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.

Community colleges face unique challenges in educating students due to their open-access policies and the need to retain students through successful completion of courses, especially those identified as barrier courses. This study examined the impact of applying a mandatory tutoring requirement in a first-year writing course to increase course success rates and writing proficiencies. A Communications-121 writing course taught at a community college in Southeastern Pennsylvania was identified as one of the top 10 barrier courses with a low course success rate of 62%. In order to address this issue, a quasi-experimental study was designed to examine the impact of three different tutoring models on course success rates: mandatory, embedded, and voluntary. The study also explored the relationship between at-risk student populations (first-generation, ethnicity, and Pell Grant recipients) and the various tutoring models. The mandatory tutoring intervention used in this quantitative study was not shown to be the best model; however, there was a positive relationship between at-risk students and the mandatory tutoring model. Exit surveys also showed that a majority of students who used tutoring services reported that they would use a tutor in future courses and would recommend tutoring to their classmates.