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Can Principals’ Personality Traits Predict Their Risk-Taking: Uncertainty And Success Orientation As They Relate To Risk Propensity, Bruce A. Evans

Dissertations

This exploratory investigation compared the personality traits uncertainty orientation and success orientation of Michigan principals with their risk-taking propensities. The personality traits were correlated individually with the risk-taking of principals and both traits were combined to examine their additive effect. The principals' personality traits and their risk-taking were also compared by gender.

One-third o f the public school principals in Michigan were chosen and targeted as subjects for study. The study concluded a significant positive correlation between uncertainty orientation and success orientation existed. The Pearson coefficient was r = 0.39. However the alpha level was a = 0.003. The findings …

Women’S Ways Of Leading? A Qualitative Content Analysis To Determine Leadership Messages Contained In Literature Of National Panhellenic Conference Groups, Andrea M. Fechner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study documented the leadership messages sent to women in 16 of the National Panhellenic Conference groups' official literature. The purpose of the study was to provide detailed descriptive analysis using excerpts from the official literature to show both traditional and non-traditional (women's ways of leading) theoretical themes as well as to determine the use of followership versus leadership messages to women. The approach to this study was the use of qualitative content analysis whereby messages were collapsed into larger theme categories. Datum from content analysis was represented in excerpts and quotes from the official literature of the 16 groups …

The Study Of The Perceived Effectiveness Of Resident Assistant Training At Rowan University, April Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of training design, format and length in preparing RA's for their positions. The participants for this study included residence life professional staff, hall directors and resident assistants. Because the population was small, all members were sampled.

This study consisted of a survey that was administered to all current and eight former RA's as well as a similar survey that was administered to the professional staff and hall directors. This survey addressed the effectiveness of the current training designs, as well as training formats and length. Additional archival data came from …

Conflict Resolution And Anger Management, Lori M. Kling

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Lori M. Kling on September 11, 2000.

A World Of Difference: A Multicultural Program, Newton Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to develop aggregated understandings of bias and how it affects violence in a school's culture using action research. The study, through A World of Difference Program's Anti-Bias Study Guide and peer interventions, will result in improved cultural relations. At this stage in the research, bias is studied and acknowledged.

A fifty thousand-dollar grant was awarded to Atlantic City's Board of Education, with one school piloting the program. The A World of Difference Program focuses on training, education, and interactive activities. Student and teacher volunteers who do the work will recognize and realize, through communications, …

A School Discipline Plan, Thomas J. Campo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a comprehensive school discipline plan in an elementary school setting where no definitive discipline plan previously existed. This study will take place at the Charles L. Spragg School in Egg Harbor City. C.L. Spragg is a Pre-K to grade 4 school with approximately 375 students from diverse multi-cultural backgrounds. The study will focus around the development and use of a comprehensive disciplinary referral form. This form will serve as the research instrument as data analysis will be bases on the total number of forms completed by teachers during the time …

Teacher Motivation, Lisa Francks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to ascertain the causes of decreased teacher motivation in order to provide assistance to first year teachers and other novice teachers who were experiencing difficulties. In addition, the study determined whether teachers who went through a teacher assistance program sustained a higher degree of motivation and enthusiasm towards teaching than those who were not assisted. The study provided a basis for developing a beginning teacher assistance program. As a result, the intern developed a mentoring program to offer novice teachers a means of coping with many of the difficulties they periodically faced.

The intern …

Examining The Need For And Completing A Revision Of The New Teacher Mentoring Program At Burlington City High School, Aimee Davis Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to improve the new teacher mentoring services offered at Burlington City High School to provide a more effective assimilation of first-year teachers and experienced teachers new to the school. The intern studied the mentoring practices in place at BCHS, interviewed veteran staff, and surveyed new teachers regarding the program. The conclusions of the study indicated a need for revised and improved mentoring practices, and suggested a need for increased collaboration among staff. Based on the information collected and research on mentoring, the intern developed a New Teacher Assimilation Program, to be initiated in the …

Streamlining The Accounts Payable Purchase Order Procedure And Approval Process, Alan B. Parmelee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a uniform method for purchasing materials and equipment for the Sea Isle City Public School District and to bring about a change in the organizational culture that would support those changes in procedure.

