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Illinois State University, One Hundred And Fifty-Fifth Annual Commencement, December 13, 2014, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Illinois State University
One Hundred and Fifty-Fifth Annual Commencement
December 13, 2014

The Utility Of Immediate And Delayed Feedback Within The Math To Mastery Intervention Package In A School Setting, Marylyn Woods Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use a single subject research design to examine the effects of immediate feedback and delayed feedback within the Math to Mastery Intervention Package. The participants were 6 elementary school students who were performing approximately 1 year below grade level in math. A combined simple phase change design was used for the study. 3 of the students experienced the design in the A/B/A/C order, while the other 3 students experienced the design in a reversed order for B and C. During this study, ‘A’ represented the baseline phase and the return to baseline phase, …

The Impact Of Principal Leadership Styles On School Accountability, Kimberly Nicole Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of principals’ leadership styles on the academic achievement of students as measured by the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). The 2013-2014 school year MCT2 mathematics and language arts scores were used as measures of student achievement and high-stakes testing. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ5x) was distributed to 420 principals. However, because of incomplete information given by the principals on the questionnaire, and the fact that the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) did not report MCT2 scores for particular schools, some of the principals’ information was not useful; thus leaving the researcher with a sample …

Doing Math Homework: Case Studies Of Middle Class African American Families In One Elementary School, Candace Granderson Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Very limited research exists on middle class African American families doing math homework. The present study examines the real life experiences of African American families doing math homework, with special emphasis on emotional and motivational factors that contribute to African American homework practices. This study focuses on 3 African American middle class families, all in 1 elementary school, doing 4th grade math homework. Students in Grade 4 and their parents are interviewed to examine what math homework means to them and what they believe about math homework. In addition, two teachers are interviewed to provide their perspectives of the aforementioned …

Data Driven Decision-Making And Principals' Perceptions, Melissa F. Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

In this era of high stakes accountability, assessments are not only used as diagnostic tools, but they are also used to determine the effectiveness of school programs and personnel. Of the utmost importance is how principals use data to make instructional, intervention and planning decisions. The purpose of the current study was to determine principals’ perceptions regarding the importance, availability and utility of multiple sources of data in making their decisions and to determine their self-efficacy in M practices. This study was guided by 7 research questions and utilized 2 research designs. Descriptive research was used to answer research questions …

Computational Methods For Solving Next Generation Sequencing Challenges, Tamer Ali Aldwairi

Theses and Dissertations

In this study we build solutions to three common challenges in the fields of bioinformatics through utilizing statistical methods and developing computational approaches. First, we address a common problem in genome wide association studies, which is linking genotype features within organisms of the same species to their phenotype characteristics. We specifically studied FHA domain genes in Arabidopsis thaliana distributed within Eurasian regions by clustering those plants that share similar genotype characteristics and comparing that to the regions from which they were taken. Second, we also developed a tool for calculating transposable element density within different regions of a genome. The …

Computational Methods On Study Of Differentially Expressed Proteins In Maize Proteomes Associated With Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation, Alka Tiwari

Theses and Dissertations

Plant breeders have focused on improving maize resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin accumulation by breeding with genotypes having the desirable traits. Various maize inbred lines have been developed for the breeding of resistance. Identification of differentially expressed proteins among such maize inbred lines will facilitate the development of gene markers and expedite the breeding process. Computational biology and proteomics approaches on the investigation of differentially expressed proteins were explored in this research. The major research objectives included 1) application of computational methods in homology and comparative modeling to study 3D protein structures and identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) …

Ecosystem Services Of Moist-Soil Wetlands: Water Quality Benefits And Crayfish Harvest, Economics And Consumer Acceptance, Amy Brooke Alford

Theses and Dissertations

I estimated yield, population metrics, production costs, and evaluated consumer acceptability and nutritive content of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, P. zonangulus) harvested from moist-soil wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) during springs 2009-2011. I also compared nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads exported from moist-soil wetlands and nearest agriculture fields in the MAV during winters 2010-2012. Daily yield of crayfish from moist-soil wetlands was 2.4 kg (wet) ha-1 (SE = 0.50; 95% CI = 1.3-3.4). When graded by size, yield of large crayfish (> 30 g) from wetlands dominated by P. clarkii was four times greater (P < 0.05) than yield of large crayfish from wetlands dominated by P. zonangulus. Crayfish harvesting costs (2013 US dollars [$]) ranged from $405.69 ha-1 to $917.88 ha-1 and breakeven selling prices ranged from $3.74 kg-1 to $8.49 kg-1. Consumer acceptability, proximate composition, and total fatty acid content of P. clarkii did not differ (0.73 > P > 0.11) …

