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The Effects Of Home-School Communication On Parental Involvement, Donna Demusis Dekle

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the effectiveness of an integrated reading and study skills program intervention implemented for seventh and eighth grade middle school students identified as having problems in motivation and academic achievement. The design of the program was based on current research regarding best practices on improving the motivation and literacy skills of middle school students. Student achievement results for this new program were compared with those for a previous program that did not integrate content area curriculum.

Participants attended the program for one class period each day and received instruction on reading strategies to improve …

Improving Student Social Skills In An Elementary School Setting, Gloria Mckibbin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Teachers and administrators reported an increase in the number of school violations regarding verbal and physical assaults. This aggressive and inappropriate behavior created a negative school climate and detracted from the academic process, as teachers were spending more time redirecting students who were misbehaving rather than teaching.

A social skills program that focused on empathy, social problem solving, and anger management was developed and implemented with fourth-grade students to improve their prosocial behavior in the classroom environment. Using cognitive behavioral strategies such as modeling, roleplaying, and cuing and methods to assess their own behaviors during group lessons, discussions, and exercises, …

Effects Of A Violence Prevention Program On The Safe School Component Of School Climate, Vickie G. Tribble

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a violence prevention program at Robert Wood Johnson Memorial Comprehensive High School (hereafter referred to as Johnson High School) on the safe school component of the school climate through discipline data and perceptions of school personnel and clients about safety. Johnson High School, which is located near a large metropolitan area in the south, is a multicultural school with approximately 1,032 students. The school opened in 1972 with approximately 1,200 predominately Caucasian students. With the growth in the community over the last 30 years, there was a noted shift …

The Development Of A Plan For The Viability Of Physical Education At Calhoun Community College With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Nancy Keenum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The current economic decline in Alabama has meant that educational institutions have had to deal with serious financial shortfalls and budget cuts. The problem facing Calhoun Community College is that funding cuts have resulted in an 80% reduction of the Physical Education department at a time when the administration has an interest in future long-term growth, physical education courses remain a viable option for students, and there is an increased awareness of the concomitant health benefits. This applied dissertation was designed to provide a comprehensive plan for the Physical Education department to meet the needs of the students by remaining …

Reducing Male Student Discipline Referral Rates At Westview Elementary School, Virginia Glass Berry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if the use of male mentors would measurably decrease male student discipline referrals at Westview Elementary School. Referral data indicated a high number of discipline actions that impacted student and school performance. Student social records revealed that most male students attending Westview Elementary School were from homes headed by single mothers. The principal’s observations and parent conferences evidenced a lack of respect for female authority. Prior to this study, the majority of instructors at Westview Elementary School were female. The male discipline factor had created a frustration level among the faculty that had …

Improving Second-Grade Students’ Language Arts Achievement Scores, Thomas W. O'Neill Ii

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine whether or not changes in curriculum, teacher selected activities, and grouping techniques have an impact on standardized test scores. Second-grade teaching techniques were limited to teacher driven activities including worksheets and lectures. Teachers were not familiar with student-centered instruction such as cooperative learning or center-based instruction. Teachers of second grade believed the reading series at their grade level was outdated and that there was a need to purchase a current curriculum that included the use of phonics in conjunction with the whole-language approach. Teachers in kindergarten, first, and third grades agreed to change …

Development Of A Curriculum Model For The Senior Adult Program At Paradise Valley Community College With An Implementation And Evaluation Plan, Sylvia Ong

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In response to the growing number of senior adults attending Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC), the senior adult program (SAP) at PVCC, known as the “Senior College,” has increased its course offerings. The problem is that the Senior College is not maximizing its enrollment by offering courses needed and wanted by this growing market niche. The purpose of this study was to develop a curriculum model to identify such courses.

