Bullying victimization is a school problem that warrants attention. While most work has focused on understanding bullies and victims, it is important that research explore how to promote bystander behavior during bullying as a mechanism to deter bullying in schools. Perceptions of the school climate may impact the likelihood of a student's…

Intervention research often investigates the curriculum or methods used to support learners, while less attention is given to the model of those interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two models of reading intervention, and to better understand how they are serving middle school students. Working from a critical…

Although cyber victimization has been suggested as a significant risk factor for the development of adolescents' depression, the underlying psychopathological process that mediates this relationship needs further exploration. Based on the psychological inflexibility model, this study aimed to examine cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance as…

Noncompliance to treatment assignment is widespread in randomized trials and presents challenges in causal inference. In the presence of noncompliance, the most commonly estimated effect of treatment assignment, also known as the intent-to-treat (ITT) effect, is biased. Of interest in this setting is the complier average causal effect (CACE), the…

This action research aimed to study the use the Gamification-Incentive-Feedback (GIF) Model in enhancing the classroom learning experience of Grade 9 students in a private school in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. The research used convenience sampling and used a combination of Likert scale pre-intervention and post-intervention survey questionnaires…

This dissertation includes three individual articles that explore the relationship between witnessing bullying and defending behavior among students who are bystanders of bullying. Chapter One provides the rationale and purpose of this dissertation and an overview of the three articles that comprise it. Chapter Two employed a cross-sectional…

U.S. Department of Education research indicates that early warning indicator systems are being used in at least half of high schools in the United States. Previous findings from an efficacy study of one early warning indicator and response system, the Early Warning Indicator (EWI) team model, indicated that ninth grade students in schools using…

This study examined whether learning with heuristic worked examples can improve students' competency in solving reality-based tasks in mathematics (mathematical modeling competency). We randomly assigned 134 students in Grade 5 and 180 students in Grade 7 to one of three conditions: control condition (students worked on reality-based tasks),…

Understanding educators' networks can inform the field of school psychology by offering insight into how the structure of social relationships supports the implementation of school-based programs. However, the difficulties of collecting and modeling network data remain barriers to using network methods in school psychology. To overcome these…

In cyber charter schools, middle-school students face many barriers to developing STEM identity. My theory of improvement was to address sense of belonging in a large virtual classroom to develop STEM identity in my students. By utilizing diverse STEM role models that reflected my students' racial or ethnic identities and an inquiry-based approach…

More than a buzzword, teacher burnout captures the zeitgeist of the last few years as schools grapple with the challenges of education in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world. Garwood sounds an alarm and issues a call to action to address teacher burnout given its implications on students in general and, more specifically, on its implications for the…

This mixed methods study evaluated the effectiveness and implementation quality of the "Virtual?STEM Role Model Connection," a technology enabled role model program designed to boost STEM motivation and academic achievement among underrepresented rural youth. Context and Participants.?From?2021?to?2024, the program linked middle and high…

This manuscript describes an implementation of a new model for integrated school mental health services. By incorporating trauma-informed practices with universal screening and teacher coaching, this study examined the processes and procedures necessary to deliver school-based mental health services across Tier I and Tier II within a Multi-Tiered…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that there are over 400,000 children currently in foster care in the United States. Most youth are in the system for at least a year, with 38% for two years or longer. The most common placement setting for children in foster care is nonrelative foster family homes; about half of youth exit…

COVID-19 disrupted schools across the country. Students and teachers were asked to work together virtually. During this virtual experience the students at Frederick County Middle School struggled to complete learning activities independently. An improvement science approach was used to investigate this problem. Through the improvement science…