Education Commons^™

Students' Mental Models Of Electricity In Simple Dc Circuits, Andrew C. Isola Iii

Dissertations

This study presents the results of research into middle school students' knowledge about the nature and mechanisms of action of electricity in simple DC circuits. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders (n=99) were asked a series of questions about the roles of bulbs, batteries, wires, and electricity in circuits. Almost half the number of students (n=42) were found to have used detailed, well-defined, and logically consistent mental models based on their responses. A total of 15 different detailed mental models were documented in these students that belonged to one of four different general model types: (1) round trip flow using both …

Relationships Between The Degree Of Restructuring In Western Washington Elementary Schools And The Results On Criterion Referenced 4th Grade Assessments For Reading, Mathematics, Writing, And Listening, Gary C. Newbill

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to explore relationships between the degree of school restructuring in Western Washington elementary schools and results on criterion referenced tests for reading, writing, mathematics, and listening, administered to 4th grade students in 1997. The sample of convenience included 47 elementary schools from 4 Puget Sound counties.

The current study extended a larger project on educational reform conducted by 7 researchers under the direction of Professor J. T. Fouts. This research explored relationships between the degree of school restructuring, a construct developed through factor analysis of classroom teacher responses on the School Practices and …

The Use Of Curriculum-Based Measurement To Evaluate The Effects Of A Remedial Education Program, Michael D. Hixson

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of two Direct Instruction programs: Corrective Reading: Decoding and Connecting Math Concepts. The effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated using a single-subject experimental design with curriculumbased measurement (CBM) probes as the main means of assessment. Other methods of assessment included standardized achievement tests, school reports, and pre- and postcurriculum- based assessment probes. The CBM probes for all students were sensitive to the effects of the interventions, although there was a great deal of variability in the CBM reading probes and little correspondence across methods of assessment. The results indicate that the two Direct Instruction programs …

An Analysis Of Nine K-12 School Districts That Have Established Membership With The Coalition Of Essential Schools, Shari A. Peters Kitchen

Dissertations

In the late 1970s, Ted Sizer, professor of education at Brown University, and a team of researchers traveled the country visiting dozens of secondary schools. The purpose of these visits was to understand the American high school by observing it firsthand. Sizer reported his findings in 1984 in Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School.

In response to the compromises raised in Horace's Compromise, 12 schools volunteered to become the Coalition of Essential Schools. The Coalition rests on a set of nine Common Principles, which include intellectual rigor, simple and universal goals, personalized school, graduation by exhibitions …

Teacher Knowledge And Attitudes Towards The Utilization Of Assistive Technology In Educational Settings, Theresa Ledger

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of special education teachers regarding the use of assistive technology in a school setting. This study also determined current information on teachers' knowledge levels of assistive technology. A survey questionnaire was sent to 120 elementary special education teachers in the Spring of 1999. The questionnaire was concerned wit h teacher knowledge and attitudes towards assistive technology. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated teachers perceive themselves to have a good knowledge base in regards to assistive technology. However, less than half of those teachers are utilizing devices and services …

A Case Study In Museum Change: Power, Authority And Community Connected Exhibitions, Marilyn Cathy Solvay, Ph.D.

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation is a study of museum change and examines the power of objects along with the authority of traditional exhibitions and the development of community-connected exhibitions. Community-connected exhibitions are explored to provide insight into reshaping the museum organization into a multicultural institution.

Method: A case study of a community-connected exhibition, "Becoming Americans: The Shapiro Story: 1898-1928," was conducted at Strawberry Banke, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an outdoor history museum. Interviews were held with 25+ project participants: museum staff project team members, Shapiro family members, community members at large, and representatives from other community cultural institutions. This qualitative research project …

The Relationship Between Selected Environmental Variables And Attrition, Persistence, And Academic Success Of Majority And Minority College Students, Carole J. Woolford-Hunt

Dissertations

Research indicates that college student persistence, attrition, and success is related to the student’s ability to gain academic and social integration into the university community. This theory has guided researchers to explore either the academic or social factors that promote integration. Under the umbrella of social integration exists the underresearched category of environmental factors.

