Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of No Child Left Behind Act On North Dakota Career And Technical Education Programs, Jerome Alden Gunderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research the effects of No Child Left Behind legislation on the enrollment of Career and Technical Education programs in the state of North Dakota. In 2001, the US Congress passed the “No Child Left Behind’' legislation. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has initiated much discussion and forced changes to many public school K-12 programs. The legislation was written specifically to address educational issues related to core academic educational programs such as math, English, science, and social studies.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs were not addressed in the NCLB legislation, but …

Implications Of Bismarck Public Schools Secondary Course Sequencing On Student Academic Achievement And Post Secondary Readiness, John M. Salwei

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Is Social Studies Being Taught?: A Study Of One District, Katie Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of social studies in elementary classrooms in a local school district. Status was determined by assessing the amount of instructional time that was devoted to social studies, its perceived importance in the curriculum, and challenges associated with teaching social studies. Three research questions were identified in order to examine the status of social studies in Apple School District (pseudonym): (1) To what degree is social studies being taught in the elementary grades one through five? (2) How important is social studies compared to other areas of the curriculum? (3) What …

Eating Disorder Risk In Subgroups Of College Freshman Women, Karen E. Gochnour

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to identify subgroups within the college population having a heightened risk for eating disorders. The information for this analysis was retrieved from an existing data set. The two variables that were compared were self selection of college major at the initial collection during freshman year. The sample size of 1,924 was used to see if subgroups of college majors had a heightened risk. Twenty groups composed of similar majors were studied. The majors of Dance, Dietetics, Physical Education, and Communications had heightened risk according to analysis percentage of each group in the clinical range …

Speaking Out Of The Dust: Religious Reenactments With The Specific Iconic Identity Of Place, Heidi Diane Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Sometimes, the place where a play is performed is as important as or more important than the play itself. The first known theatrical rituals were performed in spaces which came to hold deep religious significance. Many religious traditions regard certain places as sacred because of spiritually significant events which took place there, sometimes involving the presence of Deity. In an effort to build on that sacrality, sometimes religious cultures bring theatre to these spaces, which, in turn, tend to alter the nature of the theatrical event. This seems especially true in regards to theatre which presents a re-enactment of the …

An Interpretation Of Modern: Costume Designs For An Adaptation Of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Priscilla Ruth Hao

Theses and Dissertations

Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, is accredited as being one of his early comedies. It is not as widely popular as Taming of the Shrew or A Midsummer's Night, and is also known "as the comedy with a problem ending", this being the immediate forgiveness of Silvia to Valentine and Julia to Proteus. My initial reaction to this ending was of disgust and wonderment of how a 21st century audience would react to this. The director, Alex Mackenzie, a fellow graduate MA student, approached the script with very strong initial concepts but at the same time her approach was …

Phylogeographic Analyses Of Obligate And Facultative Cave Crayfish Species On The Cumberland Plateau Of The Southern Appalachians, Jennifer Elizabeth Buhay

Theses and Dissertations

Cave systems and their unique biota are widely viewed as highly endangered, yet very little is known about basic life history, ecology, distributions, habitat requirements, and evolutionary relationships of subterranean species. The crux of the problem in cave studies is the assumption that traditionally defined morpho-species represent distinct evolutionary lineages. Convergence is exhibited in the morphologies of many animal groups, vertebrate and invertebrate, which leads to confusion in diagnosing species' boundaries, geographic distributions, gene flow routes, and imperilment. This dissertation research includes phylogeographic analyses of freshwater cave-dwelling crayfishes in the Southern Appalachians, a global hotspot of subterranean biodiversity. By examining …

Psychometrically Equivalent Bisyllabic Words For Speech Reception Threshold Testing In Arabic, Elisha Rose Ratcliff

Theses and Dissertations

The use of speech audiometry is essential in audiological testing. One of the most important elements of speech audiometry is speech reception threshold. To provide services for the growing population of non-English speaking people, audiologists need speech audiometry materials in a variety of languages. The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate Arabic bisyllabic words for use in testing speech reception threshold. Ninety frequently used bisyllabic words were digitally recorded by a male talker of standard Arabic. These words were presented to 20 normally hearing subjects in 2 dB increments at intensity levels ranging from …

From Cadillac To Chevy: Environmental Concern, Compromise And The Central Utah Project Completion Act, Adam R. Eastman

