Digital Commons Network^™

Funding Education In The Jackson County School System, Jeffrey S. Sanchez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to address funding difficulties in the Jackson County School System. Educational leaders for the school system choose to deplete the operating reserve rather than raise taxes or cut programs. When state funds decreased and the local tax digest was in error, the financial position of the school system worsened.

The writer developed suggestions for the board of education that would strengthen the existing budgeting process. Administrators and school board members were encouraged to establish goals, objectives, and priorities on the school and system levels. Differences among the opinions of school board members and administrators were …

Professional Development: Preparing Teachers To Work With Current Technology In The Classroom, Michael N. Belk

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The administrators of Trinity Christian Academy observed that the teachers in the elementary school were not using technology sufficiently in their teaching. The teachers also realized their weakness in this area. The purpose of this applied dissertation was to evaluate the general computer knowledge base of the teachers and present opportunities for teacher learning and practice.

Following the evaluation, which was done through survey and pretesting, the teachers were given course instruction to enhance their knowledge of various computer programs. They were also given direct instruction regarding how to develop technology-connected lessons. This included hands-on instruction in the elementary computer …

A Computer Approach To Improving Junior High Reading And Writing Test Scores, Christopher D. Sullens

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve Grades 6, 7, and 8 reading and writing scores. A review of the 2000 and 2001 Illinois Standards Achievement Test results indicated that students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 had difficulty in reading and writing. Prior to the intervention, junior high students did not use any type of computer software to improve their achievement in reading or writing.

The writer purchased the latest version (5.4) of SuccessMaker® (Pearson Digital Learning, 2000) software and additional computers for the intervention. The software was installed on a server, 6 computers in the junior high English …

The Implementation Of A Comprehensive Alternative Work Study Program For Developmentally Handicapped Learners, Terrance E. Menefee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation describes the extension of a program designed to help teachers enhance lesson plans and to direct developmentally handicapped (DH) high school students in an urban district obtain employment in their local community. The study focused on the establishment of the Kennedy Work Study Program designed to help teachers and 11th- and 12th-grade high functioning DH students at a comprehensive high school that did not have a work study program conducive to meet their specific needs. The newly formed and prescribed program offered a course previously approved in the school district’s program catalogue for special education students that taught …

Development Of A Certification Program In Secondary English Education At Valley Forge Christian College With A Plan For Implementation, Glenn A. Mcclure

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Valley Forge Christian College is a 4-year private religious institution sponsored by the Assemblies of God denomination. In order to improve the curricular programs and meet the needs of potential students, it is necessary to add secondary education courses leading to state teaching certification to the program. The problem is that there are no secondary education major courses of study at Valley Forge Christian College qualifying graduates to teach in the state’s public secondary schools. The purpose of this study was to develop a Secondary English Education program and an accompanying Student Handbook.

The Secondary English Education program and Student …

Development Of An Educational Leadership Program For Nurse Managers At The Hospital For Joint Diseases With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Althea L. Mighten

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Nurse managers at the Hospital for Joint Diseases (HJD) have not had any additional leadership development beyond their generic nursing education, or since they were head nurses, to effectively manage the nursing units. Prior to this study, HJD had no policies and procedures in place to support their development.

To address the problem, the writer developed an educational leadership program for nurse managers at HJD with a plan for implementation and evaluation. It was expected that such a program would expand the knowledge base and elevate the competency levels of the nurse managers.

Nineteen procedures that incorporated the developmental and …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of Parent Training On Parental Involvement And Student Attendance In An Urban School Setting, Cordia P. Moore

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation was designed to determine the effectiveness of parent training on the involvement of parents in the educational process of their children. The increased emphasis on the inclusion of parents as partners in the education of their children and the growing outcry of parents in the community to become more involved in the schooling process were major factors in the decision to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured training series provided to parents. Training was provided by an external consulting firm.

This researcher developed questionnaires and interviewed parents, teachers and principals to determine their perceptions of the impact …

Parent University: A Texas Charter School Plan To Increase Professional Development Training, David Fuller

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Continuing the progression of innovation within the charter school movement, this applied dissertation was designed to provide increased attendance of teachers at professional development training at a charter school that services inner city students. As a brand new charter school, Accelerated Intermediate Academy (AIA) was faced with a limited number of available classroom substitutes to allow teachers to attend professional development training. Research has shown that parent involvement is beneficial to students, teachers, and parents. Studies have shown that teachers benefit from extra help in the classroom. AIA’s aim was not to place parents in the classroom as babysitters, but …

Using Team Teaching To Increase Reading And Writing Achievement Of Ninth Grade Disabled Students In Language Arts Classes, Donna D. Montgomery

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed in an effort to increase reading and writing achievement of disabled students in Language Arts classes. The goals were to help inclusion teachers collaborate and share in the responsibilities of planning, instructing, evaluating, and monitoring of all disabled students in their classes.

