Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Factor Affecting Graduation Rates In A Large Suburban Florida School District During The Pandemic, Brittany Campbell

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting graduation rates during the pandemic for a large suburban Florida school district. The study analyzed if there were statistically significant effects of certain factors, such as Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) in mathematics, out-of-school suspensions, and attendance in the summer transition program on graduation during the pandemic for the school years of 2019-2021. The results of the study showed different means across all analyses, resulting in impacts for some factors, including MTSS Tiering, PBIS Tiering, Summer Transition Program for on-time graduation, and Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) for …

The Impact School Discipline Policies Have On Disabled, Minoritized Students’ Drop Out Rates, Christopher B. Langley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Despite progress in recent years, the K–12 education system still grapples with pervasive discriminatory and inequitable practices that hinder students’ learning experiences and future success. Such practices can have far-reaching consequences, threatening students’ long-term outcomes and putting their well-being at risk. This study delved into the effects of exclusionary practices on academic performance and student withdrawal, with a particular focus on minority students with disabilities. By examining archived data, this research analyzed various exclusionary practices, including in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, Baker Acts, and law enforcement referrals. To uncover correlations and determine hypothesis acceptance, the study employedsophisticated statistical techniques such as …

What's In A Frame? Exploring State Policymakers' Conceptualization Of Human Trafficking., Alexis P. Tsoukalas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Human trafficking within and across nations is a pervasive, insidious global criminal enterprise that endangers human rights and impedes social justice. Sex and labor are two fundamental types of human trafficking, but media and policies prioritize the former. Social work calls for empowering marginalized groups, and labor trafficking survivors—who are more likely women and immigrants of color—certainly fall into this category. Since 2003, every U.S. state has criminalized human trafficking, yet the issue persists. Most human trafficking analyses focus on federal or international, not state, policies.

Thus, this critical analysis aimed to explore how human trafficking is conceptualized at the …

The Perceived Impact Of Restorative Practice Implementation On Exclusionary Discipline Practicce And The Role Of School Administrators On The Effectiveness Of Implementation, Courtney E. Tomasi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Restorative Practices is a behavior management system that focuses on root cause analysis and repairing harms caused by those infractions. This study focused on the correlation between the knowledge that stakeholders possessed regarding Restorative Practices and their perceived impact on the school disciplinary program. In addition, the study sought to determine which aspects of Restorative Practices were most effective as well as examine the viewpoints of disciplinary stakeholders regarding Restorative Practices as a large, urban school district in central Florida.

Recent literature shows that punitive and exclusionary discipline practices have an adverse impact on minoritized populations as the students are …

Using Advocacy Coaches To Examine Trauma-Informed Classroom Practices Used To Support Students With Disabilities: A Qualitative Study, Fanica Young

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Childhood trauma, often referred to as America’s hidden crisis, significantly impacts the learning and behavior of students with disabilities (SWD), in particular. SWD who experience or witness trauma face challenges related to discipline, academic achievement, absenteeism, and social and emotional well-being. According to the National Survey on Children’s Health (2021), 16.3% of children served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have encountered two or more adverse childhood experiences by age 18, with over half of the states surpassing the national average. Addressing this urgent concern is difficult due to a shortage of qualified service providers, such as nurses, psychologists, …

Resilient Cooperative Control Of Cyber-Physical Systems: Enhancing Robustness Against Significant Time Delays And Denial-Of-Service Attacks, Deepalakshmi Babu Venkateswaran

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

A cyber-physical control system (CPS) typically consists of a set of physical subsystems, their remote terminal units, a central control center (if applicable), and local communication networks that interconnect all the components to achieve a common goal. Applications include energy systems, autonomous vehicles, and collaborative robots. Ensuring stability, performance, and resilience in CPS requires thorough analysis and control design, utilizing robust algorithms to handle delays, communication failures, and potential cyber-attacks.

Time delays are a challenge in CPS, particularly in teleoperation systems, where human operators remotely control robotic systems. These delays cause chattering, oscillations, and instability, making it difficult to achieve …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of The Relationship Between School Shooter Typologies, Warning Signs, And Targeted School Violence, German R. Taveras

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This research explores the relationship between school shooter typologies, warning signs, and targeted school violence. The study's independent variables are school shooter typologies and warning signs, while the dependent variable is targeted school violence. The research wants to investigate whether a relationship exists between these variables. The null hypothesis states no relationship exists, while the alternative hypothesis suggests that a relationship exists. The research framework is based on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory, which helps understand how the environment and social interaction influence a child's development. The theory was influenced by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory—which focuses on the roles of human interactions …

Connecting In Crisis: Exploring Online Informal Communications In Florida’S Unemployment Struggle, Anna V. Eskamani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread unemployment, significantly impacting Floridians who faced delays and systemic issues with the state's unemployment system. This study examines crisis communication within a Reddit community, focusing on how individuals used informal communications to navigate the unemployment benefits crisis. Guided by Rhetorical Arena Theory (RAT) and Uses and Gratification Theory (U&G), the research addresses: (1) How did individuals in the active audience discuss challenges faced when trying to access Florida’s unemployment system? (2) What lessons can be drawn from the analysis of informal communications on social media for improving crisis communication strategies during future crises? A …

Investigating The Effect Of Technological Innovation On Countries' Green Production Capabilities Evolution And Spillover, Hanin Alhaddad

