Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2025, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education

Teachers have been challenged to move beyond traditional ways of delivering mathematics instruction and re-image their classroom practice to include student voices engaging in rich mathematical discourse (NCTM 1991, 2000). With the release of the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice, which define the habits of mind teachers should seek to cultivate in their students, the third: “construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others,” is devoted to mathematical talk (Common Core Standards Initiative, 2010, p. 6). In Principles to Actions, “facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse” is among the “eight Mathematics Teaching Practices, which represent a core set of high–leverage practices and essential teaching skills necessary to promote deep learning of mathematics” (NCTM, 2014, p. 9). However, if teachers are to orchestrate mathematical discourse effectively in their own classrooms—no easy task—more guidance is needed on how to navigate this transition away from more traditional teaching methods (Hufferd-Ackles et al., 2004). Spillane and Zeuli (1999) advocate for policy implementation research that focuses on “exploring patterns of practice as teachers adapt and enact instructional policy” (p. 20). This basic interpretative qualitative study sought to give voice to 16 experienced and emerging teachers via in-depth interviews as they reflected upon their time spent cultivating mathematical discourse communities. Fraivillig, Murphy and Fuson's (1999) Advancing Children's Thinking framework, used as a starting conceptual framework for this study, was complicated to include two additional components: (C) building the classroom culture, and (T) the importance of task selection. The resulting CTESE discourse cycle maintains the three instructional components of eliciting, supporting, and extending student thinking from the original ACT framework, but argues that they are mutually exclusive and iterative instead of overlapping and static. Finally, the int (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted longstanding issues in student achievement in the United States, with only 37% of students from grades 4-12 showing proficiency in math and reading, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The East Coast Charter Authorizer (ECCA), which oversees one of the largest and most diverse public-school systems, has taken on the responsibility to address these systemic issues. While there are initiatives to diversify the teaching workforce, and an intensive focus on evaluating schools, there is a critical gap in ensuring school leadership is representative of the student population and has the environment necessary to be successful in their roles as school leaders, and in implementing the kind of creative change needed to address systemic inequities. This study focuses on the experiences of Black Women School Administrators (BWSAs) and the necessary organizational conditions to improve their retention and effectiveness. This study employed a convergent social justice mixed methods research design to address the inequity in the experiences and presence of Black Women Principals in K- 12 schools. Quantitative data from a Qualtrics survey (N=12) and qualitative data from interviews (N=10) were collected concurrently to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research problem. The integration of both data types, as well as available research - known as triangulation, allowed for a robust analysis of the impact of perceived 4 experiences with the ECCA on Black Women Principals. Ensuring participant confidentiality and honoring their wishes to contribute comfortably were paramount and as such, prioritized throughout the study. The findings underscore the need for the ECCA to provide more tailored support to Black women leaders, addressing specific challenges unique to their experiences and fostering a more equitable educational environment. The study resulted in an equity-oriented (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies

Online participatory translation and localization spread widely with the advent of Web 2.0, and various collaborative translation practices continue to emerge in different contexts (e.g., the entertainment, technology, and software development industries). Collaborative translation also continues to evolve in online education, particularly in massive open online courses (MOOCs), most of which are delivered in English. Therefore, a range of opportunities must be provided to learners with relatively low English language proficiency. Online collaborative translation has been utilized by several prominent platforms such as Coursera, Khan Academy, and edX to increase linguistic diversity and the use of MOOCs in international development. This study explores the online collaborative translation practices evident on educational platforms, with a particular focus on the translation policies of MOOCs' providers, the motivations driving collaborators to engage in these participatory translation initiatives, and the work models implemented by the platforms. Two MOOC providers were identified as case studies, namely Coursera and Khan Academy. This research investigates their respective translation policies, drawing on Gonzalez Nunez's (2013) systematic approach to translation policy as a complex concept that encompasses management, practice, and beliefs. Additionally, this research adopts Engestrom's (1987) activity system model to explain the technologically mediated collaborative translations involving diverse participants and tools on Coursera and Khan Academy, and to identify contradictions within and between the components of their activity system models. It also explores collaborators' motivations through the functional approach, which identifies specific motives driving participation in collaborative translation, alongside demotivating factors. The research employs a combination of methods, including document analysis, observation, questionnaires, and follow-up interview (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The underrepresentation of African American male teachers in K-12 education significantly impacts educational equity and student success, especially in urban areas where these students often lack relatable role models. Historically, African American males were a significant presence in teaching, but their numbers have drastically declined since the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This shortage limits cultural representation and mentorship opportunities essential for the academic and personal development of African American male students. This qualitative phenomenological study, conducted within the Columbus City Schools system, explores the motivations of African American male teachers and their impact on students. Using Social Learning Theory and Social Identity Theory, the research involved in-depth interviews revealing key themes such as the influence of positive role models, the critical need for cultural representation, and the desire to mentor and advocate for young African American males. The study highlights the importance of targeted recruitment, supportive environments, and professional development programs to attract and retain these educators. Increasing the presence of African American male teachers enhances student engagement, achievement and fosters a more inclusive and equitable educational environment.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

This dissertation project used an interpretivist qualitative research design to study how the right-to-read claim made by seven teenagers attending Detroit public schools in 2016 reflects, addresses, or describes contemporary discussions about educational access. Using situational analysis (SA) as a theory/method, the entirety of the claim comprises the situation of the social phenomenon being studied, not the people. This research combines critical race theory (CRT) with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems and uses situation analysis to map historical discourses to conduct a study that examines the history of a present situation of inquiry as presented by this question: How does the 2016 right-to-read claim made by high school students in Detroit, Michigan reflect, address, or describe contemporary discussions about educational access? The study collected data to allow me to construct a prosopography that articulates an answer to the question that claims access to literacy is a public school policy right. Because situational analysis (SA) is designed to open research data to aspects of a circumstance that may have been overlooked, marginalized, or silenced, I was not certain the research results would answer this exact question. Additionally, critical theory and SA were used to conduct this qualitative research, examining historical data that addresses the right-to-read claim as a Foucaultian programmatic social problem. As such, it seeks to understand the complexities of recurring and historically situated education practices that limit actualizing U.S. education policies that embrace access to basic literacy skills as a human right. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2024, School Psychology

Most US states prohibit firearms in K-12 schools; however, some states have adopted exceptions that allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom. In the implementation of any policy, especially one that integrates the sensitive topics of education and gun policy, it is important to consider the perspectives of key stakeholders. The present study examined the perceptions of K-12 teachers on the topics of school safety and the carrying of firearms within the school setting as a preventative measure. Participants included K-12 teachers who responded to a survey request. Results were consistent with the majority of extant research, indicating that a majority of participants demonstrated some level of opposition to teachers carrying firearms in K-12 schools. Proper training yielded a slight increase in approval; however, a majority of respondents were opposed to faculty carry firearms in any capacity. The majority of K-12 teachers, regardless of district typology, express strong disagreement for these policies, however, the percentage of the majority is substantially larger within the urban population than within the suburban and rural populations. Implications regarding generalizability and future research are discussed.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Cross-Cultural, International Education

This study explores the implementation of the global refugee educational policy on the educational experience of Congolese refugee students in the United States (U.S) public schools. The current policy stresses the integration of refugee students into the national education system of receiving countries. The study involves high school Congolese refugee students who have resettled in Lansing, Michigan under the U.S Refugee Admission Program (USRAP). Based on previous studies, these students arrive in the U.S with a unique migration experience which often causes socio-emotional challenges, family separation, trauma, communication barriers, and cultural shock. The participants are aged between 18 and 22 and are considered to have a disrupted educational experience. Consequently, this study examines the influence of migration and pre-migration experiences on the educational experience of refugee students in the U.S public schools. In examining educational experience, this paper will focus on three contexts: the country of origin, transition country, and receiving country. People interested in the experiences of Congolese refugees in the U.S education will find this study helpful because the resettlement experience of Congolese is still understudied. Lastly, people who study the integration of refugees in places where there are not large foreign-born communities would also find this study useful.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Educational Studies

