Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Technology Resource Teachers And The Delivery Of Job-Embedded Professional Development, Susan Abramson Lancaster

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Twenty Kentucky technology resource teachers (TRTs) participated in a study to determine the relationship between TRTs and the delivery of job-embedded professional development. Evaluation focused on collecting data through questionnaires, open-ended questions, surveys, and interviews. The questionnaires and interviews were conducted with Kentucky TRTs who had, as defined in their job descriptions, been responsible for delivering professional development for longer than 1 year.

This study concentrated on common concerns, strengths, and weaknesses of the job-embedded professional development model. Teachers, as adult learners, use a different learning style than their students. Therefore, professional development providers are required to accommodate the needs …

Evaluation Of Elementary Teachers’ Technology Skills To Enhance Curriculum Integration Through A Staff Development Model, Marie Fuller Walker

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to assess elementary teachers’ current skills and abilities in technology. The problem was that there was no evidence, hard data, or documentation of any evaluation of the technology skills of the elementary teachers of the Coatesville Area School District. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the technological skills and abilities of the elementary teachers to determine whether and to what extent it hindered the desired outcomes and to facilitate planning more effective staff development to address the technology skill levels of the faculty in order to enhance curriculum integration.

This study combined the …

Transition Of Ninth-Grade Students To Tenth Grade Using A Mentorship Program, Maryann Joanna Giacchino

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Falcon Family was a peer mentoring project implemented at Dunedin High School in the 2001-2002 school year as one method of improving academic performance by ninth-grade students. The project was based, in part, on research showing that ninth-grade students are frequently unprepared for high school and that teachers generally prefer not to teach ninth-grade classes. The literature showed that peer mentorship can act as a deterrent that might result in reducing the retention rate.

As part of the Falcon Family project, an upper-class student was assigned to a ninth grader to assist in developing strategies for completing the ninth grade …

Resiliency Training Of Sixth-Grade Students In An Educational Setting, Matthew K. Boggan

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This study was designed to investigate the effects that resiliency training had upon a selected group of students in a rural school with a student population of approximately 600. Planned solution strategies included staff development training and implementing activities to establish the school climate and student readiness.

Resiliency Skills and Abilities Scale was used as a pretest, a 45-item survey to determine resiliency scores, before implementing resiliency skills. Training from The Resiliency Training Program, a Training of Trainers by Nan Henderson, M.S.W. was used as an intervention strategy. The intervention strategies involved a section of sixth-grade students, teachers, counselor, administrators, …

Project Second Chance: A Dropout Prevention Program, May W. Bolden

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

During the 1998-1999 academic year, 8.78% of the students in grades 11 and 12 dropped out of the two high schools located in Florence, Alabama. This percentage increased each year and was projected to reach an unacceptable rate of 18.51% during the 2001-2002 academic year.

The researcher initiated a dropout prevention program, called Project Second Chance, in order to reduce the dropout rate. Project Second Chance allowed students to retake failed or lost-credit courses in evening classes. The project had the additional objectives to improve students’ self-image, prevent them from missing regular courses due to the necessity to repeat core …

Methods Of Improving The Reading Comprehension Skills Of Seventh-Grade Literacy Students, Mellanie L. Robinson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the reading comprehension skills of seventh-grade students. A majority of the students in the writer’s literacy class scored poorly on the following reading comprehension instruments: the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR), the Science Research Associates test (SRA), and a reading selection from the Jamestown Signature Reading Series. Failure to succeed on these tests can be discouraging for adolescents and can cause them to develop negative attitudes towards the concept of reading as a whole.

For several months, the writer read multitudinous pieces of educational literature from credible sources (e.g., Middle …

Increasing Elementary Teachers’ Abilities To Utilize Technology To Enhance The Curriculum And Instructional Practices For Students, Rita Thomas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase elementary teachers ability to utilize technology to enhance the curriculum and instructional practices for students. Technology was available in the work setting but teachers were not trained to use and integrate technology.

Teachers actively participated in the following activities: reading and discussing professional journal articles, reading and using information provided in digital newsletters, technology training sessions, collaborative planning sessions, and made a conscious effort to include technology as a component of instruction for students.

