Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Teacher Perceptions Within Professional Learning Communities, Nicole Tiffany Reese

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the strength of the relationship between elementary teachers’ perceptions of the six school practices of the professional learning community (PLC) model and students’ science achievement and if differences exist among teachers at the target school district’s five elementary schools. The six practices of the PLC model are (a) shared and supportive leadership, (b) shared values and vision, (c) collective learning and application, (d) shared personal practice, (e) supportive conditions–relationships, and (f) supportive conditions–structures. The PLCs are presently defined as one of the most discussed school reforms within kindergarten to Grade 12. They assist …

Multi-Robot Complete Coverage Using Directional Constraints, Stefanus Malan

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Complete coverage relies on a path planning algorithm that will move one or more robots, including the actuator, sensor, or body of the robot, over the entire environment. Complete coverage of an unknown environment is used in applications like automated vacuum cleaning, carpet cleaning, lawn mowing, chemical or radioactive spill detection and cleanup, and humanitarian de-mining.

The environment is typically decomposed into smaller areas and then assigned to individual robots to cover. The robots typically use the Boustrophedon motion to cover the cells. The location and size of obstacles in the environment are unknown beforehand. An online algorithm using sensor-based …

Evaluation Of A Climate Change Training Program For Local Government Employees, Clara Kashar

Theses and Dissertations

A local government in South Florida launched a training program to improve employee engagement on climate change using best practices in adult learning and climate communication to bridge the gap between climate science and action in government operations. The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine whether that climate change development and training program for local government employees met its stated goals and objectives. This evaluation blended a component of Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model with Kirpatrick’s Four Levels model. To conduct the evaluation, the researcher used a mixed methods approach for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative …

A Study Of In-School And Out-Of-School Life Experiences Affecting Veteran Teacher Retention In A Southeastern School District, Rosa Ana Jonson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to investigate the in-school and out-of-school life experiences affecting veteran teacher retention in a southeastern school district. The study sought to gain a better understanding of the factors that affected the decisions of teachers to remain with the district for more than 5 years. All of the teachers who had been working in the district for at least 5 years were potential research participant The survey was distributed to 75 teachers, and 24 teachers responded. The teachers were asked to respond to an online survey regarding their perceptions of their in-school and out-of-school experiences. …

Assessing Reading And Mathematics Achievement Of Students With Disabilities In A Suburban Middle School, Terri Melissa Toomer

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching classrooms consist of general and special education teachers working together to benefit students with disabilities (SWDs). Many parents and teachers believe the content knowledge provided by general educators in the regular education setting, combined with the instructional service delivery model (SDM) expertise of special educators, will result in the greatest academic growth for SWDs. However, it is not known if SWDs served in one SDM progress at a faster rate than SWDs served in another SWD. Therefore, the focus of this study was to compare the reading and mathematics achievement of male and female middle school SDWs in two …

To Participate Or Not To Participate In Education Research: A View From The Teacher’S Perspective, Jennifer Gans

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to identify factors that might explain teacher resistance versus teacher support for participation in education research. To that end, predictor variables suggested by both diffusion of innovations theory, as well as personality trait theories were examined as unique predictors of variability in attitudes toward adoption of participation in the research process. Furthermore, “exposure to research” was examined as another possible variable that may be uniquely associated with willingness to participate in research, beyond the other theoretically motivated variables. The researcher developed a survey instrument featuring four research vignettes that increased in demands for teacher participation. Each …

The Effects Of An Afrocentric Curriculum On Reading Scores Of African American Third, Fourth, And Fifth Graders, Trisha J. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied research study was to determine the extent to which reading scores on the Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA-2) and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) were impacted across the school years for students enrolled in Afrocentric curriculum (ACC) and non-ACC classrooms, excluding students enrolled in the two-way immersion classrooms, controlling for the test scores from the previous school year, during the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 school years.

