Critical shortages of special educators in the U.S. are not new. Approximately 1.1% of all U.S. s... more Critical shortages of special educators in the U.S. are not new. Approximately 1.1% of all U.S. special education positions have remained unfilled for the last five years (Boe, 2006). The authors were commissioned by the Utah State Office of Education to collect data on special education personnel, including special education teachers, school psychologists and speech language pathologists. This study compared all Utah rural and urban special education personnel who left their districts during the combined school years of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Results reveal that rural special education personnel left their positions at a significantly lower rate than is to be expected. Similarities and differences among special education leavers in rural and urban districts as well as their reasons for leaving are discussed.
Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused on... more Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused on providing such services in a manner sensitive to the unique needs of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse populations. Responses of a random national sample of school counselors (n ¼ 236, 59% return rate) indicate that approximately half expressed concerns related to this type of service. The study summarizes school counselors' concerns, providing an initial understanding for this aspect of school-based crisis intervention. Specific topics of concern most frequently mentioned were school violence and suicide. Particular attention and sensitivity must be focused on addressing these specific topics in crisis plans, taking into account the unique needs of the individual, family, and community.
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2016
Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to replace traditional textbooks in higher ed... more Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to replace traditional textbooks in higher education. Previous studies indicate that use of OER results in high student and faculty satisfaction, lower costs, and similar or better educational outcomes. In this case study, we compared students using traditional textbooks with those using OER at Tidewater Community College to compare their performance on what we call course throughput rates, which is an aggregate of three variables – drop rates, withdrawal rates, and C or better rates. Two self-selecting cohorts were compared over four semesters, with statistically significant results. The study found that, subject to the limitations discussed, students who use OER perform significantly better on the course throughput rate than their peers who use traditional textbooks, in both face-to-face and online courses that use OER. This suggests that OER are a promising avenue for reducing the costs of higher education while increasing acad...
In some educational settings, the cost of textbooks approaches or even exceeds the cost of tuitio... more In some educational settings, the cost of textbooks approaches or even exceeds the cost of tuition. Given limited resources, it is important to better understand the impacts of free open educational resources (OER) on student outcomes. Utilizing digital resources such as OER can substantially reduce costs for students. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the adoption of no-cost open digital textbooks significantly predicted students’ completion of courses, class achievement, and enrollment intensity during and after semesters in which OER were used. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity-score matched groups to examine differences in outcomes between students that used OER and those who did not. The demographics of the initial sample of 16,727 included 4909 students in the treatment condition with a pool of 11,818 in the control condition. There were statistically significant differences between groups, with most favoring students u...
Given the increasing costs associated with commercial textbooks and decreasing financial support ... more Given the increasing costs associated with commercial textbooks and decreasing financial support of public schools, it is important to better understand the impacts of open educational resources on student outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study is to analyze whether the adoption of open science textbooks significantly affects science learning outcomes for secondary students in earth systems, chemistry, and physics. This study uses a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity score matched groups and multiple regression to examine whether student learning was influenced by the adoption of open textbooks instead of traditional publisher-produced textbooks. Students who used open textbooks scored .65 points higher on end-of-year state standardized science tests than students using traditional textbooks when controlling for the effects of 10 student and teacher covariates. Further analysis revealed statistically significant positive gains for students using the ope...
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 1999
Empirical tests of the reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilia... more Empirical tests of the reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias (AAIP) as used with juvenile sexual offenders were performed. Testretest reliability, screening validity, and diagnostic validity were assessed using several analytical approaches. The temporal stability, sensitivity, and specificity of the AAIP as used with adolescents in residential and day treatment were not demonstrated. The results indicate the need for further refinement of the AAIP.
Latter-day Saint Young Adults, Narcissism, and Religiosity Jacob Daniel Judd Religious Education,... more Latter-day Saint Young Adults, Narcissism, and Religiosity Jacob Daniel Judd Religious Education, BYU Master of Arts According to recent research, Latter-day Saint young people are achieving desirable social outcomes at a higher rate than their peers of other backgrounds. As reasons for those findings have been offered, only social aspects of the LDS faith and culture have been given any attention. This thesis will provide an alternate interpretation of the data and provide new data through the administration of the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). Results from the LDS ROS/NPI Study indicate that LDS young adults continue to score overly intrinsic on the ROS and score significantly lower on the NPI than their peers.
Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning Environments Curtis R. Henrie Depart... more Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning Environments Curtis R. Henrie Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy This is a multiple-article format dissertation that explores methods for measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning experiences. Student engagement is the committed, focused, and energetic involvement of students in learning. Student engagement is correlated with academic performance, student satisfaction, and persistence in learning, making it a valuable predictor of important learning outcomes. In order to identify which students need help or to evaluate how well an instructional interaction promotes student engagement, we need effective measures of student engagement. These measures should be scalable, cost effective, and minimally disruptive to learning. This dissertation examines different approaches to measure student engagement in technology-mediated learning environments that meet the iden...
