EDD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

Scripted/narrowed curricula are tangled in the webs of school reforms and standardization. Teachers are experiencing a monumental challenge: the deprofessionalization of their roles as educators. I sought teachers' understandings of how scripted/narrowed curricula impact their curriculum autonomy, specifically, their professional responsibility and pedagogical artistry. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from K–12 public educators in Rhode Island using an adapted Curriculum Autonomy Survey and Curriculum Autonomy interviews. I analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive and inferential statistics, which provided a broader picture of the experiences of Rhode Island educators faced with teaching scripted/narrowed curricula, and a second group emerged: teachers who develop their own curricula. Interview questions asked teachers to reflect on their experiences with the curriculum. By coding and conducting thematic analysis, I analyzed the interview transcripts, and multiple themes emerged after the data proved consistent across the survey and interview. Teachers using scripted/narrowed curricula are experiencing a loss of their curriculum autonomy. Their professional responsibility is being challenged because they are no longer stakeholders in the curricular and pedagogical decisions or curriculum changes for their content areas. This lack of decision-making has led to questioning the equity of curricula and questioning the breadth and depth of subjects and topics in curricula. These educators are facing challenges to pedagogical artistry, meaning they cannot modify/accommodate student needs or create lessons to promote cultural and social learning opportunities, and they have felt a loss of creativity in building lessons to ensure students are learning skills to be citizens of the world.

PHD, Kent State University, 2008, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Department of Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies

Based on a case study guided by grounded theory, this research sought to investigate and derive meaning from an exploration of the phenomenon of the comprehensive curriculum review process at Ashland Theological Seminary. The study was designed to address two primary research questions, which were formulated from a higher education administrator's perspective: How did the curriculum review team experience the comprehensive curriculum review process? How did the faculty and administration collaborate during the comprehensive curriculum review process?A qualitative grounded theory method was used to study the case and to identify themes and patterns, which led to generating theories. The primary data for this study were generated from in-depth interviews with 10 curriculum review team members. Five major findings emerged from this study. (a) A collectively shared guiding vision for the curriculum provided a strong foundation for the comprehensive curriculum review process. (b) Embracing curriculum as a shared or corporate responsibility among faculty and administration led to widespread participation and buy-in. (c) The collaboration of various groups within the seminary in the comprehensive curriculum review process promoted true organizational change. (d) Cultural issues regarding people and organizational structure served as barriers to collaboration during the comprehensive curriculum review process. (e) The curriculum team's sense of community and connectedness strengthened the curriculum review process. The study provides recommendations to administrators responsible for oversight of the curriculum review process and the educational institution's resources; faculty engaged in leading the process; curriculum team chairs or co-chairs; and a curriculum review team.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education)

In Turkey, the secondary mathematics curriculum, students' mathematical proficiency, and their preparation for the university entrance examinations are inextricably connected. The Ministry of National Education adopted a new curriculum in 2005 that was built on constructivist theory. This study explored the perceptions of high school mathematics teachers in Turkey regarding the effects of this new curriculum on students' mathematical proficiency and students' success on the examinations. Specifically, this study investigated two issues: • the perceptions of teachers regarding the reform and its impact on students' mathematical proficiency and their success on national university entrance examinations, and • the differences among those perceptions across types of schools and years of teaching experience. This exploratory investigation concurrently used a survey and interviewed teachers at Anatolian, general, and science high schools. The researcher designed and tested the survey and disseminated it to 162 teachers from 59 of the 81 provinces in Turkey. In addition, 18 teachers were interviewed: 9 from each of two provinces and 6 from each of the three types of schools. The researcher conducted three factorial analyses of variance and several follow-up tests to address the research questions, and analyzed the results using constuctivist theory as a framework. Teachers' perceptions of the reformed curriculum and its impact on students' mathematical proficiency were about the same regardless of school type or teaching experience. The teachers indicated that the main obstacles to implementation are lack of time, large class sizes, an unchanged university entrance examination system, and insufficient professional development. Overall, teachers' perceptions about the impact of the curriculum reform on students' success on university entrance examinations were slightly negative. Teachers perceived that the educational and examination systems conflict with each other a (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2011, Educational Leadership

