Teacher retention continues to be a concern in public education. The concerns related to this negative trend were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and schools and school districts are finding themselves in a precarious position. Many states and local school districts are creatively utilizing alternative certification methods to increase the…

Gifted programs, designed to enhance engagement and rigor for students exhibiting talent or potential beyond their peers in the general education classroom, are not equitably identifying and serving Hispanic/Latino students. This qualitative study explored gifted programming at a Title I elementary school located in a largely Hispanic/Latino…

Teachers have endured work-related stressors daily to provide the best educational experience to students. This applied research study addressed teacher stress levels to implement a teacher centered social emotional learning (SEL) program. This study was collaborative and involved teachers, administrators, and district staff who worked together to…

The intent of this study was to address a problem of practice in an elementary school setting in order to provide opportunities for students with significant impairments to be educated in the least restrictive environment. Three research questions guided the study: How effectively has Be Your Best Elementary School (BYBES) developed and…

Although many studies make important contributions to understanding the process and outcomes of school-based parent involvement initiatives, more work needs to be done to measure parent perceptions of parent involvement practices, policies, and barriers in low SES schools serving minority students. This qualitative case study looked to identify…

Children experience a multitude of benefits in response to interactions with nature. Despite documented effects, children have increasingly spent less time outdoors over the last century and experienced higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. Although child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a culturally and developmentally responsive…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate professional development, specifically related to technology, which has not provided teachers with adequate 21st century learning opportunities. This study sought to investigate a possible solution to ineffective professional development. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1…

Mindfulness research is growing as educators and practitioners place emphasis on social emotional learning (SEL). Evidence supports mindfulness benefits are both physical and mental to include lowering blood pressure, decreased anxiety, increased executive functioning, and increased ability to pay attention. While the benefits of mindfulness…

Only 3% of alternatively certified teachers in Florida are retained after receiving certification. When teachers' self-efficacy improves, so does their motivation, mental health, job satisfaction, and student performance. Teacher self-efficacy is unstable and often influenced by situational conditions. A gap in the literature exists regarding how…

In this Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP), I focus on how to create an elementary-level STEM program. Improving STEM education is a priority for the economic health of the United States. Preparing college and secondary students to enter advanced coursework falls on K-8 teachers to build foundational skills and interest in STEM fields. Yet,…

This dissertation developed the Teach program, a psychoeducation program for teachers. Teach is based on research demonstrating a positive correlation between teacher depression literacy and the mental health and academic success of their students, in addition to improved teacher-student relationships. Studies also found that stress management…

The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) compiled and synthesized information to assist in building a well-rounded English Language program. The SLR used 190 articles to articulate the importance of creating a positive learning environment while teaching differentiated lessons. The collaboration between the mainstream teacher and the ELL specialist…

This dissertation investigates the "Competence Model for Environmental Education" (Kaiser, Roczen, & Bogner, 2008), a theoretical environmental-behavior change model, for use in the United States with elementary-aged students. Paper #1 tests two new instruments developed for use with the "Competence Model," the Expanded…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how administrators describe their roles and responsibilities in intellectually gifted education programs at a school district in northeastern Mississippi. The research questions were (a) How do administrators describe their roles in intellectually gifted education? and (b) How do…

The mixed methods study sought to evaluate the elementary ESL/Bilingual program at a public, urban district in Connecticut. The program evaluation included varying data points including LAS Links data analysis, records review, a survey, semi-structured interviews, and field observations. Data analyzed incorporated feedback from two stakeholder…