UMD Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Education, Vocational

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Congruence X Employment Tenure: A Study with Transitioning Youth with Disabilities
    (2010) Castan, Juliana Unis; Fabian, Ellen; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study examined the relationship between congruence (between individual's inventoried career interests and subsequent job) and employment tenure for transitioning youth with disabilities successfully closed in fiscal year 2008 by the Maryland State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (DORS) - Region 6 (N = 51). The relationship between employment tenure and demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, education level, disability type, social security benefits status, and length in services) is also assessed. Data was obtained from DORS database, wage checks reports and file reviews. This study did not find support for the relationship between employment tenure and either congruence or demographic variables. Related findings include high frequency of low congruent jobs, and the majority of jobs in janitorial and service areas, part time and with hourly wage between $5.00 and $10.00.
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    Perceived Challenges of High-Stakes Assessments to High School Career and Technology Education Programs in Maryland
    (2004-08-30) Thomas, David Wayne; Croninger, Robert; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Abstract Title of dissertation: PERCEIVED CHALLENGES OF HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS TO HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MARYLAND David W. Thomas, Doctor of Education, 2004 Dissertation directed by: Professor Robert Croninger Department of Education Many states are now requiring students to pass high-stakes assessments to earn a high school diploma. Even though the primary expectation of high-stakes testing is increased academic achievement for students in specific subject areas, many worthwhile high school programs are ignored by this testing initiative. This case study examined the perceived challenges of high-stakes testing to vocational/career and technology education in Maryland and the responses to the challenges of the assessment program by schools representing the three models of delivery of career and technology (CTE) education in Maryland (technical high schools, community high schools with embedded CTE programs and technical centers). The research was conducted through interviews at the Maryland State Department of Education and with local CTE directors, high school principals, and academic and CTE department chairs in four local school districts in Maryland, and discovered challenges to CTE programs in the following areas: scheduling students in CTE classes, redirecting resources away from CTE to tested areas, altering the mission of CTE programs, and also an overall low level of concern due to the newness of the testing program. Strategies to cope with the challenges were identified as: aligning CTE curriculum with tested areas, mirroring tests in CTE courses to the high school assessment tests, modifying school schedules, and taking minimal or no significant actions. The research also revealed a high level of familiarity with the testing program and more significant actions implemented to address the challenges of the assessments at the community high school with the CTE component and at the comprehensive technical high school than at the tech centers. Recommendations include similar research looking at challenges to other untested curriculum areas, tracking trends in CTE course enrollment and follow-up studies conducted after several years of high-stakes assessments to determine actual impact on career and technology education programs.
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    A cunning hand and a cultured mind: An examination of high school graduates who completed an integrated technical and academic program
    (2004-04-27) Cockrum, Kelly; Herschbach, Dennis R; Education Policy, and Leadership
    The problem of this study was to compare selected characteristics of students who completed an integrated curriculum of technical and academic studies with students who completed either an academic, a technical, or a general curriculum. The researcher analyzed changes in participation, select demographics, academic achievement and post-secondary plans of students in the integrated curriculum against the other three curricula. The changes were measured across a seven-year time frame—1993 to 2000. The results were: 1. The integrated curriculum had the greatest percentage increase of students of the four curriculum categories from 1993 to 2000. 2. When considering change across the time, the integrated curriculum had the greatest percentage increase for both genders, in four out of the five ethnic divisions, and for students participating in English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. For students participating in the Free or Reduced Price Meals (FARMS) program, the integrated curriculum had the second greatest percentage increase. 3. Findings from statistical analysis revealed that when Grade Point Average (GPA), Academic Grade Point Average (AGPA), and SAT scores were used as benchmarks, students in an integrated curriculum were academically competitive with students from the academic curriculum. This holds true across the selected demographic categories. 4. Students in the integrated curriculum are planning to attend post-secondary institutions in increasing numbers and the numbers are comparable to students in the academic curriculum. A summary of recommendations included: (a) efforts should be directed at determining the present attitudes and perceptions held by educators, parents, and students toward technical education; (b) additional research studies should be conducted on the particular type of technical programs completed by students in an integrated program; (c) additional research studies should be conducted to determine why all students, but ESOL or FARMS participants in particular, continue to stay in the general or technical curriculum; and (d) additional research studies should be conducted to determine why high-level students are taking the integrated curriculum.