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Title: THE EFFECT OF MATHEMATICAL MANIPULATIVE MATERIALS ON THIRD GRADE STUDENTS' PARTICIPATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
Creator: Ross, Caryn, Gresham, Regina, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study is the summary of research conducted in a third grade classroom during a unit on multi-digit addition and subtraction. The classroom teacher utilized mathematical manipulative materials throughout the course of this unit as a supplement to aid in the conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction. This study showed the effects of those manipulatives on third grade students' participation, engagement, and academic performance. Data collected from teacher observations and...
Show moreThis study is the summary of research conducted in a third grade classroom during a unit on multi-digit addition and subtraction. The classroom teacher utilized mathematical manipulative materials throughout the course of this unit as a supplement to aid in the conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction. This study showed the effects of those manipulatives on third grade students' participation, engagement, and academic performance. Data collected from teacher observations and video recordings indicated a positive relationship between manipulatives and student participation and engagement. A pre-test/post-test and student work samples were used to determine effects on academic performance. Data showed students' academic performance increased, however the relationship between academic performance and manipulatives was found to require further research and study.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002092, ucf:47544
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002092

Title: DEVELOPING TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION PEDAGOGY FOR NONNATIVE TECHNICAL GRADUATE STUDENTS.
Creator: Sepulveda, David, Applen, JD, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis seeks to develop a pedagogy for teaching academic writing to nonnative graduate students of technical disciplines in order to give them the skills they need to write papers that they can submit to academic journals and conferences, thereby advancing their careers and gaining recognition for their academic institutions. The work draws on research from the fields of technical communication and second-language acquisition in order to develop pedagogical principles for a class in...
Show moreThis thesis seeks to develop a pedagogy for teaching academic writing to nonnative graduate students of technical disciplines in order to give them the skills they need to write papers that they can submit to academic journals and conferences, thereby advancing their careers and gaining recognition for their academic institutions. The work draws on research from the fields of technical communication and second-language acquisition in order to develop pedagogical principles for a class in which nonnative technical graduate students write an academic paper that they can submit for publication. The thesis proposes an approach that incorporates content-based instruction, certain plain language principles, and guided drafting, and then discusses some specifics of a potential class based on those conclusions.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000822, ucf:46686
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000822

Title: Ethical Decision-Making in Higher Education: A sociological examination of graduate students' understanding of appropriate academic sharing.
Creator: Parham, Jennifer, Boote, David, Biraimah, Karen, Vitale, Thomas, Owens, Tom, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Most prior research and scholarship views cheating as an individual failing rather than a sociological or organizational phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges students face in graduate education and the factors that affect ethical beliefs towards academic dishonesty. This study used a mixed method research approach including an online survey with approximately 1,250 responses from graduate students representing each of UCF's colleges and fifteen interviews with...
Show moreMost prior research and scholarship views cheating as an individual failing rather than a sociological or organizational phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges students face in graduate education and the factors that affect ethical beliefs towards academic dishonesty. This study used a mixed method research approach including an online survey with approximately 1,250 responses from graduate students representing each of UCF's colleges and fifteen interviews with students in fourteen different disciplines. Results of the online survey indicated no significant differences between international and domestic students. Survey and interview data indicate that graduate students' perceptions of the perceived norms and expectations related to academic honesty are impacted by the culture of the academic program. Analyzing these data through three sociological theories of deviance (-) anomie, labeling, and rational choice (-) shows that graduate students' understanding of appropriate academic behavior depends on their academic socialization. The data also reveal that graduate students struggle with subtleties of cheating, such as misrepresentation or (")fudging(") of data. Especially for the doctoral students in the sample, their views were highly influenced by viewing themselves as teachers and independent researchers. This sociological analysis emphasizes the role of culture in graduate programs and students' socialization into those cultures. This doctoral dissertation also provides a deeper understanding of the social and organizational factors affecting graduate students and re-frames students' perspectives on appropriate academic behavior.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005394, ucf:50452
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005394

