Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Intervention Programs For Teenagers At Risk Among Middle And High School Students In Southeast Missouri, Bryan Austin

Dissertations

At-risk students have been noted to be exposed to high cases of early school dropout, late graduation, poor academic performance, and engagement in risky behaviors, such as drug and substance abuse. While research has reported poor transition to future careers and adult life among at-risk students, little is known regarding intervention programs used in Missouri schools to motivate at-risk students. The objective of this study was to investigate intervention programs being used to retain and engage at-risk middle and high school teenagers in Missouri and identify effective intervention programs that might help promote their success in school and subsequent transition …

From The Battlefield To The Classroom: An Exploration Of Post-9/11 Female Combat Veterans Who Completed Graduate School After Military Service, Arthur Littler Iii

Dissertations

Since 2011, approximately 200,000 service members transitioned from military service to the civilian sector each year (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016). , 2014). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2018 Employment Situation of Veterans Summary report, 8.9% of veterans were disadvantaged as they have little to no higher education. Without a financial support system to fall back on, transitioning veterans face the inevitable issue of homelessness. Research by Tsai, Hoff, and Harpaz- Rotem (2017) found the rate of homelessness among veterans has increased over the past decade with female veterans more likely than their male counterparts to …

Exploring Factors Influencing The Transition Of Adult Students From Noncredit To Credit Community College Courses, Kevin Baker

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the factors that former Adult Basic Education (ABE) students perceived were important in their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework offered at 2 community colleges in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California, using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory and 4S system elements. A second purpose of this study was to determine which factors facilitated or hindered their transition from noncredit courses to credit coursework.

Methodology: This qualitative research study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the transition experience of former ABE students. Semistructured interviews were used to discover …

Young Adults With Disabilities Acquire Vocational Skills With Video Modeling, Carly Schroeder-Mackay

Dissertations

Students with disabilities often require substantial support to acquire the skills needed to secure work experience and paid employment. Special education transition programs have an obligation to utilize evidence-based practices to facilitate the acquisition of such skills. In the present project, three studies were conducted to examine the effects of video modeling on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of job-related tasks taught in a classroom setting to young adults with developmental disabilities. In Study 1, a multiple baseline across behaviors experimental design with four participants was used to assess the effects of video prompts on the percentage of correctly completed …

A Narrative Case Study Of Transfer Students In Instrumental Music Education, Ashley Glenn

Dissertations

Transfer students in music fields face challenges that are different from other fields of study. Research has shown that transfer students in music are expected to acclimate and operate as upperclassmen with minimal onboarding while also potentially having to retake courses they received credit for at the community college level. This study examines the experiences of five transfer students in music education through the lens of Schlossberg’s transition theory and Dewey’s model of transaction. Building on existing transfer student research, it asks: what do transfer students experience in terms of acceptance and self-integration, and how do these experiences affect transfer …

Interagency Collaboration In Local Partnership Agreements: A Qualitative Case Study Identifying And Describing The Perception Of Preparedness Of Transition Specialists Working In Workability I Projects, Barbara Boyd

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the preparedness of transition specialists working in WorkAbility I (WAI) projects as perceived by transition specialists using Kohler’s Taxonomy for Collaborative Transition Programming. In addition, its purpose is to explore the perceptions of transition specialists regarding interagency collaboration in local partnership agreements (LPAs).

Methodology: This qualitative case study identified and described WAI transition specialists’ perception of transition programming and interagency collaboration. It employed the use of semi-structured interview questions consisting of open-ended questions. Using this methodology promoted the extraction of high quality information from the transition specialists. …

Superintendent Transitions: Planning For The Expected, Jennifer Wildman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative and illustrative multiple case study was to identify and describe succession planning strategies utilized by six K-12 California public school districts of 1,000 to 10,000 enrollment that have experienced superintendent transitions within the previous 3 years during three stages—Prepare, Pivot, Thrive—of executive succession and transition management (Adams, 2006).

Methodology: The population consisted of 1,022 districts with a target population of 213 districts. Participants (superintendents, cabinet members, board members) were chosen through purposive and convenience sampling.

Findings: Five common themes emerged: (a) communication, (b) seeking input, (c) relationship-building, (d) strategic planning, and (e) stabilizing the …

The Lived Experience Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning From High School To A Liberal Arts College, Joseph D. Bishop

Dissertations

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are transitioning into colleges and universities at a growing rate. All types of post-secondary institutions are seeing this influx, yet some are ill prepared to assist students with ASD, especially within the transition process. There is a gap in the research focusing on students with ASD within liberal art colleges. The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience of students with ASD as they transition from high school to a small liberal arts college.

