Education Commons^™

A Survey Of Reading-Readiness Skills And Their Application To The Late Reader, Gail E. Robbins

Dissertations and Theses

Reading readiness is a subject that concerns reading teachers and educators. Inadequate readiness training may cause some students to become late readers, who can be identified as students who score below their age and grade level on a standardized reading test. It is important to define reading readiness and examine the component skills and factors in order to help late readers. This examination was conducted by a study of reading-readiness literature. The reading-readiness skills include auditory discrimination, visual and visual-motor discrimination, development of language, concept formation, and reasoning skills. Readiness factors include fixed factors, social, and emotional factors. Fixed factors …

A Follow-Up Study Of The Graduates In The Academic Track At Wssb, Linda Heider, Renee Klisch

Dissertations and Theses

This study was conducted to discover the most significant factors associated with the present functioning and attitudes and the success of the adult outcomes of graduates of the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, Washington.

The researchers assumed that WSSB had done everything feasible to prepare each student for a successful life, both in respect to the ability to lead an adequate socially active life and to develop as much independence as possible for a later profession or vocation.

The researchers hypothesized that type of education, sex, onset of blindness, degree of blindness and age would affect the …

Social Work Continuing Education Needs Assessment Study, Mary Lou Timme

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the needs assessment study was to obtain current, accurate, concrete information on the continuing education needs and preferences of selected social service practitioners. In addition, the intention was to gather information that could actually be used in planning and continuing education offerings by the Portland State University School of Social Work Continuing Education Coordinator.

A Descriptive Study Of Participants In The Evergreen Community Organization, Douglas Edward Lehrman, Janet R. Abrams

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to present a descriptive analysis of the active participants in a voluntary association concerned with community development. This analysis will focus upon description and discussion of the socio-demographic characteristics of the active members of the organization. Some of the attitudinal factors which operated to motivate and sustain participation in the organization will also be examined. Before proceeding with discussion of the theoretical background for the study, the community and its history relative to development of the organization will be described.

A Study Of Counseling At Reed College, Martin Shawn Fisher, Mark Masterson

Dissertations and Theses

The main purpose of the study was to develop information which would be useful to the counselors of the Reed College Counseling Service in their practice. Specifically, information was sought on the outcomes of one to one counseling sessions. The aim of the inquiry was to determine some of the dynamics and results of individual counseling with Reed students. The goal was to discover information about successful and unsuccessful counseling sessions which would benefit the counselors in the provision of their services.

A review of the literature on outcome research in psychotherapy suggested that focusing the study on the treatment …

The Effects Of An Innovative Curriculum On The Attitudes Of "Educationally Disadvantaged" Freshman College Students, Julius William Wilkerson

Dissertations and Theses

Educational research literature suggests the expectations for success in college for youth from "educationally disadvantaged" backgrounds are tragically small. Reasons offered for this have included the lack of requisite academic preparation, lack of motivation, lack of appreciation for the value of a college education. The general purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative instructional technique in promoting the development of positive attitudes about self-worth, and academic achievement, for "disadvantaged" students. Specifically, this study attempted to identify the structure of attitudes of "educationally disadvantaged" students in the Portland State University support service program (Operation PLUS) about …

A Comparison Of Concepts Of The Basic Underlying Assumptions Of The Introductory Speech Communication Course In The Oregon Community Colleges As Seen By Speech Communication Faculty And Self-Reported By Students, Vickie L. Hilgemann

Dissertations and Theses

This study is focused upon an investigation of the content and methodology of the introductory speech course in the Oregon community colleges. The current content appears to be one of an emphasis on skill building in the area of public speaking.

Previous research in the area of content and methodology of the basic course have centered on the courses offered at four-year institutions and has asked only faculty and administrators what they felt should be offered in the introductory course. This research study will instead question students and faculty at the vocational level in the community college of Oregon to …

Effects Of Colors, Noun Position, And Verb Proximity On The Acquisition Of Direct Objects, Ronald M. Dohr

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if colors can differentially be applied as teaching tools for pre-school children. Previous studies have shown that pre-school children are easily distracted in language development by external stimulation. Studies have also shown that brighter color hues can arouse and facilitate performance of subjects on given tasks. This experiment is an attempt to measure performance of word manipulation by usage of colors. Three independent variables have been selected as stimuli to measure direct object acquisition. Measurement of color, noun position, and verb proximity will be assessed in connection with subject performance on given …

A Descriptive Study Of Previously Institutionalized Educable Mentally Retarded Adults Residing In Multnomah County, Oregon, Susan J. Kiley, Jeffrey D. Sher, Richard C. Sunshine

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of mild and borderline mentally retarded adults living in Multnomah County, Oregon, who at one time in their lives were patients at Fairview Training School. The concept of "normalization" is merging with the political necessity of "advocacy" to create a different role for the traditionally silent and previously institutionalized retarded citizen, along with new roles for the professional worker with the retarded. Mentally retarded citizens have only recently begun to speak out for themselves; even less frequent it seems, has any concerted listening on the part of the public or professional community which deals day to …

A Study Of The Career Education Program At Mountain View Intermediate School, Beaverton School District #48, Beaverton, Oregon, William Calvin Greene

Dissertations and Theses

The following report deals with the career education program at Mountain View, one of six intermediate schools in the Beaverton school District #48.

