A large and growing body of research demonstrates that student success requires more than just academic achievement; it also requires supportive environments that foster the development of key social and emotional competencies and mindsets. Inspired by this body of research, Transforming Education (TransformEd) embarked on a multi-year partnership…

For this dissertation, I had the opportunity to investigate a well-established university-based intensive English program in the northeastern United States as it transitioned from an integrated-skills to a paired-skills approach. My goal as a researcher was to investigate in what ways "listening," the second language (L2) skill…

This document reports the findings of a project completed as part of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at Saint Louis University. In this team project, three doctoral candidates explored the planning process of school leaders in developing professional learning opportunities for teachers at the secondary level. The…

This document reports the findings of a project completed as part of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at Saint Louis University. In this team project, three doctoral candidates explored the planning process of school leaders in developing professional learning opportunities for teachers at the secondary level. The…

The much-criticized Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) is not aligned with current Common Core literacy standards, is expensive, has a low pass rate on the first try of 66%, and keeps People of Color from joining the profession (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2019). The test maybe replaced with coursework. Critics…

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify CNAs' perceptions about the most important soft skills used by CNAs in training and the workplace. Methodology: This quantitative research study identified CNAs' perceptions of the most important soft skills they used based on the composite model for soft skills. CNAs were selected…

This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) addresses efforts and activities aimed at implementing standards-based grading (SBG) at the Islamic Academy of Delaware (IAD). In the year 2018-2019, the school began efforts to transition to standards-based learning (SBL) through changes of curricula, delivering SBL professional development, introducing…

Children with developmental disabilities and complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have limited opportunities to communicate and few trained conversation partners to interact with. Research literature on interventions utilizing AAC devices and systems to increase communication skills overwhelmingly…

There is a growing interest in understanding how individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience empathy to explore their social-emotional and communication impairments. Although there has been considerable research into autism and cognitive empathy, research into emotional empathy is scarce, and there is less on the impact of teaching…

Previous research shows that the development of response inhibition and drawing skill are linked. The current research investigated whether this association reflects a more fundamental link between response inhibition and motor control. In Experiment 1, 3- and 4-year-olds (n = 100) were tested on measures of inhibition, fine motor control, and…

Students who enter kindergarten without school readiness skills are more likely to demonstrate academic, behavioral, and social struggles during school. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are particularly at risk for underdeveloped school readiness skills, which can undermine academic achievement and result in poor long-term outcomes.…

Out-of-school time (OST) programs can play an important role in fostering the development of literacy skills among children and youth. To investigate the variety of literacy skill-building strategies OST programs use, researchers from the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) examined the practices of 31 programs in Massachusetts. This…

Psychological science has much to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom. Teaching and learning are intricately linked to social and behavioral factors of human development, including cognition, motivation, social interaction, and communication. Psychological science can also provide key insights on effective instruction,…

In this article, we present an integrated approach to social-emotional learning and culturally responsive teaching (SEL/CRT), a framework that has guided the advocacy and practical work of teacher educators (including the authors of this article) in Massachusetts. Hailing from a range of higher education programs across the state, this group has…

Social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) is a holistic approach to supporting students' development and learning that is integral to ensuring positive outcomes in school and beyond. Schools must ensure students experience healthy development and rigorous learning. Unfortunately, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds,…