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An Effective Small Group Reading Intervention Scope And Sequence For Students In Grades Three To Five
Get PDFThe guiding question of this project is: What is the most effective scope and sequence for a reading academic support curriculum designed for small groups of students in grades three to five? The purpose of the project is to address the critical need for a well-defined scope and sequence for reading academic support teachers. Research that influenced the written scope and sequence includes reading intervention history, elementary students, struggling readers, types of approaches to teaching reading, and three schools of thought regarding teaching reading (Fountas and Pinnell, Orton-Gillingham, and Science of Reading). Integrating this research, the scope and sequence project aspires to create a comprehensive framework for reading interventions. The project\u27s design offers a structured and standardized approach to teaching, grounded in vetted research, and incorporates assessments and progress monitoring to identify individual learning needs and tailor support accordingly
The Relationship of Two Co-Teaching Models in a Second Grade Special Education Inclusion Classrooms: Impact on Student Achievement
Get PDFThe research questions addressed in this study were: In a second grade special education inclusion classroom, how do the students experience two co-teaching models: station teaching and alternative teaching? Subquestion 1: How does students’ performance on ELA assessments vary depending on the co-teaching model? Subquestion 2: How does student involvement, enjoyment, and perceived sense of understanding compare after each co-teaching model? Subquestion 3: Do the ELA assessment scores and student attitudes correlate positively? The review of the literature included benefits and drawbacks of special education inclusion classrooms, the six co-teaching models, and the second grade Common Core English Language Arts standards. The study intervention consisted of 12 second grade participants, three with special needs, spending a week experiencing two co-teaching models: station teaching and alternative teaching. To accomplish this the Special Education co-teacher and I collaborated to teach the McGraw Hill Wonders curriculum using both co-teaching models. A mixed method approach was used to collect data. After a week of each model, participants were then tested on spelling words, vocabulary definitions, and text comprehension. Additionally participants also filled out a Google survey asking about their perceived sense of involvement, enjoyment, and understanding of the lesson. Data concluded that participants yielded higher test scores using the station co-teaching model. Participants felt more involved during station teaching and enjoyed station teaching over alternative teaching. However, participants felt they had a better understanding of what was being taught during alternative teaching. Overall, test scores and attitudes do correlate positively. Recommendations for future research, limitations, and implications are also discussed
Place-Based Environmental Education Towards Collective Environmental Literacy
Get PDFAs environmental issues and environmental injustices persist, it is even more important for environmental educators to foster in individuals and groups the skills, knowledge, and natural appreciation needed to timely address these issues. Place-focused environmental education that seeks to address an individual’s sense of place can deepen an individual\u27s connection with their local environment and community. A developed sense of place within a group can also pave the way for collective environmental literacy, the literacy held by a community and defined by the characteristics of collective action, collaboration, shared knowledge, and diverse perspectives. This capstone seeks to answer the question: how can community members build a sense of place through environmental education towards the goal of collective environmental literacy? In this capstone the broad concepts of collective environmental literacy, sense of place, and environmental education are examined, connected, and put into practice in the form of a indepth website catered to Iowa-focused environmental education. Users of the website can develop a deeper appreciation for their local environment through experiences and instruction and also develop the needed skills of collaboration and communication through the website’s community activities and forums. The goal of the website is to create an online community that both exemplifies the ideas of collective environmental literacy and is prepared to take collective and equitable environmental action within their local community
How Does Classroom Management Affect Student Behavior?
Get PDFThe research question discussed is, how does classroom management affect student behavior? This capstone project is a research-based professional development training for educators. The training is made up of two sessions. The first session focuses on the components and principles of classroom management and the impact of classroom management on student behavior, engagement, and academic performance. The second session consists of successful classroom management approaches and the challenges and barriers educators may face
Teaching English in Earth and Space Science: Content-Based Curriculum Development for Secondary Multilingual Learners
Get PDFThe number of English language learners in public schools continues to increase in Minnesota. Multilingual high school students having a WIDA English language proficiency level below three tend to experience a greater number of academic challenges and experience lower graduation rates. In order to combat these challenges, many high schools provide sheltered content classes co-taught by licensed content and EL teachers. While these courses help students succeed in mastering content standards, English language development is often relegated to incidental acquisition as a bi-product of the learning process. This capstone uses the connections model of content based instruction to answer the question: How can the curriculum for a sheltered Earth and Space Science course support the English language development of secondary multilingual learners? This project demonstrates that Earth and Space Science curriculum at the high school level can be used to meet multilingual learners’ needs for both content mastery and English language development
The Impact of Systematic Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction in a Spanish Immersion First-Grade Classroom
Get PDFRecent research suggests that structured literacy, the systematic teaching of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition skills, is highly indicative of students’ proficiency in reading. This is true not only in monolingual literacy programs but in bilingual programs as well. While many schools across the United States have implemented best practices, this is not the case for many Spanish immersion programs. This capstone seeks to address this problem with the question How does systematic literacy instruction of phonemic awareness and phonics in Spanish Immersion impact student mastery of early literacy skills in first grade? It analyzes the current research about structured literacy, the cross-linguistic transfer between languages, and the impact of structured literacy on students with dyslexia. The findings in this project illustrate how structured literacy of phonological awareness and phonics in a Spanish immersion setting contribute to student proficiency in both languages
A Training Program that Connects Seasonal Garden Staff and Volunteers to the Mission of Gale Woods Farm to Promote Land Stewardship Through Agriculture Education
Get PDFAn educational farm has an opportunity to support staff with the skills needed to make pro-environmental food consumption choices, such as participating in a Community Supported Agriculture program and producing food using regenerative or sustainable practices. Research concludes that best practices for a staff training program considers environmental literacy, skill-building, andragogical principles, and consistent workplace values. This capstone uses a combination of literature review and personal communication to answer the question, what are the elements and considerations of creating a training program that connects seasonal garden staff and volunteers to the mission of land stewardship through food production and agriculture education? In response to the question, the project for seasonal garden staff and volunteers includes: 1) a suggested timeline of topics and best practices for management, 2) an electronic garden field guide training manual, 3) a garden field guide binder of essentials, and 4) laminated quick reference guides
To what extent do existing nature-based lesson plans for outdoor learning experiences in the Great Lakes area align to a nature-based sense of place framework?
