Education Commons^™

A Report Of An Internship With The Albion Public Schools Albion, Michigan, Anthony L. Derose

Masters Theses

This report is a summary of a six-week internship in the Albion Public Schools during the summer of 1984.

The objective of this internship was to introduce the intern to the roles, responsibilities, and duties of the position of Assistant Superintendent and to provide for a general understanding of the operations of the central office administration.

The six-week experience included extensive opportunities to observe and participate in a variety of valuable activities. A considerable amount of time was spent in the development of a new professional staff evaluation and goal-setting system, interviewing and hiring new teaching staff, completing Title I …

An Experiential Project Examining The Development, Organization, Implementation, And Supervision Of Summer Activity Programs, Thomas R. Weaver

Masters Theses

The objective of this experiential project was to examine the function of an administrative position in a recreation department's summer activities program.

Major areas that were studied were program offerings, personnel management, task structure, and budgeting.

Examination of these areas revealed that program offerings are basically determined by community demand since the Recreation Department exists to serve the community. It was discovered that personnel management is an important and ongoing process. It became evident that the organizational aspect of recreation department work i s the key to success fully run programs. Finally, it was learned that budgeting was done on …

Collective Bargaining And The Building Principal: A Case Study, Rosemary Ervine

Masters Theses

The purpose of this report is to describe the role of a school building principal in the collective bargaining process and consider the affects of the collective bargaining process on the role and function of the building principal. Perspective and data were gained by participation as a building principal representative on the administrative bargaining team for the Kentwood Public Schools in their negotiations with the Kentwood Education Association during the summer of 1982. This report serves as a case study of that experience.

Collective bargaining is introduced in Chapter I which also includes a brief summary of its history in …

The Use Of Performance Data To Monitor And Support The Reorganization Of An Educational System, Ellen Spall Thompson

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the performance effects on staff and students following the reorganization of a special education facility. The organizational plan was based on the development of teaching teams where students were grouped together according to exit curricular goals. Four interventions were completed in order to assess the overall outcome of the reorganization project. At the student level, the rate of learning was monitored in order to determine whether the implementation of teams affected educational objective acquisition . At the team level, meeting agendas were surveyed to find out what effect they had on student …

An Experiential Project Examining The Dual Roles Of Curriculum Director And Elementary Principal, Michael M. Perry

Masters Theses

The objective of this experiential project was to examine the dual roles of curriculum director and elementary principal as they are carried out by the same person in the Comstock Public Schools.

Major areas examined were: goal development and attainment, textbook adoption, creation of innovative programs, and decision-making procedures.

The major of operation was to observe, question, and interact. The intern participated in daily administrative activities suggested by the principal/ curriculum director and the intern himself. It was discovered that educational administration is a complex process that requires refined organizational skills and a mastery of the ability to establish priorities. …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Different Running Shoes On The Gait Pattern Of Runners, Linda S. Leeds

Masters Theses

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of different models of running shoes on the gait pattern of runners. A biomechanical analysis was employed using one high speed camera, digitizing equipment, and a computer. Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences in pronation, Q-angle and leg angle at foot strike and midstance. The analysis of variance indicated no difference between the shoes in pronation at foot strike or midstance. Furthermore, no difference existed in either Q-angle or leg angle during foot strike and midstance.

Apparently, shoes had no effect on running gait during foot strike and midstance. …

The Effects Of Do-Say And Phase Sequencing On Correspondence Behaviors Of Preschool Children, Catherine M. Mcmanus

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of a do-say procedure and phase sequencing on the correspondence behaviors of seven preschoolers. Three subjects received correspondence-content (Group A) phase sequencing training and four subjects received content-correspondence (Group B) phase sequencing training. During the Content Phase, subjects received reinforcerrent (socials, stickers, snack, etc.) for verbalizations about engaging in a pre-determined non-preferred activity. During the Correspondence Phase, subjects received reinforcement for verbalizations about the non-preferred activity only when they had actually engaged in play with that specific non-preferred activity. The results indicated that in most instances, reinforcement of verbalizations alone results in increases in those …

An Examination And Analysis Of The Department Of Special Education In The Muskegon Heights Public Schools, Doristine Louise Minott

Masters Theses

This project was undertaken so that an indepth view of the role of the director of special education and the Department of Special Education, Muskegon Heights Public Schools, could be observed. While there are many facets in the Department, much of the time was spent reviewing the Michigan Department of Education Administrative Manual for Special Education, working on administrative skills, and getting a feel for operating the Department.

