Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of The Skills For School Success Curriculum Upon The Mainstream Academic Performance Of Special Education Students, Jennifer Fabricant

Masters Theses

Since the implementation of PL 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, over 4 million students have been identified as exceptional (Higgins, 1976). Of these children, 4.41% are placed in general education classrooms for at least part of their school day. The prior research evaluating the effectiveness of general education classroom placement has centered around instructional techniques. This study examined a different aspect of general education placement: study skills. The present study employed a multiple baseline across subjects experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Skills for School Success" program. The subjects were two students identified by their …

A Socio-Historic Analysis Of The Multicultural Education Movement And Its Relationship With Higher Education, Barbara D. Muncey

Masters Theses

The focus of this thesis is a socio-historic analysis of the multicultural education movement and its relationship with Higher Education. This research has four objectives: (1) to identify the multicultural education movement as a social movement; (2) to identify the historical background of the multicultural education movement and explain its relationship to the social movements of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s; (3) to identify and discuss the social theories developed to explain and understand these movements and their relationship to each other; and (4) to review and analyze data gathered concerning the impact of the multicultural education movement on higher …

Identification Of Aromatic Acids As Microbial Metabolites Of Fossil-Fuel Compounds Present In Aquifer Systems, Daniel Michael Tomczak

Masters Theses

The identification and quantitation of aromatic acids as transformation products present in contaminated aquifer systems was studied from selected sites. These acids are formed as microbial metabolites in the oxidative degradation of aromatic compounds. The microbial activity in the subsurface can be coupled to the oxidation of the aromatic compounds and the reduction of specific inorganic indicators. Inorganic indicators identified from the sample sites include the reduced forms of iron, nitrate, sulfate, and dissolved oxygen.

The highest concentrations of the aromatic acids were found in the plumes of the contaminated sites. These concentrations also correlated with specific changes in concentrations …

A State Architecture Notation Specification Of The Electronic Industries Association Rs-232-C Generic Interchange Circuit, Nelson E. Hastings

Masters Theses

The Electronic Industries Association (BIA) RS-232-C recommendation is an interface specification which was introduced in August 1969 and presents a natural language specification of a 25 pin binary serial data interface between a Data Communication Equipment (DCE) and a Data Terminal Equipment (DTE). The exchange of data signals between a DCE and a DTE ultimately provides the means for DTEs to communicate on networks of DCEs interconnected by different transmission mediums possibly over great distances. The exchange of data signals between a DCE and a DTE occurs at an interface via interchange circuits.

In this thesis we will create a …

Elderly Hispanics In The United States: Their Use And Non-Use Of Social Services, Paulina X. Ruf

Masters Theses

The Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly people Living Alone (1988), conducted the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly, 1988. Using data from this survey, the present descriptive work, examines the use and non-use of selected social services by general demographic characteristics of the elderly Hispanic sample. In addition, general characteristics of this sample are discussed. A summary of the findings and recommendations for future research conclude this thesis.

The findings indicate that although the elderly Hispanics in the United States reported needing the selected social services used in this thesis, many of them reported not using these services. Additionally, as the …

Communication Apprehension As A Determinant Of Conflict Management Style, Jennifer C. Eikenberg

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Hunter S. Thompson's Bid For Sheriff Of Pitkin County, Colorado: The Rhetorical Anatomy Of An Unconventional Campaign, Eric Bruce

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Affinity-Seeking In The Classroom: A Study Of Differences In Instructor Gender And Status, Darin L. Garard

Masters Theses

Affinity-seeking is the process by which individuals attempt to get others to like them. The purpose of the present study was to analyze student perceptions of instructor use of affinity-seeking strategies as a function of instructor gender and status by replicating the research of Bell and Daly (1984) and Roach (1992). A pilot study was first conducted to determine if research in this area was indeed warranted; results were significantly positive to that effect. For the present study, research questions were developed to examine the differences between male and female instructor affinity-seeking, Graduate Teaching Assistant and faculty affinity-seeking, and to …

A Survey Of Bus Discipline Behaviors, Management Techniques, And Policies Within Illinois Educational Service Center #11, Jean M. Chrostoski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to research the scope and degree to which school bus discipline was a problem for school districts in the Illinois Educational Service Center #11, and to determine if there were any consistencies in the school policies, procedures and behavioral management plans used by these districts. Since there has been little written research regarding the issue, this study was a method of providing data regarding bus discipline, and synthesizing this data to compile a school bus resource manual for school personnel.

