Previous research has indicated that literary skills performance in reading and writing for middle school students has declined. There remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the decline in literary skills, which is a good predictor of the potential for students to drop out of school. The goal of this study was to determine if the use of self-evaluation influences students' writing ability and their attitudes toward writing. Using a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design, and over the course of 10 weeks, the researcher administered a writing pre- and posttest, as well as a pre- and posttest Writing Attitude Survey (WAS) to 70 gifted Grade 7 students. Two classes formed the experimental group, and 2 classes formed the control group. Students in the first group participated in focused self-evaluation instruction and practice. A pre- and postwriting test patterned after the Georgia Grade 8 Writing Assessment was assessed with a standardized writing rubric, and the WAS provided the quantitative data. ANCOVA and an independent sample t test compared the average change from pretest score to posttest score between the groups in overall writing score, ideas, style, organization, and conventions. They showed a level of significance. A Cramer's V compared the average change from pretest survey score to posttest survey score between the groups in the areas of gender, ethnicity, and group. It showed a statistically significant difference. Findings from this study may directly influence the increased use of self-evaluation across language arts, as well as other content area subjects.

Educational institutions are implementing curriculum mandates without data to support the benefits of the mandates to students. The purpose of this concurrent, mixed-method study, which utilizes quasi-experimental and case study approaches, was to address the effectiveness of mandated differentiated instruction in a suburban high school. This study investigated the significant differences in achievement before and after the implementation of differentiation as well as differences in achievement between a school that mandated the use of differentiation and one that did not. The study also investigated strategies used to implement differentiation and student and teacher attitudes toward it. For ninth grade literature and biology students, t-test analyses revealed significant differences between end-of-course test passing rates before and after implementing differentiation. However, the data showed no significant difference between the passing rates of the two different schools. A change midstream in the daily schedule from 4, 90-minute classes to 7, 50-minute period courses presented a confounding variable that could have affected passing rates. Teachers and students participated in surveys to evaluate attitudes toward differentiation. Surveys among teachers suggested a trend toward a preference for differentiation. Both teachers and students felt that differentiation was beneficial for students. According to students, differentiation was evidence of teacher professionalism and passion which influenced a student's desire to learn. Differentiation provides an avenue for educating all students through students' interests and strengths. Ideally, this avenue will lead to improved student learning and achievement resulting in a more educated society.

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school leaders have had to identify instructional and administrative practices that would increase student achievement. Provisions of NCLB have added additional challenges for schools working with low achieving students with discipline problems. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how a school's in-school suspension (ISS) program served teachers and students. The research questions focused on determining the strengths and weaknesses of the school's ISS program, the potential that these characteristics held to affect student academic achievement and behavior for ISS students, recidivism, and measures that the school might take to modify the ISS program. Conceptually, this study was framed within the theories of emotional intelligence and social literacy. Using purposeful sampling, data included responses from questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, document analysis, and observations of the ISS room. These data were analyzed using open and axial coding. Results of the study indicated inconsistent practices in the ISS program, such as the lack of a standard policy to assess student ISS assignments and to provide students teacher feedback upon returning from an ISS referral. In addition, the study revealed that the school lacks procedures to provide ISS students counseling during their ISS referral and a curriculum to help these students develop social emotional learning skills. Implications for positive social change included increasing academic achievement and social literacy for students assigned to ISS, which could lead to fewer referrals to ISS and lower recidivism.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceived knowledge and confidence of high school administrators to lead in a digital school environment. This study utilized an exploratory mixed-methods case study analysis along with the 62-item Digital Instructional Leadership Readiness Instrument (DILRI)© to measure school administrators’ knowledge and confidence to lead in a digital school environment. High school administrators within the target school district were requested to complete the DILRI© at two separate points in time: September 2016 and June 2017. Based on these two administrations, this study’s six Research Questions were answered. Research Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were addressed quantitatively using descriptive statistics, along with two MANOVA analyses for Research Question 6. Research Question 5 was answered qualitatively by examining open-ended responses found within the DILRI©. Based on the data collected, Experience Supervising Others and Colleagues were two factors ranked highest by administrators as influencing their knowledge and confidence. Additionally, high school administrators perceive themselves to be knowledge and confident in recognizing Student Engagement and Student Collaboration, and in developing digital school culture factors of Leadership Teams, Empowering Teachers, and Shared Vision. Overall means increased for knowledge and confidence on each scale between the September 2016 and June 2017 DILRI© administrations. Much research relating to the digital school environment has only focused on the preparation required of teachers; therefore, this study provides administrators, directors, school boards, superintendents, and other school district leaders with relevant information relating to the self-reported readiness of high school administrators to lead in a digital school environment.

