<p> Improving the educational system has been a focus in the United States, but these reform efforts have not been as effective as intended. Educational transformation is the focus in one North Texas school district. The design of school facilities and impact of school design on reform efforts have not been extensively investigated. The current study examines and describes the process used by one school district to design an innovative elementary school and how components of the design impacted a change in behavior. Interviews were conducted with 19 members of the design committee, which included the design team, district administrators, and architects. Data collected from the interviews, as well as archival data, was entered into NVivo for Mac. The analysis revealed four overarching themes: collaboration, flexibility, sustainability, and school as a tool. These themes were evident in the design process, and in the design of the school. Data was also collected to describe the process used by the district to design the building, develop the curriculum and pedagogy used, and hire the administrators and educators for the campus. The process used design thinking to develop the design for the building. The result of the process was an award-winning innovative school building.</p><p>

<p> There have been widespread reports of an impending teacher shortage crisis in the U.S. for more than 30 years. In the U.S., there are claims of a widespread national shortage while research indicates teacher shortages are specific to certain subjects and schools. Part of the reason for the conflicting accounts is how shortage is identified and what information is used to assess it. In this study, I test whether a uniform teacher shortage exists across the state of Arkansas. I hypothesize that, rather than a universal shortage, teacher shortages are more likely to occur in certain regions and subjects. I examine the characteristics of districts with the most favorable teaching supply and those with the greatest teaching need using descriptive and multivariate analysis of data collected from district surveys along with administrative data. In this study, &ldquo;supply&rdquo; is defined as the ratio of applications to vacancies and &ldquo;need&rdquo; is defined as the ratio of vacancies to full-time equivalent (FTE) certified classroom teachers. This is the third study to use applicants to identify teacher supply, and the first to assess teacher need or shortages in this way. Results indicate teacher supply and need are unequally distributed across the state; there is no uniform teacher shortage statewide. Regarding teacher supply, I find district size, region, and urbanicity appear to drive supply. Teacher supply is most favorable for large districts with student enrollments greater than 3,500, districts in the Northwest, and suburban and city districts. Regarding teacher need, I find urbanicity and region contribute most to need and the need appears greatest for districts in cities, and districts in the Central and Southeast regions. Teacher need does not appear to be significantly influenced by district educational success, teacher salary, or district growth. Looking at the relationship between teacher supply and need, I find three clear relationships. In the Central and Southeast regions, there is lower teacher supply and greater teacher need. In urban districts, there is both greater teacher supply and need. In higher poverty districts, there is significantly less teacher supply and more teacher need.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine school personnel&rsquo;s perceptions of safety in their school building as well as determine their confidence in their abilities to respond to an active intruder incident. The participants of this study were school personnel from a suburban, Southwestern Illinois PreK-12 school district. The study captured perceptions of safety and school procedures within the district&rsquo;s nine buildings. The sample of participants were obtained through purposeful and convenience sampling. The participants were then assigned into five categories of participants, purposely identified: Administration, Teachers/Faculty, Support Staff (e.g., paraprofessional, aides, secretaries), Other Staff (e.g., custodians, caf&eacute; workers, bus drivers, monitors), and Substitutes (for all positions). In addition, the school&rsquo;s current documented policy on school safety and active intruder response procedures was reviewed. The qualitative design of this study included interviews and document analysis. The study was a phenomenological study with triangulation that included research questions addressing school personnel perceptions of safety and their preparedness in the event of an active intruder situation, comparing these responses among the identified categories, and identifying the type of active intruder training provided to school personnel. The seven themes that emerged from the interviews were limited safeguards, sense of safety, training, response issues, supplies and equipment, handbook awareness, and improvements. Additional research is needed to determine if other schools in Illinois require improvements in their active intruder response plans, procedures, and provided training.</p><p>

<p> This thesis examines the Los Angeles School Police Department&rsquo;s (LASPD) arrest diversion program currently used by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The diversion referral program offers an alternative to arrest and citation for LAUSD students between the ages of 13 and 17 who commit minor law violations on school grounds. The goal for this collaborative program is to offer a &ldquo;non-punitive&rdquo; enforcement model that supports strategic problem solving and addresses the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students and their families. Using a mixed methods approach, combining interview and survey techniques, I assess whether the program was implemented according to intended protocol and procedures. Findings from the survey and interviews suggest a lack of consistency in the assessment of juveniles&rsquo; progress along with several obstacles preventing successful outcomes for participants. The majority of officers surveyed did not believe the arrest diversion program strengthened relationships between police and participants or police and the community. This process evaluation revealed barriers to successful implementation including a lack of communication between involved parties and lack of parental involvement and follow through by participants.</p><p>

