School violence continues to be a topic of concern for not only parents, students and teachers, but for federal and state officials as well. There has been an increase in active shooter incidents on school campuses since the late 1990s (Riedman & O'Neill, 2020; Jonson, 2017; Langman, 2009). On February 14, 2018, a former student, entered the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He opened fire on students, staff and killed 17 people. Additionally, 17 others were injured, making this the deadliest secondary school shooting in the history of the United States (Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, 2019). The incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School prompted swift action by the Florida Legislature in the months following the incident. The 2018 Florida Legislature passed the Marjory Stoneman High School Public Safety Act (MSDHSPSA), also known as Senate Bill 7026 (SB 7026). This bill required the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) to establish student mental health awareness training for school personnel and established the implementation of increased security measures at schools in Florida (Florida Senate, 2018). The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher perception of school climate and determine if there was a difference in teacher perception of school climate before and after the implementation of the MSDHSPSA in Florida. School climate survey data was analyzed from 118 elementary schools in a large Florida school district from 2016 to 2020. There was a statistically significant increase in the school climate survey over time and a statistically significant increase in school resources and support systems and how well schools use results for continuous improvement. However, socio-economic status did not moderate the effects of the MSDHSPSA on school climate.

While the Latinx population continues to grow faster than any other racial population in the United States, Latinx students are graduating from four-year institutions at a rate 12 percent lower than their White peers (Excelencia in Education, 2020b). As first defined in 1992 by the Higher Education Act reauthorization, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) are accredited, degree-granting, non-profit institutions with undergraduate populations made up of at least 25 percent Latinx students. The role of HSIs is important because the majority (66 percent) of Latinx students enrolled in college attend an HSI (Excelencia in Education, 2019). The problem under investigation is that HSI funding that is meant to expand educational opportunities and improve educational attainment for Latinx students may be being utilized by institutions instead to supplement their budgets for programs that do not directly help Latinx students. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the receipt of Title V funding by four-year universities influenced Latinx student enrollment and graduation rates. Two research questions guided this study to determine the influence of Title V funding on enrollment and graduation rates of Latinx students at HSIs. The first question examined the relationship between enrollment and graduation rates and whether an HSI received Title V funding. The results of the independent t-tests found that there were no significant differences in Latinx enrollment or graduation rates between those HSIs that received Title V funding and those that did not receive Title V funding. The second question examined the change in enrollment and graduation rates for Latinx students between the first and last year of the Title V grant for those funded institutions. The results of the dependent t-test indicated that there was a significant difference in both Latinx enrollment and graduation rates between the first year of an institution's Title V grant funding period and the last year of an institution's Title V grant funding period. The statistically significant growth in graduation rates for Latinx can be seen as an encouraging sign that institutions' use of Title V funding is influencing the desired student population.

Students must enroll in rigorous accredited academic programs and pass the National Board of Certification (BOC) examination to become athletic trainers. Therefore, studies in athletic training and student achievement focus on student persistence/retention and BOC Examination pass rates. The majority of studies conclude that cognitive measures like grade point average (GPA) have a relationship with both retention and exam pass rates. However, research should also consider meta-cognitive factors (i.e., personality traits). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between athletic training students' grit (a metacognitive factor) and their academic, clinical, and social integration. The population for this study was athletic training students in a professional athletic training program in Florida. The study reported a correlational analysis to determine the relationship between grit and student integrations. Analysis of the data failed to find a statistically significant relationship between grit and student integration. However, further research with a larger sample size could identify the correlation between grit and student integration. A relationship between grit and student integration can affect three components of athletic training education: program admissions, clinical placements, and student advising.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between ESSA per pupil funding for alternative schools and learning gains on the Florida Standards Assessment. In addition, analyses on student subgroups of the percent of minority students, and percent of economically disadvantaged were generated to determine whether demographic characteristics contributed to the relationship. An additional component of the study was utilizing Evidence Base Practices to determine if alignment was present in the highest and lowest performing alternative schools. Data from the Florida Department of Education were analyzed for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years, as well as available public data. Results indicated negative correlations between funding and learning gains, and regression analyses indicated varying statistically significant results when utilizing subgroups of economically disadvantaged and minority students. The findings from this study has the potential to inform policies and future funding decisions for alternative school practices in the state of Florida and could lead to comprehensive changes to effective funding for alternative schools.

Institutions are increasingly searching for strategies for using institutional financial aid awards to improve graduation in four years. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between institutional award programs with graduation in four years. Furthermore, there was investigation into any interaction that existed between ethnicity, Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and the type of award on graduation in four years. Covariates were tested from a theoretical framework that included elements from sociological and economic theories, academic components, and the concept of liquidity constraints. Data was queried from the student information system at the selected site for students who were first-time in college, full-time students for summer 2015 or fall 2015, who enrolled full-time in fall 2015, were classified as in-state for tuition purposes, and filed the 2015-2016 FAFSA. A random sample yielded 490 student records for analysis. Logistic regression was used to test for relationships. When considering all covariates, the type of institutional award program showed no statistical significance in relation to four-year graduation rates. There was no evidence that ethnicity and/or EFC had a moderating effect on type of award for graduation in four years.

