Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of Junior High Schools To Middle Schools With Respect To Achievement And Attendance, Darrell Clay

Dissertations

During the past 30 years, the middle school movement has been a comprehensive effort to restructure middle level education. Literally thousands of school districts have chosen to change from junior high schools to middle schools for a variety of reasons. Research to support this massive reorganization of American schools has not been evident. The early research did not provide consistent evidence of improvement for middle school students. Most of this early research was based solely on the grade configuration of the schools being compared rather than the conceptual framework of the school.

The purpose of this study was to compare …

Development Of A Portfolio Assessment Process For Evaluating Student Progress In Writing Skill Development In Primary Grades, Roberta M. Bowers

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a portfolio assessment process to evaluate student progress in writing skill development in the primary grades of Central Elementary School.

Schema Theory And Application For The Content Teacher, June Allen Carpenter Darling

All Graduate Projects

Schema theory, research, and implications for the classroom were studied. Based on research, teacher resources, and curriculum demands, instruction was designed for a secondary teacher of United States History. During a workshop, four secondary teachers from three districts reacted to research and instruction. A video tape was developed showing schema theory concepts, related research, application for the content teacher, and reactions from secondary teachers. Implications for the content teacher are discussed.

One School's Emergence Toward Participatory Decision Making, Terry W. Bloomquist

All Graduate Projects

A look at the development of participatory decision making, in one high school, was described in this study from a historical perspective. Kent-Meridian High School, in the Kent School District, was the studied school. Between the years 1979 and 1992 KentMeridian had three principals with very different and distinct styles. During this time span the emergence of a shared decision model, called "Empowerment", developed as a result of faculty expectation and pressure. Conclusions, implications, and recommendations are discussed.

Reading Study Groups As A Factor In College Persistence, Elizabeth A. Bennedsen

All Graduate Projects

The relationship between attendance in a voluntary study group and persistence in college was studied at Tacoma Community College. A group of students entering with reading skills at the junior high school level was given the opportunity to participate in a study group focusing on study skill techniques and class content. At the end of eight months, the students who were involved with the study group had a higher level of persistence than students who did not choose to participate. While the number of persons in the study was small, it is consistent with earlier studies showing academic and social …

An Integrated Program For Teaching Writing And Thinking Skills, Edmund James Ady

All Graduate Projects

The nature and development of thought, the connection between thinking and writing, teaching practices associated with the direct teaching of thinking and writing skills were researched and studied. An integrated program of writing and thinking skills was compiled. This program includes techniques for teaching thinking and writing activities and provides step by step procedures to accomplish the integration of thinking skills with writing skills targeted at producing contrast and comparison essays. A discussion and recommendations regarding the program are included.

The Use Of Ability Grouping In Reading And Some Alternatives, Sherry Lynn Anderson

All Graduate Projects

This study was conducted to determine if attitudes toward and /or practices of ability grouping for reading instruction have changed over the last thirteen years. Current research was reported. A replication of a study by Wilson and Schmits (1978) was completed and analyzed. The results suggest a fairly dramatic change in both attitudes toward and practices of ability grouping. A collection of alternative methods were offered for teachers looking for options to the ability grouping method of teaching reading.

Experience-Based Dialogues In Secondary English-As-A-Second-Language Classrooms, Carlina V. Lobos

All Graduate Projects

An informal study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of experience-based dialogues in the promotion of oral language use in secondary-level English-As-A-Second-Language classrooms. The twenty-one dialogues field-tested in the project were developed interactively, by teacher and students, in the sociocognitive context of each of the learner's background knowledge, experience and immediate communication needs. Experience-based dialogues are a method of language teaching and learning that focuses on the communicative act rather than on isolated or discrete grammatical items. An overview of the results of the informal study was presented here. Strategies for teachers to develop and implement, using this approach, were …

Enhancing Oral Language Experiences In The Pre-Kindergarten Setting, Anna Kearny

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how an oral language emphasis benefits pre-kindergarten children in preparation for entry into kindergarten. This study investigated the concept of enhancing oral language activities in the classroom. Growth in the cognitive, social, and emotional areas in pre-kindergarten children was noted.

A Resource Handbook For Planning And Implementing An Integrated Preschool Program, James Wallace Holden

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a resource handbook to assist teachers and administrators responsible for implementing an integrated preschool program. To accomplish this purpose, research and literature relative to current integration delivery models, primarily those in Washington State were reviewed. The handbook developed was piloted in the Taholah, Washington School District.

Metacognitive Prereading Activities To Enhance Reading Comprehension, Katherine Laws

All Graduate Projects

This study investigated metacognitive prereading strategies content area teachers might utilize for process emphasis reading comprehension. The literature review showed the shift in reading comprehension instruction from a word based emphasis to an interactive process emphasis, described content area reading instruction and metacognition. A selection of metacognitive prereading activities was included for use by teachers in content area classrooms. Implications of using the activities were discussed.

