Education Commons^™

The Intersection Between Home And School: Developing A Scale To Measure Parental Perceptions Of Childhood School Stress, Teresa Marie Henke

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Parents in the home and educators in the schools are key adults in the most important contexts in the daily lives of school-age children. In the demanding, achievement, and accountability oriented culture of today, it is expected that children experience normal everyday stressors as they move between these two environments. The impact of stress related to daily hassles has been reported to have both cognitive and physical effects on the present and future well-being of children. This study represented an attempt to advance the understanding of childhood stress in the intersection between school and home by investigating the perceptions …

Positive Peer Reporting And Positive Peer Reporting Combined With Tootling: A Comparison Of Interventions, Julie Christine Sherman

Dissertations

Positive Peer Reporting (PPR) and Tootling are interventions designed to improve children’s positive behavior and decrease peer rejection. Research is limited for both interventions, including dependent variables for appropriate behavior. The current study assessed PPR and a combination of PPR and Tootling for decreasing inappropriate behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. Behavior was also observed a second time to assess for generalization. Results showed that PPR and PPR with Tootling both reduced inappropriate behavior for four children referred for peer rejection and who exhibited inappropriate behavior in the classroom. There were no differences between the two interventions for inappropriate and appropriate …

Using The Good Behavior Game To Decrease Disruptive Behavior While Increasing Academic Engagement With A Headstart Population, Brandy Marie Hunt

Dissertations

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been widely supported as an effective intervention to alter a variety of target behaviors, in various settings, with varying age groups; however, there are areas warranting further investigation. Prior to the present study, no study has examined the GBG’s effectiveness in decreasing disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate academic behaviors within a preschool population. The present study adds to the literature base by investigating the GBG’s effectiveness in simultaneously decreasing classroom disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate behaviors. A multiple baseline design across three Headstart classrooms was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the GBG on …

Public Versus Private Praise: A Direct Behavioral Comparison In Secondary Classrooms, John Travis Blaze

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of teacher public and private praise on students’ appropriately engaged behavior (AEB) and disruptive behaviors (DB). Overall, four general education classrooms in southern Mississippi employed a multiple-baseline design across two pairs to assess the effects of public and private praise. Each classroom’s mean percentage of observed intervals of AEB and DB across public and private praise intervention phases was assessed and compared. Overall, visual analysis of the graphs, multilevel modeling, effect sizes, and odds ratios showed that both public and private praise were more effective than no treatment at …

Evaluation Of Performance-Based And Pre-Set Conventional Criterion For Reinforcement In Check In-Check Out, Lauren Lestremau Harpole

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of criterion-setting, performance-based or pre-set conventional, as evidenced by improvements in children’s behavior. Participant behavior was evaluated through teacher reports of appropriate behavior and observed academically engaged behavior as well as decreases in problem behavior and disruptive behavior. Eight elementary school students in a Southeastern town referred for exhibiting behavior problems served as participants in addition to their teachers. The effects of the different methods of criterion setting on the dependent variables were evaluated. Teacher ratings of appropriate behavior were assessed through evaluation of Daily Behavior …

College Students With Claustrophobia In The Classroom And Quality Of Life: A Literature Review, Andrew W. Nielsen Sr.

M.A. in Professional Counseling

Claustrophobia can be defined as the fear of enclosed spaces such as small rooms, tunnels, elevators, and basements. Some of the symptoms a student with claustrophobia may experience are both physiological and psychological. Claustrophobia affects three out of every one hundred people. For example, a college with a population of 2500 undergraduate students could have on average 75 students that would be claustrophobic. Of those 75; there is a chance that some may not even be aware of their claustrophobia. One of the purposes of this thesis is to assess if alleviating the occurrence of claustrophobic incidents could possibly improve …

Problem Solving Interventions: Impact On Young Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsay Ann Diamond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Problem-solving skills are imperative to a child's growth and success across multiple environments, including general and special education. Problem solving is comprised of: (a) attention to the critical aspects of a problem, (b) generation of solution(s) to solve the problem, (c) application of a solution(s) to the identified problem, and (d) evaluation of the consequences of the solution. Children with developmental disabilities may experience difficulty with the problem-solving process.

