Digital Commons Network^™

Diffusion Of Policy Innovations: State Adoption Of Value-Added Models In K-12 Education, Kirsten England

Doctoral Dissertations

Schools chase test scores as a means of validating educational practices. Having imposed high-stakes testing, public schools were still not generating the student test scores under policies such as No Child Left Behind, the Department of Education thought would ensue. To hold accountability on the part of the classroom teacher, Race to the Top, and with it, merit pay was imposed by most states within the United States.

Using policy innovation and diffusion frameworks, this research looks at how over time states have come to adopt value-added policies for teacher evaluations. The research takes into consideration the sociopolitical systems that …

The Policy Feedback Loop: Exploring English Learner (El) Policy, Policy Implementation, And The Relationship Between Policy, Research, And Practice, Nathan D. Koerber

Doctoral Dissertations

This study will explore the EL policy implementation process and offer evaluative feedback by systematically reviewing the history of US federal educational language policy and its impact on schools and classrooms, as well as the role research, has played in the development of EL policy. Additionally, this study will explore how current language policy implementation impacts programming and practices in both the UK and the US through two separate case studies, as a means of providing evaluative feedback on the policies.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the complicated history of EL policy and its impact, as well …

Telehealth Policy Analysis: Recommendations To Improve Medicaid Reimbursement In Michigan, Adelheid Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted flexibility for audio-only visits. However, CMS indicated possible cessation of reimbursement for audio-only telehealth when the pandemic ends. This project explored current audio-only telehealth reimbursement and proposed post-pandemic policies for Medicaid beneficiaries at the state level and the perceived benefits and challenges from the perspective of rural providers.

Methods: Data was collected from a rural ambulatory clinic that included patients ≥ 18 who received telehealth during the study period (April 2020 - May 2021). The providers at this clinic were surveyed on the …

Exploring The Feasibility Of Bioenergy Crop Production With A Multi-Analytical Approach: A Case Study From Kentucky, Sandhya Nepal

Doctoral Dissertations

Bioenergy crops can provide a reliable and adequate supply of biomass feedstocks to support the bioenergy industry. However, commercial scale production of bioenergy crops has not been established to meet the increasing energy demand for the bioenergy industry. Thus, there is a need to explore the full potential of bioenergy crop production to support energy generation. This dissertation examined the feasibility of bioenergy crop production in the southern United States with a case study from Kentucky. For the feasibility of bioenergy crop production, I (1) analyzed trade-offs among the major components of bioenergy crop production, (2) assessed landowners’ willingness to …

The Purpose And Value Of Agricultural Experiment Stations Today: A Perception Study Of The Directors Of State Agricultural Experiment Stations, Lori Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates the dynamic relationship of the purpose and value of state agricultural experiment stations today as perceived by a sample of the directors of state agricultural experiment station in the United States funded by the Hatch Act of 1887. State agricultural experiment stations are a fundamental component of the land-grant university system; they are the original model and the first centers for applied research at most flagship state land-grant research universities in the United States (Kerr, 1987; Knoblauch, 1962). The purpose of state agricultural experiment stations has evolved since their inception as new agricultural issues have arisen, new …

"There's No Way A College Can Close": Student Experiences In A For-Profit Institution Closure, Jennifer M. Logsdon

Doctoral Dissertations

Higher education in the United States has always been considered a pathway for individuals to achieve professional, personal, and socio-economic success. For-profit colleges claim that the for-profit sector provides a service to a demographic of the population neglected by traditional institutions. Since the enactment of neoliberal policy increasing the for-profit sectors participation in federally funded programs, there have been concerns raised regarding the impact of this sector on the lives of the students it serves. Additionally, as for-profit institutions struggle to adhere to federal guidelines, a number of institutions have closed their doors, making it necessary for students to find …

Coupling Life Cycle Assessment And Socioeconomic Scenarios For Climate Change Adaptation Of The Energy-Water Nexus, Syeda Mariya Absar

Doctoral Dissertations

The interdependency of water and energy resources is known as energy-water-nexus (EWN). Water is necessary for energy production and energy is integral to water acquisition and distribution. The carbon emissions associated with both water and energy sectors drive climate change. Climate change in return poses increasing stress on the energy water nexus and makes tradeoffs between resources necessary and increasingly challenging, given the constraints and uncertainty around resources. This dissertation focuses on the tradeoffs between greenhouse gas mitigation and water conservation in the energy-water-nexus and how adaptation policy can influence these tradeoffs.To quantitatively understand these tradeoffs especially under future development …

A Model For Sustaining New Technology Based On Government Incentives, Girish Upreti

Doctoral Dissertations

The diffusion of new technology that provides environmental benefits may require government incentives for a duration of time, especially when the technology is expensive. The Center of Systems Research and Education (CASRE) model is developed that analyzes the impact of incentives in sustaining new technologies to allow their social acceptance. The CASRE model includes both demand and supply variables associated with incentive policy to sustain new technology. The key to market dissemination and sustainability is the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) levels provided by the government. The level of ITC is based on the current cost to the customer and the …

A Transdisciplinary Analysis Of Sweetened Carbonated Soft-Drink Consumption And Related Policy Options, Charles R. Rhodes Ph.D.

Doctoral Dissertations

In Essay One, I estimate how demographic characteristics associate with habitual purchase of sweetened carbonated soft drinks (sCSDs), as different demographic groups respond to marketing variables controlled by the sCSD industry. My method and assumptions cleave neither to conventional economic analysis nor to medical and nutrition literature interested in sugar and soft-drink consumption. No assumption in my estimation process violates arguments in later essays. Results identify household purchase behaviors for relatively fine demographic groupings, are not linear in income or education level, and further vary by gender of the head of household and by type of sCSD industry …

Grading And Reporting Purposes And Practices In Catholic Secondary Schools And Grades' Efficacy In Accurately Communicating Student Learning, Peter Imperial

Doctoral Dissertations

Few aspects of school are as controversial as the practice of grading, for grades affect students' educational opportunities. The purpose of this study was to identify the practices Catholic high-school teachers employed in determining students' grades. The study investigated the extent to which academic achievement comprised the grades teachers reported, and the extent to which teachers' practices are consistent with their expressed purposes for grading. The study also explored the extent to which Catholic teachers' grading practices are consistent with their schools' purpose for grading. Using random sampling, 486 Catholic secondary school teachers and 50 administrators from 33 high schools …

Educator Perceptions Of Policies That May Impact Black Male High School Persistence, L Antonio Henley

Doctoral Dissertations

This study purposed to identify educators' perceptions about the academic state of Black males, explore the influence of policies on Black males' high school persistence, and examine differences in educator perceptions with regards to the impact of education policies on African American males. Findings indicate that educators believe that Black males are doing poorly academically and educators are concerned about the academic progress of Black males. Also, educators do not to believe that the majority of policies identified in this research have any significant impact on the high school persistence of Black males. Further, there are significant differences in educators' …