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Development Of A Weapons-Of-Mass-Destruction First-Responders Training Program For Peterson Clinic With Plans For Implementation And Evaluation, Angela M. Thompson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was that there was no valid training program in place to provide the Peterson Clinic first responders with the training they needed to respond effectively to a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incident involving up to 300 patients. The purpose of this applied dissertation was to develop a WMD First-Responders Training Program for the Peterson Clinic with plans for implementation and evaluation.

A development methodology with a plan to implement and a plan to evaluate was used to complete this project. As a preliminary procedure, the needs assessment methodology was used to determine the training needs of the …

Improving Adolescents’ Reading Achievement By Offering Increased Time To Read And Teaching Reading Strategies, Susan Albright Currie

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study was designed to increase student reading achievement of 6th-grade students at Sparkman Middle School by offering increased time for reading with availability of student preferred genres and the use of selected reading strategies.

Participants selected for this study consisted of 6 teachers and 48 sixth-grade students who scored in the 1-3 stanine cluster on the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition. Additional time was built into the school’s daily schedule for independent reading of self-selected genres and individual student-teacher interaction. Students were then trained, through direct instruction and teacher modeling, to incorporate strategies during reading activities. Sixth-grade teachers participated …

Improving Student Achievement By Infusing A Web-Based Curriculum Into Global History, Robert A. Scheidet

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The arrival of Internet use in today’s classrooms has moved the learning environment beyond the drill and practice use of computers. The creation of a web-based curriculum enables students to have access to the global network of multimedia information while being engaged in self-directed learning activities. This study investigated whether infusing web-based computer technology into the global history curriculum could increase the percentage of students achieving mastery level and increase student interest and motivation in schoolwork. Studies have shown that achievement does increase when computer technology is utilized in the classroom because it individualizes the educational process; incorporates constructivist learning …

Development Of A Strategic Plan For The Implementation Of A Baccalaureate Degree In Public Safety At St. Petersburg College, Carlene M. Peterson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

St. Petersburg College (SPC) was established in 1927 as a junior college; the name was changed to St. Petersburg College effective June 6, 2001, in legislation designating SPC as a 4-year college. The problem was that the college was awarded the opportunity to expand its academic offerings and did not have a strategic plan for the implementation of a public safety baccalaureate degree. The purpose of the applied dissertation was to provide a degree path for current associate degree students and for public safety professionals to advance to administrative positions in public safety agencies.

Seven questions were developed for this …

El Uso Del Tiempo En El Aula Y El Rendimiento Académico De Los Estudiantes De Educación Básica En El Estado Bolívar, Maria Milagros Draegert

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito mejorar el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de tercer grado de una Unidad Educativa Estadal. Esta institución participó de una intervención entre los años 1996-2001 para fortalecer la gestión pedagógica de la escuela, sus resultados en la variable aprovechamiento del tiempo fueron muy desfavorables. Esta institución no se había planteado desarrollar una estrategia de solución para atender esta problemática. Es por ello, que se consideró que a través del la implementación de un conjunto de estrategias pedagógicas eficaces, que optimizaran el uso del tiempo en el aula, podría contribuir a mejorar la situación.

La …

Strategies For Increasing Enrollment In A High School Gifted And Talented Internship Program, Bruce D. Riegel

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This Applied Dissertation Investigation was designed to determine the effectiveness of Targeted Outreach as a recruiting strategy in increasing overall enrollment and enrollment by minority students in a high school Gifted and Talented Intern-Mentor Program (IMP). An analysis of enrollment trends in the program indicated a 90% decline in enrollment of minority students in the program during the period fall 1997 through winter 2001.

Targeted Outreach, a recruitment strategy tested on a population of 10 students during a preliminary investigation and 39 students during the Applied Dissertation Investigation. Data was collected using enrollment figures and a data-collection form administered to …

Evaluation Of The Utilization And Usefulness Of Chaos Theory In Human Services Education And Professional Practice At Western Washington University, Trula Morehead Nicholas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The study evaluates the utilization and usefulness of chaos theory in human service education and professional practice. One purpose of this study was to determine if current and former students in the Human Services Department at Western Washington University use the concepts outlined in chaos theory in the delivery of human services. A second purpose was to discover if chaos theory is being incorporated into the curriculum of other human service education programs that grant four-year degrees.

