Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying The Role Of The School Business Administrator, Diana L. Schiraldi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the school business administrator and to determine the congruency or incongruency between role expectations of the business administrator and actual role performance. Individuals participating in this study were the school business administrator and seventeen of his role set partners. Role set partners included the superintendent of schools, four district level administrators, eight building level administrators, two board members, a teacher and a custodial supervisor. Participants were surveyed using a written questionnaire to determine their views of the business administrator's role. The business administrator's daily activities were documented through shadowing. …

The Influence Of A School's Schedule On Teaching Practices And Behaviors, Ann Moore

Theses and Dissertations

In 1999 the teaching staff at Washington Township High School and the teaching staff at Upper Darby High School were asked to participate in a study of the influence of a school's schedule on teaching practices and behaviors. This study investigates the classroom behaviors and practices of high school teachers both in a traditionally scheduled school and in a block scheduled school. This report presents the results of an analysis of a survey administered to a stratified random sample. The results of the survey were compiled manually and appear in tabular form. The analysis of the data reveals the frequency …

A Multicultural Club At Hammonton High School, Mildred Peretti

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examines the attitude change among rural high school students regarding diversity and tolerance presented through a multicultural club. Fifty randomly selected students and parents of the high school were pre-tested using a survey instrument measuring needs assessment and an attitude profile. Data analysis was conducted using percentages of each of the four questions asked. The entire student body was then exposed to various multicultural facts and experiences promoted through a multicultural club. Activities included daily factual announcements, a trivia contest of information retrieval, guest speakers, music, assemblies, displays of heritage's artifacts, and relevant content knowledge integrated …

The Effectiveness Of Peer Mediation On Student Behavior At The Paul W. Carleton School, Charles A. Warfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the newly developed and implemented Peer Mediation Program in an elementary school. Peer mediation is the use of third party students who are trained in the mediation process to help other students resolve interpersonal conflicts prior to their escalation to physical or verbal offenses. Students may be referred to the Peer Mediation Program by teachers or the administrator. They may also request a mediation session on their own. Disputing students who participated in the Peer Mediation Program worked cooperatively to reach an agreement with the aid of the peer …

Streamlining The Accounts Payable Purchase Order Procedure And Approval Process, Alan B. Parmelee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a uniform method for purchasing materials and equipment for the Sea Isle City Public School District and to bring about a change in the organizational culture that would support those changes in procedure.

The intern utilized open-ended action research and his problem solving skills to analyze the practices currently in use, to research statute and code and for conditions and limitations of public sector purchasing practices and to review other relevant purchasing manuals and procedures. Informal interviews were conducted among staff to gauge the level of their knowledge of purchasing requirements.

As …

A World Of Difference: A Multicultural Program, Newton Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to develop aggregated understandings of bias and how it affects violence in a school's culture using action research. The study, through A World of Difference Program's Anti-Bias Study Guide and peer interventions, will result in improved cultural relations. At this stage in the research, bias is studied and acknowledged.

A fifty thousand-dollar grant was awarded to Atlantic City's Board of Education, with one school piloting the program. The A World of Difference Program focuses on training, education, and interactive activities. Student and teacher volunteers who do the work will recognize and realize, through communications, …

Predictor Of Gender Role Attitudes: Family Composition Or Subject's Gender, Viviann F. Olmedo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what would be the greater predictor of gender role attitudes: family composition (dual vs. single parent households) or the subject's gender on a population consisting of sixty-three college students ranging in age from nineteen through fifty-six.

Subjects were given a packet that contained four questionnaires related to: family composition/general information, parental responsibilities, subject's responsibilities and BEM inventory. All sixty-three subjects completed this survey to the best of their abilities.

The relationship between family composition (dual vs. single parent households), the subject's gender and their gender role attitudes (BEM scores) went unsupported.

Recruiting Minority Teachers: A Guide For Vocational School Administrators, Carole H. Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of the minority teacher shortage in New Jersey's vocational schools and identify steps to be taken by administrators to attract and retain minority teachers.