The research study followed a correlational research design to determine whether the size of the two reading-assessment scores varied across school years in efforts to determine whether the ACC …

A Case Study Of Teachers’ Experiences Integrating Visual Literacy To Improve Middle School Struggling Readers’ Comprehension, Dianne Tetreault

Theses and Dissertations

Because the meaning of literacy is changing, teachers lack understanding of how to teach older students the skills they need to read and be proficient in an ever-changing digital world. Moreover, only 34% of U.S. 8th graders read at the proficient level, according to the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the process of how middle school teachers in a large urban district in Florida understand and integrate visual literacy for teaching comprehension in their lesson plans and class instruction after completing professional development and subsequent curricular support on …

Social-Emotional Skills For Early Learning With Preschool Students: A Program Evaluation, Tory Denyse Hagains

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied dissertation study was to evaluate the implementation of a program entitled Second Step for Early Learning to determine if the program would significantly improve social-emotional competence in young children. The participants included six teachers from a preschool program located in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. Data-collection sources included surveys, interviews, and a review of lesson plans. Data analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative procedures.Findings from three data sources in combination with training indicated that implementation of the program increased social competence in young children. Research suggests that the overall result of the effectiveness of …

Comparison Of Preformed Archwires To Pretreatment Dental Casts Representing Normal Occlusions, Ezra Brown

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Preformed nickel-titanium archwires have become an almost universal standard for archwire selection in clinical practice. However, previous studies have found that that the intercanine and intermolar widths may be altered with the use of these wires. The patient’s original arch form should not be changed. To our knowledge, previous studies have not yet assessed the intercanine and intermolar widths of preformed archwires when categorized into ovoid, tapered, and square arch forms. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-arch dimensions of commercially available preformed nickel-titanium archwires relative to normal occlusion dental arches and when compared to …

Equivalence Of Remote, Online Administration And Traditional, Face-To-Face Administration Of Woodcock-Johnson Iv Cognitive And Achievement Tests, A. Jordan Wright

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Many children in need do not receive the mental health services they require. This is true with psychoeducational services in schools, where a shortage of school psychologists has been identified. An estimated 15% of all students struggle with attentional or learning difficulties that are unassessed and unaddressed, largely due to problems with access to psychoeducational evaluations. Remote, online psychoeducational evaluations have the potential to decrease this access problem by assisting school psychologists with their evaluation workload. The present study evaluated the equivalence of a remote, online administration procedure for the Woodcock-Johnson IV cognitive and achievement tests with traditional, in-person administration. …

A Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Perceptions: Non-Native Speakers Of English (L2s) In Bachelor Degree Programs, Leisha Cali

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore the experiences of faculty teaching L2s in bachelor degree courses at a private university in South Florida and to identify potential approaches and teaching methods that influence L2s’ learning and success. L2s comprise 10% of the nation’s college enrollment and are four times less likely to graduate with a bachelor degree than their socioeconomic peers who speak English as a first language.

The researcher examined the meaning of bachelor degree completion for L2s, perceived characteristics of successful L2s, and teaching methods influencing L2s’ success to understand how L2s succeed in bachelor degree courses. …

Academic Achievement Gaps Of Students In Private School Settings As Compared To Their Counterparts In Regular Public Educational Settings, April Yelani Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide the effectiveness of promoting change management through historical findings of closing reading comprehension (i.e., vocabulary) achievement gaps with black and white 9th and 10th grade students in a private school and 66 participants in this study. Achievement gaps in education refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students (Ansell, 2011). The achievement gap shows up in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates and among other success measures. Achievement gaps occur when one group of students such as, students grouped by race/ethnicity, gender outperforms another group and …

Aligning Secondary Benchmarks In High School Curriculums Across Content Areas, Michael George Forrest

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide insight into aligning secondary benchmarks in a high school curriculum across content areas to prevent students from failing reading in a South Florida high school. Few studies have investigated the effects of the alignment of secondary benchmarks across content areas. The study focuses on a case study design for data collection to reveal its analysis. The researcher utilizes content analyses and a panel of experts in the field of education to review the protocol and review the assessments, using open-ended interview protocol procedures on more than 13 teachers. The teachers’ positions can be …

The Effects Of Students With Disabilities Implementing Postsecondary Transition Plans, Joseph Daniel Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

The Effects of Students with Disabilities Implementing Postsecondary Transition Plans. Joseph D. Rodgers, 2018: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: educational planning, learning disabilities, individualized transition plans, community-based instruction (disabilities).

