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The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of An Effective Reading And Writing Program For A Rural, Small Town Junior High School, Lynn R. Curtis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the extra time provided for reading and writing in Macon Junior High School, Macon, Illinois. The following hypotheses were tested: The reading and writing treatment has a significant effect on student reading comprehension scores, writing skills, enjoyment of reading, and on the encouragement of students to read more. There is a significant difference between the cost of the reading and writing program and the fine and applied arts courses it replaced. Subjects included students and teachers in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades at Macon Junior High School. Achievement …

The Development Of A School Emergency Plan For The Blue Ridge School District #18, Farmer City, Illinois, Robert D. Hooker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to devise an emergency preparedness plan handbook for the Blue Ridge School District #18, Farmer City, Illinois. The handbook was designed to aid the school administration and staff by defining definite administrative action in carrying out the steps necessary to protect students and staff in the event of an emergency situation. A data base was formed from several sources. Information was received through a review of the literature; a review of organizational materials; a review of information from school districts through a questionnaire; interviews with individuals from professional agencies; and a review of school …

An Analysis Of Factors Associated With The Change In Graduation Requirements At Champaign Centennial High School, David H. Pike

Masters Theses

The graduation requirements for the students at Champaign Centennial High School, Champaign, Illinois, changed effective with the class of 1988. This field experience investigated the possible effects of the new and more stringent graduation requirements. A comparative analysis using students in the classes of 1985, 1986, and 1987 for the baseline data with the students in the classes of 1988 and 1989 was completed. Specifically, the evaluator designed a procedure to statistically study the students' American College Test and SRA Survey of Basic Skills Test scores. A two tailed t-test for the difference of the means at the .05 level …

School Effectiveness Model For Enterprise Elementary School, Lloyd A. Moma

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study is to develop a school improvement model for use at Enterprise Elementary School, District #61 in Decatur, Illinois based on effective schools research. There has been a slow, steady change in the student population of this school in the past twenty years. The influx of hard to educate children, combined with the loss of some services, such as Chapter I, required that staff adjust teaching practices to maintain the high level of achievement that past test results have indicated. Because of the increased awareness of effective schools research and an increasing demand for school …

Administrative Field Experience: Educational Service Center #17, Olney, Illinois, Joyce A. Carson

Masters Theses

Being the Director of an Educational Service Center is a position of challenge, responsibility, and leadership. The internship consisted of managing the day-to-day operations of the center and completing two major projects. The first project had been implemented in the center's Full Service Plan involving the recognition of exemplary programs. The second assignment was directed by the General Assembly in regard to family life-sex education.

The day-to-day operations involved managing the Educational Service Center #17's summer staff. The staff consisted of the bookkeeper and two secretaries. Leadership and management skills were necessary. Being punctual, being productive, setting goals, praising staff, …

Preservation Of The Family Unit In Adolescent Novels, Mary M. Hutchings

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the development of the family story from the late nineteenth century to the present, beginning with What Katy Did as an example of the earlier moral story from which this genre grows. It then focuses on Little Women as the beginning of the modern family story and uses Jo from Little Women as the starting point to discuss the development of the female adolescent protagonist in these stories. And lastly, comparing Little Women to modern family life stories which began to appear about 1940, the thesis discusses changes in didacticism which have occurred since the late nineteenth …

Edgar County, Illinois In The Civil War, 1861-1865, Scott Parkinson

Masters Theses

Many Civil War authors have written works which have discussed the contribution individual states made to the war effort. These authors, however, have failed to consider the contributions made by individual counties. For example, in his work, Illinois in the Civil War, Victor Hicken has provided readers with a comprehensive history of Illinois’ role in the Civil War. However, Professor Hicken’s work has failed to consider the contribution Illinois’ counties made to the war effort. Therefore, it is the purpose of this thesis to examine one Illinois county’s contribution to that war.

When the Civil War began in 1861, …

Steady State Oxygen Cost Of Arm Ergometry Using The Monark Rehab Trainer, Gregory R. Grazen

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine the steady state oxygen cost of arm crank ergometry with the Monark Rehab Trainer, a device used for exercise training in many cardiac rehabilitation programs. Fifteen male (25.2 yrs. ± 4.1) and fifteen female (23.8 yrs. ± 4.0) subjects were tested in the seated position with the mid-point of the crank wheel adjusted to shoulder height. No attempt was made to stabilize the shoulder girdle, as this is typically not done when training with this device. The test protocol for both groups consisted of progressive three minute work stages followed by a thirty second …

Invertebrates Associated With The Pincushion Moss (Leucobryum Glaucum) And Underlying Soil, Timothy R. Leffler

Masters Theses

A faunal study of soil invertebrates collected from pincushion moss (Leucobryum glaucum) and underlying soil in a mixed deciduous forest of Charleston, Illinois, was performed because it was discovered that moss habitats have been largely overlooked by investigators.

