Digital Commons Network^™

Content Area Literacy In The Primary Grades: Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Teaching Narrative And Informational Text, Christine Cherry Selman

Dissertations

Research has documented the scarcity of informational text and the overabundance of narrative text in the primary grades (Duke, 2000; Yopp & Yopp, 2006). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine primary teachers’ beliefs, or efficacy, in teaching narrative and informational text as well as assess their use of both text types in the classroom. Efficacy data were collected with a previously established questionnaire that had been slightly altered to assess efficacy in narrative and informational text. Two sub-categories made-up the efficacy measure for each type of text: teacher sense of efficacy in instructional strategies and teacher sense …

Resilient Leadership In High Poverty Schools, Edward P. San Nicolas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children in high poverty schools often receive inadequate services in dilapidated facilities while enduring inexperienced and unprepared educators (Darling-Hammond, 2004). Communities with a dense impoverished population in turn create school wide poverty, which is ultimately more detrimental than individual family poverty (Books, 2004). With most teachers leaving impoverished urban schools within the first five years, it is no surprise of the difficulty to retain qualified and professional school leaders. As suggested by Haberman (2005), attracting educators with specific qualities to fill these critical roles may be the best route to lasting success. Equally important is the possibility to transform existing …

Utah Preschool Outcomes Data System, Sandeep Venigalla

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In the State of Utah, both state and federal government agencies work together to provide special education services to eligible children. An important part of this effort is to document the effectiveness of the program, which can be measured in terms of the outcomes, namely, the progress of the individual children. This information can help identify both strengths and weaknesses of special education programs within the state, which in turn can lead to program improvements and better allocation of resources. This report describes a software system that supports the tracking of child and program outcomes for special education within Utah. …

Class, Race, And The Discourse Of “College For All.” A Response To “Schooling For Democracy”, Ronald David Glass, Kysa Nygreen

Democracy & Education

We critique the “college for all” discourse by unveiling its relationship to the politics of education, the broader economic and political contexts, and the class and race structures embedded in society and schooling, including higher education. We analyze the current and future labor markets to demonstrate the ways that the “college for all” discourse overstates the need for math and science knowledge and skills within the workforce, and we analyze the debt burdens associated with college attendance and completion to demonstrate that the promised benefits of “college for all” are often illusory for low-income, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students. …

Schooling For Democracy, Nel Noddings

Democracy & Education

There is a widespread movement today to prepare all students for college, and it is promoted in the name of democracy. I argue here that such a move actually puts our democracy at risk by forcing students into programs that do not interest them and depriving them of courses at which they might succeed. We risk losing the vision of democracy that respects every form of honest work and cultivates a deep appreciation of interdependence.

Public Policy, Long Run Growth And Economic Transition From Agriculture To Industrial Mass Production., Rudrani Bhattacharya Dr.

Doctoral Theses

It has been recognized that the heart of the development process lies on the transformation of an economy from traditional activities in agriculture to industrial activities. As emphasized by Lewis (1954), the movement of labor from primary sector to industry is conducive to the rise of economy’s savings and investment rate and thus fostering economic growth. The core of this paradigm is the historically observed rapid growth in today’s developed countries associated with expansion of industrial activities.It is well-documented by now that at least over a few centuries leading up to 1800 AD there was little change in the world …

Sustaining Knowledge Building As A Principle-Based Innovation At An Elementary School, Jianwei Zhang, Huang-Yao Hong, Marlene Scardamalia, Elizabeth A. Morley, Chew Teo

Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship

This study explores Knowledge Building as a principle-based innovation at an elementary school and makes a case for a principle- versus procedure-based approach to educational innovation, supported by new knowledge media. Thirty-nine Knowledge Building initiatives, each focused on a curriculum theme and facilitated by nine teachers over eight years, were analyzed using measures of student discourse in a Knowledge Building environment--Knowledge Forum. Results were analyzed from the perspective of student, teacher, and principal engagement to identify conditions for Knowledge Building as a school-wide innovation. Analyses of student discourse showed interactive and complementary contributions to a community knowledge space, conceptual content …

The Benefits And Detriments Of The No Child Left Behind Act, Theresa Kolodziej

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Essentialism And No Child Left Behind: Creating Excellence In America?, Lauren Blanford

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Network Security On E-Commerce, John Rutt

Senior Seminars

No abstract provided.

