Digital Commons Network^™

An Investigation Of Family Literacy Practices Of Eight Families With Preprimary Children And A Family Literacy Program Conducted In A Low Socio-Economic Area, Jennifer A. Jayatilaka

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Study of the research literature showed that literacy skills are socialised in young children along with their learning of oral language. This socialisation process occurs within a child's home environment long before they enter formal schooling. Family literacy has been shown to have the potential to impact powerfully on children's perceptions about literacy use through role models and support provided by various family and community members. Literacy activity is often deeply embedded in daily family practices. For some children, differences between home and school literacy practices can occur. Where this mismatch occurs for children in low socio economic homes the …

Unlv College Of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter, Steve Mccafferty, John Filler, Nancy P. Gallavan, Le Ann Putney, Kyle Higgins, Porter Troutman, Stanley Zehm, Cyndi Giorgis, Jack Starr, Sheila Gregory, Joyce Nelson-Leaf

College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Newsletter

The workshop sponsored by the College of Education Multicultural & Diversity Committee on Friday January 16, 1998 was attended by approximately 40 faculty members and students from the College of Education. Dr. Gary Howard from the REACH Center (Respecting Ethnic And Cultural Heritage) located in Seattle, Washington provided an excellent three-hour workshop that asked attendees to ponder various dimensions of multicultural and global education. Dr. Howard provided information designed to facilitate the development of positive leadership skills for the implementation of cultural awareness and valuing diversity strategies in the classes in which the attendees teach---whether that be at a university …

Implementation Of Least Restrictive Environment (Lre) In Nevada Rural Schools According To The Rachel H Standard, Laurie Magee Flanders

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975); Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990); and Public Law 105-17, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 require that all disabled students be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in their educational settings; In 1994 the Ninth Circuit Court established the Rachel H. Standard, which provides a guide for school districts in determining the Least Restrictive Environment for their disabled students. All school districts within the authority of the Ninth Circuit must comply with the standard set forth in Sacramento City Unified …

Family And Service Coordinator Agreements In The Development And Implementation Of The Individualized Family Service Plan (Ifsp), Byoung-In Lee

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Part C of Public Law 105-17 (originally Part H of Public Laws 99-457, 101-476, and 102-119), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997, strengthened incentives to states to provide services for infants and toddlers, from birth to age three, who have disabilities or are at-risk for developmental delays. The law and its regulations require that the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is a written plan for services to be developed and implemented for the child and family. Inclusion of family members as full participants in the design and implementation of services is emphasized; This study was designed to …

Critical Multiculturalism In The Classroom: From Theory To Practice, Denise Michelle Dalaimo

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Since Paulo Freire's (1970) revolutionary work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, "radical" (critical/feminist/multicultural) educators have endeavored to change the face of education by altering traditional power relations and by including the work and experiences of previously under- or unrepresented groups. Research to date in the field of radical pedagogy has been largely focused on and performed in the small and intimate classroom. Many of the approaches and techniques proposed by radical educators---though effective in smaller classes---are difficult to implement in the larger, more impersonal classroom which is becoming more and more prevalent in contemporary higher education. This research has been largely …

Special Education Students: Which Ones Are Prepared To Receive A High School Diploma?, Rhoton Titus Hudson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to determine whether statistically significant differences between students with disabilities who pass and those who fail the Nevada High School Proficiency Examination are accounted for by demographic variables alone, or if they can also be attributed to educational variables. To establish the basis for this study, legislation such as IDEA and Goals 2000 was examined, recent literature was reviewed, and court cases involving testing students with disabilities on standardized and minimum competency tests were studied; The study follows 965 students with disabilities who were in the eleventh grade during the 1998--99 school year through five administrations of …

Beverage Management: A Curriculum Needs Assessment For Undergraduate Hospitality Education, Lisa Marie Assante

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study assessed the need for beverage management curricula and the competencies entry level beverage managers must possess. Data were generated by two survey instruments: (1) a personal interview, and (2) a mail survey. The interview utilized a snowball sample of 35 hospitality educators and industry experts. The sample selection for the mail survey included 244 domestic hotel properties and 366 domestic restaurant properties. Study results indicate a need for a beverage management major. Competencies identified as important (training, communication, cost control, and leadership skills), along with other responses, will form the basis of beverage management curriculum at University of …

