Education Commons^™

Teacher Perceptions On Changing Instructional Practices In Mathematics With The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards, Esther M. Underwood

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

As schools across the U.S. begin to implement Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM), teachers must shift their instructional practices from a traditional emphasis on procedures and algorithms to a conceptually based model in which students engage more meaningfully with mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study is to examine participants’ perspectives about the influence of CCSSM on their instructional practices, and the challenges they face in effectively implementing these changes. The literature reveals the need for professional development, standards aligned materials, and ongoing support of teachers in order for them to make substantial changes to their instructional approach. …

Post Hoc Analysis On The Effect Of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Provided To Preschool Children On The Autism Spectrum, Catherine R. Maxwell Dumont

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) provides a framework for educators to assist children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to increase independence and positive social skills in the classroom (Reichow, 2012). Preschoolers with ASD who do not have access to programs tend to display negative and socially inappropriate behavior, such as acts of aggression, withdrawal, and inability to attend to lessons. Studies on program effectiveness documented that preschool children who received EIBI scored higher on IQ, language comprehension, imitation, expressive language, nonverbal communication, play, stereotyped behaviors and adaptive functioning compared to preschool children who do not receive EIBI. The literature …

From Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder To Substance Use Disorder: Perspectives From Recovering Addicts, Elena Potovsky

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

People who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are often at high risk of acquiring Substance Use Disorder (SUD). When a diagnosis is determined for a school age child, the special education team mainly focuses on the most obvious problems that occur with ADHD: executive function issues, reading and writing impairments, and disruptive behavior. They may not realize how common it is for those identified with ADHD to also acquire SUD.

The literature revealed that there may be a shared genetic basis between ADHD and SUD, that there is commonly an early onset of SUD for those who have ADHD, …

Assessment Of Ell Written Language Progress In Designated Esl Noncredit Courses At The Community College Level, Janet L. Daugherty

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Assessment of the effect of targeted instruction of functional language skills for English language learners (ELL) enrolled in community college basic skills classes is important as community colleges continue to offer noncredit courses for ELL students designed to improve English skills. The Foundations Skills Committee at a community college in a rural setting in Northern California received a State of California grant to provide basic skills instruction, specifically grammar and sentence structure, to ELL. The present study evaluates the effect of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on improving functional skills in writing.

A review of the literature reveals that community college instructors …

Evaluation Of Student Progress To Goals: Tracking Positive Behavior Changes Among Students Identified With Special Needs Grades 1 To 3, Julia Ries

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

There has been an increase in the number of children identified and served, in school settings, and in the community at large, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA.) Many school-based programs focus on mainstreaming students with disabilities. However, few programs exist for children between the ages of 5 and 9 who need positive behavior intervention services because they lack socially appropriate interaction skills.

The research literature revealed that students who lack appropriate social interaction skills are often placed into mainstream general class settings, where results of student improvement in social interaction skills are mixed. There is a gap …

Pre Kindergarten Students Increased Letter Recognition Ability Through The Use Of Educational Apps On Tablets For Classroom Instruction, Corrie C. Giugni

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Preschool students are preparing for kindergarten. The kindergarten curriculum is demanding. Students are expected to enter elementary school knowing many aspects related to language arts. The problem at the preschool level is that children need to master letter recognition and letter sounds in order to prepare them to learn how to read. The literature reveals that using technology before they enter kindergarten can be beneficial in developing students emergent literacy skills (Beschorner & Huchison, 2013).

It is important for teachers to meet the needs of all of their students. Using electronic tablets in the classroom is a tool that can …

Building Depth Of Understanding Of The Concept Of Number Sense And Algebra In Students Grades 7 And 8, Catherine Janes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Mathematics instruction offers both challenges and rewards to students. Teachers tend to focus on transmission of knowledge. Student creativity and problem-solving skills are not typically activated with common teaching practices. When students are engaged in mathematics they are recognizing patterns, making connections on their own, coming up with creative solutions, and discussing mathematical ideas with peers and adults. The purpose of this study was to identify, employ, and evaluate strategies that engage students in these practices and assist them in developing a deep understanding of mathematics concepts such as number sense and algebra.

The review of the literature began with …

Elements Of A Strategic Implementation Plan: Implications For Enhancing Combination Classes Using A Multiage Framework, Tracy Harding

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Combination classes are often created out of financial necessity rather than a desire to engage students in multiage learning. Teachers assigned to these classrooms come from the general teaching pool and may not have specialized training around the intricacies of multiage teaching.

