Education Commons^™

The Association Between Mercury Emissions And Individuals With Autism Aged From 3-21 In The State Of California From 2001 To 2007, Sen Guo

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The paper explores how historical mercury deposition associates with the incidents of autism, identified in individuals aged from 3 to 21 in California from 2001 to 2007. The association between mercury deposits and the prevalence of individuals with autism aged from 3 to 21 in California was explored using the data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the U.S. Education Department. A correlation analysis is applied to find if a relationship between mercury deposits and the autistic individuals in California. A regression test is run showing that for every 2.41ng/square meter per year increase of mercury deposits in California, …

Comparing Full Day Kindergarten To Half Day Kindergarten, Alisha Catherine Bazzano

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study examines half- and full-day kindergarten programs and their effectiveness in regard to a child’s academic progress. Some literature finds a positive relationship between the success of a child and the minutes spent in the classroom. However, other literature debates as to how long the progress is sustained. The purpose of this study is to compare the scores of kindergarten students in both half-day and full-day programs and analyze the data to determine if one program is more successful than the other. Three assessments in language arts were given to each student, assessing uppercase, lowercase, and letter sounds. The …

The Effect Of Intensive Reading Intervention On California State Testing Scores In A Small Rural Middle School, Mackenzie Erickson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluated the effectiveness of reading intervention on California Standardized Test (CST) scores that was implemented in a rural community in Northern California. The study addressed the challenge of meeting the objective of increasing student performance in English language arts on the CST. Investigating whether or not there was a significant relationship between students receiving the intensive intervention and positive academic growth as it is measured on the CST is important for future implications of intervention programs at this site. The literature review focused on the process of adolescents acquiring literacy, differences in achievement within poor and rural communities, …

Teacher Training On Teaching Students With Dyslexia, Jeanné M. Colson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Dyslexia is a central educational issue that teachers are facing today; it is important that teachers receive specific training on how to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of training that teachers have received, if there was a correlation between grade level and training, and if teachers have a desire for additional training. The main focus of the literature review includes an overview of dyslexia including the history and sign and symptoms. There was also an emphases on the dyslexia in the classroom, including teacher …

The Effect Of The Love And Logic Program On Student Motivation, Courtney V. Coffin

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study evaluates the effect of implementing the classroom management program Love and Logic in small, middle and high school science classrooms. It focuses on science classrooms from seventh grade to twelfth grade in a small, rural district. The student population includes large percentages of white and Hispanic individuals, with a smaller percentage of Native American individuals as well as a large percentage, over 60%, of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. There were five cohorts, divided by type of science class and age, and the intervention was implemented by a multiple baseline across behaviors method. The cohorts were seventh grade life science, …

Effects Of School Choice On Math Performance, Rachel Ricioli Wittenberg

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant skill level difference between freshmen geometry students who attended charter schools and those who attended noncharter schools during middle school. The study addresses the controversy over charter schools providing better educational outcomes. The literature reviewed focuses on achievement in charter schools, and also discusses the indirect effects charter schools may have on surrounding public schools. The sample includes two cohorts of freshmen geometry students from the 2011- 2012 and 2012-2013 school years, which resulted in a sample size of 115 students. The results show that the difference …

Understanding Synesthesia And Impact For Learning, Kateri Lynn Wheeler

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Synesthesia is a neurological disorder that has to do with the ‘union of the senses.’ The literature reveals that students with synesthesia are affected with various degrees of severity. Students may hear a bell ring. Their brain is wired to take that sound and interpret it differently, through color, texture, taste, sound or temperature among other things. While some people hear a bell, others may also experience the activation of another sense. The difficulties these students exhibit involves longer processing or thinking time to sort out the extra stimulus. Limiting sound environments and other visual cues like color coding to …

Health And Fitness Awareness In Schools And Student Impact: A Quantitative Study, Meena Marie Tepas