Instrument Development And Validation For Use In A Health Education Program, Joanna Lynn Blockey

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to establish the validity and reliability of a dependent measure instrument developed specifically for health education programs geared to expectant mothers and their significant others who smoke; This study's instrument was distributed to 201 randomly chosen college students participating in health education, general education, educational psychology, and communication studies classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Results from this study found that the instrument has merit. The confirmatory factor analysis, which proved the instrument's reliability, isolated three different areas of study: beliefs about smoking in general; the effects of smoking on pre- and post-natal babies; …

Assessing Higher-Level Thinking Skills, Federation Schools Of Accountancy Accounting Pedagogical Resource Series, C. Johnson, C. Baril, Sakthi Mahenthiran, M. Sarhan, G. Weinstein

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

This resource catalog is one of a series prepared for the Pedagogical Resources Committee of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy. The aim of the resource catalog series is to provide background information for instructors interested in enhancing classroom pedagogy. Each resource catalog focuses on a single pedagogical issue or approach. The catalogs are authored by educators who are familiar with the issue or approach in both their classroom efforts and research writings.

Euroconstruction Report 1, Louis Gunnigan, Trevor Orr

Reports

This report was prepared on behalf of the Construction Industry Federation as Ireland’s initial contribution to the Leonardo da Vinci Project: Euroconstruction.

The report is divided into 3 sections.

Section 1 concentrates on the recent and likely future changes in the structure of the Irish construction market and the impact of these changes on project management and project financing. The recent growth of the industry is documented and predictions for the future of the industry in Ireland are summarised. The conclusions reached show that an increased involvement in the financing of public projects is required from the private sector if …

The Design And Development Of A Student-Parent Handbook And A Parent-Family And Community Volunteer Handbook For An Elementary School, Richard Kevin Bates

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a Student-Parent Handbook and a Parent-Family and Community Volunteer Handbook for Robert Gray Elementaiy School in Aberdeen, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, a study of current research and the incorporation of State laws, Aberdeen School District Board policies, and the special needs of Robert Gray Elementaiy School were all taken into consideration. The Student-Parent Handbook was developed to communicate in written format with the parents. It was to include information, rules, policies and procedures to further students', parents' and school staffs understanding. The Parent-Family and Community Volunteers Handbook was developed …

A Comparative Study Of 1-12 Public School Systems Of The United States And People's Republic Of China, Sean Xiong Chi

All Graduate Projects

The purpose ofthis study was to recognize and extrapolate the major similarities and/or differences between the public education systems of the United States and the People's Republic of China. The researcher was primarily concerned with the examination of similarities and differences in origin, evolution, structure, organization, curriculum, funding, law and governmental regulations in Grades 1-12 school systems in the two countries. The researcher's analysis of the project was intended to provide other educators and researchers with a picture of the nature of the two school systems. There is no value judgement of either country's educational system in this comparative study.

A Decade Of Indecision: The Effects Of Federal Student Financial Aid Policy From 1987 To 1996 On Within-Year Persistence Of Four-Year Undergraduate Students, James Erwin Cofer, Sr.

Theses and Dissertations

Almost from the inception of the student loan program in the 1960's, there has been speculation about the impact of debtload on student decisions about attending college, persisting in college, and life decisions after graduation. However, little research has been done on this area. As Congress debates funding higher education, the question arises once more of the impact of loans on college student attendance. This study examines the influence of student debtload on college persistence, for the time periods 1986-87 and 1995-96, almost an entire decade. Using the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) of 1986-87 and the National Postsecondary …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Junior-High And Middle-Level Principals Toward Parent Involvement In Arkansas, Marian G. Lacey

Theses and Dissertations

The study is a replication of a study by Brittle (1994) that researched attitudes of elementary principals toward parent involvement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 1997 Arkansas study identified and analyzed the attitudes of middle-level and junior-high principals toward parental involvement. The population for the study consisted of all middle-level and junior-high principals in the state of Arkansas. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics to answer the research questions. The study revealed how strongly Arkansas middle-level or junior-high principals believe in parent involvement. Information concerning the principals' perceived role in implementing and fostering parent involvement in their …

A Study Of Organizational Health In The Context Of Court-Ordered Desegregation, Alicia I. Finch

Theses and Dissertations

The study of organizational health in the context of court-ordered desegregation focused on the three school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas: Little Rock School District, North Little Rock School District, and Pulaski County Special School District. The purpose of the study was to determine the existence of a relationship between organizational health and the desegregation process. The organizational health of each school district was measured on the theoretical concept of schools as social systems. The organizational health of the school districts was measured using a revised version of the Organizational Health Inventory developed by Hoy and Feldman (1987). Seven constructs …

Elementary Education Discipline Assessment 1998-99, Assessment Of Student Learning Committee

Assessment of Student Learning Reports

No abstract provided.

