Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring A Tailored Approach For Coordinated Early Intervening Services ( Ceis ) Designed To Address Struggling General Education Students Targeted For Special Education, Denise Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative causal-comparative study examined whether early recuperativeDepartment of Education (DOE) Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) could significantly impact the number of underperforming general education students targeted for special education services resulting from not meeting Math and Reading grade-level state standards. Approximately 1400+ students were randomly selected from several elementary, middle, and high schools and enrolled for four years in CEIS in the Equliebeh School District. This study's findings were generated in response to several research questions that provided valuable insights into CEIS factors that impacted students' academic performance within the context of its programming. For instance, although some data …

When Curriculum Comes To Life: Making French Language ( L2 ) Acquisition A Lived Experience And The Effect Of Students' Progression Towards Proficiency, Julia Marie Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the Interactive Comprehensive (IC) Method in World Language pedagogy as it is expressed in the DJ DELF IC Curriculum, created by Steven ÉTIENNE Langlois. The IC Method and DJ DELF readers and curriculum were created in response to the 2013-2014 Ontario French as a Second Language (FSL) curriculum reform. This study conducts a qualitative case study to gain a better understanding of how the IC Method through the DJ DELF readers and curriculum affects curriculum effectiveness, language acquisition, and student engagement. These codes were taken into consideration to gain a deeper …

Occentatia: Community And Escapism Through Queer World-Building, Ian Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

55 PagesOccentatia is an investigation into queer world-building, inspired by fantasy games, electronic media, and the culture of the ‘90s and early 2000’s. Built by a diverse creative team of 22 artists, audiences and readers are invited to explore the medieval-Gothic world of Occentatia through drawing and illustration, video and audio, sculpture, and installation This supportive statement guides readers through inspirations, socially engaged art, insight into characters, and the development of fantastical narratives. I hope to provide clarity to my practice, displaying the need for more research on the role fantasy and gaming play in understanding queer identities, aesthetics, and …

Comparing Asian Immigrants Offending Rates With Other Immigrants., Shamim Ara Pia

Theses and Dissertations

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in the United States (U.S). They are characterized by parental attachment, school commitment, neighborhood involvement, and belief. The association between Asian immigrants and crime is multifaceted and requires an in-depth investigation. This study aims to compare the offending rates of Asian immigrants with those of other immigrants, such as immigrants from Europe, Central and South America, Australia, and Africa based on Travis Hirschi’s social bonding theory. The data for this study are drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which is a nationally representative study of students in …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adolescents’ Sense Of Self Outcomes: The Moderating Role Of Student-Teacher Relationships, Meredith Spraggon

Theses and Dissertations

This study delves into the intricate interplay between adverse childhood experiences (ACES), sense of self outcomes, and student-teacher relationships (STR). Utilizing a sample of 271 undergraduate students from a Mid-Western state, the research investigates the associations between ACES, self-esteem, social self-efficacy, and the role of STR as potential buffers against adverse outcomes. The findings revealed a high prevalence of reported ACES among participants, emphasizing the urgency to understand mitigating factors such as teacher relationships. Consistent with existing literature, ACES exhibited negative correlations with both self-esteem and social self-efficacy, underlining their detrimental impact on psychological well-being. Additionally, the study unveils a …

The Epistemological Politics Of"False Memory Syndrome", Michele Blatzheim

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1990s the psy-disciplines found themselves embroiled in one of the most acrimonious conflicts these fields have ever experienced. Often called the “Memory Wars”, this conflict emerged from the growing number of people, overwhelmingly women, alleging that a parent, overwhelmingly fathers, had sexually abused them in childhood based on previously inaccessible memories. The conflict was roughly split between clinicians who saw such delayed recall as relatively common among trauma survivors and a group of experimental psychologists who were skeptical of the veracity of such memories. The latter group would eventually ally themselves to an advocacy organization, the False Memory …

Examining The Perception Of Fresh Produce Growers On Agricultural Sustainability And Diversification, Randy Ackah

Theses and Dissertations

To meet the increasing food demand of a growing population, adopting sustainable practices should be considered a need rather than a preference. Despite the economic benefits of agricultural production, some activities performed have been identified to have detrimental effects, especially on the environment. Most of the environmental impact of agriculture usually stems from the management practices and input materials used. One way of ensuring sustainable agriculture has been identified to be agricultural diversification. Available evidence indicates that horticultural crops such as fruits and vegetables play an important role in agricultural diversification. For the fruit and vegetable industry to achieve its …

From Eighty Acres And A Mule To Two Thousand Acres And Twenty-Four Row Planters: Anxieties Of Growth In The Agriculture Sector From Family Farms, Riley Marie Francis

