Education Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Individual, Small-Group, And Whole-Class Interventions At The Secondary Level, Rebecca Miller

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if academic interventions in reading, writing, and mathematics can have an effect on student achievement at the secondary level. Additionally, the goal was to determine if individual, small-group, or whole-class interventions were the most effective. The researcher gleaned data from the 2022-2023 school year based on two individual interventions, nine small-group interventions, and one whole-class intervention. The researcher is an Instructional Coach and had a part in planning for and/or implementing all of these interventions. This research was conducted to help decide if the use of academic intervention is beneficial …

Improving Fact Fluency For Students With Learning Disabilities, Carrie Wall

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The intent of this action research project was to assess the impact of fact fluency when implementing the Direct Instruction (DI) Flashcard intervention for students in special education using curriculum-based measurements. The participants were elementary students who all received specially designed instruction in the area of math due to their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in that area. In addition to the body of research in place regarding fact fluency and the DI Flashcard intervention, this study also took into account the students’ initial skill levels as outlined in their IEPs. The intervention occurred over three weeks in a special education …

Professional Learning For Paraprofessionals: A School Improvement Plan, Brooke Pfaltzgraff

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Dallas Center Elementary is a small kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school in the rural town of Dallas Center, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. In the past, the school has had difficulty training and retaining paraprofessionals to ensure quality support for their special education students. A review of literature was conducted to determine implications for limited training, best practices, and benefits to training paraprofessionals. Feedback from current employees was also considered in designing this school improvement plan and professional learning calendar for the 2023-2024 school year. The professional learning for paraprofessionals will also support the building wide social emotional …

Implmplementing Meaningful Integration For Students With Significant Disabilities, Julianne Scheer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan was developed based on the researcher’s interest of integrating students with significant disabilities into the least restrictive learning environment, the general education classroom, to access core learning in a meaningful and developmentally appropriate way using the instructional strategies of Universal Design for Learning, also known as UDL. The researcher is in her fifth year of teaching and in their third year teaching students with significant disabilities who are primarily impacted by autism spectrum disorder. The implementation plan provides opportunities for teachers to create learning opportunities for all students to access core learning areas. This requires both …

Increasing Student Achievement In English Language Arts At The Secondary Level, Melissa Randall

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement paper aims to explore a comprehensive approach to enhancing English Language Arts (ELA) standardized test scores at the secondary level through the implementation of a literacy program. The research focuses on four essential components: differentiated instruction, co-teaching, and on-going assessments. The central question guiding this school improvement plan is: "How does the integration of a literacy program, encompassing differentiated instruction, co-teaching, and on-going assessments, and lead to improved ELA standardized test scores at the secondary level?" The proposed school improvement plan looks to provide educators with strategies and tools to effectively engage students in English Language Arts …

Severe Special Need Student Inclusion In The Classroom, Samantha Thompson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan focuses on enhancing student inclusion within the general education environment. With inclusion being a pivotal topic in educational settings, this study aims to explore and elucidate its significance. The project encompasses a comprehensive investigation of the issue, examining aspects such as leadership support, differentiated instruction, and the practical implementation of inclusion in the general education setting. Emphasizing the vital role of inclusion in fostering student success, particularly within the inclusive environment, this research advocates for the integration of students with diverse abilities in the general education setting to sustain their social and academic growth. The findings …

Improving Reading Interventions: A School Improvement Plan, Rachel Harmelink

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper examines the use of reading instruction interventions in an elementary school in Northwest Iowa. Whereas the school excels at providing regular assessments, including universal screeners, educators there have struggled to adequately meet the reading needs of their students as reflected on FAST, MAP, and Panorama data. This school improvement plan provides professional development training in response to intervention (RTI) procedures along with continual support and collaboration throughout the school year to assist teachers in confidently serving all learners and helping them reach their fullest potential as readers.

