Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Pilot Testing Of An Experiential Learning Formative Assessment Instrument For Undergraduate Music Therapy Clinical Students, Sue Ann Shuttleworth

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide a method for evaluating and improving performance in music therapy pre-internship clinical training. Some students were not transferring relevant learning from one practicum context to another or to the internship. The study focused on developing a tool that would facilitate the student’s learning from experience. An Assessment of Experiential Learning in Music Therapy Clinical Training (AELMTCT), based on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and a preexisting instrument (Dumas’ tool), was developed for assessment and teaching purposes.

Utilizing the development problem-solving methodology, criteria to evaluate an experiential learning assessment instrument were established by …

A Comprehensive Reading Program To Increase Reading Skills Of Low-Performing Students, Annie C. Savage

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation describes a schoolwide program that was designed to improve reading skills of students at a middle school with a population of 700 students. Located in the northwest section of Huntsville, Alabama, the public school houses students in grades 6, 7, and 8. An analysis of data from the Stanford Achievement Test, the Qualitative Reading Inventory, and the Student Test and Assessment of Reading indicated that more than 50% of the students in the school were reading below their grade-level equivalency.

Several previously implemented instructional strategies, such as Accelerated Reader and the Alabama Reading Initiative Program had not impacted …

Saturday School: An Alternative To Suspension Program To Reduce Suspensions And Student Violence, Todd S. Meiklejohn

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 2001-2002 school year, Homestead Senior High School suspended 417 students on 772 occasions. Thus, 13.5% of the student body was suspended from school for disciplinary reasons. More significantly, 32.4% of all outdoor suspensions were a result of violence. To further compound the problem, there was no feasible course of action to deal appropriately with student conflict or violence.

An assessment of the problem revealed various causes. Specifically, the school’s out-of-school suspension rate was amongst the highest in the district; male students were suspended 3 times more than their female counterparts; and Homestead Senior High School students committed double …

Development And Evaluation Of A Prototype E-Learning Site To Train Japanese Elementary School Teachers How To Teach English To Children, Curtis H. Kelly

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide Japanese elementary school teachers assigned to teach English, the skills and tools to do so. Their training needs were assessed in order to develop a prototype e-learning site to provide that training. Seven research questions were answered: 1) What are the educational needs, both perceived and predicted, of Japanese elementary school teachers preparing to teach English to children? 2) What are appropriate systems of delivery for an educational program to satisfy these needs? 3) What are the criteria for the educational contents and format of an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? …

Addressing The Response And Responsibility Of The Education System To The Social Concerns Of At-Risk Students In American Schools: An Evaluative Study Of A Partnership Intervention Program, Ina Dorman

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The social problems of students and society in general have changed dramatically over the past 2 decades, and school leaders are now challenged with how to address these changes effectively while preserving the integrity and purpose of an institution of learning.

This study identified the social, environmental, and behavioral issues facing students in a large, urban school district with a population of over 250,000 students. This qualitative analysis examined the data and risk factors that impact the academic achievement of students and the response by the organization leaders to respond adequately to the challenges.

The school district is situated in …

Intervention Plan To Reduce Truancy Of Seventh-, Eighth-, And Ninth-Grade Students, Mike Stiefel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation describes the attendance problems of students at Wellborn High School. Wellborn High School is 1 of 7 high schools in the Calhoun County School District. Located in a community with a high poverty rate and limited employment opportunities, the school has the highest percentage of truancy of 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade students in the district. Many parents of this community do not value education; therefore, they are indifferent to enforcing the attendance policy of the school district.

A review of selected literature was conducted to identify causes of truancy. After identification of many characteristics of truancy and …

Finding Unexpected Events In Staring Continuous-Dwell Sensor Data Streams Via Adaptive Prediction, Peter G. Raeth

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This research produced a Predictive Anomaly Detector (PAD). It is an adaptive prediction-based approach to detecting unexpected events in data streams drawn from staring continuous-dwell sensors. The underlying technology is spectrum independent and does not depend on correlated data (neither temporal nor spatial) to achieve improved detection and extraction in highly robust environments. ("robust environment" refers to the data stream's control law being variable and the spectral content covering a wide range of wavelengths.)