Data were collected from 28 school districts representing 177 administrators, special education coordinators and/or …

An Analysis Of And Revision Of The Board Policy Manual Of Red Hill Community Unit #10, Dennis W. Kimmel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to analyze current board policy manuals in school districts surrounding Red Hill Community Unit School District #10 in Illinois and to revise and update the board policy manual of Red Hill Community Unit School District #10. This field experience was significant because the author believes a current board policy manual that is organized helps insure the efficient operation of a local school district in the state of Illinois. The job of school governance today is difficult and principles for school governance are essential.

The development of policy statements is a practice that must …

An Investigation Of Affirmative Action Policies And Practices Of Recruiting, Hiring, Mentoring And Retention Of African American Teachers And Administrators, U. S. Davidson Jr.

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the affirmative action policies and practices of recruiting, hiring, mentoring and retention of African American teachers and administrators throughout the State of Illinois. Since public elementary and secondary school systems provide numerous and varied jobs in virtually every community in the nation, it is assumed that if a quality education is to be attained, students must be exposed to the variety of cultural perspectives that represent the nation at large (American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, 1990).

This study examined policies and practices of districts throughout the State of Illinois inquiring …

The Concept Of The Local In Williams' Developing Poetics: The Poet's Perception And Representation Of The Poor, Jon Montgomery

Masters Theses

The present study serves as a thematic, critical perspective on William Carlos Williams' poetry on the poor; specifically, I address his representation of the poor in his poetry and his attitude towards them. From 1914-38, his attitude towards the poor goes through three significant stages of change. Roughly, the stage boundaries can be marked by decade: the 1910s, the 1920s and the 1930s.

In the first stage, Williams recognizes his empathetic and aesthetic distance from the poor, since his aesthetics rest primarily on his youthful fascination with Keats. The poet desires to reflect properly the lives of the poor. The …

From Tragedy To Hope: A Study Of The Parallels In The Thought Of Samuel Johnson And T.S. Eliot, Thomas Daniel Mcgrath

Masters Theses

In this paper, the similarities between Samuel Johnson and T.S. Eliot are explored. Both men opposed the optimism with which their contemporary intellectuals had begun to regard humanity and its possibility for fulfillment on earth. While Johnson was from the 18th century, and Eliot from the 20th, the intellectual movements of their day bore a similar tone. The reaction of these two men was also similar.

Johnson and Eliot presented in their writing a similar view of the emptiness of human experience. This is most apparent in Johnson's The History of Rasselas and Eliot's The Waste Land, and the …

Perceptions Of School Staff And Community Of Student Needs And Community Characteristics Which May Affect Student Learning, David I. Wilson

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess the perceptions of the staff and community of Odin Elementary School and Odin High School of student needs and community characteristics which may affect student learning. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of school staff and community regarding student needs and community characteristics which may affect student learning.

The surveys for this study were designed by the researcher with information taken from materials issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. Thirty-one elementary staff members and 25 high school staff members provided staff data. One hundred-thirty community members provided …

Teacher Employment Practices In Small High Schools In East Central Illinois, Fredrick P. Wheeler

Masters Theses

This project gathered information about the teacher employment practices recommended by the literature and research, used in small high schools in Illinois Educational Service Region 26, and used in Martinsville High School, Martinsville, Illinois. The literature identified nine basic areas in which to divide the selection process. It suggested that district personnel (a) make teacher employment a top priority commitment, (b) be familiar with the legal implications of teacher employment, (c) develop appropriate and specific criteria for the position, (d) make sure expectations are realistic, (e) choose recruiting sources carefully, (f) collect candidate information, (g) continuously refine and improve interviewing …

The Development Of A Plan To Prepare For The Quality Review Visit Under The Illinois Public School Recognition System, Michael L. Stivers

Masters Theses

This study examined the development of a School Improvement Plan for the Oblong School District in preparation for a Quality Review visit. The Illinois State Board of Education was mandated by legislation pasted in 1984 and 1992 to evaluate the School Improvement Plan of each school district in Illinois. The steps taken to properly prepare for the Quality Review visit were documented in the study. The recommendations detailed in the paper were developed at the completion of the Quality Review visit and reflect the suggestions of the Quality Review Team. The suggestions outlined in the study should make the process …

