MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Quality nutritional goods aren't as readily available to the urban poor. The supermarket distribution chain encounters too many obstacles within the city to be successful in providing goods at prices as effectively as its suburban counterparts. Urban poor households struggle to maintain their food budgets. Residents of these neighborhoods are often aware of the implications of a poor diet, but aren't confident enough in their knowledge of nutrition to correct it. Because of this, many of them are overweight, in poor health, and believe they're powerless to change. The functions of the urban supermarket must evolve to meet these nutritional and economic needs. The architecture also needs to evolve to reflect these changes while serving as an icon for the community. The “big-box” structure isn't an inviting place to make smart healthy choices. The rejection of this mentality must be reflected in the architecture or its differentiation will be lost.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Education and Human Services

In a qualitative narrative study of 11 urban teacher education faculty who teach courses that prepare teacher candidates for field immersions in metro-urban schools, I problematized “whiteness” by asking participants what it meant to them in the contexts of their work in contact zones were teacher candidates and K-12 students meet. The research was shaped as an abolitionist justice project (Tuck & Yang, 2018, p. 8) and considered how “whiteness” might be deconstructed and decentered in urban teacher education. Participants described whiteness as both fixed phenotype and historical and social construct which causes harm and which requires intervention. In scenarios where the harm of whiteness was mitigated for non-white K-12 students and teacher candidates, participants described themselves in supportive rather than authoritative educational roles. The study reflects upon what might constitute one or more forms of abolitionist praxis which might have the utility to dismantle systemic white supremacy as well as to cease and desist in the oppression of children.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Teacher-student relationships have long been identified as an important factor in the success of a student, and in the investment of the teacher. Extensive research has been conducted on the perception and outcomes of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of the teacher and that of the students. However, research on the outcomes, insights, and expectation of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of parents, specifically parents of urban elementary students, is scarce. This study aimed to address the research gap by exploring the lived experiences of urban elementary parents through a phenomenological, qualitative study. Three semi-structured focus groups were held in which the researcher interviewed and facilitated discussions with parents of a child currently in kindergarten- second-grade in an urban school district in Northeastern Ohio. The 16 parent participants were asked to describe characteristics and expectations of high-quality teacher-student relationships, reflecting on their lived experiences and current state as a parent of an elementary student. Participants shared personal anecdotes, reflected on the impact of teachers in their own life, and emphasized the formative role teachers play in all aspects of a child's life. Responses indicated five primary themes when determining expectation and characteristics of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of parents: 1. Strong and consistent communication, 2. Teacher care and connection, 3. Teacher awareness and understanding to individual situations, 4. Holding students and families to high-expectations, and 5. Student engagement and recognition of individualized learning. The results of the study suggest that the teacher-student relationship is pivotal in making meaningful connections and creating a sense of belongingness and interconnectivity for students. Implications of the study indicate the importance of viewing the teacher-student relationship from a comprehensive l (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Agricultural and Extension Education

