03/13/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Brian Marques “Building Improvement Science Capacity Through Professional Learning Community Coaching: A Multilevel Approach to Attendance Improvement."

Candidate: Brian Marques
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Building Improvement Science Capacity Through Professional Learning Community Coaching: A Multilevel Approach to Attendance Improvement

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Christina Whittlesey, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Kaitlyn Angulo, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, Black Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Critical Pedagogy, Manuscript One moves across macro, meso, and micro levels of the educational system to build an improvement theory rooted in both the scholarly literature and a local needs assessment at Crescent Academy. Manuscript Two documents a Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle examining the Clap Club, a six-week cultural empowerment intervention built around traditional hand-clapping games, with nine Black high school girls. Using a mixed-methods design that included pre- and post-administration of the Scale of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy, semi-structured interviews, observation notes, and reflective journals, the intervention surpassed its 10% improvement target: participants achieved a 30.6% mean increase in social efficacy scores, with all eight who completed both assessments showing positive growth. Six qualitative themes captured what the numbers couldn't fully hold, revealing shifts in identity affirmation, critical consciousness, and self-advocacy that were visible and real. Manuscript Three translates these findings into actionable recommendations: expanded culturally affirming programming, youth-led accountability structures, and the integration of critical consciousness development into school-wide practice.