Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Communication And Collaboration Between Multilingual And Special Education Departments: A Web-Based Model To Serve Dual Eligible Students, Stacy Severson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

There was at the time the project commenced, an unmistakable chasm not only between the two departments within the author’s school district, but also in literature in general, and the author’s goal was to create a living document where the two areas of expertise converged. The research question asked in this project was, how can communication between ESL (English as a second language) teachers and special education staff be improved to better serve dual eligible students? It documents one teacher’s creation of a website designed to assist ESL teachers who work with students who qualify for both ESL and special …

Website​ ​Resource​ ​For​ ​Strengthening​ ​The​ ​Relationships​ ​Of​ ​Fathers And​ ​Their​ ​Children​ ​To​ ​Increase​ ​Academic​ ​Achievement, Adam Barlow

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project is, how can empowering fathers in their child’s life increase student academic achievement? The Capstone provides literature supporting the value of father in the lives of their children, providing them with optimal success in academics and beyond the classroom. It brings together characteristics and statistics of fatherhood, detailing how a father impacts: family roles, child’s behavior, child’s needs, learning tasks, daughters, a child with special needs, mother and father differences, and early child development. The author brings forth research to support fathers staying engaged with their child, from before birth to adolescence, providing …

Does A Classroom Website Increase Positive Communication And Relationships Between Parents And Teachers?, Cortney A. Cegla

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research questions addressed in this project was: Does a classroom website increase positive communication and relationships with teachers and parents? It provides readers research regarding the benefits of different communication strategies that can take place between teachers and parents. The project then narrows down to the focus of building a classroom website that will increase communication and build relationships between parents and teachers. Throughout the different chapters, the author describes the benefits, but also the barriers that come with communicating through a classroom website. It provides readers information on several different types of school website designs and classroom website …

Tier Two Reading Interventions For Elementary English Learners, Katherine M. Little

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question for this Capstone project is What curriculum guide can be developed for Tier 2 Interventions within the RtI framework for elementary-level ELs with reading difficulties? The literature was examined for sources of EL reading difficulties, evidence-based practices for implementing Response to Intervention (RtI), for teaching reading, and for teaching ELs. The intersections of this research led to the formulation of several guiding principles that can be used in the development of curricula for Tier 2 reading interventions for ELs: Instruction and materials should be (a) scaffolded; (b) culturally and linguistically responsive; (c) focused on improving reading comprehension …

Bridging The Communication And Collaboration Gap: A Project On Improving School Culture And Student Achievement, Sophia Raffaelle

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to analyze the impact communication and collaboration between special and general educators have on student achievement and school culture through a literature review. Additionally, the project was implemented to evaluate how different forms of communication can be used to begin to bridge the communication and collaboration gap that currently exists in a large-scale suburban school setting. The literature review defines and examines communication and collaboration and their implications in various settings, further specifying an educational setting. Furthermore, this project establishes meaning for the author, both professionally and personally, and its applications as well as …

Connecting Graduate Level Non-Native English Speakers To Language Support Resources, Kathryn Korchik

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project addresses the question of how to build the capacity of student services staff and university faculty to connect graduate level English language learners to appropriate language-based resources. Because student support resources on larger university campuses are often dispersed and frequently targeted to undergraduate populations, it can be difficult for students to have knowledge of and access to resources and services. This project, utilizing previous research to support the foundational assumptions that international graduate students require special attention, documents the creation of a website to serve the needs of students, staff, and faculty at a large research university. The …

A Family Approach To Emergent Reading And Writing, Amanda Jones

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can adult education programming be developed to support parents of emergent readers and writers? It discusses the importance of emergent literacy, brain development, and the role of parents in their child’s development. The stages of emergent literacy, including milestones of child’s development are included. The research of Malcolm Knowles is the framework used in order to create a presentation that supports literacy in the home. Specifically, the six assumptions of andragogy (adult learning) from Knowles’s theory are identified and described.