An Exemplary Early Childhood Program: Program Directors' Perspectives, Anita K. Pond

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to develop exemplary guidelines for the implementation of an early childhood program. A survey of 78 early childhood programs in Southern Illinois was conducted. Participants surveyed were asked to respond to questions relating to the early childhood staff, screening and assessment procedures, the policy manual, meeting the needs of each child, parental involvement and the program director. In addition, a review of current literature associated with early childhood programs was presented. Included in the review of literature were books and articles related to the multiple components necessary to create an exemplary early childhood …

Computer Education Needs And Usage In Bond, Fayette, And Effingham Counties, Derrold D. Jones

Masters Theses

This study focused on the availability of and use of computer hardware and software by high school students. The students researched lived within the area served by Okaw Area Vocational Center, which includes Bond, Fayette, and Effingham Counties in Illinois. Parents, educators, and persons from business and industry were surveyed to determine educational needs and expectations related to computer use. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlational procedures. This study was developed to assist the Okaw Vocational Center area schools in the development of curricula based on technological data. The findings of this study support reference being made …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Ruii(Bpy){(Bpyrm)Ruii(Nh3)4}2](Pf6)6 And [Ruii(Bpy)2(Bpyrm)Ruii(Nh3)4](Pf6)4, Rick Anthony Pavinato

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the synthesis of a trimetallic Ru^II complex [Ru^II(bpy){(bpyrm)Ru^II(NH₃)₄}₂](PF₆)₆ and its bimetallic analog [Ru^II(bpy)₂(bpyrm)Ru^II(NH₃)₄](PF₆)₄. The trimetallic species was designed to be the first in a series of complexes where the reduction potential of the "bridging" complex could be varied (relative to the "terminal" sites) through systematic variation in the metal (M) and/or ligand (LL) … Generation of the [Ru^II-M^II-Ru^III] "mixed-valence" complex would then allow …

A Teacher Induction Program For Small, Rural School Districts In Illinois, Michael H. Schmidt

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify elements commonly found in existing new teacher induction programs and incorporate those elements into an induction program that could be implemented almost exclusively by a single building level administrator. The information was obtained through an examination of existing literature and contacts with current practitioners who were involved in induction activities.

Survey instruments were provided for participating administrators and the new teachers in their buildings. The surveys identified elements of the existing program and the perceived importance of those elements from the perspectives of the administrator and the teacher.

The information collected from …

Field Study On Quality Review In Illinois, Melinda Brookens Ostergren

Masters Theses

The Illinois State Recognition Program, otherwise known as Quality Review, has stringent rules for documenting compliance with requirements regarding information on student demographics, outcomes, assessment standards, expectations, plans for improvement, and reporting that information to the public in a meaningful way. This field study provides new formats for the scoring rubric and auditors' Interpretive Key for the state rules and regulations which make them easier to understand. In addition, it offers model forms for record-keeping so that preparing for an audit visit can be done efficiently, but it offers no solutions to the complex problem of generating change by altering …

The Transformation Of Immanence: From The Augustinian Faith Of Henry Vaughan To The Rationalist Faith Of S.T. Coleridge, Tristum M. Ryan

Masters Theses

The present study focuses on the conception of immanence and the manner in which it evolved from the seventeenth century, as represented in Henry Vaughan's Silex Scintillans, to the nineteenth century, as represented in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's nature poetry and his collection of letters, Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit. Vaughan's conception of a basic immanence of reflected divinity in nature evolved, over the course of two hundred years, into Coleridge's version of an immanence based on reason. These two different conceptions of immanence in part formed the basis of the respective faiths of Vaughan and Coleridge. Vaughan's traditional Augustinian faith …

Burnout And Job Dissatisfaction Among Practicing Illinois School Psychologists, Kathryn M. Niebrugge

Masters Theses

Survey materials including a Maslach Burnout Inventory, a School Psychologists Stress Inventory, and specially designed demographic and job satisfaction questionnaires were completed by a random sample of members of the Illinois School Psychologists Association (N=139). Results suggested that symptoms of burnout frequently occur among this group of professionals. Although job related stressors (e.g. lack of resources, time management) were related to burnout, demographic factors (e.g. satisfaction with supervision, case discrepancy index) were found to be the best predictors of burnout. Results suggest that supervising psychologists are considered to be primary figures in resistance to burnout. Further research could aid in …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Persian Gulf Debates, Daniel F. Hickey

Masters Theses

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze selected senatorial speeches for and against using military force against Iraq.

