Examining Meta-Analytic Approaches For Evaluating Multi-Year Wellness Program Impact: An Example From The Health And Human Service Arena

The current investigation examines the use of meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of a community-wide health care initiative across a four-year period. This community-wide initiative began in an effort to create a “healthy community” in a small mid-western city. This multi-level, longitudinal study incorporates the use of meta-analysis in an effort to examine treatment effects across the areas of knowledge of health issues, reported healthy behaviors, and clinical measures. Issues regarding the challenges associated with the synthesis of different types of effect size measures across time, as well as concerns associated with multi-site repeated measure responses, are presented. Results of the effect size analyses are presented using odds ratios.

Assessing The Impact Of Wellness Programs Across Multiple Worksites: An Alternative To Return On Investment

The current case study looks at an innovative approach to assessing the impact of a large-scale workplace wellness program across seven different employer locations. Unlike many reports on the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs, this study does not use return on investment (ROI), which is limited in its ability to provide good estimates of insurance cost savings. The case study looks at a multi-year workplace wellness programs’ impact on clinical measures from baseline through year two data collection. As a unique approach, meta-analytic results provide estimates that are both valid and reliable. Additionally, these measures are standardized, making them assessable for comparisons across different program implementations.

Factors of Motivation in Education: Perspectives of College Students and Their Professors

This study examines motivational factors based on college students’ and faculties’ perceptions to determine which factors are most impactful. The researchers utilized Jones’ MUSIC® Model of Motivation College Student and Professor inventories. Both are designed to determine the factors that impact student motivation (Jones, 2020). The Caring factor was the highest endorsed factor by both college students and faculty in all data collections. A paired sample t-test revealed that the Usefulness factor was rated statistically different by faculty and students. These data can be used to inform programmatic decisions and course design in the university’s education department

Measuring the Impact of a Summer Pre-Kindergarten Program on Academic Gains and School Readiness: Success by Six!

Early intervention prior to kindergarten is an effective strategy in closing the gaps in pre-readiness skills and appropriate behavior which may occur because of disparity in socioeconomic status, parenting styles, and preschool experience.  This current investigation was designed to determine if the pre-kindergarten intervention had an impact on the student success in kindergarten.  At the end of the academic year, results reveal that the achievement gap for students who were academically delayed was diminished; no significant differences exist between academically delayed students relative to students not identified as academically delayed.  Results reveal that the impact of socioeconomic status was also diminished for participants in the summer pre-kindergarten program.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v3i1.5577

The Impact of Visual Impairment on Perceived School Climate

The current investigation examines whether visual impairment has an impact on a student’s perception of the school climate. Using a large national sample of high school students, perceptions were examined for students with vision impairment relative to students with no visual impairments. Three factors were examined: self-reported level of happiness, perception of a positive school climate, and negative school affect.  Results revealed no differences for the seeing and visually impaired students on self-reported happiness and perception of a positive school climate factors, however significant differences were found on the negative school affect factor. Additionally, gender was significantly related to the negative school affect factor

Examining Effective Characteristics of Professional Development in K-12 Education Since the Inception of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002: A Meta-Analytic Investigation

With the dire financial crisis facing our national and state economy, schools are forced to reduce budgets while simultaneously improve program delivery. Professional development is the mechanism that is generally used to facilitate improving educational delivery and subsequently student achievement results. This investigation examines the influence of professional development on student achievement since No Child Left Behind. Results indicate that professional development can have a moderate impact on student achievement. A number of moderators were found to have a positive significant impact on this effect including the level of students, the duration of the professional development, the discipline area focus of professional development, attendance requirements, delivery mechanism, and strategies. The implications of these findings are discussed

Will They Be Welcomed In? The Impact of K-12 Teachers’ and Principals’ Perceptions of Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions K-12 principals and teachers have of inclusive education in a school district in western Pennsylvania school district. The dependent variables are the teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of inclusion and the independent variables are years of educational experience, extent of special education background, and level of support by district administrators. Instrumentation for this study is the Multidimensional Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) survey. Data were analyzed for correlational relationships using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings suggest an average to high level of support by administration in supporting inclusive practices. A statistically significant, small negative relationship between the years teaching and responses on the affective and behavioral factors surfaced. No significant relationship was demonstrated between teachers’ perceptions of inclusion and the level of reported support they receive from administrators

Looking at the Social Activity for Adolescents with Orthopedic Impairments

Adolescents with identified orthopedic impairments are often less likely to participate in social activities outside of the school setting. However, the adolescents who are able to participate in activities have higher social skills, more academic successes, and show more satisfaction in their roles as family member or friend. The aim of this study was to look at adolescents with orthopedic impairments and their level of participation in social activities.   Also looked at was the adolescent’s report of a higher level of fulfillment in their family or friend role if they participated in social activities.  Responses of adolescents from a national school-based survey were used in the study.  The results revealed that students with orthopedic impairments were just as happy as their peers when they participated in social activities

Is There a Disproportionate Representation of African American Males in Special Education? A Causal-Comparative Investigation

African American male students are disproportionately represented in special education. The purpose of the current study is to examine the disproportionality of African American male students who are referred to special education programs and are identified special education services, specifically in the areas of Emotional Disturbance (ED), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), and other low incidence disabilities (OTH), which includes Speech & Language Instruction, Other Health Impaired, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury, in Northeast Ohio’s suburban school district for the 2017-2020 school year. The sample was drawn from a suburban school district in Northeast Ohio which consisted of six schools. Findings indicated Black males were disproportionately represented in special education programs. Findings demonstrate the need for culturally relevant teaching used collectively with Response to Intervention

Structured Read-Aloud In Middle School: The Potential Impact On Reading Achievement

Read-aloud is a technique predominantly utilized at the elementary level. This study was designed to research the effectiveness of this technique at the middle school level, specifically students who were not receiving special education or additional reading intervention services. For the current investigation, students in two middle schools within the same Virginia school district were assigned to receive the treatment of Structured Read-Aloud or received traditional middle-school reading instruction. These students were tested using the Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment (DORA), both in the fall before the intervention was implemented and again in the spring of the same year, to assess gains. Results indicate that the use of Read-Aloud instruction had an impact on student DORA scores, and implications of the research are discussed