Digital Commons Network^™

Preschool Teachers' Beliefs And Practices: Emergent Literacy In Inclusive Preschools, Leigh Rohde

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines preschool teachers' beliefs and practices related to emergent literacy learning for both children who are typically developing as well as those with identified disabilities. The sixty-eight teachers who worked in preschool programs that enrolled children with and without disabilities were asked to indicate levels of agreement with belief statements about emergent literacy, children with disabilities, and instruction. They were also asked to indicate what specific emergent literacy learning strategies and activities (if any) they used in their classrooms.

A new model of emergent literacy skills and understandings is used as a framework, indicating specific components of emergent …

"It's Just Part Of What We Do": Adolescent Interactions With Multimodal Texts Across Social Spaces, Anita S. Charles

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how adolescents are interacting with text across shifting social spaces, and how they learn to be literate across a range of social, academic, print, and digital contexts. The intent of the study is to help articulate the boundedness and fluidity of multiple discourses, and to better clarify how teens maneuver across these boundaries successfully. My research approach incorporates ethnographic methodology with a framework of critical sociocultural theory, drawing heavily upon Gee's (2005) work in discourse analysis.

New technologies have broken down bounded spaces and dichotomous views of what it means to be literate, creating interrelationships among literacies …

Parental Involvement In A Northwest Georgia School District, Veronica T. Hunter

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For decades, parental involvement has had a direct impact on the success of children. Portions of the No Child Left Behind Act include important requirements for schools, districts, and states to organize programs for parental involvement and to implement ways to communicate with parents and the public about student achievement and the quality and performance of schools. According to Gonzalez (2002), teachers and administrators struggle with the lack of parental involvement on a daily basis. He concludes that finding ways to make parents feel more comfortable and welcome would improve the communication and relationship between parents and schools. The purpose …

A Survey Of School Counselor Attitudes Regarding Animal-Assisted Interventions, Sara Morrow

Master's Theses and Capstones

Though animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have been used in many institutional settings, there is little evidence of AAI use in public schools. This study examined attitudes of school counselors regarding the incorporation of AAI into their practice.

The Pet Attitude Scale Modified (PAS-M) was used to measure attitudes towards animals and was incorporated into an online survey containing items addressing knowledge, interest, and perception of benefits and challenges associated with AAI. A sample of 220 public school counselors completed the online survey. Most considered themselves knowledgeable about AAI (73%), approximately half were interested in using AAI (56%), "reducing stress and anxiety" …

The Effect Of Social Class On First -Year College Student Engagement And Satisfaction, Susan M. Mospens

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social class is the hidden diversity on most college campuses. Although extensive research has demonstrated that social class is a strong predictor of access to college, retention, academic performance and college completion in higherEducation, little is known about the effect of social class on the college student experience as measured by student engagement and satisfaction. Grounded in Bourdieu's work on social and cultural capital, the premise of this study was to explore the interplay of campus culture and student social class culture. The goal was to identify aspects of the campus culture that impede or encourage engagement and satisfaction and …

Reliability And Validity Of The Dallas Threat Of Violence Risk Assessment, Dyke Russell Van

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several high-profile, multiple-victim school shootings between 1996 and 1999 dramatically shook the public's perception of the safety of our schools. In response to public concern, the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) developed a district-wide policy for responding to threats of violence and implemented the Dallas Threat of Violence Risk Assessment (DTVRA). The DTVRA is designed to help school personnel assess the likelihood of a student following through with a threat and to provide guidance for appropriate interventions for students who threaten violence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability and construct-related validity of the DTVRA. Ratings …

The Silent Crisis: Redefining Theoretical Approaches In Early Childhood Intervention Research With American Indians, Michael D. Niles, Lisa Byers, Elizabeth Krueger

Essays in Education

This article discusses the theoretical context of the education of American Indian children. The unique needs of American Indian children and the lack of ECI provided, as well as the major theoretical approaches used by the dominant society in ECI program development are discussed. The linear model of time and human development – the view that the dominant society traditionally holds; and the nonlinear perspective of most American Indian communities is presented.

