Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Mini-Conferencing Prior To Iep Meetings On Parental Involvement In The Iep Process, Beth Ashby Jones

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to extend the literature on parent participation in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process by implementing an intervention aimed at fostering parent participation in IEP meetings and comparing its results to those obtained using one school district’s standard IEP meeting procedures. This study also sought to determine the effects of SES and disability on parent participation in IEP meetings. Specifically, a mini-conference between parent(s) and special education teachers prior to the IEP meeting informed parents of their child’s competencies and allowed for collaboration on a proposed IEP. A control group of parents was exposed to routine procedures …

Institutional Transformation: A Case Study Of An Urban Midwestern University, Jane M. Grassadonia

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a case study of an institutional transformational change effort in an urban research university. The study's focus is on the impact of The Milwaukee Idea on faculty and students as the soul of the university. Literature on transformational change in higher education focuses on the processes for launching this type of change and the role of formal change leaders. Less is known about the impact of transformational change on faculty and students. Relevant literature on change and institutional culture informed this study, including Kotter (1996), Wilber (1998), Cutright (2001), Peterson and Spencer (2000), Kezar and Eckel(2000), and …

The Development Of Global Awareness In Elementary Students Through Participation In An Online Cross-Cultural Project, Allen C. Grant

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided insights about how to develop online cross-cultural projects designed to foster global awareness in upper elementary-age students. Three schools, located in the southern United States, Mexico and Turkey, implemented a cross-cultural model as part of a comparative case study. The primary goal of this research was to gain an understanding of how these populations develop global awareness in an online environment. A second goal was to determine the necessary implications for practice when conducting online, cross-cultural projects in upper elementary classrooms. During eight weeks of implementation, students participated in cross-cultural groups as members of an online community. …

Congregation For Public Health Examines Community Engagement Knowledge Of Program Administrators And Community Health Advisors Using Social Capital And Community Capacity, Kimberly Mccall

All ETDs from UAB

This research study was designed to examine and compare how community engagement knowledge of Program Administrators and Community Health Advisors (CHAs) can be shaped and affected by social capital and community capacity. This was achieved by analyzing the Congregations for Public Health’s Search Your Heart Program. The analysis used a three one-way fixed-effects ANOVA model, one for each of the three research questions. Overall, the results showed that upon examination of each of the three relationship hypotheses there were no primary differences in average knowledge among the groups. The relationships were examined by characteristics such as project role, CHA training …

A Comparative Analysis Of Public Postsecondary Workforce Education Institutions In Florida, Georgia, And Kentucky, Christine Cothron

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research was a descriptive cross-site case study of organizational structures of public workforce education institutions in the states of Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. Organizational structures in public workforce education institutions can be found in four basic designs: technical centers, technical colleges, community colleges, and community and technical colleges. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concept of organizational structure in terms of the operation and effectiveness of workforce education institutions by studying four workforce institutions operating under differing arrangements.

This study investigated the following research questions:
1. Does organizational structure influence specific outcome factors for and between …

Assessing The Impact Of A Visual Arts Family-Focused Pre-Kindergarten Intervention, Gigi M. David

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of a visual arts, family-focused school readiness intervention on the parental efficacy and level of family involvement of low-income families. A second, primary focus of the study was to test the potential of academically focused experiences in the visual arts to increase the basic concept development of young children. To increase accessibility, the intervention was conducted in a neighborhood library.

The research design for this descriptive study included qualitative and quantitative components. Data collection consisted of a non-randomized one group pre-test/posttest design from students on a standardized instrument and from primary caregivers using self-report questionnaires. …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Personal And Professional Responses Of Recently Assigned Secondary Religious Education Teachers To Curriculum Demands, Chris B. Hackett

Theses

This research is a longitudinal study, conducted in Catholic schools of Perth and its environs. From 1998 to 1999, recently appointed secondary Religious Education teachers were surveyed and interviewed, and re-interviewed eighteen months later. Initially, a comprehensive survey of three dioceses in Western Australia was conducted and formed a contextual database for the study. The database acted as the foundation for the selection of a purposive sample of teachers for the first round of interviews. Follow-up interviews with this sample cohort were carried out the following year. The research design used in this study assisted the development of a representative, …

A Study Of New Jersey State Police Physical Qualification Test And It's Relationship To Leadership, Organizational Decision Making, And Policy Implementation, Richard J. Cosgrove

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Relationship Between Parental Physical Discipline And Child Externalizing Problems In The Caribbean Subculture In New York City, Meltem Paker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigated the relationship between parental physical discipline (PD) and child externalizing behaviors (EB) in the Caribbean subculture and examined whether acculturation to the European American and Caribbean cultures, generational status, normativity of PD, and warmth in the parent-child relationship moderated this relationship. Eighty-nine parents of Caribbean origin answered an anonymous survey consisting of various scales and demographic questions.