This applied dissertation was designed to examine whether or not students with disabilities (SWD) were prepared for the transition from high school to employment or to postsecondary education. Numerous reports had shown that SWD were being challenged with making the transition from postsecondary school to the next stage of their life, whether that is a full time job or attending college. To this end, …

Evaluative Study Of Jazz History Courses At The Collegiate Level, Charles Lawrence Bergeron

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to compare quantitative information concerning jazz history courses being taught in schools of music across America. The secondary purpose of the study was to solicit and analyze opinions from experienced jazz history instructors regarding the place and importance of these courses in college curricula. Curricula in use in university music programs that offer bachelor’s degrees in jazz studies must be evaluated regarding the content and relevance of subject matter presented in jazz history classes.

Questions concerning the number of semesters required to teach a continually increasing amount of material were paramount to this …

Experiences Of Lnu Neophyte Teachers: Cues For A Viable Mentoring Program, Evelyn B. Aguirre, Solomon D. Faller Jr.

The Qualitative Report

The usefulness of teachers’ mentoring program cannot be underestimated. Some universities and colleges in the Philippines have been implementing this kind of program with different approaches, content, and scope. The extent of mentoring programs to improve teaching careers has been studied here and abroad. Results remain inconclusive. This case study with a phenomenological peg has explored the lived experiences of neophyte teachers through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Their experiences in the first years of teaching were characterized by uncertainties, anxieties, struggles, and difficulties emanating from their lack of expertise on various aspects related to teaching practice, lack of …

Conductivity, Temperature And Depth (Ctd) Data For Deepend Stations, Cruise Dp04, August 2016, David English, Chuanmin Hu, April Cook, Tracey Sutton

DEEPEND Datasets

Conductivity, temperature and depth data from the ship's CTD, which was deployed at each of the DEEPEND stations. Depth of cast was variable, but extended from near-surface waters to below the euphotic zone. This data was used in the assessment of the water column's vertical structure, and for comparison with physical models. Data were collected on cruise DP04 in August, 2016.

Researcher Emotions As Data, A Tool And A Factor In Professional Development, Liora Nutov

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to explore and reflect on my own emotions while carrying out a research process and on their effect on the research and on myself as a researcher. After a brief literature review of the ways in which researcher emotions are perceived in qualitative research in the field of social sciences, I offer a reflective account of my own experience and suggest that researcher emotions can serve both as additional data and as an analyzing tool, as well as being a factor in the professional development of researchers.

Forecasting The Spread And Invasive Potential Of Apple Snails (Pomacea Spp.) In Florida, Stephanie A. Reilly

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Forecasting the potential range of invasive species is a critical component for risk assessment, monitoring, and management. However, many of these invasive species are not yet at equilibrium which can be problematic for many modelling approaches. Using the climate matching method, MaxEnt, a series of species distribution models (SDMs) and risk analysis maps were created for select apple snail species in Florida: Pomacea canaliculata, P. diffusa, and P. maculata. Apple snails, freshwater gastropods in the family Ampullariidae, are native to South America and were introduced to the United States via the pet trade approximately 40 years ago. …

Pros And Cons Of Marine Zoological Parks According To Marine Conservationists, Kayla L. Patama

HCNSO Student Capstones

Throughout history zoos and aquariums have satisfied a number of different, albeit to some, conflicting roles (Ballantyne, Packer, Hughes, & Dierking, 2007). In recent years, zoos and aquariums have shifted their focus on taking a proactive role in wildlife conservation and promoting conservation learning among their visitors. The present capstone addresses the justifications that marine conservationists see in marine zoological parks and how they believe parks can become more relevant and valuable in the future. A 65 question survey (Appendix I) was distributed to marine science professionals online through personal contact between June and September 2017 questioning participant’s personal opinions …

Project Iice: Inspiring Interdisciplinary Collaboration Experiences, Tracy Dow, Adam Gilbert, Megan Sawyer, Michael Weinstein, Katharine York

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

Project IICE was a multi-disciplinary learning experience designed for students at Southern New Hampshire University. Students worked together in teams to communicate scientific data that was initially collected by an Introductory Botany class. Students in this course measured trees and recorded variables, including tree height, diameter, species, and canopy cover. They shared the data with students in freshman Statistics courses, who analyzed mathematically for trends. Finally, students in Graphic Design used the data to create visual representations and icons. Students collaborated in groups that were randomly assigned across all of the courses to include members of each discipline. During the …

Short-Term Toxicity Of 1-Methylnaphthalene To Americamysis Bahia And 5 Deep-Sea Crustaceans, Anthony H. Knap, Nicholas R. Turner, Gopal Bera, Dorothy-Ellen A. Renegar, Tamara Frank, Jose Sericano, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

