Digital Commons Network^™

Results Of Early Implementation Of Governmental Acounting Standards Board Statement No. 34 In 15 Ohio Public School Districts, Michael Bennett Amspaugh

Dissertations

The study researched the experience of treasurers in 15 Ohio public school districts in implementing Governmental Accounting Board Statement No. 34 in the districts' annual financial reports prior to the required implementation date. Statement No. 34 is intended to make government annual financial reports more useful for and comprehensible to members of three user groups---the financial community, legislative and oversight officials, and citizens. In the study, treasurers of the 15 school districts were interviewed regarding their experience in implementing Statement No. 34, the changes in school operations resulting from implementation, and changes in questions from the three user groups about …

Nongovernmental Program Replication And Implementation: What Can Community-Based Programs To Support The Uninsured Learn From Other Communities?, Raymond J. Higbea

Dissertations

This research study evaluated the replication and implementation of Project Access (a nongovernmental, structured program providing physician and health care services to the working-poor) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A mixed methodological approach was used and included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The qualitative method used was a self-administered mailed survey of all Project Access enrollees. This survey evaluated the enrollee's perceived health and lifestyle function, access to physician services, access and adherence to prescribed medication regimen, and barriers to physician services during the year pre- and post-enrollment in Project Access. The survey also evaluated the amount enrollees were able or willing …

Counselor Education And Peace Building: Current Status And Future Direction, Jenny Ritha Keller

Dissertations

Counseling professionals are informed and guided in professional development, research and practice by the relevant professional organizations that endorse the field’s professional, ethical, and competency standards. Amidst the contemporary professional proclamations of multicultural- and social justice counseling as professional grounding principles, is also the directive to promote and engage in peace building. Although the notion of peace building appear to be conceptually congruent with the multicultural and social justice counseling competencies; peace building concepts and issues, and research on nonviolence, reconciliation, democratization, and conflict transformation, are as yet unchartered notions in the counselor education literature.

The purpose of this study …

The Cover-Up Is More Damaging Than The Sin: Sexual Scandals At The Cabinet And Sub-Cabinet Levels, Craig Korpela

Dissertations

Based on the sexual scandals of Alexander Hamilton, John Eaton, Sumner Welles, and the recently concluded investigation of Henry Cisneros, this research provides an initial, and subsequently revised, set of phases and factors that describe sex scandals of Cabinet and sub-Cabinet secretaries. Garnered from these historical cases and other scandal literature are factors that impact the development of a sex scandal. Presidential support, traits of the indiscretion, relationships between executives, public opinion, legal matters, Congressional oversight, and efforts to cover-up a sexual affair are just a few of the factors that could impact the tenure of an appointee.

Funding Michigan K-12 Educational Adequacy Without Rewarding Inefficiency, James J. Walters

Dissertations

Resource equalization represents the historical and theoretical basis for American school finance and its ideals continue to dominate discussion and practice. During the last decade and a half, the national aspiration for equitable distribution of school finance resources has started a transformation into a derivative notion of adequacy. This equity policy derivative embraces the idea of sufficiency, which in turn implies a standard. The concept of educational adequacy has grown to mean the achievement of high absolute standards. Equity (equalization) theorists measure resource level on a relative basis; each student relative to all others. Adequacy adherents measure student achievement against …

A Heuristic Study Of The Decision To Privatize Local Government Service, David L. Rich

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to explore the nature of local government decision making. Six Michigan cities, selected from respondents to an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) privatization survey, are the basis of this multi-case study examining the decision to privatize public services.

Classical decision-making theory is used to identify six foundational elements from which to analyze the privatization decision: (1) identification of theproblem(s) that triggered the decision to consider privatization; (2) the solutions considered; (3) the processes or mechanisms used to make the decision; (4)the environment in which the decision was made; (5) the identification of the key …

The Challenges Of Implementing Privatization Reform Program Of State-Owned Enterpreises (Soes) In Kenya 1979 To 2002, Peter Kiiru Kariuki