Descriptive analyses indicated that parents in this study used PD an average of 10 times during the past year. The majority (69%) reported using at least one PD act in the past year. All forms of more severe PD (e.g., …

Effects Of Charter School Laws On Charter School Performance, Kristen R. Hoffman

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement

Many issues exist in the public school system in the United States today. The main problems are: 1) American students are performing below their peers in other developed nations; 2) American high school graduates have trouble competing in the global economy; 3) Large achievement gaps exist between subgroups of American students. One of the many recommended policy solutions is to create charter schools to induce innovation and competition into the public school system.

Research Question

While many researchers have looked at charter school outcomes, few consider the effects of charter school laws on student achievement. My research question …

A Day In The Parc: An Interactive Qualitative Analysis Of School Climate And Teacher Effectiveness Through Professional Action Research Collaboratives, Shannon Lasserre-Cortez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the effects Professional Action Research Collaboratives (PARCs) have on several variables including teacher effectiveness, school effectiveness, and school climate. Mixed methods including Interactive Qualitative Analysis and non-parametric Mann Whitney U statistics were used to explore these effects. PARC participation was found to have no significant effect on school climate or teacher effectiveness; however, PARC Schools demonstrated higher school effectiveness scores than Comparison Schools. This project also generated a systems relationship diagram of school climate in PARC schools using Interactive Qualitative Analysis, and this paper offers a criticism of this fledgling method of data collection and analysis. There …

An Analysis Of Employing The Circuit Breaker As An Alternative Approach For Targeting Aid To Low-Income Students In Kentucky, William Walton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Affordability is an essential element of college opportunity. The federal government and the states have acknowledged this belief by adopting policies to ensure that no academically qualified student who desires an education is limited access due to a lack of financial resources. But, many lower-income families today are having trouble paying for college due to a unique set of circumstances. First, the cost of higher education as a percentage of income has been increasing for over a decade, causing families to spend increasingly larger proportions of their incomes to afford postsecondary education. Second, the federal government has shifted its emphasis …

The Effects Of Professional Development Programs On Educational Outcomes In Mathematics And Sciences, William M. Craig

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Professional development programs are widely acknowledged for their success in determining outcomes in a variety of fields. These programs are particularly useful in education where new processes, methodologies, and curriculum need to be disseminated to vast numbers of administrators, educators, parents, and program analysts. Education is considered one of the top priorities for American policymakers, agencies, companies, and the general public. This fact has made educational outcomes progressively more important over time as larger expenditures are dedicated to providing positive educational effects. There has been a large body of research performed on what effects educational outcomes in the United States. …

Role And Importance Of The Simulator Instructor, Asghar Ali

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Re-Envisioning Theological Education And Formation For Mission, In-Context, Using Distance Education, David Wollenburg

Doctor of Ministry

Distance Education Leading To Ordination (DELTO) is a program of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) designed to prepare individuals for pastoral ministry. It is non-residential, and it is contextual, as those in the program are already engaged in ministry.

Three concerns about DELTO are addressed in this work: the first is that it is a "dumbing-down" of pastoral formation; the second is that it is not possible to form a spiritual commWlity of support on-line; and the third is the need for the seminary faculty to have enough information to be able to confidently certify DELTO graduates for ordination.

This …

A Hypermedia Simulation That Teaches Defensive Driving Skills, Borchyi Lin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Because of increased commuter traffic volume on rural roadways collisions between motor vehicles and farm equipment have increased in frequency and severity over the last several years. This study investigated the effects of a multimedia narrative simulation program that taught hazard recognition and promoted defensive driving on rural roadways shared by farm equipment. A companion animated driving game allowed users to practice reaction/stopping time distances with a simulated automobile on a simulated highway when objects appeared suddenly in the path of the automobile. The program and game were delivered by an objective-oriented client/server computer program that also recorded and stored …

Mentoring College Students With Learning Disabilities: A Case Study: A Dissertation, Susan Wilmont Pennini

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates the nature and role of a college mentor in facilitating the metacognitive development of college students with learning disabilities (LD). The researcher used three primary sources to triangulate the data for the inquiry: individual interviews with a mentor of college students with LD and three of her students; observations of sessions between the mentor and her students; and, documents from student files. The qualitative case study was conducted at Curry College. This site was chosen because of the specialized program for students with learning disabilities at this college.

Exploring Intersectionality In Education: The Intersection Of Gender, Race, Disability, And Class, Amy J. Petersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of gender, race, disability, and class within education. Specifically, I examined the educational experiences of African American women labeled with a disability and from a disadvantaged socio-economic class. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I interviewed four adult African American women from disadvantaged socio-economic groups to gain a deeper understanding of their lived educational experiences.

