<p> Municipalities, administrators, and teachers have faced the challenge of school violence since public education began. In some states, legislatures have passed special legislation granting specific benefits to teachers who are injured by violence while on duty. Louisiana&rsquo;s teacher assault pay statute provides that a teacher who is away from work due to an assault by a student or other person is entitled to full pay without any deductions from the teacher&rsquo;s accumulated sick leave. However, the meaning of that statute has been disputed in litigation between teachers who suffered injuries and Louisiana school boards that seek to limit their responsibility for paying teachers who are on leave due to workplace violence.</p><p> As a matter of public policy, teachers who are injured in the workplace by acts of violence should receive special compensation, whether the violence was perpetuated by a student or any other person. And teachers who are harmed by a violent incident deserve special compensation whether or not the teacher was the intended victim of a violent act.</p><p> This study analyzed Louisiana appellate court decisions that interpreted the Louisiana teacher assault pay statute, as well as the teacher assault statutes that have been adopted in twelve other states. Based on this analysis, the researcher drafted a proposal for a model teacher assault pay statute that codifies the public policy considerations in favor of compensating teachers for injuries caused by workplace violence. The model statute grants injured teachers up to one year&rsquo;s compensation without reduction in accumulated sick leave, and the statute clarifies that a teacher victimized by violence is entitled to the benefits of the teacher assault pay statute, regardless of whether the teacher was the intended victim.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to an investigate school administrator perceptions of their authority to intervene in disciplinary issues that arise from students&rsquo; use of social media. The overarching question for this proposal was: <i>How do educational leaders view their role in protecting students and the learning environment from student misconduct that occurs off campus?</i></p><p> The exponential use of personal technology allows students to continuously interact with each other, even off school campus. Some of this interaction represents a continually unwanted harassment between students. In Louisiana, there have been at least three documented cases of students committing suicide following negative exchanges online with their peers. Such negative communications between students may also disturb the learning environment of the school. School districts may also vary in their approach to addressing issues originating either off campus or on social media.</p><p>

<p> Students are coming to school with myriad issues that teachers and schools cannot address alone. ecological systems theory posits that the environments with which a child comes into contact, either directly or indirectly, can impact her or his development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). With the support of community partner organizations in the local community, community schools can effectively respond to students&rsquo; needs and help them navigate the interconnected web of environments. Through interviews, focus groups, and a document review, this cross-site case study explored the practices that are employed by community school leaders (school staff and employees of community partner organizations) at two pilot high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), to implement six guiding principles of community schools. </p><p> The study also captured impacts of these practices through participants&rsquo; perceptions, documents, and the application of transformative leadership theory. The findings revealed that the pilot school model is a natural avenue for the community schools strategy, and that intentional practices and a shared vision by all stakeholders can result in transformative impacts on students and the school as a whole. District and school leaders could consider developing processes and systems for implementing a community schools strategy district-wide by providing funding for community school coordinators for school sites, working with school leaders to develop their shared decision-making skills, and leveraging the assets and resources of community partners.</p><p>

<p> Performance funding, the automatic and formulaic association of specific resources to institutional results on designated indicators, grew out of the accountability movement in higher education that originated in the 1950s and 1960s and redefined itself as the &ldquo;new accountability&rdquo; in the 1990s. To date, much of the literature on performance funding has been descriptive, prescriptive, and anecdotal, at best, with very little empirical evidence that performance funding is effective in impacting institutional performance. While recently some researchers reported on multivariate, multi-state analyses, findings continue to be mixed. </p><p> The 1974 Louisiana Constitution empowered the Louisiana Board of Regents to develop a funding formula for higher education with three main formula components, an example of a performance funding 1.0 program, which was finally incorporated into the <i>Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education </i> (Louisiana Board of Regents 2001, 2012). The Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomies for Diplomas Act of 2010 (GRAD Act) as amended in 2011 (Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomies for Diplomas Act, 2011), an example of a performance funding 2.0 program, provided four performance objectives and related specific targeted measures. Finally, Act 462 (Louisiana Legislature, 2014) called for the development of a new comprehensive outcomes-based funding formula that ensures the optimal allocation of state appropriated funds to public postsecondary educational institutions. That formula, approved by the Board of Regents in December 2015, was implemented in the 2017 fiscal year. </p><p> This study describes institutional efforts and changes in policies/initiatives implemented at select four-year, public institutions in Louisiana as a result of the GRAD Act. The study discusses, from a policy perspective, whether or not the GRAD Act as a performance funding policy achieved its stated goal of increasing &ldquo;the overall effectiveness and efficiency of state public institutions by providing that the institutions achieve specific, measureable performance objectives aimed at improving college completion and at meeting the state&rsquo;s current and future workforce and economic development needs&rdquo; (Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomies for Diplomas Act, 2010, pp. 1&ndash;2). Unintended consequences of the Act are also noted. The study could inform future changes to Louisiana higher education performance funding models.</p><p>

