Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of The Actual And Ideal Perceptions Of The School Psychologist’S Role, David Arthur Curry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The professional role of the school psychologist has been studied for over thirty years. The school psychologist has traditionally spent the greatest percentage of professional time engaged in testing and assessment functions. Concerns have arisen as to the effectiveness of this traditional role. School psychologists, as well as other related professionals, have indicated a desire for a greater emphasis on the Consultation function within the ideal role of the school psychologist and a decrease in emphasis on the assessment functions. Difficulty in defining the role and function of the school psychologist was noted due to the inconsistent use of terminology. …

Parental Perceptions Of The Availability And Usefulness Of Nine School Psychological Roles, Lisa Ellen Ball

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study surveyed parental perceptions of the role of the school psychologist. In particular, it sought to determine which roles were perceived as available, which roles were perceived as useful, and which populations of children parents perceived school psychologists as being most effective in helping. Ninety-five parents of elementary school age children from an Iowa community of 30,000 responded to a questionnaire developed for the study. Results were processed by the university computer. An item profile analysis which generated a frequency count and percentages for all items was conducted. Results indicated that parents tended to view school psychologists as …

Parent Perceptions Of Familiarity And Satisfaction With Placement Staffings, Teri Lynn Mayer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined whether parents who had participated in a pre-staffing conference indicate greater knowledge about placement staffings when compared to parents who did not have specific, pre-staffing information. Also examined was the participants' subsequent level of satisfaction with their participation during the placement staffing, and general outcome of the staffing. The subjects were 24 parents who attended either their first or second placement staffing in the 1984-85 school year. Participants were divided into two groups. Eighteen parents who had attended a placement staffing in the fall of 1984 constituted the control group. Six parents who at the time of …

Stability Of Wisc-R Intelligence Scores: Implications For 3-Year Reevaluations Of Learning Disabled Students, Susan Pagel Oakman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the stability of the WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores as well as subtest scores for a sample of learning disabled students over a 3-year interval. Additionally, this study also explored the relationship of stability of WISC-R IQ scores with severity of learning disability, as defined by type of educational placement (resource room, self-contained class with integration, or self-contained class with no integration). The subjects for this study were 150 learning disabled students, 111 males and 39 females, selected from two Area Education Agencies located in Iowa. Of these 150 students, 97 were placed in …

The Sex Variable And Reactions To A Peer With An Orthopedic Disability By First- And Second Graders, Virginia Lynn Ruark

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prior research has indicated that people react differently to a person with a physical disability than to a person without a disability, and that these different reactions vary with age and sex. While paper-and-pencil measures of reactions to persons with a disability have questionable validity, actual face-to-face interaction studies have yielded inconsistent results on measures of interaction time, eye contact, physical distance, and impression formation. Moreover, few studies have been conducted in which children were used as subjects. The purpose of the present study was to assess the behaviors of first- and second-grade children when reacting to peers of the …

A Self-Concept Improvement Plan For Institutionalized, Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents, David Curtis Canaday

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This project involved a self-concept improvement program for institutionalized, emotionally disturbed adolescents. Subjects were eighteen adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 who were in a state residential institution for nonpsychotic, emotionally disturbed, acting out adolescents. The subjects were divided into two groups by the institution staff. Both groups completed the Pier-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and listed positive self-statements as pretest and posttest measures. The experimental group participated in a self-concept improvement program for 12 40 minute sessions twice a week for six weeks. The program consisted of lectures, discussions, and activities designed to facilitate self-understanding, a positive self …

The Concurrent Validity Of The Concepts About Print Tests With The Metropolitan Readiness Test In Kindergarteners, Sarah Louise Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The specific purposes of this study were (1) to determine the concurrent validity of the Concepts about Print Tests, Sand, and Stones, with the Metropolitan Readiness Test, and (2) to determine the concurrent validity of the Sand and Stones. The following problematic questions were addressed: (1) What relationship exists between the readiness aspects assessed by the Metropolitan Readiness Test and the Concepts about Print Test, Sand? (2) What relationship exists between the readiness aspects assessed by the Metropolitan Readiness Test and the Concepts about Print Test, Stones? (3) What relationship exists between the Concepts about Print Test, Sand, and the …

A Comparison Of Learning Disabled And Normal Children On A Selective Attention Task While Using A Verbal Rehearsal Strategy, Stephen A. Mullenberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study involved using an information processing approach for the purpose of understanding and remediating attention problems in the learning disabled students. Specifically, the intent . of the present study was to assess the process of selective attention as measured through Hagen's (1967) central-incidental paradigm.