The story that emerged from this research was each participant's strength. Their stories revealed that each woman persistently and continually engaged in the world around them in order to negotiate, evade, and resist the dominant ideology …

Our Great Physicist: Professor Joseph Henry Of Princeton And The Rise Of Science In The Antebellum College, Sarah Swords

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Site-Based Technology Facilitators: Catalysts For Achieving Teacher Technology Proficiency In K-12 Classrooms, Janet Giandelone Broussard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which professional development implemented by a school-based instructional technology facilitator impacted the technology proficiency of teachers in SCHOOLTech sites. A second purpose was to identify the types and frequencies of professional development implemented by school-based facilitators in SCHOOLTech sites, as well as, in five case study sites that had shown increases in teacher technology proficiency. The final purpose was to determine if there was a significant difference in student achievement levels between SCHOOLTech and non SCHOOLTech schools. Investigation was carried out through a within-stage mixed model design requiring …

Conceptions Of Morality Held By Eminent People, Janine Mary Lehane

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Academy: The Career Advancement Of Black And White Women Full-Time Faculty, Wandalyn Fanchon Glover

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The recruitment, retention, and promotion of Black women in the academy continue to be a challenge even after numerous policies and programs to rectify historical and social injustices in American society. This study utilized a womanist lens as a framework to conceptualize the interlocking impact of race and gender on the experiences of Black women in higher education. Utilizing a quantitative design, the primary source for the study included data gathered from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty conducted by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) in survey cycles of 1993, 1999, and 2004. The researcher examined the pace …

School Violence Prevention Programs And Changes In Violence Incidents In New Jersey (2002-2005), James V. Fiasconaro

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Phonological Awareness Instruction: Opinions And Practices Of Educators And Speech-Language Pathologists In West Virginia, Melinda J. Daniel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research has shown phonological awareness to be a strong predictor of literacy. To support literacy development, a phonological awareness project was piloted in several West Virginia schools in 2001. This study compared WV educators based on employment setting (schools participating and those not participating in the phonological awareness project) and professional category (classroom teacher, reading specialist, speech-language pathologist) on answers to survey questions related to phonological awareness. Results showed no significant relationships between employment setting and responses. However, reading specialists reported spending more minutes per week providing phonological awareness instruction to children at risk for reading difficulty than did speech-language …

Understanding An Indigenous Curriculum In Louisiana Through Listening To Houma Oral Histories, Nicholas Anthony Ng-A-Fook

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Indigenous communities have inhabited Louisiana since time immemorial. However, the national project of teaching the rise of the West as a heroic story remains the curricular centerpiece in elementary and high school history classes in North America. As a curriculum theorist, and former science and history teacher, I am concerned with the ways in which my teachings of colonialism’s cultural, historical, and national narratives suppress and silence the stories of the colonized. Therefore, the purpose of this paper (based on a four-year qualitative study) is to share oral histories of the United Houma Nation in order to illustrate their daily …

The Effectiveness Of An Intrusive Advising Program On Students On Academic Probation, Christie Ann Cruise

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Examining Retention And Academic Success Among Community College Developmental Algebra I Students, Patricia B. Huber

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

An increasing number of community college matriculants enter college needing remediation in mathematics. This study examined factors that may affect student retention and academic success in a developmental Algebra I course at a community college, including demographic variables, life demand variables, pre-enrollment academic characteristic, self-regulated learning characteristics, and instructional methodology.

The study ran for two consecutive semesters and included 154 participants. Self-report measures were used to gain demographic information and information about students' beliefs about math and their self-regulated learning characteristics at the beginning of the semester. An elementary algebra pre-test was administered at the beginning of the semester with …

An Examination Of Differences Between Occupational-Technical Student And Transfer Student Engagement At Small Community Colleges In Virginia, Janet T. Laughlin

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the differences in levels of student engagement between occupational-technical students and transfer students in an attempt to gain insight into why so many students fail to attain their educational goals. Students' engagement or involvement with their educational institution and program of study is considered a major contributor to persistence and graduation. Research on student engagement as it relates to persisters and leavers includes the five student engagement variables benchmarked by the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE): (a) active and collaborative learning, (b) student effort, (c) academic challenge, (d) student-faculty interaction, and (e) support for learners. …

Addressing Diversity: A Case Study Of Teacher Educators' Views And Instructional Practices At A Midwestern University, Alina Slapac

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is well documented that while the student population is becoming more and more diverse, the teacher population remains mostly white, female, monolingual, and monocultural (Banks, 2001a; Darling-Hammond, 2002; Nieto, 2000a). Consequently, teacher education programs have the important role of addressing diversity throughout curriculum, field experiences and faculty recruitment.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain more understanding, from the teacher educators' perspectives, about the way diversity is being addressed at a Midwestern university by examining teacher educators' various methods of instruction, and their course materials, which focus on diversity issues and the needs of diverse learners. The …

Speech Recognition: The Interpretation Of Training And Using Speech Recognition Software From The Perspectives Of Postsecondary Students With Learning Challenges, Delann Soenksen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the utilization of speech recognition programs by five college students with learning difficulties. A qualitative approach was implemented over the course of two semesters, Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, to: (a) ascertain students' perspectives on speech recognition, and (b) understand how students used speech recognition programs as a tool to meet the academic demands of postsecondary education. Data collection for this study included interviews, participant observations, field notes, videotape, and course assignments. This study provided qualitative data regarding an assistive technology tool that has traditionally been studied within a quantitative paradigm. Environment, individual characteristics, and life demands …