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports For Homeschool Families In A Home School Assistance Progra, Stacy Picard

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Systematic, explicit reading instruction including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension has been shown to be effective at teaching nearly all children to read. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is used in schools for identifying students who need supplemental instruction and ascertaining their areas of weakness. It is also used for monitoring the progress of students and facilitating ongoing instructional decisions. Homeschool families typically do not have access to scholarly research about effective reading instruction or to tools for determining if their children are making adequate progress or if a change in instruction is needed. The Knoxville …

The Benefits Of Using Phoneme Segmentation & Oral Reading Fluency Cbm On 1st Grade, Jessica Pavlenko

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was driven by the researcher's interest in using curriculum-based measurement as an assessment tool and the effects they can have on student growth throughout the school year. The researcher utilized the STAR CBM phoneme segmentation tool quarterly, beginning in the first quarter, as well as the STAR CBM oral reading fluency passages quarterly, beginning in the second quarter. The research was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of using CBM, specifically phoneme segmentation and oral reading fluency, as a progress monitoring tool with 1st Grade students. The researcher is a first grade teacher in her eighth year of …

Implementing Social Emotional Learning With Fidelity: A School Improvement Plan, Courtney Reuter

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research findings indicate social emotional learning can have a positive impact on both teachers and students. Social emotional learning not only improves the social emotional well-being and competence in teachers and students, it can also benefit students academically. When students do not have access to social emotional learning instruction consistently, it can have a poor impact on both their behavior and academics. With research findings in mind, a school improvement plan was created to research, purchase, and implement a new social emotional learning curriculum with fidelity. The goal of this plan is to increase the fidelity in social emotional learning …

Improving The School's Mtss Reading Intervention Framework, Mariah Snyder

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this school improvement plan was designed based on first-hand

experience in seeing the high need for an improved MTSS reading intervention

framework. Research findings show that reading interventions provided through an

MTSS framework provide students with many beneficial supports that increase reading

test scores. With these research findings in mind, a school improvement plan was

created to create a sustainable reading intervention framework within the school

setting.

Autism Spectrum: The Impact Of Colors And Symbols Have On Students Outcome, So Young Jun

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research paper was to explore the effects of educational interventions using colors and symbols on orchestra members with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A fifth week action study was conducted using visual support for effective musical expression in an orchestra composed of members with autism and intellectual disabilities. The red glasses marked on the sheet music of the members should see the conductor and play according to conductor’s hand signals, and the number of times they could not play according to the conductor's hand signals was checked every week for 5 weeks to collect and analyze data. …

Conscious Discipline For Parent, Amber Brown

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Conscious Discipline is a universal comprehensive program combining social-emotional wellbeing into our everyday lives by enhancing the social-emotional skills of administrators, teachers, students and families. Collaboration is the key for Conscious Discipline to be effective. In order to change others, we must first change ourselves. This program uses evidence-based research to help overall improvement for all people involved. It has been known to be a traumainformed approach to learning about ourselves in others to the best of our ability.

The Effects Of Social-Emotional Learning Strategies On Promoting Positive Behavior In Elementary School Students, Lea Adams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The focus of this action research was to appropriately implement social emotional learning into a small classroom environment. The lessons were aimed to assist students and foster positive behaviors both inside and outside the classroom environment. Participants participated in a four-week study. The research participants consisted of 17 girls and boys within a classroom. This classroom environment had a total of 11 boys and 6 girls, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The study also included four specialist teachers (Hawaiian, Japanese, Computer Science, and Physical Education), the homeroom teacher, and the school counselor. During the intervention, each class engaged in daily morning meetings, …

Building Teacher Differentiation Self-Efficacy In The Classroom, Tyler Krattenmaker

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The practice of inclusion has allowed more students with disabilities to participate with their peers in general education classrooms than ever before. However, research findings show that in many cases, educators have low self-efficacy when it comes to their ability to serve students with disabilities within their classrooms. Studies have documented a need for professional development to target inclusion and accommodations, showing that increased training increases teacher self-efficacy in implementing students supports. With this research in mind, a school improvement plan was developed that focuses on a professional development series to increase educator self-efficacy in implementing accommodations frequently included in …

