Digital Commons Network^™

Transition Of Ninth-Grade Students To Tenth Grade Using A Mentorship Program, Maryann Joanna Giacchino

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Falcon Family was a peer mentoring project implemented at Dunedin High School in the 2001-2002 school year as one method of improving academic performance by ninth-grade students. The project was based, in part, on research showing that ninth-grade students are frequently unprepared for high school and that teachers generally prefer not to teach ninth-grade classes. The literature showed that peer mentorship can act as a deterrent that might result in reducing the retention rate.

As part of the Falcon Family project, an upper-class student was assigned to a ninth grader to assist in developing strategies for completing the ninth grade …

Implementing A Plan For Prekindergarten Teachers To Use Developmentally Appropriate Practices Consistently In The Classroom, Luisa P. Martin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to establish a method to increase the transfer of learning from on-site training to the classroom in order to increase the use of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). The major goal was to have teachers consistently use DAP in the classroom, which would lead to establishing higher quality services to children at the writer’s work site.

The writer developed strategies to work with two prekindergarten teachers and one assistant teacher. On-site training, classroom observations, a system of daily communication, and a revised school budget were strategies used to address the problem. Monthly meetings were used to …

An Evaluation Of The Failure Free Reading Program Used With Learning-Disabled Students, Shelia M. Martin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study examined the effect of using Failure Free Reading (Lockavitch, 1995) as a supplemental intervention reading program with fourth- and fifth-grade LD students at Howard Elementary School. The reading achievement and reading perceptions of 16 LD students were studied. An overview of the assessments for determining the perceptions and achievement of the students is discussed. Although an analysis of the data indicated some gain in pre- and posttests scores on the Standardized Test of Assessment of Reading (STAR) for some of the students, positive perceptions of reading were noted by all of the LD students in the study.

Implications …

Principal Evaluation: Development Of A Collaborative Tool For School Improvement, Stephen W. Elrod

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to construct an administrator evaluation instrument that provides collaboration among principal and evaluator, data collection, individual reflection, and goal setting for future school improvement. High turnover in the superintendent and principal positions in the past 7 years created a void in the area of effective leadership evaluation. Principals, new and experienced, were not provided feedback in terms of their leadership capabilities, influence on student achievement, specific school improvement practices, and self-improvement through professional development. This applied dissertation consisted of the creation of a collaborative portfolio assessment tool that was researched, developed, and implemented. …

Closing The Achievement Gap One School At A Time: Reading Achievement And Hispanic Children, Nereida Inocencia Santa-Cruz

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Research indicates that the importance of learning to read is critical. An inability to read stands as an enormous barrier to one’s potential knowledge and social participation. Florida’s System of School Improvement and Accountability Act (1999, F.S.) also known as Florida’s High-Quality Education System rates schools in terms of performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Reading is the focal point of this accountability system. In Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), 29 elementary schools have been designated grade category F since the inception of the Florida’s High-Quality Education System. James H. Bright Elementary School was one of the originally …

Usage Of Federally Donated Food In The School Meal Program, Sandra Shannon

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In 1999—2000, an audit of 15 Miami Dade County Public Schools by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bureau of Food and Nutrition (VanTreese, 2000), revealed that none of the 15 were effectively utilizing federally donated commodities in the meal program. A review of quantitative data from 26 schools revealed there was an overall usage rate of 62% of federally donated food in the school meal program, 38% less than the federal government requirements that 100% of donated commodities be used. The commodity usage rate in 2000-2001 for B Elementary School was 85%, and the commodity usage rate …

Improving Science Education For Middle-School Students By Integrating Mathematics Into The Scientific Method Process, Robert L. Wells

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve student success in science by integrating mathematics into the scientific method process. Students were routinely asked to perform experiments that required mathematical computations in measurement, numeration, geometry, and statistics; however, they were largely unable to perform these calculations because of their inability to apply mathematical concepts outside the mathematics classroom. The mathematics curriculum did not afford the student the opportunity to apply mathematics to real-life situations, nor did the science curriculum consistently apply mathematics to experiments.