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the evolution of the family farm between the 1940s until the 2020s, and how the family farm may continue to evolve in future generations. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the changing reality of agriculture and how farmers think about themselves. In the early days of the United States republic, farms were a means of providing a family or localized community with food and resources. These farms participated in an economic exchange that was an early form of capitalism, characterized by meeting needs but not accruing egregious excess. Today’s agricultural system is …

Outcomes For Individuals Born Outside Of Marriage, Kathryn Dawn Keithley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the effect of being born outside of marriage (BOOM) on the future outcomes of individuals. I use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) individual-level data to follow individuals from birth to age 30 and analyze the effect of being born outside of marriage on future marital status, education level, and poverty status. I find statistically significant impacts of BOOM on future outcomes, though additional childhood controls lessen the effect. I then use arguably exogenous variation from the marital status of an individual’s grandmother at the time of their mother’s birth to instrument for external factors that …

Asset Pricing Bubbles In Agricultural Commodities, Samuel Riffle

Theses and Dissertations

Recent asset pricing bubble bursts in some markets beg the question of whether bubbles exist in others. Determining whether they exist has been investigated for years, with various approaches. This paper combines the Engle-Granger technique with a GSADF test to test for bubbles in corn and soybean futures prices. I attempt to find measures for the market fundamentals of the futures, employing PPIs and costs of production for each commodity. My findings provide some evidence for the existence of bubbles, though the results are not definitive. Overall, the findings imply a possibility for bubbles but also apossibility of true increases …

Peer Cybervictimization ( Pcv ) Among University Students In Bangladesh And Institutional Disciplinary Body ( Idb ) Under Routine Activity Theory ( Rat ), Selimul Quader

Theses and Dissertations

Research on cybervictimization of Bangladeshi students is scarce, but the research that does exist suggests a high prevalence of victimization followed by low extent of reporting. None of the extant research exclusively studied peer cybervictimization (PCV) in relation to students’ knowledge of the university authority, hereinafter the institutional disciplinary body or IDB. As per the added propositions of Routine Activity Theory (RAT) (Felson, 1995), the IDB can potentially contribute to guardianship building by alerting students about handlers-managers in the university premises and thereby reduce PCV among students. Thus, the knowledge of (the presence of) the IDB can respond to the …

Road Maintenance Through Machine Learning, Yashwanth Sai Rachala

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the use of machine learning techniques for road infrastructure maintenance. We propose an innovative machine learning-based approach to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of road maintenance strategies. The focal point of this investigation is the development and implementation of a machine learning framework to enhance road quality monitoring. We use Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to accurately predict future road conditions and identify potential areas requiring maintenance before significant deterioration occurs. This predictive approach is designed to enable a shift from reactive to proactive road maintenance, optimizing the use of limited resources and improving overall road safety. …

Factorization In Cybersecurity: A Dual Role Of Defense And Vulnerability In The Age Of Quantum Computing, Himateja Arukala

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most critical components of modern cryptography and thus cybersecurity is the ability to factor large integers quickly and efficiently. RSA encryption, one of the most used types, is based largely on the assumption that factoring for large numbers is computationally infeasible for humans and computers alike. However, with quantum computers, people can use an algorithm like Shor’s algorithm to perform the same task exponentially faster than any normal device ever could. This investigation will go into the strength and vulnerability of RSA encryption using the power of factorization in an age of quantum computers.We start by looking …

Post-High School Trajectories Of Filipino American Students: The Role Of Communication, Kathryn Anne Mayer

Theses and Dissertations

This study actively explores the intricate influences shaping the educational and career trajectories of Filipino American students post-high school. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, it unveils the intricate web of familial expectations, financial constraints, personal values, and external pressures shaping their educational and career pathways. By actively addressing research questions concerning the factors informing choices and the process of weighing competing messages, this research offers nuanced insights. It illuminates the dynamic decision-making processes within the Filipino American community, emphasizing the necessity for tailored interventions and support mechanisms. By actively engaging with these findings, this study contributes to enhancing the …

Mothers With Disabilities As Health Navigators: Narratives Of Pregnancy, Postpartum Depression, And Parenting, Agnes Amoakwa

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have focused on factors that affect pregnancy decisions, linking it to internal factors such as physical attachment and love towards children and feasibility of external factors, among others, while others have focused on experience with health professionals and accessibility of healthcare facilities and equipment during access to maternal care. While these studies are important, fewer focus has been placed on how women with disabilities navigate the postpartum phase of motherhood and the support needed to navigate through this experience. I employed the communicated narrative sense-making theory to explore the meanings of stories shared by mothers with disabilities about their …

Navigating Democracy: Perspectives On Western-Style Democracy In Africa, Matthew Edor