Title: THE EFFECTS OF A RESPONSIBILITY-BASED CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM ON MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SCHOOL CLIMATE AT AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN EAST AFRICA.
Creator: HOWARD, TERRY, ROBINSON, EDWARD, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a character education program on middle school student academic performance, effort and attitude about their school located in an international setting. Middle school students at the participating international school were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Those students in the experimental group classes received a series of 12 lessons focusing on the character trait of responsibility. Those students in the...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a character education program on middle school student academic performance, effort and attitude about their school located in an international setting. Middle school students at the participating international school were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Those students in the experimental group classes received a series of 12 lessons focusing on the character trait of responsibility. Those students in the control group classes did not receive these lessons. Twelve responsibility-based lessons were presented to students in the experimental group. Student academic grades in six different academic subjects, effort scores in six different academic courses, and student attitude concerning school climate constituted the dependent variable. The literature review and the general results of this study indicate that there are many factors that may influence student academic performance, effort or attitude. Various character education programs which have been designed to be integrated into school curricula as part of pre-existing courses or as stand alone programs have had varying levels of success. There is limited quantitative data available to support the claims that many existing programs make related to their effectiveness. The data collected from this study were also inconclusive making it difficult to generalize the findings beyond the scope of this study. While certain middle school grade levels showed statistically significant improvement in some academic disciplines or effort improvement in some subjects it would not be appropriate to generalize the findings based on this investigation. Implications of this study and suggestions for future investigations are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000620, ucf:46518
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000620

Title: AN ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF SCHOOL CULTURE WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES.
Creator: Quiambao, Joan, Magann, Douglas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study was developed to generate data about the overall culture of selected central Florida middle schools in Osceola County. It was designed to enhance the existing body of knowledge on collaboration, collegiality and self-efficacy, as related to the academic achievement of students with specific learning disabilities. This study focused on two research questions: (a) to determine how well the three key areas of school culture (collaboration, collegiality and teacher efficacy) predict...
Show moreThis study was developed to generate data about the overall culture of selected central Florida middle schools in Osceola County. It was designed to enhance the existing body of knowledge on collaboration, collegiality and self-efficacy, as related to the academic achievement of students with specific learning disabilities. This study focused on two research questions: (a) to determine how well the three key areas of school culture (collaboration, collegiality and teacher efficacy) predict the placement of middle school students with specific learning disabilities in general education or special education (resource and separate class)settings and (b) to determine what relationships (if any) exist between the three key areas of school culture (collaboration, collegiality and teacher efficacy) and FCAT Reading and Mathematics scores of middle school students with specific learning disabilities. Secondary analyses consisted of (a) analyzing and comparing the three areas of school culture across the selected schools and (b) analyzing and comparing FCAT Reading and Mathematics scores of middle school students with learning disabilities across general education, resource and separate class educational settings. The population of this study consisted of seventh and eighth grade middle school students with specific learning disabilities during the 2003 - 2004 school year in the selected middle schools in Osceola County Public Schools, Kissimmee, Florida. To control for the high mobility rate, only those students who attended the same middle school since grade 6 were selected. Twenty-five general education and five exceptional education teachers were randomly selected from each of the four selected middle schools. FCAT Reading comprehension and Mathematics problem solving percentile rank scores for all selected students with specific learning disabilities over a four-year period (2001 through 2004). According to a review of professional literature research findings, the researcher concluded that (a) none of the three key areas of school culture (collaboration, collegilaity or teacher efficacy) predicted the placement of middle school students with specific learning disabilities in general education or special education (resource or separate class) educational settings and (b) there were no relationships between any of the three key areas of school culture and FCAT Reading and Mathematics scores for middle school students with specific learning disabilities in the sample population. Secondary analyses revealed (a) strong overall cultures in the selected middle schools, as overall culture scores in collaboration, collegiality and teacher efficacy ranged from the mid 2nd quartile to mid 3rd quartile; (b) statistically significant differences between Reading and Mathematics FCAT scores for students in general education as opposed to those in resource or separate class placements. (No statistically significant differences were found between FCAT Reading and Mathematics scores of students in resource room or separate class placements.)
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000194, ucf:46154
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000194

