The first experience I had working with English Language Learner (ELL) students is a distinctive memory that emerged the basis of this capstone project. A striking experience left me to formulate the research question for this capstone project: How to promote positive identity with ELL students at the elementary level. The research indicates that it is crucial for educators to comprehend the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse children and use this knowledge to enhance their teaching practices. In fact, research suggests that there are many academic, cultural, familial, and social challenges ELL students face which impact identity development for young learners, specifically ELLs. Hence, a professional development (PD) was developed here for educators, ELL students, and their parents to discuss and collaborate on the importance of positive identity construction. Intended outcomes of the PD include educators confirming the presented research and supporting the notion to promote positive identities within their students through various teaching methods, activities, and strategies. My recommendation is that further research is needed on the effects of positive and negative identity development and how it can manifest through adolescence. This would confirm the essentiality of initiating positive identity construction beginning at the elementary level.

English as a New Language (ENL) teachers work tirelessly to service their English Language Learners (ELLs) throughout their academic careers in public schools. Not only are ENL teachers responsible for assisting ELLs to achieve proficiency in English language acquisition, they are also making content area curriculum accessible for students who are learning English. Research has uncovered that these tasks prove to be challenging for ENL teachers without the support and collaboration with their mainstream colleagues. It has identified multiple barriers to collaboration including time, pedagogical beliefs, undefined roles, and lack of preservice preparedness. Researchers revealed that these barriers can be mitigated when educators are provided with the time, space, and opportunities to work together to attend to the needs of the ELLs they work with. To address these problems and elicit collaboration in rural districts, a professional development session was proposed with the intent to inform educators on the benefits of collaboration in addition to providing them with a useful digital tool – Individualized Language Plans (ILPs), as one method of collaboration. When collaborating with their ENL colleagues, it is possible for mainstream educators to support the ELLs they work with, ensuring academic success.

Globally, bird populations have declined at a rate of 29% in the last 50 years, and shorebirds have some of the fastest rates of decline of any species group (Rosenberg 2019). Among shorebirds, the American woodcock (Scolopax minor) has been showing a steady population decline over the past 50 years. One of the leading causes of population declines experienced by Woodcock, and other early successional species, is the loss and fragmentation of habitat. I used Woodcock location data from GPS transmitters to understand how woodcock used landscapes within New York State during the breeding season and fall and spring migrations. I used a mixed effect generalized linear model to describe woodcock resource selection during the breeding season, utilizing a layer digitized from aerial imagery and the Nature Conservancy Terrestrial Habitat Map. I also developed a generalized linear model to describe woodcock landscape selection during fall and spring migration using the Environmental Protection Agency Level III Ecoregions. I found woodcock in New York used a larger area during the breeding season than previous breeding season studies, and selected for open areas such as shrublands, grasslands, and wet meadows. There were notable differences between how male and female woodcocks select for available resources. Male and female woodcocks showed similar trends in selection of ecoregions during spring and fall migration. I recommend managers consider differences in male and female selection when developing habitat management plans for woodcock. I also recommend migration stopover location patterns to be considered when developing these management plans, as stopover locations double as potential breeding locations for females in New York State.

Fostering positive relationships in the classroom for English language learners (ELLs) and general education students can be challenging at the elementary level. Oftentimes, teachers assume that students already know how to build strong friendships and obtain positive communication skills. Research shows that social skills help students build positive relationships which need to be taught and practiced effectively. Elementary students require these skills to navigate ways to connect with peers and communicate effectively with one another. In fact, classroom relations hold great value for social-emotional learning, academic performance, and their attitude toward school. Thus, by prioritizing teacher-student relationships and peer relationships in the classroom, there can be many positive impacts to the student’s education. This capstone offers a professional development (PD), where teachers will learn about the importance of fostering positive relationships in the classroom for ELLs and general education students. They will also learn effective strategies to implement in their own classrooms. At the end of this PD, teachers will have a repertoire of effective strategies to foster relationships in their classroom among peers and between teachers and students. Ultimately, educators will learn to improve classroom community by fostering positive relationships.

This thesis capstone project explores the role of parental involvement in the academic success of English language learners (ELLs) in K–12 education in the United States. It addresses the multidimensional barriers to ELL families at the district level, including language barriers, cultural differences, and limited familiarity with the United States education system, which impede effective communication between parents and teachers and decrease home support for children's education. Drawing on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and Long's Interaction Hypothesis, this project emphasizes the significance of social interaction and scaffolding in helping ELL students achieve better academic outcomes. The project proposes practical solutions to enhance parental involvement: such as organizing parent-teacher open houses, providing multilingual resources, and creating culturally responsive educational environments. These measures aim to bridge the gap between schools and ELL families and eventually create the atmosphere for practices of inclusive education within which every student should thrive. The project concludes that understanding the unique needs of ELL families holds the key to allowing educators and policymakers to design more effective parental engagement strategies. Increased parental engagement not only supports ELL students’ academic success but also strengthens the broader school community, moving toward a culture of inclusivity and mutual support.

This capstone project aims to help general education teachers who work with ELLs in their mainstream classrooms. The ELL population is large in the Utica City School District. Research shows that general education teachers are not prepared to teach ELLs. This can be detrimental for the Utica City School District due to the size of the district and the number of ELLs in the district. There are possible solutions to increasing the preparedness of general education teachers in teaching ELLs, including mandating courses that focus on ELLs, giving preservice teachers time in the classroom to work with and observe ELLs, and offering more professional development classes to in-service general education teachers. A professional development program is offered to other districts that service ELLs.

English language learners have many challenges in the middle school classroom. Among them are feeling a lack of belonging and welcome in the classroom and among their peers. This capstone project aims to present research and resources to create welcoming and affirming environments for ELL students that support the social-emotional health. When considering welcoming and affirming environments, it was found that some of the important factors to consider were student culture, family life, and classroom strategies. This capstone includes a professional development that builds on those three areas with a variety of resources and strategies for teachers looking to make their classrooms environments that benefit the social-emotional health of middle school students. Through the incorporation of research based strategies, teachers will gain the knowledge and resources necessary to make their classrooms places where ELLs can feel they belong and are welcomed into the learning environment.

The population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in schools is increasing across the U.S. However, mainstream teachers are facing issues in being able to adequately support ELLs in the general education classroom. The literature emphasizes the importance of teacher preparation, and providing mainstream teachers with the knowledge, strategies, and tools to effectively teach ELLs. To address these challenges, a professional development (PD) program was created for mainstream middle school teachers to expand their knowledge and skills in educating the ELL population. It is essential that teachers become educated in pedagogical frameworks, lesson planning for ELLs, and culturally responsive teaching. ELLs academic outcomes and social-emotional well-being will be positively impacted due to improved instructional strategies and a culturally responsive learning environment. Recommendations include school districts collecting data from teachers and students to discover the most relevant PD programs for teachers to attend. Another recommendation is for school districts to require new teacher candidates to participate in ELL centered training sessions that will prepare them specifically for the demographics of the school they will be teaching in. Extensive research beyond this capstone can be done in the area of teacher advocacy for ELLs to further support mainstream teachers in their work with ELLs.