Scholarship & Research
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Item The four-day school week : research on extended weekends(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Amys, Ryan Donald; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christine Rogers StantonWith restrictions being made on state budgets, 'the four-day school week has been an increasingly attractive option for legislators seeking to cut education costs' (NCSL, 2014). Research has shown the beneficial and adverse aspects of an alternative school calendar through monetary interest, attendance of students and staff, morale, and academic scores (Donis-Keller & Silvernail 2009). However, there is limited information regarding the influence shortened school weeks have on students' social choices, particularly the choices they make with activities on weekends. As a result of lengthened weekends, the purpose of this case study was to examine the perception four-day school weeks has left on the various stakeholders of a rural Montana high school, with an emphasis on extended weekends, and to investigate the specific activities high school students participate in during three-day weekends. In order to investigate this topic further, the following research questions were directed to stakeholders from a rural Montana school district that recently shifted to a four-day schedule: 1.) As a result of a four-day school week, how do rural school stakeholders view the choices made by students on extended weekends?; 2.)What choices do students make on their extended weekends, and, according to stakeholders, what influences those choices?; 3.) In what ways is the four-day school week contributing to or detracting from student well-being? Data collection was achieved through individual interviews of administrators, teachers, and coaches, a focus group was held with parents of high school students, and insight from senior students was collected through a text-messaging system called Remind. Remind provided an innovative data collection technique that maintained anonymity of adolescent participants. The findings of this case study emphasize the importance and advancement in adolescent involvement with extracurricular activities, workforce, time spent with family and peers, and religious practices. However, the findings also bring forth further questions about adolescents not involved in athletics, clubs, religious endeavors, and the workforce.Item A proposed extracurricular activity program for a junior high school of 1200 students(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1957) Reinwand, Jack L.Item The extent South Heart High School has been meeting the needs of its students(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1964) Sailer, Calvin LeonardItem Activity fund accounting practices in the small high schools of southwest Washington(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1969) Jenson, Joseph LloydItem A comparison of academic achievement and social participation of the art student and the non-art student in Bozeman Senior High School(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1964) Benson, Allan WayneItem A evaluation of activity sheets created to enhance science learning during the self-guided tour at the Tennessee Aquarium(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2015) Howell Shaw, Carrie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This project evaluated activity sheets that I created for the Tennessee Aquarium based on Tennessee state science standards and the informal education model of free-choice learning. The research focused on one of the worksheets about habitats created for second through fourth grade students. Teachers from those grades who were scheduled to visit the Aquarium in the month of March were solicited to participate in the study. Two teachers agreed to participant in different capacities. Based on the lack of student enthusiasm and my evaluation of completed the activity sheets and student surveys, I determined that the activity sheet was not effective at fostering learning or interest. However, the activity sheets were effective when used by chaperones instead of individual students. Additional research should be conducted to specifically evaluate using chaperones to led activities during self-guided tours of the Tennessee Aquarium.Item 4-H students in college activities(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1938) Peterson, Weber H.Item Student engagement : using the NSSE benchmarks to investigate longterm persistence(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2009) Chambers, Samuel Ross; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carrie B. MyersThis study examined the relationship between student engagement and persistence for 362 first-time, full-time freshmen at a single institution of higher education. The enrollment status of the students was tracked through to the junior year of college. This allowed for three distinct groups of students to be identified for comparative purposes: non-persisters (students who failed to re-enroll at the institution after their freshman year); temporary persisters (students who re-enrolled in a fulltime status at the institution for their sophomore year but not for their junior year); and, longterm persisters (students who stayed enrolled at the institution in a fulltime status through to their junior year). A multinomial linear regression analysis compared the three groups across three models. The predictor variables used consist of: two measures of student engagement constructed from students' index scores on the National Survey of Student Engagement; students' ACT scores; parents' level of education; gender; and, residential status. Findings indicated that higher levels of engagement in the freshman year improve the likelihood of students persisting to the junior year regardless of the measured background characteristics. Higher index scores on the Supportive Campus Environment benchmark were found to be of central importance. These results support the notion that a focus on improving campus culture and on educational quality can help institutions improve retention rates. Also of importance, for temporary persisters the regression analysis highlighted the need for institutions to be more attentive to students' experiences of living on campus. Further research into the effects of living on campus on this group of students is recommended.