Title: THE IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE FOR LADIES PROFESSIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION TEACHING AND CLUB PROFESSIONALS.
Creator: Fjelstul, Jill, Higginbotham, Patricia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Ladies Professional Golf Association Teaching Professionals are scattered throughout the country, many of whom are self-employed. There was not a review session for Class A written test preparation prior to this study. The focus of this research, thus, was to assist first time test takers in their preparation of the LPGA Class A written evaluation through an online medium. The study was conducted between July and November, 2005, and was offered to LPGA T & CP Class B first-time test takers....
Show moreLadies Professional Golf Association Teaching Professionals are scattered throughout the country, many of whom are self-employed. There was not a review session for Class A written test preparation prior to this study. The focus of this research, thus, was to assist first time test takers in their preparation of the LPGA Class A written evaluation through an online medium. The study was conducted between July and November, 2005, and was offered to LPGA T & CP Class B first-time test takers. Components of the online review session included self-evaluations, discussion postings involving test-related content, and practice quizzes. The study compared the pass rate percentage of the participants in the online review session with the pass rate percentage of those who did not participate in the online review session. A test of proportions determined there was not a significant increase in the pass percentage rate of the online review session participants when compared to the test takers who did not receive intervention. However, pass rates and average test scores were higher for online review session participants. Suggested uses of this study include the future development of online review sessions for LPGA Class B and Apprentice written evaluations, with the goal of improving academic performances. Future research should include replication of the present study, but with a larger sample size. Future research should also involve Class B and Apprentice test takers and not be limited to first time test takers.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0000940, ucf:46730
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000940

Title: THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION ON READING PERFORMANCE OF SOPHOMORE STUDENTS ON THE FLORIDA COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT TEST FROM 2008 TO 2009.
Creator: McMillen, Margaret, Taylor, Rose, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study investigated the change in sophomore reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test after the implementation of an academic vocabulary program and the change in teacher knowledge and professional practice after a program of staff development in academic vocabulary. The purpose was to determine the impact of the professional development on student reading performance. The study analyzed student data from 2008 and 2009 gathered from the Florida Department of Education,...
Show moreThis study investigated the change in sophomore reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test after the implementation of an academic vocabulary program and the change in teacher knowledge and professional practice after a program of staff development in academic vocabulary. The purpose was to determine the impact of the professional development on student reading performance. The study analyzed student data from 2008 and 2009 gathered from the Florida Department of Education, and teacher data collected from a survey used as a pretest/posttest. Variables used in the analysis of student data included demographic subgroups of white, African-American, and Hispanic students and students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students. Teacher variables used were years of teaching experience and curriculum area. Both an ANCOVA and a multiple logistical regression were used to analyze change in student reading performance. Student reading score performance dropped for the total population and in for subgroups from 2008 to 2009. Several intervening variables could explain the downward change: budget cuts resulting in a change in instructional day from six to seven-period day with loss of instructional time, reduction in number of teachers, increase in student population, and change in start time for school day (from 7:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to :30 a.m. to 4 p.m.). An ANOVA and independent t-test were used to analyze teacher pretest/posttest data. The data indicated a positive change in teacher knowledge and instructional practice, though not statistically significant. It should not be concluded from the reading scores that the program of academic vocabulary was not successful, but rather that vocabulary instruction is only one of the essential components of any plan to improve secondary student reading performance. Further research should be conducted to replicate this study during a time period without intervening variables experienced during the span of this study. Additionally, students should be matched to their teachers to examine the relationship between individual teacher and student performance. This study should be replicated in a high school with different demographics and different level of student achievement.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002909, ucf:48005
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002909

Title: Academic Advisors' Attitudes Toward Students Experiencing Mental Health Issues.
Creator: Aming, Danielle, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Malaret, Stacey, Owens, J. Thomas, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As students continue to pursue higher education, the potential for them to experience mental health issues will exist (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2012; Gruttadaro (&) Crudo, 2012; Salzer, 2012; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2013). When entering a new environment, students will look to make connections with the institution; one of these connections can be with an academic advisor (Harper (&) Peterson, 2005; Harper (&) Wilson, 2010;...
Show moreAs students continue to pursue higher education, the potential for them to experience mental health issues will exist (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2012; Gruttadaro (&) Crudo, 2012; Salzer, 2012; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2013). When entering a new environment, students will look to make connections with the institution; one of these connections can be with an academic advisor (Harper (&) Peterson, 2005; Harper (&) Wilson, 2010; Kuh, 2011; Pearson, 2012). It is important for individuals experiencing mental health issues to make connections to the institution so that they are more likely to remain and feel a sense of connection (Kadison (&) DiGeronimo, 2004).This dissertation outlines a quantitative study to examine the attitudes of academic advisors towards mental health. Using the Relational-Cultural Theory (Miller 1986; Jordan, 2000) as a framework, this study sought to determine attitudes of academic advisors and how this may affect their relationship with students.Results from 133 participants revealed that attitudes toward mental health issues do not impact the building of a mutual relationship between student and academic advisors from the academic advisors' perspective. However, characteristics such as age and personal experience with mental health issues impacted this type of relationship between the academic advisor and student.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007306, ucf:52161
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007306