Preventing Reading Failure: A Handbook For Understanding Reading Recovery, Marianne Nash

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a handboook designed for use by primary teachers who are interested in learning more about Reading Recovery. The handbook covers the following issues: 1) a brief description of Reading Recovery, 2) how to get a program started, 3) how to select, plan for, and when to discontinue students from Reading Recovery services, 4) Reading Recovery teaching procedures, 5) where training sites are located, 6) a bibliography of suggested books, and 7) obtaining books through mini-grant applications and book orders.

Adapting The Outcome-Based Education Instructional Process To A Fourth Grade Social Studies And Science Curriculum In The Cascade School District, Daniel J. Roche

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to utilize the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) instructional process to develop a curriculum in social studies and science for fourth grade students at Osborn Elementary School, Leavenworth, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, student learning objectives, unit objectives, lesson objectives, and lesson plans were adapted to the OBE instructional model.

A Research And An Adaptation Of Methodologies To Develop Supplementary Materials And Activities For The Study Of Foreign Language, Melané Mildré

All Graduate Projects

The use of a typical textbook tor the instruction of the first year study of the Spanish language appears to be tedious as well as inadequate in its presentation of grammar drills, vocabulary selection, and its potential of allowing the student to develop fluency in the language. As a result, the writer researched a variety of methodologies currently being employed in the instruction of foreign language. Intending to improve upon the usage of a textbook as well as to add variety to the classroom procedure, the writer then developed or adapted supplementary materials to correlate to the textbook presently being …

Teachers' Beliefs Regarding School-Wide Integration Of Mildly Handicapped Students In The Ephrata School District, Charlotte Throgmorton

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine the attitudes of teachers in the Ephrata. Washington. School District regarding the school-wide integration of mildly handicapped students in the classroom and the supports needed to insure its success. To accomplish this purpose, a survey instrument was designed and administered to elicit teacher responses. Survey responses were tabulated by frequency, rank order, percentage, and average, and provided a basis for descriptive analysis of data obtained.

Reluctant Readers: How To Motivate Them, Linda Adell Thomson

All Graduate Projects

Elementary age children without a desire to read may be reluctant readers. Many factors may contribute to this condition, and research indicates that parents and teachers need to provide ideas and activities to motivate the reluctant reader to enjoy pleasure reading. Reading activities and ideas are compiled to be used by parents and teachers to spark an interest in books in the reluctant reader.

Effective Strategies For Teaching At-Risk African American Males: An Inservice Manual, Ethel L. Wellington-Peak

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop an inservice training manual to guide the delivery of teacher training sessions designed to implement effective teaching strategies for at-risk African American male students at Larchmont Elementary School, in the Tacoma, Washington school district.

Monthly Parent Involvement Reading Packet, Beverly J. Severtsen-Meeks

All Graduate Projects

The importance of parent involvement in reading with their child at home was studied. A review of literature was done on this topic. Many researchers strongly supported the importance of parents reading with their child and many suggestion were given. The author put together nine monthly parent involvement reading packets (September-May) and implemented them in a self-contained first grade classroom. The parents spent quality time, each month, completing the packet with their child.

The Benefits Of Reading Aloud To Children, Lori Ann Prince

All Graduate Projects

The benefits of reading aloud to children are studied. Observations indicate that the more young children are read to, the more they are motivated to become readers themselves. When young children are participating in the dialogue of a story that is being read aloud, their interest in that story increases dramatically. Using a variety of children's literature is an excellent supplement to the first grade curriculum and language activity lessons. Recommendations from the conclusions are presented.

Evaluación Curricular De La Facultad De Administración De Empresas De La Corporación Universitaria Antonio Nariño, Manuel Alfonso Garzón Castrillón, Ellery Abdulhamid Borrego Cotes

Maestría en Docencia

No abstract provided.

A History Of The West Virginia Board Of Regents As The Governing Board For Higher Education, 1969-1989, Joseph Wayne Corder Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the history of the West Virginia Board of Regents from its inception in 1969 until its termination in 1989. The history was developed around a social systems theory concept and the identification of internal factors and forces that had an impact as the Board attempted to deal with the higher education issues that came before it. The specific purpose of this study was to identify, chronicle, and interpret the key issues faced by the Board of Regents, and the related perceptions of the key personnel.

