Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Knitting As A Therapeutic Group Technique With 4th Grade Elementary School Students, Cassandra Marie Dominick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to explore the use of knitting as an expressive arts technique. Knitting groups were conducted with 4th grade elementary school students. Each group met for 8 sessions on a weekly basis. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. The experimental group received knitting instructions in the group format first. Prior to beginning the group, all participants, their teachers, and their parents completed the Social Skills Improvement System assessment (Gresham & Elliot, 2008). This measure was repeated following the end of the experimental group and again approximately 8 …

Effect Of Direct Instruction Programs On Teaching Reading Comprehension To Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi experimental research study was to examine the effects of two direct instruction programs, SRA Reading Mastery Signature and SRA Reading Success on reading comprehension skill acquisition of middle school students who qualify as a student with a specific learning disability. Furthermore, the study was used to compare the reading comprehension achievement of students who participated in SRA Reading Mastery Signature and students who participated in SRA Reading Success using the reading portion of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The treatment groups were located in a moderate size school district in the Upstate region …

Instructional Transformation: How Do Teaching And Learning Change With A One-To-One Laptop Implementation?, John C. Branch Iv

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by John C. Branch IV on April 29, 2014.

Deconstructing The Digital Divide: Critical Media Literacy Implementation In The Classroom, Evelyn C. Obamos

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

In this presentation I explore the complexity of the digital divide and propose to use the framework of critical praxis put forth by Paolo Freire in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). Using Freire we are able to build on existing research on the digital divide, contextualize the multi-dimensional issue of the divide, and respond to the social, cultural, and political issues within and beyond the classroom environment.

East Initiative, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) is an educational program developed through the vision of one Arkansas educator in 1996. Since then, EAST programs have been implemented throughout Arkansas and have even expanded into other states. This policy brief describes the EAST model and provides spotlights on schools that are using the model in exemplary ways.

Early Impacts Of The El Dorado Promise On Enrollment And Achievement, Jennifer W. Ash, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

The “Promise” strategy gained prominence with the announcement of the Kalamazoo Promise program in Michigan in November 2005. The program, known as a universal, place-based scholarship initiative, offers full college tuition to any Kalamazoo Public Schools graduate attending a public college in Michigan. In January 2007, El Dorado, Arkansas announced the El Dorado Promise: a new program that guaranteed that high school graduates from the area can afford college thanks to a $50 million gift from the Murphy Oil Corporation. The El Dorado Promise is modeled after the Kalamazoo program; scholarships are not based on students’ grades in high school …

Breaking Down Barriers To University-Business Cooperation In The University: Change Through Incentivisation, Lyndsey El Amoud, Séamus Ó’Tuama

Conference Papers

Irish universities are currently engaged in a process of shifting their reliance on state subvention as their primary source of income to one that includes developing new streams of non-exchequer funding. This scenario emerges from a long-term trend of reduced state subvention which was dramatically accelerated by the virtual collapse of the Irish economy, which required an external rescue package brokered with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (which became know as the Troika) from November 2010. While Ireland has officially exited this arrangement, its public finance will remain severely constrained for an extended …

Transforming A High School Media Center Into A Library Learning Commons, Nancy A. Chiara

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Nancy A. Chiara on April 22, 2014.

Learning, Problem Solving, And Mindtools: Essays In Honor Of David H. Jonassen, Donna Russell Ph.D.

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

21st Century Workforce Readiness Skills: How Are Students Being Prepared, Peter B. Licata

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Throughout history, schools have strived to prepare students for future educational and workplace success. This is made evident through the many federal and state policies enacted. While the specific skills required for careers have changed, the goals of the educational system have not. The 21st Century international workplace requires a generation of skilled workers with specific attributes. To prepare students for gainful employment and to combat the high percentage of high school students who drop out of school unprepared for the workforce, school districts across the country have instituted Career and Technical Education and Industry Certification programs. These programs strive …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Increasing The Accessibility Of Science For All Students, Samantha Langley - Turnbaugh, Glenn Wilson, Lynn Lovewell

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This paper evaluates the accessibility of selected field and laboratory high school science activities, and provides suggestions for increasing accessibility for students with disabilities. We focused on GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols, specifically the new Seasons and Biomes investigation currently being developed as part of the GLOBE program. Five university students with disabilities majoring in science or technology were recruited to test the GLOBE protocols, and 10 protocols were evaluated for accessibility. Based on our results, we make several suggestions with regards to instructions, equipment, safety, outcomes and activity significance that will increase the accessibility of …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Gallatin County School District Readiness Assessment For Systemic Change, Peggy Angela White

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Peggy Angela White on April 14, 2014.

Is There An Association Between Data-Informed District-Level Improvement Efforts And Data-Informed Instruction At The Classroom Level? An Empirical Examination Using National Schools And Staffing Survey (Sass) 2003-2004 Data, Xingyuan Gao, Jiangang Xia, Jianping Shen

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

What influences teacher’s instructional decision in the classroom? Our study uses nationally representative data to test whether there is an association between data-informed district/school-level improvement efforts and data-informed instruction at the classroom level.

A Comparison Of Students’ Perceptions Of Stress In Parallel Problem-Based And Lecture-Based Curricula, Sonia Wardley, Brooks Applegate, Deyab Almaleki, James Van Rhee

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

What is stress? Research asserts that stress is the mental state that results from an inability to cope (Burton 2004)

Why focus on stress?