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether or not schools can have an impact on student knowledge of health and fitness if they implement programs that educate students in that content area. This study gathered information, via student questionnaires, from two school sites, to compare student knowledge at a school that implemented a health and fitness program with one that did not. The review of literature focused on current and passed data that emphasized the need for educating society on health trends, resulting impacts of unhealthy lifestyles i.e. obesity rates and diabetes, and the best venue for addressing …

Workshop-Style Instruction: Comparing Achievement And Attitudes Of English Only And English Language Learning Students, Jennifer Marie Radtke-Rodgers

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study analyzed the effectiveness of the Reader’s Workshop style of instruction, its effect on students’ reading comprehension, students’ attitudes about reading, and whether the effect differentiated between students who speak English as a native or second language.

Critical Issues For Administrators Of Specialized Schools, Amanda Thomas Kirk

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The current call for accountability in education increases the need for an understanding of best practices for administrators of specialized schools that serve students with special needs, including residential and day treatment programs. The literature revealed issues in curriculum planning and resource allocation to meet the complex and interrelated needs of students in specialized schools, and in effective program design for students with specific low incidence disabilities. No literature could be identified that addressed the challenges of administering specialized schools that integrate educational, therapeutic, and transitional and vocational programs in one setting. A survey of administrators of specialized schools in …

From Afghanistan 1979 To Afghanistan 2001: How Three Current High School History Textbooks Frame The Origins Of The “War On Terror” Historical Analysis And Interviews With William Blum, Noam Chomsky And James Loewen, Michael Shawn Galli

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This work examines how three current eleventh grade U.S. high school history textbooks report on the origins of the “war on terror.” The researcher chose one textbook from each of the three leading publishing houses that supply the high school market: Holt McDougal, Prentice Hall, and McGraw-Hill. The scope of the researcher’s inquiry covers the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to the U.S. invasion in 2001. The nomenclature of the “war on terror,” Reagan’s “war on terror,” U.S. support for the Afghan Mujahideen, the Persian Gulf War, and the decision to invade Afghanistan are examined. Interviews with authors William Blum, …

In Desperate Need Of Sleep: Teenagers And School Start Times, Cristin Marie Allen

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

School start times have the potential to be damaging to students academically. Several studies have linked sleep to the transfer of knowledge into long term memory, while others show how the lack of sleep is disruptive to learning. If school start times truly have an impact on the functionality of the teenage brain, educators should be doing everything in their power to make sure schools begin at a proper hour. The purpose of this study was to extend research done in other parts of the country, traditionally in urban areas, that attempted to show a link between student achievement and …

Factors That Impact A Child On The Autism Spectrum In The General Education Classroom, Ashley Meredith Davis

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

General education teachers currently have children in their classrooms who are on the autism spectrum. These teachers have had little to no training in either their teacher preparation nor-school based professional development programs in teaching children on the spectrum. The purpose of this paper is to explore teaching strategies that are successful for these children and can be easily implemented in the classroom. The research literature reveals little on this topic. There is information on early intervention with preschool students as well as environmental, communication, and social supports. Educators from general and special education were interviewed for their ideas and …

Mood Congruency Effect On Academic Content Retention For Emotionally Disturbed High School Students, Lara M. Corkrey

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The effect of mood on the encoding and recall of memories is crucial to create more affective classroom environments conducive to retention of academic content. The current study hypothesized that emotionally disturbed (ED) students encode less academic content then their peers due to their pervasive negative mood. In three separate conditions, 73 participants were shown a 5 min video clip to either induce a positive or negative mood or to neutralize mood. Subjects were asked to rate their mood before and after the film clip. Finally, participants were instructed to recall as many words as they could from a presented …

Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program For Preschool Children In An Urban Private School In California: A Case Study, Yuan Cao

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study enlisted language immersion practitioners in highlighting and exploring the issues and challenges that accompany language immersion education. Comprehensive focused personal interviews of preschool Mandarin Chinese language immersion educators in a private school provided the basis of the study. The research literature reviewed indicated that when young children learn a new language it benefits them later in their education. These students have increased competency in their second language compared to children who do not received language instruction in early childhood. Four professionals who are bilingual in English and Mandarin, and one expert in immersion program were interviewed; all four …