The five research questions used were (a) What are best practices in selected exemplary senior adult programs (SAPs), (b) What is the appropriate design of a senior adult curriculum model, …

Improving The Readiness Skills Of Kindergarten Students, Karen J. Jensen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

At New Hope Elementary School, which included Kindergarten through Grade 8, students performed below the system average on standardized tests at every grade level. The eighth-grade students left New Hope Elementary School to attend ninth grade at New Hope High School. New Hope High School received ninth-grade students from only New Hope Elementary School. In 2001-2002, New Hope High School had the highest dropout rate in the system. The academic deficiencies at New Hope High School and New Hope Elementary School were traced to the kindergarten level. Students in kindergarten scored significantly lower than the system average on 2001 state-mandated …

Expressive Language And Phonological Awareness Training For At-Risk Students In Kindergarten, First, And Second Grades, Brenetta Gaye Jackson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve expressive language and phonological awareness for students in primary grades who were receiving speech-language services, and who were exhibiting significant risk factors for reading disabilities. An increasing number of students at this site were being referred for modifications to reading instruction in the regular education classroom. The solution strategies utilized for this applied dissertation included formal evaluation to measure expressive language, phonological awareness, and general reading ability for students who were already identified as having speech-language disorders, and who were receiving modifications to reading instruction through the Student Support Team. A training program …

Using The Writing Process And Continuous Assessment To Improve Student Compositions, Constance M. Goines

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation described an intervention program that was designed to improve the quality of writing in an inner city school in the southwest United States. It was an ethnically and linguistically diverse Title I learning community of about 300. The program targeted 44 second semester 3rd graders who would be first semester 4th graders following the July summer break. Two fourth grade teachers, both with at least four years of experience and extensive writing process training, implemented the program at both grade levels.

The focus was to raise writing scores, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) …

Using The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea) To Reduce Discipline Referrals, Daniel Shakespeare

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a program to reduce disciplinary referrals of special education students at Andalusia High School (AHS) in Andalusia, Alabama. With a total student population of 557 students in Grades 9-12, the office received 878 disciplinary referrals in 1998-1999. Of this number, 244 referrals were for 32 special education students who averaged 13 referrals each. All 32 special education students had at least 2 disciplinary referrals (with a range from a high of 17 to a low of 2).

Possible causes of the problem were identified. First, the role of the regular education teacher in working with special education …

Strategies For Increasing Enrollment In A High School Gifted And Talented Internship Program, Bruce D. Riegel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This Applied Dissertation Investigation was designed to determine the effectiveness of Targeted Outreach as a recruiting strategy in increasing overall enrollment and enrollment by minority students in a high school Gifted and Talented Intern-Mentor Program (IMP). An analysis of enrollment trends in the program indicated a 90% decline in enrollment of minority students in the program during the period fall 1997 through winter 2001.

Targeted Outreach, a recruitment strategy tested on a population of 10 students during a preliminary investigation and 39 students during the Applied Dissertation Investigation. Data was collected using enrollment figures and a data-collection form administered to …

A Strategic Approach To Promote Ninth-Grade Academic Success, Beverly W. Glover

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation, conducted February 2000 through April 2001, describes an approach to increasing student motivation that promoted 9th-grade academic success in an inner-city high school of a Southeastern Georgia community. The targeted population was freshman students in a very large, diverse, multicultural environment. The students ranged from the very highest affluent socioeconomic group to the lowest poverty group.

Low performance was evident on standardized measures of student progress upon their entering 9th grade. A lack of motivation for successful learning was evident. The students in this study were in need of extensive help to succeed academically and reach their …

Improving Reading Instruction Through Staff Development At Putnam County Elementary School, Kirk D. Mallette

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem addressed was low reading achievement for Grade 2 students at Putnam County Elementary School. Reading comprehension and vocabulary skills were not being demonstrated by Grade 2 students to a satisfactory level according to the test data. Teachers in the school expressed frustration about how to help students achieve higher levels. One variable that impacts reading achievement is teacher instruction. This study addresses that variable.

