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Full-Text Articles in Education
The Effects Of Assessment Preparation For The Improvement Of Course Placement And Student Satisfaction At Tacoma Community College, Kari Twogood
All Graduate Projects
There is significant focus on graduation rates and persistence of students in higher education. Lengthy sequences of developmental education have been shown to have detrimental effects on the persistence and graduation rates of students. This study reviewed the research that has been performed concerning persistence in developmental education. A survey of incoming or current students was conducted to study the effects of offering an ACCUPLACER® preparation workshop at Tacoma Community College. The survey collected 733 unduplicated responses. The data indicated that students feel more anxiety as a result of attending the workshop prior to taking the ACCUPLACER® assessment. The data …
The Dyslexic Issue: Resources For Parents, Teachers, And Related Professionals, Shawn D. Murphy
The Dyslexic Issue: Resources For Parents, Teachers, And Related Professionals, Shawn D. Murphy
All Graduate Projects
This handbook and website project gives a thorough explanation of dyslexia, the history of dyslexia, and the latest resources available for parents, teachers, and related professionals who support students with dyslexia. The handbook and webpage will provide parents, teachers, and related professionals information which they may access in order to support students with dyslexia throughout their academic career. These resources will offer much-needed support for parents, teachers, and related professionals in learning how to properly identify the characteristics which are most often associated with dyslexia. Furthermore, they will provide an important myriad of resources for intervention for students with dyslexia …
Implementing Technological Change: Effects On Student Learning Through Implementation Of A Learning Management System For Enhanced Two-Way Communication Between School, Students And Parents, Courtney Lynn Curtis
Implementing Technological Change: Effects On Student Learning Through Implementation Of A Learning Management System For Enhanced Two-Way Communication Between School, Students And Parents, Courtney Lynn Curtis
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The purpose of this project was to determine whether or not a blended learning environment that focuses mainly on incorporating core-subject standards into a current 7th grade Fundamentals of Information Technology (FIT) course can help to increase 7th grade student core-subject, academic performance. If such performance is distinguishable, the curriculum materials used to develop this project may then be used for curriculum development within the Bethel School District, 7th grade FIT program. The product or end result of this project is an online curriculum guide titled: "Fundamentals of Information Technology Project: An Online Curriculum Guide for Bethel School District Middle …
A Playground Plan For South Shore Prek-8 School, Barbara J. Mann
A Playground Plan For South Shore Prek-8 School, Barbara J. Mann
All Graduate Projects
The purpose of this project was to create a comprehensive playground safety manual of procedures for South Shore PreK-8 School, that can possibly be implemented at other K-5 schools. The manual will make it clear to both students and staff playground safety procedures for students and instructions for staff in supervision. The information gathered finds that when students play in safe manners with specific rules and expectations, that the number of incidents from injury and conflict are reduced. Children need to be taught rules for games, instead of expected to figure out rules for games they do not know how …
Kindergarten Diagnostic Toolkit, Mayra Yuridia Navarro Gomez
Kindergarten Diagnostic Toolkit, Mayra Yuridia Navarro Gomez
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This project was used for multiple purposes. The first was the identification of supplemental intervention activities in attempt to treat reading difficulties. The second was the creation of a Kindergarten Diagnostic Toolkit (KDT) as a means for early detection of learning deficits. Upon completion of beginning of the year assessments and use of the KDT checklist, instructional suggestions for remediation were made with a focus on explicit/systematic alphabetic, phonemic, and decoding skills. The need for such specific diagnostic assessment of early reading skills is further required with such high stakes testing requirements. Strategies specific to early literacy skills are connected …
Moving Forward In P-3 Alignemnt: Building Bridges In Public-Private Partnerships, Rachell Maza Foster
Moving Forward In P-3 Alignemnt: Building Bridges In Public-Private Partnerships, Rachell Maza Foster