<p> Racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline have existed for decades (Children&rsquo;s Defense Fund, 1975), and have had a disproportionately negative effect on the educational attainment, social/emotional well being and life chances of students of color. While past research has found that school racial/ethnic balance is amongst the most powerful predictors of the student-level risk and severity of school discipline (Rocque &amp; Paternoster, 2011; Skiba, Chung, Trachok, Baker, Sheya &amp; Hughes, 2014; Welch &amp; Payne, 2010), only a handful of studies have examined how school racial/ethnic balance affects discipline gaps between students of color and their White counterparts (Freeman &amp; Steidl, 2016; Thornton &amp; Trent, 1988). However, careful analysis of previous scholarship suggests that students of color attending schools with higher proportions of White students may be particularly vulnerable to racialized and overly punitive discipline practices (Eitle &amp; Eitle, 2004; Welch &amp; Payne, 2010). The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school-level racial/ethnic disparities in suspension and the proportion of White students in a school. Regression analysis was used to analyze a nationally representative sample of K-12 schools for each U.S. Census designated student groups of color: American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Latinx, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Two or more Races. Analysis was guided by critical race and intergroup threat theories, which explored the ways that structural racism and perceptions of intergroup threat can produce ideologies, dispositions and actions that deny historically marginalized youth the full benefit of public education (Ladson-Billings &amp; Tate, 1995; Welch &amp; Payne, 2010). Descriptive findings demonstrated that the problem of inequitable suspension rates was perhaps more acute and widespread than previously appreciated. This study provided some of the first empirical evidence of elevated risk of suspension for Asians, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, students of two or more Races, and students of color in predominantly-White schools. Inferential analysis offered support for two important emerging findings in the school discipline literature. First, analysis indicated that elementary schools tend to have consistently larger racial/ethnic discipline gaps than middle and high schools. Secondly, multivariate analysis showed that the best predictors of school level racial/ethnic discipline gaps were different from those that have best predicted student-level incidence and severity of discipline in previous scholarship. Collectively, results contributed empirical evidence that can help identify the school contexts in which students of color appear to be at elevated risk of suspension, what kinds of reforms might produce more equitable discipline outcomes, where such reforms should be implemented, and how stakeholders can mitigate the irreparable harm caused by racialized discipline policies and practices. Directions for future research are provided, along with recommendations for policy and practice.</p><p>

<p> This phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences of modern day polymaths. The constructs of openness to experience, identity, self-directed learning, polymathy or multi-disciplinarily, and intrapersonal functional diversity were used to frame the research. The primary theoretical lens of this study is based on Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. The inquiry focused on accomplished polymaths with careers spanning both the arts and sciences. The participants&rsquo; narratives provided insights regarding how they became polymaths and what their experiences as polymaths have been like. </p><p> The population for this phenomenological study was found using snowball sampling (also called chain or network sampling). Interviews with thirteen participants were conducted using a modified version of Seidman&rsquo;s (2013) method, focusing on (1) life history, (2) details of the experience of being a polymath, and (3) meaning making of being a polymath. Through applying Moustakas&rsquo; (1994) phenomenological data analysis methods, a total of twelve themes emerged. In addition to the twelve themes, textural and structural descriptions were presented that helped to elucidate the essence of polymathic experiences. </p><p> Seven conclusions were drawn from this research: (1) to be a polymath, one must accept not fitting in the typical box and perhaps even embodying apparent contradictions; polymathy is being intrapersonally diverse, (2) polymaths are exposed broadly, think creatively and strategically, and juggle their many interests and obligations through effective time management, (3) being a polymath can make life richer, but it can also be quite difficult, (4) polymaths are excellent at being creative and solving problems creatively, (5) polymathy develops due to a combination of nature and nurture, and polymathy is maintained in adulthood by a willingness to continue to work to improve oneself through self-directed learning, (6) polymath identity is discovered from not fitting in; polymath identity can be difficult to fully own and to explain to others, (7) family and financial resources impact the emergency of polymathy. A number of recommendations for theory, practice, and research are provided as well. </p><p>

