Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Learning Styles Of Older Adults And The Channels For Dissemination Of Clothing Information, Grace Elizabeth Keir

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Home Economics Teachers’ Perceptions Of What Is Being Taught Compared With Parents’ And Agency Representatives’ Perceptions Of What Should Be Taught, Kendra L. Vance

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to determine what home economics teachers perceive they are teaching and compare their perceptions with what parents and social service agency representatives in economically depressed counties perceived students should be taught. In 1986, Johnson determined parents' and social service agency representatives' perceptions of the importance of home economics concepts for high school students. In March 1987, a questionnaire, adapted from Johnson's Nebraska Home Economics Needs Assessment questionnaire, was mailed to 50 high school home economics teachers from 41 economically depressed counties throughout Nebraska. Half of the teachers (project teachers) had assisted in data collection …

Agribusiness Skills Required By Secondary Vocational Agriculture Students As Perceived By Nebraska Vocational Agriculture Instructors And Agribusiness Managers, David Ray Spotanski

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

The study was conducted to determine what skills are required for a vocational agriculture student to gain employment in a Nebraska agribusiness as perceived by 36 Nebraska vocational agriculture instructors and 180 Nebraska agribusiness managers. A mailed survey was used to collect data for the survey. The survey return rate for the agribusiness respondents was 78 percent and the return rate for the vocational agriculture instructors was 86 percent. The Likert Method of Summated Ratings was used to rate 40 agribusiness skills on a scale of 1 to 9. Means, standard deviations and analysis of variance were computed for each …

History Of The Department Of Agricultural Leadership, Education And Communication, Elvin F. Frolik, Ralston J. Graham, James T. Horner

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Materials and History

Names of the Department
Administrators
Location of Headquarters
The Formative Years
Practice Teaching Centers
Cooperation with Teachers College
Present Administration Organization
Teaching: A Unique Role
The Graduate Program
Vocational Agriculture Contests
Student Club
Research
Related Organizations
Staff Recognition
References

A Study Of Selected Graduates To Determine The Effectiveness Of The Vocational Programs At Boys Town, Grant Magnuson

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Classroom Testing By Microcomputer, Blannie E. Bowen, David M. Agnew

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Microcomputers are being used for a variety of purposes , but research about their instructional effectiveness lags behind adoption rates for the technology . However, several researchers have examined competencies vocational education teachers need to use effectively this emerging technology These studies were explorative and descriptive in nature.

Professionalism Of Vocational Agriculture Instructors As Perceived By Vocational Agriculture Instructors And Superintendents In Nebraska Public Secondary Schools, Allen G. Blezek

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Vocational agriculture instructors, teacher educators and state supervisory staff are expected to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in their respective positions. At the same time, many of them would be hard pressed to provide a concise definition of "professionalism." j Lee (1981) defined professionalism as "how individuals or groups of individuals conform to the characteristics expected of them by virtue of their occupation." Allen (1978) stated that "being a professional carries with it certain roles and responsibilities. The three areas with which we should be concerned are: professional status, professional improvement and professional organizations."

Importance Of Mechanical Activities Performed By Outstanding Young Farmers In Mississippi, David M. Agnew, Glen Shinn

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Significant changes are occurring in the work place, and these changes must be reflected in the vocational education curriculum. A task force of the American Vocational Association (1981) developed a national agenda for vocational education which identified remaining current in the technical subject area as a major concern among vocational educators. More recently, a national study on vocational education placed the topic of “Keeping up with technological changes” third on a list of 60 topics of concern (Zellner & Parrish, 1986). Vocational agriculture faces a similar challenge to meet the needs of the changing agricultural industry. Curriculum content rapidly becomes …

Factors Limiting Vocational Agriculture Student Participation In Supervised Occupational Experience Programs In Nebraska, Richard M. Foster

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Supervised occupational experience (SOE) programs have been a part of vocational agriculture and agribusiness since its inception. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 provided federal funding for vocational agriculture and required ". . . directed or supervised practice in agriculture, either on a farm provided by the school or other farm, f o r a t least six months per year" (Stimson, 1919). Vocational agriculture and the industry of agriculture have changed dramatically since that time. However, the role of SOE in the comprehensive vocational agriculture program remains fundamentally the same (Barrick, 1981).

Lee (1980) expressed concern that SOE in our …

Groundwater Quality And Policy Options In Nebraska, Mary E. Exner, Roy F. Spalding

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Potential contaminants and the occurrence of groundwater contamination in Nebraska are discussed. An overview of Nebraska's policy response to groundwater quality reveals that the policy has been fragmentary and generally reactive. Although a comprehensive groundwater quality protection strategy is needed if the groundwater is to be protected from potential point and nonpoint sources of contamination, it must recognize the site-specific nature of most groundwater contamination. The Nebraska Chemigation Act and the Petroleum Products and Hazardous Substances Storage and Handling Act passed in 1986 were the first comprehensive legislation addressing prevention of point source contamination. Proactive policies for the prevention of …

The Confinement Of Juveniles In Nebraska Jails And Lockups, Lorie A. Fridell, Vincent J. Webb