Ability tracking is used in schools in the U.S. and other industrialized countries to stratify students into homogeneous ability groups as a method for delivery of instruction (Falkenstein, 2007). The strong tradition of tracking in America has socio-economic repercussions for the Nation and its students, and it continues to be debated because of the way it locks students into specific times at which they are exposed to defined curricular concepts and content, limiting college and career opportunities for low-tracked students. Like most other high schools across the state and country, Fairmont High School in the Kettering City School District in southwest Ohio utilizes a tracked curriculum. Specifically in mathematics at Fairmont, the college bound track begins with Algebra I in the ninth grade, which research shows is the gatekeeper to a college bound track. Once placed in a lower track upon entering high school, students have almost no chance of moving into the higher track. The purpose of this curriculum and administrative case study is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of an Algebra I mathematics program that was piloted in the 2009-2010 school year at Fairmont High School that aims to move a cohort of low-tracked ninth-graders into the college-bound math track at the high school level. It is called the Crossover Project. This study reveals the student achievement data from the Crossover Project students compared to students not in the program and investigates the critical components for student success. The study found that under specific conditions, high school students in the lowest track can be caught up in subjects such as mathematics sufficiently to prepare them for success in the college bound track. Due to the findings of this research, the Crossover project at Fairmont High School is being expanded to include low tracked English students and a larger segment of low tracked math students in an effort to make all students college and career-read (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The Flexner Report (1910) established the assessment that provided the standards of medical education. Although the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) has updated standards to increase the diversity of medical students throughout the years, the percentage of Black medical students identifying as women has not increased as expected. There is an underlying culture, known as hidden curriculum, in medical schools that is not known to all students but is visible in institutional policy, assessment and evaluation, funding, and institutional verbiage. During the summer 2022, five Black medical students who identified as women participated in this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study that explored how Black medical students who identify as women experience hidden curriculum during their pre-clinical years of medical education. The research questions focused on how this student population made meaning of their experiences and how it impacted them in their pre-clinical years of medical school. The results indicated that hidden curriculum is similarly experienced by the students even though their individual experiences vary. Data analysis produced six themes, including (1) the whole ecosystem that impacts a student's perceptions, (2) the real pressure on students resulting from the minority tax, (3) fear of ramifications associated with being vulnerable, (4) cultural influence on the student's pursuit of medical education, (5) semantics and actions used to communicate, and (6) the uniqueness/specialness of working on behalf of all Black medical students who identify as women.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2017, Elementary Education

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the online curriculum titled Teachers Integrating Physical Activity into the Curriculum (TIPAC). TIPAC was developed to be part of a comprehensive online learning center in which teachers can learn about physical activity integration into the classroom, regardless of the subject being taught. TIPAC was built upon sound instructional design using the Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model (2015). TIPAC incorporated best practice of curriculum design by utilizing concepts from the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Model (Bybee et al., 2006). Finally, factors known to increase teacher change, identified by Fullan (2007), were incorporated into TIPAC development. This study was guided by the following two research questions: 1. How do the outcomes of the formative evaluations inform the curriculum design process? 2. How can the Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model (2015) be used to design an instructional program that teaches the integration of physical activity into the curriculum? Dick and Carey embed formative evaluations throughout the development process at each step. Thirteen formative evaluations were performed throughout this study. Five main discoveries were made as a result of this systematic process of curriculum development: (a) the model is recursive, (b) outcomes provide guidance, (c) there is limited functionality with existing rubrics, (d) the selection and number of experts used in formative evaluations are curriculum dependent, and (d) in-person formative evaluations are essential. Additionally, three important findings emerged related to the overall functionality of the Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model (2015) in development of TIPAC: (a) formative evaluations are imperative in successful curriculum development, (b) the Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model (2015) remains a viable and informative model in the curriculum development process, and (c) (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education)