Efficacy Of An Experiential, In-School Educational Program For Improving Elementary School Students' Attitudes And Knowledge About The Environment, Leslie M. Burger

Theses and Dissertations

Stagnant science achievement by students, greater demands and stresses on natural resources and environmental systems, and societal disengagement from nature highlight the need for education programs to ameliorate subsequent consequences. One attempt to address science performance and environmental apathy is Youth Environmental Science (YES), an environmental education program initiated in 2011 in a rural, minority-dominated, upper elementary school in Mississippi. The program provides five consecutive days (30 hours) of experiential learning in natural sciences. During 2011-2013, I studied cognitive and affective responses of fourth and fifth grade students to YES participation using a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design. The influence of demographic …

Bounds For The Maximum-Time Stochastic Shortest Path Problem, Anara Bolotbekovna Kozhokanova

Theses and Dissertations

A stochastic shortest path problem is an undiscounted infinite-horizon Markov decision process with an absorbing and costree target state, where the objective is to reach the target state while optimizing total expected cost. In almost all cases, the objective in solving a stochastic shortest path problem is to minimize the total expected cost to reach the target state. But in probabilistic model checking, it is also useful to solve a problem where the objective is to maximize the expected cost to reach the target state. This thesis considers the maximum-time stochastic shortest path problem, which is a special case of …

An Observation Of Displaced Manufacturing Workers In Their Transition For Successful Reemployment Through Community College Education/Retraining Programs, Christina Granderson

Theses and Dissertations

The economic changes that have occurred in this country over the course of this past decade have had a grave impact on manufacturing workers, which has forced many of these workers to transition into new career fields. As workers are faced with having to start new career paths, the community college has served as a hub of information and a source of inspiration to begin new careers. Through programs such as the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, these dislocated workers are able to acquire a new skill or trade. A qualitative study will investigate how dislocated workers make a …

Summer Engineering Academies: Developing Participant Self-Efficacy In Engineering, Nathan Eric Heiselt

Theses and Dissertations

With the growing concern over the reduction of university students pursuing degrees in STEM fields, there are a number of entities sponsoring and implementing programs for young people in order to promote interest in and self-efficacy for these fields. Summer Engineering Academies (SEAs) are implemented in a variety of settings by stakeholders with a single purpose: to expose young people to the fields and work of engineers in the hope of recruiting them. This study is seeks to identify whether any positive changes to the self-efficacy of the participants occurs through the curricula of the program. This self-efficacy can be …

General Education Teachers Implementing Common Core With Students In Special Education: A Mixed Methods Study Of Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Jon Leland Cash

Theses and Dissertations

This embedded mixed method study addresses the problems teachers have reported in believing themselves capable to implement the Common Core State Standards with students in special education. This study examines the effect professional development on implementing the Common Core State Standards had on the participating teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. The participants (N=21) in this study were drawn from a 20-day professional development for teachers based on implementing the Common Core State Standards. The instrument used in the study was the Teacher Efficacy Beliefs System-Self. Data were subject to both statistical and qualitative analysis. The results of this study provide insight into …

Impact Of Middle School Student Participation In The Whole Schools Initiative Arts Program, Glenda D. Nickson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of the Whole Schools Initiative arts program on the academic achievement of a group of middle school students as measured by the Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 (MCT2) language arts and mathematics assessment. School year 2012-2013 yearly assessment scores for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in 1 middle school in the State of Mississippi were analyzed to determine if a statistically significant difference in academic achievement existed between those who participated in the arts program in elementary school and those who did not. This study was guided by 4 research questions and employed 2 research …

The Primary Source, Vol. 33, Issue 2, Elizabeth La Beaud

The Primary Source

No abstract provided.

The Inaugural Austin Archives Bazaar: Cross-Repository Outreach In Central Texas, Susan Floyd

The Primary Source

No abstract provided.

Kirkland D.W., 2014 - Role Of Hydrogen Sulfide In The Formation Of Cave And Karst Phenomena In The Guadalupe Mountains And Western Delaware Basin, New Mexico And Texas, Leslie A. Melim

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Imsa B-Wing Lab Renovations Specifications, Illinois Math And Science Academy

Lab Renovations

No abstract provided.

