How and what schools report as grades is important. Academics argue that traditional grading reduces teaching effectiveness and the accuracy of reporting (Marzano & Heflebower, 2011). Many education experts advocate for standards-based grading (SBG) as a research-based response (Link & Guskey, 2022; O'Connor, 2018; Townsley et al., 2019).…

Alternative schools often receive a bad connotation when it pertains to student success academically and behaviorally. The implementation of restorative practices can aid in the restoration and building of relationships between students and teachers, which can lead to an increase in student success academically and behaviorally. The purpose of…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of instructors assigned to Detachment 9, in implementing and understanding Student-Centered Learning into classroom curriculum and practices. This study utilized a phenomenological design methodology to examine the instructors' lived experiences in great detail and to…

This paper presents a qualitative, multisite comparative case study from two midwestern high schools investigating high school stakeholder perceptions of grading practices experienced while transitioning from a system that primarily utilized historical grading practices to a more contemporary, reformed system implementing an iteration of…

Teacher retention is a growing concern for schools in the United States (Berry & Shields, 2017; Saylor & Kerkhoff, 2014; Wronowski, 2017). One reason teacher retention is suffering could be due to the loss of autonomy. In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education reported that teachers "enjoyed a high degree of professional…

In elementary classrooms, reading and math traditionally receive more emphasis, reducing the time available for social studies instruction (Heafner & Fitchett, 2017). However, this marginalization of social studies has a negative impact on access, equity and learning outcomes (Tyner & Kabourek, 2020). This research sought to (1) define the…

Students in higher education require the skills and knowledge to creatively solve some of the pressing social, economic, and environmental issues confronting humanity. In 2015, the United Nations and its member states developed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address complex global issues and systemic barriers to achieving sustainable…

A confluence of circumstances in educational policy and teacher preparation have placed a low priority on elementary science teacher preparation. Historically, a lack of elementary science teachers' subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge has negatively impacted science teaching self-efficacy, which is linked to many teacher and student…

Previous research (Johnson, Veletsianos, & Seaman, 2020) has highlighted that the abrupt shift from traditional in-person to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic caught many educators off guard, distinguishing it from the well-planned approach to online education before the pandemic. The disparities between well-planned pre-COVID…

In August 2021 the Governor of Illinois passed a mandate (SB 818) that expanded the requirements for comprehensive sex education in schools. One purpose of the bill was to help ensure that sex education is inclusive and affirming of the LGBTQIA+ community. There is an abundance of research that shows that LGBTQIA+ students feel excluded from sex…

In 2022, Ohio House Bill 436 went into effect. The law required Ohio reading teachers to shift their literacy instructional practices to be consistent with structured literacy based on The Science of Reading research. This large body of research may be in direct conflict with widely used instructional practices that are generally thought of as…

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a staple in the education system. The need for programs that support the overall well-being of students has become increasingly prevalent in today's society. There is an increase in the number of students experiencing anxiety and symptoms of depression as a result of the pandemic. Students in rural school…

This dissertation examined the relationship between school reform initiatives in the United States over the last thirty years and multicultural teaching practices. The methodology chosen was a qualitative phenomenological research study that was conducted with six participants, three novice teachers and three teacher educators. The research…

This study investigated teachers' perception of building-level authentic leadership and its effect on teachers' perception of change. A survey comprised of a pre-STEAM questionnaire, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), and Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) sent through Qualtrics was used to collected data and was analyzed using…

This case study used qualitative research methods to examine the role faculty play in the application of a general education policy mandate in the state of Missouri. Senate bill 997 required that general education be transferable between all public colleges and universities in the state. To aid in this endeavor, a committee made of faculty…