Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Today's Diverse Student Population In Schools, Elizabeth F. Hurdle

Theses & Honors Papers

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate teacher candidates' attitude and knowledge level toward the adequacy of their teacher training for meeting the needs of a diversified school population and to make recommendations for any restructuring in a University teacher training program. A survey research method using a convenience sample size of (N = 240) was used to collect data for this study. The sample of 240 participants included graduate and undergraduate teacher candidates who had completed student teaching and alumni from the last five years. A self-developed questionnaire with 35 Likert-type questions and four open-ended questions was …

Methods Of Enhancing Communication In Preschoolers With Autism, Pam Headley

Theses & Honors Papers

Sixteen subjects were surveyed to determine their perceptions of four communication techniques used for increasing language in preschool children with autism: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT), Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA), and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The subjects included public and private special education teachers of children with autism. A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square (X²) were used to analyze the data at .05 significance level. PECS was the technique used most often. ABA was the technique perceived as most effective. Significant relationships were found between choice of …

Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis) Habitat Use In Actively Managed Forested Landscapes Of The Virginia Piedmont, Kathryn A. Durkee

Theses & Honors Papers

Bat habitat in the southeastern U.S. is being threatened by rapid deforestation and degradation, yet conservation and management strategies are limited by the paucity of accurate bat demographic and habitat-use data. I conducted summer mist-net surveys to determine species richness, relative abundance, reproductive condition, and sex ratios of the bat species occurring in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest in the Piedmont physiographic region of central Virginia. I captured 8 species: red bat (Lasiurus borealis), eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) , little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) , northern myotis (M septentrionalis ), big brown bat (Eptesicusfascus), evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), hoary bat (L. …

Islands: Jewish Themes And Images In Selected Poems Of Muriel Rukeyser, Wendy Susan Howard Gray

Theses & Honors Papers

An exploration of Rukeyser's work is a transformative experience. The reader need not come to see the world through the same lenses that Rukeyser saw it in order to be transformed. That is, one need not agree with Rukeyser that 1) the world is a place of Oneness that embraces all (even the ugliness and evil) that appears to divide it; 2) that observation is given voice by poetry; and 3) that the poet who sees suffering must, out of love, give poetry that speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. One need only put on Rukeyser's lenses for …

Special Education Teachers' Collection And Use Of Data To Measure Student Progress, Crystal Thacker

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not teachers use systematic and direct formative assessment techniques and if implementing these techniques has an effect on teacher efficacy. The participants (N = 89) were practicing special education teachers from urban and rural school divisions across Virginia and from one graduate-level course in special education. Data were collected using portions of the Data Collection and Analysis Survey (Cooke, Heward, Test, Spooner, & Courson, 1991) and selected items from the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson, 1983). The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 89 surveys distributed, …

Current Special Educator And General Educator Perceptions Of Inclusion And Collaboration As A Service Delivery Model In A Middle School Educational Setting, Kathryn Wilkens, Peggy L. Tarpley, Ph.D.

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine, through quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, current special educator and general educator perceptions of inclusion and collaboration as compared to similar perceptions examined in 1995 (Tarpley, 1995). A self-made survey was implemented to explore educator perceptions. Quantitative selective response items were analyzed using a Chi Square procedure. Methods of naturalistic inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) were used to analyze qualitative open-ended questions. Significant values were noted based on the Chi Square analysis across four demographic areas: (a) current teaching assignment, (b) area of training, (c) number of years teaching experience, …

Impact And Relationships Of Mental Health Issues, Child Maltreatment, And Juvenile Delinquency, Rebecca M. Harris

Theses & Honors Papers

Yummy was well known to the Juvenile System but, because of his young age, not much rehabilitation was offered . Yummy's behavior was considered to be unpredictable, and he would sometimes misinterpret cues from other members of society. Yummy did not have an attachment with his community . They did not like him, and he did not like them. He did not get along with his peers and would often bully and steal from them. He did not have a family support system or any other support system. Yummy did display several symptoms of mental health problems, such as truancy, …

Child Welfare Non-Compliance Issues And The Impact These Issues Have On Children And Families, Celia A. Falls-Ayers

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines child welfare problems, how our country address these issues, what services they provide, and the impact on the children and family based on the decisions of the child welfare agency. More specifically, the thesis looks at non-compliance, and studies how prevalent these issues are, if there is a distinguishable pattern between these problems, and lastly, what characteristics are shared between them.

