Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Samuel E. Buttrey. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53). Also available online.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 25, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Sandy Hutchinson. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Samuel E. Buttrey, Robert A. Koyak. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Richard Wagner, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 2, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Research has documented the need for school districts to recruit and retain qualified school leaders capable of navigating the organizational challenges for school improvement, particularly in high-poverty, low-achievement contexts. Recently, scholars have studied principal pipeline structures implemented by school districts to recruit and retain effective principals. A key finding of this research is that clearly-defined standards and performance criteria can inform school districts' strategic identification and development of individuals with the potential to become effective principals. Further research is needed to understand and define potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals, commonly the largest candidate group in a principal pipeline. I used a qualitative case study design to investigate veteran principals' perceptions about potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals. Six principals in one urban school in Texas were purposefully selected based on their experience with supporting, developing, and/or endorsing former assistant principals for promotion to the principalship while under their supervision. I collected data through questionnaires and in-depth interviews to understand this phenomenon through the informants' lived experience. I found that the principals view professional competence and personal dispositions as indicators of potential and readiness for the principalship. They believe an assistant principal's potential to perform as a principal is evident in the processes and products of their work, but they don't believe all high-potentials are necessarily ready to become principals. Shared leadership was instrumental to developing readiness for the principalship in their assistant principals, and developing capacity by building on strength and targeting weakness worked equally well in their experience. Using these findings and existing research, I identify state and district-level policy implications for the field. I also make recommendations for further study of this topic in the future. / text

The primary purpose of this study was to determine what factors influence the integration of educational technology as perceived by Texas teachers. The secondary purpose was to examine the relationships between the determinant factors. This study answered the following questions: 1) Are there significant differences in teachers’ perception of school technology and readiness across grade level and subject area? 2) Are there significant differences in teacher-principal technology readiness congruence across school percentage of economically disadvantaged students? 3) How do teachers’ perceived levels of technology readiness predict student mastery of Technology Applications (TA) TEKS? To address the research questions quantitative procedures were followed to investigate whether significant relationships existed among dependent variables, school technology and readiness, and teacher-principal school technology and readiness congruence, and the independent variables (a) grade level, (b) subject area, and (c) percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Data analysis indicated significant differences in teacher school technology and readiness perceptions by grade level and subject area, and significant differences in teacher-principal school technology and readiness congruence by school percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Using path analysis a theorized Texas School Technology and Readiness Effects Model was validated. The findings were that (a) teachers in higher grade levels and more technical subject areas perceived their school technology and readiness at significantly higher levels; (b) as the percentage of economically disadvantaged student increased in a school, teachers perceived their school technology readiness at lower levels and were less congruent between their perceived school technology and readiness and their principals’ ratings of the teachers’ school technology and readiness; and (c) Leadership Administration and Instructional Support, followed by Infrastructure for Technology, Educator Preparation and Development, and Instruction Practice were the main drivers for student mastery of Technology Applications (TA) related Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). / text

No description available.

No description available.

This study investigated the important question of whether pupils' executive functions (EF) predict early academic achievement. Current conceptualizations suggest that developmental trends in EF can be measured in young children and that EF may play an important role in predicting academic achievement and school readiness. To date, however, there is little empirical support for this assertion. This study explored EF skills of 3- to 5 year-olds using the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS). The first objective was to determine if EF indeed predicts math, reading, and writing achievement in 3- to 5-year-olds. The second objective was to determine if EF's prediction of academics occurs independent of the contribution made by general ability (e.g., Battelle motor and language subdomains). The third objective was to determine if the contribution of EF remains uniform across the age span. Consequently, existing data from 969 participants between 54 to 71 months was used. This consisted of scores on the DCCS as well as the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) to measure early reading and writing skills, the Test of Early Math Ability -Third Edition (TEMA-3) to measure early math skills, and sections of the Battelle Developmental Inventory 2nd Edition (BDI- 2) to measure general development. A positive relationship between EF and early math, reading, and writing skills was found. Also EF, as measured by the DCCS, contributed a significant portion of variance in early math, reading, and writing skills after accounting for general development, age, and socioeconomic status. Finally, the contribution of EF to early reading and writing skills remained stable between 3 and 5 years old. In contrast, EF was a stronger predictor of early math skills among 3-year-olds when compared to 5- year-olds.

SANTRAUKA Darbe atlikta analizė padėjo atskleisti pedagogo kompetencijas tenkinant mokinių specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius. Iškelta hipotezė, kad kolegijos studentai nėra pakankamai pasirengę tenkinti mokinių specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius. Apklausos raštu metodu nustatytas ir įvertintas kolegijos studentų pasirengimas tenkinti mokinių specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius. Tyrimo duomenų statistinė analizė atlikta taikant Mann‘o ir Whitney testą, Stjudento kriterijus. Empirinėje dalyje lyginami studentų ir mokytojų apklausos duomenys, siekiant sužinoti, kaip jie vertina studentų pa(si)rengimą tenkinti mokinių specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius, kokius jų gebėjimus reikėtų tobulinti. Tyrimu nustatyta, kad kolegijų realizuojamose pradinio ugdymo ir užsienio kalbų pedagogikos studijų programų bendrųjų dalykų (pedagogikos, psichologijos) moduliuose akcentuojami profesiniai gebėjimai išmanyti individualiuosius vaiko ugdymo(si) poreikius bei ugdymo specifiką, pritaikyti mokymo(si) turinį, taikant modifikuotos ir adaptuotos programos sudarymo principus, bendradarbiauti su ugdymo proceso dalyviais, tačiau pasigendama bendravimo su SUP turinčiais tėvais. Pradinio ugdymo pedagogikos studijų programos dalykų didaktikos moduliuose labiau, nei užsienio kalbų, akcentuojami gebėjimai keisti arba pritaikyti bendrąsias programas pagal mokinių poreikius, taikyti alternatyvius mokymo metodus. Studentų apklausa parodė žemą jų informuotumo lygį apie dažniausiai pasitaikančius mokymosi... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The Master‘s Degree Thesis Analysis provided in the paper helped to reveal the competences of pedagogues to satisfy special educational needs of pupils. The hypothesis is made that college students are not ready enough to satisfy special educational needs of pupils. Statistical analysis of the data was performed applying Mann and Whitney test, Student criteria. The empirical part of the paper compares the data generated from the questionnaire of students and teachers aiming to find out how they assess preparation of students to satisfy special educational needs of pupils, what skills should be improved. The investigation showed that modulus of the general subjects (pedagogy, psychology) of programs of studies of elementary education and foreign languages realized in colleges highlight professional skills in competence to know individual child‘s education needs and education specifics, to apply studying content, to cooperate with the participants of the education process, however there is a lack of communication with parents of pupils with special educational needs. The modulus of didactics of the study program of pedagogy of elementary education more than ones of foreign languages highlight abilities to change and apply general programs according to the needs of pupils and to apply alternative education methods. Student questionnaire showed low privity of theirs on the most usual education difficulties and reasons thereof. The students indicated that there is a lack of... [to full text]