The writer developed a series of science experiments that incorporated these four mathematical concepts into earth science …

Development And Pilot Testing Of An Experiential Learning Formative Assessment Instrument For Undergraduate Music Therapy Clinical Students, Sue Ann Shuttleworth

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide a method for evaluating and improving performance in music therapy pre-internship clinical training. Some students were not transferring relevant learning from one practicum context to another or to the internship. The study focused on developing a tool that would facilitate the student’s learning from experience. An Assessment of Experiential Learning in Music Therapy Clinical Training (AELMTCT), based on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and a preexisting instrument (Dumas’ tool), was developed for assessment and teaching purposes.

Utilizing the development problem-solving methodology, criteria to evaluate an experiential learning assessment instrument were established by …

Increasing The Social Skills Of Students At Elam Alexander Academy, Terrence G. Mermann

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Elam Alexander Academy Adolescent Program was designed to provide educational and therapeutic interventions to students diagnosed with Severe Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. The Boy’s Town Educational Model was used at Elam Alexander Academy because of the model’s strong emphasis on social skills. A pretest and posttest at the beginning and end of the 2000-2001 school year indicated that adolescents enrolled in the program did not make gains in social skills, but rather, showed losses in each of the four scales on the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment.

The purpose of this study was to increase the …

Saturday School: An Alternative To Suspension Program To Reduce Suspensions And Student Violence, Todd S. Meiklejohn

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 2001-2002 school year, Homestead Senior High School suspended 417 students on 772 occasions. Thus, 13.5% of the student body was suspended from school for disciplinary reasons. More significantly, 32.4% of all outdoor suspensions were a result of violence. To further compound the problem, there was no feasible course of action to deal appropriately with student conflict or violence.

An assessment of the problem revealed various causes. Specifically, the school’s out-of-school suspension rate was amongst the highest in the district; male students were suspended 3 times more than their female counterparts; and Homestead Senior High School students committed double …

Improving The Academic Performance Of Students On The Georgia High School Graduation Assessment Through The Use Of Technology, Vickie Perdue Scott

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the academic performance of students in the Bibb County Public School System taking the Georgia High School Graduation Assessment through the use of technology. An analysis of test results over the last 3 years showed a failure rate of 53% on the Georgia High School Graduation Assessment with the majority of the 1st-time test takers having repeated 1 or more of the Graduation tests.

After reviewing the Spring 2001 Georgia High School Graduation Assessment results, the students’ academic history, and feedback from the faculty and student interviews, the writer implemented an afterschool and …

Improving Homework Completion Of Grade 6-8 Students Through Responsibility And Time Management Skills, Lisa A. Turissini

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the homework completion rate of Grade 6-8 students through the teaching of responsibility and time management skills. Students’ lack of preparedness in the classroom was concerning to parents and staff. An analysis of the problem evidence indicated that there was a lack of organizational skills by the middle school students.

The writer developed a course in time management and organization skills to assist the students with balancing their school and out-of-school activities, keeping track of long and short term assignments and tests as well as daily homework requirements. Other interventions to assist with …

Providing Character Education Towards Resiliency For An Alternative Education High School, Anita L. Herron

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to address the need to improve the educational profile of an urban alternative education high school that failed to meet one or more of the state's standards for achievement, attendance, and school performance. A character education curriculum holistic case management program was developed to address this problem.

The program provided students with a three-focus educational strand instructional program: Case management intervention, academic diagnostic assessment, and an individualized planning and instructional curriculum to achieve school success. The writer presented a comprehensive intervention service that required all participants to attend a mandatory orientation, community-based involvement, consultation, and …

Estrategias De Aprendizaje Y Desempeño Académico En Estudiantes Del Primer Año Universitario, Alicia Cardozo Hernández

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

El propósito del estudio fue determinar la posible relación entre el desempeño de los estudiantes del Ciclo Básico (CB) de la Universidad Simón Bolívar y el uso que ellos hagan de estrategias motivacionales y de aprendizaje. Las metas fueron: a) identificar las estrategias utilizadas por los estudiantes del CB, b) determinar posibles relaciones entre estrategias motivacionales y de aprendizaje y el desempeño académico, c) precisar si existen diferencias significativas en el uso de estrategias entre los estudiantes con mayor y menor desempeño y, d) determinar si existen cambios importantes en la aplicación de estrategias de motivacionales y aprendizaje como consecuencia …

