Education Commons^™

A School-Based Intervention For Third Grade Students Experiencing Test Anxiety, Laura S. Tenenbaum

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

With the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001), students are regularly faced with high stakes tests and classroom-based assessments to determine if they are meeting grade level educational standards. Estimates suggest that up to 40% of children may experience significant anxiety surrounding evaluations (e.g., McDonald, 2001; Turner, Beidel, Hughes, & Turner, 1993) and research shows that this test anxiety can negatively impact school performance (e.g., Abu-Rabia, 2004; Putwain, 2008) and mental health (e.g., Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, Weems et al., 2010). As a result, test anxiety has become a topic of concern for researchers, educators, and mental …

Response-To-Intervention: Understanding General Education Teacher Knowledge And Implementation, Elissa M. Benjamin

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

The new IDEIA (2004) mandates regarding the implementation of Response-to-Intervention (RtI) present challenges for general education teachers. The law dictates the implementation of Response-to-Intervention, which requires the application of a pyramid of interventions for students failing to make adequate yearly progress in response to general education programs. Response-to-Intervention regulations redefine general education teacher roles, increase responsibilities regarding instructional interventions for at-risk learners, and change the process used to determine qualification for specific learning disability (SLD).

A qualitative case study investigates how three general educators in a rural public elementary school understand and implement Response-to-Intervention policy. The study also examines teacher …

The Effects Of A Drama-Based Language Intervention On The Development Of Theory Of Mind And Executive Function In Urban Kindergarten Children, Heather Smith

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

Because theory of mind (ToM; Samson, 2009) and executive function (EF; Meltzer, 2010) are important skill domains for children’s academic and social success in school, researchers have focused on evaluating the impact of interventions designed to enhance the development of these skills (e.g., Peskin & Astington, 2004; Dowsett & Livesey, 2000). Using an experimental design, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of the Georgia Wolftrap (GWT) program, a drama-based language intervention, at improving ToM and EF in a sample of kindergarten students from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Researchers (Cole & Mitchell, 1998; Noble, Norman, & Farah, 2005) have indicated that …

Using Function-Based Choice-Making Interventions To Increase Task Completion And Accuracy And To Reduce Problem Behaviors For Students With E/Bd, Michelle L. Ramsey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Two choice-making interventions (task sequence and where) were implemented by a classroom teacher to determine the effects on the percentage of task completion, accuracy, and classroom disruption for ten sixth through eighth grade students with E/BD in a residential math classroom using a reversal design. An FBA was conducted to determine the function of disruptive behavior during independent math practice prior to the implementation of the two choice-making interventions. The math teacher provided either choice of task sequence of the independent tasks or choice of where to complete the independent tasks. Results indicate that choice of task sequence matched avoidance-maintained …

Filling Gaps In The Schoolhouse Floor: The Differential Effects Of Graduation-Targeted Intervention Services On 11th Grade Academic Achievement In 2008-2009, Jessica A. Broome

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of graduation coach services in reducing student risk factors for dropping out of high school and increasing student academic performance, a strong correlate of student persistence to high school graduation (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). The study employed a quasiexperimental nonequivalent control group design utilizing student risk ratio and individualized Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) scores in English/language arts and mathematics as measures to compare students who received the services of a graduation coach to those who did not. The sample for this study included 39,326 Georgia students continuously enrolled in the 11th …

Effects Of Wide Reading Vs. Repeated Readings On Struggling College Readers' Comprehension Monitoring Skills, Omer Ari

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

Fluency instruction has had limited effects on reading comprehension relative to reading rate and prosodic reading (Dowhower, 1987; Herman, 1985; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000a). More specific components (i.e., error detection) of comprehension may yield larger effects through exposure to a wider range of materials than repeated readings (Kuhn, 2005b). Thirty-three students reading below college level were randomly assigned to a Repeated Readings (RR), a Wide Reading (WR), or a Vocabulary Study (VS) condition and received training in 9 sessions of 30 minutes in a Southeast community college. RR students read an instructional-level text consecutively four …

Priming As A Means Of Increasing Spontaneous Verbal Language In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michelle Louise Ivey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF PRIMING ON SPONTANEOUS VERBAL LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS by Michelle L. Ivey A multi-element design was used to investigate the effect of priming on spontaneous verbal communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Three children with ASD engaged in 20-minute thematic activity sessions (ACT) with the investigator. Prior to the ACTs, they met with another trained researcher for 10-minute presessions. Half of the presessions incorporated the conventions of priming with materials to be used in the upcoming ACT (i.e., related presessions; RP). During the other half of the presessions, participants were not …