This experimental study was conducted to examine the relative effectiveness of a Repeated Reading (RR) and Wide Reading (WR) intervention when compared to typical instruction on secondary struggling readers' comprehension, fluency, and word reading. The sample consisted of a total of 96 students (9th through 12th grade) ranging in age from 13-17 in special education reading and English classrooms. Participants included students with learning disabilities (LD), dyslexia, or students selected as students with significant reading difficulties. The investigator paired students on variables of interest (i.e., reading level) within classes and then randomly assigned pairs to one of three groups: repeated reading (N=33), wide reading (N=34), or typical instruction (N=29). Tutors, trained by the investigator, monitored students as they worked in pairs in each treatment condition. Intervention was provided daily for approximately 15-20 minutes for 10 weeks. Treatment effects for each outcome measure were estimated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results indicate no overall statistically significant differences for any condition. Effects ranged from -.81 to .28 usually hovering around no effect or favoring the C condition over the treatment conditions or favoring the RR condition over the WR condition. Five separate ANCOVAs were conducted using the following dependent variables with each pretest score used as a covariate: (1) Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement III (WJIII) Passage Comprehension subtest (RR vs. C = -.10; WR vs. C = -.20; RR vs. WR= .10); (2) Test of Silent Reading Fluency (TOSRE) (RR vs. C =.-31; WR vs. C = -.81; RR vs. WR= .10); (3) Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement III (WJIII) Letter-Word Identification subtest (RR vs. C = -.05; WR vs. C = -.11; RR vs. WR = .06); (4) AIMSWeb Oral Reading Fluency System (RR vs. C = -.08; WR vs. C = -.26; RR vs. WR= .18); and (5) Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency (RR vs. C =.28; WR vs. C = -.01; RR vs. WR= .28). Results indicate that neither RR nor WR should be implemented for secondary readers with significant reading difficulties and more research into ways to make fluency instruction more explicit and instructional for these students is warranted.

Not available

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 3, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges faced by high school managers in dealing with pregnant learners in their schools and also ways of dealing with such challenges in selected Senior Secondary Schools in the Idutywa Education District (IED) in the Eastern Cape Province. The study mainly focused on rural schools. Qualitative research method was used and a Case Study design was used to conduct the study. The sample constituted of 16 high School Management Team (SMT) members from the four chosen high schools. An interview schedule designed by the researcher was used to gather data. The collected data were analysed using codes, segments, categories and themes. The researcher interpreted the data and the findings of the study showed that pregnancy changed the behaviour of female learners as a result, School Management Teams (SMT) found it difficult to deal with pregnant learner behaviours in terms of punishing them or expelling them due to South African Schools Act (1996). The study showed that, the School Management Teams in the four selected high schools felt that there should be parental involvement in schools when dealing with learner behaviours. The study showed that pregnant learners dropout of school before they completed their matriculation and they returned anytime after giving birth and SMT had no choice but to accept them even if they returned in the middle of the year. The study further showed that teachers had to assist pregnant learners by organizing catch up programmes so that they produce good results at the end of the year. According to the findings of the study it was clear that pregnancy really affected school policies in terms of learner discipline, learner absenteeism, school dropout and learner overall results. The researcher recommended that, the Department of Education should formulate a policy on pregnant learners that will not allow pregnant learners to attend school while being pregnant in order to assist School Management Teams in schools. The formulated policy should allow School Management Teams to expel pregnant learners in school.

This study utilized a pluralistic approach to examine self-concepts and social comparison processes of students entering the Indiana Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Humanities-a residential program for high school juniors and seniors. Following the Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect (BFLPE) theory it was hypothesized that, as students compared themselves to a homogeneous, high-ability group, their academic self-concepts would decrease. Social self-concepts, however, were hypothesized to increase due to being with "equal peers."The Self Description Questionnaire III was used to measure students' academic and social self-concepts prior to arrival at the Indiana Academy, during the first week of the fall semester, and during the first week of the spring semester. Sixty-seven students participated in all three data collections.Repeated measures analysis indicated that academic self-concepts (Mathematics, Verbal, and Problem Solving) decreased dsignificantly from summer to fall to spring. Overall Academic self-concept decreased for all students between summer and fall, but only students with a history of prior rigorous education experienced a significant decrease from fall to spring.Analysis of social self-concept indicate that Opposite Sex Relationship scores did not change significantly over time. Same Sex Relationships, however, decreased significantly from fall to spring for students with a prior history of rigorous education.The second part of the study consisted of interviews with sixteen students. Interviews were conducted during the first two weeks and around the ninth week of the fall semester. Emerging from this data were four themes: No mention of social comparison processes; Recognition that the BFLPE already occurred; Recognition that the BFLPE would occur and mindset/cognition would change; and Recognition that the BFLPE would occur but no anticipation of change in self-concept was noted.Exploratory examination suggests the possibility of sex differences-only females failed to mention social comparisons, more females mentioned change in mindset or cognition, all but one of the students in the "No change anticipated" category were male. While both sexes were similarly affected by the change in social comparison and decrease in self-concepts, the qualitative data suggests that differences in thought processes may exist. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-90).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-90).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-90).

M.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This dissertation uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the linked Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement transcript study to explore how self-identifying as Hispanic/Latino in school but not at home in adolescence is related to academic achievement at the end of high school and educational attainment by young adulthood. It also explores how the relationship between inconsistent Hispanic/Latino self-identification and academic performance varies by Latino family origin and what factors act to mediate this relationship. Finally, it investigates how using school versus home reports of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity in adolescence impacts the measurement of Latino educational progress. This research draws on education literature exploring racial and ethnic differences in academic performance to suggest how and why an inconsistent Hispanic/Latino self-identification might be related to academic performance. This literature is categorized into two broad lines of research, structural and socio-cultural, and suggests two competing understandings of the relationship between inconsistent Hispanic/Latino self-identification and academic performance as well as the factors that may mediate this relationship. This research finds a strong and negative relationship between Hispanic/Latino self-identification in school but not at home and academic performance and that this relationship varies by Latino family origin. It is only among adolescents who do not report Latino family origins that an inconsistent Hispanic/Latino self-identification is negatively associated with academic performance. This research also finds that factors related to socio-cultural explanations of school performance as well as prior academic experiences help to mediate the negative relationship between inconsistent Hispanic/Latino self-identification and academic performance among adolescents who do not report Latino family origins. Additional findings suggest that using home versus school reports of ethnicity may impact estimates of Latino/non-Latino white differences in educational outcomes and Latino generational decline. Results suggest that within schools, a Hispanic/Latino identity, one separated from Hispanic family and community ties, is associated with poor academic performance and resistance to schooling. In addition, this research confirms the fluid and complex nature of racial and ethnic self-identification and suggests using caution when relying on self-reports of race and ethnicity in quantitative data analysis. / text