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Speech/Language And Social Behavior Performance As Predictors Of Literacy Acquisition In Children With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects, Kristen Ann Runge

Theses and Dissertations

This study was a review of existing case files and focused on the struggles of one particular segment of the special needs student population and the challenges that educators face as they attempt to engage them in meaningful learning experiences. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) are completely preventable; yet, their presence in classrooms remains high and bears profound implications for educators. This study examined the specific relationships between FAS/FAE and literacy acquisition in children. Specific variables of children with FAS/FAE were considered. They included IQ, speech/language development, and social behavior performance.

Hypotheses guiding this study were the following:

1. Evidence …

Cons, Ex-Cons And Odinism Across Cultural And National Borders: Why Attempt To Procure Knowledge And Dare We Not?, Lene T. Vallestad

Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of right-wing extremism is becoming more prominent in the social landscape of Western European countries, including Norway, and in the United States. Amongst these movements one will find groups that base and justify their racist behavior in religious beliefs. Odinism, a pre-Christian, Norse neopagan faith, has merged racist beliefs and violent behavior with religious creed and ideology, and is a prime example of these right-wing religions.

During the 1990s Odinism emerged as one of the most dynamic trends within the extreme right-wing milieu in the U.S. and Western Europe. The popularity of Odinism today is connected to the …

An Update On Analyzing Differences Between Public And Private Sector Information Resource Management: Strategic Information Challenges And Critical Technologies, James R. Orlovsky

Theses and Dissertations

Change is a constant within our contemporary IRM environment. The rapid development of information and communication technologies has been the most predominant among the many agents of change that are forcing a reevaluation of the role of the IRM professional. Few studies to date have compared public and private sector CIO perceptions concerning the IRM challenges and critical technologies faced by their organization. An earlier study concluded that the sectors CIOs do perceive to be faced with many of the same challenges and also view many of the same technologies as critical to the organization's operations. A limiting factor identified …

Team Step Up Program, Edward V. Regan Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to (a) develop a program to assist the At-Risk population of Washington Township High School; and (b) to determine its overall effectiveness on student academic achievement, discipline, and attendance. The study focused on twenty at-risk students who were in the ninth grade at Washington Township High School in Sewell, New Jersey. An academic, discipline, and attendance baseline was established for each student and was monitored on a weekly basis. The results of the study demonstrated an increase in both the academic and school attendance, and a decrease in negative student behavior. Implications of the …

An Investigation Into Truancy Reduction Without Increasing The Drop Out Rate, Phillip C. Neff Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this internship was to acquire and enhance through a supervisory experience, the leadership skills necessary for a school administrator. The intern's research project focused on decreasing truancy without increasing drop out rate.

The intern analyzed data collected through the use of a survey. The survey was given to a general population of students which consisted of two different sampling strategies. One sample was a convenience sample of students from the intern's classes, the other sample was judgmental coming from the newly developed Alternative Education Program at Paulsboro High School.

The intern found several interesting correlations associated with …

North Dakota Homeland Security Strategy, Susan Reinertson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Garden Program On The Physical Environment And Social Climate Of A Prison Yard At San Quentin State Prison, Kathryn E. Waitkus

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that the physical environments and social climates of prisons have been found to be physically and mentally stressful to inmates, more than 70% of those within the California prison system return to prison within three years after being paroled. As part of an effort to reduce these high recidivism rates, a rehabilitative gardening program was started at San Quentin State Prison. The intent of this project was to determine the impact of a garden project on the physical environment and social climate of a prison yard, from both inmate and staff perspectives. Research was primarily qualitative, consisting …

Evaluating A Day Treatment Program For Children With Serious Emotional Disorders, Nicole Lynn Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The current study used a longitudinal design to evaluate a day treatment program for children with serious emotional disorder located in Richmond, Virginia (N = 101). Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (Hodges, 1984, 1999) results were analyzed from children who had attended the program for at least six months. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance tests indicated that children attending YDT for nine months improved their overall functioning F(2, 217) = 26.23, p = .01 as well as their functioning at school F(3,279)= 10.822, p =.01, home F(3, 244) = 6.120, p = .01, and in the community F(3, 238) …

Delinquent Recidivism And Diversion From Formal Juvenile Court Proceedings: A Cognitive Restructuring Approach, Robert James Amos Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis takes a deductive approach by formulating and testing hypotheses, derived via theoretical proposition. A history of juvenile delinquency, delinquency intervention and development of the juvenile court is also presented and discussed. Social control theory is the main perspective in this study. Social learning theory is also a relevant perspective in this thesis.

