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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Services For Parentally Placed Catholic School Students Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Julie Cantillon Phd
Services For Parentally Placed Catholic School Students Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Julie Cantillon Phd
Dissertations
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which Congress enacted in 1975 with subsequent revisions, states that school districts are to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Public local education agencies (LEAs) including school districts have an obligation to identify, locate, and evaluate private school students suspected of having a disability—the "child find" process. Students enrolled by their parents in private schools are not entitled to a FAPE if they choose for their children to remain in private school after the children have been identified as having a …
"Parent Trigger" Legislation In The United States: A Key To Parent Empowerment In The Local Context, Julie A. Zoellin Cramer Phd
"Parent Trigger" Legislation In The United States: A Key To Parent Empowerment In The Local Context, Julie A. Zoellin Cramer Phd
Dissertations
Parent involvement in public education has changed over time in the United States. Recently it has taken on a more radical dimension aimed at shifting the role of parents. These efforts are identified by some as parent empowerment and arguably may be part of a larger policy movement to secure parent voice in equity-focused education reform. The policy innovation allows parents with students in persistently underperforming schools to force a change in school governance. Since the passage of the first parent trigger law in California in 2010, three parent petition campaigns have forced a turnaround in school governance. The purpose …
Central And Secondary Struggles In Social Interventions: The Impact Of Group Relations Learning On Real Life Practices, Ole-Kristian Setnes Phd
Central And Secondary Struggles In Social Interventions: The Impact Of Group Relations Learning On Real Life Practices, Ole-Kristian Setnes Phd
Dissertations
Recently, there has been considerable research focusing on outcomes of Group Relations conferences as a unique form of adult experiential learning. Most of the focus has been on participants' learning during and immediately after conferences with less attention paid to applications of learning outside conferences in participants' professional and/or personal lives. The San Diego group relations/ case-in-point model is integrated into the University of San Diego's graduate leadership studies program. Participants in this study included 10 individuals who had participated in this model's experiential learning as teaching assistants. The methodology that was implemented, Relational Qualitative Research, synthesizes elements from several …
Cultivating Compassion In Undergraduate College Students: Rhetoric Or Reality?, Michael Lovette-Colyer Phd
Cultivating Compassion In Undergraduate College Students: Rhetoric Or Reality?, Michael Lovette-Colyer Phd
Dissertations
While American colleges and universities are unparalleled in their ability to produce disciplinary-based knowledge through research and scholarship, their ability to encourage students to use the information and methods about which they are learning to create positive social change has lagged. Aware of the magnitude of today's global issues and dissatisfied with the current disparity between the world's reality and university curricula, scholars have begun to re-imagine the role of higher education in forming the leaders who will face our most pressing problems. Founded to provide education integrated with the formation of values, a significant number of Catholic colleges and …
An Empirical Look At Recipient Benefits Associated With A University-Issued Student Leadership Award, Robyn L. Adams Phd
An Empirical Look At Recipient Benefits Associated With A University-Issued Student Leadership Award, Robyn L. Adams Phd
Dissertations
Within academia there is an elaborate and extensive system of awards for both students and faculty (Frey, 2006). Although the majority of student-based awards are for outstanding leadership and related accomplishments, there has been virtually no research on the impact of receiving such a leadership award (Frey, 2006). Due to the conspicuous absence of empirical studies in this area, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding the possible value or positive effects associated with winning a university-issued student leadership award. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, this study examined the San Diego State University (SDSU) Quest for the Best award …
The Lost-Boys Phenomenon: Case Studies Of San Diego High School Males, Richard Stakelum Edd
The Lost-Boys Phenomenon: Case Studies Of San Diego High School Males, Richard Stakelum Edd
Dissertations
By most measures of success—e.g., academic Grade Point Average (GPA), graduation rates, participation in extracurricular and civic activities, and college enrollment—adolescent males are less successful than females. Young males are falling behind in reading and writing and are more likely to be involved in truancy, violence, crime, suicide, and substance abuse. While the nation mobilized to address historical gender discrimination issues for females since the 1970s, there has not been a similar effort mounted to assist adolescent males. The trends alluded to in the previous paragraph have begun to be recognized by popular-press authors. Some have begun to refer to …
