The Doctor of Education degree at Sacred Heart University has a concentration in Social, Emotional and Academic Leadership. It is housed within the Farrington College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Educational and Literacy Leadership. The 60-credit program includes a doctoral dissertation based on the principles of Improvement Science. Candidates analyze a complex problem of practice, examine root causes, research, implement and assess changes in practice designed to address the issue. The result is a Dissertation in Practice modeled after the guidelines of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), of which our college is a member.
Theses/Dissertations from 2026
Helping the Helpers: Addressing Burnout in Mental Health Providers in Schools, Julianna Calapai
Developing Teacher Leaders: The Impact of Instructional Coaching On Middle School Math Teachers’ Mindsets, Instructional Strategies, and Student Outcomes, Odena LaFreniere
From Passive to Active Learning: How Building Thinking Classrooms (Btc) Strategies Shape Teacher Perceptions of Student Social-emotional Development, Diane Maria Leja
Rise: Renew, Inspire, Strengthen, and Empower: A Healing-centered Affinity Space, Elba Llantin-Cruz
Cultivating Positive Emotion Through Gratitude: A Mixed-methods Study of World Language Teachers, Allyson Magrath Power
Enhancing Teacher Well-being and Resilience Through Scheduled Daily Mindfulness Practices: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study, Laura K. Mallett
Exploring the Impact of the Video Game Model on Classroom Climate in a High-achieving High School, W. Michael McLachlan III
Enhancing Paraprofessional Self-efficacy and Skill: The Impact of Trauma-informed Professional Learning on Support for Middle School Students With Disabilitie, Betsy Jean Paddock
“We Learned So Much More About Each Other”: Strengthening Student-educator Relationships Through Culturally Affirming Practices, Ashley R. Routhier
Building Culturally Responsive Attendance Practices to Decrease Chronic Absenteeism, Alyssa R. Serville
Mission Critical: A Mixed-Methods Study on Strengthening the Ninthgrade Trajectory for At-risk Students, Jennifer A. Skitromo
Empowering Paraeducators: A Mixed Methods Study of Targeted Paraeducator Training in Trauma-informed and Restorative Practices, Amy K. Stevenson
Completing the Circle: Consultee-centered Group Consultation as Professional Development to Improve Restorative Practices Implementation in a Middle School, Sara A. Tennyson
Theses/Dissertations from 2025
Teaching on the Edge of the Snap: Exploring the Constraints and Capacities of Emotion Regulation, Kate Atwood Heyboer
Changing Mindsets: Building Teacher Efficacy to Increase School Connectedness & Reduce Disruptive Behaviors, Laurie Lynn Bankowski
An Improvement Science In Practice: Empowering Paraeducators Working With Students With Disabilities In Supporting Student Engagement And Self-Regulation, Carol Anne Barnes
Using Function-Based Thinking To Support Adaptive Student Behavior For Elementary Students, Hilary R. Baude
Trust Brokers and Connectors: Cultivation of Trust and the Trusted Adult in High School, Vae L. Champagne
Climate Change in An Urban Catholic School: Taking the Temperature With a Three-Pronged SEl Intervention, Christa Marie Chodkowski
The Power of Joy in Education: Exploring the Impact of Joyous Pedagogy on Exclusionary Discipline at a Diverse Middle School, Tanya N. Collins
Using Community Circles to Build A Sense Of Belonging In Kindergarten, Andrea J. D’Aiuto
Unlocking Potential: Empowering Educators to Support Girls With Adhd Through Gender-Informed Training, Teresa Davis
Protecting The Dignity Of The Child: A Study In Trauma-Sensitive Practices And Collective Efficacy In An Alternative Educational Setting, Erin Dessureau-O'Hara
Teacher Mindset: Improving Academic Outcomes for Students With Disabilities, Tracy A. Edwards
Building Educator SEl Capacity To Support Disruptive Student Behavior, Kendall Eshenfelder Fenton
Isolating The Causes Instead Of The Student: Building Belonging And Connectedness Among And With Students, Cheryl Ann Faga
Empowering Educational Leaders: Elevating Social-Emotional Learning Through Transformative Professional Learning, Jennifer Hoffman
Exploring Student Engagement in Urban Public High Schools: An Improvement Science Study, Ashley Hunter Freeman
Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Through Transformative Strengths And Self-Efficacy-Based Family Engagement And Learner Support, Gemma Joseph-Lumpkin
Strengthening Educators' Metacognitive Instructional And Assessment Practices To Support The Academic Achievement Of Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth, Meredith G. Kennedy
Exploring Educator Attitudes and Their Impact on Racial Inequities In School Discipline, Chanel Renee` Rice
Building Collective Teacher Efficacy for Student Engagement: A Rural School-based Approach to Mental Health Promotion, Jennifer Lynn Riggle
Fostering Educator Well-Being To Manage Job-Related Teacher Stress, Jennifer L. Ringelheim
Shifting the Narrative: Photovoice as a Strategy to Highlight, Interrupt, And Challenge Anti-blackness in Educational Spaces, Bianca Shinn
Improving Early Intervention Team Practices: A Single-Case Design, Christopher Jay Siano
Leveraging Elementary Teachers' Social-Emotional Competencies Through Educational Neuroscience, Kara Sievel
Empowering Educators: Implementing Trauma-informed Practices To Support Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Danielle A. Spadaccino
Addressing School Counselor Occupational Stress: An Improvement Science Study in Redefining Roles, Anthony Tumolo
Improving Teacher Capacity to Support Student Wellness in the Classroom, Kelli M. Wedgewood
Lessons Through Affirmations: Increasing Educators’ Capacity to Empower Children to Push Through, Jasmyn N. Wright
Theses/Dissertations from 2024
Improving School Climate: The Impact Of A Perma-Based Intervention On Educators' Well-Being And Emotional Intelligence, Jennifer Andrews Kenney
Building Teacher Resiliency To Alleviate Burnout: An Action Research Study In An Urban Middle School, Alyssa Christine Barrett
Empowering Parents As Partners In Learning: Practices For Developing A Robust Home Learning Environment, Jennifer L. Bencivengo
Redefining the "Good Kids": A Mixed Methods Improvement Science Study in Mitigating Implicit Bias in Behavior Management Practices, Gabrielle Renee Delgado
Optimizing Partnership Impact: Prioritizing High-Quality Social-Emotional Learning In A Sports Enrichment Out-Of-School Time Program, Julie Thompson Goldstein
Love One Another! Merging Biblical Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning: A Framework for Introducing SEL in Christian Schools, Nancy Pittard Jones
Bringing Our Folding Chair To The Table: Adopting Social Justice Through The Retention Of Black Women Educational Leaders, Jasmin Osborne
