Digital Commons Network^™

Behaviors, Attitudes, And Knowledge Related To Drug And Alcohol Prevention Curricula In North Dakota Seventh Through Twelfth Grade Students, Loretta Jean Heuer

Theses and Dissertations

Schools seem the natural place for the implementation of prevention programs because most children spend the majority of their youth in the educational system. The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 made funds available to State Departments of Education to implement alcohol and drug programming in the public schools.

The primary purpose of this study was to compare prevention curricula on their levels of effectiveness in increasing knowledge about substance use and in preventing certain behaviors and attitudes. The sample population consisted of 36,693 participants (19,739 junior high and 16,954 senior high) in 1990 and 30,616 participants (16,581 junior …

The Effect Of A Drug Use Prevention Curriculum On A Measure Of Self-Esteem, Irven E. Simpkins Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Longitudinal studies have indicated that drug use prevention curricula are effective in increasing students' knowledge of the harmful effects of drugs, improving their social skills, and developing healthier interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of a drug use prevention curriculum on students' self-esteem over a short time span. Sixty-seven students were pretested with a measure of self-esteem after being divided into a target and a control group. Five lessons were taught to the target group over a period of five weeks. All students were then posttested and the results were analyzed using a …

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement And The Reading Achievement Of Third Grade Students, Scott M. Dailey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a correlation between parental involvement and the reading achievement of third grade students.

The subjects in this study were 22 third grade students attending an elementary school in southern New Jersey. The elementary school was located in an urban area.

Each of the subjects was given a parental involvement survey to take home to their parents. It questioned parents about daily reading habits at home with their child. The survey was scored on a scale of 1-4, with a four indicating the highest degree of involvement.

The researcher then …

Frequency Of Female Contacts Made By Different Sex Teachers During Mathematics Class, Sheila M. Zackavich

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that despite female students' eager attempt to initiate contact in the mathematics classroom, teachers tend to respond to the male students more often than the females.

This has been a questionable factor as to why females elect not to take four years of high school mathematics which exclude them from entering many high paying careers.

The purpose of this study was to observe a male and female teacher during their mathematics class and take frequency counts of all classroom contacts. This was to investigate if there was a significant difference between different sex teachers and their frequency …

A Study Of The Practices Of Successful Alumni Associations, Maggie Wilt

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified through secondary research the criteria necessary to operate a successful alumni association. Successful in this context refers to the ability to get alumni involved in the association and to maintain their interest and support.

This secondary research uncovered six areas of alumni association management. These criteria are: career development, techniques of communication, alumni gatherings, alumni benefits and bonuses, management and resources and special interest groups. These were applied to the primary research by forming the structure of the alumni association survey.

The alumni association survey involved contacting 16 alumni directors whose organizations have high involvement rates and …

A Study Of Computer On-Line Regulation: Advertising, Copyright, Free Speech, Libel And Privacy, Frances Josephsen

Theses and Dissertations

This research project concerned identifying and detailing current and needed laws governing on-line communication.

Through a representative literature review, the author compiled a list of industry leaders for interview via electronic mail.

The author surveyed 35 individuals to gather public opinion on the following areas: advertising, copyright, free speech, libel and privacy. The author looked for general opinions and attitudes.

The author analyzed the content of each response using simple frequencies and searched for commonalities within the survey sample responses.

The study identifies public opinion regarding current on-line communication policy. However, answers and recommendations concerning on-line law were not found. …

A Communication Plan To Make Historical Societies More Visible And More Accessible To The General Public, Margaret L. Peters

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a communication plan to make historical societies more visible and more accessible to the public. A two-way communication system creates a bond between historical societies, community members, and school districts. This plan gives methods and materials to connect historical societies with the public. It also addresses attracting new members or volunteers and increasing financial resources.

The communication plan consists of four objectives that reach the goal of raising the profiles of historical societies. These objectives and their strategies provide methods and materials to make them more visible in the communities, to connect them to the local school …

Design, Fabrication, Modeling, And Testing Of Surface-Micromachined Micromirror Devices, M. Adrian Michalicek

Theses and Dissertations

The Flexure-Beam Micromirror Device (FBMD) is a phase-only piston style spatial light modulator demonstrating properties which can be used for phase adaptive- corrective optics. This thesis presents a complete study of new designs of FBMDs and other micromirror devices, from original design considerations through final device testing and verification of ideal and advanced models. The models relate the electrical and mechanical properties of the device by equating the electrostatic force of a parallel- plate capacitor with the counteracting spring force of the device's support flexures. For the advanced model of the Flexure-Beam micromirror device, the capacitor solution is derived via …

A Study Of The Effect Of A Computer Writing Program On The Writing Ability Of Elementary School Students, Barbara A. Autuore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences in the creative writing of students would arise between a group of second grade students using a computer writing program and a group of second grade students using the traditional pencil and paper method of writing. The students were also given an attitude survey to determine whether or not the computer had an effect on their attitudes toward writing.

