This Dissertation in Practice applied an improvement science approach to address an actionable problem of practice in higher education: lack of assessment of student satisfaction with academic advising. The study took place in a school within a public university in the Southeastern United States. A pre-intervention assessment of the current state…

In this qualitative phenomenological research, the perspectives of secondary school administrators regarding the tenets of standards-based grading were explored. This research sought to expand the knowledge of understanding the views held by secondary school administrators regarding grading practices as a means to further improve how student…

The purpose of this action research study was to develop and implement common formative assessments for mathematics teachers to inform instructional practices. To address the purpose of this action research study, the following research questions guided this study: 1. How can the district instructional leadership team support professional learning…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation case study on the impact of standards-based grading in a North Carolina school district. The implementation procedures and end products of grading reform were assessed using the CIPP model. Data from teacher questionnaires, principal implementation checklists, interviews, and…

This study explored the learning methodology associated with implementation of Visible Learning Assessment Capable practices and the relationship between implementation of these practices and teacher and students' perceptions. The literature surrounding the positive influences in Hattie's (2009) meta-analyses address the impact Visible Learning…

This mixed methods sequential explanatory study aimed to examine the role professional development played on stakeholders' self-efficacy to implement an exceptional education program. To fulfill the quantitative portion of the study, the researcher conducted a one-group pre-posttest design to measure teacher self-efficacy before and after…

Despite the importance of child assessment data in early childhood education, teachers struggle with its use in their work. This study uses an implementation science approach to explore facilitators and barriers to teacher use of child assessment practices in three Head Start centers and tests a specific strategy to improve teacher practice. This…

Improving instructor and student satisfaction with training in a global semiconductor company was the focus of this dissertation in practice. This study followed the Performance Improvement/Human Performance Technology (HPT) model as the overarching framework (Van Tiem et al., 2012). Fifty students and four instructors participated in this…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if teacher perceptions of dyslexia accommodations affect the proper implementation of accommodations in the testing process with a focus on formative and summative assessments. The following research question and sub-questions guided the study: What are the perceptions of teachers regarding…

The problem this research study investigated was the readiness of the selected district's administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers in implementing a standards-based grading (SBG) initiative. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the district's elementary administration, instructional coaches, and teachers' perceptions…

This study was conducted to compare the impact of technology-centered instructional methods on student performance in literacy to the impact of non-digital instructional practices. Additionally, this research was designed to identify specific program implementation measures used during the implementation of the prevailing instructional method and…

Grading practices have been around for years. Yet, grading is still a never-ending debate. One cause of this debate is the use of traditional grading. Although there is a need for change in traditional grading practices, one understands the deeply rooted traditions behind traditional grading. Grading is subjective based on each individual…

In review of assessment and grading systems, there is often discord regarding best practice to foster student learning. Problems and disconnect between assessment and learning were identified as the area of focus of this study, more specifically examining the usage of student self-assessment as an effective gauge for learning and instruction, in…

This project examined student self-assessment knowledge, training, and application by building-level administrators in order to formulate recommendations for implementation. Guiding questions based upon background research fit into three main categories: implementing criteria required to achieve high-fidelity student self-assessment, valuing the…

In review of assessment and grading systems, there is often discord regarding best practice to foster student learning. Problems and disconnect between assessment and learning were identified as the area of focus of this study, more specifically examining the usage of student self-assessment as an effective gauge for learning and instruction, in…