- Higher Education Leadership (Ed.D.)
- K-12 Administration (Ed.D.)
Theses/Dissertations from 2025
Special Education Student Success Factors for the Online K-12 Learning Setting, Cassie Castro
This study investigates the dynamics of teacher-student communication and its impact on the academic success of students receiving special education services in grades 6–12 within an online school setting. With the growing adoption of onlin...
The Impact of a Label: The Relationship Between Perception of Care and Outlook of Future Aspirations as Influences of Identity for Students Who Receive Special Education Services, Tamara Dobbins
This study examines the relationship between students who receive special education services and students who do not, their perception of care from adults and peers, and their future outlook. Students want to feel care from adults and peers...
Why I Stay: A Qualitative Appreciative Inquiry Study Exploring Teacher Longevity in an Urban Educational Settings, Rachel Renee Jorgensen
Teacher shortages have become a critical issue across various educational settings, with urban schools experiencing disproportionate levels of teacher attrition (Lamboy, 2023; Wiggan et al., 2021). This study investigated the philosophical ...
The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Professional Quality of Life: Assessing Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in Minnesota Teachers, Jaclyn Rehmke
This study explored the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and professional quality of life among Minnesota special education teachers, focusing on compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Par...
Theses/Dissertations from 2024
A Quantitative Examination of Teachers’ Perception of Children’s Socio-Emotional Development in Reggio Emilia and Alberta Flight Framework-Driven Early Childhood Education and Care Centers, Emmanuel Adegboyega Adewusi
This quantitative cross-sectional study examines teachers’ perceptions of children’s socio-emotional development in Reggio Emilia and Alberta Flight framework-driven Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers. Two research questions ...
Organizational Factors and Teachers' Burnout and Attrition, Tony Alberts
This study investigates factors influencing teacher retention and attrition, emphasizing the roles of demographic characteristics, salary, salary satisfaction, burnout, and working conditions. Utilizing data from the 2020–2021 National Teac...
From Teacher Attrition to Teacher Retention: The Role of School Principals, Karen Balmer
This quantitative study explored the role of school principals as an intervention to the teacher shortage crisis in the United States. The shortage of teachers is not a new topic in public policy and research; however, the strategies set fo...
Investigating the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Burnout Among Special Education Teachers in Iowa, Erica M. Boettcher
Emotional intelligence (EI) can play a critical role in the well-being of teachers and may significantly impact the risk of burnout. Teachers with higher EI are better equipped to manage stress, regulate their emotions, and navigate challen...
Divorcing Your OPM: Moving from an Outsourced Online Program Management Model to a New Online Program Management Model: A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study, Andrea Carroll-Glover
The demand for flexible online learning models, fueled by technological advancements and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has necessitated creative solutions to support millions of students enrolled in online programs. Higher Education...
Facing History: A Systematic Literature Review of the Intersection of Trauma-Informed Education, Critical Race Theory, and Ubuntu in K-12 History Classrooms, Karrah Marie Cheruiyot
Since the publication of the 1619 Project in 2019, history classrooms have encountered heightened scrutiny, prompting a profound examination of pedagogical practices. The discourse surrounding the teaching of history to K-12 students has en...
Divorcing Values: A Quantitative Study of Religious K-12 Leaders in the Public Sphere, Christine Collins-Otto
This cross-sectional quantitative study examined the relationship between public K-12 leaders’ levels of religiosity, job satisfaction, intention to leave, and perceived organizational fit when required to implement policies incongruent wit...
More Mirrors in Leadership for Latina Students: A Quantitative Study on the Retention and Attrition of K–12 Latina Principals in the United States, Dominique I. Dynes
This quantitative study examined the impact of job satisfaction and salary on Latina principals' decisions to remain in their current positions. The research utilized data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). A logistic re...
Measuring International School Early Year Teachers’ Actual and Perceived Knowledge of Strategies to Support Oral Language Development in Early Years, Elizabeth Gail Erickson-DenHartigh
This dissertation investigates the actual versus perceived knowledge of oral language development strategies among early years teachers in international schools. Employing Prestwich’s (2012) "Teacher’s Knowledge of Oral Language Development...
