Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of The Read-Aloud And Extended Time Accommodations On Naep Fourth And Eighth Grade Reading And Mathematics For Students With Disabilities, Ida Tam

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the read-aloud and extended time testing accommodations on the fourth and eighth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and math for students with disabilities. This non-experimental study used the 2013 reading and math NAEP, restricted data set, to examine the fourth and eighth grade students with disabilities with test accommodations compared to the students with disabilities who did not receive testing accommodations. This study had a large sample size and is considered to be representative of the performance of the student population within the nation. The …

Equity-Minded Teacher Preparation In The California Community College, Jesus Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

California Community Colleges (CCC) is the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the United States. It serves 2.1 million students, 54% of whom are from historically racially marginalized communities in the United States (California Community College Chancellor’s Offices, 2020). As with all higher education settings in this country, such diversity results in large racial disparities in classroom outcomes. While the classroom remains the primary point of contact for students, CCC instruction is vastly underresearched, with existing research tending to focus on issues outside the classroom (Zapata, 2019). In an effort to identify an effective method to support …

The Impact Of Generational Differences Between Generation Z To Generation Y On Community College Degree Completion: A Comparative Analysis, Theresa Saladino

Theses and Dissertations

Current persistence and completion rates have moved to the forefront in higher education nationwide. A new generation of Americans is on the rise: highly entrepreneurial, pluralistic, and determined to take charge of their own futures. There is a demand for colleges to provide more creative ways of serving and retaining students. Generation Z students, born between 1997 and 2012, compromise the population of traditional aged students, ages 18-24. This group compromises 26% of our population (Pew Research, 2018). Although completion rates at higher education institutions have been studied extensively, there is very little known on how Generation Z is fairing. …

The Confusing Problem Of Overlapping Internalizing And Externalizing Dimensions: What Should We Do?, Aubrey Faber

Theses and Dissertations

The structure of psychopathology contributes to understanding the etiology and treatment of mental health disorders. Comorbidity is common, and the high correlation between dimensions may limit the research findings associated with a single dimension. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate different models of internalizing and externalizing in child psychopathology and (2) evaluate the relationships between other variables and dimensions of internalizing and externalizing across models that did and did not account for the correlation between dimensions. The first hypothesis was that a bifactor model, including a general psychopathology (P) factor and internalizing and externalizing factors, would provide …

Improving Co-Teachers’ Relationship: How Teaching Experience Affects Perceptions Of Teamwork, Asher Samuel

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is an instructional strategy wherein two teachers, a general education teacher and a special education teacher, share instructional responsibilities in a general education class that includes students with disabilities (SWDs) (Friend, 2010). Co-teaching has emerged as a strategy for ensuring that SWDs are taught to the general education curriculum while receiving specially designed instruction within the least restrictive environment (LRE) appropriate to their needs. One of the most important components of co-teaching is the relationship between the two teachers (Kohler-Evans, 2006), which has been described as a professional marriage (Friend, 2010). However, there is limited information on the factors …

Oil/Water Nanoemulsion Biodistribution In Mice Upon Intravenous Administration, Jiayi Chen

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to explore the biodistribution of O/W nanoemulsions (NE) upon intravenous administration. Three NEs were prepared with distinctive droplet sizes: SE (29 ± 1 nm), ME (214 ± 2 nm) and LE (883 ± 16 nm) without overlapping of the size distribution. Kolliphor® HS15 was used as the only surfactant for these three NEs, so that their droplets had similar surface structure. The NEs droplet size was stable under room temperature for minimum 3 days in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and in mice plasma in vitro for 4-hour at 37°C. A lipophilic fluorescent dye, 1, 1’-dioctadecyl-3, 3, …

The Misconception Of Cornelius Packard Rhoads, Savita Sukul

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this investigation is to determine whether or not the notorious Cornelius Packard Rhoads should be considered racist for his time period. The medical practitioners during the early 1900’s did not typically censor their dialogue and actions when referring to minorities, so it will be essential to study their rhetoric in medical journals for that time period. I will also pay close attention to how Rhoads was spoken about in articles during his era versus contemporary society. The significance of contemporary bias in contemporary writing will be beneficial to note as the distinction in context may provide …

Positive Family Intervention For Families Of Children With Fragile X Syndrome: Using Telehealth To Reduce Problem Behavior And Improve Maternal Mental Health, Carmen Ann Kemper Mootz

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Positive Family Intervention (PFI), delivered via teletherapy, for a family of a child diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome (FXS). PFI combines elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive-behavior support (PBS). A single-subject AB design was used across one participant to evaluate changes in observed problem behavior. Following nine weeks of baseline data collection, the participating mother was administered PFI via WebEx for eight 90-minute sessions, once per week. After the treatment was complete, three weeks of post-treatment follow-up data on problem behavior were collected from video- recordings. The participant uploaded …

