Digital Commons Network^™

Southern Rural Public Schools: A Study Of Teacher Perspectives, Leah P. Mccoy

The Qualitative Report

This ethnography explores teachers’ perspectives of the cultural issues affecting academic performance in twelve public high schools in rural Mississippi and Louisiana. Fr om a thematic analysis of the tape-recorded interviews of forty-one mathematics teachers, five categories emerged, each comprising a qualitative aspect of teaching high school in an economically depressed area of the deep South: society, race, students, families, and schools. Each of these categories is discussed and explicated using exemplars from the interviews to show how each category emerged from the data. In addition, the relationships among these categories, which form a destructive cycle of poverty, low expectations, …

Meeting The Needs Of A Latino English Language Learner Through Teacher Research, Sylvia R. Taube, Barbara E. Polnick, Jacqueline Minor Lane

The Qualitative Report

Over the years, Ms. Lane’s third grade mathematics classroom had become increasingly diverse. Challenged by the growing population of English Language Learners (ELL) and he r need to change her teaching practice to meet their needs, Ms. Lane selected to study how best to teach one of her greatest challenges, Ana, a Latino ELL who also had a learning disability. Ms. Lane and her two university mentors found that using a collaborative action research model provided a structure for researching, designing, and implementing strategies that helped Ana improve her mathematics performance. The university mentors found that they, too, benefited from …

Openline Newsletter, December 2006, Civil Service Council

OpenLine Newsletter

A monthly newsletter for Civil Service employees, Volume XXXIII, Number 6, December 2006.

Integrated Conceptual Design Of Joined-Wing Sensor Craft Using Response Surface Models, Josh E. Dittmar

Theses and Dissertations

A multidisciplinary conceptual design and analysis of Boeing's joined-wing SensorCraft has been conducted. This analysis was completed using geometrical optimization, aerodynamic analyses, and response surface methodology on a composite structural model. Phoenix Integration's Model Center was used to integrate the sizing and analysis codes found in Raymer's text, "Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach" as well as those from the NASA derived conceptual design tool AirCraft Synthesis (ACSYNT), and a modified Boeing Finite Element Model (FEM). This research demonstrated the utility of integrated low-order models for fast and inexpensive conceptual modeling of unconventional aircraft designs.

Autoethnographical Inquiry Into Joyful Teaching: Explorations With National Teachers Of The Year, Camille Lowe Shirah

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Presently, schools in the United States are held within the tight grip of No Child Left Behind, signed into law in 2001. Since accountability is high, some teachers experience burnout and succumb to disenchantment with the profession (Palmer, 1998). Others find their commitments to education so diminished that they abuse their position and fail terribly in their charge to educate our youth. There are some, however, who find ways to continually affirm and sustain their commitments to education. Within the following autoethnographical inquiry, the lives of three National Teachers of the Year are examined with the hope of finding out …

Dynamic Multi-Linked Negotiations In Multi-Echelon Production Scheduling Networks, Hoong Chuin Lau, Guan Li Soh, Wee Chong Wan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we are concerned with scheduling resources in a multi-tier production/logistics system for multi-indenture goods. Unlike classical production scheduling problems, the problem we study is concerned with local utilities which are private. We present an agent model and investigate an efficient scheme for handling multi-linked agent negotiations. With this scheme we attempt to overcome the drawbacks of sequential negotiations and negotiation parameter settings. Our approach is based on embedding a credit-based negotiation protocol within a local search scheduling algorithm. We demonstrate the computational efficiency and effectiveness of the approach in solving a real-life dynamic production scheduling problem which …

Query-Based Watermarking For Xml Data, Xuan Zhou, Hwee Hwa Pang, Kian-Lee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As increasing amount of XML data is exchanged over the internet, copyright protection of this type of data is becoming an important requirement for many applications. In this paper, we introduce a rights protection scheme for XML data based on digital watermarking. One of the main challenges for watermarking XML data is that the data could be easily reorganized by an adversary in an attempt to destroy any embedded watermark. To overcome it, we propose a query-based watermarking scheme, which creates queries to identify available watermarking capacity, such that watermarks could be recovered from reorganized data through query rewriting. The …

The Association Between Earnings Quality And Regulatory Report Opinions In The Accounting Industry, Tracey Chunqi Zhang, Katherine Gunny

