Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Investigation Of The Relationship Between A Job-Embedded Model Of Professional Development And Reading Achievement Of Elementary School Students., Janet Faulk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of highly effective teachers is of interest to school systems because the quality of the teachers is associated with students' success. This study explored the relationship between teachers' participation in a job-embedded model of professional development and students' achievement in reading.

Teachers in the third grade and fifth grade at five different elementary schools received more than 100 hours of training. The reading achievement scores of students assigned to these teachers were compared to the scores of students whose teachers did not participate in the training. Findings in this study were mixed. Fifth-grade students whose teachers participated in …

A Study Of General Education Assessment., Debra Leonard Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was a correlational investigation of the effect of student demographic characteristics, prior academic performance, college academic performance, and college status on general education achievement at a rural community college in Tennessee. The criterion variable in this study was student performance on the Academic Profile examination, a nationally normed standardized test published by the Educational Testing Service that is designed to measure academic skills in general education subject areas.

The population for this study included students at Walters State Community College located in Morristown, Tennessee, who had completed or were nearing completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours …

The Bully-Free School Zone Character Education Program: A Study Of Impact On Five Western North Carolina Middle Schools., Richard Alan Spurling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today's schools bullies have the power to be more tenacious, more vicious, and meaner than ever. We are all beginning to understand that victims of bullying are at a greater risk for depression, suicide, and hurting others through violent acts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate common threads of effective Bully-Free School Zone character education programs as perceived by administrators, teachers, and parents in five middle schools in Western North Carolina. Through this strategic inquiry, I attempted to determine if the views of administrators, teachers, and parents were consistent with published research on anti-bullying programs.

Specifically, …

Internet-Based Courses: Observations Of Faculty Developers/Teachers And Students With Disabilities At 4-Year Public Institutions In Tennessee., Janet Mcdaniel Keener

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study will be to identify important factors that should be considered by faculty members at selected public institutions of higher education as they plan, design, develop, implement, and evaluate Internet-based courses, in order to make the courses responsive to the needs of students with disabilities. In addition, the study will explore perceptions of students with disabilities in terms of Internet-based courses offered at their institutions. A total of 17 faculty developers/teachers and 7 students with disabilities were interviewed. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data.

The significance of this study lies within the legal and …

Correlating Technology Surveys And Third- And Fifth-Grade Proficiency Levels In Math And Reading Throughout Tennessee., Gary L. Lilly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used two different sets of data collected through two distinct means during the 2002-2003 school year. To fulfill the federal accountability requirements related to the distribution of monies known as EdTech (2002), the Tennessee State Department of Education required every school within districts that accepted the formula EdTech funds to complete an online survey called the EdTech Tennessee Online Technology Evaluation or E-TOTE. The E-TOTE survey collected information on a variety of topics related to educational technology including questions about teaching and learning, educators' preparation and development, infrastructure, and equipment counts. The other set of data came from …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Students' Use Of The Fast Forword Reading Program And Their Performance On Standardized Assessments In Elementary Schools., G. Greg Marion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement of students through the use of standardized testing to examine the relationship of participation in a computer-based phonics instructional system called Fast ForWord^®. The sample included students enrolled in the fifth and sixth grades at four elementary schools in the Grainger County, Tennessee, school system. The comparison group consisted of same-grade peers at the four elementary schools in Grainger County who were not enrolled in the Fast ForWord^® program. Students' scores were compared using the 2003 Terra Nova standardized assessment test and using their 2001 and …

Path Analysis Of Factors Affecting Student Outcomes And Continued Participation After Completing Alnu 1100 Basics Of Patient Care At East Tennessee State University., Melessia Dawn Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a causal analytic model for predictors of course outcomes and a second causal model for predictors of continued participation in post-secondary education. The demographic characteristics were compared for students who continued to participate in post-secondary education and those who did not continue to participate in post-secondary education after completing ALNU 1100 Basics of Patient Care at East Tennessee State University. The two models selected for testing were Henry and Basile’s (1994) “Decision Framework” for students’ decisions to continue participation, and Donaldson and Graham’s (1999) “Model of College Outcomes for Adults”, which focused …