The overall purpose of this study was to identify selected environmental factors that affect minority and majority students’ persistence and success rates in a Midwestern state-run university. The environmental variables of size of college within a larger university, residential versus nonresidential nature of colleges within a …

A Technologically Based Model Program Including Reading Writing And Communication Skills For Rural Minority Students In The Lower Yakima Valley In The State Of Washington, Jennifer Anno Butler

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a technologically based model program including reading writing and communication skills for rural minority students in the Lower Yakima Valley in the State of Washington. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature and research was conducted. Additionally, information and materials developed in conjunction with the Bridges - A Web Project for Kids, at Central Washington University, was studied, analyzed and incorporated into the project.

Master Scheduling At Entiat High School: An Ethnography Of Process And Practice, Evelyn M. Barnes

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this Master's Project was to participate in, observe, and describe the process of master schedule creation as experienced in Entiat High School, a small high school in central Washington state. Included is a discussion of the challenges and concerns of creating a master schedule in a small high school. A model procedure, which can be utilized to create the annual master schedule regardless of format, is presented as a cooperative approach. Ideas on retooling the master schedule especially as it is related to current educational reform and restructuring are presented.

Alignment Of The Challenger Center Curriculum With The Washington State Essential Learning Requirements And The Use Of Multiple Intelligences, Shaila Donel Brookover

All Graduate Projects

The State ofWashington has recently adopted a set oflearning standards called the Essential Academic Learning Requirements. It is the intention of this Master's project to align the learning objectives of the Challenger Center curriculum with the Essential Academic Learning Requirements for Science, so that it may be used as a sixth and seventh grade enrichment opportunity. Itis also within the scope of this project to include Gardner's theory on multiple intelligence as an educational tool to improve student learning. It will be suggested that with the use of multiple intelligences and the integration of informal science learning experiences, students will …

An Art Teacher's Personal And Prictical Knowledge Of The Classroom: An Ethnographic Study, Tarne M. Carver

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to search for meaning in the socially constructed and constantly changing environment and practical knowledge of a Fine Arts Instructor. The researcher wanted the teacher to gain new insights on the subject of self, instruction, subject matter, role as teacher, role as colleague, curriculum development and the lives of students. A yearlong internship was conducted in which the researcher took on the role of observer and then of participant-observer. Ajournal of field notes was chronicled throughout the internship. From this journal, interview questions were developed and two interviews were conducted. The goal was to …

An Application Of The Essential Academic Learning Requirements And Gardner's Multiple Intelligences On Middle School Social Studies, Pamela B. De Persio

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this application is to use a combination of the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, to create learning plans for middle school social studies, history (U.S. Civil War) and geography. The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements were first adopted in 1993 as goals to raise the standards and achievements of elementary and secondary students. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is an alternate way to describe the talents or gifts we each possess. Multiple intelligences can be considered as intelligences in diverse disciplines which allow human beings the ability …

Status Of Students Exiting Special Education Programs From The Ellensburg School District, Robin Christman

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop empirical data, considered to be meaningful in the assessment of local program's effectiveness related to the successful transition of students from Ellensburg High School's Special Education Programs into the adult world. The project utilized a telephone survey of past graduates who were served by the Special Education Program between 1994 and 1998. The survey paralleled a statewide effort to establish a database of similar findings from students who exited special programs in the spring of 1998. Recommendations for local program maintenance and improvement, based upon the findings of this project, were then …

Promoting Self-Advocacy Skills For Students With Mild Disabilities, Loretta Lynn Franz

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a unit plan for teachers to help promote self-advocacy skills in the Individual Education Program (IEP) for students with mild disabilities. The results of this study indicate that students with mild disabilities are required to be invited to their IEP when consideration of services are to be discussed. Students are often not successful in the IEP process because they are dependent on others to make decisions for them. They are not given the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions. They have a poor self-concept, lack of understanding, self-acceptance and motivation. …

A Model School Within A School Program For Chelan Middle School, Joseph B. Harris

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a model school within a school program for at-risk students enrolled in grades 6 through 8 who are currently residing in the Lake Chelan School District, Chelan, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature focused on altemative programs/schools and at risk students was reviewed. Additionally, related information from selected schools/districts throughout the state of Washington was obtained and analyzed regarding the formation of a new altemative school program. The school within a school will be evaluated on an ongoing, annual basis by participating administration, staff, and students.

