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Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue Jan 2013

Examining The Influences Of The Bottoming Out Experience And The Turning Point On The Early Recovery Process From Substance Dependence Using Structural Equation Modeling, Kristina M. Depue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering the prevalence of addiction issues within the U.S., this study focused on the topic of recovery from drug and alcohol dependence in order to add to current literature. Prevention and recovery services are two of the most common ways of combating the addiction issue, and counselors are at the forefront of both movements. The bottoming out experience (BOE) and the turning point (TTP) are two common lay terms of factors within changing addictive behaviors, yet the connection of these constructs to recovery remains unstudied and unknown. The current study tested a model that levels of the BOE and the …


Expressing Future Time In Spoken Conversational English: A Corpus-Based Analysis Of The Sitcom Friends, Brandon Harris Jan 2013

Expressing Future Time In Spoken Conversational English: A Corpus-Based Analysis Of The Sitcom Friends, Brandon Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Far from being simply will, a survey of English grammar textbooks revealed that a multitude of expressions exists in the English language to express the future time. These expressions include, but are not limited to, will, be going to, the simple present tense, modals, the future perfect tense, and the present progressive tense. With so many choices and with a lack of direct relationship between tense and time, a language learner may certainly have difficulties in choosing which expression to use when attempting to produce a future utterance. A corpus-based approach to analyzing real language has been demonstrated to be …


Quasi-Experimental Study: The Effects Of Virtual Covert Audio Coaching On Teachers' Transfer Of Knowledge From Professional Development To Classroom Practice, Marilyn Jackson-Lee Jan 2013

Quasi-Experimental Study: The Effects Of Virtual Covert Audio Coaching On Teachers' Transfer Of Knowledge From Professional Development To Classroom Practice, Marilyn Jackson-Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quasi-experimental multiple time series design was used to analyze and compare the impact of two types of instructional coaching, face-to-face and virtual covert audio provided with Bluetooth technology, on teacher transfer of knowledge learned in professional development into classroom practice. Teacher transfer across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases was analyzed. The study was conducted at a public elementary school in a Florida suburban school district with approximately 750 students. Twelve teachers were randomly selected from teachers who volunteered to attend professional development. Six teachers (one from each grade level K-5) in the treatment group received virtual covert audio coaching. …


An Urban School District's Preparing New Principals Program: Completers' Perceptions Of Program Effectiveness Related To Florida Principal Leadership Standards Adopted In 2011, Kelly Pelletier Jan 2013

An Urban School District's Preparing New Principals Program: Completers' Perceptions Of Program Effectiveness Related To Florida Principal Leadership Standards Adopted In 2011, Kelly Pelletier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which school leaders who completed the preparing new principals program in School District A perceived the program’s effectiveness in preparing them to demonstrate Florida’s principal leadership standards as adopted in November 2011. This study also identified the components of the preparing new principals program that influenced the professional practice of the program completers in their current leadership roles within School District A. This study was conducted at the request of the professional development services designee in School District A and is a companion study to research conducted by Eddie …


Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers Jan 2013

Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of capillarity is an organic metaphor invoked to explore the role of network communications as a vehicle for education in a healthy society. Capillarity is offered as a theory in two parts: a mechanism for distribution and a method for engagement. Capillarity seeks to build an architecture that reflects radical humanism's emphasis on access and inclusion as a vehicle for classical humanism's emphasis on the individual expansion of potential and consciousness. The technical instrument whereby this program of humanist education may be deployed is mLearning


Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Teachers Of Tenth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Mary Williams Jan 2013

Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Teachers Of Tenth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Mary Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite an intense focus and considerable financial commitment to remediate nonproficient readers in high school, the large suburban school district that was the target of this study had been unable to consistently improve student achievement in the lowest 25% of students as measured by outcomes on the FCAT Reading. Scholarly literature on high school reading had focused mostly on evaluation of curriculum rather than on teacher practices. A clear understanding of these differences in practice will inform future decisions related to staffing, scheduling, and professional learning. This study sought to identify the underlying professional and instructional differences between the most …


Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Reading Teachers Of Ninth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Jason Wysong Jan 2013

Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Reading Teachers Of Ninth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Jason Wysong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to identify specific instructional and professional differences between the most effective and least effective teachers of ninth grade students enrolled in intensive reading courses in one Florida school district. Teachers from eleven schools were invited to complete a survey that included categorical, Likert, and openended response items. Principals and assistant principals at these schools were also invited to complete a similar survey. Teacher respondents were then divided into three effectiveness groups based on the percentage of their students who met 2011-2012 FCAT performance targets established by Florida’s value-added learning growth model. Inferential statistics were used to …


Role Play And Social Stories: An Intervention For Increasing Verbal Initiations In Children With Autism, Andrea Dinon Jan 2013

Role Play And Social Stories: An Intervention For Increasing Verbal Initiations In Children With Autism, Andrea Dinon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effect of a treatment package consisting of social stories and role play on the verbal initiation of one 4-year old girl with autism was examined. Using a multiple baseline across activities treatment design, the investigator measured the number of verbal initiations during 10-minute sessions while the participant engaged in one of three activities, board games, pretend play, or constructive play. Baseline data, baseline probes and treatment data were collect for the three activities. The results indicate that the treatment package was effective in increasing the participant’s verbal initiations across all three activities.


Teaching The Civil Rights Movement: A Phenomenological Study Of Central Florida Teachers, Barbara Houser Jan 2013

Teaching The Civil Rights Movement: A Phenomenological Study Of Central Florida Teachers, Barbara Houser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching the civil rights movement can be challenging. Many history textbooks contain the national story of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, the march to Selma, Alabama, and not much more. Classrooms across the United States follow this path of nationalizing the civil rights movement. This interpretation is only a small part of the civil rights crusade that existed throughout the United States, including in the state of Florida. Teaching only the national story, especially when the local exists, can ignore the human, ordinary element of this movement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience …


Comparative Analysis Of Centers For Entrepreneurship At Two Central Florida Universities, Carl Blencke Jan 2013

Comparative Analysis Of Centers For Entrepreneurship At Two Central Florida Universities, Carl Blencke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies have attempted to explain the linkage between achieving success in the field of entrepreneurship and the pedagogy instituted to teach the skills entrepreneurs need to achieve success in their chosen endeavors. It is widely known and well documented that people have experienced entrepreneurial success with limited, and sometimes no formal entrepreneurial training. The ever present question of “can entrepreneurship be taught” has been debated from many varying perspectives. The late Peter Drucker pragmatically once said “The entrepreneur mystique? It’s not magic, it’s not mysterious, and it has nothing to do with the genes. It’s a discipline. And, like any …


Senior-Level School District Administrators' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A Florida Preparing New Principals Program, Eddie Ruiz Jan 2013

Senior-Level School District Administrators' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A Florida Preparing New Principals Program, Eddie Ruiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and measure Preparing New Principals Program completers and their readiness to meet the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards. This study was also conducted to identify the Florida Principal Leadership Standards that senior-level school district administrators identified as the most beneficial to future principals in improving student achievement despite increased accountability within the state. A group of 40 senior-level school district administrators who served on the superintendent’s cabinet between 2008 and 2011 were sent a perceptual survey regarding the Preparing New Principals Program and the Florida Principal Leadership Standards. Survey participants had the …


The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez Jan 2013

The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, state governments are allocating millions of dollars to support Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs. Recent research has indicated that students that participate in VPK demonstrate higher academic achievement scores across a number of subject areas. Moreover, VPK participants are more likely to enter primary school on grade level, which in turn leads to a reduction in grade retention. Studies have indicated that although all students that participate in VPK programs benefit from such programs, minority students and students that come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds benefit at an even higher level. The intent of this study was to determine …