Lower retention and graduation rates continue to persist among urban and Appalachian student cohorts. However, these two groups have historically been viewed as different and needing different supports to persist in their educational pursuits. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of, and integrational supports utilized by college graduates from Ohio's urban and Appalachian regions. Specifically, this study explores the differences and similarities in institutional support services/resources and experiences urban and Appalachian graduates identify as having been instrumental in their collegiate success. Using a qualitative research multiple case study approach, the researcher examined the academic and social experiences of urban and Appalachian college graduates from Ohio's Urban Eight and Appalachian regions. The methodology for this study includes a qualitative approach where the researcher conducted in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 college graduates from a large, land-grant institution. Data gathered from this study yielded several similarities in experience and institutional integration across the urban and Appalachian groups. A strong reliance on support systems, such as campus organizations, peers, and faculty/staff, in addition to their yearning for identity-based support services was salient among both groups. Due to the relatively small sample size of this study, n=15, the findings cannot be generalized to the entire urban and Appalachian population. Overall, the findings of this study revealed substantial similarities and a few very critical differences in the academic and social experiences of urban and Appalachian graduates. These experiences support the critical role of student integration efforts and specialized support services for students from minority and underrepresented identities. The findings of this research may ultimately have the potential to reexamine and reframe how higher education institution (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Education remains an important component of urban policy with regards to urban development and the physical and economic outcomes of urban environments and neighborhoods. This study seeks to understand the relationships between blight and crime and student outcomes in their schools, and in particular, if minorities and their neighborhoods are still left disadvantaged. This study also seeks to understand how education policy impacts these students as well as their communities. Results show that domestic violence was one of the highest crimes spatially dispersed throughout the city and that there were more African American neighborhoods located near blighted areas, but schools with high population percentages of African American students were still successful. Four out of 11 failing schools were located inside blight hot spots along with one C graded school. Student outcomes and whether a school is performing poorly is also based on several other factors including absence rates of students per school, the number of students with disabilities, and the number of the student population with a limited English proficiency. This study also finds that a lack of community in the decision making of educational policy can have detrimental effects, creating conflict between the community and the school district.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2013, College of Education and Human Services

Persistence from the first to second year of college can be challenging for students at urban institutions given that they face added pressures and unique situations preventing them from persisting beyond the first year of higher education. While first-year persistence in higher education has been investigated, very little formal research exists on persistence at urban institutions. To bridge this gap, a quantitative analysis of 395 students at two urban and two residential four-year public institutions in Ohio was conducted using the Social Integration and Persistence Intentions Scale (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980) while exploring comprehensive factors such as students' pre-college and demographic characteristics, and institutional commitments through chi-square tests of independence and multiple regressions. The research question for the study asks: What factors impact the persistence of first-year adult learners in higher education from their first year to their second year of education? The findings demonstrated that persistence has a statistically significant relationship with ethnicity and race, hours working, living on campus, parents' education, and relationships with faculty. Additionally, attending an urban or rural university also has a statistically significant relationship with persistence. The conclusions from this study include important implications for higher education, adult learning and education, and urban education from the perspective of urban institutions.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2012, History

Local civil rights organizations of Columbus, Ohio, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Columbus Urban League, and the Teenage Action Group, served as the engine for urban educational reform in the mid 1960s. Activists challenged the Columbus School District to create equality of educational opportunity for its black residents. But civil rights groups ran up against a socially conservative city and school district that had little interest in dismantling the unequal neighborhood school system. Racial tensions ran high as African Americans faced persistent discrimination in employment, access to public accommodations, housing, and schooling. Frustrated by an intransigent district, which spurned even moderate reforms proposed by the NAACP and continued with its unequal school construction policy, the Columbus Urban League presented a radically democratic proposal in 1967. The document reimagined the image of the city by simultaneously challenging both racial and class-based barriers, primarily through the concept of the educational park—large K-12 campuses consisting of centralized resources and thousands of students. The school board snubbed this new civil rights initiative as they had with all previous proposals and instead commissioned a report by the Ohio State University in 1968. The OSU Advisory Commission on Problems Facing the Columbus Public Schools presented incremental, targeted reforms to specific issues only and thus perpetuated the district's traditional resistance to reform. In essence, by drawing on legitimized social science professionals, the district manufactured support to maintain the city's historical unequal school system. In the end, although Columbus was a relatively economically stable city and did not experience the deindustrialization of its rustbelt brethren, meaningful school reform proved impossible despite the best efforts of several civil rights orga (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Physical Activity and Educational Services

