Education Commons^™

A Textbook Case: The Connection Between Textbooks, Standardized Testing, And Student Achievement, Megan P. Miller

Theses & Honors Papers

The textbooks physical presence, though, is marginal compared to their theoretical presence, as textbooks can drive almost every decision a teacher makes when preparing for a day, a week, a month, the year. For example, in my 11^th-grade English classes at Grafton High School in York County, Virginia, there are two levels of understanding. One is that I am teaching American literature, its development, importance, people, and purpose; the other is that everything I teach will, in some way, better prepare my students for their SOL test at the end of the year. The textbook has been laid …

Why Size Matters: Flash Fiction In High School English, Wayne R. Ashby

Theses & Honors Papers

This action research project explores the value of flash fiction in the secondary classroom. Flash fiction draws heavily on oral traditions such as the joke, and the fable, to present complete stories in fewer than 1500 words. The form has flourished in recent years, particularly on the internet, where literary journals such as The Vestal Review, SmokeLong Quarterly, and Toasted Cheese, publish engaging, and provocative stories. By examining how students react to the unique characteristics of flash fiction, teachers can make the most this valuable and abundant resource.

This article describes how students at a public secondary charter school responded …

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 …

The Effect Of Direct Instruction Reading Remediation For Fourth Graders, Jonathan Collins

Theses & Honors Papers

This study was to determine if below average readers in a reading remediation class receiving Direct Instruction reading would make larger gains in reading than average to above average readers who received whole language based reading instruction. These were 69 students in the study. Students were assigned to cohorts based on test performance on the Development Reading Assessment (DRA) and administrative recommendations. Instruction was provided for 5 months for the experimental group (n=36) using Scientific Research Associates Corrective Reading (a Direct Instruction reading program). The control group (n=11) received 5 months of reading instruction in a locally designed whole language …

The Effect Of Funnix Math On Pre-Kindergarten Student's Achievement In Mathematics, Michelle E. Andreoli

Theses & Honors Papers

It is imperative that mathematics education in the United States be effective and comprehensive in nature. Mathematical skills are a necessary component to functional and independent living. Much debate has aroused over which instructional methodologies to adopt, but the research clearly supports the use of explicit instruction. Direct Instruction is an expository approach to learning, which encompasses critical design principles that enable it to be sequential and thorough. Funnix Math is the newest program, which utilizes this methodology. The present study investigates the efficacy of Funnix Math on the pre-kindergarten population. The results of this study contradict previous research on …

Environmental Economics A Teacher's Guide, Sandra Allmond Bagley

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this thesis is to incorporate economics into lectures on environmental issues. This guide introduces several environmental issues, discusses the laws and regulations governing these issues, and discusses the economic instruments discussed in this guide are those that have been incorporated into environmental laws. These instruments allow environmental protection goals to be met at the least cost. Economic instruments are more flexible than command and control regulations and allow firms to choose the least cost method of reaching goals. Economic instruments also encourage advances in new technology. Students will be more receptive to the concept of using economics …

A Survey Of Student Participation In The Iep Process, Elizabeth A. Edgemon

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to investigate teachers' compliance with the portion of the IDEA '97 amendments that mandates participation in the IEP process by students 14 and older, or younger than transition is discussed. Researcher-developed surveys were sent to middle and high school special education throughout Virginia. The results of these surveys reflect teachers' compliance with this component of the IDEA Amendments of 1997. Nearly all of the teachers surveyed reported that at least some of their students were present at their most recent IEP meeting and though less than half of those students had any preparation for …

Design And Implementation Of A Natural Resource Curriculum Guide Incorporating Selected Standards Of Learning At The Elementary Level, Martha Elizabeth Thompson

Theses & Honors Papers

The state Standards of Learning tests were given in 1998 and the results showed a 37% failure rate for science at the third grade level. This thesis project was meant to develop a way to improve these scores. An internship was completed at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center where a natural resource curriculum guide was developed. The guide was developed using activities tested at the 4-H Center. Activities were chosen that met selected Standards of Learning. A copy of the activities has been placed in the Longwood College Library for use by both pre-service and classroom teachers.