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the compatibility of Western-style democracy with the socio-cultural landscapes of Africa. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) within Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework and incorporating Afrocentric perspectives, the study highlights how language, power dynamics, and sociocultural practices shape the discourse on democracy in Africa. Pan-Africanism and (neo)colonialism emphasize the quest for African self-determination and the need for indigenous governance structures. The study suggests a Pan-African government structure rooted in collective values and cultural autonomy as a potential alternative to Western-style democracy. While acknowledging the limitations and challenges, the study underscores the significance of contextualizing democracy within African realities and calls …

Labor Dissent And Resistance: Unraveling Power Dynamics In The 2023 Ups Dispute Through Memes, Millicent Elewosi

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a rhetorical and critical analysis of labor memes disseminated on Twitter/X, Facebook, and Reddit during the protracted dispute between UPS labor and management in 2023. Drawing from rhetorical and argumentation frameworks, the study reveals the multifaceted nature of contemporary activist labor dissent. Through a discursive analysis of sixteen memes, the study unveils the rhetorical strategies employed by UPS workers to articulate grievances and foster solidarity within digital activist spaces. Furthermore, through a Gramscian lens, the study unravels UPS labor’s assertions of power dynamics, critiquing management’s hegemonic control and discerning moments of resistance within labor discourse. This critical …

S ( M ) Othering: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Republican Motherhood, Caroline King

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines seven Republican rhetors who utilize motherhood as a rhetorical strategy in speeches between the years of 1972 and 2020. Specifically, speeches, newsletters, and debate transcripts are analyzed using four theoretical lenses to curate an archetype of the “Republican Mother” – a concept constructed of an amalgamation of the historic “mother of the republic” from the nation’s conception and the ideological values assigned to women within the Republican party, such as traditional gender and spousal roles. I argue that it is the unique combination of womanhood, motherhood, and Republicanism that creates a unique rhetorical strategy seen in these …

Acculturation Strategy Of The First-Generation Immigrants: A Study On The Muslim Parents In The United States, Eshrat Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate the acculturation strategy of the first-generation immigrant Muslim parents in the US. This study is guided by segmented assimilation theory and data for the study was collected by employing qualitative research method. I conducted in-depth interview with twelve first-generation Muslim immigrant parents in the McLean County, Illinois to collect data for the study. The participants responded to a number of open-ended questions relating their cultural and Muslim identity, practice of their Islamic faith in your family and outside and raising their children in a different cultural environment. The finding of this study shows that the …

Digital Safe Spaces: Nonbinary Community Building On Tiktok, Alexandra Daggett

Theses and Dissertations

Queer and trans individuals have long relied on the Internet for community building and support; however, with the introduction of more than 700 anti-trans bills since the beginning of 2023 (Trans Legislation Tracker, 2024), conservatives’ consistent mocking and dehumanization of gender nonconforming people (ADL, 2023; Berg-Brousseau, 2022), and a record increase in violence specifically against nonbinary individuals (Astor, 2023), trans and nonbinary people are turning to online spaces more than ever as they endure this hostile social and political climate. While nonbinary people make up over 60% of trans adults in the U.S. (Kirzinger et al., 2023), there is very …

The Influence Of Tile Flow On The Transport-Fate Of Nitrate In The Vadose Zone Of A Saturated Riparian Buffer: A Case Study At The T3 Site In Mclean County, Central Illinois, Benedicta Karl Akrofi

Theses and Dissertations

The Midwest states have highly fertile soils representing one of the world's most intense agricultural production areas. The agricultural lands in the Midwest, including Illinois, are drained using tiles to improve the soil conditions for high productivity. However, the discharge of the tile waters directly into streams short-circuits the soil’s role in nutrient cycling (plant uptake, denitrification, microbial immobilization) and contributes to elevated nitrate as nitrogen (NO3--N) concentrations in surface waters, causing algae blooms which impairs surface waters and degrade water quality. Most NO3--N exports from tile-drained watersheds in the Midwest occur from January to June, corresponding to periods of …

Courtesy Stigma And Mental Health: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of The Mothers Of Registered Sex Offenders, Kimberly Ann Ingold

Theses and Dissertations

While there is a plethora of research exploring how registered sex offenders are negatively affected by the registry, little research has examined how the consequences of the registry affect their family members. More specifically, the mothers of registrants have received even less study even though mothers typically receive blame for their child’s outcomes - including delinquency and criminality. The current paper examines if, and how, the mothers of registrants experience courtesy stigmatization from their child’s arrest and conviction along with how that affects their personal relationships, finances, and mental health. The study utilizes a mixed-methods research design, as 178 women’s …

Commodifying The American Funeral: Impacts On Our Rituals, Grief And Values, Reilly Card

