OMISSION: A LOOK INTO THE PK-12 EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE LENS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ________________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia ____________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education ______________________________________________________ by RONALD W. KNIGHT-BECK Dr. Carole A. Edmonds, Dissertation Supervisor MAY 2016 The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled OMISSION: A LOOK INTO THE PK-12 EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE LENS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS presented by Ronald W. Knight-Beck a candidate for the degree of doctor of education and hereby certify that, in their opinion, is worthy of acceptance. ________________________________________________ Dr. Carole A. Edmonds ________________________________________________ Dr. Timothy J. Wall ________________________________________________ Dr. Jennee M. Barnes-Gregory ________________________________________________ Dr. Chad M. Brinton DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and others who have felt oppressed within an environment for reasons that were out of personal control. Your life is important, it is precious, and it is equal to those who do not have to fight for their rights or equal treatment. Sometimes it is hard to see what the world has in store for you, but I can tell you that it is special, unique, and you are the only one that can complete the journey, that is your future. Additionally, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to those who do not understand or cannot empathize with those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender. Education is the key to understanding and I encourage you to explore until you are comfortable with the unknown. LGBT people are no less human than those who are cisgender and heterosexual. Remember that we are all human and have the responsibility to encourage respect and acceptance of all people. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Foremost, I would like to thank my husband Christopher Knight-Beck. Chris has endured the dissertation in multiple capacities. We started the dissertation journey three months prior to the day we got married. Due to the timing, Chris has had to wait for my time, attention, and assistance with all things house and home. He has spent countless hours listening, reading, and making suggestions on all aspects of this educational journey. I love you and appreciate you more than you could possibly understand. I would not have survived this process without your support. I also want to thank my family. My family was key during this process by constantly asking and inquiring about my educational status. My parents, in-laws, siblings, and extended family have had nothing but positive comments and love toward this experience. Additionally, my two sisters who decided that returning to school to develop themselves to define a better life for themselves, children, and family has been an inspiration. I would also like to acknowledge my friends and fellow cohort members. I appreciate the understanding of the frequent excuse of, “I have to work on my paper”, which was used exhaustively over the course of this dissertation. You guys have never deterred me from working, never tried to sway me from moving forward, and I appreciate the time and respect that you gave so I could complete this voyage. I also want to thank my co-workers for the kind words, words of wisdom, and the multiple comments when some realized that they would like to go back to school, because of my personal goals. You guys are truly motivators in my life and I am in debt for those selfless words of encouragement. ii I would also like to thank Jennifer Gross, Jake Boswell, and Chris Banks for motivation, support, and the relationships we developed. Over the coursework I looked forward to speaking with you each week and appreciated each of your unique personalities. They stated that we would meet valuable people within our program, but they did not say that I’d meet some of the best, good-hearted, selfless people in my life. Thank you for everything and I love you three more than you realize. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Carole Edmonds and Dr. Tim Wall. Both professors have been essential to the dissertation journey and because of them the stress was minimalized because of clear and organized expectations. Further, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Carole Edmonds personally for always picking up the phone, no matter how many times a day I called. She is welcoming, loving, and highly influential over the success of my dissertation. You are amazing and I know that you will be missed on your upcoming retirement. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. vii PRELUDE............................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE DISSERTATION-IN-PRACTICE ............... 3 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................ 4 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 6 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 6 Social Learning Theory............................................................................................... 8 Design of the Study ..................................................................................................... 8 Limitations .................................................................................................................. 9 Delimitations ............................................................................................................. 10 Assumptions .............................................................................................................. 10 Definition of Key Terms ........................................................................................... 10 Significances of the Study ........................................................................................ 12 Expansion of Literature........................................................................................ 12 Develop a Need for a LGBT Inclusive Curriculum ............................................. 13 Legal Aspects of Equity ....................................................................................... 13 Summary ................................................................................................................... 14 SECTION TWO: PRACTITIONER SETTING FOR THE STUDY ................................... 15 History of Organization ............................................................................................ 15 Federal Education Laws ....................................................................................... 16 Missouri State Board of Education ...................................................................... 18 Kansas State Board of Education ......................................................................... 19 Organizational Analysis ............................................................................................ 21 Missouri Education .............................................................................................. 21 Kansas Education ................................................................................................. 24 Leadership Analysis .................................................................................................. 26 Public Schools in Missouri .................................................................................. 26 Public Schools in Kansas ..................................................................................... 27 Implications for Research in the Practitioner Setting ............................................... 28 Summary ................................................................................................................... 30 SECTION THREE: SCHOLARLY REVIEW FOR THE STUDY ..................................... 31 Social Learning Theory............................................................................................. 31 iv Curriculum Integration.............................................................................................. 33 Issues with Integration ......................................................................................... 34 Health Education .................................................................................................. 34 Diversity Education ............................................................................................. 35 School Culture .........................................................................................................