This multiple case study examines the development of teacher curriculum strategies in the selection of tasks for middle school mathematics. Two pairs of rural mathematics teachers—an experienced Grade 7 teacher and her intern, and a pair of second year Grade 8 teachers—provided text logs for the full school year leading up to their state's first assessment based on the Common Core State Standards (2012), indicating tasks assigned in class and their sources. Tasks were coded for cognitive difficulty, mathematics standard addressed, and time allowed. Each teacher was interviewed five times, for a total of 13 hours of recording, to explore their strategies for selecting assignments. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using Burke's (1954; 1966; 1969a) rhetorical methods to disengage pragmatic “attitudes-as-strategies.” The two case studies trace the development of curriculum strategies, as well as showing how very different strategies for using a new textbook can lead to nearly identical rates of use. Both the experienced teacher and the three novices provide examples of “curriculum irony”: situations in which attitudes about what is best to do are overridden by other attitudes related to the context of the classroom. It may be the case that curriculum irony provides some impetus for the evolution of curriculum strategies.

MA, Kent State University, 2016, College of the Arts / School of Art

PACE, CHRISTINE, M.A., AUGUST, 2016 ART EDUCATION ART MUSEUM EDUCATION AND WELL-BEING (161PP.) Director of Thesis: Robin Vande Zande This research looks at how well-being manifests within art museum educational programming with non-traditional participants. The specific programming studied took place onsite at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) in Quebec, Canada, where this type of programming has been in practice for almost two decades. Museum educators, administrators, and program personnel were interviewed in order to explore the ways in which well-being is perceived, defined, and implemented within curriculum and teaching at the MMFA. Program observations, content analyses, and literature reviews were all conducted, coded, and analyzed as part of this qualitative, collective case study. The goal of this research is to allow those within, as well as those outside of, the field of art education to more fully understand art museum education programming for well-being, justify a need for this type of programming, and to apply information learned as a model for future programming.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2016, Educational Leadership

This study revealed the complexities of curriculum leadership experienced by district central office curriculum administrators and how collaborations with each other led to unique, timely, and vetted resources. The study examined district central office curriculum administrators in a four county region of a Midwestern state and sought to answer three questions: How do central office curriculum administrators characterize and enact curriculum leadership? How do central office curriculum administrators collaborate with colleagues from other districts in similar positions? And, How does collaboration influence curriculum leadership? Through a conceptual lens focused on social structures of networks and communities of practice; social relationships including brokers and boundary spanners; and social interactions rooted in collaboration, this mixed methods study revealed three sets of findings. First, curriculum administrators' ubiquitous and complex curriculum leadership tended to three interrelated dimensions: student and teacher learning; curriculum artifacts and practices; and leadership grounded in systemic thinking, process development, relationship building, and leadership cultivation. The second set of findings uncovered that curriculum administrators collaborated in several types of settings (incidental, small group, and large group) while also revealing that depths of collaboration primarily included networking, partnering, and cooperating. The third set of findings established that curriculum administrators accessed and developed professional capital (human, social, and decisional) with other curriculum administrators to bolster their curriculum leadership to navigate a complex educational landscape by way of situational collaboration.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Art Education

This study examines how select aspects of art and practice are apprehended in Singapore, in terms of how they come into being, how they are known, lived and responded to. Situated within the broader context of postcolonial globalization, the study considers how art and practice can be understood within situated conditions in Singapore as a means towards decolonizing the pre-constitution of subjectivity of Singapore art in the curriculum. This qualitative research uses grounded theory, Adele Clark's situational analysis (2005) and case study to examine the interviews and works of six art/design practitioners. The work draws on concepts from Karen Barad's theory on the materialization of entities in human and non-human actions and relations (2007), Michel Foucault's grid of intelligibility (1971; 1978), and Appadurai's disjuncture and difference in the global cultural economy (1990). Using these concepts, the study considers how subjectivities are made intelligible or constituted within physical-discursive conditions in phenomena. The research investigates how practitioners come to know aspects of art and practice; how they experience, enact, and act against pre-existing subjectivities embedded in structures of practice; and how they respond to these structures in and through their work. The study examines how art/design practitioners traverse and transgress pre-existing subjectivities, and reconfigured these dynamically through splicing strategies in their ongoing becoming in the global cultural economy.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2008, English: Composition and Rhetoric