Developing A Pollinator Activity Guide For Pre K-6 Formal And Non-Formal Educators, Alaiana A. Larkin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: how can I develop a pollinator activity guide for preK-6 formal and non-formal educators? I created and adapted various pollinator lessons and activities that are hands-on, place-based and engaging for early education and elementary students. They include imaginative play, interactive investigations and outdoor discoveries. These activities were designed to raise awareness and increase understanding of the importance, diversity and human connection to pollinators, including bees, wasps, flies, moths, butterflies, beetles and bats. As well, there is a focus on the diversity of native bumblebees and solitary bees in Minnesota. David Sobel and …

Using Art To Enhance Environmental Education, Andrew Hilger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The author created a project that teaches students about environmental issues around water use in Minnesota. This project answers the question, “How can art be used to enhance environmental education?”. The author uses principles of art and art education to teach students about the state of water in Minnesota, the many challenges it faces, and several potential solutions for addressing pollution and overuse. Students complete art-based projects and assignments to address issues surrounding natural science, sustainability, and water use while adhering to state science standards.

Lesson-Plan​ ​Delivery​ ​Before​ ​Lesson-Plan​ ​Design: Defining,​ ​Sequencing,​ ​And​ ​Teaching​ ​The​ ​Essential​ ​Skills​ ​Of​ ​An​ ​English Language​ ​Teacher​ ​Development​ ​Program​ ​At​ ​Induction, Joel Hanson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research questions addressed in this project were: 1) What are the essential set of teaching skills/practices at the induction portion of teacher training that are applicable to my EFL teaching context? 2) In light of the specific teacher preparation and development needs of the staff in a 12-school network in Morocco, how should these skills be sequenced and taught during the induction portion of an English language teacher development program? Answering these questions involved an investigation—and integration—of four teacher development frameworks proceeding from the macro- to micro-level of teacher training, unpacking what Feiman-Nemser calls the central tasks of learning …

Recognizing, Empathizing, And Strategizing Tools For Teachers And Schools To Increase Academic Success For Homeless Highly Mobile (Hhm) Students, Alyssa R. Paulson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The homeless highly mobile (HHM) student population can easily be overlooked and begin to fall through the cracks within the school system. As a result, the achievement gap for this vulnerable population has grown at a disproportionate rate. Because of this, the author’s research question was: How can schools streamline academic success for homeless highly mobile (HHM) students? An examination of existing studies and literature demonstrates that the issue of the HHM student population having an achievement gap can be seen in schools across the country. However, research does show that there are strategies and resources for schools to implement, …

How Can Water Quality Awareness Be Increased In A Small But Rapidly Increasing City Of New Braunfels, Texas?, Zackary Eugene Martine

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this curriculum development Capstone was to create a series of lessons to focus on how to further educate children that live in a pristine water quality environment. The curriculum focused exercises and examples provide increased awareness and education focusing on improving water quality examples on how to keep water quality from degrading during the explosive population growth of the surrounding region. The overall goal is to show how increased growth can lead to potential water quality decreases over time. There are several hands-on lessons that show examples of the ecology of the region and how all things …

How Mainstream Teacher Attitudes Affect English Language Learner Student Learning In The Mainstream Classroom, Lauren Barbara Lippert

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The primary research question for this project is: do mainstream teacher attitudes towards English Language Learners affect student learning and how? This capstone project presents literature about the correlation between teacher attitudes and student learning, describes research surrounding mainstream teacher attitudes towards ELL inclusion, training, modifications, and language backgrounds, and identifies research-based information mainstream teachers should know about ELLs. The project following the research is a professional development training compiling strategies, resources, theories, and research for mainstream teachers teaching ELLs. The professional development is designed to be presented to K-12 mainstream teachers who are teaching ELLs in their classroom. The …

Can Creating An Activity Guide On Soil Health Improve Environmental Awareness And Foster Agricultural Sustainability, Lee Vannyhuis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question in this project was, can creating an activity guide on soil health improve environmental awareness and foster agricultural sustainability? This capstone discusses how healthy soils are important for sustaining agricultural productivity with shrinking farmland and a rising human population. It discusses how soils play a vital role in maintaining a healthy environment. This capstone also shows evidence that experiential learning using activity guides is an effective way of teaching environmental issues. The project developed with the capstone is called Soil Health Activity Guide: Black is the new Green. It was was modeled after the widely used environmental …

Maintaining A Culturally Responsive And Engaging Classroom For Students From Eastern And Western Cultures, Chloe E. Delwiche

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question in this paper and project asks the question: How can I create a classroom environment that is engaging and interactive for students from both Eastern and Western cultures while maintaining a culturally responsive classroom that respects, accepts, and incorporates all cultures into content and instruction? This is a project that examines the differences in student engagement and interaction between students from Eastern and Western cultures. Social and cultural norms in Eastern and Western cultures are examined in this paper, as well as engagement in classrooms in Eastern and Western cultures and how this affects the classroom environment. …

