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English Language Arts Curricular Interventions And Achievement In Advanced First Grade Learners From Underserved Backgrounds, Nicole Mckenzie
English Language Arts Curricular Interventions And Achievement In Advanced First Grade Learners From Underserved Backgrounds, Nicole Mckenzie
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone curriculum project seeks to answer the question: How do English Language Arts (ELA), culturally responsive curricular resources impact academic achievement in our advanced first-grade learners from historically underserved populations? The connection between implementing an advanced English language arts (ELA) Jacob’s Ladder poetry unit utilizing the Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) and learning outcomes of students from historically underserved backgrounds, including twice-exceptional (2e), and racially, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (RCLED) learners are measured through growth from the preassessment to summative assessment. High-rigor curricula, culturally responsive teaching methods that tap into neuroscience, and differentiated instruction with entry points for all …
A Need For Culturally Relevant Texts To Motivate K-2 Students In Reading, Thi Hoai Anh Nguyen
A Need For Culturally Relevant Texts To Motivate K-2 Students In Reading, Thi Hoai Anh Nguyen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this capstone project was: How can K-2 teachers boost student motivation in reading through interactive read-alouds using culturally relevant texts? After delving into the research on reading motivation, Culturally Relevant Texts, creating a Culturally Relevant Text set, developing student identity, promoting students’ appreciation of cultural diversity, and Interactive Read Alouds, the author created a "We Are All Different and That’s Beautiful” Text Set Unit which promotes students’ appreciation of cultural diversity by incorporating culturally relevant texts and interactive read-alouds. The text set unit with eight chosen culturally relevant texts and matching interactive read-aloud lesson plans …
Implementation Of Co-Teaching To Benefit Students With Unique Needs, Zoe Weiler
Implementation Of Co-Teaching To Benefit Students With Unique Needs, Zoe Weiler
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Throughout this project, the research question analyzed is: How can educators learn to implement co-teaching to benefit students with unique needs in the general education classroom? The review of literature contains various co-teaching matters including the history and rationale for co-teaching, the effects of co-teaching on both students and educators, and various implementation strategies. Co-teaching is very powerful and can increase proficiency levels in a variety of subjects for students with unique learning needs. Research shows that co-teaching encourages a sense of belonging and community in the general education classroom. This teaching strategy is unlike any other because it allows …
Equitable And Inclusive Dance Assessment Resources, Christie Owens
Equitable And Inclusive Dance Assessment Resources, Christie Owens
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone inquires, how can the Minnesota K-12 Dance Standards (revised 2018) lay a practical framework for dance educators to create equitable and inclusive assessments for student success? A dance teacher addresses the need to expand how standards and success are defined in educational dance, noting circumstances where students of dance outside the dominant culture in the United States experience fewer feelings of inclusion and success when dance standards, curriculum, and assessment do not encompass what success looks like for them given their historical and cultural identities, hindering student ability to become self-actualized and wholistically educated artists. Through a review …
Effective Teacher-Parent Communication Tools To Empower Families To Be Active In Their Children’S Learning, Ellis Richardson
Effective Teacher-Parent Communication Tools To Empower Families To Be Active In Their Children’S Learning, Ellis Richardson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Creating an environment that is conducive for learning is an essential component of education. In search of ways to achieve this goal through family engagement the question was posed, How can educators effectively communicate with families to empower them to take an active role in their child’s learning? Research has demonstrated that there is a link between student success and teacher-parent partnerships through one way and two way communication methods. The project involved creating a set of resources for educators to foster and maintain teacher-parent partnerships with the goal being student success. The resources are accompanied by a professional development …
Developing Effective Resources To Maintain The Target Language Of A Dual Language Immersion Program, Sofia Henao
Developing Effective Resources To Maintain The Target Language Of A Dual Language Immersion Program, Sofia Henao
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Dual Language Immersion programs (DLIPs) have been around for more than 60 years in the United States. DLIPs focus on teaching students subject matter in a second language. This project connects the topics and goals of dual language immersion education to a website that can be used as a source of practice for students that are no longer directly in an immersion program by investigating the question, “What supports can teachers put in place that students can use when they are not directly in a dual language immersion program?” The research intends to illustrate the importance of continued practice and …
