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Education Policy Analysis Archives 09/02 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

Testing times : a school case study / Ivor Goodson [and] Martha Foote.

Statistics For Wildlifers: How Much And What Kind?, Douglas H. Johnson, Terry L. Shaffer, Wesley E. Newton

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Quantitative methods are playing increasingly important roles in wildlife ecology and, ultimately, management. This change poses a challenge for wildlife practitioners and students who are not well educated in mathematics and statistics. Here we give our opinions on what wildlife biologists should know about statistics, while recognizing that not everyone is inclined mathematically. For those who are, we recommend that they take mathematics coursework at least through calculus and linear algebra. They should take statistics courses that are focused conceptually, stressing the "why" rather than the "how" of doing statistics. For less mathematically oriented wildlifers, introductory classes in statistical techniques …

Lessons Learned From Special Education Leadership Development Knowledge Diffusion And Schools As Organization, Jason Earle Ph.D., Susan G. Clark Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Foundations and Leadership, recognized that to facilitate the successful implementation of IDEA provisions in local schools, educators need a sound conceptual understanding of congressional intent and best practice and opportunities to collaborate in new ways with school organization colleagues. To this end, the State Superintendent's Task Force for the Preparation of Special Education Personnel awarded UA a $25,000 grant to provide school teams, rather than individuals, with the needed skills to implement the IDEA in their organization. Six area school/districts were invited to send a four-person team to attend a series of four weekend workshops centered on the law and …

Inclusion: What Are Teachers Doing To Accommodate For Special Needs Students In The Classroom, Brenda Stevens Ph.D., Caroline Everington Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Elementary teachers (N=42) from a district implementing inclusive practice were surveyed to determine: a) if the frequency of curricular modifications made differ by type of student disability, b) if there is a difference in the frequency of curricular modifications made for special and typical students, and c) if a relationship exists between modifications made for special needs students and for typical students. Results indicate the frequency of teachers’ curricular modifications does not differ by type of disability; that they make significantly more frequent modifications for special needs students; and that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of modifications …

Stages Of Preservice Development In A Professional Development School For Teachers Of Students With Emotional Disturbance, Suzanne Tochterman

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This study was designed to identify and describe the stages of preservice development in a Professional Development School (PDS) for teachers of students with emotional disturbance. This study investigated two questions: (a) How does a preservice teacher for students with serious emotional disturbance in a one year full time PDS progress through a series of developmental stages, and (b) what are the opportunities that contribute to the learning of the preservice teacher in a PDS?

This was a qualitative study in which seven data sources from preservice teachers were collected over a nine-month period. These included videotaped teaching episodes, informal …

Examining The Reflective Outcomes Of Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication On Inservice Teacher Development, Mark Hawkes, Alexander Romiszowski

Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation - All Scholarship

This study explored the professional development experiences of 28 practicing teachers in 10 Chicago suburban schools involved in a two-year technology supported Problem-Based Learning curriculum development effort. Asynchronous computer-mediated communications (CMC) were featured as teacher communication tools of the project. The computer-mediated discourse produced by the teachers was compared with the discourse produced by teachers in face-to-face meetings. Research methods including discourse analysis and archival data analysis were applied to determine the nature of the teacher discourse and its reflective content. The results show that while the computer-mediated teacher dialogue was less interactive, it was significantly more reflective (t=4.14, p=.001) …

An Analysis Of Interactive Dialogue Journals Of English Language Learners In First Grade, Norma Castro Zavala

Theses Digitization Project

This project analyzes interactive dialogue journals of first grade students who have been identified at different levels of English language proficiency.

Effects Of Title I Pre-Kindergarten On Istep+ Scores, Janice Lynne Schroeder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers, educators, and administrators have intended to improve school achievement for low-income children by providing Title I pre-kindergarten in public schools. It is assumed that third grade low-income children would be more prepared for the Indiana Statewide Testing forEducational Progress (ISTEP+) if they had participated in Title I pre-kindergarten programs. The purpose of this study is to determine whether participation in Title I pre-kindergarten improves the ISTEP+ battery scores of students, and to measure factors that might be related to student achievement. Among the predictors investigated in this study are a program factor (participation in Title I pre-kindergarten) and personal …

Nursing Teachers' Attitudes Toward Multicultural Classrooms, Sylvia Cruz Link

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the nursing teachers' attitudes toward multicultural classrooms based on the philosophies of assimilation and pluralism. Multicultural classrooms are classrooms that promote democratic values, beliefs and pluralism. Cultural pluralism encourages the expression of ethnicity and the contributions of all ethnic groups. The study looked at the relationship of attitude” and the selected demographic information. A review of related literature was conducted. A historical background of multiculturalEducation was provided as well as information on the five approaches to multiculturalEducation according to Sleeter & Grant (1999). The data for this study was collected from nursing …

Reframing Educational Psychology For The New Millennium, Jill Lindsey North Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The role of education psychology in the 21st century must be to provide a research-based pedagogical foundation upon which preservice and practicing teachers can draw to develop the habits of mind necessary to ensure all students learn. Historically, the field of educational psychology is the study of how people learn (Crowel, Podell, & Kaminsky, 1997). However, the work most associated with the field of educational psychology during the 20th century has been the development of tests and measurements to identify learners' capacities and abilities. Much of the work by educational psychologists has been focused on identifying extremes of performance in …

Nsu Achievements - Winter 2001, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.