Growing Independence Through The Use Of Structured Work Systems, Skye Nicolls

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related disabilities struggle to manage daily activities and routines with independence. They often rely on adult prompts and cues, even when a skill has been previously mastered. This action research study aimed to determine the effects of structured work systems (SWS) in the inclusive pre-k classroom on the overall independence of students with ASD or related disabilities. TEACCH modeled structured work systems were implemented with four preschool students a minimum of twice daily. Three areas were observed for the purpose of this research: (1) student completion of the structured work system; (2) …

Inclusion Strategies To Assist Emotional And Behavior Disorder Students In The Classroom, Karley Bales

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students who may have severe difficulties when with their peers can often get placed in emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) classrooms. These classes usually are self-contained special education settings. The students’ least restrictive environment (LRE) is with the general education classroom with their peers, however, behaviors can get in the way and interfere with the inclusion process. This school improvement plan goes over strategies that can be utilized by both general and special education teachers to help get students back with their peers in their LRE to get a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) and out of the self-contained special …

Comparing The Effects Of Phonics Instruction Provided To Students With Disabilities, Ashley Rohlf

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Special education teachers work each day to implement effective curricula to help students with disabilities receiving special education services reach grade-level standards. Recent research supports the need for implementing a comprehensive reading program that includes phonics instruction. With numerous curricula available, this action research seeks to inform educators of two methods of instruction that have a heavy phonics component that leads to growth in student reading skills. Two methods were evaluated: one method used multiple curricula to target all areas of a comprehensive reading program while the other method used a single curriculum that targeted all of the same areas. …

Effects Of Actively Involving Students With Ieps In The Progress Monitoring Process, Kelly Adams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Special education teachers are trying many ways to help students with IEPs achieve their goals. This action research study looks at one way educators might do that with the involvement of students with IEPs in the progress monitoring process, specifically students with math goals. Instead of having the progress monitoring process as something done to them, students with disabilities were encouraged to take an active role by goal setting, getting feedback, reflecting, and graphing their scores. The five fifth-grade students that this study followed showed signs of growth over the six weeks of this intervention. The findings of this action …

Pbis Tier 2 Intervention: Check-In/Check-Out, Britta Tewes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The following is an action research project studying the effects of PBIS Tier 2 intervention, Check-In/Check-Out (CICO). Data was collected over the course of two weeks following four elementary students in a rural school district. CICO intervention data was taken according to the students’ ability to demonstrate the three school rules; safety, respect, and responsibility. Findings of the study show a 75% success rate, as well as collaborating teachers’ opinions regarding the intervention. In support of the using the CICO intervention, a literature review was conducted delving into the successes of previously conducted PBIS research. Limitations and future research are …

Errorless Learning: An Effective Method For Teaching Math Fact Fluency, Lauryn Hilger

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to evaluate the errorless learning technique as a method of teaching middle school students with disabilities math fact fluency. The study included seven participants, all middle school-aged boys. The research was conducted in a rural middle school in Northwest Iowa. Quantitative data was collected and compared from the beginning of the study in the baseline collection to the post-test. Results suggest that the errorless learning technique is an effective method for teaching math fact fluency.

The Effect Of Quaversel On Preschool Students, Kinsley Heckart

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a growing concern and topic in education as students have faced unprecedented times since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. COVID-19 increased several mental health conditions and decreased critical social-emotional skills. The school where this action research took place implemented a new SEL curriculum called QuaverSEL to better address student needs. The participants in this study included two preschool classrooms, with six students aged 3- to 5-years-old. The study took place over four weeks, and interventions took place in 10-15 minute sessions two times a week. Data was collected before and after the implementation of …

Trauma-Informed Practices And Their Effects On Student Behaviors, Stephanie Haman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