Theses and Dissertations

For the past century the federal government has been an active partner with state and local agencies to develop water supplies in the arid West. The last of the large-scale federal reclamation projects to be completed is the Central Utah Project or CUP. The CUP has generated considerable controversy throughout its history. The projects opponents have criticized its expense in terms of both dollars and environmental damage while others have worried about its impact on their water rights. Because of its cost and complexity, planning and construction have spanned decades. This has allowed individuals, organizations, and government agencies opportunity to …

The Familiar Foreign Country: Reading Mexico In Cormac Mccarthy, Jack Kerouac, And Katherine Anne Porter, Rachel Mae Ligairi

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis examines the discourse of Mexico in the works of three twentieth-century American authors-Cormac McCarthy, Jack Kerouac, and Katherine Anne Porter-in order to analyze representations of Otherness in modernism and postmodernism. I seek to destabilize the dividing line between these periods as well as to show how representation in postmodernity has become more problematic due in large part to the proliferation of consumer culture. Though the Mexico that McCarthy employs in Blood Meridian and the Border Trilogy (All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain) escapes many stereotypes, his Mexico is merely a staging ground that …

Characteristics Of An Existing Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum And Students' Views On An Alternative Instructional Strategy, Stefanie R. Whitefield

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) explore Social Studies as it takes place in a third grade classroom at an elementary school in Southern New Jersey and (b) to implement a Social Studies unit using an alternative instructional strategy and determine whether this method is more favorable among students as compared to the traditional teaching method. The researcher observed the cooperating teacher delivering Social Studies lessons, took field notes, recorded her thoughts in a teacher research journal, interviewed four teachers, interviewed students in the cooperating classroom, and implemented a Social Studies unit using scripted plays as an alternative …

The Effect Of Positive Reinforcement On The Achievement Of 3rd Grade Students' Spelling, Leandra Pintel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of positive reinforcement in the form of rewards on the achievement of 3^rd grade students' end of the week post spelling test. The study was conducted on fourteen 3^rd grade students in a kindergarten through sixth grade school in southern New Jersey. The researcher collected the students' grades for four weeks during which positive reinforcements in the form of rewards were not used and the grades for four weeks during which the students received positive reinforcements in the form of rewards every time the student earned a grade …

To Know The One True God: Reconciling The God Of The Old Testament With The God Of The New Testament, Kelly D. Newman

Theses and Dissertations

There is a popular misconception in the world that Jehovah is too severe on occasion while Jesus Christ is always kind and merciful. The Latter-day Saint belief that Jehovah and Jesus are the same person presents a supposed conflict. There has not been much written on this subject by either non-Latter-day Saints or Latter-day Saints, thus, this thesis represents a unique contribution to a common perception prevalent in many Christian circles. The research of this thesis shows that the misconception is based on three problems: first, a misinterpretation of biblical stories in both the Old and New Testament; second, a …

A Multimetric Benthic Index For Georgia's Wadeable Streams, Amanda Lynn Middleton

Theses and Dissertations

Using an ecoregional approach, multimetric indices were developed to describe stream condition in each geographically distinct region of Georgia. Collected from predetermined reference and impaired condition streams, macroinvertebrate data were used to develop multimetric indices. Multimetric indices identified a range of stream conditions, as well as, the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. Based on multimetric indices, the Multimetric Rating System grouped streams according to overall stream condition. The Multimetric Rating System used multiple indices to describe various facets of stream condition. Therefore, it may be concluded that the Multimetric Rating System is a robust water management tool that may be …

A Landscape Preference Study Of Campus Open Space, Ying Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The current study is an empirical study of preference for campus open space around the drill field on Mississippi State University (MSU) campus. 83 students at Mississippi State University were selected as research objects. Based on the literature review, a research process was designed to employ VEP, content analysis and multivariate analysis---Biplot to explore the interested research problems. The study identified two most preferred landscape scene types - "Legibility" and "Coherence" using Kaplan?s "information processing model". A statistical analysis tool for multivariate analysis-Biplot was used to reveal the landscape preference patterns for campus open space as well as how certain …

An Investigation Of Low-Level Thermodynamic Characteristics Associated With Significant And Nonsignificant Tornadoes In The Southeast United States, Justyn D. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

