Liberal Studies Commons^™

Comparing Fountas And Pinnell's Reading Levels To Reading Scores On The Criterion Referenced Competency Test, Shunda F. Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reading competency is related to individuals' success at school and in their careers. Students who experience significant problems with reading may be at risk of long-term academic and social problems. High-quality measures that determine student progress toward curricular goals are needed for early identification and interventions to improve reading abilities and ultimately prevent subsequent failure in reading. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental ex post facto research study was to determine whether a correlation existed amongst student achievement scores on the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Benchmark Assessment and reading comprehension scores on the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT). The item …

Puerto Rican Vocational Students' Experiences Regarding Standardized Tests, Nomara I. Segui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational high school students are not passing state tests and are not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements in Puerto Rico. Limited qualitative research has been conducted to examine the experiences of vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests. Using a qualitative case study, the experiences of Puerto Rican cosmetology and barber vocational high school students regarding mandated standardized tests were examined. The conceptual framework was based on Dewey's theory of experience regarding the influence of continuity and interaction on students' career paths. The sample was 20 vocational students from cosmetology and barber classes who participated in standardized tests. …

Struggling Adolescent Writers Describe Their Experiences, Teri A. Spargur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Writing continues to be difficult for adolescents throughout the United States. There is little known about writing from the adolescent's perspective. This case study describes six 8th graders' thoughts and motivations on writing. The purpose of the current study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of struggling adolescent writers by taped participant interviews of six students, three male and three female, which scored below proficient on their state writing assessment. The conceptual theoretical framework for the current study is Bandura's social cognitive theory. The central research question of this study focused on the experiences of adolescents who struggle …

Ninth Grade Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Teacher-Student Relationship, Lynda Rose Huggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The challenge of transitioning into high school is associated with social anxiety, decreased grades, increased absences, and overall motivation to learn. Based on anecdotal evidence from 9th grade teachers in the Ohio School District, teachers had poor rapport with some of their students, and 9th graders were being retained more often than were students in any other grade. Grounded in Noddings's care theory, the purpose of this mixed methods sequential case study was to explore perceptions of rapport between 9th graders and their teachers. Guiding research questions were used to discover student and teacher perceptions about their relationship as it …

The Relationship Between Stress, Coping Strategies, And Social Support Among Single Mothers, Nikitra Yvette Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have neglected to focus on understanding the relationships between stress, coping, and social support among single mothers versus mothers who are not single. Knowledge regarding how single mothers' lives are affected by stress, social support, and coping is important, and such information can help readers better understand how effectively single mothers raise children compared with mothers who are not single. A convenience sample of 173 mothers completed this study. Participants in this study consisted of mothers who were (a) raising at least one child ages 18 and under who lives in the home and (b) who were between the …

Standardized Assessment Results As A Predictor Of Student Reading Success In New Brunswick, Canada, Gregory David Paterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Canadian school districts use standardized reading achievement data to support reading instruction. Over 30% of 9th-grade students in the Anglophone School District-South (ASD-S) have not met targets for the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA), a graduation requirement in New Brunswick, Canada. This study compared archival reading scores of 6th-grade students from 2009-2012 with the same students' scores in 9th-grade from 2012-2015, to determine if 6th-grade scores were a predictor of 9th-grade results. Rendering the impact illiteracy plays on society, this study applied the theoretical framework of social theory from Bourdieu's (1977, 1984, 1986) view of social mobility and Turner's …

The Grizzly, December 10, 2015, Brian Thomas, William Diciurcio, Chi-E Low, Haruka Fuchida, Sarah Hojsak, Rachel Dickinson, La'shante P. Cox, Jordan Ostrum, Johnny Cope, Hunter Gellman

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Museum Studies Minor Coming in Spring 2016 • Students Demand Diversity • BEAR Pitch Competition Crowns Winners • International Perspective: Differences in Cultural Cleaning Routines • Flapjacks for Finals • Artists' Tribute to Chadwick • Bringing Safety to the Students • Opinions: Protests Prompt Hate on Yik Yak; Why Syrian Refugees Don't Pose a Threat • Outrunning the Competition • Men's Basketball Set to Take on Division I Penn

An Interview With Barbara Roos, Joe Hogan

Cinesthesia

Barbara Roos started teaching when Grand Valley was just a few buildings erected on a slab of midwestern prairie. Nixon was in office then, and young draftees were still being sent to Vietnam. In those days, Grand Valley – not yet a university but a cluster of colleges – was alive with the spirit of the counter-culture. William James College, among the most pedagogically experimental of the colleges, was interdisciplinary and non-departmental – it emphasized harmony between theory and practice, thought and action. At James, Roos co-founded the film and video program. In the following interview, she talks with guest …

Prevention Of Sexual Exploitation And Trafficking Among Minors In Michigan, Lindsey Upchurch

Senior Projects

This research paper explores the need for comprehensive prevention methods related to the issue of sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors in the state of Michigan. Scholarly work conducted by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2013) supports that, overall, there is an inadequate amount of empirical data concerning this issue. Inadequate empirical evidence consequently results in a lack of overall success in preventing sex trafficking among minors. In addition, a report from the Michigan Commission on Human Trafficking (2013) also identifies this problem, while offering alternative ideas surrounding prevention, through collaborative efforts. A human-rights based approach to …

The Impact Of Natural Disasters On Children In The United States, Samantha M. Przybylski

Senior Projects

The goal of this paper is to consider the unique experiences of children in natural disaster preparedness, response and recovery. This paper seeks to stress the importance of taking special interest in children’s needs during times of crisis. Through a case study of Hurricane Katrina, an exploration of the disservice children receive in noted. In closing, a possible solution-oriented approach is discussed.