The Science Of Reading For English Learners, Allison Hanson
The Science Of Reading For English Learners, Allison Hanson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In recent years, a movement of researchers, educators, and parents promoting the science of reading has been reigniting the so-called “reading wars.” This movement has pointed out the ways in which typical balanced literacy practices do not reflect research on how students learn to read, especially in the acquisition of word recognition skills. However, the current debate is sometimes ignoring the unique needs of a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. student population: English Learners (ELs) and other multilingual students. This capstone project addresses the question: How does the science of reading inform reading instruction for ELs within a balanced …
Strengthening Early Literacy Skills Through Data-Driven Decision Making, Kaari Bly
Strengthening Early Literacy Skills Through Data-Driven Decision Making, Kaari Bly
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
As part of this research, nine professional development sessions and a data workbook were designed to address the research question: how can a school establish a sustainable system for making data-based decisions to strengthen the literacy skills of kindergarten and first-grade students necessary for further educational success? Data-driven decision-making is an essential component of an MTSS framework and is based on the steps of a problem-solving model. Key tenets of a data-driven school include strong leadership, a comprehensive assessment system, easy access to data, time and resources to examine data, and clear connections between data and potential interventions. Often schools …
English Language Learners: Closing The Achievement Gap, Silyvanus Juma
English Language Learners: Closing The Achievement Gap, Silyvanus Juma
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of this research is to investigate the best practices and effective teaching strategies that teachers and other educators can use with English Language Learners (ELLs) to close the achievement gap. The research intends to illustrate that English language proficiency requirements should not in any way be a barrier to the academic performance and achievement of English Language Learners. ELLs are continuously lagging behind their native English speaking peers academically. Various reports indicate that ELLs continue to under-perform in state tests, course grades, and college placements tests. They face numerous challenges including lack of interaction with native speakers of …
History Day: Adapting The Program For The Sixth-Grade Classroom, Hannah Crook
History Day: Adapting The Program For The Sixth-Grade Classroom, Hannah Crook
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone paper and project seek to answer the question: How can the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Day program be differentiated and adapted for sixth-grade students? Feedback from teachers has found that there is a level of difficulty in the implementation of the project-based learning program, History Day, at the sixth-grade level. Sixth-grade is the group with the lowest participation in the program, and therefore has the fewest grade-appropriate resources available. The website designed for this capstone project focuses on interweaving the theories of Gloria Ladson Billings’ culturally relevant pedagogy to connect the History Day projects with working towards equity …
Teaching Growth Mindset In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Katherine Sneider
Teaching Growth Mindset In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Katherine Sneider
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Carol Dweck’s research in fixed and growth mindsets has garnered attention in mathematics education, especially as the frustration of students of mathematics becomes more apparent with new or more difficult content. The literature review and subsequent project seeks to answer the question: How can teaching high school students about growth mindset affect their attitudes toward mathematics learning and academic achievement? Research demonstrates that students with a growth mindset perform better academically than students with a fixed mindset. While these mindsets may be more inherent in nature, students have the potential to develop a growth mindset through classroom learning and skill …
The Importance Of Math Fact Automaticity, Jessica Olson
The Importance Of Math Fact Automaticity, Jessica Olson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The retention of math facts is a critical step when it comes to solving mathematical equations. The website I designed for my project addresses this topic. It focuses on giving students, teachers and parents the research, tips and resources they need to be successful. Research shows that automaticity with math facts can lessen the academic load of students and also be a predictor of future math success. Using strategies such as interleaving, engaging with manipulatives and learning mnemonic devices has been shown to positively affect one’s recall of basic facts. However, drilling and mindless repetition has a much more negative …
A Capstone Project Concerning Social Justice In Secondary Science Education, Jacob Skerletts
A Capstone Project Concerning Social Justice In Secondary Science Education, Jacob Skerletts