This dissertation examines the implications of datafication and capacity development in the Global South, with a specific focus on Punjab, Pakistan. It demonstrates how the discourse of datafication and capacity development, constructed by global actors, establishes a discourse infrastructure that legitimizes educational reforms at the local level. The study also investigates how local actors respond to the conditions created by this global discourse infrastructure. The study employs the Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse (SKAD) framework to connect the literature on datafication and capacity development and investigate the processes through which the Global North transitions from supporting to governing educational reforms in the Global South. Through this examination, the dissertation establishes the interdependence between datafication and capacity development, a connection that has not been extensively explored in the educational literature. This study makes a significant contribution to educational scholarship by providing a nuanced understanding of the relations and practices between the Global North and South.

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2023, Educational Administration (Education)

This qualitative study used cognitive dissonance theory as a lens to examine the experience of elementary teachers and administrators implementing policy mandates and its potential impact on their beliefs. Additionally, this study sought to identify barriers and supports to implement educational policy mandates. The primary objectives of the study were: (a) to highlight educational policy evolution to the Ohio Improvement Process; (b) to give insight on the impact of policy mandates on teacher and administrator beliefs; (c) to give practitioners in priority schools an opportunity to share their experience implementing the mandates of the Ohio Improvement Process. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to collect the data. The sample is comprised of seven elementary educators from the same urban school district. All seven participants had worked in a priority school for a minimum of three years at the time of this study. Of the seven participants, three were principals, two were classroom teachers, one was an instructional coach, and one was a special education teacher when this study was conducted. What priority schools have in common, policy impact on the work, and what policy mandates miss were the three major themes that emerged from this student. Recommendations for policy makers, principals, and teachers was discussed.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, EDU Policy and Leadership

The National Fund for Public Investment and Development (FONACIDE) is a government investment program aimed at improving the quality of education in Paraguay. This study analyzes FONACIDE's monetary investment in the city of Encarnacion over a 10-year period and highlights the program's shortcomings and repercussions. The research was framed in a case study adopting the documentary bibliographic modality for the policy analysis. The city of Encarnacion, located in the department of Itapua, in southern Paraguay, was taken as a case study. The study reveals that, despite FONACIDE's investment in Encarnacion, there are still problems in the educational infrastructure, such as the lack of repairs and construction of key spaces in schools. In addition, it is noted that the investment has not been distributed equitably in urban and rural areas, as some schools have received more funds than others, which has generated inequalities in the quality of school infrastructure. Furthermore, it is noted that the FONACIDE program has also had some negative management in Encarnacion. For example, there has been a lack of transparency in the distribution of funds, problems in the decentralized administration of resources, lack of citizen participation for better accountability on the part of the authorities, which has generated a sense of impunity among the population. Despite FONACIDE's monetary investment in Encarnacion, the educational infrastructure continues to show shortcomings. It is necessary to implement measures to improve transparency in the management of funds and ensure equitable distribution of resources to improve the quality of education in the city.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, EDU Teaching and Learning

