Digital Commons Network^™

Homework Practices And Attitudes Of Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities: A Comparison Of Classroom Settings, Melissa E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to answer the following question: will secondary students who are in self-contained, resource center, or inclusive classrooms improve their homework practices and attitudes after using a self-monitoring activity? It also was the intent of the study to determine if learning-disabled students in different classroom settings improved their homework practices and attitudes at different levels after using a self-monitoring activity.

The subjects of the study were 30 students in grades seven and eight in special education, resource center, or inclusive classrooms in a southern Gloucester County Regional school district. Students responded to the Student Survey …

Analyst Communication For Natural Gas Utilities, Randolph P. Ryerson

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to investigate whether investor relations professionals from natural gas local distribution companies effectively communicate with their industry's analysts.

Two surveys were designed to compare and contrast the opinions of analysts and LDC IR pros. Surveys were mailed to 15 leading gas industry analysts and 10 LDC IR pros. Ten analysts and 10 LDC IR pros responded. The major findings include:

Sixty percent of the analysts felt communications with IR pros were only somewhat successful while 70 percent of the LDC IR pros ranked the communication as highly successful.

Fifty percent of the analysts ranked one-on-one meetings …

Law Libraries And The Layperson: A Bibliography Of Self-Help Books, Kristen M. Mckeaney

Theses and Dissertations

Although the goal of a comprehensive legal library is to be a resource to professionals and the general public, the issue of providing legal assistance to laypersons via the library is a complex one. Compiling the legal resources to benefit the lay public is challenging. This paper attempts to systematically identify and suggest resources following pre-set criteria of affordability, content usefulness, timeliness and reasonableness of management.

The primary form of this paper is a bibliography following a subject specific format. The bibliography is further defined into sections of legal reference books, internet sites, legal directories, general references and agencies. The …

Information Technology Inservice Workshops For The Teachers Of The Cooper B. Hatch Middle School, Camden, New Jersey, Frank J. Indriso

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to provide information technology inservice workshops for the teachers of the Cooper B. Hatch Middle School in Camden, New Jersey.

These workshops were developed in response to an ever present need to educate the teaching staff of the Cooper B. Hatch Middle School, regarding the use of the information technology found in the library. The lack of information technology skills was observed by the media specialist through working in the library with the teaching staff and their students over the course of the last school year. The media specialist will work with the teaching …

Date Rape: Attitudes And Perceptions, Elizabeth Young

Theses and Dissertations

The reasons date rape victims are often blamed for their own assault may be associated with sex-role identification and a lack of education. This study aims to examine the relationship between an individual's measure of sex-role traditionality and their attitudes towards rape by using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory combined with the Rape Attitudes and Perceptions Questionnaire which were administered to two mixed gender classes consisting of 30 juniors and seniors in a rural high school. Approximately one week after the surveys were taken, both classes watched When Romance Turns to Rape, which contains several vignettes on date rape. Then …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Both Parents And Teachers On Whether Pharmacological Interventions Along With Behavior Modification Work In Controlling Behavior In Students With Add, Carol L. Gallucci

Theses and Dissertations

More and more students are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and placed on medication.

This study looks at students in both private and public schools who are already diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and are on medication. Both parents and teachers of the same student filled out surveys inquiring whether behavior modification is used along with medication in controlling student behavior at home and in the classroom.

There are 25 pairs of participants in this study. Twenty pairs of respondents are from private schools, with five pairs from public schools.

The surveys sent out included nine questions for parents and …

The Changing Role Of The Physician As A Consequence Of The "Gag Clause" In Managed Health Care Contracts, Emily Riley

Theses and Dissertations

In November 1995, at a meeting of the Managed Health Care Congress, Harvard Medical School professor and physician Dr. David Himmelstein, delivered a presentation that included a slide of what he called the "gag clause" in his U.S. Healthcare contract. Dr. Himmelstein explained that he was being restricted in what he could say to his patients - three days later, U.S. Healthcare terminated his contract.

