Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Harnessing Information Technology To Improve The Environmental Impact Review Process, Michael B. Gerrard, Michael Herz

Faculty Scholarship

In 1970, when the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted, the new and exciting information management technologies were the handheld four-function calculator and the eight-track tape cassette. Three decades later, after the personal computer, the digital revolution, and the World Wide Web, the implementation of NEPA is still stuck in the world of 1970. Other aspects of the bureaucracy have seen reform-the E-Government Strategy, an E-Government Act, the creation of a new Office of Electronic Government within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and, to focus on the environmental arena, the breathtaking success of the web-based Toxic Release …

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, …

The Concept Of Authorship In Comparative Copyright Law, Jane C. Ginsburg

Faculty Scholarship

In contemporary debates over copyright, the figure of the author is too-often absent. As a result, these discussions tend to lose sight of copyright's role in fostering creativity. I believe that refocussing discussion on authors – the constitutional subjects of copyright – should restore a proper perspective on copyright law, as a system designed to advance the public goal of expanding knowledge, by means of stimulating the efforts and imaginations of private creative actors. Copyright cannot be understood merely as a grudgingly tolerated way station on the road to the public domain. Nor does a view of copyright as a …

A Question Of Sanity: Women And In/Sanity In Bessie Head’S A Question Of Power And Sylvia Plath’S The Bell Jar, Amanda Lynn Graeber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The use of female mental illness in fiction has previously been characterized as a subversive act. Theorists such as Juliet Mitchell, Susan Gubar, and Sandra Gilbert have advocated the use of madness as a way of protesting patriarchal systems and language. Female madness in many cases has been viewed not only as a conscious choice, but as an option that is preferable to sanity. In their view, mental illness is an embodiment of a woman's rejection of the patriarchal order. I would suggest that mental illness is actually about powerlessness. The madwoman is placed in a space outside of normal …

Damage To Family Relationships As A Collateral Consequence Of Parental Incarceration, Philip Genty

Faculty Scholarship

The most obvious and perhaps most serious collateral consequence of incarceration is family separation. Imprisonment undermines families and has a detrimental impact upon children, caretakers, and the communities in which they live. Unlike other collateral consequences, family separation has an irreversible impact upon both parents and children. The time apart is lost forever because a childhood can never be recovered.

This Essay will review the available statistical information about incarcerated parents and their children and discuss the detrimental effects of parental incarceration upon families. The Essay will conclude with some reflections about why the adverse consequences of incarceration for prisoners' …

The Effects Of Music Paired With Story Book Reading On Kindergarten And First Grade Children’S Comprehension Of Narrative Text, Karen Kay Fatka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of music paired with story book reading on young children's comprehension of narrative text. More specifically, children's abilities to verbally retell stories, answer questions regarding explicit text based story facts, and attention levels were compared when stories were orally read or presented through audio-recorded sung versions of each story. Thirty kindergarten and first grade students who exhibited a speech and/or language impairment, had a history of a speech and/or language impairment, or were at-risk for reading difficulties participated in the study. Subjects were identified through a local university speech and …

Incomplete Law, Katharina Pistor, Chenggang Xu

Faculty Scholarship

This Article develops a framework for analyzing the relation between basic features of statutory and case law and the design and functioning of institutions that enforce this law. The basic premise is that law is inherently incomplete and that this has important implications for law enforcement. In particular, when law is incomplete, special emphasis needs to be placed on the allocation of lawmaking and law enforcement powers (LMLEP) to different institutions such as legislatures, courts, or regulators, in order to attain optimal levels of law enforcement. Using the development of the legal framework governing financial markets as an example to …

Reforming Campaign Finance Reform: A Review Of Voting With Dollars, Richard Briffault

Faculty Scholarship

On March 27, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ("BCRA") into law. The culmination of a six-year legislative and political struggle, BCRA works the most comprehensive change in federal campaign finance law in nearly three decades. BCRA addresses a broad range of issues, including soft money, issue-advocacy advertising, fundraising on federal property, campaign activities of foreign nationals, and penalties for violation of campaign finance laws. Enacted in the face of intense political opposition, BCRA, if it stands up in court, is a significant reform achievement.

Or is it? BCRA closely follows the main …

Depression And Cognitive Changes In Dementia Of The Alzheimer’S Type And Normal Aging, Emily A. Carr

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Past research has identified a relationship between depression scores and memory functioning in "normal" populations. However, findings in the dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT) population have been inconsistent, at best. The purpose of the present study was to further investigate whether Depression affects cognitive functioning in individuals with DAT to the same extent as it affects those without DAT. Depression and cognitive functioning was investigated in two groups of subjects: individuals diagnosed with DAT (N = 27), and older normal controls (N = 24). Cognitive functioning was operationalized as scores achieved on recent memory measures. Each group was assessed …

From Realism To Minimalism And Back Again: A Comparison Of Anton Chekhov And Raymond Carver, Olga Olegovna Cherchesova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis involves a comparison of two short story writers: Anton Chekhov and Raymond Carver. Anton Chekhov has been acknowledged as one of the most significant influences upon the American literature; in particular, he had a strong personal and professional influence on Raymond Carver. Examination of these authors' works traces the tradition of literary inheritance and the development of the short story genre itself in the twentieth century. This thesis explores the survival of Chekhovian narrative tradition in American postmodern short story as epitomized in the work of Raymond Carver.

Engineering A Venture Capital Market: Lessons From The American Experience, Ronald J. Gilson

Faculty Scholarship

The venture capital market and firms whose creation and early stages were financed by venture capital are among the crown jewels of the American economy. Beyond representing an important engine of macroeconomic growth and job creation, these firms have been a major force in commercializing cutting-edge science, whether through their impact on existing industries as with the radical changes in pharmaceuticals catalyzed by venture-backed firms' commercialization of biotechnology, or by their role in developing entirely new industries as with the emergence of the Internet and World Wide Web. The venture capital market thus provides a unique link between finance and …

Why Defenders Feel Defensive, Jane M. Spinak

Faculty Scholarship

The newest version of problem-solving courts has scarcely reached adolescence. Many of these courts remain in the "model" stage, attempting to create a structure and vision that will have a transformative, systemic effect. Others, drug courts in particular, have proliferated across the country and are on the verge of going to scale in many states. Lawyers representing individual clients in these courts are struggling to identify, define and perform their professional duties, at the same time that the courts are being created. To understand why it is a struggle, we need to contextualize the lawyers' experiences: what is it about …

What Did They Do And What Does It Mean? The Three-Judge Court's Decision In Mcconnell V. Fec And The Implications For The Supreme Court, Richard Briffault

Faculty Scholarship

My role at this symposium is to provide a brief overview of the three-judge court's decision in McConnell v. FEC, review the opinions, piece together what the court actually decided, and see how the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ("BCRA") now stands. I will try to do that briefly, while giving a few general comments about what the court's opinions tell us about the state of campaign finance law today. As a preliminary matter, the three-judge court's opinions provide us with two radically different world views – almost two different intellectual universes – for thinking about campaign finance …

Selected Influences On The Smoking Behavior Among Female And Male College Students Of The University Of Northern Iowa, Evelyn Adom-Boateng

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study primarily, was to investigate and identify the influence of the four focus areas (media, family, peer, and psychological coping technique) on the smoking behavior among female and male college students of the University of Northern Iowa. A description of differences in the influences of the focus areas on the smoking behavior on gender was included in the study. A non-random (convenient) sample of 100 students was drawn from the various Departments and Schools from five colleges in the University (57% males and 43% females).

The Sample responded to a 44-item self-report (survey) questionnaire. Overall means …