Thank you for viewing the Doctoral Dissertations and Capstone Projects Collection of West Chester University of Pennsylvania. You may view the abstracts of the dissertations and capstone projects by clicking on one of the specialization links below or view the entire collection by selecting the link at the bottom. To inquire about access to a specific manuscript, email thesisdoc@wcupa.edu for more information.
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Dissertations/Capstones from 2020
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education & Perceived Administrative Biases in Funding Review Processes, Emily Devereux
Moments of Reflection: A Phenomenological Study of Preservice Teacher Reflection, Jane Ferris
Professional Learning Communities in an Elementary School: Teacher Perceptions, Implementation, and Impacts, Michael Garvin
Evidence-Based Policy and Misinformation: Exploring the Public’s Processing of Information, Amy E. Hann
Creating Project-Based Math Curricula: A Narrative Inquiry, Marcie Hull
An Exploration of Teachers' Experiences with the Completion of Behavior Rating Scales for Their Students with ADHD, Amy Jenkins
“Being Yourself”: Self-Determination at a Summer Sports Camp for Youth with Visual Impairments, Maria Lepore-Stevens
Creating Restful Environments: Applying Evidenced-Based Interventions to Increase the Patients Perceptions of Room Quietness at Night, Timothy Marks
More Than A Score: The Test-Optional Movement in Higher Education, Lisa Montgomery
Enhancing Patient Portal Usage, Patricia Pawling
Prehospital Use of Cuffed Endotracheal Tubes in Pediatric Patients: Thematic Analysis of Barriers to Practice Change., Thomas E. Pearson
Initiating a Collaborative Cybersecurity Governance Framework at the State Level, Autum C. Pylant
Reframing Professional Learning to Analyze Teacher Practice and Promote System-Wide Change, Jennifer Smerecky
Evaluating the Implementation of a Risk Screening Tool to Decrease the Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, Lauren E. Stoltzfus
Using Input from Landlords Participating in the Dothan Housing Authority's Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) to Streamline Operations and Increase Retention, Michael C. Threatt
Skilled Trade Education in America, Brent Tracy
Municipal Fiscal Distress in Pennsylvania: Assessing the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act 47 of 1987, Terry Tracy
Fare Free Public Transportation Bus Systems: An Examination of Funding Strategies to Replace Passenger Fare Collection, Amy VanGuilder
Heart Failure Self-Care At Home, Dinah Warren
Dissertations/Capstones from 2019
An Analysis of Complaints against Police in Philadelphia: A Case for Social Equity and Collaborative Governance in Police Reform, Jacqueline Bailey-Davis
Year-Round Community Supported Agriculture: A View from an Advocacy Coalition Framework Perspective, Kelly A. Baker
The ABCDE Bundle : A QI Tool to Reduce the ICU Stay, Cynthia Bembry-Weiser
The Value of Backyard Chickens in Reducing Municipal Solid Waste, Maureen Breen
A Primary Care Weight Loss Program with an Intensive Behavioral Therapy including Diet and Exercise Education, Karen Detweiler
A Behavior-Focused Assessment of Hand Hygiene Practice and Associated Factors Among Students at an Upper Elementary School in Pennsylvania, Roseline Ekuta
An Examination of Federal Discretionary Grant Sustainability in Rural Public School Districts, Autumn L. Grooms
Emotional Intelligence and Secondary Traumatic Stress Experiences of Trial Court Judges, Jody Jacobetz Huber
Hospital Readmission Reduction Through Pulmonary Rehabilitation, James Johnson
Implementation of a Team-Based Medicare Annual Wellness Visit Program, Michelle Keating-Sibel
Women’s Political Empowerment and the Nonprofit Subsectors of Education, Human Services, and Public/Societal Benefit, Lorin McKnight Mayo
Failure to Launch: An exploratory study of the impact of the Workforce Investment Act on transition to adulthood among low income youth, Louise McLoughlin
