Digital Commons Network^™

Meeting The Psychological Needs Of School-Aged Native Students In An Extreme Geographic Region, Deborah Diette Wilson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to meet the psychological needs of a unique Native population through a continuum of services and the utilization of technological platforms. The host community has experienced significant historical events including the exclusion in full participation education and the provision of educational curricula by individuals lacking the cultural competency base to provide appropriate educational experiences sensitive to Native learning styles. Psychological services were dictated by Federal and State mandates and consisted solely of educational and ability testing for the purpose of special education eligibility determination. As a result, school-aged Native students experienced significant social and emotional …

Development Of A Service-Learning Program For Scottsdale Community College, Carolyn O’Connor

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to develop a service-learning program for Scottsdale Community College (SCC) which is one of only two Maricopa Colleges that do not have a service-learning program.

Five research questions were addressed in this dissertation. Development and evaluation problem-solving methodologies were employed throughout this study. Both quantitative and qualitative research designs were used to guide the data collection, using a service learning questionnaire, faculty and agency surveys, interviews, and two case studies.

The research revealed that several factors must be in place prior to implementation in order to insure the success of the program. 1) Service-learning must …

An Intervention To Remediate Motivational Shortcomings Caused By Childhood Maltreatment, Glade Eggett

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

By using a program called the WhyTry Program (C. Moore, 2001), the researcher was able to change some motivation-related behaviors caused, in part, by parent maltreatment. The study took place in a school in the east Los Angeles area. Motivation was a key factor studied.

The applied dissertation utilized the theory of multiple intelligences (H. Gardener, 1987) in a counseling setting. The writer used the WhyTry Program to create a meaning modality of communication using the visual analogies, music, and interpersonal activities. Students increased positive behaviors. The study was conducted on students who were identified as being physically, sexually, or …

Increasing Cultural Awareness Among High School Teachers, Jason K. Ward

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The cultural insensitivity of the educational environment has become a primary topic of discussion recently. Many researchers have identified the lack of cultural sensitivity among high school teachers to be a leading cause of the increased dropout rate among high school students. The primary challenge of educational institutions is to provide meaningful staff development for their staff so that educators will become equipped with the necessary information to begin making educated decisions regarding all aspects of their students’ academic, emotional and sociocultural lives.

This applied dissertation addresses the problem of the lack of cultural awareness among high school teachers. The …

Analysis Of Cooperative Learning On Mathematics Achievement Of Comprehensive Program Sixth-Grade Students, Janice P. Hay

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The effect of cooperative learning instruction on mathematics achievement was the subject of this applied dissertation. Comprehensive program 6th-grade students at Glenarden Woods Elementary School in Glenarden, Maryland, were the subjects. The problem was to determine if there was a relationship between cooperative learning and mathematics achievement. The 6th-grade Comprehensive program students' national percentage rank (NPR) on the math subtests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, fifth edition (CTBS/5), had fallen below the national median score. Traditional teaching and learning methods had not succeeded in bringing the mathematics learning of these students to acceptable levels. Cooperative learning and teaching …

The Effect Of Humor On Test Anxiety And Performance In Distance Learning Students, John Briggs

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of the study was to find if humor in testing alleviates test anxiety in distance learning students. The study determined if students given a test with humor had better performance than students given a “normal” test. The study included two groups of students: an experimental group that had humor inserted into the tests and a control group that had a normal test. The humor was “content irrelevant humor”, humor not related to the subject tested. Classes that teach at a distance were used in this study. The study measured the anxiety levels of students preceding the test, the …

Funding Options And Issues Regarding Capital Construction Projects In Jackson County Schools, Keith S. Everson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Jackson County School System is located in a rural area just northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Adjacent to Jackson County is the Gwinnett County School System, the largest and fastest growing school district in the state. Current growth in Gwinnett County is occurring toward the northeast, along Interstate 85. Jackson County’s growth has created student enrollment issues for the school system, including the need for additional classrooms and schools at a time of decreasing state and local revenue for such projects.

This study examined the effects of various funding methods available for capital projects needed to keep up with growing …

Increasing Mathematical Thinking Skills Of Fourth-Grade Students By Improving The Quality Of Mathematical Tasks, Joan F. Sagona

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation studied the effects of the participation of a small group of 4th-grade teachers in professional development involving the use of worthwhile mathematical tasks on teacher practices and student learning. The intervention was designed to improve students' mathematical thinking and to help teachers balance conceptual mathematical understanding with procedural fluency. The instructional and assessment practices used by the 4th-grade teachers at this school were driven by a view of mathematics as computation and procedures. Research has documented higher levels of student thinking and teacher change through use of worthwhile mathematics tasks and job-embedded professional development.