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We compare the outcome of two different information systems – self regulation versus private sector regulation – in the accounting industry. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspections replaced American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) peer reviews of auditors. Peer review opinions are useful with respect to decisions about hiring and firing of auditors (Hilary and Lennox, 2005); therefore, the question remains what are the benefits of incurring the cost to replace a selfregulatory system with a private regulatory agency. We examine the usefulness of these two information systems at distinguishing earnings quality at firms …

Escalation And De-Escalation Of Commitment To Information Systems Projects: Insights From An Approach-Avoidance Process Model, Gary Pan, Shan Ling Pan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We view escalation and de-escalation of commitment as processes involving recurring instances of approach-avoidance conflict. This paper outlines an approach-avoidance process model for describing and analyzing escalation and de-escalation of commitment in information systems projects. In the model, the sequential mapping of project events is integrated with a model of approach-avoidance conflict that identifies periods of gradual evolution at two separate levels of social analysis (project and work) that are punctuated by sudden, revolutionary periods of rapid change. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving approach-avoidance conflicts, researchers may develop a deeper understanding …

Reiterated Commemoration: Hiroshima As National Trauma, Hiro Saito

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article examines historical transformations of Japanese collective memory of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by utilizing a theoretical framework that combines a model of reiterated problem solving and a theory of cultural trauma. I illustrate how the event of the nuclear fallout in March 1954 allowed actors to consolidate previously fragmented commemorative practices into a master frame to define the postwar Japanese identity in terms of transnational commemoration of "Hiroshima." I also show that nationalization of trauma of "Hiroshima" involved a shift from pity to sympathy in structures of feeling about the event. This historical study suggests that a …

Lived Experiences Of Middle School Principals In Richmond County, Georgia, Janina Collins Dallas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the behavior of middle school principals as well as the various leadership behaviors and procedures that middle school principals utilize on a daily basis. A review of literature was completed concerning the areas of middle schools, middle school principals, and the history of leadership. The research question for the study was, What are the lived experiences of middle school principals in Richmond County, Georgia? The research design for the study was quantitative. Semi-structured interviews were completed. The data were disaggregated according to themes and patterns. The population for the study consisted of nine middle school principals …

Georgia Elementary Principals' Perceptions Of Their Ethical Philosophy, Formal Leadership Preparation In Ethics, And Actions Related To The Development And Maintenance Of An Ethical School, Laura Martinez Hughes

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine elementary principals' perceptions of their ethical philosophy, formal leadership preparation in graduate school in the area of ethics, and actions needed for the development and maintenance of an ethical school. The persons most appropriate to provide the answers to the research questions included the population of elementary principals. A random sample of 915 elementary principals in Georgia was identified by listings on the Georgia Department of Education Website or by each county's web page. A descriptive, quantitative methodology was used, with a qualitative component of open-ended questions in order to bring …

Exploration Of Common Leadership Behaviors Exhibited By Georgia Elementary Principals From High Performing, High Poverty Schools, Donna Regina Bishop

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Principals of elementary schools continue to be required to perform many duties which include administrative and instructional tasks. The increased accountability for all students to achieve, including the lower achieving students, has made principals focus on their leadership behaviors and practices. Researchers of various studies on principal leadership behaviors and student achievement have found that leadership behaviors make a difference in the academic achievement for all students. Researchers also found that the principal's most important role is that of an instructional leader. Principals leading elementary schools with at risk learners may assist them academically when effective strategies, programs, and organizational …

After The Catastrophe: Disaster Relief For Hospitals, Elizabeth Weeks Leonard

Scholarly Works

Disaster planning for health care providers following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and, more recently, Hurricane Katrina, focuses on preparing hospitals and other emergency services to respond to victims' medical needs. But little attention has been paid to the challenges that providers would face resuming normal operations after responding to the catastrophe. A large-scale catastrophe could create unprecedented demand for health care and emergency services. Hospitals already struggle to fulfill the high demand for and high costs of emergency care. Following a major disaster, hospitals would face additional financial challenges. Strained capacity and financial reserves, may force hospitals to …

Pre-Tipping Point Operations As A Strategy For Maritime Security In The Global War On Terror, John W. Snedeker Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis proposes US maritime forces adopt a new strategy of pre-tipping point operations that involve proactive measures to enhance maritime security. At its core is the premise that since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the propensity of efforts in GWOT have focused on defeating terrorist organizations and denying sanctuaries on land, leaving the maritime operating environment open to the next wave of terror attacks.1 With the preponderance of commercial goods shipped through the maritime commons, this critical nexus remains valuable and vulnerable. Fragile states and ungoverned regions have become safe havens for a host of criminal elements including …