A written survey was mailed to all 21 New Jersey county vocational school superintendents. Twelve surveys were returned.

The results of the study validate the need to hire more minority teachers to teach in our culturally diverse classrooms. Many vocational schools in the state reported difficulty in attracting minority candidates; however, weak or indifferent recruitment practices are partly to blame for the problem. Other causes of …

Brain Gym And Its Effect On The Reading Comprehension Of Third Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Stacey P. Bundens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to research the effects of the Edu-K/Brain Gym program on the reading abilities of learning disabled students. Fourteen students who had been diagnosed as learning disabled and enrolled in a self-contained third grade classroom participated in this study. The experimental group received fourteen days of treatment twice a day for ten minutes. The control group received no treatment. Pre- and post-test measures on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test were compared to determine the progress of the students.

The data shows that the experimental group made only slight gains in the area of Word Comprehension. …

Gambling Addiction And Personality Type, Michael Athanasios Gatis

Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-six students from a state university in New Jersey were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) form M in order to examine the relationship between gambling addiction and personality types. A chi-square test was performed at a 95 percent significance in order to determine if statistically significant relationships existed among the following: the relationship between personality types of gamblers within the group, the relationship between the personality types of non-gamblers within the group, and finally the relationship between the personality types of gamblers and non-gamblers between groups. No statistically significant relationships were found; …

Program Accommodations Made By New Jersey Elementary School Librarians To Meet The Needs Of Exceptional Readers, Beverly S. Siti

Theses and Dissertations

As teacher and educational partner, the elementary school library media specialist must accommodate the diverse abilities and interests of students in all stages and degrees of literacy development. In order to examine if and how school librarians in New Jersey meet the needs of students who read either above or below grade level expectations, a survey was designed to measure key attributes of a library program that successfully accommodates all readers: the librarian's background knowledge of the reading process, his/her collaboration with others who have knowledge of students' strengths and needs, the accessibility of appropriate materials to students within the …

Information Literacy Skills: Successful Cross-Curricular Integration At The Secondary Level In New Jersey, Susan T. Rohrman

Theses and Dissertations

Focusing on information literacy skills instruction at the secondary level, the purposes of the field research were to examine the impact of national and state curriculum standards on library skills curriculum; to explore the instructional role of the school media specialist; and to create a model for successful information literacy skills projects. Field research was conducted at the media centers of two secondary schools, grades 9 - 12 in southern New Jersey. Two educational media specialists in secondary schools and their 10th grade Biology classes were observed during an instructional period. Application of information literacy skills was incorporated into the …

The Information-Seeking Experience Of Users In The Reference Section Of The Rowan University Library, Faye E. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to learn about the information-seeking experience of users of the Rowan University library. The data were collected by way of a self-administered questionnaire. One hundred and five library users participated in the study; the average respondents were male undergraduates 18-22 years old. The data were analyzed by examining the percentages of responses. One major finding of the study is that 92% of the respondents did not think they needed the help of the librarian to use electronic resources. Another relevant finding was that users found one-on-one assistance from a librarian was more effective than …

Gender Preferences In The Recreational Reading Of Sixth Grade Students, Dorothy H. Holmes

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared what sixth graders like to read for pleasure by gender with the collection of the Voorhees New Jersey Middle School media center. An interest survey was given to 105 sixth-grade students. A sample of the Voorhees Middle School library was done. A comparison of the two analyzed what is available in the library with what the students like to read. The influence of the Harry Potter books on recreational reading was also studied. This study showed that males and females have favorable attitudes towards recreational reading and enjoy both fiction and nonfiction as well as a variety …

Can Computer Technology Help Elementary Students Achieve Information Literacy?, David Calvanico

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to determine if computer technology helps elementary students achieve information literacy, a quasi-experiment was conducted using the Solomon four-group design with two fourth grade and two fifth grade classes. Information Literacy Standards from Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning and Eisenberg and Berkowitz' Big 6™ Information Literacy model were used to structure the experiment. The researcher was a participant observer, the school's librarian. Two classes were pretested and posttested, the other two were only posttested following Solomon four-group protocol. The researcher used a rubric to assess students at each step of the Big 6™ Information Literacy model …