An analysis of the data revealed that five of six outcomes were met. The following outcomes of the applied …

Providing Character Education Towards Resiliency For An Alternative Education High School, Anita L. Herron

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to address the need to improve the educational profile of an urban alternative education high school that failed to meet one or more of the state's standards for achievement, attendance, and school performance. A character education curriculum holistic case management program was developed to address this problem.

The program provided students with a three-focus educational strand instructional program: Case management intervention, academic diagnostic assessment, and an individualized planning and instructional curriculum to achieve school success. The writer presented a comprehensive intervention service that required all participants to attend a mandatory orientation, community-based involvement, consultation, and …

A Comprehensive Reading Program To Increase Reading Skills Of Low-Performing Students, Annie C. Savage

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation describes a schoolwide program that was designed to improve reading skills of students at a middle school with a population of 700 students. Located in the northwest section of Huntsville, Alabama, the public school houses students in grades 6, 7, and 8. An analysis of data from the Stanford Achievement Test, the Qualitative Reading Inventory, and the Student Test and Assessment of Reading indicated that more than 50% of the students in the school were reading below their grade-level equivalency.

Several previously implemented instructional strategies, such as Accelerated Reader and the Alabama Reading Initiative Program had not impacted …

Improving Reading Scores In A Low-Socioeconomic Environment, Bessie Karvelas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the reasons why Von Humboldt School has had a history of low reading scores. The school has a high mobility rate, which has made it difficult for any academic continuity. The students at the school are at a 94% poverty level with 64% Hispanic, 34% African American, and 2% Caucasian. The low-socioeconomic status of the students partially contributes to the low reading scores. There are other factors as well. The training that teachers had received in teaching reading also attributed to the low scores. Not enough time spent on …

Increasing The Likelihood Of Reading Success In Kindergarten Students Through Early Literacy Intervention, Cindy R. Williams

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the likelihood of literacy success in kindergartners through early intervention services provided by the primary level reading teacher. There had been no early literacy intervention services offered in the writer’s school district prior to the time that the dissertation project was implemented. The goals of the dissertation were to decrease the likelihood that a kindergartner would repeat kindergarten or require remedial reading services in first grade due to the intervention services they received in kindergarten.

The writer designed an intervention program through which 15 kindergarten children were targeted for daily small group instruction …

School Resource Officers: Effective Or Ineffective In Reducing Discipline Referrals And Increasing School Safety?, Cornelius B. Leach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes a program for reducing the number of discipline referrals for fighting, threats, and possession or use of weapons. The total school population was involved in this intervention program. All middle schools in the school district had 2 School Resource Officers (SRO) on campus to produce a safer school environment. The problem with the discipline referrals was documented through the archival data of discipline referrals from the 2000-2001 school year.

An analysis of probable cause data gathered indicated that low or moderate supervision, lack of parental involvement, and lack of knowledge about writing discipline referrals were factors leading …

An Evaluation Of An Alternative High School As A Learning Organization, David K. Moore

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem that was addressed by this evaluation study was the failure of a majority of the students who entered the Alternative Program at Miami-Douglas MacArthur Senior High School South (MDMS) to return to their schools of residence. Of those who did return, over 60% were unsuccessful. The systemic changes that were needed to resolve this problem required the faculty to function as an effective learning organization as described in the research of P. Senge. Evaluation research was conducted to determine to what extent MDMS staff was functioning within each of the 5 disciplines of a learning organization.

The data …

Case Study Of Public School 370 And Implementation Of An Education Program For Disabled 18- To 21-Year-Old Detainees, Dawn A.J. Downing

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation describes an alternative public high school for adjudicated youth. This report discusses the legal and social issues that justify the need for the implementation of an education program for 18- to 21-year-olds detained in the Baltimore City Detention Center. Analysis of internal and external data sources indicated the need for this case study.

The focus of this study was creating a learning community where educational staff and security staff work together to provide an appropriate education for adjudicated students. The relationship between educators and correctional staff can be an uneasy one when the security and education staffs …

Meeting The Needs Of An Elementary School Community: Providing A Safe And Enriching Environment In An Afterschool Program, Darlene M. Moye

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to provide a high-quality afterschool program in an elementary school by providing a safe environment and enrichment activities. The afterschool program that previously existed at the elementary school was primarily day care and did not include enrichment activities. Parents, students, and program personnel were dissatisfied with the program and wanted a change.