A Study Of The Master Of Education In Educational Leadership Program At The University Of Central Florida: Standards Alignment And Student Perceptions, Vickie Santostefano Jan 2013

A Study Of The Master Of Education In Educational Leadership Program At The University Of Central Florida: Standards Alignment And Student Perceptions, Vickie Santostefano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the University of Central Florida’s Master’s Program in Educational Leadership. This study was a mixed mode study which used archival data, survey data, interviews, and Florida Educational Leadership Examination results. Research questions were developed to address how course content in the University of Central Florida’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership Program aligned with the following standards and competencies: (a) the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE/Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC), (b) the Interstate School Leader Licensure Consortium (ISLLC), (c) the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPS), (d) the …


Volusia System For Empowering Teachers (Vset): Influence On Teacher Practice And Student Achievement, Lesley Sileo-Robinson Jan 2013

Volusia System For Empowering Teachers (Vset): Influence On Teacher Practice And Student Achievement, Lesley Sileo-Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study provides an empirical analysis of the primary assumptions of a newly implemented teacher evaluation system, namely that the specific teaching practices evaluated are related to student achievement, and that teacher-directed professional growth plans effectively shape teacher practices in a particular domain. Results of the study are intended to inform the interpretation and the refinement of the Volusia System for Empowering Teachers (VSET), which aims to build capacity in the Volusia teacher work force and ultimately to improve student performance (School Board of Volusia County Team Volusia, Race to the Top application, 2011). This study focused on 14 pilot …


The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith Jan 2013

The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which sexist, classist, and racist practices afflict everyone in the institution through the bureaucratic mechanism and collateral oppression. The four components that make up …


Formative Assessment: Benefit For All, William Wallace Jan 2013

Formative Assessment: Benefit For All, William Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how formative assessment implemented in a fifth grade mathematics classroom with a student response system and a student self-evaluative tool affected student self-assessment. Data were collected through individual student and focus group interviews, self-assessment sheets, and teacher reflections. Formative assessment is a low stakes classroom assessment that is an assessment for learning. This study used a student response system to convey feedback from the formative assessment to both students and teacher during instruction. The student self-assessment sheet was implemented to provide a more dynamic level of feedback for students than what could be provided through the student …


Nursing Students And Tuckman's Theory: Building Community Using Cohort Development, George Austin Jan 2013

Nursing Students And Tuckman's Theory: Building Community Using Cohort Development, George Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the phenomenon of first year students who lived in a nursing living learning community and their experiences during their first year. The researcher utilized a qualitative research methodology to investigate the social and academic aspects that influenced these students as they worked to prepare to apply to the nursing program on their way to becoming nurses. Of the 68 students who lived in the community in the first two years, 12 were interviewed in a face-to-face setting. The researcher used Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development as the framework for this study, recognizing that groups go through several …


The Impact Of Moving From Sacs Level I To Level Ii Status On Faculty Employment In The Florida College System, Christine Broeker Jan 2013

The Impact Of Moving From Sacs Level I To Level Ii Status On Faculty Employment In The Florida College System, Christine Broeker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The State of Florida legislatively authorizes Florida community colleges to confer workforce-oriented bachelor’s degrees. As part of the legislation, community colleges are required to achieve Level II (baccalaureate-granting) status through Florida’s regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). When moving from SACS Level I to II, former community colleges need to meet the SACS CS 3.7.1 (Qualified Faculty), which requires that faculty who teach baccalaureate courses hold the minimum of a master’s degree in field. Further complicating matters, as baccalaureate granting institutions, colleges must also comply with CS 3.5.4, requiring 25% of course hours in …


Parental Beliefs And Attitudes On Enrollment In A Dual Language Program At An Elementary School, Leah Delorenzo Jan 2013