The Rise in Racial Tension: Metropolitan High School Administrators' Perceptions of School Resource Officers, Joshua Stephen Mahan
Although heuristic models on safety for Black students have been proposed following the death of George Floyd (Edwards, 2021), little research to date has highlighted how Minnesota educational leaders perceive school resource officers (SROs...
Teachers’ Attrition: Relationship Between Principals’ Communication and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Jason Robert Menth
This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and teachers’ satisfaction with their salary, the number of years teaching, and the principals’ communication about the kind of school they want. Teacher attrition ...
Understanding The Lived Experiences of Special Education Teachers Tasked with Ensuring Parental Involvement in Special Education Processes, Dharmisha Tailor Narayanan
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) mandates parental participation in special education processes, yet families, especially culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families, often face obstacles in their active invol...
A Phenomenological Case Study of Key Characteristics of a Successful Presidential Transition, Jennifer Marie Niska
There is significant research on the president's role, but there is a lack of research on presidential transitions and direct experiences during those transitions. With the growing number of presidential transitions happening as the tenure ...
A Qualitative Case Study: Teacher Perceptions of the Support Received When Working With English Learners, Jennifer Pare
English Learners (ELs) are one of the fastest-growing student populations in K-12 schools, and attention must be given to the academic achievement gap between ELs and their native English language speaking counterparts. The Every Student Su...
Talking Leadership: Voices of High School Athletes (and Their Coaches), Ann Senn
Every organization in every geography and discipline is challenged to develop leaders who can be effective in complex situations. The ethical conduct of appointed leaders is of particular concern. While some individuals possess natural lead...
Exploring the Current Reality of Supporting Multilingual Learners in Greater Minnesota: Bridging Practice and Policy to Plan Forward, Amanda Lee Tegels
The purpose of this study was to understand the current reality of multilingual learner supports in schools in Greater Minnesota and align that current reality with the Minnesota Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS)...
The Perception of Asian Students Enrolled in an Online Theological Degree Program on their Learning Experience Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic, Kelvin Kian Teck Teo
The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Asian theological students as they transitioned from face-to-face to online learning while enrolled in an onsite theological degree program ami...
The Experiences of Hmong American Parents and Guardians Who Navigate the U.S. Public School System Through Hmong American Charter Schools, Lee Thao
This study examined the experiences of Hmong American parents who navigate the U.S. public school system through Hmong American charter schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the successes and challenges, as defined and describ...
College Students Formerly in Foster Care and Basic Needs Insecurity, Jodi M. Wolkerstorfer
This quantitative study explored the role of foster care experience for undergraduate college students who struggle with housing and/or food insecurity. Using data from the 2019-2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20), this...
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
Stress in the Clinical Education Environment: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Physical Therapy Students, Christina E. P. Anderson
Many Americans experience high levels of stress, particularly young adults and college students. Stress has been found to be particularly high among students in the health professions, including physical therapy students. High levels of str...
An Exploratory Qualitative Study On The Lived Experiences of Special Education Teachers’ Perceived Burnout In a Midwestern Public School District Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Andrea Elizabeth Becker
There is a serious problem worldwide as a result of the continuing decline in teacher retention rates. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States fell short of the required teaching staff; this decrease perpetuated the national speci...
The Impact Mentoring has on Black Males’ Sense of Belonging and Resiliency at Historically White Institutions of Higher Education, Derek Montel Brown II
Data analysis found that having a mentorship relationship for Black males at historically White higher education institutions had a significantly different level of resiliency and sense of belonging. Previous research has focused on qualita...
Mentorship Program Components That Influence Beginning Teacher Retention, Rebecca Carlson
This study investigates the relationship between new teachers' retention in the first five years of teaching and mentorship support given to teachers. The teacher shortage in the United States is a documented problem and continues to grow. ...
Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Their Response to Students’ Disruptive Behavior, Nathan Elliott
Disruptive classroom behavior is a frequent topic of concern for teachers who are emotionally exhausted by the profession. The discrepancies in the treatment of students from different demographic groups create the need to research the fact...
The Push and Pull of Presidential Priorities: The Lived Experiences of College Presidents, Brandon Huisman
This dissertation explores the intricate interplay of presidential priorities in the evolving landscape of higher education, particularly within the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Over the past 15 years, college pres...
How Do Evangelical Christian Secondary Schools Approach Sex Education?, Benjamin James Hummel
Numerous studies look at the impact of sex education programs in public schools in the United States, but there is a lack of research on how private Evangelical Christian schools approach the topic. This study aimed to explore the attitudes...
Differences in Black and White Students’ Achievement Gap between Public Charter Schools and Traditional Schools in Minnesota, Dustin Lee Julius
The purpose of this research is to determine whether the achievement gap between Black and White students differs significantly between Minnesota public charter schools and traditional Minnesota public schools. The reading and math proficie...
Social-Emotional Learning and Teachers’ Cultural Competency: The Relationship Between Implementation Practices and Student Outcomes, Sarah Lynn Skytte Rothstein
The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine (1) the relationship between teachers’ perceived cultural competence and the perceived implementation of culturally responsive Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) practices, conditional on t...
Exploring the Characteristics of Physical Therapist Assistant - Doctor of Physical Therapy Bridge Programs that Increase Accessibility and Support for Nontraditional Students, Jessica Scholl
The number of nontraditional students in higher education continues to increase. Despite the increase in the number of nontraditional students overall, the majority of students enrolled in doctor of physical therapy programs are considered ...
Student-Athletes’ Resilience at Religious and Secular Higher Education Institutions, Thayer Trenhaile
The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference in student-athletes’ resilience by whether they attended religious or secular higher education institutions. The study utilized dat...
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
Perceptions of Somali Parents Regarding the Impact of the Parent Academy Program on Their School Engagement Capacity, Abdisalam A. Adam
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Somali parents about the Parent Academy program in Saint Paul Schools and whether it impacted their school engagement capacity. The research was a qualitative phenomenological ...
Parental Satisfaction With On-Campus and Off-Campus Learning in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Aaron Nelson Baumgartner
Research identifies several aspects of school climate and confirms the importance of parental satisfaction with school climate in terms of student learning. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has a highly competitive market for int...
The “Most Important Asset”: An Exploratory Comparative Case Study of Factors Influencing Faculty Hiring and Faculty Composition at Two Small, Private Colleges in Iowa, Jamii Claiborne
The faculty composition in U.S. higher education has changed significantly over recent decades (AAUP, 2020; Hurlburt & McGarrah, 2016b; Schuster & Finkelstein, 2006). What was once a faculty model dominated by tenured and tenure-track facul...
Presidential Transition in Higher Education, Julie Dunlop Gednalske
The transition of a college or university president is inevitable. Presidential tenure is becoming shorter and turnover becoming more commonplace at private and public higher educational institutions. Thriving higher education institutions ...
A Comparison Study of Leadership Self-Efficacy and Leadership Experiences of Physician Assistant Students, Cynthia Gail Goetz
Leadership for any medical profession is important for ongoing success and developing a succession of leaders for a profession is vital, including the Physician Assistant (PA) profession. Developing leadership self-efficacy (LSE) in PA stud...
Understanding Possible Risk and Protective Factors For High School Students Who Experience Chronic Childhood Trauma, Albert Johnson
Students enter their respective school buildings with unknown past physical, emotional, or mental traumas due to dynamics within their family, community, or school (Izard & National, 2016). Experiencing trauma in childhood can lead to a myr...
Outcomes for Special Education 18-21 Transition Programs: A Parent Perspective, Mandy Lynn Kasowicz
Parenting is a complicated journey that never ends for those who raise children with special needs. Families need to make several difficult decisions about life after high school, and they are often left alone to navigate those choices. Dec...