The Impact Of Homework On Families Of Elementary Students And Parents’ Perceptions Of Their Abilities To Help With Homework, Keri Murphy-Sabella

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of giving homework to elementary aged children has been debated for a number of years. Much of the research on traditional homework completion does not show a positive relationship to academic achievement for this age group, yet the practice continues. The purpose of this convergent mixed method design was to investigate the differences in the views of homework, held by parents of K-5 students and educators of K-5 students, specifically their views of homework regarding its effectiveness. Furthermore, this study investigated the homework experiences of these families and explored parent perceptions of their abilities to effectively provide homework …

Agal Antigen And Rutinose Glycosides As Model Compounds For The Design Of Classical And Conformational Glycomimetics, Dhwani Ashish Mehta

Theses and Dissertations

αGal or Galili epitope (αGal(1→3)βGal(1→4)GlcNAc) is a natural trisaccharide associated with cell-surface glycoproteins of certain mammalian and non-mammalian cells. The saccharide is not expressed by humans and anti-αGal antibodies account for ~1% of the total circulating antibodies in sera as a result of our constant exposition to the antigen from food and intestinal flora. Our interest in αGal relies on its involvement in a variety of pathologies including red meat allergy, hyperacute xenotransplant rejection, and parasitic and bacterial infections. In particular, we have an interest in developing structurally simple glycomimetics for engaging in high-affinity binding αGal-recognizing receptors such as the …

Teacher Trust In The Principal: Does It Impact Achievement For Students With Disabilities And English Language Learners?, William Fahey

Theses and Dissertations

School improvement continues to remain a focus across the nation as evidenced in the U.S. Department of Education Performance Plan (2017) and the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA). Achievement gaps continue to exist for certain populations, specifically Students with Disabilities (SWDs) and English Language Learners (ELLs). Building on the school improvement research of Bryk, Bende-Sebring, Allensworth and Luppescu (2010) and the relational trust research of Hoy and Tschannen-Moran (1998, 1999, 2003), this research study examined the relationship between teacher-principal trust items on the NYC School Survey and student achievement on state assessments over a four-year period for four student sub-groups: …

Chemical Synthesis And Evaluation Of Azotochelin Analogs As Anticancer Agents And Their Ability To Reverse Anticancer Drug Resistance, Nishant Karadkhelkar

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer has been plaguing the humanity for several decades. In the meanwhile, multi-drug resistance (MDR) is causing abatement of effective therapeutic drugs, necessitating discovery of new class of anticancer agents. Natural products have been proved to be a promising source of structurally new anticancer agents. A specific class of bacterial secondary metabolites, named siderophores have been explored as potential anticancer agents. Enterobactin is one of the most studied siderophores as a potential anticancer agent. Azotochelin is a structurally similar but structurally simpler siderophore compared to enterobactin. Our research project focused on the evaluation of the structure activity relationship assessment of …

“Peel It Back Slowly” And “Rolling Right Along”: A Collection Of Body Horror Stories, Vincent Manta

Theses and Dissertations

Body horror, or any sort of horror story detailing grotesque changes in one’s body, has long been considered unworthy of academic discussion and critique. It was not until recently that genres like body horror that fall into the realm of “low culture” have actually been studied seriously. The two stories in this collection enter into dialogue with modern genre, film, and gender studies in an attempt to comment on the current state of body horror and how its tropes function in modern storytelling. Focusing these stories on interpersonal relationships allows the horrors of the body to take front and center …

Language Acquisition In Bilingual Education And Full Immersion In English As A New Language Programs: An Explorative Case Study Of Three Elementary Schools, Rhonda Gracey Antoine

Theses and Dissertations

With a growing English Language Learners (ELL) population in New York State (NYS), schools need to investigate best practices to serve this population. Based on a NYS Regulation, CR 154-2, districts with 20 or more ELL students who speak the same language at any given grade level should provide bilingual education (BE) all day, while districts with fewer than 20 students who speak the same home language at any given grade level may take English as a New Language (ENL) classes all day. Bilingual classes, where instruction is provided in a mix of English and the students’ home language, typically …

Using Technology As An Independent Learning Strategy To Support Vocabulary Acquisition For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Donna M. Egan

Theses and Dissertations

Students at the secondary level encounter a plethora of content-rich, content-area texts. To achieve comprehension of these content-area texts, students are required to know the meanings, relationships, and contextual interpretations of each new vocabulary word. Students, especially exceptional students (those who have an Individualized Education Plan), struggle with academic demands, challenges of tiered vocabulary, and the lack of comprehensive vocabulary instruction. Researchers have examined the outcomes of computer-assisted instruction on exceptional students’ vocabulary development using various technology. To meet the critical academic vocabulary acquisition needs of secondary students with exceptionalities, research encourages using technological applications as independent word-learning strategies. This …

21st Century Learning Skills In Education And Employability, William Xavier Toro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to research a diverse school in Westchester County, New York to analyze whether it is aligned to 21st century practices. This study used both qualitative and quantitative data from focus-group interviews, surveys and non-participant observations with administrators, teachers and department chairpersons to determine whether the school is aligned with 21st century practices to create an employable 21st century student. Furthermore, this study attempted to determine what gaps exist to make a student employable according to the needs of today and the future.