Parental Beliefs And Attitudes On Enrollment In A Dual Language Program At An Elementary School, Leah Delorenzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the 2010-2011 school year, there were almost a quarter of a million English language learners (ELLs) enrolled in Florida public schools (Florida Department of Education, 2011), most of whom were placed in mainstream schools with segregated language remediation. Dual language education (DLE) programs offer developmental opportunities in two languages that mainstream schools cannot. The purpose of this research was to identify parental attitudes toward immersion programs and define the reasons that parents enroll their children in DLEs. Sixty participants completed a questionnaire sent home from their student's DLE. The study data included biographical information, statements depicting the reasons for …


Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan Jan 2013

Stereotypes, Perceptions Of Similarity, And Cultural Identity: Factors That May Influence The Academic Achievement Of Immigrant Students., Tamara Fagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, the United States has been known as the nation of immigrants due to the increasing number of immigrant students in the public school system. Although the population of immigrant students steadily increases annually, American society still pressures immigrants into acculturation to fulfill the United States ideals of academic achievement despite the United States claim of multiculturalism (Malcolm & Lowery, 2011). This research focuses on 1st - and 2nd generation immigrant students’ strife of acceptance in U.S. culture, while sill preserving their own native culture, and the influence it has on academic achievement. The researcher interviewed eight (8) adult …


A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State Standards, Tashana Howse Jan 2013

A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State Standards, Tashana Howse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers’ use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students’ engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support teachers’ facilitating specific student engagement practices, professional development was provided. This study is situated in the growing body of research associated with student engagement and cultural identity. The case of two …


Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park Jan 2013

Utilizing Ipads To Enhance Student Engagement In Vocabulary Learning: A Case Study, Sarah Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to research evidence, the relationship between vocabulary and reading proficiency is so powerful that it is a valuable predictor of reading comprehension and academic achievement in the later school years (Scarborough, 2011). The major contributor to reading problem is the vocabulary demand of texts that students are assigned in school (Mckeown, Corsson, Arts, Sandora, & Beck, 2012). National Assessment of Education Progress (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012) stated the essential link between the words students know and students’ ability to use those words to understand what they read. Therefore, researchers and educators have both agreed the importance of …


A Comparative Analysis Of Present And Past Participial Adjectives And Their Collocations In The Corpus Of Contemporary American English (Coca), Natalia Reilly Jan 2013

A Comparative Analysis Of Present And Past Participial Adjectives And Their Collocations In The Corpus Of Contemporary American English (Coca), Natalia Reilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ESL grammar books have lists of present and past participial adjectives based on author intuition rather than actual word frequency. In these textbooks, the –ing and –ed participial adjectives derived from transitive verbs of state and emotion are presented in pairs such as interesting/interested, boring/bored, or surprising/surprised. This present study used the Corpus of Contemporary American English http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/ (COCA) to investigate the overall frequency of participial adjectives in use as well as their frequency within certain varieties of contexts. The results have shown that among most frequently used participial adjectives there are not only the participial adjectives derived from transitive …


The Relationship Between Student Engagement And Recent Alumni Donors At Carnegie Baccalaureate Colleges Located In The Southeastern United States, Joshua Truitt Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Student Engagement And Recent Alumni Donors At Carnegie Baccalaureate Colleges Located In The Southeastern United States, Joshua Truitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, over 30 billion dollars were given to colleges and universities across the United States; donors included individuals, corporations, foundations, and religious organizations. Of the 30 billion dollars, 43% of this financial support came directly from individual and alumni donors (Council for Aid to Education, 2011). Leslie and Ramey (1988) stated that “voluntary support is becoming the only source of real discretionary money [that a college or university has]” (p. 115). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of responses from senior class students on the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement to be used …


Teachers' Perceptions Of Actions To Achieve Equity And Access To Excellence In A Large School District, Sidney Moss Jan 2013

Teachers' Perceptions Of Actions To Achieve Equity And Access To Excellence In A Large School District, Sidney Moss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method, descriptive study was to determine the teachers' perceptions who were employed in the target school district from 2003 to 2011, regarding school district second-order change leadership decisions, events, and challenges, and the extent to which equity and access to excellence for all students were achieved. Also investigated was the relationship, if any, that existed in achieving equity and access to excellence based on school district second-order change leadership from 2003 to 2011. Teacher perception data were analyzed from a survey presented to teachers in over 16 schools who had been consecutively employed in the target …