The Impact of Terminal Doctoral Level Credentials on Physician Assistant/Associate and Physician Collaboration, Alicia Klein
Physician assistants/associates (PAs) are regarded as valuable members of the healthcare team and work in a team-based collaborative model with physicians. In recent years, there has been a debate regarding the most appropriate entry-level ...
“Everybody Here is Like a Therapist": A Qualitative Case Study of School Based Mental Health Integration within a Multi-Tiered System of Support in one Urban Alternative High School, Adam B. Kunz
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the integration of a School Based Mental Health Program within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in an urban alternative high school. The eight participants of this study are membe...
Gender Differences in High School Students’ Perceptions of Math and Science Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Utility, Lauren Mauel
This quantitative dissertation examined the differences between young men and women’s perceptions of mathematics and science identity, self-efficacy, and utility. There are gender norms and stereotypes that impact identity, self-efficacy, a...
The Relationship Between Staff Burnout and Staff Morale in Private International Schools in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates., Asif Mehmood
This research examined the significance of the relationship between educators' burnout and morale in three private international schools in Sharjah, UAE. Correlations between individual variables from the Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators...
Perceptions of Elementary Classroom Teachers Using MoveMindfully®: Understanding Teacher Well-being and Teacher Efficacy, Jeff LeVern Nepsund
The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand the perceptions of elementary school teachers who have used MoveMindfully® regarding their personal social emotional well-being and efficacy in meeting the needs of their stud...
Understanding How Higher Education Leaders Manage Their Personal Self in a Changing Environment, Brittany Kay Nielsen
This research looked at how higher education leaders identified and managed their emotions in times of institutional change. Interviews were conducted with higher education leaders who were above the level of director and were not chancello...
Parent Experience in Preschool Special Education Classroom Setting Decisions, Kaia Kathryn Nordtvedt
Early childhood is a crucial time in a child's development and is often the entry point for a child experiencing developmental delays in the special education process. Parents play an essential role in the special education process as the c...
Implementation of Tiered Systems of Support at Secondary Schools in Minnesota, Beth Arlene Praska
The purpose of this study was to examine data regarding the implementation of critical components of the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework in Minnesota public secondary schools, defined as middle and high schools that service...
The Relationship Between the Implementation of Response to Intervention and Students’ Achievement on Eighth Grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, Ann Marie Rooney
The purpose of this research study was to determine if there is a relationship between the implementation phase of Response to Intervention (RTI), an academic multi-tiered system of support, and eighth grade students’ mathematics, reading, ...
A Study of the Implementation Process of Interventions to Address Racial Disproportionalities in Student Discipline, Katie Stennes
Beginning in the fall of 2017, forty-one districts and charter schools entered into three-year legal agreements with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to reduce the racial disproportionality in their district or school’s exclusionary...
Emotions in Educators Implementing a Social-Emotional Development Framework, Cindy Stolp
This qualitative study explored the emotions of early childhood educators implementing the Pyramid Model social-emotional framework. The semi-structured interviews with 11 educators included discussing emotions correlated to Pyramid Model p...
The Efficacy of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) in Closing the Discipline Gap Between White Students and Students of Color, Taylor Williams
The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the data from schools that have and have not implemented AVID for at least three years to determine what difference, if any, existed between the schools’ racial discipline gap. This stud...
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
The Relationship between the Implementation Phase of the DuFour Model of Professional Learning Communities and Students’ Achievement, William Adams
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the implementation phase of the DuFour model of professional learning communities (PLCs) and students’ achievement. A survey was emailed via Qualtrics to elementary principal...
Differences in Elementary Students’ Self-Reported Mental Health Between Racial Groups, Alyssa Kim Bartosh
An Exploratory Comparative Case Study of Successful Fundraising Operations at Three Small, Private, Christian Universities, James Edgar Bender
Literature suggests that the challenges currently facing higher education will continue, increasing the pressure on institutions to discover and cultivate new funding sources outside of the traditional avenues of tuition, room, board, and f...
