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Effects of a Behavior-Changing Treatment Upon In-School Suspension Reassignments
Get PDFii, 20 leaves. Advisor: Barry SteimThe problem: What components should be part of an in-school suspension (ISS) program for the the program to be an effective and successful disciplinary tool?
Procedure: During a six-week period, half of the students assigned to ISS in Fort Dodge, Iowa, received an academic treatment and worked on academic assignments while in ISS. The others received the academic treatment, plus a behavior-changing treatment that focused upon self-assessment of students' behavior choices and explored alternate behavior choices. An analysis of reassignments to ISS was made to determine if the combined treatments resulted in fewer ISS reassignments than the academic treatment alone.
Findings: Out of 60 students who received both treatments, 11 were reassigned to ISS, while 13 of the 62 who received only the academic treatment were reassigned. The behavior-changing treatment was not significant in reducing ISS reassignments.
Conclusions: The results of this study provide no evidence that the addition of the behavior-changing component to the Fort Dodge ISS program affected student reassignments to ISS.
Recommendations: If conducted over a full academic year, different results might be obtained. Also, a more comprehensive program, providing follow-up guidance after ISS to reinforce the behavior-changing concepts, might be more effective
An Analysis of the Fiction of Charles W. Chesnutt
No full text115 leavesSummary of Author: Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932) is a black short story author and novelist whose two volumes of short stories and three novels of purpose depict racial tensions present in the South during the
post-Reconstruction era. He addressed a culture
dominated by the myth of white superiority and black inferiority.
Chesnutt's purpose in his fiction is to present a perspective of racial tensions and social issues confronting Southern whites and blacks that differed from the perspective presented by writers of the plantation tradition fiction.
Rationale: Since black authors from 1853 to the 1890s basically reflected the themes of plantation tradition fiction and thus ignored social and political issues facing blacks in the 1890s, this analysis of Chesnutt's
fiction is made to determine whether he did present a differing perspective of slavery and of white-black issues in the South.
Procedure: This study is based on the reading and analysis of primary sources--The Conjure Woman, The Wife of his Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line, The House Behind the Cedars, The Marrow of Tradition, and
The Colonel's Dream--as well as his letters collected by Helen, his daughter. Material from the Charles Chesnutt Collection was also incorporated into this study.
Secondary sources include articles by Chesnutt's contemporaries as well as articles and books by later scholars.
Findinqs: Charles Chesnutt is the first black American author to ask his publishers for the freedom to treat social and racial issues from a black's perspective: issues such as racial intermarriage, the franchise, and convict labor practices. He also explored the ramifications of "passing" into white society and other problems confronting people of mixed-race in the South and in the North. He pleaded for a quickening of conscience and
for moral renewal in the hearts of Southern whites.
Conclusions: Chesnutt projects a sense of optimism for racial acceptance in The House Behind the Cedars and to a lesser degree in The Marrow of Tradition. However, his third novel, The Colonel's Dream reflects his
frustration concerning the absence of meaningful change in the South in 1905. Negative responses by white supremacy groups and apathy on the part of Northern whites are two factors which led to his decline as an
early twentieth-century novelist
Identification of Suicidal Risk in Adolescents
Get PDF78 leavesThe problem. The level of suicide risk in a school population was obtained to determine if there is a greater number than 12 per 100 population at the severe suicidal risk
level as determined from a statistical report of the U.S. Department of Human Services.
Procedures. On an anonymous basis each adolescent in a random sample of 100 was rated as being of subclinical (normal), mild, moderate or severe suicidal risk as a
result of an assessment obtained from answering 36 self-report statements from an instrument titled, Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). The level of risk for suicide was determined from the probability score of
each adolescent.
Findings. No respondents were found to be classed in the high or severe level of suicidal risk. Three respondents rated in the mild classification of suicidal risk. Three respondents, included in the remaining ninty-seven respondents, were at the top of
the subclinical level of risk for suicide with a classification value of 24. A total of ninty-seven respondents were rated in the subclinical or normal classification for suicidal risk.
Conclusions. While the analysis indicated no respondents to be classified at the severe level of suicidal risk, an important point to be made is that the Suicide Probability Scale was used in a general school population to identify students at risk of suicide.