• Persistent stress can lead to serious psychological problems such as interpersonal difficulties, depression, anxiety, and even suicide (Shapiro 2000)
• Several studies have found up to a third of medical students experience stress-related problems

The importance of this study comes from: A review of the extent literature suggests there is no systematic inquiry of the effects of stress experienced by students in LBL and PBL curricula in PA education

A Monte Carlo Study Of The Optimal Rank Order Relationships With Criterion Scores (Ororcs), Hongyan Cui, Brooks Applegate, Warren Lacefield, David Hartmann

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This dissertation study contributes to the field of measurement. It introduces a method to determine keys for a kind of test items that

1. Depict a specific situational context and provide a set of multidimensional alternative reactions to that situation for the subjects to rank according to their best judgment (SRT).
2. An examinee’s response to an item is a multidimensional ranking of the alternative options.
3. One administration of the SRT yields measures of multiple traits, so that there is no need to administer multiple criterion instruments.

An Investigation Of The Implementation Of Support Services In A Graduate Advising Center, Susan W. Maxey

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Susan W. Maxey on April 10, 2014.

Martin County School District Turn-Around Initiative, Mark Andrew Blackburn

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Mark Andrew Blackburn on April 10, 2014.

A Multilevel Analysis Of Problem-Based Learning Design Characteristics, Kimberly S. Scott

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The increasing use of experience-centered approaches like problem-based learning (PBL) by learning and development practitioners and management educators has raised interest in how to design, implement and evaluate PBL in that field. Of particular interest is how to evaluate the relative impact of design characteristics that exist at the individual and team levels of analysis. This study proposes and tests a multilevel model of PBL design characteristics. Participant perceptions of PBL design characteristics are used to examine PBL reactions and perceived learning outcomes. Findings affirm the importance of problem design characteristics and effective team facilitation, while raising new questions about …

Meet The Candidates: 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial Race, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Earlier this spring, we at the OEP were fortunate to sit down with three of the candidates vying to become the next Governor of Arkansas. The candidates were generous enough to give us their time and allow us to post the full interviews on YouTube. If you prefer an abridged version, this policy brief summarizes the candidates’ views on a range of important education policy issues. We hope that these interviews will be informative for your vote on May 20th in the party primaries.

Faculty Perceptions Of Learning Spaces, Paul B. Czarapata, Doyle Friskney

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Paul B. Czarapata and Doyle Friskney on April 9, 2014.

Survive And Thrive During Testing Season, Lori Desautels

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Right now, students across the nation are embarking upon a series of standardized tests following intense days and weeks of test preparation accompanied by anxiety and worry from both parents and educators. Many of these test participants are English as a Second Language (ESL) learners with a wide diversity of learning potential, social and emotional challenges, strengths, cultures and interests. Among these young learners, there are many who put themselves to bed in the evening, get themselves up and ready for school, and do not have breakfast, arranged homework times or adult support to guide their school days...

The Effect Of Early Head Start On Child Welfare System Involvement: A First Look At Longitudinal Child Maltreatment Outcomes, Beth L. Green, Catherine Ayoub, Jessica Dym Bartlett, Adam Von Ende, Carrie Jeanne Furrer, Rachel Chazen-Cohen, Claire Vallotton, Joanne Klevens

Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services Publications

The high societal and personal costs of child maltreatment make identification of effective early prevention programs a high research priority. Early Head Start (EHS), a dual generational program serving low-income families with children prenatally through age three years, is one of the largest federally funded programs for infants and toddlers in the United States. A national randomized trial found EHS to be effective in improving parent and child outcomes, but its effectiveness in reducing child maltreatment was not assessed. The current study used administrative data from state child welfare agencies to examine the impact of EHS on documented abuse and …

“Without Hermeneutics I’M Stuck In My Own Thinking”: Preservice Teachers Adopt A Hermeneutical Stance Toward Action Research, Colette Rabin, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

Pre-service teachers need to question their taken-for-granted beliefs and biases about their students. Hermeneutics is a philosophical perspective that uncovers the subjectivity of our perceptions and can help students understand the necessity of questioning biases. This study explored what happened when pre-service teachers undertook an action research project with their students and analyzed qualitative data with a hermeneutical stance. Data consisted of audio-recorded class dialogues about readings on hermeneutics, interviews, student papers, and pre and post surveys. The data revealed that hermeneutics helped pre-service teachers: become aware of their biases; question their initial interpretations; and assume a self-reflective stance toward …

2013 Arkansas Report Card, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

2013 Arkansas Report Card

Word On The Street: Instilling A Relationship Between Art And Community, Joyce Peseroff

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The project “Word on the Street” will be integrated into ENGL 210: Introduction to Creative Writing. Beginning as a pilot in one course section in Spring 2014, the course will partner with the Black Seed Writers’ Workshop, a group of homeless writers supported by the Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s Wednesday Lunch Program. Professor Joyce Peseroff and Master of Fine Arts graduate student Teaching Assistants (TA) will participate in the Civic Engagement Scholars Initiative (CESI) to build capacity for course redesign, implementation, assessment, and scholarship.

Higher Order Teaching: University Of Massachusetts Boston, Institute For Community Inclusion And Lowell Public Schools, Lisa Van Thiel

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Higher Order Teaching (HOT) partnership builds upon and extends the Lowell Public School’s Birth to Three Alignment grant. One of five pilot sites across the Commonwealth, the Lowell Alignment grant brings together a 15 member Leadership Alignment Team comprised of two, Level 3 & Level 4 public school principals, the District’s Early Childhood Department, and the City’s 7 center based programs, 5 family child care systems, and Head Start to build a common language around alignment, the common core, standards-based curriculum, and to set alignment goals and benchmarks. HOT addresses a widespread need throughout the City to aggressively address …