Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice New articles in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. This journal is published by the University Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 1 This journal is supported by the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate: A Knowledge Forum on the EdD (CPED) cpedinitiative.org impactinged.pitt.edu ISSN 2472-5889 (online) Vol. 7 No. 2 (2022) DOI 10.5195/ie.2022.279 EdD Student Research and Discoveries Sherisse G. Jackson University of South Carolina sherisse@email.sc.edu Yuechen Sun University of South Carolina yuechen@email.sc.edu ABSTRACT This article introduces one design concept of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (2022) framework and highlights the importance of EdD student research and discoveries, which is the theme of this issue. Then, it provides an overview of each article appearing in this issue. KEYWORDS student research, CPED, dissertation in practice, EdD The design concepts of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (2022) framework prepare EdD students to become change agents in their local context, which also extends to the state and national levels. One design concept of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (2022) framework is the problem of practice, which is a complex issue embedded in the local context of the EdD student. This problem of practice also is defined with equity and social justice in mind (Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, 2022). In order to find a meaningful solution to the issue, the EdD student must be immersed in scholarly research to develop an understanding of the problem of practice and develop a plan for change. For this purpose, the EdD student identifies causes for the problem and identifies recommendations to address the issues based on equity and social justice. This themed issue focuses on EdD student research and the discoveries from their work. These articles present research embedded in personal practice and recommendations based on findings to improve societal conditions for those who are marginalized. The following list provides an overview of each article.  In Essential Factors of a 15 to Finish Campaign: Increasing On-Time Completion Rates for Community College Students, Howard and Harrington discuss the low graduation rates of community college students and the challenges for these students to complete their studies. Presently, community college administrators are implementing an intervention, a 15 to Finish campaign, and this article highlights the success of this campaign.  In Ageism-Induced Anxiety of Job Seekers Aged 50-83: Preliminary Findings from a Phenomenological Case Study Problem of Practice Dissertation, Franz and colleagues describe the challenges of seeking employment due to ageism and discuss strategies for employers to minimize ageism in their hiring practices.  In Too Few Black Male Educators, Jeter and Melendez seek to learn and understand the factors contributing to the few Black males pursuing careers in education in the U.S. They identify four major factors: poverty, a lack of sense of belonging, the lack of availability of role models or mentors, and existing institutional racism. Further, they highlight the importance of increasing the number of Black male educators and its impact on Black male student success.  In Single Mother Students are Lacking Sufficient Support to Persist to Graduation in Community Colleges, Richardson and Harrington describe institutional barriers for single mother students pursuing their education at community colleges. In acknowledging these barriers, this article provides recommendations for improving the graduation rates of these students.  In Low Completion Rates of Latinx Community College Students, Genthe and Harrington identify the barriers and factors that contribute to the low persistence and completion rate of Latinx community college students. They emphasize that most factors are interconnected and interactively affect Latinx students. They also provide recommendations for institutional actions.  In Fair Play: A Qualitative Exploration of Visitor Behavior at PlayGrand Adventures All-Abilities Playground, Bunn and colleagues bring awareness of the need for accessible playgrounds for those with disabilities. This study provides recommendations to improve playgrounds for a more enjoyable and equitable experience for children with disabilities as well as parents with disabilities.  In Intersections of Identity, Culture, and Curriculum on the Threshold of a Latinx Transforming EdD program at a Hispanic Serving Institution, Hesse and Jewett explore the intersections of culturally relevant, responsive, and http://www.library.pitt.edu/ http://www.pitt.edu/ http://www.library.pitt.edu/articles/digpubtype/index.html http://www.library.pitt.edu/articles/digpubtype/index.html http://upress.pitt.edu/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ http://cpedinitiative.org/ Jackson & Sun Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice impactinged.pitt.edu Vol. 7 No. 2 (2022) DOI 10.5195/ie.2022.279 2 sustaining approaches. They also bring critical consciousness into discussing the unique lens each approach offers the teachers and EdD program (re)design, and the possibilities and problems of applying these approaches for EdD program (re)design at Hispanic Serving Institutions.  In Developing Pre-Service Teachers: A Social Justice Approach for Educating Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, Alsen and Buss explore the influence of a Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching (CLRT) framework in teaching orientations toward culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, providing pre-service teachers with pedagogical knowledge and skills, and employing a community of practice-based, service-learning approach. While this themed issue highlights the evolutionary work of students matriculating in Doctor of Education programs across the United States, the volume would not have been possible without the significant contributions of Emma Abruzzo, former editorial assistant for Impacting Education, who was a matriculating doctoral scholar during the inception and development of this special issue. The vision of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate and Impacting Education foregrounds the preparation of Doctor of Education scholars, and this volume magnifies that mission. REFERENCES Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate. (2020). CPED framework. https://www.cpedinitiative.org Sherisse G. Jackson University of South Carolina Yuechen Sun University of South Carolina (1) References