Senior Professionals, December 2006, Illinois State University, Office Of The Provost

Senior Professionals Newsletter

Newsletter for the Illinois State University Office of the Provost

Development And Implementation Of Optimized Energy-Delay Sub-Network Routing Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, James W. Fonda, Maciej Zawodniok, S. Jagannathan, Steve E. Watkins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development and implementation of the optimized energy-delay sub-network routing (OEDSR) protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN) is presented. This on demand routing protocol minimizes a novel link cost factor which is defined using available energy, end-to-end (E2E) delay and distance from a node to the base station (BS), along with clustering, to effectively route information to the BS. Initially, the nodes are either in idle or sleep mode, but once an event is detected, the nodes near the event become active and start forming sub-networks. Formation of the inactive network into a sub-network saves energy because only a portion …

Mosquitos Associated With Equine West Nile Virus Cases In Southeastern Georgia, Calvin William Hancock

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mosquito populations associated with equine and avian cases of West Nile Virus infections in five counties in southeastern Georgia were sampled in 2003 and 2004. More than 10,500 mosquitoes representing over 20 species were collected at 25 sites using light traps and vacuum aspirators. Of these, 8,500 mosquitoes were tested for the presence of West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, and Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus in 411 separate pools of 1-50 mosquitoes. No virus positive mosquitoes were detected. Blood meals from 377 engorged specimens caught at these sites were identified as of mammalian, avian, or reptile/amphibian origin using serological …

Host Attraction And Host Selection In The Family Corethrellidae (Wood And Borkent) (Diptera), Jeremy Vann Camp

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Flies in the family Corethrellidae (Diptera) are known to be attracted to the mating calls of tree frogs. Field studies using the calls of nine species of frogs native to the SE USA confirmed prior findings that the call of the barking tree frog, Hyla gratiosa LeConte, is the most attractive call to sympatric Corethrella (Coquillett) from Georgia. A synthetic barking tree frog call was created using computer software. It was found that the synthetic call was more attractive than the real call of the barking tree frog. A recent study in Panama using the tungara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus, found …

Captured Artifacts, Charles Pearson Burch

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My art examines the possible existence of an unknown civilization through the presentation of sculptural art objects within the conventional practice of displaying artifacts in a public institution. Historically, artifacts have served as visual records of journeying to and returning from a far-away land, unknown territory, alien soil, or enemy battlefield. Whether that place is tangible or is a fabrication of our subconscious, the presence of an artifact represents validation of the existence of that place. When displayed, artifacts offer a pleasurable challenge to the viewer by evoking the possibilities of a lost civilization or adventurer's journey. I employ these …

Perceptions Of Georgia School Counselors On The Implementation Of A Comprehensive Guidance And Counseling Program And Accountability, Victoria Nauful Sanders

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In the era of accountability, school counselors are under pressure to accurately determine their role. No Child Left Behind has created standards that are tied to and driven by accountability and academic standards. School counselors' roles and responsibilities vary from district to district and from school to school. School counselors are often asked to perform duties that are not congruent with the curriculum they are asked to implement. The Georgia Curriculum for counselors has outlined tasks, duties, and responsibilities for school counselors. The task dimensions are aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) model and defines roles and tasks …

Employment Criteria Used By Georgia Public Shcool Superintendents In High School Principal Selection, Jeffrey Lynn Carney

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The high school principal plays an important and highly visible role in the community. High school principals are expected to provide challenging curriculum, comprehensive athletic and fine arts programs, a disciplined learning environment, increased test scores, and community involvement. With such an array of demanding expectations, the selection of the high school principal is an extremely important decision made by Georgia school superintendents. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the employment criteria used to hire Georgia high school principals, the researcher used a previously validated formal survey constructed by Dr. Linda Gresham in 2003. The survey was …

Analysis Of Retention Factors That Influence Georgia's Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers To Remain In The Teaching Profession, Hope Jackson Morris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The research study on the retention influences of Georgia's secondary career and technical education teachers was conducted to determine why the teachers chose to remain in the teaching profession. Participants included all program areas of career and technical education in the state of Georgia. Data were gathered to analyze the demographics, personal retention influences, and professional retention influences of the career and technical education teachers. The quantitative study was conducted by an on-line survey. Approximately 700 e-mails were sent, and 154 participants responded. Demographic results suggested that the typical career and technical education teacher respondents had 21 plus years of …

