Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 W418 / Master of Arts

The purpose of this study was to (1) ascertain the perceptions of teachers using volunteer aids and (2) to investigate the effect use of volunteer aids have on student achievement when comparing anticipated achievement with actual academic achievement. The population for this study included the teachers at Sahuarita Elementary School and students from both Sahuarita Elementary School and Sopori Elementary School in the Sahuarita Unified School District No. 30 system at Sahuarita, Arizona. From these groups, all teachers at Sahuarita Elementary School were used in the sample study and one class from each grade level, two to five, from each school was selected to be representative of the total grade level. Faculty members from Sahuarita Elementary School were given an opinion questionnaire constructed to indicate teacher effectiveness as a result of using volunteer aides. The teachers from Sopori elementary School were not given the opinion questionnaire because they did not utilize the services of volunteer aides. The Volunteer Aide Teacher Opinion Questionnaire was validated by using Aiken's Index of Content Validity and the information gathered on it was analyzed by a simple tally method. The mean scores of teacher responses were graphically illustrated on a profile chart. Classrooms of students were selected, one from each grade level, two to five, and were administered the Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude and the California Achievement Test at both Sahuarita Elementary School and at Sopori Elementary School. From the data collected, linear regressions utilizing residuals were graphically constructed for each class of students in the control and experimental groups. Significant levels of student achievement were noted based on analysis of variance of potential vs. performance. Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.), sex and ethnic background were investigated to determine cause and effect relationships and for future investigative research.

Because little was known about second language online collaborative reading, this study explored the application of an online annotation affordance, analyzing the processes and products of how Taiwanese schoolchildren used notetaking and sharing functions to develop their English reading comprehension. Fifth-grade students (N = 83) from three English classes were randomly assigned to three reading conditions: read-only (i.e., individual reading without making any annotation), individual annotation (i.e., making annotations for their own use), and collaborative annotation (i.e., making and sharing annotations on their reading experience with others while reading) for three reading sessions. Data sources included a background survey, reading comprehension tests (free recall and cued recall), reading affect surveys, students’ annotations, text-based stimulated recall protocols, and a survey about the frequency of online support consultation. Results of quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that there was no statistically significant difference among the reading groups in their free recall and cued recall performance, their reading enjoyment and engagement, and their perceptions of the reading activity’s helpfulness for reading comprehension. Despite the lack of overall significant difference in reading affect, the collaborative annotation group increased their affect levels across the reading sessions, and significantly raised enjoyment levels between first and second sessions. Supplementary analyses found that the relationship between the amount of annotation and students’ reading comprehension scores was positive but did not reach a statistically significant level. Additionally, the more often the participants consulted online resources, the lower were their cued recall scores. As for the functions served by students’ annotations, nine categories were identified. The most prevalent function for the individual annotation group was “Translations,” whereas “Responses to Peers” was the most frequent category for the collaborative annotation group. The amount of interaction with peers was positively associated with cued recall scores and negatively associated with amount of use of translation annotations. Analysis of processes revealed that students were different in how they read online and used annotations. Students provided multifaceted reasons for why they did or did not make annotations and reply to peers while reading, and for why they liked or disliked the online reading activities. / text

This study investigated the individual power of teachers as subordinates in elementary schools. It focused on the informal social structure in "good" elementary schools and the roles played by principals, teachers who held formal governance positions, itinerant teachers, and participants in the district's career ladder pilot program. Roles sampled were (1) providers of moral support, (2) sources of teaching expertise, (3) dispensers of procedural information, and (4) those able to "get things done" in the school. Peer and principal dependency data were also collected. Teachers and principals in five elementary schools in a single school district were sampled twice in a two year period. Findings were: (1) Although "good" principals received high total scores for providing resources to the faculty, there were instances when individual teachers scored as high or higher than the principal. (2) Faculty and principals depended on providers of moral support more than they depended on any of the traditionally power-producing roles. (3) Teachers depended on peers mostly for moral support, less for teaching expertise and "getting things done," and least for information. Teachers depended on the principal for moral support and information, less for "getting things done," and least for teaching expertise. (4) Full-time classroom teachers and specialists were most active in the social structure. Part-time teachers, itinerant teachers, and special services personnel, such as psychologists, speech/language pathologists, etc., were not key participants. Some full-time teachers, such as fine arts, physical education, and self-contained special education teachers were less active. (5) Teachers holding formal governance positions in the school established or gained influence while holding the formal positions, and they apparently did not lose influence the year after leaving the positions. Formal positions were held by full-time classroom teachers and only occasionally by a specialist. (6) Career ladder candidates or participants established or gained influence in the school's social structure during the career ladder process. Itinerant teachers and individuals who teach specialized curricula were more active in the career ladder program than they were in the school governance network.