Including A Student With An Attention Problem: Strategies For Including A Student With An Attention Problem In The General Education Classroom, Mark S. Brown Ed.D., Patricia Ilderton

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A student with an attention problem may meet with academic problems when she is placed in the general education classroom. The general education teacher with assistance from the special education intervention specialist should collaboratively develop curriculum and environmental adaptations that will allow the included student to meet with greater academic and social success. This observational study offers strategies for working with a child with an attention problem for both the general education teacher and the special education intervention specialist. Academic and curriculum strategies are presented to proactively address the social and academic strengths of a student with attention problems who …

Professional English Communication Training For English For Specific Purposes, Galon Anthony Melendy

Theses Digitization Project

This project addresses the need for effective English training for speakers of other languages who are engaged in professional careers.

Taking It Personally: The Role Of Memoirs In Teacher Education, Sharon A. Hollander Psy. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The current popularity of memoirs and book groups is a cue to education faculty. When complemented by discussion groups and writing assignments, memoirs can be used to facilitate the process of inclusion in the schools by teaching both general and special educators about children with disabilities and their families. These works can also promote quality reading and writing, inspire original and insightful responses from students, and foster a sense of community in class. Some advantages and previous applications of this method are described and recommendations for implementation are made.

The Effects Of Physical Activity On The Behavior Of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Amanda J. Love

Senior Honors Projects, 2000-2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical education class on the behavior of children diagnosed with Attention- Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Fourteen male and six female students in grades three through five were observed by their classroom teacher. Of the twenty students, then were diagnosed with ADHD and ten were not. Classroom teachers rated their students' behavior using the Iowa Connors Teacher's Rating Scale at two different time during the day for nineteen days (Pelham, W.E., Milch R., & Murphy, D.A., 1989). A higher score indicated greater inattention, hyperactivity, and impassivity while a score of …

Learner-Centered Instruction: Inquiry-Based, Technology-Enriched, Integrating Workplace Reality: A Resource Guide For Teachers, Marjorie L. Mclellan

Geography Faculty Publications

Inquiry-based instructional strategies function best with motivated students whose interest and imagination are already enlivened and whose curiosity will help them master new learning skills. The responsibility for supplying the initial impetus falls upon many diverse entities across the student's educational life. College teachers often inherit students with years of spoon-fed, low-expectation instruction, challenging instructors in higher education to overcome this deficit. Fortunately, most students possess a native curiosity that is eventually heightened by academic success, especially when their achievements are perceived to stem from their own work and thought processes. This is the power of inquiry-based learning.

The rapidity …

Education Policy Analysis Archives 09/01 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

School segregation of children who migrate to the United States from Puerto Rico / Luis M. Laosa.

Experiences And Meaning Of Urban Public School Teachers In A School Choice Environment, Reva Cardwell Cosby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Making Connections: Compartmentalization In Pre -Calculus Students' Understanding Of Functions, Hope H. Gerson

Doctoral Dissertations

Students develop knowledge constructs that they build into concepts through their experiences. Students demonstrate compartmentalization when they understand a construct or concept within one representation, but not another, or when they do not connect mathematically related ideas. For instance, a student may understand f(x) to mean plug x into the function within a symbolic representation, but the same student may understand f(x) to mean f times x within a tabular representation. A student with these understandings has a compartmentalized understanding of function notation.

A two-month study was conducted with a class of pre-calculus students enrolled in a parochial high school. …

Ce 605 The Servant As Teacher, Harold W. Burgess

Syllabi

Textbooks 1. Robert L. Browning, The Pastor as Religious Educator 2. D. Michael Henderson, John Wesley’s Class Meeting 3. Henri Nouwen, Creative Ministry 4. Robert Pazmino, Basics of Teaching for Christians 5. Catherine Stonehouse, Patterns of Moral Development 6. Morton Kelsey, Can Christians Be Educated? 7. Ann Wimberly, Soul Stories

Transition To Work: A Study Of New College Graduates., Carolyn Carter Collins

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The success of the transition to work is affected by many factors, including the organization entry process itself. Research shows that the first year of employment is a critical time period and the organizational entry process is not dearly understood. The central focus of this study was to determine what exactly do new college graduates encounter as they enter the workplace, and does that experience affect their opinions and attitudes. Further, do women and African Americans have a similar or different experiences than white males in the transition process. An exploratory descriptive study of a random sample of Louisiana State …

Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the relationship between home and classroom learning environment characteristics and middle school students' self-efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Specifically, the study examined linkages between sources of efficacy in the home and classroom learning environments and the strength of students' self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics. Social cognitive theory includes self-efficacy beliefs as a major source of human agency and functioning (Bandura, 1997). Enactive mastery experiences, vicarious learning (modeling), verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states (emotional arousal) are four sources of human efficacy. While numerous studies have been completed linking self-efficacy to learning and achievement (Pajares, 1996b), no studies within schools were …