Developing A Standards Based Report Card Designed For K-5 Students In Riverview School Districts #407, Marlene Fuson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a standards based report card for students in grades K-5 in Riverview School District #407, Carnation, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature concerned with report card development and the change process were reviewed. Additionally, report cards from neighboring school districts and report cards from around the nation were reviewed and adapted to meet the needs of the students, teachers, and community in the Riverview School District.

A Model Procedure For Monitoring Student On The Internet At Cashmere High School, Trevor Kert

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a model procedure for monitoring students on the Internet at Cashmere High School, Cashmere, Washington. To achieve this purpose, current research, literature, software, and acceptable use policies concerned with educational Internet usage were reviewed. Additionally, specific policies; agreements, and forms were adapted and developed to meet the needs of the Cashmere High School community.

A Literature Review Of Parental Involvement In Public Schools From 1994-1999, Barbara Gohl Keene

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to see how parental involvement affected student achievement and how educators could involve parents at the middle grades and junior/senior high levels. American families and our society have changed dramatically over the past twenty-five years. These changes have had exciting effects on educational processes in schools. It has become a challenge to involve parents in the educational process, especially during the middle, junior and senior high school years. Parents are far more involved in their children's early childhood education than in their later years of schooling (Pryor, 1995). Involvement drops off dramatically when children …

An Educational Dilemma: To Touch Or Not To Touch, Ronald G. Jeffries

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to aid both pre-service and in-service teachers in solving the dilenuna of whether or not to touch students in the classroom environment. The harmful effects and consequences of the use of inappropriate touch by teachers, which tend to cause teachers and administrators to say, "Hands off!", were examined. However, numerous studies were researched which support the use of appropriate touch in teaching children. In addition, educators from fourteen schools in North Central Washington were surveyed to determine the consensus of whether or not teachers today continue to employ touch and for what purposes. The …

An Alternative Residential Education Program: An Evaluative Study, Marc A. Kincaid

All Graduate Projects

Schools today are trying to make an adaptation to accommodate all children and their disabilities. For many, the problem does not lie in a child's learning ability, but rather in their behavioral disability. According to its mission, The Ranch is committed to not only accommodating at-risk boys, but is trying to help them re-adjust and re-enter society with the skills necessary to function in every day life. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate The Ranch by examining the effectiveness of the program and its goals. Evaluation was done both Formatively and Summatively, through interviews and documentation. The researcher …

The Design And Development Of A Model Program That Integrates Arts, Social Studies And The Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements For The Seventh Grade Students And Manson Secondary School, Kenneth L. Nelson

All Graduate Projects

Relatively little research was encountered which attempted to measure the effectiveness of an integrated curriculum over a more traditional course of studies. The results that were articulated seemed to indicate that students in classrooms using an integrated curriculum approach did as well or better than students experiencing a more traditional approach. This was especially true in the area of conceptual understanding. The purpose of this project was to design and develop a model program that integrated Language Arts, Social Studies and the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements for the seventh grade students at Manson Secondary School.

Using Bicycles As A Theme For A Cross-Curricular Literacy Program In A Secondary Alternative Setting, Synthia Parish-Duehn

All Graduate Projects

Practices in constructivist techniques in education and the application of thematic models were researched; the effect of motivation on learning was researched the connection between reading and writing was investigated, the link between vocabulary and reading ability was explored as well as the importance of schema and metacognition. A curriculum was designed using a theme, bicycles, based upon student interests. The curriculum implementation employed a cross-curricular, constructivist model. Research indicated that when reading instruction is delivered via a topic that the students have interest in and ownership of, the students become engaged in the instructional practice. Implications for curriculum design …

A Survey Instrument To Collect Student Perceptions Of Drama Class Benefits, Claudia Wiggins

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop a student survey for a drama class. The focus of the research is to substantiate the need for teaching drama in schools and by using a student survey. Presented is a drama class student survey developed and administered in high school drama classes. Offered are interviews with two drama teachers regarding the use of a drama survey. The study concludes with suggestions for future drama class student surveys.

