2020 Doctoral Capstone Projects

Schuylkill Valley Middle School did not have a guideline for consistent homework use among the teaching staff, which resulted in irregular homework practices. This irregularity emphasized a need for consistent homework guidelines that all teachers can follow. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of homework on students at Schuylkill Valley Middle School from the perspectives of teachers and parents. Additionally, I wanted to identify best practices for homework at the middle level so that homework could be used as an effective educational tool to best meet the academic and social/emotional needs of the students. In this mixed methods study, I examined and analyzed answers provided on anonymous surveys (Appendix A & B) distributed electronically to teachers and parents of students at Schuylkill Valley Middle School, as well as reviewed archived gradebook data to check for consistency among perceptions and practices. Three research questions guided the study, focusing on homework perceptions, benefits and challenges, and trends and best practices. The survey data indicated that parents and teachers agreed on the value, benefits, and challenges associated with homework at the middle level. However, parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of best practices were not aligned. With that, the gradebook data indicated that teachers’ perceptions and practices did not match. This resulted in the establishment of recommended homework guidelines to be consistently used by all teachers moving forward. Additionally, recommendations were made for further research regarding homework use and design.

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of implementing a House system in a K-8 rural school over a three-year period to address academic, school climate, and school community concerns. The review of the literature framed the House system as a school climate reform effort in the mold of John Dewey’s social learning theory and experiential learning models, and Paulo Freire’s critical consciousness and democratic principles. The impact of the House system was measured using academic data from summative and diagnostic assessments, school climate data from attendance and discipline records, a faculty focus group, and a faculty and staff survey measuring the perception of the House system’s impact on the relevant areas of focus. The cyclical nature of action research, including planning, acting, developing, and reflecting stages of addressing concerns resulted in school leadership adjusting the design of the House system over the three-year implementation period to best fit the needs and structure of the school setting. Findings included evidence of stronger student effort and modest improvements on summative and diagnostic assessment, increased attendance percentage, decreased discipline referrals, and improved perceptions of faculty and staff in year three of the program as the House system evolved to best fit the school setting. The fiscal implications of school climate reform at this scale were analyzed and documented for the community partnerships that emerged. Research in this area should continue to focus on the effect of a token economy on the whole child, the role of faculty and staff perception on school climate and academic results, and the potential of student mentoring and role modeling within House systems to influence school climate and academic results.

Forbes Road Elementary School embarked on this study in response to their writing curriculum’s failure to improve the quantity and quality of informational writing among its intermediate grade-level students using a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework. A substantive body of research has identified these skills as being essential for academic success. The study explored how explicit instruction in macro and micro skills affect written expression quantity and quality; how pre-teaching/re-teaching micro skills to struggling students affects written expression quantity and quality; how using Step Up to Writing, Sentence Sense, Spellography, and Word Generation affects teachers’ attitudes toward teaching writing; and how paired scoring of student essays impacts inter-rater reliability. The mixed-methods design utilized quantitative data from one written expression benchmark that measured total words written, words spelled correctly, and correct writing sequences, another benchmark that measured purpose/organization; evidence/elaboration; and conventions, and tiered progress monitoring of struggling students. Qualitative data was derived from pre- and post-programming focus groups in which teachers discussed their attitudes and feelings about teaching writing and their experiences in paired scoring of student writings. The prescribed course of study positively impacted students’ macro skills scores in fifth and sixth grade, but students’ scores in fourth grade plateaued and students’ micro skills scores in half or more students across grade levels and tiers. Teachers’ attitudes toward writing instruction were substantially more positive during the post-programming focus group, and the existing gap in scoring student essays using the same rubric was significantly reduced by partnered scoring and discussion.

Paraprofessionals perform an essential role in the delivery of special education services to students with disabilities. When paraprofessionals are appropriately trained and retained over time, students receive the high-quality support that is necessary to be successful in the least restrictive environment. This research project focused on improving the quality of the existing professional development activities offered to paraprofessionals in Uniontown Area School District. The mixed-methods approach of data collection was utilized to answer the three research questions that drove the study as follows; 1. What are paraprofessionals’ perceptions of their own preparedness and needs in Uniontown Area School District? 2. What do teachers perceive as paraprofessionals’ needs in Uniontown Area School District? 3. What components should be included in a comprehensive professional development program for paraprofessionals in Uniontown Area School District? Data was collected through use of electronic surveys containing both Likert-type and open-ended questions that identified paraprofessionals’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding paraprofessionals’ preparedness and need for training. Based on the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, appropriate training topics were identified that provided a framework for the development of a 5-day comprehensive professional development program. A detailed training schedule is provided, in alignment with the review of literature, for paraprofessionals in Uniontown Area School District. Publisher

According to a report published by ed.gov (2019) there are currently 7,136,00 unfilled jobs in the United States. The gap in available jobs and individuals to fill those jobs has never been greater. A large portion of these unfilled jobs are in the area of skilled trades. Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are avenues many times used to fill these positions. Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, according to Dr. Lee Burket in her opening remarks at the 2020 Education and Workforce Development Symposium, are the oldest instructional models in education. As the Director of the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center (HCCTC) I am looking to create a pre-apprenticeship in one or more of the programs offered at HCCTC for the 2020-21 school year. Creating a pre-apprenticeship program will help connect companies and businesses looking for skilled employees with students from HCCTC. The Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center will work hand-in-hand with these employers to create a meaningful curriculum as well as the required hands on instruction needed. Finding employer sponsors, developing a curriculum, and implementing a pre-apprenticeship program was the basis for this action research project. A mixed-method research approach was used for this project, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Instructors at the HCCTC were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process to gather qualitative information. Employers in Huntingdon, Mifflin and Juniata counties were given an online survey to complete. These surveys generated quantitative data and those outcomes were triangulated with the semi-structured interview results to measure the overall attitudes and knowledge about pre-apprenticeships. The results were used to create a pre-apprenticeship program for the 2020-21 school year.