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Reauthorization of the Head Start Act in 2007 called for new standards of quality education and evidenced-based practices for gathering child outcomes and assessment data. Furthermore, the act stipulates partnerships between public education K-12 and preschools; a relationship that traditionally held its distance due to age eligibility. With the recent acquisition of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant, Washington state is now recognized for its leadership in this field. This paper will take into consideration these efforts and further explore options for creating seamless transitions for children and families as they enter the public school system. This …
Response To Intervention, Michelle Lynn Huguenin
Response To Intervention, Michelle Lynn Huguenin
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Response to Intervention (RTI) is a three-tiered program designed to deliver individualized intervention services early in a child's academic career. Prior to 2004, the education system had a "wait to fail" system in place for students. RTI is a model designed to change this by providing intervention before the child experiences academic failure. By providing students with this three-tiered intervention program, students may be less likely to be referred for special education services in the future (Boucher, n.d.). The goal of this project is to provide educators for grades K-4 with a manual of tips, tools, resources and strategies about …
Preparing Algebra Students For Washington State’S End Of Course Exam, Mallory Jane Neher
Preparing Algebra Students For Washington State’S End Of Course Exam, Mallory Jane Neher
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This project was a response to the changes in the Washington State math assessments for high school students. Algebra was the focus of this curriculum alignment and resources were created to better help Washington State students pass their Algebra End of Course exam. A significant part of the project was the course-pacing guide, standards mapping, and integrated content and language objectives that were written for key lessons that specifically addressed state standards. Lastly, there was a tool designed for students to monitor and track their own progress with the Algebra state standards.
Does A Two-Week Pre-K Camp Have An Effect On The Outcomes Of Kindergartners Over The First Two Grading Periods?, Jessica Virden
Does A Two-Week Pre-K Camp Have An Effect On The Outcomes Of Kindergartners Over The First Two Grading Periods?, Jessica Virden
All Graduate Projects
This project will examine the academic effects a two-week, Pre-Kindergarten camp has on students entering kindergarten. The goals of the summer camp were to provide the students an opportunity to learn school routines, familiarize themselves with the teachers and building layout, and begin learning early reading and math skills. The program's focus was to make the students' transition into the school year both smooth and successful. The participants were evaluated two different times, spanning four months. Current literature, as well as data collection was used to determine results. t-tests comparing two equal variances were tabulated on seven literacy assessment components …
Boys And Writing: Strategies To Support Struggling Boy Writers, Dionne Corinne Ellingsen
Boys And Writing: Strategies To Support Struggling Boy Writers, Dionne Corinne Ellingsen
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The purpose of this project was to develop a guide for elementary teachers to improve writing strategies and motivation of boys. Nationally, boys are more likely than girls to struggle with writing in the elementary classroom. Teachers need to understand the differences that boys and girls bring to their classroom and develop strategies and lessons that make writing more inviting to boys. The project discusses current research about why boys are more likely to struggle than girls, because of innate differences in the brain, the classroom arrangement, and issues of motivation. It also provides a guide of activities and strategies …
A Reading Comprehension Guide Book For Upper Elementary School Students, Kaley Repp
A Reading Comprehension Guide Book For Upper Elementary School Students, Kaley Repp
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This is an examination into the reading skills students need to help him/her comprehend reading. This project identifies 18 strategies students use when comprehending texts and then places those 18 strategies into a guide book. The 18 strategies are presented with lessons, teacher prompts, and literature for teachers to use with students who need additional reading support. This guide book has not been tested for effectiveness among elementary school students, however, the strategies are research based and have been identified as effective for student success in comprehension.
