Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Language Attitudes On The Bilingual And Bicultural Self-Perceptions Of Fifth-Grade Latino Students, Abigail Winnes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of language attitudes on the bilingual and bicultural self-perceptions of fifth-grade Latino students. The research questions posed in this study included: 1) What are the language attitudes (specifically toward English, Spanish, and Spanish-English bilingualism) held by Spanish-speaking English learners in Fifth Grade? and 2) How do these attitudes interact with students’ developing bilingual and bicultural self-perceptions? The literature review includes research related to heritage language maintenance; societal attitudes toward minority languages and their speakers; Latino language attitudes; language attitudes in multilingual educational settings; and the development of bilingual and bicultural self-perceptions. Participants in this study …

Effects Of A Nontraditional Multi-Age Learning Environment On Academic And Social-Emotional Learning: A Case Study, Nicole Black

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was: how are struggling, elementary-aged students’ academic and social-emotional learning impacted by a nontraditional, multi-age learning environment? Topics explored in the review of the literature include struggling learners, academic performance, social-emotional learning, and learning environments. The case study was based on a pilot program, in which 22 students with academic and social-emotional needs were co-taught by three teachers in a multi-age, grades 2-4 environment. To answer the research question, qualitative and quantitative academic and social-emotional data was collected over a nine-week period. Individual goals were set for and with students in the areas …

Teachers Describe Their Confidence In Teaching Secondary Students With Low Literacy Skills, Tamara Polzin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

For some students, grasping the concept of literacy is completed with ease. For others, the challenges of developing literacy skills to aid in their ability to move from learning to read to reading to learn proves challenging. These challenges cause a gap in literacy growth and have shown to increase as students get older preventing them from fully accessing the concepts found in the secondary setting. As such, secondary educators are being called upon with the assumption that all teachers are teachers of reading. With this in mind, this qualitative research study aimed to uncover secondary social studies teachers’ understanding …

My Labor Of Love, Deanna Chiodo

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research explored how three administrators and four teachers with seven or more years of experience at the same State Approved Alternative Program (SAAP) explained their decision to stay with that program and their level of professional fulfillment. Additionally, this research was designed to deepen the understanding of the path that leads individuals to teach at a SAAP, and whether the participants' understanding of how their pre-service program and on-board training prepared them to work with an at-risk population. The research design included having participants complete a researcher-created electronic survey and a 45-min semi-structured interview. The interview transcripts created …

Student-Teacher Relationships In An Alternative Setting, Stefanie Soukup

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone explores how positive and negative relationships can make a difference in an alternative learning setting and how they impact student’s academic performance and classroom behavior. The paper researches three theories that can impact a student’s relationship with their teacher, those theories are: Attribution Theory, Noddings Theory, and Attachment Theory. A research study that consisted of a student survey and an examination of student’s grades to see if there is a connection between the students' feelings and them passing or failing classes. Ultimately, this study helped identify a connection between the two. Finally, the final chapter of this paper …

Trauma, Trust, And Academic Achievement Stories Shared By High School Dropouts, Vicci Una Johnson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study is based on interviews with twelve adults who dropped out of high school before earning their diploma. Participants were asked several semi-structured open-ended questions. The Primary research question is: How do adults earning their high school diploma describe what stopped them from graduating on time? The participants shared stories of family trauma. The Secondary research question is: Who did you trust in your family or at school to ask for advice or help with any issue? Nine of the twelve participants responded they would not trust a parent, teacher, counselor, or school social worker to advise …

Tilting The Floor: Uncovering Leadership Factors Teachers And Principals Attribute To Math Growth Rate In Two Title I Schools, Stephanie Hiatt

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the two highest math growth rates at two Title I schools in a mid-size, Midwestern school district. This research focused on the leadership factors that may have attributed to the math growth rate. Open-ended interviews, structured interviews, surveys, focus groups, and document analysis were used to collect data. This study uncovered the leadership factors teachers and principals attributed to the math growth rate. The focus of this study was on leadership decisions made before and after students walked into and out of the classroom that have an effect on math achievement. This study also explored …

A Test Of Project-Based, Learner-Centered Pedagogy In A High-Needs, Urban Charter School, Michael Padgett

