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The Role Of Program Evaluations In Improving And Sustaining State-Supported School Counseling Programs: A Cross Case Analysis Of Best Practices, Ian Monteg Martin

Open Access Dissertations

Recent work has shown that many state supported school counseling programs have not developed working statewide program evaluation schemas. This study examined two exemplary examples of state level program evaluation. Mixed-method case studies were created and then analyzed across cases to reveal common themes and best practices. The findings indicated that these cases were able to build statewide evaluation capacity within very different contexts.

Policy Options To Finance Public Higher Education In Afghanistan, Frank Mcnernery

Open Access Dissertations

While recovering from decades of conflict and trying to adjust to an incipient free market economy, public higher education in Afghanistan is currently confronted with rapidly increasing enrollment and inadequate government financing. The imbalance between high demand for and insufficient supply of higher education has led to a decrease in the quality of education and an urgent need to develop non-state sources of funding. Using Johnstone’s (1986) diversified funding model as the conceptual framework, this exploratory case study reports actors’ attitudes and perceptions of the financing policy options for Afghan public higher education and the impediments to introduce this model …

The Future Of Energy In Mississippi: Policy And Politics, Nicholas Luke Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the elements surrounding renewable energy development in Mississippi, with emphasis on the aspects related to government intervention. This study addresses the question: how can energy policy in the state of Mississippi support a transition from fossil fuels to non-traditional sources of energy? Drawing from existing literature, renewable energy was analyzed on the cost, development, and environmental concerns, while GIS analysis was utilized to determine generation capacity. Additionally, literature was reviewed to indicate the effectiveness of policy instruments in promoting renewable energy. Finally, the political influences that may affect renewable energy development or policy formulation were analyzed through …

L‘Acceptation D'Un Compromis De Démocratie En France Pour La Promotion De Laïcité, Kaitlyn Elizabeth O’Connor

Honors Theses

It is common practice for democracies to institute a policy which separates church and state as a means of ensuring religious freedom for the general population yet it can be argued that France institutes their policy of secularism more militantly and forcefully than many other liberal democracies. Laïcité has affected many different aspects of French policy since its beginnings in 1880s. With the start of the new millennium there have been many discussions on a variety of issues relating to laïcité including religious symbols in public schools and the segregation of public housing. The French government claims that its policy …

Asset Trajectories And Child Outcomes: Implications For Asset-Based Policies, Vernon Loke

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Wealth is increasingly recognized as an important determinant in children's human capital trajectories, and a number of countries have proposed or implemented asset-building policies targeting children. Much of the research on assets, however, has focused on the predictors of asset holding, and little is known about asset accumulation trajectories. This is especially so for families with young children. In addition, while studies have demonstrated the positive effects of assets on children's outcomes, few have examined the effects of different asset accumulation patterns and trajectories. This dissertation uses structural equation modeling techniques, including growth mixture models, to further clarify and specify …

From Vice To Nice : A Case Study Of Newport, Kentucky's Hope Vi Program., Matthew Jude Hanka 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the outcomes of the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) program in one American city, Newport, Kentucky. HOPE VI also improved the quality of life and satisfaction of former public housing residents who participated in the Community and Supportive Services (CSS) program, the case management program of HOPE VI. HOPE VI neighborhoods in Newport have experienced higher increases in property values. The site of the old public housing in Newport has been cleared to make way for an $800 million-$1 billion investment over the next 10-15 years. The development will offer a first-class, mixed use development, …

School Board Members’ Perception On Their Roles And Responsibilities In Developing Policy That Affects Student Achievement, James D. Hutsell

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how school board members perceive their individual roles with regard to individual student achievement. The study participants were public schools that have completed the fourth cycle Missouri School Improvement Program in Missouri. With the accountability movement that is facing every public school system, the school board’s involvement must be accounted for in that process of increasing student achievement. The traditional school board has taken a lesser role in the student learning process and has spent the majority of its time on management of policy and facilities. A clear understanding of the board’s …

Campus Internationalization Initiatives: From Policy To Practice In Study Abroad Programming, Kira Mendez Espiritu Phd

Dissertations

As U.S. colleges and universities prepare students to enter an ever-increasing global society, the pressure on higher education institutions to graduate globally competent and culturally sensitive students is growing. To respond to this demand, many colleges and universities are participating in campus internationalization initiatives that are broad-based efforts that create diversity on campus and expose students and faculty to a more global perspective. The presence of campus internationalization initiatives is relatively new, therefore there is little research regarding best practices in the area of campus internationalization. The practice of internationalization initiatives continues to grow and higher-level administrators such as presidents, …

Examining The Title X Family Planning Program’S (Public Law 91-572) Legislative History Through A Feminist Lens: A Thematic Analysis And Oral Histories With Key Stakeholders In Florida, Cheryl A. Vamos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Title X Family Planning Program (Public Law 91-572), enacted by President Richard Nixon in 1970, provides federal funds for voluntary, confidential family planning services to all women, regardless of their age or economic status. This federal legislation aspired to prevent unintended pregnancies and poor birth outcomes to those in most need. However, over the past three decades, Title X has faced political, financial and social challenges. Despite its enormous success in improving the health and well-being of women and children by decreasing unintended pregnancies, the need for abortions and providing key comprehensive preventive services, without a newfound political will …

Unintended Consequences Of Ethanol Production: Geospatial Lifecycle Analysis, Amanda Louise Malone

Theses

Ethanol use has been lauded as a way to provide a secure, diverse, environmentally friendly and economically beneficial energy supply for the US. However, along with this praise has been criticism due to potential unintended consequences that may arise from ethanol production and use. This thesis addresses one such unintended consequence: the displacement of emissions from downstream vehicle operation locations to upstream farming and production areas. The thesis uses the Upstream Ethanol Production (UEP) Model, a geospatial lifecycle model developed for analyzing spatial emissions inventories for ethanol production. The UEP model is based on the US GREET model – the …

Safety Changes In Blue Ribbon Schools Since The Attack On Columbine High School, Joseph Gust

Dissertations

Measuring school success using a variety of tools is commonplace in America.

