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An Analysis Of And Revision Of The Board Policy Manual Of Red Hill Community Unit #10, Dennis W. Kimmel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to analyze current board policy manuals in school districts surrounding Red Hill Community Unit School District #10 in Illinois and to revise and update the board policy manual of Red Hill Community Unit School District #10. This field experience was significant because the author believes a current board policy manual that is organized helps insure the efficient operation of a local school district in the state of Illinois. The job of school governance today is difficult and principles for school governance are essential.

The development of policy statements is a practice that must …

An Investigation Of Affirmative Action Policies And Practices Of Recruiting, Hiring, Mentoring And Retention Of African American Teachers And Administrators, U. S. Davidson Jr.

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the affirmative action policies and practices of recruiting, hiring, mentoring and retention of African American teachers and administrators throughout the State of Illinois. Since public elementary and secondary school systems provide numerous and varied jobs in virtually every community in the nation, it is assumed that if a quality education is to be attained, students must be exposed to the variety of cultural perspectives that represent the nation at large (American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, 1990).

This study examined policies and practices of districts throughout the State of Illinois inquiring …

Perceptions Of School Staff And Community Of Student Needs And Community Characteristics Which May Affect Student Learning, David I. Wilson

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess the perceptions of the staff and community of Odin Elementary School and Odin High School of student needs and community characteristics which may affect student learning. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of school staff and community regarding student needs and community characteristics which may affect student learning.

The surveys for this study were designed by the researcher with information taken from materials issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. Thirty-one elementary staff members and 25 high school staff members provided staff data. One hundred-thirty community members provided …

An Exemplary Early Childhood Program: Program Directors' Perspectives, Anita K. Pond

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to develop exemplary guidelines for the implementation of an early childhood program. A survey of 78 early childhood programs in Southern Illinois was conducted. Participants surveyed were asked to respond to questions relating to the early childhood staff, screening and assessment procedures, the policy manual, meeting the needs of each child, parental involvement and the program director. In addition, a review of current literature associated with early childhood programs was presented. Included in the review of literature were books and articles related to the multiple components necessary to create an exemplary early childhood …

Academic Achievement Motivation In Hispanic Students, Lisa A. Schuck

Masters Theses

There is a lack of research on academic achievement motivation in Hispanic students, and instruments which measure achievement motivation have not been validated with Hispanic students. Fifteen regular-education teachers rated 67 third through fifth grade Hispanic students on the Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM). Students completed the Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS). Construct validity was investigated by examining the relationship of the TRAAM with the AMS. Criterion-related validity was established by examining the relationship of the TRAAM with Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) scores and grades. The TRAAM, AMS, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) scores, and grades were used to …

A Burkean Analysis Of The Rhetoric Of Sexual Harassment: An Examination Of The Polarization Of Attitudes Related To Consensual Relationships On Campus, Loretta Lovelace Wiman

Masters Theses

A history of sexual harassment traces the recognition and development of the issue as a social problem in the workplace and on college campuses. A review of research literature reveals both percentages of students involved and the effects on those students of academic or teacher/student sexual harassment. A brief overview of institutional policy statements shows that some colleges/universities have responded to the issue with a ban on all consensual amorous relationships between teachers and students; some ban such relationships only when a supervisory relationship also exists, and some do neither. Some policies include sanctions on those who violate bans; others …

Syntactic Awareness And Reading Development: A Training Study With Young Children, Barbara E. Milner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A number of previous research studies have examined the relationship between syntactic awareness and reading, but few training studies have been reported. In the present study, a 1 a-week training study employing an experimental design, was conducted with 34 Year 1 and 38 Year 2 children to determine whether training in syntactic awareness increased levels of syntactic awareness and reading performance. Prior to the commencement of training, all children were pretested in syntactic awareness as measured by an oral correction task, and in reading. On the basis of these tests, matched pairs of subjects were assigned to experimental and control …

The Development And Evolution Of A Self-Supporting, In-House Public Relations Program In The Rockwood School District, Jeff Arnett

Theses

When the Rockwood School District implemented site-based management in 19 90, the change dramatically altered the district's overall communications program.

The responsibilities and funds to pay for requested services were given to each of Rockwood' s schools and departments. As a projects, which result, monies were formerly for communications budgeted to the communications department, were shifted to the individual school accounts. Site-based management had seemingly l eft the communications department with a reduced budget and the challenge of recovering the schools' money and maintaining their business.

What has evolved is a more effective program that also attempts to generate revenue …

A Study To Determine Whether Oral Delivery Style, In Presenting Poetry To Students, Significantly Effects The Level Of Responsiveness To The Poetry, William H. Goff Ii

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Concerns about the lack of intrinsic motivation among students has been associated with behaviorism's emphasis on extrinsic rewards and with a general societal trend toward materialism. Teachers frequently comment that many students seem to have little interest in learning. This research examined one factor in student motivation, lesson delivery style.

Four 7th grade classes, two different classes from two different schools, were used, resulting in 69 subjects. Poetry was read to classes with either an aesthetic or a bland delivery style. The behavioral response of the students was noted as to whether or not they were indicative of physiological arousal. …

Linguistic Theory Applied To Teaching Practice: Looking Through Linguists' Eyes At An Urban Esl Classroom, Caroline Mary El-Kadi

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The quality of instruction in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs is of utmost concern to urban educators as more and more non-native speakers settle in urban areas and need better language skills to participate fully in American society. Training of ESL instructors is often difficult, given the limited resources of most programs. In ESL, a close study of classroom discourse has long been considered particularly useful, but undirected classroom observation is of limited use because what novices notice in the classroom is often inaccurate or irrelevant. Ways are needed to focus beginning teachers' observations. Over several decades, discourse analysts have devised methods …

Factors That Motivate Washington State Teachers To Participate In Professional Growth And Development, Dolores Adan Heisinger

Dissertations and Theses

The major focus of this study was the identification of factors that motivate teachers to participate in professional growth and development activities. Although teachers may be motivated to participate in staff development for different reasons, it was hypothesized that common factors forming an identifiable incentive profile could be found. Within the focus of the study, three primary questions were asked: (a) What are the needs, incentives or motivators that influence teachers to further their professional development? (b) What are the relative strengths of the various needs, incentives or motivators? and (c) How do the incentive structures of teachers differ based …

Midlife Experience Of Contemporary Women Views Along The Midway, Paula Deangelis Panchuck

Educational Studies Dissertations

Examines the experience of midlife and the expectations of midlife and aging of 22 Caucasian, African American, Latina, Chinese, and Asian-Indian midlife women, ages 40 to 60, who differ in sexual orientation, income, employment, marital and parenting status. Influenced by social and family expectations for women in their early years, most women expected midlife would include husband, home and family. The women describe midlife as positive and fulfilling, disclaim the relevance of "midlife crisis" to their lives and report higher levels of self-confidence, self-reliance and self-understanding. Tempered by an awareness of imperfect circumstances in their lives and compassion for their …

Taking Charge: Second Graders Negotiate Ownership Of Their Expressive Writing, Susan Douglas Fleming

Educational Studies Dissertations

This ethnographic study of a single, second grade, public school classroom explores students' ownership of their writing as they negotiate their dual roles of active writer and compliant student.

Writing process advocates such as Calkins (1987), Graves (1983), and Murray (1968, 1985) stress the need for student writers to assume ownership of their work by writing from personal experience and by making the decisions governing direction of the text. This involvement encourages awareness of self as learner and as person, and stimulates cognitive and identity development. Robert Brooke (1991), in a study of college students, points out that the power …