Nebraska Child Care Market Rate Survey Report 2021, Greg W. Welch, Elizabeth Svoboda, Alexandra Daro, Venessa Bryant, Caitlyn Glissmeyer

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Consistent with the 2019 MRS, the Institute conducted a survey of all licensed child care providers across the state to obtain private pay child care rates for children with or without medical and behavioral needs. Categories of focus for data collection and reporting included: 1. Geographic location: rural or urban 2. Type of care: Family Child Care Home I, Family Child Care Home II, Child Care Center, and School Age License 3. Age group of children: infant, toddler, pre-school, and school-age 4. Status of medical and behavioral needs 5. Accreditation 6. Extent to which child care providers participate in Child …

Predictive Validity Of The Classroom Performance Survey, Asia Simone Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluated the concurrent associations between an adapted version of the Classroom Performance Survey (CPS) and academic and behavioral student outcomes. Participants were one cohort of kindergarten through 5th grade children enrolled in a public elementary school. Preliminary results suggested that the CPS was a significant predictor of academic student outcomes similar to previous research. Hierarchal regression analyses indicated that the Academic and Interpersonal Subdomains improved the prediction on students’ GPA, above and beyond MAP scores alone. Finally, descriptive statistics indicate similar student performance across ‘in person’, ’virtual’, and ‘hybrid’ learning settings. Educators using a Multi-Tiered System of …

Teacher Biases And Expectations: Impact On Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Delinquent Behavior Among Black Grade School Students, Rhonda Lloyd

Dissertations

Black children and adolescents in today’s society face so many challenges that come about from the hands of authority figures in their life, their environment, the education system, and society as a whole. Through a critical review of literature, the author sought to answer three research questions: (1) What are the indications that teachers may be more biased toward Black students? (2) How do perceived teacher biases and discrimination impact the self-esteem and self-efficacy of Black students? (3) How are teacher bias and the school-to-prison pipeline connected? The literature review exposed a need for a teacher training model, which was …

Analysis Of Disproportionality In Discipline And The Effects Of Positive Behavior Supports Within Special Education, Cutler T. Ruby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nationwide, school districts are required (IDEA, 2004) to implement positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) for all students receiving special education services. These PBIS are reported to reduce problem behaviors and increase prosocial behaviors when implemented with fidelity (Crone et al., 2015). With a reduction of problem behaviors an expected reduction of discipline referrals should follow along with a reduction in days spent in exclusionary discipline for students in special education. Reducing days in exclusionary discipline is desired due to a strong research base linking the practice to several negative outcomes (Marchbanks et al., 2015) along with data demonstrating these …

Biobehavioral Measurement Of Heterogeneity In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carla Anne Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the presence of social-communication deficits and restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013b; Baio et al., 2018). It is characterized by high genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity, which complicates both diagnosis and treatment efforts (Jeste & Geschwind, 2014; Kim, Macari, Koller, & Chawarska, 2016). Well-studied sources of heterogeneity in ASD include age, sex, intellectual ability, temperament, physiological arousal, social attention, and the presence of genetic syndromes that are highly penetrant with ASD (Campbell, Shic, Macari, & Chawarska, 2014; Harris et al., 2008; Klusek, Roberts, & Losh, …

Characterizing Anxiety And Physiological Correlates In Preschool Children With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Jordan Ezell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two original research manuscripts broadly examining anxiety and potential correlates in young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The first manuscript assessed cardiac regulation during an auditory startle paradigm in young children (3-6 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fragile x syndrome (FXS), and neurotypical peers. The second manuscript utilized a new measure developed to capture anxiety in individuals with ASD in order to assess the rate of typical and atypical anxiety and potential risk factors (ASD severity, sex, cognitive ability) for anxiety in preschool children with ASD contrasted to neurotypical preschool children. Collectively, these two …

The Development And Validation Of An Automated Screener Of Attention, Rachel Bridges

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated a strong relationship between symptoms of ADHD and academic underachievement. Interventions specific to academic deficits in children with ADHD are available, which are most effective if implemented before secondary concerns arise. Performance based screening is one method for determining the need for early intervention, yet extant measures of attention have limitations for the purposes of large-scale screening. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties and guiding conceptual model of a novel instrument of executive functioning—the GNG Screen— which measures response inhibition via a go/no-go paradigm. Results from Rasch modeling and exploratory factor analysis provide preliminary psychometric …

The Bmslss: Measurement Invariance And Latent Mean Differences Across Black And White Early Adolescents, Kimberly Gibson Sitter

