Many school administrators in the United States continue to struggle with students not meeting the pass rate on statewide assessments. This study examined the effectiveness of a Tier 2 reading intervention, the Wilson Reading System (WRS) that was implemented at a local Virginia school for 1 semester to address the low pass rate on the statewide reading assessments. The framework for this study was based on the multi-tiered systems of support and the response to intervention model. A quasi-experimental pre-post research design was used to examine the differences on two reading assessments after completing the 16-week WRS program. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the change between the 8th grade reading Student Growth Assessment (SGA) pretest and posttest scores, as well as the Lexile scores from the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) of the 82 8th grade students that received the WRS intervention. The results indicated a significant difference in the SGA (p < .005) and the SRI Lexile reading pretest and posttest scores (p < .005). These findings led to a recommendation to the school district leadership team to expand their reading intervention program at the middle school and to adequately train teachers on using the WRS. If students can maintain their respective reading grade level, students will be able to not only pass statewide reading assessments but also succeed in other school subjects, increasing the opportunity for students to graduate from high school and obtain successful careers.

ABSTRACT This case study examined how Multi-Tiered System of Supports were implemented in mathematics at an elementary school, the factors that influenced teachers’ instructional choices, and how school leadership impacted implementation. Participants consisted of four elementary school teachers and four members of the school’s leadership team. The study focused specifically on mathematics teachers in grades 3-5. These three research questions guided the study: (1) How do mathematics teachers implement MTSS in grades 3-5? (2) What influences the teachers’ choices during MTSS implementation? and (3) How does school leadership impact the implementation of MTSS in mathematics intervention? A triangulation of data from observations, surveys, document analyses, and interviews revealed three key findings. The first finding revealed that Multi-Tiered System of Supports were not implemented as described in the literature. The second finding revealed that school directives, district curriculum resources, student data, and autonomy drive teachers’ practice and instructional decisions. The third finding revealed that school leadership was striving to improve the structure for implementation at the school. Implications for the field of education are discussed, highlighting the need for the fidelity of Multi-Tiered System of Supports implementation in mathematics and the incorporation of effective research-based strategies in mathematics intervention.

abstract: ABSTRACT Due to variation that exists in providing Tier 2 reading intervention instruction, the purpose of the study was to identify processes and instructional strategies currently being utilized by K-2 teachers of the Gallup, New Mexico elementary schools. 17 teachers from 9 of the 10 elementary schools participated in the study. A survey instrument was designed and administered using Survey Monkey as the tool to collect the data on how teachers are implementing Tier 2 reading intervention instruction. Research Question 1 asked how teachers are currently implementing Tier 2 reading interventions as far as structure/processes, lesson planning, and collaboration. The highest percentages of teachers reported the following: one additional staff assisting grade level teachers, group sizes of 4-6 students, progress monitoring 6 or more times a year, using DIBELS scores for student placement, utilizing ability groups within the grade level with each having its own instructors, and instruction being provided 5 days a week for 30-35 minutes. Research Question 2 asked for teachers' opinions as to using available staff, instructions for benchmark students, and the amount and usefulness of meetings. A majority of teachers agreed to using all available staff, that accelerated learning opportunities are being provided to students performing at the benchmark level, and that meetings are occurring frequently and are useful. Research Question 3 inquired as to practices and processes teachers feel are effective as well as their recommendations for improving instruction and for professional development. Effective practices reported include: using phonics, decoding, and fluency; small group instruction; multi-sensory instruction or hands-on activities; Linda-Mood Bell programs; data analysis to group students; the Project Read program; word family/patterns; sight words; comprehension; materials and curriculum provided; and consistency with holding interventions daily. Though all reported feeling moderately to very confident in their ability to teach reading, they recommended that they learn more current, non-traditional strategies as well as receive more training in familiar approaches like ELL strategies, differentiated instruction, learning centers, and identifying reading difficulties. After a review of the data, the researcher recommends training teachers to conduct their own research to seek out strategies, programs, and resources; investing in and implementing an effective commercially produced Tier 2 program; and for teams to devote more time in developing, sharing, and revising lesson plans. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2016