The researcher developed …

Testing The Efficacy Of A Youth Development Afterschool Program For Students At A Georgia Middle School, Jacquita E. Vickers

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a quality youth development afterschool program (YDAP) to at-risk middle school children who were otherwise unsupervised after school hours. An increase in Level 1 performance for students on the Georgia State Building Level Criterion-Referenced Competence Test (CRCT) for 2002 at Forest Park Middle School (FPMS) translated to high-risk students not meeting Georgia state-mandated minimum performance standards. Disciplinary issues at FPMS were problematic with 597 disciplinary incidents with the severest being possession of weapons and sexual battery. In addition, problems with attendance, a desire to form and retain student resiliency, and a survey showing …

The Development Of A Health Care Education Specialization For Graduate Leadership Studies Of Nova Southeastern Un, Kari J. Lee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Graduate Leadership Studies (GLS) of Fischler Graduate School has embarked upon the challenge of revising and developing new curricula due to rapidly developing technology, a changing economy, and new strides in leadership. Leadership programs must offer courses that ensure professional development and customized learning opportunities. Students must be able to choose a course of study that will promote learning and professional growth. In order to meet the learning needs of each student, program specializations must be created, tailored, and made available to doctoral students. The purpose of this project was to develop a health care education specialization for leaders in …

Middle School Students Are Engaging In School Violence, Andrean Oliver

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem addressed in this dissertation was middle school students’ engagement in school violence. The goal was to decrease middle school students’ engagement in school violence. For the purpose of this study, school violence was operationally defined as bullying, disruptive behavior problems in the classroom, harassment, and teasing. Evidence of the problem within the school environment included results from the school’s discipline referral listing, teacher rating scales, and student’s self-report of personality. The pr-test and posttest results for this study were concluded with the use of the Behavior Assessment System for Children teacher rating scale and student self-report of personality. …

Youth Participation In Municipal Government: Developing Civic Engagement In Youth, Susan A. Radway

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the level of youth participation in local government. The youth in the community were not actively involved in decision-making processes within the governmental structure of the community. Except for the Civics teacher’s interest in having students observe town meetings, no effort had been made to involve youth in town government, or to establish a process whereby young people could voice their opinions about issues that effected them, and to have their opinions seriously considered. The goal of this applied dissertation was for young people to take active civic roles in their community.

The …

The Impact Of Reading Recovery Teachers On Reading Achievement Of Small Groups, Bridget G. Marcin-Parsons

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The intervention described in this applied dissertation was designed as an alternative to retention for students in a small rural community who were reading below grade level. The focus of the study was to assess whether instruction given by Reading Recovery teachers to small groups of struggling second and third graders, delivered in long segments over a short period of time, was more effective than that delivered for shorter segments over a longer period of time. Two Reading Recovery teachers team-taught groups of 6-7 students to provide intensive reading instruction virtually all day for 7 weeks. Treatment groups were compared …

Leading School Choice Staff Training Through The Development And Validation Of A Public Relations Training Program In The Age Of School Choice, Kenneth J. Gaughan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The School District of Hillsborough County, Florida is implementing a controlled choice plan which will give parents increased opportunities to select their children’s schools. School choice has posed new challenges for public school leaders, that is, marketing their schools to the public. Thus, a new plan to train school leaders to promote their schools at a grass roots level was needed. Specifically, school leaders needed a trained cadre of faculty to serve as on-site public relations specialists to provide information relevant to parents who are making decisions about where to send their children to school. This project complemented concurrent efforts …

Increasing Parental Involvement Through The Use Of Homeroom Parent Support Groups, Shirley Ann Ewing

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation investigated the extent of parental involvement at the Daniel Boone Elementary School. Parents were visible on campus during the school day and at special performances featuring children, but according to the teachers, they were not actively involved in a manner that affects their children’s academic performance or success in school. Increasing parental involvement was not a priority at Boone School, as indicated in the 1999-2000 School Improvement Plan.

