The LAIR at East Texas A&M
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The Principal as the Special Education Advocate: Exploring the Principal’s Experiences in Leading Special Education Inclusion Programs
No full textThe role of the principal includes various obligations and responsibilities, including leading the school’s special education (SPED) program. Many aspects inform how SPED students respond to the curriculum, including their learning needs, race, socioeconomic class, and other aspects that intersect and make their needs more complex. The researcher sought to understand the experiences of principals at large, urban high schools in Texas who led SPED programs. Given the importance of intersectionality in education, the researcher reviewed the principals’ narratives through the lens of social justice. Doing so elucidated how principals ensure equity in their SPED services. This study followed a basic qualitative design and included in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 high school principals. The interview questions centered on their experiences as a leader for their school’s SPED programs, whether social justice issues like equity and human rights informed their practices, and whether legislation regarding SPED services guided their decisions. With the understanding provided by the participants’ narratives, the researcher presents recommendations for practice that principals can follow to increase access to the curriculum and growth for their students with special needs
Exploring U.S. Border Patrol Sog Operators’ Perceptions of Coping with Distressing Experiences and Barriers Toward Seeking Mental Health Support
No full textThe United States Border Patrol Special Operations Group is composed of elite, tactically skilled, Border Patrol agents. Those working within special operations and border security are under-researched populations with unique needs often unknown or misunderstood by the populace of Americans. This study seeks to address this knowledge gap by exploring operators’ lived experiences of mental health seeking behaviors and coping with distressing work-related experiences. The methodological approach is a phenomenological framework, by way of a semi-structured interview, using a focus-group design with active members of the U.S. Border Patrol SOG. Inductive analysis was used to explore the data to best summarize key themes through a process of coding and categorization. Themes identified include: (a) Available Mental Health Assets and Strengths, (b) Cultural Competence and Recommendations, (c) Influence of Upbringing and Personal Beliefs, (d) Positive Changes in Mental Health Support from Agency, v (e) Recommendations for Improving Access to Mental Health Support, and (f) Stigmas and Barriers to Seeking Support. The findings identify the need for tailored support mechanisms, embedded clinicians, support for families, consistency across all units, culturally competent mental health resources and providers, reducing stigma, and leveraging technology. Recommendation for future research include comparative studies between the SOG operators and other special operations groups, psychoeducation for new employees, and offering psychoeducational courses at the Border Patrol Academy. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological well-being of border security professionals and underscores the importance of addressing their specific mental health needs
Student Partners in AI Literacy: A Library and Writing Center Collaboration
No full textStudent voices are valuable but often overlooked in discussions surrounding the role of AI in higher education. AI Literacy education efforts that treat students only as a potential audience for instruction rather than as potential instructors themselves miss out on the passion, curiosity, and complex questions that students can bring to these conversations. If we center student voices in AI Literacy education discussions, and encourage both their enthusiasm and skepticism, students can become comfortable and confident in leading discussions about AI in the classroom and in their lives. In my proposed poster presentation, I will share insights from an AI Literacy education program in partnership between a university library and writing center that uses a train-the-trainer model to help student writing consultants incorporate AI Literacy concepts into their peer-to-peer tutoring sessions. The program is delivered to small groups of students in a three-workshop series, each of which introduces student writing consultants to one key topic at a time within a conversation format to allow ample space for students to reflect, share their own knowledge and experiences, and discuss complex ethical issues with the group. The poster will identify questions and concerns presented by students about the role of AI, share strategies for engaging students about AI Literacy, and provide a model for instruction programs at other campuses
An Exploration of the Depictions of Queerness in Yuri!!! on Ice
No full textThis thesis examines the show Yuri!!! On Ice, specifically its portrayal of gay men. It 1) explores the themes present in the work, with a focus on the depiction of queerness as a transformative force, 2) examines the audience’s opinion of the work via content analysis, and 3) discusses the representation of queer people within the work. The representation of gay men in the show is discussed within the larger framework of Western media, and I also provide context from histories of queer representation in both America and Japan, review common trope usage (both within the story and in Western media at large), and discuss current events during the show’s original airing. Yuri!!! On Ice is considered noteworthy due to the presence and treatment of its queer characters, especially compared to other contemporary media. I carry out this thesis by 1) reading select literature on histories of queer representation, 2) watching and analyzing the series itself, 3) comparing and contrasting the general contents and themes of the series with that of other works, and 4) collecting and interpreting commentaries left by viewers of the work
Humanistic Sandtray Therapy and Couples Counseling: A Phenomenological Inquiry
No full textDivorce is a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. Over the past four decades the divorce rate in the United States has climbed from 20% up to 50%. Divorce not only impacts the couple but also their children and can have a profound impact on their social and psychological well-being. There are a multitude of reasons that cause distress in a relationship such as finances, poor communication, and intimacy to name a few. Sometimes the sources of distress can lead the couple to make the decision to divorce. Efforts to prevent divorce have been the implementation of pre-marital counseling, an increase in number of marriage and family therapist trained, and the development of therapeutic interventions such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Although these preventative measures have shown positive results, there remains a gap in finding a method that is completely successful. The focus of this phenomenological study was to introduce Humanistic Sandtray Therapy to couples in counseling and ascertain their lived experiences. The themes that emerged from the participants feedback are discussed, and the implications and recommendations for counseling are outlined