During the summer of 1974, four Mountain View faculty members developed what they titled the Mountain View Intermediate School Career Educational Resource Guide (CERG).

The faculty members developed this guide keeping in mind the requirements of the Master Plan but also adding specific references relating to what direction they felt the career education program at Mountain View should take.

The CERG was designed in such a way that career related activities for each grade level were broken …

Drop-Out Study, Chemawa Indian School, Terry Farrow, Gordon Oats

Dissertations and Theses

Repeated inquiries and statements are made about the number of American Indian students who drop out or are pushed out of school. The Waxes noted that while drop-out rates are difficult to calculate because of a shifting population and absence of centralized, accurate records, current figures indicate that about one-half of those who enter the primary grades drop out before entering high school. Furthermore, only about a third of those entering school actually graduate. A study of Pima and Papago schools revealed much the same trends. Seven percent of the children ages six to eighteen are not enrolled in any …

Managing Human Services, Betsy W. Romain

Dissertations and Theses

Professional schools have realized for some time that there is an uncomfortable gap between the requirements of their academic curriculum and the realities of a professional job. The skills required, performance level and final product, are noticeably different in the academic world than in the work world. This void between what is required in school and what is required on the job, has become of increasing concern as larger numbers of academically qualified students compete for a decreasingly smaller number of jobs. Additionally, institutes of higher education, caught in current day fiscal realities, are under pressure from both students and …

The Effect Of Attending Behavior Training Upon Learning, Martha Sue Peden

Dissertations and Theses

Various studies have been implemented concerning the physiological and psychological components of attending behavior, particularly in the area of the exceptional child. Little has been done, however, to develop specific behavioral definitions of attending behavior and to incorporate these into treatment-based research programs involving normal children attending a regular public school.

The purpose of this investigation was to discover if children from a regular public elementary school who are deficient in attending behavior skills can be taught these skills in a short-term behavior modification program and to determine if the skills thus learned facilitate learning within the regular classroom setting.

Differential Measurement Of A Language Concept Presented Via Video Tape Playback To First Grade Students, Richard Warren Trullinger

Dissertations and Theses

Educational television began in 1932 at the State University of Iowa. Until 1952, the potential of its contributions to education were not fully recognized. In 1952, however, the Federal Communication Commission created non-commercial television station. From that point in time, educational television has mushroomed.

This study tested the hypothesis: At least 80 percent of a given first grade population will respond accurately to the post-testing of a language concept, after the concept has been presented to them via a video tape playback using puppetry as the teaching method. In essence, the study was designed to determine whether or not an …

Development Of A Teacher Rating Instrument: Methodological Implications, Carole Gygi

Dissertations and Theses

In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complexities which constitute an effective teacher and promote a positive learning climate, a field study methodology was employed to develop an evaluative instrument and to gain descriptive data.

For the purpose of developing an instrument to describe and measure effective teachers, 24 actual learning sessions (classes) were observed, extensive notes taken, and tape recordings were made in order to isolate and describe the behaviors which seemed critical to the situation being studied. This was done by observing the teacher as he taught and the learners while they learned. The teacher …

Danish Day Care As A Social Institution, Albert Sessions Belais, Ellane L. Kibel

Dissertations and Theses

A study of the social and cultural aspects of day care in Denmark. The thesis hypothesizes that experiences in the development of Danish day care are relevant to the future development of day care in the United States.

Interest in Danish day care was stimulated by the reports of Drs. Marsden and Mary Wagner (1970) which found Danish day care provided an intimate and innovative standard of care for young children.

Twenty centers of widely varied types were visited in Denmark. Information was gathered largely through unstructured interviews with child care staff and non-participant observation. Special attention was paid to …

The Politics Of Education -- An Analysis Of Selected Cases And Controversies In American Education, Lawrence Robert Stoffel

Dissertations and Theses

This study compiles a series of cases and controversies in American education, from the popularization of public education in the mid-1800's to the present, and then reviews them to determine scholarly political aspects, common themes, and trends. It then applies the identified themes to a model of “the school as a responsive political system” fashioned after David Easton's "Dynamic Response Model of a Political System” to demonstrate the operative nature of the themes.

