This collection includes Capstone Theses and Dissertations submitted by Hamline School of Education and Leadership master’s and doctoral students, respectively. Capstones are the culminating degree work and include research that draws from the student’s formal study as well as professional and personal development.

This is an online listing of the scholarly works of HSEL graduate program students. Works prior to 2015 are available in print in the Bush Memorial Library. Full text, online, prior to 2015, may be restricted to current Hamline students, faculty and staff.

See also: School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

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Theses/Dissertations from 2014

Best instructional practices in alternative learning centers in Minnesota, Ethan S. Johnson

Increasing accessibility to environmental education: providing online environmental education for high school students, Julie Ann Johnson

How does adopting a critical literacy approach to instruction in a secondary reading classroom improve the level of engagement of struggling adolescent readers?, Rhonda L. Johnson Marn

How creating a sequential and comprehensive recorder curriculum raises the performance level of music students as measured by technical skill, Ryan A. Johnson

Parent preferred components of family assessment tools in early intervention, Sara E. Johnson

Impacting the reading of informational text: explicitly teaching during-reading strategies to struggling middle school readers, Janelle D. Juberian

Writing at the Elementary Level: What English Learners are Expected to Write and How They Are Graded, Rachel Lynn Kaster

Music in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom: Improving the Whole Student Through Analysis of Contemporary Music, Kelly Marie Kennefick

Saudi International Students in Minnesota: A Preliminary Study of Acculturation by Time Spent Studying English in the United States, Alicia Mary Khalek

Patterns of Article Use in the Expository Writing of Spanish-Speaking Adult Learners of English, Jennifer Marie Killam

Going Beyond Expectations: Special Education Teachers' Experiences with Student-Centered Instruction, Allyse Nicole Knox

Reader’s Workshop Minilessons That Increase Students’ Reading Comprehension, Alissa Jean Knutson

The principalship, Katherine R. Kratofil

Bringing social studies back to third grade: curriculum for integrating literacy and social studies, Jessica R.H. Krohn

What Effect Does Teaching Leadership Skills Have on Third Grade Students?, Kristin Marie Kyllo

A Survey of Preferences of Arab ESL Students and Their Teachers in Classroom Reading Practices, Rebecca Jones Lahniche

Facilitating Meaningful Learning Experiences for Middle School Students in Short, Single Visits to an Educational Farm, Tara Laidlaw

The Most Effective Grouping Configurations to Produce the Highest Level of Student Engagement in Elementary English Language Learners, Mary Ellen Langlas

Translanguaging in the Secondary English Learner Classroom, Joseph Christian Larsen

How have literacy trends impacted teacher preparation and delivery, Tracy K. Lermon

How Special Education Students React to a Flipped-Classroom Teaching Technique in a High School Geometry Course, Emily R. Lewis

Characteristics of Adult Learners and effective staff development to consider when creating and implementing a staff development plan for Title 1 staff, Colleen M. Liegakos

No Child Left Behind Act a perspective: are educators being pressured to teach to standardize test because of this act, Victoria Sharon Long

Strategies for Integrating Basic Computer Skills and Online Resources into the Low Level ABE ESL Computer Lab to Facilitate Independent Language Learning, Erin Loughran

What it means to eat well in America: a history and happenstances of the American diet, Benjamin M. Lucca

Reading and Writing Strategies For English Language Learners With Learning Disabilities, Natia Amber Luck

Improving scores on Advanced Placement European History multiple choice tests by using student response systems, Paul Th Lund

School Culture: Connections Between Staff Morale and Student Achievement, Celia Ann Magill-Cuerden

Single-Serving Education: Measuring the Efficacy of Field Trip Educators, Elissa Erin Mallory

L-vocalization: Its Transfer into English in the Speech of Bulgarian English Learners, Anna Katharina Marco-Cortiel

What Factors Help Foster a Positive Classroom Community?, Melissa Ann Mase

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A text analysis of context clues in nonfiction literature, Julia Matson

For and of learning assessments: reading professionals' recommendations for essential adolescent comprehension progress monitoring, Jillian Yvonne Maxe

Language Immersion Implemented for Success in an Urban Setting, Christina Elizabeth Maynor

Excel Girls’ Group: Creating a Curriculum to Address Self-Worth and Goal Setting with Adolescent Females, Nicole F. McCarty

How parents and caregivers can encourage comprehension and metacognition in emergent readers during storytime, Lauren E. McClain

Teaching Vocabulary to Elementary English Language Learners, Toni Marie McDevitt

A third-grade integrated math and science curriculum unit, Joshua McKeever

How can effective models of instruction to be used for English Learners in primary grades?, Zachary J. Mernin

Ways to increase the effectiveness of public environmental education messages, Michael M. Mesch

Addressing environmental racism with activism for environmental justice, Meghan K. Miller

Finding Homeostasis in a Meteorotropic Milieu, Rachel Naomi Minerich

Techniques for examining gray wolf visitation rates to white-tailed deer fawns, Aaron W. Morris

Fundamental forces of nature with experiments and the environmental impacts, Kiumarce Mortezaee

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Understanding the role of faith communities in immigrant integration and adaptation: a case study of a Baptist church serving a Spanish-speaking congregation and an English-speaking congregation in contact, Anna Jean Mundy

Using a Book Club blog to motivate and support middle school readers, Kit Murley-Henspeter

Implementation and Management of Co-Teaching Practices Between ESL and Mainstream Teachers at One Middle School, Rachel Margaret Muzik

