2024 Doctoral Capstone Projects

With an ever-increasing mental health concerns and social-emotional needs of adolescents, it is more important than ever for schools to go beyond academics, and therefore, it is imperative to provide a universal social-emotional curriculum for students. Despite limited resources and the logistical challenges of scheduling additional content during the academic day, school districts must prioritize social-emotional learning in the same manner as core content as ELA and mathematics. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research study honed in on middle school teachers’ perception of SEL and its impact on student behavior. Qualitative data was collected from self-reflection pre- and post-surveys so that the researcher could better comprehend the depth of teacher’s understanding of SEL and its purpose. Quantitative data was gathered from the surveys to show to identify how effective staff felt an SEL curriculum is for students and to what degree they would be willing to implement an SEL curriculum during the instructional day. Additionally, student behavioral data, in the form of state reportable offenses, was collected before and after the implementation of the School-Connect SEL curriculum and then analyzed and compared to see if there was a causal relationship. Although there was no clear correlation between the SEL curriculum and a decrease in student behavior, there was, however, a positive change in teacher perception of SEL. At the inception of the SEL, general optimism existed as staff expressed a willingness to facilitate SEL lessons and saw value in the curriculum. The post-survey results saw that optimism evolve into enthusiasm to continue with the School-Connect SEL platform, as staff perceived SEL to be effective and were far more willing to facilitate the social-emotional learning lessons with their students. However, the research did not come without limitations, and therefore, further studies are recommended to better understand the impact of SEL on student behavior, and ultimately, student achievement.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to gain insight into teachers’ perceptions related to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In addition, the study aimed to show alignment between teachers’ perceptions of the levels of implementation as compared to the administrative team and instructional coaching teams’ perception of implementation. Finally, this research gathered information about resources that were needed to sustain or continue to grow Professional Learning Communities. The results of this study showed that PLCs do have an impact on teaching and learning, and teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches are in alignment about the levels of implementation and needed resources to enhance or sustain PLCs.

Stability in educational leadership plays a crucial role in the success of K-12 public schools. Ensuring the retention of school leaders requires robust support systems that enhance leadership skills and self-efficacy. This research study investigated the effect of individualized leadership coaching on self-efficacy among school leaders, focusing on principals and assistant principals in the Franklin Regional School District. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilized both qualitative and quantitative survey instruments to assess self-efficacy perceptions before and after the coaching intervention. The research encompassed six building-level leaders and analyzed shifts in self-efficacy linked to coaching sessions. The findings revealed modest changes in self-efficacy scores between the pre- and post-coaching assessments. Data triangulation concerning the length of service, frequency of coaching sessions, and coach choice did not significantly influence self-efficacy outcomes. The study examined whether a series of coaching sessions would impact the self-efficacy levels of school leaders: additionally ,it explored which specific self-efficacy domains were affected by coaching. The results were inconclusive, indicating a need for further research. Future studies may benefit from utilizing a more comprehensive self-efficacy measure and extending the duration of coaching interventions. The implications of this research extend to the development of a structured, supportive coaching program within the Franklin Regional School District. Targeted coaching aimed at enhancing skills such as capacity building. ,vision development, and fostering a culture of connectedness is anticipated to yield significant benefits for the district's leadership stability and overall school success.