Recommendation. It is recommended that the school be the center for and the initiator of a program of detection and intervention for the prevention of adolescent suicide.
Educators must initiate a plan to bring together professionals from the community, medical and psychiatric fields and education to develop intervention programs that students will accept on a nonanonymous basis
Currents that Puncture
Get PDF74 leaves. Advisor: Ruth DotyCurrents That Puncture is a poetic response to my personal experiences and study of literature over the past two years. My writing of poetry began as a means of understanding my childhood, adolescence and adult self. Thus, the persona of each poem is experiencing a process of self discovery. While the majority of the poems are written in free verse, the volume also mirrors my study of poetic form. included are, what began as: three sonnets,
one sestina, and one ghazal. All the poems, but the ghazal, reflect a divergence from traditional structure and/or rhyme scheme. Although knowledge of standardized poetic form has been beneficial to me as a poet, the importance of freedom from such restraints allows for freer innovative expression.
Several of the poems contain allusions to literary works. This associative response became a natural extension of my creative process as I read and wrote throughout my graduate work. Often, I wished to actively respond to particular pieces of literature beyond the role of a reader. These associations became an integral part of the shaping of the works themselves. The poems are intended to be read as self-contained units, with
images and sounds expressing particular moments of time and feeling. If there 1s a sequential order, it is based upon levels of developing awareness of emotionai and psychological states, rather than upon a chronological movement. The volume is
divided into five sections; each section exemplifies a different psychological state.
Thus, each poem reflects the persona" recursive inward to outward exploration and growth
Playing Hard-to-Get : The Effects of Applicant Availability on Interviewers' Impressions
No full textii, 80 leaves. Advisor: Karen B. WilliamsThe effects of being hard-versus easy-to-get on evaluations of job candidates was, tested in
three mock interview studies. In study 1, undergraduate students (N=105) read a
transcript of a job interview. The transcript contained identical biographical information
about the candidate in all conditions, the difference occurred in the manipulation of the
applicant's availability. Specifically, the applicant revealed that she did (hard-to-get) or did not (easy-to-get) have another job offer and disclosed this information either of her own
initiative (applicant initiated) in response to the interviewer's questions (interviewer
initiated). In the control condition, no alternative job information about the candidate was revealed. The dependent measures, desirability and hireability were measured on a postexperimental questionnaire. The results suggested that hard-to-get candidates were more
likely to be hired than easy-to-get applicants, however, the selection decisions were not
influenced by whether the applicant or interviewer brought up availability. In study 2, undergraduate participants (N=80) viewed a videotape of a job interview and were asked to play the role of a personnel director. Applicant availability was manipulated by the applicant either revealing that she was able to relocate and had many job offers (hard-to-get) or unable to relocate with limited opportunities (easy-to-get). This information was
revealed either early (more impact) or late (less impact) in the interview, The three major dependent measures, desirability, hireability, and salary offered were measured on a postexperimental
questionnaire. The results &id not suppart the hypothesis that hard-to-get applicants would receive more job offers, be more desirable, or be offered a larger salary than easy-to-get applicants. Furthermore, early information was not more influential than information presented later. In study 3, undergraduate participants (N=84) reviewed a job applicant's file, which included a cover letter and a resume, and then viewed a videotaped interview. Applicant availabilty was manipulated in the cover letter, the applicant revealed that she either had (hard-to-get) or did not (easy-to-get) have other job offers which she
either based on her qualifications (dispositional rationale) or her geographical mobility (situational rationale). Two alternative theoretical explanations for the hard-to-get effect were tested: a social comparison and a drive reduction explanation. If the effect is base d upon a social comparison explanation, than those applicants who demonstrate dispositional
reasons for being hard-to-get should benefit by disclosing this information. However,
those proividing a situational rationale should not. Conversely, if the effixt is based on drive reduction, than the type of rationale should not influence participants' ratings of these candidates. That is, hard-to-get candidates should be rated higher across all conditions. The dependent measures desirability and hireability were measured on a post-experimental questionnaire. The results provided support for a social comparison explanation underlying the hard-to-get effect and the rationale to support it
A COMPARISON OF JOB SATISFACTION BETWEEN IOWA'S SHARED AND NON-SHARED PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS IN DISTRICTS 1000 OR LESS IN STUDENT ENROLLMENT
No full text116 leavesThe problem: The purposes of the study were three fold. The first was to compile a demographic profile of the Iowa public school superintendent serving districts of 1,000 or less students. The second determined if there were significant demographic differences between the shared and the non-shared superintendents. The final purpose determined if there were significant differences between the superintendents in the component areas of job satisfaction.