The resulting approach uses a network of simple building-block equations (basis functions) to predict the non-event data and thereby present subtle sub-streams to a detection model …

Model For Clinical Education In Athletic Training, Jeff G. Seegmiller

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Clinical education is an intrinsic part of most allied health educational programs. However, conceptual models differ as to what constitutes quality for clinical experiences. As a relatively new allied health care field, athletic training education is adapting in order to meet the needs of a changing health care environment. Recent initiatives for clinical education mark the change from a quantitative (hours of exposure) approach, to one emphasizing quality (mastery over time). However, in this transition from field-based to curriculum emphasis, the coherence between different aspects of the educational process have weakened. This paper presents a background of clinical education in …

A Comparison Of Learning Styles Among Seven Health Professions: Implications For Optometric Education, Patrick C. Hardigan, Stanley R. Cohen

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Educational research and development efforts are most often directed at the improvement of teaching while neglecting students’ learning styles. Besides being marginally effective, an exclusive focus on improving teaching methods may lead to reinforcement of inappropriate and nontransferable learning strategies. As such, this study is being undertaken to determine if differences in personality style exist among health profession students. This retrospective-descriptive study tested the null hypothesis “there is no difference in personality traits between osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, dental medicine, optometry and occupational therapy students.” Differences as well as similarities were discovered across all seven professions. Implications …

Improving The Reading Comprehension Achievement Of Third Grade Students, Delores L. Bedar

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Students at DePriest Elementary School were performing poorly on standardized assessments in reading comprehension. The possible causes of low student performance were (a) teachers’ beliefs and practices, (b) the reading curriculum, (c) students’ lack of knowledge as to how to read for meaning, and (d) the lack of parent involvement in their children’s schooling.

This dissertation examined the improvement of students’ reading comprehension performance through the use of strategic reading instruction, professional development of teachers, and parental involvement. It examined whether instructing students in the use of comprehension strategies improved their reading comprehension performance.

A reading comprehension strategies curriculum model …

The Design And Implementation Of Staff Development To Improve Literacy At Gulfport Elementary School, Sharon D. Mckinon Jackson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study examined the impact of a staff development program designed to enhance teacher preparation in literacy and its effect on the Pinellas Instructional Assessment Plan (PIAP) test scores for fourth- and fifth graders at Gulfport Elementary School. A readiness, planning, training, implementation, and maintenance (RPTIM) staff development model was used (Zepeda, 1999). The staff development strategies of teacher collaboration, time for training, transfer of skills, and creation of a professional learning organization were used to improve student literacy. Problems, such as high mobility rates, low socioeconomic levels, lack of student readiness when entering kindergarten, high concentrations of exceptional education …

Instructional Technology, Motivation, Attitudes And Behaviors: An Investigation Of At-Risk Learners In The Middle School General Music Classroom, Sharon A. Clark

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In middle schools today, teachers meet many challenges. Students come to school with a wide variety of experiences and economic backgrounds. They come with varying needs and abilities. Middle school is a time of many changes for students. One of the many goals of middle school is to meet the needs of the students in academics as well as the social, physical and emotional needs.

The research question addressed in this dissertation was: What are the effects of instructional technology on motivation, attitudes and behavior of at-risk learners in the middle school general music classroom? The purpose of this study …

Prevention Programs For Reducing At-Risk Behaviors Involving Alcohol Abuse, Substance Usage, And Violence In High School Students Ages 14 To 17, Ismail Z. Jihad

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem addressed in the applied dissertation was that high school teenagers enrolled in prevention programs are not decreasing at-risk behaviors. This problem can be answered by focusing on distinct characteristics of teenagers who are enrolled in the after-school mental health and substance abuse prevention program. The at-risk behaviors demonstrated by the teenagers in the prevention program included substance abuse, crime, violence, poor academics, truancy, mental health issues, inappropriate sexual behavior, and teenage pregnancy.