A review of the literature indicates that the United States has a long history of multiage classrooms. When the practice of graded schools took over, however the multiage school remained as an approach to teaching children (Anderson, 1992). Progressive education programs often use a multiage classroom paired with looping, students remaining with the same teacher for more than …

Helping Parents Navigate Occupational Therapy In The Iep Process, Noelle Bakken, Kelly Calton, Molly Hyland, Shannon Landau

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

At the request of Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Autism Collaborative, the project developers have gathered information in order to help parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) better understand Occupational Therapy (OT) in the school setting. The development of the resource guide consisted of three needs assessments to identify areas of occupational therapy in which parents required further clarification. After meeting with the director of parent services from Matrix Parent Network, and receiving the online survey results from twenty-eight parents in Marin County, who have children with ASD, the project developers identified areas of OT to focus …

Increasing Phonemic Awareness In Kindergarten Students: Using Ipads In Language Arts Centers, Michelle Harrison

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Language arts teachers find that students at any elementary grade show a wide range of abilities, specifically in the area of phonemic awareness. Student abilities are not evaluated accurately using paper pencil tests.

A review of the literature addresses teaching approaches and effective use of technology in an elementary classroom. Implications of the research suggest that student engagement with technology have an impact on their learning (Kearsley & Shneiderman 1998). The research indicates that, if teachers do not monitor progress,students often view the use of iPad apps as games, not educational opportunities. Research findings emphasize that in order for students …

Teaching Students With Special Needs In A Local Catholic K-8 School Setting, Allison A. Pheatt

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many students with special needs are enrolled in private, Catholic schools and are included in the general education classroom. In most cases, these schools do not have the necessary resources or information on how best to serve these students. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a local K-8 Catholic school’s current special education program(s) and to document strategies and services that can be implemented in this school setting to serve students with special needs. A review of the literature revealed that teachers in a Catholic school setting are not aware of how to work with and best serve …

Giving A Voice To The Parent/Guardians/Caregivers Of Students With Special Needs: Advocacy For Services, Sara Cofiell

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Parents/Guardians/Caregivers of students with special needs are often at a loss as how to help their child be successful within the public school system. Communication is the key towards developing any form of path to success; however, the PGC of students with special needs are often limited, or at a loss as how to communicate these demands to the teachers and/or the district administration.

The purpose of this study is to enlighten the guardians of the numerous services that are available either at a school or district level within a suburban K-12 education system. Each district varies with the services …

Analysis Of Pre Test And Post Test Performance Of Students In A Learning Center Model At The Elementary School Level, Marion E. Schalich

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many students are struggling in school academically. These students do not qualify for additional resources. Typically these students continue to struggle in their classroom, year after year. Additionally, teachers tend to socially promote these students. These students continue to fail because they are lacking foundational skills.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of small group instruction using select reading comprehension strategies on student reading achievement comparing Measures of Academic Progress (MAPs) assessments from September 2014 to February 2015. The literature suggests that reading comprehension strategies and phonetic awareness improvements are only noted in small group instruction, …

The Effects Of Yoga Practice On Classroom Management In An Elementary School Setting, Gail Willits

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Traditionally, students in an elementary class are either disengaged or distracted from their classmates. The problem involves behavior and emotional disturbances that are often accelerated by external influences. The purpose of this research is to explore the use of yoga as an approach to reducing stress, increasing self-confidence and reducing negative behavior in a fifth grade class. A review of the literature revealed that students can ultimately improve behavioral management skills when given specific learning tools. Fifth grade students in a suburban elementary school participated in a weekly yoga practice intervention over a 4-week period of time. Students participated in …

Creating A Positive Emotional Climate In An Elementary School Classroom, Nicole Good

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

All teachers create an environment in their classrooms that sets an emotional tone for students. Teachers may find it hard to choose the right classroom management strategies to create a positive classroom climate for their students. As a result, teachers have expressed an interest in this topic for over 40 years. The purpose of this research is to identify aspects of successful classroom management systems in order to assist teachers in creating a successful learning environment and a positive emotional climate for learning. The research literature revealed that classroom management is instrumental in establishing a climate for learning that is …

Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Knowledge And Attitudes Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Casey M. Halcro

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) mandates teachers to provide equitable access to the core curriculum by maximizing academic achievement for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB), (Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2014). Without the knowledge, support, and acceptance of their teachers, LGB youth will experience multiple challenges during their K-12 educational careers. Scholarly literature reveals that the understanding and abilities of pre-service teachers to create safe spaces for LGB youth needs to be developed if pre-service teachers are eventually to become allies for LGB youth (Kearns, Mitton-Kukner, & Tompkins, 2014). Pre-service teacher education bears …

