The purpose of this mixed model study was to examine middle school teachers and counselors' perceptions and beliefs about the benefits of social and emotional learning in middle school. It also looked at how middle school teachers and counselors perceived their level of competence when it comes to social emotional learning practices. Efforts to…

With the 2015 change in science standards to align more closely with the Next Generation Science Standards, as the district STEM coach, I saw a need for professional development that addressed the lack of understanding and skill needed to teach the Science and Engineering Practices, specifically the practice of Scientific Augmentation. This…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand how K-8 teachers in Nevada describe computational concepts, practices, and perspectives preparation in making them ready to teach computer science. Brennan and Resnick's computational thinking served as the theoretical framework for this study. Four research questions guided this…

This mixed methods study was conducted to investigate the impact the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and coaching style of an instructional coach has on middle grades teacher instructional practices. The results of this study can be used to inform school leaders, administrators, and instructional coaches on methods for improving instructional…

Despite the promise of equal education opportunities for all students in the nation, the achievement/opportunity gap between English language learners (ELLs) and their non-ELLs peers persists. Time, effort, and resources of all kids have been invested in educational reforms to improve these students' outcomes without success (Darling-Hammond,…

Research on how to best meet the academic needs and potential of gifted students with disabilities, known as twice-exceptional or 2e, has grown over the past 30 years. While recognition of 2e learners is slowly extending to educational policy, there are few school program options designed to accommodate 2e students and even fewer studies on the…

In schools today, many elementary school teachers have inadequate training and understanding of foundational mathematics. This lack of mathematical understanding could impact the lessons and activities in their classrooms. This study aims to showcase journeys of teachers' mathematical journeys, their experiences as students, as pre-service…

Reading skills assessments have demonstrated that middle-grade Mississippi school children are on average two full grade levels or more below grade reading levels. This qualitative case study in one urban county Mississippi school district with decreasing literacy scores examined teachers' perceptions of evidence-based literacy instruction…

Although research indicates that conditions for effective technology integration appear to be in place, teachers still face challenges in adapting their instruction to new technologies. As more technology is integrated, the added value for students will depend on how effectively a teacher integrates technology. Given that technology may not be…

This dissertation research explores the pedagogical approaches of exemplary content area teachers (ECATs) working with Latina students in a public high school context. Research has shown that educators are the leading agents in preparing immigrant youth, and that teacher support and prejudice directly affect students' academic outcomes. This…

This mixed method study investigated the impact of various levels of professional development (PD) on middle school educators' knowledge of second language acquisition (SLA) and the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). This study also investigated participants' reasons for choosing their selected level of participation and their feelings…

This study explores factors that may be related to Mississippi's 2015 eighth-grade reading scores, which rank the state in 50th place (Nation's Report Card, 2016). Whereas there are likely several factors that contribute to middle-school students' poor performance on the high-stakes tests, this study examines teachers' reported knowledge and use…

Generalization has been identified as a cornerstone of algebraic thinking (e.g., Lee, 1996; Sfard, 1995) and is at the center of a rich conceptualization of K-8 algebra (Kaput, 2008; Smith, 2003). Moreover, mathematics teachers are being encouraged to use figural-pattern generalizing tasks as a basis of student-centered instruction, whereby…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of various facets of middle school mathematics teachers' practical rationality on their instructional decision making as they plan to enact the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice, CCSS-MP1 (perseverance in problem solving) and CCSS-MP3 (communicating and critiquing). The…

As young children increasingly use the Internet, the children need to learn and apply cybersecurity fundamentals to protect personal data. Teaching young students the basics of strong passwords and data protection in a K-12 classroom setting is an obvious starting point. The literature shows an absence of approved cybersecurity curriculums for use…