The writer developed a team-teaching model for two inclusion Language Arts teachers who would assist disabled students in passing Language Arts classes, achieve a passing score on the Reading and Writing Comprehension Test, and increase their reading and writing skills to grade level.

Upon completion of this applied dissertation, teachers who attended four …

Effects Of Homogeneous-Ability Grouping Of Third-Grade Disadvantaged Students With Reading Deficiencies, Donna Hamilton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of homogeneous-ability grouping of 3rd-grade students with reading deficiencies. Three research questions were employed to determine the effects of a homogeneous-abilitygrouping model when compared to a heterogeneous-abilitygrouping model: (1) What were contributing factors of third-grade students’ reading deficiency? (2) What impact would homogeneous-ability grouping have on student reading proficiency? and (3) How would third-grade students engaged in a heterogeneous-ability group compare with students engaged in a homogeneous-ability group with regard to the development of reading proficiency? The study used a Teacher Interview Questionnaire to obtain feedback from teachers, a Student …

Can Senior Citizens Be A Resource To Our Schools? The Benefits Of Senior Citizens Tutoring High-Risk Students, Dianne G. Bruce

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In this applied dissertation, 2nd- and 4th-grade students who were performing unsatisfactorily on the Criterion Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) were identified as a target group to receive the planned intervention. Nine students in Grade 2 and 11 students in Grade 4 received assistance from an adult tutor during and after school. In addition, teachers received increased staff development in mathematics instruction.

Senior adults were paid through the Foster Grandparents program under a government agency to tutor students in the target group. Tutors were trained by school staff. They met students twice a week in their respective mathematics classes and …

Increasing Parental Involvement In A Diverse Urban School, Dianne S. Scott

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the parental involvement at a large, urban, K-8 elementary school with a very diverse population. The school had little or no parental involvement. Few parents attended report card conferences. There was no active Home and School Association or School Council. Parent volunteers were almost nonexistent.

The objectives of this applied dissertation were that at least 75% of the parents at T School would be in attendance at parent/teacher conferences, at least 35% of the school's families would participate and vote in the school council election, and at least 10% of the parents would …

Improving Discipline At Spotswood High School, Dixie S. Robinson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation addresses the discipline problems at Spotswood High School in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. During the years 2001 and 2002, there were a yearly average of 1,350 referrals reported to the Spotswood High School (SHS) administrative team for student behavior that violated the district’s discipline code. Within the 1,350 referrals there were 689 incidents resulting in out-of-school suspensions. Many discipline referrals were never addressed, which led to the encouragement of student misbehavior.

To address the discipline problems at SHS, the administrative team united in purpose and developed a discipline plan that empowered the staff at SHS …

A Case Study Of The Transitional Needs Of Ninth Graders At A Rural High School, Donald A. Knox Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to develop strategies that would aid in the transition from middle school to high school. The school on which this study focused was in a rural area of North Carolina and served more than 1,700 students. There was no formal transition plan used by the school district. This study utilized 41 students and 33 teachers to gather data on the needs of rising 9th-grade students.

The study was divided into 4 parts: student survey, student interview, teacher survey, and teacher interview. The surveys collected data concerning student and teacher background information, student involvement in …

Part Of The Team: An Initiative To Tackle The High Ninth-Grade Retention Rate At Englewood High School, David V. Basile

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a high school initiative aimed at reducing the high retention rate for first-time 9th-grade students at Englewood High School. By implementing the aspects of teaming to a select group of first-time 9th-grade students, the administration at Englewood High School hoped to decrease the retention rate by 5-7% annually. The retention rate for first-time 9th-grade students for the past 3 years has averaged 47.6%.

