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Threading Hmong Culture Into Math: Supporting Hmong Elementary Students Through Integrative Practices
No full textThe research question answered in this capstone paper is: “How can educators integrate Hmong culture into their math instruction in ways that support both academic growth and cultural identity?” This paper focuses on the need for culturally responsive teaching in mathematics for elementary Hmong students and the convergence of cultural identity, student engagement, and meaningful learning experiences. This capstone paper includes a literature review that explores culturally responsive pedagogies and practices in classrooms, the importance of cultivating mathematical identity in Hmong students, and the integration of Hmong culture into elementary math instruction. The results of this capstone paper lead to Threading Hmong Culture into Math, a curriculum of five instructional units that interweaves Hmong culture with third-grade mathematical content: Paj Ntaub with geometry, farming and measurement, Hmong markets and operations, family and data, and developing mathematical identity. The curriculum includes a pacing guide, lesson plans, criteria for success, and instructional materials
Community College Leadership at the Intersection of Strategic Planning and Resource Management
Full text linkThis study seeks to determine the competencies that college leaders need to possess in the intersection of finance and strategic planning. For this purpose, I am using resource management as a construct to define the competencies. This is important because one area rarely mentioned in the research is how the budgeting process, policies and practices that guide financial decisions are used to support student success and the strategic plan. There is literature related to the need for financial or fiscal leadership skills but not about what those skills are and how they are used to accomplish strategic goals to improve student outcomes. One of the reasons to study the financial competencies is because higher education has struggled to integrate strategic planning and their fiscal processes. A strategic plan focused on fulfilling the mission of the community college is not enough to achieve the mission. Many public organizations, including institutes of higher education are increasingly faced with demands to account for their spending and outcomes from those they serve (Scott, 2012). This study used Grounded Theory qualitative method.
The study highlights the competencies needed by Community College Presidents to align strategic planning with resource allocation. Four main categories have emerged to answer the research question regarding the competencies and processes used by community college leaders in strategic planning for student success. These categories include: 1) Mission and Leadership, 2) Process Transparency and Inclusion, 3) Analytical and Data-Driven Decision-Making, and 4) Strategic Resource Allocation.
To integrate analytical data and resource allocation processes into strategic planning, a systematic framework is essential. The process aims to engage stakeholders from across the institution, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of needs, priorities, and the impact of resource allocation decisions during the strategic planning process. Based on the existing literature and the data gathered, an approach and process to be used as part of the strategic finance and resource allocation framework to link budgeting to the Strategic Plan is outlined in the study recommendations
Immersing Historical and Contemporary Indigenous Literature into Middle School Reading and Writing Workshops
Full text linkThis paper examines literacy and Indigenous literature through the guiding question ; What are the merits of infusing and integrating Indigenous literature in middle school reading and writing workshops in order to address state standards in representing perspectives and identities of historical and contemporary Dakota and Anishinaabe people? Through review of research literature and curriculum development methodology, this capstone concludes that Indigenous literature integration has positive impacts on student critical thinking development, cultural competence, analytical skills, and educational justice while successfully meeting legislative compliance requirements. By re-emphasizing Dakota and Anishinaabe perspectives in curriculum, students engaging with authentic Indigenous literature can see enhanced literacy opportunities. The research undertaken in this capstone has yielded curriculum recommendations designed for middle school students. The 46 lesson overviews focus on using authentic Indigenous voices, enhancing student engagement, promoting metacognitive awareness, and combating educational inequity. Along with appropriate educator training and community partnerships, this study argues that Indigenous literature may be implemented through culturally responsive curriculum and workshop models. This capstone contributes to existing literature and research by adding insight into how Indigenous perspectives can be meaningfully integrated into literacy instruction, and addresses both academic standards and equity concerns
Not Lost in Translation: Bridging Life Science and Language Acquisition for EL Learners
Full text linkThis project seeks to answer the question: How can science educators meet the demands of English language (EL) learners by pairing science instruction with language learning strategies? This project was developed out of the author’s own experience working with EL populations in a science setting and with the goal to provide multilingual students with language learning opportunities that also challenge them and guide them to achieving the MN State Science Standards. The author consulted research that focused on language learning strategies, culturally relevant teaching, and storytelling - based units. Using the information gathered, a website was created containing an introductory Claim - Evidence - Reasoning (CER) lesson and graphic organizer, as well as a heredity unit containing lesson plans, handouts, slides, and vocabulary charts. This curriculum is designed to help EL learners engage in scientific inquiry and discourse by giving them tools to state and support a claim
Infusing Dakota Values and Indigenous Pedagogies into Secondary Social Studies Curriculum
Full text linkThis project was very meaningful for me both professionally and personally. There was a lot of growth as a researcher, teacher, and person; this growth is reflected in the project as well. I chose Dakota values to be regionally conscious of students that may be in the classroom and their cultures. The project itself shows how Indigenous pedagogies can be applied to content that may not appear to be Indigenous-related. The unit covers the emergence of trade on a global scale (700-1500CE) in a ninth grade world history classroom. Using Understanding by Design’s backward planning model as well as a variety of Indigenous pedagogies described in the Literature Review to create the unit. Chapters 1-4 covers my rationale, reflections, thoughts, theories, and research that led to the project
Teacher Autonomy and Collaboration: Achieving More Equitable Outcomes
Full text linkCollaboration and autonomy are core components of teaching. Collaboration may have become ubiquitous due to the rising prevalence of Professional Learning Communities, and autonomy has always been crucial for teachers to feel empowered and take ownership of their classrooms. Together, collaboration and autonomy each can impact student equity negatively and positively. The guiding question is then: How does teacher autonomy and collaboration affect student equity in the classroom? Reviewing literature found that teacher autonomy can cause stagnation in teaching practices or allow for meaningful differentiation. Collaboration can create rote compliance tasks or allow teachers to take risks to continuously improve. To address the guiding question, a professional development session was created in order for secondary school administrators to discuss and examine how the collaboration and autonomy of their classroom practices are harmonizing to promote student equity
