The purpose of this capstone was to explore the processes in attempting to design a culturally relevant, high-quality digital mathematics curriculum (DMC) and to provide recommendations for a strategic plan to evaluate the design and revision processes. The DMC initially aligned with three foundational frameworks, addressing the challenge of…

This research was intended to find the reasons for limited parent involvement at two different Elementary schools within the same district in the Mid-Atlantic region. Parent involvement is known to be a valuable means to bridge any achievement gaps, motivating students to be more successful. If the main reasons for limited participation by parents…

We tested 10 data-based strategies to better identify student homelessness in Camden City School District, which has a student body from minoritized backgrounds. We operationalized strategies through a research-practice partnership, following the federal homelessness definition. Data span 5 years (2014-15 through 2018-19), including integrated…

This phenomenological research study examined the educational experiences of educators who participated in Chapter 49 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code Culturally Relevant Sustaining Education professional development programming within an urban School District in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Semi-structured interviews were conducted…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore if and to what extent a correlation existed between the implementation of the Sown to Grow social and emotional learning curriculum, academic growth, and attendance. The study was grounded in the CASEL framework used by district leaders and curriculum designers to guide the…

This dissertation examined the differences in school board activities between high-achieving and low-achieving districts across urban, suburban, and rural settings in Pennsylvania. The focus was on understanding the disparities in official behaviors contributing to academic outcomes. This study addressed a critical gap in educational governance…

With the looming impacts of COVID-19 on district budgets, the growth of school choice options, and population shifts across urban, suburban, and rural contexts, an increasing number of districts have closed schools and more districts are expected to follow this trend. Rich scholarship has examined school closures; however, this field of research…

This qualitative study explores the ethical dilemmas felt by teachers as they transferred from hard-to-staff to easy-to-staff schools within a large urban school district. According to these teachers' accounts, many were motivated by a notion of craft conscience and felt a professional responsibility to leave schools where they were prevented from…

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) screening frequently employs a variable-based approach wherein individual scale scores indicate risk. However, a person-centered approach wherein risk is indicated by profiles, or constellations of scores across all scales, could help schools prioritize students based on the pervasiveness of SEB needs and…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine educational leaders' experiences in leading behavioral crisis intervention and crisis team management with at-risk students in Title I K-5 elementary schools. The theoretical and conceptual framework that guided this study was Northouse's (2019) Behavioral Approach in concert…

This qualitative study looked at the topic of Black female principals in an urban school district using research reports obtained from dissertations, journal articles, and documented experiences. This is of particular significance given the continuous disenfranchisement and subsequent underrepresentation of Black female principals in the US. Black…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the school choice experience for students in a large urban school district on the East Coast. Participants in Cycle 1 were comprised of middle and high school staff, and data was collected via surveys, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Action steps included…

Some high school seniors who plan to attend college in the fall following graduation do not enroll. This phenomenon, known as summer melt, contributes to lower educational attainment, particularly among low-income students. We extend the literature on summer melt in two ways. First, we show that melt estimates can be sensitive to measurement…

Background: Learning trajectories (LTs) in early mathematics curriculum and teaching have received increasing attention (Baroody et al., 2019; Clements, 2007; Clements & Sarama, 2021; Maloney et al., 2014; Sarama & Clements, 2009). For example, LTs were a core construct in the National Research Council (2009) report on early mathematics…

This qualitative dissertation study took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the work of school food service professionals as this has implications for all school food service staff. Specifically, this study focused on the role of the cafeteria managers, through their practices, beliefs, the…