In response to a 1993 oversight board recommendation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created a technical training and qualification program to address concerns about a shrinking workforce at defense nuclear facilities. The DOE Technical Qualification Program (TQP) applies to federal employees tasked with oversight, direction, and assistance to contractors at defense nuclear facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the TQP by ascertaining program effectiveness, program applicability, program impact on behavior and performance, and program impact on safety, from the participant perspective. Guided by Kirkpatrick's 4-level training evaluation model as the conceptual framework, this study used a goal-free evaluation approach. This program evaluation used a qualitative case study research design centered on a purposeful sample of 8 TQP participant interviews. Data were analyzed through coding and thematic analysis. Overall, TQP participants felt that the program was ineffective in preparing them for their jobs and that the applicability of the qualification requirements was low. Participants reported that the program did not improve job performance but had a positive impact on safety. Several recommendations were made to improve the program's effectiveness, including a comprehensive program evaluation and updates to training. Implications for social change include positive impacts on facility safety that may result in safer operations at DOE facilities that lead to fewer injuries to workers and the general public, and a reduced probability of release of hazardous materials to the environment. The results of this study may help site training officials improve program effectiveness and worker performance.

Struggling students' poor reading and comprehension skills have continued to be a national problem. A New Jersey Department of Education report showed that of 311,628 middle school students tested in language arts, 26.2% scored at the partial proficiency level and 58.5% scored at the proficiency level. Further review of the middle schools in a local school district revealed that 57% of the students struggled to read and were unable to pass the Benchmark and New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) tests. The purpose of this study was to compare the NJASK test scores when the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)-alone was used and when the Sonday System reading program was added. Archival data from the 2010 and 2011 school years for 80 at-risk students were examined using a mixed-design (split-plot) ANOVA to evaluate whether addition of the Sonday System resulted in greater reading gains and improved students' NJASK scores. The study followed a quantitative, causal-comparative research design. Constructivist and behaviorist learning theories served as the framework. The results showed no significant improvement in the students' scores when the Sonday System was added to the DRA. There also was no evidence of greater year-to-year improvement in the NJASK standardized test scores when the DRA and the Sonday System were combined; however, by itself, the Sonday System was found effective in other schools. The findings suggest that it is not advisable to combine the DRA with the Sonday System. The professional development project generated from this study might lead to positive social change for administrators, teachers, educators, and stakeholders by increasing their awareness about the best ways to develop and implement reading programs that will have a positive impact on struggling readers.

The primary intent of this degree paper is to discuss the participation of parents whose children are enrolled in the Atlanta Head Start Program. An attempt has been made to ascertain the extent to which parents are involved in the program. The participation of parents in the Head Start Program is very crucial to the program’s success. This study reveals that parent.participation in the activities of the three centers under study, namely, the Robinson Center, the Grady Homes Center, and the English Avenue Center is marginal and does not live up to the program’s standard of “maximum citizen participation.” On the other hand, the staff members at these centers discharge their respective duties in a manner that encourages maximum parent participation in the program’s activities. However, if the centers could provide transportation to and from the centers for classroom activities or parent meetings, the lack of parent participation could be resolved. The primary source of data for this study was obtained from interviews with the Director of the Head Start Program in the Atlanta metropolitan area, the Directors of the three centers involved in the study, the Parent Involvement Coordinator, as well as interviews with the parents whose children are enrolled in the three Head Start Centers. Also, a wide variety of secondary information, books, periodicals, and unpublished materials was used.

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which student achievement in mathematics is impacted by early language deficiencies and other variables and if it can be improved when controlling these variables. Student achievement in the area of mathematics was identified as an area of problem at Urban Academy Elementary school and the greater Urban Public Schools District (UPS). The researcher wanted to explore specific strategies that could lead to improved student performance in the area of mathematics. The researcher proposed that the possible causal factors that yield an outcome of low student achievement in math were prior language development, socioeconomic status, leadership, teacher methodology, student efficacy/engagement. professional development, and parental involvement The researcher used instrumentation methods to gather information from parents. teachers and students in order to examine if there was a relationship between student achievement in mathematics and the referenced variables: prior language development. socio economic status, leadership, instructional practices, student efficacy, professional development, and parental involvement. A treatment was developed and implemented during the 2008-2009 school year (see Appendix A) based on the perceived impacting variables. The 2009 Criterion Referenced Competency Test was used as a posttest to determine if the treatment had a significant impact on student achievement. Additionally, a district wide benchmark assessment was administered during the months of September 2008 and February 2009 to monitor student achievement growth prior to the CRCT. The researcher found that there were significant relationships between the dependent variable, student achievement, and leadership, teacher professional development, and the winter benchmark assessment that is administered annually as a predictor of performance on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test. The results suggests that the treatment practices that considered fine-tuning teacher instructional practices by providing professional development gives explanation as to why the treatment was successful. The results substantiate how purposeful professional development for teachers can have an impact on student achievement. It was recommended that planned professional development be arranged and offered to teachers along with a student benchmark assessment that is similar in content, content weights, and item number as the state’s standardized test administered prior to formal testing.

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The AP Calculus program at Green High School was not adequately preparing students for college level calculus as more than 80 percent of the students failed the AP exam. The students were concurrently receiving high marks on in-class assessments. Hence, the in-class assessments were not good indicators of students calculus understanding according to the AP standards. A needs assessment was conducted, focusing on the difference in high school and college calculus, how to assess calculus and where Green High School's assessments were falling short. More research was conducted to examine the college Board expectations of calculus learning. A content matrix was designed to measure how well an in-class assessment aligns with college and AP calculus expectations of calculus knowledge. From this, new assessments were created that meet the goals of the content matrix.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which i-Ready® Reading Instruction (a computer adaptive testing program) predicted Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts (FSA ELA) scores for low performing students (Level 1) compared to those who are on grade level (Level 3). Participants included students in seventh grade at a central Florida school district who participated in i-Ready® Reading Instruction and who had previously scored a Level 1 or Level 3 on the FSA ELA. A hierarchical multiple regression was run to determine the impact of the interaction effect between prior year FSA performance level and time spent in i-Ready® Reading Instruction, while controlling for teacher-level and other student-level variables. Regression analyses indicated that prior year FSA ELA performance level did not moderate the degree to which time spent in i-Ready® Reading Instruction predicted FSA ELA score gains. Additionally, when the interaction term was removed from the regression, time spent in i-Ready® Reading Instruction did not predict FSA ELA score gains.