The lack of academic achievement at the high school level among some gifted students has long been a concern of educators. This research had two purposes: First, to determine if there was a relationship among learning style, academic self-concept and academic achievement with gifted high school students; and second, to understand an individual who was representative of these characteristics identified in part one and determine what life experiences have affected this student’s underachievement. A quasi-experimental design was selected for the quantitative portion of this study to accomplish the first purpose. The design began with the hypothesis that there was a relationship among these variables and employed the use of two self-report instruments, the Learning Style Inventory by Dunn, Dunn, and Price (1989) and the Student Attitude Measure by Wick (1991). Participants for this portion of the study were taken from a population of 93 gifted students at one suburban high school. A parent meeting was held to explain the purpose of the testing; then permission letters were sent to the parents. Seventy-four parents responded, establishing the sample size. The results were compiled using the SYSTAT statistical program. Academic achievement was high for gifted students who showed a preference for studying in a quiet, warm place, were persistent and parent/teacher motivated, and who preferred to learn in several ways but did not prefer to learn through auditory methods or to move around while studying. This finding was the same regardless of the academic self-concept. The selection of the qualitative portion of the study was based on the relationship among learning style, academic self-concept, and low academic achievement. The selected student had a low academic self-concept score, a learning style different from the one stated above, and low academic achievement based on the grades during the year in which the testing took place. This study identified a number of factors which had an impact upon this individual and highlighted the importance of professionals’ awareness of each individual’s unique perceptions and life situations that affect underachievement rather than looking for a panacea. / Ed. D.

Research findings emphasize the need for programs for the gifted reader, particularly the need to determine which methods or programs best benefit the gifted student. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Junior Great Books (JGB) literature program on reading comprehension achievement of gifted fifth grade students due to the factors of a) discussion/non-discussion and b) levels of students' experience in the JGB program. This study was replicated to determine if similar results in reading comprehension achievement occurred by using different JGB stories. In addition, the study explored methodological issues of cross-level inferences to determine if different results were obtained when applying the General Linear Model to individual-level and aggregate-level data. The research was experimental in design. Seventy-eight fifth grade gifted students were randomly assigned to eight groups in two schools, four treatment groups with discussion and four control groups without discussion. Students in one school had no prior JGB experience; students in the other school had a range of one to three years JGB experience. Two different JGB literature stories, randomly selected, were read by all groups. Reading comprehension was measured, pre and post, by an instrument that emerged from the JGB stories using the cloze procedure. Additional data to measure students' achievement in the form of responses to openended questions about the JGB literature stories were collected. Observations of groups featuring discussions/non-discussions were taped and rated to determine whether appropriate formats were followed by the leaders. Individual-level data and aggregate—level data were analyzed using a two—way ANOVA with nesting using the General Linear Model of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). lt was found, and supported by study replication, that there were no significant differences between those fifth grade gifted students who participated in the JGB s program with discussion and those who did not. Nor were there differences due to level of experience in the JGB program. Similar results were obtained when applying the General Linear Model to individual—level and aggregate-level data. Further investigation of the JGB program and related methods and procedures involved in the study were suggested. / Ph. D.

An anaerobic, cellulose decomposing bacterium was isolated in pure culture from the ingesta of a bovine rumen. The organia was a small, curved, Gram negative rod that occurred singly or in chains. The isolated bacterium was identified as a member of the genus Butyrivibrio because of its morphology and because of its production of certain volatile fatty acids in a rumen fluid-glucose medium fermentation. The characteristic fermentation waa the production of a large amount of butyric acid and some lactic acid or succinic acid, and the lack of production of propionic acid. It was found that when rumen fluid was omitted from the fermentation medium the production of butyric acid decreased markedly. The organism was found to have a relatively narrow pH tolerance for the initiation of growth, pH 6.3 to 7.2, with an optimum of pH 6.9 to 7.0. Growth stopped at about pH 6.4, and continued fermentation decreased the pH to 6.0. The organism was cultured continuously on a medium which vu chemically defined except that vitamin-free casein hydrolysate was included, when the hydrolysate was replaced by a mixture of pure L-isomers of amino acids similar in composition to the hydrolysate, good growth occurred. However, when each amino acid was supplied at a uniform weight concentration, much weaker growth was obtained. Evidence was obtained indicating that aadno acids were inhibitory, although the reason for the mild inhibition was not disclosed. The following amino acids were found to be critical nutrients, but in some cases their status, whether essential or stimulatory, was found to be dependent on the composition of the medium: - cysteine, histidine, isoleucine. methionine, lysine, tyrosine, asparagine and leucine. A medium containing only these amino acids supported only very weak growth. Aspartic acid was found to be mildly inhibitory to growth, and glutamic acid was found to reverse the inhibition. A mixture of the common purine and pyrimidine bases, and a mixture of volatile fatty acids, were each found to be inhibitory to growth. Biotin, folic acid, and pyridoxal were essential vitamins, but the other eight B-vitamins examined were found to be neither stimulatory nor essential. Carbon dioxide was found to be required in relatively high concentration in order for growth to start in a medium devoid of rumen fluid. Purines, pyrimidines, cobalamine, and Tween-80 in a mixture were found not to replace the carbon dioxide. Rumen fluid was found to contain material very stimulatory for growth of the Butyrivibrio. The stimulatory material was found to be possibly two compounds or types of compounds, one a peptide or peptide like substance, and the other an anionic substance which probably was polynucleotide-like. / Ed. D.

