2024 Doctoral Capstone Projects

The Wyoming Valley West School District has identified regular attendance as a priority issue. Absenteeism has been an issue for many school districts over the years, but there seems to be a decrease in the regular attendance of students' post-pandemic. Dana Elementary showed that 30.2% of students being identified as being chronically absent and State Street Elementary showed 49.5% of students being chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year, as reported through the PA Future Ready Index. Literature defines school climate as one of the contributing factors to absenteeism. This research is needed to know and understand if creating a positive school climate through PBIS will positively affect regular student attendance. Through a mixed-methods approach, the researcher aimed to understand the impact of PBIS programs on student attendance, school, climate, and disciplinary incidents. The goal is to provide insights that can inform school administrators and policymakers on how to utilize PBIS strategies to improve attendance, create a positive school climate, and reduce disciplinary referrals leading to out-of-school suspensions.

This research project aimed to investigate the impact of Whole School Cluster Grouping on student achievement, student growth, and teacher efficacy. The primary purpose was
to explore innovative strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students in a comprehensive educational setting. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a holistic understanding of the intervention's effects. Pre- and post-intervention quantitative data were collected from standardized test scores in English Language Arts and mathematics across grades 1 through 4. Qualitative data were derived from teacher efficacy surveys and narrative responses, providing insights into teacher experiences and perceptions. The analysis included comparing pre- and post-intervention achievement and growth percentages, as well as examining changes in teacher efficacy ratings. The results of Whole School Cluster Grouping indicated mixed impacts on student achievement and positive impacts on student growth. Teacher efficacy showed marked improvement in areas such as student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management, suggesting that Whole School Cluster Grouping positively influenced teachers' confidence and effectiveness. Overall, the findings suggest that Whole School Cluster Grouping has the potential to enhance educational outcomes but requires careful implementation to address challenges and optimize its effectiveness.