Research has shown a link between urban students' success in U.S. schools and the level of parental involvement. However, urban parents have historically low levels of engagement in their children's education. Increased involvement of urban parents in their children's education can increase student success in urban schools. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to understand the experiences of urban parents of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who have participated in an online training program to learn about their children's learning disability. Self-efficacy, andragogy, experiential learning, and sociocultural theory were used as conceptual foundations to guide the research. The research question was what are the experiences and perspectives of urban parents of children diagnosed with ADHD who participated in an online training program designed to develop their understanding of their child's learning disability. Participants in this generic qualitative study were 8 parents who participated in an online training program for parents of children with ADHD. Data sources included semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic inductive data analysis to identify patterns and themes. The key findings indicated that parents found the online training program helpful in understanding their children's specific learning needs and supported them to become more involved in their children's education. This study contributed to social change by providing insights into an innovative learning environment that advanced urban parent learning and fostered parental involvement in urban schools. Educational leaders can use this knowledge to encourage productive parental outreach programs for urban parents.

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The focus of this research was to examine the professional learning of school instructional and administrative staff as they focused on the elements of becoming a professional learning community. Existing research examined the components and behaviors collectively or independently. This research describes the relational data between the critical elements of focus, the leader, teams, and individual teacher as related to student achievement. It was determined through the literature review and results of this study that there were constructs of professional learning communities that were related to student achievement. In particular, a statistically significant relationship between proficiency in reading and teacher reflection was found. Additional behaviors of teachers and leaders were discussed in relation to increased student achievement. Suggested uses for the study included the consideration of practices by leaders in creating professional learning communities that support student achievement. An additional suggestion was the utilization of reflective practice and action research as means for increased student achievement.

Parent involvement is one of the factors to which student achievement is consistently and strongly linked in educational research, and is perceived by teachers as a core factor affecting student achievement. Therefore more and higher-quality engagement with students' families has the potential to make a positive difference in urban schools. However, a tendency among educators to focus on perceived family deficits, without a clear understanding of students' families' strengths, may limit urban schools' ability to develop effective family engagement programming. This study involved faculty and staff members at an urban K-8 school in systematically identifying strengths of the low-income Puerto Rican families whose children made up the vast majority of the student body, as a critical point of reference for working with families toward stronger student outcomes. The study was grounded in the principles of Action Research and utilized methods associated with Appreciative Inquiry to involve school faculty and staff members in carrying out, then collectively analyzing the results from, structured interviews with parents of low-income Puerto Rican students at the school. Along with establishing a family strengths inventory for use in ongoing planning for enhancement of family engagement programming at the school, the study included an assessment of the impact of the research process on the perceptions and intended actions of both participating faculty and staff members and those who elected not to participate. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of implications and recommendations related to theory, practice, policy, and research associated with the efforts of schools serving low-income Puerto Rican (and other) communities to strengthen their engagement with students' families.

This research presents a qualitative case study of a middle school principal in New York City who made significant strides in creating opportunities for learning at a school that predominantly serves children of color. Through a series of document reviews, interviews, and focus groups, the study analyzes the principal's leadership behaviors and decision-making strategies to achieve this goal. The analysis identifies three critical themes that are crucial for a principal to lead for equity while creating opportunities. The findings suggest that regardless of a school's location or a student's residence, principal leadership and decision-making influence the specific inputs and processes are essential for academic progress. The study has significant implications for principal preparation programs, particularly in terms of developing the necessary dispositions to create opportunities for learning. The insights gained from this research can be valuable for educational leaders who strive to create more equitable learning environments for all students. Keywords: Opportunity to learn, transformational leadership, instructional leadership, advocacy leadership, decision-making, children of color, urban school

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ABSTRACT Much of the research on Black males in education focuses on their underachievement, low graduation rates, and below average standardized test scores. At the same time, researchers often view urban neighborhoods where African Americans live from a deficit perspective. The present study aims to uncover how Black male high school students make use of neighborhood-based capital to succeed in school and explore how Black churches influence their academic trajectory. Drawing on Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model as a framework, the strengths-based qualitative study takes place in an urban neighborhood located in a mid-sized Northeastern city. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is employed to provide context for the study and pinpoint the residential locations of participants. Based on interviews and participant observations in a variety of contextual settings, participants identified ten neighborhood-based resources, including recreation centers, parks, and churches. They also describe their neighborhood level experiences and make clear how they leverage social, aspirational, family, and navigational capital. The findings from the study shed light on their educational and social realities and suggest that urban neighborhoods can be places of possibility. Implications discuss strategies that educators, administrators, and churches can employ to increase the academic engagement and performance of Black male students. / Urban Education

As new approaches to practice become available for school nurses, urban school districts must address the need to provide facilitators for the dissemination and adoption of new evidenced based practice models. With instructional capacity, curriculum challenges, and school climate at the center of the decision making of educational leaders, the needs of school health become neglected. As new innovations become available, school nurses working in urban school districts often rely on individual continuing education to access new ideas due to barriers that exist in urban schools with limited funding and resources. This dissertation research had two primary aims: (1) expand current research regarding specific barriers and facilitators to practice, and (2) to better understand the school nurses’ adoption of the Framework for the 21st Century School Practicing Nurse in an urban school district. This framework addresses the specific needs of the school nurse working in an evolving educational health setting. Using a descriptive and inferential quantitative design with a convenience sample of school nurses in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP), participants completed an online survey designed to examine awareness, agreement, and alignment with the framework, as well as barriers and facilitators of adoption. The results revealed differences in level of awareness of the framework across various demographic groups within the SDP. After presenting the framework to participants, school nurses agreed with the importance of fully aligning practice. Further, there were variations in level of importance regarding specific practice components of the framework. Participants identified facilitators and barriers that impacted their ability to fully align school nursing practice with the framework. / Urban Education