The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions and emotions of teachers during the global pandemic, specifically looking at the "how" and the "what" teachers experienced during the pandemic, focusing on the emotions deriving from the participants' lived experiences with technology. The…

Leading school communities during the pandemic impacted elementary and middle school principals and brought about reflection of their leadership practices. School principals were forced to reassess leadership priorities like those set forth by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) in 2015. This study looks at information…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the stories shared by interventionists which focused on the work they do to create student connectedness in rural middle schools. Illinois schools are designated by performance indicators, where successful schools are rated "Exemplary" or "Commendable" based primarily on…

This qualitative research study investigates teachers' perceptions of school safety and their adherence to specific safety procedures in a small, pre-K-eighth-grade school district in a small, suburban school district in Illinois. Data were collected through anonymous open-ended surveys distributed to teachers with varying experience levels. The…

The persistent challenge of teacher attrition, particularly in special education positions, is examined within the context of the East Dillon School District in Dillon, IL. Despite efforts to recruit and retain special education teachers, vacancies remain unfilled, leading to a disruption to the educational experiences of students with…

The study aimed to identify significant disparities in the reading growth of English learners (ELs) enrolled in either push-in or pull-out EL services, as measured by the ACCESS and MAP assessments. Conducted at a middle school in southwestern Illinois, the research focused on the impact of different EL programming types on the reading performance…

The problem examined in this qualitative arts-based phenomenological multi-site case study was the existence of racial discipline disparities in K-12 public schools throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the lived experiences of middle school principals leading the implementation of restorative justice practices…

Educators within Illinois public schools faced challenges transitioning from face-to-face to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The target audience for this study was students in sixth through eighth grade. The problem was teachers from Grades 6 through 8 had limited experience using technology for remote educating and learning. The…

Due to the growing number of students enrolling as homeless in American public schools, a quantitative design was applied to determine if students in an Illinois suburban, kindergarten through eighth grade school district (District A), who are enrolled under the McKinney-Vento Act and are receiving resources of food, shelter, clothing, and…

With the demands on student learning and school accountability, school leaders and teachers must be provided with high-quality structures and conditions for effective and meaningful school improvement. This, coupled with highly effective leadership, is crucial. This qualitative study examines Illinois's current state comprehensive school…

This dissertation examines the relationship between principal leadership behaviors and student achievement in middle schools in Illinois. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of Transformational Leadership and Instructional Leadership principal behaviors and the growth of student…

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the impact that large-scale crisis had on educator motivation as measured by flow experiences. COVID-19 prompted many changes in education in a very short amount of time. This rapid shift left educators scrabbling to meet the educational and social-emotional needs of their students while also…

This is a qualitative action research study that examines teacher perceptions of behaviors that foster caring teacher-student relationships that motivate students to learn. The purpose of this research was to examine the range of teacher behaviors that either promoting caring teacher-student relationships or which behaviors are disrupting such…

This study utilized a quantitative research approach with a survey design to determine whether a sample of K-8 principals in the state of Illinois, that rated teachers in a set of classroom instructional videos, exhibited inter-rater reliability since they all received the Illinois state-approved training and certification for teacher evaluators.…

Adolescence can be a very challenging time for students. Students are not all equipped with the social-emotional skills to successfully navigate middle school into young adulthood. Students display adverse behaviors, such as peer physical aggression, peer verbal aggression, and defiance to adults. Students are not demonstrating problem-solving…