Education Commons^™

Applying The Education Debt To Waterloo, Iowa, Baylee Renae Smith

Honors Program Theses

The Education Debt is largely overlooked in the world of academia. This is despite the fact the Education Debt offers a new lens through which to look at the multiple factors explaining differences in testing scores. While many scholars acknowledge and draw from the Education Debt in their works, it is still often viewed as supplementary to the larger problem of the achievement gap. The purpose of this study is to analyze if Ladson-Billings’ concept is just as applicable and relevant as when she first proposed it. To understand if the Education Debt is still a relevant issue within the …

A Case Study Analyzing The Traits, Programs, Actions, And Beliefs Necessary To Overcome The Correlative Relationship Between High Free And Reduced Lunch Rates And Low Standardized Test Scores, John Speer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the K-12 student population in Iowa continues to become more socioeconomically challenged, as evidenced by a continued increase in the free and reduced lunch rates for schools in Iowa, a demand for increased student performance on standardized tests is growing. This dichotomy proves challenging to schools. In general, schools with a higher rate of identification of students eligible for free and reduced lunch rates produce lower achievement scores on standardized tests. The purpose of this study was to (1) Identify the strength of the corollary relationship in Iowa between free and reduced lunch identification rate and 4th grade achievement …

An Investigation Of The Assessment Practices Of Elementary General Music Teachers In Iowa, Michelle Linn Hyde Swanson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Assessment, leading to informed decisions, is an integral part of music education and may be a means to justify the importance of music as a valued content subject (Brophy, 2000). The purpose of this study was to describe the elementary general music assessment practices in Iowa. The study was framed using Stiggins’ (2005) categorical definition of assessment as gathering, organizing, summarizing, and reporting data. Mixed methodologies were utilized to gather data regarding these four categories through survey questions (N=211) and two focus group discussions. The participants were from a variety of school district sizes as well as teachers with varying …

What Happens When Veteran And Beginner Teachers' Life Histories Intersect With High-Stakes Testing And What Does It Mean For Learners And Teaching Practice: The Making Of A Culture Of Fear, Shelly L. Counsell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative study explored the phenomenon of what happened as Florida's high-stakes accountability system intersected with a beginning and veteran teachers' life histories and different stocks of lifeworldly knowledge at demographically different lifeworld communities. Habermas' (1987) theory of communicative action was used as the theoretical framework to explore what the teachers' responses meant for learners and teaching practice. The research purpose of this study (emphasizing an interpretive approach) sought to gain insights and understandings regarding the phenomenon specifically. The practical purpose (according to critical theory) was to then use the insights gained (enlightenment) in order to contemplate the kinds of …

The Efficacy Of Writing Course Placement At An Iowa Community College, Kristine D. Owens

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of writing course placement at an Iowa community college. The following questions were addressed: What indicators, separately or in combination, resulted in an appropriate or inappropriate student writing placement? (a) To what extent did the COMPASS test result in an appropriate placement? (b) To what extent did the self-directed essay result in an appropriate placement? (c) To what extent did a student's preference result in an appropriate placement?

This study was important to understand how the “directed self-placement” model, adapted from Royer and Gilles (1998, p. 1), impacted the institution's …

Student Self-Assessment, Portfolios, And The Context Of The Classroom, Colleen Goodenbour

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that seemed to influence student self-assessment in a language arts classroom where portfolios are used as a vehicle to align teaching, learning, and assessment. This was a qualitative study using naturalistic inquiry as a means to identify and explicate those factors. Data were gathered on individual students and the classroom by observation, which took the form of anecdotal records, surveys, portfolio work samples, conferences, and a personal reflective journal. This data provided information for three student portrayals and a composite language arts morning portrayal. The analysis of the portrayals and …

The Student Views The Teacher: Investigating Student Perception In Assessment Of High School Teachers, Richard N. Johns

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine student assessment of teachers at the secondary level and to add to the body of knowledge pertaining to the role of student evaluation of teacher performance in the instructional improvement process. The study was designed to determine which teacher behaviors and student/teacher relationship characteristics influenced summative assessments of teachers and if the influence was distorted by certain potentially biasing variables. Student assessments of teachers were compared to principal assessments of teachers to determine whether significant differences in ratings existed between these two evaluative sources.

