Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2023, Business Administration

Foster parents in the State of Ohio were explored in this dissertation study. The purpose of this research was to address a gap in existing literature concerning foster parent experiences in Ohio within the foster care system. The job of a foster parent is to provide a safe place and to make a difference in the lives of children that come into their homes. This role is oftentimes accompanied by high demands, low autonomy, and low support. It is imperative to correct this pattern as it can result in adverse psychological effects and negative impacts on mental health, leading to foster parents exiting the system in high volumes. This study used a qualitative approach to address the research question. The Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model was applied to this research and used as a guide in providing a deeper analysis of the inner workings of the foster care system as it pertains to foster parents. A purposeful and snowball sample of 20 Ohio foster parents participated in open-ended Zoom and telephone interviews. They provided in-depth responses on their experiences within the foster care system. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for major themes. ATLAS.ti Cloud software was used for coding analysis of the collected data. Four major themes and nine sub-themes resulted from the interviews. The findings contributed to research by providing future foster parents and leadership within the foster care system with meaningful strategies to improve foster parent retention rates in Ohio.

Committee: Susan Campbell (Committee Chair); John Nadalin (Committee Member); Dail Fields (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Public Administration; Public Policy; Social Research; Social Structure

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2021, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Cyber schools are full-time K-12 public schools that combine traditional and online learning practices. They are called cyber schools because digital technology plays a crucial role in the learning process. The present research paper is a thorough review of virtual/cyber schools for children with disabilities. The review is from different objectives and perspectives such as parents' perspectives, participation, and role, students' perspectives, legal perspectives, bullying of and by the children with disabilities, and the status of cyber charter school during COVID-19. The analysis indicates that though cyber schools are under scrutiny for their performance, they have become the preferred option of the parents and students due to it's flexibility, safe learning environment and personalized teaching pedagogy.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Spearman Patrick PhD (Committee Member); Jackson Carrie EdD (Committee Member); Matthew Erickson EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; School Administration; Special Education