This project-based thesis aimed to facilitate the creation of a collaborative culture quilt that celebrates the diverse cultural backgrounds, heritage, and traditions of students and teachers. The curriculum focused on various artists from different cultures, expanding students' understanding of art and culture both inside and outside the…

The study explores how middle schools in Bergen County, New Jersey adapted their social studies curricula to include representation of LGBTQ persons, outlined by Chapter 35 of Title 18A:"35-4.35," in their curriculum, and investigated examples of lessons said to include examples of the mandate. This study sought to understand the impact…

Purpose: This study explored school administrators' perceptions and experiences in planning and implementing recess policies and practices in New Jersey middle schools. Method: A total of 168 surveys and 19 semistructured interviews were conducted on school administrators. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Semistructured…

Schools develop mission statements in part to communicate their purposes of schooling to internal and external audiences. The goal of this study is to employ text analytic techniques to analyze school mission statements. Focusing on Arizona and New Jersey's schools, we seek to understand: 1) what themes (topics) emerge from their mission…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine whether Sheltered English Instruction Training (SEIT) has any impact on the perceptions and practices of content level secondary school teachers. SEIT is intended to counter preconceived notions about English Learners (ELs) by leveraging their cultural background to enhance personalized…

This study uses state-level staffing data to analyze the five-year career trajectories of all 231 first-year secondary science teachers in New Jersey who began teaching during the 2010-2011 school year. The person-position framework for studying teacher retention is introduced in this analysis, and the authors present a case for the importance of…

This study explored teachers' understanding of utilizing mindfulness practices with students at New Jersey Township School District. Students today are faced with a significant amount of stress and anxiety within their lives, which can have a significant impact on their learning, memory, behavior, and both physical and mental health. The New…

The significance of social and emotional learning (SEL) continues to grow in today's schools around the world. More teachers agree that students' social and emotional needs must be addressed in the learning process. This is because how students feel about themselves and think about one another affects the ways they learn in school. Learning…

This study sought to examine the extent superintendent longevity relates to student performance as measured by graduation rates. Specifically, this study sought to examine how a district school superintendent's longevity provides conducive context through which student academic improvement programs, culture, and relationships could be established…

Teacher perceptions are crucial in integrating technology in high school algebra classes. The problem was the limited inclusion of technology in algebra classes because of the traditional approach to teaching algebra. There is a gap in the literature regarding the influences of teachers' fixed or growth mindsets on their perceptions. The purpose…

During the 2020 pandemic, global governments imposed COVID-19 restrictions. Among the restrictions were K-12 school closures, which caused an abrupt change from in-person to virtual learning. These circumstances damaged students' mental health even after constraints were lifted. The problem was the socio-emotional learning (SEL) deficiency…

Background: The New Jersey Safe Schools Program (NJSS) offers an online professional development certification course, titled "Designing and Implementing Student Training Plans," for NJ high school (HS) teachers developing secondary school student work-based learning (WBL) programs. WBL provides students opportunities to engage in…

Instructional coaches are increasingly used to deliver job-embedded professional development for educators despite limited evidence-based models and assessment-driven resources to guide implementation. While researchers in vocational psychology have validated measures for job selection that can guide training; development and validation of…

The purpose of this article is to extend the literature around reflective practices in PDS. In this article, the authors discuss their experiences, as novice Professors in Residence (PIRs) engaging in Professional Development School (PDS) work, using dialogic e-journaling as a collaborative space to process and reflect on professional practice…

When students struggle with reading at the elementary level, their needs are typically met with interventions that focus on word recognition and decoding skills. This same intervention approach is often used to address students who struggle with reading at the middle-school level. The middle school struggling reader accumulates deficits from…