The College of Education, Health and

Human Sciences

Announces the Final Examination of

Tiffany Freeze Denton

for the degree of

Doctor of Education

July 7, 2014 at 2:00 pm

405 Ball Hall, University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Biographical Sketch

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Harding University

Master of Arts/Education Specialist, School Psychology, The University of Memphis

Advisory Committee

James Meindl, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership, Committee chair

Neal Miller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Todd Whitney, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Laura Casey, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Major Field of Study

Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Period of Preparation:  2011 – 2013

Comprehensive Examination Passed: October 2013

Temporal Discounting: Using a Shifting Delay Procedure to Teach Delay-to-Reinforcement

Abstract

Investigation of delay effects on subjective reward value is referred to as temporal or delay discounting, as the value of the reward is discounted as a result of a delay to the reward’s presentation.  One way to measure the subjective value of delayed rewards is by assessing choice.  In examining delay discounting, choice trials are presented between small immediate rewards and larger delayed rewards across a range of delays and reward magnitude.  Procedures that reverse choice responding from smaller immediate rewards to larger delayed rewards are important to teaching an organism to tolerate delayed reinforcement.  Teaching children to make adaptive choices such as compliance, completing assigned tasks, and making functional requests involves teaching them to forgo engaging in behaviors that result in small sooner outcomes in favor of those resulting in larger later outcomes. Behavioral procedures to teach delay-to-reinforcement have produced positive outcomes but are not well established in the current body of literature.  Thus, there are limited standardized procedures and treatment options available to teach children to choose delayed rewards.  In the current study, a novel method to teach delay-to-reinforcement tolerance in young children was investigated.  This novel method, called a Shifting Delay Procedure, involved splitting the larger later reward into both an immediate and delayed reward, and then gradually shifting the immediate portion to the delayed portion.  The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature on temporal discounting and describe the effects of this novel method of teaching delay-to-reinforcement tolerance.

The College of Education, Health and

Human Sciences

Announces the Final Examination of

Willie C. Williams

for the degree of

Doctor of Education, Ed.D

June 30, 2014 at 3:00 pm

Ball Hall, University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Biographical Sketch

Bachelors of Science, Zoology, Arkansas State University

Masters of Science, Biology, Arkansas State University

Advisory Committee

Dr. Larry McNeal, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Leadership

Dr. Reginald Green, Ed.D., Professor, Department of Leadership

Dr. William C. Hunter, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Dr. Helen Perkins, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Major Field of Study

Leadership and Policy Studies

Period of Preparation: Fall 2012 – Summer 2014

Comprehensive Examination Passed, November, 2012

Parent Perceptions of Parental Involvement in a Mid-South Suburban School District

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of parents on their role in involvement in their children’s education and determined if there was a difference in parents’ perception of parental engagement based on ethnicity. The data used in this study was collected in 2013 from a sample of  parents of elementary (K-5) and secondary (6-12) students in a mid-south suburban school district that consists of rural, urban and suburban schools.  The following questions were researched in the dissertation:  1) What role does parent’s perception of child rearing values, goals, and expectations have when considering academic norms and behavior norms at school?; 2) What role does parent’s reported actions and behaviors have in child’s day-to-day education?; 3) What role does parent’s reported actions and behaviors related to major educational decisions have in the child’s education?;  and 4) Is there a significant difference in parents’ perception of parental engagement based on ethnicity on the thirty three individual items and across the four constructs?  The responses to survey questions provided the answers for the research questions.  Size of measurement and exploration of relationships through descriptive research, correlation research and group comparisons are emphasized in a quantitative viewpoint.

Findings in this study are consistent with the argument that many parents are involved effectively in their children’s education despite the consequences of cultural backgrounds and family circumstances.  There is not a statistically significant difference found in parents’ perception of parental engagement based on ethnicity on the thirty three individual items and across the four constructs in the majority of the respondents.

Considerable effort must be made to engage parents in their children’s schooling. However, to best achieve this task practitioners must explore parents’ current understanding of parental involvement, how parents view what actions they are to take in regards to involvement and what are the expectations and perceived indicators of success of desired outcomes for that involvement.  Further, practitioners should make the effort to understand the parents that they serve and convey that their opinions and suggestions are desired and important.  To achieve such phenomenon, parents must feel welcomed and valued as equal participants in their child’s education.