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Using adult jails and lockups for confining youths is a major issue in juvenile justice. Proponents of removing children from these facilities are concerned with the conditions of confinement, the .ate of suicide among youths held in adult facilities, the excessive use of secure confinement for youths, and the legal liability of jurisdictions that hold juveniles in adult facilities. Nebraska has made significant progress in reducing the number of youths confined in adult jails and lockups, but has yet to pass legislation or develop programs and facilities to complete the task. Policy options for reducing the use of secure confinement …

Nebraska Settlements: Status, Trends, And Policy Choices, David R. Dimartino, Russell L. Smith

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

This chapter looks at historical and contemporary trends in Nebraska's system of incorporated places. Particular attention is given to changes in the number and proportion of places in different population size categories, the movement of places between different size categories, and what Nebraska's settlement system is likely to look like in the future. A review of past and recent trends, together with forecasts about the future, indicates a likely increase in the number of very small places, major shifts for middle-sized places, and continued growth in the number of places over 5,000 population. Based upon these trends, three separate needs …

Nebraska's Small Towns And Their Capacity For Economic Development, David F. Paulsen, Burton J. Reed

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Small Nebraska towns have declined in population and wealth. while facing increasing demands, higher costs, and more problems. For them, economic development may be a way out. We found that participation was related to inplace governmental capacities and physical facilities. In turn, these capacities were related to the size and wealth of the communities. However, some smaller and poorer communities did participate, against the odds, suggesting that commitment is required. Federal, state, and other agencies offer help in development, apparently on demand. Rather, help should be directed to those small towns with a demonstrated capacity and commitment, given limited resources. …

Community Banking Issues In Nebraska, Alfonso J. Garza, William R. Hosek

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

During the 1980s, community banks in Nebraska have been challenged by a weak agricultural economy and by deregulation of the financial services industry. Bank profits have fallen and many banks have failed. Of the two problems, deregulation may have more far reaching consequences as it increases the competition faced by community banks. Community banks will have to take advantage of new technology, new marketing strategies, and new sources of income to remain viable. Public policy should aim at removing regulatory and tax barriers that constrain community banks.

Financing Public Elementary And Secondary Schools In Nebraska, C. Cale Hudson, Katherine Lewellan Kasten

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Nebraska's system for funding public schools is deteriorating. Shifts in population, variations in tax capacity, and changes in the mission defined for public schools make the current system inadequate and inequitable. Funding problems are compounded by the large number of school districts which divide human and financial resources in the state unequally. Problems in the finance system are described, and suggestions for determining the minimum education program to be funded, the most cost-effective organization of school districts, measures for fair acquisition of funds, and procedures for equitable allocation of state aid to public schools are discussed.

Nebraska Policy Choices (1987): Preface, Russell L. Smith

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Research was undertaken during 1987 concerning prison overcrowding and displaced workers; the results are planned for publication in the 1988 edition of Nebraska Policy Choices.

A vital part of the process of producing each volume of Nebraska Policy Choices is the use of external academic and layperson reviewers. This year, 18 reviewers assisted in the process. (A list of reviewers is included at the end of the volume.) As with any review process, the reviewers did not always like what the authors were saying or how they were approaching the topic. Likewise, the authors did not always agree with …

The Nebraska Legislature: Policy Implications Of Its Organization And Operation, Robert Sittig

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

The adoption of a nonpartisan unicameral legislature by Nebraska voters in 1934 increased the opportunity for distinctive policymaking in the state. This reform moved Nebraska to the forefront on many measures of legislative capability, such as structural simplicity, open deliberative process, and level of staff assistance. Yet, the Unicameral lags behind other states on other measures of legislative effectiveness and modernization. This is illustrated by inadequate compensation for legislators, insufficient winnowing if bills prior to floor consideration, and modest restraint of interest group activity. The uniqueness of the Unicameral continues to bring Nebraska attention. Although its organization and operation receive …

The Macroeconomics Of Nebraska's Competitiveness World Agricultural Markets, Frank Zahn

Center for Public Affairs Research (UNO): Publications

Nebraska faces a cyclical and a secular decline in its competitiveness in world agricultural markets. Economic instability and technological advances account for much of the decline, along with unfair trade practices and counterproductive government intervention. The short-term forecasts for the U.S. economy are fairly bright, but the farm economy, particularly in Nebraska, is gloomy. Because it is unlikely that government price and income supports will continue at current levels, Nebraska must take some bold steps to provide a healthier farm sector. Policy choices for state action include supporting federal policies that promote domestic and international economic stability, fair international trade, …

Department Chairperson Behaviors: Enhancing The Growth And Development Of Faculty, Myra S. Wilhite

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

The major purpose of this study was to identify behaviors used by academic department chairpersons to assist faculty professionally and to describe conditions which affect those behaviors. Descriptive research design was employed in this study with major emphasis on the interview method of data collection and subsequent descriptive analysis. The survey population was 30 academic department chairpersons representing ten of the twelve North Central Region Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture. Six case studies were presented to demonstrate how chairpersons assist "troubled" faculty. Chairs were convinced that many potential problems could be averted by frequent interaction and continual monitoring of faculty performance. …