Understanding Barriers That Exist to Campus Administrators’ Support for Special Education Programs and How Principals Use Special Education Needs Coordinators As Change Agents

Several barriers exist that impact campus administrators’ use of special education needs coordinators (SENCOs) as change agents. Using grounded theory, this study aimed to understand the barriers that exist for campus administrators regarding their ability to support special education programs and how principals use SENCOs as change agents. The study was conducted on a secondary campus with participants engaging in participatory action research (PAR) within a professional learning community. Data was collected using a triangulation of PAR forms, interviews, and reflective journals. While the study focused on understanding the barriers that impact administrators utilizing their SENCOs as campus leaders, the qualitative descriptive study also provided a platform for administrators to employ SENCOs as campus leaders to support change. The PAR group members worked collaboratively on the research site to identify barriers that limited SENCO leadership opportunities to act as campus leaders. They also identified ways administrators can support relationship-building opportunities with their SENCO to support change. The PAR group then analyzed leadership through the leader–member exchange and transformational leadership models, focusing on how administrators interact with their SENCOs to support change. The study found that due to a lack of special education background knowledge and time available on campus, administrators need help engaging in relationship-building practices with their SENCOs, thus limiting SENCO development and leadership opportunities. The researcher concluded that campus administrators have acknowledged they are not adequately prepared to lead special education programming, thus relying on the SENCO to manage special education processes, with limited administrator input on best practices. The study found that administrators face significant challenges in building relationships with their SENCOs due to campus roles and responsibilities. Previous studies have shown that administrators need help understanding SENCO needs and job roles; this study found that administrators need to be proactive to engage in purposeful relationship-building practices to support SENCOs as change agents. This study found that PAR effectively creates a forum where teachers can serve as change agents

Unit-Based Onboarding Program for New Graduates on a Medical-Surgical Unit

Nurse turnover is prevalent among new graduate nurses. Many new graduate nurses feel unsupported by their peers, lack self-confidence, or feel overburdened due to the workload assigned to them. New graduate nurses with support systems are more likely to stay with an organization. Research suggests the creation of a supportive environment for new graduate nurses to help increase nurse retention in this demographic. A unit-based transition onboarding program was launched to create a supportive environment to help retain new graduate nurses on a medical-surgical unit. New graduate nurses with at least 1 to 3 years of experience completed a Likert-type survey to indicate the possible stressors they face in the work environment. Four presentations and classes were held on these topics to provide tips on improving these areas. A postpresentation feedback questionnaire was administered to assess the interventions. The results from the questionnaire showed positive feedback and suggested that new graduate nurses would benefit from simulation-based transition programs. A Likert-type survey was given to new graduate nurses. The survey determined the main stressors among new graduate nurses. Classes with interventions on these topics were held weekly over 4 weeks. The feedback questionnaire was given 2 weeks after the classes ended to see if the interventions presented were effective. This study determined the onboarding educational classes were helpful with coping with their surroundings and reducing their stressors, such as communication

Connect, Coach, and Cultivate: The Importance of Mentoring Students of Color in Graduate Online Programs

Online graduate programs have steadily increased since 2016 (Curry, 2022). As more students of color enroll in these programs, research shows that faculty-student mentoring improves student academic performance, psychological health, and social environment (Curry, 2022). Mentoring within an online format presents unique challenges and requires specific adaptive strategies. Understanding best practices in mentoring must be a priority to ensure successful mentoring programs and students’ completion as higher education institutions expand their level of support for online students of color (Brown et al., 1999). Several studies have identified best practices in mentoring. Booker and Brevard (2017) categorized themes of graduate student experiences enrolled in online programs. Their research identified mentor accessibility and communication, academic and social support, and meaningful college transition support as three significant areas that should be included when developing best practices for mentoring programs. Furthermore, Polland and Kumar (2021) noted the importance of fostering interpersonal connections between mentees and mentors that lead to improved communication, connectedness, and support. These studies demonstrate a need to explore the topic of mentoring for students of color enrolled in online graduate programs. The panel presentation will discuss student mentoring experiences at a private, online Christian university. The discussion will address the following questions: What factors influence the nature and quality of the mentoring relationship in an online environment? What challenges exist when mentoring graduate students online? What best practices and strategies can be drawn from the peer-reviewed literature on online graduate student mentoring

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 65, No. 1

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 65, No. 1. This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service

Narratives of Existence and the Narrative Existence: Ontological Unity in the Border Trilogy and Quantum Theory

Because the humanities and the sciences approach philosophical questions in contrasting ways, the study of literature and the study of physical science are often viewed as unrelated realms of scholarly inquiry. Science aims to provide a methodological approach for gathering knowledge about the world, while the humanities focus on criticism or analysis of cultural artifacts. However, even though the conceptual frameworks applied in scientific study and literary study are often incompatible or remarkably divergent, their methods for conceptualizing and transmitting ideas are the same, for humanity understands the world and experience of this world through narratives composed of referential metaphors. Consequently, both realms of study serve as philosophical inquiries into the nature of reality and existence by constructing narratives that illustrate a story of the world, even if their ontological descriptions or frameworks are at odds. By exploring the ways that modern physics demonstrates the world’s wholistic and self-relational behavior, this project illustrates how both fictional stories and narratives from empirical science emanate from the behavior of the world. Analyzing the narrative presented in Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy and demonstrating the ways in which its story is conceptually cohesive with modern physics, this project describes how McCarthy’s fiction and quantum theory are unified in their elaboration of a constitutional mono-ontology. In this way, the complementary connections between these disparate philosophical examples exemplifies a harmonious interpretation of ontology, where the world persists as a continuously fluctuating narrative of material construction

