Recent research suggests that summer reading programs may benefit elementary-aged children with learning disabilities and reading difficulties. However, there exists limited literature on how both play-based learning (PBL) and scaffolding can be used to improve reading outcomes in non-school settings. The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine PBL, scaffolding, and perceived reading outcomes in a 6-week play-based summer reading program. The conceptual framework guiding this research is that PBL, when combined with scaffolding, results in either the maintenance or the improvement of reading outcomes. Fourteen individuals (5 support workers, 4 parents, 5 children) who were enrolled in a play-based summer reading program between 2019 and 2021 participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that PBL and scaffolding can lead to perceived reading progress and increases in confidence and motivation, as well as an absence of a summer learning slide. Additional themes relating to the role of the support workers, program organization and friendship/belonging emerged. Implications for the literacy learning of elementary-aged children with disabilities and reading difficulties are discussed.

<p> The following study describes the evolution of Alexander Pope's Pastorals from their embryonic state in the earliest extant manuscript of them, the Houghton holograph, to their final resting place in the last authorized version of them, the posthumous 1751 edition of the poet's Works edited by his friend and literary executor, Rev. William Warburton. During this period the four poems -- "Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter" -- and the brief critical treatise that accompanied them underwent hundreds of alterations, from single words to entire stanzas. A careful examination of the earliest extant version, in conjunction with a close study of the many changes and additions Pope made during this lifetime, provides a considerable amount of information concerning precisely what Pop endeavours to accomplish in creating this cycle of poems. A xerox copy of the Houghton holograph, together with a diplomatic transcript of it and a list of all subsequent authorized alterations to the text has been included to facilitate the study. Though some of the variants of this holograph have been cited (with varying degrees of accuracy) in previous editions of Pope's poetry, the manuscript itself has never before been reproduced in its entirety. </p> <p> This study concentrates particularly upon the evolution of the Pastorals primarily because a comparison of the final version of any given passage with earlier versions often makes the poet's intentions clearer. Pope himself would seem to have been aware of this fact since he includes a number of variant readings from manuscripts and earlier printed texts in the notes he appends to these poems in the 1736 edition of his Works. Likewise, an examination of the sources of Pope's allusions to other poems in the pastoral tradition -- some though by no means all of which he also records in his 1736 notes -- sheds additional light on the poet's meeting. Though the vast majority of these allusions have been identified by previous scholars, their function in the poems themselves has to date been, for the most part, ignored. Yet, as this study demonstrates, these allusions and their contexts form an integral part of the poet's design, frequently providing an oblique, but highly pertinent comment upon what is actually taking place. </p> <p> This study leads ultimately to a new reading of the Pastorals, one that focuses upon the numerous alterations and additions to them between 1704 -- the supposed date of the Houghton holograph which may be regarded as their first limited "edition" -- and 1751. Particular emphasis is placed on the major additions -- the dedicatory stanzas inserted into the first three poems in 1709, the revised version of the prose treatise added in 1717 and the apparatus of notes appended in 1736. For, in each of these Pope would appear to be providing his readers with the necessary direction to comprehend precisely what he is endeavouring to accomplish. To study Pope's creation without reference to these and the other factors previously mentioned is to miss much that is of the utmost importance in them. Only through a reconstruction of their evolution can be Pastorals be fully understood and appreciated. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

At Mississippi State University (MSU), students who do not meet full admission requirements may enroll in the Summer Developmental Program (SDP). During this ten-week summer program, students take four developmental courses to prepare them for college-level courses. MA 0003 Developmental Mathematics is the course designed to prepare these students for MA 1313 College Algebra. In addition, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at MSU offers MA 0103 Intermediate Algebra to prepare students for MA 1313 College Algebra. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether there were correlations between student grades in MA 0003, MA 0103, and MA 1313, (b) whether students? grades in MA 0003 and MA 0103 would predict their grades in MA 1313, and (c) whether their grades in MA 0003 would predict their grades in MA 0103. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was performed on the data. The results showed that there were statistically significant correlations between grades in MA 0003 and MA 0103, between grades in MA 0003 and MA 1313, as well as between grades in MA 0103 and MA 1313 ( ). Linear regression was used to find the equations to predict students? grades in MA 1313 from their grades in MA 0003 and MA 0103 and predict grades in MA 0103 from grades in MA 0003. An analysis of the results revealed that the higher the grade a student received in the lower-level mathematics courses, MA 0003 and MA 0103, the higher the grade the student received in the college-level mathematics course, MA 1313. Based on this study, further research was recommended to investigate the success of the SDP students in courses above the level of MA 1313 and their success in graduating from MSU. Because the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at MSU has made changes in the college algebra course, MA 1313, since this study, further research should be conducted to investigate the performance of the SDP students in the ?new? college algebra.

