Education Commons^™

Authentic Science Curriculum In An Alternative High School Setting, Julia Brunner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that when students are exposed to authentic inquiry-based curriculum they are more motivated and engaged in the content they are learning. The curriculum designed for this project utilizes Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe’s theory of the need to integrate differentiation and the curriculum model of Understanding by Design. Students in Alternative Learning Programs (AEPs), often have negative experiences within education. Apathy and learning gaps are huge obstacles that need to be overcome in this setting. The project involved creating a curriculum that allowed for individualized learning and more student autonomy in their learning. Using the MN …

Childhood Trauma: What Is It, And How To Help Our Students Heal, Melissa C. Andretta

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Elementary schools are filled with children of varied backgrounds. Many of these children come to school having experienced trauma. It is an educators job to address not only the academic needs of the students, but the social-emotional ones as well. Chapter one of this Capstone gives background information as to why this work is important to the author, and to the field of education. Chapter two sheds light on to research done on childhood trauma, and gives teachers a way to incorporate trauma-sensitive practices into the classroom and larger elementary school setting. Chapter three describes the staff development Capstone project, …

How Educators Can Utilize Culturally Responsive Teaching To Enhance Personalized Learning Opportunities In The Secondary Classroom, Christina J. Strey-Wells

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed by this project is: How can educators utilize Culturally Responsive Teaching to enhance personalized learning opportunities in the secondary classroom? Research has shown that culturally and linguistically diverse students suffer from an opportunity and achievement gap in this country that creates school-dependent learners. This research aims to prove that integrating Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and personalized learning techniques together in the classroom helps to create independent learners. This paper looks most closely at the theoretical work on CRT of Geneva Gay, Zaretta Hammond, and Gloria Ladson-Billings and focuses on the personalized learning tools of offering students …

Does Leadership & Academic Coaching Paired With Small Peer Group Interaction Improve Black Male Student Academic Engagement, Self-Efficacy And Self-Esteem?, Kyle Foster

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project addressed the research question, does leadership and academic coaching paired with small peer group interaction improve Black male student academic engagement, self-efficacy and self esteem? The research supported the creation of the project which looked at core values and sociopolitical identities in African American teenage males. Along with identifying their identities there was some critical reflection and discussion around those identities. In order to spark those discussions, the project consisted of circle discussions, individual reflection, small group reflection and partner discussions. A student curriculum manual was created to use with the students in group. There is also a …

A Yoga-Based Curriculum To Help Learners Deal With Anxious Situations, Lacey Jan Weninger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Through my experience working in education, I have seen the many benefits that yoga can provide children. My observations led to my asking the following research question: What are the elements of a Yoga curriculum that can support learners in dealing with anxious situations? The review of the research literature supported my professional experiences in a variety of areas and the potential value of creating a four-week unit to be integrated into my third grade classroom. For example, it documented that anxiety is prevalent in children today and it does not simply disappear as those children grow into adults. The …

Strategies For Educators: Teaching Recently Arrived English Learners Who Have Experienced Trauma, Lisa Carlson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Immigrants and children of immigrants have been a part of this country’s history for centuries. The number of immigrants entering the United States is increasing, and many of these immigrants have or will experience trauma. Traumatic events can have detrimental effects on the brains and behaviors of children, making school particularly difficult for these students. Educators may not know how to help these students recover and heal. This capstone examines strategies that teachers can use to meet the social emotional needs of recently arrived elementary-aged Latino and Somali English learners (RAELs) who have experienced trauma. It provides information regarding who …

Using Self-Regulated Strategy Development To Teach Middle School Writing, Julia Breen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Being able to write well is a skill critical to students’ success in higher education. Yet standardized test scores reveal that many students are moving into high school and college without these writing skills. Writing is a complex task; in addition to content knowledge, students must use self-regulation skills (including staying focused on the task, working through frustrations) to see success. This capstone project sought to answer the question: How can the teaching of self-regulated skills be integrated into lessons focused on developing the expository writing of middle school students? The result is a series of lesson plans that seek …

How Might I Increase And Maintain Student Engagement Through Culturally Responsive Practices, Kristen Hitchens

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many school communities are beginning to change and the student achievement gap is growing larger and larger for children in minority groups. As the student population changes, teachers may want to consider facilitating a Culturally Responsive framework for the benefit of all diverse learners in their classrooms to increase their engagement. Thus, moving many steps closer to closing the achievement gap. As I initiated a Culturally Responsive Practices into my third grade classroom, I found there was more student engagement because they were given choice and voice and were held to high classroom expectations and educational standards. This capstone encompasses …