The research questions focused on the composition of …

Manufacturing Curriculum Issues Of Two-Year Mechanical Engineering Technology Program In Taiwan, R.O.C., Chuan-Chun Wu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to evaluate current practices and possible changes in the mechanical engineering technology manufacturing curriculum in Taiwan's two-year junior technical colleges. The study was based on survey responses from three populations: (a) graduates of mechanical engineering (manufacturing division) programs in two-year junior technical colleges, (b) their manufacturing supervisors, and (c) their company chief executive officers (CEOs). The survey was designed to develop responses for following:

1. Determine the degree of importance of courses in the current Taiwanese two-year curriculum in manufacturing, in the opinion of the three groups surveyed.

2. Determine what the future curriculum …

Aids Education: The Effect Of Three Instructional Methods On Retention Of Changes In Knowledge, Attitudes, And Intention To Act, Denise Kerns Schares

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three instructional methods (unit only, unit plus infusion, and infusion only) for teaching high school students about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Education, offered consistently and over time, can assist individuals in developing positive health behaviors associated with the prevention of AIDS. Successful implementation of community and school-based education programs can save lives in the years ahead (Taff,1987).

Four sections (N = 80) of a health education course were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions. The unit only treatment consisted of the presentation of the 4-session, Red …

A Comparison Of Wisc-R And Wj-R Vs. Cogatat And Itbs In Defining Severe Discrepancy In The Diagnosis Of Learning Disabilities, Martin Patrick Mccarthy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A costly component of special education deals with the assessment and diagnosis of learning disabled students. This study considers the feasibility of replacing expensive, time consuming individual assessment procedures with group administered assessment procedures. IQ-achievement discrepancy scores generated by the WISC-R and WJ-R for 26 learning disabled students were compared to discrepancy scores generated by the CogAT and ITBS. Test data were retrieved from school records for third grade students identified as learning disabled within the 1991-1992 or 1992-1993 school years. ITBS scores were recorded for areas recognized by the WISC-R/WJ-R discrepancy scores. Discrepancy scores were generated in each of …

Reader-Text Match: The Interactive Effect Of Reader Ability And Text Difficulty On Comprehension Monitoring, Kathryn Maelou Baxter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of text difficulty on the comprehension monitoring of above- and below-average readers. The most of the good reader/poor reader comprehension monitoring research, students have been given identical passages. Consequently, the poor readers must read text that is relatively more difficult for them than it is for the better readers.

In this study, 36 fourth graders, 18 above-average readers and 18 below-average readers, were given text on three levels of difficulty, as determined by the Fry readability formula: (a) a second-grade passage for all students, used to reflect the standard practice …

Parallel Form Test-Retest Reliability And Predictive Validity Of A Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test, Stanley F. Hanus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to help a local school district in rural Iowa determine the reliability and predictive validity of a Curriculum-Based Measurement Academic Readiness Test (CBM-ART). The subjects were 85 kindergarten students and 77 first grade students enrolled in regular education. The total sample of 162 students was approximately 88% Caucasian, 8% Native American, 2% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. Parallel forms of the test were administered at a 14-day interval, with resulting reliability coefficients ranging from .76 to .94 with a median coefficient of .88. Validity coefficients computed between CBM measures administered in kindergarten and Iowa Tests …

Sustaining And Impinging Factors On Teaching Satisfaction Of Effective Middle Level Teachers, Cheryl D. Hoversten

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the ontogeny of effective middle level teachers. The study was a search through their lives, both professional and private, for those elements that they perceived have contributed to their professional development and consequent attitudes and perspectives on teaching.

A sample of 12 teachers was obtained through reputational-case selection, a process by which teachers were nominated by experts on the basis of their professional expertise. All participants were middle level teachers from two Midwestern states who had at least 10 years of teaching experience.

A career history interview, which focused on critical shifts …

Exploring The Incidence And Predictability Problem Of Dyscalculia In A School-Based, Rural Population In A Rural State, Karen Kimberley Annis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The term learning disability denotes the inability to learn in keeping with one's potential when presented with the usual curriculum. Dyscalculia is learning disability manifested in the area of mathematics curriculum. Limited research exists in the area of dyscalculia in terms of both incidence and identification procedures. However, a fairly large number of school-aged children show deficits in this area. Despite the necessity for knowledge of mathematics, little emphasis is placed on the identification and remediation of mathematical learning disabilities. A prominent neurologist (Rosenberger, 1989) has hypothesized recently that as much as 10% of the population of school-aged children in …

Act Scores Of Iowa Public High School Students: School, Student, And Family Variables, Anthony W. Pappas

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The American College Test (ACT) is a nationally normed test developed by the American College Testing program in Iowa City, Iowa. The test battery assesses the aptitude of high school students and is especially important for those students who wish to attend a post-secondary educational institution. The ACT assessment is a comprehensive evaluation, guidance, and placement service for educators and students in the transition from high school to college. This study examined the relationship between ACT test scores and certain selected student, school and family variables.

