Novice reading teachers often struggle to provide high-quality reading instruction. The reasons for their difficulties include "transition shock," challenging school contexts, lack of proper preparation, and poor support. One way to improve the quality of novice teachers' reading instruction is through improving their access to high…

The purpose of the Dissertation in Practice was to explore the experiences and perceptions of a group of middle school teachers and administrators that were implementing a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The setting for this case study was an urban, Title I middle school located in Florida. Interviews were conducted…

This study was conducted with 11th- and 12th-grade high school students in western Florida. These students were not meeting the required achievement level in English language arts needed for graduation. This qualitative study investigated the barriers that hinder high school students' achievement in English language arts as a graduation…

Many factors impact teachers' decisions about when and how to implement technology during instruction. However, a gap exists in understanding teachers' motivations for technology integration and face-to-face instruction. Therefore, this qualitative case study explored how teachers' perceptions of student achievement, motivation, classroom…

Despite the use of literacy coaching to help improve the instructional practices of teachers and increase reading achievement, data of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) indicate that Florida's students are averaging about 60% below NAEP proficient level. This dissertation reported the results of a nonexperimental study that…

Educators, including teachers and administrators, have a responsibility to increase knowledge and achievement for all students. Gifted students who demonstrate increased abilities and proficiencies are often given less attention as schools continue to increase their focus on the lower quartile of students. To address this need, gifted programs are…

This descriptive exploratory study describes teacher self-efficacy in providing LGBTQ+ support in the implicit and explicit social studies curriculum in the wake of numerous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in education in Florida. Four high school social studies teachers from three different Florida public school districts were interviewed to answer three…

Many STEM professional learning opportunities have been characterized as basic, disconnected, and ephemeral. This phenomenological mixed methods study addresses the growing demand for quality STEM educators by investigating the relationship between STEM professional development and teacher self-efficacy. While teacher efficacy has been identified…

Teachers in Florida are tasked with the insurmountable job of teaching the curriculum, supporting their students socially and emotionally, and differentiating instruction and assessments for all students in inclusion classrooms. In Florida, students labeled as English language learners (ELLs) with varying English language proficiency are placed in…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, and to what extent, a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of their evaluator's instructional leadership and the teachers' evaluation scores at the middle and high school levels in one Florida school district. Ozcan's theory of teacher motivation states that…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how bilingual full-time and adjunct university faculty in a dual-language program described their experiences with professional development to meet college English Language Learners (ELL) students' academic needs in the state of Florida. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews…

At the same time that legislative mandates and accountability measures are imposed on schools and districts related to the academic performance of all students, including those with disabilities (SWD), an increasing number of SWD are placed in general education settings. This shift in practice calls for more attention regarding how leaders and…

This multiple case study was designed to examine the facilitating factors and barriers of the PBIS implementations from the perspectives of the administrators and PBIS coaches. Three middle schools, three administrators and three PBIS coaches in a school district in Florida participated in 30-40 minute interviews. Within-case analysis and cross…

Over 60 years of conflicting messaging about the usefulness and impact of grammar on writing has guided instructional practice in K-12 classrooms across the country. In Florida, like many other states, reading scores have continued to decline despite multiple efforts to identify the root causes of learning deficiencies. Even though research…

This applied dissertation was designed to describe the research-based practices used by middle school teachers of multilingual or ELL students in the subject area courses and the teachers' self-efficacy to implement those research-based practices while teaching. Also, this study aimed to describe the impact of professional development regarding…