The present study compared performance of learning disabled and normal students while using either a verbal rehearsal strategy (Dawson, Hallahan, Reeve, & Ball, 1980) or no rehearsal strategy on Hagen's (1967) task of selective attention.

Fifty Iowa public school students, 24 LD and 26 normals, from fifth through ninth grade, participated in the study. …

A Survey Of Custodial Manager’S Perceptions Of Employee Problems And Related Implications For The Training Of Mentally Retarded Workers, Patricia Jo Slobojan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A survey was conducted of custodial manager's perceptions of employee problems and related implications for the training of mentally retarded workers. Specifically, the study investigated career-related problems of handicapped and nonhandicapped custodial workers. The survey questioned the managers of these workers to find out what problems existed and how often they occurred. The results of this survey were then used to prioritize problems and to indicate specific areas of needed training for custodial workers in general, and for the mentally retarded worker in particular. Specific training of the mentally retarded worker in these deficit skill areas should improve chances of …

The Effects Of Sustained Silent Reading On Low Achieving Second-Grade Readers' Interaction With Reading Material, Margaret Rose Bartell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the effects of sustained silent reading (SSR) (Hunt, 1967) on low achieving, rural Midwestern second-grade readers' interaction with reading material. The purpose of this study was to determine if daily 10-minute periods of SSR significantly affected low achieving second-grade readers' choice of activities during daily free-time periods. It was expected that these subjects would choose to read more during free time as a result of exposure to daily periods of SSR. Additionally, the study examined the effect of SSR on their oral sharing after each daily SSR period. A multiple baseline design across individuals was employed to …

A Comparative Study Of Selected Behaviors Of Children From Divorced/Separated And Intact Families In The Parochial School System, Elaine Delaney

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to determine if there is a significant difference in selected behaviors of children from divorced/separated families in the parochial school system as compared with children of intact families within the same school system. The relationship was examined by taking into consideration the child's self evaluation of his/her home, school, and peer relationships and teacher's evaluation of school related behavior. Four parochial elementary schools with relatively equal economic status were selected from the metropolitan area of a large mid-western city. Subjects included four hundred eighty-three fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students and their respective homeroom teachers. Sixty-three …

Comparison Of Wisc-R And Wais-R Scores For Mentally Disabled 16-Year-Olds And Their Correlation With Adaptive Behavior As Measured By The Sssq, Susan K. Gerken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study examined the comparability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC-R) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised (WAIS-R) Verbal Intelligence Quotients (VIQ), Performance Intelligence Quotients (PIQ), and Full Scale Intelligence Quotients (FSIQ) for a sample of mentally disabled 16-year-old students. In addition, the study examined the relationship of the WISC-Rand WAIS-R to adaptive behavior as measured by the Street Survival Skills Questionnaire (SSSQ). Twenty-eight students, 12 males and 16 females, from 10 schools in Iowa Area Education Agencies 6 and 7 participated in the study. The WAIS-Rand the SSSQ were administered to each student in testing rooms …

The Effect Of Beginning School Age On Academic Achievement, Carol Holcomb Dietz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the effect of beginning chronological age on school achievement as well as differences between boys and girls, and the interaction of age and gender on achievement. It also examined the relationship between beginning school age and retention and teacher and parent reactions to beginning school age. The subjects for this study were 117 white middle class students enrolled in the kindergarten class of the West Delaware School System, a small school district in Iowa, during the 1978-79 school year. This group of children was divided into three· age groups according to the Iowa cut-off dates for school …

Evaluation Of The Predictive Ability Of Four Screening Measures Used In Pre-Kindergarten Screening: A Follow-Up Study, Monica Marie Reichmuth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expectancies of a set of screening measures (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Peotone Language Scale, and the Motor Activity Scale) which have been used to identify prekindergarten children as either 11 ready 11 or 11 at-risk 11 to begin kindergarten. These screening measures were selected on the basis of their ability to measure readiness skills which were considered related to success in kindergarten (i.e., language, vocabulary, visual-motor perception, auditory and visual memory, and fine and gross motor skills). Subjects included 113 white middle class children from four …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Intelligence And Creativity, Jill L. Weig

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present research study was twofold. The first purpose was to determine the relationship between creativity and intelligence when intelligence was assessed by a group test (CAT-V) and an individual test (WISC-Rt V). The second purpose was to examine the threshold hypothesis, which states that below a critical IQ level, usually 120, the two constructs appear to be positively and moderately related. Above this level, the correlation between the two constructs lessens. Theoretical and statistical foundations regarding the relationship between the two constructs were addressed. The theoretical model addressed divergent/convergent thinking properties. Creativity was considered a, divergent …

