Ph.D., Antioch University, 2025, Leadership and Change

Racial tensions are high in the United States of America in the 21st century, and hate crimes are on the rise due to political rhetoric and more frequent litigation. This situation challenges current approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion, commonly known as (DEI). Although these tensions affect many societal areas, the public education system has seen particularly dramatic changes as the nation's diversity grows. This shift has invoked the first moves to adapt culturally relevant practices to promote inclusion and belonging in response to evolving classroom dynamics. This study examined some of the significant issues surrounding the implementation of cultural diversity programs in educational institutions and gave voice to classroom teachers through their perceptions of culturally responsive practices (CRP) in a Northwestern School District (NSD). As a pilot study, this research investigated teachers' attitudes and perceptions of two principles in Dr. Howard's framework, which is applied in NSD as a part of a district-wide equity initiative. The study surveyed 92 teachers and interviewed five teachers who completed district equity training. The findings demonstrated a positive shift in mental models and moderate use of the two CRPs selected for this study. The results supported perceptions of positive relationships, student engagement, and inclusion of all learners while using CRPs. Ultimately, the challenges with the variation in the depth of knowledge of the principles, limited time, a lack of effective strategies, and a reluctance to talk about issues concerning race impeded the success of the equity initiative. These findings underscore the critical need for ongoing, applied-focused training in teacher education to promote inclusive and effective teaching for all learners, advocating for a shift in policy and practice. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2025, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of an extended-day kindergarten program in addressing the needs of vulnerable student populations, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds, non-native English speakers, and students with an individualized education plan (IEP). Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study compares traditional half-day programs with an extended-day format that integrates play-based learning and structured literacy. Quantitative data from reading and math benchmarks and reports of student progress, along with qualitative teacher surveys, highlight the program's impact on academic performance, social skills, and emotional development. The findings suggest that extended-day kindergarten programs can effectively mitigate learning barriers, enabling at-risk student groups to perform comparably to their half-day peers across all domains of development, on average. These results offer actionable insights for policymakers and educators to design more inclusive and supportive educational environments, thereby advancing equity and reform in early childhood education.

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)

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

The persistent health disparities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States are deeply rooted in systemic racism embedded within medical education and clinical practice. Historical acceptance of racial supremacy in the United States has shaped both the foundations and continued practices of medical education, leading to entrenched biases that affect healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This dissertation critically examines the intersection of race, education, and health by analyzing how historical and contemporary understandings of race and ethnicity shape medical curricula, healthcare practices, and patient care. Through the integration of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and ScT, this study deconstructs racialized knowledge systems in medicine and examines their impact on health equity. CRT provides a lens to analyze how systemic racism is embedded within medical education and practice, illuminating the ways racial bias is institutionalized and perpetuated in healthcare structures. SCT contributes by exploring how individuals internalize societal norms and beliefs, which influence the attitudes and behaviors of both medical practitioners and patients. Finally, ScT emphasizes the role of social networks and relationships, highlighting how disparities in access to healthcare resources and support systems affect health outcomes in marginalized communities. Together, these theories offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the layered and interconnected influences of race, education, and healthcare, guiding the study's aim to challenge and dismantle biased practices within medical training and clinical care. Chapters I and II introduce the research problem and establish a comprehensive foundation, outlining key theoretical frameworks—CRT, SCT, and ScT—while exploring the historical roots of racialized practices in medicine, including the legacy of unethical experimentation and the Flexner Report (open full item for complete abstract)