Theses and Dissertations

The Brief Measure of Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS; Seligson, Huebner, & Valois, 2003) is a widely used brief self-report measure of child and adolescent Life Satisfaction (LS). Although acceptable reliability and validity have been demonstrated for the BMSLSS across various youth samples, few cross-cultural comparisons have been performed. Specifically, no studies to date have examined measurement invariance of the BMSLSS across diverse samples of racial groups in the US. The current study explored measurement invariance across Black and White middle school students (N = 1484) from four schools in a southeastern U.S. state through use of multi-group confirmatory factor …

Exploring The Relationship Between School Organizational Health, Advice Seeking Networks, And Student Behavior, Abbey M. Nachman

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between organizational health and advice seeking behavior of school staff around students exhibiting social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. School staff are front line responders to mental/behavioral health issues and it would benefit schools to better understand the organizational factors that influence advice seeking behavior and the affect that school climate amongst teachers has on student behavior. This study investigated the climates and communication patterns of two urban elementary schools. Social network analysis was used to visualize and analyze both schools’ respective networks. School staff completed the Organizational Health Inventory as …

Understanding Individual Differences Within Large-Scale Brain Networks Across Cognitive Contexts, Katherine L. Bottenhorn

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, human neuroimaging has studied brain regions “activated” during behavior and how they differ between groups of people. This approach has improved our understanding of healthy and disordered brain function, but has two key shortcomings. First, focusing on brain activation restricts how we understand the brain, ignoring vital, behind-the-scenes processing. In the past decade, the focus has shifted to communication between brain regions, or connectivity, revealing networks that exhibit subtle, consistent differences across behaviors and diagnoses. Without activation-focused research’s constraints, connectivity-focused neuroimaging research more comprehensively assesses brain function. Second, focusing on group differences ignores substantial within-group heterogeneity and often imposes …

Characteristics And Predictors For Students Classified With Emotional And Behavioral Disorder Who Have Also Experienced Maltreatment, Richard E. Mattison, Gregory J. Benner, Skip Kumm

Educational Considerations

Though experiencing maltreatment (abuse or neglect) appears to be common in students with the special education label of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), little research has been devoted to this topic by EBD educators. This paper uses archived file drawer data from 1992 that focuses on 149 students newly classified with EBD for whom a wide range of enrollment variables was collected, and who were subsequently followed up on an average of 8 years later to assess their educational outcomes. At enrollment, experiences of maltreatment were determined to have occurred in 57.7% of these participants. The group who experienced maltreatment …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher–Child Relationships, Student Behavior, And Classroom Management, Szu-Yu Chen, Natalya A. Lindo, Sarah Blalock, Dina Yousef, Latoya Smith, Kara Hurt-Avila

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Children’s relationships with their teachers are a potential resource for enhancing developmental and academic outcomes. The effects of positive or negative teacher–child relationships can be either beneficial or detrimental to students’ academic progress, behaviors, and emotions. In the current study, we utilized a qualitative research design to examine 18 pre-kindergarten to fourth-grade teachers’ perceptions of teacher–child relationships, student behavior, and classroom management. Analysis of in-depth interviews yielded five major themes: (a) beliefs in children, (b) teaching strategies, (c) acknowledging individual differences, (d) challenges, and (e) relationships. Findings of this study have the potential to inform in-service training regarding relationship-building skills …

On Blending Active Student Responding With Synchronous Instruction To Evaluate Response Accuracy, Nicole A. Hollins

Dissertations

As of 2016, approximately 28% of college students in the United States were taking at least one online course (U.S. Department of Education, 2016), and it was projected that the percentage of students enrolled in online courses would continue to increase 33% each year (Pethokoukis, 2002). The COVID-19 pandemic hastened further shifts from in-person to virtual learning for many institutions of higher education. Given this rapid shift to online instruction, it is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of online instructional procedures. Providing multiple opportunities for students to respond to instruction has proven to be an effective procedure across most educational …

Exposure To Nature: An Underutilized Component Of Student Mental Health, Jeremy S. Bekker

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Nature-exposure interventions on university campuses may serve as an effective addition to overburdened counseling and student support centers. Nature-exposure interventions can work as a preventative health measure on campuses, which can be used adjacently with existing health resources. This paper outlines the potential benefits of nature exposure for students’ physical health, mental well-being, and academic success. Previous research has demonstrated that nature exposure may help reduce cognitive load, decrease negative psychological symptoms, increase psychological coping ability, and lead to better physical health. Many campuses already contain green spaces, defined as any part of an environment that is predominately made of …

Student Perspectives On Interdisciplinary Skill Building, Equity And Empowerment Through Arts Education And Technology During A Pandemic, Joanne Osterberg

Education | Master's Theses

This qualitative research examined how the arts extend to serve as a tool for equity in supporting students of all backgrounds, language skills, and learning levels toward access and development of acumen for learning in all subjects and disciplines. This research is situated in a theoretical framework encompassing theories of learning styles (Dunn, 2000), art education and equity (Kalin, 2012), and pedagogical approaches to the use of technology (Strycker, 2020). Sixteen students participated in a peer focus group in which they developed, reflected upon, and then co-critiqued an art project that evolved through a six-phase process, and two faculty members …