A Washington State Elementary Teachers’ Guide To Bilingual Education, Maria G. Garcia-Bautista
A Washington State Elementary Teachers’ Guide To Bilingual Education, Maria G. Garcia-Bautista
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The purpose of this project was to create an elementary teacher's manual which explained the history and laws of bilingual education, first and second language development theories and approaches, bilingual education models and what research says about the various models. Proponents of English only/ Sheltered Instruction programs argue that immigrants and their descendents should assimilate to the customs and cultural norms of the United States as expeditiously as possible. Those same proponents believe that acquiring English is a prerequisite for success in education. Without a doubt English language proficiency can lead to immeasurable success. In this manual Two-Way Dual Language …
Preparing A Student With A Disability And Their Family For Transition Into Adulthood, Katherine Matwiczak-Weber
Preparing A Student With A Disability And Their Family For Transition Into Adulthood, Katherine Matwiczak-Weber
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As a student with a disability makes the transition from high school to adult life, together the student and the family are faced with decisions and challenges outside the support of the school system. There are certain time lines and criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to make the change successful as well guarantee the student's rights and entitlements both financially and vocationally from the federal government and other community based systems. Transition-focused educators have long advocated for a vision of post-school life for the young adult with a disability that includes community and social interactions in addition …
A Teacher’S Guide For Increased Parent Involvement In Low Socioeconomic And Highly Diverse Areas., Alyssa Katheryn Newby
A Teacher’S Guide For Increased Parent Involvement In Low Socioeconomic And Highly Diverse Areas., Alyssa Katheryn Newby
All Graduate Projects
Secondary research was performed to obtain an overview of parent involvement in schools with low socioeconomic status and ethnically diverse populations. Within the project, different ethnicities' typical values and perceptions of appropriate involvement in a child's education were presented. These perceptions often contradict educators' perceptions of parent involvement, which generally takes on a white, middle class perspective. The purpose of the project is to better inform educators about the variety of ethnicities. As a result, this project addressed challenges to parent involvement and suggested possible solutions/interventions to bridge the gap between educators and families.
Differentiated Reading In Primary Grades, Cara Cathleen Axe
Differentiated Reading In Primary Grades, Cara Cathleen Axe
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The purpose of this project is to help teachers integrate reading differentiation into the classroom and thus help students with their varied needs in learning to read. Differentiation of instruction is valuable in all areas, particularly in teaching reading. This project emphasizes that it is essential that teachers make reading skills and content accessible to all students. My purpose is to show the importance of differentiated reading instruction and to provide information and resources for teachers and parents.
A Differentiated Unit Of Instruction For A Secondary Social Studies Classroom, David Christopher Tempel
A Differentiated Unit Of Instruction For A Secondary Social Studies Classroom, David Christopher Tempel
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The purpose of this project is to create a differentiated unit of instruction for eleventh grade United States History students as a pilot for the creation of a differentiated curriculum in U.S. History. This unit will examine the relationship between instructional strategies utilized and the impact upon student achievement. This unit will systematically plan instruction that meets the needs of an academically diverse group of students by honoring each student's learning needs and maximizing each student's learning capacity.
