<p> The purpose of this study was to analyze School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) and Behavior Intervention Support Teams (BIST) and their impact on managing student behavior in sample schools in Missouri by using methodological triangulation. Office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) and Safe School Act Violations during the 2012&ndash;2014 school years in the SW-PBS, BIST, and No Model (control group) sample schools were analyzed to determine if there was a significant difference in the numbers of ODRs and Safe School Violations. Teachers from the sample schools were given the opportunity to participate in a survey to gather their perspectives about the impact their school&rsquo;s respective behavior model had on student behavior outcomes. Teachers surveyed reported varied opinions regarding disciplinary models and the benefits these models have on student self-control and helping to reduce student discipline behaviors. While all perceived their models to have a positive impact, there were differences in overall perceptions. Teachers in SW-PBS schools responded more positively about how the SW-PBS model impacted student behaviors. The ODR data were analyzed using a paired t-test, showing no significant difference between the number of ODRs in the models studied. Safe School Act Violations occurred more frequently in schools that had no behavior models than in schools that had implemented BIST or SW-PBS. The BIST schools had the fewest reported incidents.</p>

<p> This embedded case study explored and described the delivery of career development activities by high school counselors (n=9) at predominantly Latino high schools within a Southern California school district. Using the ASCA National Standards as a guide, participants were queried about their adherence to said standards. The following themes emerged: (a) The Need for Parental Involvement in Students&rsquo; Education, (b) Counselors&rsquo; Barriers to Delivering Career Development Activities, (3) Perceptions of a Potential Career Development Course, (4) Career Exploration, (5) and Lack of Accountability for ASCA Standards. The results from the questionnaire highlighted inconsistency among the participants&rsquo; delivery of career development competencies. Limitations include a small sample size and questionnaire flaws. Implications include the need to track fidelity for ASCA National Standards, improve parental involvement, reduce non-counseling tasks, and reduce the student-to-school counselor ratio. Recommendations for future research for educators in predominantly Latino high schools are provided.</p>

<p> Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale: A Validation Study The purpose of the current study was to explore the validity of the Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale, a measure meant to examine counselor competency for working with clients identifying as trans*. A national sample of counseling students and faculty accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling &amp; Related Programs (CACREP) was obtained. The data from 187 participants were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis during the first phase of data analysis. After extraction, two items were removed from the measure and it was renamed GICCS-Revised (GICCS-R). Three factors emerged from analysis and supported the tripartite model for multicultural counseling competencies and these factors were labeled knowledge, awareness, and skills. High internal consistency was found and evidence convergent validity was observed. Some evidence for discriminant validity was found. During the second phase of data analysis, analysis of covariance was used to explore mean differences among levels of education on overall GICCS-R scores as well as the subscale scores, while controlling for social desirability. There were group differences on the overall and subscale scores, with the exception of the awareness subscale. A hierarchal multiple regression was conducted to determine whether a set of variables (social desirability, levels of education, number of workshops attended or facilitated, and number of trans*-identified clients worked with) could predict scores on the overall GICCS-R and each subscale. The variables combined explained 45.5% of the variance on overall GICCS-R scores. Social desirability was not a significant predictor of scores. First year counseling master&rsquo;s students; participants who attended or facilitated 0-4 workshops; and participants who worked with 0-1 clients were significant predictors of low overall competency scores. Levels of education and levels of experience explained a significant proportion of the variance on the knowledge and skills subscales, but not on the awareness subscale. The findings from the current study have important implications for how trans* counselor competency is measured in students and faculty. The findings also have implications for ways to improve levels competency.</p>

<p> Students with disabilities have a disproportionately higher rate of dropout compared to typical peers. This study was intended to investigate the predictive factors of dropout for youth with disabilities. Specifically, this study examines how disability classification and demographics impact dropout rates for youth with disabilities. Participants in this study were all students in a large urban school district who were identified with a disability (as defined as having a IEP) in grades 9-12 (N=1439). As most variables were categorical, nonparametric analyses were used, including cross-tabulations and contingency table analyses. In addition, a binary logistic regression model was used to isolate the variables associated with dropout. Findings suggest that youth with serious emotional disability (SED) have a high risk of dropout compared to students who fall under other disability categories. Additionally, students who did not qualify for free and reduced lunch and students who were never retained (repeated a grade) were more at risk for dropout. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.</p>

