Research demonstrates that school connectedness protects students from risky behaviors and improves healthy development and academic achievement. Despite its importance, there has been little focus on how to promote school connectedness through school-based interventions. One problem with this area of practical application is that school…

This dissertation in practice investigated and addressed the issue of low faculty engagement with instructional design support (IDS) office support services at a regional comprehensive university in the United States. The Performance Improvement/Human Performance Technology (PI/HPT) model used in this study is a practitioner-based performance…

Coaching is an increasingly used professional development approach involving ongoing, individualized teacher-coach exchanges hypothesized to drive immediate changes in teachers' practices with students. Examining this hypothesis, the present study quantifies marginal changes after individual coaching cycles in a set of commonly considered,…

In this study, we estimated the cost of implementing the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), an evidence-based practice in secondary transition, at scale in 17 U.S. school districts to enhance self-determination and transition goal attainment outcomes among 340 transition-age adolescents with intellectual disability. An…

A case study was implemented in one rural district as it transitioned to a trauma-informed environment. A theoretical framework based on the literature framed the data collection around the seven themes of awareness, positive culture, intentional instruction, restorative practice, self-care, mental health support services, and professional…

This study utilized six focus groups to explore 49 early childhood teachers' perspectives and reported use of Pyramid Model practices to support young children's social emotional competence in the Republic of Georgia. Constant comparison analysis was used to analyze participants' responses. Early childhood educators described implementing some…

This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in economics of education. In the first chapter, I develop and estimate an equilibrium model of endogenous instruction and student effort in order to empirically investigate the relationship between instructional choices, classroom composition, and student achievement in elementary school. The…

The purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy of a specific instructional change by engaging teachers in reflecting on the change process using the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as an instrument of measurement. Data were collected and analyzed using Stages of Concern questionnaires and Levels of Use surveys as well as interviews to…

There is limited robust evidence of the effectiveness of professional development (PD) on teacher retention. This study tested The Academy for Teachers' PD program, a content-focused intensive workshop with complementary events. This program is designed to impact teacher retention, support integration of material into the classroom and teacher…

The discipline gap between White students and students of color has increased demand for teacher training in culturally responsive and behavior management practices. Extant research, however, is inconclusive about how culturally responsive teaching practices relate to student behavior or how to assess using such practices in the classroom.…

The discipline gap between White students and African American students has increased demand for teacher training in culturally responsive and behavior management practices. Extant research, however, is inconclusive about how culturally responsive teaching practices relate to student behavior or how to assess using such practices in the classroom.…

With a clear understanding of the terms, along with examples of their appropriate use, all educators can make wise decisions about the application of accommodations, modifications, and interventions.

Coaching is becoming widely recognized as a tool to help early childhood educators enhance teaching and build professional skills. Although effective, the use of an external coach can be cost and time prohibitive. This study examined the effectiveness of internal peer coaches as compared to external coaches in implementation fidelity of an…

This work offers a conceptual synthesis of several contemporary educational service delivery models that implicitly embed compassionate educational practices into supporting the learning and growth of diverse student populations. This manuscript discusses how such paradigms, such as culturally responsive positive behavior intervention and supports…

Research has shown educators' implicit biases to be a key factor in creating and perpetuating disparities in students' experiences of schooling, learning, and longer-term outcomes, including job opportunities, wealth, and health. Current school reform and transformation efforts are aimed at addressing institutionalized racism in school policies,…