Barriers To The Implementation Of The Oklahoma Learning Site Initiative., Robin L. Plumb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Oklahoma State Legislature and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have partnered to put forth an initiative to strengthen the state's intellectual power in hopes of preparing its citizens to compete in the global, knowledge-based economy of the 21^st Century. As a starting point for the Oklahoma Learning Site Initiative, the Oklahoma State Regents set forth two goals: (a) to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Oklahoma and (b) to improve Oklahoma's rankings on national economic indicators to achieve a condition in which Oklahoma's growth rate on national economic indicators is consistently above the …

A Case Study Of The Libraries In The Vanguard Learning Colleges, Linda G. Swaine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of a learning-centered library from the perspective of the libraries in the 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges which were participants in the Learning College Project sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges were: Cascadia Community College (WA), Community College of Baltimore County (MD), Community College of Denver (CO), Humber College, (Ontario), Kirkwood Community College (IA), Lane Community College, OR), Madison Area Technical College (WI), Moraine Valley Community College (IL), Palomar College (CA), Richland College (TX), Sinclair Community College (OH), and Valencia Community College (FL). Furthermore, …

Faculty Adoption And Integration Of Technology At East Tennessee State University., Tammy L. Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the demographic characteristics of faculty related to (1) faculty integration of technology, (2) the utilization of technological tools, (3) and the knowledge of computers and information technology of full-time faculty members at East Tennessee State University.

Four hundred forty-three full-time faculty from East Tennessee State University were surveyed. The total mailed and e-mailed returned responses for this study were 205. Eighteen hypotheses generated from 3 research questions were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, Analysis of Variance, Two-Way Analysis of Variance, and Multiple Regression Analysis.

This study showed that full-time faculty …

A Study To Identify The Factors That Inhibit High School Principals And Teachers From Pursuing Bachelor's And Master's Degrees In Busia District In Kenya., Samuel Okwako Obaki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine the factors that inhibited principals and teachers from pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Busia District in Kenya. Up to the mid-1990s, teachers of all professional grades studied for National Examinations as private candidates. Those who met university admission requirements were admitted and the Teachers Service Commission granted each of them a study leave with 80% of his or her salary. Some of those who met university admission requirements were admitted to foreign universities, and the Ministry of Education either granted them study leave with or without salary. On passing their examinations or completion of …

Relationships Between Reading Level Of Parents, Readability Of Special Education Documents/Forms, Knowledge Of Iep Contents, And Parental Involvement., Melinda Douthat Pruitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between the reading level of parents of students in special education and the readability level of special education documents/forms. A related purpose was to determine whether a difference between reading level and the readability of documents/forms was related to parental involvement. The sample consisted of 30 parents of students in special education who were enrolled at Mosheim Elementary School in 2002. Parents were tested using the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery: Part Two-Tests of Achievement, developed by Richard W. Woodcock and M. Bonner Johnson. Subtest 13, 14, and 15 were administered to …

Faculty Adoption Of Computer Technology For Instruction In The North Carolina Community College System., Karen Hill Less

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computer technology has become an integral part of instruction at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. Some instructors have enthusiastically adopted technological innovations in their classrooms, often expending their own funds for hardware and software, while others have resisted the trend, citing a myriad of reasons for not including computer technology. Significant research on the adoption of innovations has been undertaken by Everett M. Rogers, who identified individuals on a continuum from Innovator to Laggard. Rogers’ research was used as a basis to classify full-time faculty teaching in degree programs in the North Carolina Community College System and to compare …

Comparisons Of Reading Scores In Two Tennessee Elementary Schools Between Students Receiving And Not Receiving Specialized Training In Phonemic Awareness., Raymond Lee Hatfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phonemic awareness has been identified as an essential precursor to reading. Many children suffer from a condition called central auditory processing disorder. Students suffering from this disorder have difficulty distinguishing between phonemes. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness for developing phonemic awareness skills in early readers by using a computer program designed to enhance the phonemic awareness skills of students. During the 2001-2002 school year, students located at two Kingsport elementary schools were administered the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills pretest and posttest. Based on the results of the pretest and posttest data, it was determined that …

A Study Of Students Attending Tennessee Board Of Regents Universities Who Participated In High School Dual Enrollment Programs., Rubianna M. Porter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between college retention and completion and the number of college credit hours students earn before graduating high school. The number of credit hours a student earned was analyzed along with selected demographic characteristics and academic performance indicators to determine if any one of the variables was more of a predictor of retention and completion of college than the others. The data for the study (12,834 records) were obtained from the Student Information System from five Tennessee Board of Regents Universities.

