Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Evaluation Of A Prototype E-Learning Site To Train Japanese Elementary School Teachers How To Teach English To Children, Curtis H. Kelly

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide Japanese elementary school teachers assigned to teach English, the skills and tools to do so. Their training needs were assessed in order to develop a prototype e-learning site to provide that training. Seven research questions were answered: 1) What are the educational needs, both perceived and predicted, of Japanese elementary school teachers preparing to teach English to children? 2) What are appropriate systems of delivery for an educational program to satisfy these needs? 3) What are the criteria for the educational contents and format of an educational Web site to satisfy these needs? …

Addressing Retention, Discipline, And Achievement Problems Among High School Freshmen, John Rhett Harris

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Problems with ninth grade retention, discipline, and achievement and the attempts to correct those problems were examined as a part of the practicum assignment for Nova Southeastern University. The creation of a ninth grade academy patterned around research describing schools within- schools (SWAS) served as the vehicle for reform aimed at correcting these dilemmas. Statistical evidence revealed that our retention and discipline rates school wide were worsening, particularly among freshmen. Consultation between the researcher and the school principal lead to the creation of a new learning setting whose priority was to reverse the negative trends we were seeing through new …

Reducing Teen Use Of Alcohol And Drugs Through Parent Involvement, Judy Watson Olson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to help parents prevent teen substance use. School leaders and parents were concerned about the high teen substance use by teens. A review of the literature showed that involved and caring parents who monitored their teen’s activities had a positive impact on helping prevent substance use.

The writer worked with school and parent leaders to develop a Parent Network. A directory was written to provide parenting tips and phone numbers so parents could contact each other. Parent leaders recruited other parents to join the Network. Parents were not interested in attending activities, so a parent …

Development Of A Textbook With A Plan For Its Evaluation For The Acting I Course At Austin Community College, Jamee Kennedy

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this dissertation project was two-fold. First, the purpose was to develop a textbook for the Acting I course at Austin Community College that fully supports the required standardized curriculum created in 1999. Second, an evaluation plan for the textbook was developed to help determine the text’s validity.

The effectiveness of the text will be determined by the implementation of this plan. Based on the results of the evaluation plan, the administration at Austin Community College will make a recommendation to either adopt the text as is, modify the text, or to reject the text.

There were three …

Development Of A Historic Preservation Outreach Program With Evaluation Plan For The University Of Arkansas At Little Rock History Department, Franklin Allen Latimer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem is that the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) is ignoring the large potential constituency on the state’s college campuses. By ignoring this potential constituency, the agency is not meeting its goal of educating the public on historic preservation to the fullest extent and the agency is missing an opportunity to recruit people into working for preservation of the state’s cultural resources. This project was intended to develop a preservation outreach program to facilitate delivering information on the state’s historic resources as well as services offered by AHPP to the students in the history department of the University of …

The Development Of A Plan For The Viability Of Physical Education At Calhoun Community College With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Nancy Keenum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The current economic decline in Alabama has meant that educational institutions have had to deal with serious financial shortfalls and budget cuts. The problem facing Calhoun Community College is that funding cuts have resulted in an 80% reduction of the Physical Education department at a time when the administration has an interest in future long-term growth, physical education courses remain a viable option for students, and there is an increased awareness of the concomitant health benefits. This applied dissertation was designed to provide a comprehensive plan for the Physical Education department to meet the needs of the students by remaining …

Improving The Academic Achievement Of Sixth-Grade Students Who Do Not Perform At Grade Level In Mathematics, Eileen M. Bond

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to assist 6th-grade students who were not performing at grade level in mathematics. Students entered the 6th grade with a great disparity of skills and abilities in mathematics and then progressed through the middle school grades unable to complete tasks appropriate to their grade level as outlined by the state-mandated mathematics curriculum. These findings were documented both by report card grades and by standardized test scores.

