An opportunity for improvement: The conversion of coal burning power plants at the WEC Energy Group

Power generation facilities all over the nation are feeling the stress from increasingly stringent environmental regulations and emission requirements. The WEC Energy Group, located primarily in Wisconsin, is no exception. The burning of coal to make electricity has been a long-going environmental concern for decades now. This concern effects the triple bottom line for organizations like the WEC Energy Group, for operating outside of permitted power plant emissions will be costly, harmful for the planet, and negatively affect those who inhabit it. This capstone project focuses on the benefits of converting an existing coal-burning power plant within the company, and discovered whether or not the company would find value from such a project. The opportunity presented throughout this capstone will answer the question: how will converting an existing coal-burning power plant to natural gas benefit people, planet, and profit at the WEC Energy Group

Effective Vocabulary Instruction Using the Four Domains of Language

The purpose of this action research study was to determine whether using the four domains of language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) during vocabulary instruction in reading and math would impact students’ vocabulary knowledge. The sample population consisted of high school students who were receiving Title I services in both reading and math. In total, 14 African-American students participated. These 14 participants were taught weekly target words in both reading and math during an eight-week period. The study was divided into a four-week nonintervention period and a four-week intervention period. During the nonintervention period, students utilized listening and speaking to discuss each word in different contexts. During the intervention period, the same students utilized reading and writing, as well as listening and speaking, to interact with each word in multiple contexts. Additionally, throughout the nonintervention and intervention, students self-assessed their knowledge of the terms via the Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Chart. Data comparing the nonintervention and the intervention pre- and posttest vocabulary scores revealed that students made significant gains in their ability to define the target words, compose sentences utilizing the words in context, and complete a cloze activity after receiving the intervention. Likewise, students overall increased their self-rating of the terms via the Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Chart, meaning students believed they could better define and use the terms after receiving the intervention. Limitations of the study included a small sample population (14 students) over a short duration (eight weeks). As a result of this study, the following recommendations for effective vocabulary instruction were made for classroom teachers: provide explicit instruction in metacognition, focus on a limited number of words in multiple contexts, and incorporate the four domains of language

Improving the mathematics word-problem skills of an early middle school student

In this study, a middle school student deemed struggling with reading comprehension and fluency participated in a one-to-one individualized intervention. A reading comprehension intervention was designed for the student because of her demonstrated need in this area. Chapter One describes the student participant and relevant background information. The chapter concludes with the intervention\u27s relevancy to the Common Core Standards

Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Pinning Ceremony - Spring 2015

Pinning ceremony took place in May 2015. (Includes videos of the awards and the student speaker.)https://digitalcommons.stritch.edu/conhs_pin/1008/thumbnail.jp

Increasing positive attitudes to influence student reading achievement

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exist between a person’s attitudes towards reading and their reading achievement. The lowest achieving students generally have a negative attitude towards reading which hinders their academic progress. By using the guided reading levels and reading achievement levels as established by Fountas and Pinnell, this study determine if achievement in reading is connected to the attitude of the student. The attitudes towards reading will be surveyed on a pre and posttest given orally. By motivating the variable group of participants to read, through an incentive program where participants receive stars for each part of the Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention daily lesson they successfully complete, I hypothesized that participants would be motivated to try their best and soak in more information during guided reading time which would lead to higher reading achievement

What Effect Do the Reading Comprehension Strategies of Text Coding and Journal Writing Have on the Reading Comprehension in the Mathematics Classroom of 9th Grade Students with Special Education Needs?

This study focused on improving the reading comprehension in the mathematics classroom of 9th grade special education students through the use of text coding and journal writing. This study was designed for nine students attending a newly opened public, urban Midwestern high school with a strong reputation in the gifted and talented community. The intervention was conducted over an eight week (two months), 25-minute sessions, occurring every other day at the end of the school day. Data measured the student\u27s participation in intervention sessions and the overall success from session to session. All students demonstrated growth on their post-test assessments through the continued practice of the reading comprehension strategies of text coding and journal writing

Perceived advantages and disadvantages of inclusion versus self-contained classes for students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities in high school

The way that students with cognitive disabilities have been supported has evolved in this country over time. Schools and other service facilities that support these students have changed. In the past, students with disabilities were not allowed the same opportunities to learn as students without disabilities. These students were placed in alternative schools or self-contained classrooms. Today, the placement of students in schools varies, as students are either in self-contained classrooms, or placed in inclusive classes with their non-disabled peers for all or part of the school day. The shift towards a more inclusive classroom setting for students with special needs stems from the desire to educate students with disabilities within the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE is an important principle of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The intent of IDEA is to provide accommodations or modifications for students with disabilities to help them access the general education curriculum and meet their needs within the LRE which is constantly changing the way classrooms are setup to effectively meet student’s needs. The least restrictive environment is the environment in which students with special needs receive their education in general education settings with students of the same age who do not have a disability

The Effects of Morphology Instruction Strategies Word Sums, Word Towers, and Word Relays on Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading Comprehension of Tenth Grade Students

The effects of a 6-week intervention targeting morphology instruction strategies on vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension are investigated in two grade 10 classrooms, assigned randomly to treatment and control conditions. Statistical data analysis showed significant instructional intervention effects on student knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes; and on student ability to create and define words using word parts, but not on student ability to define unknown words. Results are discussed in light of the growing debate regarding how to best implement vocabulary instruction in the classroom

The effects of songs in English language acquisition to English language learners

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficiency of teaching English language learners in any content area such as science with the help of songs in order to accelerate their acquisition of the material. The study involved four students, ranging in age from seven to eight. Of these participants one student joined the group later on in the study. The study, which lasted for six weeks, consisted of science classes, based on the theme of weather. Five science lessons were taught with the help of songs, while the other four were taught without the help of songs. The participants were acquiring vocabulary, grammatical structure, and comprehension through the four domains of language. The results contradicted the anticipations since students had better outcomes in the last four lessons where there were no songs involved

How expository text structure instruction effects reading comprehension

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of compare/contrast and cause/effect text structure instruction on fifth grade readers’ comprehension of expository text. Three fifth grade students participated in this eight-week study. During the study, the participants met with the researcher thirty minutes a day, five times a week for eight weeks. The focus of the intervention was the compare and contrast and cause and effect text structures. The students learned about the specific text structures by reading leveled passages, identifying target words, and completing a graphic organizer. The results suggested that the participants’ demonstrated growth in expository reading comprehension and knowledge of compare and contrast and cause and effect text structures, but not statistically significantly