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An Examination Of The Relationship Between School Climate And Student Growth In Select Michigan Charter Schools, Benjamin P. Jankens

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship exists between school climate and student growth in Michigan charter schools. Data were collected through the use of a school climate survey and standardized assessment results. The Organizational Climate Descriptive Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE) developed by Hoy, Tarter, and Kottkamp (1991) was used to assess teacher perceptions of school climate. Student growth data were calculated using the fall and spring reading and math results from the Performance Series test by Scantron, and the MAP test by NWEA.

The population of this study consisted of 355 teachers from 11 participating …

Livestock And Domestic Dog Predations By Wolves In Michigan, Justin L. Edge, Dean E. Beyer Jr., Jerrold L. Belant, Mark J. Jordan, Brian J. Roell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wolves (Canis spp.) have recolonized the Great Lakes region and expanded into agricultural areas where there is increasing concern of conflict with livestock. We documented 121 wolf predation events on captive or domestic animals in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan between April 1996 and April 2009. We investigated the relationship between annual wolf abundance and predation events, seasonality of predations on livestock, and the association between previous winter severity and predations on livestock. The annual number of predations on livestock increased with wolf abundance, and overall, predations on cattle and calves increased during calving season. We observed a …

Predator Cues Reduce American Beaver Use Of Foraging Trails, William J. Severud, Jerrold L. Belant, John G. Bruggink, Steve K. Windels

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Herbivores must balance energy needs with avoiding risks, using various cues to assess predation risk. The American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a semi-aquatic herbivore vulnerable to predation on land by wolves (Canis lupis). We tested the use of wolf urine as a potential tool to reduce human–beaver conflicts. We used infrared cameras to monitor use of terrestrial foraging trails by beavers during food cache construction in Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Michigan, from September to November 2008. Two foraging trails at 15 colonies (30 total trails) were monitored for 1 week to establish baseline use. One trail …

Legislative Intent And Legislative History In Michigan, Kincaid C. Brown

Law Librarian Scholarship

Determining legislative intent is one of the key roles that the judicial system plays in Michigan, and legislative history can be a useful tool for evaluating the intent of the legislature when enacting a law. However, legislative history resources can be difficult to gather and some resources may not be persuasive in Michigan courts. This article provides a brief description of the Michigan legislative process, the court’s view of using legislative history to determine legislative intent, and a list of Michigan legislative history resources.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Implementation Of Electric Fencing For Establishing Effective Livestock-Protection Dogs, Thomas M. Gehring, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Anna C. Cellar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To be effective, livestock protection dogs (LPDs) must be carefully integrated with the livestock they will be protecting. Others have developed guidelines to assist producers in this training and assimilation process. In many areas fencing is necessary; however, guidelines for containing LPDs and their livestock behind electric fencing are lacking. We present results from larger projects involving LPDs where we encountered issues with fencing and preventing LPDs from roaming from their owner’s property. We found that ranging and escaping from pastures was exhibited by LPDs that were not properly introduced and trained to electric fencing at an early age. LPDs …

Common Sense 2010 Address, Delivered At Gvsu Commencement On December 11, 2010, Arend D. Lubbers

Presidential Speeches

Common Sense 2010 Address, delivered at GVSU Commencement on December 11, 2010 by Arend D. Lubbers, who served as President of Grand Valley from 1969-2001.

The "Enlightened Barbarity" Of Inclusive Fitness And Wrongful Death: Biological Justifications For An Investment Theory Of Loss In Wycko V. Gnodtke, Ryan Shannon

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Wrongful death laws should permit and encourage courts and juries to consider the survivors' investment in decedents when determining wrongful death damages, given new biological justifications for this theory of loss. The investment theory of damages, which permits an award of damages based on the investment of financial resources relatives make in one another, originated in Michigan's courts in the early 1 960s, but as of present day has been largely abrogated. In the context of modern understandings of evolutionary biology, including kin selection theory and sociobiology, the investment theory of recovery accords with the goals of corrective justice as …

Pooling For Horizontal Wells: Can They Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?, Bruce M. Kramer

Shale Plays in the Intermountain West: Legal and Policy Issues (November 12)

74 pages.