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2024, Education

Leveraging the researcher's unique diverse cultural and educational background, this dissertation explores integrating social emotional learning (SEL) within an innovative pedagogy of “with ness” (PoW) towards planetary well-being in educational settings. The overarching purpose is to redefine educational strategies through SEL and PoW to advance planetary well-being in tertiary contexts. As such, this dissertation critically engages with three published articles authored during the researcher's doctoral tenure to highlight transformative SEL practices that are fundamentally attuned to ecological consciousness. Informed by critical theory, feminist perspectives, and process philosophy, the hermeneutic circle reflects on these articles to address complex 21st-century challenges educational systems face such as technological disruption, language and culture diversity, mental health and emotional awareness amidst global scale events. Ultimately, the research from this project suggests there is further potential for SEL to contribute significantly to an educational and eventual societal shift that prioritizes planet Earth. By centering planetary well-being, this dissertation aims to help the researcher and readership gravitate towards a more empathetic, equitable, and ecologically conscious generation. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

Advocacy for Montessori education is increasingly vital to guarantee accessible opportunities to Montessori for all students and families. This calls for a deeper understanding of how teachers engage in advocacy and respond to policy mandates. Existing research explores how Montessori educators integrate their pedagogy with policy requirements, yet gaps persist in understanding their responses to policies that shape Montessori education and their involvement in advocacy efforts. This dissertation research explores the political efficacy of Montessori teachers and how, if at all, Montessori teachers engage in policy advocacy. Further, this study underscores the critical importance of teacher voice and experiences, with participants contributing to recommendations for action through a Group Level Assessment (GLA) participatory method. The research questions were explored through an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. In the first phase of the study, data was collected through the use of a quantitative survey. The aim of this phase was to examine the political efficacy of Montessori teachers, defined as any action intended to influence the policy process and an individual's perception of whether their engagement in policy matters is meaningful. In the second phase of the study, data was collected and analyzed through a GLA. GLA is a participatory method that facilitates the collaborative generation and analysis of participant data, leading to the co-development of action plans based on those findings. The aim of the second phase was to explore teacher experiences with policies and to co-develop potential recommendations for educational leaders, policymakers, and Montessori teacher education programs. The two phases were connected through sampling, phase two built on phase one by using results to build the GLA prompts, and then the GLA results in phase two were used to help explain the quantitative results from phase one. Key findings reveal that (open full item for complete abstract)

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

The rapid ascent of increasingly capable artificial intelligence (AI) brings new potential to revolutionize education—for better or worse. This study investigates the attitudes of high school teachers toward the integration of Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, commonly known as ChatGPT, to support teaching and learning. This research seeks to understand the key factors that influence teachers' acceptance or resistance to using ChatGPT, focusing on the potential benefits and challenges posed by this advanced AI technology. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is used as the theoretical framework to forecast teachers' willingness to adopt ChatGPT for educational purposes. The research employs the quantitative attributes of a Q-methodological approach to classify and analyze the perspectives of high school educators. The study examines how some perceive ChatGPT as an asset to teaching and learning. Conversely, findings also illuminate concerns that ChatGPT will have a negative impact, thereby instilling a sense of caution about its integration. Participants in this study, 18 high school teachers, completed a web-based Q-sort that revealed three distinct viewpoints: Learning to Fly, Welcome to the Machine, and Comfortably Numb, which collectively accounted for 53% of the variability in the data. The results revealed varied opinions regarding technical confidence, openness to integration, perceived benefits, and potential liabilities. The findings provide insights into the diverse attitudes and beliefs held by high school educators regarding the educational use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The findings of this research contribute to the ongoing debate about the role of AI in education. The results emphasize a need for professional development programs to build teachers' capacity to effectively incorporate AI tools in the classroom. Ultimately, this study seeks to shed light on the factors that promote or inhibit the adopt (open full item for complete abstract)

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

This critical participatory action research study lays the groundwork for a bottom-up evaluation framework for dropout recovery high schools, also known as Type I Alternative Education Campuses (T1AECs). By gathering qualitative data documenting the unique experiences and goals of T1AEC students, the research seeks to amplify the voices of young adults who reclaim their educational journey in alternative settings. The findings aim to construct an evaluation framework that centers on students' needs, supports meaningful engagement, and captures a broader range of outcomes than traditional accountability measures allow. The study holds potential to inform policy recommendations, improve school evaluation practices, and ensure that alternative education programs meet the diverse needs of students who are disenfranchised by traditional high schools.