Improving Literacy And Reading Comprehension Through Music Instruction In An El Sistema-Inspired Violin Program, Teresa Campbell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

My research questions were: how can I use the content area of music in an intensive, El Sistema-inspired after school string program to increase literacy and improve reading comprehension for my students and how do goals for increased literacy and improved reading comprehension align with an El Sistema-inspired program with goals for social change? To answer these questions I present four areas of research: the connection between prosody and reading comprehension, critical pedagogy and critical literacy, El Sistema, and correlations between music training and enhanced prosodic awareness. I end by discussing my Capstone project, a music curriculum written for my …

Training Adult Esl Volunteers In College And Career Readiness Standards, Cara Berger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

A significant number of instructors in adult education programs are volunteer, and the volunteer-led classrooms in which these volunteers serve face difficulties and challenges that staff-led classrooms do not (Belzer, 2006; Gomez, 2012). This project sought to answer the question: how can College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) be incorporated into lesson plans for an adult ESL intermediate volunteer-led class so that students may benefit from the same standards of instruction that staff-led classes follow? Research on the CCRS and various volunteer training methods was addressed to develop a project artifact intended to aid volunteers in their lesson planning. The …

Effective Curriculum To Accelerate Academic Reading Comprehension For High School English Language Learners, Lisa Menke Johnson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, what is an effective curriculum for accelerating reading comprehension skills in secondary English Language Learner students. It documents one teacher’s creation of a unit that combined research based strategies for increasing reading comprehension skills in older students as well as second language acquisition strategies. It integrated vocabulary development, grammar forms and functions and intervention strategies proven to be successful with high school students. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. The project provides a quarter long unit focused on …

Literacy Coaching: A Research Based Coaching Guide, Mary E. House

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The question that guided the work of the researcher was: What impact would a research based coaching guide have on a coach’s effectiveness with teachers, understanding that the end goal of coaching is increased student achievement? Research suggested that professional learning via coaching is key to building capacity in teachers. However, the researcher found that the role of the literacy coach in many schools is one with little or no initial training or a core resource from which to anchor a coach’s work with teachers. Research clearly suggested that the instructional coach role lacks effectiveness if the coach does not …

Empowering And Equipping Hispanic Immigrant Parents To Actively Engage In Their Children’S Education, Fernando G. Rogante

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can Hispanic immigrant parents be effectively equipped to support their Pre K-3 children’s education in order to reduce the existing achievement gap? The idea of this Capstone was born with the fact that there is an educational achievement gap. The research shows that this gap is influenced by SES and different views of the concept of involvement. As a result, the Capstone develops a comprehensive view of involvement and how the implementation of some strategies by low SES immigrant families from birth to early elementary years can help their children be …

Preparing Teachers To Support Syrian Refugee Students Through Awareness Of The Impacts Of Trauma And Interrupted Education, Shane Brian Koch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Trauma brought about by war and displacement impacts all affected people in lasting ways; however, its effects can often be felt most by the children exposed to it. This project examines the impacts of trauma experienced through the process of being a refugee, specifically focusing on children who have fled the violence in Syria since 2011. An extensive review of literature on the topic is present in the paper, which has been

turned into a professional development presentation. The aim was to create a three- module professional development presentation that could better prepare teachers in the

United States who may …

Giving Students The Opportunity To See Themselves And Diverse Cultures In Literature: A Multicultural Literature Wiki, Maria E. Effertz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As our student body becomes more and more diverse, the literature we use in class must change in order to best represent them. The purpose of this capstone project was to create an online database to provide teachers with the multicultural literature they might need to best represent the diverse student voices in their classrooms. The research question addressed in this project was, how can literacy teachers more readily access multicultural texts for their curriculum that both reflects their students' backgrounds and cultures as well as gives students the ability to gain access to and recognize themselves in other cultures? …

What​ ​Are​ ​The​ ​Behavioral​ ​Interventions​ ​That​ ​Work​ ​With Attention​ ​Deficit​ ​Hyperactivity​ ​Disorder​ ​(Adhd)​ ​Students?, Mitchell Tollefson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is, what are the behavioral interventions that work with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) students? The major factor of this capstone was to track students’ behavior issues in the classroom, and then develop a format to follow in what interventions to use. The author of this paper utilizes the various interventions in the classroom on a daily basis. The possible behaviors of students with ADHD are highlighted in this capstone, and the possible interventions for each are presented and discussed. This project paper describes a curriculum of possible behaviors displayed by students …

