LibGuides: PK-12 Policy: Dissertations

Dissertation Databases

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ National University This link opens in a new window
Content: National University & NCU student dissertations and literature reviews.
Purpose: Use for foundational research, to locate test instruments and data, and more.
Special Features: Search by advisor (chair), degree, degree level, or department. Includes a read-aloud feature.
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global - Full Text This link opens in a new window
Content: Global student dissertations and literature reviews.
Purpose: Use for foundational research, to locate test instruments and data, and more.
Special Features: Search by advisor (chair), degree, degree level, or department. Includes a read-aloud feature
The ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database (PQDT) is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. It is the database of record for graduate research, with over 2.3 million dissertations and theses included from around the world.

Selected Dissertations

Learn how to find dissertations in the Library. See the FAQ: How can I find completed dissertations in the Library?

Equity in Elementary Science Education: A Study of Institutional and Policy Factors
This mixed methods study addressed this gap by examining the role the policy and institutional milieu play in constraining or supporting equitable elementary science education. Author: Kathryn N. Hayes, University of California, Davis.
Evaluating California's Public Education Finance Reform Initiative (AB-97): An Empirical Analysis
The purpose of the quantitative causal-comparative non-experimental study was to analyze the effect of the WSF formula implementation on the identification of high-need UPC students within the 30 largest California public school districts. Author: Stanley Dobbs, Northcentral University.
Evaluating Response to Intervention Implementation: Policy Recommendations for a K-12 School District
This paper seeks to aid in the establishment of policy on leadership responsibilities for implementing a major program change in a specific school district with a focus on implementing RTI in this district's secondary schools. Author: Susan C. Williams, Wilmington University (Delaware).
An Examination of Internet Filtering and Safety Policy Trends and Issues in South Carolina's K–12 Public Schools
This study sought to examine Internet filtering and safety policy implementation issues in South Carolina's K-12 public schools to determine their influence on information access and instruction. Author: Mary E. Vicks, Nova Southeastern University.
Examining the Problem of the Institutionalization of Public Policy: Early Conditions and Their Role in Shaping Meanings and Practices in Education
Provides a picture of the national landscape of standards-based practice before NCLB’s implementation and describes the types of scripts that were activated for different categories of actors after NCLB’s implementation. Author: Debbie Kim, Northwestern University.
The Impact of Educational Policy Changes Upon Elementary School Teachers' Instructional Practices
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how five elementary school teachers experienced and responded to educational policy changes that influenced their instructional practices. Author: Merced Romero Jr., University of the Pacific.
The Long-Term Effects of Florida's Third Grade Retention Policy
The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to evaluate the long-term effects of Florida’s Third-Grade Retention policy on low performing students’ subsequent academic performance as measured by FCAT reading scores. Author: Andre K. Smith, Northcentral University.
Perceptions of K-12 School Administrators Regarding Transitional Kindergarten as a Policy Initiative in California
The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand K–12 school principals’ perceptions of the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 as a policy initiative in California. Author: Libby Marie Soria, California State University, Stanislaus.
Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of education Policy on Their Teaching, Professional Development, and Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction
This study examined teachers’ (a) perceptions of the impact of policy on their teaching and professional development, (b) knowledge of policy initiatives and the protocols their schools have in place to support them, (c) perceptions of policy, and (d) self-efficacy for literacy instruction and professional development’s impact on it. Author: David Clickner, State University of New York at Albany.
Title IX and No Child Left Behind: Educator’s Perspectives on the Impact of Policy on the Physical Education Classroom
The purpose of this study was to explore physical education teachers’ roles, experiences, and perspectives as they relate to the effects of two legal education policies (Title IX and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)), through the lenses of A Theory of Justice and Implementation Theory, on the modern day physical education program. Author: LeAnne R. Bennett-Riley, California Lutheran University.