To effect change, the writer implemented a school operated afterschool program using building-level staff for program personnel. The program included opportunities for children to complete homework with assistance and to participate in enrichment opportunities. Procedures were established to provide a safe …

Creating A New Reporting System For Effective Communication Between The School And The Home, Dennet John Sidell

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to create and use a new reporting system that would better communicate with parents how their child was performing in school. The system used before the implementation was fragmented (each grade used a different reporting system), outdated (not complementing what was happening in the classroom), used confusing codes (parents not receiving a clear message), and unreliable (teachers used the reporting systems for different purposes). The new reporting system would have a common purpose, be consistent in format between grades, and use vocabulary that was clear and easy to understand.

Three solution strategies were incorporated into …

The Effects Of Home-School Communication On Parental Involvement, Diana L. Watson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to study the effects of home-school communication on parent involvement by implementing the program Project S.P.E.A.K.: Students, Parents, and Educators Actively Keeping in Touch.

The targeted population consisted of 24 certified general education teachers, 505 students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, and 505 parents of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The problem to be solved in this applied dissertation was that parents and teachers were not communicating well with each other. At the targeted site, parent involvement and attendance at school functions had dropped drastically over the past 5 years. The data collected …

Improving Student Social Skills In An Elementary School Setting, Gloria Mckibbin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Teachers and administrators reported an increase in the number of school violations regarding verbal and physical assaults. This aggressive and inappropriate behavior created a negative school climate and detracted from the academic process, as teachers were spending more time redirecting students who were misbehaving rather than teaching.

A social skills program that focused on empathy, social problem solving, and anger management was developed and implemented with fourth-grade students to improve their prosocial behavior in the classroom environment. Using cognitive behavioral strategies such as modeling, roleplaying, and cuing and methods to assess their own behaviors during group lessons, discussions, and exercises, …

Development Of A Web-Based Community For The Business Internship Program At Franklin Pierce College, Jason C. Little

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem is that up-to-date and efficient communication and information sharing among stakeholders including students, faculty advisors, employer supervisors, and alumni are necessary for the internship program to meet its goals.

The following six research questions were included in this study:

1. What are the characteristics of a successful web-based learning community?

2. What specific content should be included in the internship web-based learning community?

3. What are the appropriate design elements for an internship web-based learning community?

4. What specific elements should guide the development of an internship webbased learning community?

5. What elements should be included in the …

A Saturday School Program For At-Risk Students, Melvin Hitchens

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation is the frequency and severity of behavior related infractions. Township administrators are concerned because growing populations of students were violating the district’s policy on character education. Administrators were also concerned because a majority of these students academically lagged behind their peers.

The Saturday School Program was established for students who demonstrated a lack of respect for others. Students have threatened administrators with physical violence. Such behavior was a violation of the school policy on character development, which states that students should exhibit an attitude of caring, courage, honesty, responsibility and self-discipline. Although the lack of character …

Development Of A Historic Preservation Outreach Program With Evaluation Plan For The University Of Arkansas At Little Rock History Department, Franklin Allen Latimer

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem is that the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) is ignoring the large potential constituency on the state’s college campuses. By ignoring this potential constituency, the agency is not meeting its goal of educating the public on historic preservation to the fullest extent and the agency is missing an opportunity to recruit people into working for preservation of the state’s cultural resources. This project was intended to develop a preservation outreach program to facilitate delivering information on the state’s historic resources as well as services offered by AHPP to the students in the history department of the University of …

The Development Of A Plan For The Viability Of Physical Education At Calhoun Community College With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Nancy Keenum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The current economic decline in Alabama has meant that educational institutions have had to deal with serious financial shortfalls and budget cuts. The problem facing Calhoun Community College is that funding cuts have resulted in an 80% reduction of the Physical Education department at a time when the administration has an interest in future long-term growth, physical education courses remain a viable option for students, and there is an increased awareness of the concomitant health benefits. This applied dissertation was designed to provide a comprehensive plan for the Physical Education department to meet the needs of the students by remaining …

Establishing A Culture Of Reading At The Middle School Level To Improve Reading Achievement, Neal W. Clark

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Based on an analysis of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), 30% of 6th-8th graders at Wheeler County Middle school were not meeting state reading standards. Based on evidence from questionnaires and surveys to administrators, parents, students, and teachers, students spent little time reading and have poor attitude toward reading. Students at Wheeler County Middle School simply were not reading enough to build a sufficient vocabulary or an effective level of reading comprehension. Thus, the problem on which this study focused was how to get students to read more and be more positive about reading.