The intern utilized open-ended action research and his problem solving skills to analyze the practices currently in use, to research statute and code and for conditions and limitations of public sector purchasing practices and to review other relevant purchasing manuals and procedures. Informal interviews were conducted among staff to gauge the level of their knowledge of purchasing requirements.

As …

Identifying The Role Of The School Business Administrator, Diana L. Schiraldi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the school business administrator and to determine the congruency or incongruency between role expectations of the business administrator and actual role performance. Individuals participating in this study were the school business administrator and seventeen of his role set partners. Role set partners included the superintendent of schools, four district level administrators, eight building level administrators, two board members, a teacher and a custodial supervisor. Participants were surveyed using a written questionnaire to determine their views of the business administrator's role. The business administrator's daily activities were documented through shadowing. …

Communicating Special Education Student Performance, Michael C. Dicken

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to develop effective methods and strategies of communicating special education student progress to the student's parent and school district representatives. The research problem was posed in two questions. (1) What are the effective methods of reporting special education student progress to their parents and school district representatives? (2) Are the current methods of interpersonal communication between special education teachers and the parents of those students promoting academic and behavioral growth within the student population?

Approximately 150 subjects were involved in this project. These subjects were special education teachers, parents of special education students, and …

Effective Programming Of A School District's Educational Access Channel, Darren J. Hickman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a district policy and practice of collecting and disseminating school information and public service announcements to the public using Atlantic City Public Schools' educational access channel, ACTV Channel 2. Using a case study research design, the project will result in an evaluation of current usage by parents and families of children who attend Atlantic City Public Schools and what they would like to view.

An upgrade in programming with more educational programs was a major objective for this study. To assist in programming improvement, a questionnaire survey was developed and was administered …

An Administrative Internship Experience At Maple Shade Junior/Senior High School, Maple Shade, New Jersey, 1999-2000, Frank Jankowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a plan that would allow teachers in the junior high at Maple Shade High School to incorporate technology into their lessons on a more consistent basis. The use of technology would improve learning and better prepare our students for the future.

The intern used interview and survey as data gathering techniques for the project. The intern brought meaning to the data through a thorough analysis of interview responses. Also, surveys were collected, coded, and analyzed.

Teacher preparation and prior teaching experience were cited as reasons behind the fear of technology. Staff claimed …

The Renaissance Concept And The Effect Of Positive Reinforcement On Student Performance, Henry N. Kobik

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of extrinsic rewards on the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation levels of high school students. To complete this task, 118 students were chosen to complete a series of surveys which measured perceived levels of academic performance and motivation. This process allowed the students to not only respond in a multiple choice format but also provided the opportunity for written feedback as well. Further information on the topic was gathered from discussion with these students. All of the participants were chosen through random selection using the school roster and they represented the …

A Multicultural Club At Hammonton High School, Mildred Peretti

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examines the attitude change among rural high school students regarding diversity and tolerance presented through a multicultural club. Fifty randomly selected students and parents of the high school were pre-tested using a survey instrument measuring needs assessment and an attitude profile. Data analysis was conducted using percentages of each of the four questions asked. The entire student body was then exposed to various multicultural facts and experiences promoted through a multicultural club. Activities included daily factual announcements, a trivia contest of information retrieval, guest speakers, music, assemblies, displays of heritage's artifacts, and relevant content knowledge integrated …

Active Collaborative Teaching, Todd R. Slimm

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the effects of teachers collaborating would have an effect on professional knowledge (pedagogy) and teacher efficacy. Teachers were exposed to three programs designed to promote collaboration (teachers talking about teaching and learning). The entire school staff was introduced to the program with 29 participants in the actual data study. Data was gathered through a questionnaire/survey/interview process. The major method of data analysis was tallies, percentages, and personal comments during interviews. The study found that the three programs had an effect on teacher collaboration. All three programs were found to be of …

