Many stakeholders in American education are concerned about the frequency of reported bullying incidents within schools in general and middle schools in particular. This nationwide problem has manifested itself in many ways over the past few decades. These manifestations include, but are not limited to, increased gang violence, school shootings, and attendance problems due to student concerns over safety. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the bullying behaviors of a single class of students as they progressed through E. B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon, Virginia. Data were gathered over the course of three consecutive school years beginning in August 2002 and continuing through May 2005. Reported bullying incidents were analyzed based upon gender of students, grade level of students, frequency of bullying behaviors, types of bullying behaviors (verbal, physical, or emotional), and location of incidents (bus, classroom, hallway, or other). The study offers a valuable insight into the bullying incidents that occur within E. B. Stanley Middle School. It also offers a number of recommendations to combat this problem in middle level schools. Effective implementation of bullying prevention programs will need to involve all school stakeholders in order to be successful. Students have a right to feel safe at school as they grow and mature into adulthood. It is the duty of all schools to provide them that safe and secure atmosphere.

This study was a correlational investigation of the effect of student demographic characteristics, prior academic performance, college academic performance, and college status on general education achievement at a rural community college in Tennessee. The criterion variable in this study was student performance on the Academic Profile examination, a nationally normed standardized test published by the Educational Testing Service that is designed to measure academic skills in general education subject areas. The population for this study included students at Walters State Community College located in Morristown, Tennessee, who had completed or were nearing completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours required for an associate degree and who had applied for graduation during the academic year 2003. All students in this study sat for the Academic Profile examination as a final requirement for graduation and their scores were posted in the college's student information system. Other data extracted from the student information system and used in this study include race, age, gender, evidence of financial need, zip code of permanent residence, type of degree earned, ACT composite score, placement test requirement, undergraduate grade point average, general education credit hours, grades earned in general education courses, evidence of college preparatory course participation, transfer status, and the dates of first and last terms graded. Variables were analyzed using descriptive techniques appropriate to the level of measurement of each variable including t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's r, and stepwise multiple regression. The statistical analyses indicated that race, age, ACT composite score, placement test requirement, undergraduate and general education GPA, college preparatory course participation, and length of time between first and last semesters had a relationship to student performance on the Academic Profile examination. The ACT composite score was the strongest predictor of student performance on the examination. Although this study addressed only a small number of variables affecting achievement in general education, it contributes to the literature by identifying interesting relationships among student variables that could be explored. The study also indicates that standardized tests that measure student general education achievement may not be the best assessment measures for public community colleges with open admission policies.

The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate methods of assessment for online courses. Internet instructors were surveyed and asked which methods of assessment they use in the online courses that they teach and how effective they perceive those methods to be in determining if the learning objectives have been met for the course(s) that they teach online. The findings of this study indicated that there is a difference between some academic disciplines in relation to the type of assessment methods being used in online courses. There is a difference in perceived effectiveness of assessment methods among the individual instructors surveyed. The most effective means of assessment as determined by the survey results is individual projects. The least effective method of assessment as determined by the survey results is self-assessment. The study's results confirmed that objective testing is not considered the most effective method of assessment; however, several instructors still use this method because of time constraints. The study's results confirmed that a variety of assessment methods need to be used within each Internet course to determine the effectiveness of the course. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the assessment methods being used by those instructors who received training and those who did not. This conclusion could be because the training received by most online instructors was in Blackboard and/or technology and not assessment methods. There is a difference in the number of types of assessment being used by online instructors. The survey data indicated that there was not a difference in assessment methods being used by instructors who have taught for more than three years as compared to instructors who have taught three or fewer years. The study indicated that there is a difference in some of the types of assessments being used by instructors who teach more than one Internet course per year. Not surprisingly, instructors who have a large number of students and/or course sections resort to objective testing methods only because they do not have time to grade alternative assessment formats.

No description available.

No description available.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the underlying latent factor structure of the Trauma Inventory for Partners of Sex Addicts (TIPSA), a 53-item assessment designed to assess for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the context of sexual addiction. It was theorized that the factor structure mirrored the 5 core criteria for PTSD as constituted in DSM-5. Data were gathered from 3,199 self-selected respondents (ages 21 to 55) who completed an online version of the TIPSA. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed utilizing Mplus in order to confirm the hypothesized factor structure of the TIPSA. Several modifications were made to the model, based on factor loadings and modification indices, in order to improve goodness-of-fit. In addition to the original posited model, three other models were also examined: a second-order factor model; a general-factor model; and a bifactor model. The second-order factor model emerged as the model of choice, based on both statistical and theoretical underpinnings. As a result of the findings from this study, revision of the items contained in the TIPSA is recommended. In addition, in order to further establish the validity of the TIPSA as an assessment for PTSD, evaluating convergent and discriminant validity of the TIPSA with other established assessments, such as the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) PTSD Checklist, is also suggested.