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

The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into legislation to increase educational stability for youth in care through increased partnership and collaboration between child welfare and educational agences. This qualitative study explored the critical factors that impact the efforts of child welfare agencies (CWA) to implement ESSA. The general systems theory and Edwards' policy implementation model were used to guide the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, and a focus group was conducted with six representatives from Region 10 Texas Education Agency. A thematic approach was taken to analyze participant responses and identify key themes in the data. Six core themes highlight leadership, resources, training, communication, collaboration and accountability, and politics and finances. A thorough discussion of the findings is presented. The study provided theoretical and practical implications suggesting CWAs take notice of the importance of leadership influence and develop systematic interventions to aid in implementation efforts.

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

This study addresses the accessibility challenges faced by underrepresented students in international education, primarily focused on study abroad programs at the higher education level. Systemic barriers in place often hinder these students from participation in study abroad programming due to costs, academic, familial, or other reasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate one program option that appears to reduce accessibility barriers for students and analyze if certain elements within it are able to be imitated by other institutions to more collectively improve study abroad accessibility throughout the field. This qualitative case study uses Miami University's John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg, known as MUDEC, as a case study for a program model that could be used to break down accessibility barriers in study abroad. Through in-depth interviews, assessments, and surveys with current MUDEC students and alumni, this study identifies key factors contributing to MUDEC's success in promoting inclusivity. This study concludes that MUDEC not only provides increased access but also indicates that participants' self-reported gains in personal and professional skills, including cultural competency and adaptability, lead to personal growth and increased employability post-study abroad. This challenges the status quo in international education and demonstrates the importance of reducing access barriers so more students can benefit from the gains present in a term abroad. The findings outline that MUDEC does successfully mitigate barriers to participation through its cost structure and intentional programming decisions. Notably, the program's tuition model aligns costs with those of the home campus, including the portability of scholarships and financial aid, significantly reduces financial obstacles. Furthermore, MUDEC's implementation of academic cohorts exemplifies an effective strategy to engage students who might otherwise not consider internat (open full item for complete abstract)

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

Research shows that the at-risk population entering college dropout or land on probation within their first year in college. Through a longitudinal comparative research design, this study examines at-risk students' academic standing, retention, graduation, and tutoring usage within a cohort program compared to a non-cohort initiative at a community college. The analysis focuses on the at-risk population, exploring community college attendance, online education, student involvement, and social and academic integration. The study yielded several insights relevant to the impact of cohort design on a comprehensive approach that includes educational and non-academic support contributing to the development of evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for at-risk students. The findings can assist in enhancing the academic success, retention, and graduation rates of at-risk students. The study results can also help policymakers and higher education institutions make informed decisions about the effectiveness and potential benefits of cohort and non-cohort programs for at-risk students.

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

This study examined the current sick leave policies in a K-12 education organization. The access to sick leave and the allotted days available have resulted in high absenteeism among elementary teachers. This study's qualitative-focused approach included participants who provided their perspectives on the current policies. The findings showed that the current policies are unfavorable, impacting student learning. As an employee of a school board that oversees the medical absences of elementary teachers, my action plan consists of presenting these findings to my organization and further researching and investing in accessible resources for teachers in hopes of creating better attendance throughout the organization. I desire the board of directors to recognize the financial impact of the sick leave policies on the organization and look at the absence trends from when the current sick leave plan was implemented, compared to the previous one. My action plan aims to promote an idea regarding resources for teachers as they tend to take on other tasks that go beyond their teaching roles, which, respectfully, they do not have sufficient background to deal with.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