An initial analysis of the data incorporated …

Retention And Motivation Of Veteran Teachers., Edith Anderson Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The workforce in the United States is aging. Teachers, like all other workers in the country, are also aging. The veteran teachers in our nation's public schools possess wisdom gained through their on-the-job experience. With looming teacher shortages in our public schools, it is imperative that we retain this wisdom. Administrators, school boards, and the community have an obligation to tap this wisdom for the benefit of children. This study was conducted, therefore, with the purpose of learning how to do that.

The data were collected through the process of one-on-one interviews with 21 veteran teachers in Knox County, Tennessee. …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Integrated Learning System Use On Mathematics Achievement Of Elementary Students., Vicki Carpenter Kirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between time spent on an integrated learning system (ILS) entitled, SuccessMaker^®, as a supplement to traditional mathematics instruction on achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests of elementary students. The variables of grade-level, ability level, and gender were also considered. The population consisted of students who were second-, third-, and fourth-graders during the 1997-98 school year. Data were gathered that covered the three-year period beginning in 1997 and ending in 2000. The final sample consisted of 348 students who participated in Computer Curriculum Corporation^© mathematics instruction and …

A Study Of Students' Learning Styles In Itv Broadcast, Remote, And Traditional Classrooms At East Tennessee State University., Donna Sue Crabtree

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the learning styles of students enrolled in ITV sections and students enrolled in a traditional section of the same course, all taught by the same instructor, had any influence on the academic performance of the students enrolled in those courses.

A two-part survey was used to gather data for this study. The first part was designed by the researcher to gather demographic information about why each student selected the instructional form in which he or she was enrolled, as well as a student's preferences for classroom format. The second part of …

Determining Standards For Sources Of Free Information On The Internet For Inclusion In Academic Library Holdings By 2010., Doug D. Cross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a consensus from a panel of experts composed of library deans/directors, reference librarians, and instructors with online teaching experience. The panel developed the methodology necessary for evaluating free sources of information on the Internet for inclusion in academic library holdings by the year 2010. The following areas were explored as they related to the forecast: 1) The changes in higher education institutions that will be necessary to prepare students to deal with free sources of information on the Internet; 2) The procedures that librarians need to develop and implement to ensure that …

Students' Perceptions Of Multimedia Classrooms At East Tennessee State University., Shouhong Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms at East Tennessee State University regarding technologies in multimedia classrooms, students' learning achievements, instructors' instructional methods, and students' learning styles. Two surveys in multimedia classrooms and traditional classrooms were designed to measure and compare students' perceptions of multimedia classrooms. The VARK (Fleming, 2002b) learning style survey was used to calculate the students' learning styles.

The research was conducted during spring semester, 2002. Participants in this study included 187 students in multimedia classrooms and 110 students in traditional classrooms at East Tennessee State University. The majority of students …

Relationship Between Text Display Method And College Student Short Term Knowledge Retention During Self-Study., Jeff W. Church

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference existed in the short-term knowledge retention of college freshmen reading informational stimulus materials presented through one of three different text display modes; 1) traditional printed text, 2) computer-displayed linear text, and 3) computer-displayed hypertext. The sample consisted of 267 college freshmen at a southern regional university. The 267 students were randomly selected from the entire population of entering freshmen during Fall 2002. These students were then randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups. After reading the stimulus materials for a specified amount of time, students completed …

An Evaluation Of The Using Information Technology Program At East Tennessee State University., John Dalton Chenoweth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents information gathered and analyzed during an evaluation study of the Using Information Technology (UIT) program at East Tennessee State University. The UIT program, which all undergraduate students must complete before graduation, consists of satisfying a computer literacy foundation requirement and a two course UIT-intensive requirement. The foundation requirement is satisfied by completing a two credit hour course or a challenge exam. Students then take two courses that have been designated as UIT-intensive. One of these courses must be completed in the major.

