This study described the experiences of a group of seven sixth-grade teachers and the participation of their emergent bilingual students (EBs) during the implementation of an instructional protocol designed to provide students with opportunities to engage in mathematical reasoning through discourse. The Discursive Mathematics Protocol (DMP) is…

The purpose of this study was to examine how to restore a child's social-emotional well being. As an administrator in a middle school, I have the opportunity to see the natural state that our children are in on a daily basis. I have observed over time, more specifically since COVID-19, that children are struggling to balance their emotions, their…

There is currently no designated policy, procedure or staff in place to facilitate the objective of increasing student yield. As a result, magnet applications and acceptance of invitations to attend Owl Middle School is approached without a strategy which makes planning difficult and negates the ability to determine effective methods. Filling…

Educator preparation programs design their coursework and field experiences to help future teachers with knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively teach mathematics. However, implementation of mathematical pedagogy and content has been seen as challenging for many school systems. Elementary and middle school teachers' experiences in their…

Multiple studies of recent decades have established close relationships between spatial skills and STEM achievement. Interventions have been effective in providing evidence of malleability of spatial skills and positive impact, yet the inclusion of spatial skills in curricula and policy lags. To date, only limited research has examined the impact…

The Alternative Suspension Therapy (AST) program is a trauma-informed, in-school discipline model that was designed to serve as an alternative to traditional suspension. The goal of the AST program was to minimize or eliminate the number of referrals a student might receive that could possibly lead to suspension. The participants in the AST…

Artificial intelligence (AI) education in kindergarten through high school (K-12) is advancing in many countries, including the United States. The purpose of this research has been to better understand the impact of participation in an AI course on the sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students' overall interest, career interest in AI, and…

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of math problem solving interventions with self-regulated learning (SRL) components on the math problem-solving performance of middle school students with disabilities. A meta-analysis was conducted of all single-case design studies meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria between 2000-2021, resulting in…

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…

A classroom physical activity break is any physical activity done in the classroom. It can take place at any time and occur in one or several brief periods during the school day. It includes integrating physical activity into academic instruction as well as providing breaks from instruction specifically designed for physical activity. Classroom…

Students today are affected by several life difficulties and societal factors that impact their day-to-day functioning and academic success in school (Harlacher & Merrell, 2010). Social-emotional learning curriculum is the new tool used to address some of these issues. However, teachers who are the sole implementer of these curriculums have…

This dissertation study investigated the efficacy of a multi-component intervention package delivered via an online learning tool on math fluency for prerequisite algebra skills for three 6th-grade students. Students were referred by their math teacher due to concerns with academic performance. Target skills were individualized for each student…

This study was designed to identify the impact of virtual reality (VR) and the virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) on the assessment outcomes of students in a middle school life sciences unit of study. The experiment was a quantitative 2 x 3 repeated measure mixed group quasi-experimental design with three variables. The two independent…

This quantitative study explores the success rate of middle school students who chose to participate in virtual learning during the 2020-2021 school year. Students were provided access to the internet and Chromebooks and had attendance requirements within the program. Families that chose the virtual learning option agreed to give the students…

The United States is in the top ten out of 108 countries for the highest juvenile offender percentage (Harrendorf, Heiskanen, & Malby, 2010). Interaction with the juvenile court system has significant iatrogenic effects (Steinberg, Chung, & Little, 2004; Gatti, Tremblay, & Vitaro, 2009; McCord, 1992; Gatti, Tremblay, & Vitaro,…