Elementary Education Commons^™

Pointless Or Profitable? Perceptions Of Proactive Circles In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jordyn Arendse

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Teachers are plagued with the unfortunate concept of “never enough time” in the classroom, trying to balance meeting the needs of the whole child and meeting the requirements of higher authority. The purpose of this study was to identify student and teacher perceptions of proactive circle and its impact on relationships, as well as its impact on students’ ability to appropriately express their feelings and emotions. The study took place in a second-grade classroom with seventeen students and one classroom teacher. Data was collected through surveys, sociograms, interviews, and field notes. Qualitative data was coded using the constant comparative method, …

Reader Self-Perceptions And Map Reading Scores: Is There A Relationship?, Acacia Browne

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Academic growth of all students should be the focus of education. The Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment measures academic growth and aligns to state standards. The purpose of this study was to understand students’ perceptions of themselves as readers. Another purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between reader self perceptions and their MAP reading scores. Student data was collected through individual interviews, student surveys, and MAP reading assessment scores. The major themes developed from the data were reading preferences, perceptions of reading assessment, reading at school, reading at home, and reading progress perceptions. …

Implementing Writers’ Workshop Into The Special Education Classroom, Taylor Denning

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Writers’ Workshop has developed prominence as a method towards providing authentic writing experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine what happens to student perceptions and quantity of writing when Writers’ Workshop is implemented into a special education setting. This study took place in a self-contained special education classroom of third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. Data was collected through focus group interviews with the teachers, focus groups with two students from every grade, perception surveys, and writing samples.

Surveys and focus group interviews were completed before and after the implementation. Writing samples were collected at the beginning, middle, and end …

Proactive Prosocial Strategies Employed By First-Grade Teachers, Lisa M. Skiadas

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Primary students begin their school careers with widely varied skill sets in the areas of social and emotional competence, executive function, and self-regulation. However, many schools, like the one in this study, do not include social and emotional learning (SEL) in their curricula or tiered intervention frameworks. Students who struggle with basic classroom functions and behaviors do not receive the maximum benefit from academic instruction. Conversely, high levels of social and emotional competence have been linked to future academic success, financial and job security and better physical and mental health.

This investigation sought to identify proactive strategies used by three …

Adding It Up: The Effects Of Math Curriculum On Third And Fourth Grade Act Aspire Math Scores In Arkansas, Rebecca Cook

Theses and Dissertations from 2020

Over the last 62 years, mathematics reform has occurred due to a political push after results from a major survey or report were released stating that the United States scored lower than other countries. With each reform effort, teaching methods were changed to match the new initiative. Math curriculum was a key point in each of these reform efforts. In 2015, Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire as the statewide assessment, and in 2017 Arkansas adopted Arkansas State Standards. Although Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire and Arkansas State Standards, Arkansas does not require school districts to adopt a curriculum. The purpose of this …

The Impact Of Suspension On The Academic Performance Of Middle School Students, Jennifer Nelson

Theses and Dissertations from 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of in-school suspension and out of school suspension on the academic performance of seventh-grade students, as measured by the ACT Aspire. This study was motivated by the assumption that out of classroom time and out of school time has an impact on student learning. It was further assumed that direct instruction from the classroom teacher would enhance students’ learning; and, therefore, suspensions would have a negative impact on student achievement. This quantitative causal-comparative study used four research questions to examine the relationship between suspensions and academic performance of middle school …

Students' Attitudes Towards Standardized Testing: A Literature Review, Kelly Gard

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Standardized testing is a task that all students must undertake during their educational careers. Standardized tests are large determinants to course placements, exceptionality placements, grades, school sanctions or rewards, and education policy. It is imperative that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed on standardized tests. However, bias, stress, and anxiety in standardized testing often hinders the opportunity for many students to excel on the tests.

The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the research conducted on standardized testing bias which includes the prevalence of testing bias as well as the causes and types of testing bias. …

Pacific Islands Literacy And Numeracy Assessment, Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The overall purpose of Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) is to support the improvement of education outcomes of students in the Pacific Island countries. It does this by generating cognitive and contextual data to monitor learning outcome, as well as facilitating ongoing collaborative efforts. PILNA measures the numeracy and literacy achievement of students at the end of Year 4 and Year 6. PILNA also supports participating countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, SDG 4.1, which aims to have ‘all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning …

Incentivized Learning And Libraries: A Comparative Study Of Summer Reading Programs In Connecticut, Andrew Morrison

Honors Scholar Theses

With digital forms of entertainment and media more inescapable than ever, it has become increasingly difficult to encourage children and teens to read. Simultaneously, despite an overwhelming amount of literature demonstrating the educational benefits of reading, especially as a necessity in the summer between academic years, library budgets are shrinking as federal funding nears its end. How do libraries promote summer reading amidst declining interest and decreased funding? Using data from public libraries across Connecticut, this paper investigates how libraries are adapting their children's summer reading programs to a changing landscape, how programs are designed to incentivize reading without eliminating …

Letter From The Editor

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A Letter from the Editor

About The Authors

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Read this to learn more about this issue's authors.