University-based educational leadership programs strive to prepare well-rounded school leaders who would be able to positively influence student learning by utilizing effective leadership practices (Duncan et al., 2011). One such practice, instructional coaching, was found to be powerful in improving student academic outcomes (Gotwalt & Hausburg, 2020; Haneda et al., 2019; Mitgang & Gill, 2012). The current study explored perceptions of the effectiveness of university-based educational leadership programs in developing instructional coaching skills. A sample of 65 students currently enrolled in educational leadership programs at Florida public universities was utilized. Data were collected by means of a survey designed specifically for this study. Data analyses included both quantitative and qualitative parts. The findings of the study showed that students' overall perceptions of the effectiveness of university-based educational leadership programs in developing instructional coaching skills were positive. Also, in students' perceptions, the effectiveness of the programs could be enhanced by adding more practice to the curricula. Additionally, the results of the research demonstrated that years of teaching experience, the number of credit hours completed in educational leadership programs, as well as the highest degree attained were not related to students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the programs in developing instructional coaching skills.

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to identify the impact of the Community Partnership Schools™ (CPS) model of community schools in the areas of social self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, emotional self-efficacy, and civic engagement beyond the point of enrollment in the school. To answer the research questions, the researcher compared the responses of 96 high school students that had previously been enrolled in a CPS with the responses of 402 students from racially and socioeconomically similar schools that were not CPS, using the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) and the Civic Engagement Scale (CES). Results showed a significant positive correlation between previous enrollment in the CPS and social self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, emotional self-efficacy, and civic engagement. Results revealed that academic self-efficacy and social self-efficacy demonstrated the most reliable positive correlation. Emotional self-efficacy and civic engagement maintained a positive correlation with prior CPS enrollment, but with less reliability. From the educational leadership perspective, this study emphasizes the extensive and lasting impact of the CPS model on students and contributes to the discourse surrounding school and community empowerment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand students' perceptions of virtual reality (VR) as they relate to their digital identity and acceptance of technology. The study took place at a midsize community college in the southeastern United States. The study was guided by a conceptual framework consisting of Goode's (2010) digital identity theory, Taylor and Todd's (1995) decomposed theory of planned behavior, and Salanitri, Lawson, and Waterfield's (2020) criteria for trust in VR. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and reflective writing pieces from six TRIO students attending the open-access community college. Using Saldaña's (2016) recommendations for open coding, analysis of the collected data suggested that the student-participants perceived value in having access to and using VR for both personal and academic learning purposes. Each participant reported having a strong relationship with technology and being open to trying new tech. They believed peers would be more open to VR than superiors. The key findings of the study indicated that participants were able to experience a high level of immersion while using the Oculus Quest. Participants enjoyed using VR and reported their stress being relieved while using the Oculus Quest and VR Cardboard. Participants perceived VR as useful and easier to use than they had anticipated. Based on the findings, recommendations are to increase availability of VR to community college students and introduce VR with support available to guide new users.

Targeted school attacks are an ongoing threat to campus safety in the 21st Century. While case studies of previous incidents have demonstrated the impact educators can have on the outcome of school shootings, how to effectively prepare school-based personnel to respond to such a crisis remains largely unknown. This research aimed to assess educators' response to utilizing virtual simulation as a potential tool in emergency preparedness. Specifically, educators' perception of preparedness, reaction, and perception of learning were evaluated based on their experience with the Department of Homeland Security's Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE) First-Responder Sandbox 2.0. A sample-size of 52 participants grouped in teams of six to eight received instruction on how to navigate the virtual environment before completing three simulated emergency scenarios and debriefs. An online survey was then completed to gather educator characteristics and to ascertain perceptions of preparedness, reaction, and perceptions of learning. Total preparedness, reaction, and learning scores were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Educator characteristics were then analyzed to determine if professional experiences or specific traits influenced scores. Overall, total mean scores indicated that, on average, participants agreed or strongly agreed with all survey items relating to preparedness, reaction, and learning. Thus, EDGE was an effective tool in exercising emergency preparedness. Educator characteristics and experiences were not statistically significant in the outcomes of scores. The quantitative data were evaluated using thematic analysis. The results and the additional feedback provided by participants demonstrated that EDGE may be a valuable tool for exercising emergency preparedness among all school-based personnel.

Institutions of higher education have shifted their focus from access and enrollment to creating more effective institutional conditions that lead to academic success, persistence, retention, and completion. Academic coaching has surfaced as a promising support concept in higher education, and to date, little empirical research exists on the subject, especially within community colleges. Guided by Schlossberg's (1989) theory of marginality and mattering, this qualitative study explored first year students' mattering experiences, perceptions of academic coaching and belonging at a southeastern community college in the United States. This study contributed to an understudied area of research for a distinct student population. The findings of this study demonstrated that first-year students, who did report initial feelings of marginality, but who also received support from an academic coach reported a strong sense of belonging and mattering on campus, helping them to overcome feelings of marginality and to persist.