This paper was originally published as:

Bruce M. Kramer, “Pooling for Horizontal Wells: Can They Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?,” 55 Rocky Mt. Min. L. Inst. 8-1, § 8.05 (2009).

Graduation Requirements, Skills, Postsecondary Education, And The Michigan Economy, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck

Testimonies

No abstract provided.

Gvsu 50th Anniversary Speech, Delivered On October 13, 2010, Arend D. Lubbers

Presidential Speeches

GVSU 50th Anniversary Speech, delivered on October 13, 2010 by Arend D. Lubbers, who served as President of Grand Valley from 1969-2001.

The Kalamazoo Promise: Building Assets For Community Change, Michelle Miller-Adams

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Can Universal, Place-Based Scholarships Reduce Inequality? Lessons From Kalamazoo, Michigan, Michelle Miller-Adams

Conference Papers

The Kalamazoo Promise, announced in 2005, is an innovative college-scholarship program available to every graduate of the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Public Schools. Programs such as the Kalamazoo Promise, which is being emulated in cities across the United States, open new avenues for the acquisition of human capital regardless of income level or academic achievement, while facilitating the creation of new economic and social assets for the community. Following a brief explanation of the program itself, this paper examines the Kalamazoo Promise as a human capital-investment strategy and its potential as a mechanism for reducing inequality. I find that the Kalamazoo Promise …

What's New? What's Not? The Kalamazoo Promise In The Context Of Other Scholarship Programs, Michelle Miller-Adams

Presentations

No abstract provided.

My 21st Century Expedition: Following The Route Of Schoolcraft 1820, 1832 To The Source Of The Mississippi River, Lorah Patterson

Honors Theses

The journal of Lorah Patterson during her expedition from Schoolcraft, Michigan, to the source of the Mississippi River. Supplemental file contains complete Herbarium. The thesis includes only a few examples.

Auto Workers And Their Communities: What We Know, Don't Know, And Would Like To Know, Randall W. Eberts

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Net Impact Evaluation Of Moving Men And Women To Economic Independence In Michigan, Within Reach Program: Year 1 And Year 2 Cohorts, Randall W. Eberts, Jason M. Preuss

Presentations

The authors completed a net impact evaluation of the “Within Reach” component of the Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit program (Moving Men and Women to Economic Independence). This program provided employment-related support services to disadvantaged adults as coordinated by WorkFirst. The net impact evaluation estimated the contribution of the program to the employment outcomes of the participants. It constructed comparison groups of individuals who were similar to the program participants, but who did not participate in the program. The net impact analysis focused on three employment-related outcomes: finding a job, retaining a job (workforce attachment), and earnings.

The Economic Impact Of Oaklawn Hospital On The Marshall Area, George A. Erickcek, Brad R. Watts

Reports

No abstract provided.

Sallie Mae Anderson-Lawton

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Speech At The Friends Of Alten Reception, Delivered On May 20, 2010, Arend D. Lubbers

Presidential Speeches

Speech at the Friends of Alten Reception, delivered on May 20, 2010 by Arend D. Lubbers, who served as President of Grand Valley from 1969-2001.

The Employment And Fiscal Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper estimates that Michigan's MEGA tax credit program to attract and retain businesses has large employment and fiscal benefits. MEGA provides discretionary tax credits to businesses, with the tax credit tied to the personal income taxes paid by employees on the new or retained jobs. We estimate the economic effects of MEGA using the Upjohn Institute's REMI model, and the research literature on how business location decisions respond to taxes. We estimate the fiscal effects of MEGA based on the research literature on how government spending and revenue respond to state personal income and population. The estimates suggest a …

Michigan Budget Reform: Why Reform Is Needed, And Key Ideas For Reform, Timothy J. Bartik

Testimonies

No abstract provided.

Gvsu Press Releases, 2010, Grand Valley State University

University Press Releases, 1961-Present

A compilation of press releases for the year 2010 submitted by University Communications (formerly News & Information Services) to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University.