Process Drama: A Creative Way To Assess Ela Understanding, Nicole Rausch

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

With increasing demands and decreasing amounts of instructional time, teachers are constantly looking for creative ways to integrate, assess, and target instruction to meet the needs of each student. This article takes a look at how one teacher employed the use of a highly engaging process drama to teach and assess multiple subject area content standards. A process drama is remarkably creative, social, and applicable so can be easily adapted to meet the needs of any grade level. The low floor, high ceiling project allows students multiple avenues to demonstrate understanding of skills and concepts.

Educator Researched Methods And Interventions That Increase Below Level Readers’ Fluency And Comprehension, Shawnee Knott, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A student walks into a classroom multiple grades below grade level and already on day one that student is behind and will most likely be behind their entire school year. Many teachers are faced with this scenario year after year. Students entering their classrooms unprepared for the on-level content they need to be on. Reading below grade level is just the beginning of the learning gap that exists in today’s classrooms. Teachers work hard to close that gap, but by upper elementary is it too late? What can teachers do to help these students grow and become successful learners?

This …

What’S Next For Literacy Education In Georgia? An Interview With Dr. Caitlin Dooley, Deputy Superintendent, Georgia Department Of Education, Shannon Tovey Howrey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

An interview with Dr. Caitlin Dooley

Program Evaluation Of A District’S Elementary School Wellness Curriculum To Improve Undergraduate Training, Katie Boyer

Dissertations

This doctoral research project examined elementary teachers’ preparation to teach health content (Emotional, Relationships, Growth and Development, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Hygiene, Safety, Substance Use/Misuse, Diseases, Environmental/Consumer/Community Health) within the framework for a state’s certification and qualifications. The study used a mixed-methods approach in a Midwest school district to discover components of undergraduate certifications, current teaching methods, and potential modifications to the curriculum. While all surveyed elementary teachers were licensed to teach the health content, many were not formally qualified to teach the material due to content gaps in their teacher preparation programs. The study concluded that undergraduate institutions preparing teachers …

Reinforcement In The Classroom: Reference Guide, Morgan Buehler, John Maag

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

My initial research question was “how can I make information about appropriate reinforcement techniques easily available to elementary educators?” Upon beginning this endeavor, I realized the most efficient way to do so would be to condense a variety of information on this topic into an easy to read access guide. This brochure contains information educators can reference when trying to analyze behavior, create classroom environments or build individual or group behavior plans/goals. It was written with the purpose that anyone in the education world could have quick and easy access to valuable information without having to search through a textbook …

Examining The Relationship Between Teacher Stress And Disruptive Student Behavior, Sidney Crudup Ii

All Theses And Dissertations

This phenomenological research study was conducted at one inner-city elementary school in a Central Florida district. The intent of this research was to examine the lived experiences of certified elementary-level inner-city teachers who had experienced stress and burnout while dealing with continuing disruptive student behavior in their classroom. The study addressed three research questions: (a) What perceptions do inner-city, elementary-level teachers have regarding the role of student behavior and teacher stress and burnout? (b) How do inner-city, elementary-level teachers perceive the ways in which student behavior contributes to teacher stress and burnout? (c) How do inner-city, elementary-level teachers perceive the …

Inclusive Classrooms: Elementary Regular Classroom Teachers’ Perceived Stressors And Supports Needed To Effectively Teach Students With Special Needs, Nichole W. Gainey

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the proportions of students with special needs in elementary classrooms and regular elementary teachers’ stressors and needs for professional development support. The conceptual framework for the study was derived from critical mass theory and tipping point theory. The design of this dissertation study was non-experimental survey research of a non-random, purposive sample of 52 regular elementary classroom teachers who taught students with special needs. The researcher used a broad definition of students with special needs to include those who were working on a RtI Tier 2 or Tier 3 …

Using Online Interventions To Address Summer Learning Loss In Rising Sixth-Graders, Scott Osborne, Robert Shaw