Cooperative Extension And The Practical Education Needs Of Clark County Citizens, Sonya S Greene

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

As part of the Cooperative Extension System, the charge of local Extension offices is to identify priority issues and develop programming which serves the practical education needs of the community. This has been especially challenging in Clark County, Nevada, where population growth and demographics have changed significantly in recent years; The primary purpose of this investigation was to seek and discover the community concerns and the practical education expectations of a random sampling of Clark County residents. Further, public responses were compared to those of Extension faculty and staff, who were questioned regarding the same topics. Finally, the practical education …

Leadership In The Classroom: Closing The Achievement Gap Through Motivation, Janis Estrella

Honors College Theses

Implementing motivation strategies in elementary urban public schools can be challenging because of contextual factors such as socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, culture, physical and emotional health, and prior learning experiences. This thesis focuses on 1) how urban public school teachers can effectively motivate their students in spite of these factors, and 2)whether their motivation efforts really influence students' desire to achieve. Interview protocols and a survey instrument will be probed, and data will be collected from New York City public school teachers and from their general education elementary school students. The results of the study can be used to customize motivational …

Perceptions Of School Based Mental Health Services By Directors And Supervisors Of Student Services, Decia N. Dixon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Key stakeholders in schools must be educated about the importance of increasing access to mental health services in schools. School-based mental health services are designed to increase children's competence and help them meet the societal expectations of school success. The present study examined types of mental health services provided to students in school districts throughout Florida; the extent to which those services were provided to children and families; the beliefs of student services directors and supervisors regarding qualifications of school mental health service providers to provide mental health services; and their beliefs about the impact of mental health services on …

Homeless At Home: The Communication Effects Of The 'One Homeless Night' Program On Participants’ Attitudes And Perceptions Of Homelessness In Canada, Sarah Grace Neff

Masters Theses

Experiential learning provides an opportunity for participants to engage with their respective subject matter in an interactive, effective way. One Homeless Night, an experiential learning event, communicates the nature, causes, and complexity of homelessness through a street walk, facilitated orientation, interactions with the homeless, a service learning component, and finally, an overnight experience at an organization that works with the homeless. This study endeavored to ascertain the extent to which One Homeless Night is effective in the communication of the true nature of homelessness to participants. Key findings of One Homeless Night included increased understanding of the complexity of homelessness, …

Changing Attitudes: Congressional Rhetoric, Race, And Education Inequalities, Jennifer Kathleen Richert

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Richert, Jennifer Kathleen, M.A., May 2007 IYFD Changing Attitudes: Congressional Rhetoric, Race, and Education Inequalities Chairperson: Otto Koester Through an analysis of Congressional rhetoric regarding public school in the context of racial equality, three terms emerge as reoccurring concepts that drive discussions on contemporary educational conversations: narrowing the gap, disadvantaged students, and accountability. I have designed this study to determine whether the way politicians in U.S. Congress use these terms have racial undertones that ultimately work to maintain a culture of minority oppression. This study opens with an introduction describing my personal interest, followed with an extensive literature review regarding …

Voices From The Margins: ‘Black’ Caribbean And Mexican Heritage Women Educators In The Rural South, Lorraine Gilpin, Scott Beck

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

This paper explores the ways in which immigrant and migrant women educators in the rural South understand and construct narratives of their lives. The ‘Black’ Caribbean and Mexican heritage women educators in this study experience and interpret events in their lives, as women, minorities, postcolonial ‘subjects,’ and outsiders in the rural South, a region traditionally dominated by white patriarchal norms and prejudices. We assert that from this position of multiple marginality they construct important insights into the nature of education in the rural South. As so-called “Third-World women” living in the “First World” of the United States, the interpretations that …

Teaching Character Education In Primary Grades Using Multicultural Children's Story Books, Gilbert Mwangi Muraguri

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this curriculum project is to offer K-3 regular education and 4-8 Special Education teachers ideas and activities for integrating character education into their regular curriculum. The whole group activities, games, art ideas, and more will help the teacher teach character education in a fun way and help students learn how to be caring and productive citizens.

Education Policy Analysis Archives 13/23 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

Using Pressure and Support to Create a Qualified Workforce / Sharon Ryan [and] Debra J. Ackerman.

The Effect Of A Family Literacy Parental Involvement Intervention On Oral Language Development, Azucena C. Escobar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The subjects that participated in this study were 36 Hispanic children who attended Head Start Programs. The participants were 4 and 5 year olds from four classrooms. An intervention, training of parents regarding literacy activities was implemented in the study to determine the outcome of parental involvement on oral language development. This researcher implemented parental training prior to the treatment. Parents were to provide their children with oral language intervention for fifteen to twenty minutes, three times a week. These activities took place at the children's home from March through June of 2004. Children's oral language development was determined using …

No Other Choice: Litigating And Settling Homeless Education Rights Cases, Ryan J. Dowd

