Action research (AR) is a form of systematic inquiry by which practitioners address their own problems of practice. Professional development (PD) is a means by which teachers contribute to school improvement and student achievement. Too little research has gathered the qualitative perceptions of former participants in action-oriented professional learning programs, particularly in the realm of single-sex independent schools. This study’s goal, therefore, was to gain insight into how teachers recall experiencing action research as professional development. Two evaluation questions guided the study: (1) To what degree does the Saints Action Research Program reflect an effective model of professional development as evidenced by each of the five levels of Guskey’s model for evaluating professional development? (2) What are the perceptions of program alumni and the instructional leadership team regarding the advantages and limitations of participating in the Saints Action Research Program? To answer both questions, I generated data from four sources: (a) a participant survey, (b) semi-structured participant interviews, (c) a document review process of participant research briefs, and (d) a group interview with the instructional leadership team. Collectively, their experiences revealed that they practice action research as a multi-step process. However, the process is not ongoing, nor does it account for student learning outcomes. Instead, action research is time-consuming because the program requirements do not sufficiently differentiate based on participant needs. Ultimately, these findings offer strong support for discontinuing the current iteration of the evaluand; fill a qualitative gap in action-oriented teacher-led projects; and offer facilitators of professional development insight into how these teachers understand and practice action research as professional development.

Student veterans (SVs) represent a diverse and understudied sample of the college student population. Educational institutions are attempting to ascertain actions required to facilitate SV success on their campuses. The purpose of this study was to analyze a sample of the SV population at Ivy League institutions to understand the SVs’ engagement, academic resource use, and non-academic resource use. This dissertation examined the frequency of use of specific resources provided by institutions and their effect on SV grade point average (GPA) and feelings of inclusion. This cross-sectional quantitative research dissertation created a unique survey instrument to ascertain the answers to four specific research questions. A total of 183 respondents participated in the study, and statistical tests were conducted on raw data collected. Chi-square analysis was conducted between the SVs and the national data of traditional college students to identify statistically significant differences in collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction. Differences in collaborative learning were found in “explain[ing] course material to one or more students,” “prepar[ing] for exams by discussing or working through course material with students,” and “work[ing] with other students on course projects or assignments.” SVs reported at a higher level that they “sometimes” engaged in these activities. In terms of student-faculty interactions, the SV sample yielded significant differences in “talk[ing] about career plans with a faculty member” and “work[ing] with a faculty member on activities other than coursework” compared to national comparisons. Again, SVs reported higher responses of “sometimes” compared to their national peers. One-on-one interactions with faculty members and remedial skills programs were academic supports used by SVs that had moderate correlations with self-reported GPA. Yet, this correlation did not have a large coefficient (only 0.011) when a multiple regression model was conducted. This dissertation also measured the use of non-academic supports and their relationship with feelings of inclusion. Most veterans reported feeling included on campus (78.7%). Engagement with the educational benefits resource officer showed to be moderately correlated with feelings of inclusion. A binary logistic regression model revealed that use of this specific resource yielded a 15.5% higher chance of inclusion. This dissertation also asked the respondents to report requested resources they wish to be provided by their institution. Qualitative research coding methods were utilized to create frequency counts of these responses. Generally, responses indicated that most SVs did not request additional resources provided by their HEI; however there was evidence of a desire for a (a) Student Veterans Resource Office, (b) creation of student veterans groups, and (c) further remedial academic skills programs. As a result of the present study’s findings, campus leaders can better focus their resources to improve the GPA and feelings of inclusion in the SV population: encouraging collaborative learning, increasing student-faculty interaction, maintaining efforts to process educational support programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and creation of both remedial academic training and student veteran resources offices are all courses of action to take. With the number of SVs attending higher education on the rise, colleges and universities will need to adapt current practices to refine services to best SVs on campus.

