Education reform efforts in the last fifteen to twenty years at the state and federal levels have provisions for family/community involvement in the schools based on beliefs that partnerships lead to higher student achievement and better outcomes for students, parents and teachers. These requirements have embraced the concept of parent and community involvement in various forms including some aspects of school governance. The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 included this concept of participatory governance with the establishment of local school councils (LSC). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement and to provide a better understanding of the role of parent/family and community involvement in those efforts. Data was gathered over a nine month period in three elementary schools in different communities through observation of school council meetings; interviews with various members of the school community, and review of relevant materials. Results of data analysis showed that the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement, and the impact of parent and community involvement on school council function were related to the overall culture of the school. Parent involvement in the school and parent influence on the work of the school council was strengthened by the relationship with the parent organization and other parent involvement activities in the school. The attitude and commitment to parent involvement present in the school culture, as well as, the efforts to recruit parent and community members with the resulting parity in membership also influenced the work of the school council. The results mirrored previous research that showed inconsistencies in the implementation of school councils across the country, that the evidence of their influence on school improvement has been limited, and that schools with existing parent involvement activities before the initiation of school councils had more positive influence on school improvement. Recommendations for further research in family-school relationships, training and oversight of school councils, training for educators, and the allocation of more state and local resources to support school improvement efforts are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to explore, describe and examine how early childhood teachers utilize and integrate the arts (music, drama, and visual arts) in teaching children ages 3 to 5. It also examined the formal and informal arts education background of early childhood teachers, the relationship between teacher training and educational practice and the role it plays in teachers’ use of music, drama and visual arts in their curriculum. Data was collected through the use of the Arts Integration Questionnaire (AIQ) and by observations, Arts Integration observation Protocol (AIOP). A total of 91 early childhood teachers completed the questionnaire; it included background information as well as general aspects of teacher’s knowledge about the arts, an exploration of the use of the arts in their classrooms, and an exploration of arts integration with other academic subjects. From those participants, 20 teachers were randomly selected to participate in the observations. The results of the study indicated that the majority of teachers have received formal and informal training in music, followed closely by visual arts, and very little in drama. Overall teachers were found to use music more than visual arts and drama in their classrooms; more time is spend on musical activities than in any other form. Again teachers preferred music because they considered it to be more beneficial than drama and the visual arts. This study revealed an array of reasoning behind the arts use in the classroom including addressing different learning styles, students’ preference, and stimulating students’ creativity. There was no statistical significant difference between a teacher’s background training and experience and their use of music and drama into their early childhood classroom. In the case of visual arts there is a statistical significant difference meaning that teachers need training and experience to help them develop an understanding of the visual arts. And finally teachers do integrate the arts with other academic subjects with the purpose of developing skills, explore roles, and to assess learning and understanding of concepts. Recommendations for professional development, teacher education, and further research are discussed.

To achieve multiple learning objectives, the ideal preschool activity center should promote development across all domains, from adaptive to social-communicative. Though early childhood practitioners describe the sensory table as capable of doing so, empirical accounts stand in stark contrast and suggest that it is a non-social functional activity. The intent of the present investigation was to reconcile this distinct dichotomy through the systematic manipulation of four sensory table substances (sand, soil, rocks, and water) and provision sets that differed in realism to determine their effect on preschoolers’ free play behavior. Preschoolers’ play forms and social participation were observed at the sensory table as they used a novel surface, which was introduced weekly without repetition, and either a set of minimally structured objects or realistic toys. Preschoolers’ play and social participation were indeed influenced by the arrangement of the table. The sand, water, and provision sets yielded the most salient effects. Sand pulled for more sophisticated cognitive and social play forms while water pulled for more rudimentary ones. Regarding provision sets, the highly structured toys pulled for the most mature cognitive play form while the minimally structured toys pulled for the most sophisticated social context. The highly structured toys, with realism that lent to specific themes, appear to have functioned as a thematic anchor and cultivated a greater occurrence of dramatic play as compared to the minimally structured objects, which pulled for more functional play. Conversely, the minimally structured toy set, containing objects that loosely represented realistic objects and/or were capable of multiple functions, fostered a greater amount of socialization through parallel, social, and social-constructive play. Aside from its motoric and adaptive value, findings from this investigation suggest that under certain ecological conditions the sensory table fosters the development of cognitive and social skills. Suggestions for early childhood education practitioners are provided.

Designed for those who work in the field of early childhood teacher education. Serves as the spring conference for NAECTE. Explore the theme of Reflections on Research and Practice in Early Childhood Teacher Education through a keynote presentation, paper, and poster presentations, with time provided for dialogue amont participants.

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Need for Reading: According to Betts, (2) on of the chief goals of education is personality development that contributes to good citizenship. Since much of our education depends on our ability to read, we are especially concerned about this important tool of learning. The Educational Policies Commission, a commission of the National Education Association and the American Association of School Administrations, classes the objectives of the Elementary School into four main groups. ... Bond and Wagner in explaining the relationship of each of these objectives t the other emphasizes that fact that reading pervades each. In order that these objectives be realized the child must have reading ability developed to a high level. / "August, 1953." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-55).