Northern Illinois University Law Review

This pragmatic article, the first exhaustive review of the issue, details how lawyer advocates can help homeless children have access to the education to which they are legally entitled. Topics discussed include: legal background and authority, seeking alternatives to litigation, litigating, settling, after a settlement is reached or a decision occurs, and the future of homeless education rights. Incorporating cases, personal interviews with the attorneys who litigated the cases, settlements, complaints, motions and other non-published court documents, state and federal statutes, state administrative codes, federal and state constitutions, congressional testimony, educational agency reports, law review articles, reports by homeless advocacy …

Volume 18, Number 3, Department Of Church Relations

Pacific Church News

Edited by Jerry Rushford

Spring 2003

Postsecondary School Education Benefits For Undocumented Immigrants: Promises And Pitfalls, Victor C. Romero

Faculty Scholarship

Should longtime undocumented immigrants have the same opportunity as lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizens to attend state colleges and universities? There are two typical justifications for denying them such opportunities. First, treating undocumented immigrants as in-state residents discriminates against U.S. citizen nonresidents of the state. Second, and more broadly, undocumented immigration should be discouraged as a policy matter, and therefore allowing undocumented immigrant children equal opportunities as legal residents condones and perhaps encourages "illegal" immigration. This essay responds to these two concerns by surveying state and federal solutions to this issue.

Best Practice, Actual Practice And Teacher Training In Early Childhood Specialeducation In Indiana, Emma Beatrice Jurrens

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The degree to which actual practice conforms to research-based best practice in early childhood specialEducation, in the state of Indiana, was the primary focus of this study. The relationship between best practice and actual practice in different types of inclusive early childhood settings and in different geographical locations, as well as the association between practice and teacherEducation level were also examined. Participants were directors and lead teachers from inclusive early childhood programs in school districts throughout the state of Indiana. Participants were surveyed, by mail, using an instrument designed and pilot tested by the researcher. Items on the survey addressed …

Gender Politics In Massachusetts: Progress For Paid Family Leave, Elizabeth A. Sherman

New England Journal of Public Policy

Advances in the educational and occupational status of women in the United States over the past quarter century have greatly expanded the participation of women in the workforce. However, economic and social changes in women’s lives have put pressure on traditional family roles and on the political system to respond to the problems families face balancing work and family responsibilities. Initiatives for paid family leave in Massachusetts reflect the newfound political strength of women in politics — as leaders of political organizations, as elected officials, and as voters — and the willingness of the state’s political elite to grapple with …

"Seek Learning, Even By Study And Also By Faith": The Relationship Between Personal Religiosity And Academic Achievement Among Latter-Day Saint High-School Students, Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Nsu Graduate Teacher Education Program (Gtep) Class Schedule Fall–Winter–Summer 2000–2001, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Education Policy Analysis Archives 07/21 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

Facing the consequences : identifying the limitations of how we categorize people in research and policy / Cynthia Wallat [and] Carolyn Steele.

The Alumni Network, August 1998 (Vol. Xiv No. 2), Nova Southeastern University

Alumni Network Newsletter

No abstract provided.

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 …

Aiswa Literacy Working Party (Project No.3): A Review Of The Establishment Of Databases For Literacy Achievement, Judith Rivalland, Adrienne Huber

Research outputs pre 2011

Project Three of the AISWA Literacy Research Project reviewed the establishment of databases in Literacy achievement at a systems and schools level with a view to providing resource information for schools. The purpose of Project Three was to provide information to facilitate schools' ability to respond to requests for evidence of literacy achievement. This report begins with a summary of the history of the national, state and territories move to outcomes based learning over the past decade. In 1993, the responsibility for implementing this change was given to the states and territories which has resulted in great variation across Australia. …

Yearning For Lake Wobegon: The Quest For The Best Test At The Expense Of The Best Education, Lisa Kelly

Articles

This article first will outline the various tests or assessments. Next, recent federal and state mandates for standardized testing of elementary school children will be examined. Then, the educational literature will be reviewed to expose the dangers of testing, particularly in the early grades. Finally, I will urge that the Clinton administration, Congress, and the states step back from this manner of securing educational adequacy. These governmental policies are rooted in the stated intention of guaranteeing that all schools are doing right by all of the children. However, early testing fosters the opposite result-educational inequity through tracking, retention, and the …

The Alumni Network, September 1997 (Vol. Xiii No. 3), Nova Southeastern University

Alumni Network Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Nf97-326 Family And Children Web Sites, Herbert G. Lingren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact presents Web sites that will provide you with useful information about family, children and parenting issues.