Resiliency and self-efficacy are important factors for achieving English proficiency among English Learners. This study sought to identify practices that would create conditions for resiliency. The data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of a teacher survey and student focus group. Action steps were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 to…

The purpose of this study was to bring to life the experiences of how the development of a Social, Emotional and Cultural lens prepares teachers to meet their own social and emotional needs in the classroom and consequently be better prepared to meet their students' social and emotional needs in ways that are culturally sustaining. This…

Crises are inevitable and can have a direct or indirect impact on the social-emotional well-being of all involved. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven itself to be a crisis that resulted in both direct and secondary trauma. It had an effect not only on staff and students but also on school leaders, who were significantly affected either by the…

This study focused on the regenerative potential of peer observation in a post-pandemic educational climate. Teachers shared that the culture of the profession was drastically changed during and after the pandemic partly due to the restrictions put in place that prevented colleague relationships from beginning or continuing and partly due to the…

Schools provide the opportunity for children to learn not only academic skills, but social and emotional skills as well. Programs within schools that target childrens' emotional needs and social skills, lead to an increase in academic achievement and self-regulation skills as well as a decrease in maladaptive behaviors and mental illness risk…

Alternative high schools may be a better fit for many students than traditional high schools, but this group transitions to post-secondary studies at a significantly lower rate than do traditional school students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the practices of alternative high school principals of British Columbia,…

Students today can enter classrooms lacking the social and emotional skills needed to achieve academic and behavioral success in school. As the need for the classroom-based social and emotional interventions and supports grow, the need to identify the perceptions of teachers involved in the identification and implementation of these interventions…

High school students are experiencing increasing numbers of social and emotional stressors in their lives. While Illinois and other states have adopted state standards to address social and emotional development in the classroom, care theorists posit that the answer may lie in positive relationships between caring teachers and their students. This…

This dissertation is a contemplative narration of my lived experience of bringing mindfulness into my teaching. The dissertation first portrays the process of entering into the dialogic space of mindfulness as a Buddhist concept intersecting with the scientific, educational, and public domains. I then describe the contemplative reflection process…

This qualitative case study explored parent engagement at two elementary schools in Sacramento. This exploration examined how parents feel about: (1) parent involvement policy and practice, (2) how self-efficacy affects parent engagement, and (3) how the newly adopted Common Core Standards affect parent involvement. Teachers and administration…

The purpose of this study was to investigate and study the importance of educational services mandated for Oklahoma's gifted and talented students with the conclusion being likely able to assist educators in providing gifted service options to meet the needs of gifted learners. Research has shown the need to provide educational services to gifted…

Despite numerous education reform efforts, national academic achievement data continues to reflect a marked disparity between culturally and linguistically diverse students and their white counterparts. Currently, 50% of K-12 public school students are students of color, and this percentage is projected to increase as the cultural composition of…

This study was aimed to investigate the potential negative impact that positive (e.g., praise and rewards) and punitive (e.g., sending students to the office) disciplinary techniques, commonly used within the Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) approach, have on students' prosocial motivation, and how aspects of…

The position of an urban high school principal, now takes on greater personal, emotional, and professional commitment beyond the traditional faculty management role. This research provided depicts detailed analysis of the independent and dependent variables associated with this newfound commitment urban principal's now embody. [The dissertation…