Title: Black Males In Programs For High Achievers At A Community College: Exploring The Qualitative Nature Of Academic Success.
Creator: Jones, Gerald, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Owens, J. Thomas, Butler, Malcolm, Bosley, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Most of the literature concentrating on Black males, focuses on retention problems that have gone unresolved. The purpose of this study was to explore qualitatively the nature of the academic success of Black males in programs for high achievers at a community college. A detailed literature review was completed, focusing on educational themes such as motivation, high achievers, persistence, and honors programs. The theoretical framework used was GRIT developed by Duckworth (2007). The...
Show moreMost of the literature concentrating on Black males, focuses on retention problems that have gone unresolved. The purpose of this study was to explore qualitatively the nature of the academic success of Black males in programs for high achievers at a community college. A detailed literature review was completed, focusing on educational themes such as motivation, high achievers, persistence, and honors programs. The theoretical framework used was GRIT developed by Duckworth (2007). The researcher used a six-step process as suggested by Moustakas (1994) to determine results. In addition, interviews were conducted with seven Black males who were defined as high achievers. The following six themes were identified from this phenomenology approach: supporting family, starting early, guilt, involvement, no failure, and academic success.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007021, ucf:52040
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007021

Title: Analyses and comparisons of three lexical features in native and nonnative academic English writing.
Creator: Yu, Xiaoli, Folse, Keith, Fernandez-Rubiera, Francisco, Young, Beth, Boote, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Built upon the Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (CIA) framework, this corpus-based research analyzes three lexical features (lexical diversity, lexical sophistication, and cohesion) in native and nonnative English writers' academic writing and examines the potential differences in lexical performance 1) between native and nonnative English writers and 2) across all writers from various language backgrounds. The differences in lexical performance in academic writing between native and...
Show moreBuilt upon the Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (CIA) framework, this corpus-based research analyzes three lexical features (lexical diversity, lexical sophistication, and cohesion) in native and nonnative English writers' academic writing and examines the potential differences in lexical performance 1) between native and nonnative English writers and 2) across all writers from various language backgrounds. The differences in lexical performance in academic writing between native and nonnative English writers and the unique characteristics of writers from different language backgrounds suggest the necessity of targeted academic writing instruction based upon learner needs. Using text length as the covariate, two Multivariate Analysis of Covariate (MANCOVA) were conducted with language background as the Independent Variable and the three lexical features as the Dependent Variables. The results revealed that nonnative English writers demonstrated significantly lower performance in lexical sophistication than did native English writers. In terms of the comparison between writers from different language backgrounds, the results suggested statistically significant differences in all three aspects of lexical features. Pedagogical implications for vocabulary instruction in academic writing for nonnative English writers include emphasizing the mastery of academic, low-frequency, and discipline-specific vocabulary. In addition, improving nonnative writers' vocabulary size and lexical diversity can offer these learners more options to build cohesion in academic writing at a deeper level. Moreover, the results of this study highlight the wide but often under-considered variability within any language group as individual learner differences come into play, thereby downplaying the idea that writers of any given language tend to perform homogenously. Instructors should acknowledge the unique writing characteristics of different nonnative writers and their varied learner needs. Thus, targeted instruction is essential to provide effective enhancement to nonnative English writers' lexical performance in academic writing.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007269, ucf:52206
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007269