The primary solutions for prevention programs to combat the causes of alcohol and substance usage in adolescents is to offer life skills such as: emotional management; …

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 …

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 …

Improving Math Scores At Hutto Middle School, Marvin V. Thomas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if the Pre-Algebra Interactive Computer-Aided Natural Learning Education System (I CAN Learn Education Systems, 1999) could improve 8th-grade students’ performance in math on the Stanford Nine Achievement Test and Criterion Referenced Competency Test. Students are encouraged to become lifelong learners through a self-paced learning environment.

The writer implemented this system to deliver interactive multimedia curricula, enabling each student to learn at his or her own pace. Instruction was delivered to each student through a television-quality video, which is an integral part of every I CAN Learn (I CAN Learn Education Systems, 1999) lesson. …

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of An Hiv And Aids Knowledge And Peer Education Program For African American And Caribbean American Women, James Mbachiantim

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this research project was to conduct a quantitative evaluation that employed a pretest and posttest HIV and AIDS knowledge assessment and a qualitative evaluation of an HIV and AIDS peer prevention-intervention program. Quantitative data from the pretest and posttest knowledge assessment instrument were used to determine the effectiveness of the program in improving HIV and AIDS knowledge. Qualitative data from process evaluation were used to determine which aspects of the peer prevention-intervention program were working and which aspects needed changing and to provide a model for the evaluation of HIV and AIDS prevention program in other settings. …

Evaluating The Effective Use Of Technology In Education, Kathy A. Dunne

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

There appears to be a consensus among educators that teaching with new technologies requires new methods of evaluation. Although there is a body of research investigating the effects of computer-assisted instruction on student learning with largely favorable results, few studies have examined the efficacy of technology in integrated classrooms. This study was designed to determine if teachers at Advanced Technologies Academy improved their management, instruction, and student learning with the use of technology.

Using survey research methodology, the study sample, consisting of 25 teachers, provided information on their perceptions regarding technology integration and instructional effectiveness, student benefits, utilization of technological …

Improving The Representation Of Minority School Age Children In Gifted Education Programs Through A Multifaceted Referral And Evaluation Process, Magali Balado

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the problem that teachers were unable to meet the needs of academically talented minority children. The major goals for this applied dissertation were to increase the representation of academically minority children in gifted programs, provide training to teachers in the area of identifying gifted characteristics, and to develop a multifaceted process for the referral and evaluation of academically talented minority children.

The writer developed training materials to provide in-service and training to teachers, school staff personnel, counselors, and psychologists in the areas of observing and assessing gifted characteristics in academically talented minority children. …

A Brand New Middle School: Conception To Inception, Charles W. King Ii Ii

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 may provide a practical model for the development, design, construction, and initial operation of a new …

Development Of A Plan To Enhance The Athletic Training Facilities At Nova Southeastern University With Plans For Implementation And Evaluation, Alberto J. Baca Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied research project was to develop a facility plan to assist in the planning and design needs of a new sport and recreation facility and specifically the sports medicine portion of the building to enhance athletic training services to student athletes. A plan for implementation and evaluation was also developed.

There were four research questions prepared, researched, and answered for this project.

1. What are university best practices in regard to athletic training facilities?

2. What is a plan to incorporate best practices in athletic training facilities?

3. How should the plan be implemented?

4. How …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Aspiration And Refusal Of Oral Intake In The Dementia Population, Tina Walker Bullock

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to identify aspiration as a possible cause of oral intake refusal in the dementia population. This was a common occurrence in the skilled nursing facility population in which the principal investigator of this project is employed. Patients with a diagnosis of dementia who had demonstrated characteristics of swallowing problems, dysphagia, weight loss, oral intake refusal of meals or liquids, decreased intake, expelling of food or liquid during meals or snacks, holding food or liquid in the mouth, change in appetite, skin integrity problems, or increased feeding time were considered for participation in this study. The …

Third Grade Struggling Readers And Fast Forword, Jeannie Gallo

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation utilized an adaptive computer training program known as Fast ForWord as an intervention to improve the literacy skills of struggling, below-level third grade readers at Smyser Accelerated School. The intent of the intervention was to improve students’ phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, and spelling skills on standardized tests and to improve classroom performance grades in reading and spelling.

