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Understanding the Pre-Internship Clinical Experiences of Undergraduate Music Therapy Students
Full text linkThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how undergraduate music therapy students perceive, describe, and make meaning from their pre-internship clinical experiences. Using a basic qualitative research approach and marrying arts-based methods with reflexive thematic analysis methods, the following research questions guided my research— How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students make meaning from their pre-internship clinical experiences? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and describe themselves and their pre-professional identity? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and experience working with clients in a real-world setting? How do pre-internship undergraduate music therapy students perceive and understand the practice and profession of music therapy from their pre-internship clinical experiences?Workman, JamieParker, ForrestRuttencutter, GwenEd.D.Education in Curriculum and Instructio
Thomasville History Center - Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0156-1978.32.0162
No full text1 electronic document (PDF), 42 scans, 45 pages. 7637458 bytes.Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0156-1978.32-0162. Community Archives: Thomasville History Center – Merrill Papers. Series 2, Box 1978-32. Folder 18. Items 156-162. Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections
Thomasville History Center - Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0320-1978.32.0323
No full text1 electronic record (PDF), 29 scans (JP2), 30 pages. 4189310 bytes.Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0320-1978.32-0323. Community Archives: Thomasville History Center – Merrill Papers. Series 2, Box 1978-32. Folder 31 Items 320-323. Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collection
An Analysis of Georgia Hybrid Program Characteristics and Hybrid Homeschool Student Academic Achievement
No full textAs homeschooling numbers rose following the COVID-19 pandemic,nontraditional education such as hybrid homeschooling was reported as a desirable option by parents. This dissertation examines the academic outcomes of homeschool and hybrid homeschool students in Georgia following the rise of post-COVID nontraditional education. Hybrid homeschooling, a blend of homeschooling and private education, has grown in popularity and yet the impact on student achievement remains largely unexplored. This study analyzes SAT performance among homeschool and hybrid homeschool students, comparing it to public and private school averages using a quantitative methodology. A series of t-tests, ANOVAs, and ultimately a multiple regression analysis was performed after administering an anonymous survey to Georgia hybrid homeschool families and homeschool families. Results indicate both homeschool and hybrid homeschool students scored significantly higher on the SAT than their public and private school counterparts. However, no significant difference was found between homeschool and hybrid homeschool students’ SAT scores. Further analysis of factors such as set schedules, parental assistance, days attended in hybrid programs, and hybrid program characteristics aligned to Epstein’s Theory of Parental Involvement revealed no significant predictive relationship with SAT scores.Nobles, KathyWearne, EricBochenko, MichaelStrevig, AprilEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
The Experiences of Rural Special Education Teachers Who Chose an Alternative Preparation Pathway
No full textEnrollment in traditional special education teacher preparation programs has declined while enrollment in alternative preparation programs has increased in Georgia (Georgia Insights, 2023). Since alternative preparation programs have become the viable recruitment vein for rural schools challenged to fill special education teaching vacancies, school administrators and alternative preparation program staff need a lens through which to view these teachers’ unique experiences and subsequent needs so as not to perpetuate turnover and burnout. This study focused on exploring the experiences of individuals who are rural special education teachers who completed an alternative teacher preparation pathway, the Georiga Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP). The study’s methodology was rooted in a phenomenological approach using Seidman’s (2013) three-interview series. The four participants, employed in different rural Georgia schools, had completed their GaTAPP program two years or less at the time of the interviews. The five emerging themes identified through data analysis were Motivation, GaTAPP Experiences, Challenges, Resources, and Improvements to Strengthen Alternative Program. Participants identified their beliefs, attitudes, and practices resulting from using an alternative preparation pathway for certification purposes. The study’s results highlight the significance of rural school systems’ and partnering education agencies’ assessment of their efforts for collaboration to sustain and enhance partnerships focused on alternative preparation pathway programs for special education certification.Paine, DeborahLairsey, JohnBochenko, MichaelNobles, KathyEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
Revisiting the Child Fitness Tax Credit Efficacy in Southwestern Ontario: A Qualitative Program Review
No full textIn 2007, Canada introduced the Child Fitness Tax Credit, or CFTC. The CFTC was created to increase activity among children. At CFTC inception, it was estimated that only 37.6 percent of the target group met the guideline of at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity (Canada, 2013). The benefits of increased activity include reducing the risk of acquiring chronic diseases (Canada, 2013). Reducing chronic disease has positive fiscal implications. The costs to treat obesity-related disease rose by ~ 750 million dollars CAD between 2000-2008 in Canada (Government of Canada, 2011). In 2017 the Department of Finance issued a report which cited a lack of evidence that the CFTC had successfully increased activity levels (Department of Finance, 2017). Data used to justify the cancellation of the CFTC relied upon the Canada Community Health Survey (CCHS). However, there was no attempt to correlate CFTC utilization to activity reporting.
