This non-experimental correlational quantitative research study was conducted to examine the relationship between the percentage of voluntary live synchronous virtual lesson attendance (LVLA) and the reading comprehension skill growth of sixth through eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) students enrolled in a Pennsylvania full-time online…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers who teach 6th, 7th, or 8th grade English language arts in a virtual charter school environment describe the gamification process to support student engagement in the classroom. The overarching research question was: How do teachers who teach 6th, 7th, or 8th grade…

This dissertation examines how children make sense of the boundaries of technology and nature through a case study of thirty students in the sixth through seventh grade, attending a public charter school in the Ohio River Valley region of the United States of America (US). Using data collected via a range of ethnographic methods including…

Within the secondary level of education covering students in grades 6-12, reading comprehension continues to be an area of concern for traditional public-school educators. Because students lack the foundations of reading upon entering middle and high school, on average across the United States, many students struggle to meet high school graduation…

This qualitative case study served to investigate teachers' and students' experiences implementing BASE Education, an electronic learning (e-learning) platform for social and emotional learning (SEL), in an urban charter middle school in Paterson, New Jersey. Convenient purposeful sampling was used to recruit seven students and three…

Educational technology is evolving and growing at a faster pace than ever before. Such fast-paced growth makes it difficult to evaluate and measure its effectiveness in a timely manner and creates a need for independent academic literature in this area. This study serves to address to this need and contribute to the body of literature. The intent…

This "ex post facto," causal-comparative quantitative study assessed the math and English language arts (ELA) 7th to 8th-grade academic growth among Black students enrolled in Philadelphia's black-operated public charter schools, non-black operated charter schools, and traditional public schools while controlling for 6th-grade exam…

This qualitative exploratory case study focused on seventh and eighth grade teachers and a school principal's opinions and experiences to better understand why students' reading performances were failing in one public charter school in New Jersey and to provide solutions and recommendations for enhancing students' reading performance. Four…

This dissertation analyzes data in order to answer the research question, "Do eighth grade students who have participated regularly in their school band programs for four consecutive years achieve higher scores in New Jersey's Grade Eight PARCC Assessment than students of similar ability who do not play a musical instrument?" Data was…

This study analyzed 4 different schools in urban Philadelphia that were utilizing 1-to-1 laptops within their classrooms for at least 3 years. The study focused on Grade 11 students in 3 high schools, 2 of which were district-run and 1 charter school. The 1 charter middle school was also analyzed for Grades 6, 7, and 8. These schools were compared…

Adolescent readers require a broad range of reading skills to deal with the challenges of reading complex text. Some researchers argue for a discipline-specific focus to address the low reading proficiency rates among secondary students. Disciplinary literacy attends to the different ways disciplines, such as science, generate and communicate…

The state of Delaware has expanded its K-12 educational structure and now offers parents and students an alternative to public education. Some of the charter schools in the state have excelled academically, fiscally, and organizationally, while others have been criticized for being financially irresponsible, or not meeting the state's academic…

The literature suggests that while the number of students attending virtual charter schools continues to grow in Pennsylvania, math student academic performance in 6th and 7th-grade math in students attending cyber charter schools falls well below the state average. Although it is tempting to assume that the concern of summer slide would be…

The topic of educational spending and its connection to student achievement was long-debated before charter schools entered the conversation. With the rise in government spending on education, particularly charter school funding, the financial debate has strengthened and evoked much controversy. Though the Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE)…

Educational institutions are placing students with disabilities in inclusive programming to meet legislative requirements. School districts have been mandated to develop rigorous programs that can increase the academic achievement of students with disabilities, as well as their participation in general education classrooms. Many school districts,…