A large number of students in third grade are not able to achieve at or above level on the reading comprehension test of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. It was believed that a high mobility rate in second and …

Ethical Decision Making In Speech-Language Pathology: What Is The Difference In Perception Between Faculty And Second Year Graduate Students?, Kerrilyn R. Phillips

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether speech-language pathology faculty perceptions of ethical behavior are different from speech-language pathology graduate students’ perceptions of ethical behavior. Participants consisted of 34 second-year speech-language pathology graduate students and 27 faculty members from Council of Academic Accreditation (CAA) training programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. All participants completed an investigator-designed instrument consisting of ethical scenarios. Results of this study indicated that significant differences between faculty and student perceptions for ethical decision-making were indicated in two of eight scenarios. The two scenarios in which significant differences were identified related to supervision and …

A Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program At An Inner-City High School, Tyrone A. Blue

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 1998-1999 through 2000-2001 school years, William M. Raines Senior High School (WMRSHS) experienced a gradual increase in the number of teenage pregnancies among the female population at the school. During the 1998-1999 school year, there were 91 (10.0%) pregnancies among 907 females; during the 1999-2000 school year, there were 97 (9.6%) pregnancies among 1,012 females; and, during the 2000-2001 school year, there were 102 (10.3%) pregnancies among 997 females in the student population. This represented a 12.1% increase in the number of teenage pregnancies among the student population at WMRSHS.

The strategy implemented to decrease the pregnancies at …

Performance-Centered Knowledge Management, Josephine K. Portillo

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to study a process to improve access and filter information efficiently and effectively for employees in a governmental business unit in order to decrease response time and increase customer satisfaction. The writer designed and developed a framework for a performance-centered knowledge management portal. The writer designed real-life case scenarios to determine the effectiveness of the performance-center knowledge management portal in the work setting.

Findings based on qualitative data gathered before and after employees were introduced to the portal show positive improvements in perceptions of customer satisfaction and response time.

Preparing Third Grade Students Who Are Adequately Decoding To Comprehend Reading Passages, Marva S. Jeremiah

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation focused on improving the reading comprehension of third grade students in an elementary school. The instructional model of the school was based on providing skills instruction. Further, students were not given opportunities to read independently for an extended time. The third grade students of this elementary school concentrated on decoding and neglected comprehension when they read.

A program was developed by this writer to help the participating students use strategies while reading. This program included teachers reading aloud to students to model strategies, the writer’s explicit instructions and guided practice of these strategies, and the students independent …

Examining And Influencing The School Climate And Culture Of A Medium–Sized Magnet And Choice Technical High School, Gary W. Mccutcheon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the current climate and culture at a medium-sized high school and to influence that climate positively. The current climate was evaluated using multiple data collection instruments including the venerable National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) School Climate Survey (C. Halderson, E. A. Kelley, J. W. Keefe, & P. S. Berge, 1989), a district-created Whole School Effectiveness Survey, and a qualitative school-created survey that allowed parental input. The strong reliability and validity of the NASSP School Climate Survey is well documented with descending levels of confidence placed in the Whole School Effectiveness Survey …

A Personal Leadership Appraisal And Development Plan For A School Superintendent’S Position, Lawrence T. Rainey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to appraise the personal leadership attributes of educators and to provide a framework to help them prepare a personal development plan toward the attainment of a public school superintendent’s position. A literature review of effective educational leadership characteristics was conducted. The review included a search for available instruments for assessment of leadership characteristics, potential, and style, and preparatory programs available to improve leadership ability. In addition, the search yielded an increased awareness of associated stressors that have been known to affect superintendent leadership and position tenure.

The literature review was comprehensive and yielded relative information. …

Implementing An In-School Suspension And Prevention Program For At-Risk Students In An Urban District, Carol F. Sam

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum report was designed to increase the effective functioning of entry-level psychologists as members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) through a redefinition and expansion of the traditional role of the school psychologist. A workshop explaining the model was designed and presented to the school psychologists of the writer’s school district, and interviews were conducted individually with both entry-level school psychologists and their members.

The writer developed guidelines to be utilized for training psychologists and providing their mentors with an evaluation technique for supervising them as effectively functioning members of the MDT. This information was also presented to the local …