Methodologies used in this study included the summative evaluation methodology, the development methodology, and the ex post facto research methodology. Surveys were sent …

Meeting The After-School Needs Of Early Adolescents, Ann Michele Allen

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a more attractive after-school program to youth at a middle school. The program was located on the school campus and offered minimal activities, which were facilitated by untrained staff, with limited activity space for the youth to congregate. The program met daily in a school classroom, offering limited supplies and activities to the youth after school. Due to these limitations, very few youth participated in the afterschool program, thereby placing themselves at risk for harmful and inappropriate behaviors in the after-school hours.

The writer developed a more attractive after-school program for the youth. …

An Assessment Of Vocal Conservation/Hygiene And Vocal Exercise Treatment Programs For Middle School Teachers With Voice Problems, Jennifer H. Vinson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Nationally, over 38% of teachers are diagnosed with vocal disorders due to heavy demands placed on their vocal mechanisms with resulting abnormal laryngeal biomechanics and repeated exposure to upper respiratory infections and other airborne irritants (Smith, Kirchner, Taylor, Hoffman, & Lemke, 1998). The incidence of vocal disorders among teachers in the north Alabama area appears to be higher than the national average of 38% according to local otorhinolaryngologists interviewed and preliminary data collected from middle school teachers in the Madison County School System in Huntsville, Alabama. Preliminary data indicated a 44% voice-disordered teacher population within the targeted middle school teaching …

Development Of The Instructional Skills Program At The Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology, Jane E. Duncan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Canadian post-secondary institutions are facing significant changes that impact the teaching and learning environment. Consistent with the changes in Canadian postsecondary institutions in general, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has also undergone significant change. SAIT’s ability to thrive in the changing environment and to achieve its strategic goals rests on a number of factors, one of which is adequate numbers of effective faculty. In order to ensure effective faculty, an up-to date Instructional Skills Program (ISP) is required for new faculty. At present, SAIT offers a two-week ISP that is based on out-of-date competencies, thus the program is …

The Development Of A Work Plan To Fund The Building Of A New Facility, Gayle Florence Cane

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

All schools face the substantial challenge of providing adequate facilities for the instruction of students. When a small private school met with increasing enrollment levels, administrators were faced with the challenge of planning for school expansion. Construction planning required new skills and knowledge for the president of the school and the board of directors.

This applied dissertation was designed to gather data on facilities planning and school construction financing and to organize the processes and activities into a useful planning tool. The practical and logical organization of relevant collected data into a work plan to fund a new school facility …

Development And Validation Of An Action Plan For Recruiting And Retaining Qualified Teachers, Marian S. Lauria-Davis

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Hillsborough County School District (HCSD), which in September 2002 was designated as the 10th largest district in the country, lacked a comprehensive plan to recruit and retain teachers. District staff demographic reports, teacher attrition reports, and continual posted vacancies of all special education subject areas indicated that minority teachers and special education teachers were in high demand but in short supply. The purpose of this applied dissertation project was to develop a teacher recruitment and retention action plan for the district.

Methodologies used to address the research questions included a comprehensive review of literature, focus group discussions with minority and …

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 …

Bridging The Gap In Writing In High Poverty Schools, Alexis N. Gordon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes an intervention to improve writing scores of the 180 third and fifth grade students in six high poverty schools. These schools received Title I service in grades three and five. The Delaware State Testing Program (DSTP) identified these schools as schools in school improvement for 2000-2001, under review for 2001- 2002 or both. There was a 35% difference within these schools between the students described as high poverty and those who were not who met the writing standard.

The planned solution strategy was the development of a comprehensive writing program. Two Title I Itinerant Writing Teachers coordinated …

Project Uplift: A Program To Ensure The Promotion Of Students Who Had Previously Failed, Auty G. Horn

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a program that assisted students in Grades 6-8 who had previously failed 2 or more grades in meeting promotion requirements. The setting was Green Acres Middle School, an urban school with a 99% African American student population of 535 and a free and reduced-price lunch rate of 80%. In 2000-2001, 100% of students for whom data were available and who had failed 2 or more times performed below the 5th stanine on the Stanford Achievement Test 9 (SAT-9)for the total battery.