Divining Structural Factors Related To Intervention Success Or Failure: Cultural Sexism Versus Other Macro-Level Factors, Blair T. Johnson, Christine M. Curley

CHIP Documents

This article provides commentary on a spatial meta-analysis published by Price and colleagues (2021); it provides valuable preliminary evidence that a dimension of cultural sexism can countervail efforts for psychotherapy to succeed in samples that focus on girls aged four to 18. Our own study reveals cultural sexism to be markedly associated with at least three macro-level factors: cultural tightness, historical slaveholding (and by implication racism), and sex education inclusiveness. The fact that cultural sexism can be so well predicted by these factors is additional evidence that cultural sexism is real, yet it also suggests caution in interpreting these effects …

Where Are We With Education About Mental Health And Illness: A Survey Research, Symphony Williams

Symposium of Student Scholars

The purpose of my research is to investigate public awareness of mental health and illness. This study is paramount because of the mental health crisis our world faces today. I conducted a survey research in which I used Google Forms and asked a series of questions about the participants’ education, experiences, and opinions on mental health and illness. The total participants were 67. The analysis of survey responses resulted in several findings. First, 34.3% of the 67 participants had a diagnosed mental illness, and 72% of those participants suffer from some form of depression while 77.8% suffer from anxiety. These …

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives On Child Anxiety: Opportunities To Promote Anxiety Management Skills In The Classroom, Sydney Coleman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of the current study was to examine how teachers identify and provide supports for students with anxiety as well as their perspectives on implementing strategies informed from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the classroom. Data was collected from 11 classroom teachers in London, Ontario through virtual focus group sessions and an online demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: opportunities to implement CBT-informed strategies, barriers to implementing CBT-informed strategies, and current knowledge and resources. The findings revealed that teachers perceived that they are facing increased demands to support the mental health needs of students without appropriate resources …

The Role Of School Sociocultural Factors On The Mental Health And Academic Competence Of Elementary Aged Children, Aijah Kai Baruti Goodwin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Due to the diversification of school systems, schools are being challenged to engage in more culturally responsive practices to meet the needs of diverse students. Therefore, this study utilized Gay’s (2002) model of culturally responsive teaching to assess the relationship between sociocultural factors and the academic competence and mental health of elementary-aged children. This study also aimed to investigate the mediating and moderating relationship that culturally responsive classroom practices play on children’s academic competence and mental health. One hundred thirty-one diverse parents (97.7%), and legal guardians (2.3%) with children in elementary school (M_age = 8.05) were recruited for participation …

Exploring Sensory Based Art Therapy With Preschool Students, Development Of A Method, Elizabeth Ferrara

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores the use of sensory-based art therapy interventions with preschoolers with self-regulation difficulties. The mental health intern (MHI) at a preschool program conducted multisensory art therapy interventions with 11 students over eight weeks. Students participated in either social skills small groups or individual therapeutic sessions with the MHI. Students were referred for services due to social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns, specifically how those issues manifested in difficulties with self-regulation. These students exhibited unexpected and persistent periods of dysregulation as evidenced by disruptive and unsafe behaviors in the classroom including aggression towards peers. Students participated in different sensory-art …

Anxiety In Elementary Classrooms, Stephanie Kane

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As the number of students with anxiety increases, elementary school professionals are becoming more aware of the signs, behaviors, and negative outcomes that are shown in a young student with anxiety. This study examined the impact that anxiety has on elementary students’ social and academic growth in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with seven elementary school teachers, two school counselors, and one school nurse from a variety of districts in Eastern Massachusetts. The purpose of the study was to identify the different ways that young students express their anxieties and the effect that this has on their schooling. Several different …

The Medial Temporal Memory System In Down Syndrome: Translating Animal Models Of Hippocampal Compromise, Caron A.C. Clark, Fabian Fernandez, Stella Sakhon, Goffredina Spano, Jamie O. Edgin

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Recent studies have highlighted the dentate gyrus as a region of increased vulnerability in mouse models of Down syndrome (DS). It is unclear to what extent these findings are reflected in the memory profile of people with the condition. We developed a series of novel tasks to probe distinct medial temporal functions in children and young adults with DS, including object, spatial, and temporal order memory. Relative to mental age-matched controls (n=45), individuals with DS (n=28) were unimpaired on subtests involving short-term object or configural recall that was divorced from spatial or temporal contexts. By contrast, …

Learning Readiness As A Predictor Of Academic Resilience In Online Learning During School From Home, Maulana Rezi Ramadhana, Assas Putra, Twin Agus Pramonojati, Rizca Haqqu, Pradipta Dirgantara, Oki Achmad Ismail, Dimas Satrio Wijaksono