Incorporating a Supplemental Lesson into Curriculum about Educating Children on the Dangers of Antibacterial Hand Soaps, Elizabeth Rebecca Nguyen

Real world science: preparing our students for the 21st Century, Margaret A. Nufer

Engagement and motivation for adolescent males: increasing engagement and motivation for independent reading for adolescent male readers in an intervention reading class, Molly H. Oklobzija

Contributing Factors to Subtractive Bilingualism: A Systematic Review, Jenna Leigh Otten

How non-tenured, novice public school teachers describe their experience with mentoring programs, Karen L. Palmen

How scaffolded guided reading instruction impacts the growth and confidence of ELL males in a gender based classroom, Amber Palony

Effects of the Circle of Power and Respect on students' peer relationships and experiences in collaborative groups, Jacqueline P. Peck

The environmental and economical affects of sulfide mining in Northern Minnesota, Adam E. Pelot

“How much do we have to write?” A Hermeneutic Study of Long Term English Learners, Graphic Illustrations, and Adolescent Attitudes Toward Writing, Jessica Marie Pentz

Assessing the effect on engagement in using science notebooks in a secondary life science course for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, Annemarie Julia Peterson

How does Madrid’s bilingual program foster cultural competence in its students and how can this be translated into a secondary Spanish classroom in suburban Minnesota?, Megan Maus Radtke

How culturally relevant pedagogy can be utilized to create a peer conference strategy that will foster engagement and motivation for eighth grade students when discussing writing, Nicole P. Ramos

Exploring Reading Comprehension using Culturally Familiar and Unfamiliar Narrative texts in an Intermediate ESL Classroom, Rallou Mavromati Rice

Using Art to Teach Spanish in the High School Classroom, Kimberly Sanchez Rodrigues

Should grades show students' academic achievements or include other non-academic factors?, Samantha C. Sackett

So you built a LEED certified science museum, now what?: examining how science and natural history museums turn sustainable buildings into educational opportunities, Michael Sheldon Sanders

A curriculum design implementing WICOR strategies in the eighth grade English classroom, Anne Marie Satori

Social skills curriculum for students with autism, Andrea Schatzman

Combining environmental education and STEM to influence opinions, interest, and locus of control in middle school students, Angela Virginia Schilling

Creativity and technology: creating an elementary curriculum that uses technology to foster creativity, Randall S. Schlede

The Evolution of High School Hockey and Its Effects on the Social and Psychological Development of the Student-Athletes Involved, Adam William Schmidt

Implementing a Response to Intervention literacy framework at the middle school level: reflections and observations, Heather R. Schmidt

Classroom observations: a better method, Michael Schuldt

Measuring high school writing against college-level expectations, Nathan W. Schultz

How critical literacy strategies engage and deepen the thinking of secondary English Learners, Leah K. Sedler

Observations 
of 
Nonverbal Behaviors 
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Saudi
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Study, Caitlin Anne Shea

Motivation of At-Risk Students: An Examination of Self-Determination Theory Through Intrinsic Motivation, Jessica Wittman Shores

Using Science Notebooks to Facilitate Growth of Science Process Skills, Jessica Mary Simon

How do elementary teachers describe the impact of writers' workshop on students as writers?, Jason Chad Sirovy

Northern Wisconsin educators and Wisconsin’s American Indian history, culture and tribal sovereignty social study curriculum requirements, Susan Lee Solterman

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Integrating digital literacy into adult basic education curriculum, Janet Sparks

Developing an effective coaching framework that supports teachers with their literacy instruction in an elementary setting, Gina J. Spoo

The Flipped Classroom in High School Pre-Calculus, Paul Russell Stenberg

Increasing Interaction among Novice Elementary School Second Language Learners: A Preliminary Study, Angela Jean Stracke

Effective Support of Special Education Paraprofessionals to Improve Student Independence and Success, Angela Rose Swanson

Promoting student achievement and engagement using brain-based learning techniques, Erin K. Synan

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Exploring How Faculty Members in Higher Education Respond to an Assessment of their Intercultural Competency, Naomi Rae Taylor

How English teachers can use mobile learning devices to teach literature more effectively, Martha Christine Thomas

How does building background knowledge influence struggling readers motivation at the secondary level, Jacklyn Lee Thompson

What research supports as an appropriate model for English literacy instruction in K-1 classrooms in a two-way immersion program, Catherine A. Thomson

Using student outdoor learning experience to enhance science writing, Roberta M. Tietge

Engaging Students through Movement and Individualized Technology, Taimi Jean Tuomie Thomsen

After Eight: The Effect of Later School Start Times on Adolescent Learning, Robert Andrew Valaas

Exploration in culturally relevant curriculum and assessments for urban American Indian students, Laura Elizabeth Wagner

Specialty Schools, Student Engagement, and School Achievement: A Story of School Communities, Jeff Walls

The use of dramatic performance as a culturally responsive teaching tool in a science setting, Janel M. Weiland

Increasing Involvement and Communication with Parents of Somali Secondary Students, Treacy Ann Weldon

Strategies to teach English language learners vocabulary in math word problems, Julia Wiessner

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Readers theatre and prosody: comparing Spanish-speaking English learners and native English speakers, Scott Williams

Math talk: screencasting and English learners, Andrea Wilson Vazquez

How culturally responsive teaching can foster a sense of belonging for underserved students in an elementary classroom, Pang Xiong

A study of motivation and attitudes towards learning Turkish, Semra Yilmaz Ozturk

Using thinking and questioning strategies to support and help struggling readers become more engaged with text in a sixth grade reading classroom, Stephanie M. Zellmer