Degree Level

A Descriptive Study of Student Assistance Programs in the State of Texas (open access)

A Descriptive Study of Student Assistance Programs in the State of Texas

The purpose of this study is to examine the four basic student assistance models and determine their distribution in Texas, describe the student assistance programs in place in public school districts in Texas including the program's goals, objectives and components, and explore the perceived effectiveness of student assistance programs as a viable means of drug and alcohol education for students enrolled in public school districts in Texas in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Date: May 1995
Creator: Wright, Marilyn D. (Marilyn Diane)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of Texas Special Education Due Process Hearings from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992: Implications for the Administration of Special Education Programs (open access)

An Analysis of Texas Special Education Due Process Hearings from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992: Implications for the Administration of Special Education Programs

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of selected characteristics on the outcomes of those special education due process hearings brought forth in the state of Texas from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992. A further purpose was to determine if district characteristics of size or location affect the likelihood of a district's becoming involved in a special education due process hearing. Data for the study was collected for all special education due process hearings conducted in the State of Texas from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992. A coding system was used to record the data for the study and the Chi-square test of independence was used to determine whether a relationship existed between the selected variable (hearing issue, disability classifications and restrictiveness of placement) and hearing outcome. The frequency of involvement in hearings for districts of various size and urban characteristics was displayed as a percentage.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Webb, Paula J. (Paula Jean)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cultural Differences in Pain Experience and Behavior among Mexican, Mexican American and Anglo American Headache Pain Sufferers (open access)

Cultural Differences in Pain Experience and Behavior among Mexican, Mexican American and Anglo American Headache Pain Sufferers

Review of previous research on cultural differences in pain experience and/or pain behavior revealed that cultural affiliation affects pain perception and response. Unfortunately, the many inconsistent findings in the literature on cultural differences in pain experience and behavior have made interpretations and comparisons of results problematic. These inconsistent findings could be attributed to variations in acculturation level among cultural groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate cultural differences in pain experience (assessed by McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Box Scale, the Headache Pain Drawing, and the Headache Questionnaire) and pain behavior (measured by determining medication use and interference of daily functioning due to headaches) among Mexican (n = 43), Mexican American (n = 36), and Anglo American (n = 50) female chronic headache pain sufferers. The contribution of acculturation to differences in pain experience and behavior among cultural groups was measured by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans. The three cultural groups of women significantly differed on pain experience and pain behavior. Specifically, Mexican women experienced their headache pain more intensely, severely, and emotionally than Mexican American and Anglo American women. Furthermore, Mexican women were more willing to verbally express their pain than the other two groups. As …
Date: December 1995
Creator: Sardas, Isabela
System: The UNT Digital Library
Library CD-ROM LAN Performance and Patron Use: a Computer Simulation Model (open access)

Library CD-ROM LAN Performance and Patron Use: a Computer Simulation Model

In this study, a computer simulation model for library CD-ROM LAN systems was created. Using this model, the system optimization problems were examined. The simulation model imitated the process of the actual decision variables changing their values and generated the corresponding results. Under a certain system environment, if the values of decision variables are changing, the system performances are getting changed also. This study investigated these relationships with the created model. The system users' interarrival time, service time, and other relevant data were collected on randomly selected days in a university library. For data collection, both of the observation and the system automatic metering software were used. According to the collected data, a discrete events simulation model was created with GPSS/H. The simulation model was proven valid and accurate by a pilot test and by the calculation with queuing theory. Statistical tests were used for data comparison and analysis. In addition, animation technique was used to show the simulation process by using Proof Animation. By this technique, the simulation process was monitored on the screen.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Xia, Hong
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Administrative Leadership Styles of the Senior Administrators of Public Universities in Texas (open access)

A Study of Administrative Leadership Styles of the Senior Administrators of Public Universities in Texas

