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Molding Minds, Making Links: Mentoring And Staff Development To Reduce Suspensions For Major Offenses At The Secondary Level, Ginger W. Hamilton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was two-fold. The first part addressed school-based administrators. They were offered opportunities for professional development programs to help them improve intervention services at the school level. The second part was a mentoring program designed to provide students who seemed to be on a path leading to serious behavior problems at school with an adult who provided daily guidance and assistance.

The writer designed and implemented a professional development program for school-based administrators. Seven sessions were held to assist with improvement of their knowledge of school discipline and intervention. In addition, fifteen students from three secondary schools were …

Development Of A Plan At Concordia University Wisconsin To Create A Campus Where Racial And Cultural Diversity Is Valued, Teresa Wanbaugh

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to develop a plan at Concordia University Wisconsin to create a campus where racial and cultural diversity is valued. Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community dedicated to integrating faith and learning. Concordia University Wisconsin lacks an inclusive environment where racial and cultural diversity is valued. Without valuing racial and cultural diversity, Concordia University Wisconsin cannot effectively represent the communities it serves, and it cannot meet the needs of all student populations. The purpose of this study was to discover what the attributes of an inclusive campus are, discover what barriers must be …

Reducing The Failure Rate Of English For Students Of Other Languages (Esol) In Levels Iii And Iv In The Mainstreamed Classroom, Manuel Ferrer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The program was intended to help reduce the failure rate of English for Students of Other Languages (ESOL) III and IV students in the middle school, mainstreamed classroom. The objectives for the program were to provide both ESOL levels III and IV students and their teachers with the strategies found in the available literature that had shown to be effective.

It was anticipated that ESOL levels III and IV students would initiate a student portfolio that would be used as an alternative method of evaluation. It was further anticipated that 100% of teachers with ESOL III and IV students enrolled …

Development Of An Academic Assessment Plan And Evaluation Process For Devry Institute Of Technology Curricula Delivered By Devry Online, Donna Gardner Liljegren

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

N/A

Improving Academic Performance Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Francis Bundukamara

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This implementation was designed to improve the academic performance of students with learning disabilities. A learning disability is described as a physical, emotional, or cognitive delay that creates a deficit in language and learning. These identified students were not excelling in the classroom. Classroom measures (grade point average, attendance records, discipline records, and Individual Education Plan goals) showed that 78% of 288 students with learning disabilities at the writer’s school site were showing deficits in areas of academic performance. A target group of 16 students was selected. The target group’s classroom measures were recorded, and it was found that their …

Improving The Spatial-Temporal Reasoning Ability Of Low-Achieving Third-Grade Students, Austin G. Buffum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

At Viejo Elementary School in South Orange County, California, third-grade average mathematics scores on the Stanford 9 and California Mathematics Standards Test were noted to lag far behind district, county, and state averages. At Viejo Elementary School, a greater percentage of students are living at or near the poverty level--as evidenced by qualifying for the free or reduced lunch program--than the average percentage of students so qualifying in elementary schools in the district, county, and state. Analysis of probable cause data supported the hypothesis that children raised at or below the poverty level can suffer profound and enduring effects on …

An Alternative Staff Development Plan For An Alternative Education Setting, Vashti Moore Clayton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to develop an intervention behavioral plan to improve special needs students’ behavior by reducing the number of discipline referrals that were received annually. This plan was implemented at a specialized residential school in a southeastern state. Implementation of interventions included suggested techniques for detecting and dealing with inappropriate behaviors. Students and staff members in a residential southeastern school were interviewed, observed, and provided with a survey for this study. A review of the literature revealed that staff development and the establishment of an alternative learning center are relevant to student learning and to the …

Measuring The Prevalence And Assessing The Determinants Of Depression Among Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Implications For Treatment, Drew Edwards

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) frequently suffer from isolation and loneliness; have ineffective coping skills, poorly developed social networks and low self-esteem; and struggle with socioeconomic stressors (Dow & Mest, 1997). As a result, such people are frequently characterized in the literature as a population of chronically ill patients with a higher than normal prevalence of emotional distress (Van Ede, Yzermans & Brouwer, 1999). A study was conducted to (1) measure the prevalence of depression among clinic patients with COPD, (2) determine the demographic and clinical variables, and (3) assess the implications for treatment.

Methods: An ex post …

Helping Parenting And Pregnant Teens Become Effective Parents And Successful Students, Zandra Rucker

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Based on alarming results of adolescent pregnancy in several areas of Miami-Dade County for the past 3 years, programmatic research methods and strategies were implemented in a joint collaboration with the Miami-Dade County Public School system and Miami-Dade County Health Department, Healthy Start Division, to address the issue of high teenage pregnancy in 3 targeted high schools.