The paper reviews the plight of Negro education in Alabama after the Civil War until 1901. It discusses accommodation in the realm of education as the United …

Black Content In Schools: A Model Of Black Content In A School Of Social Work's Curriculum, Dorothy L. Baker, Alexander Richberg, Isaac White

Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this study is, in general, to inform schools of social work of a method to include Black content within their curricula, and in particular to sensitize the faculty at Portland State University to the importance of including Black content into the school's curriculum.

In this research design, a select population was used as well as a specific body of knowledge from the Human Behavior and Social Environment sequence to develop a model to introduce Black content in the social work curriculum.

A Program Of School Social Work, Phyllis Marie Jaszkowiak

Dissertations and Theses

School social work is in a state of flux. Traditional casework services in the schools, as the only function of the school social worker, is becoming less viable.

The study of Assumption school and area points out some problem areas, as well as strengths. In view of these problems and strengths, a broadened school social work program is discussed. The program centers around prevention, treatment, and research. A basic principle upon which all is based is a team approach of social work, school, and community. The discussion leads to the community school concept, which is currently seen as one of …

A Study Of Open Space Schools, Carol Ormiston

Dissertations and Theses

By the spring of 1972 Beaverton School District had five open space schools in operation and three others under construction. These schools are built without separate, individual classrooms. Space is more flexible and can be used in a number of ways. Open space buildings provide the setting for a new kind of teaching and learning process.

Within the Beaverton School District, the Department of Administrative Services was requested to provide information regarding the operation of the open space teaching and learning process. As a result a plan was developed for a descriptive study of some aspects of open space as …

Group Experience With Parents Of Preschool Children With Seizure Disorders, George R. Jacobsen, Grant R. Kane, Joan Sacia

Dissertations and Theses

A project using parent seminars in aiding parents of children with seizure disorders was designed at the request of Dr. James R. Schimschock, pediatric neurologist and director of the Clinic for Neurologically Impaired Children, Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center. The clinic provides a diagnostic and educational therapy for neurologically impaired children. In addition to providing multidiscipline diagnostic evaluation, clinic services include operating classrooms for preschool and school-age children. The classrooms function for children with any type of neurologic impairment who are either excluded from school due to their delayed academic performance, their physical or developmental delay, emotional or behavior …

Black Studies As An Agent Of Social Change On The Structural Level At Selected Colleges And Universities, Vincent Van Davis

Dissertations and Theses

In a relatively short period of time American higher education has witnessed the development of numerous black studies programs and departments. These new academic endeavors have been instrumental in producing structural changes in the institutions of higher education. Recently higher education has attempted to assess the progress of black studies programs and departments within their structures. This has been done with some attempt to assess the past of black studies as well as project the future of black studies within higher education.

Due to the hurried developmental process of black studies programs, which led to the establishment of black studies …

A Survey Of Non-White Social Service Personnel In The State Of Oregon, Phillis Benton, Patricia Riley, Cynthia Southwell, Dennis Wong

Dissertations and Theses

The National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education are concerned with the eradication of racism within the social work profession and the nation at large. Graduate schools throughout the country are presently attempting to come to grips with this elusive and pervasive problem. The School of Social Work at Portland State University is among these schools.

In early 1972, the Portland State University School of Social Work formalized and adopted a specific policy regarding recruitment, education, and issues concerning non-white students and communities. In doing so, this school became the first School of Social Work …

Report On Faculty And Student Evaluation Of Instructors In Direct Service Teaching At Portland State University Graduate School Of Social Work, Janet Mansfield, James Mcdevitt

Dissertations and Theses

The classroom as a messenger of learning and awareness is an honored institution. Education promotes the spirit of inquiry. Concurrently, inquiry spearheads research. As students who have spent many hours in a classroom, we have wondered, inquired, into the spirit of the classroom. Our research is devoted to gaining and establishing a series of perspectives as to what occurs in the classroom.

Our research is concerned with specific characteristics of the teacher-learner relationship and outcomes of that relationship. Specific characteristics of the student-teacher relationship such as effective communication, clarity of course objectives, or the quality of class lectures, have been …

Title I Evaluation System, Maple Lane High School, Terrence A. Green

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the project is to establish a data gathering system that will provide decision makers an information base on which to 1) Plan for current program maintenance, 2) Plan for program change and 3) Identify changes in student need as a basis for future Title I funding.

In establishing the system, two requirements had to be met. First, the system had to be simple so a person with limited training could operate it. Second, the system had to keep individual students identifiable to facilitate treatment and academic program planning. Developing the system within these constraints required the data …