Grade Retention: An Exploration Of The Pedagogical Experiences And Attitudes Of Elementary Principals That Influences Decisions To Retain Students In A Grade, Jill Delconte

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

International Assessments, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of An English Language Learner Program On Student Achievement Outcomes In Language, Reading, And Math, Jennifer L. Reid

Student Work

The purpose of the study was to determine the reading, math, and language proficiency outcomes of 4th-grade through 7th-grade students with limited English proficiency following nearly two years or more of instruction in the English Language Learner Program (ELL) and concurrent general education studies.

Contributory Factors To Teachers' Sense Of Community In Public Urban Elementary Schools, Debra K. Kirkhus

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS TO TEACHERS' SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN PUBLIC URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to teachers' sense of community within public, urban, elementary schools. Becauseprevious research has touted the benefits of teacher communities within schools(Kruse, 2001; Leana & Pil, 2006; Ware & Kitsantas, 2007) educational leadersare challenged with creating school environments that foster a sense ofcommitment and cohesiveness among staff within our current accountability climate in schools. Research that focuses on best practices of successful school principals in cultivating such things as teacher communities is scarce at the elementary level (Crum …

Crime On Campus 2010, Tennessee. Bureau Of Investigation.

Crime on Campus

No abstract provided.

Wealth Inequality And Economic Performances., Sahana Roy Chowdhury Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Ever since the inception of Development Economics as a separate discipline inequality has been a major area of extensive study. Economists and researchers have deliberated both on the causes and the effects of inequality in a wide range of treatise, books and essays. So far, in this regard, two fundamental approaches came across viz., the Classical approach and the Credit Market Imperfection approach. The Classical approach was originated by Smith (1937) and was further interpreted and developed by Keynes (1920), Lewis (1954), Kaldor (1957), and Bourguignon (1981). According to this approach, savings rate is an increasing function of wealth and …

Targeting Fpga-Based Processors For An Implementation-Driven Compiler Construction Course, D. Brian Larkins, William M. Jones

Computing Sciences

This paper describes the adaptation of a modern compiler construction course to target an FPGA-based hardware platform used throughout our computer science curriculum. One of the significant challenges in teaching using modern hardware platforms is the inordinate complexity of commonly used systems. To avoid this, many compiler courses target a less complex platform implemented via a simulator or a higher-level virtual or abstract hardware platform. To avoid the complexity of a modern superscalar multicore architecture and to improve the kinesthetic experience of students implementing the course compiler, we have provided a framework and runtime support for using an FPGA-based RISC …

Loving The World And Our Children Enough--Nurturing Decidedly Different Scientifc Minds, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Wise world-shaping and problem-solving requires that we and our children think in decidedly different, integral and wise ways. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in consciousness and the emergence of global minds that can creatively live into a new worldview of an interconnected planet and a sustainable and interdependent human family. "The fullness of our humanity and the sustainability of our planet rest with the nurturing of decidedly different minds."

Academic And Social Aspects Of Recent Immigrant Children's School Experiences In A Public Elementary School In A U.S.- Mexico Border Town In South Texas, Alicia Judith Bolt

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study I examined school experiences of recent immigrant students who came to the Ollin South elementary school in Texas, U.S., with prior schooling in Yolitzli, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Using an ethnographic perspective, I analyzed how children and their parents and teachers described children's schooling experiences, challenges, and transition processes. I conducted semi-structured and open-ended interviews with ten students enrolled in 1st through 5th grade in a public elementary school in Ollin, Texas. I also interviewed the parents and teachers of the students to gain a broader perspective of student experiences and schooling processes on both sides of the border. …

Legislative Brief, Charter School Task Force Report-February 2011, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

The Nucleus 2010-2011, Rosalie A. Richards

Science Education Center

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Tracking Students By Ability Into Different Schools: A Natural Experiment, Nina Guyon, Eric Maurin, Sandra Mcnally

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

The tracking of pupils by ability into elite and non-elite schools represents a controversial policy in many countries. There is no consensus on how large the elite track should be and little agreement on the effects of any further increase in its size. This paper presents a natural experiment where the increase in the size of the elite track was followed by a significant improvement in average educational outcomes. This experiment provides a rare opportunity to isolate the overall effect of allowing entry to the elite track for a group that was previously only at the margin of being admitted.