Students In both the control and experimental groups were holistically rated on a pre-test writing sample. Both groups were also given an attitude pre-test. One group of students wrote stories …

Gender Differences In Computing: Attitudes, Use, And Stereotypes, Mary S. O'Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the grade level at which students' attitudes towards computers begin to change. Application and gender bias towards computers were also examined. To achieve this, a survey was developed and administered to selected students in the third through eighth grades in the Egg Harbor City School District. in addition to the survey, students were asked to draw a "computer expert." Comparisons were made between males and females and the elementary and junior high grade levels.

Independent "t" tests were performed to identify significant differences at the .05 level. Significant differences in attitudes towards computers were …

A Study Of Hospital Alumni Membership And Its Effect On Donor Giving, Linda Michael

Theses and Dissertations

This study profiled Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center's Baby Alumni Society to determine whether members are likely prospects for financial support. Established in 1980 by The Cooper Foundation, the fund-raising arm of the hospital, the Baby Alumni Society consists of 6,500 members who range in age from infancy to senior citizens.

To determine alumni attitudes and opinions about the institution, a questionnaire was conducted. Participants were selected using the systematic random sampling method. Of the five hundred questionnaires mailed, eighty-five were returned. Overall, respondents were pleased with the publication Baby News and wanted to continue receiving it. Members also expressed an …

What Is The Prevalence And Effectiveness Of Teacher Versus Student Managed Approaches Of Classroom Management, Marshall Paul Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at two distinct classroom management styles: teacher versus student managed and their effectiveness and prevalence at three southern New Jersey high schools unique to each other via location and student composition. A twelve item questionnaire was given to ten ninth to twelfth grade students and a nine question survey to three teachers from each school. I personally administered the forms to all participants to clarify any questions they had. The majority of the students' questions dealt with their opinion of school and classroom rules and their effectiveness. The teachers' survey elicited input on what are the major …

Intergenerational Programs In The Public Schools, Marguerite F. Maines

Theses and Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to research intergenerational programs in the public schools. The research was undertaken to establish whether intergenerational programs improve community attitudes and benefit the school systems that provide these programs. A broad base literature search and a database search were conducted. Numerous letters were written to school systems, state and county agencies, volunteer groups, and senior citizen groups that have instituted programs. The responses collected resulted in a compilation of successful programs that can be used by superintendents, community coordinators, and school public relations directors.

Several major conclusions were drawn from this study. Activities …

A Study Of The Effects Of A Social Problem Solving Intervention With Emotionally Disturbed Youth At A Special Services School, Wendy E. Sack

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pretest-posttest descriptive study was to examine the efficacy of a SPS training intervention for emotionally disturbed children in the special education system, with respect to social skills acquisition, family environment, reduction in non-compliant behaviors and sociometric status. Participants included eighteen students in four self-contained classrooms of a Special Services Regional Day School. The sample included one white female, eleven white males, three black and three Hispanic males with a mean age of eleven years and ten months.

All classes were exposed to a six month program with lessons from the Readiness Phase of Elias and Clabby's …

Experiences And Perspective Of Ninth Grade Students Participating In An Aids Education Program, Brenda M. Werner

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Images Of Native American In Film: The Cases Of Broken Arrow, Dances With Wolves, And Black Robe, Pamela A. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrates how the medium of film continues to depict Native Americans in stereotypical images. A critical analysis of three films: Broken Arrow (1950), Dances wilh-Wolves (1990), and Black Rohe (1992) supports the assumption and argument.

Critical review of these films were made for images of how Native Americans are portrayed. The images include negative portrayals of culture, customs, language, and wardrobe. A compare and contrast tool demonstrates perpetuated stereotypical images of Hollywood negative portrayals of Native Americans. A brief history of motion pictures discusses and presents the development of stereotypical images mvolving Native Americans.

The critical analysis of …

The Effects Of Time And Misinformation On Memory For Complete Events, Mary K. Devitt

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of time and misinformation on memory for fictitious events in SO students who were given course credit in return for their participation. During an initial meeting, subjects were provided with descriptions of four events. Every subject received fictitious information about spending the night in the hospital for an ear infection. One group of subjects was led to believe they had been lost in a shopping mail when in fact that had never occurred (The Suggested Lost group). A second group of subjects were told to develop a convincing story about being lost in a shopping …

A Survey Of The Attitudes Of Elementary School Teachers In Southern New Jersey Towards Art And The Creative Process In Their Classrooms, Elizabeth Diane Tasker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of elementary classroom teachers toward art and the creative process in their classrooms. The hypotheses of the study focused on teachers' attitudes and uses of art as a means of creativity and enhancement of academic subjects.

Elementary classroom teachers from seven constituent districts to a regional high school in southern New Jersey constituted the sample of the study. Teachers were given a four part questionnaire to complete. The instrument was designed to gather information on demographics, general information about art in the classroom, and attitudes towards art. A total of …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Degree Of Brain Dominance And Student Preference For Spatial Dimensionality In The Production Of Art At The High School Level, Darlene Ann Gates

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to investigate relationships between hemisphericity and preference for spatial-dimensionality in the production of art and to determine whether cognitive processes are different in students who prefer different spatial activities. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships between students' preference for two and three dimensional art projects and their scores on Excell's Hemispheric Mode Indicator (HMI) test.