Capability and Gap Assessments: Influence on Emergency Management Programs, Kelly Myers
Social Construction of Giftedness in the National Defense Education Act of 1958, Chad Phillips
Guided by Faith? Comparing Faith-based and Secular Nonprofits’ Planning Practices, Jeremy Raff
FluFIT Program, Shannon Romano
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Preservice Training for a Treatment Home Program in New Jersey, Jina Saint-Elien
Pennsylvania School Resource Officers as Mentor/Counselors, Including Levels of Intervention, Beth Sanborn
Implementation of Fall T.I.P.S. (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) will decrease the number of falls that occur on the Acute Care Unit at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tracey Schoen and Tracey Schoen
A Study of Dual Credit Program Policies in the Rio Grande Valley, Zachary Suarez
Comparing Compensation: Shared Occupations of Government and Private Industry, Catherine Sykes
Using Predictive Modeling toward Increasing Alumni Giving at a Public University, Susan Vanscovich
Taxation Through Criminalization: The Relationship Between Revenue Derived From Law Enforcement and Municipal Budget Allocations for Police Services, Anthony Whitmore
Dissertations/Capstones from 2018
The Effect of Lavender on Emotional Well-Being, Jean Byrd
Developing Comprehension through Read 180: A Study of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities, Donna Cavaliere
The Affordable Housing Crisis in Charleston, South Carolina: A Case for Collaborative Governance, Thomas Cook
Time to Meet: The Value of Common Planning Time for Middle School Teachers and Paraprofessionals, Shawn Cruice
Terrorism: Is it a mechanism of change according to the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory?, Joseph M. Dilley Jr.
Co-teaching in a Professional Development School Partnership: Case Studies Tell the Story, Rebecca Eberly
Growth Mindset in Elementary Physical Education: Fifth-Grade Student Perspectives, Timothy Fink
Identifying Predictive Factors of Terminal Agitation in Hospice Patients: A Retrospective Study, Rynda Ganster
University Economic and Social Engagement: Comparing Practices at PWIs and HBCUs, Jennifer B. Harris
Evaluating a Practice Change Initiative to Promote Early Skin-to-Skin Contact After Cesarean Birth, Michelle Kensey
Defining Academic Success: A Quantitative Study of High-Impact Activities Contributing to the Success of At-Risk Students, Courtney Lloyd
Student Success as a Public Management Tool: Gauging the Impact of Student Success as a Funding Metric, Darrell Lovell
Encouraging Collaboration: The Effects of Collaborative High-Impact Practices on At-Risk Student Success, Gerardina Martin
A State Assessment of Trauma Providers Prescribing Opioids for Acute Pain, Amanda McNicholas
An Assessment of Self-Care of Heart Failure in Patients Experiencing Hospital Readmission or Observation Stay, Rebecca Mountain
Teacher Practices, Perceptions, and Rationale Surrounding Homework, Jamie Mozzone
Parental Involvement in Their Child's Individualized Education Program Process and Student Progress as Measured by Reading Fluency – A Correlational Analysis, Christine Murrin
Heritage Language Maintenance: The Experience of Fifth-Grade Students with Formal Academic Spanish Language Instruction, Natalie Ortega-Moran
Middle School Teacher Attributes That Foster Engagement, Adam Penning
Increased Access to Academic Advising: A Program Evaluation, Dawn J. Renta
Feminism and Critical Literacy in an All-Boys School, Cara Saraco
The Impact of Peer Mentoring on Undergraduate Music Major Mentee Self-Efficacy and Retention, Ralph Sorrentino
The Effect of Community Partnerships on Title I Public Schools in Low Income Communities, Morris Thompson
The Impact of Poverty on Educational Outcomes, Brian Ulmer
Improving Condom Use in Undergraduate College Students, Samantha Wesner
Leading Instructional Change with Technology: A Multiple Case Study, Nora Wheeler