Education Commons^™

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Oakcrest High School, Mays Landing, New Jersey, 1997-1998, Linda R. Brennan

Theses and Dissertations

Early identification of academically at-risk students combined with effective intervention has a significant impact on the academic performance of academically at-risk students. Students were identified as academically at-risk if they failed two classes in one report period or if they failed one class twice during their eighth grade year.

Faculty members volunteered to serve as mentors for these students. Through advising, referring to student resource personnel, reviewing work, or providing a quiet place to study, teachers were committed to providing additional time and assistance to their mentees' educational process.

The identified students were also given contact time and opportunities to …

Trends In Teaching Object-Oriented Programming At The Community College Level, Thomas W. Fargnoli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the current trends in teaching object-oriented programming at the community college level. A questionnaire was developed and sent to all community colleges in the state of New Jersey to assess the extent of object-oriented material offered in computer science courses. Nine community colleges participated in the study.

All nine colleges reported offering at least one course containing some degree of object-oriented material. Of the eighty-five computer science courses offered, thirty of them (35%) contained some degree of object-oriented material. The degree of the object-oriented material ranged from 5% to 100%. Fourteen of …

A Report On The Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Eastern Camden County Regional School District, Audry Cser

Theses and Dissertations

The current system of record-keeping for the various student activity accounts was assessed and revised in order to establish a more accurate and efficient accounting policy of all monies. Internal audits will be implemented in order to demonstrate a more critical accounting for all student activity accounts. In addition to monthly and year ending reconciliation statements it will be necessary at the end of each fiscal year to provide district auditors with accurate financial documents exhibiting the receipt of student monies for various activity accounts.

Prior to developing a revised accounting system for student activity accounts, current practices, procedures and …

The Organizational Climate Of Eastern Regional High School, Kirk Martin Rickansrud

Theses and Dissertations

This study was done on the premise that a school's organizational climate affects employee morale, behavior, and motivation. This study was conducted in order to communicate to all administrators and faculty the status of Eastern Regional High School's organizational climate. The essence of this type of study was to create new avenues of open communication, coupled with the push for a more reflective practice, between the faculty and administration. The results have allowed individuals to make suggestions to improve the educational quality and effectiveness of the entire school.

The design of the study was to conduct a survey of employee …

Inclusion In The Elementary Specialty Areas: Art, Library, Music And Physical Education, Dawn Danley

Theses and Dissertations

In compliance with providing the least restrictive environment, children with varying degrees of disabilities are being included into the general education classroom. This study focused on facilitating the inclusion of children with moderate to severe special needs into the elementary specialty areas including library, music, art and physical education. This study was conducted in a school district in southern New Jersey using inter-office mailings.

Data was collected by providing a completed student profile and a sample needs assessment to teachers in each specialty area. The teachers completed the sample needs assessment based on their perceived knowledge regarding the child that …

Increasing Student Achievement With Cooperative Learning, Curriculum Changes, And Portfolio Assessment, Lois S. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine if student achievement could be approved by curriculum changes within a cooperative learning framework and the use of portfolio assessment. Students in two classes were involved in the study. Both classes received the same instruction, worksheet and quizzes. In addition, one class worked individually to complete the worksheets to prepare for weekly quizzes. The other class used the cooperative learning technique - Student Teams Achievement Divisions. The cooperative learning students worked in groups of four to complete the worksheets to prepare for the weekly quizzes. The goal was to have everyone in …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Millville Memorial High School, Stephen R. Saul

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to determine if the at-risk youth employment internship program can improve student performance in the areas of attendance, academic achievement, and discipline offenses. The at-risk youth employment internship program is a two year pilot program supported by the state of New Jersey. The Millville school district was selected as the representative for Cumberland county. The at-risk youth employment internship program places an at-risk student in a job shadowing experience for an eight week period. The student is required to attend three days per week for two hours per day. The student is given a …

A Feasibility Study On Block Scheduling At Egg Harbor Township High School, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 1997-1998, Joetta M. Surace

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this internship in Educational Administration at the Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor Township was to provide the intern with experiences which enhance the skills that are vital to achieving success as a school leader. The purpose of this study in the area of change was to conduct a feasibility study on block scheduling by involving all constituent stakeholders in the process during the 1997-98 school year. The intern researched various block scheduling plans, attended workshops on block scheduling, organized a Block Scheduling Study Committee, visited various block-scheduled schools, and made information available to constituent …

A Report On The Internship Experience In Educational Leadership And Parent Conferences At Delsea Middle School, Jill M. Bryfogle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to make parent conferences more meaningful for those involved. To do this, the intern intended to increase parental attendance at conferences in her school. She tried to achieve the goal of increasing attendance by giving out a survey to parents and teachers who were present at conferences. The questionnaire asked people how to improve conferences. Responses were tallied and then discussed with a committee of parents, teachers and administrators who decided which ideas to put into action. Changes were made to conferences. Attendance data was taken before and after the changes. Then the two …

A Suggested Preschool Program For The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District, Dawn Schollenberger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to suggest a type of preschool curriculum that would be effective for the Woodstown-Pilesgrove School District. This was accomplished in various stages. First, library research was conducted at EIRC and the Rowan University Library to find recent literature on the various types of preschool curriculums. Then, because the needs of the community should be considered when designing a public preschool curriculum, an informal survey was designed to solicit the opinions of present and past kindergarten teachers in the Woodstown-Pilesgrove School District. The results of this narrative survey were used to design the major components …

A Handbook Of Exemplary Training Activities To Improve Access And Success In Higher Education For Students With Learning Disabilities, Heidi M. Mcgarvey

Theses and Dissertations

The number of learning disabled students attending colleges and universities has increased dramatically in the last ten to fifteen years placing greater demands on college personnel to keep abreast of effective service models and educational interventions for this population.