Guided by Critical Language Policy (Tollefson, 2006) and Ethnography of Language Policy (Hornberger & Johnson, 2007), this comparative case study (Barlet & Vavrus, 2017) explored Ohio's Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) implementation in urban, suburban, and rural district typologies. In each district typology this study aimed to answer the research questions on a) discourses in SoBL policy and promotional texts, b) the current state of SoBL implementation in Ohio, c) district-level implementation of the SoBL, d) student perspectives, e) successes and challenges in the SoBL implementation, and f) stakeholders' recommendations to ensure equity and accessibility of the SoBL implementation. To answer the research questions, thirty-five stakeholders, including the state SoBL representative, world language teachers, ESL instructors, school counselors, principals, and former SoBL recipients were recruited in two urban, two suburban, and one rural school district in Ohio. The findings revealed that the Globalized Human Capital (GHC) discourses (Valdez et al., 2016) based on neoliberal language ideologies took precedence in the SoBL legislation, promotional texts, and interviews in addressing the value and benefits of SoBL. Findings also revealed that the SoBL promotion, outreach, accessibility, and policy implementation challenges varied in each district typology. While there were unique challenges in each district typology such as student identification, lack of reliable internet access, world language teacher shortage, lack of staffing, and the timing and planning of language assessments were the recurring SoBL implementation challenges across the cases. Concurring with other SoBL participant states, this study found that Ohio's SoBL favored English-dominant students who studied world languages in formal classroom settings. While the SoBL was perceived as a potential equalizer for the linguistically minoritized students in the urban districts, the high English proficiency requ (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2022, College of Education and Human Services

Culturally Responsive School Leadership is one of the most essential elements of the academic and longitudinal success of minoritized students from urban hyper-ghettoized communities. Despite the impact of Culturally Responsive School Leadership, the focus on improving learning has centered teachers instead of their leaders. Upon this realization, this study set out to center the Culturally Responsive School Leader, their context within the landscape of leadership and education, the history of Black Americans, and the frameworks of cultural and social capital as critical to the manner in which Culturally Responsive School Leaders engage with their students, families, communities, and the educational institution. This study interviewed twelve school leaders from a large metropolitan school district and its adjacent school districts about their journey to school leadership, their understandings of cultural capital, and how they performed their roles and responsibilities in light of their perceptions of cultural capital and their journey to school leadership. Participants consistently revealed a chronology of events throughout their lives that set them on the path of education and educational leadership that detailed them being Culturally Responsive, becoming a School Leader and doing Culturally Responsive School Leadership. They would also suggest that Culturally Responsive School Leaders emerge, they are not developed; they connect in authentic ways to those they serve, and they rectify, not repair, the harm executed against minoritized communities through their position as school leader.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to envision the educational policy structures that premise collective attempts to build new futures and shift the fulcrum of educational policy studies to Black and Indigenous knowledges. Modern educational policy structures, using colonial logics and guided by anti-Black systems, continue to exclude Black and Indigenous voices from policy making spaces. Or, policy actors outright ban justice-oriented and movement-building work in educational spaces. Even if policy actors are self-described allies, there is still a tendency to focus on what white people can do better. These educational policy realities place Black and Indigenous educator activists within structures that either criminalize justice work, or center whiteness. I designed, invited, and co-created a K-12 Black and Indigenous educator activist collective that established the relational research environment needed to explore political and pedagogical activism, or the exploratory theory of diradicalism, in educational spaces. This study explored the question, “How does a K-12 Black and Indigenous educator activist collective theorize the dynamic interaction between pedagogical and political activism (or, engage in dual educational politics—diradicalism)?” The study design involved 12 hours of discussion from a combination of one-on-one conversations and four collective sessions where we storied about our lives, acknowledged the people who inspired us, and named the actions we have taken in the pursuit of justice, thrival, and liberation. Then, the collective entrusted me to thematically code and interpret our transcribed conversations using NVivo software. My data analysis process, via quantified cluster analysis and thematic coding, illuminated four convergent themes that mechanized how Black and Indigenous educators intersect their dual educational politics—Barrier to Diradicalism, Diradical Intergenerational Knowledge Exchanges, Diradical Envisioning & Building New Futur (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Educational Studies

In this study, the researcher utilized narrative inquiry to explore the life histories of Black males and identify the salient factors that contributed to high school non-completion. Ten Black adult males ages 19 to 44 who experienced high school non-completion and located in a large metropolitan area on the east coast comprised the sample. Through the administration of biographical questionnaires and semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews, the researcher analyzed the turning points and transitions that influenced the Black male participants' paths to non-completion. The study was situated in Neal and Neal's (2013) Networked Ecological Systems Theory and Turning Points Theory (Laub & Sampson, 1993; Nagin et al., 2003) to examine the life histories of Black males who experienced high school non-completion. Following a thorough narrative analysis, the following themes emerged: (a) family instability dynamics; (b) community and peer engagement; (c) school dynamics and the learning environment; (d) intrapersonal challenges and social-emotional trauma; and (e) school motivational and attitudinal orientation. Recommendations and implications for various stakeholders (e.g., educators, administrators, policymakers, community representatives, and school counselors) are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Educational Studies