The intervention was a staff development training program to help Grade 2 teachers at Putnam County Elementary School learn to implement a balanced approach to literacy through guided reading and guided writing. The quasi-experimental …

Usage Of Federally Donated Food In The School Meal Program, Sandra Shannon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In 1999—2000, an audit of 15 Miami Dade County Public Schools by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bureau of Food and Nutrition (VanTreese, 2000), revealed that none of the 15 were effectively utilizing federally donated commodities in the meal program. A review of quantitative data from 26 schools revealed there was an overall usage rate of 62% of federally donated food in the school meal program, 38% less than the federal government requirements that 100% of donated commodities be used. The commodity usage rate in 2000-2001 for B Elementary School was 85%, and the commodity usage rate …

Implementation Of An Elementary In-School Suspension Program And Its Effects On School Climate, Carla K. Hall

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was focused on involving the staff at Goodyear Elementary School in fostering an orderly environment for student learning by implementing an In-School Suspension (ISS) program. This was an ethnographic study and provided a descriptive approach of the school’s culture and organizational structure. The applied dissertation included several initiatives in the implementation of the ISS program, which were a School Climate Inventory (SCI), organizational strategies, leadership structure, professional development, and student interviews.

Results of the applied dissertation indicated that the implementation of the ISS program had a positive impact on the school’s climate. The staff was involved in …

Meeting The After-School Needs Of Early Adolescents, Ann Michele Allen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a more attractive after-school program to youth at a middle school. The program was located on the school campus and offered minimal activities, which were facilitated by untrained staff, with limited activity space for the youth to congregate. The program met daily in a school classroom, offering limited supplies and activities to the youth after school. Due to these limitations, very few youth participated in the afterschool program, thereby placing themselves at risk for harmful and inappropriate behaviors in the after-school hours.

The writer developed a more attractive after-school program for the youth. …

Providing Literacy Support For Unsuccessful Limited English Proficient Seventh And Eighth Grade Students By Increasing Access To Varied Support Strategies, Amanda Lynch

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide assistance to struggling limited English proficient (LEP) students at a Title I Middle School. The goal was that 25 students would have access to additional supports to improve language arts grades, reading skills, and attendance in school. Parents were invited to participate.

The solution strategies included (a) incorporating books into the homes of the target group, known as Lit Kits, (b) creating staff development for teachers, (c) providing the target group an additional hour of school each day focusing on literacy skills, homework completion, and learning strategy skills, (d) implementing a monthly family …

Training Teachers To Meet The Developmentally Appropriate Needs Of Preschool Children, Sharon R. Brown

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Teachers were having great difficulty meeting the developmental needs of the children. This was evidenced by the teachers’ restriction of unstructured playtime, lack of interaction by the teachers with the children during outdoor play, and the children’s inability to engage in probing, exploratory dialogue.

The solution strategy combined a series of trainings for teachers to learn how to engage children actively in meaningful and age-appropriate learning activities to meet their developmental needs. There were two inservice trainings for the teachers. The topics of the trainings were The Use of Outdoor Space as a Learning Environment for Preschoool Children and How …

Development Of A Comprehensive Mathematics Anxiety Intervention Program For Missouri Southern State College With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Laura Schooler Adkins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to develop a comprehensive mathematics anxiety intervention program for the preservice elementary education teachers at Missouri Southern State College (MSSC). The problem addressed was the need at MSSC for a mathematics anxiety intervention program to help hundreds of students experience increased academic and career success as a direct outcome of the intervention program.

The purpose of the project was to develop a comprehensive intervention program to prevent, reduce, or eliminate mathematics anxiety among the preservice elementary education teachers at MSSC. Three research questions provided the focus for the study: (1) How can mathematics anxiety be …

Using Online Spatial Visualization Activities In A Geometry Course For Preservice Elementary Teachers, Kathy Bauman Burgis

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Spatial visualization is critical in learning and using geometry and other mathematics, science, and various technologies. Many preservice teachers lacked the spatial visualization skills and knowledge necessary to effectively teach a rich elementary mathematics curriculum. This applied dissertation was designed to improve preservice elementary teachers’ spatial visualization skills.

The author used online Java applets to deliver spatial visualization instruction in a geometry course for preservice elementary teachers. Data was collected from convenience samples formed from two intact classes. There were 27 students in the treatment group and 22 students in the control group. Participants worked independently, outside of class, using …

Increasing The Likelihood Of Reading Success In Kindergarten Students Through Early Literacy Intervention, Cindy R. Williams

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the likelihood of literacy success in kindergartners through early intervention services provided by the primary level reading teacher. There had been no early literacy intervention services offered in the writer’s school district prior to the time that the dissertation project was implemented. The goals of the dissertation were to decrease the likelihood that a kindergartner would repeat kindergarten or require remedial reading services in first grade due to the intervention services they received in kindergarten.