This study focuses on the Alberta environmental site assessment process for salt contamination resulting from pipeline failures in the boreal forest of Alberta. A complex saltwater spill site is used as a case study to determine the effects of various parameters of interest, including electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio. This study reviews the practical efficacy of the Alberta environmental site assessment process to ensure sites meet the legislated requirement for remediation closure in a timely and environmentally sound manner. The study includes a comparison of various parameters of interest on a case study site collected over a three-year period and reviews available remediation alternatives. The study provides a summary interpretation of how the existing regulatory process affects decisions to ensure site decontamination and sustainability of the boreal forest ecosystem where the upstream oil and gas industry operate, and includes recommendations for policy improvement.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tier-2 combined oral narrative and expository language intervention on kindergarteners' narrative and expository skills in comparison to an alternate decoding intervention and no treatment control condition. This study included 54 kindergarten students. After being administered the PEARL Kindergarten Screener at the beginning of the school year, eight students were found as at-risk for future reading comprehension difficulty and were matched to nine students not-at-risk, and all assigned to a language treatment group. Additional students not-at-risk for future reading comprehension difficulty were randomly assigned to an alternate decoding treatment group (n = 9) and to a no treatment control group (n = 9). Narrative intervention took place for approximately four months biweekly for 15 minutes, then expository language intervention was provided for approximately two months biweekly for 15 minutes. Students across all conditions were administered narrative and expository measures at the conclusion of the study. Results indicated that the typically developing students had significantly higher narrative and expository outcomes when compared to the typically developing students in the alternate decoding treatment and no treatment condition. Additionally, we found that the at-risk students who received oral language intervention were able to catch up to their typically developing peers in both narrative and expository outcomes with a trajectory that suggested that they would eventually meet grade level narrative language benchmark expectations. Early oral language intervention is the first step in reducing the poor reading comprehension outcomes across the nation. By targeting oral language comprehension, even young kindergarten students can improve both decoding and comprehension, better preparing them for future academic success.

<p dir="ltr">Researchers have developed Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) to enhance student math outcomes within the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. However, these EBPs often fail in real school settings due to poor implementation practices. Concerns about whether educators implement EBPs with sufficient fidelity persist. Implementation Fidelity (IF) measures how closely program delivery aligns with its intended design. This study investigated the effects and implications of an IF intervention package designed to equip general education majors with the necessary skills to implement a mathematics word problem-solving (WPS) intervention—the Conceptual Model-Based Problem-Solving (COMPS) intervention—with appropriate fidelity. Additionally, the study explored the real-world experiences encountered by education major college students when implementing the intervention in schools and examined practical factors influencing the implementation of mathematics EBPs in rural educational settings. The findings provide insights into effective strategies for improving IF in educational interventions and highlight the challenges and successes of implementation in real-world contexts.</p>

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Elementary Education / Marjorie Hancock / A portion of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), Response to Intervention (RtI), aims to prevent unnecessary student placement in special education. The intent of RtI is to provide all students with effective classroom instruction first and afford low-performing students with increasingly intensive, individualized interventions (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Vaughn,2008). Although there is considerable information available in regard to the effectiveness of the multi-tiered model of the Response to Intervention approach to deliver intervention services to struggling readers (Speece & Walker, 2007), very little is known about implementing RtI in the schools (Allington, 2009). This qualitative, exploratory, collective case study was conducted during the fall/spring semesters of the 2009/2010 school year between November 16, 2009 and February 26, 2010. This study investigated how three kindergarten classroom teachers, located in two elementary schools, delivered Tier 2 literacy instruction to kindergarten struggling readers within the Response to Intervention model in the classroom setting. Multiple data sources were gathered from interviews with administrators and teachers, guided conversations with students, classroom observations and field notes, and documents/artifacts. Data were collected and analyzed during three phases of the study. This study’s findings established that in the new era of Response to Intervention (RtI), teachers were able to apply literacy instructional approaches and pedagogy based on their teaching philosophy to address the needs of at-risk struggling readers within the kindergarten classroom environment. However, data analysis revealed dissimilar perceptions of the three case study teachers regarding their roles and responsibilities teaching literacy within the Response to Intervention approach which influenced how they delivered Tier 2 intervention instruction. The three classroom teachers utilized the modeled, shared, and guided approaches to literacy instruction and provided lessons in phonemic awareness and phonics during Tier 2 small group literacy interventions. In addition, the data collection and analysis identified three pedagogies which occurred during Tier 2 instruction: 1) monitoring of learning; 2) encouraging and supportive learning environments; and 3) feedback and reinforcement. Data analysis also revealed the student participant benefits included positive attitudes towards reading, students’ perception of themselves as self-confident and motivated readers, development of an emerging love of reading, and enjoyment of practicing their reading skills in small groups.

