Congratulations to Amber O’Rayeh who on Wednesday, July 14, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation proposal.
The title of Amber’s dissertation is, ‘INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION AND YOUTH TRANSITIONS: A SOCIAL SYSTEMS STUDY OF JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH REENTRY TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.”
The abstract of this study follows:
Overview of Problem: The problem to be addressed in this study is that students returning from juvenile justice system facilities to the public education system often experience fragmented and inconsistent reentry processes due to limited communication and coordination between institutional systems. These breakdowns contribute to disrupted educational continuity and increase the likelihood of school disengagement and dropout (Carter, 2018; Beebe & Rynders, 2019).
Research Purpose: The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study is to uncover the perceptions of educators regarding the collaborative efforts between the juvenile justice system (JJS) and the public-education system (PES) and their effect on justice-involved youths’ reintegration back into the PES. This study will focus specifically on the educators’ insights into the collective responsibility of the JJS and the PES, seeking to reveal how institutional polices, practices, communication, coordination, and systemic barriers can impact reintegration success for justice-involved youth.
Research Design: An interpretive qualitative design, informed by Social Systems Theory
Sample: Approximately 10–12 educators from three rural Nevada districts and JJS educational settings
Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews and document analysis
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Peter Troiano
Dr. Richard Hyland
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