Instructional Coaching: Improving Student Achievement And Building Teacher Efficacy, Rebecca J. Tonseth
Instructional Coaching: Improving Student Achievement And Building Teacher Efficacy, Rebecca J. Tonseth
All Graduate Projects
The purpose of this project was to justify the author's job as an instructional coach. The author was motivated by her own need to discover what an instructional coach was and how an instructional coach positively affects teacher instruction and student achievement. This project includes ideas and tools that beginning instructional coaches can use with teachers in an elementary school setting. A review of the literature was included on the effects of coaching on teacher efficacy and the effects teachers and coaches have on student achievement. This project examined the roles of the instructional coach and it provides a guide …
Using Homework To Support Standards, Socorro Yanez-Garcia
Using Homework To Support Standards, Socorro Yanez-Garcia
All Graduate Projects
Historically, homework has been a controversial issue that has impacted teachers, students, and parents (Gill & Schlossman, 1996, 2004). Opponents of homework are quick to talk about the hours of meaningless homework that students are required to complete and how homework detracts from family time (Kralovec & Buell, 2000). However, this is no reason to completely do away with homework. Teachers may lack access to meaningful homework that is aligned with what students are expected to know. Homework is an important part of a student's education (Cooper, 1989). Homework that has a defined purpose before it is assigned has been …
Creating A Schedule That Increases Instructional Time, Heather Macey
Creating A Schedule That Increases Instructional Time, Heather Macey
All Graduate Projects
This project was designed to help elementary schools create a master schedule that increases direct instructional time by forming large blocks of uninterrupted time for all classroom teachers. Many teachers struggle with how to structure their daily schedule. Often times there are things other than good quality instruction driving the decision of the structure of school schedules that create very choppy and ineffective schedules that do not support the best learning environment for the children. This project will combine several different approaches in scheduling taken by others that were researched and found to be effective in increasing instructional time and …
“Read Well-Jell Well” Project: Intervention Tool For Teaching The “Read Well” Curriculum, Lisa Valaire Hart
“Read Well-Jell Well” Project: Intervention Tool For Teaching The “Read Well” Curriculum, Lisa Valaire Hart
All Graduate Projects
The purpose of the Prepared Jell Well Project is to create user friendly, one page templates that maintain fidelity to the "Read Well' reading program and follow the research based guidelines of the National Reading Panel, No child Left Behind, and Reading First. This intervention tool will enable teachers to teach target goals to mastery and therefore serve as a preventative model. The Prepared Jell Well tool will enhance teaching the "Read Well" curriculum using Direct Instruction methods. The Prepared Jell Well provides materials for pre-teaching and re-teaching the focus skills of the First grade reading program. The materials are …
Third Grade Hands On Science Curriculum, Douglas Ray Cornwell
Third Grade Hands On Science Curriculum, Douglas Ray Cornwell
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In 2009, Washington State issued a new set of science standards. These new standards focus on building scientific literacy. With the emphasis now on scientific literacy rather than the traditional emphasis on fact memorization, many teachers must now find new ways to teach their science programs that reinforce understanding in science concepts rather than simple fact recollection. A science program that focuses on the constructivist learning philosophy and that offers students "hands on" activities as well as teacher led demonstrations is offered here to fill the role as an example of one of these new programs.
Teaching Strategies For Increasing Computational Fluency In Middle School Students, Alejandra Rios Blakeslee
Teaching Strategies For Increasing Computational Fluency In Middle School Students, Alejandra Rios Blakeslee
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In light of the new Washington State K-12 Mathematics Learning Standards, it has become a priority to help struggling students close the gap in academic achievement. Therefore, in an effort to remediate the lack of computation and rigor currently being taught in middle school mathematics using an investigational approach curriculum a complimentary curriculum has been evaluated, compiled, and aligned to supplement the curriculum. The purpose of this project is to compile a set of Groundworks mini-lessons, a series of tiered lessons that targets specific mathematical skills, to be used with correlating parts of the CMP2 curriculum with the aim of …
Impact Of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol On Students Spanish Vocabulary Development, Janelle J. Hoff
Impact Of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol On Students Spanish Vocabulary Development, Janelle J. Hoff
All Graduate Projects
The purpose of this research project was to determine if the use of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model would impact native Spanish speaking first grade student's Spanish vocabulary. To accomplish this purpose, a review of selected literature was accomplished. Additionally, essential data was obtained and analyzed from which related generalizations, conclusions, and recommendations were formed. Forty-one native Spanish speaking students in a bilingual Spanish classroom attending the Marlow School District participated in this study. These students were both male and female children between the ages of six and seven years old. In the treatment group the teacher instructed …
Looping: Building Strong Relationships Between Teachers, Students, Families, Gary Aguilar
Looping: Building Strong Relationships Between Teachers, Students, Families, Gary Aguilar
All Graduate Projects
Looping is the practice of a teacher staying with the same group of students for two or three years. The paper discusses the effects that looping has on the relationships teachers form with students and families. An overview of the history of looping is followed by the benefits that looping provides for students, families and teachers. The project is a guide for teacher and schools that want to implement looping. The project includes ways to organize looping classrooms, student selection and areas to be mindful of.