The Miami-Dade County Public School system is required to provide an education for pregnant and parenting teens, coordinate the health and psychological services, and provide ancillary services to the students who attend the program. Although the Continuing Opportunity for a Purposeful Education Centers …

Development Of A Peer Tutor Training Model At Fort Valley State University With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Darlene H. Harper

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was that Fort Valley State University had a low retention rate, and the mean grade point average fell over a 4-year period. As the population at Fort Valley State University became more diverse, tutors needed to be aware of cultural differences, various learning styles, and strategies necessary to promote success in students who might lack college level skills in certain academic areas.

The purpose of this project was to develop a peer tutor training model at Fort Valley State University. The use of a model enhanced tutorial services in an effort to increase the retention rate and the …

The Development Of A Discipline And Training Plan For Teachers And Administrators At Roland Park School, Dana D. Lazzara

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Roland Park K-8 School of Choice is a school in Hillsborough County in Tampa, Florida. The problem was that there had been a dramatic increase in discipline referrals and suspensions at Roland Park School from December 2001 to December 2002. This increase was apparent when the discipline logs and The School Improvement Team (SIT) plan were observed. The discipline logs and SIT plan demonstrated a sharp rise of 42% more referrals and suspensions at the school site from 2001 to 2002. Leaders needed to be on the same page when handling discipline and other behaviors across the school organization.

A …

Positive Learning Activities In A Caring Environment: A Study Of A Student Advisory Program, Wanda Youngblood Lee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation focused on the study of a teacher-student advisory program for 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students at Oak Hill Middle School in Milledgeville, Georgia. The population that was targeted for study was middle school students who were at risk of failure. Teachers were assigned an advisory class of 12 to 15 students at a specific grade level and mentored these students daily for a 40-minute period throughout the 2002-2003 school year.

Advisors and administrators, who were knowledgeable of the developmental characteristics of adolescents, worked together to review and select activities and materials for use during the advisory period. …

Teaching The Bible, Wesley L. Baker

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of Speech, Steelman Library, John R. Pierce Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Edington V. Edington, 119 Nev. Adv. Rep. 62, Z. Ryan Pahnke

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appeal from a district court order denying a motion to modify a divorce decree and denying a motion for attorney fees.

Fraud And The Financial Statement Audit: Auditor Responsibilities Under New Sas, Michawel Ramos

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Being And Acting Rational, Michael N. Huhns

Faculty Publications

Rationality alone is insufficient to specify agent design. Using economic theory, we can program agents to behave in ways that maximize their utility while responding to environmental changes. However, economic models for agents, although general in principle, are typically limited in practice because the value functions that are tractable essentially reduce an agent to acting selfishly. Building a stable social system from a collection of agents motivated by self-serving interests is difficult. Finally, understanding rationality and knowledge requires interdisciplinary results from artificial intelligence, distributed.

Mental Health And Incarceration: What A Bad Combination, Olinda Moyd

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The District of Columbia has one of the highest per capita incarceration and criminal justice supervision rates in the United States1 and among the highest in the world. The local prison population has risen dramatically over the past decade for a variety of reasons including increased rates of re-incarceration for parole violations and the imposition of longer sentences for drug offenses. Recent acts of Congress have seriously impacted the sentencing laws in the District including determination of where persons sentenced for violating local D.C. laws will serve such sentences. On August 5, 1997, President Clinton signed into law The National …

Owning Enlightenment: Proprietary Spirituality In The New Age Marketplace, Walter Effross

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Restoring Faith In Government: Transparency Reform In The United States And The European Union, Amanda Frost

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

The Inter-American Human Rights System: Activities From Late 2000 Through October 2002, Richard J. Wilson

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Modeling Direct Farm Marketing In West Virginia: A Spatial, Policy, And Profitability Analysis., Jesse Ernest Gandee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This analysis uses economic modeling techniques to analyze direct farm marketing sales, profits, and public policy in West Virginia. To investigate factors that affect county direct farm marketing, the impact of consumer demographic, land, and spatial variables upon county direct farm marketing sales is tested. The results reveal that income, education, land characteristics, and adjacent metropolitan areas influence direct farm marketing sales. An Input-Output (I-O) model is used to analyze a direct farm marketing public policy in the Mountain State. The results from the model portray a disproportionate amount of West Virginia food production contributing to marketing services and a …

Say-Do Correspondence: Effects Of Reinforcer Magnitude, Response Requirement, And Prior Experience On Choices., Stephanie P. Da Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effects of reinforcer magnitude, response requirement, and prior experience on choices in say-do correspondence were assessed in three experiments. In each of the experiments, correspondence was trained on red, green, and white key colors using Lattal and Doepke's (2001) homologue of correspondence. In Experiment 1, the duration of food presentations following correspondence on each key color was manipulated across conditions. As the duration of food presentation increased (e.g., from 3 s to 6 s), the number of say responses on that key color increased and, as the duration of food presentation decreased (e.g., from 3 s to 1 s), …