An Investigation Into Teaching Behaviors With Reading Groups Of Different Achieving Levels, Sue Ann Gross

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The specific purpose of this study was to investigate teacher behaviors within formal instructional reading periods to determine whether such instruction systematically differed as a function of reader group placement and the size of the group. The following problematic questions were addressed: (1) Relative to the school day, what proportion of the time is scheduled for formal reading instruction? (2) Relative to the total scheduled reading period, what amount of time and number of reading events are allocated to the low versus the high achieving group? (3) Relative to the time allocated to the low versus the high achieving group, …

Attitudes Of Secondary Teachers Toward Mainstreaming Mildly Educationally Handicapped Students, Joan D. Barringer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

With the enactment of Public Law 94-142, the Education For All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, while most educators have been influenced by the requirement to meet the needs of youngsters in the "least restrictive environment," onus of responsibility generally filters down to the classroom teachers. It was the purpose of this study to determine just what are the attitudes of secondary teachers toward integrating the mildly educationally handicapped student into the regular class. The primary question was whether exposure to the concept of mainstreaming positively influences attitudes.

The investigation involved 501 secondary teachers selected by a stratified random sampling …

Factors Contributing To The Preponderance Of Males In Learning Disabilities: A Follow-Up Study, Julie Carol Olson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study was designed to assess the utility of specific variables for differentiating LO males and LO females and LO students from RE students. Variables were selected based on previous research findings indicating their utility for differentiating the relevant samples and the availability of pertinent data in existing files. Data regarding the 21 pre-selected variables were obtained for all LO students (50 males and 30 females) and a control group of RE students matched with them by sex, grade, and age. Discriminant Analysis procedures were used to determine the intercorrelated grouping of variables which best differentiated sex within LO …

The Rorschach Inkblot Test As An Aid In The Psychoeducational Diagnoses Of Learning Disabled Latency-Aged Males, Kathryn Harder Lynch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study was intended to determine if three Rorschach indices (F%, A%, and ep) differentiated between matched pairs of LD and Non-LD latency-age males. The chief purpose of this research was to examine the efficacy of employing the Rorschach Inkblot Test as a supplement to the material currently used in the diagnosis of potentially LD children. An examination was made of the case histories of 1D boys who had received services from the Educational Clinic, University of Northern Iowa. Cumulative file data for Non-LD boys were gathered for comparative purposes. Subjects were matched according to age, IQ, and social-economic …

An Investigation Into The Behaviors Of Classroom Teachers During Scheduled Reading Instructional Periods, Judy Weseman Moser

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The specific purposes of this study were to identify and describe the frequency of teacher behaviors that occur during classroom reading instruction. The following problematic questions were addressed: (1) How much time is scheduled for formal reading instruction; (2) What proportion of teacher behavior during scheduled reading instructional periods is concerned with actual instruction in reading; (3) What proportion of teacher behavior during scheduled reading instructional periods is concerned with non-instructional activities; (4) What proportions of teacher behaviors during scheduled reading instructional periods are concerned with each of the major reading skill areas; (5) What proportions of teacher behaviors during …

Application Of Piaget’S Theory Of Cognitive Growth To The Development Of An Interview Protocol And Validation Of A Task To Assess Reasoning Abilities Of College Students, Bruce Edward Perry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The developmental theory of Jean Piaget provides a paradigm for evaluation of the reasoning abilities of an individual. The overall aim of Piaget's work was to delineate the sequence of the development of intelligence, particularly the ability of a subject to interact successfully with complex problems or to deal with simple problems in more efficient ways. To this end, this study investigated the validation of a new interview task as an instrument for assessing the formal reasoning abilities of college students. The new task, patterned after a game called MasterMind, requires the subject to deduce the color and location of …

The Correlation Of Ses And Children’S Performance On The Wisc-R And R-Cpm, Anne Carolyn Robb

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the relationship between the WISC-R and the R-CPM for a sample of 44 fourth grade males classified according to SES. The questions asked were: 1) Does the R-CPM correlate most highly with the Block Design and Object Assembly subtests of the WISC-R; and, 2) what, if any, effect has SES on children's performance on these two instruments? Results indicate a moderate (.52) correlation between the R-CPM and the Performance Scale of the WISC-R. Within that scale, the R-CPM correlated most highly with the Picture Completion, Block Design and Object Assembly subtests. A moderate correlation (.56) was also …

Attitudes Of Non-Disabled College Students Toward Other Successful College Students With Histories Of Psychiatric Hospitalization Through The Attribution Of Locus Of Control, Robert Herman Stensrud