Practitioner Use of Behavioral Interventions Involving Parents of Students With ADHD
No full textAlthough there are many positive outcomes associated with involving parents of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in behavioral interventions, there is a dearth of literature as to the established expectations for doing so. Additionally, it logically follows that we need to ensure professionals are prepared to implement parent training. Thus, an examination of the parent-requested supports and obstacles to parent involvement is warranted. This study used purposive sampling of behavior professionals to investigate organizational expectations for the implementation of behavioral parent training techniques as well as the training and beliefs that behavior professionals hold regarding involving parents in behavioral interventions
Book Review: \u3ci\u3ePrepared Libraries, Empowered Teams: A Workbook for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges Together\u3c/i\u3e
No full textBook review of Prepared Libraries, Empowered Teams: A Workbook for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges Together by Becky Calzada, Val Edwards and Maegan Coffin Heindel. It is published by ALA Editions, Chicago
Principals’ Evaluation of Growth in Sociocultural Competence within Their Dual Language Bilingual Education Programs
No full textThis qualitative study explored principals’ perceptions of the sociocultural competence pillar of the dual language bilingual education (DLBE) program. Two dual language principals were recruited to participate in this study in North Texas in an effort to understand how they defined and evaluated growth of sociocultural competence on their dual language elementary campuses among their teachers and students and within themselves. Sociocultural competence is the third pillar of the DLBE program, yet there is little empirical research on this critical goal of dual language education (Block, 2011; Brisk, 2006; Feinauer & Howard, 2014; J. A. Freire, 2020; Parkes et al., 2009). With research emphasizing the cruciality of the principal to the overall success of DLBE programs (Menken & Solorza, 2015), it was abundantly clear that administrators’ voices needed to be amplified to better understand their interpretation of this elusive goal. The two overarching research questions that guided this study utilized the following theoretical frameworks: Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, critical consciousness (P. Freire, 1970), and social justice leadership framework (DeMatthews et al., 2019). The first research question that focused on defining sociocultural competence found the following common themes: cultural awareness, cross-cultural competence, openness, acceptance, empathy, and connection. As principals had limited experiences and training with sociocultural competence, the second research question on evaluating this third pillar included ideas on how to evaluate sociocultural competence at school with teachers and students. With critical consciousness as the driving force behind sociocultural competence, this study illuminated the need for principals to participate in critical reflection to analyze systems of oppression and inequities and take action against them. Since principals work to either uphold equity and social justice or reinforce neoliberalism ideals (Bernstein et al., 2020), it was important to address how DLBE principals negotiate their understanding of how to evaluate the progress they make in this key DLBE pillar
The Informed Principal and The College, Career, and Military Readiness Accountability Matrix: A Descriptive Embedded Case Study
No full textRecent federal legislation mandates that college and career readiness be integrated into the curriculum for all high school students (National Center for Education Achievement, n.d.). To support economic growth, educated individuals must be available within an industry and local area (Harvey et al., 2019). Therefore, [t]he essence of college and career readiness is to promote workforce development for today\u27s high school students (Harvey et al., 2019, p. 3). School accountability has recently shifted to include CTE (Every Student Succeeds Act, n.d.). Notably, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law in 2015, mandates that all students be held to high academic standards, preparing them for college and careers. This mandate is a pivotal point in the history of CTE because, for the first time, federal legislation explicitly included CTE in defining a mandatory well-rounded education with coordination of academic and technical coursework at the state and local levels (Every Student Succeeds Act, n.d.). Programs of study are an integral part of federal CTE legislation, beginning with the 2006 reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Act (Perkins IV Text - S.2590 - 109th Congress, 2005). The intention behind programs of study is to tie student outcomes and learning to the labor market needs of the state or region (TEA, 2020). This programming structure benefits the student, who is more readily employable, and the local and state economies (TEA, 2020). This descriptive case study examines educators\u27 perceptions of the value of CTE in preparing students for postsecondary life, the implementation and value of CTE programs of study, and their students\u27 college and career readiness levels. This study found that CTE teachers believe that programs of study prepare students for college, career, or military readiness
But They\u27re Just Kids: An Academic Analysis of Early College High School Students and Traditional College Students at a Texas 2-Year Institution
No full textThis quantitative study examined the comparative factors of academic success between ECHS students (ECHS) and non-ECHS traditional college students, and utilized secondary data from National Student Clearinghouse and an East Texas community college. The enrollment of students in ECHS and non-ECHS traditional college students guided the study. The study focused on academic success factors, such as GPA, retention, and graduation. To further predict and compare academic success factors between ECHS and non-ECHS traditional college students, the data was disaggregated and compared among various at-risk demographics, such as ethnic minority, gender, and socioeconomic status