The Effects Of Instructor-Avatar Immediacy In Second Life, An Immersive And Interactive 3d Virtual Environment, Sabine Karine Lawless-Reljic Edd
The Effects Of Instructor-Avatar Immediacy In Second Life, An Immersive And Interactive 3d Virtual Environment, Sabine Karine Lawless-Reljic Edd
Dissertations
Growing interest of educational institutions in desktop 3D graphic virtual environments for hybrid and distance education prompts questions on the efficacy of such tools. Virtual worlds, such as Second Life®, enable computer-mediated immersion and interactions encompassing multimodal communication channels including audio, video, and text-. These are enriched by avatar-mediated body language and physical manipulation of the environment. In this para-physical world, instructors and students alike employ avatars to establish their social presence in a wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular contexts. As a proxy for the human body in synthetic 3D environments, an avatar represents a 'real' human computer user …
An Investigation Of The Community-Based English Tutoring Program (Cbet), Barbara J. Pongsrikul Edd
An Investigation Of The Community-Based English Tutoring Program (Cbet), Barbara J. Pongsrikul Edd
Dissertations
Currently in the California K-12 public schools, approximately 25% (about 1.5 million) of the students know little or no English, and their numbers are increasing. Because of this diverse student population, a research study by the Gevirtz Research Center in 2005 reports that it is necessary to develop educational programs that help language-minority families understand and participate in the school system in ways that will support the academic success of their children. As a result of the Proposition 227 Initiative in California, statewide family literacy programs were established as Community-Based English Tutoring (CBET) programs to provide adult English language instruction …
What’S So Hard About Algebra? A Grounded Theory Study Of Adult Algebra Learners, Michael Steele Reese Edd
What’S So Hard About Algebra? A Grounded Theory Study Of Adult Algebra Learners, Michael Steele Reese Edd
Dissertations
In California community colleges, fewer than half of students who enroll in basic algebra courses finish with a grade of C or better. Such a low success rate creates an intense demand on institutional resources, including faculty efforts, tutorial services, classroom availability, and financial aid. Furthermore, students who do poorly in algebra also tend to struggle in other quantitative courses. While research suggests that child algebra learners tend to exhibit specific misconceptions, not much is known about misconceptions held by adult algebra learners. Research does indicate, however, that certain general learning characteristics are common among adult learners. The present study …
Enhancing Motivation Using The Constructs Of Flow In Museum Education Activities, Maria C. Grant Edd
Enhancing Motivation Using The Constructs Of Flow In Museum Education Activities, Maria C. Grant Edd
Dissertations
While many extol the general value of museum fieldtrips, few can describe the specific parameters needed to make the excursion an educational benefit. Oftentimes, a day at the Museum of Natural History or time spent at the local art gallery is casually put into place with little forethought or attention to activity details. This research intended to utilize the parameters of flow theory and children's interest to investigate the phenomenon of student motivation while viewing an exhibit. Informal learning environments offer educators the opportunity to look beyond the halls of their campus in a manner that allows augmentation of curriculum …
An Examination Of The Media's Framing Of The Illegal Street Racing Issue, Kevin Andrew Igasaki Edd
An Examination Of The Media's Framing Of The Illegal Street Racing Issue, Kevin Andrew Igasaki Edd
Dissertations
For the last sixty years, the legal community and public policymakers have assumed that illegal street racing has appealed to a single portion of the driving population—young adults driving modified vehicles. However, this assumption has been based solely on anecdotal information and has never been empirically investigated in the literature. To remedy this situation, this mixed methodology study examined whether this narrow framing of the illegal street racing issue was present in two southern California newspapers and two nationally circulated magazines over a three-year time period. Specifically, this study examined the way in which this issue was framed in daily …
Differentiation Of The Causal Characteristics And Influences Of Virtual Reality And The Effects On Learning At A Science Exhibit, Arlene De Strulle Edd
Differentiation Of The Causal Characteristics And Influences Of Virtual Reality And The Effects On Learning At A Science Exhibit, Arlene De Strulle Edd
Dissertations
