Teachers face increasing demands in the twenty-first century as they engage with students, administrators, coworkers, staff, and parents. High demands and stressors may generate feelings of emotional exhaustion in educators. If left ignored or untreated the emotional exhaustion may eventually lead to burnout and impairment. This prospectus highlights a study designed to explore a preventative option to mitigate the experience of stress felt by student teachers through a structured, guided mindfulness training practice: loving kindness meditation.

Sciences are critical in nursing education to aid the nurse in understanding health and disease processes. Accrediting bodies for nursing education have emphasized that educators teach in ways that encourage critical thinking and, therefore, produce safe-practicing, competent nurse graduates. Nursing care plans best reflect nursing educations central goals. Because of its longevity of use and familiarity, in this study, the nursing care plan was used as a proxy for nursing sciences learning objectives. This research was a study of the nursing care plan as an indicator for change in nursing science education in the United States to determine if change has occurred, using historical research methods supplemented with phenomenological data analysis. Because historical nursing care plan archives were non-existent, historical nursing textbooks were used to track the care plans evolution. Key findings included: (a) there is a disconnect between care plan instructional goals and their application in real-world nursing; (b) care plans open a new window for science education research on the state of nursing instruction; (c) nursing care plans were shown to have emphasized higher order thinking skills for over 80 years; and (d) the nursing care plan has been expanded from one concentrated patient study to three with a subsequent loss of student focus.

The present research was designed to address principals perceptions of meeting vision and collaboration standards in alternative schools. A multiple case study was used to accomplish the goals of this study. The objective and questions of this research pertains to school leaders behavior, knowledge, and performance within the context of a school leadership situation. Ecological theory framed this study as it refers to a students life within and outside of the school walls. The six research questions were formed and the basis of this exploration of two alternative school principals and contributes to an eventual portrait of the importance of school within a childs ecosystem. The leaders had a story to tell and this qualitative research study allows for the principals to divulge this story. Specifically, this qualitative research study was designed to contribute to the knowledge base of how Performance Standards and Indicators for Education Leaders (ISLLC) standard one, mission/vision, and standard four, parent/community relations, were being met by two Louisiana alternative school principals. One of the seven themes that emerged from this research provided a spotlight on the principals and school interaction with the childs ecosystem school structures/discipline. The school structure/discipline was a consistent result from the data and consisted of student discipline referral system, student movement throughout the day, orientation process, and other administrative driven procedures designed to focus strictly on behavior policies. In this study, discipline permeated school operation. These principals fell short with meeting the two ISLLC standards most associated with the childs ecosystem, and thus struggled with supporting the childs ecosystem. The findings from this study did not indicate a great connection between the actions of individuals in the school and to the standards. Specifically, ISLLC standard one, mission and vision, were discussed but did not guide the school.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the role of race in cross-race advising relationships between White faculty advisors and their Black doctoral student protégés. I examined the racial context of doctoral education experiences and relationships between doctoral students and faculty. Blacks with doctoral degrees comprise only 0.3% of those 18 years and older and only 3.5% of those with doctoral degrees (U.S. Census, 2000). Although there has been an increase in the number of Blacks enrolling in doctoral programs (Cook & Cordova, 2006), Nettles and Millett (2006) found that Blacks and Latin Americans have higher attrition rates compared to Asian American, international, and White doctoral students. The sample included Black doctoral students at one research extensive (McCormick, 2001) predominantly White institution (PWI) in the South and their White faculty advisors. The final sample resulted in seven White faculty members and seven Black doctoral students for a total of 14 matched participants or seven cross-race, matched pairs. Data were collected using an open-ended protocol and interviews lasted 60 to 90 minutes each. Participants were also allowed to email other thoughts and follow-up questions were sent to some participants for clarification. Related to race, both faculty and students employed applying racial caution or their reluctance to discuss racial and other polarized issues (e.g., politics). However, students dissertation topics on race allowed for open discussions on race between faculty and student. Another theme, critical lived experiences, emerged as the concept that those faculty members who were most reflective or whose student felt was highly, culturally competent had some previous experience where they were faced with racial realizations or a critical event or discussion related to race. One other significant finding was racial currency. While many of the students spoke to their race as a liability (e.g., perspectives of being undervalued), faculty saw the students race as both leverage (i.e., being sought after in the job market) and liability (i.e., being second-guessed after a job hire). While students reported that race was not a factor in advisor preference, same-race connections during the doctoral process were critical to their success.

This qualitative study sought to provide a general perception of admissions offices of secondary institutions have toward the Diploma Program through a grounded theory approach. The first goal of the study investigated the nature of credit awards for a students high school academic performance. Specific attention was paid to the processes institutions use for determining credit awards, policies associated with credit awards, and perceptions related credit awards. The second goal investigated admissions policies, processes, and perceptions associated with credit awards and the DP specifically. Finally, the third goal sought to illustrate the development and/or changes in the perceptions and actions admissions offices have in relation to the DP. Twenty institutions were randomly selected from US News & World Reports Top 50 American Colleges. Institutions first completed a guiding question instrument that was followed by a telephone/email interview further investigating emerging understandings. Data gathered from these avenues were continually cross-compared and then triangulated with information found on each institutions admissions websites, general catalogues, and other publicity type publications. Theoretical explanations for the phenomena of university perceptions and actions were generated through coded data, established categories, and memoing of relationships.