This qualitative investigation into differences between intellectually gifted sixth grade students and sixth grade students in regular education programs was conducted with two questions as the focus: 1. Are there differences other than IQ between these two groups of students on a selection of school-related variables? 2. Are there sixth grade students in the regular education program who exhibit the same profile on the selected variables as do the intellectually gifted sixth grade students? An analysis of forty variables held by each of the 129 students in three Gifted Center Classes and two regular education classes indicated differences exist between the two groups in some areas other than intelligence. Students in the Gifted Center obtained significantly higher scores on five of the six Biographical Inventory Form U subtests, which measured academic performance, creativity, artistic potential, leadership and educational orientation. The results of the subtest Vocational Maturity were not significant. Differences in performance were noted on the SRA Achievement Series with the gifted students achieving higher test scores than regular education students. Both groups, however, scored commensurate with measured abilities as indicated by the Educational Ability Score (EAS). Report card notations indicate that gifted students are more respectful of authority, more courteous, more respectful of property and exercise more self-control than students in regular education programs. On a Moreno sociogram, results were significant in only one category. Gifted students were more readily selected by peers as students preferred to study with than students in regular education programs. The discriminant analysis indicated that 100% of the intellectually gifted students were placed or identified properly. Six students or 10.5% of the population in the regular education program exhibited profiles similar to that of the intellectually gifted students. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to share the experiences of Black children and families attending early childhood programs across New York City. The theoretical lenses of Anti-Blackness, Intersectionality, and Critical Childhood Studies were employed to provide counter-stories to the dominant narratives told about young Black children and families in traditional educational settings and to examine how the intersection of various identity markers contributed to the participants’ experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six families and one teacher across Brooklyn and the Bronx. The children ranged in age from 4 to 8 years old and attended Head Start 3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 2nd grade programs in public, private, and charter schools. Child-centered research methods were utilized when interviewing the children. In addition, classroom observations were conducted in one child participant’s school for additional insights into the moments that shaped their memories of preschool. This study aimed to learn what young Black children and their parents had to say about their early childhood experiences in their own words. An additional aim was to identify conditions and practices that need to be preserved as well as those that should be discontinued as we seek to create more equitable and just learning outcomes in educational spaces. Implications for policy and practice are offered based on insights learned from young Black children and their parents.

Learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach are currently included in ordinary schools in South Africa. By default, most educators are not adequately trained to include these learners successfully. Transformation and train-ing, specific to the context of inclusive education, is thus undeniable. Therefore, in order to address the development of full-service schools to include learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach, a literature study on the nature of inclusive education with the focus on full-service schools to include the mentioned learners, took place. A qualitative study was conducted and data was gathered by interviews with six, learners, parents and educators. The findings were corroborated with the literature study with a view to addressing learner and system needs in order to include these learners successfully in a full-service school. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to address the development of full-service schools to include the mentioned learners. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Spanish cultural translation of the Student Success Skills (SCT-SSS) classroom program as a school counselor intervention for increasing Hispanic student academic achievement scores as measured by standardized mathematics and reading tests. The research question evaluated in this study was: "What is the effect of student participation in the SCT-SSS on student achievement of high school Hispanic students in reading and mathematics as measured by Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)"? The sample for this study included 352 Hispanic students in Grades 9 and 10 from two public high schools in south Florida. The treatment group included 166 students and the comparison group included 186 students. In order to be eligible for participation in this study, students had to meet three different criteria: (a) they identified themselves as Hispanic on their school registration form; (b) they were enrolled in a Spanish for Native Speakers foreign language elective course: and (c) they had Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) pretest scores on the reading and math tests. A series of preliminary univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine if differences existed between participants on the FCAT reading and mathematics pretests Developmental Scale Scores (DSS). To control for grade level and English language learner (ELL) differences between study participants on pretest reading scores, a univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted using the FCAT reading pretest DSS as the covariate. An overall effect size of the current study was +0.50 with a variance of 0.0060 (95% CI [0.35, 0.65]). / The results for the overall math effect size was +0.32 with a variance of 0.0115 (95% CI [0.10, .53]), and the results for the overall reading effect sizewas +0.70 with a variance of 0.0127 (95% CI [.48, .93]). These effect sizes were statistically significificant at the.05 level. The results from this study demonstrated that the SCT-SSS classroom program is an effective intervention for increasing student achievement for high school Hispanic students. Students who received the SCT-SSS classroom program achieved greater gains when compared to students who did not receive the intervention. / by Ivett Urbina. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Research has shown that most school leaders lack the knowledge necessary to deal with the many different aspects and issues that special education programs encompass. This lack of knowledge ultimately places special education teachers, programs, and students with disabilities at a clear disadvantage. With The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the reauthorization of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in 2004, schools and school leaders are being held accountable for the learning gains of all students, including students with disabilities. This study sought to assess the knowledge of Florida school principals in the area of special education policies and procedures through survey administration. In addition, the survey was designed to establish the method by which school principals purport to have learned the majority of special education policies and procedures. Social justice as defined by Adams, Bell, and Griffin (1997) and ethical reasoning in educational leadership, developed and defined by Shapiro and Stefkovich (2005) were chosen as the conceptual framework with which to guide the design and analysis of the study. These underlying sets of ideas were used to help recognize the many inequalities that have hindered education for a variety of students, including those with disabilities (Lashley, 2007). FIndings of this study demonstrate the level of knowledge practicing administrators in Florida possess, the methods by which they acquired that knowledge, and the dire need for this knowledge under new state mandated reform initiatives. / by Lindsay Jesteadt. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.