Understanding Rural Sprawl: A Look At Osceola County, Michigan, Nate Engle

SPNHA Review

The term “sprawl” has been a part of the land use lexicon since the mid-1940s. While it has traditionally been prefixed by the word “urban,” rural sprawl has entered land use vocabulary since the 1970s. Rural sprawl can be understood as a demographic manifestation of conservative America’s rejection of the social and economic movements of the 1960s. Much of this rejection involved chastising urban centers and solidifying political bases in the suburbs. However, like the movement to escape core cities during the 1950s and 60s, the last three decades have seen a shift by many of conservative America’s members to …

Crow Dog Vs. Spotted Tail: Case Closed, Timothy Connors, Vivek Sankaran

Articles

In 1868, Chief Spotted Tail signed a United States government treaty with an X. Spotted Tail was a member of the Brule Sioux Tribe, related by marriage to Crazy Horse. The government treaty recognized the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux reservation. As such, exclusive use of the Black Hills by the Sioux people was guaranteed. Monroe, Michigan, native Gen. George Custer changed all that. In 1874, he led an expedition into that protected land, announced the discovery of gold, and the rush of prospectors followed. Within two years, Custer attacked at Little Big Horn and met his …

A Hidden Crisis: The Need To Strengthen Representation Of Parents In Child Protective Proceedings, Vivek Sankaran

Articles

A national consensus is emerging that zealous legal representation of parents is crucial in ensuring that the child welfare system produces just outcomes for children. National groups, inclucing the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and the National Association of Counsel for Children, have been outspoken on the need to strengthen legal advocacy on behalf of parents, and a number of states-including Colorado, Connecticut,' and Washington7 have initiated efforts to comprehensively reform their systems of appointing lawyers for indigent parents to better serve families. A national movement is afoot …

What Does Graham Mean In Michigan?, Kimberly A. Thomas

Articles

In Graham v. Florida, the United States Supreme Court held that life without parole could not be imposed on a juvenile offender for a nonhomicide crime.1 In this context, the Graham Court extensively discussed the diminished culpability of juvenile criminal defendants, as compared to adults. The Court relied on current scientific research regarding adolescent development and neuroscience. While the narrowest holding of Graham has little impact in Michigan, the science it relies on, and the potential broader implications for adolescents in Michigan, are significant.

The Determinants Of Student Achievement And High School Completion In Michigan, Cleo Michele Moody

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

By

Cleo M. Moody

December 2010

Advisor: Dr. Michael Addonizio

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Degree: Doctor of Education

Policy and practice regarding in-grade level retention and their effects on high school graduation rates and successful student academic outcomes have currently assumed great importance in the education reform debate. Further, the effectiveness of our public schools and the achievement of our students have implications that can affect individuals and the communities in which they live. Now, more than ever, individual economic success and economic growth depend crucially on academic achievement and human capital. The purpose of this research …

Driver Knowledge, Beliefs, And Attitudes About Deer–Vehicle Collisions In Southern Michigan, Alix Marcoux, Shawn J. Riley

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) are one of the most frequent and costly human– wildlife conflict throughout the range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We conducted a self-administered, mail-back survey of Michigan drivers to determine: (1) driver attitudes and knowledge about DVCs; (2) reporting rates of DVCs; and (3) effects of being in a DVC on attitudes toward desired deer population levels. From a sample of 3,600 randomly selected licensed drivers >18 years of age in southeast Michigan, we obtained 1,653 completed questionnaires (48% response rate). Although 18% of respondents reported experiencing >1 DVC within 5 years of the survey …

Lakewood Farm: The Private Zoo That The Public Loved, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Lakewood Farm:  The Private Zoo That the Public Loved is an article concerning the private zoo in Holland, Michigan, that was owned by Chicago coal merchant George Fulmer Getz and helped form the Illionois based Brookfiekd Zoo and John Ball Zoo of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Boosting Michigan's Economy Through Educational Improvements, Timothy J. Bartik

Testimonies

No abstract provided.