Nature-based interventions (NBI) have demonstrated positive effects on a range of student outcomes, including enhanced prosocial behaviors, decreased levels of stress, and improved mood and concentration. Further, school-aged children's participation in NBIs supports students' reconnection with the natural world. Although schools represent an…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the academic outcomes of first-year academically underprepared TN Promise-eligible college freshmen who participated in a college bridge program. A comparative research design was applied to existing data, including first-semester GPA, first-semester credit completion rate,…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the provision of topic choice in reading material could serve to increase reading fluency for struggling readers, and if it could do so to a similar degree as the provision of tangible extrinsic rewards. An alternating treatments design was used to compare three conditions: choice of passage topic,…

McLennan Community College (MCC) created a developmental summer bridge program in an effort to increase students' Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exam scores and persistence in postsecondary education, decrease their developmental course sequences, and prepare students for college level coursework. In this quantitative research study, student…

The goal of this comparative study was to examine the investment in faculty who were trained in culturally relevant pedagogy through the Unity Community Education Foundation Summer Learning Institute and the Garden Community College's homegrown Unity Mini-Summer Learning Institute. The study explored instructor development and institutional…

With so many students attending summer programs, it is remarkable that there is little research available aiming to investigate achievement differences in participants versus non-participants. This study examined the place of a summer program within a school district budget and curriculum. The study was designed to better understand the…

One factor, summer reading loss, exacerbated by students living in rural, poverty areas gave rise to this study. The overall research problem was summer reading loss. The study looked at whether students attending fifth through eighth grades in a rural, poverty district and who participated in an at-home summer reading intervention where texts…

The impacts of a summer reading program on students' reading fluency were assessed. Fifteen students in grades first through seventh voluntarily attended a nine-day summer reading program. Participants who attended the program were a good representation of the other students in the school. The school was selected due to the high percentage of…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a summer bridge program geared toward first-year students at a large public university located in the Southeastern United States. The research question guiding this study was, "Does participation in a summer bridge program increase academic success for first-year college students?"…

With the loss of revenue and education cut backs, school districts have faced the loss of supplemental academic supports such as after school tutoring and summer school programs. Up until recently research has focused on improving student outcomes by implementing supplemental instruction. There was little research available that examined the…

The effects of long school breaks, such as summer vacation, on students' achievement has been an area of interest among educators and researchers for many years (e.g. Austin, Rogers & Walbesser, 1972; Ballinger, 1987, 1988; Borman, Benson & Overman, 2005; White, 1906). Research specific to children and youth with disabilities and the…

By some estimates, students lose an average of 2.6 months of learning during summer break, roughly one quarter of the time spent in school. To combat this problem, the school under study implemented a summer math program that was thematically linked to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Hundreds of students have participated in the program, but the…

This quantitative study investigated a summer school alternative to early grade retention. Prior existing second grade student achievement data was collected for students who were initially retained at the end of their first grade year over a two year period. All students were offered the opportunity to attend a promotional summer school program.…

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the impact of a technology integration professional development on high school teachers' technology integration and students' use of computers in core content areas. The District invested in technology for all classrooms, as well as 1:1 technology for all secondary students with an expectation…

The achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their traditional counterparts has continued to be a problem in education. Based on cognitive constructivist theory and enrichment theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between scores on a high-stakes achievement test and participation in a summer…