Get PDFThis paper explores the question To what extent do existing nature-based lesson plans for outdoor learning experiences in the Great Lakes region align to a nature-based sense of place framework? Sense of place includes place meaning and place attachment that must be developed through experience. Chapter two explores nature-based experiences with examples from environmental education to help illustrate a sense of place development in action. The literature review further investigates current understandings of sense of place and current best practices for developing outdoor, nature-based, environmental experiences. The Sense of Place framework developed by Mathews et al. (2020) was used to guide the creation of a rubric to rate how closely the lessons align to the construct of sense of place. Chapter Three describes the scope of the project in terms of timeline, audience, and assessment. Twenty nature-based lesson plans from six organizations based in the Great Lakes region were rated using a rubric to identify how closely the actual lessons align to the framework to develop a sense of place. A key outcome of this project is a White Paper that serves as a resource which calls for the use of the rating rubric which is understood to be a practical tool for the Sense of Place theoretical framework. Conclusions included descriptions and analyses. The paper ends with the limitations of this work and the call for completion of a reliability and validity study on the rating rubric
Measuring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Minnesota Superintendents: “We did our best while we weren’t at our best”
Get PDFErtl, A. (2023). Measuring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Minnesota Superintendents: “We did our best while we weren’t at our best” This dissertation explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Minnesota superintendents and contributes to the literature on the pandemic’s impact on education. By employing a statewide survey and grounded theory approach, the research investigates the lived experiences of superintendents during the pandemic and addresses gaps in understanding the specific effects on this group. The central research question focuses on how two years of the pandemic influenced the day-to-day work of Minnesota superintendents. The study’s findings highlight the increased demands, pressure and strains faced by superintendents as a result of the pandemic. The research design involved a survey that included open-ended comments from superintendents, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of their experiences. The qualitative analysis of the comments provided valuable insights into the challenges and concerns expressed by superintendents. The study reveals that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing issues faced by superintendents such as financial management, personnel management, stress, work-life balance, and time requirements, while introducing high levels of community and staff polarization to the strains of the role. These findings underscore the need to address the challenges faced by superintendents and support their well-being to ensure stability and continuity in educational leadership. It suggests the need for a further evolution in the superintendent roles, focusing on community building and healing. The findings also highlight the importance of superintendent well-being, the role of technology in alleviating administrative burdens, and the potential for policy-making to be less of a rule book and more of a collaborative community-based process. The author also identifies avenues for future research, including investigating the experiences of female superintendents, board relationships and factors contributing to job satisfaction and longevity in the role
Best Practices: To Supporting and Including SLIFE, Preliterate, Pashtu Students in Secondary, Western, Schools
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this capstone project was: what are the best practices for supporting and including SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education), preliterate, Pashtun students in secondary, Western, schools? Topics explored in this literacy review were the challenges of SLIFE students, literacy development, multiculturalism and Pashtu culture. This paper and three part professional development series discusses methods for all secondary teachers to include and support SLIFE, preliterate, Pashtu students in Western schools. This professional development utilizes the research of Aguilar (2013). Aguilar’s (2013) work in adult education assisted in the creation of this professional development series. Within the professional development series, teachers will be intentionally grouped by subjects taught and together will participate in discussions. Educators will participate in a discussion surrounding cultural differences that are important to acknowledge to understand and connect with Pashtu students. Educators will also create literacy development activities that can be implemented within the classroom to support the inclusion of SLIFE, preliterate, Pashtu students in the classroom. Finally, educators will be able to learn the benefits and strategies to incorporate multiculturalism into their classrooms. Included within the project paper is the literature review of research, the professional development presentation with all materials and an interview with two Pashtu educators