This thesis examined what means a group of elementary school principals in multicultural communities used to support and imporve the language learning of English Language Learning (ELL)students. In this thesis, multicultural communities are defined as urban schools which have a majority of students whose mother tongue is not English. Although they are challenged to value and honour the diversity of their school communities, these principals must also ensure that their teachers meet the mandated rigors of the Ontario curriculum, and that the students attain desired levels of achievement as defined by the Ontario Ministry of Education. In an increasing number of schools in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) ELL students form a majority of the student population; yet this reality is barely acknowledged in provincial educational policy or in the professional education of Ontario's school principals. Nor has the educational research adequately addressed the challenges of educating ELL students over the past thirty-five years. The research literature on the characteristics, activities, and behaviour of effective school principals rarely mention their knowledge of other cultures and languages or their expertise related to ethnic and racial diversity. Semi-structured interviews were used to capture the responses of ten elementary school principals of multicultural school communities. The findings indicate that principals who were successful in leading multicultural school communities and improving the literacy achievement of ELL students had a deep understanding of literacy development; cultural needs of the community; and ESL issues. Although much of the leadership framework is similar to principalship in non-multicultural school communities, principals identified a number of leadership competencies that are particular to a diverse community. The findings have implications for the courses which prepare principals for these schools; the professional development of senior administrators; and the choice of personnel suitable for leadership roles in multicultural communities.

Literacy is fundamental to formal education, learning, and training for future career related skills. It provides not only the means of acquisition of information and skills during schooling, but it is a vital predictor of a person's general level of education in school as well as successful completion of schooling. Literacy skills serve as the major foundational skill for all school-based learning and without it, chances for academic and occupational success are limited. Despite the efforts of teachers, a significant portion of students continue to fail to achieve success in early literacy in school, with severe consequences for their subsequent educational progress, career opportunities and life chances. The extent of this problem varies throughout school systems. All of our children are affected by their reading ability, and as educators it is critical to provide for all students the most effective literacy programs and strategies which are research based, data-driven and successfully replicated. Because of the psychological, social and economic consequences of reading failure, it is critical to review the research to determine the risk factors that may predispose youngsters to reading failure, and the instructional practices that can be applied to ameliorate reading deficits at the earliest possible time. The failure to achieve in literacy is a fact, which continues to carry dire social and economic consequences for the children, as well as for this society. Furthermore, there is a substantial body of research indicating that schools have a narrow window of opportunity to make a difference. Students who fail to make progress in literacy during the first two years of school rarely catch up with their peers and are at-risk of becoming low achievers who are alienated from school and who dropout of education at the earliest opportunity. On the other hand, impressive empirical evidence is now available to support the notion that failure to make progress in literacy is preventable for all except a very small portion of children. This study reviews the relationship between the principal's knowledge of early literacy and student achievement in reading by the third grade. It will also describe the causal factors that may predispose young children to reading difficulties, as well as the instructional programs and teacher strategies that can be implemented to ameliorate the difficulties. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are used to analyze the data. Narratives, tables and figures are used to further enhance the research.

No description available.

For some time, teaching Standard English has been a problem of major proportion at Versia L. Williams Elementary School, Fort Worth, Texas. Even casual observation shows that pupils do not grasp much of the classroom English teaching, nor do they transfer that which they do learn to other school work or daily use. The instructional program in English at the Williams Elementary School, therefore, must be supplemented to the extent that the pupils may be given the kinds of experiences in the classroom that will ultimately result in their learning Standard English in a manner that will enable them to relate the "book talk" to their own idiolects, which according to Giddings (2) everyone has. They bring to school a well-established set of habits which they will continue to use in spite of the classroom instruction, because they hold on to the teaching of their first teachers--their mothers.

In this research, the author has undertaken to investigate what relationship, if any, exists between academic achievement of the child in the upper-elementary grades and his achievement in both or either, of the two- and three-dimensional arts.

The primary purpose of this study was to develop the considerations and techniques for the selection, development, and validation of laboratory experience units in general biology for prospective elementary school teachers. The completed laboratory experience unites developed in this study may serve as resources of activities for college instructors who teach general biology to undergraduate majors in elementary education. For purposes of this study the laboratory experience unites were centered about those principles of general biology which an elementary school teacher should understand in order to teach about plants and animals.