Financial Literacy is one of the subject areas taught in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) courses which is not graduation requirement for high school students across Pennsylvania. The problem of practice I addressed is that Greensburg Salem High School (GSHS) students are graduating without the financial literacy knowledge and skills to become…

Research focused on identifying effective interventions for individuals with Down syndrome is increasingly informed by the behavioral phenotype -- a profile of performance associated with a genetic abnormality. Recent studies substantiate the efficacy of phenotypically aligned instruction in improving basic reading skills for children with Down…

Parents of three second-grade students identified as at-risk readers were trained to tutor their children. The reading interventions were either accuracy (i.e., modeling and phrase drill) or proficiency (i.e., repeated reading and reward). Intervention selection was based on predicted level of the instructional hierarchy. Students reading below 32…

Purpose: This study investigated the use of a new software feature, namely, dynamic text with speech output, on the acquisition of single-word reading skills by six children with developmental disabilities during shared e-book reading experiences with six typically developing peers. Method: A single-subject, multiple-probe design across…

This article reports the results from a study investigating the effects of a discipline-specific reading and writing intervention (I3C/PROVE IT!) with fourth and fifth graders. Participants included 237 students with writing difficulties (WD) from an initial pool of 608 upper elementary school students in a larger study. Teachers and students were…

Cultural humility is a critical skill for effective intercultural interactions. While common in other scholarly fields, the concept is seldom found in the literature of global learning and international education. Utilizing grounded theory, this study explores the development of cultural humility through qualitative data analysis of in-class…

Background: Analysis of data from a NIMH-supported study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) in promoting depression literacy and help-seeking behavior. Methods: Eighteen Pennsylvania schools were matched on size, sex, race, test scores, median income, and free/reduced lunch status.…

Expressive language is an important skill to develop in children with intellectual disabilities. It not only aids in decreasing the likelihood of challenging behaviors from occurring but also aids in increasing the individuals independence and assistance in them becoming successful members of society. No previous studies have examined the…

Purpose is an important aspect of character development and thriving in adolescence; yet, there is little research explaining how it develops or how contexts such as school can support its development. In this study, 1,304 eighth graders completed a survey that measured purpose as the integration of 2 dimensions-- beyond-the-self life goal…

Recent momentum to develop a trauma-informed education system provides an important opportunity for Pennsylvania schools. About two out of every three school-age children are likely to experience at least one traumatic event, such as abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence, by age 17. The effects of traumatic stress can include negative impacts on…

A primary goal of instruction for students with developmental disabilities is to enhance their future quality of life by promoting skill acquisition, which will enable them to live, function, and participate in the community. One instructional method that can help students with developmental disabilities improve independence in performing daily…

Reading is a skill that is necessary to be successful both academically and professionally in today's society. Thus, it is essential that educators work with students to develop their reading skills and help them become proficient readers (Otto, 2008). This study concurrently implemented a phonics-based reading intervention and a sight-word…

The study investigates the perspectives of five educators on the influence of cultural care and invitational education (IE) through qualitative participatory action research (PAR). Invitational education is a theoretical framework that facilitates a positive learning environment and encourages individuals to reach their unlimited potential. Like…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) call on science and social studies teachers to engage in literacy instruction that prepares students for the academic rigors of college. The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) designed a framework to address the challenge of literacy-content integration. At the heart of the intervention are fill-in-the-blank…

This study examined the impact of a commercially available math fluency intervention program on the basic multiplication fluency of three classrooms of fifth grade students. Baseline assessment and progress monitoring of thirty-three regular- and eleven special education students occurred over nine weeks. Within-group analyses revealed significant…