Assessment of social and emotional learning (SEL) in young children is critical to understanding developmental progress and informing care and instruction. The current study investigated the development of a behavior rating scale designed to measure SEL skills in preschool-age children. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the…

One of the most common criticisms of undergraduate and master's level graduate programs is that students lack the ability to define their view of human nature. One effective means of assisting students in their desire to identify their preference in orientation is the use of a validated psychometric instrument developed for mental health…

The inception of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has focused national attention on improving the academic achievement of all students. In response to this federal legislation, educators, policymakers and others have sought remedies to turnaround chronically low-performing schools. The academic achievement outcomes of implementing such strategies have…

Self-determination is the freedom to make choices that impact an individual's life. Many people would agree that self-determination leads to an enhanced quality of life, and choice making is considered a central element in self-determination. Most learn choice making through a gradual release of responsibility by caregivers throughout their…

This dissertation is developed around two studies created with the goal of describing and quantifying current educators' knowledge and perceptions of reading assessment and subsequent data-based instructional decision making. Unique to the field, a critical component of this study is an emphasis on educators' development of "data…

The purpose of this manuscript is, first and foremost, to present new research in the Information Systems realm that will support future research into perceptions of Visual Appeal in an online environment. In furtherance of these goals, the research draws on Composition Theory to articulate a two-essay research agenda. Composition Theory states…

Scores from value-added models (VAMs), as used for educational accountability, represent the educational effect teachers have on their students. The use of these scores in teacher evaluations for high-stakes decision making is new for the State of Florida. Validity evidence that supports or questions the use of these scores is critically needed.…

The 21st century is rapidly becoming the age of new and oftentimes confusing innovations in media, so much so that it is frequently referred to as the "new media" (Beach, 2007). It has become evident that we live in an era with extremely complex, and rapidly changing media scenes. Media studies now appears in major institutions of higher education…

Direct training procedures have been beneficial in increasing teachers' knowledge and skills for the use of recommended intervention for target students in their classrooms. However, direct training alone has not been successful in teachers' consistent and sustained use of the intervention for the target student and the generalized use…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to operationalize the responses from a sample of the community dwelling older population from Denton County, Texas on disaster preparedness education given by Denton County Health Department (DCHD) personnel. The goals and objectives were drawn from the Texas Public Health and Medical Emergency Management…

Given the emphasis placed on strong leadership as a condition for high performing schools, identifying and assessing the characteristics of effective school leaders have become essential tasks for local jurisdictions, state departments of education, and the federal government. However, many forms of appraisal have failed to assess the daily work…

Adoption of new technology has complicating components both from the selection, as well as decision-making criteria and process. Although new technology such as cloud computing provides great benefits especially to the developing countries, it has challenges that may complicate the selection decision and subsequent adoption process. This study…

The purpose of this study was the creation of an instrument to assess perceptions of job satisfaction for professional staff fulfilling the role of residence directors. With many costs associated with the exit of an employee (Cascio, 1987), it is hoped that the instrument may be used by the senior housing administrators to limit lateral turnover,…

The purpose of the mixed methods study was to develop and validate the CSIS-360, a 360-degree feedback assessment to measure competencies of school improvement specialists from multiple perspectives. The study consisted of eight practicing school improvement specialists from a variety of settings. The specialists nominated 23 constituents to…

With the recent influx of Latinos into the United States, it is essential to understand how their backgrounds and cultures will affect the way they view their children's emotional, social, and educational development. Researchers continue to evaluate the psychometrics of various screening instruments in order to ensure a reliable and valid…