Procedure: A review of the literature provided background information on Iowa legislative action leading to incentives for the sharing of school superintendents, the historical development of job satisfaction and an overview of the development of the school superintendency. A survey instrument consisting of an 18 point demographic questionnaire and the Cornell Job Descriptive Index developed by Smith, Kendall and Hulin was sent out to 100 selected school superintendents from Iowa school districts of 1,000 or less in student population. An effective return rate of 93% was received from the selected superintendents. Descriptive statistics were used to develop the demographic profile of the superintendents. A two
group discriminant function analysis was used to discern significant differences in specific items of the demographic profile. A multivariate analysis of variance (MA NOVA ) technique was used to determine any significant differences in job satisfaction of the two superintendent groups .
Findings: The discriminant analysis revealed the variables of pay, age, total years superintendency experience and years of classroom experience where significantly different and could be used as predictors of group membership. The MANOVA
indicated a significant positive difference in the pay satisfaction of the shared superintendents .
Conclusions: The shared superintendency is not a limiting factor to job satisfaction of Iowa's public school superintendents.
Recommendations: Educational organizations should work together to develop the professionalism and scope of the shared superintendency in order to maximize the leadership and management skills of the people that serve in the position of the shared superintendency
An Inquiry Into Healee's Perceptions of the Healing Experience
Get PDF57 leavesThe problem. This study described the healing experience and its meaning for five individuals who received healing in
the context of a Catholic healing mass.
Procedure. Each of the five subjects were interviewed twice and extensive field notes were accumulated. The subjects were asked to describe their healing experience and then asked "What did this experience mean to you?".
The second interview was utilized to validate and clarify the researcher's understanding of the data.
Findings. Each of the five healees considered themselves to have had an experience which affected them physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. The healings were
defined by the healee and included the stabilization of a cancer process, total and partial relief of chronic back problems, relief of persistent tachycardia, and total relief of kidney area pain. Each healee had developed preparatory behavior for continued healing experiences. None of the healees perceived their experience to conflict with,
or be in lieu of, their traditional medical and nursing care.
Conclusions. The strongest theme in the findings was of a relationship between belief and healing outcome.
Recommendations. Further studies are needed in the area oi nontraditional healing
The Development of Music Writing and Reading Skills Through Singing with Elementary Students
Get PDFiv, 87 leaves. Back pocket also includes 5 levels of "Hands on Music Writing and Reading" instructional materials. Advisor: James Cox.Problem. The purpose of this report was to create an instrument through which elementary students in grades one through five could develop a systematic
approach to music reading and writing skills through singing.
Procedure. The set of "Hands On Music Writing and Reading" books were developed by the author to: 1) aid all children in the development of their
innate musical abilities, 2) make the language of music known to children; to help them become musically literate: and enable them to read,
write, and create with the vocabulary of music, 3) make use of the best children's literature in folk and art music of their culture and of the world,
and 4) give students opportunities to play classroom musical instruments while reading and singing the songs they have written.
Conclusions. The instrument developed by the author was a set of "Hands on Music Writing and Reading" books containing song materials which incorporate melodic and rhythmic skill development presented in a sequential order. The books address the problems of writing basic music notation and
introduce musical terminology appropriate for elementary students. The books also expose the students to the concepts of form, harmony, and
timbre.