Data for the study came from minutes of the meetings of the …

The Effects Of Combining Direct Instruction, Metacognitive Instruction And Co-Operative Learning Strategies To Teaching Summarizing To Year 6 Students, D. A. Bergin

Theses : Honours

Summarizing is one of several study skills students are asked to do as evidence of their ability to learn from texts and it is one which students find difficult. Research suggests that part of the difficulty students experience with summarizing is due to the lack of instruction students received in summary writing and the quality of that instruction. Therefore the purpose of this study was to design an instructional procedure for teaching summary writing to primary school students and to investigate the; effects this form of instruction had on students' summaries. This study involved pre-testing, instruction in summarizing, followed by …

Development And Application Of A Diligence-Ability Regression Model For Explaining And Predicting Competence Among Juniors And Seniors In Selected Michigan High Schools, Hinsdale Bernard

Dissertations

Problem. There has been growing concern that high-school students should be held more responsible fortheir educational results. This study aimed at developing a diligence inventory (DI) to measure the nature and extent of student involvement in their education.

The purpose of the study was to develop the DI and to formulate a multiple-regression equation to predict competence (semester GPA) from diligence and ability (ACT score). It was envisioned that this model could suggest intervention for improved student performance through the diligence component.

Method. Two hundred and thirty-seven high-school juniors and seniors participated in the study. Item analysis and factor analysis …

The Relationship Between Time Devoted To Independent Recreational Reading And Reading Achievement Scores, R. Fragomeni

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary assessment, in the Western Australian context, of the relationship between reading achievement scores and time devoted to independent recreational reading, and the extent to which gender and socio-economic status, affect this relationship. The data pertaining to time spent in independent recreational reading were collected by means of a questionnaire. The subjects and their teachers were trained by the researcher in the procedure to be followed in the questionnaire completion. The data relating to reading achievement scores were generated through the administration of the comprehension sub-test of the Progressive Achievement Test …

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Learning Style Prescriptions And/Or Modality-Based Instruction On The Spelling Achievement Of Fifth-Grade Students, Nancy D'Isa Turner

Dissertations

Problem

Learning style has been studied extensively across the United States since the early 1970s. Much research has involved Rita and Kenneth Dunns' model and associated Learning Style Inventory. In 1991, Robert Zenhausern developed the Homework Disc software program which correlates with the Dunns' work and yields learning style prescriptions for students. The use of these study strategies at the elementary level has not been broadly examined. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of prescriptions on spelling achievement of fifth-grade students.

Method

A total of 65 students (33 males, 32 females) in three intact groups participated in this study. The …

Spelling In The Secondary School: A Review Of The Current Situation, Joan Rodrigues

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to discover the strategies being employed by secondary school teachers to assist students with spelling difficulties. Teachers in the English and social studies departments of three Perth high schools were interviewed and asked to indicate the criteria they used to identify students with spelling problems and the teaching methods they employed to help those students overcome their problems. They were also asked to identify the causes of spelling difficulty. Staff at the local district offices and the Ministry of Education were interviewed to establish what support services were available for teachers who wished to …

Family Life Education In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In The 20th Century: A Historical Review, Ray W. Stringham

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviewed selected educational literature in almost 350 texts published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) from General Authorities and manuals which included content curriculum in adult family life education; for the adult women's organization (Relief Society); for the men's Melchizedek Priesthood; and for parents instructing their children at home (Family Home Evening).

Topics were ranked by century, according to frequencies of occurrence (FO) in the five major publications. Topics were also summarized by each decade. Tables were provided which summarized the top 40 of 78 topics identified. Recurring Themes suggest family is the basis …

A Case Study Of Two Year Six Classes Involved In A Health-Related Fitness Intervention, Andrew T. Medland

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Children are not as active as they may appear and they do not voluntarily engage in moderate to high intensity activity as commonly perceived by the general public. With coronary heart disease risk factors now found to have origins in childhood there is a real need for children to adopt lifestyles that will produce healthier adults. In Perth the Western Australian Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition project (WASPAN) has been implemented, as a Year 6 intervention, addressing the problems of poor nutritional habits and low activity levels. The focus of this case-study was to describe the physical activity component of …

Adequate And Appropriate Intelligence Testing Of Moderately Mentally Retarded Children, Nancy Lynn Robertson Orrison

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The intelligence of moderately mentally retarded (MR) children is difficult to assess because they often have concurrent physical or sensory impairments which adversely affect their test performance. The purpose of this study was to determine if necessary adaptations are made when assessing children who are moderately MR for educational placement in the State of Virginia.;A survey was sent to public school psychologists in the State of Virginia as identified by the 1990-91 roster obtained from the Virginia Department of Education. The survey inquired as to their normal methods of intelligence testing used with the moderately mentally retarded population. The results …

Parallel Form Test-Retest Reliability And Predictive Validity Of A Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test, Stanley F. Hanus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to help a local school district in rural Iowa determine the reliability and predictive validity of a Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test (CBM-ART). The subjects were 85 kindergarten students and 77 first grade students enrolled in regular education. The total sample of 162 students was approximately 88% Caucasian, 8% Native American, 2% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. Parallel forms of the test were administered at a 14-day interval, with resulting reliability coefficients ranging from .76 to .94 with a median coefficient of .88. Validity coefficients computed between CBM measures administered in kindergarten and Iowa Tests …