World History Instruction For English Language Learners: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach, Mary Engelun

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was how can text analysis using a Systemic Functional Linguistic framework inform curriculum design in sheltered EL world history classes? Research in the theory and applications of systemic functional linguistics in education was described; emphasizing connections to instruction for secondary English language learners. The project was completed in parts: text analysis of theme progressions in history text, development of curriculum, and a pre-planning checklist for future unit development. This project documents one teacher’s creation of an integrated unit of world history content with language development lessons through a systemic functional linguistics approach. A …

English Language Learner Considerations For Equitable Identification Of Needs And Referrals To Special Education, Melissa Persons

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Identifying learner needs for an English learner (EL) student has various factors to consider that a non-EL student may not. To explore what is needed to be analyzed prior to determining an EL student’s learner needs, the question being researched is: What are considerations to take into account when an EL student begins the Student and Teacher Assistance Team (STAT)? The framework the research was performed was analyzing resources from school districts and state departments of education, as well as guidance from personal communication with professionals in related fields. Taking all of the data from literature and information from currently …

Framework For Building Community In 21st Century Intermediate Elementary Classrooms, Scott Norman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project focuses on the question: How can intermediate elementary teachers create student environments that foster social­emotional growth? Educators are increasingly cognizant of the impact of social­emotional learning on students, especially within the intermediate elementary grades. Chapter One provides a background and rationale that led to the focus of the research and project. Chapter Two contains a literature review that highlights the many facets of a thriving classroom community with a particular focus on the development of empathy and resilience, including the significant impact of the teacher­student relationship. Popular social­emotional curricula are profiled, and the significantly positive impact ­ …

Designing A Language-Modified, Trauma-Informed Know Your Rights Training To Prepare And Empower Refugees With Beginning To Intermediate English Language Skills To Interact With The Police, Elizabeth Miyoung Kaufman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This study examined the experiences of Beginning to Intermediate English level adult refugees with the police, in order to inform the design of a language-modified, trauma-informed Know Your Rights training. Results of a student survey indicated a need for information and culturally-appropriate resources. The purpose of this curriculum is to prepare participants to interact with the police using English so that they can understand communication and advocate for themselves, whether they are being approached, detained, or arrested by law enforcement, or they are seeking emergency help. The context for this community education initiative is rooted in the traditions of people’s …

Using The Focus On Form Method To Create A Grammar Resource Book For Ell Teachers, Julia Milne

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research conducted in this capstone discusses appropriate methods of teaching grammar to ELL students. The project arose from the author’s realization that explicit grammar instruction was seldom taught and in many cases omitted completely during instructional time. Furthermore, the author realized that there was a great deal of confusion about the appropriate role of grammar within the curriculum. This led the author to study the history of grammar instruction in order to understand the various methodologies that have been implemented throughout the years. The goal was to try and gain a better understanding of the different schools of thought …

Professional Development In Disciplinary Literacy Strategies For Middle School Content Area Teachers, Jodi Dubbeldee

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this professional development plan is to provide disciplinary literacy instruction support for content area teachers at the middle level. The inspiration for the research was the author’s desire to discover and share how content area literacy is critical to student learning. In-depth research in physical, emotional, and social adolescent development, literacy strategies, disciplinary literacy strategies, and professional development practices drove the findings to create a professional development plan that is built-in and sustainable. Teachers can use the online professional development resource collaboratively in order to determine literacy goals, write lesson plans, and incorporate literacy strategy instruction into …

A Secondary Ela Classroom Curriculum Study Using Culturally-Relevant, Digital Texts To Increase Student Engagement And Understanding, Marika Belusa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to create an engaging and challenging curriculum for a mid-level 11th-grade English course that would explore the use of culturally releveant, digital texts to increase student engagement and understanding. The paper that follows explores the reason why such an interactive and culurally relevant curriculum is needed in an increasingly-diverse suburban classroom. In particular, a blend of research around neuroscience, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Constructivism, the use of digital tools to enhance learning, and a look at how texts should fall under the mirrow-window continuum, was collected. Combinging theory and research led to the …