Therefore, a Homeroom Parent Support Group (HPSG) program was implemented to increase parental involvement in an elementary school setting. Parents and their third grade students were members of the …

The Relationship Between Technology Resource Teachers And The Delivery Of Job-Embedded Professional Development, Susan Abramson Lancaster

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Twenty Kentucky technology resource teachers (TRTs) participated in a study to determine the relationship between TRTs and the delivery of job-embedded professional development. Evaluation focused on collecting data through questionnaires, open-ended questions, surveys, and interviews. The questionnaires and interviews were conducted with Kentucky TRTs who had, as defined in their job descriptions, been responsible for delivering professional development for longer than 1 year.

This study concentrated on common concerns, strengths, and weaknesses of the job-embedded professional development model. Teachers, as adult learners, use a different learning style than their students. Therefore, professional development providers are required to accommodate the needs …

A High Teacher Attrition Rate: What Can Be Done To Address The Problem?, Frederick E. Menzer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

South Carolina administrators recognized that the state has been losing a third of its teachers within the first five years of their career (SCASA, 2001). As experienced teachers retire, they will most likely be replaced by inexperienced teachers, whose attrition rates are higher than those of mid-career teachers (Archer, 1999).

The research goal of this qualitative study has been to develop and implement a teacher retention model that will significantly lower the high teacher attrition rate (of approximately eight teachers per year) at Marion Intermediate School (MIS). In chapter 1 the researcher discussed the significance of the work while addressing …

Problem-Based Learning In Allied Health And Medicine, Todd A. Mcloda

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

This paper reviews the applicability and procedures for the adoption of problem-based learning in allied health and medical education. A summary of PBL as a practical innovation for professional preparatory programs is included as well as an overview of the features and evaluative techniques of PBL. The paper is directed at PBL in health and medicine but those educators seeking to enhance integrative thought processes, problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, interpersonal communications, and resourcefulness among students are advised to consider PBL as an alternative approach to teaching and content delivery.

A Brand New Elementary School: Conception To Inception, W. Glenn Huggins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a practical model for building a new school. The basis for this model was the author’s experience as a public school principal with the responsibility of opening a new school. The context of this paper involved the initiation of organizational and operational processes for systems and structures associated with a new school. This model utilized recollections and recommendations of an experienced practitioner and might be considered a combination of a diagnostic aide and operational guide. This work provided a practical model for the development, design, construction, and initial operation of a new school. …

Evaluating A Life Skills Curriculum For Adolescent Males At New Direction, Fitzgerald B. Mcqueen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation sought to evaluate a real-life Life Skills Curriculum for adolescent males with behavioral, emotional, and mental disabilities. The previous Life Skills curricula had not been revised since 1996. Survey and interview data obtained from counselors, current and past adolescents, teachers, and parents indicated that the previous Life Skills curricula failed to meet the adolescent’s needs, and was impractical and irrelevant.

Planned strategies included (a) evaluating the Life Skills curriculum for relevance and practicality to “here and now” issues of adolescents in an educational treatment facility, (b) evaluating the Life Skills curriculum for enhancement of adolescent’s verbal and …

Transition Of Ninth-Grade Students To Tenth Grade Using A Mentorship Program, Maryann Joanna Giacchino

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Falcon Family was a peer mentoring project implemented at Dunedin High School in the 2001-2002 school year as one method of improving academic performance by ninth-grade students. The project was based, in part, on research showing that ninth-grade students are frequently unprepared for high school and that teachers generally prefer not to teach ninth-grade classes. The literature showed that peer mentorship can act as a deterrent that might result in reducing the retention rate.

As part of the Falcon Family project, an upper-class student was assigned to a ninth grader to assist in developing strategies for completing the ninth grade …

Development Of A Fee-Based Service Delivery Model For The Department Of Career Services At The University Of Connecticut, Cynthia F. Jones

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation project provided a partial solution to the problem of reduced state government budget support for the Department of Career Services at the University of Connecticut. A reduction in fiscal resources will hinder the operation of the Department of Career Services at the University of Connecticut and prevent the department from providing adequate career development services to help students reach career goals. The creation of a model for fee-based service delivery to users, using a development methodology, was the product of this project.