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Minnesota began collecting and analyzing the graduation rates of different student demographics starting in 2012. This has led to the exposure of the Achievement Gap, in which students of color graduate from high school at an alarmingly low rate compared to white students. Minnesota ranks nationally at the bottom for the graduation rates of students of color. This Capstone Project had the driving question of, How can secondary science teachers bring Social Justice into the classroom in order to help close the Achievement Gap? The literature reviewed showed that effectively using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Disaggregate Pedagogy can increase intellectual …
Growing Mindset And Goals: A Blog Designed To Lead Intrinsic Motivation In Students, Alison Prahl
Growing Mindset And Goals: A Blog Designed To Lead Intrinsic Motivation In Students, Alison Prahl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research conducted by Dr. Carol Dweck clearly demonstrates the importance of building a foundation of growth mindset in order to build resiliency in students. Not only does this resiliency help students overcome challenges but also supports students in building lifelong skills, such as: forming and carrying out goals, receiving and utilizing feedback, and increasing intrinsic motivation in a variety of settings. The educational blog designed for this project focuses on sharing research relating to mindset theory, gifted students, goal setting, feedback, intrinsic motivation in adolescents, and curriculum materials. It also provides educators with free resources to begin implementing a combination …
Shifting Literacy Methods And Teaching Practices To Improve Equity In Schools For Black Girls, Danae Ross
Shifting Literacy Methods And Teaching Practices To Improve Equity In Schools For Black Girls, Danae Ross
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Throughout the United States’ history, Black girls and women have found themselves as one of America’s most oppressed groups due to the systemic discrimination of both their race and gender. This problem still persists today and has made schools a place for oppression against Black girls from the time they enter the school system in kindergarten, creating low self-esteem, a feeling of alienation, and a disdain for the school system. Using an intersectional lens, this capstone explores the oppression of Black girls from the past to the present, beginning with slavery and ending with criminalization and the school-to-prison pipeline. This …
Increasing Student Engagement And Success In Reading: A Reading Workshop Unit For Grade 7 Ela, Megan Wilson
Increasing Student Engagement And Success In Reading: A Reading Workshop Unit For Grade 7 Ela, Megan Wilson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The goal of this capstone project was to design and implement a digital reading workshop unit that is based on the Investigating Characterization: Author-Study Book Clubs (Calkins, Ehrenworth, & Wischow, 2018). This project sought to answer the question Can student-selected texts and the use of a reading workshop model improve student reading engagement and success? My early teaching experiences inspired me to consider whether or not traditional reading instruction methods were resulting in student reading engagement and success. The research studied in this capstone revealed that increasing student engagement in reading is highly reliant upon building student motivation, including student …
The Importance Of Sleep For Learning And Behavior, Alison D’Antonio
The Importance Of Sleep For Learning And Behavior, Alison D’Antonio
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Sleep is a necessary action humans need in order to survive, yet often it is neglected. The importance of sleep ranges from poor health defects to lack of performance in schools. The research question addressed in this project is “How does sleep affect a student’s behavior and learning?” The rationale for this topic was the lack of information provided about sleep’s importance in schools. The project associated with this capstone is a website. The goal of the website is to enlighten educators and parents/guardians on the importance of sleep and show ways to implement changes within schools and at home. …
Developing A Growth Mindset Through Teacher Training, Pedagogy Development, And Community Reform, Kailtyn Joyce
Developing A Growth Mindset Through Teacher Training, Pedagogy Development, And Community Reform, Kailtyn Joyce
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
A consistent problem in teaching has been keeping students engaged and motivated in their studies. Typically these problems were equated to either a student’s inability to make a connection to the information, the material being too difficult, or a student feeling inadequate. To promote a deeper understanding and discover ways to ease these issues, this capstone project used the following question as a focal point, what drives students’ motivation to achieve and what steps can be taken to develop a growth mindset in students? This project was centered around growth mindset as it has shown to be an effective tool …
Best Practices In Online Learning For Language Learners, Peter Christopherson
Best Practices In Online Learning For Language Learners, Peter Christopherson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Because of the global coronavirus pandemic of 2020, understanding how to do online learning well has become a necessity for educators. Online learning, though it has clear advantages over face-to-face learning such as the flexibility of time and space, variety and speed of delivery of materials, and anonymity, it is not without significant challenges that must be addressed in order for students to be successful. My research question was: Research Question: What are the most effective ways to help language learners to be successful in an online learning format? The goal of this research was to understand these challenges, a …