The first half of the nineteenth century was a unique period for women's rhetorical education and work. Chapter I establishes the rhetorical and physical space of the study. Congregationalist and Presbyterian denominations in New England and Ohio, affected by the Great Awakening revivals, founded schools for women out of a desire for literate female congregants and missionaries. Chapter II argues that advocates of women's education justified the value of women's evangelical speaking and writing by explaining how it fit within conservative religious and social goals: women needed to be educated to teach and convert their children and students, and to start schools for women abroad to advance the evangelical cause. Chapter III argues that because the schools for women adopted the classical, religiously-infused curriculum as well as the purpose of many schools for men, to produce ministers, women also were trained as evangelists, though for different audiences. By the last few decades of the period, the schools for women provided an institutional support for their graduates' public speaking and writing that was denied to other women rhetors of the century. Chapter IV argues that because the classical curriculum used in these schools for women had a religious focus, and because most of the textbooks were written by ministers, and had to justify their purpose in terms of their applicability to Christianity, women who used these texts had the opportunity not only for formal rhetoric and logic training, but also to see and model constant examples of arguments for Christianity in other subject matter texts. Chapter V argues that there were important extracurricular opportunities for women to practice their rhetorical skills at women's schools that were analogous to the traditional literary and debating clubs at schools for men. Chapter VI explains why this unique school environment for women did not last. Around mid-century, the religiously based classical curriculum faded (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The purpose of this self-study was to examine my enactment of 3S Understanding, a holistic, democratic and inquiry-based curriculum theory, in a university-based, English-to-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL) writing course grounded in Subject Learning, Self Learning, and Social Learning. Through disciplined reflective inquiry and collaboration with critical friends, this study set out to unpack the complexities of course planning and teaching. Data collection and analysis involved a structured, five-stage approach to identify themes, compare relationships, and interpret findings within the 3S framework. The Subject Learning findings stressed identifying the “wiggle room” for teaching artistry to address students' learning challenges and advocated for a multimodal approach to accommodate diverse learning needs. These findings also highlighted the significance of reflective inquiry in improving pedagogical practices. The findings on Self Learning emphasized fostering self-awareness and autonomy among students through reflective practices and empowering activities. They also highlighted the value of incorporating personal stories into teaching to strengthen teacher-student connections. The Social Learning findings foregrounded the importance of a collaborative, authentic, and critical thinking-focused educational environment to deepen learning and prepare students for societal participation. This study emphasizes a holistic ESOL pedagogical shift, urging teachers to integrate comprehensive, reflective, and collaborative approaches. It recommends inquiry-based, reflective practices for teacher educators, and supportive, diverse teaching environments by administrators. Learners are encouraged towards active, self-reflective engagement, connecting learning to real-world relevance. Such an approach aims to enhance language proficiency and democratic participation, fostering a deeper understanding and engagement in ESOL education across various educational roles.

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2023, College-Conservatory of Music: Conducting

The traditions of African American musics have significantly contributed to the United States and globally in just about every considered genre (art, popular, jazz, sacred, and folk), yet there is an embarrassingly insufficient number of collegiate courses offered in the mainstream curriculum to serve the needs of music students who want to learn more about the music of African Americans and the African Diaspora. With the increased percentage of students from divergent cultures, backgrounds, and experiences enrolling in collegiate music schools, standardizing a curriculum that centers the richness and valued history of their musics is vital. It is essential that an American music degree require scholarship beyond the limited scope of European music. The study of African American music is one pathway into examining the broader impact of non-European contributors on society and culture. This thesis offers a structured Afrocentric curriculum as an effective method for meeting this need. Moreover, it provides a pedagogical justification for an African American Music minor—a curriculum template with the potential to expand beyond the music of the African Diaspora into additional underrepresented cultures. An African American Music minor that appropriately fulfills the requirements of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) will not only increase the course offerings beyond those in a traditional music program, but also increase the cultural awareness and inclusivity necessary to serve the needs of an everchanging, more diverse student body in American colleges and universities.