The total population of eighty-five art students from a rural, regional New Jersey high school were included in this study. Two instruments were administered. Scores from the teacher-made survey served as data for criterion measure one and determined spatial-dimensionality …

A Public Relations Plan For A Merger Between South Jersey Hospital System And Elmer Community Hospital, Kristine M. Simoes

Theses and Dissertations

South Jersey Hospital System and Elmer Community Hospital are merging to consolidate services and staff and help the hospitals to operate more cost effectively.

The two institutions want an informational public relations plan to help present this merger to the residents of Cumberland and Salem counties to increase community awareness and understanding.

A public relations plan was established by the hospitals' administrations. Steering committee members received assistance from the New Jersey Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association for information on previous hospital merger efforts and spent three months in its preparation.

This effort will attempt to keep community, staff …

Interactions Between Enzymes Metabolizing Oxaloacetate And Phosphoenolpyruvate In Rabbit Liver Cytosol., Joseph John Provost

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic protein-protein interactions may be a basis for regulation of enzymes that share cross-road metabolites. This type of control could direct metabolites through different pathways depending on which groups of enzymes are associated. Enzymes at the point of convergence of gluconeogenesis, glycolysis and the aspartate-malate shuttle were investigated for interactions. Phosphoenolpyruvate is a product of enolase and a substrate for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and pyruvate kinase. Oxalacetate is shared with malate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Guanine nucleotides are shared between nucleoside diphosphate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.The rabbit liver cytosolic enzymes mentioned above were either purified or commercially purchased to …

Demographic Study Of Science Topics And Instructional Media In Early Childhood Special Education Settings., Bonni Schmiess Gourneau

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was acquiring direction for developing science instructional material for early childhood special education teachers. The collateral problems were determining what science topics are preferred, what the impediments are for science teaching, and in what format the instructional material should be prepared.This study also assessed the needs and availability of science instructional material for early childhood special education teachers. Other concerns included the influence of years of teaching experience and geographic region on the choices of science topics, impediments for science teaching, and format desired for the needed instructional material.Surveys were sent to 525 early childhood …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Importance Of Teaching Scientific Attitudes., Carolyn Rex Brauner

Theses and Dissertations

The degree to which elementary teachers of North Dakota perceived the "scientific attitudes" aspect of science as an important goal to foster in relation to fostering scientific products and scientific processes was examined. Elementary teachers' receptivity to changing the emphases placed on these aspects of science in their grading practices was documented. The teachers' demographics, science teaching practices, and perceived needs for additional learning related to the different aspects of science, pedagogy, and assessment also were surveyed.A survey instrument developed by the researcher was mailed to 995 elementary teachers in North Dakota. There were 560 surveys returned for a response …

Groundwater Model Parameter Estimation Using Response Surface Methodology, Richard M. Cotman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the use of response surface methodology (RSM) to estimate the parameters of a finite-element groundwater model. An existing two-dimensional, steady-state flow model of a fractured carbonate groundwater system in southwestern Ohio served as the calibration target data set. A Plackett-Burman screening design showed that only four of the ten hydraulic conductivity zones significantly contributed to the output of the finite-element model. Also, the effective porosity parameter did not significantly affect the model's output. Using only the four significant hydraulic conductivity parameters; four two-level, four-factor designed experiments were conducted to exploit the first-order response surface defined by a …

How The New Jersey State Aquarium Was Promoted, Beth J. Rose

Theses and Dissertations

This study determines how public relations was used to promote the New Jersey State Aquarium to persuade a skeptical public to overcome their hesitancy to come to Camden to visit the facility.

During its first year of operation, the New Jersey State Aquarium attracted more than one (1) million visitors, surpassing its projected goal.

The public relations plan was analyzed in nine different categories. The strategies included marketing, public relations, creativity, media, promotional membership, pricing, facility rental and group sales. The public relations campaign strategies included magazines, billboards, radio, television and a pre-opening press preview. The target market for each …

Glutathione Content In Rat Nb2 Lymphoma Cells, Timothy Edward Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Identification Of A Putative Promoter For The Leishmania Mexicana Toxic Nucleoside Resistance Gene, Shawn P. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Escherichia Coli Genesslyd Andfkpa Encode New Members Of The Family Of Fk506 Binding Proteins., Shelley M. Horne

Theses and Dissertations

Cosmid clones of E. coli chromosomal DNA were screened for the ability to complement a lysis deficient mutation that made the bacterium resistant to lysis by the E protein of bacteriophage $\phi\rm X174.$ From one of these clones a DNA fragment from the 74.8 minute region of the chromosome was cloned that contained two genes of interest, slyD and fkpA. Both genes encode proteins that are members of the family of proteins that bind the immunosuppressive drug FK506. The SlyD protein has very low sequence similarity to the FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs) and is the only E. coli protein that …

Lipreading Skills And Hearing Handicap Of The Elderly, Brenda L. Osendorf

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Patient's Knowledge Regarding Nurse Anesthetists, And Patient Concerns Regarding Anesthesia, Elton Strittmater

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.