There is a growing number of educators, schools, and parents that are looking to trauma-informed practices as beneficial to educating the whole child. This literature review aimed to explore if whether implementing these practices is worth the time and money needed to achieve the full benefits of these programs. Database websites were used to gather peer reviewed journal articles for the researched information in this literature review. When creating trauma-informed schools there are significant challenges that come into play such as the cost of implementation and taking away instructional time to implement said practices. However, the current findings of this …

Implementing Effective Inclusion In Prekindergarten, Jennifer L. Wenke

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review will act as a guide for implementing quality inclusion effectively in preschool classrooms. The inclusion of children with special needs in education is of concern to educators worldwide. "Inclusive education involves the transformation of the education system-legislation and policy, systems for financing, administration, design, delivery, and monitoring of the education and the way schools are organized" (Zabeli & Gjelaj, 2020, p. 3). This literature review examines the variables predicting overall quality, curriculum, training, tools for communication and engagement, teacher views, and peer interaction pertaining to inclusion in prekindergarten classrooms. Two themes were constant in the research: training …

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies For Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasmin Williams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The number of school-aged children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing over the past decades. As the students enter the education system, school districts and educators face challenges in meeting the academic needs of students with ASD. A 2014 report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that although ASD varies significantly in severity, it occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, and is almost five times more common among boys than girls. Thus, contemporary education professionals in all schools are likely to work with students with ASD (CDC, 2014). Teachers in …

The Use Of A Token Economy To Help Motivate Students, Shelley Hudachek

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if a token economy would help motivate students to show appropriate behaviors. This action research was motivated by the researcher's own classroom observations of student behaviors and how students are motivated to show appropriate behaviors. The researcher is a special education teacher in her seventh year of teaching. Her own students participated in the implementation of a token economy intervention to help motivate them to show fewer disruptive and noncompliant behaviors. This study took place over a seven-week period where a token economy was introduced and implemented daily. The data reflects …

Effective Practices For Reducing The Use Of Restraint And Seclusion, Deborah Barry

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Restraint and seclusion are harmful practices that are often imposed upon vulnerable student populations. This literature review examines the prevalence of such practices, the ethical considerations associated with their use, and effective strategies for limiting their use. The research reveals the importance of evidence-based approaches in reducing restraint and seclusion practices. Models that utilize compassionate, trauma-informed care and promote emotional regulation strategies are shown to be the most successful in reducing the use of these detrimental behavior management practices. One specific approach, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS), was found to incorporate each of these elements into a model that minimizes …

Social-Emotional Learning And Educator Implementation, Jennifer Grossman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores social and emotional learning in the elementary classroom and how educators can help support students to be academically successful. Social and emotional learning is critical to students and their success in the classroom. Social and emotional learning is defined and interventions are explained. This literature review will explore educator support, implementation, interventions, and academic achievement. Three social and emotional learning interventions are explored. The interventions are imperative in the success of every student. An analysis of social and emotional learning interventions suggests that students are academically more successful if they receive social and emotional learning interventions. …

Serving Students With Special Needs During Covid-19 Pandemic, Tara Redenius

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has largely disrupted every aspect of human life. At the height of the pandemic, the states governments' suspended in-person learning in the United States to reduce coronavirus spread through human contact. The suspension was followed by policies enabling the implementation of online learning for all students with special needs, caregivers, and educators in different ways. The closure of schools has disrupted student's routine, made caregivers assume the teacher's role, and required educators to shift to online learning. This literature review evaluates changes in managing students with special needs by highlighting the shift in teaching, …

Elements Of A Trauma-Informed School, Kimberly Avitt

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the research of what makes a trauma-informed school and what interventions are effective in implementing trauma-informed teaching practices to help students with past traumatic experiences become more success in school. Research documents a large number of students who have experienced trauma and that this trauma has a significant impact on a child’s development, both cognitive and social. Teachers and schools are at the forefront of this problem and ideally suited to address this problem. This literature review revealed key areas to focus when implementing trauma-informed teaching practices. These include relationships, resiliency, and climate and culture.