Conflict, bullying and harassment are serious concerns in our public schools. This kind of school violence threatens not only students' health and safety, but also their ability to learn and have positive, educational experiences. Numerous individual and environmental factors contribute to students' decisions about how to respond to conflict or seek help for these problems. Conflict mediation is one type of program that has received widespread support and adoption; however, the results of many school-based, anti-violence interventions have been mixed. This study was one of the first to investigate the effects of a mentor-based, conflict mediation program that places undergraduate mediators in several secondary schools of a large, urban school district. This study used mixed research methods to examine adolescent students' exposure to violence and help seeking attitudes and the perceptions of students who participated in the conflict mediation program. Survey results indicated that students in the program schools often reported higher exposure to conflict than national surveys with verbal bullying being the most frequent type. In addition, students generally reported favorable attitudes about help seeking. The small schools and the high schools reported the greatest willingness to seek help, which needs further exploration in future research. Program participants indicated that negative affect was the only measure that decreased significantly from pre- to post-test. However, the student interview data suggested that the most important benefits of the mediation program included reductions in feelings of anger and developing relationships with the undergraduate mediators who acted as mentors to the students. Furthermore, the student interviews revealed several factors in the environment such as peer culture and a school's response to conflict, which, if left unaddressed, may attenuate or even undermine the anticipated benefits of the program. Taking these findings together, the conflict mediation program appears to meet the developmental needs of adolescents by creating safe, confidential spaces for students to work through problems independently with their peers. It also represents a unique approach for reducing conflict by providing an alternative to the top down, disciplinary strategies commonly used to deal with conflict and aggression.

This study examined the role of union / management collaboration in producing meaningful teacher evaluation reform in one charter management organization. Given the importance of teacher evaluation to finding and retaining the best teachers and coaching others to their highest level of performance, this study provides a proven path towards improved evaluation, understanding the necessary role of union / management collaboration towards that goal. This study included 17 interviews with teachers, administrators, union leaders, and managers at Green Dot Public Schools along with an observation of an evaluation committee meeting and document review related to the period when evaluation reform was being negotiated and implemented. My findings show that identifying shared values around ways to reform evaluation is key to any change. Because union leaders have an equal say with managers over whether reforms are negotiated, they are more likely to agree when the reforms match their shared values. What’s more, involving teachers and union leaders in the decision making process (including communication) aids with co-building a reform to which agreement is possible. Finally, continuous review will ensure that potential issues with the evaluation system are addressed and corrected, creating a continuous process of reform and improvement based on that collaboration. These findings could provide a roadmap for other charter management organizations and potentially school districts wishing to reform their teacher evaluation system.

Principals are instrumental in establishing effective schools and positive learning communities. There is only one principal in every school and thus, the position clearly requires a knowledgeable, highly skilled, and well-prepared individual. Principal training programs provide generally effective instruction that seemingly prepares emerging leaders for the expectations and logistical demands of the principalship. Yet the state of the profession is unstable. The research on principals shows that fewer administrators are applying for the position, newly hired principals are younger and less experienced, and longevity is a problem. The position is synonymous with long hours, little appreciation, and high stressful situations. Although principal preparation programs do address logistical problem solving, there is no curriculum for incoming principals that addresses the phenomenon of the unexpected event. Surprise events are stressful, salient, disruptive, and can make or break a career. A principal who is able to control an unexpected event, whether the event is caused by them or not, and foster an appropriate outcome likely feels strongly self-efficacious. On the other hand, principals who are faced with unexpected events and handle their own role in a manner that leads to a negative outcome, likely develop low self-esteem, low feelings of efficacy, and are more likely to leave the position or be ineffective leaders. This research project queried high and middle school principals from a moderate sized urban school district about whether they have experienced an unexpected event and if so, the details of that event were recorded. Specifically, qualitative descriptions were collected to develop an understanding of the variety of events that could and do occur during a principal's career. Using both quantitative and qualitative data collection, the research documented the principal's role, feelings, and self-reflections about the event. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nature of unexpected events. The project also sought to discover, in depth, the personal experiences of the principal and the views of the principals about the event and outcome, and most importantly, the feelings of the principals about their role in the event and their role in the outcome. The investigation revealed several notable findings that linked event types and outcomes with principals' feelings. In all, principals experienced significant unexpected events that had a high impact on all involved. The principals mostly stated that they were unprepared yet most controlled their own emotions and behaviors well. Theoretical frameworks were used to conceptualize the events and the emotional impact on the principals was characterized. Further, principals were passionate about elucidating the concept of a surprise event as a component of principal training programs, as all felt that if they could expect these events on some level, their ability to handle them would have greatly improved. This important implication was discussed and further research suggested.