Gender, Gender Role, And Gender Role-Orientation Of Exercise Task: Effects On Cardiovascular Reactivity And Confidence., Andria Leigh Doyle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study was conducted to examine gender and gender role differences in cardiovascular reactivity and confidence in relation to performing gender role-oriented exercise tasks. Sixty-four participants were selected to view videos of male and female models performing two exercise tasks [baton twirling (the feminine gender role-oriented task) and martial arts (the masculine gender role-oriented task)]. Participants then completed the exercise tasks while following along with the same video models. Heart rate (HR) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured during experimental conditions. Participants completed questionnaires to assess their level of confidence to perform each exercise …

The Effects Of Science Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy (Semaa) Participation On Engagement Rates Of Sixth- And Seventh-Grade Students In Regular Mathematics Classes., Donna R. Carr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of participation in a short-term, co-curricular, mathematics and science program (Science Engineering Mathematics Aerospace Academy, SEMAA) on the engagement rates of sixth and seventh grade students in public school mathematics classes. The outcome variable (engagement) was measured with the Student Record of Behavior at three time intervals. A 22.3 mixed ANOVA design was utilized to investigate three main effects (participation, grade level, and time) and their primary and secondary interactions. Results reflected no discernable impact of the SEMAA program on student engagement rates. Conclusions include alignment of ancillary programs and …

The Associations Of Recreation And Leisure With Community Satisfaction., Abraham Goldberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to determine the associations of recreation and leisure with community satisfaction. The quantity, quality, and social context of participation in recreation and leisure activities are examined as potential predictors of community satisfaction. Questionnaires were distributed to a systematic random sample of residents in Montgomery, West Virginia. Following a multiple stepwise regression analysis, findings indicate that quantity (frequency) of leisure participation and quality (satisfaction) with recreation and leisure are predictors of community satisfaction. Pearsonís Correlation Coefficients indicate that frequency of volunteering and working in the yard are most strongly related with community satisfaction. The results …

The Influence Of Birth Order On Verbal Aggressiveness And Argumentativeness., Marissa F. Rodgers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the influence of birth order on verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness. Participants were 207 (111 men, 94 women; M age = 19.80) students. Participants completed the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (Infante & Wigley, 1986) and the Argumentativeness Scale (Infante & Rancer, 1982). Results indicated first-born children reported significantly more argumentativeness than did youngest children. Men reported significantly more verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness than females. A significant difference did not exist between the verbal aggressiveness of first-born children, only-children, and laterborn children. Future research should compare siblings’ reports of verbal aggressiveness, argumentativeness, and other salient communication behaviors to assess differing …

Communication Apprehension And Accuracy Of Decoding Nonverbal Signals: A Replication And Extension Of Schroeder And Ketrow (1997)., Abigail L. Sopko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was intended to be a replication and extension of Schroeder and Ketrow’s study (1997) of communication apprehension and nonverbal decoding ability, using the Interpersonal Perception Task -15 (Costanzo & Archer, 1993). This study explored specific nonverbal behaviors that are utilized by individuals who report high levels of communication apprehension when making judgments about an interaction. Moreover, the relationship between nonverbal decoding ability and interaction involvement was investigated. Results did not indicate any relationship between individuals’ scores on the IPT-15 and any other variable included in the study. Future research should attempt to develop a more reliable and valid …

An Operant Blocking Account Of Rule-Governed Behavior's Insensitivity To Local Contingencies Of Reinforcement., Marta Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment examined whether operant blocking could explain instructed behavior’s insensitivity to contingencies. Fourteen subjects were randomly assigned to three groups and trained to respond to a multiple differential reinforcement of low rates 4- seconds/fixed ratio 18 (DRL 4-s/FR18) schedule. Subjects in the Blocking and Unblocking groups received instructions about the optimal response rate. Subjects in the Minimally Instructed group received only general instructions. Arbitrary stimuli correlated with the schedule components were presented to all groups. For the Unblocking group, the introduction of these stimuli was accompanied by a change in reinforcement’s magnitude. Sensitivity and blocking were assessed by reversing …

A Content Analysis Of The Effects Of Media Framing Of Naming Rights On Corporate Sponsorship., Douglas Scott Lovell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper addresses the relationship between corporate sponsorship and naming rights concerning sporting venues. It is hypothesized that corporations are more positively framed in the media when granted naming rights of major sporting venues. The literature review establishes the history of corporate sponsorship (as related to sports), naming rights, reviews the effects of advertising, and cites examples of previous and current examples of this type of relationship. Manifest content analysis was utilized to examine media coverage in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette newspaper of articles concerning naming rights of Heinz Field and PNC Park. Results indicated more intense as well as …