African American/Latina High School Girls’ Preoccupation With Concepts Of Personal Beauty: The Impact On Self-Worth And Academic Performance, Bobbie Williams

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine African American and Latina high school girls’ understanding of how their self-worth and academic performance may be impacted by the amount of time used to achieve a desired physical appearance. This descriptive, qualitative study used a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. The researcher conducted discussions with 11 African American and Hispanic American high school girls between the ages of 14-17, enrolled in grades 9-12. Results concluded that a majority of participants believed physical beauty was the most important quality in having a successful life and spent a significant amount of time applying …

Exit Tickets' Effect On Engagement And Concept Attainment In High School Science, Amy Mastromonaco

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many high school students struggle to stay engaged in their science class. As a result, student learning often suffers. The purpose of this study was to implement one additional strategy (Exit Tickets) to the teacher’s pedagogy in order to help better engage students and promote student learning. The teacher then evaluated the efficacy of the strategy by: comparing both participant behavioral engagement and assessment results prior to and during/after the implementation of the Exit Tickets. The data was disaggregated to compare students who were typically behaviorally disengaged to those who were consistently behaviorally engaged so as to better determine the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Responsibilities As Site Based Leaders In Mentoring Colleagues, Danielle Boland

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In a school setting, teachers may serve as leaders as well as classroom teachers. In any school, principals are unable to run a school without the help of others. This help often comes from classroom teachers who are supporting student and school needs by taking on leadership roles. The focus of this study is to examine teacher perspectives on their leadership role in mentoring other teachers.

The research literature indicates that teacher leaders play an important role in any school setting. Teacher leaders must build their confidence in stepping into this role, supporting the principals in school operations, mentoring, and …

Teacher Perceptions On The Ethics Of Using Corporate-Sponsored Curriculum In The Classroom, Laura J. Lightfoot

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Corporate involvement in education has always been a hotly debated issue. Is it a conflict of interests if companies provide material and information to schools? Or is it their civic responsibility and best interest to help promote education in order to create exceptional future employees? As budget cuts continue to devastate public schools throughout the United States, districts and teachers are looking for alternative means to provide the best education that they can. Many corporations are providing additional resources at minimal to no cost to schools, but with what consequences? Corporate created curriculum does not have as rigorous restrictions or …

Effective Practices For Developing Academic Language And Writing Skills In English Language Learners In The Elementary School Setting, Jenna N. Emadzadeh

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

With an increased population of English Language Learners (ELLs), educators are in need of programs and strategies that help their students learn academic content while learning to understand, speak, read, and write English (Duessen, Autio, Roccegrandi & Hanita, 2014). ELLs face several obstacles while learning in an elementary school classroom.

Studies have shown the positive effects of word analysis and vocabulary learning strategies on student achievement (Carlo, August, McLaughlin, Snow, Dressler, Lippman, Lively & White, 2004). Project GLAD is a model of professional development in the area of language acquisition and literacy that focuses on such instruction. According to Echevarria …

Helping English Language Learners Develop Writing Proficiency Using The Thesis Evidence Model In The High School Social Studies Classroom, Keith R. Fleming

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

English Language Learners (ELL) are struggling to develop literacy skills in social studies classes at the high school level in conjunction with the transition to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and assessment. The researcher conducted a qualitative teacher action research study. Participants included freshman high school students in mainstream, college preparatory, World Cultures classes in an affluent, suburban, public school district in California.

Through this teacher action research study, 34 high school grade students responded to a writing prompt used a pre-test evaluation. Students were then guided through a lesson sequence teaching writing strategies based in the Thesis-Evidence model. Upon …

Common Core Math And Critical Reasoning, Lorna M. Hayman

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This teacher research action study compared the performance of students in mathematical critical reasoning for selected strands of math under the new Common Core Math Standards with their performance under the old California State Standards. Student scores from in-class tests and quizzes were comparatively analyzed over the duration of a year in one sixth grade classroom in Northern California. Findings from this study indicated a minimal increase in the critical reasoning skills of the students under the Common Core Standards when compared to the California State Standards. The results of the study imply that there is a need for longitudinal …

Preschool Experience Vs. No Preschool Experience: Long Term Effects On Academic And Social Readiness Of Children, Dionne C. Estes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Despite federal and state investments in early education intervention programs,achievement gaps continue to afflict the education system with children from low-income families having an increased need for high quality preschool education. When children from underprivileged families move through the education system, the chances of academic success becomes difficult as the education gap increases year after year, and they fall farther behind. By the time these students enter high school, they are behind academically and unable to meet grade level requirements. Many of them to give up and quit attending school, leading to an increase in the dropout rate.

Research indicates …