Instructional Coaching: A Way to Improve Teacher Pedagogy and Students’ Achievements, Allison Coalwell
As students' assessment scores in the United States continue on a downward trend, school districts across the nation seek ways to improve the quality of instruction. A proven strategy to enhance teacher quality, and subsequently student ach...
Use of Best Practices in Exam Item Creation, Analysis, and Revision: Nursing Faculty’s Knowledge, Use, and Implementation Barriers and Facilitators, Julie Anne De Haan
The ultimate goal of nursing education is to prepare graduates to provide excellent, safe patient care. The implementation of exam item best practices can significantly contribute to this process. This study examined nursing faculty’s use o...
Online Special Education Teachers’ Use of Best Practices in Online Education: Comparisons with General Education Teachers, Supporting Factors, and Barriers to Implementation, Kelly Dietrich
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the use of best practices for K-12 general education teachers and special education teachers in Minnesota K-12 approved online learning programs. Additionally, the relationsh...
The Congruence of Teachers’ and Principals’ Perspectives of Learning-Centered Leadership Behaviors of Principals within International Christian Schools and the Impact on Organizational Commitment of Teachers, Andrea Dawn Rens Dugan
The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the degree of congruence between principals’ self-perception of learning-centered leadership behaviors and teachers’ perceptions of learning-centered leadership behaviors of their princi...
Vocational Faculty Experience with Emerging Technology, Amie M. Dwyer
This case study illuminates the vocational faculty experience with emerging technologies. Interviews were conducted with vocational faculty who incorporated emerging technology into their practice within three years of the study. The resear...
Coming Home: An Exploratory Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Reentry Shock and Mindset, Julia L. Fagen
With a growing number of international secondary schools world-wide (International School Council, 2019) and a rise in the number of individuals repatriating to their home country after studying abroad (Ministry of Education of the People's...
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Rural Southwest Minnesota Teachers in the Spring 2020 Transition to Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kim Robin Friesen
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of rural teachers in Southwest Minnesota during the spring 2020 transition to distance learning and to unearth any connection between the transiti...
The Essential Components of the Afterschool Programming with K-8th Grade Targeted Service Students, Nate Ryan Hanson
The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the effectiveness regarding the essential components of the afterschool programming with K-8th grade targeted service students. This study also examined the effectiveness of aft...
A Phenomenological Case Study of the School District of Palm Beach County's 2018-2020 Professional Development Certification Program, Brad Daniel Johnson
Certifying teachers is a very important element within the educational process. Teacher certification is usually accomplished through undergraduate colleges of education. However, because many professionals change careers and want to become...
The Impact of the Write-Converse-Write Strategy on Eighth Grade Science Students’ Science Understanding and Claim-Evidence-Reasoning as Evidenced by Their Writing, Jessica Lynn Keller
This mixed-methods case study explored whether the write-converse-write (WCW) strategy impacted students’ science conceptual understanding, as evidenced by their writing, along with the teacher and student perceptions regarding the strategy...
Disproportionality of Women in STEM Careers, Rachel J. Lanquist
Despite inclusion efforts for women to be equally represented across all disciplines and at all career levels in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), there remains a significant gap between males and females within the ...
A Descriptive Study of the Accommodations, Assistive Technologies, and Supports Chosen by Students with an Intellectual Disability Attending a Post-Secondary Institution, Lori Olson
This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the perceptions of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) attending a Transition Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). This study explored wh...
“It is What it is”: A Phenomenological Study of Undergraduate Students Enrolled in a Private Institution Who Were Required to Enroll in Zero-Credit Developmental Coursework, Comfort O. Olugbuyi
Developmental coursework is the requirement most higher education institutions in the United States implement to address the academic unpreparedness that challenges many of their students. Previous research identified factors that may contr...
Marginalized Voices: Stories of Resilience Among At-Risk Youth in Southern China, Lynne Ruth Picker
The stories of at-risk minority youth living in rural southern China, are stories waiting to be told. These are the stories of trauma and courage as they discover their pathway from risk to resilience. This study points to the need for cont...