The squash bug, Anasa tristis De Geer (Hemiptera: Coreidae), is a serious pest of cucurbit crops across the US, especially within summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) systems. Using its piercing sucking mouthparts, squash bug feeds on both leaf tissue and fruits, potentially leading to leaf necrosis, seedling death, and yield loss. Currently, A. tristis management strategies in summer squash focus exclusively on insecticide applications. Given that continuous use of insecticides imposes negative side effects on many non-target species, the major objective of this dissertation was to identify new and understudied management strategies for minimizing A. tristis damage in Virginia summer squash. To accomplish this goal, we first performed experiments to test the effects of colored mulches on squash bug density. A two-year field replicated study conducted in 2019 and 2020 in southwest Virginia found that black, white, and reflective plastic mulch colors had no effect on squash bug adult, egg mass, or nymphal densities. Overall, we observed a broad plastic mulch effect, as summer squash plants grown in any plastic mulch color tended to harbor greater densities of squash bug life stages than plants grown on bare ground. Next, the potential of augmentative releases of egg parasitoid, Hadronotus pennsylvanicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was assessed by deploying lab-reared parasitoids on organic farms growing summer squash in southeastern Virginia in 2020 and 2021. In both years, we found higher levels of A. tristis egg parasitism at H. pennsylvanicus release sites compared to sites where the parasitoids were not released. Further, higher egg parasitism at the release sites was observed within two weeks of the field deployment date. The third goal of this dissertation research was to characterize the relationship between squash bug life stages and marketable summer squash yield. In 2020 and 2021, summer squash fields were established in Whitethorne, Virginia and individual plants were labeled as either 'managed' or 'infested'. Managed plants were subject to weekly manual removal of all squash bug egg masses and nymphs, while infested plants were left to have natural densities of squash bug life stages. We performed weekly A. tristis surveys on all infested plants in both years and added H. pennsylvanicus surveys on infested and managed plants in 2021. Also, we collected all fruit produced by each plant. Managed plants were found to produce more marketable fruit and fewer squash bug-damaged fruit than infested plants. Linear regression analyses of initial two-week accumulated squash bug life stage counts displayed adult and nymph densities to be significantly associated with marketable fruit yield per plant. However, nymphs showed a considerably stronger relationship with marketable yield than did adults. Hadronotus pennsylvanicus was visually sampled during each of the eight sampling weeks, but did not exhibit high egg parasitism until the latter half of the sampling interval. Lastly, we evaluated the toxicity of reduced risk insecticides on A. tristis nymphs and H. pennsylvanicus adults. To do so, we conducted laboratory bioassays exposing nymphs to insecticide treated summer squash fruit and parasitoids to treated filter paper, and recorded mortality at 24, 48, and 72 h following initial exposure. Only one reduced risk insecticide, flupyradifurone, was found to be highly toxic to squash bug nymphs and nontoxic to the parasitoids. Overall, the results of these studies will offer much needed information to improve the success and sustainability of squash bug management programs, as well as provide a fundamental basis and spark motivation for future research in squash bug biological control. / Doctor of Philosophy / The squash bug is a serious insect pest of summer squash across the United States. Squash bugs inflict damage by feeding on plant leaves, stems, and fruits, leading to significant reductions in fruit yield and overall economic losses for growers. To date, farmers have few useful tools to minimize squash bug damage in their summer squash crop, and resort to over-applying insecticides. While this use of insecticides helps lower squash bug numbers, it often has negative side effects on the environment and important beneficial insect species like pollinators. To better understand the squash bug as a summer squash pest and to promote nonchemical ways to reduce squash bug damage, this dissertation research pursued answers to questions regarding: (1) the effect of plastic mulch color on squash bug numbers, (2) the use of squash bug natural enemies to control squash bugs, (3) the relationship between numbers of squash bugs and damaged summer squash fruits, and (4) whether new types of insecticides can control squash bugs and also be safe for beneficial insects. The results of this research will provide new insights on current issues with squash bug pest management. In particular, this work will provide summer squash farmers with useful knowledge that can be applied to their future efforts to responsibly control squash bugs in their fields and maximize their crop yields. With more research-supported and sustainable squash bug control tools, farmers will be able to not only adopt more environmentally-friendly food production practices, but also lower their overhead farm management costs and ultimately provide higher quality squash to consumers.