The writer developed a cross-age tutoring program that paired 6th-grade students with 8th-grade students who were trained as tutors. The program was executed as an extra-subject period to provide …

Reducing Male Student Discipline Referral Rates At Westview Elementary School, Virginia Glass Berry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if the use of male mentors would measurably decrease male student discipline referrals at Westview Elementary School. Referral data indicated a high number of discipline actions that impacted student and school performance. Student social records revealed that most male students attending Westview Elementary School were from homes headed by single mothers. The principal’s observations and parent conferences evidenced a lack of respect for female authority. Prior to this study, the majority of instructors at Westview Elementary School were female. The male discipline factor had created a frustration level among the faculty that had …

Integrating Socioemotional And Moral Education Within Early Childhood Teacher Preparation, Dianne K. Alexander

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to prepare early childhood student teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of a peacemaker to manage classroom aggression with competence and confidence. During field placements student teachers reported frustration in their ability to manage the increasingly aggressive and disruptive socioemotional behaviors of their young students. Recurring patterns of anti-social behavior became a daily challenge, exacting a toll not only on instructional time, but also on student teacher attention, patience, and, over time, efficacy. An in-depth study of the university nursery through third grade early childhood teacher preparation program revealed little or no violence prevention …

Improving Reading Instruction And Student Achievement In Fourth Grade, Manuel C. Barreiro

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A disproportionate number of students in Grade 4 that attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary School scored at Levels I and II on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) Reading sub-test. To increase the number of students scoring at or above Level III, the issue of teacher preparation in the area of reading instruction and the improvement of students’ reading skills were identified as factors that can impact student achievement as measured by the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT).

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to identify and implement successful teacher training and preparation programs, to review and revise current …

Will A New Math Program Improve Burnsville Elementary School Third Grade Student Achievement?, Debra B. Brewer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation implemented a curriculum change in math for third graders in a rural elementary school with a student population of 530. An analysis of the end of grade testing over the past two years indicated that the third graders at this school scored 11.5 Normal Curve Equivalent (NCEs) below the other third graders in the school district.

The intervention implemented the Saxon Math Program, along with an appropriate professional development program designed to strength the math program and to increase third grade students’ math skill development. The intervention focused on training the third grade teachers to use the …

Evaluating An Advisory Program In A Community School District, Lydia C. Alvarado

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation describes the results of a formative evaluation of the implementation of instructional techniques in an advisory program and the staff’s commitment to the program. The question that this study addressed was, Are the faculty members implementing instructional techniques (group dynamics techniques, group discussion techniques and critical thinking questioning techniques) during the advisor-advisee period?

To address the above concern, the advisers received staff development on instructional techniques that would assist them in conducting their advisory lessons. The instructional techniques consisted of (a) group dynamics techniques, (b) questioning techniques in discussion groups, and (c) critical thinking questioning techniques. Informal …

Success Through Access: A Plan To Serve Students With Disabilities In The Liberty Central School District, Barbara Hackett Blakey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the current education program for students with disabilities. The key performance indicators established by the state education department indicated that the program was weak. Specific areas of weakness were the lack of success of students with disabilities on state tests at Grades 4 and 8, lack of passing scores on the high school level exams, high incidence of dropout rate, and low percentage of students with disabilities earning a high school diploma and lack of integration into the regular education classroom. A specific assessment was needed to determine the root causes of these …

Improving Second-Grade Students’ Language Arts Achievement Scores, Thomas W. O'Neill Ii

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine whether or not changes in curriculum, teacher selected activities, and grouping techniques have an impact on standardized test scores. Second-grade teaching techniques were limited to teacher driven activities including worksheets and lectures. Teachers were not familiar with student-centered instruction such as cooperative learning or center-based instruction. Teachers of second grade believed the reading series at their grade level was outdated and that there was a need to purchase a current curriculum that included the use of phonics in conjunction with the whole-language approach. Teachers in kindergarten, first, and third grades agreed to change …

Improving Reading Comprehension In The High School Setting, Robert L. Harris

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The setting for this applied dissertation is Springville High School. Twenty percent of the ninth grade students at this school scored below the 30th percentile on norm referenced Stanford Achievement Test 9 in reading comprehension. The test results reflect the lack of reading instruction at the secondary level. The implementation period was for two 18-week periods, which used reading strategies from the researched-based Alabama Reading Initiative Program. An intervention was developed and utilized to improve the reading comprehension of a select group of ninth-grade students. The objectives for this project were to significantly increase the reading comprehension scores of the …

