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Autism Spectrum Disorders: Available Public Education Programming And The Influence Of Professional Perceptions, Heather Wilmot

All Theses And Dissertations

A mixed-methods research study was conducted in a small, rural western Maine school department. The intent of this research was to reveal what kind of programming is available to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and how the availability of programming is influenced by the perceptions of educators and leaders in a public school department. In addition, the research addressed how the background and professional development of the employees impacted the availability of programming for students with ASD. Forced survey questions included quality indicators for programming for students with ASD and pre-selected follow-up focus groups questions were used.

Data analysis …

Determining The Academic Achievement Of English Language Learners (Ells) By Using Additional Measures Of Growth, Adriana Maria Marin

Dissertations

Accountability measures employed in the country to determine the academic achievement of all the student population rely solely on the results obtained on the standardized tests. Such measures have often placed English language learners’ (ELLs) at risk of academic failure despite the fact that research on second language acquisition (SLA) has stated the complexity involved in the learning/acquisition process of a target language. Scholars have also discussed the influence accountability measures and the issues with the validity of the tests implemented to assess ELLs may have on such results. Therefore, in an effort to obtain a more comprehensive idea of …

The Australian Child Wellbeing Project : Phase Four Report, Petra Lietz, Elizabeth O'Grady, Mollie Tobin, Juliet Young-Thornton, Gerry Redmond

Wellbeing

The purpose of this report is to provide information on the implementation of the main survey of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP). This phase of the project has followed extensive qualitative work with young people and field testing of the survey instrument, as detailed in the Phase 1, 2 and 3 reports. This report covers sampling, participation rates, sampling weights, permission processes and approvals, general survey promotion and specific contact with main survey schools, logistical details, and a full documentation survey at each of the three year levels, namely Years 4, 6 and 8.

A Study Of The Impact Of Mental Contrasting And Implementation Intentions On Academic Performance, Suzanne Velasquez-Sheehy

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the national high school graduation rate is 81% and only 59% of college enrolled students in 2006 obtained a college degree within ten years of entering 9th grade (U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2014). Studies conclude that high school grades predicted academic performance no matter what type of high school the students attended and that students who had good grades went on to graduate from college as a result of self-efficacy, motivation, and academic goals (Bowen, Chingos, & McPherson, 2011). Limited research suggests that using mental contrasting and implementation …

Talking Back, With Reawakened Voices: Analyzing The Potential For Indigenous California Languages Coursework At California Polytechnic State University, Logan Cooper

Ethnic Studies

The legacy of colonialism in the United States, including genocidal practices and cultural assimilation, has left Indigenous languages endangered. Native peoples, scholars, and activists have been working to revive and heal the languages of America’s first peoples, and the cultures those languages speak to, yet more work remains in the field of language revitalization. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo currently does not offer any course specifically teaching or discussing Indigenous languages, even those of the Chumash people who know the San Luis Obispo area as their ancestral homelands.

By synthesizing revitalization and Indigenous activist literature with the narratives …

The Accuracy Of Computer-Assisted Feedback And Students’ Responses To It, Elizabeth Lavolette, Charlene Polio, Jimin Kahng

Language Resource Center

Various researchers in second language acquisition have argued for the effectiveness of immediate rather than delayed feedback. In writing, truly immediate feedback is impractical, but computer-assisted feedback provides a quick way of providing feedback that also reduces the teacher’s workload. We explored the accuracy of feedback from Criterion®, a program developed by Educational Testing Service, and students’ responses to it. Thirty-two students received feedback from Criterion on four essays throughout a semester, with 16 receiving the feedback immediately and 16 receiving it several days after writing their essays. Results indicated that 75% of the error codes were correct, but that …

Class 6 Girls And Boys In Afghanistan 2013 : Comparing Outcomes Of Girls And Boys From A Learning Assessment Of Mathematical, Reading And Writing Literacy, Alla Routitsky, Rachel Stanyon, Maurice Walker

Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG)

This report presents the results of an assessment of reading, writing and mathematical literacy of Class 6 students in 13 provinces in Afghanistan in relation to the gender of students. The data were collected in late 2013. The purpose of Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG) is to provide information to education policy makers on the quality of education outcomes in Afghanistan. In addition MTEG will inform educational practitioners by clearly demonstrating what students at Class 6 can and cannot do in an assessment situation. One of the policy areas that MTEG aims to inform is gender equality. It is …

A Study Of Conceptual And Language Issues Surrounding Weight, Weightlessness, And Free Fall: Textbook Analysis, Instructional Design, And Assessment, Rex Taibu