This qualitative study explored the perceptions and attitudes that first-generation, urban college students have of their preparation for postsecondary education. More specifically, the study focused on those individuals, programs, and experiences that the students perceived as influencing their decision to pursue postsecondary education and the experiences that contributed to their successes in postsecondary education. The sample in this study was comprised of 13 first-generation college students (i.e., six males and seven females) who were graduates of the same urban high school. Six major themes emerged from the participants' responses: (a) people who impacted decisions about college; (b) the influences to attend college; (c) preparation which helped with college success; (d) skills lacking for college success; (e) financing a college education; and (f) the challenges of being different. Practical applications for educators (i.e., school counselors, teachers, administrators, and postsecondary educators) and for parents and family members are included.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of life, including education. This mixed-method study examines the effects of the pandemic on general interest in STEM lessons, the development and application of STEM soft skills, and observations of signs of trauma in urban classrooms. The foundation of this study is the theoretical framework of social learning, behavior modification, and progressive education. There is limited literature regarding the effect of the pandemic's altered educational methods on STEM disciplines within urban schools. Using a mixed method study methodology, 42 Midwestern United States educators participated in a survey regarding student STEM interest and STEM soft-skill development and observed classroom trauma signs. Ten of these educators participated in a follow-up interview to identify similarities. The findings indicate increased students' STEM soft skills development and a more equal distribution between males and females in STEM interest and classroom applications of STEM soft skills. Educators also reported a decrease in students' work ethics, difficulties with critical thinking, and conflicting interests in classroom technology usage. Educators also reported a higher rate of signs of trauma in classrooms for both males and females. The findings' significant implications include the relationship between STEM interest and soft skills, the effect of the increase in technology usage, and the impact of social media on students.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 0, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The Black-White achievement gap has been an acknowledged problem in American public education since the 1960s with the release of the Coleman Report (1966). Academic optimism has been linked to student achievement since its development in 2006. This study seeks to confirm the link between academic optimism and student achievement, and to see if there is a connection between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap in an urban public-school setting.164 high school teachers from an urban school district in Ohio were surveyed to assess the level of academic optimism in their schools. This variable was then compared to the difference in math and ELA test scores between Black and White students at each school. The results of this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between academic optimism and student achievement, as well as between each of the three components of academic optimism (academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust) and student achievement. However, there was no significant correlation found between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap, nor between the factors of academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

This study examines the professional experiences of three teachers in a national network of urban, low-income serving, Catholic high schools. These teacher-participants were chosen to participate in this study because they engaged in experiential, community-based pedagogy within this national network and exemplified a commitment to social justice through their teaching practice. As detailed in Chapter One, such teaching practice resembles critical pedagogy and aligns with best practice in quality civic education. Therefore, by examining the experiences of critical educators, this study aimed to illuminate ways we can enhance civic learning for K-12 students by enhancing support for and removing the barriers to critical educators' distinct pedagogical practice. This is particularly important for Students of Color, who have faced historical exclusion from formal and informal modes of civic learning (Campbell, 2012; Lo, 2019). Critical theory (Freire, 1970/1993; Giroux, 2003; Horkheimer, 1972[1992]) and social reproduction theory (Bourdieu, 2016; Bowles & Gintis, 2016) were used to frame this study, which employed qualitative portraiture methodology (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) to answer two key research questions. The first question— Why do teachers in this Network engage in experiential, community-based pedagogy? —drew attention to the internal and external factors impacting my participants' practice. This set up inquiry into the second key research question: How do these educators exhibit civic and/or critical consciousness about and through their work? Findings from this study revealed that both internal and external factors contributed to the choice teacher-participants made to engage in experiential, community-based pedagogy. Professional ecology, consisting of local school and corporate cultures, were particularly influential on these teachers. That ecology functioned in distinct ways at each study site to both aid and obstruct the critical teaching (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 1955, Educational Administration and Supervision

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 1955, Educational Administration and Supervision

Master of City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, 2022, City and Regional Planning

Exclusionary housing practices like redlining were used to create and maintain residential segregation, and the effects persist even after passage of the Fair Housing Acts. This thesis seeks a connection between redlining and its impact on public school closures, quality, and performance in the context of the city of Chicago. The levels of investment neighborhoods in the city receive directly influence the quality of education its students are receiving. The advocacy for and creation of alternative school choices have negative implications for neighborhood schools as it allows the wealthier families to move into (and gentrify) lower-income neighborhoods while sending their children off to higher ranked alternative schools instead of supporting their neighborhood schools.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2022, Integrated Bioscience