For many years, one standard measurement of a school's success was The Blue Ribbon Award from 1982 through 2002. This award quantified success based on schools achieving successful outcomes in a variety of areas with specific criteria.

Blue Ribbon award winning schools are exceptional by Department of Education

standards. They are not exempt from school violence and the issues that plague other

schools. Academic success and awards do not prepare a school for the situation that

occurred at Columbine.

The participants I interviewed were Principals or Designees at …

A Policy Evaluation Of Hawaii's Coral Reef Management Strategies, Jennifer Linney

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Coral reefs playa critically important rale in both the human and natural world. They are among the most biologically rich systems on earth and are of significant economic value to humans. They act as an important base for fisheries and provide food, jobs, and income to billions of people worldwide. These delicate systems are increasingly threatened by several factors including overexploitation pollution, habitat loss, coral bleaching, and global climate change. The rapid decline and loss of the ancient and complex ecosystems had triggered major concern all over the world. Hawaiian coral reefs have experienced an increasing exposure to anthropogenic threats …

School Lunch Programs And The American Diet: Exploring A Contested Food Terrain, Rebecca Som Castellano

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This study examines the social actors and issues involved in constructing and contesting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), in order to identify whose interests are involved in shaping an institution which transmits dietary habits and food knowledge to the nation’s children through the mid day meal.

For the historical analysis, I collected data from historical accounts of the NSLP, congressional hearings, laws, and newspaper articles. For the contemporary analysis, I interviewed 15 actors representing organizations key to federal NLSP policy making. To frame my analysis, I utilize a model of power, based on the work of Arts and Van …

Culturally Responsive Professional Development Through Conceptual Change; A Case Study Of Substitute Teachers In Urban School Districts, Frank J. Feola

ETD Archive

The purposes of this research were to analyze the influence of participants' experiences on their culturally responsive pedagogical development and consider the policy implications for higher education, schools and school districts, and the state. Four substitute teachers from three urban school districts participated in a professional development experience--autodidactic cultural diversity development--to learn about culturally responsive pedagogy and implement it in their classrooms. Participants' upbringing, collegiate experiences, substitute teaching experiences, and the professional development influenced their development as culturally responsive educators. This research may also be used to inform policy discussions regarding the value and applicability of the substitute teaching experience …

Diagnosis In Policy-Based Autonomic Management, Michael Tighe

Digitized Theses

Policy-based Autonomic Management monitors a system and its applications and tweaks performance parameters in real-time based on a set of governing policies. A policy specifies a set of conditions under which one or more of a set of actions are to be performed. It is very common that multiple policies’ conditions are met simultaneously, each advocating many actions. Deciding which action to perform is a non-trivial task. We propose a method of diagnosing the system to try to determine the best action or actions to perform in a given situation using Abductive Inference. We develop an original method of building …

Empowerment-Based Advocacy Conducted By Not-For-Profit Organizations, Margery C. Saunders

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the advocacy patterns of over 200 nonprofit human service providers active in both anti-violence and anti-poverty service arenas. A mailed survey to organizations associated with three statewide advocacy organizations in New York State examined the organizational factors associated with three advocacy activities: case advocacy, public policy education, and legislative issue advocacy. Using empowerment theory, predictors that captured the degree of ethnic diversity of an organization's staff and board, and whether or not consumers served on the staff or board, and whether having social workers as advocates were examined along with other control variables to explain the conditions …

The Fair Information Principles: A Comparison Of U.S. And Canadian Privacy Policy As Applied To The Private Sector, Shane Crounse

Theses

U.S. consumers are worried about their privacy and their personal information. High profile cases of identity theft involving companies losing the private information of hundreds of thousands of customers have only served to elevate the mistrust consumers have for companies that collect and share their personal information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is charged with protecting U.S. consumers from fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace; a task made difficult by an overarching need to balance the rights of the individuals against the security needs of the country and the free flow of information required by a free …

Brownfield Redevelopment In London, Ontario: Developing A Methodology For A Brownfield Database And An Examination Of Policy Initiatives Aimed At Promoting Redevelopment, Michael Hayek

Digitized Theses

Brownfield redevelopment, because of its contributions to urban sustainability and environmental quality, has become a critical issue on cities* policy agendas and in urban development literature of late. There have been no studies examining the issue of brownfield redevelopment in London, Ontario, Canada nor have there been any studies that detail a method to create a city-wide inventory of brownfield sites. This research has three main objectives: to develop a GIS based methodology for creating a brownfield inventory; through interview analysis, indentify the barriers to successful brownfield redevelopment in London; and to determine whether or not the financial incentives in …