<p> In this study, the researcher investigated cultural sensitivity within the mandated English Language Arts Common Core exemplar fictional texts that &ldquo;serve as useful guideposts in helping educators select texts of similar complexity, quality and range&rdquo; (Common Core State Standards, n.d., p. 2) for kindergarten through fifth grade, for the state of Missouri. The researcher utilized a modified version of Frances Ann Day&rsquo;s children&rsquo;s literature evaluation framework, &ldquo;Evaluating Children&rsquo;s Books for Bias,&rdquo; an adaptation of the Council on Interracial Books for Children&rsquo;s, &ldquo;Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks,&rdquo; to test for cultural sensitivity within 50 of the 90 suggested fictional texts. Day&rsquo;s framework included investigating omission, illustrations, story lines, authenticity, relationships, depiction of heroes, self-image, author/illustrator background and perspective, language, and copyright date. From Day&rsquo;s work, the researcher created two separate frameworks, Literature Analysis Framework-First Round, and Literature Analysis Framework-Second Round. Literature Analysis Framework-First Round consisted of passage title, race of author, race of illustrator, copyright date, whether minority characters were present, the number of minority characters, and the number of Caucasian characters. Literature Analysis Framework-Second Round consisted of titles with minority characters, illustrations, relationships/heroes, language, and storyline.</p><p>

<p> Within the confines of this study, the researcher investigated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering curriculum goals within Missouri high schools. The study measured Missouri PLTW teachers&rsquo; perceptions of various elements of the curriculum as well as state and national PLTW End of Course student assessment data to determine if a relationship existed between teachers&rsquo; perceptions of curriculum implementation and student performance, as measured through Missouri End of Course exams in various secondary engineering classes. In addition, the researcher conducted voluntary interviews with teachers, state administrators, and national representatives of PLTW to inquire about experiences with the PLTW Engineering curriculum. </p><p> Qualitatively, Missouri PLTW Engineering teachers expressed varied levels of satisfaction through a survey generated by the researcher, based upon national curriculum goals established by PLTW. Within the study, teachers&rsquo; perceptions reported students&rsquo; abilities to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems were greater than students&rsquo; abilities to design and conduct experiments, as well as to demonstrate knowledge of and responsibility for engineering issues, including ethical and professional responsibilities. The researcher attributed this perception to students&rsquo; lack of professional experience and to PLTW curriculum not providing enough opportunities for students to gain real-world relevant experience using the content and strategies learned during instructional class time. </p><p> The intention of this study was to provide a framework to review and evaluate curriculum goals established by PLTW, Inc. Originally, the researcher looked at national goals for the program to determine the outcomes of PLTW&rsquo;s educational programming. However, much of the data was post-secondary related and the researcher wanted to maintain the quantitative nature of the study. Nonetheless, research could expand upon the framework to study any state in the nation through either a mixed-methods approach or the use of a quantitative study approach. The researcher recommends further research be conducted either by PLTW, Inc., through state PLTW affiliates or by other individuals to determine future outcomes of educational curriculum offered by PLTW. This could include engineering, biomedical science, computer science, middle school curriculum offered through Gateway to Technology (GTT), or through elementary curriculum offered through Launch.</p><p>

<p> For many high school student athletes, there is increased pressure to specialize in one sport, to participate at a high level, and to play year-round (Brenner, 2016). This increased emphasis on sport specialization has led to a proliferation of overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout (Brenner, 2016). Sport specialization significantly contributes to overuse injuries, which account for almost half of all sport injuries (Andrews &amp; Yaeger, 2013). This research was designed to clarify if there are significant differences in the behavioral and academic performance of student athletes who compete in one sport and student athletes who compete in multiple sports. Six high schools in southwest Missouri provided GPAs, hours absent, and days suspended for approximately 1,500 student athletes for the 2015&ndash;2016 school year. An ANOVA test was conducted to determine if significant differences existed among one-, two-, and three-or-more sport athletes for each individual area of study. When single-sport athletes were compared to multiple-sport athletes, significant differences were discovered in each area of study including GPAs, hours absent, and days suspended. In all instances of significant difference, multiple-sport athletes demonstrated improved academic and behavioral performance over single-sport athletes. These findings should assist students, coaches, parents, teachers, and administrators in decision-making about student athletics participation.</p><p>

My work is focused on the analysis of the talent education systém in GE Money in the Czech republic. In the first part I tried to explain the basis for the education of talented employees, which are obviously based on the foundations of business education. An important part was the explanation of the evaluation of education, which I determine the methodology by which I will proceed in their work. Methodology - the methods of data collection, data sources and types of research, which I looked, I describe in the second part of the work. The third part was the practical part - here I describe the organization in which I wrote the work, its organizational structure, training in business generally, and of course the various educational programs for talented staff. I here describe the results of my empirical research. This was aimed primarily at finding weaknesses and strengths of individual programs and the testing of hypotheses and determine whether the difference between the variance between the sample and control in their own self-efficacy.

