2024 Doctoral Capstone Projects

This study evaluates the effectiveness of block scheduling in mathematics at Palmerton Area Junior High School (PJHS). Implemented in 2018-2019 to address poor student performance, the modified Block Schedule provides students with 90 minutes of daily mathematics instruction. Despite this significant change, no formal evaluation has been conducted until now.
The study aims to answer the following questions: How did the Block Schedule affect student grades during marking periods and at the end of the year? Did it influence the number of students scoring Advanced or Proficient on the Mathematics PSSA? How did math grades compare to other subjects taught traditionally? What was the impact on student discipline and attendance?
Data from PJHS’s student information system, including grades, PSSA scores, attendance, and discipline records, were analyzed. The comparison covers three years of the Traditional Schedule and four years of the Block Schedule, using statistical methods to evaluate the data.
Results indicated improvements in mathematics achievement under the Block Schedule, with higher marking period and year-end grades, and an increased number of students scoring Advanced or Proficient on the Mathematics PSSA. However, no significant changes were observed in discipline referrals or attendance rates.
The study provides insights into the academic benefits of block scheduling in mathematics and offers recommendations for further research.

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.