The study of leadership in education, business, industry, government, and other organizations has evolved over time. Early studies focused on leadership traits and behavior. Currently, researchers and theorists have concentrated on the interaction of leadership styles and situations. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the predominant leadership style of a group of senior administrators of public universities in Texas.
Date: December 1991
Creator: Nwafor, Samuel Okechukwu
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Computer Performance Assessment on Student Scores in a Computer Applications Course (open access)

The Effects of Computer Performance Assessment on Student Scores in a Computer Applications Course

The goal of this study was to determine if performance-based tests should be routinely administered to students in computer application courses. The purpose was to determine the most appropriate mode of testing for individuals taking a computer applications course. The study is divided into areas of assessment, personality traits, and computer attitudes.
Date: July 1994
Creator: Casey, Sue Hartness
System: The UNT Digital Library
PTSD in Women following a Disaster: the Effects of Social Support and Gender Differences (open access)

PTSD in Women following a Disaster: the Effects of Social Support and Gender Differences

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare individuals that had survived a single incidence trauma, the Luby's massacre in Killeen, Texas. Participants answered questions regarding various facets of social support following the trauma, and were also screened for a diagnosis of PTSD. Participants' level of symptoms, specifically depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety was measured over time with the SCL-90-R. The results of this study indicate that, while women initially experience a higher level of depression and phobic anxiety, there is no gender difference in rate of symptom change over time. This study also found that women were significantly higher than men on desirability, utilization and usefulness of social support. Of the target symptoms, however, only depression correlated with any facet of social support, specifically, desirability. Finally, this study questioned whether individuals would share more similarities with others based on gender or diagnosis. It is suggested by the current data that diagnosis is the better indicator of similarity.
Date: December 1996
Creator: Direiter, Diana C. (Diana Charity)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Peer Mediation: an Empirical Exploration Empowering Elementary School Children to Resolve Conflicts Constructively (open access)

Peer Mediation: an Empirical Exploration Empowering Elementary School Children to Resolve Conflicts Constructively

Conflict is inevitable in school and in life. Many children lack skills necessary to resolve daily conflicts constructively. Without knowledge of positive ways to manage conflicts, violence may result. Limited research suggests that involvement in a peer mediation program may have a positive influence on children. This study assessed effects peer mediation training and mediation experience had on student mediators. The pretest-posttest, control-group, and quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a year long peer mediation program implemented in a suburban elementary school.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Link, Kathleen Elizabeth Barbieri
System: The UNT Digital Library
Level of Manifest Anxiety as a Predictor of Attitude Change Through Group Vocational Counseling (open access)

Level of Manifest Anxiety as a Predictor of Attitude Change Through Group Vocational Counseling

This study was conducted to compare changes in self-concept and dogmatism among high school subjects at three levels of manifest anxiety following group vocational counseling.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Liston, Curtis Thomas
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Career Group Counseling on the Self-Concept of At-Risk High School Students as Measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (open access)

The Effects of Career Group Counseling on the Self-Concept of At-Risk High School Students as Measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of career group counseling in raising the self-concept of at-risk high school students. The following subgroups were represented in the sample: male and female students, white and non-white ethnic groups, and students from sophomore, junior, and senior classifications. Two groups of students in the Lewisville Independent School District meeting the criteria for at-risk as defined by House Bill 1010 were administered a pretest and posttest using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. The experimental group was from the Lewisville Learning Center. The control group was students enrolled in the Coordinated Vocational Academic Education (CVAE) classes at Lewisville High School. A treatment sample of 25 students received career group counseling. A nontreatment sample of 25 students did not receive any group counseling. The t-test for independent samples was used to analyze the data. The pretests for the experimental and control groups showed no significant difference at the .05 level. The treatment sample received 30 hours of group counseling in the Fall semester of 1994. At the end of 30 hours of counseling a posttest was administered to the treatment sample and to the control sample. The t-test for independent samples was used …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Szydlik, Linda (Linda L.)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of English Immersion Mathematics Classes on the Mathematics Achievement and Aspiration of Eighth-Grade Spanish-Speaking LEP Students (open access)