The writer designed an intervention program through which 15 kindergarten children were targeted for daily small group instruction …

Possible Factors For Achievement Gap In Reading For Eighth-Grade African American Males, Sherry L. Harrison

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to gain insight into the reading achievement gap of African American males in Grade 8 on the North Carolina (NC) End of Grade (EOG) test, to provide insight into 4 schools in NC. Schools in which this group of students scored better on the NC EOG test were compared with schools in which this group of students did less well on the NC EOG test. Two randomly selected low Level 1 schools and 2 randomly selected high Level 2 schools identified by the NC 1999-2000 EOG test scores of 8th-grade African American male students were …

A Study Of The Impact Of Training On The Ability Of Infant And Toddler Caregivers To Provide Safe, Healthy Environments For Young Children, Amy S. Hood

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was written to study the skills and abilities of infant/toddler caregivers in out-of-home child care settings within a local 10-county area. Child-care settings have demonstrated low quality of care for these very young children. The training materials that were used locally with new employees in child-care did not include age-specific information regarding the development of children less than three years of age. The resource agency did not include sufficient information regarding infants and toddlers in their materials.

The writer developed new materials to be included in the new employee training sessions specifically for caregivers of children under …

Development Of A Needs-Driven Theory-Based Model For Medication-Taking Education With Plans For Implementation And Evaluation, Jana M. Bajcar

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The medication-taking education needs of individual patients on long-term medications are not being adequately met by traditional medication-taking education provided by health care providers. The aim of this study is to develop a model for an approach to medication-taking education that can be used by health care providers for patients on long-term medications. The goal is to develop an approach that is based on patients’ perspectives of their medication-taking education needs and that is also grounded in relevant health and education theories.

The present research study is a qualitative study of the medication-taking education needs of 10 well-educated individuals who …

Engineering And Adapting Eating Environments For Students With Autism, Loretta Boggs Griffin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to identify, select, and evaluate available options for engineering and adapting the eating environments for students with autism at Metro School located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Teachers in the autistic program were concerned about behavior disruptions when students ate in the cafeteria. The noise level, excessive movement, overcrowded conditions, limited space for seating in the cafeteria, and the wait time in serving lines were conditions identified by teachers of the autistic that appeared to frustrate and overstimulate some of the students, thereby intensifying behaviors. The behaviors included being self-abusiveness, exhibiting self-stimulation, throwing food, displaying poor …

Success Through Access: A Plan To Serve Students With Disabilities In The Liberty Central School District, Barbara Hackett Blakey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the current education program for students with disabilities. The key performance indicators established by the state education department indicated that the program was weak. Specific areas of weakness were the lack of success of students with disabilities on state tests at Grades 4 and 8, lack of passing scores on the high school level exams, high incidence of dropout rate, and low percentage of students with disabilities earning a high school diploma and lack of integration into the regular education classroom. A specific assessment was needed to determine the root causes of these …

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 …

An Evaluation Of Curricular Effectiveness In Addressing Critical Thinking Skills Among Physical Therapist Assistant Programs In New England, Elizabeth V. Fuller

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to evaluate the extent to which Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs in New England addressed critical thinking skills in their curricula. Norm values were measured for two standardized measures of critical thinking and the extent to which course materials promoted critical thinking was determined using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Teaching strategies were compiled for use by PTA faculty to foster the development of critical thinking skills.

Eight of eighteen PTA programs within New England participated. Scores on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (13.87 of a possible 34 points) were lower than those reported for …

A Second Chance For Struggling Students, Irene R. Fujii

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The focus on standards and the California high school exit exam has had an impact on all students, especially students who are already having a difficult time in school. For the past 3-year period, 1999 through 2002, students from a bay area continuation high school had a retention rate of less than 25% in career technical programs.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Skills Tutor Program (Achievement Technologies, 2000), a computerized instructional program, would assist continuation students to stay in school by helping them to enhance their academic performance and attitudes toward school.

The population for …