This dissertation describes a project to develop an art-based curriculum to teach young elementary school-age children social and emotional skills in the classroom based on the experiences of experts in the field of elementary education. Social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on several key concepts including skills in interpersonal…

Despite an abundance of research centered on reading and applied behavior analysis, minimal literature exists on the use of applied behavior analysis methodologies to treat reading disabilities. This dissertation-in-practice action research study examined the extent to which a behavior-analytic intervention infused with the science of reading…

Modern educational settings have been heavily integrated and dependent upon the use of technology. To keep up with the rigorous demands of Common Core State Standards, California schools have emphasized technology dependency to augment academic performance with today's schools. The purpose of the study focused on parental perception of technology…

This mixed methods program evaluation evaluated the implementation of the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework in one North Carolina school district. It examined the perceived teacher impact of the program implementation for Tier 3 reading students in first through third grades. The vision for employing the MTSS framework in North…

Numerous research based social emotional learning curriculums are available to school districts. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential impact of Second Step, a researched social emotional learning curriculum, and the impact it had on kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students' discipline in school. This…

With large-scale wicked problems threatening our world, the integration of sustainability into teacher professional learning is systemically lacking in the United States. The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact of a multi-session, sustainability-related professional learning program on twelve PreKindergarten-8th grade educators…

The purpose of this study was to determine the Leader in Me's effectiveness as an influence on academic achievement in reading and mathematics for elementary students in a school district in Central Texas. The Reading and Mathematics State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores of 748 first-graders provided data to determine if…

Due to the increasing mental health needs of children, schools have been tasked with supporting academic and social emotional needs of students. One component of mental health and wellness that is growing in popularity in the school environment is social emotional learning, or SEL. This qualitative multiple case study explored factors influential…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine what impact volunteer tutoring has on improving the reading standardized test scores of K-2nd elementarystudents in East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression was conducted to analyze the extent in which Volunteers in Public Schools' (VIPS)…

The goal of this work was to examine the effects of computerized instruction in elementary school children in the context of COVID-19 school closure and pre-COVID-19 times. Specifically, this project investigated how the program i-Ready may facilitate reading skills during COVID-19 school closure and pre-COVID in-person learning. Moreover, this…

Problem Statement: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were negatively impacted academically and social-emotionally (Kuhfeld et al., 2020). Preexisting academic inequities were exacerbated, especially for students of color, students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those from low-income backgrounds (Kuhfeld et al., 2022).…

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between participating in an online software application focused on phonological processing and working memory and outcomes on foundational reading assessment measures. The online software application utilized was the Sound Reading Program. Students began the intervention working in…

Measuring reading engagement is critical for monitoring student involvement in academic tasks, as it predicts student reading achievement and further academic success (Anderson et al., 2021; Guthrie et al., 2012). As a multidimensional construct, researchers have employed various methods to assess reading engagement (Gill & Remedios, 2013; Lee…

Despite recurring arguments over the course of a century, intentional education geared toward the whole child in schools has not occurred (Khalsa & Butzer, 2016; Sabey, 2019). Consequently, children often emerge from high school exhibiting sufficient academic content knowledge applicable towards a successful career path, but lack social…

Despite the use of literacy coaching to help improve the instructional practices of teachers and increase reading achievement, data of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) indicate that Florida's students are averaging about 60% below NAEP proficient level. This dissertation reported the results of a nonexperimental study that…