An Analysis Of Employment Perceptions Of Secondary Level School Administrators Holding Joint Positions As Assistant Principal And Athletic Director, C. Russell Waterman Iii

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this descriptive research study was to investigate the employment perceptions of secondary level school administrators holding joint positions as assistant principal and athletic director. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature concerned with the job responsibilities and qualifications of both positions were reviewed. In addition to the review of literature, a questionnaire was developed for the purpose of identifying and analyzing the (1) general background of each respondent, (2) the general training and experience of each respondent, (3) personal qualifications of each respondent, ( 4) the roles and responsibilities of each respondent, and (5) the employment …

Review Of The 1998/1999 Wenatchee Masters With Certification Teacher Preparation Program, William Patrick Fillman, John Morton Tuttle

All Graduate Projects

The Wenatchee Master of Education Certification Teacher Preparation (WMECTPP) was an intensive year long field and performance-based program designed to enable its participants to become modem educators with mastery level competence. The purpose of this study was to document the efficacy from a participant/observer perspective, and to create a blueprint for others interested in a similar program. The ethnographic study of the 1998/99 WMECTPP was performed by two program participants. The authors analyzed and described the philosophical foundation, structure, candidate pool, and completion requirements of the WMECTPP. Authors concluded, based on an extensive review ofrelated literature, that the WMECTPP was …

Elements Of A Successful Transitional Bilingual Program, Phillip J. Vasquez

All Graduate Projects

The issues related to bilingualism, and more specifically, to bilingual education have become part of the national rhetoric in the news media recently. Of primary concern is the question of whether bilingual education helps or hinders second language acquisition. This project focuses on the issue of bilingual education as an additive in second language acquisition in order to identify the most effective components of the bilingual education programs. The results of this project are compiled into a teachers handbook for meeting the challenge of effectively teaching the language minority student.

A School-To-Work Transition Manual For Secondary Administrators, Ronald Dean Woodruff

All Graduate Projects

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act was designed to improve student learning, in-school retention, and transition to the workplace by improving the quality and relevance of education for all students. School-to-work uses experiences that integrate school-based and work-based learning and improve students' knowledge of and access to career opportunities. Administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act gives States seed money to design and implement their own comprehensive School-to-Work system. States and localities are given broad latitude in designing their own systems so long as each includes the Act's three components: Work-based learning, school-based learning, and connecting …

A Survival Skills Handbook For Columbia Basin Alternative High School Students, James L. Yonko

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a survival skills handbook to benefit students at Columbia Basin Alternative High School, Moses Lake, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current related research and literature was conducted. Additionally, related information obtained from selected schools/districts and from a survey of participating students was also analyzed.

Student Leaders: Are There Differences With Institutional Satisfaction?, Ginny L. Van Rie

Legacy ETDs

This quantitative study investigates differences in student leaders" satisfaction with their institution. An adapted form of the ACT Student Opinion Survey (four-year-form) is administered to 103 student leaders representing two types of leadership positions, those selected or hired by the institution and those elected by their peers. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests indicate only 2 significant differences in the satisfaction areas assessed. Both groups of student leaders tend to have moderate to high levels of satisfaction with their institution. However, selected/hired student leaders have more homogeneous satisfaction scores than the student leaders elected by their peers. Hired student leaders indicate …

A Study Of Elementary Teachers' Attitudes Toward Mathematics Instruction And Mathematics Teaching Methods Used In The Elementary Classroom, William Otis Lacefield Iii

Legacy ETDs

This study involved an investigation of elementary (grades K-4) teachers' attitudes toward mathematics instruction and the mathematics teaching methods elementary teachers plan and implement in the classroom setting. The population consisted of 492 elementary teachers (grades K-4) currently teaching in the Bibb County, Georgia, Public School System. The sample represented a cluster sampling of the population and consisted of 90 elementary teachers currently teaching in six public elementary schools. One inner city school, four suburban schools, and one rural/semirural school were randomly selected. The research design used was a correlational design. The sets of data considered were elementary teachers' self-expressed …