The changes in medical education have not kept pace with societal expectations and the rapidly evolving business model for healthcare delivery. Meanwhile, the socialization process in medical education has remained relatively unchanged. This has resulted in physicians with a high level of technical competence but lacking a comprehensive understanding of the ethical pitfalls of being a physician. It is crucial for medical school leaders to develop proactive strategies that are coherent, coordinated, and explicit in training physicians capable of navigating conflicting values and managing transient stressors. The findings in this study challenge the fundamental premise that it is enough for medical school leaders to simply view professionalism as an array of behaviors expected of others who offer services according to a social contract. Nor is it sufficient to promote teaching professionalism guided by directives of prescribed and prohibited activities or by guidance from aspirational goals. Moreover, the means of assessing any behaviors deemed problematic or unprofessional are varied and imprecise, and they do not account for those behaviors that are hidden or unobservable. This study examined two relevant theoretical frameworks within moral psychology and social learning theory. Specifically, they include professional identity formation and communities of practice. These frameworks present different facets for viewing the fostering of professionalism in medical education through the lens of moral psychology and social learning theory. They provide greater detail, build upon, and occasionally challenge established theories based on cognitive theory and moral development. They may also serve as a beacon to higher education leaders by influencing support efforts to form the students' professional identity and identify communities of practice in the professional journey of medical students.

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

This mixed-methods study analyzes the perspectives of educators in middle school regarding the impact of cell phones in the middle school environment. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory of cognitive development along with opportunity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) provide insight regarding implications related to accessing personal devices during the school day. The advantages of cell phones as a learning tool and consideration for the adverse impact is explored. The current investigation focuses on the perspectives of 16 teachers, administrators, and school resource officers (SROs) working in the middle school environment. Data was collected using QMethod Software. Results yielded two factors, including participants who felt strongly about restricting cell phone use and those who felt strongly about banning cell phones in the middle school environment. Qualitative follow-up questions demonstrated common concerns regarding cell phone considerations within the middle school environment. Common themes included Problematic Internet Use (PMI), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) considerations, peer relationships, stress, anxiety, and social perfectionism. Results can be utilized to inform discussion by school administrators and policymakers regarding cell phone use in the middle school environment.

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

This study investigated perceptions about the correlation between the college people attend and long-term happiness. Its inquiry into whether college graduates believe where they go to college affects the chance for long-term happiness is a response to the growing concerns of high school students who are anxious about acceptance into an elite undergraduate college. There is substantial literature demonstrating that graduates of elite schools earn more money and professional success than graduates of standard schools (Rumberger & Thomas, 1993). At the same time, there is evidence that individuals who attend a lower tier school while having similar characteristics to those who qualify for a top school are often as successful and prosperous as are their top-school counterparts (Dale & Krueger, 2011). This study addresses a gap in the existing literature about perceptions of the correlation between the college a person attends and his or her long-term happiness. The data indicates more than one-third of well-off participants in surveys report below-average levels of happiness (Pavot & Diener, 2013). Using a ranking system with four tiers of colleges based on admission rates, an anonymous survey with a seven-point Likert scale and an open-ended question was sent to a class of successful people (community college presidents) to determine respondents' perceptions of the correlation between the college they attended and their long-term happiness. The findings of the survey were clear. Seventy-three percent of respondents indicated that attending Tier 1 and 2 schools has no correlation to long-term happiness. Additionally, the survey results indicate that there is no tier of college attended that diminishes the chance for lifelong happiness. The significance of this study lies in gaining a greater understanding of the importance of the tier of college one attends and in providing the basis for future investigations into the value proposition of higher tier colleges. This dis (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2024, Psychology