Master of Computing and Information Systems, Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face challenges accessing traditional educational curricula. Technology has revolutionized classroom instruction, yet access remains limited for Students with ASD. This project seeks to design an inclusive computing curriculum for students with ASD based on Creative Computing Curriculum. The proposed curriculum is customized to address the unique needs of students with ASD, using visual aids, simplified language, instructional videos, and hands-on project-based learning activities that promote creativity and problem-solving abilities. By drawing upon creative computing principles, this curriculum strives to offer an engaging and accessible learning experience for Students with ASD. This paper details its development process, outlining strategies for adapting the Creative Computing Curriculum specifically for their needs. By creating an inclusive educational system we hope to promote equity and accessibility for all learners.

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

A new paradigm of music teaching and learning has emerged in secondary schools in the United States. Music educators are taking advantage of innovations in digital technologies by organizing courses in which students learn about and demonstrate music concepts through music technology. Despite the growth of such classes, technology-based music class (TBMC) curricula has not been thoroughly investigated at the national level. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to examine the current state of this emerging paradigm, and to share these insights with a variety of stakeholders including music educators, school administrators, education policymakers, and others who will influence the future of technology-based music classes. This study was organized around three research questions, each of which was formulated to address an area of concern reflected in extant music technology literature. 1. What are the features of technology-based music class (TBMC) curricula? 2. What are music educators' orientations toward TBMC curricula? 3. How do TBMC curricula align with professional music education standards? Data were collected using a researcher designed instrument based on two previously published questionnaires that examine music technology curricula and teacher attitudes toward the curriculum orientations originally proposed by Eisner and Vallance (1974). The Music Technology Curriculum Inventory (MTCI) was distributed nationally through the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) research service and through social media groups interested in TBMC. Data analysis and reporting of the N = 69 eligible responses consisted of descriptive statistics and basic qualitative content analysis of open-ended survey questions. Two exploratory groups were formed to compare agreement with academic rationalism and social reconstruction to select music technology curriculum items. Participants in this study reported high levels of non-traditional music student enroll (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Curriculum and Instruction

This qualitative case study examined the implementation of a four-week instructional unit on the Civil Rights Movement taught through a human rights lens and emphasizing written discourse in the classroom. The study was conducted in a large, urban high school in the Midwest near the end of the 2022 spring semester. The instructional unit, a critical case, was taught as part of the curriculum of an American History class required for sophomores but including some juniors and seniors. Data from 32 students who met the attendance and assignment submission requirements of the study were included. The framework for the case study was the intersection of theories of history instruction, human rights education, and discourse. Data collected included student created classwork and artifacts, teacher-researcher participant observations, and curricular and instructional materials. The research questions addressed the ways students independently and collaboratively reflected on history and human rights, the ways students engaged in analysis and critical thinking, and the ways in which they reflected on their experiences through their written discourse. Data analysis showed that students often made meaningful connections between history, human rights, and current events through written discourse, but that there were specific concepts with which they struggled such as the human rights concept of correlative duties. Additionally, students engaged in collaborative discourse that gave them the opportunity to practice human rights discourse. Students' most personal connections were made in activities and discussions in which they engaged in critical thinking and analysis. The connections made by students included comparisons between events of the Civil Rights Movement and current issues such as police brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Students also demonstrated the ability to effectively reflect on their personal and classroom experiences. These findings illustrated the (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Music