Using Technology To Increase Interest In The Learning Of Mathematics, Teresa May Anderson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop unit openers in the form of PowerPoint presentations to introduce students to upcoming topics. Within the PowerPoint presentations, relevant visual images are used to pique the interest of the students. Also, within the presentations are opportunities for students to use a hand-held Student Response System to respond to questions. The questions the students answer are related to the upcoming material. After responses are entered, a visual display will show the responses and discussion will follow between the students and the teacher. The project will be used in geometry mathematics classrooms at the …

John Hughes May Be Onto Something: Anti-Authoritarianism In Education, Film And Policy, James M. Iddins

Graduate Student Publications

In this article, I use two popular anti-authoritarian films to explore often-overlooked options for the education reform debate and general issues related to educational public policy. Bringing in sources from many disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and economics, I argue for a second look at the issues revealed in the films and action on our part toward creating a more sustainable educational and economic reality. I contend that if we take into account our historical context, we come to a much different conclusion regarding these issues than we might have otherwise.

Object-Based Epistemology At A Creationist Museum, Paul J. Wendel

Education Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

In a regional young-earth creationist museum, objects are presented as if they speak for themselves, purportedly embodying proof that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, that humans have lived on earth throughout its history, and that dinosaurs and humans lived simultaneously. In public lectures, tours, and displays, museum associates emphasize direct observation over inference or theory. These emphases resonate closely with the "object-based epistemology" of the late nineteenth century described in Steven Conn's "Museums and American Intellectual Life, 1876-1926." In Conn's description, museum objects, artfully arranged and displayed, were intended to …

The Importance Of The Arts In Schools : Do The Arts Help The Learning Processes Of Students With Special Needs?, Suzanne Dolores Boswell

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are board members in the schools’ districts who want to take out the arts because of several reasons such as the cost and the lack of support. The arts in schools are not only beneficial to students with special needs, but all students as well. For instance, I am a student with ADHD and severe dyslexia and teachers always gave up on me until the arts were introduced. If the arts are kept in schools, all students will develop learning techniques to help them now and in the future. With the arts, teachers and parents will see their students …

Connecting The Dots : How Is Community Involvement Essential To Academic Achievement?, Katherine M. Meyer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Substantial research has proven the importance of parent involvement to children’s academic achievement. When I began working with various local schools, however, I noticed a severe lack of community participation at each of the sites. Thus, I was prompted to assess the reasons why families were not as concerned about this issue as they ought to be, and so began the foundations for my Capstone. Through personal experience, extended research, and insight from various local teachers, I have facilitated the process of involving the local parents in their children’s education. As this is a long-term goal, my attempts will not …

Planning Learning Experiences In The Inclusive Classroom: Implementing The Three Core Udl Principles To Motivate, Challenge And Engage All Learners, Jennifer L. Jones, Karrie A. Jones, Paul J. Vermette

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In 2010, Vermette, Jones, Jones, Werner, Kline & D’Angelo published a lesson planning format, the PLE (planned learning experience) designed to help teachers meet the demands of the ever diversifying, ever demanding American secondary classroom (Vermette et al., 2010). This model helps teachers do more than simply create a “lesson plan” (a list of maneuvers for the teacher), but provides a framework for crafting authentic, meaningful and engaging learning experiences for all students. Given this great challenge, this article deconstructs the PLE in light of the three core principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and considers the ramifications of …

Feeling Special: A Study Of Local, Named, Need-Based Scholarships For Remediated Community College Students, Ronald M. Oler

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of local, named, need-based scholarships on the persistence of remediated, community college students. This study sought to connect the research on college-student persistence, remedialEducation, and need-based scholarships. Although there is a plethora of research on why college students depart without earning a degree, there is a dearth of such work focused solely on community college students. There have also been a considerable number of studies on remedialEducation, but none have tied-in how the remedial student's self-efficacy can be increased by awarding them a scholarship, thereby improving their persistence rates. This …

The Effects Of Using Pbworks In A Hybrid Collaborative Class Environment On Students' Academic Achievement, Abdullah Y. Ibrahim

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

E-learning plays an important role in higherEducation, especially with the appearance of web 2.0. The study investigated the effects of using PBWorks, as a free web 2.0 wiki, on students' academic achievement, and students' attitudes toward collaborative learning. The study was designed as an experimental study. There was comparison between two groups. These groups were the PBWorks hybrid class environment, and face-to-face class environment. Both classes used collaborative learning. The participants in this study were 51 female students inEducational Communication Aids. Both classes had the same instructor and they studied the same material. This study was conducted in the college …