Literature in this thesis indicates delinquent intervention has failed to reduce recidivism throughout history. A more effective form of intervention needs to implemented and examined pertaining to the influence of juvenile delinquency recidivism reduction Cognitive restructuring is a popular form of intervention today, which is assumed …

How Safe Do Individuals Feel In Clayton County?, Scott M. Clemens

Theses and Dissertations

To determine if individuals feel safe in their communities, a self- administered questionnaire was distributed to six hundred residents of Clayton County, Georgia. In addition to overall safety, the survey sought to measure how being a victim of a burglary or rape and the level of income impacts the individuals' feeling of safety. The survey also sought to measure how safe those same individuals believed the community was for their children and how likely a terrorist attack was in the county. Non- probability sampling, specifically the accidental sample, was used for conducting the research. The results of the survey show …

A Survey Of The Effectiveness Of Mandatory Treatment For Domestic Violence Offenders, Jeanne J. Lemay

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of The Efficacy Of Community Policing In Camden, New Jersey, Sophia L. Peele

Theses and Dissertations

Community policing initiates a valuable relationship between police and residents. It is often viewed as a problem-solving method of policing. Many police departments across the country have instituted this philosophy into one unit. However, some police administrators have found ways to implement community policing throughout the department.

This study was developed to determine the attitudes of both the patrolling community policing officers and the residents to evaluate the efficacy of community policing. The study was also used to determine if the uses of public relations skills increase the officers' ability to communicate effectively with residents of the community. Patrolling officers …

Information Sharing And Interoperability In Law Enforcement: An Investigation Of Federal Criminal Justice Information Systems Use By State/Local Law Enforcement Organizations, David R. Dethlefs

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the frequency of use and perceptions of usefulness of federal criminal justice information systems among state and local law enforcement personnel and certain IS environmental factors that affect usage. The study is predicated by a demonstrated need for increased information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration among the three tiers of law enforcement as public safety threats within U.S. borders increase in complexity; e.g., the Murrah Federal Building bombing, Columbine High School shooting, 9/11 terrorist attacks, and D.C. sniper case. The results of this research indicate high usage and perceived usefulness of the National Crime Information Center Network (NCIC …

Text Manipulation Judgment Accuracy: An Exploratory Study, Randy S. Wardak

Theses and Dissertations

Deception aims to affect a decision-making process in a way that somehow benefits the deceiver. More knowledge is desired in the area of purely text-based scenarios. Thirty-seven graduate students at the Air Force Institute of Technology participated in an experiment in order to gain an initial understanding of how people determine whether text has been manipulated, and to identify specific areas that may be more closely investigated in future research. Excerpts were drawn from editions of a current-events newsletter that the participants receive on a weekly basis as part of their enrollment in the graduate program. Some of the excerpts …

White Racial Identification As A Predictor Of Prejudice In Simulated Criminal Sentencing., Scott David Guldseth

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to assess the validity of the White Racial Identity Attitude Scale (WRIAS: Helms & Carter, 1990) and Modem Racism Scale (MRS: McConahay, Hardee & Batts, 1981) in the prediction of discriminatory behavior. These measures were hypothesized to predict prejudiced behavior associated with simulated criminal sentencing as reflected in the Criminal Justice Questionnaire (CJQ) developed for purposes of the present study. The CJQ was administered on two occasions separated by a one month interval. Descriptions are given for six crimes (shoplifting, robbery, DWI, murder, rape, and child molestation) and the perpetrator race is manipulated in a …

Comparison Of Education Level, Intelligence Quotient, And Higher Education Courses Of Individuals Who Commit Violent Crimes And Those Individuals Who Commit Nonviolent Crimes In Arkansas, W. Andranette Anderson-Blackwell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare education levels, intelligence quotients, and college courses taken or are being taken by criminal offenders who commit violent versus nonviolent crimes. One hundred males and 100 females from the states' correctional facilities were used as the sample. The sample was stratified according to four characteristics: type of crime committed (violent or nonviolent), ethnicity, age, and gender. The null hypothesis tested in this study was that there is no statistically significant difference, at the 0.05 level, in the educational levels or intelligence quotients of criminal offenders as to age, ethnicity, gender, …

Recovery From Substance Abuse: The Role Of Unsupportive Social Interactions, Michelle Marie Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTRECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE: THE ROLE OF UNSUPPORTIVE SOCIAL INTERATIONSBy Michelle M. Schmitt, M.A., M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology It has been estimated that over 20 million individuals struggle with substance abuse and/or dependence each year. Theories of addiction and recovery have long incorporated the notion of social support and helping relationships to facilitate adjustment. However, the literature investigating the role of social support is fraught with contradictions. In addition, in …

The Feasibility Of Implementing Programs Of Assertive Community Treatment By The North Dakota Department Of Human Services, Lauren J. Sauer

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study To Identify The Attributes Of Police Strategies And The Related Leadership Styles In Order To Address The Quality Of Life Issues In Police Organizations And The Community, John Christopher Gregory

Theses and Dissertations

This research identified and examined the attributes of police strategies and the related leadership styles in an attempt to develop a model that would benefit police organizations and the community in an effort to have a positive impact on the quality of life of all citizens in the community.

