2020 Doctoral Capstone Projects

Monaghan, Keven Matthew.

There has been a push in educational systems to infuse technology in their curricula to promote and develop digital age skills that will allow students to compete in a global society. It is imperative for schools to understand that the implementation of a one-to-one technology program should not be undertaken until a comprehensive plan of actio...

An Analysis of a One-to-One Technology Program : Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Implementation of a School District's: Technology Initiative : a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Knolles, Eric.

he purpose of this quantitative study is to provide data connections between access to transportation, positive school climate and chronic student absenteeism. The research focuses on broad questions: What are the common causes of chronic absenteeism in a rural American school? What impact does school climate have on chronic absenteeism? Do busi...

Chronic Absenteeism, Causes, and Relationships to School Climate: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Kuhns, Traci.

There are currently a high number of kindergarten retentions in a school district. Retentions can have negative short-term and long-term effects on students and increase costs to a district. The purpose of the study is to determine how t o reduce kindergarten retentions through teacher and student supports. To understand how this can be done, ...

Determining How to Reduce Kindergarten Retentions Through Teacher and Student Supports: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Stimac, Michael S., Jr.

Research clearly articulates the importance of strong, positive student-teacher relationships; however, there is a lack of research on intentional practices aimed at improving the quality of these relationships and decreasing undesired student behaviors, particularly at the high school level. The purpose of this action research project was to e...

Do Intentional Relationship-Building Practices Improve the Quality of Student-Teacher Relationships and Decrease Undesired: Student Behaviors? A Doctoral Capstone Project.

Vancas, Kristopher Michael

This mixed-methods study was conducted to determine the math interventions and strategies that are showing a positive increase in student achievement and growth in grades three, four, and five across the Bellefonte Area School District. Effective math teachers were first identified by looking at multiple academic data sets and then questionnaire...

Effective Math Interventions in the Elementary PSSA Grades :: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Mantich, Edward P.

This Capstone Project investigates the relationship between the use of Edmentum's Courseware Math Library software and students' math achievement in the middle school mathematics classrooms of a small school district in southwestern Pennsylvania during the 2019 -2020 school year. Grade level data was collected regarding the use of a supplemental...

The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Utilizing Edmentum's Courseware Math Library in the Carlynton MS Mathematics Classroom: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Sepesy, Michaelene.

Using teacher evaluation score averages, Instructional Rounds data, and student assessment score averages from the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) assessment at two elementary school campuses in a large West Texas city, this research study investigated the affects that effective professional development ...

The Effectiveness of Professional Development Planning with the Implementation of Targeted Instructional Strategies and the: Impact on Teachers Evaluations and Student Growth : a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Martin, Donald W.

For years, students with mental health diagnoses have encountered many barriers in their respective education programs. Teachers and other professionals have been unsure and unaware of many of the successful strategies to engage these students in learning and providing essential skills for success in life. All too often, medication has become th...

The Effects of the Fab Lab Learning Environment of Students with Mental Health Diagnosis: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Hutchinson, Jason D.

The world of education is constantly evolving with increased accountability and mounting responsibilities from Superintendents, to administrators, to classroom teachers. All stakeholders must work together in order for a school district to run efficiently for their students. Teacher leaders are essential in today’s schools if provided with an en...

Enhancing Teacher Leadership Influenced Through Principal Leadership: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Reichard-Huff, Michelle.

This study explored the existing relationships between early childhood teachers' perceptions of stress, job satisfaction and commitment, and self-care behavior, both prior to and after participation in an eight-week mindfulness intervention. Quantitative data was collected through use of pre- and post-intervention surveys measuring perceived str...

An Exploration of the Influence of Self Care and Mindfulness Practices on Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Job Stress: and Job Satisfaction : a Doctoral Capstone Project

Ritzert, Eric D.

Pennsylvania is a state with significant proportions of students who attend rural schools, as well as students who attend cyber schools. Parents have the right to enroll their child in any one of a dozen or more cyber schools, even if their local school district operates an online program. The purpose of this action research project was to exami...

How Can the Karns City Cyber Academy Be Improved?: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Kemper, Andrew Paul.

Behavior problems impact student performance and the overall climate of a school building. Current school codes of conduct and discipline programs do little to improve behavior. Schools need a way to put interventions in place to help students who show behavioral difficulty. These interventions need to be supportive rather than punitive. The res...

The Impact of Check-In/Check-Out on Student Behavior and School Climate :: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Reifsnyder, Jason.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the predictors of teacher absences between the 2016-19 school years and the impact of teacher absences on student achievement scores at Derry Township School District (DTSD), a school district located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The objectives of the study included: (a) an analysis of the predi...

The Impact of Chronic Teacher Absenteeism on Student Achievement: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Martin, Jacquelyn

Academic achievements and regular attendance are consid􀀁red to be two important indicators of college and career readiness. Students who are economically disadvantaged and do not have regular attendance in school do not achieve at the same rate as their peers (Garcia & Weiss, 2018). Additionally, attendance in middle school is considered a relia...

The Impact of Engaging Families in Strategies for Improving Regular Attendance for Children of Poverty: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Eckert, Kara Elizabeth.

The focus of this action research project was to gather information regarding instructional success in reading while implementing varying interventions in tiered approaches within a newly implemented Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework in second grade. Two cohort years were utilized for the data analysis to demonstrate movement base...

Impact of Enhancing Core Reading Instruction in Tier 1, 2 and 3 Multi-Tiered System of Supports: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Kuehner, Joshua Lee.

Schuylkill Valley Middle School did not have a guideline for consistent homework use among the teaching staff, which resulted in irregular homework practices. This irregularity emphasized a need for consistent homework guidelines that all teachers can follow. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of homework on students at Schuylk...

Impact of Homework Practices on Middle Level Students (Grades 5-8): a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Stamford, Brian Michael

Considerable amounts of financial resources and human capital are dedicated to school improvement efforts in the state of Pennsylvania each year. The factors that guide school improvement designation stem from federal education legislation, and include achievement, academic growth, attendance, graduation, EL proficiency, and career readiness. At...

The Impact of Student Mobility on School Ratings in Pennsylvania's School Accountability System: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Jagger, David A.

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of implementing a House system in a K-8 rural school over a three-year period to address academic, school climate, and school community concerns. The review of the literature framed the House system as a school climate reform effort in the mold of John Dewey’s social learning ...

Implementing a House System in Elementary and Middle School Using Action Research: to Analyze Academic, School Climate, and School Community Change After Systemic Reform : a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Scott-Bollman, Maria A.

Forbes Road Elementary School embarked on this study in response to their writing curriculum’s failure to improve the quantity and quality of informational writing among its intermediate grade-level students using a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework. A substantive body of research has identified these skills as being essential for academ...

Improving Essay Writing Among Intermediate Elementary Students :: a Doctoral Capstone Project.

Swartz, Kelly L.

Paraprofessionals perform an essential role in the delivery of special education services to students with disabilities. When paraprofessionals are appropriately trained and retained over time, students receive the high-quality support that is necessary to be successful in the least restrictive environment. This research project focused on impro...

Improving Preparedness of Paraprofessionals in Uniontown Area School District: a Doctoral Capstone Project.