Title: STEM Academic Engagement in Young Children with Autism: A Single Case Design Study.
Creator: Ji, Yixuan, Szente, Judit, Levin, Judith, Macy, Marisa, Pearl, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The researcher examined the academic engagement in Circle Time activities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities for three young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who attended a large Orange County Public School, enrolled in an ASD preschool classroom. Given the increasing number of children diagnosed with ASD each year and many STEM job opportunities for individuals with ASD, it is becoming important to know how young children with ASD learn and...
Show moreThe researcher examined the academic engagement in Circle Time activities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities for three young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who attended a large Orange County Public School, enrolled in an ASD preschool classroom. Given the increasing number of children diagnosed with ASD each year and many STEM job opportunities for individuals with ASD, it is becoming important to know how young children with ASD learn and engage in STEM activities. Strengths of individuals with ASD in the STEM field have been reported in several research studies (Chen (&) Weko, 2009; Kirchner, Ruch (&) Dziobek, 2016; Samson (&) Antonelli, 2013). Although this study focuses on academic engagement of young children with ASD, there has been limited research investigating the learning in academic activities for this population. Moreover, there is a distinct gap in the literature specific to young children with ASD and the academic engagement in STEM learning. A single case study with an alternating treatment design and three participants was used to investigate the difference in academic engagement of children with ASD in STEM activities compared to Circle Time activities. Data were collected using observations and a social validity questionnaire. Data were analyzed and then presented using a Time Series Line Graph. The results of this study indicated all three young children with ASD had more engaged time during STEM activities than during Circle Time activities. Furthermore, the teacher's social validity questionnaire revealed she strongly agreed that STEM activities were beneficial for children with ASD. Overall, findings from this study gave direction for future studies and intervention programs focusing on improving academic engagement and learning in STEM activities for children with ASD that may support better learning outcomes. Implications and recommendations for teachers of students with ASD were discussed.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007198, ucf:52259
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007198

Title: Diverse 3rd Grade Non-School Activity Participation: Associations With Social Competence and Reading Performance.
Creator: Mahone, Robert, Hoffman, Bobby, Crevecoeur, Edwidge, Biraimah, Karen, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examined indicators of 3rd Grade students' non-school activity participation (NSAP) for associations with measures of social competence and reading performance. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), representative of a 1999 kindergarten cohort of more than 14,000 students was used. The study constructed social competence composites from responses provided by students, parents and teachers. Principal component analysis and iterative bivariate correlations were utilized to...
Show moreThis study examined indicators of 3rd Grade students' non-school activity participation (NSAP) for associations with measures of social competence and reading performance. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), representative of a 1999 kindergarten cohort of more than 14,000 students was used. The study constructed social competence composites from responses provided by students, parents and teachers. Principal component analysis and iterative bivariate correlations were utilized to derive the most robust composite for use in tests of the main hypotheses of the study. Results confirmed prior research findings that social competence has strong positive associations with academic performance. Thereafter, the social competence composite and ECLS Reading IRT Scale Score were used as alternative outcome measures in the bivariate analyses and linear regressions on non-school activity participation (NSAP) and breadth of non-school activity participation (BNSAP) scores.Cluster and multiple regression analyses combined in the study and brought demographic and cognitive controls to bear on iterations of five distinct views of the independent variables. Results indicated that girls influenced the association strengths observed for NSAP, and boys seemed to drive the direction and strength of BNSAP associations. Although regression betas for total samples were nominal, when viewed by demographic cluster samples the values were appreciatively improved. The use of the cluster distinctions provided views of significant associations that were otherwise dissolved into nominal aggregates. The results of these analyses support the construct validity of applying the aggregate scoring metric of EAP research to NSAP. Regression results prompted a call for future inquiries into student self-selection.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004132, ucf:49123
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004132