The Effects of English Immersion Mathematics Classes on the Mathematics Achievement and Aspiration of Eighth-Grade Spanish-Speaking LEP Students

This research grew from concerns relative to the mathematical performance of Spanish-speaking limited English proficient (LEP) public school students. This investigation studied the effects of the sheltered mathematics class on eighth-grade Spanish-speaking LEP students with regard to mathematical achievement, attitudes toward mathematics, the dropout rate, and the number of math credits earned in high school. The enrollment of a sheltered mathematics class was limited to LEP students. The purpose was to compare Spanish-speaking LEP students enrolled in sheltered mathematics classes with Spanish-speaking LEP students enrolled in regular mathematics classes. The research hypotheses were that achievement, mathematical attitudes, the dropout rate, and high school math credits earned would favor enrollment in sheltered mathematics classes. The data for achievement, dropout information, and mathematics course work completed were drawn from student records in the school district data bank. A mathematics attitude survey was given to a sample from the 1995-96 eighth-grade advanced level Spanish-speaking LEP students. The research hypotheses were not accepted. All of the populations did show an academic deficit. However, they did have more positive attitudes than negative attitudes toward mathematics. To improve achievement, staying in school, and a higher rate of inclusion in mathematics related careers the following recommendations were …
Date: December 1996
Creator: Hunt, Beverly Thornhill
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Public School Library Media Specialists' Perceptions of the Use of the Internet in their Schools (open access)

Texas Public School Library Media Specialists' Perceptions of the Use of the Internet in their Schools

With the advent of the 21st century, technological innovations are transforming the face of education and the school library media center. One of these significant developments is the ability to communicate through the Internet. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of Texas public school library media specialists who are active Internet users about their utilization of the Internet, and how their efforts in implementing and supervising Internet access in their school library media centers impact the Texas public schools that they serve. A survey instrument of Likert items was developed that queried these public school library media specialists for their perceptions of Internet use in their schools. MANOVA was the chosen statistical measure for this study. An initial electronic mail-out to 1,232 Texas public school library media specialists (K-12) with Internet addresses were contacted to participate in this study. After a time frame of one month, 196 Texas school library media specialists e-mailed the researcher, confirming their willingness to be a survey participant. All respondents to this e-mail request participated in this study, and a second U.S. mail-out was sent containing the actual survey instrument. The researcher found that the use of the Internet by school …
Date: June 1997
Creator: Bruns, Loretta A. (Loretta Ann)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The History of the Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development of the Dallas County Community College District (open access)

The History of the Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development of the Dallas County Community College District

The Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development is an entity created in the Dallas County Community College District to serve the community in workforce and economic development. The history of the Priest Institute over the last ten years parallels and illustrates the commitment of community colleges nationally to workforce and economic development. The history also reflects similar goals and trends within the state of Texas and, particularly, in the city of Dallas. The Priest Institute is made up of three distinct entities. One entity is the Edmund J. Kahn Job Training Center; another is the Business and Professional Institute, which provides consulting and training services to business clients. The final service area is the complex made up of the regional North Texas Small Business Development Center and its several related local service operations. This study provides an analytical history of each of these components and the process by which they came together in a model facility in Dallas. This study also describes perceptions of persons within the Institute regarding its present mission and purposes and the efficacy of the current organizational structure both internally and within the district operation as an appropriate structure enabling the Institute to meet its …
Date: April 1994
Creator: Hughes, Martha
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Cross-Racial Study of Small Business Managers (open access)

A Cross-Racial Study of Small Business Managers

The objective of this study is to define differences and similarities in certain aspects of education, experience, and business practices of White, Black, and Latin American small businessmen, and approximately fifty questions relating to their operations were asked.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Howard, Kenneth W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Life-Style Themes of Women Who Emerge as Leaders in Small Group Settings (open access)

