supports that meet the academic and developmental needs of young adolescents by providing personalized and structured learning in a smaller environment.In addition, elementary schools were also found to have positive effects on academics through their use of effective teaching methodologies due to structured lessons and small ability groups. </p><p> A student&rsquo;s sense of connectedness was paramount in the findings of meeting the social-emotional needs of this marginalized population. Quantitative and qualitative results supported the elementary and alternative schools&rsquo; ability to provide students with a culture of care and support afforded through active engagement and personalized connections. Alternative students were found to have deeper conversations and stronger connections to their teachers resulting in statistically significant results according to teacher relationships from the survey and focus interviews. Alternative schools found a decrease in discipline and absenteeism as compared to at-risk students in elementary and middle schools. The behavioral results from the alternative configuration found the implementation of a sound positive behavioral intervention program was the factor that separated the alternative school program from the elementary and middle school configurations. </p><p> In light of prior findings of school configurations in relation to student success, this study supports small communities with smaller populations, lower teacher to student ratios, caring teachers who build relationships, and individualized multisensory teaching practices. These pedagogies increased student achievement and sense of connectedness to meet young adolescents&rsquo; developmental needs could reduce this vulnerable population&rsquo;s disposition of dropping out of school.</p><p>