The results from this study suggest that moss habitats provide a buffer area from the external physical environment, provide protection from predators, a place for oviposition and may be used as a food source. Twenty-seven orders of invertebrates were collected (66,023 individuals). Acarina (57.9%) and Collembola (37.9%) made up the majority of the invertebrate population. Three abiotic factors (temperature, moisture …

The Effect Of Caloric Restriction And Exercise On Plasma Lipid And Lipoprotein Concentration, Jeffrey J. Zachwieja

Masters Theses

The independent and combined effects of exercise training and caloric restriction on the plasma concentration of lipid and lipoprotein was studied. Thirty-two female volunteers were assigned to one of three treatment groups; exercise only, diet only or diet plus exercise. The exercise only group participated in a walk/jog program three days per week. For 30 to 45 minutes these individuals either walked or jogged at a intensity which elicited a heart rate that was 70% of the max heart rate reserve. The diet only group participated in a behavior modification weight loss program which restricted caloric intake to 1200 kcals …

Concerto For Saxophone And Orchestra: Score And Analysis, Jonathan Clarke Schwabe

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Model For Determining Attitudes Towards School District Reorganization, James A. Voyles

Masters Theses

The focus of this study is to provide a model for determining current attitudes toward school district reorganization so that a school board can gain local community data. The small rural school districts of central Illinois are finding fewer and fewer options when considering maintaining or increasing the quality of education in their communities. Illinois school reform legislation of 1985 included a section on school district reorganization which was an effort to reduce the number of districts and increase the quality of education. However, the sentiment was so strong against forced reorganization that the plan for reorganization died a political …

Communication Through Athletic History At Eastern Illinois University: 1899-1988, Michael H. Chron

Masters Theses

This study is divided into 14 chapters, with an introduction, the 12 different sports categories and the year-by-year results, and a conclusion. The sports are arranged into chapters in accordance with the scheduling of the academic year.

The method of research involved collecting and classifying source materials, and interpreting and presenting these facts and findings. This method is critical in synthesizing the development and history of intercollegiate athletics at Eastern Illinois University.

This documented data will serve as a public relations project for the athletic department as a recruiting tool for prospective athletes and coaches who contemplate coming to Eastern …

A Study Of The Use Of Student Perceptions For Counselor Evaluations, Accountability And Recognition, Judy Edmundson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to gather information from students in order to measure student perceptions of the counselors' role and the counseling services provided in ten rural school districts. Of the total student population of 1,277 students, 1,150 surveys were administered and completed for 100% response. The respondents represented students from grades nine through twelve. The survey gathered information by having the students respond to 25 statements as: Are the counseling services for your school satisfactory? Do you need more? Do you need much more? All data were tallied by hand for each respondent in each district. The …

Age And Sex Differences In The Responses Of Adolescents To The Hand Test, Sonya R. Castle

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate age and sex differences in the responses of adolescents to the Hand Test (Wagner, 1962). This instrument was administered to 44 14-year olds (26 males and 18 females), 40 15-year-olds (23 males and 17 females), 45 16-year-olds (19 males and 26 females), and 34 17-year-olds (13 males and 21 females) who were enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 of a public high school. Data for the 24 Hand Test variables was normalized using a Z-score transformation on the group mean of all subjects to allow for simultaneous analysis of …

The Bryophytes Of Kickapoo State Park, Vermilion County, Illinois, Kevin Jon Lyman

Masters Theses

A bryological survey of Kickapoo State Park, Vermilion county, Illinois, revealed a total of 45 bryophyte species. Of these, 42 are mosses and 3 are liverworts. The habitat and frequency for each species were recorded.

