College of Education

For nearly 60 years, politicians and policymakers have sought to improve the educational outcomes of students across their states and the country through legislated policies and programs. Despite their efforts, little progress has been made in improving the outcomes of the nation’s most vulnerable students. The achievement gap persists, and poverty divides the haves from the have-nots, especially in reading achievement.
This study was designed to explore the impact of increasing time allocated for reading instruction on student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA). Additional research questions were also included to determine if other factors impacted student achievement in ELA. The objective of this study was to determine if adding instructional time for any number of years improved student outcomes in reading.

This study addressed gaps in research on understanding the preparedness status of emergency management programs within Florida College System (FCS) and State University System (SUS) institutions. The quantitative assessment involved 21 institutions (51% response rate).
A survey instrument was developed from prior studies and measured programmatic factors. These questions explored the current preparedness level regarding emergency management programs within Florida’s FCS and SUS institutions, the involvement of stakeholders in these programs, the perceived preparedness to respond to various hazards, the extent of institutional investment in emergency management efforts, and the organizational frameworks characterizing the emergency management departments or units within these institutions.
Findings revealed that FCS institutions generally have needs, particularly in exercises and financial resources, suggesting foundational elements are present but highlighting opportunities to advance their preparedness. In contrast, SUS institutions report needs in planning and financial support, emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive and updated emergency strategies and plans and sufficient funding as programs advance. Both systems displayed strong leadership commitment that supported their levels of preparedness.

There is a growing interest and attention for organizations to move from a shareholder capitalist to stakeholder capitalist business model, in which delivering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is becoming more pronounced. Because of this transition, there is growing pressure for managers at all levels to act in sustainable, socially responsible, and ethical (SRE) ways; yet the current management models are based on maximizing economic value and scientific management. Therefore, the attempts to try and manage 21st century organizations with 20th century management practices and the aspirations of responsible management education have not demonstrated the desired effect (Laasch & Gherardi, 2019), as seen by continued business failures. It is not yet understood whether it is possible for the everyday manager to effectively navigate the tensions and contradictions of trying to deliver economic value to shareholders, social and ecological value to other stakeholders, while simultaneously attending to regulatory policies and, in the process, avoiding burnout for overtasked managers. Conducted in a debt remediation call center in the Dominican Republic, this study used an eclectic design integrating abductive analysis with a cultural-historical activity theory methodology to explore responsible management practices at the lowest levels of management. The findings describe responsible managers as pressure moderators enacting four primary elements: 1) embracing a pluralistic logic of responsibility, 2) accepting tensions with resilience, 3) engaging practices dynamically to moderate pressures, and 4) learning primarily on the job amid real work. In this organization, moderating the pressures of emotional labor was the primary object of their attention.

Sound health is critical to quality of life (Skevington, 2007). Acquisition of skills in self-determination and independence are integral to quality of life. Two facets that engender self-determination and independence for an individual are healthy food choice and food preparation (Koponen et al., 2019; Yaddaden et al., 2019). However, healthy food choice and food preparation have received scant attention as individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to face health disparities and poor health status. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore single subject experimental studies conducted on healthy food choice and food preparation from 2005 to 2022 in peer-reviewed journals. The methodology utilized a journal hand search, database search, and ancestral search. The results indicate that of the combined search of over 75,000 articles, less than 1% involved healthy food choice and/or food preparation. The results also illuminate the paucity of the research on healthy food choice and reveal that food preparation is gaining more attention in the empirical literature. The limitations of the study and implications for practice and research are also discussed.

Intervention packages combing behavioral interventions (e.g., time delay, physical prompting, or prompt fading) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems have proven to be effective in developing communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Charlop-Christy et al., 2002; Greenberg et al., 2014). However, both preservice and in-service speech language pathologists have limited exposure to the benefits of using behavioral interventions to teach non-vocal functional communication skills (King et al., 2014; Muharib et al., 2019). This study used a multiple probe design across participants design to examine the effects of an online training package to teach speech-language pathologists (SLP) to use a behavioral intervention that combines backward chaining and AAC systems to increase non-vocal requesting of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two preservice SLPs completed three self-guided video modules on backward chaining and augmentative and alternative communication, engaged in role plays with an adult confederate, and participated in live feedback sessions. Once completed, preservice SLPs learned to use a backward chaining procedure with a communication board to teach children with ASD non-vocal requesting. Results showed that the online training package was effective in increasing the knowledge and skills of the preservice SLPs in using backward chaining to support AAC use and increase the child’s non-vocal requesting.

