Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2018, Educational Administration (Education)

Recent trends in teacher preparation have been toward a clinical model that provides teacher candidates with more authentic classroom experiences that are connected with methods courses. One type of clinical model that is on the rise is known as a professional development school (PDS). PDS structures are formal arrangements between P-12 schools and colleges of teacher preparation designed to provide reciprocal benefits. In many instances, P-12 schools will use the resources from the PDS arrangement to provide additional support needed to assess and instruct their students. This case study looks at one such structure in which PDS teacher candidates provide reading intervention to K-3 struggling readers. The study analyzes pre and post reading assessment data and mentor teacher interviews in order to determine the value of such arrangements. Two years of academic data on first, second, and third graders that participated in the teacher candidate-led intervention was considered. Seven mentor teachers (K-3) participated in focused designed interviews about the teacher candidate-led intervention. While the assessment data did show academic gains in terms of literacy skills, the mentor teacher interviews revealed even more benefits of such an arrangement. Interviews transcripts revealed seven major themes that emerged: differentiation, program logistics, collaboration, influence on K-3 students, influence on teacher candidates, influence on mentor teachers, and background knowledge. Overall, the mentor teachers commented that the collaboration and reflective practice made both teacher candidates and mentor teachers better educators. They stated that the intervention allowed for greater differentiation that provided more individualized instruction to all of the students in their classes. The consistency of the program and the knowledge of the teacher candidates also contributed to the success. Many of the aspects of the teacher candidate-led intervent (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sara Helfrich (Advisor); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); David Horton (Committee Member); William Larson (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Reading Instruction; School Administration; Teacher Education; Teaching

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Physics

One of the targets for cancer therapy is telomeric G-quadruplex (GQ) structures, which are layered, G-rich DNA structures. GQ structures are known to inhibit telomerase, which is over expressed in ~90% of all cancers, and thereby prevent telomere extension. Therefore, stabilizing GQs with small molecule (SM) drugs has emerged as a potential cancer treatment therapy. GQ stabilizing SMs are typically characterized by their specificity to GQ and the additional thermal stability they impart to GQ. However, to date, there are no quantitative studies that probe the dynamics of GQ-SM interactions, and how these interactions influence the interaction of GQ with destabilizing proteins. We performed single molecule measurements, primarily single molecule F¿rster resonance energy transfer (smFRET), to study binding kinetics, rotational freedom, and dwell time distributions of a Cy5-labeled oxazole telomestatin derivative (L1Cy5-7OTD) as it interacted with several different GQs. These measurements show that L1Cy5-7OTD dwells on more stable GQ for longer times and binds to such GQ with higher frequency. The dwell times illustrate a broad distribution, but are longer than a minute for a significant fraction of molecules (characteristic dwell time t=192±15 s and t=98±15 s for the more and less stable GQ, respectively). In addition, L1Cy5-7OTD may be able to bind to GQ in at least two different primary orientations and occasionally transition between these orientations. The dwell time in one of these orientations is significantly longer than that in the other one, suggesting different stabilities for different binding orientations. In a different line of inquiry, we studied the impact of several prominent GQ-stabilizing SMs, including pyridostatin (PDS), Phen-DC3, and oxazole telomestatin derivatives (OTD), on helicase mediated GQ unfolding. Bloom helicase (BLM) and human telomeric GQ (hGQ) were used as model systems. The SMs we studied result in 2-3 fold reduction in the BLM-m (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Hamza Balci Dr. (Advisor); John Portman Dr. (Committee Member); Bjorn Lussem Dr. (Committee Member); Gail Fraizer Dr. (Committee Member); Sanjaya Abeysirigunawardena Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biophysics; Physics

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2005, Elementary Education

Professional Development Schools are innovations in which universities are joined with schools. Commonly teacher candidates are immersed in one setting. Early PDS research tended to focus on one aspect of a program. Those aspects of PDS studied were typically student achievement, the professional development of faculty, or teacher candidate preparation. The focus of this research was to look at those same aspects from a multi-dimensional view to determine the benefits for each group. Some form of evaluation must be developed to provide evidence of the efficacy of PDS for all stakeholders. The question one must ask of any PDS is: What difference does a PDS have on student achievement? Analysis was run to investigate the effectiveness of PDS regular education instruction as it related to achievement. This was measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in comparison groups and in contrast to the instruction regular education students traditionally receive and their achievement on the same tests. This dissertation was a mixed methods study utilizing quantitative research when investigating the effects of a PDS program on student achievement, and teachers' perceptions of school climate. This 2-year study used qualitative research when analyzing pre-service teacher reflections in one setting and at one teacher preparatory institution that is part of a state-wide system. Teacher demographic data was obtained by surveying regular education teachers in the school (PDS and traditional). Using the ITBS, the NASSP's Comprehensive Assessment of School Climate instrument, and Loucks and Hall's Concerns-Based Adoption Model, this study investigated the students' achievement, the classroom teachers' perceptions of climate, and analysis of teacher candidates' reflective journals. When measuring achievement using the ITBS, it was found that five of the six hypotheses tested, while not statistically significant, were in the predicted direction. This quantitative data is supportive of a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carole Newman (Advisor) Subjects: