Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Autism, Kaileigh J. Sweeney

Senior Honors Projects

Understanding Autism

Kaileigh Sweeney

Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Hames

Autism spectrum disorders are greatly misunderstood in today’s society. In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Despite this high prevalence, a great deal of the population is under the impression that a diagnosis of autism is straight forward and indicative of one set of devastating signs and symptoms. However, the severity of this disorder can range from mild to severe. According to the National Institute of Health, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized …

Per Pupil Spending: How Much Difference Does A Dollar Make?, Nicole Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Education. The one thing everyone needs and no one thinks is good enough. Wherever students and policy makers turn there is the desire for something more, something better, coming out of the public education system. Over the years more and more funding has been poured into the education system in attempt to increase the student success rates and intellect of American students. However, American students are still behind internationally and more and more jobs are going to students from different countries. Is there a point when the money being funneled into education doesn’t make enough difference in student achievement and …

The Process Of Coaching: An Examination Of Authenticity, Steven C. Barnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The primary purpose of this project was to approach the complexity of coaching by embracing the tensions inherently found in the coaching process. In doing so, the goal was to develop a grounded theory that describes the process interscholastic team coaches' use in doing their job from a paradoxical perspective. While working to achieve that goal, the coaching process was described using language that is meaningful for practicing coaches. In addition, the nature a coaching philosophy plays in the decision-making process for coaches was also probed. The goals of this study were developed because of coaching science's failure to adequately …

Resilient Leadership In High Poverty Schools, Edward P. San Nicolas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children in high poverty schools often receive inadequate services in dilapidated facilities while enduring inexperienced and unprepared educators (Darling-Hammond, 2004). Communities with a dense impoverished population in turn create school wide poverty, which is ultimately more detrimental than individual family poverty (Books, 2004). With most teachers leaving impoverished urban schools within the first five years, it is no surprise of the difficulty to retain qualified and professional school leaders. As suggested by Haberman (2005), attracting educators with specific qualities to fill these critical roles may be the best route to lasting success. Equally important is the possibility to transform existing …

“A Place Of Becoming” Leadership Educators’ Experience Teaching Leadership: A Phenomenological Approach, Heath E. Harding

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

This phenomenological study describes the experiences of twelve leadership educators who were teaching leadership in undergraduate leadership development programs in the Midwest. The central research question was: What are the experiences of educators who are teaching leadership to undergraduate students at academic institutions? Teaching leadership was defined as providing developmental opportunities (e.g. formal education, in class instruction, one-on-one, coaching, service learning, individual reflection) to increase both leader and leadership capacity. Educators were defined as individuals who provide developmental opportunities for undergraduates. Participants had at least three years teaching leadership at the undergraduate level and were currently teaching a course with …

Exploring The Growth Of Text-Reading Fluency In Upper-Elementary English Language Learners During Instruction Based On Repeated Reading, Katharine Staub Harrison Edd

Dissertations

For the large population of school-age English language learners in California and the United States, the challenge of learning a second language while learning academic content is formidable. Learning to read English skillfully is key to their success. Reading instruction focused on development of oral text-reading fluency has shown strong potential for accelerating the general reading achievement of native-English-speaking children, but there is a lack of concomitant research on English language learners. This dissertation describes a formative experiment with the goal to improve, in 9 weeks, the general reading achievement of 17 English language learners in Grades 3, 4, 5, …

Understanding How Institutional Leadership Affects Civic Engagement On University Campuses, Prairie Leigh Burgess

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education in America has a long tradition of civic engagement education. Although there is theoretical and rhetorical support, many institutions still struggle with implementing effective civic engagement on their campuses. The aim of this study was to provide an understanding of factors that contribute to successful civic engagement, specifically focusing on the affect of presidential leadership. The study used a limited sample of two groups to provide comparative analysis and offer much needed statistical research for civic engagement. Institutions were identified through the organization Campus Compact and the Carnegie Foundation's elective Community Engagement classification. Institutions that had joined Campus …

A Comparative Content Analysis Of Five Spelling Programs In The 1st, 3rd, And 5th Grade, Katherine N. Davis Edd

Dissertations

This study investigated the content of five widely used spelling programs at three grade levels. Five spelling programs, Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic Spelling, Sitton Spelling, Words Their Way, and Treasures were analyzed. The following questions guided the study: To what extent do current spelling series reflect research-based practices and what underlying theoretical framework is stated or implied in each series? What types of spelling strategies, activities, and techniques are represented in student workbooks and teacher edition books? Two sub questions included: Do they reflect current research and/or the theoretical frameworks stated or implied in each series and do spelling programs provide …

Assessing The Interrater Reliability Of The Assessment Of Pediatric Resuscitation Communication (Aprc), Alyssa Cerroni

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to further validate the Assessment of Pediatric Resuscitation Communication (APRC), by establishing the interrater reliability of the instrument. The aim was to determine if the APRC instrument can be used by trained coders from a range of disciplines to assess the communication effectiveness of trauma team members and leaders during pediatric trauma resuscitations. These scores will be used to determine if team and leader communication is correlated with medical performance during trauma resuscitations. The sample included 8 participants from diverse backgrounds. A calculation of the Percentage of Agreement (1996) of 4 pediatric resuscitations was …

Poverty In Massachusetts By Education Status: Population 25 Years And Older, Randy Albelda, Ferry Cadet, Dinghong Mei

Center for Social Policy Publications

Massachusetts has lower poverty rates compared to the US average. But, like the US, the poverty rate for the people with less than high school graduate far exceed those of higher education level.

Poverty rates differ considerably across Massachusetts’ ten largest cities, ranging from 18.2% in Quincy to 39.6% in Springfield for those with the lowest educational attainment. Cambridge, one of the best-known academic center in the nation, has the highest poverty rate among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher educational level.

The Impacts Of Drinking Alcohol, Using Marijuana, And Smoking Cigarettes As A Teenager On The Educational Attainment And The Income Of Young Adults, Thomas Carnot

All Theses

It is widely believed that activities such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and using marijuana during the teenage years have a harmful effect on a youth's development, thus damaging his or her value in the labor market once the individual reaches adulthood. There have been several studies in the past that have looked into the consequences of partaking in such activities during both the adult and college years, but this paper will investigate how the use of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes at the age of 16 affects the average individual's future income and the amount of education completed by the …

Designing And Delivering A Teacher Center Course: “Creativity And Content: Partners In The Classroom”, Jenna L. Ziegler

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This paper outlines the methods used to design and implement a course on creativity as it can be applied in the school classroom. It outlines specific steps taken and topics covered during a nine hour creativity course taught through the Teacher Center of an area school district. In addition to a detailed outline of course content, results and reflections are also included to guide the reader through successful course implementation. Thorough appendices include all course documents and handouts necessary to effectively implement this course.

The Importance Of Education Systems In Post-Conflict Settings: The Case Of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bih), Emily Coles

Honors Projects

This paper considers how education systems in post-conflict settings impact reconstruction processes using the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) as an example. Three separate literatures are reviewed: post-conflict settings/reconstruction, reconciliation, and education systems. The paper analyzes the transitions, security, political, social and economic, which characterize post-conflict settings and reconstruction and argues that they must occur consequentially. Additionally, post-conflict reconstruction must always include both short and long-term goals in the peace agreement and provide for development of local capacity. In BiH these transitions were incomplete. The placement of a constitution in the peace agreement, without provisions for its revision, has also led …

Experience Corps: Pathway To New Engagement, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Stacey Mccrary, Yung Soo Lee, Amanda Mcbride

Center for Social Development Research

Experience Corps: Pathway to New Engagement

"We Don't Need No Education!" Really?, Rodger E. Broome

Rodger E. Broome

Why fire service employees, fire departments, and communities benefit from college educated firefighters.

Faculty Institute On Research Based-Learning In High Impact Courses, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

UNLV Libraries-Greater Western Library Alliance Conference

In Spring 2009, the Library Advisory Board agreed to fund a proposal for the Libraries to collaborate with campus partners to provide support to faculty who were faced with several initiatives that impact the way faculty deliver their course content, develop their assignments and assess their success. These initiatives include the movement to large enrollment classes, especially for large impact, core courses; the redesign of the general education requirements around universal learning outcomes; and, enhancing the first-year experience for incoming students. There is no single entity on campus in a position to provide the faculty support and development needed.

The …

Loving The World And Our Children Enough--Nurturing Decidedly Different Scientifc Minds, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Wise world-shaping and problem-solving requires that we and our children think in decidedly different, integral and wise ways. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in consciousness and the emergence of global minds that can creatively live into a new worldview of an interconnected planet and a sustainable and interdependent human family. "The fullness of our humanity and the sustainability of our planet rest with the nurturing of decidedly different minds."

Critical Race Theory And Education: Mapping A Legacy Of Activism And Scholarship, Kafi D. Kumasi

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This chapter explores the intellectual origins and historical precursors of Critical Race Theory (CRT), a lively branch of critical social theory. One of the goals of this work is to help novice educational scholars learn more about the history of CRT and to specifically see how it is used by contemporary scholars in the field of education to address a range of equity issues. The chapter begins by contextualizing contemporary discourse on race and education. It then chronicles the life work of key individuals whose antiracist, anti- colonial ideas and actions helped lay the foundation for the body of legal …

Law Is Not A Spectator Sport: Addressing Challenges Posed By Civic Education Through Public Engagement With The Supreme Court, Erica Lauren Bashaw

Journalism

Democracy relies on an informed and engaged citizenry. Low knowledge of public policy debates makes it difficult for government to meaningfully reflect the will of the people or for citizens to engage in fruitful public discussions. The discussions we manage to have about law and politics too often resemble a hyper-partisan cable news show rather than an honest effort at a conversation. In addition, many studies have suggested that, on the whole, Americans are not as informed about the courts as one would hope. This is especially true of the United States Supreme Court, which benefits from the “myth” that …

The People Want The Fall Of The Regime: Schooling, Political Protest, And The Economy, Filipe R. Campante, Davin Chor

Research Collection School Of Economics

We provide evidence that economic circumstances are a key intermediating variable for understanding the relationship between schooling and political protest. Using the World Values Survey, we find that individuals with higher levels of schooling, but whose income outcomes fall short of that predicted by their biographical characteristics, in turn display a greater propensity to engage in protest activities. We discuss a number of interpretations that are consistent with this finding, including the idea that economic conditions can affect how individuals trade off the use of their human capital between production and political activities. Our results could also reflect a link …

Using Organization Development For A Major Social Change Effort With Women And Education In Utah, Susan R. Madsen, Cheryl Hanewicz, Susan Thackeray

Susan R. Madsen

A critical issue right now in the state of Utah relates to women and higher education. Many leaders and citizens within the state have expressed concern that Utah is below the national average when it comes to women enrolling and completing postsecondary degrees. Although many speculate regarding the causes and challenges at the heart of this broader phenomenon, Utah stakeholders are unclear when it comes to the deeper complexities of this issue in the lives of the young female citizens within the state. The purpose of this paper and conference presentation is two-fold: first, to outline a complex, dynamic case …

Education & Awareness For The Uri Community For Lgbtiqq Issues Minutes 2-17-11, Joseph A. Santiago, Erin E. West

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Center

This document contains the minutes of Education & Awareness for the URI Community for LGBTIQQ Issues meeting on February, 17th 2011.

Administrative Strategies For Preparing Teaching Candidates To Be Building-Level Technology Change Agents, Richard Rose

Administrative Issues Journal

Teacher education graduates in their early years of service are ill-prepared to act as building-level change agents who can advocate for the enhanced use of technology in the classroom. In this study, a group of experienced teachers seeking the M.Ed. in Educational Technology suggest that the lack of confidence which new teachers show in relation to technology can be traced back to the absence of rigorous technical skill-building in both their Introduction to Educational Technology class and methods classes. These tech-savvy mid-career teachers then identify obstacles to enhancing pre-service teacher education programs with more effective preparation in teaching with technology …

Implications Of Recent Research In Community Flood Education, Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

What Would Vincent Study Abroad? Option For The Poor And Systemic Change For The Development Of Socially Responsible Leaders, Marco Tavanti Ph.D., Heather Evans M.S.

Marco Tavanti

The effectiveness of the DePaul University School of Public Service Chiapas Program is evaluated according to “Vincentian values of experiential learning, systemic change, and the option for the poor.” Including students’ own words, the article summarizes what participants learn as they work directly with poor persons, their leaders, indigenous organizations, local NGOs, and Mexican academic institutions in Chiapas. As Marco Tavanti and Heather Evans write, the program’s goal “is not only to increase knowledge and skills but to challenge and transform cultural attitudes, learn from context, and engage in professional collaboration and dialogues for social change.” The value of system …

Vincentian University Partnerships For Urban Poverty Reduction, Marco Tavanti Ph.D., Merlinda A. Palencia, Margaret Guzzaldo

Marco Tavanti

This article discusses the vital need for academic and intersectoral partnerships in the effort to reduce global poverty, especially in cities of developing nations. The academic alliance between DePaul and Adamson universities, and their cooperation with popular organizations (POs) from the communities of poor persons in Manila are described. The activities of Adamson’s Vincentian Center for Social Responsibility (VCSR) and the POs are profiled. DePaul, Adamson, the POs, and the VCSR are working to “increase the leadership and organizational capacity of the POs.” The tenets of academic social responsibility and their reflection of Vincentian values are highlighted.

Education & Awareness For The Uri Community For Lgbtiqq Issues January 2011, Joseph A. Santiago, Riley Davis, Anne Marie Vaccaro, Karen De Bruin, Andrew Winters, Erin West

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Center

This document contains the minutes of Education & Awareness for the URI Community for LGBTIQQ Issues meeting on January 20, 2011.

Readers’ Knowledge Of Functional Devices, Hung-Tao Chen

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Various writing devices are designed to serve specialized purposes or “functions” to aid readers in their processing of a text. For example, an index lists important topics in the book and allows the readers to quickly locate the pages relevant to a particular topic. The purpose of this study was to learn what mature readers know about various functional devices. Two experiments were conducted to learn what readers know about functional devices in texts. Experiment 1 investigated readers’ knowledge about functional writing devices and Experiment 2 examined readers’ beliefs about the relevance of functional writing devices in various reading situations. …

John Hughes May Be Onto Something: Anti-Authoritarianism In Education, Film And Policy, James M. Iddins

Graduate Student Publications

In this article, I use two popular anti-authoritarian films to explore often-overlooked options for the education reform debate and general issues related to educational public policy. Bringing in sources from many disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and economics, I argue for a second look at the issues revealed in the films and action on our part toward creating a more sustainable educational and economic reality. I contend that if we take into account our historical context, we come to a much different conclusion regarding these issues than we might have otherwise.

2011-01 Math Or Science? Using Longitudinal Expectations Data To Examine The Process Of Choosing A College Major, Todd R. Stinebrickner, Ralph Stinebrickner

Centre for Human Capital and Productivity. CHCP Working Papers

No abstract provided.