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The predictive ability of mathematics and reading placement tests used as a prerequisite for entry into the introductory level of accounting principles was investigated in a case study conducted at Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Virginia for students enrolled during the 19-month period beginning with June 1988 and ending with December 1989. The entire population of 1353 students was used in the study which tested for the independence of two variables, assessed or non-assessed students and their success (or non-success) in the course. In addition, the scores on the placement tests were compared with the final grade of the students to establish any possible correlation between the scores and grades. Other variables such as gender, age, day or evening student status, full- or part-time status of the student or faculty, and/or curricula were also tested for their predictive qualities. The study used Chi-square statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis to evaluate the results.;The study confirmed that although there appears to be a positive correlation between some of the reading and mathematics placement tests used in the study, students who have been subjected to placement testing did not score better than the students who had not been assessed. In the area of mathematics, arithmetic skills appear to be a more significant predictor of final grade outcome than does the placement test on elementary algebra. Both reading placement tests investigated showed significant, though limited, predictive value.;Further study should include re-evaluation of the placement tests being used for their validity as a predictor of success. The level of cut-off scores which are deemed to be acceptable should also be examined. Also, further study might explore the impact that factors other than adequate entering skills, such as teaching methodology, textbook materials, accounting laboratories, and use of computers have on the success rate of accounting students.

The purpose of this compilation has been to put the complete works of those Master of Arts graduates into one bound volume in a summarized form. These summarized statements are sometimes extractions from the prefaces, introductions or conclusions of the theses. They are in most instances quotations of purpose or conclusion. Only a few are summarized completely by annotated statements of the problem involved.

Statement of Problems: 1. To find the number of high school graduates from 1951 through 1955 a. Who entered college. b. Who married. c. Who went to work and type of job. 2. To find the college entered and objective. 3. To find occupation of those who did not enter college. 4. To find age at time of graduation. 5. To find some causes for not attending college.

In recent years, increased attention has been paid to accelerating the development of struggling young adolescents’ reading skills (Franzak, 2006). It has been widely acknowledged that these students require intensive instruction in reading in order to meet changing societal demands (Allington, 2002; Afflerbach, 2004; Alvermann, 2001; Biancarosa & Snow, 2004). Score reporting from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) may demonstrate a dichotomy amongst our young adolescent readers, but the scores do not tell us about the specific needs of individual students. In other words, these levels essentially create two groups: those who can read and those who cannot. Further, instructional decisions are being made based on the limited proficiency scores of state mandated standardized assessments. This method of reporting scores creates a notion of homogeneity amongst the reading skills of young adolescents. The purpose of this multivariate correlational study was to determine the patterns of reading abilities amongst struggling young adolescent readers in an attempt to demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of these students and the variability of reading skills they bring to middle school classrooms (grades 6-8), in an effort to influence both policy and instruction at this level. Data were collected during the 2005-2006 academic year. Each student participant (n=94) was administered five assessments that measured alphabetics (phonemic awareness and phonics), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, which were representative of both the highly and less constrained skills (Paris, 2005) presented as essential components of reading instruction by the National Reading Panel (NRP, 2000). Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the assessment means of several subgroups, students who qualified for special education, free and reduced price lunch, and English Language Learner services, and those who did not qualify for these services. Results indicated all of these students scored below grade level on the assessments administered. However, all of the students represented varying abilities and needs that required further analysis. Factor analysis was then utilized to determine which reading skills assessed were most directly related to student performance on TCAP. Three factors emerged, meaning, decoding, and rate and accuracy. Finally, cluster analysis presented four distinct clusters of struggling young adolescents, which represented heterogeneous abilities in various reading skills. Results indicated one-size-fits-all approaches to policy and instruction relating to struggling young adolescent readers do not meet the heterogeneous needs of this population of students. Rather, in-depth assessment and diagnoses are necessary to determine the most appropriate instructional tools for individual students. Further, by suggesting the use of state mandated standardized assessment scores be the sole indicator of student placement in remedial reading courses, policy fails to address the multifaceted process of reading and the differing trajectories of young adolescent reading development.

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