More than 20,000 primary- and secondary-level schools, which represent 20% of all schools in the United States, are implementing school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) to enhance socially desirable behavior and promote a decline of problematic behavior among students. The overall efficacy of the 3-tier SWPBS framework is well documented. However, a paucity of empirical research addresses the use of check in/check out (CICO), a Tier 2 intervention, for youth who present as quiet and withdrawn, and who are at risk of academic and social disengagement. Accordingly, this quasi-experimental, nonequivalent groups study assessed the overall effectiveness of CICO and considered the differential effects of conducting a functional behavior assessment (FBA) at the secondary level of SWPBS. Twelve students from 1 middle school formed the convenience sample. Analysis of covariance repeated across time, with the preintervention scores being the covariate, was used to assess between group differences in the students' internalizing behaviors on the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2) Self-Report, teachers' BASC-2 ratings of adaptive skills, and office discipline referrals. Paired sample t tests were conducted to assess within-group effects. Findings indicate that CICO was an effective intervention for students presenting with a pattern of internalizing behaviors. For participants in the experimental group, a significant effect was found on the functional communication scale. Social change implications include educators having a better understanding of how Tier 2 interventions can be enhanced to meet diverse needs and that inclusion of youth's self-reports is needed when determining effects of supports.

L'origine de la masse des particules élémentaires est liée au mécanisme de brisure de la symétrie électrofaible. Son étude sera l'un des enjeux majeurs de l'expérience Atlas auprès du Large Hadron Collider, au Cern à partir de 2008. Dans la plupart des cas, les recherches seront limitées par notre connaissance des performances du détecteur, telles que la précision avec laquelle l'énergie des particules est reconstruite ou l'efficacité avec laquelle elles sont identifiées. Ce mémoire d'habilitation présente un travail portant sur la reconstruction des électrons dans Atlas avec des données simulées et des données prises durant le test en faisceau combiné qui s'est déroulé en 2004. L'analyse des données d'Atlas nécessite l'utilisation de ressources de calcul et de stockage importantes qui a impliqué le développement d'une grille de calcul mondiale dont un des noeuds est développé au laboratoire. Le manuscrit présente aussi l'effort effectué au LPNHE Paris pour la mise en place d'un Tier 2 en r\égion Ile de France.