The Importance Of An Appropriate Social Media Policy For K-12 Education, Dawn M. Mawhinney

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of the study is to explore creating appropriate social media policies to ensure these tools are used properly for positive uses and control the negative impacts of social media in the school environment. Although social media can be used as a great tool for modern classrooms, there are a variety of problems. The literature used for the study addresses legal issues and bullying, enhancing 21st century skills and improving communication. Statistics from the Pew Organization and qualitative information from other academic studies were also used. The literature had more concerns about inappropriate behavior than suggestions practicing professionals. The …

Igeneration: The Social Cognitive Effects Of Digital Technology On Teenagers, Eugenia A. Ives

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Into today’s world, digital technology changes so rapidly and integrates into our society at such an accelerated rate, it is hard to keep up with it, let alone reflect on the effects it has on our lives. Although Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, did not exist a mere decade ago, they are now ubiquitous forms of media and communication in our culture. Today’s generation of teenagers, born in the 1990s, aptly labeled the “iGeneration”, are the most connected generation ever. These iGen teens are digital natives growing up in an era of a massive influx of technology. They do not know …

Examining The Role Of Corporate Sponsorship In The Public School System: Appropriate Pathways, Maria Potter

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

To compensate for declining public school budgets, an increasing number of local public education organizations are soliciting and accepting financial support from U.S. corporations. There is considerable debate as to whether corporate involvement ultimately aids or hampers students’ academic achievement, and there are many conflicting opinions as to the sorts of problems that corporate involvement creates. This study is aimed at determining what types of cooperative efforts between corporations and educational institutions are currently functioning across the spectrum of school-business partnerships, and what type of oversight is needed to make them work better. A qualitative method was applied as the …

Effective Practices In Science Instruction In An All Girls School, Holly Hoyt Posner

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Girls can be successful in science education depending on their learning environment. This paper studies factors such as curriculum and instructional strategies that facilitate student success in learning science. The problem is that as girls get older, they shy away from science instruction. They allow boys to monopolize the science activities, and they appear to lose interest in science. Their grades slip, and they tend not to pursue science in higher education or in their career. The purpose of this research is to explore factors that can lead to girls’ success in learning science. Teachers were interviewed at a school …

Play-Building: Creating A Documentary Theatre Performance In A High School Setting, Philip Wieger Van Eyck

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This paper describes a high school theatre program’s project in which Anna Deavere Smith’s documentary theatre work serves as the foundation for play-building for students. Research in theatre arts supports the use of play-building as a way to explore major themes of relevance to students. However, there is little research addressing documentary theatre’s use in a high school setting. Teacher and students created a full-length dramatic play which incorporated interviews of actual people related to the theme; in this case an exploration of dreams, both aspirational and nocturnal, entitled Dreaming: Day and Night. After transcribing the interviews, an edited script …

The Effect Of Small Learning Communities On The High School Experience For At-Risk Students, Chelsea Tina Springer

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

From elementary schools to universities, small learning communities (SLCs) are cropping up all over the place. While SLCs sound like a good idea, there is little viable research to support their implementation at the high school level. There seems to be an inherent assumption that collaboration between teachers is good, and that a more personalized environment will enrich the learning experience. Despite the optimism of these presumptions, there is a dearth of program evaluation research to support the effectiveness of SLCs in the high school setting. In order to establish and maintain these programs, teachers, parents and administrators will rightly …

Impact Of Reading Ability On Academic Performance At The Primary Level, Caleb Bartholet Cimmiyotti

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The present study examined the correlation between academic performance in reading and academic performance in mathematics at the primary level. The data included 95 student performances from grades two, three, four, and five. The reading performance was based on three assessment components which included comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. The mathematics performance was based on summative assessments conducted at intervals during the 2011-2012 academic year as well as the results from the STAR test. Results indicated that a correlation did exist between reading and mathematics performance at the early elementary level when including grades two through five. Examining each grade level …