The purpose of this research project was to investigate a method for a small rural school district to provide fiscally responsible, effective, and personalized professional development to all of its staff members. The use of social media, such as Twitter, has allowed teachers the ability to connect with other educators, develop professional learning networks, share ideas, and seek out teaching strategies that would allow teachers to connect with all students at little to no cost. This research study investigated how teachers in a small, rural, southwestern Pennsylvania high school utilized social media as a means to grow professionally, connect with other professionals, and collaborate with other professionals around the world. The researcher surveyed a population of 28 high school teachers with various years of service. Teachers were surveyed on their use of Twitter and how the app has impacted their professional development. This research also addressed how Twitter has impacted the teachers’ professional development and how they utilized it with other professionals. During the study, the teachers were asked how Twitter allowed them to connect with other teachers, professionals, and new content. The research also investigated whether or not Twitter had the ability to change teachers’ knowledge of content, and if it allowed teachers to grow professionally. Finally, the research conducted a finding of the finance of professional development and compares the costs associated with the professional learning communities to the costs of using social media for the development of professionals. Publisher

This study focused on understanding how middle school teachers' perceptions influence the implementation, sustainability, and effectiveness of a SWPBIS program. Research focused on measuring the effectiveness, sustainability, and barriers to implementing a SWPBIS program. Research also examined school climate, teacher perceptions and attitudes regarding student behavior, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. This study utilized teacher surveys and interviews to obtain qualitative data. Quantitative data included office discipline referrals, suspension data, and SWPBIS participation statistics. Pre- and post-intervention data was used to learn how teacher attitudes and perceptions regarding the value and effectiveness affected participation and success of implementation. Data analysis demonstrated that the intervention of making perceived improvements to the structure and operation of SWPBIS had a positive effect on teacher attitude about the positive impacts that SWPBIS can and will have on student (and teacher) behavior.

The purpose of this capstone research was to develop a formal process for onboarding professional employees in the Easton Area School District. The Easton Area School District is the twenty-first largest school district in the state of Pennsylvania with 75 teachers qualifying as newly hired professional staff as defined by this study. This research study surveyed the newly hired professional staff members within the District in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data that could be utilized to develop a formal system that, when implemented, provides a supportive and engaging atmosphere at the onset of employment. While the survey results were somewhat favorable of the current induction offerings, there were gaps identified based on research based best practices. Ultimately, the findings of this research study resulted in the development of a comprehensive, yearlong onboarding system for the Easton Area School District, called On the Bus. This system includes all necessary components of research-based onboarding programs which, when implemented with fidelity, have the most lasting impact on organizations.

Paraprofessionals play an integral role in the academic, social, and emotional growth of students in a K-12 setting. However, they may not have the necessary skills, background, or education to effectively implement academic, social, and emotional supports for students that diminish their overall effectiveness. Moreover, special education paraprofessionals may not receive adequate professional development to address these deficient skills, if they exist. This research study will explore the attitudes of special education paraprofessionals toward their professional development, their perception of their effectiveness in the classroom, and their perceptions of needed topics for professional development. This study will also explore administrators’, regular education teachers’, and special education teachers’ perceptions toward paraprofessionals’ effectiveness and development to determine whether or not there exists any differences in the attitudes of administrators and teachers toward paraprofessionals’ effectiveness and the attitudes of paraprofessionals toward themselves. Therefore, this action research study will seek to examine what constitutes effective paraprofessional support, what strategies administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals find to be the most effective, and what professional development best helps build the confidence and effectiveness of paraprofessionals in the classroom setting.

In today’s educational world, teachers have been asked to acquire skills that support students with a variety of learning needs with little to no professional development to help them be effective. Personalized professional learning is a shift in how educator’s traditionally have been provided new learning, from sit-and-get, to a nontraditional format of giving teacher’s as much ownership in their learning pathway, which would allow them to be engaged in their own learning process. Professional development plans continue to not meet the diverse needs of all teachers and are not always conscious of financial challenges within the organization. Personalizing professional development for teachers will be a paradigm shift that will positively impact student learning and achievement, as well as teachers’ personal growth. Allowing teachers to create a personalized learning pathway through choice in topics and format of learning, presentation of information, and empowering teacher leaders among their colleagues are key characteristics of effective professional development. Through a mixed-method research study, this researcher interviewed and surveyed secondary teachers about their perceptions and experiences with professional development and found that teacher’s want to have their learning more personalized and tailored to meet their interests and content taught. Today’s administrators should be planning professional development that is personalized to meet each teacher’s individual needs to support student achievement and daily instruction.