Title: THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS IN ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS.
Creator: Adams, Athena, Taylor, Rosemarye, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The study was conducted to determine the disparity between the academic achievement of African American students and the academic achievement of white American students in the state of Florida, and more specifically, in five high schools in Orange County Public Schools. The term "African American" included all students who self-identified as that race upon enrollment into an Orange County public school. The study included male and female African American students from different socio-economic...
Show moreThe study was conducted to determine the disparity between the academic achievement of African American students and the academic achievement of white American students in the state of Florida, and more specifically, in five high schools in Orange County Public Schools. The term "African American" included all students who self-identified as that race upon enrollment into an Orange County public school. The study included male and female African American students from different socio-economic levels. The term "differences in academic achievement" is most commonly referred to as "achievement gap." Additionally, this study sought to determine the relationship, if any, in the achievement of African American students' academic achievement in five high schools in Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Florida. In addition, the purpose was to identify differences in achievement level based upon the school attended, gender, socio-economic levels, class size, and qualifications of the teachers. The methods and procedures used to determine if there was an achievement gap between African-American and white American high school students was to review: (a) gain in African-American students on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, from the 2003-2004 administration to the 2004-2005 administration in five Orange County public high schools, (b) difference between African-American students' 2004-2005 reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test percentage at proficient (level 3 and above) and white American students in five public high schools in Orange, (c) the relationship between African-American students' 2004-2005 reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test percent at proficient (level 3 and above) and the school poverty rate in all public high schools in Orange County, (d) the characteristics of schools making gains in reading. There were four conclusions based on the review of literature, as well as the data collected from the five high schools. Under the provision and penalties attached to the No Child Left Behind legislation, there was a noticeable gap in achievement between African-American students and their white American counterparts in each of the examined schools over a two year time period. In schools with a greater percentage of white students, African-American students, overall, performed at a higher level. The achievement gap was narrower and the percent at proficient and above was higher for all students in schools where white students represented a greater percentage of the students. In schools with a lower percentage of students on free and/or reduced lunch, the percent of students reading at proficient or above was higher and the achievement gap was less between African-American students and their white counterparts. Furthermore, the data indicated that as the percent of students on free and reduced lunch at a given school increases, the rate of those reading at proficient and above for African-American students was lower. In schools with a wide array of diversity, students overall have higher achievement scores. Based on the data in the study, the school with the highest rate of student proficient and above, was the school with the greatest diversity population of students.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002148, ucf:47511
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002148

Title: ACADEMIC ACCELERATION IN FLORIDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A SURVEY OF ATTITUDES, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES.
Creator: Guilbault, Keri, Bozeman, William, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The focus of this research was to provide recent descriptive information about acceleration policies and practices in Florida elementary schools. District, school, and personal demographic variables were investigated to determine the extent to which they affected school-based acceleration options provided for students. Also, school district policies were examined to determine which types of research-based acceleration options were more frequently used and what procedures were in place to...
Show moreThe focus of this research was to provide recent descriptive information about acceleration policies and practices in Florida elementary schools. District, school, and personal demographic variables were investigated to determine the extent to which they affected school-based acceleration options provided for students. Also, school district policies were examined to determine which types of research-based acceleration options were more frequently used and what procedures were in place to guide the decision-making process. Results from this study indicated that extant acceleration policies only included grade skipping and limited procedures for referral, screening and decision-making in the schools. The most common types of acceleration offered in Florida elementary schools were subject acceleration in the Language Arts and Mathematics provided outside of the regular classroom, continuous progress, and curriculum compacting. The most frequently selected reason for not accelerating a student listed by both school principals and district administrators of gifted education programs was concern over a studentÃ‚Â's social and emotional development. No relationship was found to exist between schoolsÃ‚Â' or principalsÃ‚Â' personal demographic variables and types of acceleration offered in elementary schools. No relationship was found between elementary school principalsÃ‚Â' knowledge of gifted learners and the types of acceleration implemented in their schools.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002969, ucf:47988
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002969

Title: ACHIEVEMENT GAPS THROUGHOUT THE EDUCATION PIPELINE: TRACKING THE TRENDS BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLORIDA EDUCATION GOVERNANCE REORGANIZATION ACT OF 2000.
Creator: EMAS, RACHEL, KIEL, DWIGHT, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: To assess the effectiveness of the Florida Education Governance Reorganization Act of 2000, I analyze the achievement gaps across different levels of the education pipeline: elementary, secondary, and postsecondary. This paper evaluates three objectives of Florida's new system: strengthening of foundation skills, improvement of college and career readiness, and the expansion of opportunities for postsecondary degrees, by asking: Has the introduction of a PreK-20 seamless system in Florida...
Show moreTo assess the effectiveness of the Florida Education Governance Reorganization Act of 2000, I analyze the achievement gaps across different levels of the education pipeline: elementary, secondary, and postsecondary. This paper evaluates three objectives of Florida's new system: strengthening of foundation skills, improvement of college and career readiness, and the expansion of opportunities for postsecondary degrees, by asking: Has the introduction of a PreK-20 seamless system in Florida reduced the educational achievement gaps between students, compared to Texas, which has not instituted a seamless system? At the elementary level, the analysis looks at 4th and 8th grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) average scale scores, from 1998 to 2007, of White, African-American, and Hispanic students and those students eligible and ineligible for the National School Lunch Program. At the secondary level, a comparison is made between the Advanced Placement passing rates of White, African-American, and Hispanic students from 1997 to 2008. At the postsecondary level, this paper examines the proportion of professional, master, and doctoral degrees awarded to White, African-American, and Hispanic students from 1995 to 2007. Results show that although Florida has raised the level of achievement for White, African-American, and Hispanic students in the past ten years, disparities between these groups still exist in NAEP scores, AP passing rates, and the proportion of graduate degrees conferred. Therefore, while the state has made progress towards its three goals, achievement gaps still remain in several levels of Florida's PreK-20 education system.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002705, ucf:48175
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002705