The growing Latino/a population is generating an influx of students with different educational needs into U.S. public schools. As a result, educators are faced with the challenge of teaching basic skills to second-language learners (SLL) while simultaneously promoting the development of their second language. Despite the fact that SLL from Spanish-speaking backgrounds are about twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be reading below average for their age (Moss & Puma, 1995), research on second-language children's reading is limited in scope and quantity. The limited research has indicated that the reading rate of SLL might be slower than that of native-English speakers (Geva, Wade-Woolley, & Shaney, 1997; Mace-Matluck, 1979). This study was conducted with the purpose of (a) examining SLL weekly rates of growth (slopes) in reading, (b) comparing these rates to those demonstrated by of native-English speakers in a study conducted by Fuchs, Fuchs, Hamlett, Walz, and Germann (1993), and (c) understanding whether certain factors typically discussed in the educational literature on SLL contribute to positive slopes in reading. The sample was composed of SLL in second through fourth grade (n = 69) attending two urban elementary schools in Western Massachusetts. Grade-level Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) English reading probes were administered to children once a week for 12-weeks. A z-test for independent samples was used to compare slopes found in the present study and those found by Fuchs et al. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the degree of influence of proficiency in English and/or Spanish, age, Spanish reading fluency, and language(s) used for reading instruction on weekly outcomes in reading. Both descriptive and correlational research methods were used to answer these questions. The pattern of reading growth across grades identified in the present study suggests that SLL make the most dramatic reading growth in the later grades (i.e., fourth grade). Proficiency in English and/or Spanish, age, Spanish reading fluency, and language(s) used for reading instruction together explained only 18% of the variance of the slopes. Hypothesis regarding explanations for these results, limitations to the study and future research directions are discussed.

The Early Numeracy Skill Indicators (ENSIs) are a set of subtests designed to sample the early mathematical behaviors of kindergarten students. Early intervention and prevention-oriented practices in assessment are timely and fundamental components important to educators and school psychologists alike, and are aimed at identifying at-risk students who will likely benefit from strategic and intensive instructional support. These practices are well developed in the academic area of early literacy and used to inform education at numerous levels. Similar large scale educational achievement problems have been noted by mathematical scholars and educators, which have intracultural and cross national implications. Despite these caveats, a paucity of early assessment practices necessary to a prevention-oriented practice are currently available to schools interested in early mathematics assessment to drive instruction. Given the success of early literacy assessment techniques developed from a paradigm of curriculum-based assessment (CBA), the primary purpose of the current research is to develop the ENSIs as dynamic measures of critical early mathematical skills. Longitudinal correlational analysis was the primary research design, conducted over a 26-week period. As such, the measures were examined in terms of internal consistency and reliability across time. Concurrent and predictive validation of the ENSIs with the Test of Early Mathematics Ability (TEMA-3) and teacher ratings of curricular mastery was undertaken. In addition to hypotheses regarding the reliability and validity of these measures, analyses of diagnostic accuracy was completed using Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) techniques popular in multiple scientific fields dealing with high-stakes decision making. Inclusive participants over the course of the study were 64 kindergarten children from three elementary schools in a moderate sized post-industrial northwestern Massachusetts city. Results support the conclusion that selected subtests of the ENSIs are reliable, valid, and diagnostically accurate, demonstrating the potential for utility in the school community and contributing to further scientific research. Implications for future practice regard the use of these measures to prevent later mathematics failure and enhance student competency. Further implications and limitations are discussed.

The current approach to identifying specific reading disability is plagued with problems. The most common diagnostic procedure, called the IQ-achievement discrepancy, involves establishing that a student's reading performance on standardized achievement tests is significantly below what would be expected from his/her IQ. This approach is unreliable with respect to diagnosis and uninformative with respect to prescriptives for remediation. An approach is needed that can provide reliable diagnosis and can indicate the deficient skills that could be targeted for remediation. The purpose of the present research was to evaluate alternatives to the IQ-reading discrepancy for identifying reading disabled college students. Specifically, the question was whether reading disabled and nondisabled college students could be differentiated using the Computer-based Academic Assessment System (CAAS) and a measure of listening and reading comprehension called the Sentence Verification Technique. College students recruited from Disabled Students Services and nondisabled introductory psychology students at the same college were given SVT tests and elementary-level and adult-level CAAS reading batteries. After all data was collected and prior to data analysis, students in the disabled sample were classified as having a reading disability, generalized learning disability, or other disabilities on the basis of various sources of information. The requirements of a diagnostic technique for identifying reading disability were used as a framework for evaluating SVT and CAAS techniques. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to evaluate each of the techniques alone, and discriminant analyses were used to evaluate the techniques in combination in meeting the following requirements: (1) differentiating disabled from nondisabled students, (2) differentiating reading disabled students from nondisabled students and from students with other disabilities, (3) differentiating among disabled students with different types of problems, and (4) identifying individual patterns of performance that indicate a reading disability. Results suggested that SVT and CAAS techniques were generally able to make the above distinctions with the CAAS technique appearing to be more effective. Reasons for why SVT may have been less successful are provided in the discussion.

