This study was developed in response to the lack of positive interventions for middle school students with school behavior problems. This study involved the development, implementation, and evaluation of a social-cognitive group treatment program for this group of at-risk students. A total of 35 students were randomly selected from three middle schools. Subjects were also randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group at each school using a pretest-posttest control group design. Scores from the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, Teachers Self-Control Rating Scale, and two collateral measures were used to assess subjects' cognitive and behavioral changes before and immediately following the treatment program. To ensure group equivalency prior to treatment, the pretest scores were analyzed for group differences. Three outside observers rated the group leader on an Observer Checklist form at the conclusion of each group session to ensure that it was carried out in an accurate and consistent manner at all three schools. The interobserver agreement on the Observer Checklist was 81%. / Statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest scores from the N-SLCS and the TSCRS were found for the treatment group but not for the control group. These findings provided evidence that this school-based social cognitive group treatment program produced significant changes in treatment subjects' perceptions of locus of control and teacher-reported self-control. Moreover, since the TSCRS is a teacher-reported instrument, changes on this measure provided evidence that changes in subjects' self-control were generalizable from the treatment setting to the classroom setting. There were no significant differences in outcomes among treatment subjects based upon their race and gender or based upon the treatment setting. The implications of these findings for school social work practice and future research are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-06, Section: A, page: 2273. / Major Professor: Curtis H. Krishef. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

This dissertation examines the high school dropout problem in Florida using 1980 Census data. The principal advantage of working with Census data is that a microeconomic approach to the dropout question is facilitated by the large number of observations available in the five percent sample. This technique overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with alternative aggregate models. There are three key elements which play a role in the student's dropout calculus: (a) background variables, (b) schooling inputs, and (c) opportunity cost considerations. / U.S. Census data was analyzed using a series of logistic regressions. The results indicated that parental education, the marital status of the parent, marriage before graduation, and early child bearing are the primary determinants of the dropout rate. These findings are consistent with the supporting literature. The data also indicate that minorities are less likely to drop out than their Caucasian counterparts, ceteris paribus. Also significant within the minority community are the adolescent's ability to speak English and living in a household engaged in migrant work. / The results pertaining to schooling inputs and opportunity cost were less harmonious than the results for the background variables. Expenditures per pupil and the student-teacher ratio are the only schooling variables which are consistently significant. The opportunity cost variables are best understood by viewing males and females separately. For males, a farming background and a lower local unemployment rate tend to increase the dropout rate. For females, an increase in the availability of jobs suitable to teens tends to increase the dropout rate. / The Florida dropout model was tested on five additional states (Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, Connecticut, and Minnesota) and explains 62% of the variation in the dropout rates of these states. The model predicts best for females who live in states with high dropout rates. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-05, Section: A, page: 1832. / Major Professor: James D. Gwartney. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

This study examined differences in attrition of 17,919 traditional-age students under the age of 25 and adults 25 and older who entered the University System of Georgia as degree-seeking freshmen during the fall, 1983. / Multi-institutional data over a seven-year period were used to compare traditional-age and adult dropout rates as well as the relationship of selected background and college academic variables to withdrawal. Chi-square analysis and analysis of variance determined significant differences between dropouts and persisters. Stepwise discriminant analyses were computed to compare the ability of the combined variables to distinguish between dropouts and persisters in the total student population and in these age groups. / Adults withdrew at a significantly higher rate than younger students, and differences were also noted in the association of background variables and withdrawal. Adult women more than men continued in this higher education system, and older whites were more likely than minorities to persist. Gender showed little association with traditional-age withdrawal, nor did race, once its relationship with other dependent variables was considered. High school GPA, SAT verbal aptitude, and SAT math aptitude showed a stronger relationship to traditional-age dropout than to adult withdrawal. / College academic variables showed little age-related differences. Younger and older dropouts were more likely than persisters to enroll in fewer hours, have lower educational aspirations, and earn a lower college GPA. / Discriminant analysis accounted for 28.4% of the variance between dropouts and persisters, whereas only 10.4% was explained for adults. The discriminant function correctly classified 78% of the younger dropouts and persisters, but only 64.07% of the adults. Discriminant analysis performed on the total population masked distinctions evident in the separate analyses of these age groups. / These findings support the contention that variables associated with younger student attrition may not relate to adult withdrawal. They thus demonstrate a need for a contingency approach in which variables related to adults are identified in order to develop appropriate responses to the specific problems of these students. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-05, Section: A, page: 1659. / Major Professor: Allen Tucker. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2007. / Title from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 24, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0514. Adviser: Chalmer E. Thompson.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [75]-85). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [75]-85). Also available on the Internet.

International students attending colleges and universities in the United States are eligible for temporary professional employment to complement their academic training. However, most of these students, who are culturally different, have not had the exposure to career development concepts that would prepare them for the job search and American workplace. Most educational institutions do not have available the specialized career counseling and job placement information needed to prepare this unique population for their cross-cultural vocations. A handbook with a cross-cultural perspective was developed to aid the international student in identifying career resources available in this country, interpret the immigration regulations governing practical training and prepare him or her for reentry into a career in the home country.

This project dissertation entitled 'Death and Grief: A Proposed 'Cycle of Compassion'' hinged on two hypotheses which received a favorable hearing at the Lakeside United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama January 1990. The first hypothesis stated that the church is the important place for teaching grief awareness and resolution. Hypothesis Two asserted that a cycle of compassion is a process that the minister can develop with the congregation to overcome death and grief. There were several reasons why these hypotheses were operant in this project dissertation. Hypothesis One was validated because people do gather at church and problems with grief will always be a part of the human predicament. Moreover, this hypothesis espoused the belief that grief has to become a conscious reality before it can be resolved. Hypothesis Two rightly assumed that the minister and congregation are human agents of divine comparison to the bereaved. The significance of this study for other congregations lay in the fact that it brought together a coalition of several ministry emphases---evangelism, missions, worship and Christian education---through which the cycle of compassion may find development and fruition. The cycle of compassion fills the void after the crowd thins out and the banquet is over. It also moves immediately to settle down with the griever in an extended period of grief sharing and healing. Through it all, God takes the initiative in putting our shattered lives back together again.

This project that was designed to enhance the development of moral character of African-American children, ages nine to twelve (9-12). For purposes of this dissertation, moral development and character development are used interchangeably. A curriculum was developed for children and one for parents to assist them to help young people reach their potential in regard to moral character development. The underlying principles of the study were moral character, spiritual formation, and faith development. The major premise of the project was that if children feel good about themselves and feel a connection to God, then people will behave better, love themselves and God, and they will make better decisions to negotiate life. This pilot study was conducted at two urban churches. There was a total of 35 children participating in the study, and there were 38 parent participants. The training took place over a sixteen-week period. The results of the study indicate that there was a significant increase in self-esteem among the children. Additionally, findings from the behavioral scale demonstrated a significant positive change in behavior among children. There was also a significant improvement of the parents' level of contentment with their children.