Improving Reading Scores In A Low-Socioeconomic Environment, Bessie Karvelas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the reasons why Von Humboldt School has had a history of low reading scores. The school has a high mobility rate, which has made it difficult for any academic continuity. The students at the school are at a 94% poverty level with 64% Hispanic, 34% African American, and 2% Caucasian. The low-socioeconomic status of the students partially contributes to the low reading scores. There are other factors as well. The training that teachers had received in teaching reading also attributed to the low scores. Not enough time spent on …

The Design Of A Professional Development Program To Train Reading Teachers To Coach Content Area Teachers, Cara Richardson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate and provide middle school content-area teachers with ongoing support in an effort to foster reading across the curriculum. Mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts teachers participated in a mandatory content area literacy training where they were provided with research-based reading strategies to implement into their classrooms. The requirement to implement these new strategies into their daily instruction seemed overwhelming, which led to reluctance and frustration among many of the teachers.

The development methodology was used to develop the product utilizing a formative and a summative committee. The formative committee gathered data that …

Improving Character Education In Preschool Programs Through Improved Program Policies, And Through The Training Of Teachers And University Student Teachers, Cheryl N. Priest

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide training, coursework, resources, children’s materials, and program policies that would improve the development of character within preschool children enrolled in a university laboratory preschool setting. Many of the young children enrolled in this school were not exhibiting the skills often associated with character development. A number of these children were not working with others to solve social problems, did not verbalize feelings or expressed feelings in unacceptable ways, and did not identify classmates as friends. Classroom teachers also found that some children were unwilling to help others and that they were doing nothing …

A Classroom Management Training Program For Miami-Dade County Public School Teachers, Clarence Jones Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 1999-2000 school year, 43% of Miami-Dade County Public School (MDCPS) teachers were rated as unsatisfactory in the area of classroom climate and 32% in managing the learning environment. In the 2000-2001 school year the percentages were 44% and 24%, respectively. There was an urgent need to investigate thoroughly the MDCPS training and in-service programs that addressed deficient classroom management and to develop strategies to improve teaching skills.

Interventions to improve the classroom management skills of MDCPS teachers included the development of a comprehensive learner-centered training program that focused on developing and enhancing the skill level of teachers who …

Development Of A Retention Plan To Monitor African American Student Withdrawals At A Public School For The Performing Arts, Cody L. Clark

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to establish a retention plan useful for retaining African American students in an arts magnet school. The implementation phase of this report is referred to as Project REACH (Representing Ethnic Artists for Cross-Cultural Harmony). It features a core arts learning style, including volunteer mentorship teams, a modified version of a career-day fair, and academic tutorials monitored by the arts faculty. The emphasis was on the reciprocal responsibilities of both the African American students and the arts faculty and staff. The ability of the arts magnet school to both attract African American students and provide a …

School Resource Officers: Effective Or Ineffective In Reducing Discipline Referrals And Increasing School Safety?, Cornelius B. Leach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a program for reducing the number of discipline referrals for fighting, threats, and possession or use of weapons. The total school population was involved in this intervention program. All middle schools in the school district had 2 School Resource Officers (SRO) on campus to produce a safer school environment. The problem with the discipline referrals was documented through the archival data of discipline referrals from the 2000-2001 school year.

An analysis of probable cause data gathered indicated that low or moderate supervision, lack of parental involvement, and lack of knowledge about writing discipline referrals were factors leading …

Improving Customer Service And Purchasing System Design At Western Washington University, Dale A. Monroe

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation used a phenomenological study, customer survey, and training needs assessment to discover how to improve customer service or the purchasing system to stop the university's faculty and staff from circumventing the purchasing department. Circumvention of the purchasing system is not unique to Western Washington University. The campus communities of other educational organizations routinely exceed spending limits or purchase restricted merchandise. Stopping circumvention is thoroughly discussed among purchasing professionals at conferences, seminars, and in trade magazines.

This dissertation used a phenomenological study, customer survey, and training needs assessment to discover how to improve customer service or the purchasing system …

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? …

Meeting The Needs Of An Elementary School Community: Providing A Safe And Enriching Environment In An Afterschool Program, Darlene M. Moye

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide a high-quality afterschool program in an elementary school by providing a safe environment and enrichment activities. The afterschool program that previously existed at the elementary school was primarily day care and did not include enrichment activities. Parents, students, and program personnel were dissatisfied with the program and wanted a change.