Title: Dynamic modeling of pwm and single-switch single-stage power factor correction converters.
Creator: Zhu, Guangyong, Batarseh, Issa E., Engineering
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; The concept of averaging has been used extensively in the modeling of power electronic circuits to overcome their inherent time-variant nature. Among various methods, the PWM switch modeling approach is most widely accepted in the study of closed-loop stability and transient response because of its accuracy and simplicity. However, a non-ideal PWM switch model considering conduction losses is not available except for converters...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; The concept of averaging has been used extensively in the modeling of power electronic circuits to overcome their inherent time-variant nature. Among various methods, the PWM switch modeling approach is most widely accepted in the study of closed-loop stability and transient response because of its accuracy and simplicity. However, a non-ideal PWM switch model considering conduction losses is not available except for converters operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and under small ripple conditions. Modeling of conductor losses under large ripple conditions has not been reported in the open literature, especially when the converter operates in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). In this dissertation, new models are developed to include conduction losses in the non-ideal PWM switch model under CCM and DCM conditions. The developed model is verified through two converter examples and the effect of conduction losses on the steady state and dynamic responses of the converter is also studied. Another major constraint of the PWM switch modeling approach is that it heavily relies on finding the three-terminal PWM switch. This requirement severely limits its application in modeling single-switch single-stage power factor correction (PFC) converters, where more complex topological structures and switching actions are often encountered. In this work, we developed a new modeling approach which extends the PWM switch concept by identifying the charging and discharging voltages applied to the inductors. The new method can be easily applied to derive large-signal models for a large group of PFC converters and the procedure is elaborated through a specific example. Finally, analytical results regarding harmonic contents and power factors of various PWM converters in PFC applications are also presented here.
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Date Issued: 1999
Identifier: CFR0001716, ucf:52925
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0001716

Title: Gate and throughput optimizations for null convention self-timed digital circuits.
Creator: Smith, Scott Christopher, DeMara, Ronald, Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Convention Logic (NCL) provides an asynchronous design methodology employing dual-rail signals, quad-rail signals, or other Mutually Exclusive Assertion Groups (MEAGs) to incorporate data and control information into one mixed path. In NCL, the control is inherently present with each datum, so there is no need for worse case delay analysis and control path delay matching. This dissertation focuses on optimization methods for NCL...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Convention Logic (NCL) provides an asynchronous design methodology employing dual-rail signals, quad-rail signals, or other Mutually Exclusive Assertion Groups (MEAGs) to incorporate data and control information into one mixed path. In NCL, the control is inherently present with each datum, so there is no need for worse case delay analysis and control path delay matching. This dissertation focuses on optimization methods for NCL circuits, specifically addressing three related architectural areas of NCL design. First, a design method for optimizing NCL circuits is developed. The method utilizes conventional Boolean minimization followed by table-driven gate substitutions. It IS applied to design time and space optimal fundamental logic functions, a time and space optimal full adder, and time, transistor count, and power optimal up-counter circuits. The method is applicable when composing logic functions where each gate is a state-holding element; and can produce delay-insensitive circuits requiring less area and fewer gate delays than alternative gate-level approaches requiring full minterm generation. Second, a pipelining method for producing throughput optimal NCL systems is developed. A relationship between the number of gate delays per stage and the worse case throughput for a pipeline as a whole is derived. The method then uses this relationship to minimize a pipeline's worse-case throughput by partitioning the NCL combinational circuitry through the addition of asynchronous registers. The method is applied to design a maximum throughput unsigned multiplier, which yields a speedup of 2.25 over the non-pipelined version, while maintaining delay-insensitivity. Third, a technique to mitigate the impact of the NULL cycle is developed. The technique Wher increases the maximum attainable throughput of a NCL system by reducing inherent overheads associated with an integrated data and control path. This technique is applied to a non-pipelined Cbit by 4-bit unsigned multiplier to yield a speedup of 1.61 over the standalone version. Finally, these techniques are applied to design a 72+32x32 multiply and &cumulate (MAC) unit, which outperforms other delay-insensitive/self-timed MACs in the literature. It also performs conditional rounding, scaling, and saturation of the output, whereas the others do not; thus further distinguishing it from the previous work. The methods developed facilitate speed, transistor count, and power tradeoffs using approaches that are readily automatable.
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Date Issued: 2001
Identifier: CFR0001377, ucf:52924
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0001377

