Paramount to both academic success and success in life is the ability to read. Faced with the arduous task of teaching this process, teachers must be knowledgeable of reading theories and pedagogies. Although the theory-to-practice gap is a valid concern that has been researched in many professions, more needs to be known about how novice teachers…

The following designed-based implementation research (DBIR) study explores the impacts of a research-practice partnership (RPP) on two fifth grade ELA teachers and the researcher as they engaged with the designing and implementation of two critical literacy pedagogy (CLP) units through the adaptation of mandated New York State Common Core (NYSCC)…

School counselors, as career counselors, play an important role in the career development of K-12 students. However, there is a significant research gap in understanding the unique role of elementary school counselors in addressing the career development of younger African American students and their contribution to creating opportunities and…

This mixed-methods dissertation study analyzed curriculum and teachers' enacted instruction to determine if there was overlap between the evidence-based practices in teachers' enacted practice and those that were also contained in the curricular materials. Participants in this study were kindergarten through third-grade teachers (n=25) from…

This quantitative study aimed to determine the growth of students who did and did not attend a state-funded pre-kindergarten program based on Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) reading achievement. The study occurred in a rural school district in the southeastern United States. The sample population consisted of one treatment group (n = 97) and…

Pre-K-12 schooling in the United States has historically and systemically promoted ideas of Black inferiority while safeguarding the characteristics of white supremacy culture embedded in all aspects of the education system. The notion of white dominance is evident throughout studies, policies, and reports from district, state, and federal…

The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how politics affects the ethical decision-making processes of elementary principals. Participants were comprised of five elementary school principals, with varied years of experience, across neighboring suburban public school districts in eastern New York. Data was collected through…

Service-learning is defined and applied in myriad ways across the world. While the roots of this pedagogy lie in the well-intentioned acts of addressing unmet social needs and, in general, helping people, this has not always been the outcome of the interactions. In many cases, engaging in service-learning has led to harmful reproductions of…

Building on AsianCrit, reader response theory, and critical literacy perspective, this dissertation study investigated how second-generation Chinese American students at age eight to twelve respond to culturally relevant texts which portray contemporary and historical Chinese American people's lives and experiences in the United States. In…

Children in elementary schools think, talk, and reason in big ways that reflect how they live and experience race, racism, and racialization. Some elementary school teachers -- or critical-race teacher change agents -- intentionally include this work in their classrooms. My aim is to find out what motivates critical-race teacher change agents to…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was for teachers to describe the influence of social interactions and zone of proximal development (ZPD) on ability grouping and mixed-ability grouping in reading achievement at the elementary level. The first research question focused on the influence of social interactions on ability grouping and…

Critical praxis is an important means of increasing educators' critical consciousness. Culture circles are one avenue for educators to engage in a critical praxis, to dialogue, listen, reflect, and develop direct action steps. Both critical consciousness (Freire) and an ethic of care (Noddings) are essential and require an ongoing critical praxis.…

Applying critical race theory and colorblind ideology, this phenomenological qualitative study explored implicit racial bias in educators and whether that affected learning. From a target pool of educators from the three school districts, 146 completed an online questionnaire. Twenty-six of those educators agreed to be interviewed, of which 10…

This study explored the relationships between perceived administrative support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as experienced by elementary teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 elementary school teachers to gain insight through their perspectives of the lived experiences of administrator support and how it…

This study delved into the recruitment and retention challenges faced by Black male K-12 teachers in California's Central Valley, shedding light on their perceived impact on students. The underrepresentation of Black male teachers, comprising only 2% of the national teacher workforce and less than 1% in California, underscores the urgency of…