The sample for this study was the 1986-1987 ACT test taking population of senior …

Factors Associated With Student Success In A University Tutorial Program: Does High School Gpa, Act Scores Or Time Spent With A Tutor Make A Difference, Lea Lynnette Roseberry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis attempts to detect differences between those students who receive tutoring and gained passing grades and those who received tutoring and gained failing grades. Differences are detected by investigating three different independent variables; high school grade point average, American College Test (ACT) scores and time spent with a tutor. The subjects were University of Northern Iowa students who had received tutorial services from Student Support Services from the years 1985 to 1989. The research questions were as follows. 1. Did the students who produced passing grades differ from those who did not on their high school grade point averages …

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. …

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 …

A Study Of Principals’ Opinions About Minimum Competency Testing In Their Schools, Thomas J. Renze

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Minimum competency testing (MCT) has been a controversial educational issue for the past several years. Much of the literature on this topic has been written by educators and/or members of the public who are not directly responsible for implementation, administration, or evaluation of test results. This study was designed to gather information from primary sources concerning their opinions about the use of minimum competency testing programs in their own schools. Data was gathered during the 1978-79 school year.

Professional literature indicates that the minimum competency testing movement was generally initiated by individuals and groups outside of educational circles who were …

The Benziger Early Learning Assessment Test: A Study Of Predictive Validity, Marian Carol Sensor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the predictive power of a new screening test for pre-school and kindergarten youngsters, the Benziger Early Learning Assessment (BELA). It was hypothesized that the total score attained on the BELA would significantly correlate with selected measures of first grade achievement.

Seventy-five white, middle-class students who had been involved in the norming population for the BELA were utilized in the study. The students had been administered the BELA during the spring of their kindergarten year. In January of their first grade year the final sample (N = 58) was administered the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and Ginn …

The Effects Of A Performance-Based Training Program On Subsequent Teacher Effectiveness As Rated By School Principals, Joel Christian Ortéga

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Introduction. The Performance-Based Teacher Education movement is attracting an increasing number of followers. Although there are many concerns yet to be revised, the potential advantages render this one of the most promising educational movements of recent times. Since the movement is somewhat in its beginning stages, the major impact of this type of program is yet to be determined.

Problem. Many teacher education institutions, recognizing the problems that are in the traditional approaches to teacher education, have already begun to study and change their programs and courses toward a Performance-Based Teacher Education program. This being a relatively new approach to …

A Follow-Up Study Of Mason City High School Distributive Education Graduates From 1952 Through 1972, Paul B. Olson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of the graduates of the Mason City High School Distributive Education program from the class years 1952 through 1972 and to survey their attitudes toward the Distributive Education program in which they participated. The graduates' attitudes and opinions were categorized according to employment of graduates, education of graduates, and evaluation of the Distributive Education program.

The study was conducted over a period of time with the graduate information collected during the Summer, 1974. The subject was developed through an introduction and background of Distributive Education. The related literature reported …

The Development Of Criteria For The Evaluation Of Student Teacher Programs, Ramon H. Green

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to develop a set of evaluative criteria to be used in the analysis of student teaching programs. The approach to the study of the problem was to survey the literature of the field by known experts to determine their thinking on what is a good student teaching program. From this authoritative source, a set of evaluative criteria in the form of a checklist was developed.

Student teaching programs have been under much criticism in recent years. Since student teaching is considered the one most important experience in any teacher education program, problems related to …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Reading Ability And Performance On The Red Glass Test, Ann Mary Dunbar

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose or this study was to determine if a difference is reading ability existed between children who perceived at equal speeds with both eyes and children who perceived faster with one eye than with the other. The pri11le motivation for this study was the reported improvement in reading made by children who were involved in a visual training program under the direction of Dr. Frank M. Root, a practicing optometrist in Cedar Falls, Iowa. A part or this visual training program was the use of the Red Glass technique, a procedure designed to equalize the speed of perception …