This mixed-method study explored the culturally responsive practices of a midsized, Southern California school district that used Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) state funding to implement a voluntary summer program accessible to TK–6 grade students district-wide. Qualitative data gathered from semistructured interviews with the principal on special assignment (POSA), three upper-grade summer school teachers, and three school outreach liaisons (SOLs) highlighted the culturally responsive practices of the school district to address student and family needs, focusing specifically on English learners (ELs). Quantitative data from the school district examined included the summative test scores for EL students in Grades 4–6. Although EL summer school students did not score significantly higher than EL students who did not attend summer school, the findings demonstrated EL students increased their scaled scores in English language arts (ELA), math, and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). A promising finding was the significant change in scores from before to after the summer school program for EL students. Although the study demonstrated funding alone did not address educational inequity as seen in test scores, the qualitative data highlighted powerful educational practices to help address the needs of students and families. Thus, the culturally responsive design features and practices of the summer school program are an initial start to supporting EL students and shifting the education system toward equity.

Over the past few decades, there has been a push to retain and increase URM student participation in STEM fields. To address this need, there are STEM Summer Bridge programs that specifically target underrepresented minority (URM) students to assist with the transition from high school to college. Summer bridge programs were established as a response to the effort to help with the transition from high school to college for first-time students. There are a number of these programs that specifically target URM students with the goal of increasing the diversity within professions that are related to the STEM areas of study. One of the challenges of establishing these programs involves identifying factors such as academic goals, psychological goals, and departmental goals that help first-time URM students succeed in STEM undergraduate programs. This research includes three studies that analyzes the impact of summer bridge programs on first-time students The first study analyzes program goals of summer bridge programs in the southeastern region of the United States, where there is a need for more published reports. The second study analyzes an engineering-focused summer bridge program’s impact on first year success. The results indicated that participation in the program had a significant association with Calculus I success and first semester GPA. The third study analyzes engineering degree and grad/professional school attainment for engineering students. It was found that participation has a significant association with engineering degree attainment. Overall, this study gives researchers a foundation for how engineering-focused summer bridge programs can affect academic success for first-time students. This type of intervention gives students the foundation needed to successfully transition from high school to college. This research shows that the impact produced by summer bridge programs have long term implications that include diversifying the engineering workforce.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch. ex Lam.), and summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) are economically important crops in Virginia. Only a few herbicides are registered for weed control in these crops. Halosulfuron is a sulfonylurea herbicide which controls several broadleaf weeds and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.). Cucurbit crops have some tolerance to this herbicide. The efficacy of halosulfuron for control of several weed species and tolerance of four vine crops to halosulfuron were investigated in field and greenhouse studies in 1999, 2000, and 2001. In the field, halosulfuron was applied to cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini squash, and yellow summer squash at 4, 9, 18, and 27 g ai/ha preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) in combination with clomazone at 174 g ai/ha plus ethalfluralin applied PRE at 630 g/ha. Crop injury, weed control, and crop yield was collected from the field studies. Weed control by halosulfuron was dependent upon application method. Halosulfuron applied preemergence controlled only common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.). Postemergence halosulfuron controlled common ragweed, smooth pigweed, morningglory species (Ipomoea spp.), yellow nutsedge, and rice flatsedge (Cyperus iria L.). All four crops treated with halosulfuron produced yields equal to or higher than the crops receiving clomazone and ethalfluralin alone or the hand-weeded check. In the greenhouse, tolerance of cultivars of each crop to halosulfuron was investigated with the same rates applied in the field. Cultivars responded similar to postemergence halosulfuron applications with respect to fresh and dry weights in all four crops. The response of several populations of acetolactate synthase inhibiting (ALS) resistant smooth pigweed to postemergence halosulfuron was also investigated. Halosulfuron activity against ALS-inhibitor resistant smooth pigweed was population dependent. In the greenhouse, postemergence halosulfuron at the same rates used in the field studies controlled yellow nutsedge. / Master of Science

