2020 Doctoral Capstone Projects

This study explored the existing relationships between early childhood teachers' perceptions of stress, job satisfaction and commitment, and self-care behavior, both prior to and after participation in an eight-week mindfulness intervention. Quantitative data was collected through use of pre- and post-intervention surveys measuring perceived stress and one's ability to handle stress, general satisfaction and commitment to the field, and engagement in self-care behavior. Qualitative data was collected to evaluate participants' experiences in practicing mindfulness, including successes, challenges, or barriers that may inform future interventions. Findings indicate relationships between teacher demographics such as program affiliation, level of education, and years of experience and perceptions of stress, job satisfaction / commitment, and self-care practice. Correlational analysis also suggests relationships between variables such as\nstress, ability to cope, and job commitment. Results indicate daily, brief mindfulness practice yields benefits of varying degrees in teacher stress, confidence levels, job satisfaction, and self-care. Yet, limitations and challenges exist in implementation of such practices within an educational context. Recommendations for future research and practice include further investigation of duration and dosage as well as workforce variables in future implementation.

he purpose of this quantitative study is to provide data connections between access to transportation, positive school climate and chronic student absenteeism. The research focuses on broad questions: What are the common causes of chronic absenteeism in a rural American school? What impact does school climate have on chronic absenteeism? Do busing, student mentors/advisors, and improved school climate improve the rate of attendance in a rural school district? The study group for transportation was 1,500 students from the Waverly Central School District. The research study group for the Comprehensive School Climate Survey included over 800 students in grades 3-12 from the Waverly Central School District. The data demonstrates that there is a correlation between the addition of in-town bus routes and social emotional supports, and increased attendance.

There are currently a high number of kindergarten retentions in a school district. Retentions can have negative short-term and long-term effects on students and increase costs to a district. The purpose of the study is to determine how t o reduce kindergarten retentions through teacher and student supports. To understand how this can be done, this study determined the teacher perceptions that constituted a student who should be retained in kindergarten. An examination occurred of what factors helped predict which students were at-risk for kindergarten retention. This study analyzed how the information from this research can be used t o reduce retentions and benefit student success in kindergarten. It determined how the information from this research can be used to support instruction to minimize retention. Teachers were surveyed in this study. Demographic data and behavioral data was analyzed for the frequency of characteristics of students retained in kindergarten. Academic data was analyzed for measures of central tendency. Students who have poor achievement in reading are targets for retention based on the results in the study. Teachers who participated in the study indicated that reading was a criteria used to determine if a student was a candidate for retention. Achievement in the area of English Language Arts (ELA) was examined. Central tendency measures showed that students were not achieving in this area. Student birth date was noted as a factor in kindergarten retention. Teachers stated maturity was a factor when determining students to be retained in kindergarten.

Research clearly articulates the importance of strong, positive student-teacher relationships; however, there is a lack of research on intentional practices aimed at improving the quality of these relationships and decreasing undesired student behaviors, particularly at the high school level. The purpose of this action research project was to examine the effects an intentional-relationship building process--Establish-Maintain-Restore (EMR)--had on cultivating positive student-teacher relationships in grades 7-9, as measured by teachers' perceptions. Furthermore, this study attempted to identify whether these intentional strategies reduce the likelihood of discipline referrals. Results indicated that EMR implementation was associated with improvements in teacher-reported student-teacher relational closeness. Findings also suggested that increased relational conflict may lead to increased teacher-submitted discipline referrals; however, significant data could not confirm that EMR reduced teacher-reporter student-teacher conflict. The implications of this study for intentional teacher-initiated relationship-building strategies and directions for future research are discussed.

This mixed-methods study was conducted to determine the math interventions and strategies that are showing a positive increase in student achievement and growth in grades three, four, and five across the Bellefonte Area School District. Effective math teachers were first identified by looking at multiple academic data sets and then questionnaire responses were compared to determine similarities in their instructional practices. The similar interventions and strategies will be shared with teachers through professional learning sessions and ultimately used with students in classrooms. The strategies and interventions that were identified to be showing success were guided/small group math instruction, extra and focused work on open-ended math questions, the use of online math programs like Reflex Math, and data use. The effectiveness of departmentalization was also analyzed. The qualitative data supports departmentalization while the quantitative data does not. This area will require additional analysis in the future. Finally, the professional learning needs of staff were identified and will help guide the district's professional learning plan and its Comprehensive Plan. Some of these areas that will be focal points are guided math, the integration of technology, and data use.

The world of education is constantly evolving with increased accountability and mounting responsibilities from Superintendents, to administrators, to classroom teachers. All stakeholders must work together in order for a school district to run efficiently for their students. Teacher leaders are essential in today's schools if provided with an environment that encourages them to lead. Principals cannot move a building forward without teacher leadership. The purpose of this study is to explore teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership. A qualitative method approach will be used for this action research project. Data collection will consist of survey questions given to both principals and teachers. Participants will complete the Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment created by Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2004) survey and open-ended responses. All eight schools in the district located in Southwestern Pennsylvania will participate in this research study. Results indicated that the teachers in the district frequently engaged in behaviors that support self-awareness, diversity, and instructional proficiency. They least often engaged in behaviors related to communication, continuous improvement, and leading change. Communication has to improve in the district in order for teachers to improve as leaders. In addition, teachers want to feel supported and encouraged by their principals. Professional development regarding teacher leadership needs to be supportive, systematic, and strategic in order for teacher leaders to emerge in the district. Principals must communicate, support, build confidence, and motivate teachers in order to begin to build teacher leadership in the district.

Pennsylvania is a state with significant proportions of students who attend rural schools, as well as students who attend cyber schools. Parents have the right to enroll their child in any one of a dozen or more cyber schools, even if their local school district operates an online program. The purpose of this action research project was to examine the reasons why parents choose the option to enroll in an external cyber school rather than the local school district option. Results indicated that parents were unaware of the KC Cyber Academy option and reported having no choice but to enroll their child in an external cyber school. Findings also suggested that male students in grades 7-9, students with an IEP, and students who were from economically disadvantaged households depart the school system at a higher rate than other students. The implications of this study were that if improvements could be made to the existing online learning program, more students would take that option and obtain a quality education, and financial savings would be realized for the school district.

The focus of this action research project was to gather information regarding instructional success in reading while implementing varying interventions in tiered approaches within a newly implemented Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework in second grade. Two cohort years were utilized for the data analysis to demonstrate movement based upon instructional and programmatic changes in implementation year one and two. The data was collected through three sources of assessments, fidelity checks in classrooms, and teacher input from a voluntary teacher survey response. All data was based upon a second grade level for reading instruction as part of a multi-tiered system of supports model. All teachers who participated in the survey provided responses voluntarily based upon their perception of the effectiveness of MTSS, What I Need (WIN) time data and instructional resources. The purpose was to determine if tiered instruction impacted student growth during set intervention periods for reading instruction at the second grade level. The results of the research indicate that minimal growth was made within each cohort year after implementing tiered interventions. Although growth was evident, the data did not demonstrate a clear picture of what components were more successful than others. Increasing the amount of instructional time for interventions during WIN, securing and aligning more specific intervention resources for teachers at all tier levels and allowing teachers the time to gain a deeper understanding of MTSS would be beneficial in continuous improvement.