This event, coupled with Dr. Himmelstein's appearance two weeks later on the Donahue Show, sparked a flood of media attention and, in turn, a public outcry. Managed health care, designed to regulate and curtail growing …

Effects Of A Visual-Gestural Cuing System On The Reduction Of Phonological Processes In Children With Down Syndrome And Low Speech Intelligibility, Jennifer Barthel

Theses and Dissertations

Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21, is an autosomal dominant chromosomal aberration associated with an extra twenty-first chromosome. Down syndrome causes a variety of physical and cognitive characteristics that make speech and language problems probable Phonology is one such area in which disorders commonly occur for this population As young children acquire the adult sound system, they commonly simplify their productions through the use of phonological processes. Children with Down syndrome use phonological processes for a longer period of time than the typically developing child, often rendering their speech unintelligible.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy …

Children's Choice In An Elementary School Classroom: Ownership In The Making, Marci Miller Glessner

Theses and Dissertations

Current educational theory and practice emphasize the importance of children's ownership in the learning process. Ownership evolves from a combination of authentic classroom experiences and student-made choices. Providing students with choices in learning may appear to be a simple task; yet, many educators find it to be daunting. This qualitative study describes one elementary literacy environment and the perception of choice as experienced by the students and the classroom teacher.

The data for this study were collected from a sixth-grade classroom using a fourtiered approach including: classroom observations, student interviews, formal and informal teacher interviews, and the collection of classroom …

Breastfeeding Beliefs, Attitiudes, And Experiences Of Rural Native American Women, Joanne Blue

Theses and Dissertations

Breastfeeding has long been recognized as the preferred method of feeding. There is an increasing awareness of the need to return to traditions and values such as breastfeeding, which has been part of the Indian culture in the past. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of breastfeeding among rural Native American women. Ajzen and Fishbein's (1080) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Leininger’s theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality (1991) guided this study.

This study addressed the following questions: 1) What are the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of native American …

Service Learning In The North Dakota Middle School Bridges Project, Theresa Kathryn Weigel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Design, Implementation And Measurement Of A 401k Employee Communication Campaign For Checkpoint Systems, Inc. Headquarters Employees To Evaluate Their Understanding Of The Plan, Gina Marie Redrow

Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluates the effectiveness of a 401(k) communications campaign for employees at Checkpoint Systems, Inc. headquarters located in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Information searches for relevant literature were conducted through several databases cataloging books, periodicals, journals and articles. The findings of this literature search identified elements of effective 401(k) communication campaigns. These elements were used as a guide to measure the design of Checkpoint's plan.

Focus groups were conducted with managers and employees to determine their understanding of the plan and obtain feedback to be used as evaluation. The compiled data was analyzed to determine the overall effectiveness of the …

Male Involvement In Early Intervention For Young Children With Special Needs Both In Home And Inclusive School Settings, Cheryl Leigh Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Children With Language Delays Enrolled In Head Start Programs, Laurel A. Hulteng

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Homework Behavior Interventions Used With Learning Disabled Junior High School Students: A Comparative Study, Naomi M. Cressman

Theses and Dissertations

A three phase integrated intervention of study skills and work habits direct instruction, use of a self-monitoring device where all homework information and its completion was recorded, and a modified behavior management using self-selected extrinsic rewards was implemented. The sample for this study was three sixth grade learning disabled students serviced in a resource center. The purpose of this study was to determine which, if any, of these interventions would produce a positive effect in the ability of these students to complete independent tasks. While each of the interventions did bring about an improved homework completion rate, it was determine …

African-American Identity, The Quality Of School Life And Academic Achievement, Michael James Mcintire

Theses and Dissertations

Although some studies have linked educational outcomes to identity status (Francis 1981; Hummel & Roselli 1983), only Taylor, Lasten, Flickinger, Roberts and Fulmore, L.D. (1994) have attempted to link educational outcomes to the racial identity status of minority group members. Given the theorized importance of adequate racial identity development for the future psychological health of minority group members, and the impact of educational achievement in high school on subsequent educational, economic, and social outcomes, the present study is designed to assess the quality of school life and the racial identity of African-American high school students, and to determine the extent …

The Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity Disorder Handbook For Parents And Teachers: Birth To Age 5, Cheryl Moe-Olson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sexual Coercion: Factors Associated With Women's Reported Experience Of Verbal Coercion, Sandra Jean Caraway

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Reverse Mainstreaming As An Alternative Model For Integration, Colleen E. Garland

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Burned Sugar Pie: Women's Cultures In The Literature Of Food, Traci Marie Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Scores For Adults With Aphasia On The Western Aphasia Battery And Ratings On The Functional Assessment Of Communcation Skills For Adults, Sarah Ranum-Ravnaas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine for adults with aphasia the relationship between scores on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and ratings on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Functional Assessment of Communication Skids for Adults (ASHA FACS).