Effectively Enabling Translanguaging In The Classroom, Kelly Miller
Effectively Enabling Translanguaging In The Classroom, Kelly Miller
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Bilingual students have historically been pushed to become as fluent in English as quickly as possible in order to have the students keep up with the rigor of the mainstream classroom. This has the potential to push those students to lose their native languages (L1) and a part of their culture in order to maintain the norm of language within the American public school. This capstone explores the concept of translanguaging through a website, professional development, survey, scholarly research to answer the question How does an educator effectively implement translanguaging strategies in a classroom? Research shows that translanguaging is an …
Impact Of Homework On Learning, James Mcpherson
Impact Of Homework On Learning, James Mcpherson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Homework is a common feature in many middle and high school classrooms around the world, but it is not always utilized effectively. In some instances, homework is assigned with little consideration for its effectiveness and the impact it has on students. Extensive research has been conducted on the topic of homework and its impact on learning and on students. This research indicates that homework can sometimes provide benefit to the student when designed appropriately, but its benefit has a limited impact. This project explores the various reasons that teachers have for assigning homework, such as practice, communication, or as a …
Advisors Help You Get There: Personalized Learning Plans In The Alternative School, Christy Irrgang
Advisors Help You Get There: Personalized Learning Plans In The Alternative School, Christy Irrgang
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
As has been discussed in many venues, the achievement gap continues to be a problem for underserved learners of all ages, and it also poses issues for the larger society. Personalized learning plans and specialized advisories that utilize culturally contextualized learning may improve student outcomes and help close the achievement gap. The theoretical backing used to design this project for an urban Indigenous alternative school included personalized learning, culturally relevant pedagogy, teacher-student relationships, and advisement programs. Outlined herein is a year-long program, but three- and five-year implementation models are also provided. The concepts may be successful in other alternative schools …
How Can Teachers Empower Students With Learning Differences Towards An Equitable Education?, Samuel Ryan
How Can Teachers Empower Students With Learning Differences Towards An Equitable Education?, Samuel Ryan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Students with learning differences and disabilities in today’s schools face numerous challenges towards an equitable learning experience. Educators and scholars have also developed mindsets and pedagogical approaches that aim to disrupt inequitable experiences for students with learning differences. This capstone examines the nature of challenges facing students with learning differences. It also shares ways teachers may empower students with learning differences despite the challenges they face. A presentation, resource guide, and reflective questions crafted for teachers’ professional development are included in this project to support teachers in learning how to empower students with learning differences.
Best Practices For Professional Development Of Alc Teachers To Assist Gifted And Talented Students, Julia Wallner
Best Practices For Professional Development Of Alc Teachers To Assist Gifted And Talented Students, Julia Wallner
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, most recent statistics suggest that 11,180 of Minnesota’s students attended an Alternative Learning Center (MDE, 2018). An Alternative Learning Center (ALC) provides a safe learning environment for students who are either at risk of not graduating, or struggling to strive in a traditional public schooling system amongst a plethora of other reasons personal to a student. Many ALCs provide less traditional learning options such as project based learning and experiential learning such as work based learning opportunities (Owens, 2016). Many people think of an ALC as a place where at-risk or failing students …
Program Design: A Practical Guide For Creating El Programs With A Focus On Social-Emotional Development, Brigitta Bognar Cronin
Program Design: A Practical Guide For Creating El Programs With A Focus On Social-Emotional Development, Brigitta Bognar Cronin
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, how can English Language (EL) teachers design a program that best serves the social-emotional needs of English Learners (ELs)? The author of this capstone documented her personal experience as a first-year teacher, which inspired her to research methods to improve students’ social-emotional skill sets. The available research on social-emotional learning was merged with theories concerning second language learning to create a framework that addresses the social-emotional learning of ELs. A website was created for secondary EL teachers featuring articles and teaching resources.