Dissertations

Science education is an interdisciplinary field that has developed from and continues to rely on research in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, sociology and history. This clearly reflects that learning and teaching can be studied from multiple perspectives. Despite these wide ranging roots, contemporary science education by and large is not informed by the work of research on linguistics, and in particular, the role of language in mediating conceptual understanding. The term “weight” has multiple meanings in both science and everyday language, and this unfortunately creates inherent difficulties for teaching and learning. The present study addresses a need …

The Relationship Between Middle School Cognitive Abilities Test And High School Advanced Placement Exam Scores, Kathy Marie Daniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Advanced Placement (AP) is a College Board program that offers a college-level curriculum to high school students. AP has expanded dramatically in recent years, and with noted program benefits accruing to successful participants, the issue of equity has become a concern. When identified early, students who have potential to be successful in AP courses could obtain the preparation necessary to excel academically in courses that have an impact on college admissions and outcomes. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between 6th grade CogAT composite, verbal, and quantitative battery scores and 12th grade AP …

Analysis Of English Language Learner Performance On The Biology Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System: The Impact Of English Proficiency, First Language Characteristics, And Late-Entry Ell Status, Mary A. Mitchell

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This study analyzed English language learner (ELL) performance on the June 2012 Biology MCAS, namely on item attributes of domain, cognitive skill, and linguistic complexity. It examined the impact of English proficiency, Latinate first language, first language orthography, and late-entry ELL status. The results indicated that English proficiency was a strong predictor of performance and that ELLs at higher levels of English proficiency overwhelmingly passed. The results further indicated that English proficiency introduced a construct-irrelevant variance on the Biology MCAS and raised validity issues for using this assessment at lower levels of English proficiency. This study also found that ELLs …

Incorporating Online Materials And Digital Learning/Assessing Tools Into Advanced Chinese Newspaper Reading And News Watching, Ying Wang, Lisha Xu

Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts Conference

This is the report of a year-long blended learning project designed for advanced Chinese newspaper reading and news video watching. In advanced Chinese learning, newspaper reading and news video watching are considered quite challenging for Chinese language learners for their formal style, large and time-sensitive vocabulary, and limited exposure through traditional ways of learning/teaching. To meet these challenges, we incorporated three blended learning components into the traditional language teaching/learning, including: online video news subtitling, the digital exercises and assessment system, and computerized vocabulary-learning modules tailored to the course materials used for two advanced Chinese classes. The project is carried out …

Teaching In A Standardized World: An Autoethnography Of My Student And Teacher Life, Caitlin Anne Hunter

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This paper is an autoethnography, which is a study of me and of my teaching. Through reflecting on my life as a student and a teacher, I have found that the difference between standardization and differentiation has stuck out and influenced both my learning and my teaching. I have chosen to focus on these two areas of education in looking at assessment and instruction. This paper weaves together a review of literature of differentiation, standardization and the history of standardized testing with anecdotes from my life. Throughout this process I will look at the question, “How does one differentiate in …

Spoken Language To Be Embraced And Avoided Around Disability: Words That Impact Identity And Sense Of Achievement, Jessica M. Rodrigues

Capstone Collection

The focus of this capstone is verbal language spoken to or about persons with disabilities. Language in this case study is discussed as words and phrases that are supportive and less supportive of how students see themselves, their identity, and sense of achievement. Three focus groups were held with students at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont to collect samples of their experiences and input their voices into this case study, adding value and depth to the existing literature. Disability is looked at through the lens of multiculturalism; as experiences that people with disabilities have with others and their environment are …

Analysis Of Pre Test And Post Test Performance Of Students In A Learning Center Model At The Elementary School Level, Marion E. Schalich

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many students are struggling in school academically. These students do not qualify for additional resources. Typically these students continue to struggle in their classroom, year after year. Additionally, teachers tend to socially promote these students. These students continue to fail because they are lacking foundational skills.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of small group instruction using select reading comprehension strategies on student reading achievement comparing Measures of Academic Progress (MAPs) assessments from September 2014 to February 2015. The literature suggests that reading comprehension strategies and phonetic awareness improvements are only noted in small group instruction, …

The Impact Of Latino Growth On Educational Institutions In Northwest Arkansas From 1990- 2010: Two Decades Of Change In Curriculum Design, Educational Resources And Services For Latino Students, Aíxa García Mont

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the changing demographics nationwide of Latinos moving from urban traditional

settlements sites to non-traditional settlement sites such as Arkansas (Pew Hispanic Research Group, 2013; Smith, 2014; Smith and Furuseth, 2005) Arkansas is now part of the new south or El Nuevo South (Smith and Furuseth, 2005). Although Arkansas is a non-traditional receiving state it is one of the states with the largest growing Latino population (Pew Hispanic Research Group, 2013). Northwest Arkansas in particular has the largest concentration of Latinos to date with the area being host to some of the largest companies in the United States, such as …

Helping English Language Learners Develop Writing Proficiency Using The Thesis Evidence Model In The High School Social Studies Classroom, Keith R. Fleming

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

English Language Learners (ELL) are struggling to develop literacy skills in social studies classes at the high school level in conjunction with the transition to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and assessment. The researcher conducted a qualitative teacher action research study. Participants included freshman high school students in mainstream, college preparatory, World Cultures classes in an affluent, suburban, public school district in California.

