Education Commons^™

Knowledge, Skills, And Dispositions Influencing Middle School Teachers' Decision Making In Planning Social Studies Instruction In A Hispanic Serving School, Angela Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The issue of highly qualified teachers as the key to improving the educational system in the United States has become a primary focus in education. The federal educational policy No Child Left Behind Act 2001, describes what it means to be a highly qualified teacher in core subject areas, and all states are required to use this criterion for defining what teachers should know, and be able to do. Accordingly, certified teachers in today’s public school classrooms must possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions so that all students, including those students who have been historically disadvantaged and those who are …

Building Blocks To Growth : An Examination Of Block Building's Impact On Social And Emotional Development, Diana Elisabeth Dube

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores the role that independent and group block building play in early childhood development, and specifically examines the impact of early childhood block play on social and emotional development.

Mentoring Novice And Experienced Teachers On Block Play Using The Developmental-Interaction Approach In The Philippines, Kathrina Gancayco-Umali

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Traces the journey of traditional early childhood Filipino teachers in implementing the developmental-interaction approach in the block corner. Five novice and experienced teachers embarked on a professional development series of four mentoring sessions. As a result of this process, teachers have demonstrated confidence and involvement in implementing the use of unit blocks through the developmental-interaction approach and administration agreed to adapt this as a model design for the early childhood program.

Re-Envisioning Professional Development For The Teaching Of Writing: Lessons Learned From The National Writing Project And Where We Go From Here, Susan M. Diaz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this thesis, I compare what we know about the teaching of writing from thirty years of disciplinary research and development versus what secondary pre-service and in-service teachers know about it. In terms of theoretical and practical alignment, I also examine the transition in Texas from one standardized test (TAKS) to another (STAAR) and the implications for teachers. Finally, I outline a Professional Development sequence for secondary school teachers that would better prepare teachers to teach writing across the secondary school curriculum, including an argument for particularly effective methods of delivery for communicating this information. This professional development design includes, …

A History Of The Texas Education Agency Instructional Facility Allotment (Ifa) Program In Hidalgo County School Districts Located In The Texas Rio Grande Valley From 1997 To 2007, Michael J. Sandroussi

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the implementation of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Instructional Facility Allotment (IFA) Program in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) through documentation chronicling Hidalgo County school districts from 1997 through 2007 that secured IFA & EDA monies to build new facilities. Participants in this study included Hidalgo County school districts, three school architects, ten Hidalgo County school district superintendents and one Texas state senator. The fifteen school district superintendents were asked to complete an Instructional Facility Allotment (IFA) and Existing Debt Allotment (EDA) survey. The three architects, ten superintendents and state senator were interviewed in order to provide …

Supporting Kindergarteners Coping With Chronic Traumatic Stress In The Classroom: A Handbook For Teachers, Allison Tom-Yunger

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study focuses on the effect of chronic traumatic stressors on young children and the role of kindergarten teachers in supporting them. The literature review examines the impact of chronic trauma on children, the importance of resilience and protective factors, and the challenges teachers face addressing the needs of these children. A discussion of standards within the public school system and methods to promote social-emotional learning within the standards-driven classroom is also included. The handbook gives a description of chronic traumatic stress and signs of children coping with trauma, suggestions for direct individual support of children, play and the …

Developmentally-Appropriate Practice In The Classroom, Rayna Kailynn Prothro

Theses Digitization Project

Early childhood research literature has shown that develpmentally-appropriate practice (DAP) has a multitude of positive effects on young children's development including emotional, social, cognitive, and neurological benefits. When DAP is practiced by teachers, children are engaged in low stress learning activities, their social development is supported, and their classroom envirornment supports their cognitive and brain development. DAP provides an environment that supports all children academically.