As more schools turn to positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) to address students ’ ... more As more schools turn to positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) to address students ’ academic and behavioral problems, there is an increased need to adequately evaluate these programs for social relevance. The present study used social validation measures to evaluate a statewide PBIS initiative. Active consumers of the program were polled regarding their perceptions of the program’s social relevance, including the acceptability of its treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes. Based on participants ’ feedback, several areas were identified for improvement, including the amount of paperwork required for successful implementation and the practicality of implementing and adhering to program procedures. As evidenced from the findings of this study, social validity is an important consideration when evaluating school-wide programs. Key Words: social validity, positive behavior support, social validation, contextual fit.
The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for using propensity score-based matching ... more The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for using propensity score-based matching methods to estimate teacher contributions to student learning. Value-added models are increasingly used in teacher accountability systems in the United States in spite of ongoing qualms about the validity of teacher quality estimates resulting from those models. Using a large national dataset, teacher effects were estimated for 435 teachers using both value-added and propensity score-based approaches. The two approaches resulted in teacher effect estimates that were moderately correlated, with propensity score-based estimates more highly correlating with the value-added estimates as the matching ratio was increased. For many teachers' students, finding a set of matched control students was impossible unless the set of matching variables was reduced. Results suggest that many teachers have classroom compositions that are unusual, making evaluation of the teachers' impacts on student outcomes problematic. It was also found that, while value-added estimates were relatively insensitive to covariate inclusion choices or method of effect estimation, propensity score-based estimates were somewhat sensitive. Propensity score-based teacher effect estimates offer promise both for better accounting for classroom composition and student background variables and for indicating when a teacher's context is unique with respect to those variables, making the teacher's impact challenging to evaluate.
Forty-six therapists-in-training listened to an audiotape in which one of three client-attachment... more Forty-six therapists-in-training listened to an audiotape in which one of three client-attachment-to-therapist styles was portrayed (Secure, Preoccupied-Merger, Avoident-Fearful). Participants completed an expected working alliance inventory for working with the audiotape client, as well as a measure of their own attachment dimensions. Results indicated that client attachment styles predicted differences in expected working alliance ratings, with the Secure audiotape yielding significantly higher total working alliance ratings than either the Preoccupied-Merger of Avoidant-Fearful audiotapes. The client audiotapes yielded the same ratings when therapists' own attachment dimensions were statistically controlled for, suggesting that therapists did not impose their attachment dimensions when predicting working alliance. This article was based in part on the masters thesis by Rachel E. Crook Lyon at the University of Maryland under the direction of Charles J. Gelso. Ealier versions ...
Critical shortages of special educators in the U.S. are not new. Approximately 1.1% of all U.S. s... more Critical shortages of special educators in the U.S. are not new. Approximately 1.1% of all U.S. special education positions have remained unfilled for the last five years (Boe, 2006). The authors were commissioned by the Utah State Office of Education to collect data on special education personnel, including special education teachers, school psychologists and speech language pathologists. This study compared all Utah rural and urban special education personnel who left their districts during the combined school years of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Results reveal that rural special education personnel left their positions at a significantly lower rate than is to be expected. Similarities and differences among special education leavers in rural and urban districts as well as their reasons for leaving are discussed.
Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused on... more Although school counselors routinely provide crisis intervention, minimal research has focused on providing such services in a manner sensitive to the unique needs of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse populations. Responses of a random national sample of school counselors (n ¼ 236, 59% return rate) indicate that approximately half expressed concerns related to this type of service. The study summarizes school counselors' concerns, providing an initial understanding for this aspect of school-based crisis intervention. Specific topics of concern most frequently mentioned were school violence and suicide. Particular attention and sensitivity must be focused on addressing these specific topics in crisis plans, taking into account the unique needs of the individual, family, and community.
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2016
Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to replace traditional textbooks in higher ed... more Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to replace traditional textbooks in higher education. Previous studies indicate that use of OER results in high student and faculty satisfaction, lower costs, and similar or better educational outcomes. In this case study, we compared students using traditional textbooks with those using OER at Tidewater Community College to compare their performance on what we call course throughput rates, which is an aggregate of three variables – drop rates, withdrawal rates, and C or better rates. Two self-selecting cohorts were compared over four semesters, with statistically significant results. The study found that, subject to the limitations discussed, students who use OER perform significantly better on the course throughput rate than their peers who use traditional textbooks, in both face-to-face and online courses that use OER. This suggests that OER are a promising avenue for reducing the costs of higher education while increasing acad...
In some educational settings, the cost of textbooks approaches or even exceeds the cost of tuitio... more In some educational settings, the cost of textbooks approaches or even exceeds the cost of tuition. Given limited resources, it is important to better understand the impacts of free open educational resources (OER) on student outcomes. Utilizing digital resources such as OER can substantially reduce costs for students. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the adoption of no-cost open digital textbooks significantly predicted students’ completion of courses, class achievement, and enrollment intensity during and after semesters in which OER were used. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity-score matched groups to examine differences in outcomes between students that used OER and those who did not. The demographics of the initial sample of 16,727 included 4909 students in the treatment condition with a pool of 11,818 in the control condition. There were statistically significant differences between groups, with most favoring students u...