Strategies employed by this initiative included: (a) randomly selecting 99 first-time 9th-grade students; (b) teaming together 5 teachers from different disciplines into an interdisciplinary team; and (c) implementing additional parent-school interaction, in-class guidance activities, …

Colorado Superintendency Attrition And Its Effects On The Fourth-Grade Reading Achievement: A Reflective Practitioner’S Investigation, Rod L. Blunck

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to gather a greater understanding of the impact of superintendent turnover and the effect on student achievement. The data-based accountability systems in place in Colorado place a great deal of pressure on superintendents to produce empirical results indicating increased student achievement.

The author gathered data from the Colorado Department of Education for student achievement results for the 4th grade reading assessment as measured by the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) for academic years 2001, 2002, and 2003 and for superintendent turnover as measured during academic years 2001 and 2002. Randomly selected, 5 superintendents were to …

A National Survey Of Civil Rights Training Programs For Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of Civil Rights Training For Wic Employees, Beverley Demetrius

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was that the state of Georgia Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program was noncompliant with antidiscrimination laws and therefore, risked the loss of federal funds to operate the WIC Program. The purpose of this applied dissertation was to conduct a national survey of civil rights training programs with plans for development, implementation, and evaluation of training for Georgia WIC Program employees.

A combination of the development and evaluation methodologies was used to complete this study. The development methodology was used to develop the civil rights training program for Georgia WIC employees. The evaluation methodology that included process and …

Interventions To Improve The Reading Skills Of At-Risk Students, Shelley K. Lawyer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the reading performance of students at an alternative school located in Fulton County, Georgia. At least 80% of the students who enrolled at the alternative school had reading deficiencies and left with no significant gains in reading as evidenced by school data for the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years.

After a careful review of the school’s curriculum, the writer who was relatively new to the school discovered that the teachers were not properly trained to teach reading nor did the school have a systematic reading program. Additionally, there was a lack of parental …

Development Of A Diesel Technology Program For Porterville College, Kathleen Bennett

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to develop a diesel technology program at Porterville College. The college is situated in an economically depressed area with high unemployment. A local Native American Indian tribe was interested in collaborating with the college in developing a program that would increase that group’s education and employment levels. Because the college had a relatively limited vocational program and because the regional economy was growing more dependent upon the trucking industry, a diesel technology program appeared to meet the needs of the college and the community.

The researcher developed a diesel technology program and supporting structure that …

Development Of An Online Instructional Model For West Chester University Faculty With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Tracy A. Clark

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied research dissertation was to develop an online instructional model for West Chester University faculty. In addition, structural, delivery, and evaluation criteria were identified for the purpose of implementing and evaluating the online instructional model. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized to developed a number of products which include an executive brief, online instructional resource handbook, and implementation and evaluation plans. Each product intention will catalyze instructional strategies that will increase learner performance.

All five-research questions were answered during this applied research dissertation. The researcher engaged in the following procedures to answer the …

Development Of An Orientation Seminar For Displaced Workers Returning To The North Carolina Community Colleges With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Kathryn Geisen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Central Carolina Community College at Lillington, North Carolina is a 2-year public community college. The problem is that Central Carolina Community College has had dislocated workers attending classes. Academic failure has resulted in 59% of these students withdrawing. High attrition has led to a loss of full-time equivalent students because the college is unable to meet their special needs.

In response, an orientation seminar was developed with a plan for implementation and evaluation. The primary methodology was development and secondary was evaluation.

In this project, 4 research questions prompted procedures that were needed. These research questions for this project required …

An Intervention To Increase Black Parent Involvement At East High School, Devera Clements

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Verified achievement gaps between Black and White students exist at East High School. Data from East High School’s (2001a) Freshman D and F Report showed that 57.4% of Black freshman compared to 13% of White freshman received failing grades 1st semester of the 2001-2002 school year. In the 2001-2002 report (East High School, 2001b), Investigating the Achievement of African American Students at East High School, 53.7% of White students had grade point averages in the range of 3.5-5.2, whereas 9% of Black students were in the range of 3.5-5.2. Furthermore, 9.9% of White students had grade point averages in the …

Utilizing Arts-Related Activities In Accordance With Multiple Intelligence Theories To Increase Third Grade Gifted And Talented Students’ Interest In Language Arts Instruction, Kevin Kovacs

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the effects of arts-related activities on the interest levels and achievement of third grade gifted students. An important consideration for the improvement of gifted education is the necessity for educators to understand the nature and needs of the gifted learner, including their uneven social and emotional development. In spite of the gifted and talented child’s advanced intellectual development, an asynchronous social and emotional development may sometimes result in lower than expected academic performance. The discrepancy between a high measure of intelligence and low levels of academic achievement may be due to common characteristics …

An Evaluation Of The Perceptions Of Staff In The Roanoke County School District Regarding Professional Development Programs And Web-Based Professional Development, Michael Sebolt

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the perceptions of the staff in the Roanoke County School District toward current professional teacher development (PTD) programs and the use of web-based professional development as an alternative method of delivery. The writer utilized evaluation methodology. The writer evaluated the perceptions of the current professional development programs and the use of web-based professional development with the administration of a survey to school district teachers and administrators.