Theses and Dissertations

COMMODIFYING THE AMERICAN FUNERAL: IMPACTS ON OUR RITUALS, GRIEF, AND VALUES

REILLY CARD

63 Pages

Death is a universal experience. Everyone will die. With death comes the need to care for the deceased, and the modern solution to caring for the dead is to outsource the work. Today in America the dead are cared for by funeral homes and funeral directors. This study looks at the role commodification plays in the American funeral experiences and, in turn, how that process of commodification impacts the cultural values of the funeral. This study first examines the literature around funerals, rituals, grief and …

Vanguards Of The Apocalypse: How Christian Eschatology Shaped Early Spanish And English Empire In The New World, Brandon Dull

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of eschatology in shaping early Spanish and English colonial empire in the Americas. Historians of this period have been divided in acknowledging the role of religion, and by proxy eschatology, in the development of colonialism in the New World. By examining the way eschatology influenced colonial actors through tangible ways in how they conducted themselves or dictated policy, a narrative emerges that challenges the historiography that dismisses or downplays the spiritual in favor of solely the material. Individuals representing the Spanish and English empires were fervent believers that the end times were fast approaching, and …

#Bicultural: Social Media Use, Needs Satisfaction, And Well-Being Of Immigrants, Rachel Juliane Hecke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between immigrant's bicultural social media use (BSM), general psychological needs satisfaction (GNS), bicultural needs satisfaction (BNS), and well-being outcomes of life satisfaction (LS) and bicultural identity integration (BII). Participants included 223 individuals who use social media and identified as bicultural (many of whom were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, 60%). Participants completed online surveys. Results from correlations, SEM, and path analyses indicated that there were correlations between the variables of GNS, BNS, LS, and BII. BSM was correlated solely with BNS. Additionally, BNS fully mediated the association between BSM and …

Story Network Theory, Dramaturgy, And Cinderella: An Interdisciplinary Methodization, Jessie Anne Denning

Theses and Dissertations

Story network theory (SNT) is an analytical approach designed to form connections between chosen topics as well as to study those connections in their relations to stories, distinct story elements, and one another. This will provide a unifying process through which otherwise niche projects, information, or academic disciplines can be more effectively shared and accurately represented. Dramaturgy and fairy tale studies are utilized as an example application for SNT. Chapter Two involves Judith Roof’s work in “Out of the Bind: From Structure to System in Popular Narratives” as inspiration and introductory example of SNT elements, leading to the second half …

Building Community Support: A Multi-Scalar Archaeological Analysis Of Sewage Infrastructure In Central Illinois, Anastasia Leigh Ervin

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1920s and 1930s in Central Illinois, urban areas implemented sewage infrastructure consisting of underground sewers and sanitation plants. These sanitary districts soon became an essential service provided within the community and the established infrastructure has undergone expansion and technological updates in the decades since. I use methods and concepts of landscape archaeology in combination with 1940 Census socio-economic demographics, GIS viewshed and smellshed (buffer) analysis, and visual spatial analysis to examine the case studies of three sanitary districts in Central Illinois: Bloomington-Normal, Urbana-Champaign, and Sangamon County to evaluate how these infrastructures shaped their landscapes, or sewagescapes. Sewagescapes have …

Back In The Ring: A Survey Of The Communist Party Of The United States: 1956-1976, Zachary Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) suffered greatly under McCarthyism and by 1956 was no longer considered a viable political party by contemporary historians. Therefore, contemporary historians ignore the efforts of the CPUSA after this date. Failure to engage with the CPUSA post 1956 ignores their activity and contribution to the political and social landscape of the United States during the New Left, Civil Rights Movement, and Anti-War Movement. The CPUSA remained an influential political party and organizing power during the post-McCarty years. This survey exemplifies the methods used and spaces occupied by the CPUSA that allowed them …

No Such Thing As Nappy, Alan Roosevelt Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

This supportive statement examines how my upbringings influenced my cultural and societal perspectives and how I strive to challenge perceptions of race, history, and culture through my artwork. I include representations of people from various diasporas in drawings, prints, and animations to speak to the global reach of colorism and Eurocentrism. Influenced by the DIY nature of punk art and the urgency of protest art, I utilize materials such as Sharpies, fabric markers, collage, and cardboard. Use of cardboard suggests commercial exchange and the physical movement of goods from one place to another, as well as modern throw-away culture. Parallels …

A Network Meta-Analysis Comparing Traditional Acupuncture Points And Ashi-Points: Dealyed Onset Muscle Soreness, Yufang Shao

Theses and Dissertations

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a type of muscle injury that can occur following moderate-to-high intensity physical activity. More recently, acupuncture has been considered as an alternative treatment method for muscle injury, which includes DOMS. However, there have been no specific investigations into potential differences when using traditional acupuncture (points based on traditional Chinese medicine theory), Ashi-acupuncture (points not on Chinese meridian, also known as tender points), or sham-acupuncture (superficial points, or points neither on the Chinese meridian nor the tender points) for treatment of DOMS. PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment with traditional acupoints, Ashi points, …