The Power Of One Good Book: Creating An Independent Reading Program In An Alternative School To Help Promote Literacy, John Forestell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can a self-selected reading or sustained, silent reading (SSR) program be implemented to improve its effectiveness and positively create a culture of independent readers? By looking at years of research surrounding SSR, and pragmatic practices, it outlines one teacher’s approach to revitalizing a stagnating independent reading program in a small alternative school setting. By using the foundational work of Pilgreen, Krashen, and others, he layed out a professional development series that called for systemic changes in the SSR initiative. This professional development is further carried into the school year through a …

What Do Educators Need To Know To Identify Human Trafficking In Their Schools And Communities?, Candace Brailsford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question in this project addresses what educators need to know to identify human trafficking in their schools and communities. Its purpose is to design a one hour training for educators to both raise their awareness of human trafficking as a worldwide problem as well as provide them with a practical picture of what human trafficking looks like in both their classrooms and neighborhoods. Educators will also be equipped with the knowledge of what to do if they encounter human trafficking. A victim’s risk factors and vulnerabilities to human trafficking are also explored in order to enable teachers to …

How To Create A High School Personalized Learning System To Re-Engage And Extend Deeper Learning Of Opportunity Youth Students, Joseph Cienian

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can a high school set up a personalized learning system to re-engage and extend deeper learning opportunities for students? It documents one teacher’s creation of a holistic validation portfolio system that serves as a key vehicle for re-engagement and deeper learning for students who have become disengaged from school. It integrated Stanford’s Design Thinking process to work with a local school community to create a relevant and comprehensive system. The author documents research literature on a variety of pedagogical strategies used to carry-out a comprehensive plan of attack to build learning …

Engaging, Supporting, And Scaffolding Instruction For Students With Limited Or Interrupted Formal Education (Slife), Frances Christensen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The central research question of this capstone project was How can English learners with limited or interrupted formal education best be supported at the secondary level? Students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) have unique needs that differ from other English learners. As more English learners with limited or interrupted formal education enter U.S. middle and high schools, it has become increasingly important to consider how to best serve this student population. The author conducted a review of the literature on SLIFE and examined best practices for teaching SLIFE. Although SLIFE have needs that differ from other English learners, …

Promoting Effective Language Development In English Language Learners Through A School Garden-Based Curriculum, Krista Steffen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question for this project was, how does interacting with a school garden-based curriculum promote more effective language development for English Language Learner (ELL) students? The goal of this project was to design a language-focused curriculum for ELL students to be delivered through the hands-on learning that happens in a school garden. Bringing research from experts in ELL together with studies focused on science and outdoor education, eight best practices were unearthed from the research that guided the development of the project. The best practices included: using additional instructional supports, combining strategies for maximum impact, embedding language instruction and …

Effective Early Literacy Interventions, Strategies, And Supplemental Programs For Primary Students, Anna Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In education today, more and more children are being identified to have reading difficulties in classroom. This is one of the main reasons that wanted to obtain my Master of Arts in Literacy Education, and ultimately lead to the development of my research focus question: What interventions, strategies, or supplemental programs are available to address and aid, primary students who struggle in reading? While seeking the answer to this research question, I learned a lot about the development of literacy itself. I discovered how literacy has changed throughout time, and the major theorists who contributed to these changes. I also …

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 …

What Are Effective Strategies To Enhance Motivation And Engagement Of Secondary Struggling Readers To Grow Reading Achievement?, David Hemmesch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The question addressed in this project was, what are effective strategies to enhance motivation and engagement of secondary struggling readers to grow reading achievement? Research was done on current reading instruction trends for secondary students and on the principles of motivation and engagement for students and people in general. The findings suggest that teaching struggling readers about cognitive strategies is more important than specific reading strategies. An e-learning curriculum project was created based on fixed and growth mindsets with the goal being for learners to discover his or her current mindset, to learn to recognize the difference between the two …

How Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Writing Eases The Transition From Special Education To Regular Education For Students With Learning Disabilities, Charlene K. Irvin-Brown

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The author’s own and her students’ struggles with writing encouraged her to research best practices in teaching written language in order to ease the transition of students with learning disabilities to the regular education classroom. She found that Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) along with teaching the writing as a recursive process had the highest effect size. She narrowed her research by focusing on the stages of SRSD and best practices for teaching writing. She also reviewed the Minnesota writing standards for third through fifth grade. The author created an eight-lesson curriculum that incorporated the stages of SRSD for teaching narrative …

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 …

Independently Implementing Best Practices In Flexible Guided Reading At The Elementary School Level, Ashley Teare