Through this teacher action research study, 34 high school grade students responded to a writing prompt used a pre-test evaluation. Students were then guided through a lesson sequence teaching writing strategies based in the Thesis-Evidence model. Upon …

Using Dynamic Lndicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills (Dibels) Oral Reading Fluency Data To Predict Michigan Educational Assessment Program Outcomes, Lisa Lockman

Dissertations

Schools are under legislative pressure to ensure students make adequate progress each year, and therefore, must identify students in need of intervention at early grade levels. Educators use diagnostic tools to measure student progress, attempting to determine which children may be most at risk for future reading failure. The Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is widely used for early identification of students who have risk factors. This study incorporated a quantitative, correlational, ex post facto design to examine the relationship between students’ third grade scores on the spring DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment and their fifth grade …

The Idaho Reading Indicator As A Predictor Of Subsequent Diagnosis Of Specific Learning Disabilities, Kimberly A. Ennis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) is a universal screen used to quickly assess the reading fluency of all Idaho public school students in grades kindergarten through third. The IRI is a tool that aids in the early identification of children with potential reading difficulties. Within the group of children with reading difficulties, some students have specific learning disabilities (SLD). Early identification of reading difficulties is critical to the success of all students who struggle with reading, especially students with SLD. To understand the problem, it is important to understand the nature of reading and the consequences of reading success and …

High School Educators’ Perceptions Of Their Schools’ Conduciveness To English Language Learners’ Success, Jill Winiger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers in the high schools of Northeast Tennessee regarding their schools’ academics, climate, culture, parent engagement, and their English Language Learners’ school experiences. The researcher sought to ascertain if significant differences exist between the perceptions of different groups of educational professionals in the school, with those groups to include school administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers. Data were analyzed from 50 survey questions with 42 of those questions measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 5 questions as multiple choice, and 3 questions as open-ended. …

The Effect Of Thinking Maps® On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students: An Ex Post Facto Causal Comparative Study, Karen Ogden Woodford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, relationship existed between Thinking Maps® instruction used as a school-wide strategy and student achievement in middle school students in the area of reading as reported by the Virginia State Standards of Learning Test scores. The association was tested through full implementation and instruction of Thinking Maps® as a school-wide strategy. Using a quantitative design, this ex post facto, causal comparative included a comparison of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students' Virginia Reading SOL scores from 2011, 2012, and 2013 after schools implemented Thinking Maps® as a school-wide strategy compared …

Cognitive Styles Impact On Student Self-Efficacy, Ashten Graham

Honors Projects

This study will examine the impact the use differentiated instruction, based on cognitive styles, has on students’ self-efficacy. In order to accomplish this, students will be asked to explore what cognitive styles they ascribe to. Then after varied lessons attributing to different learning styles, students will complete a survey to gauge their level of self-efficacy. The goal of this sequence is to determine whether there is a relationship between cognitive styles and self-efficacy. It will also provide insight on how to create the best learning environment to promote academic success through the use of cognitive styles and attention to self-efficacy …

The Relationship Between The Level Of Language Acquisition And Reading Achievement Among English Language Learners, Kathleen Barrett

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined two research questions: How are reading proficiency and English language proficiency assessment scores in third and fourth grades associated with fifth grade reading proficiency? As well as: How are reading proficiency and English language proficiency assessment scores in third and fourth grades associated with fifth grade English language proficiency? The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between English language proficiency and reading achievement in English Language Learners. This study included one cohort of English Language Learners from a middle sized district in the Portland, Oregon metro area, enrolled from their third grade school …

Does Being Bilingual Make You Better At Math?, Enxhi Elezi

Honors Projects in Mathematics

The purpose of this study is to examine if there is any relationship between being bilingual, defined as speaking your native language at home and another language in school, and your mathematical ability. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was used to compare the math grades of students who were not born in the US and speak English, Spanish, or Other at home. Also, data from the Bryant University first year students was used to test if students who speak a different language at home have a higher mathematical average than their monolingual peers. Results show that …

