A Formative Program Evaluation of the "Creating a Culture of Care in Schools Using Restorative Practices" Implementation Team Training

The Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) created the “Creating a Culture of Care in Schools Using Restorative Practices” program in response to requests from school leaders for assistance in training staff to equitably support the increasingly complicated and dysregulated behavior students were exhibiting. This need was complicated by the geography of Maine and its status as the state with the most rural schools (67%) in the U.S., which limits accessibility to training for many educators. This mixed method formative program evaluation, presented for the degree of Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Community, grounded in the Ethic of Care, Sociocultural Theory and Restorative Justice Theory, examined the efficacy of the program’s implementation team training. Accessibility of programming for rural schools was also evaluated. Data was collected using a survey of implementation team training completers. Findings revealed success in responding to the needs of rural schools as a result of the MSSCs policy of on-site training. Respondents achieved foundational understanding of restorative practices and application, but desired additional opportunities to rehearse the skills in supported settings. Additionally, a discrepancy was revealed between school administrators and staff in the perception of potential staff and community buy-in. This research contributes to the growing body of scholarship that defines best practices in school based restorative practices implementation, particularly in rural settings

Superintendents’ Use of Student Achievement Data from New Hampshire State Assessments

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 began holding public schools accountable for improving student achievement in math and reading in grades 3-8. A provision of this act required states to administer annual assessments. This reinforced the civil rights aspect of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The intention was to ensure that underperforming students received intervention and support to close achievement gaps. This testing mandate was maintained when NCLB was reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Competencies for superintendent licensure in New Hampshire include the verbiage to promote achievement. One way to meet this competency is the establishment of “a strong professional culture of growth, openness and collaboration wherein educators engage in analyzing student data and planning program improvements that result in closing achievement gaps” (New Hampshire Education Law, Part Ed 506, §506.01(b)(1)(b), 2023). Thus, it is argued that superintendents, like principals, have a responsibility to use data from the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) to promote academic achievement. Yet the extent of superintendents’ use of this data, and in collaboration with principals, is unknown. This knowledge might inform designers of technical assistance and developers of resources about ways to enhance superintendents’ capacity to use the data. Correlational analysis from this quantitative study showed significant relationships when superintendents collaborated with principals to analyze and interpret data (i.e., data inquiry). Use of data to decide and plan also had strong connections. An Inquire, Decide, Plan (IDP) model highlights these strengths

The Space Between: The Story of a Rural School District Implementing Trauma-Informed and Equity-Centered Practices

This qualitative case study of a rural Vermont school district explores how place shapes the implementation of trauma-informed and equity-centered practices. Often treated as a static backdrop, place is reframed here—through Critical Place Theory—as a dynamic, interactive force shaped by and shaping educational practices. This study analyzes location, locale, and sense of place to frame place as interactive and evolving. Data collection included interviews, document analysis, and researcher engagement with the community to explore how place informs daily educational experiences. Findings reveal a shared desire for improvement across the physical, social, cultural, emotional, and psychological dimensions of place, with trauma-informed and equity-centered practices proving most effective when rooted in collective community efforts. Yet, tensions in implementation underscore the need for collaborative, context-responsive approaches that honor local values while fostering broader equity goals. These findings contribute to research on equity and trauma-informed practice, offering guidance for educators and leaders seeking meaningful community partnerships

A Qualitative Review of One High School Global Competency Diploma Program and Its Implications for Critical Global Citizenship

This study examined a global citizenship program in a U.S. public high school, analyzing its role in fostering critical global citizenship. Global citizenship education (GCE) has gained prominence in secondary and post-secondary institutions over the last two decades in response to the expansion of globalization. Yet, GCE learning outcomes often reflect hegemonic, neoliberal, or Western-centric viewpoints, prioritizing students’ preparation for competition in the global market over engagement in social justice causes. This study draws on critical theory and Byram’s (2008, 2013) theory of intercultural citizenship education to assess the program’s curriculum, organization, and alignment with 21st-century education frameworks and world language standards. The study also examines obstacles to program accessibility that may inhibit student participation. Through a phenomenological approach, data was collected via anonymous online surveys from 44 participants, incorporating perspectives from alumni, students, teachers, and counselors on their experiences with the program. The findings revealed that the program influenced students’ college and career trajectories, world language application, and worldviews, shaping their involvement in global issues in the long term. The research underscores the value of a multidisciplinary, experiential, and transformative approach to GCE, requiring critical reflection, second language acquisition, and social engagement. The findings inform stakeholders of recommendations for program improvement, including student accessibility concerns, and contribute to the broader discussion of GCE, suggesting policy considerations for establishing K-12 programs