Environmental education institutions focus on inspiring people to engage in pro-environmental lifestyles and work toward environmental advocacy. This dissertation aims to provide educators with information, tools, and strategies to achieve this. For example, the work presented in this dissertation illustrates a lack of racial/ethnic diversity in one long-term environmental program at a zoo, and therefore identifies an underserved audience. To increase inclusivity in recruitment, professionals should consider extending personal invitations to target audiences and offering programs which align with perspectives of the local community. Once individuals are recruited into programs, institutions should consider retention methods within long-term programs to help participants grow in their environmental advocacy journey. Ways to increase retention include strengthening social connections in and between groups, assessing and developing messaging to align with participants' Stages of Environmental Behavior Change using a novel tool provided in this dissertation, and offering novel programs in which align with the needs and interests of participants. These approaches are developed in three chapters of the dissertation which present novel, Next Generation Science Standards aligned programs that aim to connect a broader audience with nature than traditional environmental education foci tend to reach. “Urban Ecologists” uses the familiar venue of the school to provide inner-city students with a safe, supportive environment to connect with nature. “Bee-a-Coder” invites youth to learn about communication by observing live honeybees and then developing computer models to simulate their behavior. “Biomimicry Outside the Classroom” combines opportunities for students to observe and learn more about the wonder of nature through art and design. Environmental educators interested in increasing inclusivity in programs and inspiring more people to engage in pro-environmental life (open full item for complete abstract)

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

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature relating to stress management interventions that have been implemented on teachers in urban settings. A total of 44 relevant experimental studies were found that were conducted in the United States and 14 of those articles were conducted in urban settings. The articles were analyzed by location, sample characteristics (e.g., demographics), grade level, experimental design, data collection methods, intervention components, outcomes measured, and major findings. Findings showed that a majority of the studies were conducted in the Northeast in elementary schools. Samples consisted mainly of white females with varying levels of experience. Half of the studies did not specify whether or not the teachers were general education or special education teachers or both and the ones that did were done on general education teachers only. Regarding research methods, a majority of the studies used a true experimental pretest/posttest control group design and quantitative data collection methods. Most of the interventions used were already existing structured programs that integrate a variety of mindfulness-based components and various instructional strategies. The most common outcome measured related to teacher mental health (e.g., stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, etc.) and other outcomes included efficacy, teacher and/or student classroom behavior, mindfulness practices, physical health, and emotion regulation. Overall, the studies showed positive impacts of the stress management interventions. Limitations of this study, recommendations for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

My dissertation research seeks to advance our understanding of the link between local communities, educational attainment, and mobility in the United States and to inform policymakers working to increase educational attainment and improve labor market outcomes for Americans. Gentrification has reshaped many of America's largest cities in recent decades. While it has been linked to improvements in neighborhood consumption and environmental amenities, the extent to which these positive effects spill into local public schools is an open empirical question. After matching Census tracts to attendance zones for public elementary schools in New York City, I use school-, grade-, and tract-level data and a natural experiment that spurred gentrification in part of the city to estimate the causal effects of gentrification neighborhood school outcomes in the first chapter of this dissertation. Using an instrumental variables approach to address the endogeneity of gentrification, I find that gentrification reduces math test scores, but I find no statistically significant effects of gentrification on class sizes, school expenditures per pupil, or student demographic characteristics. Most of the effect on performance can be explained by a 5 percent increase in absence rates conditional on changes to school and student characteristics. Lastly, I provide evidence that decreased access to healthcare in gentrifying attendance zones is a possible mechanism for the increased absences. In the second chapter, using individual-level, geocode data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth's 1997 cohort, I identify the extent to which business dynamism in local labor markets relates to the location decisions of labor force participants, and I examine how the effect differs for individuals with varying levels of educational attainment. I find that increases in business dynamism in local labor markets are associated with an increase in the probability college gr (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Education and Human Services