There are few studies that have evaluated hydrocarbon toxicity to vertically migrating deep-sea micronekton. Crustaceans were collected alive using a 9-m² Tucker trawl with a thermally insulated cod end and returned to the laboratory in 10 °C seawater. Toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 1-methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia, Janicella spinacauda, Systellaspis debilis, Sergestes sp., Sergia sp., and a euphausiid species was assessed in a constant exposure toxicity test utilizing a novel passive dosing toxicity testing protocol. The endpoint of the median lethal concentration tests was mortality, and the results revealed high sensitivity of the deep-sea micronekton …

Is The State Of The Air-Sea Interface A Factor In Rapid Intensification And Rapid Decline Of Tropical Cyclones?, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas, Mark A. Donelan, Brian K. Haus, Isaac Ginis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tropical storm intensity prediction remains a challenge in tropical meteorology. Some tropical storms undergo dramatic rapid intensification and rapid decline. Hurricane researchers have considered particular ambient environmental conditions including the ocean thermal and salinity structure and internal vortex dynamics (e.g., eyewall replacement cycle, hot towers) as factors creating favorable conditions for rapid intensification. At this point, however, it is not exactly known to what extent the state of the sea surface controls tropical cyclone dynamics. Theoretical considerations, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations suggest that the air-sea interface under tropical cyclones is subject to the Kelvin-Helmholtz type instability. Ejection of large …

Effects Of Ocean Warming And Acidification On Fertilization Success And Early Larval Development In The Green Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus, Brittney L. Lenz

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is predicted to affect the larval stages of many marine organisms. Ocean warming can reduce larval survival and hasten larval development, whereas ocean acidification can delay larval development. Ocean acidification is especially concerning for marine organisms that develop and grow calcified shells or skeletons in an environment undersaturated with calcium carbonate minerals. This study assessed the effects of ocean warming and acidification on the fertilization and larval development of the green sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, a tropical species common in Florida and the Caribbean. After spawning, gametes were fertilized and embryos/larvae were reared at: 1) 28°C and …

Variation In Coral Recruitment And Juvenile Distribution Along The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Leah M. Harper

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Coral recruitment in Southeast Florida is being outpaced by mortality, resulting in population declines in many species. Identifying the coral species most likely to recruit and survive on Southeast Florida reefs and evaluating spatial variation in recruitment and survivorship is crucial for managing decreasing coral populations. This study focuses on 12 sites in Broward and Miami-Dade counties that have served as long-term stations for monitoring adult coral cover and demographics. At each site, thirty-two 225cm² grooved terracotta settlement tiles were attached to the substrate in winter of 2015 and retrieved in winter of 2016 to evaluate scleractinian and octocoral …

Winter 2017, Transformations

Transformations

No abstract provided.

Reef Fish Assemblage Biogeography Along The Florida Reef Tract, Cory Ames

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the biogeography of reef fish assemblages is paramount to reef conservation, management, and conducting appropriate population survey designs. Reef fish assemblages are a multispecies complex of reef-associated fish and are shaped by multiple environmental and biological factors (e.g. temperature, depth, benthic habitat, and topographic relief), which determine the species constituents residing in an area. Assemblages typically change with latitude where the number of families, genera, and/or densities of species specific to warmer climates decrease poleward into colder climate regimes. The Florida Reef Tract (FRT) extends for 595 km from the Dry Tortugas in the south-west to Martin County in …

Frontline Experiences From Changing Fisheries Bycatch Paradigms, David Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

"The Effects Of Ocean Warming And Sedimentation On The Survival And Growth Of Acropora Cervicornis" And "Differential Prevalence Of Chimerism During Embryogenesis In Corals", Hayley De Marchis

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Part I:

Coral reefs are essential to coastal economies, protecting coastlines from storms, and harboring high biodiversity. However, reefs are declining due to local anthropogenic stressors and ocean warming. Sedimentation, a local stressor, aggravates the impacts of warming on corals and hinders their survival and growth. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether sedimentation and temperature have a synergistic effect on vulnerable coral species, especially during earlier stages of development. To quantify these effects, survival and growth of newly settled Acropora cervicornis corals were measured at two temperatures (29 and 31°C, representing current and predicted for 2050 Summer temperatures) and …