Recent research in social psychology has suggested that negative racial stereotypes can have a negative effect on student academic achievement. Although such research has provided experimental evidence on the effect of stereotypes in a variety of different testing contexts, there has been limited research on the effect of racial stereotypes in writing assessments. The purpose of this study was to understand how stereotypes about racially-ordered performance shape students' expectations about the context and consequences of a Placement Exam. The theoretical orientation for this project drew upon Claude Steele's research on stereotype threat, Norman Fairclough's approach to Critical Discourses Analysis, and rhetorical analysis. First-year college students taking a Writing Placement Exam were given a survey that included questions about racial stereotypes and audience expectations. Of the 38% of students who completed the survey (n=1,195), 38 students were finally selected to be interviewed. The results of this research suggest that racial stereotypes do have an impact on students' expectations of writing assessment contexts. Students of color, in particular, expected that their writing performance would be read along racial lines and that they might be graded according to racial expectations for performance. The results also showed that approximately 70% of students in every racial group expected readers to be white. In interviews students said that they based their expectations on racial demographics, stereotypes about college professors, and past educational experiences in English classes. An analysis of student essays was then conducted to determine if students' expectations about stereotypes and readership were evidenced in their writing. A discourse analysis revealed that the primary identity adopted in student essays on the exam prompt "patriotism" was a moderate, unraced American identity, i.e., a cohesive "us." A rhetorical analysis of three essays, written by students who strongly felt that their essays would be graded differently if the reader knew their race, revealed that students used various rhetorical moves to anticipate a potentially hostile audience. The results of this research suggest that racial stereotypes can have an effect in writing assessments and how students rhetorically approach writing assessments. The findings suggest new considerations in test design, test use, classroom interventions, and institutional change.

This PhD research project has examined four newly built secondary schools in Leicester, England that were procured through the UK Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme (2003-2010). The research strategy has adopted a mixed-methods approach using a range of quantitative and qualitative data. The principle aim was to establish a theoretical framework for Sustainable Development which could then help to shape the analysis. Five specific dimensions were identified as a result of an extensive literature review (Education [A], Community [B], Environment [C], Technology [D] and Economics [E]). It was also important to consider the dynamic nature of a school in relation to the study’s overarching question; ‘Sustainable Schools; Beyond Measure?’ In this regard, a “systems” approach was selected, which in turn led to the identification of three further levels of analysis (Inputs [1], Processes [2] and Outcomes [3]). Five objectives were then identified, helping to instruct the direction of the research activities. Firstly, the BSF procurement mechanism had to identify a private sector partner to rebuild the 16 secondary schools in Leicester over a 10 year period. This was time consuming and did not include energy efficiency as part of the selection process. Secondly, the commissioning of the four phase one buildings prior to occupancy was not sufficiently thorough. As a result, multiple operational problems were encountered post-occupancy by the Facility Management (FM) Provider. Thirdly, when the utility data was examined, the schools were not performing efficiently around their schedule of activities. When the Building Management Systems (BMS) were subsequently re-commissioned, timer settings were adjusted, resulting in substantial carbon and energy savings. Fourthly, when the staff completed an occupancy satisfaction survey, the results identified numerous comfort problems which could be linked to the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC). Finally, when the researcher looked back at the past 10 years of educational statistics (2002-2012), it was clear how attainment, based on GCSE results, had dramatically improved following the move into the new buildings in September 2009. In order to draw out new insights from this wide spectrum of data, a matrix was developed, helping to organise the information in a systematic way. More generally, it is hoped this approach will promote a more intricate understanding about the way Sustainable Development can be integrated into future procurement mechanisms, building regulations and education policy.

The numbers of students with disabilities enrolling in postsecondary institutions has increased since the passage of key disability rights legislation. As a result, the need for information about accommodating postsecondary students with disabilities has increased in the last two decades, especially since the passage of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. This study used Dick and Carey's (1996) model of instructional design to conduct a formative evaluation of a Web-based performance support system (WPSS) designed for academic administrators, instructional employees, and auxiliary service administrators to enhance accommodations for postsecondary students with disabilities. Formative evaluation consisted of expert review, one-to-one, consumer analysis, and field trial phases. During the expert review phase, subject matter experts, instructional design and usability experts, and individuals with disabilities completed surveys to assess the degree to which the WPSS contained current content, included elements of effective design, and was accessible to individuals with disabilities. During the one-to-one, consumer analysis, and field trial phases, academic administrators, instructional personnel, and auxiliary service administrators on the University of Kentucky campus completed a questionnaire using the WPSS to assess the degree to which the WPSS was effective in providing information. In addition, users completed a survey to assess their perceptions of the WPSS. Finally, data were collected to assess difficulties encountered by users. Results from the expert review phase of the evaluation suggest that the WPSS contained current content, included elements of effective design, and was accessible to individuals with disabilities. Analysis of the questionnaire scores from all phases revealed that users obtained a mean accuracy rate of 74% or higher on the in-session questionnaire. In addition, all users required a mean of 3.9 minutes or less per question to locate responses for items on the questionnaire. The perceptions of all users about the WPSS were positive. Results also indicated that users reported a variety of technical difficulties; however, the majority were related to server errors. Revisions made to the WPSS after each phase of evaluation are described. Implications of the investigation for researchers and Web developers, limitations of the investigation, and areas for future research also are discussed.