Since the end of the 19th century, musical theater has thrived and continued to grow as a prominent American artform. Though musical theater has roots in classical style singing, it quickly capitalized on the inclusion of contemporary music trends, notation, orchestration, and themes. Because of its influence from contemporary styles, musical theater is considered a part of Contemporary Commercial Music or CCM. Traditionally, if you wish to study voice at the collegiate level, the majority of your education will be classically based; however, current research has demonstrated that there is a want and a need for the inclusion of CCM, and more specifically musical theater into the collegiate voice curriculum. In 2003, Jeanette LoVetri and Edrie Means Weekly conducted a survey evaluating voice teacher training and experience. While a majority of voice teachers taught musical theater, less than half had received any sort of training to do so. The investigators concluded that a high majority of singing teachers desired more organized and consistent vocal education for CCM and especially musical theater. Later investigative surveys revealed similar results. Despite the demand, the current collegiate voice curriculum has not yet adapted to include a well-rounded curriculum inclusive of CCM styles and it is clear that the lack of CCM inclusion is negatively affecting our singers and music educators. To gauge current perceptions on the inclusion of musical theater education at the undergraduate level, this survey gathered insight from recent alumni of vocal music programs at Ohio public universities. The data was collected from a population in which n=24. While this survey serves as a pilot study, we can identify several trends among the respondents. From the study, it is evident that a percentage of Ohio voice alumni are not satisfied with the amount of musical theater education within their undergraduate voice programs. In general, those who are currently employed in (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of History

The goal of this thesis is to understand shifts in United States history curriculum over time by examining the Advanced Placement US History curriculum. Despite large changes in historical scholarship between 1958 and 2015, the American historical narrative represented in AP US History only changed gradually. This thesis uses yearly AP US History Course Guides from 1958 to 2015 and oral histories of committee members in charge of test development to illuminate the structural limitations that preserve the status quo in American history. The narrative presented through the Course Guides is evaluated through the metrics of type of history (political, social/cultural, economic, religious), gender, and race. The story of the narrative of United States history over these years is one of minor revisions in a field that needs major transformation. By improving our understanding of curriculum construction, not only will historical scholarship integrate more effectively into classrooms, but the American historical narrative will change from a focus on political players to a focus on all types of people who form and shape America.

Bachelor of Science in Education, Ashland University, 2021, Teacher Education

Many contemporary researchers and educators agree on the need to implement social-emotional learning (SEL) in modern public education to teach necessary life skills not usually covered in academic instruction. Typically SEL instruction has focused on primary-level students, but research shows that middle and high school students also benefit from SEL instruction in a very meaningful way during the critical period of development these students experience during adolescence. The field of English Language Arts in itself is a venue for straightforward SEL instruction. Many English Language Arts teachers are already implementing SEL into their curriculum, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The very nature of the field of literature and the study of it embodies SEL as readers vicariously observe and empathize with the experiences of fictional characters. This characteristic of the field creates a unique pathway to SEL instruction through the use of literature that allows for straightforward intercurricular implementation, requiring few changes to the existing curriculum. Included in this document is a curriculum guide for high school English Language Arts teachers to implement SEL into their existing academic curriculum, based on the Ohio Department of Education's new K-12 SEL Standards.

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2020, School Psychology

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which students incorporate skills, attitudes, and behaviors to deal effectively with life's daily obstacles (CASEL, 2019). Social and emotional skills are predictors of school success; thus, schools are increasingly looking for ways to develop students' social-emotional skills. SEL programs can have a long-term impact behaviorally and academically. Most SEL programs are implemented in after-school programs or added on to schools' pre-existing daily curricula. SEL is often integrated into a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and specifically provided to those students who demonstrate a need for it (Eklund, Kilpatrick, Kilgus, & Eckert, 2018). To date, few studies have investigated SEL programs that are delivered within the academic curriculum; programs that demonstrate alignment between SEL standards and academic learning standards remain largely unexplored. Using a qualitative inquiry design, the implementation of a social-emotional learning English/Language Arts program known as SELLA was examined from the perspective of participating teachers for its feasibility, acceptability, and alignment with the state's learning standards for ELA. Themes fell into two categories related to teachers' perceptions of the program experience, including: 1) areas of strength and 2) areas of suggested improvement. Additionally, three themes emerged specifically regarding alignment of the program with the state's learning standards in writing: 1) teachers needed to independently add content to meet writing standards; 2) teachers see improvements in their students writing after the SELLA program; however, they cannot deduce if that is a direct result of the SELLA program; and 3) students who do not normally participate in the general curriculum are now participating in the SELLA curriculum. The findings are presented along with implications for future research.