Pretraining Assessment To Improve Computer Skills Of Alternative Education School Teachers, Cheryl D. Smith-Brown

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to assess the computer skills of teachers at 5 alternative education schools so they could be grouped into sessions that would meet their ability level. Teachers at the alternative education schools used at least 5 educational software programs to enhance the curriculum at their schools; however, these teachers did not have the most basic computer skills and, therefore, experienced problems managing multiple educational software packages and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Although the district provided educational software training for teachers, the training was designed for participants with basic computer skills. Therefore, teachers who attended the …

Improving School Bus Safety By Reducing Bus Accidents, Thomas F. Boyle

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation describes an accident prevention training program for school bus drivers who transport students for the Somerset County Educational Services Commission (SCESC) on a countywide basis. Students were transported on bus routes that spanned mountainous rural areas, winding suburban streets, and high-speed congested highways in all weather conditions. It was the goal of this applied dissertation to identify and implement a program that would reduce bus accidents and improve student safety.

Planned solution strategies included (a) a customized instructional course on school bus defensive driving taught to a cohort of bus drivers by the SCESC’s certified school bus …

Development Of A Needs-Driven Theory-Based Model For Medication-Taking Education With Plans For Implementation And Evaluation, Jana M. Bajcar

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The medication-taking education needs of individual patients on long-term medications are not being adequately met by traditional medication-taking education provided by health care providers. The aim of this study is to develop a model for an approach to medication-taking education that can be used by health care providers for patients on long-term medications. The goal is to develop an approach that is based on patients’ perspectives of their medication-taking education needs and that is also grounded in relevant health and education theories.

The present research study is a qualitative study of the medication-taking education needs of 10 well-educated individuals who …

Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Kindergarten Students’ Concept Age Gains, Denise Hutchinson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine whether kindergarten students in instructional technology classrooms have a greater concept age gain than students in traditional kindergarten classrooms at John F. Kennedy Elementary School. The 4 kindergarten classrooms to which students were randomly assigned are the subjects of this study. The 2 instructional technology kindergarten classrooms incorporated three computers into the required centers to be completed daily by each student. The 2 traditional kindergarten classroom used the same daily center plans; however, the 3 computers in each of these classrooms were used for free exploration and play after the other centers …

Teaching Fifth Grade Students With Learning Problems To Self-Regulate Writing Utilizing Mnemonics, Mary Angela Gioscia

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide students with learning disabilities the opportunity to improve their writing skills. Students were expected to organize information and utilize correct spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure in order to write independently on grade level. This was not happening. For years the writer witnessed the struggle that students with learning disabilities had encountered with written language. Graphic organizers, writing programs, and modifications made to the curricula did not solve the problem of fifth-grade students with learning disabilities to demonstrate grade level writing.

In her research the writer discovered the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model of …

Reducing Fighting And Bullying Among Second And Third Grade Students Through Instruction In Peace Education, Cecil W. Scott

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to reduce fighting and bullying among second and third grade students. The behavioral plans used by individual teachers were ineffective. Students were exhibiting deviant behaviors in the form of fighting, bullying, using profanity and name-calling. Children were being placed in time out, and many were internally and externally suspended for antisocial behaviors. Teachers could not help students resolve conflicts using peaceful methods.

The writer developed a Peace Education curriculum to be used by teachers to reduce deviant behaviors in students. They used daily peace and conflict resolution strategies in their classrooms that assisted children to …

Intervention Plan To Reduce Truancy Of Seventh-, Eighth-, And Ninth-Grade Students, Mike Stiefel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation describes the attendance problems of students at Wellborn High School. Wellborn High School is 1 of 7 high schools in the Calhoun County School District. Located in a community with a high poverty rate and limited employment opportunities, the school has the highest percentage of truancy of 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade students in the district. Many parents of this community do not value education; therefore, they are indifferent to enforcing the attendance policy of the school district.