The CFTC had the highest utilization in the Province of Ontario. This research aims to explore the experiences of a key stakeholder group that was not engaged in the program evaluation process. While the findings of this study provide valuable insights to better understand the impact that the CFTC had on increasing participation in organized fitness activities, it is important to recognize that the homogeneity of the sample group limits the applicability and generalizability of the results to broader, more diverse contexts (Smith et al., 2009).Jha, NandanWatson, WilliamSong, MinsunD.P.APolitical Scienc
Thomasville History Center - Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0316-1978.32.0319
No full text1 electronic document (PDF), 41 scans (JP2), 42 pages. 5,419,581 bytes.Merrill Papers, Documents 1978.32.0316-1978.32-0319. Community Archives: Thomasville History Center – Merrill Papers. Series 2, Box 1978-32. Folder 30. Items 316-319. Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections
Old Berrien Newsletters Vol 6. No.1.
No full textThis item contains 1 PDF with 4 pages in addition to 4 JP2 filesThis document details Nashville, Georgia and the early urban planning efforts to establish West Avenue as its central, impressive thoroughfare, anchored by the 1898 brick Berrien County Courthouse. This vision of a "Grand Avenue" was reinforced by the strategic placement of significant institutions, including the First National Bank and Farmers Bank at its intersection with Davis Street, and critically, the new Nashville Public School at its far end, designed with its entrance facing eastward towards the courthouse. The construction of the First Baptist Church in 1917 further solidified this intended character. However, the concept began to wane with a series of architectural and planning decisions, such as the symmetrical-destroying 1938 courthouse addition, the school's 1907 annex moving its main entrance away from West Avenue, and new businesses failing to align with the grand vision. Ultimately, the "Grand Avenue" dream was "eliminated" in 1973 when the city closed and sold much of West Avenue to the First Baptist Church for an Education Center, leaving only a fragmented and transformed street today
A Quantitative Study of Leadership Practices Used by School Leaders in South Georgia
Full text linkThis quantitative dissertation examined the leadership practices of educational leaders in South Georgia schools, with the purpose of identifying effective strategies that contribute to student success and a conducive school environment. Utilizing the Leadership Practices Inventory self-survey, the researcher meticulously examined the practices of both Tier I and Tier II leaders to unveil any commonalities, disparities, and potential correlations with demographic traits. By integrating theoretical frameworks such as the ripple effect theory and Kouzes and Posner's (2002) exemplary leadership practices, this research addressed a notable gap in understanding the specific leadership behaviors prevalent among educational leaders in South Georgia and their ramifications on student performance and school culture. Based on data analysis from 779 educational leaders across three Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs), the results uncovered a striking uniformity in leadership practices across various demographic categories, including tiers, genders, races, years of experience, and school population sizes. Particularly noteworthy was the absence of significant disparities in leadership practices between Tier I and Tier II leaders, indicating that leadership effectiveness is independent of hierarchical positioning. Additionally, years of experience and school population size had no significant interaction with leadership practices, highlighting the importance of prioritizing behaviors over demographic predictors in leadership development initiatives. By emphasizing the centrality of leadership behaviors in shaping successful learning environments, the study advocates for a universal approach to leadership training that transcends demographic boundaries, fostering inclusive and effective leadership practices across educational institutions.Pate, JamesDowney, StevenShelton, MelvinEd.D.Educational leadershi
Against All Odds: An Interpretive Qualitative Exploration of African American Males' Life Experiences and Strategies for College Graduation Attainment
Full text linkAfrican American (AA) males face significant challenges in persisting academically and completing college degrees, leading to a widening achievement gap between them and other minority and non-minority groups. Despite efforts to improve low academic persistence rates, AA males continue to underperform compared to their African American female counterparts and other groups in undergraduate degree programs. The graduation rates for AA males at higher education institutions remain less than 40%, and the decline in their college degree attainment can be attributed to various factors such as lack of mentoring, insufficient student support services, inadequate academic preparation, societal expectations that are low or non-existent for their success, and socio-economic factors including high incarceration and homicide rates among AA males aged 18-35. The widening achievement gap limits opportunities for AA males in both education and the workforce, thus posing a significant problem for the United States. This dissertation aims to identify the factors hindering academic persistence and college degree attainment among AA males in higher education and effective strategies that facilitate their academic success.Downey, StevenNobles, KathyDa Cruz, BeckyLairsey, JohnEd.D.Education in Curriculum and Instructio