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Guided reading is a vital part of a balanced reading program in the elementary classroom. Guided reading should be flexible to meet readers where they are. Unfortunately implementation of differentiated guided reading varies from district to district, leaving learning and understanding of the reading processes of children up to the teacher. This project examines the question: How can best practices in flexible guided reading be independently implemented at the elementary school level? The literature review emphasizes the importance of guided reading and how flexible grouping can be implemented to accommodate readers strengths and needs. Research shows that guided reading can …

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 …

Instructional Strategies To Promote Engagement For Students Of Poverty In A Mathematics Classroom, Jessica Lind

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, what instructional strategies can I employ with my high school students of poverty to better engage them in learning mathematics? It documents one teacher’s creation of a presentation designed for high school mathematics teachers who are looking for strategies to engage their students in the classroom. The presentation discusses the barriers of learning for students of poverty and gives several suggestions for teachers to help students overcome these barriers. The presentation also discusses six teaching strategies and gives a sample lesson plan of each strategy in a high school classroom setting. The …

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 …

What Alternative Reading Curriculums Are Available For Students Who Have Not Made Adequate Progressing Using Tier 1 And Tier 2 Interventions?, Lorinda Unger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: What alternative reading curriculums are available for students who have not made adequate progress using Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions? The purpose of this inquiry was to create a system to provide students who are below their grade level peers in reading an intervention that matches their specific reading need. Current research confirms there are five essential reading elements that students need to master to become efficient readers. Each reading element is explored with curriculums, interventions, and learning activities provided.

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 …

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, …

Creating A Culture Of Independent Reading Among African American Students, Especially Black Males, Donna Carol Franklin Clemenson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project is: How can I create a culture of independent reading among African American students, especially black males? The goal is to help motivate students to become lifelong readers who will be prepared to develop their life choices into great successes. The author examines the history of education of African Americans and the ensuing achievement gap. She discusses literature on the topic of motivating African American students, especially males, to see the value of reading and education, and includes literature on culturally relevant teaching. She documents three areas of teaching that influence the development …

How Can A Modified Teacher Child Interaction Training (Tcit) Program Decrease Problem Behaviors In Pre-K To First-Grade Classrooms By Supporting Positive Student-Teacher Interactions?, Jill Bradford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project will describe a behavior modification program inspired by Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT) to help reduce behavior problems in the classroom and help support positive student-teacher interactions. The program called TCIT-lite, uses the skills of Praise, Reflection, Imitation, Description, and Enthusiasm (PRIDE) to increase positive student-teacher relationships in Pre-K to first-grade classrooms. A PowerPoint presentation was created in order to train teachers on how to take data on a specific behavior and implement a five-minute Child Directed Interaction (CDI) session the three times a week for six weeks to decrease the frequency of that behavior.

Are Primary Schools Incorporating Enough Movement Into The Day To Maintain Positive Mental Health In Children?, Jennifer Schmidt

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Schools have endured a shift in regards to academic rigor and the amount of time spent in physical activity. In order to be a top academically performing nation, America has made academic rigor a priority. In order to accommodate the amount of content and rigor, cuts have typically been made to the amount of time spent in recess, physical education and health education classes. Another trend in America is the prevalence of mental health issues in children. When considering the cuts being made in education it is critical to acknowledge the repercussions they may have on mental health. This capstone …

Implicit Bias And The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Phenomenon And Their Affects On Literacy Performance In Elementary Students, Anna K. Quirk

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The author’s inquiry was: How do implicit bias and the self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon affect literacy performance in elementary students. Implicit or unconscious bias is known for causing issues with judges and police officers, but new awareness has been brought to the realm of education and how these biases can widen the achievement gap in literacy and other academic areas. The self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon or Pygmalion Effect, can hinder growth in academics when an educator fails to identify student strengths, only focusing on deficits. This project brings awareness to how implicit bias and the self-fulfilling prophecy through the use of a …

How Can We Use The Lake Superior Watershed To Connect To Anishinaabe Youth And Inspire Them To Continue As Stewards Of The Land?, Heidi Lynn Ojibway

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Anishinaabe youth have historically experienced difficulty adjusting to mainstream education. Their graduation rates are the lowest in the country (Camera, 2015). By developing curriculum that is culturally relevant and rebuilds connections to the land educators can work towards closing the education gap. The curriculum in this capstone project uses the Lake Superior Watershed, environmental education practices, and American Indian Learner Outcomes to meet state standards. By using culturally relevant materials to connect to Anishinaabe youth it is expected that they will feel invested in the curriculum. They will build stronger community ties which in turn results in stewardship. The curriculum …