<p> Building on Dr. Tschannen-Moran &amp; Dr. Gareis&rsquo; research into principal self-efficacy, as well as Dr. Dweck&rsquo;s work regarding growth mindset, this study explores the relationship between principals&rsquo; performance on the Pennsylvania Framework for Leadership evaluation tool and their corresponding self-reported degree of self-efficacy and growth mindset. Principals in one Pennsylvania County were included in the sample and asked to complete an electronic survey comprised of: (a) demographic questions, (b) performance evaluation data, (c) mindset scales, and (d) principal self-efficacy scales. The data analysis consisted of both a linear regression of principal performance on principals&rsquo; mindset, moral leadership self-efficacy, and instructional self-efficacy scores. Additionally, correlation matrices were employed to identify the presence and direction of relationships between self-efficacy levels and the degree of growth mindset reported by principals. </p><p> Results demonstrated a positive association between principals&rsquo; instructional self-efficacy reports and their overall performance evaluation. Alternatively, both growth mindset and moral leadership self-efficacy evidenced a negative association. There was no association reflected between growth mindset and either the overall self-efficacy measure, nor the sub-scale self-efficacy measures. A secondary relationship revealed a negative association between school performance profile (SPP) and growth mindset. This relationship held true in subsequent regression analyses.</p>

<p> While dual enrollment participation has substantially increased among Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian high school students, the rates of participation among African American students, especially male students, has decreased since 2006. As a result of low participation rate in dual enrollment and research studies, little is known about the dual enrollment experience among high-achieving African American males. The purpose of this qualitative study, using a transcendental phenomenology design, was to explore the dual enrollment experiences of 10 high-achieving African American males, between 18 to 22 years, who currently attend a community college that is part of the Texas State Community College Consortium (a pseudonym). Descriptive interviews with study participants and qualitative data analyses were conducted in accordance with transcendental phenomenology methodological Four themes emerged from the data. The first theme was academic rigor of college, noted by all 10 participants. The second theme, also noted by all 10 participants, was social support and encouragement, which had six sub-themes pertaining to support from family, fellow students, and high school and college faculty/administration. Data from the 10 participants revealed the third theme of college and academic readiness, which was delineated into three sub-themes related to college and academic readiness, responsibility, and planning skills. The fourth and last theme was college tuition/financial benefits of dual enrollment, remarked upon by three students. Results from this study, can be utilized to promote social change as it concerns African American male&rsquo;s academic achievement and college persistence.</p>

<p> This qualitative study examines the perspectives of teachers in a small, rural community and the influence of the school counselor who support students returning to school after a death by suicide. The researcher took an autoethnographic approach because of the years of personal and professional experience and knowledge within the professional setting used in this study. A thorough review of the existing literature in the areas of the conceptual frameworks of grief, theories of grief, theories of suicide, policies and culture of rural school communities informs the study. Data triangulation was used to understand how different data sources show consistency using the same method. Data triangulation contributes to verification and validation of qualitative analysis (Patton, 2015). </p><p> A purposeful sample was used to select recently retired teachers with classroom experience. Retired teachers were selected because of years of classroom experience and knowledge in the professional setting with students who return after a death by suicide. Criteria for selection of retired teachers within a small group of professional educators in a small, rural Midwestern community are comprised of retired teachers at the secondary level of public education. Retired teachers have experience as a classroom teacher, have worked with the school counselor and have experience with students who returned to school after a peer death by suicide or family member death by suicide. Retired teachers were selected that have good recall of events and experiences in the classroom. </p><p> This study is designed to understand school counselor influence and the perspectives of teachers in a small, rural community who support students after a death by suicide. Qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data. An interview guide approach was used to increase the comprehensiveness of the data. Research questions were generated from an extensive review of the literature. Data were collected from the following methods: interviews, private anecdotal counselor notes, researcher reflections and member checking. Educational research has not investigated as to how teachers feel about their preparedness and ability to support students after a death by suicide. Lack of data from research on the role of teachers, the influence of the school counselor and their preparedness to support students after a death by suicide is particularly meaningful for rural school communities. Therefore, the need for this study is significant as rural school communities, researchers and those who experience death by suicide explore this phenomenon and the policy implications for best practice based on data that informs the research questions. Trustworthiness of data analysis and believability of the study assures transferability, dependability and confirmability. </p><p>