It was determined that the Department is a very complex one indeed. Because policies change so often from the state level, it is often difficult to stay abreast of things. Therefore the …

A Comparison Of Two Methods Of Presenting Nutrition Education To Senior Citizens Participating In A Congregate Meal Program, Janice M. Williams

Masters Theses

Senior citizens participating in a congregate meal program received nutrition education lessons in two different ways. One group received nutrition lectures, a second group recieved nutrition lectures accompanied by printed material. A third group served as a control. Each group contained an urban and rural site. The nutrition lectures and printed material centered on the Basic Four food groups. The lessons were presented to the subjects once a week in four successive weeks. The length of the nutrition lecture for each food group was twenty minutes. The senior citizen took pre and posttests to measure an increase or decrease in …

A Comparison Of Teacher And Student Absenteeism In Three School Districts Of Different Size, John Clifton Huffman

Masters Theses

This paper compares absentee rates for teachers and students in three Michigan school districts. The districts under investigation vary greatly in enrollment. This first chapter relates the problem of teacher and student absenteeism to maintaining an assumed level of teacher/student contact time.

The second chapter reviews literature related to student and teacher absenteeism. This includes those studies which evaluate absenteeism based on personal and organizational factors associated with absence.

The third chapter relates the procedures which were used in the comparison. The fourth chapter lists the results of the data collected from the three school districts. The data are compared …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Student-Generated Versus Instructor-Generated Questions On The Comprehension Of Written Material, Helen Diann Pratt

Masters Theses

Twelve college students volunteered to participate in a special section of an introductory psychology course at Western Michigan University. A multiple baseline design across groups was used to assess differences in reading comprehension between students who received study objectives written by the instructor and students trained to write their own study objectives. Quizzes and examinations were used to assess students' reading comprehension of course materials. A comparison of pre- and post-test scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension Test was used to determine whether students had acquired skills which aided their comprehension of other materials. Results indicated no statistically significant differences …

A Computer Aided Instructional System And Its Application Towards A Course On Snobol4 Programming Language, Abtin Edelji

Masters Theses

Computers are rapidly replacing humans in many tasks. Computer Aided Instructional System is an application of the computer in the teaching of a subject. Currently, a large number of educational Institutes use Computer Aided Instructional Systems.

The objectives of this thesis is to review some techniques in implementing such systems and to present a Computer Aided Instructional System called TEACH. The emphasis of this thesis is on the type of the directory used to minimize the search time for the TEACH System.

The Development Of A Substitute Teacher Handbook For Paris High School, Paris, Illinois, Lois M. Kloker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to devise a handbook for the substitute teachers of Paris High School, Paris, Illinois. The handbook was designed to aid the substitute teacher in carrying out the duties necessary for the continuity of the educational process during the absence of the regular teacher. A data base was formed from several sources. Valuable, but limited, information was derived from professional journals. Input was received from the substitute teachers of Paris through a questionnaire; from the superintendent, the principal and the faculty through interviews; from the Paris Union School District No. 95 Policy Manual; and from …

A Proposal For The Implementation Of A Quality Circle Program At Cumberland High School, Joseph A. Ciaccio

Masters Theses

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study was to implement a participative management program at Cumberland High School in Toledo, Illinois. The researcher, who had been principal at the school for five years, believed that participative management may be a solution to what he perceived as problems within the school. These problems included low teacher morale, below average student achievement, and a lack of open communication between individual teachers and administrators. In addition, teacher gains in effectiveness and productivity as based on formal teacher evaluation reports, were minimal.