The Relationship Between Positive Behavior Support And Task Completion In The Elementary School Setting, Kristin Renee Freiberger

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In many elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods, students face many everyday challenges that prevent them from developing habits of successful achievement. Children often exhibit a lack of motivation regarding task completion. Positive behavior support enhances task completion in the elementary school setting. The purpose of this study is to find successful tools teachers can use to promote academic task completion. Students in an elementary school classroom received instruction on task completion and specific interventions to use. They were then evaluated in the math subject area for the number of tasks completed during a one month time period. Different groups of …

Enhancing Student Academic Performance And Overall Health Through Standards-Based Physical Education, Haley Elizabeth Marcoux

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Standards-based physical education may have an impact on students’ academic performance. Many studies support this notion. In many schools, physical education curricula are being greatly reduced. They may be removed or replaced with other programs. It is a common perception that physical education is an extra curricular activity and can be characterized as “free time” or recess. The purpose of this study is to analyze quality indicators of standards-based physical education programs in a select setting in an urban middle school. The research literature yields studies with mixed results. However in a meta analysis of the research in this area, …

Integrating Social Emotional Learning Into Secondary Curriculum, Marilyn Janette Lindsay

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

When students are able to cope with, manage and maneuver the social and emotional landscapes of their lives, their ability to learn on all levels improves. Teaching Social / Emotional Learning (SEL), as a component of secondary education, not only increases academic performance, but prepares students to meet the challenges of lifelong learning in a changing global society. Currently, students are so busy passing tests that measure their capacity for logical, analytical and objective reasoning, it leaves little time for developing self-awareness, social awareness, and the ability to cope with ambiguous situations, to adapt, to learn how to learn and …

The Social Benefits Of The Morning Meeting: Creating A Space For Social And Character Education In The Classroom, Lily Allen-Hughes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The intense focus of academics currently in practice in elementary schools limits the opportunities for developing social skills and abilities that are necessary 21st century skills. Through a specifically structured Morning Meeting a teacher can create a space in the classroom that encourages the growth of important social skills that will support the development needed in the future workplace. The purpose of this study is to gather information that explores the roll of social interaction activities such as a classroom morning meeting and its impact on social skills development. The literature reveals the following 21st century skills need to be …

The Relationship Between The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards And 21st Century Learning Skills, Sarah Christine Horky

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The reception, by the educational community, of the imminent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in the elementary school classroom has been received with cautious fanfare. What will be the steps for implementation of the Common Core State Standards in the elementary school? How will the implementation of the Common Core State Standards across the United States create students with four areas of focus: life skills, learning skills, core subject themes and IT skill set aka 21st Century learning skills? Critics of the adoption of the Common Core State Standards fear the schools will focus primarily on reading and …

Identifying Characteristics In Low Ses And Bicultural Parent Groups That Enhance Their Capacity To Enact Successful Change, Karen Lynn Rosenquist

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The relationship between bicultural parents, low socio-economic parents and the public school system is made tenuous in part by cultural disparities between school officials and parents. The greater the disparity, the more likely parent groups are to be silenced and the more likely they are to refrain from the role of change agents or advocates for school reform. To contemplate what characteristics disadvantaged parent groups should possess to enact desired changes at the school or district level, this study culls from research in several areas of academic literature: parent involvement and student achievement, community organizing, and change management. Each of …

Adult Independent Living Outcomes For Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lisa B. Dedmore

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) may benefit from lifelong residential, independent living. Often residential housing for persons with ASDs, other than those isolated in the family home, is institutional in nature. The purpose of this research is to identify aspects of a specially designed supported living residence, based on a new co-housing model, referred to in this study as SWSP.

Current research suggests that residents who meet the eligibility criteria will positively benefit from this intentional living environment by virtue of its design. There is one major component to this research. Move-in data was collected from the prior, …