The Processing Of Formulaic Language On Elicited Imitation Tasks By Second Language Speakers, Yan Xun

Open Access Dissertations

The present study investigated the processing of formulaic language, in an effort to examine how the use of formulaic language may or may not contribute to second language (L2) fluency in speaking performance. To examine the effect of formulaic language on L2 fluency, this study utilized elicited imitation (EI) tasks designed to measure general English language proficiency in order to compare repetition of individual sentences containing formulaic sequences (FS) to repetition of sentences that do not. In addition to the presence of FS, the length of stimuli sentences was manipulated and compared to a second independent variable. Responses to EI …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between Teacher-Assigned Standards-Based Grades And Teacher-Assigned Traditional Grades And Student Achievement, Ashley L. Tyree-Hamby

Dissertations

The relationship between teacher-assigned standards-based grades and teacher-assigned traditional grades and student achievement on the Missouri Assessment Program was examined for all students of the sample. The 120 participants for this study were third graders during the 2012-2013 school year transitioned to fourth grade during the 2013- 2014 school year. The students were enrolled in Elementary School A in rural Missouri. One hundred twenty students’ permanent traditional and standards-based grade cards and Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores provided the data to determine the relationship between teacher assigned standards-based grade cards or teacher-assigned traditional grade cards and student achievement. The findings …

Difficulty As A Concept Inventory Design Consideration: An Exploratory Study Of The Concept Assessment Tool For Statics (Cats), Dana L. Denick

Open Access Dissertations

The ability for engineering students to apply mathematic, scientific and engineering knowledge to real-life problems depends greatly on developing deep conceptual knowledge that structures and relates the meaning of underlying principles. Concept inventories have emerged as a class of tests typically developed for use in higher education science and engineering courses. Concept Inventories (CIs) are multiple-choice tests that are designed to assess students' conceptual understanding within a specific content domain. For example, the CI explored within this study, the Concept Assessment Tool for Statics (CATS) is intended to measure students' understanding of the concepts underlying the domain of engineering statics. …

El Nuevo Programa De Lengua Para El Primer Ciclo En Coastal Carolina University, Yun Sil Jeon

South East Coastal Conference on Languages & Literatures (SECCLL)

Siguiendo el sistema académico en los Estados Unidos, el estudio de pregrado en Coastal Carolina University se divide en dos ciclos claramente diferenciados: el primer ciclo dedicado a cursos de educación general (Core Courses) y el segundo ciclo donde el alumno completa sus cursos de especialidad (Major) y de libre elección (Electives o Minor). Este primer ciclo dedicado a cursos de educación general es característico en el sistema educativo universitario estadounidense. Durante los dos primeros años los alumnos cursan materias introductorias generales, tratando de abarcar todas las áreas del conocimiento humano, estrechamente ligadas a las áreas de conocimiento impartidas en …

Cyberbullying Prevention: Intervention Effects On Student Involvement, Sarah Nash Bumpas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Repeated studies show that cyberbullying is pervasive amongst adolescents. Cyberbullying can lead to self-harm, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Educators are called to intervene in educating students about cyberbullying through research and federal legislation. However, there is little research examining whether this education is taking place or having an effect.

This study investigates the relationship between the incidences of cyberbullying victimization and offending over time and the direct cyberbullying instruction and activities facilitated by classroom teachers. The study took place amongst sixth graders in Jefferson County Public Schools, a large urban school district located in northern Kentucky. Students in one school …

Survival Analysis: Timelines To English Language Proficiency At The Secondary School Level, Elisha W. Beardsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The ELL population in the United States continues to increase. Research suggests that the English language proficiency growth rates for numerous ELL students are strongly correlated with their English language proficiency levels (Cook & Zhao, 2011; Conger, 2008). The results of Conger’s 2008 study suggested that just over fifty percent of students gained English language proficiency after three years. According to the same study, the students that did not typically gain English language proficiency were students who entered public schools older and with a lower English language proficiency level. The current study examines the likelihood of high school ELLs in …

Engaging The Learning Community With An Integrated E-Learning, Gaming And Social Networking Platform, Tim Thomasma

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Our view is that an e-learning platform based on user-created content, gamification, and with an integrated social network, will create a content-dense environment in which all of the stakeholders can maximize their outcomes and in which the best teachers, students, lessons, and organizations will rise to the top. The elements of such an integrated e-learning platform would include: Wizards to enable instructors to quickly create engaging multi-media lessons; Capability to automatically transform lesson content into additional activities, games, and quizzes; The ability for students to take lessons in the form they prefer, including lessons presented as games; Reports and monitoring …