My research uses a phenomenological approach in order to develop descriptive themes. I interviewed seven students who …

School Connectedness: Teachers’ Perspectives On The Effects Of A Small Learning Community On Ninth-Grade Student Transition And Dropout, Brittany Richey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore ninth grade teachers’ perspectives’ of a small learning community and its impact on student connectivity, transition and dropout. The following overarching research question framed this study: (Given the 15-year history of this freshman academy, what are the teachers’ perspectives on the impact of a small learning community on ninth grade transition? (a) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of interpersonal connectedness? (b) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of physical and emotional safety? (c)What are teachers’ perceptions of how the …

Veteran Transition From Combat To Campus: A Mixed-Methods Study, Joanna R. Jones

Dissertations

The current research was carried out to investigate the overall satisfaction and benefits concerning student veteran programs at a public university located in southcentral Kentucky and the possible correlation of effectiveness within the supportive transitioning assistance programs for student veterans. The study included survey(s) distributions to administrators of veteran programs and student veterans.

The descriptive investigative study involved both aspects of quantitative and qualitative design, hence categorizing the study as mixed-methods. Descriptive research design is considered a scientific method which involves observing and/or describing behavior regarding the subject without influencing it in any way. Surveys were used during this study …

The Effects Of A Transition Program On The Academic Achievement Of Ninth Grade Students In A California Suburban High School, Igor Nicholas Milosavljević

Dissertations

Problem

High school graduation rates have improved over the last decade. However, approximately one-fourth of U.S. high school students still do not graduate within four years. The rates are higher especially among minority and low socioeconomic status students, including students with special needs and English Language Learners. More ninth graders fail than any other grade in high school. A disproportionate number of students held back in ninth grade subsequently drop out. Students who do not complete high school face significant social, financial, and health challenges. Programs have been developed to address this need. One of those is the Accelerated Academic …

Finding Hope In Chaos: The Development Of A Tool To Identify Key Factors That College Students Use To Effectively Deal With Adversity, Joetta Harlow Kelly

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify techniques that could be developed into a resource for counselors and other professionals who assist college students in dealing effectively with adversity. In a series of four surveys, 200 people were asked to participate. These included professional counselors and ministers both on and off campus, as well as directors in Student Affairs, such as those in student support services and student life. To accomplish this, questionnaires were developed to identify and allow for tabulation of the counseling techniques most commonly used for students dealing with adversity by those working with college students. …

A Whole New World: Students With Disabilities Transition To Postsecondary Education, Warren Whitaker

Dissertations

Since the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, there has been a steady increase in the enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education. With the postsecondary transition in educational supports from the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) in high school to ADA in college, there has been a lack of research related to the experiences of these students with disabilities while they are in college. Considering the changes in disability experience resulting from education policy changes from high school (IDEA) to college (ADA/Section 504), the purpose of this study was to examine the …

An Alternative Program To Help Special Education Students Transition Back Into High School: A Program Evaluation, Janine E. Gruhn

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines the effectiveness of transitioning students from an alternative program (O’PLUS) back to a general high school setting. Research on effective alternative high schools for students with disabilities includes five components: broad academic courses, support structures that can be customized to a student’s needs, student-felt connection to the school and built in motivation, a caring adult community, and responsive school leadership (Brigharm, et. al. 2006). Students lacking these key components in an alternative setting often do not transition well, or at all, back into the high school general education environment. In this program evaluation it was found …

Transition Outcomes Of Young Adults With Disabilities: A Social Cognitive Career Theory Perspective, Sabrina Michelle Singleton

Dissertations

Young adults with disabilities are impacted by the learning experiences they engage in as students that help shape their career development post-high school. Researchers have identified moderate-level transition predictors that improve post-school outcomes in employment, postsecondary education, and/or independent living. This study used the Social Cognitive Career Theory to examine if a relationship exists among race/ethnicity, gender, and disability type and transition predictors among young adults with disabilities in Mississippi who completed high school in May of 2013. Additionally, this study explored whether a relationship existed between career decision self-efficacy and engagement in employment or enrollment in postsecondary education. A …

Parents’ Expectations Of Developmentally Delayed Children With Special Education Needs (Sen) When Transitioning Into And Out Of The Public Middle School Environment, Areza C. Enea

Dissertations

Transitions occur at every stage during the educational experience. Transitions from preschool to adulthood affect students and their parents when entering or leaving each educational level. The most difficult transitions for any parent occur when students advance to the next level of their educational journey. Special education students’ transition experiences are unique and more formalized. The students’ identified special education needs (SEN) impact where and how they will transition. These needs are considered during the formalized individualized education plan (IEP) process, involving parents, educators, and other key stakeholders. Parents of special needs students rely on parent-teacher-administrative collaborations to assist students …

Parental Expectations And Perspectives As They Relate To Their Children With Special Education Needs (Sen) During Transition From Early Intervention/Preschool To Kindergarten, Arika Spencer-Brown

Dissertations

Parental Expectations and Perspectives as They Relate to Their Children with Special Education Needs (SEN) During Transition From Early Intervention/Preschool to Kindergarten