This qualitative exploratory study aims to investigate the relationship between student self-efficacy and close reading strategies implemented in the researcher's classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine whether close reading strategies are informing 9th self-grader's efficacy in a 9th grade ELA (English Language Arts) classroom, and to determine the relationship between close reading and student self-efficacy in a classroom with CRM's (curriculum resource materials). Students' self-efficacy levels were determined on Robert Stavin's exploratory research; an altered exploratory survey was provided to determine results. This thesis explores the following research questions (RQ): (RQ1) How do students' responses of the text in the close reading process affect student self-efficacy? (RQ2) How, if at all, do the implementations of CRM stem-questions aid all learners in the understanding of texts in the classroom? The study concluded that participants' beliefs and how they correlate directly with their lived experiences inside and outside of the classroom and the researcher is also aware that the inconsistencies may also reflect the global pandemic, COVID-19. The qualitative study delegates this information throughout the following major parts: first, an in-depth literature review was conducted on close reading, self-efficacy, and any evidence correlating the two. Second, the researcher collected data from 9th grade ELA students virtually via Google Forms. Next, a descriptive analysis revealed the relationship between student self-efficacy and close reading. Lastly, the qualitative research study discusses the results and the implications for society, educators, policy makers, and research to be conducted in the future.

This study explores the relationship between student personality, student choice in novel selection in the high school language arts classroom, and student reading self-efficacy and enjoyment. Throughout a student's educational journey, from elementary school to high school, it is typical to see a decrease in student choice regarding the literature they read. In elementary grades, students learn about the parts of a book, are frequently read to with animated voices, and look forward to shelves of choice on library trips. Yet as students move into their middle and high school years, the excitement often dwindles. Choice is removed, for a myriad of reasons, and students begin to face reading with dread and associate their grades with their ability to read, comprehend, and enjoy literary texts. This study uses the qualitative ethnographic methodology of Shirley Brice Heath and Brian V. Street to explore the impact of using personality as a lens for culturally sustaining pedagogy as is defined by Django Paris and H. Samy Alim. The researcher posits that analysis of novel characters using the nine Enneagram personality types assists the educator in making more informed, differentiated literature selections which, by extension, aids students in more successful and enjoyable reading experiences which improve their reading self-efficacy and champion their diverse ways of being.

Through a focus on the intersection of mathematical modeling, ethnomathematics, and cultural and historical practices, this ethnomodeling research study intentionally connected efforts to engage and value each and every student's culture and identity while emphasizing essential geometry content. The data collection took place at a large Hispanic-serving public metropolitan research university in an undergraduate secondary mathematics education methods course intended for pre-service teachers (PSTs). Over the course of eight weeks PSTs completed a questionnaire and pre-/post-surveys, two individual assignments, three small-group tasks, three task reflections, and a group reflection which were then analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition to this, based on the questionnaire, six PSTs were selected as cases using a maximum variation strategy. These PSTs additionally participated in two individual and one group interview. In this dissertation I share the stories and experiences of four of these case participants. Through engaging in this study, PSTs shared they became more aware of the geometry that exists in the world around them while experiencing a model for the synergistic integration of both incorporating their own as well as their future students' cultures and identities as well as teaching and learning deep and meaningful mathematics content. PSTs learned to value and respect mathematical practices of diverse cultures and traditions as well as become more prepared to engage their students in such geometry-focused ethnomodeling tasks. PSTs were able to engage in mathematical content in connected and coherent ways, and naturally find links between mathematics and other content domains and explore and share their own experiences. PSTs were empowered and inspired to engage their future students in meaningful mathematical tasks through which they can experience the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics in the world around them.

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