Within the context of the informal science center, exhibits are the main interface for public learning. Essential to the success of a science center is how well exhibits model effective strategies for learning. Virtual Reality (VR) technology with its flexible, adaptive, multimedia, and immersive-learning capabilities is emerging for use by science centers in exhibits; however, research on learning in virtual environments at exhibits is scarce. To support the future development of VR science exhibits it is critical to investigate VR's pedagogical value and effects on science learning. Research investigated the Smoke & Mirrors VR exhibit at the Reuben H. Fleet …
The Creation And Development Of An Afrocentric Christian College: Imani Kuumba College And Graduate School, Juanita M. Browne Edd
The Creation And Development Of An Afrocentric Christian College: Imani Kuumba College And Graduate School, Juanita M. Browne Edd
Dissertations
The study examines Imani Kuumba College, (IKC), an Afrocentric Christian College. Since previous research does not examine any higher institution that provides a type of learning that focuses totally on the study of the Afrocentric world, this historical case study describes a unique educational institution that proposes to teach from a focus designed to raise self-esteem for African-Americans and racial understanding for other groups by studying the African-American experience, historically, spiritually and culturally. The study begins with an introduction that outlines the environmental and societal issues that motivated the creation of this innovative institution and its unique program. After discussion …
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Dissertations
Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …
An Analysis Of The Benefits Of An Mba Degree As Reported By A Diverse Graduate Population Of A Southwestern University, Stephani Richards-Wilson Edd
An Analysis Of The Benefits Of An Mba Degree As Reported By A Diverse Graduate Population Of A Southwestern University, Stephani Richards-Wilson Edd
Dissertations
Although numerous studies have attempted to measure the value of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, most of these studies have concentrated on the extrinsic benefits of the degree, such as compensation and career progression. Furthermore, the majority of these studies have focused on students at elite MBA programs, which have traditionally served a different class of individuals than most MBA programs throughout the country. In an effort to broaden the literature in this area, this study examined both the extrinsic and intrinsic benefits of an MBA degree as self-reported by 638 MBA graduates from the University of San …
Veteran Teacher Perceptions Of The Grossmont Model Of Peer Assistance And Review. Is It A Viable Alternative To Traditional Evaluation?, Edwin L. Basilio Edd
Veteran Teacher Perceptions Of The Grossmont Model Of Peer Assistance And Review. Is It A Viable Alternative To Traditional Evaluation?, Edwin L. Basilio Edd
Dissertations
This study looked at factors that influenced veteran teacher perceptions of the newly implemented Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program in the Grossmont Union High School District. More specifically, the study explored (1) reasons why teachers with at least five years of successful teaching experience voluntarily chose to forfeit their regularly scheduled traditional evaluation and substitute it with a peer review, (2) factors that contributed to positive perceptions of the PAR program, (3) factors that contributed to negative perceptions of the PAR program, and (4) perceived differences between the traditional and PAR methods of teacher evaluation. This study incorporated multiple …
On The Edge Of The Envelope. A Case Study Of The Children's Initiative: An Inquiry Into Collaboration And Shared Vision, Laurie Coskey Edd
On The Edge Of The Envelope. A Case Study Of The Children's Initiative: An Inquiry Into Collaboration And Shared Vision, Laurie Coskey Edd
Dissertations
While there are many collaborative efforts throughout the country, few have the breadth or the scope of the San Diego Children's Initiative. The general purpose of this research study was to analyze and develop an interpretive case study describing the initial collaborative process of the Strategic Action Committee of the San Diego Children's Initiative. The study focused on the initial phase of the collaboration which took place from November of 1993 through April of 1995. This study sought to determine some factors that may influence the potential success of a large-scale, multi-sector, private-public collaborative effort. The research analyzed the success …
A Cross-Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Program Design And Teaching Efficacy: The Seaview Reading Support Program, Susan L. Bowers Smith Edd
A Cross-Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Program Design And Teaching Efficacy: The Seaview Reading Support Program, Susan L. Bowers Smith Edd
Dissertations
Teachers at Seaview Elementary School developed an innovative reading support program delivered by classroom teachers to increase the achievement of children who struggled to read literature in the district's core curriculum. Although studies of the program's impact on student achievement indicated that many of the children who received services in the classroom were able to fluently read grade level materials and improve their scores on standardized tests, issues created by the additional burden of this instruction on some teachers prevented the integration of the program into other grade levels and schools in the Seaview School District and Seaview Elementary School. …