A majority of tornado research focuses on the Great Plains region of the United States. Knowledge of tornado environments outside of the Great Plains is limited; this is especially true for the Southeast U.S. In addition, little is known about the role of the lower troposphere on tornadogenesis. Therefore, this study examines low-level thermodynamic parameters associated with tornadoes in the Southeast U.S between 1960 and 2002. Previous studies have shown that higher values of CAPE, 0-3 km CAPE, 0-1 and 0-3 km SRH, and 0-1 and 0-1 km EHI are more likely associated with significant tornadoes. Similar studies have shown …

Development And Analysis Of A Model For Assessing Perceived Security Threats And Characteristics Of Innovating For Wireless Networks, Mark Bradley Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employed a two prong approach, whereby the survey and case study methods were used to investigate security issues regarding wireless networks. The survey portion draws together two previously unrelated research streams. Given the recent increased concern for security in the computing milieu, Innovation Diffusion Theory and security factor constructs were merged and synthesized to form a new instrument. This instrument is useful in an effort to understand what role security concerns play in the adoption and diffusion of technology. In development of the new instrument, 481 usable surveys were collected and analyzed. Factor analysis revealed favorable factor loadings …

Dissolution Caves Of Mississippi, Christopher Michael Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to distinguish between the karst and pseudokarst caves throughout Mississippi, create an inventory and survey of representative caves and karst features, identify the geology of the rocks hosting the caves, and produce a GIS-based digital karst map. The State of Mississippi is not known for its karst features, yet there are three distinct limestone units that contain dissolution caves: 1) Paleozoic (Mississippian) Tuscumbia Formation limestone; 2) Mesozoic carbonate units; and 3) Cenozoic limestone, Marianna Formation. There are a total of 44 caves known within the state based on past documentation, however the caves listed …

The Experiences Of A Rural Mississippi Mathematics Teacher: A Case Study, John Hamilton Lamb

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates my experiences as a rural Mississippi secondary mathematics teacher. The culture surrounding accountability testing and rural education as well as student perceptions of my mathematics instruction and classroom management were investigated. With recent educational legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, teachers and students are experiencing education differently than teachers and students of the past. Through this basic interpretive case study, I sought to increase the limited research surrounding student perceptions of rural mathematics instruction and accountability testing and to provide a descriptive image of teaching in this rural school. The students, administrators, …

The Impact Of The Mississippi We The People Summer Institute Upon The Content Knowledge, Teaching Strategies, And Dispositions Of Social Studies Teachers, Donna Kay Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of effective and content specific professional development, particularly civic education, is well established in the literature. This study sought to determine if the Mississippi We The People Summer Institute (MSWTPSI) had an impact upon content knowledge, teaching strategies, and dispositions of social studies teachers. The MSWTPSI professional development model is consistent with civic education scholars? and education researchers? recommendations for effective professional development. This study employed a mixed methodology to address three research questions. Data originated from pre- and post-tests and surveys of 27 MSWTPSI participants. Additionally, from a volunteer pool of 15, six teachers participated in interviews, …

Water Supply Potential Of The Meridian-Upper Wilcox Aquifer Grenada, Mississippi, Richard Scott Dykes

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to provide Grenada, Mississippi an assessment of the current groundwater resources available for use from the Meridian-upper Wilcox Aquifer (MUWX), which is the primary source of groundwater for the city, by creating an accurate groundwater model. Public, private, industrial, and agricultural wells; springs; streams; and surface water bodies all exist within the study area. Groundwater data were collected from local, state, and federal agencies. Well locations, groundwater levels, and well pumping rates were all used in determining the aquifer's characteristics, such as, hydraulic conductivity, discharge, and recharge. Location of the recharge area in relation to a …

The Caves, Karst, And Geology Of Abaco Island, Bahamas, Lindsay N. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Abaco Island is located on Little Bahama Bank at the northwestern extent of the Bahamian Archipelago. Karst features on Abaco include: flank margin caves, karren, blue holes, pit caves, banana holes, and cone karst. As part of this study all known flank margin caves on Abaco were GPS located and surveyed. The presence and locations of the other karst features were recorded as part of the karst inventory of Abaco. The cone karst is of particular interest because cone karst has not been documented on other Bahamian islands. These cones form from the dissection of an eolianite ridge due to …

Delimitating Species Boundaries Within The Liomys Pictus- Spectabilis Complex (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), Victoria L. Vance

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies based on morphological, allozymic and mitochondrial sequence data have indicated that Liomys pictus is paraplyletic relative to L. spectabilis. The purpose of this study was to determine the species boundaries that exist within this complex. I estimated phylogenetic relationships within this complex using sequence data from 1,140 bp of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene and two nuclear introns from engrailed protein (190 bp) and myosin heavy chain (254 bp) genes for approximately 712 individuals representing 82 localities across the range of L. pictus and L. spectabilis. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses suggest that there are …