The results showed that most teachers agree that PTD is an important part of their professional careers. However, a majority of the teachers are not utilizing the …

Considering Physical Inactivity In Relation To Obesity, Janet C. Struber

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Physical inactivity and obesity contribute enormously to the current burden of disease in Australia, as in all Western Countries. Although diet and exercise have been linked to health since antiquity, the connection has recently experienced a revival of interest. There is mounting evidence that the current prevalence of obesity is more closely related to decreases in energy expenditure than to the traditionally accepted imbalance between consumption and expenditure, and that physical activity is therefore crucial in maintaining weight loss. With overweight[1] and obesity[2] now the norm in Australia, physical inactivity is a major issue within and beyond the health sector, …

Preliminary Studies On Efficacy Of Prolonged Nasal Cul-De-Sac With High Pressure Speech Acts (P.I.N.C.H.) On Hypernasality, Helene Rosman Fisher

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Prolonged Nasal Cul-De-Sac with High Pressure Speech Acts (P.i.N.C.H.), a technique to treat hypernasality, was developed upon the basis of four physiological principles of velopharyngeal function. Preliminary experimental and clinical studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of P.i.N.C.H. in decreasing nasalance in 5 non-cleft palate subjects with velopharyngeal incompetence over a 3-week to 22 month period of time. Results revealed statistically significant decreases in nasalance for posttreatment measures immediately after treatment as well as over several months. It was concluded that P.i.N.C.H. warrants further investigation.

Self-Reported Versus Recorded Sleep Position: An Observational Study, Susan J. Gordon, Karen A. Grimmer, Patricia Trott

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Patient reports of ‘usual’ and ‘recent’ sleep positions are used by allied health professionals to direct the management of waking and nocturnal musculoskeletal symptoms. However no published studies have determined if self reports of sleep position are valid, consistent or reliable. An observational study was conducted at the Centre for Sleep Research of the University of South Australia. Twelve subjects, four in each of the age groups 18 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years and 60 years and over, without any known sleep disorders or sleep-disturbing medical or emotional problems participated in the study. Subjects spent two non-consecutive …

Assimilating Intensive Writing Into Respiratory Therapy Instruction: One Baccalaureate Program’S Experience, Lynda Thomas Goodfellow, Meghana Patil

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Writing is an important tool in the process of learning and communication. Many universities across the United States recognize the importance of implementing writing into respective learning disciplines through a number of approaches. A respiratory therapy program at a large urban university recently assimilated a writing intensive course into their baccalaureate curriculum over a two-year period. A faculty member and a graduate teaching assistant planned as co-instructors various writing assignments that would incorporate writing as an activity to promote critical thinking and learning. The instructors made a dedicated effort to improve professional communication skills through various writing-to-learn strategies and observed …

Necessity Of Leadership Development In Allied Health Education Programs, Matthew R. Kutz

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Why should educational programs teach leadership, and why should universities and colleges who offer allied health care programs be concerned with training future clinicians to be leaders? Leadership development is a topic wrought with passion among business professionals and educators alike. Leadership is something everybody needs and it remains vague and ambiguous. Leadership is a mystical, almost ethereal, quality that you cannot define, yet know when you see. Advancing the allied health care professions and the members of the allied health care community is proving to be difficult without the necessary leadership skills.

A Use-Case Model For A Knowledge Management System To Facilitate Disaster Relief Operations, Eileen Eudy

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

There are numerous disaster relief agencies poised to respond to disasters; however, coordinating the activities of these diverse and dispersed entities and capitalizing on their knowledge assets can be a challenge. All of these agencies are dedicated to serving survivors of disasters, but they at times lack the coordination necessary to respond efficiently. The Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is an umbrella organization of existing agencies dedicated to working closely with other organizations to improve service and minimize duplication during disaster operations. To better cope with disasters, the Virginia VOAD needs to develop knowledge management strategies to coordinate …