Sixteen subjects who had previously incurred a left cerebral vascular accident participated in this study including seven adults with nonfluent aphasia and nine adults with fluent aphasia. Each subject was administered the WAB and rated on the ASHA FACS within a two week period in 1997. Subjects ranged in jage from 60 to 91 years with a mean age of 78.44 years. …

The North Dakota Bridges Project: Middle Level Education Reform Efforts In Six Schools, James W. Stenehjem

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Altitude On Short Term Memory, Cathy J. Bartholomew

Theses and Dissertations

Previous work has documented that cognitive deficits were observed in subjects tested at high altitudes (15,000 ft to 25,000 ft). Controversy remains as to whether cognitive deficits are observed at altitudes below 15,000 ft. The present study focused on this controversy, looking at the effects of moderate altitudes, 12,500 ft and 15,000 ft, on short term memory and compared them to a control altitude of 2,000 ft. Subjects were 72 students and instructors from the Department of Aviation Sciences at the University of North Dakota. After a series of pretests, including the Vocabulary Subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, …

Student Teaching From A Unique Perspective: Portraits Of Three Student Teachers With Learning Disabilities, Linda M. Holdman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of student teachers with learning disabilities to ascertain if they felt an effect of that disability on their teaching performance. Three student teachers with documented learning disabilities were studied for the duration of a one-semester teaching assignment. The participants, one male and two females, were from different state universities within a two-state region. A profile of each participant was developed from the data and included: descriptive background information; experiences through elementary and secondary school years, college years, and student teaching; and their future plans.

Qualitative research methodology was used in …

Middle School Language-Related Risk Indicators Of A High School Dropout, Joan M. Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Interscholastic Activity Program Participation On Self-Concept, Melanie L. Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Self-concept is one of the most important constructs in an individual's life. It is the backbone of personal development. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether adolescent students participating in an interscholastic athletic program (basketball) accomplish more substantial gains in self-concept than their non-participant peers. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS:2) was used to assess the baseline data of 40 high school students. Twenty of the students composed the non-active control group, while 20 students composed the experimental, active group. After a ten-week interval, post-test data was gathered. Although results differed based on individual scores, on the average, …

Significant Factors Contributing To The Successful Inclusion Of Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities Into General K-2 Classrooms, Bonni Rubin-Sugarman

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1975 a federal law has made the local school district responsible for the education of ALL children living within its geographical boundaries, This law, originally known as the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142), and now known as IDEA or The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, guarantees that children with disabilities will have a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. This free and appropriate public education would afford children with disabilities the opportunity, to the maximum extent possible, to be educated in their neighborhood school alongside their non-disabled peers.

The purpose of this …

Utilizing Creative Movement To Enrich The Growth And Development Of Preschool Handicapped Children, Sandra R. Barnett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether exposure to a creative dance instructional program would promote growth in the areas of language development and motor skills with preschool handicapped children. Eight youngsters were selected to serve as an experimental group while eight others served as a control group receiving no formal instruction.

The Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP) and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales and Activity Cards Test and a Help Checklist served to assess levels before and after the program of instruction.

The results of the study indicated that growth in receptive and expressive language development as well …

A Survey Of Attitudes Toward The Proposed New Jersey Special Education Administrative Code Revisions, Michael W. Gasky

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the reaction of teachers to five proposals for reforming special education. These proposals include the achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, inclusion of exceptional students in state and districtwide assessments, child study team revisions, classification changes, notice reduction, and the redefining of consent. A fifteen closed-ended question survey with five Likert-type rating scale optional answers was developed. Seventy-three graduate students in education participated in this study. The categorical data was illustrated through charts, graphs, and crossbreak tables. Survey analysis revealed that 52% supported the policy proposals, 35.9% were in opposition, 11.2% indicated no opinion, and 0.9% …

The Effect Of A Word Processing Program On Secondary Students With Mild Learning Disabilities In Essay Composition As Compared With Essays Produced Using Paper And Pencil, Donna J. Ewing

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of computer based word processing versus paper and pencil in essay composition. This study used a repeated measure and an alternating treatment design to compare student performance in constructing essays under two experimental conditions a.) using a computer based word processor and b.) using paper and pencil. Analysis of error rate and measure for each student indicated varied improvements under the computer condition for composition length, length of sentences, grammatically correct sentences, paragraph development, content area, composing time, misspellings, and grammatical errors. Participants included twenty-five secondary students with mild learning disabilities.

The …