The research questions addressed and answered in this project explored following issues related to developing …

Improving The Nclex Passage Rate And Lowering The Attrition Rate For A Texas Community College Nursing Program, Bonnie Higgins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to seek ways to improve the NCLEX-RN passage rate and to lower the attrition rate in a community college nursing program. The program had a significant problem because of the decrease in passage rate of the NCLEX-RN by graduating students and an increase in student attrition. Expost facto data were collected from 213 former nursing student records to compare the independent variables of preadmission test scores, academic prerequisites grades, demographic traits, HESI exit exam scores, and grades in the Nursing Skills Course to the completion of the nursing program and passage of the NCLEX-RN. A …

Balanced Literacy: An Evaluation Of A Ninth Grade Literacy Program, Drew Ashley Atkinson Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes the evaluation of an existing program that uses balanced literacy in ninth grade English classrooms to accelerate the reading development of students entering high school reading below grade level. This evaluation consisted of two target goals for the program. Goal one set a target improvement standard of two full grade levels of improvement for students reading at or below the sixth grade level upon entering high school, and one full grade level of improvement for students reading at the seventh grade level. Goal two dictated a standard of statistical significance between the mean reading ability of an …

A Classroom Management Training Program For Miami-Dade County Public School Teachers, Clarence Jones Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 1999-2000 school year, 43% of Miami-Dade County Public School (MDCPS) teachers were rated as unsatisfactory in the area of classroom climate and 32% in managing the learning environment. In the 2000-2001 school year the percentages were 44% and 24%, respectively. There was an urgent need to investigate thoroughly the MDCPS training and in-service programs that addressed deficient classroom management and to develop strategies to improve teaching skills.

Interventions to improve the classroom management skills of MDCPS teachers included the development of a comprehensive learner-centered training program that focused on developing and enhancing the skill level of teachers who …

The Effects Of Home-School Communication On Parental Involvement, Diana L. Watson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to study the effects of home-school communication on parent involvement by implementing the program Project S.P.E.A.K.: Students, Parents, and Educators Actively Keeping in Touch.

The targeted population consisted of 24 certified general education teachers, 505 students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, and 505 parents of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The problem to be solved in this applied dissertation was that parents and teachers were not communicating well with each other. At the targeted site, parent involvement and attendance at school functions had dropped drastically over the past 5 years. The data collected …

Building Leadership Capacity: A Case Study Of Standards-Based Staff Development, Geraldine M. Harge

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A qualitative case study approach was implemented to examine the perception of 13 principals regarding the efficacy and utility of skills using the California Standards of the Teaching Profession (CSTP; California Teaching Commission, 1997) in the supervision and evaluation process. The results of this study showed that the principals had consistent participation and found the skills and tools for observation and evaluation very useful for (a) awareness and understanding of the CSTP for informal observation, (b) commitment to continued use of the CSTP, (c) continued support from the district for sustained implementation, (d) improved teacher capacity at a beginning stage …

Declining Enrollment: Recruitment Efforts To Reverse This Trend, Queen A. Morrow

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to recruit high school students for enrollment in courses offered at Bibb County Career Tech Center (BCCTC) and ensure program completion by students enrolled at BCCTC. An analysis of enrollment patterns for the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 indicated that enrollment had steadily declined. Interview and survey data yielded numerous reasons for the enrollment decline, such as inadequate public relations, early release programs by the high schools, and apathy on the part of the students.

Interventions to reverse the declining enrollment trend included launching public relations enhancement programs. Brochures that clearly depicted objectives and possible job opportunities …

Impacto Del Desarrollo De Habilidades De Comunicación Empática En Las Relaciones Interpersonales De Profesionales De La Salud Como Resultado De Un Proceso Instruccional, Carmen Rodríguez De Ornés

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito determinar el impacto del desarrollo de habilidades de comunicación empática, posterior a la aplicación de estrategias cognitivas y metacognitivas de aprendizaje, con el fin de optimizar las relaciones interpersonales de profesionales de la salud, durante la realización de un curso de Consejería en Lactancia Materna (CCLM). El interés de este estudio surge de la necesidad de capacitar a trabajadores de la salud en el manejo de habilidades de comunicación y consejería como complemento a su desempeño clínico. Organismos de salud internacionales han considerado estas estrategias importantes, en la promoción y orientación de la práctica …

A Plan To Reduce Bullying Behaviors At Coginchaug High School, Steve Wysowski

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A survey of sophomores taken in 1999 at Coginchaug high School indicated that student harassment was above the national average as established by The Educational Excellence Alliance. Harassment is defined by the Alliance as “being insulted, teased, or made fun of to your face.” Another follow-up survey was administered a year later. The amount of student-reported harassment was greater in the freshman and sophomore years and diminished in the junior and senior years. A survey taken in October 2002 for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ self-study indicated that 90% of the 138 respondents do not feel respected …