Representational Politics In Video Game Media – Gender In Pokémon, Glenn R. Miller

Senior Projects

The Pokémon franchise is a global powerhouse however it lacks representation that is necessary for the variety of races, sexualities, genders, and sexes that inhabit the countries where the games are released. These are fleshed out with the analysis of the works of Anne Fausto-Sterling, Jack Judith Halberstam, Judith Butler, and a critical analysis of the releases and features of the Pokémon games. An observance on representation is also conducted.

An Analysis Of The Financial Impact Of Changing Athletic Conference Affiliation Within The Ncaa, Christopher Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to provide Division I athletic programs with athletic and institutional fundraising insight when considering a change in athletic conference affiliation. The study provided descriptive data regarding athletic conference affiliation pre and post-conference change. The research evaluated if there was a significant increase in athletic and educational fundraising when changing athletic conferences. The quantitative study compared educational and athletic foundations’ IRS 990 forms for 15 NCAA Division 1 institutions that changed athletic conferences between 2012 and 2013. Data was analyzed using an ANOVA and t-tests from the institutions’ academic and athletic foundations. The …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Purpose And Value Of General Education: A Comparison Between The Liberal Arts And Health Professions, Shireen Rahman

All Theses And Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of the purpose and value of the general education curriculum in those undergraduate faculty members who teach in the liberal arts and the health professions at the University of New England. Perceptions were evaluated within each college and then compared between each College. A mixed-methods approach was utilized with concurrent implementation of qualitative and quantitative strands. Data were gathered from the Faculty Survey on General Education which was completed by fifty-six (29.3%) of the undergraduate faculty members. In addition, twelve faculty members were randomly selected to participate in open-ended interviews. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests …

The Grizzly, November 19, 2015, Brian Thomas, Courtney A. Duchene, Kristen N. Costello, Chi-E Low, Yiu Fai Wan, Irina Lessne, Sarah Hojsak, Rachel Dickinson, Annie Rus, Johnny Cope, Hunter Gellman, Bryce Pinkerton

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

On the Way to the Final Four • Watson Finalists Prepare for Next Steps • U-Imagine Center Offers First Course • Committee Searches for Violence Prevention Educator • International Perspective: Dealing With Graduation Concerns Abroad • Warming Up to the Challenge • Podcast Roars to Life • Preparing for Professional Life • Opinions: "It's On Us" is Insufficient; Wellness Critics are Ill-Informed • New Era Begins for Women's Basketball • Two Wrestlers Named Preseason All-Americans • Final Four Bound

Volume Cxxxiii, Number 9, November 13, 2015, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, November 12, 2015, Brian Thomas, Darrah M. Hewlett, Valerie Osborne, Kristen N. Costello, Brandon T.G. Carey, Azeb Kieda, Rachel Dickinson, Erin Mckinney, Berett C. Babrich, Hunter Gellman, Jake Banks

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Highlighting a New Trend on Campus • Making Connections: Ursinus Prepares to Break Ground on a Structure Between Pfahler and Thomas • Acclaimed Literary Critic to Give Talk on Campus • Ursinus Brings Top Lawyer Aboard in New Position • International Perspective: How One Student Uses Dance to Connect Ethiopia and Ursinus • Can You Really "Netflix and Chill" Without Killing Your Grades? • Opinions: Are You a White Feminist?; "Bridge of Spies" • Defensive Lineman Unleashes Passion for Music • Field Hockey Upsets F&M for Title

Volume Cxxxiii, Number 8, November 6, 2015, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, November 5, 2015, Brian Thomas, Jay Farrell, Chi-E Low, Kristen N. Costello, Berett C. Babrich, Hunter Gellman, Johnny Cope

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Wellness Increases Accessibility to Students • Trending: Discounted Jerseys • U-Imagine to Host Annual Bear Pitch Competition • A New Take on an Old Genre • STAT: More Than Just an Acronym • Opinions: Students Who Go the Distance; "Sicario" • Field Hockey Set to Defend Centennial Conference Title • Battle in Gettysburg

Seeds Of Promise Community Dialogue Report Of Deliberative Findings One, Stephanie Hill, Ellerie Ambrose, Cassondra Groters, Joerdon Daldos, Earl Whitney

Liberal Studies Undergraduate Research

As a team of Liberal Studies students at Grand Valley State University, we co-designed and facilitated a community dialogue in the fall of 2015 located at Seeds of Promise in the Madison Square neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Residents from the surrounding neighborhood were invited to come for dinner and dialogue so they could share their concerns, prioritize their values, and begin to identify a broad range of interventions on issues of concern to them. The dialogue focused on concerns surrounding crime and safety. It was collaboratively designed to build upon community identified issues through surveys and discussions with host …

Seeds Of Promise Community Dialogue Report Of Deliberative Findings Two, Bryan Baldwin, Adalberto Calderon, Jordan Dickerson, John Hamilton, Crystal Ranger

Liberal Studies Undergraduate Research

As a part of Grand Valley State University’s LIB312: “Dialogue, Integration, and Action,” we – a team of Liberal Studies majors in the fall of 2015 – codesigned, facilitated, and analyzed a community dialogue with residents in the Grand Rapids neighborhood surrounding Seeds of Promise. Occurring on November 5th, this community dialogue was designed to

• Provide a space for residents to share their stories,
• Prioritize their key values,
• Identify a broad range of possible interventions for addressing the issues of most concern to them.

The design of this dialogue was informed by a range of skills and techniques from a …