Group Evaluation System Measuring Self-Reported Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program Impact In Adult Limited Resource Audiences With Diverse Literacy Skills., Annrose Mary Guarino

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A Group Evaluation System was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Family Nutrition Program for use with adult limited resource audiences with diverse literacy skills. Using existing nutrition education resources, an exit survey instrument was developed and tested for validity and reliability. The group administered test format incorporated food associated graphic illustrations and response symbols with written questions read by the instructor. An instrument mock-up was reviewed by an expert panel and two intended-audience focus groups, one with functional reading skills and one without. During data collection, a pretest was conducted with a convenience …

Exploring Organizational Learning Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service: A Qualitative Study Involving Parish Chairs Of Less Than Three Years Experience., Cathy Hirsch Hamilton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study was designed to facilitate the description, analysis and utilization of continual learning within the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES). The research linked exploration of a learning culture within an organization with the reflective practice of participatory action research methodology. Learning organizations promote knowledge sharing that allows for individual learning to make the transition into collective organizational learning. In order for transformative learning to occur, individuals must reflect on their actions to make sense of an experience. Explaining and thinking about what one is doing makes tacit knowledge explicit, therefore able to be shared and used for change. …

Teacher Personal And School Culture Characteristics In Effective Schools: Toward A Model Of A Professional Learning Community., Dianne Fuselier Olivier

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational factors within schools operating as professional learning communities and the relationships of these variables with intent to stay in teaching and organizational effectiveness. A conceptual framework, a Professional Learning Community Model, was developed to organize and conceptualize linkages among school culture, teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, human caring, intent to stay, and organizational effectiveness. Original measures were developed to assess teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy and revisions/modifications of measures were used for school culture, human caring, and intent to stay. The study used a large sample and quantitative data analysis …

Middle School Students' Understanding Of The Natural History Of The Earth And Life On Earth As A Function Of Deep Time., Azalie Cecile Pulling

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to use deep time, that is geologic time as a mechanism to explore middle school students' understanding of the natural history of the earth and the evolution of life on earth. Geologic time is a logical precursor to middle school students' understanding of biological evolution. This exploratory, mixed model study used qualitative and quantitative methods in each stage of the research to explore sixth grade students, understanding of geologic time, their worldviews (e.g., conceptual ecology), and conceptual change. The study included fifty-nine students in the large group study and four case studies. The primary …

Campus Responsibility For Alcohol -Related Injuries: A Law And Policy Analysis., Nathan Mccain Roberts

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the evolution of the legal concept of legal liability of higher education institutions for alcohol-related injuries using a theoretical framework provided by tort law. The analysis was designed to provide a greater understanding of how and why the law concerning this concept has evolved. In addition to a legal analysis, interviews were conducted with student affairs administrators at institutions participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "A Matter of Degree: Reducing High-Risk Drinking Among College Students" program. Particular attention was given to the influences identified by the student affairs administrators as catalysts …

Comparison Of Four Screening Procedures For Identifying Students For Special Education: Validation Of Problem Validation Screening., Amanda Mathany Vanderheyden

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Four screening methods were compared to determine the extent to which each method accurately identified students who exhibited math and reading problems severe enough to warrant a full psycho-educational assessment for special education eligibility determination. Methods examined were teacher referral, two subtests from the Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, Revised, the Developmental Reading Assessment, and a new screening measure called "Problem Validation Screening" (PVS). PVS consisted of three components: classwide curriculum-based measurement probes in math and reading, performance/skill deficit assessment, and a brief instructional session. All students enrolled in first and second grade classes at a participating school were exposed …

School Culture, Teacher Efficacy, And Decision -Making In Demonstrably Effective And Ineffective Schools., Jacquline Jeanine Bobbett

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose for this study was fourfold. First, a conceptual model was developed to help understand teacher perceptions of the schools' professional culture, teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, participation in decision making and linkages to school effectiveness. Second, an original measure of teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about their own teaching effectiveness was developed and tested. Third, characteristics of the measures (quantitative and qualitative) were reported. Fourth differences in the mediating variables related to school effectiveness were examined. A stratified sample made up of 1,057 total school faculty in 41 elementary schools representing the uppermost and lower most quartiles of poverty in a southern …

A Study Of The Measurement And Sources Of Teachers' Self And Collective Efficacy Beliefs In Professional Learning Environments., Amy Marie Barrilleaux Dellinger

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined relationships between sources of efficacy information available in teachers' professional learning environments and teacher self-, work-group collective and faculty collective efficacy beliefs. An argument is presented that teachers' individual and collective efficacy beliefs are vital factors that mediate linkages between professional learning and meaningful change in schools. School professional learning environments are hypothesized to provide efficacy information that may serve to enhance teachers' beliefs in their abilities to accomplish tasks that are linked to effective teaching and learning. Social cognitive theory and triadic reciprocal causation provided the framework for this research. Self-efficacy theory, a sub-theory of social …