Exploring the Lived Experience of Kumeyaay College Graduates, Ricardo Rafael Ramos
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience during participation in higher education of Kumeyaay Indian Nation college graduates. Specifically, the study investigated the factors graduates perceived to contribute to their ...
Teachers’ Attitudes towards Multicultural Curriculum, Constance Marie Robinson
The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine teachers’ attitudes toward multiculturalism and perceptions of multicultural curriculum. Teachers’ perception of whether their schools’ curriculum reflects multicultur...
Standards-Based Grading Implementation: Rural Elementary Leaders’ Perceptions of Useful Professional Development Practices, Claudia A. Roesler
The ultimate goal of K-12 education is to prepare learners to be life-, career-, and college-ready. Elementary schools develop the foundational skills necessary for students to be successful in secondary education and beyond. The implementa...
Opting Out in Minnesota: Examining the Variables Associated with Opting Out of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, Peggy M. Rosell
Opting out of state mandated testing may have significant implications for schools and states. In Minnesota, each student opted out of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) receives a score of not proficient in school accountability ...
The Racial Attitudes of White Students at a CCCU Institution, Jarad T. Russell
This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews to understand the lived experiences and racial attitudes of White students at a CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) institution as they related to Black people. T...
Purpose and Autonomous Functioning in Emerging Adults, Michelle A. Steffenhagen
This study sought to understand the relationship between a sense of purpose and autonomous functioning in young adults. The relationships between the dimensions of purpose (goal orientation, sense of meaning, and beyond-the-self focus) and ...
Examination of Shamans as Cultural Leaders in the Hmong American Communities, Phoua Y. Vang
Leadership in the world today is under crisis because many individuals serving as positional leaders lack effective leadership capacities. Many organizations choose leaders based on individuals’ academic performance and personality traits; ...
A Quantitative Study of Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers’ Attrition: The Relationships Between Burnout, Personality, and Organizational Factors, Erin Lavery Wanat
The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between independent variables—special education teachers’ emotional/interpersonal stressors, personality type, and worklife variables—and special education teachers’ burnou...
Synchronous Online Instruction, Institutional Connectedness, and Retention in College Students, Kara L. Wicklund
This study utilized items in a campus life survey, administered during COVID-19, to explore relationships among synchronous instruction, institutional connectedness, and retention. Various statistical tests were applied to the data set to a...
The Relationship between Inclusive Classroom Practice and Student Self-Perception Outcomes, Jenifer York
The majority of students with special education needs spend of 80% their time in general education classrooms (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019c). While participation in general education classes is linked to positive outcomes...
Theses/Dissertations from 2020
Inclusion Model Impact on Students with Disabilities in Academic Settings, Michael Anthony Adams
This study explored how the special education inclusion model impacted students with disabilities in several South Georgia counties. The researcher determined there were differences in perceptions and actual progression based on the finding...
Differences in Teachers’ Self-Reported Levels of Gratitude Between High-Poverty and Low-Poverty Schools, Theresa Marie Anderson
Teacher turnover is a major issue in the U.S. education system because teachers are leaving the profession at astounding rates (Castro, Quinn, Fuller, & Barnes, 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019). Teacher turnover disproportionately impacts school...
Factors that Contribute to High School Senior African American Male Students’ Academic Success, John Jeffrey Baker
There are many studies that examine the negative academic factors that hold African American male students back from being academically successful students. This research changes the narrative because it examines the positive factors that h...
Principals’ Perceptions of Factors Leading to Academic Improvement in Minnesota Elementary Schools, Sean D. DuBé
The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the principals’ perceptions of factors leading to academic improvement in Title I elementary schools in Minnesota. Participants included eight Title I elementary principals who led ...
The Relationship of Psychological Capital and Leader Humility in Minnesota Secondary Schools, Kristine Fehr Flesher
The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between leader humility and teacher psychological capital in Minnesota secondary schools through a quantitative, cross-sectional study design. The four independent variables ex...
The Rise of Segregated Charter Schools in Minnesota, Josiah Jackson
In the last decade, urban charter schools gained prominence in the United States. They specifically made substantial growth in the metro areas in Minnesota. The vitality of these schools and their accomplishments were seen and recognized by...