As a result of this survey, the following pleurocarpi are reported for the first time in Vermilion County: Amblystegium riparium (Hedw.) BSG, Amblystegium trichopodium (Schultz) Hartm., Amblystegium serpens (Hedw.) BSG var. juratzkanum (Schimp.) Rau & Herv., Thuidium recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb., Brachythecium rivulare BSG, Bryoandersonia illicebra (Hedw.) Robins., Campylium chrysophyllum (Brid.) J. Lange, and Campylium hispidulum (Brid.) Mitt. The following acrocarpi represent new records for Vermilion …

Packaging Engineering Education Qualitative Need Assessment, M. Douglas Sachs

Masters Theses

"Packaging engineering is an interdisciplinary field which has no formal degree program to support it. While there arc packaging engineers in industry, there are no packaging engineering degrees presently being offered by our nation's colleges and universities. In order to lay a foundation upon which a degree program could be based, this thesis has investigated the needs of packaging engineering education by seeking the input of the packaging industry. This qualitative comparison has been quantified, resulting in a list of prioritized classes and topics upon which a degree program could be based"--Abstract, page ii.

Influence Of Prior Deformation On Structure And Properties Of Heat Treated Aluminum Casting Alloy, Chungwei Hsia

Masters Theses

"A1 356 alloy is extensively used for a wide variety of casting applications. The structure is composed of primary dendrites and eutectic silicon formed during the eutectic reaction. It has long been recognized that the shape of the eutectic silicon significantly affects the ductility of the alloy. Traditionally, the morphology of the silicon is changed by certain chemical and/or thermal processes to improve the ductility. Mechanically deforming the castings to "modify" the shape of silicon has been shown by this research to be an effective alternative method to improve the spheroidization rate of eutectic silicon during heat treatment. The best …

Deduction Of A Functional Dependency From A Set Of Functional Dependencies, James M. Richardson

Masters Theses

"This paper describes an algorithm called the Deduction Tracing Algorithm (DTA) which utilizes basic properties of functional dependencies from database systems and a modification of a tree search algorithm from artificial intelligence. The algorithm takes a set of functional dependencies, F, along with a specific functional dependency L→R as input and produces a list of functional dependencies from F that can be used to deduce L→R. The resulting algorithm is easily automated to provide relational database users with a tool for organizing their queries"--Abstract, page iii.

Micro Database Management System Language, Karen Yingling Tam

Masters Theses

"There are two approaches to solve computational problems in a microcomputer environment:

1. Non-database approach: uses a high level programming language with non-database files as input and/or output files.
2. Database approach: uses the programming language embedded in the micro Data Base Management System(DBMS), with the database defined by the integrated database definition language as input and/or output files.

Adopting the appropriate approach in any single application may save cost and time. This paper compares the two different approaches while solving the same Control Section (CSECT) Interaction Hierarchy problem and suggests which to use when"--Abstract, page ii.

Glass Formation And Properties In The Sm₂O₃·Al₂O₃·Sio₂ System, Erik M. Erbe

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation was to develop a samarium containing aluminosilicate glass with properties suitable for use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Microspheres made from these compositions would be neutron activated to produce radioactive Sm-153 which has beta-particle energies suitable for treating rheumatoid arthritis as well as appropriate gamma-ray emission for nuclear imaging. The properties of Sm₂O₃ · AI₂O₃ · SiO₂ glasses containing 10 to 25 mole% Sm₂O₃ were evaluated as a function of composition. The density, refractive index, thermal expansion coefficient, and microhardness increased with increasing Sm …

Processing And Characterization Of Ceramic Fiber Reinforced Porous Matrix Composites, Wen-Chiang Tu

Masters Theses

"The development of ceramic fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites has been shown to be a promising approach for high toughness ceramic materials. The purpose of this work was to develop a new ceramic matrix composite(CMC) system based on a porous mullitic matrix reinforced with ceramic fibers. Unidirectional alligned fiber reinforced mullitic matrix composites were fabricated by a filament winding process. Prepregs were laminated and thermal processed in air. SEM fractographs of the composites were characterized and related to the observed load-deflection behaviors under 3-point flexure. The fracture surface expositions changed from extensive fiber tear-out to limited fiber pull-out as the …

Use Of Circadian Rhythms To Screen For Fever: A Replication, Michele S. Heckman

Masters Theses

There are inconsistent guidelines for, and consequently, inconsistent practice in the screening of hospitalized adults for fever. Using the predictive knowledge of circadian thermal rhythms, the purposes of this study were to identify (1) the hour of the day in which most fevers occurred and (2) the necessary frequency of measurement to detect fever. The sample consisted of 35 subjects, ages 22-62. Temperatures were measured at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. for 24 hours. Eighteen (51.42%) of the 35 subjects had fevers during the 24-hour measurement period. Fourteen (77.78%) initial fevers were …