In recent years, community college leaders, policymakers, and legislators have explored—and, in some states and Canadian provinces, implemented—the notion of community colleges offering and conferring bachelor's degrees, particularly in high-need areas such as teacher education and nursing. However, much of the literature on the community college baccalaureate (CCB) does not engage with the importance of geography in shaping educational opportunity. This study provided scholarship on how community college baccalaureate degrees are geographically distributed in Michigan and Ohio. Using county data for Michigan and Ohio from various federal sources, including the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) records and U.S. Census Bureau, this exploratory study sought to gain an understanding of the aggregate demographic characteristics of individuals living in counties that have community colleges, counties that have access to a community college baccalaureate, and counties that are education deserts. This study utilized a conceptual framework grounded in theories of symbolic capital and social construction of space coupled with education deserts to conduct a backward stepwise logistic regression analysis. This study showed that county-level population and county-level poverty rate are significant factors that predict the odds of a county having at least one community college; county-level population is a significant factor that predicts the odds of a county having at least one community college offering one or more CCB programs; and county-level population and county-level median household income are significant factors that predict the odds of a county having zero universities or community colleges, public or private, and thus being an education desert. The results suggested that counties with a higher population or higher poverty rate are more likely to have at least one c (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Leadership Studies

No country can afford mass access and high quality-it will never happen (Altbatch, 2012). Massification has characterized global higher education since the mid-1940s starting in the United States, spreading to Europe and East Asia in the 20th Century, before expanding to Sub-Sahara Africa. Various scholars have linked massification, and the transformation of higher education to the dilution of quality university education, leading to Juakalization. The term Juakalization is a metaphor derived from the word `Jua kali' is used in this study to denote low-quality education standards witnessed in universities, by relating institutions of higher education in Kenya with the country's informal, economic artisan sector known as Jua Kali. The expansion of higher education in Kenya after the year 2010, resulted in confusion, frustration, lack of employee loyalty, and clashes in corporate culture, posing leadership challenges. This mixed methods, sequential, and explanatory study, sought to gain new insights into leadership behavior at seven public universities operating in Kenya before 2010. The research explored the relationship between leaders self-perception and the perception of their followers with regard to leadership effectiveness in managing the performance of universities during the Juakalization phenomenon. The findings indicated that university vice-chancellors frequently utilized effective leadership practices and that their followers were aware of effective leadership behavior. However, all indications point to the dilution of quality higher education. Three conclusions arise from the study findings: first, leaders and followers must produce change; second, the desired change ought to be transformational; and third, the leader follower relationship must produce quality products, because leading is about practice and transformation.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

Rural students represent nearly one-quarter of the students educated by our nation's public education system, yet they are often underrepresented in educational policy research. Rural students are also underrepresented in the existing literature on postsecondary decision-making. This study aims to address these gaps in the literature by assessing how well Ohio's College Credit Plus (CCP) policy addresses the barriers to and supports for college enrollment of high school students in high-poverty rural areas. Findings from this research demonstrate the ways in which CCP's goals of increasing equity and efficiency compete with one another, the importance of considering context for policy implementation, and how the policy's unintended consequences create barriers for students in this study. Additionally, findings from this study provide insight to how these students' families, schools, and communities serve as supports for and barriers to their decision to attend college and for their execution of that decision. Findings from the research are used to recommend changes to Ohio's College Credit Plus policy that would better address rural students' supports and barriers to college enrollment and to encourage areas of future research to examine questions that remain unanswered.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