Professional Learning Communities and Collective Mindfulness, Melissa J. Johnson
The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of professional learning communities, collective mindfulness, and student achievement in high-poverty Minnesota schools. The School Professional Staff as Learning Community Questi...
Determinants of Professional Practice Experience Satisfaction in Health Information Management Students, Katie Lea Kerr
The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational study was to determine the degree to which factors of a high-quality professional practice experience (PPE) in undergraduate health information management (HIM) programs relat...
Case Study: Formative Assessment Driven Instruction and Standardized Test Scores for 10th Grade Biology Students, Gregory Laurence Nelson
Accountability measures have been employed in United States schools to meet the demands of a globalized society with a standardized testing system used to assess student growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship be...
Understanding the Whole Student Approach and Its Influence on the Graduation Rates of Hispanic/Latino ELL Students within Catholic High Schools, Pamela Marie Patnode
Spanish speaking English Language Learners (ELLs) represent a large and rapidly growing student population. Although many Hispanic/Latino ELL students are at risk for academic failure, Hispanic/Latino students who attend Catholic schools ar...
Becoming a STEM Magnet School: The Story of Two Schools, Leanne M. Peterson
This mixed-methods study explored the journey of two elementary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) magnet schools. Both schools are marketed as using integrated, hands-on, problem solving approaches; science is the focus at on...
Elementary Charter School Enrollment and Economic Segregation in Two Urban Minnesota Public School Districts, Jeffrey Michael Sambs
This study used a quantitative historical research design and multivariate mixed method analysis to examine whether there is a relationship between charter school enrollment and economic segregation at the elementary level in the public sch...
Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports: Effective Elementary School Tier Two and Three Interventions, Ashley Schaefer
This study explored how one ambassador school that has been implementing PBIS with fidelity over the last few years is meeting the needs of all students using the Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) framework. An ambassador sch...
Exploring Lived Experiences of University Students Attending a Residential University in the Midwest Who Have Moved Home as a Result of COVID-19, Hendrika B. Schoon
College students’ stress levels and mental health problems continue to rise (Acharya, Collins, & Jin, 2016; Galatzer-Levy & Bonanno, 2013; Gallagher, 2009; Gallagher, 2012; Giamos, Lee, Suleiman, Stuart, & Chen, 2017; Li 2018; Ketchen-Lipso...
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in Professional Athletic Training Programs, Mary Elizabeth Westby
The purpose of this study was to examine the type of program-level student learning outcomes (SLOs) that athletic training programs (ATPs) are citing and how athletic training programs are assessing these student learning outcomes (assessme...
The Cause and Impact of Charter School Leadership Turnover, Curtis Grant Windham
The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes and impact of charter school leadership turnover. Participants in this study included 10 charter school leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Data discovere...
Theses/Dissertations from 2019
Evaluation of Leadership Practices in High- and Low-Achieving Public High Schools in Nigeria, Wole Timothy Aderinkomi
Leadership has become one of the topical issues in all facets of our growing but complex world. This is because everything rises and falls on leadership whether in a country, corporate world, educational institutions, religious organization...
Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Principal’s Role in Leading Successful School Reform, Ugochukwu Valerie Aimakhu
This quantitative study explored the relationship between transformative school principal leadership and teacher commitment from the perspectives of teachers in the ongoing process of educational reform and the extent to which principals’ t...
The Impact of One-to-One Technology Initiatives on the Racial Achievement Gap in the High School Setting., Jaysen Walter Anderson
The purpose of the study was to analyze the racial achievement gap between high schools that had a one-to-one technology program and schools without this program. Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment reading and math data were collected on 20...
Contributing Causes for Retention or Turnover of Black Teachers in Minnesota Metropolitan Area Public Schools, Chris Bellmont
Teaching, above all else, is about relationships and engagement. Students need to see teachers, especially in their affinity group, as successful and guiding role models. American schools have spent 20+ years implementing strategies that se...