An Historical Case Study: The Pregnant Minor Program At Garfield High School, 1975–1999, William E. Law Edd
An Historical Case Study: The Pregnant Minor Program At Garfield High School, 1975–1999, William E. Law Edd
Dissertations
The researcher conducted an historical case study of the Garfield High School Pregnant Minor Program (1975–1999) which is one of three pregnant minor programs in the San Diego Unified School District. The primary purpose of this study was to provide data about the history and background of this program which may be significant to the decision makers who develop policies regarding pregnant minor programs in the district. The second purpose of the study was to provide data which may be helpful to community members, educators, policy makers, and student-parents about the issues and problems faced by students-parents which would, hopefully, …
The Relationship Of Principal Leadership Styles And School-Site Conditions To Stress Levels Of Elementary School Teachers, Mark Nicholas Remy Edd
The Relationship Of Principal Leadership Styles And School-Site Conditions To Stress Levels Of Elementary School Teachers, Mark Nicholas Remy Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine if principal leadership styles and school-site conditions were associated with elementary teachers' stress levels. The study focused on the relationship between the independent variables of principal leadership styles and school-site conditions and the dependent variables of teacher stress levels. A survey composed of the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) and a demographic information sheet was administered to 585 teachers from 28 elementary schools. Tins study was conducted in the San Diego Unified School District during the 1998–1999 school year. The LBDQ measured two dimensions of leadership: Consideration and …
Games Leaders Play: Collaborative Leadership Development Through Simulations In Knowledge-Based Organizations, John Paul Dentico Edd
Games Leaders Play: Collaborative Leadership Development Through Simulations In Knowledge-Based Organizations, John Paul Dentico Edd
Dissertations
New concepts of leadership and new methods of imparting these concepts to individuals are needed in the knowledge society of today. This study presented a practitioners model of collaborative leadership and a new experiential simulation methodology called LeadSimrn as a way in which organization members could learn this new model of leadership and develop confidence in its ability to engage complex issues. Using the LeadSimm simulation method, two scenarios were developed and two simulations were played. The San Jose Police Department played one simulation and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank played the other. The researcher conducted eighteen …
Collaborative Teaching Practices For A New Century: A Descriptive Case Study Of Peer Coaching, Nance Maguire Edd
Collaborative Teaching Practices For A New Century: A Descriptive Case Study Of Peer Coaching, Nance Maguire Edd
Dissertations
No longer is it appropriate for educators to come together as a group to "learn" a new skill and return to their classrooms to practice it in isolation. In the past, staff development programs have focused on development of a singular skill with teachers practicing it in isolation. The teaching and learning process can better be developed through collaboration. In order for this to happen effective teachers must be able to create effective interactive relationships with their peers. Hence, the practice and art of teaching ceases to be an individual enterprise; becoming instead a collaborative enterprise. Peer coaching is one …
Women And Men In Collaborative Working Partnerships: Connecting Two Disparate Modes Of Experience, Steven Blue Robbins Edd
Women And Men In Collaborative Working Partnerships: Connecting Two Disparate Modes Of Experience, Steven Blue Robbins Edd
Dissertations
This study provides an in-depth description of mixed gender working partnerships in a collaborative effort over a one year period. The research identified differences between men and women in mutually collaborative working partnerships at the undergraduate level in order to also discover what was productive or problematic between those women and men in the partnerships. The research studied twenty-two UCSD undergraduate women and men who worked together in partnerships with mutual goals. The research utilized phenomenological interviewing techniques. The focus was the perceptions and experiences of the participants. The interviews were designed to address two primary research questions: 1) What …
Leadership: Personal Narratives Of Practitioners, R. Daniel Israel Edd
Leadership: Personal Narratives Of Practitioners, R. Daniel Israel Edd
Dissertations
