The study was conducted to investigate the possibility of raising the comprehension scores of twenty advantaged students through the use of attribution theory in moving the student's locus of control, concept work, and imaging. The subjects of the control and experimental groups were male and female tenth and eleventh grade summer school students whose comprehension scores were at the fiftieth percentile or below or students who would benefit from comprehension instruction. The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (1978), Level F, Forms 1 and 2 were used respectively for the pretest and posttest. A related sample t test and analysis of covariance was used to test the null hypothesis. A significant gain was evidenced from the pretest to the posttest and the null hypothesis was rejected. The implications of the study are that the application of attribution theory in the movement of the student's locus of control, concept study, and imaging can significantly raise the comprehension scores of the advantaged student.

The leadership of American not-for-profit hospitals is one context in which servant-leadership finds appropriate expression. However, little research exists that explores the sources of servant-leadership within the leader, what processes leaders use to engage in servantleadership, or what impact servant-leadership has on organizations and communities. This research presents a new perspective offering insight into those questions. The Dimensions of Servant-Leadership in American Not-for-Profit Hospitals is a qualitative study of the lives and works of four chief executive officers of successful not-for-profit health systems identified as exemplars of servant-leadership. The researcher further examined perceptions of servant-leadership among colleagues of each of the four CEOs and their health systems. The findings of the study indicated that the common denominators of servant-leadership, as perceived by those served by these four CEOs and their organizations, are that the people grew as individuals; the people felt that they were healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants. The servant-leader CEOs gave strong evidence of a group-oriented approach to decision making. They fostered strong organizational involvement in programs of community betterment, they each had a strong commitment to continuing education for their associates, and they demonstrated in all their activities a great love and compassion in caring for the health of their communities. Finally, the study offers valuable insights into servant-leadership which might be useful in the postsecondary education of future healthcare leaders.

This paper explores the possibility of coupling SQL with a semantic data model. For this study, the primary objective was to build a working prototype of a program that allows a database designer to define data objects and their respective interrelationships using the Object-oriented Semantic Association Model (OSAM*). The prototype isolates from the designer the low level commands (i.e., CREATE TABLE, CREATE INDEX) which comprise the SQL data definition language (DOL). Once the objects are defined by the designer, the prototype generates the relational database table definitions without the designer having to directly use the SQL DOL.

The hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the mean SAT Total Reading Battery percentile scores of LEP students who are mainstreamed and those who are self-contained, was studied. Sixty-eight fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade LEP students were administered the SAT. They were divided into two groups. The self-contained group consisted of 35 students; the mainstreamed group consisted of 33 students. The mean percentile score for the mainstreamed group was 39.57 with a standard deviation of 21.02. For the self-contained group, the mean was 26.0 and the standard deviation was 18.53. The computed t = 2.67, P < .05. The null hypothesis was rejected.

A meta-analysis is the combination of results from several similar studies, conducted by different scientists, in order to arrive at a single, overall conclusion. Unlike common experimental procedures, the data used in a meta-analysis happen to be the descriptive statistics from the distinct individual studies. In this thesis, we will consider two regression studies performed by two scientists. These studies have one common dependent variable, Y, and one or more independent common variables, X. A regression of Y on X with other independent variables is carried out on both studies. We will estimate the regression coefficients of X meta-analytically. After combining the two studies, we will derive a single regression model. There will be observations that one scientist witnesses and the other does not. The missing observations are considered parameters and are estimated using a method called Gibbs sampling.

This paper concentrated on the teaching of economically disadvantaged children and the importance of reading aloud to these children. The traditional language program was found to be ineffective for disadvantaged first-grade children. A modified language plan was implemented in a classroom of disadvantaged first-grade students. This plan consisted of two units and involved the reading aloud of literature and language-related activities. Results indicated these students learned more effectively from units of study centered around literature.

The purpose of this research was to establish a consensus on the type of music learning environment that affords the band student the greatest level of individual success. Both cooperative and competitive environments were examined. This project also investigated alternative methods for helping the low ability band student enjoy success in an instrumental music curriculum. Finally, the research identified teaching strategies for aiding the low ability student to be successful in a competitive learning environment. The research results do not conclusively reach a consensus about the teaching environment that affords band students the greatest amount of success. The majority of the band director respondents utilized a cooperative learning environment, with some competitive elements. This environment utilized many of the teaching-learning methods needed for success by the low ability band student. The needs of the low ability band student proposed in the research for certain instructional environments and strategies were supported by the responses of music educators to a questionnaire. It was discovered that while the low ability band student could enjoy group success, individual success was also important. It was determined that the band director could foster individual success by encouraging all students to do their best and to use teaching strategies, such as mastery learning, to aid the low ability band student. Specific strategies were suggested by the research and supported in the questionnaire results, which aid the low ability band student. Data indicated that providing students with extra help, including the use of peer tutors, helped students perform on the same level as their peers. Providing instruction in small units aided the low ability band students in mastering difficult passages of music. Seating the high and low ability music students next to each other enabled students to work together in class.

This dissertation is a cross-case study and analysis of four teachers in a school involved in two reform initiatives which promote constructivist approaches to teaching and learning. The study describes the teachers' understandings of the learning theory and their interpretations of it in their classroom practice. The study found that three of the four teachers were practicing in ways consistent with constructivism while one was not because her need for control took precedence. The study found that although teachers are very aware of their students as individuals with different ways of learning and constructing an understanding, they are not much interested in learning theory. Teachers are, therefore, more likely to practice in ways consistent with constructivist learning theory if they see that such practice can help them meet the diverse learning needs of the individuals in their classes and if they are shown the "how-to's" in their professional development. The study also found that classroom management needs and the need for control of student behavior inhibit practice consistent with constructivism and concluded that teachers are more likely to practice in ways consistent with constructivism if complimentary classroom management techniques can be found and if teachers are comfortable giving students choice and control. The study uncovered the four C's of impediments to constructivist practice: classroom management, control, "coverage," and custodial care.

The efficacy of the Parent Project, a current group psychoeducational program for parents of at-risk adolescents, was explored in this investigation. In particular, determining whether a parent-focused psychoeducation approach would beneficially alter family interaction style as well as adolescent behavior was investigated. A within-subjects design was implemented to evaluate before and after treatment levels of function. The Parent Project psychoeducational program provided 34 participating parents with classroom instruction and processing time to help meet the participating parents with their 13- to 18- year-old children. The current sample of participating parents was referred to the Parent Project by the Child Guidance Center, Inc. and United Way of Jacksonville, FL. The main goal of the Parent Project training program was to teach parents the skills necessary to reduce harmful adolescent behavior. The aim of the program is to inform parents about ways to enhance their relationships with their adolescent via prevention and intervention techniques, with the secondary goal of reducing the adolescents’ difficult, defiant, and destructive behaviors. In the current investigation, parents reported enhanced family dynamics following their participation in the parenting psychoeducational program. In addition, a decline in adolescent externalizing behavior was found. These findings demonstrate that treatment programs targeting parents can effect change in families and in adolescents with behavioral problems.

As a result, in part, of computer anxiety, many educators are not utilizing available computer technology, even though its innovations extend to the classroom. Forty-four secondary English teachers from st. Johns County, Florida were given the Computer Attitude Rating Survey (CARS) along with a follow-up questionnaire, to identify anxiety levels and possible correlations with gender, education level, computer experience, and in-service training for this sample. Results indicate that men have less computer anxiety than women, that computer experience and in-service training decrease anxiety, and that Masters degree students have lower anxiety scores than do Baccalaureate degree students. These findings mirror earlier results, and provide directional data for decreasing the computer anxiety of future educators.