The purpose of this study is to examine elementary teachers' perceptions of SEL and its association with students' social-emotional competency. This study's population was teachers in an elementary school in a suburban Atlanta school district. Research participants were selected through purposive or criterion sampling. Each participant was emailed…

This dissertation explores conceptual and methodological issues related to measuring implementation in quantitative educational research. Implementation, defined as the enactment of interventions in educational contexts, plays a pivotal role in understanding how programs operate and affect student outcomes. Despite its importance, there is…

Student disengagement and disconnection post pandemic has become a prominent concern in higher education. As colleges and universities navigate the post-pandemic landscape, addressing student disengagement and reconnecting them to the learning community has become a priority. Gamification has been used in education since early 2010s, however, the…

Community schools are a national initiative gaining traction due to the recent identification of the community school model as an evidence-based approach to education that satisfies requirements set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The community school model centers around four pillars: integrated student support, extended and enriched…

This dissertation presents the findings of a qualitative improvement science study aimed at identifying an effective professional development structure to enhance teacher efficacy in the context of post-COVID-19 education. The study's approach was guided by improvement science, a systematic exploration of the problem, facilitated by a driver…

This retrospective mixed-methods study examined the effect of PLCs, professional learning activities, and principal leadership on teacher and student learning, and it may serve as a model for enhancing PD and fostering a culture of collective efficacy toward continuous professional learning. Thirty-seven teachers and program facilitators from one…

The purpose of this evaluation was threefold: (1) to assess Diversity Unified School District's Hmong dual language immersion program for implementation alignment; (2) to examine whether the program was meeting intended outcomes; and (3) to measure parent perceptions of the program's impact on their child's development of bilingualism, biliteracy,…

Teacher preparation programs (TPPs) can equip preservice teachers (PSTs) with skills to implement evidence-based interventions in reading with fidelity by engaging PSTs in carefully designed clinical experience opportunities. Providing PSTs with extensive feedback through coaching is one method to strengthen support for PSTs' implementation of…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative multiple case study was to address gaps in the research by exploring student engagement in a nature-based school in Georgia and a Missouri school moving to nature-based education. By considering three key dimensions of student engagement, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional, this in-depth investigation…

The issue that this study addresses is the lack of implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in today's classrooms. To address this problem, the purpose of this study will be exploring the experience of students positively impacted by a teacher coded as using Social Emotional Competence. To gather data, assessment scores of several…

Severe inequities for underrepresented student groups (URGs) in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) fields has remained a topic of national concern for several decades. Research has demonstrated the efficacy of STEMM intervention programs (SIPs) in addressing disparate STEMM outcomes. However, there is a dearth of…

Research indicates that Response to Intervention (RTI) increases student achievement and significantly improves student academic and behavioral outcomes. RTI has demonstrated significant student gains in the elementary setting and research tends to be more heavily centered at the elementary level; however, RTI is expanding to being applied in the…

Despite the positive outcomes associated with social-emotional Learning (SEL) programs, there is a need to address social and emotional competencies (SEC) development for international school leaders, which is crucial for nurturing healthy school climates and fostering positive social-emotional outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore…

The mixed-method sequential explanatory research study examined the impact of implementing a block schedule in two Missouri high schools. Previously, other studies had investigated the influence of school reform on educational programming, the implementation of professional learning communities, development of project-based learning models, and…

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of technology, in particular the effect of one-to-one devices in literacy and math academic achievement. The study explored how technology may affect students' reading and math scores. The study involved students from a public school district located in Upstate New York in the county of…