To effect change, the writer implemented a school operated afterschool program using building-level staff for program personnel. The program included opportunities for children to complete homework with assistance and to participate in enrichment opportunities. Procedures were established to provide a safe …

An Evaluation Of An Alternative High School As A Learning Organization, David K. Moore

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem that was addressed by this evaluation study was the failure of a majority of the students who entered the Alternative Program at Miami-Douglas MacArthur Senior High School South (MDMS) to return to their schools of residence. Of those who did return, over 60% were unsuccessful. The systemic changes that were needed to resolve this problem required the faculty to function as an effective learning organization as described in the research of P. Senge. Evaluation research was conducted to determine to what extent MDMS staff was functioning within each of the 5 disciplines of a learning organization.

The data …

The Effects Of Home-School Communication On Parental Involvement, Diana L. Watson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to study the effects of home-school communication on parent involvement by implementing the program Project S.P.E.A.K.: Students, Parents, and Educators Actively Keeping in Touch.

The targeted population consisted of 24 certified general education teachers, 505 students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, and 505 parents of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The problem to be solved in this applied dissertation was that parents and teachers were not communicating well with each other. At the targeted site, parent involvement and attendance at school functions had dropped drastically over the past 5 years. The data collected …

The Effects Of Home-School Communication On Parental Involvement, Donna Demusis Dekle

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the effectiveness of an integrated reading and study skills program intervention implemented for seventh and eighth grade middle school students identified as having problems in motivation and academic achievement. The design of the program was based on current research regarding best practices on improving the motivation and literacy skills of middle school students. Student achievement results for this new program were compared with those for a previous program that did not integrate content area curriculum.

Participants attended the program for one class period each day and received instruction on reading strategies to improve …

Improving Behavior And Academic Achievement For Students At Sandersville Elementary School, Fate R. Simmons

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve discipline and academic achievement at Sandersville Elementary School. This school, located in the Washington County School System, serves students in Grades 3-5. An analysis of data collected in the 2001-2002 school year revealed that 53% of the teachers were dissatisfied with student discipline, and 55% were dissatisfied with the academic climate at Sandersville Elementary School.

Planned solution strategies included a 2-part discipline and academic achievement improvement program. The program focused on helping teachers to understand and address the needs of Early Intervention Program students. The program included in-service training for teachers on specific …

Improving Student Social Skills In An Elementary School Setting, Gloria Mckibbin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Teachers and administrators reported an increase in the number of school violations regarding verbal and physical assaults. This aggressive and inappropriate behavior created a negative school climate and detracted from the academic process, as teachers were spending more time redirecting students who were misbehaving rather than teaching.

A social skills program that focused on empathy, social problem solving, and anger management was developed and implemented with fourth-grade students to improve their prosocial behavior in the classroom environment. Using cognitive behavioral strategies such as modeling, roleplaying, and cuing and methods to assess their own behaviors during group lessons, discussions, and exercises, …

Effects Of The Phoenix Program On Behavior And Academic Performance Of Participants, Grace Y. Wyatt

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report is a formative evaluation of the Phoenix Program, an alternative program for high school students who are at risk of dropping out of school. A 1-year follow-up study of 75 of its participants indicated that the program had positive effects on students’ behavior and attendance. The study indicated that the greatest positive impact of the program was on students’ behavior. The program had minimal but positive effects on students’ academic performance.

A time series analysis was used to examine program impact. Data were collected from students, teachers, counselors, and administrators. Data that described attendance, discipline, and grades were …

Parental Involvement In A School Setting, Heather Zevator Lebensburger

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide parents with the education necessary to facilitate speech and language enriched environments at home. The problem to be resolved was that minimal parental participation delayed the students’ progress with their speech-language goals. The writer created a parent education program for parents who have children with a speech or language eligibility.

Parents were asked to attend three 1-hour 30-minute seminars on the topic of speech and language services. The first seminar introduced the foundations of speech and language. The second seminar introduced specific information about the treatment process. The last seminar allowed parents to …