Education Commons^™

A Multiple Case Study Of Teacher Perspective On Effective Interventions Used By Family Resource Centers In Elementary Schools To Improve Parental Involvement Of Students At Risk, April Cherisha Wood

Online Theses and Dissertations

Students not having the positive opportunities of an education, often experience negative effects throughout their lives. Educators need to do more to meet the needs of elementary students at risk, and if this can be accomplished the students will receive a 21st Century education that will help students with a global education, which is necessary to their quality of life now and in the future. This is an effort to better understand the interactions family resource centers use to intervene, helping families of students at risk, become involved in schools, and establish a framework that offers a more focused lens …

American Sign Language-English Interpreting Program Faculty: Characteristics, Tenure Perceptions, And Productivity, Kimberly J. Hale

Online Theses and Dissertations

American Sign Language (ASL)-English interpreting education, which began as a community apprenticeship and vetting process, has within the last several decades moved into higher education. Most recently, the number of baccalaureate-granting ASL-English interpreting programs have continued to increase while the number of associate's degree programs has remained steady. This shift to higher education and to four-year colleges in particular has received little empirical analysis. The overarching objective of this study, which was framed by a conceptual model of the relationship between employment context, faculty member characteristics, perceptions and productivity, is to better understand how ASL-English interpreting education programs and their …

Kentucky Speech-Language Pathologists' Confidence And Education In Providing Services To Spanish-English Bilingual Children In The Public Schools, Leah Katherine Cooley

Online Theses and Dissertations

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has mandated that all speech-language pathologists (SLPs) competently assess and serve children from diverse cultural backgrounds (ASHA, 2010). In Kentucky, there has been a 121% increase in the Hispanic population in the last ten years (O'Neill, 2011). As the population of Kentucky becomes more diverse, it is essential that SLPs have cultural competence and confidence in serving clients with culturally-linguistically diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of multicultural pre- service training and continuing education Kentucky SLPs have received to the amount received by the SLPs surveyed in the larger …

Math Intervention Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Student Achievement, Lisa Ivey Waller

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the relationship of math intervention teachers' (MITs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and students' math achievement gains in primary math interventions. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics gathered data on the MITs and primary math intervention students included in this study. Longitudinal data were analyzed for a sample of 65 teachers with one to four years of experience as math interventionists. Analyzed student data were from an 889 student sample (kindergarten to grade three) from the fourth year of Kentucky's math interventions. The students in the sample were taught by the teachers in the sample, using Mathematics Recovery, Add+Vantage …

The Perception Of School Board Members And Their Role In Improving College And Career Readiness, Sara Elaine Farris

Online Theses and Dissertations

The national focus of graduating America's students ready for college and a career has heightened the importance of and the need for school board members to rethink their purpose on what and how they spend their time. Improving the college and career readiness of K-12 students will need school boards that are willing to receive the training to ensure that district leadership and schools are using the appropriate strategies that will impact college and career readiness.

School boards have always recognized student achievement as central to their role in governing public schools; however, the impact they actually have on promoting …

A Comparative Case Study Of Factors Distinguishing Between High And Low-Performance On Reading Achievement In Elementary Rural Appalachian Schools, Jennifer Renee Chambers

Online Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative comparative case study identified factors that distinguish between high and low-performance on reading achievement in elementary rural Appalachian schools. This study determined the most effective instructional reading strategies, as well as other influential factors, implemented by school districts in the rural Appalachia area with similar student demographics and economic disadvantages. Data were collected through interview questions to assess the staffs' perceptions of their school's instructional program, leadership strategies, and teaching methods. The researcher also conducted observations of classrooms during reading instruction to determine practices being used. Results indicate high teacher morale, teacher efficacy, supportive leadership, meaningful professional development, …

The Effectiveness Of Homeland Security Training For Rural Communities: A Comparative Analysis Of Web-Based And Instructor-Led Training Delivery, Ryan K. Baggett

Online Theses and Dissertations

The development of advanced training technologies such as Web Based Training (WBT), coupled with the proliferation of computer and Internet availability, has increased training opportunities for rural communities. This advancement is critical to meeting the training needs of emergency response personnel in rural communities who routinely face the challenge of providing continuous services to their community with limited resources. Despite the perceived convenience of WBT for emergency responders, little research has been conducted in homeland security on the knowledge acquisition of those who are trained using an electronic medium as compared to those in a traditional, Instructor-Led Training (ILT) delivery. …

Teacher Perceptions And Knowledge About Stuttering Before And After An In-Service Training, Micha Lachole Hobbs

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to further investigate the relationship between teachers' knowledge and perceptions of stuttering before and after an in-service training. Specifically, to determine whether providing teachers with training on stuttering increases their knowledge of stuttering and contributes to more positive perceptions towards their students who stutter (SWS). The participants were twenty-three elementary and secondary teachers from Wolfe County Kentucky who currently had students in their classrooms who stuttered and volunteered to participate in this study. The participants' knowledge about stuttering was measured using the Alabama Stuttering Knowledge Test (ASK) and their perceptions were measured using the Teacher Attitudes …

Measuring Tasks, Time, And Priorities: A Study Of An Alternative School Leader In Action, Gregory Michael O'Bryan

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study explored whether conventional means to evaluate principal instructional leadership were appropriate in alternative school settings. The mixed methods research included shadowing an alternative school principal over two days during the fall semester, 2011. Data was collected using the Vanderbilt Assessment of Education in Leadership's (VAL-ED) Time Task Analysis Tool^TM checklist supplemented by naturalistic observations and ongoing explanations by the principal. Leader activities were categorized within three major categories: instructional, management, and personal. Additional activity descriptions were based on instrument subcategories, multiple cycles of coding, and analytic memoing. Conclusions indicated that the VAL-ED instrument failed to accurately define …

Perceived Levels Of Confidence And Knowledge Of Autism Between Paraprofessionals In Kentucky Schools And Parents Of Children With Autism, Laura Nichole Baker

Online Theses and Dissertations

A total of 173 special education paraprofessionals and 49 parents of children with autism responded to a survey investigating perceived levels of confidence and knowledge of autism. The purpose of this study was to determine if paraprofessionals assigned to children with autism in Kentucky public schools were adequately trained, skilled and knowledgeable in their provision of services to children with autism. Parents scored significantly higher in their amount of autism knowledge when compared to paraprofessionals. Paraprofessionals were found to be significantly more confident in their ability to provide instructional support to children diagnosed with autism than were the parents. Results …

The Impact Of International Students On American Students And Faculty At An Appalachian University, My Mustapha Jourdini

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of exposure to international students on American student and faculty perceptions at a regional Appalachian University. A revised and improved version of Jaleh Shabahang's (1993) International Education Opinionnaire was used to survey American students and faculty regarding their perceptions of the educational and cultural impact of international students. The revised instrument also measured American student and faculty perceptions of five ethnic groups of international students. Three independent samples t-tests were administered to compare the views between two American groups: students or faculty in international-related academic departments (IRs) and non-international-related academic departments (NIRs). The first test …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The National Council For Accreditation Of Teacher Education Master's In Teacher Leadership Programs From 1980 - Present, Cretia Mainous

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the 28 institutions that are members of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and offer Master's in Teacher Leadership programs that they describe on their websites. Those programs were researched looking for similarities and differences across programs, specifically researching their Carnegie Foundation Classifications, geographical location, and basic program descriptors. A document-analysis was conducted on a sub-sample of three institutions that provided access to core course syllabi on-line looking for the embedded knowledge, skills, and dispositions within their coursework. These knowledge, skills, and dispositions were then compared to the Teacher Leader Model Standards developed …