By analyzing the literature review, the researcher developed a conceptual framework. …

Investigation Of Compaction Behavior Of Pharmaceutical Powders: An Elucidation Based On Percolation Theory, Saurabh Maheshwari Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

Pharmaceutical product development has evolved from conventional empirical approach towards the more systematic and science based approach over the past decades. However, the process of tableting and compaction behavior of pharmaceutical powders is still ambiguous and not well understood. In the present study, a comprehensive attempt has been made to understand this complex and dynamic process of compaction of disordered pharmaceutical powders using percolation phenomenon. Commonly used pharmaceutical powder materials, spheres and their binary mixtures of different particle sizes, crystal structure and deformation behavior were compressed at varying compression loads at different relative densities. Mechanical strength of tablets, namely radial …

In Determining The Disparity Between English As A New Language Policy And The English Language Learner High School Graduation Completion, Lilibeth Bernal

Theses and Dissertations

Through a constant growing population of English language learners (ELL) within schools, there is a need to bridge the achievement gap effectively. Currently from the ELL population in New York State, 63.3% of ELLs are considered Newcomers (NYSED, 2019). Newcomer ELLs have been in US Schools for less than three years. The importance of looking at the perceptions of students and teachers within a stand-alone English as a new language (ENL) classroom is important in supporting the future success of English Language Learners. In knowing how the setting of a stand-alone ENL class impacts the student’s high school success can …

Intranasal Delivery Of Insulin By Nanoemulsion System, Darshana Mahendrakumar Shah

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research was to develop an o/w nanoemulsion dosage form of insulin for intranasal delivery where insulin is loaded into the oil phase of the nanoemulsion for enhanced absorption. When loaded into the lipid droplets (oil phase), insulin can be protected from enzymatic degradation, can permeate through the mucus gel barrier in a comparatively efficient manner and can be absorbed through transcellular permeation along with paracellular route. To incorporate lipophilicity to insulin molecule, several complexes of insulin with various amphiphiles were developed to load it into the oil phase. The cytotoxicity of these amphiphiles and the …

Mathematics Curricula And Their Impact On Students' Mathematic Achievement, Rossana Nargi

Theses and Dissertations

There is a broad consensus across the political spectrum on the need for K-12 education reform. The Obama administration focused on early childhood programs, common standards, charter schools, and more effective teachers. As school districts align curriculum and teaching practices with common core standards, standards-based mathematics programs are replacing traditional curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine different types of curricula used to teach mathematics and its impact on student academic achievement. This research study analyzed the results of the 2013 Fourth Grade Mathematics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Variables were developed from responses to school surveys …

Is Self-Interest At The Root Of Political Behavior? An Examination Of The Effects Of Dark Personality And Demographics On Political Beliefs And Actions, Nathan A. S. Frishberg

Theses and Dissertations

Prediction of political behavior is of interest to scientists in the fields of psychology, sociology, and politics, as well as to the lay public. Previous research has connected personality to broad political leanings, but little if any published research has examined how personality relates to voting behavior. The current study built on earlier work by examining the connections among the Dark Triad of personality (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), demographics, specific political beliefs, and political behaviors. We hypothesized that dark personality would relate to political beliefs such that those higher on the Dark Triad would show stronger support for policies that …

The Digital Classroom In The 21st Century: A Study Of K-12 Physical Educators Use Of Instructional Technology, Lois J. Kahl

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focuses on the use and implementation of instructional technology in K-12 physical education classes in suburban school districts on Long Island, New York. Novice (less than three years teaching experience), intermediate (four to fourteen years), and veteran (more than fifteen years) public school educators were interviewed on their knowledge and use of instructional technology in their current teaching methods.

Factors influencing or limiting use of instructional technology among K-12 physical educators was examined. The study includes demographics, such as gender, years of professional teaching experience, instructional technology training, computer proficiency skills, and types of instructional technology used …

Factors Affecting Teacher Self-Efficacy In Elementary Mathematics Instruction, Christine Pacinello

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of instructional strategies on teacher self-efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics to more fully understand the relationship between the two groups, and two determine what factors, if any, improve mathematics teaching self- efficacy beliefs of teachers.