The purpose of this study was to determine an effective method to teach young children with developmental disabilities to problem solve. Specifically, this study compared two types of problem-solving instruction. The …

Legislative Mandates Concerning Truancy Effects On Attendance Rates, Felicia Corley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The correlation between truancy and dropping out of school is high, prompting school districts and the state legislature to attempt to intervene (Sparks, 2010). The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the West Virginia Code 18-8-4 that requires mandatory legal compulsory attendance (CA2) meetings to be held at the county level when a student obtains five days of unexcused absences. In the summer of 2010, the WV state legislature changed the CA2 meeting requirements from 10 days of unexcused absences to five. Barbour County Schools began to intervene in truancy using a multidisciplinary approach in 2007. …

Attendance Rates Of Special Populations In One Rural County, Julie Bright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this current study is to determine if a difference exists in the attendance rates for special education students and low socioeconomic status students when compared to their peers who do not have these designations. The attendance data from one rural county school district for the years of 2007-2011 were examined to determine if a difference in the attendance rates did exist. Results from this research revealed that students receiving special education services were absent significantly more than their general education peers. However, students of low socioeconomic status were not absent any more than their peers who were …

Intensive Mental Health Intervention And Incidence Of Discipline, Andrea Mulcay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A new trend when dealing with behavior issues in the classroom is that of providing mental health services within the school systems. This study is researching an alternative school that offers mental health services for students that have been expelled from their home school. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if these mental health services provided within the alternative school helps reduce the amount of discipline issues in the school system. There are 77 participants, 33 receiving academic services plus intense mental health services and 44 receiving academic services plus minimal mental health services. Findings show no statistically …

Targeted Cognitive-Based Tier Ii Interventions To Increase Student Achievement, Rachel K. Wakefield

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine whether targeted cognitive-based reading interventions are more effective than traditional evidence-based Tier II reading interventions. Ninety students who performed in the lowest third on a state reading test from a rural school district in Virginia were placed into three groups: 1) students who received traditional evidence-based reading interventions, 2) students whose teachers were trained in Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory and whose teacher chose an intervention that he/she thought would be most tailored to the student’s cognitive needs, 3) students who were tested using the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and were …

Parental Involvement And Level Of Parent Satisfaction In A Summer Enrichment Program, Leslie Rae Danner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study was conducted to determine which variable of parental involvement was the best predictor of parental satisfaction in the 2011 Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program. Data of parental involvement and level of parent satisfaction was collected using a survey format. A prediction equation analysis using a linear regression was calculated and results indicated that parents feeling involved was a significant variable in satisfaction. An independent samples t-test determined that there was no significant difference between parents’ actual participation in services and satisfaction. A linear regression determined the levels of involvement in activities were not a predictor of satisfaction. …

Role Of West Virginia School Psychologists In A Response To Intervention Framework, Bryan Anthony Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, schools were required to prepare students using research-based teaching methods, interventions, and approaches. Response to Intervention (RTI) is an evidence-based practice that allows schools to assess student responses to interventions. RTI was implemented as a pilot program in West Virginia beginning from 2007 to 2010. Although research has been frequent on implementing RTI, little research has been conducted analyzing RTI and school psychologist involvement, particularly in West Virginia. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors serve as predictors of RTI involvement in West Virginia. The examiner used …

Measuring Team Collaboration In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Marian Pyles

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study investigates measures of team collaboration among graduate students participating in the Marshall University Graduate College Summer Enrichment Program. The purpose of the study was to use an independent criterion, rankings by an expert panel, as a way to determine the better measure of collaboration: Thermometers or the Collaboration Survey. A Spearman’s rho correlation showed correlations between the Thermometer Team question, the Collaboration Survey, and the expert rankings, whereas a binary logistic regression showed that only the Thermometers predicted whether a team would be ranked as high or low. Results indicate that the MUGC Summer Enrichment Program should …