Secondary And Postsecondary Calculus Instructors' Expectations Of Student Knowledge Of Functions: A Multiple-Case Study, Cheryl Avila Jan 2013

Secondary And Postsecondary Calculus Instructors' Expectations Of Student Knowledge Of Functions: A Multiple-Case Study, Cheryl Avila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This multiple-case study examines the explicit and implicit assumptions of six veteran calculus instructors from three types of educational institutions, comparing and contrasting their views on the iteration of conceptual understanding and procedural fluency of pre-calculus topics. There were three components to the research data recording process. The first component was a written survey, the second component was a "think-aloud" activity of the instructors analyzing the results of a function diagnostic instrument administered to a calculus class, and for the third component, the instructors responded to two quotations. As a result of this activity, themes were found between and among …


The Relationship Of Participation In A Summer Transition Program For At-Risk Ninth Grade Students And Their Performance In Algebra I, Jose Sanchez Jan 2013

The Relationship Of Participation In A Summer Transition Program For At-Risk Ninth Grade Students And Their Performance In Algebra I, Jose Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the Summer Transition Program in a large suburban school district. One of the common concerns of education leaders is the number of students who choose to dropout of high school. The eighth to ninth grade Summer Transition Program has been implemented to address the high school dropout issue and was the focus of this study. The researcher examined if participation in the Summer Transition Program could be predicted by student subgroup, to what extent, if any, participation in the Summer Transition Program had on the academic success in Algebra I, and if there is a relationship with …


Teaching English In Iraq:An Analysis Of An Efl Textbook, Sarab Al-Akraa Jan 2013

Teaching English In Iraq:An Analysis Of An Efl Textbook, Sarab Al-Akraa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the fifth- grade beginning English textbook, Iraq Opportunities 3, which was introduced in elementary schools by the Iraqi Ministry of Education in 2012. This mixed methods research aims to analyze the content of a new textbook that is considered to be the foundation of the English language program in Iraq. This is a valuable research project since its findings reveal the strengths and weaknesses of Iraq Opportunities 3 based on three critical components: grammar, vocabulary, and culture. A survey questionnaire was used in this study to elicit the perspectives of English language teachers who are using this …


The Relationship Between Practicing School Counselors' Perceived Organizational Support And Their Service Delivery, Vincent Geigel Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Practicing School Counselors' Perceived Organizational Support And Their Service Delivery, Vincent Geigel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Role ambiguity in school counseling is common; therefore, school counselors deal with issues of role conflict, lack of advocacy, and the assignment of inappropriate duties. The American School Counselor Association (2012) National Model was developed to provide school counselors with a framework for the delivery of appropriate school counseling services to students; however, the National Model is not implemented in all school districts. School counselors' perceived organizational support (POS) was hypothesizes as possible variable mitigating the adoption of the ASCA National Model. This study examined the relationship between school counselors' in Central Florida perceived organizational support (as measured by the …


A Sustainability "Green" Certification Audit Of Food Service Operations And The Development Of A Restaurant Sustainability Instrument, Hans Hagglund Jan 2013

A Sustainability "Green" Certification Audit Of Food Service Operations And The Development Of A Restaurant Sustainability Instrument, Hans Hagglund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates current green restaurant certifications as well as developing a new more user certification. First, a fact finding investigation to find the most established and commonly utilized green restaurant certifications were compared. Second, a new green certification was developed. Third, chosen green restaurant certifications were compared. Lastly, the new green certification analyzed whether restaurants in the central Florida area utilized green practices. Data were collected in face to face sessions with restaurant managers during nonpeak hours of operation. There were numerous surveys utilized in this research study. The statistical methodology utilized in this study was average means and …