<p> Little is known about what attracts men to the counseling profession and what their experiences are in counseling programs and the profession post-graduation. This qualitative case study examines what attracts men to the counseling profession, recruitment strategies, and proposed recruitment strategies that could affect prospective male students. It also reveals the experiences of males in counseling programs and the counseling profession, after graduation. Findings indicated men are attracted to the field for various reasons. Most participants did not notice any specific recruitment strategies directed toward males. The participants shared ideas for future male recruitment. Findings also indicated there are benefits and challenges associated with being a gender minority in counseling programs and the profession. Implications for counselor preparation programs are presented.</p><p>

<p> In discussing his approach to school leadership, a successful high school principal in Los Angeles told me, &ldquo;If you move their hearts, you can move their minds.&rdquo; This line speaks to the crucial but often unacknowledged importance of addressing adolescent well-being as a foundational component to school leadership. My qualitative research utilizes case studies of four high schools in California to answer the following questions: What do successful urban high school leaders experience as they focus on adolescent health and well-being? How do they identify the nature of student need and attempt to address it? What perspectives do they hold on structures, programs, and practices that value student health and well-being?</p><p> This study seeks to understand how principals consider the health and well-being of their students as core elements of their leadership practice even as they negotiate dwindling school budgets for health services and balance multiple pressures and priorities. In considering this relationship, I argue that leaders must think about how they are creating environments that value students&rsquo; health as necessary preconditions for their academic achievement. My analysis uncovers how principals perceive opportunities to support or enact programs, services, and staff that address student well-being in ways that correspond to their broader vision of instructional leadership.</p><p> Major findings from my work indicate that these principals from low-income and high-minority schools utilize Maslow&rsquo;s hierarchy of needs, either explicitly or implicitly, to support student development. By focusing on building relationships as a core value in their work, they are able to recognize the specific needs of students as both adolescents and learners. In doing so, they create systems and structures that support students to find their voices, both as individuals and as members of a collective school community. At the same time, these school leaders also support their teachers in creating curriculum and classroom culture that appreciates both the academic and non-cognitive components of learning, often with the support of community partnerships. </p><p> While mainstream educational discourse leaves little room for school principals to focus on the holistic approach of understanding the students on their campuses, I argue that these leaders must consider their students&rsquo; layered hierarchy of needs for them to thrive, both academically and socially. While it is certainly possible for schools to be successful without implementing the practices in this study, the major findings in this work create a framework for high school principals to consider in their practice. My research offers insight into innovative leadership practices that can transform the way we prepare school leaders, educate students, and conceptualize the purpose of public education.</p>

<p> This qualitative portraiture study examines current issues that surround the experience of third-year and beyond, first-generation college students. There is a need to understand the self-perceptions of first-generation college students. Very few studies follow the group into the third year of college. Most programs track the population for just one year beyond matriculation. Success for first-generation college students is vital, as the group has been identified as a growing population with low college completion rates. This study is presented at a critical time, when the President of the United States claims a college education is necessary to live above the poverty line and achieve middle-class status. The United States government has based public policy and higher education funding upon both student need and institution completion rates. This study used arts-based research and literacy through photography techniques to explore the narrative experience of a small sample of first-generation college students while engaged in interpretative photography. The technique aimed to promote imagination, creativity, critical thinking, and personal reflection. The study engaged participants in literacy through photography and sought to synthesize data in the form of writing samples, interpretative photography, and transcribed interviews to uncover patterns that better explain the tenants of culture leading to academic discourse within a disadvantaged population. The portraiture method was used to provide rich and descriptive data by illuminating themes through participant-researcher collaboration with reflective and narrative components.</p>