The study, which used a responsive evaluation methodology, involved generating a list of evaluation questions …

Effectiveness Of Pre-Baccalaureate Health Careers Opportunity Programs (Hcop) For Disadvantaged Students In Three Southern States., Virloy Elizabeth Lewin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated three HCOP projects to determine, describe, and assess their overall effectiveness and identify successful strategies used by these projects to reach their specific objectives. Demographic and scholastic data were collected about 393 HCOP participants at the three HCOP projects in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia during the years 1990-1999. Detailed information about the activities used to incorporate the HCOP legislative purposes into the programs was also collected.

Sixty-seven percent of HCOP participants were Caucasian and 78% were female. Scholastic data was limited to data from the EKU and ETSU HCOP programs. The average high school GPA score for …

A Study Of The Library Use Practices Of High School Students In Three East Tennessee Counties., Carrie A. Clabo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine how and why high school students use the library and its resources. It examined how teachers influence students' use of library resources. The participants were 11th-grade students attending public high schools in 3 east Tennessee counties. Participants completed a survey based on library use. Although 350 students were invited to participate in the study, only 130 returned the permission slip, resulting in a 37% response rate. Eleven respondents were asked to participate in a short interview to supplement and add qualitative clarification to the findings. The findings were descriptive in nature, although …

Successful Integration Of Internet Technology In The K-12 Classroom: Trends Perceptions And Successful Practices., Catherine Anne Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1994, the Federal Government made a commitment to link all classrooms, libraries, businesses, and industries to the information highway by the year 2000. President Clinton mandated that all classrooms in America be connected to the Internet by the year 2000. While many say this commitment and mandate have successfully occurred, there is still concern and questions about what successful integration of the Internet looks like and what specific practices can tap the bountiful resources available on the Internet. School systems have spent billions of dollars investing in hardware, software, and connection to the World Wide Web. Stakeholders demand accountability …

A Study Of Grade Distribution And Grade-Point Averages Of The Tennessee Board Of Regents Associate-Degree Nursing Programs., Marylou Reagan Apple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Academic Achievement Of Primary School Students In Multiage And Traditional Classrooms., Mary Frances Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether students in a kindergarten/first-grade multiage class achieve at a different level than students enrolled in a traditional kindergarten or first-grade class in a selected primary school in East Tennessee. The question of the interaction between gender and type of instruction was also analyzed.

The causal comparative quantitative research method was used to analyze data differentiating between students enrolled in multiage and traditional classes, retrospectively. A t-test was used to determine the level of performance the students demonstrated on the BRIGANCE K Screen at the beginning of the study. The number of …

Strategies To Ease The Negative Effects Of Mobility On Academic Achievement., D.Kaye Reed Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mobility, the movement of students from school to school, affects students, classrooms, schools, and systems. Extensive research has been conducted on the relationship between mobility and student academics. Although the research has not determined mobility is the cause of lower academic scores, it is certainly a contributing factor. Most students with high mobility rates also have difficulty in math, reading, or language. Teachers of classrooms with these students tend to "flatten" the curriculum by reviewing more than usual. Long-range planning for these students can be difficult. Schools and systems may plan programs for students who have moved on by the …

Impact Of Tennessee's Value-Added Assessment System On School Superintendents' Decision-Making, Kay M. Goode

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the impact of Tennessee's Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) on school superintendents' decision-making responsibilities in view of school reform efforts at both the national and state levels during the last decade. The purpose of this study was to identify relationships between three independent variables (superintendents' years of experience, superintendents' perceived degree of personnel acceptance, and superintendents' perceived technical assistance availability for data analysis and interpretation of results) and superintendents perceptions of the system on eight aspects (student learning; teacher performance; school system success; educational accountability; educational equality; assessment …

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate Related To Value-Added Assessment And Selected School Contextual Effects In The First Tennessee District, Diann B. Casteel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of organizational climates in K-8 schools in Tennessee and the relationship that climate has to school performance, as measured through value-added assessment. The purpose of this study was to identify relationships between dimensions of school climate and student achievement as measured by mandated value-added assessment at the third grade level in Tennessee. The study attempted to determine if there was a significant difference between principal and teacher perceptions of school climate and if a relationship existed between the school climate and value-added assessment. The study also endeavored to …