Most principal training programs in the United States focus very little on preparing aspiring instructional leaders to lead programs for students with disabilities. An examination of principal preparation programs and their SPED components is necessary at a time when standards have been revised and new certification exams have been constructed in…

This study aims to provide practical methods for teaching "world/urban" dance courses in higher education in the 21st century. We discuss problematic terminology in our courses and suggest a new term to better reference these dance forms. Eight methods are discussed for assisting teachers and expanding student perspectives in…

This dissertation conducts rhetorical criticism of the public controversy prompted by higher education reforms proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in his 2008 "Seven Breakthrough Solutions" packet and summit. The analysis begins by exploring "topoi," or commonplace arguments, raised during the argumentation between Perry and…

The purpose of this dissertation was to study perceptions of faculty and administrators at institutions of higher education on copyright ownership of faculty-created digital course content. The central question for this study was: Who had copyright ownership rights of faculty-created digital content and in what manner was copyright ownership…

Higher levels of civic and community engagement in higher education are positively associated with students' academic performance and they also build upon citizenship skills such as informed voting. Yet, while these are worthy and important outcomes of higher education, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have more difficulty navigating…

Some U.S. universities use Web-based formats to offer most of the course work required to become a certified teacher of the deaf. Yet little research exists on how students judge the content and delivery of such courses compared to on-campus instruction. Parton (2005) described previous research concerning this topic as descriptive rather than…

The purpose of this study was to develop a survey based on the findings in existing research regarding students' perceptions and preferences related to online course delivery. Researchers have found that the following areas are important for student satisfaction with online instruction, interaction among students, quality and timely interaction…

A survey assessed the current status of the business and professional communication course. A questionnaire was completed by faculty members at 39 Texas colleges and universities. Results indicated that 66% of the institutions surveyed offer a course in business and professional communication (with titles such as Business Speech, Oral…

FOR EACH OF 84 TEXAS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRESENTED--(1) ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS, WITH EMPHASIS ON TESTS AND MATHEMATICS COURSES, (2) GENERAL ORGANIZATION, WITH STATEMENTS OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS IN MATHEMATICS FOR BOTH GENERAL STUDENTS AND THOSE WITH MAJORS IN SPECIALIZED FIELDS, (3) A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EACH…

Reports findings from a survey of two-year and four-year college microbiology teachers in Texas, identifying the skills and knowledge identified by senior college faculty as prerequisites to upper-level microbiology courses and differences in the depth of cover of curricular items between two- and four-year institutions. (DMM)

A study was conducted to determine if the speech communication programs in Texas colleges and universities were providing the skills needed by industry. A survey of current business journals revealed seven skills needed by college graduates seeking employment in business: (1) public speaking skills, (2) knowledge of communication theory and flow…

This study investigated the priorities in preservice and inservice teacher training for bilingual education in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. In the report, trends in the provision of bilingual teacher training are reviewed, the development of a survey for school districts to identify specific training needs is described, and the study's…

Major questions addressed in this study were (1) What is the educative purpose of cooperative education (CE) courses in postsecondary business programs? and (2) What are the essential objectives which will receive appropriate recognition and accreditation from the educational and accrediting community? A survey instrument containing sixteen…

A project was conducted in Texas to establish a statewide articulated network of manufacturing engineering technology education at the community college and technical college level and to articulate that network upward with the appropriate four-year bachelor's degree programs in the state. The participants included 4 Texas State Technical College…