Shifting Educators\u27 Perspectives & Instructional Practices From Misconception to Authentic Action for Equity
Full text linkThis study explores the impact of equity-based professional development (PD) on educators’ perceptions of equity and instructional practices over time. Utilizing a concurrent triangulation design, there was a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to conduct the study. The use of survey data, qualitative reflections, and exit ticket responses collected throughout the school year, reveal a significant evolution in educators’ understanding of equity. Many educators initially viewed equity in terms of fairness and equality, but through sustained PD throughout the school year, their perspectives shifted toward a deeper recognition of the need for individualized student support and culturally responsive teaching. Over time, participants demonstrated increased cultural competency, the adoption of inclusive instructional strategies, and a commitment to fostering a sense of belonging for all students. Additionally, the study highlights how educators increasingly leveraged data to inform instruction, ensuring that teaching practices addressed the diverse needs of students more effectively. While the results indicate meaningful growth in both perceptions and instructional approaches for the educators, challenges remain in fully embedding equity-driven practices at the school and district levels. Additionally, some of the educators still exhibited resistance to change and had concerns regarding the equitable implementation of policies. These findings reiterate the importance of ongoing, structured PD opportunities that encourage critical reflection, challenge misconceptions, and provide educators with actionable strategies for fostering inclusive learning environments. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for systemic changes in policy and curriculum to support sustained equity efforts beyond individual classrooms. By contributing to the broader discourse on educational equity, this research highlights the transformative potential of mindfully-planned PD, as well as reinforces the necessity of continued investment in equity-driven initiatives to ensure that all students have an inclusive and equitable education
You Can Never Have Too Many Flowers: Nature as a Support for Survivors of Genocide, War, and Conflict
Full text linkOne in five children around the world are surviving war or other violent conflicts. The trauma of disruptions to community, safety, and loss of friends, family, and home can have wide-ranging and life-long impacts on children who survive. While impacts will vary from individual to individual, the trauma can impact mental health, feelings of safety, relationships, ability to learn, and many other aspects of their lives. Many educators in the US and globally are working with refugee students or other students who are navigating the impacts on their brains and bodies of different traumas. This project seeks to answer the following research questions: How can nature-based curriculum help child-survivors of war deal with the stressors and trauma they carry? How can such a curriculum be adapted and differentiated for different contexts and abilities, such as areas with limited internet access, or without regular access to a classroom, or different language proficiency? The research is interdisciplinary, pulling from fields of Ecopsychology, trauma-informed education practices, and research on the unique and diverse challenges refugee populations go through. No matter where refugees end up, there is land one can connect to to help ground and disconnect from life stressors. Helping refugee children and families deepen their connection to nature can be a low-cost intervention to support positive mental health and cognition. This project seeks to provide educators with rationale and a starting point to connecting children to the natural world around their schools or home. For situations where access to nature is a barrier, observing pictures and videos of nature can have similar but decreased impacts, so photos or videos can supplement in-person experiences. The curriculum consists of five weeks of lessons, each culminating with a piece of writing or audio recording exploring the natural world from different lenses. With parent permission, students may share their writings with other participants from around the world. Interacting with a nature-based curriculum will also support the facilitators through exposure to photo and video of green spaces
Implementation of Storylines in Science Education
Full text linkState standards are constantly changing and it is the job of the teacher to keep up with those changes. Science standards have recently gone through a major change, shifting toward storyline based education models. This had led to confusion among educators. This research and subsequent professional development sessions seek to answer the research questions: Why are we moving to the storylining model? How is the storylining model best implemented in the classroom? The literature review covers the where and why surrounding the origins of storyline based education models, both within traditional education settings and within indigenous communities. It then analyzes four different styles of implementation, looking at positives and negatives of each, how they are best implemented, and what assessments connect with each style. This results in a two day professional development series aimed at supporting high school science teachers in the implementation of storyline based curriculum in their classrooms. These sessions cover both origins and implementation, including a completed example unit as well as step by step implementation instructions
Scaffolding Social Studies Texts for Below Grade-Level Readers to Promote Literacy Growth and Student Engagement
No full textThe research question addressed in this capstone project is: How can I scaffold fifth grade social studies texts for immigrant students who are far below a fifth grade reading level to maintain content standards, student engagement, and promote literacy growth? The capstone paper documents multiple approaches to fostering student engagement and effective ways to grow literacy skills in learning spaces. The document also follows the creation of a unit of curriculum to foster student engagement and literacy growth, targeting Latin American immigrant students whose reading levels are below grade-level. The unit topic focuses on Central and South American Native civilizations to be culturally responsive to the target student demographic. Major influences in this project’s development were: Tegmark et al. (2022), Kozen et al. (2006), Ukrainetz (2015), Symons (2021) and Wiesendanger (1986). The topics focused on are: how to generate student engagement with texts, and effective strategies – both active and passive – to promote the growth of literacy skills. Included within this capstone paper and project are a literature review of relevant research, a unit plan for the curriculum, and materials and resources necessary. Lastly, the paper concludes with a reflection of the limitations of the curriculum and suggestions for both future usage of the curriculum and continued research on the topic of scaffolding non-fiction texts to be culturally relevant to different populations of students