Given the increasing costs associated with commercial textbooks and decreasing financial support ... more Given the increasing costs associated with commercial textbooks and decreasing financial support of public schools, it is important to better understand the impacts of open educational resources on student outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study is to analyze whether the adoption of open science textbooks significantly affects science learning outcomes for secondary students in earth systems, chemistry, and physics. This study uses a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity score matched groups and multiple regression to examine whether student learning was influenced by the adoption of open textbooks instead of traditional publisher-produced textbooks. Students who used open textbooks scored .65 points higher on end-of-year state standardized science tests than students using traditional textbooks when controlling for the effects of 10 student and teacher covariates. Further analysis revealed statistically significant positive gains for students using the ope...
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 1999
Empirical tests of the reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilia... more Empirical tests of the reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias (AAIP) as used with juvenile sexual offenders were performed. Testretest reliability, screening validity, and diagnostic validity were assessed using several analytical approaches. The temporal stability, sensitivity, and specificity of the AAIP as used with adolescents in residential and day treatment were not demonstrated. The results indicate the need for further refinement of the AAIP.
Latter-day Saint Young Adults, Narcissism, and Religiosity Jacob Daniel Judd Religious Education,... more Latter-day Saint Young Adults, Narcissism, and Religiosity Jacob Daniel Judd Religious Education, BYU Master of Arts According to recent research, Latter-day Saint young people are achieving desirable social outcomes at a higher rate than their peers of other backgrounds. As reasons for those findings have been offered, only social aspects of the LDS faith and culture have been given any attention. This thesis will provide an alternate interpretation of the data and provide new data through the administration of the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). Results from the LDS ROS/NPI Study indicate that LDS young adults continue to score overly intrinsic on the ROS and score significantly lower on the NPI than their peers.
Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning Environments Curtis R. Henrie Depart... more Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning Environments Curtis R. Henrie Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy This is a multiple-article format dissertation that explores methods for measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning experiences. Student engagement is the committed, focused, and energetic involvement of students in learning. Student engagement is correlated with academic performance, student satisfaction, and persistence in learning, making it a valuable predictor of important learning outcomes. In order to identify which students need help or to evaluate how well an instructional interaction promotes student engagement, we need effective measures of student engagement. These measures should be scalable, cost effective, and minimally disruptive to learning. This dissertation examines different approaches to measure student engagement in technology-mediated learning environments that meet the iden...
As more schools turn to positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) to address students ’ ... more As more schools turn to positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) to address students ’ academic and behavioral problems, there is an increased need to adequately evaluate these programs for social relevance. The present study used social validation measures to evaluate a statewide PBIS initiative. Active consumers of the program were polled regarding their perceptions of the program’s social relevance, including the acceptability of its treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes. Based on participants ’ feedback, several areas were identified for improvement, including the amount of paperwork required for successful implementation and the practicality of implementing and adhering to program procedures. As evidenced from the findings of this study, social validity is an important consideration when evaluating school-wide programs. Key Words: social validity, positive behavior support, social validation, contextual fit.
The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for using propensity score-based matching ... more The purpose of this study was to examine the potential for using propensity score-based matching methods to estimate teacher contributions to student learning. Value-added models are increasingly used in teacher accountability systems in the United States in spite of ongoing qualms about the validity of teacher quality estimates resulting from those models. Using a large national dataset, teacher effects were estimated for 435 teachers using both value-added and propensity score-based approaches. The two approaches resulted in teacher effect estimates that were moderately correlated, with propensity score-based estimates more highly correlating with the value-added estimates as the matching ratio was increased. For many teachers' students, finding a set of matched control students was impossible unless the set of matching variables was reduced. Results suggest that many teachers have classroom compositions that are unusual, making evaluation of the teachers' impacts on student outcomes problematic. It was also found that, while value-added estimates were relatively insensitive to covariate inclusion choices or method of effect estimation, propensity score-based estimates were somewhat sensitive. Propensity score-based teacher effect estimates offer promise both for better accounting for classroom composition and student background variables and for indicating when a teacher's context is unique with respect to those variables, making the teacher's impact challenging to evaluate.
Forty-six therapists-in-training listened to an audiotape in which one of three client-attachment... more Forty-six therapists-in-training listened to an audiotape in which one of three client-attachment-to-therapist styles was portrayed (Secure, Preoccupied-Merger, Avoident-Fearful). Participants completed an expected working alliance inventory for working with the audiotape client, as well as a measure of their own attachment dimensions. Results indicated that client attachment styles predicted differences in expected working alliance ratings, with the Secure audiotape yielding significantly higher total working alliance ratings than either the Preoccupied-Merger of Avoidant-Fearful audiotapes. The client audiotapes yielded the same ratings when therapists' own attachment dimensions were statistically controlled for, suggesting that therapists did not impose their attachment dimensions when predicting working alliance. This article was based in part on the masters thesis by Rachel E. Crook Lyon at the University of Maryland under the direction of Charles J. Gelso. Ealier versions ...
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