Digital Commons Network^™

When Urban Education Meets Community Activism: A Case Of Student Empowerment In New Orleans, Lisa Richardson

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This is an ethnographic study of urban education and community development in the city of New Orleans. In New Orleans, as in all American cities, the public schools are at the center of local politics and the policies that affect community life. Institutions of public education have come under fire for failing to prepare youth to compete in the global economy. This is particularly true in urban communities, where schools serve a higher proportion of students of color facing greater incidences of poverty, underemployment and economic distress. As education policymakers and business leaders look to improve education, many of the …

Relationship Between Self-Perception Of Individuals With Learning Disabilities And Coping Strategies, Nicholas Frantz Pontius

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between one's understanding of his/her own learning disability (LO) and coping strategies he/she employs to mitigate the effect of the disability. The subjects (N = 120) of this study were students with learning disabilities who attended and graduated from a private school in Richmond, Virginia between 1976 and 1997. A self­-developed questionnaire with two parts was used to collect data for this study. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 120 surveys mailed, 55 (45.8%) subjects responded. Hypothesis regarding relationship between knowledge and coping strategies …

Perceptions Of Nebraska School Leaders On The Use Of Handheld Computers: Do Handheld Computers Make A Difference?, Veronica A. Huerta

Student Work

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of Nebraska school leaders on technology and particularly about the use of handheld computer technology. The data gathered and analyzed in this study will provide Nebraska school leaders with the current, data driven research to utilize in their decision making process.

The Experiences Of First-Year School Counselors From Novice To Expert, Anne E. Luther

Student Work

This study described the common lived experience of 10 first year school counselors. This study explored the experiences within four areas: relationships with staff and students, graduate program training, skills implementation, and relationships with building and district administration. The phenomenology relied on an initial structured interview after eight weeks on the job as the main data source. Other data sources included participant journal entries, non-participant observations, veteran counselor contact logs, and a follow-up interview at the end of the school year. The data triangulation and constant comparative analysis resulted in common themes that described the essence of the common lived …

The Effects Of Interdisciplinary Team Size On Student Achievement, Behavior, Attendance, And Student Perceptions About Community, James Vernon Sutfin

Student Work

This study explored the impact of interdisciplinary team size on student achievement, behavior, attendance, and perceptions about community in an affluent Midwestern suburban middle school. Interdisciplinary teams were divided up in to three-, four- and five-teacher configurations. Data were gathered through the use of the district's School Information and Management System (SIMS) as well as the School Ethical Climate Index (SECI) (Schulte et al., 2002). The dependent variables were (a) academic achievement, (b) student behavior, (c) student attendance, and (d) student perceptions about community. Independent variables were the interdisciplinary team and grade level. All four research questions were answered using …

The Process Of Parental Choice In Choosing A General Elementary Program Or A District Magnet Program, Nila Jeannette Nielsen

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to explore the process of parental choice when two educational programs were offered at one building site. This qualitative case study sought to determine if patterns exist in the parental choice process. Three main areas of (1) investigation, (2) decision-making and (3) verification were the focus of the study.

Teachers' Perception Of School Climate As A Function Of Personality Traits, Mary Carmen Pacheco

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between teachers' perception of school climate and their personality traits. The instruments used to gather the data are the Revised Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire ( OCDQ-RE ) and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory ( NEO-FFI ). Both instruments were administered to 290 Hispanic, Mexican-American, elementary teachers during team or faculty meetings. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses are used in the present study. The mean, standard error of mean, variance, skewness, standard error of skewness, kurtosis, and standard error of kurtosis are reported. Box-and-whisker plots and stem-and-leaf displays are also reported. Correlation …

Texas School Finance Equalization And Student Performance, Christopher Duque

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The thesis examines which factors or school district inputs, i.e., financial, socio-economic, and administrative have a significant effect on student performance in Texas' school districts. The thesis is divided into five chapters, the introduction and the legal history of school finance reform, the history of Texas school finance policies and the current school finance policy, the literature review, the hypothesis and methodology, and the findings and conclusion of the thesis. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students was found to be significantly related to student performance in the thesis. And the thesis concludes that the state's school finance equalization policy has …

Attitudes Of Migrant Receiving And Home District Teachers And The Academic Successes Of Migrant Children, Martha Alicia Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this research was to investigate the attitudes of teachers in receiving and home districts toward migrant students and measure the academic achievement of migrant students. The study also serves the purpose of accessing the preparation needs of teachers who work with migrant students.

