2024 Doctoral Capstone Projects

With teacher attrition and retention issues causing a nation-wide crisis of instructional vacancies in our public schools, research was conducted in a large, urban, high-need middle school in Pennsylvania to determine if a peer-led classroom management support system was effective for teachers already considering resignation. A mixed-methods, embedded design model that included a quantitative survey and a qualitative structured interview was used to determine how targeted booster professional development, peer observations, and observational feedback of professional practice impacted teachers’ retention perceptions. The intervention system focused on the evidence-based practices of Restorative Practices and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, and it was purposefully designed to meet the professional development requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): sustained, intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused. The designated master teachers who led the intervention system protocols were required to meet rigorous selection criteria. Results indicated that the intervention system had positive impacts due to its peer-led nature and perceived increase in skillset, support, and connectedness. The results also indicated that the classroom management support system was effective in changing most of the study participants’ retention perceptions, particularly for those who identified as female and within their first three years of teaching.

Sense of belonging within the community has been identified as an important psychological mindset that is a critical contributing factor to individual success. This capstone research study focuses on how sense of belonging in the school environment impacts student attendance and academic growth. Through an extensive review and analysis of available literature, this study seeks to answer three research questions. 1) What is the relationship between a sense of belonging and student attendance? 2) What is the relationship between a sense of belonging and academic growth? 3) What is the relationship between a family’s sense of belonging in the school environment, attendance, and academic growth? A quantitative research approach, comprised of student and family surveys, average daily attendance, and academic growth was used to collect data to answer the research questions. The results of this research study indicate that sense of belonging has a direct impact on both attendance and academic growth. The conclusions indicate that by improving the sense of belonging in the school environment, educators can strengthen other areas that are essential to student success. The findings within this study will provide district leaders with evidence to support opportunities for professional development aiming to increase sense of belonging in the school setting.