The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public-school IEP team members describe decision-making influences and thresholds in least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for K-5 students with significant support needs in the Midwest. Decision-Making Ecology served as a framework for two research questions which…

The process of conducting child and adolescent psychoeducational assessments has changed over the past 2 decades (Shapiro & Heick, 2004). In the past, the school psychologists commonly concentrated on behavioral, achievement, and projective assessments and usually did not include systematic multi-rater observation rating scales of behavior.…

Nature-based interventions (NBI) have demonstrated positive effects on a range of student outcomes, including enhanced prosocial behaviors, decreased levels of stress, and improved mood and concentration. Further, school-aged children's participation in NBIs supports students' reconnection with the natural world. Although schools represent an…

The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum has been implemented in numerous school districts to cultivate positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate conduct and behavioral issues. Beyond enhancing students' interpersonal relationships, essential skills such as relationship-building, responsible decision-making, and empathy enable…

The current study was a longitudinal quasi-experimental quantitative study conducted to determine whether or not targeted small-group intervention impacted learning loss relative to the COVID-19 pandemic at a North Texas Title 1 elementary school. Reading and math benchmark and practice test scores from a cohort of 38 fifth-grade students at the…

Youth mental health concerns, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, are a global public health concern. These concerns inevitably manifest in school settings, where K-12 youth are spending significant portions of their time. While schools, districts, and state and federal policies are working to expand mental health support in school settings, school…

The longstanding call to prioritize science education has gained momentum, particularly with the noticeable changes aligned with reform-era practices. This quantitative study explored the relationship between policy, time allocation, and teacher practices in elementary science education, guided by constructive learning theory as the theoretical…

This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the implications for the inclusive natures of public-school settings. This study utilized Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles paired with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as proponents of inclusive tools for special education teachers. Explicit training was provided to…

Academic self-efficacy is an essential role in student's academic success. There are several factors that can contribute to student academic self-efficacy. Identifying student's self-efficacy can help their experiences in school. Understanding factors that can contribute to student's self-efficacy can better prepare them for academic success. The…

This qualitative study focuses on the importance of reading picture books aloud to improve students' social skills capacity by utilizing literacy and social skills in a rural setting. It is designed to address a problem of practice: the need for striving third, fourth, and fifth-grade students to gain and maintain motivation and positive attitudes…

This descriptive case study addressed the gap in knowledge concerning the connection between fourth-grade educators' perceptions of their Black male students' sense of belonging and attitudes about academic success. This exploration offered a context-specific examination of 12 fourth-grade educators within the elementary school setting of a…

This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the instructional and social emotional factors that support African American boys' success during early elementary grades. The study investigated key influences including teacher and parent demographics, student-teacher, and parent-student relationships, building mathematical confidence in…

Research over the past two decades has documented the rise of a phenomenon known as academic entitlement (AE). Students throughout the United States and the world have exhibited entitled beliefs, such as expectations of good grades for little effort (Kopp & Finney, 2013) and entitled behaviors, including cheating, displays of anger, and…

State-mandated, standardized testing can have negative consequences on classroom practices in the Northeastern United States due to significant pressure placed on classroom teachers to demonstrate student achievement. The purpose of this research was to examine how elementary classroom practices, in grades three through five, were influenced based…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the ECLS-K:2011 longitudinal study to determine the impact the mother's education has on her child's kindergarten academic performance, growth and attainment from kindergarten through fifth grade, and the background characteristics that affect child academic development. This study employed a…