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U.S. graduates must be critical thinkers, have strong interpersonal skills, understand diverse cultures, and speak more than one language to compete in a global workplace (Tucker, 2021). Dual language immersion (DL/I) is a successful instructional model that prepares students for the global economy (Thomas & Collier, 2017). Staffing DL/I programs is challenging because of the national shortage of teachers in the United States, particularly bilingual teachers (Hernández et al., 2022). The lack of bilingual teachers in the United States forced some schools to hire international teachers (Hernández & Alfaro, 2020).
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the acculturation experiences of international Latinx teachers, specifically focused on their onboarding support. Using LatCrit and Human Capital Theories, this phenomenological study analyzed the semi-structured interviews to explore the first-year experiences of seven international Latinx teachers. The results of the study indicate that intentional sociocultural support must be provided to improve acculturation and retain bilingual teachers. School support must include a culturally welcoming school community, the strategic assignment of mentors, professional development focused on the use of technology and assessments, and sociocultural support in navigating financial challenges related to housing and transportation. Implications of this study call for school districts and principals to develop culturally-informed onboarding systems to increase international teachers’ sense of belonging and reduce the stress they encounter adjusting to a new community. Additionally, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction’s commitment to DL/I expansion should include financial support for the relocation of bilingual teachers.
This study investigated the effects of a self-directed web-based instructional package on teaching high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to independently lead Summary of Performance (SOP) meetings. Three participants, aged 16–18, were recruited and taught a 15-step task analysis for hosting Google Meet and SOP meetings. Using a single-case, multiple probe across participants design (Horner & Baer, 1978), the study evaluated the impact of a multimedia instructional package on participants' ability to accurately complete SOP meeting steps. The independent variable was the self-directed web-based instructional package, which featured interactive content, examples, non-examples, and quizzes to reinforce learning. The primary dependent variable measured the percentage of accurate steps completed during simulated SOP meetings. Secondary measures included generalization of these skills to authentic Person-Centered Planning (PCP) meetings and qualitative assessments of participant, guardian, and educator perceptions of the intervention. The findings highlight the efficacy of web-based multimedia instructional tools in enhancing PCP processes, with participants demonstrating increased accuracy, skill generalization, and active engagement. By integrating technology into transition planning, this study provides valuable insights into empowering students with IDD/ASD to take a central role in their educational decision-making and post-secondary success. The study contributes to the growing body of research emphasizing the importance of autonomy, self-determination, and personalized instructional interventions in special education.
A growing area of research surrounds the role principals play in the retention of teachers amidst the lack of systemic and state policies needed to retain them, especially in Title I schools where student experience with teacher turnover is disproportionate to their non-Title I counterparts (Boyd et al., 2011; Nguyen, 2021). Principals are uniquely positioned to provide instructional guidance and organizational support for teachers to be set up for success despite the unpredictable wake of state policy or school contextual factors (Wallace Foundation, 2013). This exploratory qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of teachers working in Title I high schools about how principals influenced their decisions to remain or leave their schools and their overall dedication to the education profession. The findings emphasize the critical role that principals’ leadership styles—particularly the balance between transactional and transformative approaches—play in shaping teachers’ retention decisions and overall job satisfaction. This study suggests that teachers in Title I high schools value principals who are visible, relatable, and invested in fostering a supportive and stable school environment. Principals who demonstrate a commitment to both organizational efficiency and teacher empowerment contribute positively to teachers' decisions to remain in their schools. Findings indicate that principals have more influence over teachers moving from school to school rather than leaving the profession altogether.
Nationwide, the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted programs is pervasive (Ford et al., 2020; Hamilton et al., 2020; Hurt, 2018; Matthews & Rhodes, 2020; Peters et al., 2019). This study sought to further inform educators and policymakers about the existence of underrepresentation. While the existence of underrepresentation has been well documented, there exists a gap in principals’ perceptions of its existence. This study sought to allow principals to explore underrepresentation in their schools, provide their perceptions on their district’s Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program and identification practices, and offer recommendations to improve their district’s AIG program and identification practices. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to determine elementary principals’ perceptions of gifted education, gifted identification, and underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted populations. Data were gathered from three focus groups consisting of 14 total principals in the same district using semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that participants have positive and negative perceptions of their district’s AIG program and identification practices, and an overrepresentation and/or underrepresentation exists in some of their schools. Participants described reasons for the overrepresentation and/or underrepresentation and made recommendations to improve their district’s AIG program and identification practices. Implications included the need for professional development on gifted education, changes to the district’s identification methods, and revisions to its model of gifted instruction.
It has been repeatedly demonstrated across industries that the demographic profiles of executives are highly correlated with organizational performance outcomes. Using Upper Echelons theory as a guide, this study seeks to apply this paradigm specifically to senior hospital administration. Despite theoretical support from Upper Echelons theory, prior empirical studies have been unsuccessful at consistently demonstrating a performance difference between hospitals with medical doctors (MDs) as chief executive officers (CEOs) and hospitals with non-MDs as CEOs. These studies have only tested for a main effect between MD versus non-MD and hospital clinical quality and financial outcomes without regard for tenure. The proposed model asserts that the time a CEO has been in their role, tenure, is a critical variable and has a different effect on the relationship between MD versus non-MD CEOs and hospital performance. The results of this study indicate an interaction between tenure and MD versus non-MD CEO status on hospital return on assets (ROA). However, no interaction was found for any of the clinical quality outcome variables. These study findings support the idea that while MD CEOs may initially garner less favorable ROAs than their non-MD CEO peers, they eventually meet and surpass non-MD CEOs after seven years of tenure. As such, hiring MDs as CEOs may represent a favorable long-term financial investment strategy for hospitals.
