The purpose of this research study was to understand the perceptions that parents of middle school aged students have on career and technical education programs and determine if there is an effective intervention strategy that can be utilized to impact those parents with negative perceptions. Given the large shortage of skilled labor in the United…

Many adolescents need additional support during the early years of high school to develop their reading skills, but secondary teachers often have few options available that meet the unique literacy needs of this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design and investigate an innovative approach to help adolescent readers with a…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand parental or guardian involvement and the challenges and barriers to their involvement in the individual education process (IEP) of middle school students as viewed by special education teachers at an urban middle school in southeastern Wisconsin. This study began with the…

Studies have shown that digital media and digital games can enhance students' learning experience. However, few teachers appear to use digital game-based learning (DGBL) regularly. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how middle school teachers use DGBL in the classroom and the factors that positively and negatively influenced…

The purpose of this study is to examine general education teachers' perceptions of students with an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) diagnosis in a K-8 inclusive classroom setting. Twenty teachers from a K-8 public charter school participated in this study. All participants completed an online survey containing questions presented in a…

Ensuring student learning and success is the primary goal of any school administrator, so their leadership must embody and champion this. Therefore, strong instructional leadership skills are necessary for administrators to possess and be able to apply. However, teachers often have negative perceptions of instructional leadership which make the…

The importance of reading proficiency is unquestioned. Although the nation has set a goal for all students to be proficient in reading, many of the nation's students are not proficient readers. The vast majority of research examining reading proficiency and reading achievement has concentrated on the cognitive aspects of reading and the use…

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of levels of implementation and levels of effectiveness in improving student learning of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in Kanawha County Schools. This study also sought to determine differences in levels of implementation and effectiveness for five selected independent…

The purpose of this single community qualitative case study was to determine how the voice of the student was present in the IEP process, documentation paperwork, and curricular and diagnostic decisions, among a group of seven students, grades 9 through 12, placed in a self-contained program for students with emotional disabilities in a suburban…

This study is a first year principal's quest to transform the culture of Midwest Middle School (MMS). The study covers the 2009-2010 school year. The data from the 2008-2009 school year provided the baseline data for this study. Alarming results of a state survey regarding the culture of the medium sized suburban middle school caused concern. The…

A historical case study from a 6-8 middle school in the coal region of Northeastern Pennsylvania was conducted to examine the extent of teacher collaboration before and after the implementation of the teaming concept as well as the construction of a new middle school. The study was triangulated through the use of multiple data points including…