Roots Of Farm And Family, Carol Gjenvick

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The current food industry is a vast and confusing system that often generates contradicting information, new jargon and trends on how and what to eat. Most families in urban and suburban regions shop at local grocery stores, supermarkets or chains and are far removed from the origins of their food supply. Even with the growing support of farmers markets and local farmers, the average person no longer has access to an actual farm. Children in particular, are less likely to understand how a farm operates, the essential role of the farmer, the impact of seasonal changes on food supplies and …

Culturally Responsive Professional Development For Latinas In Family Child Care: A Dissertation, Jody Figuerido

Educational Studies Dissertations

Latina Family Child Care (FCC) Educators provide early education and care (EEC) for children in their homes. High quality EEC programs, including the FCC setting, help children form a firm foundation for future learning, resulting in positive outcomes. In order to provide this level of programming, educators must participate in specialized training related to early childhood education. Unfortunately, the literature provides limited guidance regarding professional development that meets the needs of the diverse adult learner in the field of early childhood education. The focus of this qualitative study is to articulate the elements of culturally responsive professional development for the …

Infants And Toddlers: What They Teach Us About How To Help Preschool And Elementary School Students Regulate Behavior And Achieve Mental Health, Erin Ford

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Looking at early childhood mental health from a policy perspective, this thesis describes practices that support children's social and emotional development and mental health prevention, intervention, and treatment approaches that can be used in preschool and elementary school settings; looks at young students' unmet mental health needs in both of these settings; and explores how schools can better address students' problem behaviors and mental health needs. To do so, it describes the field of Infant Mental Health and the supporting research; provides an overview of what the literature suggests preschools and elementary schools can do to support young children's social …

Teacher Reflective Function And Its Connection To Observed Teacher-Child Interactions In Head Start Classrooms, Katharine Emerson-Hoss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary purpose of this study was to identify reflective function in Head Start teachers. Reflective function (RF) is a measure of a cognitive-emotional capacity that has been measured through interviews with parents and is linked to the parent's ability to create physical and psychological safety for his/her child (Slade, 2005). This study is the first to apply this measure to teacher interviews. Secondly, this study investigated whether a teacher's RF was related to their interactions with children as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS, Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008). This qualitative multiple case study investigated archival …

Individual And Family Correlates Of High And Low Achievement Among Children In A Head Start Program, Millah Musungu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Preschool children living in poverty are at risk for not attaining the required pre-academic and social-emotional skills that predict successful transition to kindergarten. The present study investigated individual and family correlates that were hypothesized to predict and classify children in high, average, and low achievement groups in a Head Start Program. The study was based on analyses of archival data from 745 children who attended the Schenectady Community Action Program (SCAP) Head Start during the period encompassing the 2005-2010 academic years. The study used a combination of binary logistic regression analysis, independent-samples t-test, and qualitative survey results to address research …

Exploring Growth Trajectories Of Problem Behavior In Young Children, Bethany Lynn Mccaffrey

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Given the negative outcomes associated with problem behavior and the heightened risk for children with disabilities to display problematic behavior, the current study implemented hierarchical linear modeling to explore the growth trajectories of problem behavior in a nationally representative sample of preschool children with disabilities. Results indicated child and contextual risk factors were associated with varying levels of problem behavior at 5.5-years-old. Further, cross-level interactions between age and disability classification and age and gender were found to be significant, indicating variations in the trajectories of problem behavior from 3- to 8-years-old can partially be explained by child disability and gender.

Places Of Purpose, Purposeful Places: An Exploration Of The Physical Environment Of Primary Level Classrooms, Shannon Britton Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The physical environment of the classroom impacts teachers and students. In many settings teachers are given some autonomy but little guidance in the establishment of the physical environment of the classroom. Relatively few studies examine issues related to the totality of the physical environment of the classroom. This study is intended to provide a bridge between multiple disciplines and classroom application by describing and interpreting the intentions and decision making process of three teachers in the establishment of the physical environment of their classrooms.

The five questions that guided this study focused on intentions of the teacher related to the …

An Exploratory Case Study Of Upper Elementary And Middle Level Science Instruction Impacting Traditionally Underserved Students, Lucinda Howe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an exploratory case study looking at the practices in one Colorado K-8 school that had students performing at or above the 75th percentile on the eighth grade Science Colorado Assessment of Student Progress (CSAP) in 2009. This study attempted to answer the question: What are the instructional choices, classroom environments, interventions, and school practices in place in one K-8 school that is supporting traditionally underserved populations of students in the learning of science? This school appears to be meeting the needs of their traditionally underserved students as evidenced by the percent of students in these populations at this …