Dissertations

Before any more sales o f public stakes in parastatals are carried out, we need a robust public debate. We also feel that the interests o f Kenyans, whose taxes built those parastatals, should be recognized. A new policy, which gives Kenyans the first right to buy parastatals, is needed. (Editorial-Daily Nation, Nairobi Publication, Retrieved 9/17/2006 http://www. nationmedia. com/dailynation)

This study reviews the progress and challenges of implementing privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reform program in Kenya during the period 1979- 2002 as part of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). The impetus for implementing privatization reform program has two sources: …

Unintended Consequences In Public Policy: Formulation And Implementation Of Michigan’S Safe Delivery Of Newborns Law, Anne Julie Hacker

Dissertations

It is generally believed that social policy is the result of careful research and planning on the part of officials. Yet there often exists a gap between theformulation and implementation of many social policies. This gap brings with it conflict, which in turn may result in unintended consequences. Theseconsequences may be so antithetical to the formulators' original intent as to make the policy implementation paradoxical.

This qualitative research study examines the ambiguities, challenges, or boundaries that policy formulators placed on practitioners responsible for implementing Michigan's Safe Delivery of Newborns Act and that ultimately created unintended consequences indicative of a public …

Electronic Government Accessibility For People With Blindness Or Low Vision Who Utilize Assistive Computer Technology, Robert J. Sobie

Dissertations

Citizen access to electronic government information and services continues to enjoy an expansionary phase in local government. This expansionary phase holds a prominent place in service delivery strategic planning as governments address on-going operational challenges caused by increased fiscal pressures and greater accountability to the citizenry for their actions. Since the advent of the World Wide Web, in the mid 1990s, static information and interactive applications are available on government websites to facilitate information dissemination and citizen interaction.

The presence of electronically delivered information and services may not address the accessibility needs of people with blindness or low vision who …

Providing Uninsured Adults With Free Or Low-Cost Primary Care: Does It Influence Their Use Of Hospital Emergency Departments?, Anne G. Zahradnik

Dissertations

This study analyzes one component of the health care safety net to determine whether or not being enrolled in a free or low-cost primary care physician access program subsequently affects emergency room utilization by uninsured adults ages 18 through 64. Those individual decisions are analyzed from both public goods and rational choice schemas. Additionally, physician access programs of different formats (a low-cost physician referral program and a freewalk-in clinic) are analyzed and compared for relative effectiveness. The study is a quantitative analysis of more than 40,000 individual patient records rather than relying on qualitative patient recall or on analyzing broad …

The War On Drugs V. The War On Pain: Do Controlled Prescribing Laws Have A Role?, Susanne F. Homant

Dissertations

The illegal use of prescription drugs and the under-treatment of chronic pain are both considered serious public health issues in this country. Strong medicines classified as controlled substances by the DEA are often used to treat chronic pain conditions and are also known to be diverted to non-medical uses, thus a solution to one problem may happen at the expense o f the other. Prescription Monitoring Programs (PMPs) are public policies that are felt by many to address diversion of controlled substances, and are generally welcomed by law enforcement as an excellent tool in the war against drugs. A number …

A Study On Perceptions Of Civil Engineers Regarding Mandatory Continuing Education, Alee A. Sleymann

Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of civil engineers regarding continuing professional competency requirements for license renewal. In this study,continuing professional competency is assumed to have a direct relationship to public welfare and safety. The policy of mandatory continuing education was adopted primarily for this reason. Currently, mandatory continuing education is adopted by 29 states as the method of assuring continued professional competency.

Many professionals, however, have not welcomed this mandatory continuing education (MCE) policy. The reason for this opposition is the claimed ineffectiveness of this policy in fostering continued competency. In addition, the regulatory boards and policy advocates have not …

Implementing Community Policing Successfully: An Analysis Of The Degree Of Police Engagement With The Philosophy And Practice Of Community Policing, Robert G. Muladore

Dissertations

The police community in the United States began to adopt the philosophy of community policing in the early 1970s as a solution to rising crime rates. Since that time a great many police departments have officially stated that they have embraced and practice this concept. When later studies began to question theeffectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates, measures such as reduction of citizens' fear of crime and citizen's attitudes toward policebecame the secondary measures of success of this philosophy. Few comprehensive studies have specifically looked at the degree of congruence betweenpolice agency adoption of the community policing philosophy …