The Effectiveness Of Peer Mediation On Student Behavior At The Paul W. Carleton School, Charles A. Warfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed and implemented Peer Mediation Program in an elementary school. Peer mediation is the use of third party students who are trained in the mediation process to help other students resolve interpersonal conflicts prior to their escalation to physical or verbal offenses. Students may be referred to the Peer Mediation Program by teachers or the administrator. They may also request a mediation session on their own. Disputing students who participated in the Peer Mediation Program worked cooperatively to reach an agreement with the aid of the peer …

Multicultural Teacher Education, Carol L. Birnbohm

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to create a method of incorporating multicultural thinking with current curriculums. The main goal was to have the teachers learn that multicultural education is not a one-day, once a year event, but rather a philosophy that must be a part of their everyday lessons and discussions.

Nineteen teachers and 102 students were surveyed from Cherokee High School. There were nine males and ten females in the teaching category. There were 52 male students and 50 female students.

The surveys were distributed twice to each group. The survey was first given prior to any training …

Policy And Practice Concerning Essay-Grading Criteria In Developmental English And College-Level English Programs In Tennessee Community Colleges., Walter Paul Wolford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The criteria used to grade college essays have been the subject of research for over three decades. Using quantatative data, this study investigated the differences in essay-grading criteria and essay-grading policy among full-time faculty members who teach English composition in Tennessee's community colleges.

This study revealed beliefs about the importance of essay-grading criteria and beliefs about written and unwritten essay-grading policies among those who teach developmental English, college-level English, and those who teach both levels of English. This study hypothesized that there were no differences among the English composition teacher's beliefs about the importance of the twenty essay-grading criteria nor …

Factors Influencing Middle School Teachers To Change Classroom Practice In Response To Standards-Based Reform, Gayle Yvonne Thieman

Dissertations and Theses

In an environment of systemic educational reform, which emphasizes the alignment of curriculum standards, instructional practices, and assessments, an important question arises: What are the factors which influence teachers to change their classroom practice in response to standards-based reforms ? My study examined the initial legislative model, Washington Education Reform Act HB1209 (1993), and tested other factors that led to changes in classroom practice in three middle schools which are currently implementing HB1209.

The case studies included multiple sources of evidence (administrator and teacher interviews, surveys, classroom observations, focus groups, and documents). The data were analyzed for each school individually …

An Exploration Of Common Domain Skills Necessary For Intraschool And Classroom Success, Phillip A. Hatch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is on teachers' perceptions of those classroom skills and intraschool skills needed for success in schools currently engaged in the implementation of a model of school reform. An instrument was developed based on the skills identified by the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (1992) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1989). Faculty in schools currently engaged with a model of reform responded to survey items based on two scenarios: one describing a classroom environment; the other describing an intraschool environment. Data were collected from 495 faculty members in 22 schools in …

A Case Study Of Effective Teaching Techniques For Diverse College Populations: Generation Xers And Baby Boomers, Karen O. Fritz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching techniques that could be used in college classrooms for effectively teaching two different age cohorts: Baby Boomers and Generation X students. Baby Boomers are those people born between 1946 and 1964. The subsequent generation, known as Generation X, was born between 1965 and 1981. A multi-case qualitative study was designed to include interviews with faculty, focus groups with students, and classroom observations at three different community colleges in east Tennessee. Thirty-one faculty, ranging in age from 29 to 65, comprised the faculty panel. There were 48 student participants. Half of the …

Statistical Power Analysis Of Dissertations Completed By Students Majoring In Educational Leadership At Tennessee Universities, Heping Deng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of statistical power demonstrated in recent dissertations in the field of educational leadership. Power tables provided in Cohen's (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences were used to determine the power of the statistical tests conducted in dissertations selected from five universities in Tennessee. The meta-analytic approach was used to summarize and synthesize the findings. The population of this study consisted of all dissertations successfully defended by doctoral students majoring in educational leadership/administration at East Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee State University, the University …

Classroom Management Styles And Their Link To Discipline Infractions, Joseph F. Mcginty

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to compare the classroom management styles of academic teachers to the number of in class discipline infractions, at the Burlington County Institute of Technology Vocational High School located in Medford, New Jersey. This particular sample involved eighteen academic teachers over a four-week period.