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is highly productive making it a key habitat for species like striped bass and summer flounder. Striped bass and summer flounder have exhibited changes in abundance over recent years within the Chesapeake Bay. There is a lack of understanding of how environmental factors may be impacting striped bass and summer flounder abundance and how other species may be responding to these environmental drivers. To improve our understanding of striped bass, summer flounder and the aquatic community we set out to identify the environmental drives of their abundance changes from local to global scales. The fish community in the Bay has previously shifted due to environmental perturbations, so we also investigate if the community has changed more recently. We used a hurdle model to standardize interannual abundance of fish species caught in the Chesapeake Bay from two sources of fishery-independent trawl survey data. This standardization process led to relative abundance indices for 58 late juvenile to adult species from 2002-2018, and relative abundance indices for 26 juvenile species from 1995-2019. Species with similar and contrary abundance trends with striped bass and summer flounder were identified through a correlation analysis, and life history traits were assessed between species to determine mechanisms of change. We then used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) to see if the community structure had drastically changed, the applied a principal response curve (PRC) to investigate the spatial and functional group change of the community. Among the factors examined, sea surface temperature (SST) in the Bay has increased since 2006 based on change point analysis while the mean Bay SST range and gradient have both decreased. Striped bass have had variable abundance in the Bay but exhibited a positive correlation with increasing SST. Summer flounder have declined in abundance since 2006 in the Bay and exhibited a negative correlation with increasing SST. Striped bass and summer flounder had relationships with global climate oscillations such as the winter North Atlantic Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and the Gulf Stream North Wall oscillation. From a community perspective, our results showed that the late juvenile to adult fish community shifted after 2011, which coincided with the freshwater surge due Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The increase in abundance of striped bass, Bay anchovy, and Atlantic menhaden, and decrease in abundance of summer flounder, weakfish, spot, and Atlantic croaker were the main species that contributed to the difference in community structure after 2011. The change in functional group structure after 2011 was defined by a decline in opportunistic demersal fish, and this change was significantly different in the portion of the Bay north of the Potomac River. We did not identify any significant correlation between functional groups and environmental factors but did discover the important relationship that top predators like striped bass and summer flounder have with their key fish prey species, both in presence and population trends. Long term monitoring and further research in to how the community changed over smaller periods and the distribution changes of species could improve our understanding of what is impacting the Chesapeake Bay community to inform better management strategies. / Master of Science / The Chesapeake Bay is an important habitat for many animals, including fish. Of the fish species that inhabit the Bay, striped bass and summer flounder are two highly sought after commercial and recreational species, and are top predators, which means they are economically and ecologically important. Striped bass and summer flounder have exhibited changes in abundance over recent years within the Chesapeake Bay, and there is a lack of understanding what environmental factors may be driving their abundance trends and if other species are responding similarly. To conserve striped bass and summer flounder, management strategies should consider the relationship these species have with their environment and other species. Through this research, we set out to understand what environmental factors are impacting their population trends, and the trends of the aquatic community which can be used to inform effective management decisions for the future. To accomplish our research goals, we first used a hurdle model to determine the interannual abundance of 58 adult and 26 juvenile fish species from 2002-2018 and 1995-2018 respectively. We then investigated whether any environmental factors exhibited relationships with striped bass and summer flounder. Again, through correlation analysis, we identified species with similar and contrary abundance trends with striped bass and summer flounder and compared the traits of these species to try to identify the mechanisms of their abundance trends. To visualize if and how much the fish community composition had changed over time we used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), then applied a principal response curve (PRC) to investigate the spatial change and life history trait change in the fish community. The results showed us that striped bass and summer flounder do exhibit relationships with environmental factors. Sea surface temperature (SST) in the Bay has increased, while the range and gradient has decreased, and an increase in the mean SST occurred in 2006. We found that striped bass had variable abundance in the Bay but correlated positively with increasing SST, however summer flounder abundance has decreased since 2006 in the Bay and has a negative correlation with SST. Striped bass and summer flounder exhibited relationships with global climate-oscillations that impact the Chesapeake Bay, making those factors important to consider for their management. The results of the community assessment showed that the late juvenile to adult fish community shifted after 2011. This change in community structure coincided with a decrease in water quality and a freshwater surge in 2011 that was caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. After the community shift, striped bass, Bay anchovy, and Atlantic menhaden increased in abundance, while summer flounder, weakfish, spot and Atlantic croaker decreased in abundance. These species were the top species that contributed to the change in community structure. The change in community structure was greatest, and significant in the northern portion of the Bay. From these results we identified the important relationship between predators and prey both in species presence and abundance trends. Striped bass abundance increased alongside an increase of their key prey species, Bay Anchovy and Atlantic menhaden, while summer flounder abundance decreased along with two of their key prey species spot and Atlantic croaker. This research identified environmental factors that contribute to abundance trends of striped bass and summer flounder and highlighted the importance of multispecies interactions within the aquatic Chesapeake Bay community. Long term monitoring and more research into finer scale spatial and temporal changes of fish in the Bay could further improve management recommendations.