How Does Enriched Differentiated Small-Group Instruction At The Middle-School Level Accelerated Learning And Promote Community?, Kathleen A. Bernard
How Does Enriched Differentiated Small-Group Instruction At The Middle-School Level Accelerated Learning And Promote Community?, Kathleen A. Bernard
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The question addressed in this capstone project was guided by the demanding need for customized differentiated enriched learning experiences at the middle-school level. It documents why providing customized enriched learning experiences through small-group instruction for all students is necessary to help close educational opportunity gaps, improve academic growth and to create stronger communities of understanding and connectedness. It is founded in the learning and understanding of differentiation and self-determination theory. The frame of the project guides middle-school teachers through the process of understanding the importance of small-group instruction, provides them with structural classroom framework options and cultivates time for collaboration …
How To Improve High-Risk High School Student Achievement And Well-Being Through Using Best Practices, Particularly In An Alternative Setting, Laura Lopez Dahl
How To Improve High-Risk High School Student Achievement And Well-Being Through Using Best Practices, Particularly In An Alternative Setting, Laura Lopez Dahl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Many high-risk students struggle in education and find it difficult to be successful in mainstream educational settings. Alternative educational programs (AEP) are used as an intervention for students who are struggling in the mainstream setting and are at risk for failure. Students in AEP programs have an opportunity to overcome their barriers and achieve graduation as opposed to dropping out or getting their general education diploma (GED). Many of the students in these programs struggle with adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and have had negative educational experiences. This capstone project addresses the research question: How to improve high-risk high school achievement …
How To Say Nothing And Everything At The Same Time: A White Teacher, Students Of Color, And The Trial And Error Of Building Relationships Of Opportunity With Envoy, Melissa Bougie
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project focuses on how ENVoY classroom management might impact student teacher relationships and academic success in diverse high school classrooms. The project takes the form of a blog that outlines ENVoY classroom management techniques as well as discusses the philosophy of educational equity that exists behind the techniques. It includes my own analysis and research as well as interviews of ENVoY Demonstration Teachers. Due to the opportunity gaps between white students and students of color that often exist in diverse high schools, it is important to consider what might contribute to closing these gaps. Classroom management is one …
Effective Instruction Of Social Skills To Increase Student Achievement In Elementary-Aged Students, Kate Grahek
Effective Instruction Of Social Skills To Increase Student Achievement In Elementary-Aged Students, Kate Grahek
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed by this project is How can educators successfully implement social skills with elementary-aged students to increase their overall achievement? The purpose of this exploration is to identify effective strategies for elementary school educators to reference and utilize supporting their student’s social skill development. This project reviews studies conducted by many researchers in the field of elementary education, social skill development, and child development in order to create a digital resource compiling receptive and expressive social skill strategies to be used with elementary-aged students.The research focuses on the definition of social skills, which skills are necessary for …
Working With Hispanic Learners: Information And Strategies For Educators, Katie Stalberger
Working With Hispanic Learners: Information And Strategies For Educators, Katie Stalberger
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The overall Hispanic population in the U.S. has been and is projected to continue to increase. In line with this population trend, U.S. schools are also seeing increases in Hispanic students. National test scores indicate there is a long standing achievement gap between Whites and Hispanics. This achievement gap shows that the academic needs of Hispanics are different from their peers of other ethnicities. This capstone has sought to answer the question: what specific home, school, and second language acquisition strategies and interventions are successful in helping Hispanic students perform so that they are not at risk, or underachieving? The …