Interviews involved the building principal, the vice-principals, and assorted academic teachers. Data were compiled from surveys, personal interviews and the school's computer data bank. Data analysis consisted of using information collected from the database, interviews, questionnaires, and review of literature, to identify areas of improvement in teacher classroom management …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Portfolio Assessment For Pre-First And First Grade Teachers In Pemberton Township School District, Ursula M. Csercsevits

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to discover the effects of portfolio assessment as perceived by pre-first and first grade teachers using community based action research. The outcome of this study is data that assists in evaluating the continued use of portfolio assessment as it exists, or determining the need for adjustment to the practice. The sample group consisted of forty-two pre-first and first grade teachers currently using portfolio assessment. Data collection of this action research study began with a questionnaire distributed to all members of the sample. The cycle of research continued with interviews, classroom observations and a review …

The Effectiveness Of The Peer Mediation Program In Improving The Atmosphere In The School And Reducing Violent Acts In The School Setting, Robert Milavsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact mediation has in reducing violence in the school setting. Through the use of survey instrumentation, the researcher will gather feedback from disputants regarding the effectiveness of the program in resolving their problems. Along with a survey instrument, the researcher will conduct monthly mediation meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to gather information from the mediators in regards to both effective and ineffective mediations and ways to improve the total program.

Survey instruments will go out to all individuals participating in a mediation. It will be distributed approximately two weeks …

A Case Study Of The Effects Of The Strategic Planning Process On The Trust Level Of Administrative Staff In A K - 12 School District, Michael F. Paskewicz

Dissertations

Strategic planning is a process that has been used in the business world since the 1960s as a tool to build employee trust through the development of a shared vision and goals. Public education and other government agencies began to use the strategic planning process in the mid 1970s (Herman, 1994).

The study used data collected by a K-12 school district, two years into the strategic planning process. This study sought to determine if the trust level of administrators would be impacted by the level of participation in the strategic planning process. Trust level was defined by self rating by …

A Power Structure Study Of An Urban Superintendent's Tenure In The City Of Virginia Beach, 1967–1986, Sophia V. Stubblefield

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study examined the 19-year tenure of Dr. E. E. Brickell, superintendent of the Virginia Beach City School System. Specifically, the study has further developed an understanding of the role, expectations, and challenges of the position to identify factors that contributed to Dr. Brickell's tenure longevity.

The literature review conducted in this study revealed that specific factors contributing to a long tenure (more than 2.5 years) for a superintendent is inconclusive. The available data suggest that an interaction of political, environmental, and individual factors could effect the length of a superintendent's tenure.

A qualitative research design was used in this …

Perceptions Of Administrators, Counselors, Teachers, And Students Concerning School Safety And Violence In Selected Secondary Schools In North Louisiana, Sharilynn Duckworth-Loche

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purposes of this study were to determine the perceptions of administrators, counselors, teachers, and students, regarding levels of school safety and violence in selected secondary schools in north Louisiana; the types of violence that had the greatest impact on safety; and strategies that were currently being used to address violence in the schools. The secondary purpose was to determine the differences in perceptions of school safety and violence of administrators, counselors, and teachers by ethnic background, gender and years of experience. A tertiary purpose was to determine the perceptions of students by ethnic background, gender, age, and grade …

Site-Based Dropout Identification And Prescription Process For Alternative Education In A Diverse School System, William P. Krupp

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study developed a school site-based dropout identification and prescription process for student placement in alternative education programs in a school system with diverse residential environments—urban, rural, and suburban. The dropout performance-based and measurable predictor variables selected through discriminate function analysis were total retentions, yearly average of absences, total out-of-school suspensions, the state competency tests passed on time, total administrative hearings, and yearly average of poor grades. The combination and nature of these variables allow for early detection of potential dropouts.

While subtle differences existed between the urban, suburban, and rural prediction formulas, the variables selected produced prediction formulas with …