From The Stage To The World: The Moralizing Methods Of Sir Richard Steele, Shelah Y. Simpson

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis looks at the life and literary works of Sir Richard Steel as they relate to his well-defined moral code. It analyzes the sentimentality and comedy which he works into his narratives and discusses how he uses these methods to communicate his sense of morality to his audience.

A New Search For The Neutron Electric Dipole Moment, Crystal Storey

Theses & Honors Papers

The next generation experiments to measure the neutron EDM are being proposed at the Los Alamos National Lab. The use of spin polarized ³He is a critical component of the experiment. Thus measuring the relaxation times of polarized ³He under the actual conditions of the neutron EDM is a crucial step in the success of the experiment. This paper talks about the effort underway at Duke University to measure the relaxation time of polarized ³He at cryogenic temperatures. The applications available in LabView and ExpressPCB have been used extensively in these efforts.

What Factors Motivate The Corporate Dividend Decision?, Sharon L. Kania

Theses & Honors Papers

What motivates a corporation to issue cash dividends? What specific financial factors lead management to make a decision as to the creation or amendment of theirfirm 's dividend policy? Whatfactors are common among firms issuing a dividend to their shareholders, and do these factors share a commonality across sector boundaries and market capitalization ? This study attempts to identify the impact of certain financial variables on the dividend decision/policy of a corporation by analyzing the financial data of over 10,000 publicly traded firms found through the Multexinvestor.com database using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression. The study tests …

Public Goods And Political Structures: The Story Of Reston, Va, Josh Stanfield

Theses & Honors Papers

Reston Virginia is a unique community that offers an abundance of public goods through its homeowner' s association, Reston Association. One question of interest is whether the fees charged by Reston Association to homeowner's extracts all of the public goods gains that result from Reston Association, s services. If this is true, then the selling price of a house should encompass this. Inthis paper, data were collected throughout Fairfax County housing, as well as data from Reston specifically, and a dummy variable was used to see if there is a price premium placed on housing on residential property in Reston. …

Synthesis Of Intermediates Of Receptor-Subtype Selective Lpa Antagonists, Danielle Zafrane

Theses & Honors Papers

It has been shown that 1-oleoyl lysophosphatid ic acid (LPA; 1-acyl-2-glycerol-3-phosphate) plays a vital role in the progression and proliferation of ovarian cancer. The design and synthesis of LPA receptor selective agonists and antagonists has been the focus of intense research within the last ten years .¹ During the Research Experience for Undergraduate s (REU) internship at the University of Virginia 4-bromo-2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (intermediate 43) was designed and synthesized based on earlier results. Intermediate 43 was used to modify a current LPA analogue. Modification of current LPA analogues may result in the discovery of potent and metabolically stable LPA antagonists …

Effects Of A Positive Behavior Support System On A Rural Middle School, Jessee Megan Helbert

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a positive behavior intervention system (PBS) on eighth grade students located in rural middle school. Office referral data was collected from the 2004-2005 school year---comparing September-December 2004 (Group 1) behavioral office referrals to January-April 2005 (Group 2) behavioral referrals. Group 1 data represented pre-PBS and Group 2 represented post-PBS. The data was analyzed with a paired sample t-test of dependence and showed an increase of behavior referrals for Group 2. However, due to the study's limitations and confounding variables alternative explanations are discussed.

Effects Of A School-Wide Behavior Intervention Plan On A Rural Middle School, Patricia H. Rousis

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to collect office referral data from seventh grade students at a rural middle school in order to assess the effectiveness of a school-wide Positive Behavior Support System (PBS). Pre and post implementation data was collected and evaluated.

The results of the paired samples t-test were mixed and allowed for multiple interpretations. The raw data showed that office referrals actually went up for the second half of the year once the PBS was put into action. The causation for this increase is discussed.

The Effects Of Direct Instruction Reading On The Behavior Referral Rates Of Rural Elementary Students, David Jarman

Theses & Honors Papers

What exactly is effective instruction? This heavily debated question is still at forefront of educational reform. Many factors contribute to effective instruction in the classroom, but it is critical to define effective instruction prior to describing its components. To understand the concept of effective instruction we must operationally define effective instruction as summarized by Rosenshine and Berliner (1978). they viewed effective instruction as those teacher characteristics that had a positive relationship on student achievement. We know that providing students with the most effective instruction will lead to an increase in student academic achievement. We also know these characteristics can be …