The instrument used to gather the attitudinal data from 215 receiving and home district teachers was the Migrant Education Survey . The surveys were mailed or delivered to the receiving and home district migrant teachers. Initially, 125 migrant students were selected as participants for the study. However, only 77 were used in the final …

Differences In Achievement Between Graded And Nongraded Elementary School Students, Amanda M. Arkfeld

Student Work

Nongraded schools have recently regained popularity. A variety of researchers have compared student achievement levels between nongraded and traditional graded programs to determine efficacy, however results have been inconsistent. The current researcher further examined achievement differences between nongraded and graded classrooms through replication and extension of a previous study performed by Kelly-Vance, and Ruane (2000), in order to contribute additional research in an area lacking in consistent support. Students were recruited from two schools (i.e., Schools A and B) containing comparable percentages of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunch. Students from School A served as a graded control group, while …

Parent's Perceptions Of Positive Traits For School Psychologists, Angela Nelson

Student Work

Parents are important consumers of school psychologists' services. It is essential that school psychologists understand the needs of parents and what characteristics they perceive as important. This study examined the perspectives of 39 families in the midwest who have a child with a disability.

Predictor Variables Of Performance On The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program For The 21st Century, June Adeline Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations

Using the Student Characteristics: Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) composite national percentile scores, repeating fourth grade, spring third grade Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores, socioeconomic status, race, gender, and preschool attendance and the School Characteristics: teacher degree level, teacher experience, teacher professional development, and school Title I status, this study employed a stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the best predictors of fourth grade scores on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21). Students must pass the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics portions of this test to be promoted to fifth grade. Having previously …

Fear Of Victimization In Rural Middle School Students, Benjamin H. Studley

Student Work

School safety has gained national attention in recent years due to school shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas; Conyers, Georgia; West Paducah, Kentucky; Pearl, Mississippi; Springfield, Oregon; Edinboro, Pennsylvania; and Littleton, Colorado. According to the Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Poll (1998), school safety is the public's top concern in education.

Staff, Student, And Parent Perceptions About The Effectiveness Of Block Scheduling At Millard West High School, Dave A. Collins

Student Work

The rigid American high school schedule did not always exist in its current state. Prior to 1892 and the work of the National Education Association's Committee of Ten, early high schools and their predecessors, Latin Grammar Schools and Academies, showed some flexibility in their school schedules (Gorman, 1971).

The Effect Of Using Conceptual Sign Language On Third Grade Elementary Students' Learning Of Spanish Vocabulary., Julie Jahde

Student Work

This study examined the use of Conceptual Sign Language together with Spanish instruction for third grade students. With the growing number of Hispanics in the United States, Spanish is becoming an important subject. According to the National Network for Early Language Learning, (NNELL) Spanish as a Second Language can be very beneficial for elementary students. Using movement, gestures and Total Physical Response (TPR) techniques have been demonstrated as effective instructional strategies. They have also been shown to be effective for any foreign language classrooms, especially with elementary students. Conceptual sign language has also been an effective tool to reinforce vocabulary …

Teachers' Attitudes Towards The Statewide Writing Assessment And The District Assessments Used In Nebraska Stars, Kristi A. Preisman

Student Work

A new tool has recently been introduced to the Nebraska classroom entitled STARS, which is the Student-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System and it is used to measure student competencies of Nebraska's standards. The purpose of this research project was to discover teachers' attitudes towards the Statewide Writing Assessment and the district assessments used as part of STARS. The information gathered through this study is intended to help curriculum leaders, policy makers, administrators and the Nebraska Department of Education to make informed decisions regarding STARS and its influence on students, teachers and the classroom. A survey was distributed to graduate …

Kindergarten Students' Reading And Writing Engagement At Literacy Centers, Kimberly Ziemann

Student Work

This qualitative descriptive study explored and described kindergarten students' reading and writing engagement as they participated in literacy centers.