A review of selected literature was conducted to identify causes of truancy. After identification of many characteristics of truancy and …

Improving Reading Instruction Through Staff Development At Putnam County Elementary School, Kirk D. Mallette

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem addressed was low reading achievement for Grade 2 students at Putnam County Elementary School. Reading comprehension and vocabulary skills were not being demonstrated by Grade 2 students to a satisfactory level according to the test data. Teachers in the school expressed frustration about how to help students achieve higher levels. One variable that impacts reading achievement is teacher instruction. This study addresses that variable.

The intervention was a staff development training program to help Grade 2 teachers at Putnam County Elementary School learn to implement a balanced approach to literacy through guided reading and guided writing. The quasi-experimental …

A Second Chance For Struggling Students, Irene R. Fujii

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The focus on standards and the California high school exit exam has had an impact on all students, especially students who are already having a difficult time in school. For the past 3-year period, 1999 through 2002, students from a bay area continuation high school had a retention rate of less than 25% in career technical programs.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Skills Tutor Program (Achievement Technologies, 2000), a computerized instructional program, would assist continuation students to stay in school by helping them to enhance their academic performance and attitudes toward school.

The population for …

Improving The Reading Ability Of First Grade Students Through School And Home-Based Literacy Support, Tara Mack

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the reading level of 1st-grade students. Several methods of evaluation were used to assess the problem. Assessment of reading skills, instructional techniques, and the lack of parental involvement with literacy provided substantial proof that the reading program should be enhanced.

The writer developed a program to incorporate different reading strategies for students to help increase reading scores. The writer facilitated guided reading workshops to help teachers provide a balanced literacy program. Newsletters, family reading nights, sight word kits, and a book-lending program were established to get the parents more involved. A buddy reading …

Reward: An Incentive Program To Encourage Appropriate Behavior And Reduce Discipline Referrals, Clyde O. Harris

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to reduce discipline referrals and suspensions in a middle school of 450 students. Universities provided the majority of the current material in terms of books, periodicals, relevant abstracts, and up-to-date research articles. The Internet was a useful tool as well as Educational Resources Information Center searches to locate information that provided both the pros and cons of using incentives to modify behavior. The school media center had very limited resources. Teachers at the school were given strategies to be used in the classroom to help them manage the classroom better, provide incentives in a timely …

Political Agitation: Can A Political Mandate Be Used As A Catalyst For Creating A Learning Organization?, James W "Kip" Stevens

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation dealt with the efforts of the principal at Turner County Middle School to use state mandates as a catalyst for creating a learning community of teachers. The hypothesis was that the teachers’ anger at the politicians could be redirected by the principal into a unified vision of raising their students’ reading test scores on standardized tests. The principal sought to use inclusion, empowerment and co-operative peer led instruction for the mandated staff development course. The question was asked, “Can peer led staff development that has specific teacher and student outcomes outlined in advance increase student learning, resulting …

Using Online Spatial Visualization Activities In A Geometry Course For Preservice Elementary Teachers, Kathy Bauman Burgis

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Spatial visualization is critical in learning and using geometry and other mathematics, science, and various technologies. Many preservice teachers lacked the spatial visualization skills and knowledge necessary to effectively teach a rich elementary mathematics curriculum. This applied dissertation was designed to improve preservice elementary teachers’ spatial visualization skills.

The author used online Java applets to deliver spatial visualization instruction in a geometry course for preservice elementary teachers. Data was collected from convenience samples formed from two intact classes. There were 27 students in the treatment group and 22 students in the control group. Participants worked independently, outside of class, using …

Increasing Enrollment At Community Christian School, Thomas R. Lamborn

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a program to increase enrollment at Community Christian School (CCS). For the years 2000-2002, enrollment declined from a high of 243 to 200 students. As part of the problem, the faculty turnover was high, creating instability with the staff and concern on the part of parents. CCS had a faculty turnover rate of 48% and 45% for the same 2 years. Other possible causes included insufficient marketing of the school, weak instruction in the high school, low faculty salaries, and insufficient interaction between the administrators and the faculty.

A more definitive marketing plan was developed to be …

Nietzsche Between Jews And Jurists: A Note On The Christian Filiation Of The Anti-Christ, Anton Schütz

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.