Dissertations

Summer learning loss affects students to different degrees across curriculum areas. Traditional content review methods have often included workbooks or practice packets that lacked real-time feedback to the student. This study provided optional weekly online math and science review lessons to rising sixthgraders in two midwestern schools over the ten-week summer break. Students received both automated feedback from the online environment and teacher feedback in response to student questions or information students needed to acquire mastery. Students also had the opportunity to revise and edit their work. A test group, summer computer-based intervention group (SCBI), and a control group, completed …

Read, Write, Rhyme: Increasing Reading Performance With Hip-Hop Texts, Crystal Monique Lavoulle

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation describes the Harlem Renaissance to Hip Hop Movement, a literacy program that uses best practices in literacy instruction to improve reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing. Moving beyond educational hip-hop songs and videos, this presentation offers insight into effective ways to increase Georgia Milestone Assessment scores in both English language arts and social studies using a variety of hip-hop texts.

Leading For Excellence: Leadership Behaviors That Support A High-Achieving School Environment, Amy Parangan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey, Drolet, and DeVore (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals in Northern California. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals in Northern California.

Methodology: The researcher used sequential explanatory mixed methods for this …

A Study Of The Impact Of Site-Based Mathematics Professional Development On Student Mathematics Achievement, Christine Attenhofer

Dissertations

Student achievement at one suburban elementary school under study dropped notably in mathematics in one school year, as measured by the state standards assessment. The purpose of this inquiry was to determine what impact ongoing, on-demand, job-embedded, site-based professional development opportunities provided by a full-time, site-base math content area specialist had on teachers' instructional practices and students' mathematics achievement. I implemented a mixed methods approach to this inquiry. I analyzed the end of the year state mathematics standards assessments for second through fifth grade students following the implementation of full-time, site-based professional development provided by a math content area specialist …

Self-Regulation And The Maturing Mind, Laura Ackerwold, Lauren Adrian, Katey Krager

Empowering Research for Educators

No abstract provided.

Identity Development Within Adolescents And How Educators And Parents Can Positively Affect This Development, Charlotte Heim, Ryan Brudelie, Paige Block

Empowering Research for Educators

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Constructivism In Agricultural And Physical Education, Brittani Oyster, Jesse Bobbit

Empowering Research for Educators

No abstract provided.

Motivating Students Positively Through Restorative Justice Discipline, Peyton Dejong, Emily Trupe, Eric Zwingel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of discipline formats on student development and analyze if the practice of restorative justice can decrease the school to prison pipeline. Does criminalizing every discrepancy against the law create better law-abiding citizens? Is the zero-tolerance policy change an effective mechanism for school discipline? Do restorative justice practices reduce the school to prison pipeline? To investigate this, the infraction rates at various high schools have been observed in regard to their discipline practices to analyze the number of incidences that students incur and how they were managed.

Lessons From The Field: A Collection Of Findings From Teacher Candidate Field Experiences, Tony Durr

Empowering Research for Educators

No abstract provided.

K-2 Assessments And Later Student Outcomes, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee

Policy Briefs

In this brief we examine the characteristics of the districts that selected the various assessments and consider student outcomes both before and after the K-2 vendor selection to see what relationship, if any, exists between which assessment vendor was selected and students academic proficiency and growth.

Charter Schools In Northwest Arkansas: Patterns In Enrollment And Characteristics Of Student Movers, Matthew H. Lee, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

Charter schools in northwest Arkansas are frequently praised for their academic performance and criticized for their lack of diversity. Using publicly available anonymized data from the Arkansas Department of Education, we use 11 years of enrollment trends in northwest Arkansas public schools, considering student demographic characteristics, free- or reduced-price lunch status, limited English proficiency status, special education status, and performance on state standardized reading and math assessments, to analyze enrollment trends in northwest Arkansas traditional public schools and charter schools, as well as the characteristics of students who voluntarily switch sectors. We find that northwest Arkansas charter schools are not …

The Impact Of The Ib Primary Years Programme (Pyp) On Student Wellbeing And Other Related Social-Emotional Learning Outcomes, Katherine Dix, Shani Sniedze

Wellbeing

This study investigated the impact of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) on student wellbeing and related outcomes. The PYP, an educational framework for children ages 3–12, offers a holistic education focusing on whole-child development through an inquiry-driven approach. It does so through multiple programmatic elements that include leadership and teacher professional development, to deliver an inclusive curriculum in classrooms that builds transdisciplinary skills, culminating in the development of students’ international-mindedness, critical thinking and attributes of the IB learner profile.