The largest group of students receiving special education services in the United States qualify under the category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) (Cottrell & Barrett, 2015). The most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) was the first time that federal special education law substantially changed the way in which Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) could identify students with SLDs. Because of their specialized training, school psychologists are considered to be the disability identification expert of the team (NASP, 2010). This instrumental case study investigated school psychologists' experience of identifying SLDs in urban schools and how they make sense of the process. This study was conducted with school psychologists who have at least five years of experience and currently work in an urban school in Cuyahoga County. Seven school psychologists from six districts consented to participate in this study. Participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire and two semi-structured interviews, answering interview questions to address the following primary research questions: (1) What resources and existing knowledge do school psychologists draw on in the processes of SLD identification; and (2) What challenges occur for them in the SLD identification process. Participants identified themes regarding resources and existing knowledge that they use during the identification process as well as challenges related to their training, professional development, team dynamics, school and community resources, the legal definition of SLD, inconsistent application of policy, and SLD guidance and policy during this study. These findings highlighted the need for changes to university-level educator training programs, professional development, and community outreach and inclusion, as well as the need to recommit to students' right to a Free Appropriate Public Education.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Cross-Cultural, International Education

Until recently, the United States was the largest resettlement location for refugee and asylum seekers (Batalova & Blizzard, 2019). The resettlement process for school-aged populations hinges upon the context of reception. This study examines the research questions: What are secondary educators' perceptions of the schooling context of adolescent Students with Limited Interrupted or No Formal Education (SLIFE)? And how do secondary educators understand their role in teaching adolescent SLIFE? An adapted ecological-acculturation framework from Barry's (1997) acculturation theory allows me to examine the phenomenon and contexts of SLIFE's adjustment. In addition, I utilize cultural scripts as a conceptual framework to explore participants' underlying belief systems regarding their teaching and schooling of SLIFE. The data suggests that educators perceive SLIFE's schooling context as a hindrance to their academic achievement and psychosocial wellbeing, thus perpetuating certain acculturation strategies more than others. Further, educators position themselves within contradictory roles in the lives of SLIFE, which suggests the power of schools' conflicting agendas, prevailing institutional ideologies, and fluidity of cultural belief systems. Significant obstructions exist for SLIFE and SLIFE educators, which includes anti-immigrant sentiment seeping into schools, lack of SLIFE specific supports, and the failure to implement training regarding students from refugee and asylee backgrounds with various prior schooling experiences.

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

Many school leaders have found that to reach an environment that encompasses the tools and supports for student success, a whole child approach is required to address academic, social and emotional obstacles that many students face. In recent years, the development of early warning intervention and monitoring systems (EWIMS) in urban high schools serve as a strategy for educators to apply interventions through multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS). Research notes that almost half of today's students enter school having experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as abuse, neglect, and other household dysfunctions. The trauma from ACEs may impede a child's progress in school. Therefore, it is imperative that school leaders guide the staff in creating a trauma-sensitive environment (TSE) to help students overcome trauma, and focus on academics. Studies have revealed that transformational leaders are favored in the effort to effectively set a clear vision and motivate stakeholders to focus on the individual needs of the students and their academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine the success of an EWIMS on the identification of students who display the potential to drop out of school. A quasi-experimental posttest only comparison group design, included four statistical analyses. A chi-square of association justified the use of the selected cohort. An independent samples t-test compared a sum of student days in attendance and a logistic regression analysis examined predictive factors of on-time graduation. The findings of the t-test in this study did not show a statistically significant difference in the means of students receiving intervention. The researcher speculated factors that may have contributed to the lack of significance included a low rate of student participation or a dearth of fidelity in implementation. Conversely, the findings of the analysis of the logistic regression test revealed a predi (open full item for complete abstract)