The use of the Allied Health Professions Admissions Test (AHPAT) as an admission tool to upper level medical technology programs was compared against the most commonly accepted criteria of overall grade point average (OG) and science grade point average (SG). The comparison was based on how well each predicted success on the Board of Registry Exam of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. The sample population included admission and program data on 129 graduates of a University 2 + 2 Medical Technology Program from 1980 to 1986. The population consisted mostly of white (81.4%) (n = 105) females (83.0%) (n = 107) applying from four year institutions (74.4%) (n = 96) without previous baccalaureate degrees (91.5%) (n = 118) whose mean age was 22.8.;Using stepwise regression analysis on all numerical variables including the OG, SG, AHPAT and its subscores, the first variable to enter was the AHPAT (r{dollar}\sp2{dollar} = 0.2730) and the second variable to enter was the SG explaining an additional 14% of the variance (r{dollar}\sp2{dollar} = 0.4088). No other variable met the 0.0500 significance level for entry into the model. The same order of entry existed for the white, non-degreed subjects. These data strongly support the use of the AHPAT, along with the SG, as an additional admission criterion for entry into medical technology programs.;Additional studies revealed that Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT's) did not score significantly higher than those without previous laboratory training on either the AHPAT (F (1,127) = 2.53, n.s., {dollar}p >{dollar}.05) nor the ASCP exam (F (1,127) = 0.29, n.s., {dollar}p >{dollar}.05), and that both scores were independent of sex, race and previous college degree. The AHPAT scores proved significantly different in those individuals who passed or failed the ASCP upon first attempt (F (1,128) = 12.33, {dollar}p <{dollar}.0006), thus providing further support for its use. Duncan groupings showed no significant differences in the AHPAT scores of the subjects when compared by year of admission. This runs counter to the national belief of a steady decline in the quality of the applicant pool during the time frame studied.

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of correlation between the high school gpa's of high scorers on the SAT and three variables: degree of career focus, level of study skills knowledge and use, and quality of interpersonal relationships. It was hoped that correlations might suggest positive intervention strategies for gifted high school students who are underachieving in high school in order to improve their high school to college transitions.;The researcher worked with school personnel in 20 high schools in the southeastern region of Virginia. High SAT scorers were identified and they were provided with three survey instruments to be completed at home: a degree of career focus scale, the LASSI (Learning and Study Skills Inventory), and the AIR (Assessment of Interpersonal Relations) Scale. Best SAT I scores were collected as well as seventh semester gpa's and correlated against the three survey measures.;It was hypothesized that among these high SAT scorers, gpa would correlate positively with a higher degree of career focus, with a higher level of study skills, and with higher ratings of interpersonal relationships with parents, peers, and teachers.;Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations between SAT and gpa, gpa and the motivation subscale of the LASSI, and gpa and the global score on the AIR as well as the AIR subscales for relationships with father and female peers. Math and total SAT scores also correlated positively with the Test Taking Strategics subscale of the LASSI.;It was concluded that study skills motivation may be a factor in academic underachievement among bright high school students, but that degree of career focus alone was not a good predictor of motivation. It was also concluded that family and peer relationships had an influence on gpa for the research sample, and that SAT scores correlate positively with high school gpa even among a relatively high scoring group.;Further research is needed to discern additional factors which cause, or at least predict, underachievement among gifted students and to assess how these findings and previous research and theorizing may contribute to intervention strategies.

The intelligence of moderately mentally retarded (MR) children is difficult to assess because they often have concurrent physical or sensory impairments which adversely affect their test performance. The purpose of this study was to determine if necessary adaptations are made when assessing children who are moderately MR for educational placement in the State of Virginia.;A survey was sent to public school psychologists in the State of Virginia as identified by the 1990-91 roster obtained from the Virginia Department of Education. The survey inquired as to their normal methods of intelligence testing used with the moderately mentally retarded population. The results of the survey and a review of literature were used to determine methods of successful assessment of children who are moderately mentally retarded.;The results of the study indicate that more than one intelligence measure must be made to validate the results. The inclusion of adaptive behavior scales is necessary to satisfy the criteria for mental retardation. Modifications are often necessary to prevent physical handicaps from suppressing the child's scores on standard intelligence tests. What is needed are precisely stated modifications, included with standard intelligence tests, which accommodate for the needs of moderately mentally retarded children.

The purpose of this study was to determine how K-12 public school teachers perceive the use of student performance data in teacher evaluations. The proprietary, utility, feasibility, and accuracy standards created by the Joint Committee on Standards for Education Evaluation (JCSEE) served as a framework for the study. An online survey was deployed to a random stratified sample of teachers across the United States. Participants responded to thirty statements using a four-point Likert Scale that ranged from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. Participants were also provided an opportunity to list and describe additional items that they favored and feared with respect to using student performance data in teacher evaluations. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used to determine the level of teacher agreement on statements. Responses were further analyzed to determine the impact that the following demographic factors had on perceptions: (a) years of teaching experience, (b) teaching in a union and non-union states, (c) teaching a tested and non-tested grades and courses, and (d) teaching in elementary, middle, and high schools. Results indicated a strong level of agreement among teachers on the positive impact that the use of student performance data will have on improving teacher evaluations. Further results indicated that demographic factors played a minimal role in influencing participants' perceptions.