Social-Emotional Learning Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: Reflections on Youth Voice in Out-of-School-Time Programs

This qualitative portraiture study explored the role of youth voice in shaping social-emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive practices (CRP), and youth agency within out-of-school time (OST) programs in Greater Boston. Former OST participants (ages 18-24) took part in interviews guided by an art activity called “Create Your Own SEL Model,” which encouraged reflection on cultural identities and SEL experiences. Themes of self-efficacy, family influence, self-expression, and boundaries emerged from the data. Participants shared how their sense of agency grew through active involvement in program development, reinforcing essential SEL skills like self-awareness, social awareness, and decision-making. The study underscores the importance of centering youth voices in OST program design to foster more culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments. It highlights the need to support educators in creating curricula that celebrate diverse cultural identities, promote transformational opportunities for historically marginalized students, and strengthen culturally sustaining SEL practices

INTERACTION BETWEEN STRATOSPHERIC MESOSCALE GRAVITY WAVES AND CYCLONIC ACTIVITY ON THE NORTHEASTERN AMERICAN COAST

Stratospheric gravity wave activity has small but distinct impacts on circulation, thermal structure, turbulence, and mixing, rendering them crucial to accurate understanding and modeling of the middle atmosphere. When extreme weather occurs, atmospheric disturbances can interact with the tropopause and lower stratosphere, generating and/or amplifying stratospheric mesoscale gravity wave (MGW) activity. This study aims to identity patterns present in stratospheric MGWs during extreme Nor’easter events, which have been identified to occur in a region that is a hotspot for gravity waves in the stratosphere, but have been minimally studied due to advances in satellite technology only allowing for effective research in the past 20-30 years, and due to gravity waves as a field being relatively niche to begin with. To accomplish the stated objective, nine case studies were selected - three comprised of major Nor’easter storms, three of moderate storms, and three of weak coastal lows. Brightness temperature (BT) perturbations and variances were retrieved from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations at the 4.3 !m band, which were then used to extrapolate relative comparisons between wave amplitudes Additionally, brightness temperatures associated with cloud-tops were retrieved from the 8.1 !m band, along with WPC 3-hour surface analysis data, NCEI 5-minute radar data, and SPC 12-hour 250 mb upper air maps. These supplementary data were compared against the 4.3 !m BT perturbations and variances for 12-hour timesteps over the course of 48 hours before and 48 hours after the selected midpoint for each of the nine events. Analysis found that results matched prior studies, and additionally identified several distinct patterns. Cases that met or exceeded the bounds for a strong event (minimum pressure =50 kt) consistently displayed heightened wave activity (above a threshold value of variance ≥ 0.05 K2) in trough or south-of-jet regions identified in previous work as a combination of both jet and convective influences. This was also somewhat present in moderate events, but not consistently in nearly all timesteps as it was in the major Nor’easters. Along with this, results showed that tropopause overshooting, a phenomenon responsible for stratospheric MGW generation and amplification, was frequently present during strong events. When this occurred, the position of wave packets with the highest variance values either mirrored the shape of the radar mosaic where overshooting was present, or did so twelve hours later, shifted further along the storm track, but in the same shape. Finally, results showed that areas of enhanced wave activity were typically bounded by fronts, with this being nearly always the case for strong events, and with a specific tendency for variance values ≥ 0.05 to follow the shape of cold cloud-top temperatures forming the comma cloud around a center low, but only on the northwest side of associated occluded fronts

The Teacher Shortage Phenomenon in Southeast New Hampshire: Superintendent Perspectives and Responses to Hiring Challenges and Instructional Program Impact