Leadership scholars and researchers have still not come to an agreement as to what the nature of leadership is. Most research within leadership studies has been grounded in preconceived or stated definitions of leadership. However, very little information exists about people's experiences of leadership. This project addresses the lack of experiential clarification of the leadership relationship. It utilizes a new leadership research method grounded in the experience of people. Leadership narrative research uses the stories people tell about their leadership experiences as a form of data collection This study is designed to discover if Rost's (1991) definition: "Leadership is an …
Leadership Relationships And The Superintendency, Theresa M. Peterson Edd
Leadership Relationships And The Superintendency, Theresa M. Peterson Edd
Dissertations
Leadership in the 1990s is perceived as the primary solution to the political, social, economic and educational problems encountered today by our western society. The solutions that have worked in the industrialized society of the past are being re-evaluated and questioned by our technocratic society of today. The concept of leadership is undergoing a change. The old industrial view of leadership is making way for the emerging postindustrial view--a view that regards leadership as an inter-relational process among people who intend real, substantive changes berthed from a mutuality of purpose. This research focused on the leadership relationships forged in the …
Leadership In A Different Voice: An Ethnographic Study Of A Latina Chief Executive Officer In A California Community College, Lois Margaret Knowlton Edd
Leadership In A Different Voice: An Ethnographic Study Of A Latina Chief Executive Officer In A California Community College, Lois Margaret Knowlton Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this ethnographic research was to discover the influence of President Judith Valles' gender and ethnicity on her leadership behavior at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, and to determine if similar influences existed among the other eight Hispanic women presidents of community colleges in the U.S. A composite profile of the nine presidents was developed. More than 100 interviews were conducted from a broad spectrum of participants, including seven of the nine Hispanic women presidents. The researcher became a participant observer at Golden West College for the fall of 1991. All the presidents were strongly influenced …
The Impact Of An Integrated Study Skills Program On University Of La Verne Adult Undergraduates At Vandenberg Air Force Base And Naval Air Station North Island, Pamela Priest Edd
The Impact Of An Integrated Study Skills Program On University Of La Verne Adult Undergraduates At Vandenberg Air Force Base And Naval Air Station North Island, Pamela Priest Edd
Dissertations
The Problem: There have been a number of recent attempts to provide unique educational opportunities in learning strategies and study skills for adult students. A difficulty in removing the student from the classroom to provide this specialized training is that many students are unable to transfer the acquired skills back into a variety of different contexts. A second problem is removing faculty from the ongoing class and educating them in workshops that address learning strategies and study skills. Many faculty find it difficult to incorporate these skills while meeting the demands of fulfilling course content objectives. The Research: The purpose …
A College Athletic Department - An Example Of A High Performance System Existing In An Organized Anarchy Known As A University-Higher Education Organization, June Townsend Scopinich Edd
A College Athletic Department - An Example Of A High Performance System Existing In An Organized Anarchy Known As A University-Higher Education Organization, June Townsend Scopinich Edd
Dissertations
This study investigated an empirical example of a Vaill's high performance system within the university-higher education organization with the purpose of assisting leaders within colleges and universities in having a greater understanding of the organizational structure of their own institutions. The results are analyzed with the prospects of utilizing this information to address such theoretical questions as: how did the athletic department achieve this high level of performance and how was the athletic department able to exist as a high performance system within the university organization? This study, which extended from January, 1986 to May, 1986, was conducted using the …
The Effects Of Participation In A Student Development Mentoring-Transcript Program On Freshmen University Students, Thomas John Cosgrove Edd
The Effects Of Participation In A Student Development Mentoring-Transcript Program On Freshmen University Students, Thomas John Cosgrove Edd
Dissertations
The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine the effects of participation in a Student Development Mentoring-Transcript Program on freshmen University students, (b) to ascertain the perceived value of participation in such a program for University students, (c) to develop recommendations regarding the implementation of mentoring-transcript programs at colleges and universities, and (d) to determine areas for further research on this topic. Subjects for the study were randomly selected from the 1982 Freshman Class at the University of San Diego. Mentors were selected from among faculty, administrators and professional staff members at the University. The study employed an experimental …