This quantitative research study of first-grade students in two rural school districts sought to understand the difference, if any, between teachers' professional development training in the science of reading and student achievement. The study also examined the statistical relationship between the science of reading professional development and…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine if a significant difference exists between the number of rural K-3rd grade student referrals to Evidence Based Instruction, EBI, prior to and post leaders' implementation of reading legislation bill in the Mid-Western United States. There is an increased awareness of the…

In this mixed-methods explanatory sequential study, the researcher explored how primary teachers describe their experience with teacher autonomy and self-efficacy and examined how those two constructs relate to job satisfaction and to each other. Specifically, this study used K-2 novice and veteran teachers in public rural elementary schools in…

Reading performance in third grade has significantly declined across the United States in recent years, suggesting a critical problem that was addressed in this study. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of K-3 teachers working in a rural elementary school district regarding a decline since 2018 in the…

This paper describes a problem of practice that arose from a lack of consistent, systematic phonics instruction within a small rural school with a large percentage of students not mastering skills in a way that builds the needed foundation for reading. To address this problem, action research was conducted through a mixed methods approach to…

This dissertation study explores the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in first-grade classrooms and its impact on student engagement. The study emphasizes the importance of collaborative grade-level teams and teacher support in successfully implementing PBL. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach and takes place in a small rural…

This mixed methods study sought to identify the incorporation of support for implementing evidence-based instructional practices within an MTSS framework among teachers and the impact on student growth outcomes in three K-2 schools. The study also determined teacher perceptions regarding how support in adult behavior change, which is the…

Elementary students have continued to struggle in mathematics nationally which causes concern among educators about how to improve achievement. While educators have a plethora of technology resources, these resources have not improved the overall performance of students in math. Recently, the digital badge has become a tool to help impact student…

Academic achievement and absenteeism are two areas that schools are held accountable. Helping families and communities understand the correlation between achievement and attendance is an essential part of improving attendance. The purpose of this research study was to compare student attendance and academic achievement on the CASE Benchmark exams…

Students who develop proficient reading skills are more likely to experience positive outcomes both in and beyond the school setting. If students start developing strong literacy skills at a young age, they are more likely to perform well in school and achieve academic success. Despite ongoing efforts to support students' development of reading…

The purpose of this bounded case study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) was to add to the existing research literature on early childhood trauma in addition to understanding teacher and administrator perceptions on students' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in rural, Northwest Missouri elementary schools from 2009 through 2019. Survey…

This qualitative case study examined two first-grade teachers' scaffolding within daily small-group reading instruction for students identified as having the most difficulty with reading and how the scaffolds supported students' reading. This research occurred in two first-grade classrooms at Springville Elementary School, a school in a rural town…

The research on elementary teachers' implementation of peer collaboration strategies is limited. Yet, the extensive peer collaboration literature that does exist focuses on student outcomes in urban and suburban settings. A problem with most of the current scope of research about peer collaboration is that it has marginalized the voice of teachers…

As Western schooling continues to expand and reach remote communities, it is imperative to understand rural parents' beliefs about formal education and the ways in which they can support their children's schooling. Sociodemographic changes in rural communities have been connected to shifts in parents' cultural values and practices (Greenfield,…

Although Individual Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) has mandated states to collect and analyze data to determine if special education disproportionality is occurring within the local education agencies (LEAs), student of color continue to be disproportionately represented in special education programs. Historical trend data revealed that…