Accommodating Learning Disabled Students In New Jersey Middle School Media Centers, Dawn Duelly

Theses and Dissertations

Learning disabled students are being placed in regular education classrooms because of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act '97 (IDEA'97). A questionnaire was sent to library media specialists in New Jersey middle schools asking how they accommodated learning disabled students. It questioned the library media specialists' training, programs, feelings and how they service this population. It also asked about the accommodations made for the learning disabled student in the library media center. The results of the survey indicated that more staff training is needed. School library media specialists are concerned about finding materials that are low level reading, but high …

Leisure Reading Among Fourth And Sixth Grade Boys, Linda Kissling

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to determine whether middle school boys read less for leisure than elementary school boys. Forty-eight boys and 45 girls in fourth grade and 48 boys and 52 girls in sixth grade maintained a log for one week to determine how their time outside school was spent and responded to a survey to describe their attitudes toward leisure reading. Time outside school was divided into three categories; personal, including sleeping, eating, and hygiene; structured or demand time, including homework, chores, and sports and music practice; and leisure, including television, reading, time with friends, etc. The survey asked respondents …

History Of The George J. Mitchell Elementary School Library Media Center, Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Susan D. Lescure

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to identify the factors that led to the formation of the George J. Mitchell Elementary School Library Media Center and give local historical reference to the community about the library services offered. Data was collected through literature, personal communications, documents, observations, and site visitations. Historical developments illustrated relevant patterns in the evolution of library service to elementary schools. The research was used to inform the community about the history of the library using the district's web page.

Development Of The Avalon And Stone Harbor School Library Media Programs: A Case Study, Roberta A. Dean

Theses and Dissertations

This case study was an attempt to discover the circumstances that prompted the Avalon and Stone Harbor schools to establish school library media centers and how each school district developed its program. The people who were personally involved in establishing the libraries and former students who attended the schools at the time each library was established were interviewed. Questionnaires were designed to collect oral history data. Archival documents, such as school board minutes, annual reports from the Cape May County Free Library, and New Jersey Department of Education records were consulted to verify the oral history information and provide additional …

Teaching Research Skills With Electronic Reference Tools: A Study Of Curriculum Development And Articulation, Johanne Milnes

Theses and Dissertations

Elementary teachers and elementary school library media specialists are expected to prepare students to be able to complete independent research using a variety of print and electronic reference tools. The purpose of this study was to examine what programs are available in elementary schools that prepare students to do independent research. The subjects were library media specialists who taught grades three, four, five, and six in schools in New Jersey. The schools were part of the FG group of the New Jersey District Factor Grouping System. Using a self-administered questionnaire the subjects described the essentials of their library programs, responded …

Face-To-Face Communication Vs. E-Mail: When To Use Which Form Of Communication In Today's Technology-Focused Society, Wendy Jayne Lathrope

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how employees in the publishing industry prefer to receive information from their managers and whether face-to-face communication is still valued in today's technology-focused society.

Using a mail survey, developed after a Lexis-Nexis literature review at Rowan University, the author polled 163 employees from three Philadelphia-area publishing companies regarding the channels through which they preferred to receive messages from their managers. The author hand-coded the survey results, analyzed the data and developed conclusions and recommendations.

The study found that employees (72.1%) preferred to receive messages through face-to-face communication. Men (8.3%) were more likely …

Strengthening A School-Community Relations Program Through Student Involvement, Karen Warner

Theses and Dissertations

This study's main purpose was to show the logic and benefits of involving students in school-community relations. The data collection consisted of online and library searches for information about schools that include students in their public relations efforts. Award-winning newsletters from 42 school districts were also examined to determine consistent qualities that lead to excellence in communications.

The study showed that while students are directly and indirectly involved in school-community relations on a continuing, daily basis, little has been documented about structured programs or formal involvement. Research supports the effectiveness of student involvement, yet few districts make a conscious effort …

The Effects Of Journal Writing On Self-Concept In Group Therapy, Kimberly A. Moffitt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of journal writing on children's self-concept in group therapy. It was hypothesized that students using journal writing would receive higher scores on a self-concept measurement than students who did not participate in journal writing.