It was a qualitative study that utilized literature from the law enforcement community, the business community, the athletic community, as well as the military community. Personal law enforcement and military experience was considered in order to bring an intimate view of leadership in times of peril and crisis into the text. …

Differences In Levels Of Sports Team Identification And Sports Fan Motivation Among American Indian And Caucasian University Of North Dakota Students, Tami Jollie-Trottier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the level of spectator identification and fan motivation among University of North Dakota (UND) students. Participants consisted of 57 Northern Plains American Indian students and 90 Caucasian students. Participants completed the Sports Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS) and the Sports Fan Motivation Scale (SFMS). It was predicted that Caucasian students would report higher levels of spectator identification with UND "Fighting Sioux" athletic teams than would American Indian students. It was further hypothesized Caucasian students would be more likely to contest changing the "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo. It was also predicted that motivation …

Mpa/Msa Program Survey Of Columbus State University Alumni, Judith A. Frix

Theses and Dissertations

Questionnaires were mailed to all Columbus State University MP A/MSA alumni, and the responses were used to evaluate alumni perception of the program. Survey questions included: indication of the alumni option area; selection and evaluation of program objectives; relationship of the degree to the objective; year of graduation; perceived importance of the degree to life success; job status during and after completion of the degree; rankings of curriculum, support facilities, and advising; value of degree versus the cost of acquiring the degree; the fulfillment of learning expectations; career goals reached through program training; contribution of the program to the general …

The Effects Of Viewing Television Violence On School Children, Jennifer M. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of viewing television violence on children. It was hypothesized that children who watch more than 3 to 4 hours of television daily, and who are exposed to inherently violent television programming in which physical and/or verbal confrontations and actions are commonplace, will be more likely than other peers to have received disciplinary referrals.

The study took place within an urban middle school serving children grades 6 through 8. A sample of 52 students was randomly selected, consisting of some students who had and some who had not received disciplinary referrals. …

Development Of The American Indian Biculturalism Inventory - Northern Plains, Jessica L. Gourneau

Theses and Dissertations

American Indians' “place” in the context of the Majority Culture has never been clear to either them or their non-Indian counterparts. Many authors of cross-cultural literature suggest the experience of “living with one foot in two canoes” is stressful, confusing, and can even lead to reduced life success and increased psychopathology. This study attempted to develop a factor-analytically devised inventory intended to aid in identification of bicultural identification in hopes it may contribute to greater understanding between cultural orientation and healthy or maladaptive American Indians' functioning.

One hundred and ninety-eight American Indian and Caucasian students and community members from four …

Infant And Toddler Child Care Management Handbook, Mary E. Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Predictive Validity Of The Afit Graduate Engineering And Environmental (Geem) Admission Requirements, Charles C. Zitzmann

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing that a strong commitment to advanced technical and management education (Van Scotter, 1993, p. 1) serves to maintain the capability and strength of the United States Air Force (USAF), the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Graduate School of Engineering and Management (GSEM) offers a full-time, eighteen-month, Graduate Engineering and Environmental Management (GEEM) program to military officers and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees. The AFIT uses the applicant's undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test verbal and quantitative scores, and undergraduate mathematics course grade-point average (UMGPA) to select applicants for admission. This study analyzed how …

Correlations Between Reading Achievement And Discipline Problems Among African-American Male Eighth Grade Students In The Little Rock School District, Deborah J. Price

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of existing knowledge regarding the relationship between academic achievement and discipline problems found in schools today. The study undertook to determine if there is a correlation between the behavior of African-American male students and their academic achievement. Specifically, it examines their achievement in reading and whether or not these students have experienced serious discipline problems at school. The sample was limited to African-American male students who are in the eighth grade during the 2001-2002 school year. These students must have attended a middle school within the Little Rock School …

Quality Assurance For North Dakota Youth Correctional Treatment Programs : A Three-Year Study Of Students And Their Treatment Program Outcomes, Ross A. Munns

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Encoding Of Face Categories In Short-Term Memory : Do Racial And Emotional Shifts Show A Release From Proactive Ibhibition [Sic]?, Brent M. King

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Administrative Factors On Police Officer Job Performance, Irick Anthony Geary Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The topic of police management and its effect on officer arrest rates is an important issue that has not received the level of attention it deserves. There is an abundance of available training and a push for better trained police executives. In the present study the relationship between police administrative factors and officer arrest rates are addressed using data from a national probability sample of police departments.

The study uses ordinary least squares regression to analyze the independent relationship between police administrative factors, as measured by the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, and officer arrest rates, as measured by …

Media Rape: Press Coverage Of Sexual Assault Cases, Megan M. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

In 1989, a female jogger was raped, beaten and left for dead in New York City’s Central Park. Two years later, a woman was attacked on a beach in Palm Beach, Florida. She reported to police that she had been raped. Both cases were covered extensively by the media, but the press treated the victims very differently. Throughout their analysis, reporters painted the Central Park jogger as an innocent victim, while the woman who accused Smith of rape was depicted as a deserving tramp.

Assuming a primarily qualitative approach, this research used frame analysis to examine The New York Times …