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the following research question: How does a project-based, learner-centered pedagogical approach affect the learning, classroom experience and overall academic engagement of traditionally-marginalized and disadvantaged high school students? It documents the process of executing a project-based, learner-centered pedagogical approach toward teaching at a high-needs charter school located in a midwestern urban environment. Throughout the project process, participants engaged in a buy-in phase, project planning phase, research phase, project building phase, presentation phase and a reflection phase with the aim of studying how student learning, classroom experience and overall academic engagement are affected throughout each phase and the process …

Timing Is Everything: Adapting Rewards Intermediate For 4th And 5th Grade Striving Readers, Ruth Kerl

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was “Does REWARDS Intermediate remain an effective intervention for striving readers when adapted for a 30-minute time frame?” This research emerged from a concern for upper elementary aged students who are striving to catch up with their peers when it comes to phonics and decoding skills. The study explored students’ and teachers’ mindsets, as well as the effectiveness of the REWARDS curriculum when adapted for 30-minute rather than 50-minute lessons. Effectiveness was measured in terms of: 1) multisyllabic word part and whole word fluency growth, 2) mindset and attitude changes, and 3) connected …

The Effects Of Using Morphemic Analysis On Comprehension Of Unknown Academic Vocabulary, Jon Avery

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast amount of research on morphemes and literacy, examination of how morphemic analysis affects secondary language learners is limited. Morphemic analysis is the process of using common Latin and Greek prefixes, roots and suffixes to hypothesize the meaning of unknown vocabulary. The primary purpose of the research is to determine how morphemic analysis affects English learners ability to determine the meaning of unknown academic vocabulary in their high school advanced placement geography class. The secondary purpose of the study is to provide secondary teachers a tool to do something about the vocabulary gap they observe between native speakers …

How Interacting With Teacher Feedback Impacts Students’ Writing, Kristen Bankers Saxhaug

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The following research question is investigated in this paper: How does purposeful interaction with teacher feedback impact the writing outcomes of high school students? The literature review explored the topics of writing development, feedback, and motivation and self-efficacy in writing. A mixed methods approach was used to investigate whether purposeful, directed interaction with teacher feedback led to improved outcomes in students’ writing. Participants were a cohort of 36 racially diverse, at-risk students who were behind their grade-level peers in the development of age-appropriate literacy skills in a co-taught intervention English class. The data revealed that teaching students how to interpret …

Barriers To Individuals Of Entering The Field Of Education, Jamie Williford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Institutional racism is prevalent in our society. It is the researcher’s belief that we must acknowledge the effects of racism in order to address the needs of individuals of color. The schools in our nation are an important place to start. The goal of this research is to create a list of barriers to individuals of color entering the field of education. Mixed methods research data collection and literature review aid in solving the research question: What are the barriers to individuals of color entering the field of education? A significant race gap has been noted by the researcher and …

A Case Study Of A Charter School That Is Beating The Odds Of The Achievement Gap, David Green

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what one charter school was doing to excel at narrowing the achievement gap. In this study, the author examines the systems in place at a charter school that enrolls predominantly, low-income, African-American students. The surrounding district where this charter school is located shares similar student demographics, however, based on the state’s standardized test scores and proficiency and growth scores, the district is struggling to narrow the achievement gap. This study shows that this charter school is beating the odds, and showing significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap. A thorough review of …

Can Frequent Use Of Number Talks Increase The Comprehension, Understanding, And Fluency Of Fractions, Decimals, And Percentages In Alternative High School Students?, Mark Duffy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Following a nine-week math talk intervention across three classes and two alternative high school sites, an analysis is made of the effectiveness of number talks on building basic skills in understanding fractions, decimals, and percentages amongst alternative high school students. This intervention was embedded within a probability and statistics course. This intervention used a combination of qualitative and quantitative data to determine how large an impact these talks had on the students. While the sample size involved was small, increased understanding of these core skills was evident.