This project attempted to develop an exemplary model to be used by campus disability service coordinators to provide information and technical assistance to members of the post-secondary and high school community in order to enhance educational opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities.

Information for the project was compiled, analyzed, and evaluated from current literature, professional and peer practices, and the writer's …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Full Day Versus Half Day Kindergarten Programs, Deborah C. Gaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the children in full day kindergarten programs made greater gains when compared to half day kindergarten programs as measured by an informal teacher made kindergarten screening test.

The subjects of this study were 81 kindergarten students (40 girls, 41 boys) from two elementary schools in southern New Jersey. Thirty-nine (39) students were enrolled in the full day program, and 42 were enrolled in the half day program. Both groups were pretested with a teacher made kindergarten screening test in the beginning of the school year (September/October) and then post tested in …

An Investigation Of Food Related Versus Socialization Deficits In A Group Of Prader-Willi Syndrome Adults, Janet T. Fioresi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of behavior incidents of adults in a group home setting who have been diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), to determine if the behaviors are more frequently related to food issues or socialization problems with peers and/or staff. It was hypothesized that documented behavior incidents were more frequently due to socialization problems.

The sample for this study consisted of eight adults medically diagnosed with PWS in a group home setting. All participants' Behavior Incident Forms (BIR's) were looked at throughout a two year period from January 1, 1996 to December 31, …

An Assessment Of Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant Role Functions, Jacqueline Delisi D'Auria

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey currently employed Learning Disability Teacher Consultants in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties for an assessment of their current job priorities, as related to the five role responsibilities, as well as their perceived competencies within their role functions. Thirty-six questionnaires were mailed; a 66 percent return was obtained. Percentages were computed to determine the rank order of importance assigned to the role functions. A rank order of the list of competencies was determined for both the average ratings of importance and the average ratings of proficiency.

The LDT-C ranked the role responsibilities as …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Phonemic Awareness Instruction In A Multiply Handicapped Kindergarten Classroom, Janice A. Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an evaluation of the development of pre-reading skills in kindergarten children in a Multiply Handicapped program. Phonemic awareness activities from the Project ASSIST Kindergarten Curriculum were used to supplement traditional kindergarten instruction in the experimental group. Two kindergarten classrooms for children with Multiple Handicaps comprised the sample (N = 13). The control group had five students, while the experimental group had eight. Instruction in phonemic awareness was delivered to the experimental group for a period of approximately four months. A variety of multi-sensory activities were used daily in the classroom in addition to the kindergarten curriculum. The …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Berlin Community School In Berlin, New Jersey, Kathleen L. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a district-wide grading policy to create consistency and fairness among grading procedures.

The intern developed a grading policy committee which included both male and female, veteran and first year teachers. It had a teacher from each grade level.

This committee developed guidelines and criteria for issuing grades for students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade and 3rd through 8th grade.

Data collection was obtained by using three instruments. The first instrument was the policy development committee which, through communication with their colleagues, established a grading policy. The second instrument was a staff survey …

An Intern's Experience In Educational Leadership At Salem County Special Services School District, Kathleen A. Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was in fact a growing number of minority students in special education, if minority staff in special education were being hired in proportion to the number of minority students coming to this particular school district, and finally, whether or not the district was addressing cultural diversity among the staff and student populations due to the increase in minority students.

Initially, a questionnaire was developed for the students. One site in the district was targeted because it had thirty-five emotionally disturbed students. Nineteen emotionally disturbed high school minority students were interviewed. …

Introduction To The Fundamentals Of Chemistry, Rose C. Knowles

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis designs a curriculum to fulfill the charter of the Community college in providing an opportunity for an individual student whether traditional or non-traditional to prepare to become more proficient in chemical understanding and be able to apply the concepts and knowledge taught to a career or advanced study. The curriculum should benefit those individuals who either lack or have a poor background in chemistry and strengthen their reasoning ability. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of textbooks currently being published for introductory chemistry. Texts reviewed were readily found on library shelves and supplied through major distributors; chemical journals …

A Mentorship Study Program At Monongahela Middle School, Carolyn Morehead

Theses and Dissertations

A mentorship program for ten students was established at Monongahela Middle School. The purpose of this program was for ten at risk students to pass all their subjects through the motivation of a mentorship program. The sample population consisted of those students that failed three or more subjects in the seventh grade. As a result they were either socially promoted, sent to summer school, or retained. The mentors consisted of seven classroom teachers, two guidance counselors, and one librarian. Mentors were encouraged to meet with their students twice a week for approximately ten minutes and make some form of contact …

A Systemic Plan To Improve The Writing Skills Of Students In A Secondary Computer Writing Laboratory, Cherie L. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This report describes the process used, for an urban high school with a student population of approximately 1,250 students, to investigate the existing writing programs offered to students. The preliminary research indicated a 10% decline in the number of students who pass the writing component of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test.