Instructional Strategies Promoting Academic Success In Inclusive Settings At The Elementary School Level, Deborah L. White

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the instructional strategies that promote academic success in inclusive settings at the elementary school ·level. This study also attempted to investigate the most effective instructional strategies perceived by regular education teachers and special education teachers. Seventy-eight subjects from the elementary school level, including thirty- nine (n=39) regular education teachers and thirty-nine (n=39) special education teachers, participated in this study. A survey research design, with a self-developed questionnaire, was used to collect data. Approximately thirty-three percent (33.33%) of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative statistics . The …

Learning Style Adaptations And The Effect On Sight Word Recognition Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Andrea Elizabeth Wollett

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the sight word recognition of two students with learning disabilities from a private school in Virginia, after adaptations to their learning styles had been made. The experimental design used to assess the effects of learning style adaptations on sight word recognition was a multiple probe across word groups. A combination of the Dolch and Fry Sight Word Lists determined the unmastered sight words for both subjects. The Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Inventory was used to identify the subjects' preferred learning style. The results of the study indicated that when adaptations were …

Teaching Purchasing Skills Through The Application Of Constant Time Delay To Students With Moderate Mental Retardation During Community-Based Instruction, Jennifer L. Hueston

Theses & Honors Papers

A constant time delay procedure was used to teach two students with moderate mental retardation how to purchase food at local fast food restaurants and snacks at a local convenience store. Students were taught to purchase the items using paper money and were required to determine the amount due by locating the next dollar up amount on a number line. A 5-second time delay was used in teaching the subjects these purchasing skills. Training was evaluated with a multiple probe design across settings. Results indicated subjects did not reach criterion in the fast food setting. In the convenience store setting …

The Effects Of The Write Source 2000 Program On Adolescent Students With Learning Disabilities In The Area Of Writing, Debra E. Gray

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Write Source 2000 Program on adolescent students with learning disabilities in the area of writing. A single-subject was used in this A-B design. In the study the subject was exposed to various writing techniques found in the Write Source 2000 Program. A pre-writing sample was taken before treatment began. This writing sample was assessed with a Rubric Writing Assessment. Mid-way through treatment another writing sample was taken and assessed with the Rubric Writing Assessment. The student was also at this time placed into a regular education classroom where …

Perceptions Of Regular Education And Special Education Professionals Regarding Involvement In The Iep Process, Donna B. Howland

Theses & Honors Papers

Special education and regular education professionals in public high schools in Virginia were surveyed regarding their perceptions of student, parent, special and regular educator involvement in the IEP conference. The survey aimed to compare the teachers' perceptions on the ideal level of involvement with what actually occurs in the schools. Students and regular education teachers had lower levels of actual involvement in the IEP conference than the teachers believed it should be. Furthermore, both groups of teachers indicated that the primary responsibility for developing the IEP should fall to the special education professional.

Regular And Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Role In A Collaborative Teaching Model, Kristen Philbrick

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate regular and special education teachers' perceptions of their role in a collaborative teaching model ..The subjects of this study were (N=39) from elementary, middle, and high school levels . A self-developed survey was used in collecting data for this research. Responses were categorized as either regular or special education, and how much question items were representative of each teacher's particular classroom situation. An independent sample t-test was used to determine any significant differences between the perceptions of regular and special education teachers. A. Pearson-r was used to examine any significant relationships between …

Special And Vocational Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Responsibility For Implementing Transition Objectives, Cindy Marie Driver

Theses & Honors Papers

Subjects from eight school districts in Central Virginia were surveyed. The sample included 73 secondary- school (grades 9 - 12) vocational education teachers from general academic public schools and 46 secondary {9 - 12 grades) special education teachers from public schools.

T-tests revealed significant differences in attitudes toward transition between the two groups. Special education teachers displayed significantly more awareness of transition goals, involvement in implementing these goals and increased communication about transition goals. Vocational education teachers indicated that they should attend the IEP meeting and have involvement in writing transition goals, but that they generally are not involved in …

An Analysis Of Curricular Options Currently Used In High School Resource Rooms For Students With Learning Disabilities In Virginia, Dana Harrison

Theses & Honors Papers

This study examined the curricular approaches for students with learning disabilities in high school resource rooms in the state of Virginia . Sixty-five resource room teachers participated in the study. Subjects completed a 25 item likert-type scale survey which reflected the five basic ·curricular opt ions for students with learning disabilities. Subjects were required to indicate the extent to which he or she emphasized the statement in the classroom. Descriptive Statistics, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and a Tukey Test of Multiple Comparisons were used to analyze the data. The results of the ANOVA revealed that Curricular Options (the Within …

An Approach To Curriculum Development In Ninth- And Tenth-Grade English At Amelia High School Amelia, Virginia, Eleanor C. Reid

Theses & Honors Papers

No abstract provided.