Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
Browse
7 results
Search Results
Item Comparisons of scores of three standardized reading tests(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1976) Tarantino, Donna Louise Gruel; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Willis VandiverItem A survey of testing programs in Montana high schools(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1964) Aarestad, Everett A.Item Relationships among swimming performance, behavior, water velocity, temperature, and body size for sauger Sander canadensis and longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2015) Dockery, David Russell; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Thomas E. McMahonMigration barriers and resulting habitat fragmentation are a major conservation concern for freshwater fishes. Characterizing the swimming abilities of fish is vital for fishway design and identifying potential movement barriers. The objective of this study was to assess the swimming performance of two of the most widely distributed prairie fishes, the large-bodied, large river sauger Sander Canadensis, and the small-bodied, small stream longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae. Swimming performance for both species was assessed using a variety of metrics (passage success, maximum ascent distance, maximum sprint speed) in an open channel flume over a range of velocities (sauger, 51, 80, 93 cm/; dace, 39, 64, 78, and 90 cm/s), temperatures (sauger, 10.0, 14.3, 18.3°C; dace, 10.7, 15.3, and 19.3°C ) , and body sizes (sauger, 34.0-43.9 cm; dace, 4.6-12.4 cm). Passage success of sauger was surprisingly high (91%) over all test velocities, as was the mean maximum sprint velocity (mean, 219 cm/s). Contrary to expectations, water temperature and body size had little effect on swimming performance. Video observation showed that sauger transitioned from steady sustained swimming (aerobic metabolism) to unsteady, burst-glide or steady burst swimming (anaerobic metabolism) at 97 cm/s. Additional testing of sustained time of burst swimming by sauger in a swim tunnel (critical velocity, U sprint) showed they are capable of short term maximum bursts of 124 cm/s over a 15 second duration before fatigue. Longnose dace had high passage success in the test flume (95%) at test velocities of 39 and 64 cm/s, but success rate dropped markedly at higher velocities (66% at 78 cm/s and 19.7% at 90 cm/s). Dace swam along the bottom of the flume at all test velocities, but increased position-holding as velocity increased. Their maximum sprint velocity (139 cm/s) was about half that of sauger. Dace swimming performance generally increased with water temperature and body size.Item Field dependence-independence and reading achievement of sixth grade children(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1985) Schillings, Dorothy Fay BushItem Indicators of quality in natural language composition(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1982) Donahue, Barry JohnItem The use of three standardized developmental screening tests with Crow Head Start children(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 1993) Malone, Maureen Margaret; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jean N. GullicksThe purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of 3 standardized developmental tests in identifying the presence or absence of developmental delays in a group of 60 Crow Head Start children living on or adjacent to the Crow reservation. The results provided by the study did not allow a decision to be made whether or not the tests provided accurate answers to the children's receptive vocabulary and developmental abilities.Item Performance on large-scale science tests : item attributes that may impact achievement scores(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2008) Gordon, Janet Victoria; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jayne DowneySignificant differences in achievement among ethnic groups persist on the eighth-grade science Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The WASL measures academic performance in science using both scenario and stand-alone question types. Previous research suggests that presenting target items connected to an authentic context, like scenario question types, can increase science achievement scores especially in underrepresented groups and thus help to close the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences in performance between gender and ethnic subgroups by question type on the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL. MANOVA and ANOVA were used to examine relationships between gender and ethnic subgroups as independent variables with achievement scores on scenario and stand-alone question types as dependent variables. MANOVA revealed no significant effects for gender, suggesting that the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL was gender neutral. However, there were significant effects for ethnicity. ANOVA revealed significant effects for ethnicity and ethnicity by gender interaction in both question types. Effect sizes were negligible for the ethnicity by gender interaction. Large effect sizes between ethnicities on scenario question types became moderate to small effect sizes on stand-alone question types. This indicates the score advantage the higher performing subgroups had over the lower performing subgroups was not as large on stand-alone question types compared to scenario question types. A further comparison examined performance on multiple-choice items only within both question types. Similar achievement patterns between ethnicities emerged; however, achievement patterns between genders changed in boys' favor. Scenario question types appeared to register differences between ethnic groups to a greater degree than stand-alone question types. These differences may be attributable to individual differences in cognition, characteristics of test items themselves and/or opportunities to learn. Suggestions for future research are made.