This dissertation explored the following central question: How can an arts-based learning process positively impact the literacy of adolescent students of color from high-risk and high-poverty communities? In this study, I examined the relationship between a pedagogical approach that incorporates arts-based pedagogies into hands-on, student-directed, and student-centered instructional methods and increasing the literacy achievement of students of color from high-risk and high-poverty communities. I explored if using arts-based pedagogies as an integral aspect of emergent and student-directed instructional methods is vital to improving adolescent literacy acquisition. In addition, this dissertation investigated what an arts-based and student-directed learning process looks like for the implementing teachers, how this approach can take the form of a culturally sustaining pedagogy, and how the art-making process mirrors the meaning-making process when engaging with texts. I utilized the methodological approach of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the theoretical framework of Critical Multicultural Education Theory to develop a process for teaching and learning that incorporated both the arts and emergent student-directed instructional methods into the teaching of state-mandated, middle school English Language Arts standards in the general education classroom. I conducted this study at a public K-8 elementary school located within the city of Chicago. One 7th grade reading teacher and 19 of her reading students acted as study participants throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Additionally, I employed four main data collection techniques: 1) research journal; 2) correspondence log; 3) interviews; and 4) artifacts. The findings from the research illustrate that arts-based methods in the reading classroom have the potential to facilitate an emergent and student-directed approach to literacy instruction that enables students to take ownership as agents of (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, Educational Leadership

This dissertation study attempts to answer questions about the way in which the twelfth-grade year of high school is changing, particularly in relation to the proliferation of student curricular choices that is underway in many public high schools. Case study methodology was utilized, using a case (a public high school in Southwest Ohio) that one might consider as typical based on its size and student/family demographics and characteristics. Within the school district and high school that was chosen as the case for this project, interviews and focus groups were conducted with staff members, board of education members, students, and parents. Additionally, records and documents that pertained to this study were analyzed and ethnographic observation was recorded. The major finding of this study is that the twelfth-grade students under study in this case—as a result of changing national, state, and local policies—are increasingly selecting curricular/programming options that occur outside of the high school, in effect outsourcing large portions of their twelfth-grade experiences. The out-of-school options students selected include college courses through Ohio's College Credit Plus Program (dual enrollment), online courses offered through the local high school, career technical options, and the option to take fewer classes through a policy or a practice that is known as flex. It was also noted that some students reported or intended to graduate early upon finishing coursework, a possibility that has been made less difficult with online learning options within the district. The reality is that when students reach their final year of high school, or before, students are largely expected to engage in curricular options that take place outside of the high school, away from their peers. The outsourced options available shift the purpose of the public high school away from one of its longstanding objectives: preparing students for citizenship and life in a democratic soc (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2018, Educational Leadership

This study explores the outcomes of policy implementation from the perspective of the policy makers and the educators who are charged with implementation, specifically examining the decision-making process for district leaders during implementation. The study identifies the outcomes from the perspective of the policy-maker utilizing accountability measures, while examining the decision-making process by district leaders during implementation particularly focusing on doing what is “right” and what is “good” as defined by Strike (2008). The author provides an overview of Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG). Ohio's TGRG is one of many literacy policy's in America that include retention as a consequence for students not able to demonstrate proficiency by the end of third grade. Quantitative and qualitative data provide a robust data set to inform the scholarship around policy and implementation from a dual perspective. The study reveals the statewide trends in reading proficiency in third grade did not change after implementation, only after a new type of assessment was administered during SY 15-16, resulting in a drastic decline in proficiency as assessed through high-stakes assessment. The K3 literacy measure, an accountability measure for schools and districts tied to Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee, had a significant negative correlation to student demographics across all three years of initial implementation. This study found one cohort of students placed on Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs) in a local education agency (LEA), after being found not on track in third grade, and then promoted to fourth grade, were assessed as fourth graders and found still to be off track as assessed by the fall diagnostic. Interviews were conducted with six educational leaders from an LEA. Those interviewed were asked to reflect on the implementation of Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee and the decisions they tackled during implementation to en (open full item for complete abstract)