Previous research has shown that teaching metacognition in schools can be effective at improving students' metacognitive strategy use, and metacognition has been suggested as a possible solution to enhancing academic achievement in students of color. The current study examined teachers' use of metacognitive instruction in middle school math classrooms with a majority of Black and Hispanic students. Using the Metacognitive Support Framework (MSF) protocol and archival data from teachers and students, I aimed to answer the following questions: 1) What metacognitive supports do middle-school math instructors use while teaching classrooms with mostly Black and Hispanic students? 2) What teacher and student factors contribute to the MSF scores and metacognitive supports used in these classrooms? 3) How do teachers' MSF scores in these classrooms correlate with previously collected student achievement scores and classroom observational scores? To answer these questions, I and seven research assistants watched and scored 77 videos of middle-school math classrooms with a majority of Black and Hispanic students, taken from the Measures of Effective Teaching Longitudinal Database. We used a protocol devised by Zepeda et al. (2019), which identifies teachers' metacognitive supports during classroom instruction. This observational method has several features of metacognitive support, including metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive skill, instructional manner, and framing, during three types of instructional activities. Each metacognitive action was assigned one of the three skills for each of the five categories of metacognitive support, and the number of metacognitive actions was calculated for a total MSF score. Results showed that strategy knowledge was most used, while conditional knowledge was least common; instructors used more monitoring skills than planning or evaluating; prompting was the most common instructional manner; domain general framing was used less than prob (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

The literature on foster youth reveals that those emancipated continue to face unique hardships while attempting to earn their postsecondary degrees. Persistent calls for targeted support have resulted in the rise of campus-based support services (CSPs). Yet, there is still a lack of information on the program development and implementation of CSPs. A stark observation from research findings on the experiences of foster youth in higher education confirms that the perspectives of the program staff are missing. In addition, most of these studies were conducted by professionals in the social work field. To address this gap, I used a qualitative case study with an appreciative inquiry lens to explore how Ohio postsecondary CSPs support students with foster care experience. The overarching findings revealed that program administrators adopt a community-based and empowering approach, leading to a normalized college experience that fosters a sense of belonging and academic success. By embedding a “journey advocate” philosophy, they seek to create an inclusive agenda that transforms the support framework across federal policies, training programs, and postsecondary institutions, ensuring consistent care and student success.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Public Policy and Management

In the past fifty years, governments across the world have experimented with a variety of market-based reforms to improve public service delivery. Market-based policies have been particularly influential in efforts to reform K-12 education governance in the United States. Prominent examples of these reforms include laws establishing public charter schools, private school choice policies, and performance accountability systems based on standardized tests. This dissertation explores the systemic consequences of these reforms on K-12 schools and students in Ohio. The first essay analyzes the cumulative effect of state and federal reforms on private school enrollments in Ohio from 1998 to 2018. The second essay estimates the impact of Ohio's original Educational Choice Scholarship Program, which provides publicly funded vouchers for eligible students to attend private schools, on private school enrollment patterns. Lastly, Essay 3 examines the impact of No Child Left Behind, a major performance management reform passed in 2002, on the distribution of students and resources by economic status across schools within districts in Ohio. Together, these essays explore ways in which education policies in the last two decades have reshaped the educational landscape in Ohio and redefined the roles of different types of schools in educating students.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

This dissertation contributes to the discussion of what contributes to school district rankings in the state of Ohio. It uses Latent Profile Analysis to explore different variables at the contextual and district level as they correspond to Ohio's Performance Index academic measure and Value-Added academic measure. Results show that contextual variables contribute more to the Performance Index academic measure, while district variables contribute more to the ValueAdded academic measure. School districts in Ohio should not be compared solely through Performance Index. Instead, districts should be compared through Value-Added, or a combination of the two. This study calls for an improved individualized comparison model to apply to school districts when evaluating them.

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

Educators have the privilege of being able to teach, care for, and inspire students to be the best versions of themselves they can be. However, the multitude of stressors and pressures teachers face daily contribute to increasing teacher turnover and education instability. In fact, researchers in education report that teacher retention is the greatest challenge facing schools today (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative case study is to understand the perceptions of educational stakeholders in an urban region of the western United States as they relate to retaining teachers experiencing burnout and low self-efficacy due to perceived insufficient supportive leadership (Arvidsson et al., 2016; Ford et al., 2019). The study will collect data from former and current teachers and principals to consider whether there is evidence of a relationship between teacher turnover, self-efficacy, burnout, leadership support, and intention to quit the teaching profession indefinitely. Findings may influence school leadership, teacher preparation, mentoring, state education policies, leadership practices, and retention.