The sample included 29 students from a school-based mental health program in kindergarten through eighth grade. Subjects completed a pre and post test using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Subjects in the experimental group participated in four weeks of journal writing between the pre and post tests while subjects in the control group did not. Test …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Academic Achievement And The Role Of Gender, Smriti Goyal

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between Locus of Control and academic achievement, and discussed the possibility of gender differences. Past research indicated a positive correlational relationship between internal scores and high academic achievement. Overall, the research regarding gender found males to be more internal than females. In this study, the 77 subjects were 10th grade American History students, placed in three different class levels, according to academic achievement the prior year. The Rotter's Internal-External scale was administered to all the subjects during History class. These scores were then separately correlated with academic class level and gender. The statistical analysis found …

A Study Examining The Importance Of Early Intervention On Premature Development, Suzanne F. Appleby

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, thousands of babies are born prematurely or at low birth weight. As a result, many of these children are confronted with health and developmental issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of early intervention on premature development. It was hypothesized that premature children, who were initially denied early intervention services, would eventually be in need of services at a later time, and these children would be in need more than full-term children. The present study consisted of a sample of fifty-four children: twenty-seven pre-term and twenty-seven full-term. The subjects were collected from the Child …

A Comparison Of Burnout Rates Between Inpatient And Outpatient Social Workers Who Serve Mentally Ill Adults, Heather N. Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain differences in burnout rates of social workers serving mentally ill adults who are employed in one of two different types of service, inpatient and outpatient. Burnout rates were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey. This 22-item survey contains three subscales measuring: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment.

Data was collected from 19 inpatient and 28 outpatient social workers from four different agencies in southern New Jersey. One large state psychiatric institution was used to derive the inpatient social worker group and three private non-profit agencies were …

A Comparison Of Academic Growth In Emotionally Disturbed Students In Private Vs. Public School Settings, Thomas J. Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the academic growth, in the areas of reading and math ability, between students who are classified emotionally disturbed and placed by the school district in private, out of district schools with similarly classified students who remain in district programs. Other indicators of academic success, such as attendance and frequency of suspension were also compared, statistically, between the two groups. Yet other factors, such as grade retention, counseling and student investment were compared loosely. Sixty high school students, (thirty from each setting) comprise the two groups. Previous academic testing from the 1997/98 school year was …

Inclusion At The High School Level: A Case Study, Vicki L. Isler

Theses and Dissertations

This case study was conducted in order to assess the differences in occurrence of maladaptive behavior displayed by an 18 year old student with developmental disabilities placed in two different school settings. One setting, a special needs school, concentrated on vocational and daily living skills. The other setting, a public high school, provided her with four non-academic classes and the opportunity to socialize with her peers without disabilities. She was provided with a 1:1 teacher's aide in both settings.

Data sheets were completed in both settings for a three month period. These data sheets contained information on the frequency and …

Comparisons Between Add/Adhd Diagnosed And Non-Diagnosed Boys, Pre-Kindergarten Through Grade Eight, Daniel Del Vecchio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CTRS-R: S). The CTRS-R: S is an instrument used for the assessment of attention-deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and related behavioral problems in children and adolescents. The study included 225 boys in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of 165 boys who were not diagnosed with ADD/ADHD; Group two consisted of 61 boys who had been previously diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. A second analysis regrouped the sample by grade-groups that were consistent …

Teaching For The Enhancement Of Self-Esteem Of Adolescents With Learning Disabilities, Kathy Carney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if participation in structured, self-concept enhancing classroom activities would improve the self-esteem level of adolescents with learning disabilities. Forty-eight high school students identified with learning disabilities participated in this study. One-half of the students served as the control group and worked with the same teacher. The other 24 students were in the experimental group and were instructed by a different teacher who conducted lessons aimed at improving students' level of self-esteem over a period of 15 weeks. Self-esteem scores were obtained by administering the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to all participants during the …