Life-Style Themes of Women Who Emerge as Leaders in Small Group Settings

This study investigated the effects of personality characteristics on emergent leadership in small group settings. Two instruments were used to assess personality factors: The BASIS-A and the California Personality Inventory (CPI). A sociometric tool was developed to elicit leader ranking of female group members. The BASIS-A, was used to test for Taking Charge and Wanting Recognition lifestyles in women who emerged as leaders. The CPI was used to assess female emergent leaders for Dominance and Leadership Potential. The two instruments and a sociometric form were distributed to 115 female graduate counselor-in-training students the last week of their group counseling experience. This survey resulted in 55 respondents (N=55) from eleven discussion groups. It was expected that women who had the highest averaged leader rank would demonstrate higher test scores in Dominance, Leadership Potential, Taking Charge, and Wanting Recognition than women who received a lower averaged leader rank. It was also thought that these four test factors would be highly related. If so, a case would be made to use the BASIS-A as an emergent leader assessment tool because it is consistently based in one psychological theory. No significant effect was found between the highest leader rank and three of the test …
Date: May 1996
Creator: Gray, Virginia C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Survey of Perceived Relationships Between Higher Education Institutions and Daily Newspapers and Television Stations in Texas (open access)

A Survey of Perceived Relationships Between Higher Education Institutions and Daily Newspapers and Television Stations in Texas

The problem of this study was to determine perceived relationships between higher education institutions in Texas and daily newspapers and television stations in the state. It also was to determine roles, responsibilities, and priorities of college information office representatives.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Newbury, Joyce Donell
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparative Study of the Impact of the Total Quality Management Program on Exit Level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Scores (open access)

A Comparative Study of the Impact of the Total Quality Management Program on Exit Level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Scores

The management style being used by school personnel in Texas and across the nation today is predominately that of a bureaucracy. This model was organized around the industrial revolution that was exercising authority at the turn of the century. Writers and researchers have pointed out that such a model is not capable of providing students the knowledge and skills they will need to enter an increasingly demanding society. One management style relatively new to the educational arena today is that of Total Quality Management. This study reports the results of the impact of the training in those principles by measurement of student test scores.
Date: December 1998
Creator: Maulding, Wanda Smith
System: The UNT Digital Library
A History of Lon Morris College (open access)

A History of Lon Morris College

The problem with which this study is concerned is that of analyzing the implementation of the stated purposes of Lon Morris College of Jacksonville, Texas from 1847 to 1973. Histories and journals of the period, records and publications of the school and other institutions, and oral interviews of persons involved in its development provide data for the study. As a historical analysis, the study is divided according to successive periods in the school's development.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Jones, Glendell A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation into the Stability of Students' Timbre Preferences from the Sixth through the Tenth Grade (open access)

An Investigation into the Stability of Students' Timbre Preferences from the Sixth through the Tenth Grade

The purpose of the study was to determine whether students' timbre preferences in the sixth grade remain stable through the tenth grade. The investigation also examined whether gender, band instruction, or musical home environment makes any difference in influencing the stability of students' timbre preferences from grade six through ten. Students' timbre preferences at the beginning of the study were compared to their preferences four years later. The students' timbre preferences were obtained by employing Gordon's Instrument Timbre Preference Test (ITPT). A questionnaire was also utilized at the conclusion of the study to determine which students had musical home environments and which did not. All sixth grade students enrolled in a single school district took the ITPT. Each student's scores were tallied and ranked in order to determine their timbre preferences; four years later they were retested and their scores were ranked again.
Date: May 1995
Creator: May, Brack M. (Brack Miles)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of the Impact of Curriculum Management Audits on Public School Systems in Texas (open access)

An Analysis of the Impact of Curriculum Management Audits on Public School Systems in Texas

