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A Comparison Of Cognitive Development Between Whites And African Americans Based On William Perry's Scheme Of Intellectual And Ethical Development, Joan Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compared cognitive complexity between student groups based on cultural background and academic class utilizing William Perry's (1970) cognitive theory of intellectual and ethical development. In addition, the study examined the influence of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on cognitive development. The goal was to ascertain whether Perry's theory, developed from his research on a relatively homogeneous college student population without consideration of the impact of a culturally diverse environment, would be valid for culturally diverse students.

The research design employed to investigate cognitive development used a cross-sectional sample of entering freshmen and graduating seniors attending a predominantly White, …

The Effects Of School Uniforms On Student Behavior And Perceptions In An Urban Middle School, Jacqueline M. Mccarty

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Public opinion polls have consistently highlighted the prevalence of violence in America's schools. Specifically, school personnel have witnessed increased assault and theft related to the wearing of expensive clothing. Concomitantly, administrators have noted decreased attendance rates triggered by clothing issues. Given the gravity of these problems, school officials nationwide have enacted uniform policies in hopes of improving school safety and student behavior. However, current research establishing the effectiveness of these policies is largely anecdotal. The few studies utilizing empirical measures mainly highlight short-term outcomes and often fail to address student perceptions regarding clothing-related problems.

By contrast, this study investigated the …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Multicultural Education On The Racial Attitudes Of Pre-K Through Grade 12 Students: A Comparison Of Curricular Intervention And Reinforcement Dimensions In Suburban And Urban Educational Settings, Ogochukwu Nkeiruka N. Okoye-Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This meta-analysis examined the effects of multicultural education on the racial attitudes of students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Multicultural education, which evolved as a direct result of the push for ethnic studies in schools, was operationalized for this study as programs and curricula dealing with racial and cultural diversity.

The findings of thirty selected studies were synthesized in this meta-analysis to examine whether students exposed to multicultural education developed more positive racial attitudes than students who did not. This meta-analysis compared the effect sizes of two dimensions of multicultural education, curricular intervention and reinforcement, to see the relative effectiveness …

The Effects Of Inclusion Of Students With Learning Disabilities On Urban Fourth-Grade General Education Students, Brenda E. Cox

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study examined the impact of fully included students with learning disabilities on the academic achievement and classroom behavior of urban elementary fourth grade students. To achieve these purposes, data were collected by using the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Multilevel Battery (ITBS) of general education students and students with at-risk profiles, Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement (KTEA) of students with disabilities, completed Individualized Education Program (IEP) objectives of students with disabilities, report card grades of all students, and referrals to principal for inappropriate behavior of all students. Staff and parent surveys and student interviews were another source of data. …

An Evaluation Of An Urban Community College Single Parent And Displaced Homemaker Program, Linda Myers Rice

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of an urban community college Single Parent and Displaced Homemaker program composed primarily of minority women, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The critical dimension of mattering (Schlossberg et al., 1989) formed the conceptual framework for the evaluation.

Program effectiveness, impacts, efficiency and participant needs were assessed. The primary methodology was survey research. A descriptive and a causal comparative study were conducted to determine if there were significant differences in the number of semesters completed and the number of credits taken by program participants when compared to students …

Comparative Effects Of Three Methods Of Staff Development In Content Area Reading Instruction On Urban High School Teachers, Mark Alan Forget

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

In researching the role of group interaction and constructivism in three different types of staff development in content area reading instruction with urban high school teachers, a self-report survey instrument was used to ascertain differences between four groups of respondents with regard to respondents' reported levels on four dependent variables. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the degree of statistical significance between mean scores that resulted. Results showed statistically significant differences with probabilities less than .05 for group differences based on the independent variables type of staff development received by respondents, reported support of school administrators for …

Cognitive Complexity And Empathy As Predictors Of Leadership Style In An Urban College Student Population, Scott B. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The amount of variation in leadership style predicted by cognitive complexity and empathy was investigated. Differences in cognitive complexity and empathic ability according to students' educational levels and leadership styles was also tested. Leadership style was determined by Fiedler's (1967) Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) measure; cognitive complexity was defined by the Cognitive Complexity Index (CCI), a subscale of the Learning Environment Preferences (LEP; Moore, 1987) instrument which measures Perry's (1998) scheme of intellectual and ethical development; and empathy was measured by Hogan's Scale of Empathy (1969) as scored on the Hogan/Em subscale of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI; Gough, 1987). …

Factors That Affect African-American Enrollment In Urban Agricultural Degree Programs In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Thomas Earl Tracy

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine reasons why few African Americans are in leadership positions in the urban agriculture industry. The lack of leaders will probably continue because there is a dearth of African Americans enrolled in agriculture programs at colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Six research questions guided the study in its endeavor to determine perceptions about the urban agriculture industry. Data were collected through surveys and interviews. A background questionnaire, developed by the researcher collected data on age, academic interests, urban background, exposure to agriculture occupations, and factors that affected selection of college …

Comparative Student Perception And Interactional Event Analysis In An Urban Computer-Based Distance Education Environment, Michael Shawn Ireland

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This two-part study used quasi-experimental research methodologies to analyze and assess students' perceptions of the level of their personal interaction, overall interaction, observed interaction, attitude, satisfaction and direct participation in synchronous computer-based interactive remote instruction (IRI) and two-way audio/one-way video (TELETECHNET) intra-urban distance learning environments. For the first part of this study 101 subjects were measured during a semester of instruction in three 4-week interval observations. Intact groups assigned to two different treatment environments, computer-based upper division and graduate level computer science distance learning courses, and two-way audio/one-way video upper division computer science distance learning courses were observed at an …

Program Practices In An Urban School District For Serving Students Identified As Emotionally Disturbed In The Least Restrictive Environment, Leigh L. Butler

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This research examined current educational practices utilized by administrators and teachers to provide services to students with emotional disturbances in an urban school district in the least restrictive environment. In addition, training needs to improve the delivery of education services to students identified as emotionally disturbed also were identified. Data was gathered through the use of a survey and was expanded through focus group interviews. All schools in the urban school district which provide services to students identified as emotionally disturbed were requested to participate in this research. Surveys were distributed to special education and regular education teachers who provided …

An Evaluation Of The Accelerated Reader Program In Grades 3–5 On Reading Vocabulary, Comprehension, And Attitude In An Urban Southeastern School District In Virginia, Carol Ann Howard

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to study recreational reading in third, fourth, and fifth grade urban students in a school district in Southeastern Virginia. The widely-used Accelerated Reader (AR) was the tool examined in the promotion of recreational reading. Recreational reading studies have been done on a broad economic spectrum (Advantage Learning Systems, 1997; Paul, 1996; Paul, VanderZee, Rue & Swanson, 1996). A gap in knowledge exists as to whether recreational reading programs, using AR, are effective with the urban elementary students. The major research questions determined if recreational reading, using Accelerated Reader, influenced reading vocabulary, comprehension, and attitude …

An Analysis Of Practicum Student Attitudes In Urban Professional Development School And Urban Traditional School Programs, Ira Carroll Starling

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compares practicum student attitudes (N = 46) in urban Mature PDS, urban Newly Established PDS, and urban Traditional Schools on five professional attributes: diversity, collaboration, reflection, theory-to-practice, and motivation/efficacy. The researcher also compared practicum expectations of students, principals and clinical faculty to identify differences in attitudes among the three practicum environments.

With regard to the five professional attributes, the Mature PDS environment was most successful in encouraging positive professional attitudes, the Traditional School environment was moderately successful, and the Newly Established PDS was least successful. Qualitative findings showed that the clinical faculty in the Mature PDS environment were …