Proposed preliminary investigation strategies include (a) interviews with writing teachers, regular English teachers, and teachers in other academic disciplines; (b) a review of documents such as district writing test results, courses of study, individual student writing reports, and grade point averages and English course grades; (c) observations …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership At Cherokee High School In Marlton, New Jersey, Jeffrey S. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to implement an in-school suspension program to change students' attitudes and provide alternatives to negative behavior. This was achieved by obtaining information from other schools about their ISS programs. It was then determined what would constitute an effective program at Cherokee. Meetings were held with every department to explain how the program would operate and the teachers' role for the success of the program. The various elements of ISS were explained. They included students being in the safe environment of the school, students not missing school work, not providing for a mini-vacation, and follow-up …

An Internship Experience In Educational Leadership In The Pitman School District, Eileen P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to study the observation instrument and job description of an instructional aide, evaluating each for its relevancy and updating where necessary. Instructional aides and administrators were inserviced to ensure everyone's understanding of job expectations and indicators for evaluation. Classroom instruction would be enhanced by achieving uniformity in evaluation and knowing the value of the job.

All twelve instructional aides completed a survey and were interviewed, answering questions about the responsibilities of his/her job. Through this process, the intern determined the need for a revised job description and evaluation instrument. Samples of job descriptions and …

An Internship Experience To Improve The School Climate At Upper Pittsgrove School Through The Teaching Of Courteous Behaviors And Service, Susan Perna

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence to support the statement that all students will be able to follow a basic code of courteous behaviors and participate in service learning during school to improve the climate of the school and to produce a caring community. Surveys were administered to the staff and students at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the year to assess the current school climate conditions. A daily tabulation of behavior incidents was used as a statistical comparison to last year's to determine whether the program had any effect on reducing the number of behavior …

An Examination Of The Positive And Negative Effects Of Retention, Michelle M. Sabia

Theses and Dissertations

Each year many students are misplaced in grade levels and are unable to meet academic expectations. As a result, school administrators, teachers and parents are faced with finding a solution to these children's educational problems. Retention is one alternative that is often considered. Due to the frequency of this practice along with limited options, it is important to look at the academic effects of retention on students. Using teachers' report cards and standardized test results, the effects of retention were studied in six elementary school students. Using a combination of factors including literature reviews and the results of this study, …

Do Smaller Classes Mean Greater Academic Achievement In High School Biology Classes?, Elaine Awalt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students in small classes would show greater academic achievement in high school biology classes. The study involved two high school biology classes, one with an enrollment of 20 students, and one with an enrollment of 25 students. Both groups of students were given pretests on the subject of invertebrates. A four week study of this topic followed. Teaching techniques and assignments were identical for the two groups. At the end of the four week study a posttest was given to all students.

The results of the pre and posttest were then …

The Relationships Among First Grade Students' Tonal Aptitude, Singing Vocal Development, And Developmental Age, Florence Tavani

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between developmental age and scores achieved on music ability tests.

The problem of this study was to determine the relationships among the Primary Measure of Music Audiation and the Singing Voice Development Measure and the Gesell School Readiness Test.

Sixty-three students in grade one of the Indian Mills Elementary school took part in this study. All of these students had been tested with the Gesell School Readiness Test prior to entering first grade. This test consisted of eight subtests requiring such tasks as cube stacking, verbal …

The Effects Of Harmonic Accompaniment On The Music Achievement, Aptitude, And Musical Effectiveness Of First Grade Children, Ruth Pelphrey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how harmonic accompaniments affect first grade children. The specific problems of the study were to understand how harmonic accompaniments affect children in their 1) tonal development, 2) use of their voice, and 3) interest in singing. Furthermore, a fourth problem was to determine the relationships among interest in singing, use of singing voice, and tonal development.

One hundred and six first grade students in five classes were randomly selected to participate in this study. There were three treatment groups; one received song instruction with the accompaniment of piano/guitar, the second used CD …

Internship In Supervision And Curriculum Development In The Millville Public Schools, Millville, New Jersey, 1996-1997, Debra G. Wenrick

Theses and Dissertations

The internship in Supervision and Curriculum Development provided the intern the opportunity to develop and strengthen leadership skills required for educational administrators for the 21st century.

The internship focused on the following projects: 1) the development of a balanced curriculum for the district's bilingual summer enrichment program, 2) the facilitation of a collegial sharing of ideas learned at out-of-district workshops, 3) the piloting of a teacher-centered revision of the district's evaluation system, 4) a teacher-led workshop to encourage the use of CD-ROM technology as an instructional tool and 5) the implementation of cross-age tutoring.

The following recommendations were made: 1) …