A Study Of Code-Switching Among Educated Lebanese As Reflected In Television Talk Shows, Mona El Sayed El Samaty

Archived Theses and Dissertations

In sociolinguistics, code-switching (CS), refers to the alternative use by bilinguals of two or more languages in the san1e conversation. This exploratory study aims to investigate the CS phenomenon in Lebanon. It aims to find out the reasons/functions of CS, as well as to know the extent to which the code-switches observe or violate six universal syntactic constraints: the size of the constituent constraint, the conjunction constraint, the adjectival phrase constraint, the free morpheme constraint, the equivalence constraint, and the dual structure principle. The literature on research pe1taining to both aims of the study is reviewed. Moreover, in order to …

An Examination Of Gender Differences In Today's Mathematics Classrooms: Exploring Single-Gender Mathematics Classrooms, Celeste E. Dunlap

Master of Education Research Theses

Much research identifies a gender gap in mathematics, and some research points to single-gender math classrooms as a solution to the math gender divide. The author conducted a seven week study in which she divided fifty fifth grade students into singlegender mathematics classes. She wanted to examine if single-gender math classes affected the math achievement and attitudes of her female students. Upon completion of the study the author found there was no statistical significance in the girls’ achievement between a single-gender classroom and a coeducational classroom. There was a significant difference in the girls’ perceptions as to how they best …

An Evolving Approach To Learning In Problem Solving And Program Development : The Distributed Learning Model, Idania Espinosa

Theses

Technological advances are paving the way for improvements in many sectors of society. The US education system needs to undergo a transformation of existing pedagogical methods to maximize utilization of new technologies. Traditional education has primarily been teacher driven, lectured-based in one location. Advances in technology are challenging existing paradigms by developing tools and educational environments that reach diverse learning styles and surpass the boundaries of current teaching methods.

Distributed learning is an emerging paradigm today that has promise to contribute significantly to learning and improve overall academic success. This research first explores various systems that provide different modes of …

Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Web-Based Interactive Homework, Jie Liang

Theses and Dissertations

With increased use of the web in teaching there is growing interest in the effectiveness of web-based tools in facilitating student learning. I have conducted a case study on the effectiveness of web-based tutorial alternative. I designed a web-based homework tutorial about two-dimensional kinematics and conducted two experiments to evaluate its effectiveness. The evaluation focused on student?s performance and attitude. In Experiment 1, the experimental group and control group worked with the interactive web-based and regular homework respectively. Both groups worked at home. In Experiment 2, the experimental group worked with the interactive web-based homework used in Experiment 1 in …

Ecuador's Indigenous University Movement, Uinpi: Reconstructing Identity In The Search For Equality, Joshua Gerber

Honors Theses

The following chapters address Ecuadorian history, identity politics. and the education system to analyze UINPI's role in the reformation of indigenous identity. To provide a backdrop for UINPI's identity project, chapter one establishes a historical framework of the development of racialized constructions of indigenous identity in Ecuador. It utilizes Plumwood's hierarchical dualism to address the ways in which identity ideology justified and motivated the often-brutal socio-political domination of euro-mestizo peoples in Ecuador. Chapter two addresses the role of identity at UlNPI, arguing that the university's identity project is oriented towards the reformation of indigenous identity, rather than the representation of …

Student Perceptions Of Interactive Television Courses In Rural Northeast Nebraska High Schools, Kevin M. Nolan

Student Work

There is a rapidly growing acceptance for using distance learning to make courses and other learning opportunities available to students who ho not have easy access to courses taught in traditional classroom settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effective use of Interactive Television (ITV) technology as perceived by 130 students in rural northeastern high schools in Nebraska. The study was a descriptive research study, representing 25 high schools in northeastern Nebraska. A survey procedure was utilized to explore the effectiveness of ITV technology as a teaching and learning tool as perceived by the students. Surveys were …