Bias In Severe Thunderstorm And Tornado Warnings Issued By The National Weather Service In The Doppler Radar Era: A Spatial-Temporal Evaluation, Gary S. Votaw

Theses and Dissertations

A climatology of severe thunderstorm (damaging wind and/or hail) and tornadoes in the United States has established the location of the areas of highest frequency of occurrence. This climatology was attained through analysis of a basic data source, that of observed events, which carries many associated biases. Among these biases is the requirement that someone be on hand to witness the event no matter what time of the day or night, the assumption that the observer had sufficient visibility to see the event clearly, and whether there was something available on location to damage. In this study I use an …

The Prevalence And Function Of Mathematics Specialists Across Southern New Jersey, Susan M. Eith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine current practices regarding math specialists in the eight southern counties of New Jersey. Additionally, information on training opportunities offered by several universities was presented and compared to the certification requirements of other states. A written survey was mailed to a proportional stratified random sample (n=45), categorized by county and socioeconomic status. Both simple percentages and tests of significance (t-test and chi-squared) were used in analyzing the data. This study found there were no significant differences in the number of math specialists working in economically disadvantaged districts compared to other, more affluent …

The Chipped Stone Tool Industries Of Blackman Eddy, Belize, Matthew Patrick Yacubic

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant finds at the site of Blackman Eddy, Belize, is a series of superimposed structures that date between 1200 B.C.-A.D. 600 (calibrated). Because it was continuously occupied for over 1800 years, this site provides a unique opportunity to examine long-term socio-economic changes in the eastern Maya lowlands. This thesis is a diachronic study of the chipped stone tool artifacts of Blackman Eddy using technological, attribute, and use-wear analysis. The data collected for this study were examined to see what types of raw materials were used in tool production, what types of tools were produced, how they …

A Study Of Islamic Leadership Theory And Practice In K-12 Islamic Schools In Michigan, Adnan Ibrahim Aabed

Theses and Dissertations

Effective leadership in Islamic schools involves the incorporation of Islamic principles in the leadership behaviors and practices. With so much literature about the need of Islamic leadership in Islamic institutions in the United States, the problem addressed by the study was whether school principals in Islamic schools exhibited and led these schools according to the principles of Islamic leadership. The study described leadership approaches used by school principals in Islamic schools and how those leadership approaches were influenced by Islamic leadership principles, comparing the Islamic leadership principles derived from the literature with the leadership principles of principals of Islamic schools. …

A Grammatical Description Of The Early Classic Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions, Daniel A. Law

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the grammatical system of Classical Ch'olti', the language of the Classic Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions, as attested in inscriptions of the Early Classic (approximately AD 200-600). Around 300 Lowland Maya Hieroglyphic inscriptions have been dated to the Early Classic or before, nearly one third of these remain unpublished. Previous work on the monumental inscriptions of the Early Classic (Mathews 1985; Proskouriakoff 1950) has examined Early Classic monuments primarily as works of art. Mora-Marin (2001) examined the language of inscriptions found on early portable texts, a small subset of the corpus here examined. In …

Quantifying Chlorophyll A Content Through Remote Sensing: A Pilot Study Of Utah Lake, Tiana Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Utah Lake is a really large but shallow lake located in the arid environment of the Western United States. Due to a variety of factors it is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as an "impaired water body" and must be closely monitored. Because of its large extent and shallow depth the water quality is heterogeneous and can change rapidly. This means that traditional water quality monitoring methods, which require large investments in field personnel, equipment, and water sample analysis, cannot produce a model that is truly representative of the entire water body. This thesis examines the feasibility of using …

Coalition Modeling In Humanitarian Assistance Operations, Sung Wan Bang

Theses and Dissertations

Multinational operations are carried out to achieve military and diplomatic objectives in various regions. Such operations derive a great deal of benefits from sharing budgets, political legitimacy, sharing each national experience and technological resources, and so forth. However, a coalition, one structure of multinational operations, often involves serious challenges in such areas as command and control, logistic support, communication and language, training, and intelligence and information due to its ad hoc characteristics. This research reviews general problems in a coalition operation, and develops the Coalition Operation Planning Model to assist coalition commanders or staff in producing an efficient operational plan. …