The intervention for this study …

Student Job Retention: An Urban Alternative High School Work-Study Improvement Plan, David W. Clegg

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation designed an intervention plan that sought to improve an urban alternative high school work-study program. This study applied quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine why only 40% of this program’s students successfully retained a work-study job. It was hypothesized that the percentage of successful work-study students would increase from 40% to 80% by implementing the following interventions: having each student take a career development and readiness inventory before they entered the world of work, providing each student with 5 monthly hours of structured work-study supervision from the same guidance counselor, and developing and teaching a school-to-work curriculum …

Using The Writing Process And Continuous Assessment To Improve Student Compositions, Constance M. Goines

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation described an intervention program that was designed to improve the quality of writing in an inner city school in the southwest United States. It was an ethnically and linguistically diverse Title I learning community of about 300. The program targeted 44 second semester 3rd graders who would be first semester 4th graders following the July summer break. Two fourth grade teachers, both with at least four years of experience and extensive writing process training, implemented the program at both grade levels.

The focus was to raise writing scores, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) …

A Northwest Florida School District’S Response To Chartered Public Schools, Vivian L. Green

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the impact of charter schools on a school district and to develop a strategic marketing plan for the School District of Okaloosa County. With the proliferation of charter schools, home schools, and other schooling options within the School District of Okaloosa County, the typical orientation of school staff members at traditional public schools must be broadened to include marketing of the school and its services.

The researcher developed a strategic marketing plan for targeted schools within the School District of Okaloosa County. Development of the plan included the following planned solution interventions: (a) …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Collaborative Co-Teaching On The Achievement Of Eighth Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Karen Culmo Fontana

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of co-teaching on the academic achievement of eighth graders with learning disabilities. Although much has been written on the logistics of starting and maintaining co-teaching relationships between teachers of students with and without disabilities and teachers of students with exceptionalities, there is less written on the effectiveness of co-teaching on the achievement of students with learning disabilities. Using a one group pretest-posttest design, the study was designed to determine if attendance in co-taught English and math classes would contribute to an increase in written language, math and self-concept scores. The …

Teaching Fifth Grade Students With Learning Problems To Self-Regulate Writing Utilizing Mnemonics, Mary Angela Gioscia

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide students with learning disabilities the opportunity to improve their writing skills. Students were expected to organize information and utilize correct spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure in order to write independently on grade level. This was not happening. For years the writer witnessed the struggle that students with learning disabilities had encountered with written language. Graphic organizers, writing programs, and modifications made to the curricula did not solve the problem of fifth-grade students with learning disabilities to demonstrate grade level writing.

In her research the writer discovered the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model of …

Attendance: The First Step Towards Success, Steven W. Green

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Student achievement is clearly the purpose of schools, and in today's world of high stakes testing, accountability has certainly been an educational buzzword. However, there are many factors that impact student achievement levels with many of these factors being out of the control of teachers and administrators. One factor on which school officials can have an impact is student attendance.

In the past at Dobson High School in Mesa, Arizona, student attendance was addressed in two ways: first, absences, were documented and recorded; second, punishments were applied after students accumulated too many absences. This was a cold and reactive process …

A Brand New Elementary School: Conception To Inception, W. Glenn Huggins

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a practical model for building a new school. The basis for this model was the author’s experience as a public school principal with the responsibility of opening a new school. The context of this paper involved the initiation of organizational and operational processes for systems and structures associated with a new school. This model utilized recollections and recommendations of an experienced practitioner and might be considered a combination of a diagnostic aide and operational guide. This work provided a practical model for the development, design, construction, and initial operation of a new school. …