2024 Doctoral Capstone Projects

Districts across the nation are grappling with rising costs and staff shortages, leading many to adopt co-teaching models as their primary strategy to meet the needs of students
with disabilities. This shift is driven by legal mandates that fully advocate for the education of students in the "least restrictive environment" possible. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of secondary teachers who utilize co-teaching practices, examining the benefits, challenges, and limitations of this instructional model. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods research design, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from secondary teachers currently or previously involved in co-taught
classes within the last school year via an anonymous online survey. Results indicate that while overall perceptions of co-teaching are positive, several concerns and critical factors
influencing its success were identified, including the need for adequate planning time, consistent professional development, and strong administrative support. The conclusions
suggest that addressing these areas is essential for enhancing the efficacy of the coteaching model, ultimately fostering more inclusive and supportive learning environments. Further research recommendations are also discussed.

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.