Integrated Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of A Professional Learning Community Utilizing Senge's Five Disciplines Of A Learning Organization, Margaret Zena Stockard

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine a high school's attempt at reform through implementing a component of a professional learning community to determine if Senge's five disciplines of a learning organization were present. The school was in the second year of implementing common planning time, one of the practices related to organizational learning. This study used qualitative methodology and employed an integrated phenomenological design to investigate the perceptions and lived experiences of the core-subject teachers and department heads involved in common planning time at one high school. Participant observation, document and artifact collection, semi structured interviews, photographs and …

Closing The Minority Achievement Gap In Georgia Middle Schools: Principals' Perspectives, Stacy Eugene Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide best practices and strategies for middle school principals that have been struggling to close the minority achievement gap in schools. Three Georgia middle school principals considered to be successful in closing the achievement gap were interviewed to determine the strategies and practices that they use to close the minority achievement gap. These practices and strategies were further examined to determine their effectiveness in the areas of reading and mathematics. The researcher used in-depth interviewing procedures through a structured interview format to encourage research participants to speak openly and candidly about the strategies …

A Multilevel Analysis Of Socioeconomic Status And Prostate Cancer Risk, Maureen Sanderson, Ann L. Coker, Adriana Perez, Xianglin L. Du, Gerson Peltz, Mary K. Fadden

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

PURPOSE

We investigated whether prostate cancer was associated with socioeconomic status (SES) at the individual level, area level, or a combination of both levels.

METHODS

This population-based case–control study of prostate cancer in men aged 65 to 79 years was conducted between 2000 and 2002 in South Carolina. Complete interviews were available for 407 incident prostate cancer cases and 393 controls (with respective response rates of 61% and 64%). We used educational level to measure individual-level SES and a composite variable capturing income and education from 2000 Census data to measure area-level SES.

RESULTS

After adjustment for race, age, geographic …

Educational Talent Search: Assessing Student Outcomes For First-Generation, Low-Income Students In Rural Georgia, Sandra Jean Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Educational Talent Search (ETS) program is a pre-college information dissemination program that works with potential first-generation, low-income sixth through twelfth graders. The goal of the ETS program is to increase the number of first-generation, lowincome students graduating from high school and enrolling in programs of postsecondary study. The purpose of this current study is to determine if there are specific ETS program services that facilitate high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment, specifically at the four-year college/university level. The primary data source of this study is the Blumen database system for an ETS program hosted by a small two-year college …

Comparison In Academic Performance Between Distance Learning And Traditional On-Campus Students In Allied Healthcare Education At The Medical College Of Georgia, Barbara Landis Russell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in academic performance between distance learning students and traditional on-campus students in allied healthcare education. The research was conducted at an academic medical university and three programs were included in the study, clinical laboratory science, health information administration, and nuclear medicine technology. A total of 252 sets of student data were used in the statistical analyses, and of these 252, 174 (69%) were oncampus students and 78 (31%) were distance students. The researcher sought to determine to what extent differences existed between the two groups by the background characteristics …

Analysis Of Implementing Inclusion In A Local School District, Faith Deborah Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The researcher's purpose was to conduct an analysis of the implementation of an inclusion program in three schools in a southeastern Georgia school district. The sample consisted of two elementary schools and one middle school. One elementary school was implementing inclusion for the first time and consisted of 586 students with 50 staff members serving a mixed population, racially, economically, and socially. The second elementary school consisted of 504 students with 50 staff members serving a mixed population, but with a slightly higher economic and social status than the previously mentioned elementary school. This school was attempting to implement inclusion …

Pedagogy Of Social Justice: An Inquiry Into The Experiences Of African American Adolescent Males, Natalie Ann Lambright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using Critical Race Theory (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, & Thomas, 1995; Ladson-Billing, 1998; Richard Delgado & Jean Stefanic, 2000; Solorzano & Yasso, 2002) as a theoretical framework, and critical narrative inquiry (Clendanin & Connelly, 1999) as research methodology, I explored stories from five eighth grade African American adolescent males in order to identify how home, community, and school experiences contributed to their academic success and social development. My passion for the inquiry was driven for my desire to foster a sense of agency for social justice and positive changes for the African American community. Selection of participants was based upon reading …