Volume 50 - Issue 10 - Friday, December 12, 2014, Rose Thorn Staff

The Rose Thorn Archive

The Rose Thorn, Rose-Hulman's independent student newspaper.

The Test-Retest Reliability And Minimal Detectable Change In The Modified Fresno Test In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students, Erin Pike, Lisa Gerhardt

Research Report Papers

Background: The American Physical Therapy Association identified the need for training in evidence based practice (EBP) and set forth guidelines for doctor of physical therapy (DPT) curricula to educate practitioners who are efficient and critical users of best evidence. Since DPT programs are teaching EBP, educators need an assessment tool to evaluate the competence of students. The Modified Fresno Test (MFT) of EBP was validated for physical therapists and the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) has been found for first year DPT students.

Objective: The purpose is to determine the test-retest reliability and MDC of the MFT in …

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Baccalaureates, December 12, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

President's Fellow Medallion - Vince Roig and Paul Luna; King O'Neal Scholars - Mary Bigelow, Dana Braden, Sufyan Dawoodjee, Ryan Feigel, Beatrice Froute De Domec, Sarah Griffis, Danielle Haberer, Dennis Kirichenko, Kristen Roles, and Daniel Vieira; Outstanding Graduate - John Wendy Tuy

Promoting Citizenship Education With Structured Controversy In Indonesian Higher Education, Judith Puncochar

Other Presentations

Indonesian democracy is rich in traditions, religions, cultures, and ethnic languages. To keep the nation unified with diversity, Indonesia must prepare its citizens with skills of perspective taking, constructive debate, and evidence-based reasoning to engage in a robust democracy. Historically, a rigorous study of the Liberal Arts held promise for creating a strong democracy and a well-educated citizenry. Currently, politicization of the term “Liberal Arts” attracts unjustifiable criticism and diverts attention away from a serious comprehensive study of literature, science, the arts, history, and mathematics. Narrowness in education of students toward technical and professional degrees appears not to align with …

Some Observations On Scientific Epistemology With Applications To Conflict Resolution And Constructive Controversy, Judith Puncochar, Don Faust

Other Presentations

An overview, by Judy and Don (published in 2013 in the BULLETIN OF SYMBOLIC LOGIC):

Explorationism is a perspective wherein all of our knowledge is (so far) less than certain, and naturally would come equipped with a base logic entailing machinery for representing and processing evidential knowledge. One such base logic is Evidence Logic, which strives to deal with the phenomenon of the gradational presence of both confirmatory and refutatory evidence. From this perspective, we will address questions surrounding sociological problem areas that we see as deeply infused with substantial epistemological factors. By defining a framework as any theory, …

Francine Judon V. Travelers Property Casualty Co

2014 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

The Mace Conducts Study To Better Serve Odu Students, Jugal Patel

News Items

No abstract provided.

Agenda, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg General Education Committee Meeting, December 12, 2014, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. Faculty Senate. General Education Committee

USF St. Petersburg General Education Committee Meetings

Agenda from the December 12, 2014, meeting of the General Education Committee of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Faculty Senate.

2014 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2014 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, December 12, 2014.

Reproductive Parameters Of Two Coastal Pelagic Fishes Off Southeast Florida: Blackfin Tuna Thunnus Atlanticus And Little Tunny Euthynnus Alletteratus, Sonia Ahrabi-Nejad

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The ability to manage a fish stock relies on an understanding of life history characteristics and basic biology of the species. Numerous age-growth studies are facilitated by the relative ease of ageing fishes through hard-part analyses. Determining reproductive parameters for fish populations is equally important for stock assessments and management, and histological examination of gonads provides the most accurate determination of fecundity and spawning periods. Coastal pelagic fishes are often targeted commercially and recreationally due to their easy access by private vessels. However, there are few studies researching the biology and reproduction of recreational fishes in the waters of Southeastern …

Corn Ethanol, A Bad Idea, Taylor Hackbart

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Corn Ethanol, A Bad Idea

Proprioception And Developmental Motor Training: A New Treatment For Chronic-Phase Stroke Patients

Dissertations

With stroke occurrence increasing, along with survival rate, it is imperative to find ways of treating the chronic-phase of stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine if either or both of two interventions, or their combination, could improve functional performance in patients at least four years post-stroke. One intervention was resistance strength training while the other consisted of neurodevelopmental activities that parallel those used with developing children. Six participants, four male and two female, ranging in age from 23 to 60 (M age 44.5), were randomly assigned to one of the interventions. Participants ranged in stroke types and …