A Curriculum Guide For The Inclusion Of Ecopsychology In An Alternative Education Setting, Sara Leroux
A Curriculum Guide For The Inclusion Of Ecopsychology In An Alternative Education Setting, Sara Leroux
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Ecopsychology is a relatively new field. It is a hybrid of environmentalism and psychology. The study of ecopsychology and nature awareness emphasizes that people, chiefly children, need nature in order to maintain brain health. This study examines the impact that nature has on humans, and focuses on the positive impact nature has on students with ADHD, ADD, autism, learning disabilities, students at-risk, and students at large. The author lobbies for a paradigm shift in traditional curriculum to accept and honor the extensive potential for students' emotional and psychical health. The proposed project focuses on creating approaches to integrate and implement …
Second Language Teaching Strategies For Teaching The Human Body To Fourth Graders, Maria L. Vela
Second Language Teaching Strategies For Teaching The Human Body To Fourth Graders, Maria L. Vela
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In a country filled with pressure for high academic achievement at the state and federal levels, it is necessary to implement "best practice" teaching strategies for student success. "Best practice" teaching strategies are strategies that are research based and have proven to be essential in increasing academic achievement. Among using "best practices," there are a variety of programs that focus on teaching second language learners English, one of them being dual language. Dual language is an additive bilingual program in which the second language is taught through the content areas as the native language continues to be developed. However, the …
The Culture Of Poverty: How It Affects Middle School Students, Kaycie Anne Tuttle
The Culture Of Poverty: How It Affects Middle School Students, Kaycie Anne Tuttle
All Graduate Projects
In education, teachers are seeing more impoverished students than ever before. With that understanding, teachers need to know how to identify and assist these students so that they are successful in school. The War on Poverty has been going on for years, and with a failing economy, teachers are seeing more impoverished students in their classrooms. To counteract this situation, teachers will be shown a pamphlet, power point presentation, and a workshop on poverty which will help show teachers what their students may be experiencing when away from school. In addition, the pamphlet will provide information of what to look …
Improving Second Graders’ Understanding And Use Of Genre Through The Classroom Library, Melissa Kristene Arquette
Improving Second Graders’ Understanding And Use Of Genre Through The Classroom Library, Melissa Kristene Arquette
All Graduate Projects
The research supports the importance of the classroom library, using the classroom library to introduce non-fiction text, and developing students' understanding of genre using the classroom library as a tool. The purpose of this project is to improve second graders' understanding and use of genre through the classroom library. The project includes eight units focused on realistic fiction, poetry, fantasy, folktales, myths and legends, non-fiction (information books), biographies, and fairytales. Each unit combines student focused group book sorting, book browsing, reading log entries, whole group activities, and a genre review form. Pre- and post- unit assessment, in the form of …
Importance Of School Readiness And Early Childhood Education, Amanda L. Moore
Importance Of School Readiness And Early Childhood Education, Amanda L. Moore
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The need for childhood education was studied and, based upon experiences garnered as a Kindergarten teacher, Cub Club was created and implemented in order to begin to reduce the achievement gap. The program was designed to educate parents about the importance of family involvement and the benefits, lasting into adulthood, of working with children at home during their early years of learning.
Dual Language Education In The Elementary Grades: What Are Some Constraints Or Limitations Of Dual Language In Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade., Anna Alvarez
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This study examined the dual language model of bilingual education available to students at Pioneer Elementary in Sunnyside, Washington. There are a variety of bilingual education, Spanish and English, programs currently used throughout the United States. The effectiveness of student's academic success is based on the bilingual education program they participate in, which has been a long-standing debated topic. Recently new and innovative bilingual education programs such as dual-language models have been introduced and implemented into many classrooms. There is significant scholarly debate regarding the efficacy of dual language education programs. It is possible that the debate is centered on …