Hypothesis

It was hypothesized that Richard Weaver's hierarchy of argument will provide a useful framework for the identification of arguments and philosophical inclination of the speakers.

Materials

The primary documents comprising this study were the four speeches found in Vital Speeches of the Day by Senator Robert Dole (R-KS), Senator George Mitchell (D-ME), Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO), and Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). All were delivered in the Senate between January 10-12, 1991. The speakers chosen were well-respected members of …

The Relationship Between Ca And Humor, Michael Sean Mcmurtry

Masters Theses

Research has shown that communication apprehension is seen as a negative effect of speaking in public as well as in other situations. The nervous and anxious feelings experienced in these contexts take away from understanding and add to the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, humor is found to be an excellent coping mechanism to deal with embarrassing and fear-related anxieties and it adds to group cohesiveness. The relationship between CA and humor was of investigated to determine what effects CA has on humor and how well the use of humorous messages alleviates the problems associated with CA. …

A Study Of Required Educational Preparation And Role Of Entry Level Public Relations Practitioners: A National Educator And Practitioner Perspective, Kristin Mary Oelke

Masters Theses

The public relations profession is in a constant state of change, and it doesn't have a clear definition. Without having a clear understanding of public relations, it is difficult to know exactly how to prepare college students who aspire to become public relations practitioners for the profession.

Moreover, there is only limited public relations research and literature regarding the required educational preparation and role of entry-level practitioners. Therefore, due to the limited literature, this study was conducted, in general, to learn more about the required educational preparation and role of entry-level PR practitioners and, specifically, to test the following three …

An Evaluation Of Pre-Intake Attention On Kept Intake Appointments In An Outpatient Setting, Lauren Roberts

Masters Theses

The present study attempted to reduce the no-show rate for scheduled intake appointments at a local CMHC through the use of two interventions. Thirty-seven subjects who called for an intake appointment were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: an Orientation and Standard Intake Procedure or an Orientation and Modified Intake Procedure. Both treatment groups were compared to a Base Group consisting of intake appointments scheduled during the same time period the previous year. Individuals assigned to OMIP revealed a reduction in the no-show rate from 51% during baseline to 36%. Individuals assigned to OSIP did not reveal similar …

A Burkean Analysis Of The Rhetoric Of Sexual Harassment: An Examination Of The Polarization Of Attitudes Related To Consensual Relationships On Campus, Loretta Lovelace Wiman

Masters Theses

A history of sexual harassment traces the recognition and development of the issue as a social problem in the workplace and on college campuses. A review of research literature reveals both percentages of students involved and the effects on those students of academic or teacher/student sexual harassment. A brief overview of institutional policy statements shows that some colleges/universities have responded to the issue with a ban on all consensual amorous relationships between teachers and students; some ban such relationships only when a supervisory relationship also exists, and some do neither. Some policies include sanctions on those who violate bans; others …

Robert Frost And Maya Angelou: Poet-As-Rhetor In The Presidential Inauguration: Textual Symbols And The Symbol Of Enactment, Donna M. Witmer

Masters Theses

This criticism uses an organic approach to examine the rhetorical properties of Frost's and Angelou's inaugural poems and their individual enactments respective of the constraints and exigencies in the Presidential inaugurations of Kennedy and Clinton. Apparently responding to the constraints of television's sound bite as well as to exigencies of the traditional inauguration and the need to serve a new generation and a culturally diverse population, the Clinton Administration combined the poetic form, used to heighten an emotional response, with an enactment as a synecdochic symbol, used to assert sociopolitical ideology.

The Relationship Between Involvement In Extracurricular Activities And Academic Achievement Of Students At Flora High School, Linda J. Spicer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to determine the effect of participation in extracurricular activities upon academic achievement. Senior students at Flora High School were asked to respond to several survey questions that provided information concerning their participation or lack of participation in extracurricular activities. In addition, they expressed opinions related to their own personal involvement in extracurricular activities. The cumulative grade point averages of participants and nonparticipants were also reported.

The results indicated that the respondents of the Class of 1994 of Flora High School strongly felt that participation in extracurricular activities had an effect upon academic achievement. …