The study was conducted in elementary schools using anonymous self- report teacher surveys. Usable data were received from 93 teachers in 47 elementary schools in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York.

The findings revealed that respondents’ perceived ability to provide feedback and clarification, as well as accommodating individual student needs, were the …

Transcendent Realities: The Search For Meaning In The Modernisms Of Yeats, Joyce, And Pound, David A. Price

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the binary of transcendence and immanence in the poetry of W. B. Yeats, The Cantos of Ezra Pound, and James Joyce’s Ulysses. Utilizing a theoretical lens provided primarily through the writings of Jacques Derrida and an historical context established by Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age, the paper argues that the literary texts of Yeats, Pound, and Joyce deconstruct a Western cultural history of a transcendent-immanent binary and seek to revive elements of the transcendent as a cure to the consequences of the dominant materialist-immanent worldview of Enlightenment modernity. This paper relies on the distinction between twentieth century …

Integrating Emerging Writers Into The Post-Remedial College: A Consideration Of Accelerated Learning Programs, Meridith Anne Leo

Theses and Dissertations

For nearly thirty years the field of composition studies has struggled to address the needs of at-risk students who attend the two-year community college. While some states have opted to eliminate “remediation” programs, others have developed unique approaches to working with students who need support in order to succeed in college level courses. Out of the necessity for alterations to traditional “developmental” writing courses and programs, the Accelerated Learning Program model came into existence. In 2007 at the Community College of Baltimore County Dr. Peter Adams and his colleagues set out a plan to redefine the field of traditional “developmental” …

An 'Alter Kampfer' At The Forefront Of The Holocaust: Otto Ohlendorf Between Careerism And Nazi Fundamentalism, Jennifer B. Capani

Theses and Dissertations

On April 7th, 1951, Holocaust perpetrator Otto Ohlendorf’s death sentence was carried out according to the ruling of the United States Military Courts in Nuremberg. In The United States vs. Otto Ohlendorf, et. al., leaders of the Einsatzgruppen, mobile killing units, were tried for war crimes which led to the deaths of millions of Jews and partisans. Under Ohlendorf’s leadership of Einsatzgruppen D, more than 90,000 people were liquidated in the Ukraine. After this assignment, Ohlendorf resumed his positions head of Domestic Security in the Reich Security Main Office. As the war ended, he surrendered, and revealed the full scope …

A Comparative, Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Teacher Participation In Virtual Communities Of Practice On The Level Of Professional Capital Within Their Respective Organizations, John Patrick Klocek

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative, phenomenological, qualitative study is to evaluate the perceptions of expert teacher practitioners and their administrators on the impact that their participation in VCOPs has had on what Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) coined the Professional Capital of their organizations. How has the teachers’ development of a PLN or their participation in a VCOP fostered their growth as individuals or their Human Capital? How, in turn, has the expert teachers’ increased knowledge base furthered instructional practices, promoted the development of next practices, and enhanced their organization’s Social Capital? Finally, how has this new knowledge impacted the decisions …

A Study Of Census Driven Data In Single Parent Families And Their Implications, Lynn Coyle

Theses and Dissertations

Demographics for all school districts in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York were disseminated and analyzed in order to better understand where the highest percentage of single-parent households were located, how school districts support parents and children of single-parent households and how they could better assist them. As an outcome of this analysis, needs were identified in order to assist school leaders in creating an in-school support program. Researching the problems, challenges, and obstacles children face while living in single-parent households were an aid in this study. A preventative, mental health approach, an aspect of public health, is needed in …

A Descriptive Study Of Funded Homeless Education Programs: Barriers And Supports In New York State, Kerri A. Canzone

Theses and Dissertations

With the issue of homelessness ever-present in our educational system, it is important to examine current barriers and supports in the education of students experiencing homelessness. It is also critical to examine the academic achievement of this special population of at-risk students. Descriptive information was sought about types of barriers to education access and success, as well as supports and academic achievement in New York State-funded Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and to ascertain what educational leaders are doing to meet the educational needs of their homeless student population. Regional differences among barriers and supports were examined, as well as English …

Developmental Regulation Of Apoptosis In Zebrafish Oocytes, 64-Cell Stage Blastomeres, And Germ-Ring Stage Embryos, Javier Francisco Negrón

Theses and Dissertations

The zebrafish early embryo acquires a general capability for apoptosis as a consequence of passage through the maternal-zygotic transition, the time that marks the beginning of zygotic transcription and the degradation of inherited maternal factors. We describe in detail the origin and regulation of the programmed cell death machinery found in the zebrafish early embryo. To elicit an apoptotic response from zebrafish early embryos, gastrulating germ-ring stage embryos were chronically exposed to the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. Chronic exposure of germ-ring stage embryos to cycloheximide resulted in the rapid activation of an apoptotic response by the embryos, which was evident …