<p> Adult learners have become the majority on many college campuses, but as many as two-thirds of these students do not persist in attaining a degree. Although future labor projections present a positive outlook, an estimated shortage of graduates appears imminent despite the fact that individuals with bachelor&rsquo;s degrees have greater earning potential, lower unemployment rates, and greater career opportunities. The cause of this persistence problem is examined through analysis of the factors that affect persistence and the enrollment patterns of adult learners. </p><p> The diversity of the nontraditional adult population contributes to this predicament of low completion rates as their heterogeneous characteristics creates difficultly in analyzing which factors, in isolation or in combination, can be attributed to the gap in achievement. Moreover, a consistent standard of measuring adult student retention is lacking. Some colleges and universities do not even track degree persistence and completion rates for nontraditional adult students. </p><p> The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of nontraditional adult learners to determine how these factors influence a student&rsquo;s ability to persist toward degree completion. This study examined student demographics, finances, employment, academic records, institutional factors, and enrollment patterns to gain an understanding of what motivates adult students to complete a degree, continue to persist, or to cease enrollment altogether. With this information, institutions of higher learning will be in a better position to determine methods, policies and practices that will encourage, empower and motivate all adult learners to persist in their studies despite any combination of factors putting at risk their potential to graduate. The research design was a quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational, predictive design.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore the noncore secondary teachers' lived experience with Georgia's Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) evaluative feedback. This descriptive phenomenological study examined Georgia's noncore teachers' use of evaluative feedback from TKES to inform and impact classroom effectiveness. The essence of the experience of receiving evaluative feedback is revealed through in depth interviews with 30 noncore secondary teachers from three districts in Georgia. </p><p> The findings in this study suggest that TKES evaluative feedback has the potential to support a positive change in the noncore classroom provided appropriate time and resources are dedicated to implementing the evaluative process with fidelity. Traits of effective feedback that resonate throughout the literature review and study findings are the need for feedback to be specific, timely, ongoing, and linked to professional development. The need in the noncore classroom for teachers to receive content-specific feedback was uncovered. Additionally, the need to build additional time and resources into the school year to ensure evaluative feedback has the potential to accomplish the goal of teacher growth and become a positive part of the teaching profession was uncovered. The findings of this study allow an opportunity for the voice of the noncore teachers' experience with TKES evaluative feedback to be heard, generating a pathway to improved feedback and growth in their classroom.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to determine if Title V HSI grants and expenditures in instruction, academic support, and student services at 4-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) account for observed differences in the graduation rates of Latinas/os and the percent of bachelor&rsquo;s degree completions of Latina/o students, and whether HSIs are equitable in the proportion of bachelor&rsquo;s degrees awarded to Latinas/os. HSIs are colleges and universities that enroll 25% or more full time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate Latina/o students. In general, the purpose of the federal Title V HSI grant is to fund programs to enhance the educational attainment of Latina/os. This study uses Tinto&rsquo;s (2012) framework for institutional action advancing that colleges and universities that establish support programs designed to promote students&rsquo; success eventually see those programs translate into improved institutional graduation outcomes. A nationally representative sample of 75 four-year accredited, bachelor&rsquo;s degree granting institutions of higher education with at least 25% undergraduate Latina/o students by 2012 fall was selected from the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) for this study. Consistent with prior research, statistical analyses revealed that expenditures in academic support and student services are significantly associated with graduation rates of Latina/os, however, the expenditures in instruction was not a significant predictor of graduation rates of Latina/os. The role of Title V HSI grants was significant when the variable that accounted for the percentage of undergraduate Latinas/os was removed from the analysis. Title V grantees experienced a greater number of bachelor&rsquo;s degrees completions conferred on Latinas/os when compared to other HSIs in the sample. On average, HSIs were equitable in conferring bachelor&rsquo;s degrees on Latina/os. Future research should investigate expenditures in instructional activities that are directly associated with student learning at HSIs, and the type of Title V grant-funded activities that are greater predictors of Latina/o student success.</p><p>

<p> This study examined the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of an innovative, whole-school reform model, Expeditionary Learning, within the context of the high-stakes accountability policy environment. Twenty-four teachers and four principals were interviewed across four schools, two of which were high poverty and two of which were low poverty. All schools were K-8 charter schools and located either within the urban core or in an inner-ring suburb. Educators across schools reported agreement with the tenets of Expeditionary Learning and a desire to implement the program fully. They preferred this learning model that focuses on student choice, inquiry, and experiential education over more traditional learning models. Respondents pointed to the pressure and time constraints caused by high-stakes standardized tests as barriers to their full implementation of Expeditionary Learning. They also saw the standardized tests as largely misaligned with the model. Educators in high-poverty schools reported more anxiety around the tests and their students&rsquo; performance. Respondents across schools agreed that Expeditionary Learning was a team effort that required significant time and effort to implement with fidelity. Educators at high-poverty schools reported teacher retention and hiring policies as major barriers to implementing Expeditionary Learning, largely because collaborative teams of teachers were unable to coalesce. Other factors affecting implementation of the program included curricular standards that focused on breadth and not depth, a lack of resources, and parent and community support. Overall, the study found that district and state policies served primarily as a constraint to implementation of Expeditionary Learning, and high-poverty schools were more negatively affected by external policies than were low-poverty schools. The ability to function as an Expeditionary Learning school was ultimately based on how well internal practices were able to work with or counteract external policies.</p><p>