This qualitative study uses the conceptual framework of critical race theory to examine the experiences of White faculty as racial justice allies at a predominantly White institution. Kobrak (1992) has emphasized the significant role that socially concerned White faculty may play on our campuses, describing these faculty as the missing link in institutional efforts for diversity. However, little is known about the experiences of White faculty allies. The current study addresses this void through the primary research question: What are the experiences of White faculty at a predominantly White institution who participate in the campus community as racial justice allies? This overarching question is investigated through supporting questions: (1) How do these White faculty come to be / identify as allies?; (2) How do the positions of White faculty as allies affect their scholarly work of teaching, research and service?; and (3) How is their ally work influenced by the context of the predominantly White institution? This study was conducted at a large, research-extensive, public flagship university in the South. Data were collected through in-person interviews with nine faculty participants representing a variety of academic disciplines. These participants were identified through a sampling process that included nominations from students, faculty, and administrators at the selected institution. The findings from this study suggest that ally mentors or models and experiences that contribute to an understanding of race and racism are important factors in the development of racial justice allies among White faculty. These findings also illuminate a variety of strategies though which these faculty integrate their ally identities and their professional responsibilities of teaching, research, and service. Finally, the faculty participants describe the manner in which the community, departmental, and institutional contexts of their faculty work within the predominantly White campus shape their critique of the institution and their perceived need to continue the work of racial justice.

Postsecondary career and technical institutions are required to follow a set list of performance indicators in order to receive federal Carl Perkins funding (Perkins IV Accountability, 2009). Within those indicators includes measuring technical skills attainment, which the state of Mississippi chooses to utilize program-specific standardized assessments known as the MS- CPAS2 assessment. The purpose of this multi-site program evaluation was to determine which programs are meeting the assessment passing requirements and to determine how they are achieving success. The rationale for this study was to evaluate the components inherent in successful programs in order to aid other programs who may not be performing as well in the assessment reach the minimum requirements in order to secure federal funding. Qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized for both raw data provided by the RCU and survey data collected by the researcher from the faculty and administrator participants of the selected programs. Results of this study indicated components of successful programs, perceptions of the assessment by the participants, and student factors that influence the assessment scores. Components included small class sizes, having necessary equipment, program-specific software, computers, providing a well-rounded instructional environment, aligning materials with curriculum, the use of hands-on activities, participation in clubs/organizations, and integrating program-specific certifications. Perceptions included a need for instructor participation in the update process of the MS-CPAS2 assessment, student accountability by offering student preparatory courses, and student recognition for outstanding scores. Student factors that affected assessment scores included ethnicity and student rating. Recommendations were made by the researcher from the results of the analysis that included multiple program improvement plans that can be utilized as a how-to guide by faculty and administrators, and assessment improvement plans for the RCU as provided by the participants responses from the survey data.

The use of technology in the writing classroom has been a staple since the early-1990s when the personal computer made its way onto the desks of teachers and students across America. Since that time, the challenge has been for educators to incorporate the most recent technologies in an effort to stimulate student writing. This study examined the effects the use of a web-based wiki technology can have on the writings of high school students. The primary goal of this study was to explore how the web-based collaborative technology in Google Docs and used in a secondary English IV classroom can impact the writing skills of twelfth grade students dually enrolled in a freshman level writing class of a local university. Specifically, the study explored how students writing levels and processes were affected, how they perceived themselves as writers, and the challenges and successes they faced through the wiki-style inclusion. A mixed methods case study design was used. One intact twelfth grade English IV classroom was used for the study (n=15). During the Fall 2009 and the Spring 2010 semesters, data were collected from observations, student interviews, two essays, and two student surveys. Quantitative data were collected from all the 15 class members via student perception surveys and rubric-based assessments of two essays. Qualitative data included open-ended questions on the writing surveys from all of the students; teacher observations of student interactions with each other, the wiki, and the writing; and interviews with six students at three ability levels. Results showed that wiki-based technologies can impact students writing processes and their essay results. Strategies inherent to the wiki process can motivate students to be better participants when they know someone else is depending on their input. Another factor was the ease of access. Finally, what seemed especially prevalent in student comments and observation was how peer editing may have contributed to students writing progress. The findings of this study support those of previous research. They also underscore the importance of continuing to incorporate modern technologies into the classroom. Other implications for practice are also discussed.

In an effort to address dropout, the Louisiana state legislature mandated an initiative in 2009 which required all school districts to offer an alternative vocational high school diploma. Because this alternative diploma, known as the Career Diploma, is being implemented in all high schools throughout Louisiana, this research was designed to ascertain high school principals perceptions regarding the Career Diplomas value. Participants were principals of traditional four-year high schools located within the state of Louisiana. A researcher-designed survey instrument was disseminated to 258 high school principals throughout the state. Findings of the data analysis indicated differences in perceptions of value among the four measured dimensions of value. Principals rated the Career Diploma to be valuable as a mitigator of socioeconomic consequences of not obtaining a standard high school diploma. Principals placed high value on the Career Diploma as a solution to underlying causes of student dropout. Additionally, participants asserted that the Career Diploma is valuable relative to other graduation options. However, participants indicated low perceptions of value concerning the Career Diplomas symbolic value.

From campus shootings to mass prolonged campus closures in the Gulf Coast due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the past decade has seen an increase in high profile crises at higher education institutions. Louisiana State University was one of the institutions impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. After the experience, university administrators created an Emergency Operation Center and a new plan for how to handle campus crises. In 2008, LSU administrators had an opportunity to test their full scale plan with the landfall of Hurricane Gustav. In this study, university administrators from LSU were interviewed about their experiences with crisis management and the changes implemented since 2005. The participants discussed the creation of the Emergency Operation Center, leadership shown from the administration in the construction of the Emergency Operation Center, the difference in higher ranking administrators versus lower ranking administrators, and the opinion of if the campus is ready for future crises. In this study the researcher found that the creation of an Emergency Operation Center was an important achievement for crisis management. Additionally, it was decided that perceptions between higher ranking administrators involved with the Emergency Operation Center and those administrators not involved was significant and that a discrepancy was occurring between those who are considered essential personnel and non-essential personnel.