Esl Students' Attitudes And Communicative Competence, Sadiq H. Midraj

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to investigate the relationship between attitudinal and motivational variables and successful English as a second language (ESL) learning among ESL international students in the State of Indiana. To carry out this intent, the students' achievement on the TOEFL test, which was used to measure the participants' attained language proficiency, was related to anomie, integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, willingness to communicate with people from other cultures, and willingness to spend time and to learn English. Lambert-Gardner's questionnaire concerning attitude and motivation was modified and administered. Fifty items were prepared to measure five independent variables that …

Teachers Seeking National Board Certification: A Multi-State Case Study, Lucinda Mae Wilson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has developed a process for National Certification of teachers who meet defined standards. This includes a portfolio, video documentation, and an assessment process. The purpose of this study was to describe what happened to seven teachers as they sought National Board Certification. The study described how each teacher reacted to the process at various stages and the role of support during the process. The study described participants' motivations, the concerns and frustrations they encountered during the assessment, their attitudes about the reflection required for the assessment, their need for support, and their perceptions …

Beliefs And Practices Of Middle School Language Arts Teachers., Suzan Anderson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the instructional beliefs and practices of middle school language arts teachers as they relate to developmental appropriate/inappropriate instruction. Developmentally appropriate instruction is defined as matching the curricula to the level of children's emerging mental abilities. If the learner is seen as a growing individual with developing abilities, then the aim of education should be to facilitate this development. This in turn means that the curricula must be studied and analyzed to determine that level of mental ability that is required to comprehend curriculum materials (Elkind, 1970). There is some concern that what …

Dyslexic College Students: Quest For Literacy., Frances Grace Crochet

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The initial purpose of this study focused on an Orton-Gillingham phonics remediation program and the effect the program had on college students. The emphasis of the study changed due to the fact that the Orton-Gillingham phonics program did not impact the college students' learning, which was mainly due to the students having previously received some form of phonics instruction. The students had learned to compensate for their poor spelling ability through invented spelling, and the use of the computer and the spell checker. The other accommodations that decreased their need for knowledge of a spelling program were the use of …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Principal Leadership Style And Student Academic Achievement In The Philippines., Mary Sylvette Tanjuan Gunigundo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Principal leadership has been identified to be a crucial factor in the success of a school. One measure of school success is student academic achievement. Effective school literature suggests that there exist a relationship between principal leadership and student academic achievement. Thus, this study explored the relationship between principal leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) and student academic achievement in the Philippines. Three control variables were considered in examining this relationship and these were teacher educational background, student population, and student socio-economic status (SES). This study was conducted in thirty-six elementary public schools in the Philippines. The revised Multifactor Leadership …

Vocational Education And Recidivism At The Louisiana Correctional Institute For Women., Henry Elbert Sanders Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Recidivism is a phenomenon causing growing concern. When released criminals return to crime, the costs become immeasurable. Victims can never be adequately compensated for personal losses, and the nation cannot halt the spiraling costs of maintaining prisons housing mostly repeat offenders. The nation is spending upwards from 98 billion dollars on crime, annually. Public opinion opposes education for inmates, yet, with the nation's prisons operating near capacity, a millennium approaches that promises another wave of prison construction resulting in exponential leaps in the costs of incarceration. A marketing concept asserts that attracting people to a product is half the battle. …

Analysis Of Perceptions Of The 1997 Louisiana Legislature Toward The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service., Pamela Burgess Hodson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The study determined the perceptions that the members of the 1997 Louisiana Legislature held of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES) and identified factors that affected the perceptions. The factors included in the study were: familiarity with LCES programs, perception of effectiveness, sources of LCES information, and participation in LCES programs. The study also determined the association of selected characteristics with Legislators' perceptions. Of the 144 legislators contacted, 109 surveys (76%) were returned. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the personal characteristics of the legislators and correlation coefficients were calculated. Stepwise multiple regression at the.05 level was used to develop …