Project Uplift was a program that was designed to meet the needs of these students. It …

A Brand New Elementary School: Conception To Inception, W. Glenn Huggins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a practical model for building a new school. The basis for this model was the author’s experience as a public school principal with the responsibility of opening a new school. The context of this paper involved the initiation of organizational and operational processes for systems and structures associated with a new school. This model utilized recollections and recommendations of an experienced practitioner and might be considered a combination of a diagnostic aide and operational guide. This work provided a practical model for the development, design, construction, and initial operation of a new school. …

Evaluation Of The Systematic Curriculum And Instructional Development Model For Curricula At The Broward Technical Centers, Tripat Pal Kaur

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this project was to conduct an evaluation of the utilization of the Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development (SCID) model. Current curriculum development models were researched, experiences of the technical centers were evaluated, elements for a curricula development model were researched, a pilot implementation was performed, and based on the pilot evaluation recommendations were made for the future adoption of the SCID model.

The methodologies that were utilized include the evaluation, development, and research methodologies. The procedures used to conduct the project were, (a) reviewing the literature, (b) appointing and meeting with formative and summative committees, (c) creating …

Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: An Examination Of Student Achievement And Teacher Influence, Timothy S. Markley

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine new ways to evaluate teachers. The extant North Carolina model placed primary emphasis on the ability of the teacher to demonstrate the certain key practices. These practices centered around the activity of the teacher. The extant evaluation system failed to take into account student learning. This resulted in a system in which over 95% of teachers were rated at standard or better. The high rating of teachers contrasted to the passing rate of students on the North Carolina End-of-Course test. Their passing rate was closer to 60%.

The writer developed a statistical model …

Improving The Performance Of Transfer Students In Mathematics At Jericho Christian Academy, Joyce Y. Parker

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide mathematics enrichment activities for 7th-grade students who transfer to Jericho Christian Academy (JCA). The students who were continuously enrolled at JCA were outperforming the 7th-grade transfer students on daily performance and on the Stanford 9 Test. The transfer students were having difficulties adjusting to their new environment, expectations, and requirements. Attendance and behavioral referrals were higher for the transfer students than for the continuously enrolled students. The parents of the transfer students were not actively involved in their children’s education.

The writer developed a 4-part intervention to address the areas of concern. The …

Actitudes Del Estudiantado Ante La Incorporación De La Educación A Distancia: ¿Factores De Aceptación O Rechazo?, Marina Polo

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito determinar las incidencias, negativas o positivas, de las actitudes de los estudiantes en la introducción de los estudios a distancia con apoyo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, en una universidad venezolana.

Se definió la actitud como la percepción que alguien tiene de un objeto, según sus creencias. De ahí se desprenden inclinaciones que favorecen o perjudican el proyecto.

La revisión bibliográfica condujo a una investigación de campo experimental, sin manipulación de variables. La selección aleatoria y estratificación por semestre de la muestra dio a todos igual probabilidad de ser muestreados. …

A Plan To Reduce Bullying Behaviors At Coginchaug High School, Steve Wysowski

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A survey of sophomores taken in 1999 at Coginchaug high School indicated that student harassment was above the national average as established by The Educational Excellence Alliance. Harassment is defined by the Alliance as “being insulted, teased, or made fun of to your face.” Another follow-up survey was administered a year later. The amount of student-reported harassment was greater in the freshman and sophomore years and diminished in the junior and senior years. A survey taken in October 2002 for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ self-study indicated that 90% of the 138 respondents do not feel respected …

The Effects Of Parental Involvement On The Homework Of Fifth-Grade Students, Chiron White-Legree

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to help students achieve better homework grades. Previous attempts at getting students to return their homework assignments had been unsuccessful. Parents did not know what the homework assignments were. Parents needed more information on grade-level standards.

The writer developed a weekly report of student progress that was sent home each week with the students. The report was to be signed by a parent and returned to the school. Students used homework logbooks to record daily assignments to inform parents of their assignments. A homework rubric was developed for students to inform their parents of the …

Behavior Management Classes: A Study Of Control For Students With Conduct Disorders, John W. Vernon Jr

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide methods to control anger in students who had records of inappropriate behavior. This study was conducted at Temporary Intervention Program (TIP), which is a school for students with severe behavior problems. This study showed the significant effects that a planned program of anger management had on adolescent children despite socioeconomic status, lack of parent participation, conduct disorders, or other obstacles.