Online shopping is a common feature of modern adult life and is made easy with targeted advertisements, a large buy now button, and pre-entered credit card information. However, these features do not support making purchasing decisions based on what is best for the individual. Decision making about buying items requires an understanding of basic mathematics, one’s current finances and circumstances, and information about the product, then choosing whether to purchase the item. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) need explicit instruction on how to make informed decisions regarding online purchases.
The current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention package consisting of a mnemonic and behavior skills training (BST) delivered remotely to improve the decision making of three adults with IDD when shopping online through a multiple probe across participants design. Inter-observer agreement and procedural fidelity was assessed throughout each phase of the study and social validity interviews were conducted to measure perceptions of participants, parents, and professionals on the importance of the goals, procedures, and outcomes of the study.

This study aimed to understand the relationship between School Counseling Site Supervisors’ (SCSS) characteristics, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) training, cultural humility, advocacy competency, and SDOH competency (n = 69). SDOH refers to the factors that inform an individual’s physical and mental health. Cultural humility refers to an innate openness and curiosity about individual experiences, perspectives, and culture. Advocacy competency refers to the ability to implement advocacy efforts within an individual’s community. Having competency with addressing SDOH in schools, practicing cultural humility, and advocacy competency can help SCSS improve supervision practice within school communities.
This study followed a non-experimental, correlational survey research design. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to measure the strength of the relationships between the variables. The data supported statistically significant relationships between SDOH-based supervision training (F(12,51) = 2.59, p < .05, R2 = .38), cultural humility (F(1,67) = 6.17, p < .015, R2 = .08), and advocacy competency (F(1,67) = 9.7, p < .003, R2 = .13) as predictors of SDOH competency.

This systematic literature review investigates K-12 social studies educators' perspectives on digital game-based learning (DGBL) from 2015 to 2024, focusing on its impact on student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis, data from 10 studies were synthesized. Four main themes emerged regarding engagement and motivation, and three concerning learning outcomes. Findings indicate that while teachers recognize DGBL's potential benefits, they prioritize meeting learning objectives over new instructional strategies due to teaching demands and limited suitable digital games. Barriers such as time constraints and resource limitations hinder broader DGBL implementation. Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration among educators, administrators, and policymakers to leverage DGBL in K-12 social studies education fully.

The role of principal supervisors has changed significantly, moving away from a focus on compliance and towards a greater emphasis on nurturing principals' instructional leadership skills. As a result of this evolution, there is now an increased presence of supervisors in schools, but there are no clear guidelines for their activities. This study aims to fill this gap by developing a theory that explains how principal supervisors can effectively support principals in their roles. The insights gained from this study will have significant implications for the future training and professional development of principal supervisors, which aims to improve the effectiveness of principal leadership and, in turn, enhance student outcomes.
The study seeks to answer the key research question: "How do principal supervisors and their principals perceive how principal supervisors provide effective support?" Using a qualitative approach and grounded theory design, the study collected data through 15 semi-structured interviews involving three principal supervisors and 12 principals who had worked together for at least three years. The resulting grounded theory outlines a comprehensive framework that explains how principal supervisors can offer impactful support to principals.

In recent years, school counselors and education have faced an increase in mental health challenges, which has had adverse effects on school counseling (Marraccini et al., 2023). Seventy-six percent of state counseling coordinators report insufficient school counselors available to fill positions (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2023b). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023) estimates that 26,600 jobs per year will become available for school counselors, career counselors, and advisors over the next 10 years due to attrition and retirement from the profession.
This nonexperimental, correlational design explored the relationships between the volunteer school counselors’ (N= 56) developmental stage and perceived leadership behaviors, wellness, burnout, and turnover intention. The linear regression results revealed that school counselors’ years of experience predicted their leadership related to systemic collaboration and turnover intention. When exploring leadership behaviors, linear regressions found that counselors’ interpersonal skills predicted their perceptions of wellness and burnout, and systemic collaboration and resourceful problem-solving skills predicted a counselor’s level of burnout regarding their feelings of incompetence. Also, the participants’ professional efficacy predicted wellness and incompetence. Finally, social justice had a statistically significant relationship with incompetence and devaluing clients. The results of this study show moderate to strong relationships amongst select variables. The results, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.