The Quality Circle participative management approach, as reviewed in literature, seemed …

A Proposal For The Development Of A Computer Literacy Curriculum In The Charleston School District, David Robert Carey

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer literacy infusion plan for Community Unit School District Number One in Charleston, Illinois. The plan was developed to extend and build upon the existing computer usage study prepared in 1982. Specifically, this plan was prepared to provide direction and recommendations in the form of curriculum development, planning for staff development, and improved software and hardware selection processes for the elementary schools in Charleston.

A review of the research and literature revealed that the computer and its use has developed at a remarkable rate since the late 1970's. Successful projects throughout …

Development Of A Prison Schools System Handbook, Andrew J. Eggett

Masters Theses

Statement of Problem:

Overcrowded prisons and jails are a major concern of our society. As each day passes, we see more inmates in our prison system.

Nationally, there are well over 315,000 men and women in our state systems. There are approximately 185,000 in our jails and more than a million pass through the jail system each year. The average reading level of the inmates is roughly the seventh grade, and they function generally at about the ninth-grade level.

In the state of Illinois (January 1984), there were 15,000 inmates in the state prisons. Their average reading level is the …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On The Disruptive Behavior Of Students Identified As Severely Behavior Disordered, Claire Thompson Vanvickle

Masters Theses

The study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the disruptive behaviors of four male senior high school students who were identified as having severe behavior disorders. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, the students were randomly assigned to 30, 25, 20, and 15 days, respectively, of intervention conditions. The independent variable consisted of self-monitoring of ten appropriate behaviors that had been cooperatively identified by the students and teacher; each student was required to classify his behavior as appropriate or inappropriate at five intervals during their mathematics class. The dependent variables, measured daily, were the mean frequency of occurrence of …

Elementary Gifted Program For Paris Union School District No. 95, Brenda J. Rothenberger

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to develop an elementary gifted program to be implemented in Paris Union School District No. 95 in Paris, Illinois. In 1981 this writer began working with gifted students in one of the elementary schools in Paris Union School District No. 95. That first program was not considered successful, and the following year there was no gifted program. In 1983 this writer was hired as the teacher for the elementary gifted students in Paris Union School District No. 95. The program which was followed in 1983 was different than the first gifted program, but …

Attitudes, Knowledge And Behavior Related To Savings: A Study Of Southern Illinois Rural Women, Donna L. Kaufmann

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Background Music On The Overt Behavior Of High School Students Labeled As Being Behavior Disordered, Karol Lynn Cowell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Teachers' Perceptions Of School Effectiveness Factors In The Stewardson-Strasburg School District, Edward Lee Allen

Masters Theses

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this field study was to determine how the Stewardson-Strasburg schools in Stewardson, Illinois, would do when assessed on school effectiveness factors. As high school principal for the district since 1982, the researcher saw the need for a systematic means of receiving teacher input regarding their perceptions of how well the district measured up on school effectiveness factors. The researcher viewed teacher perceptions of the district's school effectiveness factors as a useful starting point for commencing what will be an ongoing study for improving the quality of education in the Stewardson-Strasburg public schools.

Procedure

The …

A Study Of Arts Education In The State Of Illinois, Debbie J. Raymer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to reveal the past position and present status of arts programs in general education for the state of Illinois. For the past two decades, the arts have experienced tremendous cutbacks and a general lack of support. This study discloses Illinois' course of action for developing, expanding, and advocating the arts in general education.

The introduction to this study is designed to provide helpful background information on the state of the arts on the national level in order to compare similar problems and progress as achieved by the state of Illinois.

Beginning with the year …

A Study Of The Dual Role As Athletic Director And Principal, James A. Cook

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate job satisfaction perceptions of individuals holding positions which combined the functions of principal and athletic direction. Specifically, this study compared actual workload with desired workload, (i.e., that which would provide a reasonable amount of job satisfaction). The study was predicated on the research findings that indicate that the amount of work is relative to a given individual as opposed to being an absolute quality.