Submitted by Angela Maria de Oliveira (amolivei@uepg.br) on 2018-06-05T17:14:26Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Daniel Ruiz Potma.pdf: 3450096 bytes, checksum: 03d21d00bc051ccb6c35ac3df1c5fe14 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-05T17:14:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Daniel Ruiz Potma.pdf: 3450096 bytes, checksum: 03d21d00bc051ccb6c35ac3df1c5fe14 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Solos podem ser uma fonte ou um dreno de CO2 atmosférico, dependendo do seu sistema de manejo. Atualmente, o uso do solo e mudança de uso do solo emitem 1,3 ± 0,5 Pg C ano-1, equivalente a 8% das emissões globais. Técnicas como a agricultura de baixa emissão de C têm sido desenvolvidas para sequestrar C nos solos e reduzir a emissão de gases do efeito estufa. Porém, além dos desafios políticos e sociais envolvendo a doção destes sistemas, ainda há muita incerteza sobre o seu real potencial de mitigação. Assim, os objetivos desse estudo foram: i) Quantificar as fontes históricas e atuais de emissão de gases do efeito estufa na região dos Campos Gerais do Paraná, Brasil; ii) quantificar o potencial das melhores práticas de manejo agrícola baseadas nos três pilares da agricultura de conservação: Solo permanentemente coberto, plantio direto e rotação de culturas, em longo prazo (30 anos) para sequestrar carbono no solo, utilizando a fazenda Paiquerê (localizada na região dos Campos Gerais) como um modelo de sucesso; iii) estimar o impacto da adoção das melhores práticas de manejo nas áreas agrícolas da região e globalmente onde adequadas pelos próximos 100 anos utilizando os modelos Century e Roth-C. As fontes de gases do efeito estufa foram apresentadas como um inventário e mostraram que as emissões históricas (1930 – 2017) foram 412,18 Tg C, no qual as mudanças de uso do solo contribuíram com 91% (376,2±130 Tg C). As florestas sequestraram 51.7 ± 23.9 Tg C em 0.6 Mha em 47 anos (1.8 Tg C Mha-1 ano-1) e o plantio direto sequestrou 30.4 ± 23.9 Tg C em 1.9 Mha em 32 anos (0.5 Tg C Mha-1 ano-1). Ambos os modelos tiveram uma boa performance e o modelo Century foi mais eficiente em simular os estoques de carbono do solo, o resíduo médio da simulação foi 10 Mg C ha−1 (13%) para n = 91. O resíduo do modelo aumentou com a quantidade de óxidos no solo, sugerindo que a inclusão do controle mineralógico pode reduzir o viés de simulação. As predições do Century mostraram que o sistema tem potencial para mitigar 13 anos de emissões regionais (330 Tg C em 100 anos) ou 105 anos de emissões do setor agricultura, floresta e pecuária (40 Tg em 100 anos) na região. Da mesma forma, globalmente o sistema apresenta um potencial para sequestrar 2,5 ± 0.02 Pg C na profundidade 0–20 cm e 11,7 ± 3 Pg C na profundidade 0-100 cm em 86 milhões de ha distribuídos por todo o mundo. Este valor é equivalente à 11% das emissões globais dos setores agricultura, floresta e pecuária e mudanças de uso do solo. Assim, a nossa metodologia possa ser utilizada como um modelo para divulgar o potencial da agricultura conservacionista em sequestrar C nos solos e suportar políticas públicas que visem à mitigação das emissões de gases do efeito estufa. / Soils can be a source or sink of atmospheric CO2, according to land use and management. Currently the land use and land use change (LULUC) emits 1.3 ± 0.5 Pg carbon (C) year-1, equivalent to 8% of the global annual emission. Techniques such as low carbon agriculture, has been developed to sequester C in soils and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, besides political and social challenges for the system adoption, there’s still great uncertainty related to its real mitigation potential. This study aimed: i) Quantify the historical and current main sources of GHG emissions for Campos Gerais region in Paraná state, Brazil; ii) quantify the potential of long term (30 years) agricultural best management practices, based on the three pillars of conservative agriculture: permanent soil cover, crop rotation and no-till, to sequester C in soils, using Paiquerê farm (located in Campos Gerais region) as a successful model; iii) estimate the impact of best management practices adoption in the region croplands and globally for the next 100 years where is suitable using Century and Roth-C models. The GHG emission sources were presented as an inventory and showed that historical (1930 – 2017) GHG emissions in the region was 412.18 Tg C, in which LULUC contributes 91% (376.2±130 Tg C). Forestry sequestered 51.7 ± 23.9 Tg C in 0.6 Mha in 47 years (1.8 Tg C Mha-1 year-1) and no-till sequestered 30.4 ± 23.9 Tg C in 1.9 Mha in 32 years (0.5 Tg C Mha-1 year-1). Both models performed well, and Century was more efficient for simulate the SOC stocks, the mean residue was 10 Mg C ha−1 (13%) for n = 91. The model residue increased along with the oxides content in the soil clay fraction, suggesting that mineralogical control inclusion can reduce the model simulation bias. Century predictions showed that the system currently practiced at Paiquerê farm have the potential to mitigate 13 years of regional total emissions (330 Tg C in 100 years) or 105 years of agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector emissions (40 Tg in 100 years) in the region. In the same way, it has the potential to sequester 2.5±0.02 Pg C at 0-20 cm and 11.7±3 Pg C at 0-100 cm soil depth in 86 million ha globally. This is equivalent to 11% of global annual emissions from LULUC sector. In this way, our methodology can be used as a model to access the potential of conservation agriculture to sequester C and support public policies aiming to mitigate GHG emissions.