The teacher shortage phenomenon has emerged as a persistent national concern with profound implications for student achievement, instructional quality, and educational equity (Bardelli & Ronfeldt, 2021; García & Weiss, 2020; Love & Love, 2022; McHenry-Sorber & Campbell, 2019; Sutcher et al., 2019). This qualitative case study investigates the effect of the teacher shortage phenomenon in the Southeast region of New Hampshire, focusing specifically on how superintendents have adapted hiring practices and how these adaptations have affected program delivery. Framed by a conceptual model emphasizing salary, legislative influence, and public respect for the profession, this study integrates superintendent perspectives, district-level data, and contextual policy analysis to understand the local manifestation of a national issue. Participants identified shifts in curriculum offerings, diminished applicant pools, and morale issues among educators as central consequences of teacher shortage. Findings indicate an increased reliance on alternatively certified or uncertified staff and raise concerns about long-term sustainability and instructional capacity. The localized insights reflect broader national trends and underscore the intersectionality of policy, community context, and systemic inequities. In addition to needed structural changes to the recruitment pipeline and improved professional support mechanisms, states with strong local control policies must also consider the influence of local decision-making on how the teacher shortage phenomenon is perceived and experienced within communities. This study contributes to the discourse on workforce development in public education and offers practical implications for educational leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders working to ensure access to high-quality instruction for all students

Career Anxiety in Post-COVID Generation Z College Students

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented interruption during the early adolescent years, limiting the career exploration phase and interrupting career identity development. This descriptive qualitative phenomenological study was guided by the Career Constructivist Theory and grounded by the Ethic of Care, and explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students’ career-related anxiety. Disruptions to structured time and face-to-face communication led to prolonged alone time, increased social media use, and decreased social skill development. These conditions contributed to widespread mental health concerns, including increased social anxiety, leading to decreased motivation, increased procrastination, and greater indecision at the college level. Five years after the onset of the pandemic, social anxiety attributes that plague these emerging adults continue to interrupt the exploration of work experience opportunities, collecting career-relevant information, and gaining work skills in college. The findings underscore the urgent need for higher education institutions to acknowledge and address the ongoing social anxiety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

IDENTIFICATION AND PREDICTION OF COLD AIR DAMMING IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES: A COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL MODELS

Cold air damming is a mesoscale phenomenon that occurs when a cold dome is created along the lee side of mountain ranges. Cold air becomes trapped in part because of low-level synoptic flow towards the lee side of mountains, preventing the cold dome from escaping. When this condition occurs, temperatures are cooler on the inside of the cold dome than those outside of the dome. Despite being a common weather phenomenon, cold air damming has eluded accurate detection and prediction by most numerical models. Common difficulties the models include: the timing of the event, the degree to which the trapped air is colder than the surrounding air, the precise location of the damming, and even failure of the model to detect cold air damming at all. Among the explanations for these model difficulties is that the grid spacing of the model may not be fine enough to resolve the phenomenon. Given the recognized limitations of past models, the goal of this research is to determine if more recent versions of commonly used weather models, such as the Global Forecast System (GFS) and the North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM), can more accurately forecast cold air damming. Twelve cold air damming events occurred over the winter of 2022 to 2023. The observations from these events were compared to the associated model runs by looking at the timing at the initiation of the damming, dissipation of the damming, and temperature difference. The NAM was superior at predicting cold air at KCON than the other stations compared to the GFS. On the other hand, the GFS had temperatures closer to the observed temperatures than the NAM. However, just because the models were able to predict cold air does not mean they were able to predict cold air damming occurring. Both models struggled to forecast cold air damming in the Northeast, having the colder air over the mountains or not in the area. In the end, findings indicate that these current models will need more refinement to substantially improve prediction of cold air damming in the Northeast.Samuel T.K. Miller Eric G. Hoffman Justin Arnott

Housing and Residential Life Staffing: A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Lived Experiences of Residential Life Professional Staff

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of entry-level live-in residential life professional staff at two University System of New Hampshire (USNH) institutions. An initial survey was conducted to gain insights into the characteristics of these individuals and perceptions of their lived experiences. Interested participants were then invited for virtual individual interviews to delve more deeply into these perceptions. The verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed thematically, which included two coding rounds to identify key themes. Participants viewed their experiences positively and identified motivating factors for pursuing roles in housing and residential life programs. Participants described barriers related to work-life balance while also sharing potential improvements related to the functions of their roles. Several sub-themes highlighted the importance of academic and behavioral interventions and student connections through programming and crisis response, underscoring these aspects as vital components of their roles. The participants emphasized that making meaningful impacts on students' lives by balancing enforcement with mentorship, providing resources, and building significant relationships contributes to a sense of fulfillment. The study concluded that the lived experiences of entry-level live-in residential life professional staff are complex and multidimensional. For higher education and housing and residential life leadership, the findings suggest a need to consider these complexities when recruiting, training, retaining, and developing staff in these roles. Understanding residential life staff members’ experiences can enhance the overall effectiveness and satisfaction of people in these positions, ultimately benefiting the students they serve