Promoting Adaptation Of The Young Child During An Outpatient Surgical Admission Assessment, Mary C. Mitus

Masters Theses

This study used an experimental design to investigate whether the timing of a child's admission physical assessment, either before or after an interview with the child's parent(s), had an effect on the upset and cooperation behaviors exhibited by the child during the physical exam.; Thirty-two children, age 12 to 36 months, who were scheduled for elective outpatient surgery were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups.; The hypothesis of the study was that children who were examined after the interview would exhibit less upset behaviors and be more cooperative with the examining nurse. It was hypothesized that these children would …

Primary Nursing: A Cost And Quality Effective Patient Care Structure, James Greer

Masters Theses

This descriptive study was undertaken to investigate differences in cost-effectiveness and quality patient care between primary nursing and team/functional nursing as practical in a 113 bed acute care community hospital. The sample was comprised of 80 hospitalized patients that were divided equally between a primary and team-functional nursing unit. Quality of Care was measured by the Rush-Medicus Nursing Care Quality System and cost effectiveness was determined by annual salaries.; Using a t-test statistical analysis, no significant differences were obtained in quality of patient care when using a primary nursing care structure with less FTEs as compared to a team leading …

A Comparison Of Nurse And Spouse Perceptions Concerning Psychosocial Needs, Marie C. Bednarczyk

Masters Theses

The purposes of this research were to discover and compare spouse's and nurse's perceptions of selected psychosocial needs. Twenty-six spouses of cardiac patients admitted to intensive care ranked 45 need statements using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory. Nineteen nurses were also asked to assess and select the spouse's needs using the same tool. The need to know the prognosis was identified as the most important by the spouses of this study. Whereas, the nurses perceived the need to have hope as the most important for the spouses. The results showed that significant differences existed between the perceptions of spouses …

Fractals With Arbitrary Segment Lengths, Daniel Michael Doerer

Masters Theses

"Work in the area of fractal geometry has generally focused on a specific facet of the discipline at the expense of other interesting features. This approach often generates more questions than answers for the general audience due to the lack of unification across all views. It appears that a common thread to relate all aspects of fractal characteristics is missing. This paper addresses this question and presents some new and fascinating results. For example, in-depth mathematical analysis often defers to the intriguing and attractive graphical displays produced by mapping the complex plane to the pixel field on a CRT. Both …

Effects Of 0.5 Weight Percent Boron On Cobalt Aluminide, Kevin Thomas Slattery

Masters Theses

"A study was made on the effects of adding 0.5 weight percent boron to the ordered intermetallic Cobalt Aluninide. Thirty gram (30g) specimens were induction melted in an pure argon atmosphere and cast into a copper alloy bar mold. The addition of boron raised the modulus of rupture from 30.1 to 44.3 ksi; increased the Knoop microhardness from 543 to 693; reduced the average grain size from 190 to 70 microns; and gave a more equiaxed grain structure. X-ray diffraction detected the presence of a second phase, AlB , 12 in the material containing boron. Scanning electron micro-scopy revealed that …

Paraffin Deposition Property Measurement Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Kevin Lynn Thornsberry

Masters Theses

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) has been used in past studies to identify the cloud points of diesel fuels, lube oils, jet fuels etc. and it has been assumed that its application extends to all paraffinic hydrocarbons. To verify this and to investigate the possible application of Differential Scanning Calorimetry to the production phase of the petroleum industry, the onset of wax crystallization is compared with ASTM cloud point for a number of paraffinic mixtures including a variety of crude oils. Results show cloud point can be determined for crudes using DSC. Additionally, wax content can be found on a known …

Thermal, Mechanical And Interfacial Characterization Of A Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Composite, Theodore J. Williams

Masters Theses

The effects of a glass fiber reinforcer on the properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) were evaluated. A silane coupling agent (M8550 Petrarch Systems, Inc.) was employed to promote adhesion between the materials. FTIR analysis, ESCA/Auger and SEM techniques were used to characterize the silane coating.

The mechanical properties, such as bending strength, improved with an increase in the volume percent of fiber. The addition of the M8550 silane directly into the monomer solution showed the most improvement, 23 percent increase, when compared to the uncoated glass fiber. The glass transition temperature as measured by DSC and the heat distortion temperature (HDT) …