Assessment and evaluation are at the heart of all functioning systems, as progress can be determined with the information collected by these assessments. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of actionable data to evaluate whether assessments aligned with Montessori benchmarks support the achievement of student outcomes. To address the…

School-based speech-language pathologists serve a growing population of students with complex communication needs, many using augmentative and alternative communication. The problem was the inconsistent assessment of communication and language skills that led to varied communication descriptions and reduced diversity of communication goals in…

Elementary social studies resources have faced criticism for well over 30 years. Text that is too complex (Beck et al., 1989; Beck & McKeown, 1991), contains questionable content (Chu, 2017; Wade, 2012), and is boring to students (Kelley, 2021; Schug, 1982) and teachers (Zhao & Hoge, 2010). More recent studies have found that teachers are…

This study aimed to provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the "Systems Coaching Survey (SCS)." Systems coaching is an approach to building capacity among groups of educators to drive educational reform efforts by employing seven interdependent sets of skills (interpersonal communication, data-based problem solving, team…

This sequential-explanatory mixed-methods study assessed the construct validity of the educative Teaching Performance Assessment's (edTPA) Elementary Education Literacy, Elementary Education Math, and Early Childhood assessment areas. The edTPA is a portfolio-based subject-specific teaching performance assessment developed by Stanford's Center for…

This study was a qualitative examination of special education teachers' perceptions of social skills training for students with autism. The problem is that without social skills training, individuals with autism are not learning the social skills necessary for independence. Those impacted by social vulnerabilities are individuals with autism,…

The contents of this study provide an in-depth look into servant leadership. The research indicated the nature of religious principles and how they are applied to one's life; regardless of the religion, religious values frame a person's judgment, which, in their view, benefits themselves and those around them. However, even though religion plays a…

A mixed methods action research study was designed to answer three research questions based on inter-rater reliability (IRR) in compliance calls for transition at a state education agency, perceived confidence levels in making and discussing compliance calls, and perceived confidence in sharing transition resources. An innovation based on…

In the process of instrument development, developers follow protocols and conduct analyses to ensure psychometric properties are met. During development, developers determine an assessment format that best aligns to their desired construct, including direct or indirect assessment. Within indirect assessment, participants hold a non-active role in…

Trend scoring is often used in large-scale assessments to monitor for rater drift when the same constructed response items are administered in multiple test administrations. In trend scoring, a set of responses from Time "A" are rescored by raters at Time "B." The purpose of this study is to examine the ability of…

Self-efficacy is frequently explored as a construct within assessments in counselor education (Crutchfield & Borders, 1997; Cashwell & Dooley, 2001; Kozina et al., 2010). However, despite the importance of advocacy in our field, there is a lack of research that measures self-efficacy in relation to advocacy attitudes and behaviors (Smith…

A conflict exists because all South Carolinian students are held to the same college- and career-readiness expectations, yet upstate school districts have opted to implement different grading policies. While the three Research Districts featured in this study employed varied forms of 50 as a minimum grade, other districts have no such mathematical…

This dissertation examined the relationship between school reform initiatives in the United States over the last thirty years and multicultural teaching practices. The methodology chosen was a qualitative phenomenological research study that was conducted with six participants, three novice teachers and three teacher educators. The research…

This qualitative action research study sought to evaluate and improve an early childhood special education program designed to meet the needs of students presenting with social emotional and behavioral skill deficits that impact their ability to participate in the general education setting. Participants in the first cycle of research included…

This quantitative study developed a measurement instrument, The Assessment of Historical Perspective-Taking (AHPT), to evaluate historical perspective-taking skills among 15- and 16-year-old students within their United States History classes by adapting an existing measurement instrument developed in Germany. Applying a theoretical framework that…