Education Commons^™

Grant Writing In Higher Education, Amos Bean

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The primary aim of this capstone was to elicit feedback from public health and grant writing practitioners and funders in order to gather data that can be used to supplement teachings and readings for a course in the Muskie School of Public Service Masters in Public Health (MPH) graduate program. Two overarching questions served as the basis for this endeavor. The primary question for public health and grant writing practitioners was, “What are the most important lessons you have learned that you think graduate students who are writing their first proposals should know?” The primary question for funders was, “What …

Maine’S Charter School Law: Predicted Impacts On Waynflete School Enrollment, Kelsey Robinov

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to predict the impacts of Maine’s recently enacted charter school law on the enrollment at Waynflete School, a private co-educational day school in Portland, Maine. National data on current public and private school enrollment trends were examined, as well as existing data on the effects of charter schools on enrollments at these schools. The intent at looking at this data will be to determine what, if any, factors can predict in what areas charter schools are likely to flourish and pull students from private schools in significant numbers and to compare the characteristics of …

A Comparison Of A Value-Added Status Model Versus A Value-Added Growth Model For Identifying High Performing Maine Middle Schools, Ida A. Batista

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This study focuses on the model developed for funding purposes since it is a high stake identification and has been the consistent method used for funding purposes within the state for at least the last ten years. The purpose of this study is to explore identification of higher performing Maine middle schools (grade 6 – grade 8) using student longitudinal data in a growth model evaluating growth versus the current value-added model of identification.

Developing An Exit Evaluation For A Public Service Graduate Program, Emma Gelsinger

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Students in a public service graduate program vary in their motivation, background, professional experience and educational goals. This variety requires evaluations be tailored to the needs of students to ensure effective program development and improvement for the student experience. Student needs can range from assistance with a financial aid application or the effect of faculty advising on their graduate student experience. An exit evaluation that is easily accessible to students and useful to faculty and administrators is essential to any public service graduate program.

A combination of semi-structured interviews, background research, coursework from the Public Policy and Management graduate program, …

Impact Of Family Structure & Gender On School Engagement, Robyn Dumont

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of family structure and gender on children’s academic engagement using secondary data collected as part of the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) (2002).

The data used in this analysis come from the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) (2002) and are the result of a multi-year study conducted by the Urban Institute.

From Ld 1196 To Maine Schools: An Evaluation Of Antidiscrimination Language In Education Policy, Finn Teach

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Since the passage of the antidiscrimination law LD 1196 in 2005, Maine schools have been encouraged to utilize new language outlined in the law which protects gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students from discrimination. This study evaluated antidiscrimination language in a sample of Maine’s school administrative unit policies and individual school handbook policies to determine to what extent LD 1196’s protections were incorporated to the policies. The evaluation found that school administrative units were much more likely than individual schools to have antidiscrimination policies with the protections outlined in LD 1196. Many administrative unit and school policies lack language protecting …

Becoming A 21st Century University: How Usm Can Use Online Education To Meet The Needs Of Its Adult Student Population, Amy Gieseke

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The 21st century has been, and will continue to be, a time of great change within the world of higher education. One key demographic change lies in the growing number of adult students seeking educational opportunities. Higher education institutions, such as the University of Southern Maine, have not historically been structured to serve the needs of this important and growing student population. In the coming years, significant changes in structure and organizational mission will be critical to address the needs of these students and to capitalize on the influx of revenue they could bring to a financially struggling institution. This …

Excellence In Online Education: Preceptions Of Needs, Barriers And Catalyst, Kimberly B. Sinclair

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Through a review of literary resources and individual interviews with USM faculty and administrators this paper aims to identify both factors that motivate and inhibit faculty from teaching online, as well as assess interest among USM’s population in expanding online offerings. This paper also aims to determine areas of concern among faculty and administrators, as well as identify some areas for new and continuing investments in online education at USM. It is hoped that this work will assist USM in developing an institutional policy for online educational offerings at USM that serves both the community and the institution well. It …

The Creative Economy In Small Places: Eight Cases And A Developmental Model, Jennifer L. Hutchins

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Eight case studies across New England offer understanding of the role of the creative economy in the community and economic development of rural towns and small cities. The cases include Providence and Pawtucket, RI; Burlington, VT; and Portland, Bangor, Norway, Dover-Foxcroft, and the St. John Valley, ME. Ten elements or “building blocks” are observed to be important, leading to an explanatory model for the development of the creative economy in small communities. These elements include creative people, education centers, cultural and natural amenities, business engagement, infrastructure, leadership, networks, strategies, time, and money. The creative economy in the eight communities has …