<p> Despite the growth in the US population of persons of color and the need for allied health professionals to improve healthcare disparity, people of color make up only 20% of the total enrollment in professional occupational therapy education programs (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2016a). Inequalities in the participation of people of color can lead to diminished educational experiences for all students, isolation for occupational therapy students and professionals of color, and decreased healthcare quality for minority clients. This five phase, qualitative interpretive/constructivist study explored the academic experiences of occupational therapists of color, guided by the following research questions: </p><p> 1. How do occupational therapy practitioners of color ascribe meaning to their educational experiences in their OT program? </p><p> 2. How do occupational therapy practitioners of color describe their perceived facilitators and barriers to educational success? </p><p> 3. In what ways do occupational therapy students/practitioners of color navigate their culture of origin and the majority White culture in order to succeed in occupational therapy educational programs and in professional practice? </p><p> AOTA (2016b) professionals (<i>N</i>=14) were solicited by email through their Multicultural, Diversity and Inclusion Network and participated in Phases I, II, and III. Participants completed demographic and interest questionnaires in Phase I; a reflective questionnaire regarding educational facilitators and barriers in Phase II; and depth interviews in Phase III. Using Colaizzi&rsquo;s data analysis strategy (Colaizzi,1978), the results of the Phase III interviews were used to complete the Phase IV elite informant interviews with OT leaders (<i>N</i>=4). Phase V consisted of a document analysis of historical and current policy documents. </p><p> Six themes emerged from this study: 1) Decision to Enroll in an OT program, 2) Educational Program Culture, 3) Faculty Relationships, 4) Peer Relationships, 5) Student Resilience, and 6) Working Professionals.These results reveal participant persistence towards professional OT goals; however, academic and leadership success did not shield participants from marginalization or racism. These results may inform OT professionals regarding enrollment strategies for students of color and the imperative for student-centered program standards and zero- tolerance policies regarding discrimination within OT educational programs. </p><p>

<p> Gross inequality in access to health services is a common problem in developing countries like Panama. This study responds to the current shortage of physicians from economically depressed communities in Panama. By using qualitative research methods, I examined the personal, financial, curricular and environmental factors that shape low-income students&rsquo; commitment to become physicians; the forces that shape these medical students to practice medicine once they graduate; and how policies and institutional practices in medical schools in Panama influence rates at which low-income students become physicians. Specifically, data sources were used to explore how the nation&rsquo;s educational policies, as well as recruitment, admissions, and student support practices in medical schools, influence rates at which low-income students become physicians. Documents were analyzed to determine statistical trends in medical school enrollment and completion for some of the selected medical schools; and the availability and effectiveness of various policy initiatives enacted to increase the production of physicians across the country. </p><p> Interviews were conducted with senior academic officers of medical schools (e.g., vice provost, deans and directors) and others who know much about the country&rsquo;s current human resources challenges in medicine (e.g., a former minister of health, the deputy minister of education, and the health senior adviser to the president of Panama). Interviews with these stakeholders provided insights into the educational, political, and economic forces that shape whoever enrolls in and ultimately completes medical school. Additionally, recent graduates or students in their final year of medical school from four schools of medicine in the Republic of Panama participated in focus groups, to offer information into the personal, familiar and institutional factors that supported and undermined low-income students&rsquo; goals of becoming doctors. Some attention was paid to socioeconomic demographics of communities in which certified physicians ultimately choose to practice. </p><p> The findings of this study provide Panamanian policymakers with valuable information for defining better approaches to train physicians for underserved areas and may help Panama achieve compliance with the millennium objectives that were agreed to by member countries of the World Health Organization in 2000. Finally, implications for future research on the training of low-income students to become physicians in underserved communities are proposed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, and comparative study was achieved by investigating and comparing general and special education kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade teacher beliefs on inclusion, as well as their perceptions of accommodations, preparation, and barriers to inclusion. More specifically, three categories or variables of general education and special education teachers&rsquo; beliefs were explored: (a) core perspectives, (b) expected outcomes, and (c) classroom practices for student inclusion. The researcher utilized the My Thinking About Inclusion (MTAI) survey developed by Stoiber, Gettinger, and Goetz (1998). </p><p> The following research questions guided this study: (a) What relationships, if any, exist between general and special education teachers&rsquo; beliefs about inclusion in an urban school district in southern California as measured by the MTAI survey? and (b) To what extent, if at all, are general and special education teachers&rsquo; beliefs about inclusion in one urban school district in southern California, as measured by the MTAI survey, related to their demographic characteristics? The MTAI survey was administered to 91 teacher participants who supported students with disabilities in inclusive education in kindergarten through 2nd grade during the 2016&ndash;17 school year. Fifty-four participants (59%) completed the MTAI survey. Out of the 54 participants, 24 were general education teachers and 30 were special education teachers. </p><p> The findings of this study shared that a key factor promoting positive attitudes toward inclusion depended on the teacher attending professional development that supported their work with SWD. For all three belief subscales, Core Perspectives, Expected Outcomes, and Classroom Practices; coteaching was found to be the most favorable training for general education teachers. General education teachers also noted that trainings on working with behaviors, individualized coaching-support and networking with colleagues were supportive for them. Special education teachers&rsquo; data also showed that trainings on individualized coaching-support were significant for them. However, for the special education teachers&rsquo; trainings on accommodations and networking with colleagues were most favorable. Classroom supports such as teacher collaboration, instructional aide(s), and special education teacher(s) support were shown to influence teacher attitude and self-efficacy toward inclusion.</p><p>