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a literacy-based intervention on the conventional pretend play skills of preschool children who are visually impaired. The intervention involved experience books, real objects, story-reading, and role-play, which are common strategies used to teach children with visual impairments. A multiple-probe single case design across story sets was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Two participants completed the study, one with low vision and one with no functional vision. Free play sessions were conducted during each visit to measure the effect of the intervention on the dependent variables, which required the participant to generalize behaviors from the intervention sessions. Data were analyzed within and across participants. Visual analysis showed an experimental effect with two of the three stories for the participant with low vision and no effect of the intervention with the second participant. A clear functional relationship was not demonstrated. Analysis of intervention sessions showed increases in the conventional pretend play of both participants, particularly the second participant, who showed no consistent change during free play sessions. Generalization to other material sets was not demonstrated. Maintenance data for both participants were limited, but promising in that both participants showed at least one instance of increased conventional pretend play after the end of the intervention. The findings from this study contribute to the knowledge of play skills of young children who are visually impaired. Additional research is necessary to further investigate the influence of each component of the intervention, the involvement of peers as play partners, and investigating other ways to experimentally measure pretend play. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / December 8, 2015. / pretend play, single-case design, visual impairment / Includes bibliographical references. / Sandra Lewis, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Amy Guerette, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Tom Welsh, University Representative; Mary Frances Hanline, Committee Member; Sarah Ivy, Committee Member.

A mixed-method explanatory sequential design utilizing surveys and interviews conducted at three Florida library systems examines caregivers’ perceptions of emergent literacy programming, how these perceptions compare with the National Research Council’s Features for Quality Programs for children, and what is their motivation for attending these programs. The results from the survey and interview reveal that caregivers’ perceptions of emergent literacy programming align with the National Research Council’s Features for Quality Programs. The data shows caregivers’ perceptions are very positive toward emergent literacy programming in terms of learning and the environment. Themes emphasized in the interviews on why caregivers are motivated to attend include socialization, getting out of the house, and free access. The results of these surveys and interviews will inform public libraries as to how to design, market, and deliver emergent literacy programming to caregivers with very young children. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / September 29, 2016. / Caregivers, Emergent Literacy, Motivation, National Research Council, Public Library Programming, Self-Determination Theory / Includes bibliographical references. / Melissa Gross, Professor Directing Dissertation; Juliann Woods, University Representative; Marcia A. Mardis, Committee Member; Lorri Mon, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to investigate what pre-service teachers focus on when reflecting on their mathematics instruction with the use of video clubs. Video clubs are groups where teachers meet and watch videos of their lessons and provide feedback to one another. The participants were pre-service teachers enrolled in an early childhood education program. The study was conducted during the fall semester within a mathematics methods course. Twenty-five students chose to participate in the study. The participants were grouped based on the grade level they were placed in for their field placements. There was a total of five groups who participated in the research. Only one of the groups was used in this study. The video club group used in this research included six pre-service teachers who volunteered to participate in this semester-long study. All the participants were placed in kindergarten classes for their field placements. Using qualitative research methods, the researcher investigated what pre-service teachers focused on when reflecting on their instruction as well as that of their peers, the quality of those reflections, as well as the perceived benefits of video club sessions. The data collected consisted of one micro teaching written reflection, two videotaped lessons, two written reflections, two revised reflections after video club session, and two transcribed video club sessions. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers focus on three main categories of teaching and learning classroom management, instruction, and understanding of students. Within each of these categories, themes emerged that illustrated how these participants viewed each category. When pre-service teachers reflected on classroom management their reflections included child blame, logistics and transitions, student engagement, and positive affirmations. First, pre-service teachers often make excuses or blame students for issues during a lesson. They also focus on logistics, mobility, and transition during their instruction and note these items in group discussions. Finally, they look at student engagement as a form of classroom management. When the focus of their conversation shifts to instruction the discussion is often surface-level, they focus on questioning as a tool to help themselves as teachers, not to help clarify student understanding. There is considerable conversation around assessment, but not to drive instruction, only as confirmation they have effectively taught a lesson. When looking at instruction they try to make connections with mathematics but these connections are surface-level and provide little insight into math practices. The final areas that pre-service teachers focus on is the focus understating their students which included discussion on student prior knowledge and misconceptions of students and pre-service teachers. The quality of written reflections were descriptive and evaluative in nature. The video club conversation was analyzed for the substance of the conversation. However, the findings suggest that the conversation remains surface-level and often off task. The video clubs’ discussion evolved over the two sessions from logistical concerns to a greater focus on instruction. All the participants reported positive feedback on the video club process and watching their own instruction. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2016. / July 8, 2016. / Early Childhood Education, Mathematics, Pre-service teachers, Reflection / Includes bibliographical references. / Lindsay Dennis, Professor Directing Dissertation; Motoko Akiba, University Representative; Ithel Jones, Committee Member; John Myers, Committee Member.

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