Recommendations. This report suggests that these music workbooks are adaptable to any elementary music program. The systematic approach to building
literary skills in music through writing should complement the basic skills program. If music is to be considered as one of the basic skills, music
educators must provide goals and objectives which produce viable results
Elizabeth Madox Roberts : Ritual, Selfhood and Sisterhood
No full text229 leavesIn 1926 Elizabeth Madox Roberts published her first novel, The Time of Man, a work that plunged her into the literary limelight. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection and hailed by
some as the "most beautiful piece of writing to come out of America," the novel established her as a major American writer. Subsequent novels appeared in 1927, 1928 and 1930. According to Sherwood Anderson, "by 1930, it was impossible to discuss American fiction without reference to Elizabeth Madox Roberts."
By the time of her death in 1941, she had produced three more novels, two collections of short stories and a collection of poetry, all widely reviewed. Unfortunately, today much of her work is out of print and none of it taught in our universities. Such neglect of a major literary figure, noted by critics as
eminent as Robert Penn Warren, stems from three factors: The questionable practice of labeling certain writers "regional"; the "misreading" of her oeuvre as "love stories"; Miss Roberts' insistence that only wholeness of the individual--not social nor economic studies and legislation--could regenerate the myth emblemed in the Kentucky Frontier and thus heal the "wasteland."
This study includes poems from Song in the Meadow, selected short stories from The Haunted Mirror and Not by Strange Gods,
and four novels: The Time of Man, My Heart and My Flesh , The Great Meadow, He Sent Forth a Raven. Citations from the author's notes and correspondence held in the Appalachian
Archives at the University of Kentucky, the Filson Club and the Library of Congress support the findings. Added support comes
from travel to the regional setting of her work, thorough study of Kentucky history, and personal interviews with women who shared Miss Roberts' social, political and spiritual era.
Beginning with an Everyman figure in "The Sonnet of Jack," Miss Roberts takes her from "bare breath," through "points of contact" with others and her own inner self, to a self-defined, self-directed being in the last two novels. The heroes, most all women, are linked to mythic figures such as Dione and Prometheus, or to Christ. Their stories, centered in a single female consciousness, turn on mundane "rituals"--gathering eggs,
falling in love, death, birth, naming, getting married, or the handing down of an object or of family history. By the development of the will as a spiritual energy to cut through the
inertia of decayed myths and Patriarchy, these heroes reconcile their own duality, transform brute desires into nurturing love, transmute the violence of the past into creative energy, and find promise in the connectedness of individual and collective experience. Above all, they embody the creative power of the
pioneer woman and connect her to the present. Their coming-to-being and growth of consciousness make these heroes worthy
studies and their creator a strong voice for contemporary Woman
A Reliability and Criterion-Related Validity Study of Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA)
Get PDF107 leavesThe problem. The purpose of this study was to
determine the reliability and criterion-related validity of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as a method of monitoring fluid changes in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients undergoing diuresis.
Procedure. Thirty hospitalized CHF patients
undergoing diuresis were measured with BIA and weighed prior to the administration of a diuretic and 24 hours thereafter. An intake-output (I-0) record was obtained during this time period. Daily body weights (BWT) and
I-0 records served as the criteria by which to compare the BIA measurements. A reliability coefficient on 10 normal age-matched subjects was obtained using a test-retest approach.
Findings. Statistically significant relationships were found between BIA total body water (TBW) and BWT,
r = .729 (p<.001) and BIA-TBW and I-0, r = .745 (p<.001) when the average of right and left TBWs was obtained.
The BIA-TBW taken from the non-dominant side of the body also resulted in strong correlations with BWT and I-0,
r = .648 (p<.001), r = .704 (p<.001) respectively. The BIA-TBW taken from the dominant side correlated well with
BWT, r = .515 (p = .001), but did not correlate
significantly with I-0, r = .451 (p = .024). A
reliability coefficient of .9984 was obtained.
Conclusions. The results of this study indicate
that BIA is a reliable technique and comparable to the traditional methods of DBW and I-0 in fluid assessment of CHF patients undergoing diuresis.
Recommendations. Repeating the study with the
inclusion of reliability and validity determinations of the criteria standards will improve the integrity of the study. In addition, further refinement of BIA technology
identifying hydration abnormalities and using the average of right and left BIA-TBWs will result in more accurate data in patient populations