The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of second grade students about reading, themselves as readers, their motivation to read, and their subsequent reading achievement. Allowing students time to read independently during the school day and providing various reading materials in the classroom are options that some school…

The number of English language learners (ELL) across public schools in the United States continues to rise (Brice & Roseberry-McKibbin, 2006). However, teacher preparation for these students is not growing (McKeon, 2005). This quantitative study explored the relationship between teacher professional development and literacy achievement of…

The Five Dimensions of the Saint Louis University Experience were developed by Saint Louis University leaders in the late 1990s as a framework for identifying and assessing the student engagement outcomes at the University. In the language of the document, "reflective of its mission, Saint Louis University strives to engage its students in five…

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing a specific collaborative structure would create effective teacher teams that in turn would lead to improved student achievement. An effective team can be viewed as one that uses collaboration to increase its knowledge and improve its practices. The structure that was implemented during…

This study sought to determine if participation in a home education learning program would impact the perceived levels of parental self-efficacy of parents/caregivers who participate in the completion of home-learning assignments and increase their levels of home-learning involvement practices. Also, the study examined the relationship between the…

Understanding the user and customizing the interface to augment cognition and usability are goals of human computer interaction research and design. Yet, little is known about the influence of individual visual-verbal information presentation preferences on visual navigation and screen element usage. If consistent differences in visual navigation…

The purpose of the study was to examine teacher perceptions of school process data over time to determine whether No Child Left Behind (NCLB) sanctions and interventions might produce any observable change in teachers' perceptions of the selected school processes. This study examined the relationship between the school's NCLB sanction status and…

This study examined whether the design of textbook material affects comprehension and memory of textbook material under certain cognitive conditions for proficient and remedial readers. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, format was found to significantly affect comprehension and memory. Proficient Male scored significantly…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of women donors who had given a significant gift to a large Midwestern university. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 women donor participants that were not alumni, not married to alumni and had no children attending the selected university. These participants…

The "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110 (U.S. Congress), was passed by Congress in response to perceived failure of the public school system to effectively educate students, particularly disadvantaged students in the United States. The relationship of NCLB school choice to student achievement has not been clearly…

This quantitative study investigated the perceptions of principals, guidance counselors, and site facilitators in city/suburb, town, and rural schools concerning the Louisiana Virtual School (LVS). This study provided a benchmark of attitudes from school personnel about the LVS. The non-experimental research design used an online survey adapted…

Math anxiety levels and performance outcomes were compared for bilingual and monolingual community college Intermediate Algebra students attending a culturally diverse urban commuter college. Participants (N = 618, 250 men, 368 women; 361 monolingual, 257 bilingual) completed the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) and a demographics instrument.…

The purposes of this study were to examine the experiences of African American female students attending urban community colleges, to gain further understanding of how they interpret the meaning of persistence, and to identify the factors that affect their persistence. African American women attending community college in Los Angeles were…

Research suggests youth anxiety increases the chance of risky behaviors and academic difficulties, whereas spirituality moderates. To confirm these findings, this research investigated the nature of spirituality and trait anxiety on at-risk factors in high school youth. The Intrinsic Spirituality Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the…

This study examines one professional development program, The Next Educational Wave ("NEW") Teachers' Collaborative, and its effect on a self-selected group of five first-year teachers. Unlike standard induction programs based on traditional professional development models, the "NEW" program assumes that beginning teachers, like more established…