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Learning readiness is considered as a supporting factor in academic resilience. Since the situation of school closure and learning from home due to the COVID-19 pandemics, there have been changes in learning methods that require students to readily use online learning. Unfortunately, students' readiness in online learning has not been widely discussed in terms of its effect on the student’s academic resilience. The purpose of this study was to provide information on whether there was a significant relationship between online learning readiness and students' academic resilience during the school-from-home period. Participants in this study consisted of 1.681 students from five …

Examining The Influence Of Mental Health On Expressions Of Verbal Aggression And Assertiveness, Juliet Aura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Recent reports in the media suggest an increase in the number of aggression cases in schools and the community. One of the forms of aggression experienced over the lifespan is verbal aggression. Verbal aggression has been considered a negative trait because of the harmful effects it has on the recipient. On the contrary, assertive behavior is a socially desirable trait and is considered a positive communication trait. The purpose of the study was to establish the effectiveness of psychological services and self-care in reducing verbally aggressive behavior. The study also aimed to determine how psychological services can improve assertiveness. …

Types Of Bias-Based Bullying And School Climate Perceptions, Attendance, And Grades, Erin Bonham, Meghan Cosier, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Bias-based bullying relating to disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity has extremely detrimental effects on the victim’s school climate perceptions, attendance records, and academic achievement. This study used a cross-sectional research design to compare the self-reported school climate perceptions, attendance habits, and grades of student victims of disability-based bias-related bullying and sexual orientation- and gender identity-based bias-related bullying using secondary data from the California Healthy Kids Survey. Participants (N = 713,107) filled out the California Healthy Kids Survey self-report surveys in the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. Regression analyses and a two-sample t-test were used to analyze and compare the …

Student Perceptions Of Condensed Courses And Motivations For Enrolling: Are Some Students Scared To Enroll?, Akiva Gornish

Kean Quest

Condensed courses are now being offered at many colleges and universities. Most research indicates that condensed courses result in equal or better student learning outcomes when compared with the outcomes of full term courses. However, because all the previous studies only examined students who self-selected to enroll in condensed courses there may be a serious selection bias and their results may not be generalizable to all students. This study attempted to examine whether there are differences between students who have taken condensed courses and those who have not. A survey was given to 102 students of which 45 had never …

Prospective Predictors Of Receiving Disclosures Of Intimate Partner Violence And Sexual Assault Among College Students, Christina M. Dardis, Katie R. Davin, Lindsey M. Rodriguez, Emily R. Dworkin, Katie M. Edwards, Sarah E. Ullman, Emily A. Waterman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Previous research has indicated that many undergraduates receive disclosures of sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) from their peers; however, much of this research has been cross-sectional. The present study assessed the extent to which demographic characteristics and victimization history predicted whether participants received disclosures over the subsequent 6 months. Directional hypotheses assessed whether psychological symptoms and attitudes predicted, or were consequences of, disclosures at follow-up.

Method: College students (n = 867) from a broader treatment intervention study completed pretest (Time 1) and 6-month follow-up surveys (Time 2).

Results: Individuals who reported new disclosures at follow-up (56%) were …

The Relationships Between School Counselor Ratios And Student Outcomes In One Predominantly Hispanic Texas School District, Myra Ortega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that lower school counselor ratios are associated with better student outcomes: attendance, discipline and achievement. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a student-counselor ratio of 250:1 to best support and address the needs of students. However, student-counselor ratios are much higher, diminishing the effectiveness of school counselors.The purpose of this study is to determine if school counselor ratios are related to campus attendance, campus State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) or End-of-Course (EOC) testing performance, and campus discipline for substance use or other reasons, while considering the ethnicity and gender of students in each …

Mitigating Risks For Youth In At-Risk Living Conditions Through School-Based Protective Factors, Cora Palma

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Youth who are in foster care or are homeless—those who reside in at-risk living conditions—face increased risk for difficulties in school including poor grades and mental health issues such as suicidality and depression. Previous research has shown that youth who are in foster care or who are homeless have, by definition, experienced adverse childhood experiences or trauma, increasing their risks for poor outcomes. Protective factors in schools can have a significant and meaningful impact on reducing the rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and failing grades. Schools that provide environments in which caring relationships between students and adults are established, high …

Teachers’ Stress, Anxiety, And Depression: What Are Special Education Teachers Experiencing?, James H. Potter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that people in the teaching profession have high levels of stress and often report increased levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Students’ academic progress may have adverse effects when their teachers have high-stress levels or report mental distress. Those who teach special education often face high levels of stress. However, there is little research considering special education teachers’ job-related health. This study collected data on 598 general and special education teachers in the United States. This study compared the endorsements of both stress and psychopathology between special education and general education teachers. This research found that …