Title: Topology and control investigation for low-voltage high-current isolated DC-DC converters.
Creator: Mao, Hong, Batarseh, Issa, Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; High conversion efficiency and fast transient response at high switching frequency are the two main challenges for low-voltage high-current DC-DC converters, which are the motivations of the dissertation work. To reduce the switching power loss, soft switching is a desirable technique to keep power loss under control at high switching frequencies. A Duty-Cycle-Shift (DCS) concept is proposed for half-bridge DC-DC converters to...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; High conversion efficiency and fast transient response at high switching frequency are the two main challenges for low-voltage high-current DC-DC converters, which are the motivations of the dissertation work. To reduce the switching power loss, soft switching is a desirable technique to keep power loss under control at high switching frequencies. A Duty-Cycle-Shift (DCS) concept is proposed for half-bridge DC-DC converters to reduce switching loss. The concept of this new control scheme is shifting one of the two symmetric PWM driving signals close to the other, such that ZVS can be achieved for the lagging switch due to the shortened resonant interval.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFR0001718, ucf:52921
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0001718

Title: Computing a diameter-constrained minimum spanning tree.
Creator: Abdalla, Ayman Mahmoud, Deo, Narsingh, Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; In numerous practical applications, it is necessary to find the smallest possible tree with a bounded diameter. A diameter-constrained minimum spanning tree (DCMST) of a given undirected, edge-weighted graph, G, is the smallest-weight spanning tree of all spanning trees of G which contain no path with more than k edges, where k is a given positive integer. The problem of finding a DCMST is NP-complete for all values of k; 4
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; In numerous practical applications, it is necessary to find the smallest possible tree with a bounded diameter. A diameter-constrained minimum spanning tree (DCMST) of a given undirected, edge-weighted graph, G, is the smallest-weight spanning tree of all spanning trees of G which contain no path with more than k edges, where k is a given positive integer. The problem of finding a DCMST is NP-complete for all values of k; 4 <= k <= (n - 2), except when all edge-weights are identical. A DCMST is essential for the efficiency of various distributed mutual exclusion algorithms, where it can minimize the number of messages communicated among processors per critical section. It is also useful in linear lightwave networks, where it can minimize interference in the network by limiting the traffic in the network lines. Another practical application requiring a DCMST arises in data compression, where some algorithms compress a file utilizing a data-structure, and decompress a path in the tree to access a record A DCMST helps such algorithm to be fast without sacrificing a lot of storage storage space.
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Date Issued: 2001
Identifier: CFR0002215, ucf:52914
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0002215

Title: Energy aware design and analysis for synchronous and asynchronous circuits.
Creator: Di, Jia, Yuan, Jiann S., Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract / Description: University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Power dissipation has become a major concern for IC designers. Various low power design techniques have been developed for synchronous circuits. Asynchronous circuits, however have gained more interests recently due to their benefits in lower noise, easy timing control, etc. But few publications on energy reduction techniques for asynchronous logic are available. Power awareness indicates the ability of the system power to scale...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; Power dissipation has become a major concern for IC designers. Various low power design techniques have been developed for synchronous circuits. Asynchronous circuits, however have gained more interests recently due to their benefits in lower noise, easy timing control, etc. But few publications on energy reduction techniques for asynchronous logic are available. Power awareness indicates the ability of the system power to scale with changing conditions and quality requirements. Scalability is an important figure-of-merit since it allows the end user to implement operational policy just like the user of mobile multimedia equipment needs to select between better quality and longer battery operation time. This dissertation discusses power /energy optimization and performs analysis on both synchronous and asynchronous logic.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFR0001720, ucf:52913
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0001720

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