The writer developed specific lesson plans to introduce methods that had proven effective in other institutions. Specific skills, such as relaxation, assertiveness, anticipation, self-instruction, self-evaluation, role playing, and problem solving, were emphasized. Students …

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 …

Effective Leadership Skills: The Development Of A Professional Improvement Plan, Maxine Woodside

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation represents a study of personal and professional leadership development. The study consists of reflective chronological accountings of influences on the writer from infancy to adulthood. The analysis highlights the opportunities in the early and formative years that support the development of a professional improvement plan.

The framework of this study was based on assessment results taken from the Florida Principal Competency Assessment (Florida Department of Education, 1995) and the Educational Leadership Appraisal (A. Ellis, 1993). More specifically, previous evaluations and reflections on previous leadership positions were used as a focus of professional growth. Based upon the results …

Development And Evaluation Of A Certified Educational Program To Insure Dental Provider Compliance With Federal And State Health And Safety Law, Cathy Turbyne

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was to design, develop, pilot test, and evaluate an educational process and product that would assist dental care providers in the state of Maine to effectively comply with federal and state health and safety laws. Dental care providers faced many types of workplace injuries in the form ofneedlesticks, dental instrument injuries, ergonomic illnesses, and latex allergy/asthma. Changing federal and state laws, lack of knowledge, interest, and/or inability to self-manage compliance implementation of OSHA and state of Maine laws increased the risk of employee workplace accidents, illnesses, and OSHA inspection. Other potential risks of non-compliance included employee disability, …

Development Of A Web-Based Distance Education Course For Scuba Divers With An Implementation And Evaluation Plan, Drew Richardson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to identify the elements of a Web-Based distance education program and apply that knowledge to the development of an organizationally specific course plan for the PADI Worldwide organization to sanction for training scuba divers. A plan for implementation and evaluation was also developed.

The problem under investigation was that the PADI Worldwide organization wished to offer a Web-Based distance education program for one of its courses; however, the existing curriculum and related educational tools were designed for a program in which students completed all of their cognitive course work development in a non-Web-Based environment.

Development …

Women's Beliefs Regarding Food Restrictions During Common Childhood Illnesses: A Hospital Based Study, Niloufer Sultan Ali, Syed Iqbal Azam, Rahat Noor

Community Health Sciences

Background: Malnutrition continues to be a major problem in Pakistan. Inadequate nutrition contributes substantially to childhood death and disease. Restriction of diet during common childhood illnesses further compromises the nutritional status of the child. The present study aims to determine the beliefs and practices regarding food restrictions during common childhood illnesses.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Community Health Centre (CHC), of The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi to understand the beliefs and practices regarding food restrictions in common childhood illnesses. Four hundred adult females were interviewed from July-September 2000. A self-administered questionnaire was filled by the respondent.Results: Major sources …

Relationship Between The Knowledge Of Sexually Transmitted Disease And Sexual Behavior, Kong Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Undergraduate college students, despite widespread prevention and education efforts, still engage in sexual behaviors that place them at risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The hypothesis of the study was that higher levels of knowledge of STDs were associated with positive sexual behavior. Thus, sexual behavior, knowledge of STDs, and the relationship between those two aspects among 103 undergraduate students (70 women and 33 men) at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) were examined in the study.

No statistical significance was found in terms of college students' knowledge of STDs and their sexual behavior. This study showed that female students …

Functional Hamstring:Quadriceps Ratio: Does It Differ Across Year Of Athletic Eligibility?, Scott L. Dack

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to collect descriptive functional Hamstring to Quadriceps (H:Q) ratio data, as defined by Aagaard, Simonsen, Magnusson, Larsson, and Dyhre-Poulsen (1998), and determine if differences exist in the functional H:Q ratio between Division I-AA college football athletes that are in different years of athletic eligibility. The primary research hypothesis was that there would be a statistically significant difference across the different years of eligibility. The population tested included 47 male Division I-AA college football players between the ages of 18-23. The functional H:Q ratio for extension was executed on the Biodex System 3 Pro (Shirley, …