Sense Of Belonging And Community In An Alternative Education Program: Perceptions Of Former Graduates And Teachers, Elizabeth A. Janey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research design was used to inform the question: How do graduates and educators in a former alternative education program describe their sense of community and how did it inform their experiences? Four graduates and four educators, as members of an alternative education program, participated in semi-structured interviews. All participants were White. This study used the central concepts of two motivational theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and self-determination theory as analytical frameworks. Six themes emerged from these eight interviews. These themes identify the importance of meeting students’ basic needs, especially their need for community and belonging. Results of …

How Can I Best Support Classroom Teachers With Their Use And Understanding Of Tier Two Interventions?, Shelley Harris

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was, how can I best support classroom teachers with their use and understanding of Tier Two interventions? It documents one teacher’s use of qualitative research to create a Tier Two intervention toolkit for classroom teachers. The author documents what the RtI process looks like at each tier and how to implement the Tier Two interventions into the classroom. She also created the toolkit digitally to help teacher access the interventions quickly and easily put them into practice. Each intervention can easily be found by clicking on the link on each skill page. In …

How Can Teachers Enhance The Acquisition And Retention Of Vocabulary In Their Urban Learner?, Sarah K. Norenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify high impact vocabulary strategies for urban learners and create professional development for the staff at my elementary school. I determined what would be high-impact by looking at my students three different ways. First, I examined students who are English language learners, second, students who live in poverty, and third, standard English learners. Next, I read research about the best practices for teaching vocabulary in all three categories. Finally, I looked for similarities, ultimately identifying and synthesizing what works best for all three types of students, keeping in mind that the urban classrooms …

Changing Student Perceptions To Increase Success In Alternative Education Settings, Elizabeth Hazeldine

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The question addressed throughout this research project is, how do teachers in alternative school settings build strong relationships with at-risk students in order to alter their negative perceptions of schooling? This capstone explores alternative education and how it best serves at-risk students. The author’s primary influence comes from her own experiences as an at-risk youth, school transitions, and relationship building with teachers throughout her educational journey. The research for this project focused on using a mixed methods approach with a sequential explanatory design model to document the experiences and changes to students’ school and teacher perceptions, while transitioning from a …

How Reading Through Literary Lenses Impacts The Quality Of High School Students’ Arguments, Craig D. Zimanske

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was: how does teaching high school students to analyze text through literary lenses impact the quality of students’ arguments? Topics explored in the review of the literature include the context of struggling readers, literary theory and literary lenses, teaching literary theory to secondary students, and argument writing. A cohort of 18 struggling readers in a co-taught high school English class were instructed to shift their reading focus from finding meaning to constructing meaning. To accomplish this, students were familiarized with the tenets of three literary lenses (social-class, gender/feminist, and psychological) and guided through …

Teaching Outside To Engage Student Learning, Juliane T. Chapman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

I conducted action research as a way to focus on how teaching outdoors benefits students in special education. This action research answer the question, “Does teaching academic subjects outdoors help Level IV special education students with increased attention, active engagement, and decreased negative behaviors?”. It used hands on learning in the outdoor environment to measure students engagement in their own learning. Students did activities in several instructional areas including science, math, reading, and social skills. Both teachers and students were interviewed at the end of the study to obtain results. Teaching academic subjects in an outdoor setting does have a …

Fourth Grade Curriculum To Increase Literacy Achievement In Ell Students, Shannon Baker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This curriculum project answered the question: How can I make the Units of Study more accessible to English Language Learners by incorporating balanced literacy techniques? The author incorporated ideas from best practices in literacy, and combined them with best practices for ELL students to create a curriculum unit. The unit is comprised of ten lessons. It includes graphic organizers and best practice ideas for ELL students. In this paper the author describes the research involved in creating this unit. She also discusses limitations, implications, and ideas for future research.

Supporting Students With Gifted-Talented Potential In High Need Schools: A Portraiture Study, Anna Zillnger Shepard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is – how are students with Gifted-Talented potential supported in the inclusive classroom model when it is implemented in high need

public schools? The research was conducted and organized utilizing Sarah Lawrence- Lightfoot’s Portraiture qualitative research method, which includes the components of

Voice, Context, Emergent Themes, and Aesthetic Whole. Five teachers who served in high need K-6 public schools provided the data through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and read multiple times to determine five Emergent Themes in accordance with the research method. Those themes were: Identification, Testing/Evaluation, Support, Failure, and Success. …

Student Reactions To Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Designed To Build Trust And Mutual Respect, Karrah O’Daniel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In a qualitative study of an inner-city, diverse classroom, this Capstone looks at the question: How do students describe their reaction to culturally relevant pedagogical strategies designed to build engagement, trust, and mutual respect in a culturally diverse classroom managed by their Caucasian teacher? The Capstone shares some personal stories of the researcher and looks at the existing research about the importance of relationship building, particularly within the realms of trust and mutual respect between students and teachers. This particular Capstone focuses deeply through the eyes of race and culture in the classroom, especially examining the realities of lack of …