<p> Education policy and mandates have changed drastically over the last 40 years. As politicians began adopting educational platforms as part of their political agenda, the educational standards of the United States have risen. Politicians have specifically targeted underserved populations as the focus of their educational reforms. Programs such as Race to the Top, FERPA, and No Child Left Behind are examples of politicians attempting to provide all students with equitable educations, regardless of ethnicity, gender, and economic background. </p><p> Just as it is na&iuml;ve to believe that all students learn the same, it is also na&iuml;ve to believe that there is one perfect program that will meet the needs of all students in all areas of the country. Under the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2009, the US Department of Education strove to close the education gap with the introduction of School Improvement Grants. The SIG provided federal funds to underserved schools through a rigorous application process. The funds were available to approved schools for 3-year period. The purpose of this grant was to help underserved schools create and implement a program that was tailored to meet the needs of their students, while promoting academic growth. </p><p> This study focused on urban, public New England schools who received SIG funds between 2010 &ndash; 2016. Through semi-structured interviews with administrators at identified successful SIG schools, a list of best practices has been compiled as a reference for future urban, public New England schools who receive SIG funding. The key findings of this study indicated that communication, strong leadership, collaboration, and good staffing choices played a significant role in the success of the SIG programs. The conclusion of this study indicated that while schools and students have a vast range of needs and difficulties, there are several common shared experiences that could possibly help other administrators in their quest to implement a successful SIG program.</p><p>

<p> Sexual harassment and sexual violence are complex social issues and a prevalent problem on college and university campuses. College students are an &ldquo;at risk&rdquo; population because of their age, developmental stage, proximity to one another, and their access to social activities influenced by peer pressure, alcohol, and other drugs. In this study, the researcher examined the phenomenon of sexual harassment and sexual violence on college and university campuses in relation to Title IX legislation and guidance through the U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights finding letters and the college and university voluntary resolution agreements from 21 cases. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits the discrimination by gender to any educational program or activity. Sexual harassment and sexual violence are considered to be forms of sex discrimination. Applying a pragmatic worldview and interpretive lens, the researcher completed a qualitative document analysis of the case documents, using a framework modeled after Coffey&rsquo;s (2014) work. The researcher completed an inductive coding analysis of the documents to identify patterns related to the nature of sexual harassment and sexual violence, Title IX legislation and OCR guidance, and the complaints, finding of violations, and the resolution strategies outlined in the voluntary agreements. As one of the first qualitative studies of the OCR investigation and resolution documents, the results provide a broad introduction to the existence of sexual harassment and sexual violence in the studied cases, the role of Title IX and its influence and impact on college campuses, and the strategies identified to respond to the identified violations and initiatives put in place to prevent and respond to future occurrences.</p><p>

<p> English learners (EL) account for approximately 10 percent of American public school students and a quarter of all public school students in the state of California. This student group, while already a sizable minority, is also the fastest growing group of students across the state and nation. Therefore, ways that public school systems meet, or fail to meet, the educational needs of EL students will have an increasingly significant impact on outcomes for public school students generally. However, English learners have traditionally experienced public education in very different ways from native English speaking students, ways that frequently restrict access to educational opportunities and further systemic forms of advantage for some student groups and disadvantage for others.</p><p> The purpose of this research was to better understand the relationship between the philosophies, beliefs, and practices of educational leaders, and the experiences of English learners. A conceptual framework was developed that combined the theories of Applied Critical Leadership and Moral Leadership. This framework guided the development of an interview instrument to collect qualitative data in the form of participant beliefs and practices. These qualitative data were then compared to quantitative institutional data representing EL student placement in both higher-track and lower-track educational pathways in order to understand whether a relationship between the two sets of data existed. The sample included 11 participants who were educational leaders who worked directly with EL students. Quantitative data represented course placement data for approximately 8,000 students across three high school campuses within the same district.</p><p> Findings from this research indicated that the beliefs and practices of educational leaders were consistent between schools serving demographically different communities, and that levels of equity or inequity, for English learners remained consistent on these disparate campuses. Furthermore, while all three schools had made recent progress in moving toward more equitable representation of EL students in various educational pathways, this progress may have been hindered by the lack of two leadership components, 1) the ability of educational leaders to engage site staff in critical conversations regarding race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and language proficiency, and 2) the ability of educational leaders to extend collaborative decision-making processes beyond certificated staff members in order to include the diverse perspectives of classified staff, students, parents, and community members.</p><p> Based on the findings, recommendations are made for the establishment of systemic opportunities for educational leaders to employ specific leadership practices that may achieve greater levels of equity for traditionally underserved student groups, including English learners.</p><p>