All-Day Prekindergarten: Closing the Achievement Gap in Literacy

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative research study was to compare the impact that half-day and full-day prekindergarten had on economically disadvantaged students on Grade 3 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading test results. Data from students who previously attended a half-day and full-day prekindergarten program were analyzed to see which program had a greater impact on STAAR reading scores at the conclusion of third grade. The comparison included two urban school districts with an economically disadvantaged threshold of 70% or greater. Descriptive statistics to obtain frequencies were used to create data that showed how students performed in the areas of Did Not Pass, Approaches, Meets, and Masters. The resulting data from Research Question 1 showed there was no statistical mean difference on Grade 3 STAAR Reading test results for economically disadvantaged students who previously attended a half-day or full-day prekindergarten program in the areas of Did Not Pass and Approaches. The resulting data from Research Question 2 showed that there was a statistical mean difference on Grade 3 STAAR Reading test results for economically disadvantaged students who previously attended a half-day or full-day prekindergarten program in the areas of Meets and Masters. The data analysis results were reported and discussed. The findings were summarized, conclusions were given, and recommendations for future research were made

Feasibility of a Low-Cost, Interactive Gaming System to Assess Balance in Older Women

The use of low-cost interactive game technology for balance rehabilitation has become more popular recently, with generally good outcomes. Very little research has been undertaken to determine whether this technology is appropriate for balance assessment. The Wii balance board has good reliability and is comparable to a research-grade force plate; however, recent studies examining the relationship between Wii Fit games and measures of balance and mobility demonstrate conflicting findings. This study found that the Wii Fit was feasible for community-dwelling older women to safely use the balance board and quickly learn the Wii Fit games. The Ski Slalom game scores were strongly correlated with several balance and mobility measures, whereas Table Tilt game scores were not. Based on these findings, the Ski Slalom game may have utility in the evaluation of balance problems in community-dwelling older adults