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine how nondisabled college students would perceive disabled college students who were depicted as being successful. Undergraduate students at the University of Northern Iowa were studied to determine the attitudes they maintained toward a hypothetical individual. One-half of the 253 subjects received a story about an individual who had been a patient at the State Mental Health Institute, Independence, Iowa. The other one-half of the subjects received a story about an individual who had never been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment. Aside from this aspect, both stories were identical. Subjects evaluated both hypothetical individuals …

Placing A Parent In A Nursing Home: Factors Related To Adult Children's Decisions, Ruth Cordle Hatch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify alternatives and factors considered in the decision to place parents in nursing homes and to Identify feelings, relationships, needs, and satisfaction levels of the adult children involved in the decision. The researcher also sought suggestions of ways adult children's needs might be met.

Procedure. Adult children who were listed as next-of-kin of parents residing in Black Hawk County, Iowa intermediate care nursing homes were sent questionnaires developed by the researcher. Structured interviews were conducted with 12 of the 106 respondents to obtain information of greater depth. Instruments included multiple …

A Survey Of Science Instruction In Elementary Learning Disability Resource Rooms In Iowa Area Education Agency # 1, Kevin M. Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Since the initiation of special resource rooms for learning disabled youngsters several years ago, many special educators have concentrated their instructional routine on the skills of reading and mathematics. A subject area such as science has been viewed as a topic suited more for the regular classroom than the resource room. When science has been moved into the resource room, research shows it has generally been on a tutorial basis, helping the child catch up to other students. This study investigated the amount and quality of science instruction present in elementary learning disability resource rooms. It involved the 53 public …

Selected Characteristics Of The Iowa Elementary Principalship, 1980-81, Dennis A. Heth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to provide current information and analyses of selected characteristics of Iowa elementary principals for the 1980-81 school year. Data concerning the current status of Iowa elementary principals was sought by the Iowa Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals.

The study reported data available from Iowa, other individual states and the nation. Comparisons were made of data provided from this study and those previously reported.

Data was collected by means of a questionnaire sent to 225 persons listed as elementary principals with the Iowa Department of Public Instruction. For comparative purposes, the data was …

A Study Of The Administrative And Instructional Usage Of Electronic Data Processing In The Iowa Public Schools During 1979-1980, Gary B. Shontz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The major purposes of this study were: (1) to determine electronic data processing usage in the Iowa public school districts during the 1979-1980 fiscal year, including administrative and instructional uses of electronic data processing services and their sources; and (2) to determine the planned use of statewide computer software for administrative and instructional applications.

Questionnaires were mailed to all 443 Iowa school districts in existence as of July 1, 1980. A total of 384 districts (86.7 percent) participated in the study. For analysis purposes, the school districts were divided into seven size codes as defined by the State of Iowa …

Achievement, Productivity, And Participation As A Function Of Task Feedback Among Kindergarten Students, Catherine M. Hill

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There has been little research which specifically explores the effects of visually charted feedback techniques with kindergarten aged students working independently in a classroom setting. Consequently, the role of feedback, an externally observable event, is not well understood. Using a learning centers approach in which kindergartners worked daily at an independent task, the present study investigated the relationship between two feedback conditions (a) teacher-charting of student progress and (b) student self-charting of progress and the measures of student achievement, productivity, and participation. Subjects were twenty white, middle-class students who were enrolled in a kindergarten in a mid-western school district. A …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Bilalian Children's Error Pattern On The Ppvt-R, Carole Redfield Coffey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to analyze the errors made by four year old Bilalian (Black) children to the stimuli which comprise the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised (PPVT-R) in order to generate possible explanations for the.children's preferred ("incorrect") responses in terms of language patterns and reasoning processes. Standardized administration procedures were disregarded; testing with each of the 21 children began with Plate 10 and proceeded until six "misses" occurred within eight consecutive responses. Each error, along with the test publishers' stipulated ("correct") response and a distractor, was queried in an attempt to ascertain the reason for the …

The Staffing: A Naturalistic Study Of The Educational Placement Process, Susan Laurene Law

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The intent of this study was to do a naturalistic observation of a series of staffings in order to generate a descriptive basis for theoretical notions or working hypotheses concerning the procedures, functioning and social relationships within the process. Relevant categories that emerged from the data were: labelling, test validity and reliability, laws and regulations, encouraging a decision, space, and parental participation. The study suggests that there are differences between the formally prescribed procedures and functions of a staffing and the actual behaviours of professionals and parents involved with the process. The variety of necessary coping strategies used by professionals …