An Exploratory Study Of The Consumer Behavior Of Working Adolescent Females., Diane Denais Sasser

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Employment of high school students has been growing steadily since the mid-1960s (Cole, 1991). Today, more than 40% of all high school students who work are employed at least part-time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995). Working adolescents may view their earnings as a sudden windfall of income to be used as discretionary income. This "premature affluence" may reinforce inappropriate consumer behaviors such as spending beyond means which may become established habits into their adult lives (Bachman, 1983). The cognitive development of these adolescents may be at the concrete operational thinking stage which inhibits them from handling adult behaviors in …

Using Mathematical Modeling For The Prediction Of Success In Developmental Math., Kathy Rogers Autrey

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study was primarily designed to determine the possibility of developing a discriminant model to predict success in developmental mathematics. The sample included 402 students enrolled in a developmental math class at Northwestern State University, a small public school in North Louisiana, in the fall semester of 1996. Demographic, achievement and attitudinal variables were used in the development of the model. High school GPA, social enrichment scores from the College Student Inventory, and black were factors identified as significant in the model. Although limited in its predictive ability, the model does provide faculty and advisors with additional information to …

Locus Of Reform: From Reflection To Effectiveness Through The Voices Of Novice Teachers., Patricia Babin Caillouet

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This descriptive multiple-case qualitative study focused on the professional and personal experiences of five novice teachers--three preservice student teachers and two first-year teachers. Research conducted in two exemplary elementary schools examined the following questions: (a) How do preservice and first-year teachers use reflective practice and self-assessment to develop effective teaching practices? (b) How do the preservice and first-year teachers' approaches to effective literacy instruction compare? (c) Why does reflection not translate into effectiveness? and (d) How is effectiveness perceived in the professional, social school environment of novice teachers? Results of the case studies determined that teacher education programs must go …

Clinical Laboratory Science University Faculty Learning Types And The Use Of Information Technology In The Classroom., Cynthia Susan Handley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to explore the status of learning types of clinical laboratory science university faculty and their use of information technology in the classroom. Traditionally clinical laboratory science education has been lecture and lab sessions. However, with the advent of the information age, professors are moving from the role of lecturer to facilitator. Some professors are in tune with the new information tools while others are not interested at all. This research had a two-fold purpose: (1) to explore who was using technology in the classroom and identify what they were using, and (2) to search for a …

Using Academic And Demographic Variables To Predict Success In The General Education Curriculum., Steven Giles Horton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Student success and attrition in all levels of education is becoming a more important issue in an age where education dollars are diminishing while various schools of higher learning are increasing. As a result, schools are reevaluating their current programs of study in an attempt to determine if both students and universities are fulfilling their respective goals. This process of reevaluation has several fundamental considerations, one of these which is addressed in this study--the effectiveness of prerequisite requirements and other demographic variables on predicting the success of students in courses in the general education curriculum. The purpose of this study, …

Leadership In Effective Middle Schools: A Shared Or Solitary Activity., Robin Frances Garrett Jarvis

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to identify and examine patterns of leadership within effective middle schools. A three phase research methodology including both quantitative and qualitative techniques was utilized. Phase I of the study involved the development of the Faculty Involvement Survey. Phase II was conducted with a sample of 46 differentially effective 6th-8th grade middle schools in Louisiana. Data collection for this phase consisted of the administration of the Faculty Involvement Survey which was aimed at determining the instructional leadership structure of the school. Four leadership patterns ranging from principal only to overall faculty involvement were identified. …

Student Loan Procurement: Exploring Its Linkages To Leadership, Diligence, And Post-Collegiate Behaviors., Thresa Arnita Nelson-Brown

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

With 50% of college attendees leaving college with student loan debt and the default rate of these loans dropping substantially, it may be time to turn our attention away from repayer-defaulter comparisons to look at loaner-non-loaner comparisons. This study addressed the research gaps in the student loans literature by linking leadership, diligence, and post-collegiate behaviors to loan procurement. Respondents in this study (n = 692) were examined and survey data was collected using abstracted versions of the Posner and Brodsky (1992) Leadership Practice Inventory, the Bernard (1991) Diligence Inventory, and an original demographic questionnaire. Leadership competencies, diligence competencies, post-collegiate behaviors, …