Parent Expectations Linked To Parent Satisfaction In A Summer Enrichment Program Evaluation, Laura E. Saltsman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if parent expectations were a determining factor in the level of satisfaction of the parents of students who attended the Marshall University Graduate College Summer Enrichment Program of 2011. Data of parent satisfaction was collected using a revised survey based off of parent satisfaction surveys from previous years while parent expectation data was collected from applications completed by parents prior to the start of the program. Analysis using independent samples t-test determined parental expectations was not a predictor of parent satisfaction. Further exploration of the data indicated the most common expectations were …

Parental Satisfaction With Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program Evaluation: Completers Vs. Non-Completers, Rebecca Joan Wendell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine if completion of the Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program (MUSEP) of 2011 had an effect on parent satisfaction. Parents of the students who attended the program answered survey questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the program, services they participated in during the program and reasons why, if they failed to complete the program. The results revealed completion of the program had no effect on parental satisfaction. Further analysis of the data revealed several reasons why students did not complete the MUSEP. The two most significant reasons were prior obligations and vacations.

Bully/Victim Power Inventory: Measuring The Power Imbalance In The Bully/Victim Relationship, Marybeth Plonkey-Lehto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical study of the power imbalance in the bully/victim relationship has impeded research synthesis, and the need for a quantitative measure of this key component has been well established in the literature. Lack of differentiation between victimization with and without power imbalance has been cited as a possible cause for imprecise measurement. Increased precision in bully victimization measurement is needed to accurately inform research investigating psychosocial health, treatment and positive outcomes, in addition to prevention and intervention programs. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was the initial development and validation of the Bully/Victim Power Inventory aimed at differentiating perceived …

Student Facilitated Anti-Bully Program, Ashley Kiefer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Minnesota law currently states that each school district should have a policy that addresses all forms of bullying but allows each district to create their own. This past year, the state of Minnesota has begun to scrutinize this legislation with the purpose of studying the extent of bullying in Minnesota schools and developing policies to stop it. Many schools in the state have unfortunately experienced the negative effects of bullying; some such as the Anoka-Hennepin Schools have experienced investigation and lawsuits due to suicides related to bullying (Post, 2012). At Byron Middle School, there has been limited student involvement in …

Teacher Training For Lre Mainstreaming And Diverse Classrooms, Rhonda J. Callanan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, classrooms in the United States have changed over the years. These laws have added numerous responsibilities for teachers, especially the Least Restrictive Environment mandate that places more students with disabilities in the general education classrooms. A review of the literature shows that even though more skills are required to teach in more diverse classrooms, teacher training programs have not changed in response to this need. A second problem related to insufficient teacher training is the increase in students …

Asking School Psychologists How Job Satisfaction Can Be Increased, Justin S. Janssen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School psychology faces retention issues due to a current and projected shortage of school psychologists and the large number of baby boomers getting ready to retire. Meeting this need becomes vital in order to prevent negative effects of the shortage from continuing. Research has supported a link between job satisfaction and retention in the school psychology research as well as in job satisfaction research in general. Much of the current literature on the job satisfaction of school psychologists, however, focuses only on the identification of correlates with job satisfaction and largely avoids asking practitioners how their job satisfaction can be …

Teacher Stress And Coping: Does The Process Differ According To Years Of Teaching Experience?, Jeffry Childs Beers

Dissertations and Theses

Teaching is stressful. The demands placed on teachers can result in emotional exhaustion and burnout, causing many to leave the profession. Teachers early in their careers seem to be at special risk, with desistence rates estimated as high as 40% in the first five years. This study was based on the notion that constructive coping can be a resource for teachers, and that teachers later in their professional lives may provide a model for adaptive ways of dealing with professional demands. The goal of the study was to examine whether the coping process utilized by teachers (including reported demands, appraisals, …