By Arika Spencer-Brown

The purpose of this study was to define parent perspective and expectation as it pertains to their children with special needs transition process using a descriptive method. This study was designed to assess the perception and expectation of third year and first year Head Start families and provide insight into how effective their special needs transition was from preschool into kindergarten and the individuals related to the overall development of an Individualized Family Service Plan …

Detention Center To Home School: The Path Of Transition, Sarah Hogeveen

Dissertations

This study examined the way a juvenile detention center and local feeder high schools worked in conjunction with each other to educate students that are incarcerated and then transition back to their home school. The goal of this study was to determine the adequacy of the transition/re-entry plan and then develop a template to assist high schools in the transition process. The transition/re-entry process into the home high school can be difficult and often involves several agencies. The evidence has suggested that there is not a solid transition plan available or in place for this process. This evidence allowed for …

The Relationship Of Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Disabilities In Kentucky Schools, Stephanie Dawn Cornwell

Dissertations

In order to compare the postsecondary success rates of students with disabilities in rural areas to those in urban areas in Kentucky, data were accessed from the Kentucky Postsecondary Outcome Study, a longitudinal study created to monitor the employment and education status of students with disabilities during their final year of high school and one year after exiting high school. U.S. Census data were also utilized to determine various demographic information and rural or urban classification of selected areas. Results show that the geographic classification as rural and suburban has a strong relationship with the postsecondary outcome for students with …

Examining The Transition Experience Of Students From Multiage Elementary Programs To Single-Grade Classrooms At The Middle School, Cindy Lynn Ruesch

Dissertations

Multiage programming is a school reform option used throughout the United States. Much of the current literature focuses on the short-term benefits of multiage programs, particularly at the elementary level, with little consideration for long-term effects or for what might happen to students once they leave the multiage classroom and enter middle school. While there has been significant research that generalizes the transition experience of the general population of students, there has been limited research conducted on this transition experience for this specific population, the multiage elementary student.

The purpose of this simultaneous, mixed methods study was to provide an …

Limited English Proficient Mothers' Perceptions Of The Transition Process From Early Intervention Programs To Preschool Programs: Cultural And Linguistic Barriers, Celia Arresola

Dissertations

This study explored the satisfaction level of limited English proficient (LEP) mothers with the transition process from early intervention programs to preschool special education programs in a culturally and linguistically diverse Illinois public school district. The research focused on understanding if LEP parents of students with disabilities perceived that their own cultural and linguistic diversity affected the overall transition process. It also reviewed the mothers' perceptions about the cultural and linguistic considerations provided to them during the transition process, including the provision of translated materials and interpreters during meetings. The research indicated the level of satisfaction experienced during the transition …

First-Year College Students And Faculty: A Comparison Of Expectations For Success, Jodi Ellen Koslow Martin

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify and explore academic, social, and career-related expectations that first-year college students believe lead to their collegiate success as defined by their perception of persisting in higher education. Further investigation determines how these expectations align with faculty expectations of student success. Eight first-year college students and eight college instructors were interviewed about their expectations at a small, private college. Criteria for first-year students include residing on campus and graduating from high school within the last year. Eligible faculty teach at least one class at the first-year level.

The data from student interviews …

The Transition To High School: Freshmen Transition Practices, Teresa J. Mckenzie

Dissertations

The transition to high school is a pivotal time for freshmen. Recognition of the importance of the ninth grade year and establishing freshmen transition programs are critical in addressing the nation’s declining graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices, programs, or interventions used in Missouri to assist freshmen in making a successful transition to high school. For this research, all high school principals across the state were given the opportunity to contribute to the study. There were 183 schools, both public and nonpublic, that responded to the survey. From the data, 60.1% of Missouri high …

Factors Related To Nonacademic Adjustment Of Freshmen Students, Nykela Horne Jackson

Dissertations

Student retention remains a major concern of higher education institutions. With decreasing state funding, higher education institutions have implemented creative strategies and methods to recruit students. Once students are recruited it is critical that they be retained. Research has confirmed that student withdrawals can be attributed to the lack of successful transition and adjustment to the college environment. Numerous studies have focused on how demographic factors (socioeconomic status, race, employment, and parental education level) affect retention with the major focus on academic adjustment. Current research has shown that nonacademic adjustment (social adjustment, personal/emotional adjustment, and institutional attachment) plays a significant …

Transition Activities And Their Effects On Middle School Students, Vicki Sue Vanlaere

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness that transitional activities have on student achievement and attendance when students moved from elementary school to middle school. The data were gathered from two school districts that are demographically similar. Data included average daily attendance rates, Terra Nova Achievement Scores from social studies in grades five, six, and seven, as well as math in grades five, six, and seven. There were 187 students in the Treatment Group and 147 in the Control Group for a total of 334 students. Comparison of means for demographic equivalency of the groups (t-test) and …