The Impact Of Math Talks On Student Achievement In Kindergarten, Emily Payan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The core goal of this study was to answer the question, How do daily math talks impact student achievement in kindergarten? Math talks were implemented daily in a Title I kindergarten classroom over a period of six weeks. The findings suggest that the use of math talks as an integral part of instruction positively impact student achievement. The average growth in the experimental group was an increase of 42% in the composite scores by the end of the study, compared to a 31% increase in the control group. The experimental group in this study started as a more emergent group …

Student-­Led Farmers Market: Engaging, Real-­World Experience And Nutrition Education That Prepares Students For A Successful Professional Life After High School, Rebecca A. Hennessey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

School gardens are becoming an increasingly popular tool for environmental education. Learning in a school garden offers many benefits, from first­hand experience in applying information learned in school, to nutrition education, to growing in character. School garden curriculum is readily available for students at the elementary level, but is difficult to find at the high school level. This capstone includes curriculum that is easily adaptable and supports a student­led farmers market program, providing garden and nutrition education to students at the high school level through the context of a fully­functioning farmers market that is completely run by students.

How Do You Empower At Risk Students To Become Active Citizens About The Environment, Through The Design And Implementation Of An Urban Environmental Science Curriculum Within An Alternative Education Setting?, Stephen N. Szczodroski

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

At-risk students come with a history of failure in school. The mainstream classroom setting has not worked for them in the past; therefore, educators must think outside the box and get students doing as many hands-on, experiential lessons as possible. Generally, these students do not have the opportunity to experience many experiential activities. This new curriculum helped students get outside learning new skills, and lured them away from chalkboard lessons. A major component with the curriculum was coordinating with the local parks and recreational system, to create a program where students are involved in using and maintaining local natural areas …

How Family Advocates Home-Visiting In A Midwestern Urban Area Describe The Impact Of Family Stress On Children’S Learning And Success In School, Virginia Lucio

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Seven Out of School Factors common among the poor that significantly affect the health and learning opportunities of children. In depth interviews were employed to allow six Family Advocates to answer interview questions regarding their experiences in witnessing the the seven factors. Findings suggest that many children possess one or more of the factors which are related to a host of poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological problems that children often bring to school, ranging from neurological damage and attention disorders to excessive absenteeism, linguistic underdevelopment, and oppositional behavior. Implications for future research …

A Descriptive Study Of Implementing Tiered Systematic Phonics Intervention Through The Colorado Read Act, Geoffrey H. Stokes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question explored in this capstone was, how might I aid schools and districts in implementing district-wide systematic phonics intervention, both instructionally and organizationally? It documents Denver Public Schools (DPS) efforts to implement the READ act, a comprehensive law in which all students are evaluated in reading and assigned intervention if needed. The capstone explores how DPS can implement tiered systematic phonics intervention as part of the READ act. The paper reviews the most current peer reviewed research regarding the efficacy of phonics intervention. Using the methodology of a descriptive study, the capstone lays out a detailed logistical proposal …

World History Unit Plan That Nurtures Habits Of Mind And Integrates Strategies Promoted By The National Urban Alliance, Katherine A. Martin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was: In what ways can I develop a social studies unit plan that fosters Habits of Mind as learning outcomes and integrates strategies that will positively impact student engagement? The author began her research by investigating the topic of student engagement and instructional strategies promoted by the National Urban Alliance to enhance student engagement. The author also investigated Habits of Mind and the writings of Costa and Kallick. The unit plan was designed using the Understanding by Design Model from Wiggins and McTighe. The result of the research was a social studies unit …

How Does The Development Of Early Literacy Skills And The Partnership Between A Child’S Home And School Promote Literacy Success?, Teri Greenstein

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, How does the development of early literacy skills and the partnership between a child’s home and school promote literacy success? This capstone describes the foundational early literacy skills necessary for literacy success for students, and discusses ways that school and home can collaborate towards ensuring that students are effectively prepared for literacy learning as they begin their formal schooling. The goal of the capstone project was to provide families with tools and resources that can be used to help them develop more effective literacy learning for their children.