Education Commons^™

Combating Chronic Absenteeism In Rural Maine Elementary Schools, Joanne Dupuy

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This quantitative study was designed to determine if there is a correlation between chronic absenteeism and student achievement and if increased teacher communication with positive messages around attendance would affect the rate of chronic absenteeism in rural elementary schools. Four schools were analyzed looking at attendance and achievement data while implementing a new attendance protocol that increased teacher communication and the spread of positive messaging in regards to attendance. Findings indicate there is evidence that those students who were chronically absent struggled academically to meet local and state benchmarks. Preliminary findings also indicate that the implementation of the new attendance …

Mathematics Coaching, Professional Development, And Teacher Practice, Beth Downing

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Recently, math coaching has begun to be utilized in pockets of communities throughout the country. Coaching is a strategy that can be used to provide on site, continual professional development in a specific area. Although it has been used in literacy for decades, it is new to the area of math. Therefore, research on the effect of math coaching has been limited. There have been a handful of initial studies investigating the relationship between math coaching and teacher knowledge or student achievement, but the results are often conflicting (Althuser, 2015; Killion, 2017; Kutaka et al., 2017; Obara, 2010).

By learning …

Bullying As A Predictor Of Early Pregnancy, Dana Fadel

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

According to the World Health Organization, bullying has been identified as a current critical public health problem (Srabstein & Leventhal, 2010). Bullying is defined by consistent, repeated maltreatment through physical or emotional aggression that is often experienced at school or online, (Young-Jones, Fursa, Byrket, and Sly, 2015). Studies on bullying and its effects are plentiful, ranging from psychological to social-emotional damages; however, there is a gap in the research on its effect on teen pregnancy. This mixed methods study examined the effects and consequences of bullying as a risk factor in teenage pregnancy. Through 17 surveys and three interviews of …

Understanding Staff Perceptions Of Swpbis, Laurie L. Hatch

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

About eight years ago a school district, located in the foothills of western Maine, implemented a Tier-1, universal, school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) framework to provide school staff with positive behavior supports to achieve positive outcomes for all students. A key factor to the initial success of SWPBIS was staff buy-in. Research has shown that teacher and staff support is needed, not just for the implementation phase, but for the continued success of the framework. In the eight years since implementation, one of the district’s elementary schools has seen a staff and teacher turnover rate of over 50%. …

Multiplication Fact Fluency And Multiple Intelligences In A Third Grade Classroom, Julie A. Nugent

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine if teaching students their multiplication facts in a way that utilized their multiple intelligence strength would be a more effective way of teaching students their multiplication facts than having students learn their multiplication facts through rote memorization only. All four groups who received a teaching of multiplication facts intervention made gains in learning their multiplication facts. The three multiple intelligence groups did make more gains in learning more facts, than the one group who only learned their facts through rote memorization. However, the rote memorization group was able to give more …

Teaching And Supporting Authentic Math Experiences In Grades 6-12, Hannah Lakin

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of middle and high school

educators in teaching mathematics that is authentic and relevant to students’ lives. With many studies in the literature review confirming the importance and effectiveness of authentic opportunities in math learning, the study looked at what holds educators back from these teaching practices. In-depth interviews with five mathematics teachers of various levels of experience offered insights into processes, barriers, and support needed to develop students’ classical, critical, and community knowledge in mathematics. The study revealed a theory of the systemic shifts necessary for teaching authentic mathematics in …

The Effects Of Math Manipulatives In The Classroom, Emily Rowly

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This study is a quantitative study of the correlation between student achievement and the use of individual math toolkits. Research indicates that the use of manipulatives has a positive effect on student learning in math classrooms. However, studies are limited to manipulative use in one unit of study or one grade level. In addition, researchers and teachers use only one type of manipulative when looking for growth in student achievement. In this study, students with individual toolkits comprised of many manipulatives from their program of study were followed over a nine-week period. Students had access to manipulatives and exhibit voice …

I Don’T Always Know What It Means For A Child To Be Gifted, Laura I. Hemond

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Gifted education, or more specifically the gifted label, needs clarification. Labeling students as gifted leads to preconceived beliefs and ideas about students and their overall abilities. The purpose of this study was to acquire insight into how gifted students are perceived in order to better understand and meet the needs of gifted students. Through a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators regarding their perceptions surrounding the characteristics, identification process, and needs of gifted students. Results yielded consistencies and discrepancies in the perception of gifted education, ranging from student behaviors, identification of students, and perceived understanding of the …