The purposes of this study were to (1) identify the recommendations of Curriculum Management Audits conducted in Texas Public School systems, (2) determine the degree to which each of the recommendations had been implemented, and (3) determine the perceptions of stakeholders as to the factors instrumental in the real and potential impact of the audit. The researcher conducted interviews with superintendents and key central office administrators with a working knowledge of the audit report in each of the eleven Texas school districts studied. Respondents were asked to rate recommendations written for their districts using the following descriptors: Implemented, In Progress, Plan to Implement, Recommendation Modified, No Implementation. The ranking of recommendation implementation revealed that 85% of the recommendations made in the 11 audit reports reviewed in this study had received action toward implementation to some degree. Respondents were also asked to cite factors which facilitated or impeded recommendation implementation. Significant factors facilitating the implementation of recommendations were reported to be time, organizational structure/personnel and planning. The analysis of the collective recommendations revealed that school board policies were not adequate to direct the design, delivery and monitoring of curriculum when measured against audit Standard One criteria. School districts in Texas rely …
Date: August 1997
Creator: Murdock, Sunnye (Sunnye J.)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of a Strategic Thinking Program on the Cognitive Ability of Seventh Grade Students (open access)

The Effects of a Strategic Thinking Program on the Cognitive Ability of Seventh Grade Students

This study used a posttest only design to determine the effects of a strategic thinking program on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT, Form 4) scores of seventh graders who received direct instruction in Strategic Thinking Skills (STS) with the scores of seventh graders who did not receive direct instruction in STS. The study was conducted in a large suburban middle school in north Texas.
Date: August 1993
Creator: Houchins, Joyce S. (Joyce Ann S.)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Association between Attitudes toward Computers and Understanding of Ethical Issues Affecting Their Use (open access)

The Association between Attitudes toward Computers and Understanding of Ethical Issues Affecting Their Use

This study examines the association between the attitudes of students toward computers and their knowledge of the ethical uses of computers. The focus for this research was undergraduate students in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences (Department of Computer Science), Business and Education at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Gottleber, Timothy Theodore
System: The UNT Digital Library
Assessment of the Perceived Competencies Possessed by Women Administrators in Vocational Education at Community Colleges in Texas (open access)

Assessment of the Perceived Competencies Possessed by Women Administrators in Vocational Education at Community Colleges in Texas

The need for a high-quality workforce to meet increased competition in the world economy has increased the need for competent vocational administrators in public 2-year postsecondary institutions. Researchers have agreed that vocational education is in a state of metamorphosis and must change to meet its challenges in the coming century. At the same time, more women are seeking and obtaining vocational administrative positions. Several studies have been done to identify the competencies needed by vocational administrators to perform their duties, but there has been little research on the actual ability to perform the administrative tasks identified by these studies. Two main purposes of this study are: (a) to determine the perceived level of administrative competencies possessed by women administrators in vocational education at the community college level in Texas; (b) to determine the adequacy of the preservice training received by these administrators to perform their administrative functions. Of the 175 women administrators randomly selected to participate in the study, 71% completed the Administrator Task Inventory. In addition to the descriptive statistics, two multiple regression analyses were tested. First, principal component analysis was used to reduce the number of dependent variables from 11 to 2, after which two multiple regression analyses …
Date: May 1997
Creator: Chiawa, Chioma B. (Chioma Bernadette)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Historical Study of the Contributions of Bill J. Priest to the Community College Movement (open access)

An Historical Study of the Contributions of Bill J. Priest to the Community College Movement

This study chronicles the contributions of Bill J. Priest under the headings of Board of Trustees governance model, multi-college district, quality first: facilities and staff, curriculum, counseling, public relations, telecourses and the Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development. Data were gathered from personal interviews, primary sources and secondary sources. The study includes an overview of the emergence and evolution of the junior college with specific focus on the conceptual beginnings of the Dallas County Community College District and the selection of its founding president, Bill Priest. Professional and personal profiles of Priest are documented as background for the study. Conclusions are that Bill Priest established the Dallas County Community College District as a national model of a multi-college district, was instrumental in affecting the change from junior college to comprehensive community college as the standard for two-year higher education institutions, played a significant role in setting the national agenda for the community college movement through his long-term participation in a leadership capacity in the American Association of Junior and Community Colleges and through the establishment and selection of leadership of the League for Innovation, was instrumental in the creation of the Associate Degree of Nursing, was a national leader …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Whitson, Kathleen Krebbs, 1947-
System: The UNT Digital Library