Must Curriculum Based Measurement Reading Probes Be Curriculum Based?, Nicole Riley-Heller

Student Work

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) has evolved as a reliable and valid method for measuring and monitoring student performance in basic academic skills. While the efficacy of CBM for assessing reading skills is not in question, there is some confusion regarding the type of CBM reading passages (called probes) that should be used. Specifically, it is unclear whether or not there is a difference between CBM probes derived directly from the instructional curriculum and generic probes derived from a pre-printed source. The current study compare the utility of two types of CBM reading probe materials. One probe type is derived from curriculum-dependent …

A Study Of Parental Satisfaction In The First Year Of A Full-Day Kindergarten Program, Kevin Elwood

Student Work

The education of 5-year-old children will always be a perplexing issue among parents, teachers, and administrators within the educational community. For many decades, the adults involved in the education of our kindergarten age children have debated the best methodology to use within these unique students. History reveals that kindergarten programs have traditionally been structured in a half-day setting. However, in recent years, the trend is shifting from providing a half-day kindergarten program to a program designed to utilize each minute of an entire school day. According to the Iowa Department of Education's annual report (2000) only 25% of Iowa schools …

African American Mothers Attending College: The Relationship Between Life Stressors, Social Resources, And Grade Point Average., K. C. Gaehring

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to gather data from enrolled African American female students who have children and investigate any correlations or interactions that may be present between life stressors, social resources, and cumulative grade point average. This study found that, overall, life stressors were high, social resources were low, however, grade point average was still above average. Descriptive data analysis was calculated for measures of central tendency, variability, relationship, and relative position appropriate for interval data. Multiple regression was used to determine significant predictors of grade point average. Results show the combination of the social resources of work …

Herbal Supplement Education In Dental Hygiene Curricula, Lisa Elena Lisauckis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

While there is evidence in the literature of herbal supplement education in other disciplines, inclusion in dental hygiene curricula is not reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and extent of herbal supplement education in the 256 accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States. A survey was sent to program directors. Data analyses, including frequencies, cumulative frequencies, percentages, analyses of variance, and test of Chi Square were conducted using JMP program. Surveys revealed 63% of respondents (n = 160) included herbal supplement education and primarily incorporated it in the pharmacology course (67%). Statistically significant differences …

Factors Affecting The Harvest Vulnerability Of Trumpeter Swans, Heidi L. Tangermann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two species of swan are regularly found in Utah, tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) and trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator). Tundra swans migrate through Utah. During the fall migration period they are hunted in the state under guidelines established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Trumpeter swans are occasional visitors to Utah during the same migration period. Because trumpeter swans are difficult to distinguish from tundra swans in flight, they 11 are at risk of being harvested during the swan hunt. In my thesis, I examine the factors that may influence trumpeter swan vulnerability to …

Music Of The Mind: An Examination Of Music As A Communication Conduit For Autistic Children In An Educational Atmosphere, Sarah A. Mcgovern

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Topics covered in this investigation are autism, music therapy, and education. Music has a unique way to communicate and touch people like no other medium. It knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries and can be used for various therapeutic reasons, such as autism. This study investigates whether music is an effective form of communication for autistic children in and educational environment. Books, journal articles and websites related to these topics were used as sources in this research project. In addition, the author conducted a survey to receive a better idea of how the public views the affect music has …

Working Class And Working College : A Case Study Of First Generation, Working Class, First Year, White Male College Students., Robert Michael Longwell-Grice 1955-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study involving four, first generation, working class, college students. The dissertation study chronicled the experiences of these students during their first semester at the college. In order to more effectively focus on the aspects of social class and first generation status, the study was restricted to white males. First generation, working class students must negotiate a difficult transition from their working class culture to the culture of academia, in order to be successful in college. This transition typically requires significant re-negotiation of relationships with family members and friends, who are not always supportive of their …