This study examined how dismal passage rates on Advanced Placement Exams by low-income and minority students in urban schools might be improved by focusing on teacher development through the formation of a professional learning community of educators across content areas discussing and sharing research-based instructional strategies. A qualitative study of nine educators at one site in a large urban city who taught various AP courses for at least one year met over the course of the Spring 2015 leading up to the AP exams. Through the formation of the PLC of AP teachers, there were three major recommendations teachers had to improve the AP program: 1) Administration should include more teacher input in decision-making, 2) An “AP culture” must be built with clear expectations and buy-in from all stakeholders, and 3) Teachers want more meaningful and ongoing professional development in teaching AP to diverse learners.

This study documents the process for creating a college-knowledge curriculum in an urban elementary school. Research widely recognizes the disproportionate advantage white middle class students have over minority students of low socio-economic status when it comes to college access. Social capital amongst privileged students positions them to know the differences between different types of universities and colleges, understand the different admission requirements for colleges and universities, know the costs and resources available to them to help pay for college tuition, take the right classes in middle school and high school, understand the significance and nuances of tests leading up to college admission, and are aware of the skills needed to be successful in college.

The aim of the study was to explicitly teach students in 1st through 6th grade developmentally appropriate "college-knowledge." Working with a team of teachers in an urban elementary school, grade level appropriate objectives beginning in first grade were created with the intent of establishing a foundation for college-knowledge at the elementary level. This curriculum was designed to mitigate the lack of college-knowledge among students in a predominately minority and low-socio economic urban elementary school. The intent was to explicitly teach college-knowledge as a series of objectives from first through sixth grade, with an understanding that each grade level, through vertical articulation, would build on the concepts and knowledge every year the student advances through his or her elementary education.

The key findings indicate that students who are explicitly taught about college show gains in their understanding of college entry requirements (when using a pre- and post-assessment). In addition, teacher's awareness of college-knowledge also show gains (using pre- and post-data). These gains solidify the role that teacher play as social capital proxies of college-knowledge for students. Lastly, teacher interviews regarding their perceptions of this process show that they see the benefit of teaching college-knowledge to elementary students because it reinforces and contextualizes mastery of grade level standards, proficiency on state testing and reclassification for English Language Learners at the elementary level--all traits that lend to students' eventual attainment of college-knowledge and eventual acceptance at four-year institutions.

This qualitative study focused on documenting the professional development and support needs of new principals in a large, urban school district in the Western United States as they transition into school leadership positions. Prior research suggests that principals may be unprepared for the realities of the principal position by administrative preparation programs. Despite having completed administrative credential programs, new principals in this study with three years or less in their first principal position perceive they need support with striking a balance between the demands of being an instructional leader and dealing with school operations issues as well as how to manage time and the school community. Using a survey, interviews, and a document review, this study found new elementary school principals believe professional development and support must be focused on the knowledge and skills they need to be successful as school administrators and should be differentiated, practical, hands-on, and provide authentic opportunities for peer interaction and networking. The findings in this study, based on the experiences of new elementary school principals, can influence school districts and policy makers as they explore how to best develop professional development plans and support structures for new principals as they transition to the principalship.

In this action research study, I, along with a student intervention committee of 14 members, developed a cyberbullying intervention for a large urban high school on the west coast. This high school contained a predominantly African American student population. I aimed to discover culturally relevant cyberbullying prevention strategies for African American students. The intervention committee selected video safety messages featuring African American actors as the most culturally relevant cyberbullying prevention strategy for African American students. However, videos were not actually employed due to time constraints. Instead, a paper and pencil treatment was employed. The student body read a cyber-safety brochure, rated their bullying behavior online on a scale ranging from cyberbully to cyber-saint, and reflected in a short paragraph upon whether they would change their online behavior. Of the 522 responders, 244 students promised to change their online behavior towards more safe behaviors. It appears that the simple act of reflection serves as a catalyst for changing behavior. This action research study may be duplicated at other sites, and it is recommended that public safety messages via video be incorporated into future interventions, using student actors who represent the ethnic make-up of the intended site.

The purpose of this qualitative action research project was to work with Latino parents of recent high school graduates to develop a series of workshops to be presented to Latino parents of elementary school children. Latino parents of elementary students benefited from culturally sensitive materials, explanations, support, and examples from recent experiences given by those Latino parents of recent graduates. The connection that participants had with parents who have gone through the process had a positive impact on the learning process. They were able to work with the parents of younger children to demystify the college application process and help parents to feel that it is all within reach.

This model can serve as a guide to school leaders in search of innovative ways to involve parents at all levels. Parents are a crucial part of the education of their children. Teaching Latino parents to advocate and ask questions was a critical part of this model. Parent facilitators felt that they had equipped the parent learners with the desire to learn more and the confidence to ask the right questions. They learned to be advocates of the education of their children.