Examining Leadership Experiences and Practices of African American Women in Higher Education Settings to Overcome Barriers

Abstract: This qualitative case study described the steps 11 African American women have practiced in growing and continuing their path to notable success in higher education leadership. No one size will fit all, but the methods used by African American women may guide other African American or culturally diverse women on how to transcend into and ascertain the well-deserved leadership roles in higher education administration or faculty careers. This study provided narratives of the women leaders to explain their journey to a leadership role. The purpose of the study was to describe the path, barriers, and supports that African American women encountered but were still able to reach while pursuing executive-level positions. Numerous researchers and studies support that African American women leaders in higher education are at the bottom of the hierarchy regarding leadership positions. African American women continue to become more educated each year, with graduation rates for master’s and doctoral degrees higher than African American men and just as many as Caucasian women and men. African American women endure the most challenging race and gender suppression in administrative and faculty appointments, often given to their counterparts who may not be as qualified or educated. There is limited data on the competency that an African American woman must secure to excel in a leadership position in higher education. The reactions of an African American woman’s behavior, mannerisms, and ethical characteristics were discussed and identified, which may contribute to the discovery of how to become a successful leader in a field where there has always been a challenge to “break the glass ceiling.

An Examination of the Relationships Between Campus Administrators and Special Education Teachers and Its Influence on Teacher Retention

Teacher shortages have plagued U.S. school districts for many years now as special education and other high-need fields struggle to retain highly qualified teachers. School leaders must gain a better understanding of why special education teachers are leaving at such alarming rates in order to formulate a plan for improving retention. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine how campus administrators’ relationships influence the retention of special education teachers. Leader-member exchange theory, which contends that the relationships between leaders and followers impact our work environment and job satisfaction, served as the theoretical framework of this study. A qualitative descriptive study using the Rashomon effect was designed to gather and share the perspectives of both special education teachers and administrators on the topic. Ten individuals (six special education teachers and four campus administrators) at the elementary school level served as study participants. Semi structured interviews were conducted to gather participants’ perceptions and analyzed to find common themes amongst the two groups. The perspectives of the two groups were presented concurrently as well as compared and contrasted. The findings suggest disparities among the two groups regarding the responsibilities of special education teachers and how administrators can best support them. Results suggest that administrators are aware of the challenges special education teachers face; however, they are not in a position to fix some things that the district controls. Suggestions for the local school district and recommendations for future study were discussed. Keywords: Leader-member exchange theory, support, special education, administrators, retention, attritio

Psychological Safety and Conflict Management Among Nurse Practitioners in Interprofessional Teams

This quantitative correlational study explored the relationships between perceived psychological safety, conflict management styles, and perceived conflict management success among nurse practitioners (NPs) operating in interprofessional acute or critical care teams in the United States. Despite existing literature on conflict management and psychological safety, there is a noticeable gap concerning the interplay of these factors, specifically among NPs. A multi-item survey was developed from validated measures to assess psychological safety, conflict management success, and conflict management style. The final sample included 944 NPs. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the scores of perceived psychological safety, depending on the interpersonal conflict management style employed. Furthermore, psychological safety emerged as a significant predictor of conflict management success. However, a secondary analysis controlling for ethnicity and gender failed to show statistically significant variations in perceived psychological safety based on interpersonal conflict management style. These results emphasize the crucial role of psychological safety as an environmental factor affecting conflict management styles and outcomes among NPs in acute or critical care settings. Nonetheless, the influence of psychological safety appears to be nuanced when factors such as ethnicity and gender are considered, underscoring the need for further research to elaborate on these relationships

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Barriers to Providing Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Ages 2–9

This qualitative case study explored the knowledge and experiences of 12 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding the culture and linguistic processes of the Deaf culture when assessing and treating deaf and hard of hearing children ages 2 to 9. Data analysis has resulted in identification of the following main themes: (a) The Scope of Practice, (b) Barriers Regarding Culturally and Linguistically Informed Practices, and (c) Awareness of Similarities and Differences in Language Acquisition and Structures in English and American Sign Language (ASL). The findings of this study underscored the importance of knowledge that SLPs have to acquire in order to provide appropriate services to the deaf and hard hearing children. The participants referred to the lack of such knowledge during their academic studies. As SLPs in practice, they encountered several barriers in terms of assessing and treating the language of the deaf and hard of hearing children, which was due to the influence the language in which therapy takes place. Most of the participants of this study were not aware of the existence of assessments that have ASL as the language in which testing tools are standardized in order to assess vocabulary, phonology, morphosyntax, and narrative skills. This study contributes to new insights into the knowledge and experiences of SLPs who provide services for deaf and hard of hearing children

“Look What You Made Me Do”: A Rhetorical Analysis of Taylor Swift’s Persona

Humans have found countless ways to create and consume media. Particularly, the world loves to consume music. With the variety of music available at any given moment due to streaming services and radio, musicians now must compete harder than ever for their popularity. An artist now must create something new and exciting that sets him or her apart from every other artist, highlighting the importance of novelty. One artist who used novelty as a key to her success is Taylor Swift. Using image and roles from the concept of persona and Standpoint Theory, I created a theoretical framework to rhetorically analyze Taylor Swift’s novelty throughout her career. I then selected three albums for analysis, and included four songs, at least one live performance, and one music video from each album to answer my research question: How do rhetors create novelty in the music industry? Through my analysis, I found that by setting up a simple persona at the start of her career, Swift proactively created space for her persona to change. Swift then was able to incorporate changes into her image and roles, making both subtle changes to show how she has matured and major changes to show that she is gaining new understandings of life and fame. Swift’s use of persona creates novelty in the music industry as she shows that musicians do not need to completely change who they are but can establish themselves through their rhetorical persona and changes to that persona