A review of the research and literature revealed that few publications have been targeted toward workload and the dual educational administrator. The implications of job-related work, as it …

An Analysis Of The Administrative Operation Of Project Abe (Arts In Basic Education) In Community Unit District #1, Charleston, Illinois, Suellyn Garner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to analyze the administrative operation of a project called Arts in Basic Education (hereafter referred to as Project ABE), of which the author was director. The project was developed through ESEA Title IV-c grants in the six elementary schools of Community Unit District Number One in Charleston, Illinois, from 1978-1982. In 1983, through a contract from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (Chapter II), Project ABE began a dissemination program which allowed 60 other schools in Illinois to adopt it. This paper is a result of …

Improvement Of Supervision For Vocational High Schools In Taiwan, Republic Of China, Kuo-Hung Tseng

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the problems involved in current supervision of vocational high schools in the Republic of China and propose methods of improving such supervision. Emphasis was placed on the supervision of teaching and administration in the field of vocational education.

A review of related literature revealed that supervision was a synthesis of curriculum, instruction, administration, human relationships, management, and leadership. Supervision should stimulate, coordinate, and guide vocational high school teaching.

A questionnaire was developed to gain information concerning "supervisory problems" administrators and technical faculty perceived, and the ways supervision could be improved. The questionnaire …

Minimal Competency Testing In Community Unit # 2 In Mattoon, Illinois, Lila E. Sullivan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the competency testing program in Community Unit # 2 in Mattoon, Illinois, and in particular the English Competency Tests at grades 9 and 11. Although this field study studied techniques and methods from the Mattoon school district, the researcher believes that these procedures could be adapted to serve as a reference for any school district contemplating competency testing.

The study was divided into five chapters. Chapter One gives background information on the rising interest in competency testing and a definition of terms associated with competency testing.

Chapter Two is a review of …

The Effects Of Immediate Vs. Delayed Knowledge Of Results On The Acquisition And Retention Of Multiplication Tasks, Lynn Ruth Kidwell

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of three feedback conditions on a multiplication task. Data were obtained over a nine week period of instruction with a single individual. Both correct and incorrect responses were charted and analyzed in the results. A pretest and two posttests, one immediate and one after six weeks, were given to obtain information about the retention of the multiplication tasks.

Results of this study showed that practice with immediate feedback and practice with delayed feedback were significantly better than no feedback without practice for correct responses. Practice with immediate feedback was significantly better than …

A Sophomore World History Gifted Program: A Second-Tiered Curriculum, Franz Grossman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study is to describe the establishment of a second level of instruction in a Western World History course, offered in the sophomore year of the public high schools of Decatur, Illinois, District #61. This program of studies is designed to more fully develop the intellectual capabilities of students of high abilities, who may otherwise feel restrained as a member of a class containing many different academic levels. The curriculum seeks to aid students in developing more self-direction, confidence and historical awareness by various approaches of study of events, personalities of the past, dilemmas and conflicts …

A Student Developed Minimum Competency Test For Donovan High School Study And Use, Stephen Anthony Shuda

Masters Theses

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this field study was to research the literature concerning minimum competency testing and using twelfth grade students at Donovan High School, develop a student originated minimum competency test. Further consideration was given to potential use in curriculum study and minimum competency evaluation.

The students were instructed in the basics of minimum competency tests and testing programs. Care was given to not bias their choice or selection processes.

The completed test was evaluated and considered to be a foundation for future studies in minimum competency testing and curriculum applications.

Procedure

Although this project was designed …

Creating A Model For A Career Planning And Placement Center At Kaskaskia College, D. Rennie Minton

Masters Theses

Statement of Purpose

The primary purpose of this field study was to create a model in the form of a comprehensive career planning and placement program for those individuals served by Kaskaskia Community College, District No. 501. Besides students cur rently enrolled, those who are temporary dropouts and return, early semester leavers, adults in the community and other individuals who could benefit from such services will be encouraged to make use of the facilities and personnel available.

While there has always been some type of placement activities taking place in the public schools in·the past, for the most part they …