Small businesses, constituting over 90% of enterprises worldwide, are pivotal to global economic growth but often face resource constraints that impede innovation and competitive advantage (World Bank, 2020; SBA, 2021). This study examines the roles of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO)—encompassing innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking—and Big Data Analytic Capability (BDAC) in fostering Business Model Innovation (BMI) within small businesses. Grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, the research investigates whether BDAC moderates the proposed relationship between EO and both novelty-centered and efficiency-centered BMI. A quantitative survey was administered to 190 small business owners and top managers in the United States across diverse industries, revealing key demographic insights such as an average participant age of 44 years and businesses averaging 13 years in operation with 21 employees.
The findings indicate that EO dimensions have differential impacts on BMI: innovativeness and proactiveness are significant positive predictors of novelty-centered BMI, while risk-taking significantly predicts efficiency-centered BMI. BDAC exhibits a strong positive effect on both dimensions of BMI, underscoring its critical role in enabling innovation. Contrary to expectations, BDAC does not moderate the relationship between EO dimensions and BMI, suggesting that EO and BDAC independently contribute to business model innovation in small businesses. These results highlight the importance for small business leaders to independently develop entrepreneurial qualities and data analytics capabilities to enhance innovation outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by elucidating the distinct roles of EO dimensions and BDAC and recommends that future research explore conditions under which EO and BDAC may interact synergistically, potentially involving additional moderating variables or different organizational contexts.
KAREN ROSHAUN MCLEAN. Exploring Post-secondary Educational Experiences of Black Women with Learning Disabilities: Multiple Case Study
(Under the direction of DR. CHANCE LEWIS)
The road to obtaining an education has not been easy for Black women. Without any mental impairments, Black women have to prove themselves within educational spaces to display themselves as worthy of obtaining higher education. Even with the many obstacles that Black women have encountered in their pursuit of an education, various narratives serve as evidence that even amongst adversity, Black women still rise. Throughout history, numerous accounts of Black women have made tremendous gains in education. Scholars such as Mary McLeod Bethune, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Lucy Laney, Fanny Jackson, and Nannie Helen Burroughs have demonstrated the strides that Black women have made within education (Collier-Thomas, 1982). Not new to the literature are the educational experiences of Black women. Unfortunately, what is lacking in the literature are the educational experiences of Black women with learning disabilities enrolled in postsecondary institutions. Using a critical lens, the goal of this study was to explore the post-secondary educational experiences of three Black women diagnosed with learning disabilities and how these experiences impacted their lives past, present, and future.
Keywords: Black women, learning disabilities, post-secondary, resilience, transition
In this quasi-experimental, mixed methods study, a curricular intervention was tested to determine whether adding labs and discussions focused on both psychosocial and math content skills to an online college algebra course could boost student achievement and retention. College algebra has notably low success rates in the United States. The labs and discussions were designed based on Keller's ARCS Model of Motivation, and the psychosocial factors examined were motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulation, attribution, and anxiety, all significant in prior community college research.
The study compared 29 students from an 8-week course with full treatment and 49 students from 16-week courses with partial treatment to results from students in previous years' business-as-usual courses at a community college. Results showed that the treatment improved achievement and retention when compared to prior sections taught by the researcher and those taught by other instructors. Students' attribution of their success or failure, as well as the other four PSFs, were also analyzed. While quantitative measures showed no significant change in psychosocial factors, student reflections suggested some improvement. Interestingly, adult learners were particularly affected by the interventions. A regression model based solely on psychosocial factors predicted student achievement without consideration of demographics or background. Future research aims to expand the sample size, involve more instructors, and refine the research tools to confirm these findings.
Background: Effective anesthetic management is essential for managing elective orthopedic spine surgeries. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, has emerged as a promising adjunct in anesthetic practice. Using DEX after surgery can provide benefits such as reduced opioid requirements, stable hemodynamics, and minimal respiratory depression (Hwang et al., 2015; Okello et al., 2018). However, its postoperative outcomes are not well studied. Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to assess the effects of intraoperative DEX administration on hemodynamic stability, pain control, and respiratory outcomes in patients undergoing elective lumbosacral spine surgeries. Methods: Utilizing a descriptive correlational design and retrospective quantitative data analysis data from 50 patient charts, aged 35-75 undergoing 1-3 level lumbosacral spine surgeries at a tertiary community care hospital, were collected and analyzed to explore the postoperative effects of using DEX as compared to not using DEX. Results: No significant differences were found between the DEX and non-DEX groups in terms of hemodynamics stability, pain scores, or respiratory events. However, DEX was associated with a safe postoperative profile, with no increase in adverse effects like hypotension or bradycardia. Conclusion: DEX did not significantly improve outcomes, but it showed evidence of having a safe profile, making it a viable option in multimodal anesthesia. Further investigation is needed to explore its impact on opioid use and broader surgical outcomes.
Keywords: dexmedetomidine, lumbosacral spine surgery, hemodynamic stability, respiratory events, pain management, postoperative outcomes