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation presents a novel methodology to examine the evolution of green production capabilities for 226 countries between 2003 and 2017 based on spillovers between the sectors. It identifies the growth potential of sectors and the key sectors driving the spillovers of production capabilities. Moreover, it delves into the patterns observed in the evolution of these capabilities, considering the diverse economic classifications. Lastly, it focuses on 72 developing countries that face unique challenges in pursuing green economic growth, exploring the effect of technological innovations on the spillovers of production capabilities within their green sectors. Three key hypotheses are investigated: the …

Examining How Pejorative Stereotypes About Black Women Shape Their Experiences In Physics Ph.D. Programs, Camille A. Coffie

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This research study is part of a larger study that examines the experiences of Black women in physics graduate programs to identify priorities for departmental change initiatives to remove structures that keep out and/or push out Black women. This research also reinforces the ongoing necessity to raise awareness about the impact of stereotypes on how Black women are perceived and how stereotypes affect the matriculation of Black women in physics graduate programs. Black women represent the lowest percentage of students in physics graduate programs and often contend with stressors like microaggressions, bias, and stereotype threats that impede their success and …

Spectral Approaches For Characterizing Heterogeneity In Infectious Disease Models, Seoyun Choe

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Heterogeneity, influenced by diverse factors such as age, gender, immunity, behavior, and spatial distribution, plays a critical role in the dynamics of infectious disease transmission. Discrete mathematical structures, including matrices and graphs, can offer effective tools for modeling the interactions among these diverse factors, resulting heterogeneous epidemiological models. This dissertation explores analytical approaches, specifically utilizing eigenvalues and eigenvectors of discrete structures, to characterize heterogeneity within mathematical models of infectious diseases. Theoretical results, along with numerical simulations, enhance our understanding of heterogeneous epidemiological processes and their significant implications for disease control strategies.

In this dissertation, we introduce a unified approach to …

Scalable Transactions In Decentralized Networks, Zachary M. Painter

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The study of shared memory concurrency is extensive. There exist many state-of-the-art strategies for dealing with fundamental concurrency problems, such as race conditions or deadlocks, to leverage massive performance boosts out of modern multiprocessors. With the introduction of blockchain technology as a popular financial tool, we observe many decades-old concurrency problems re-emerge within the context of decentralized networks. These challenges introduce additional constraints, such as the lack of hardware atomic instructions like Compare-And-Swap, or the potential for malicious clients to join the network. In this dissertation, we propose key algorithms which adapt knowledge from the domain of shared memory concurrency …

The Role Of Adiponectin In Gustatory Perception Of Fat, Fangjun Lin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Taste is a major driving force that influences food choice and dietary intake. Animals' taste abilities vary due to genetics, sex, age, and hormonal status. There is evidence that several appetite-regulating hormones can modulate gustatory detection of fat, and this hormonal modulation of fat taste likely influences food palatability and selection, thereby altering fat intake. Adiponectin is a key metabolic hormone predominantly released from adipose tissue, which enhances insulin sensitivity and stimulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Adiponectin receptors are highly expressed in the taste system, indicating that adiponectin signaling may play an important role in the modulation of gustatory …

Sexual Assault Victimization In Virtual Worlds, Narim Lee

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The current dissertation investigated sexual assault victimization in virtual worlds – environments, where individuals engage through avatars, offering a deep level of immersion and interactivity. As the usage of these virtual spaces grows, so does the concern for negative experiences that mirror the sexual assault encountered in the physical world. Despite this, there is a notable gap in the quantitative analysis of virtual sexual assault (VSA) victimization. This research aimed to fill this void by exploring the prevalence of VSA victimization over the previous year and identifying potential predictors of VSA victimization through the lens of cyberlifestyle-routine activity theory. To …

Globalizing Tele-Support Coaching: Exploring The Impact Of Online Adaptations Of Practice-Based Coaching For Special Education Teachers And Related Personnel, Danica Tania Moise

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where there is a lack of trained professionals, limited access to evidence-based practices, and insufficient government support. This dissertation explores the potential of technology-based interventions to bridge the knowledge gap and improve the quality of services for children with ASD in LMIC.

The first chapter provides an overview of the current landscape of educator preparatory programs and highlights the limitations of traditional clinical experiences in preparing special education teachers and related personnel. It introduces the Tele-Support Coaching Framework (TCF) as a promising …

Evidence Of Positive Associations Between Intertidal Shoreline And Subtidal Seagrass Communities In A Subtropical Ecotone, Gabriel Benson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Fringing seagrass beds are important components of coastal ecotones. Their association with shoreline morphology and shoreline restoration, however, is poorly understood. We combined GIS analyses with field-based monitoring to better understand intra-ecotone associations between shorelines and fringing seagrass beds. Using GIS analyses of aerial imagery, shoreline characterization models, and seagrass coverage models, the relationship between shoreline morphology, erosion, and fringing seagrass persistence was examined in Mosquito Lagoon, FL between 2011 and 2021. For the field-based portion of the study, fringing seagrass beds growing adjacent to restored, living shoreline segments were monitored throughout the 2023 growing season (March – November). All …

What Fishing Tackle Should I Bring Today?: Safety Harbor Resource Collection Tools As Adaptations To Aquatic Environments, Richard J. Davis Iii

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis reports on the results of research conducted to determine whether technological adaptations to local environmental conditions can be observed through geospatial and artifact analysis of Safety Harbor collections from the Tampa Bay region of Florida. Past artifact and spatial analysis did not take advantage of modern technological advancements when studying how human-environmental interactions can influence certain adaptations to local conditions. In this project, GIS was used to reconstruct local aquatic environmental conditions of waterways adjacent to Safety Harbor sites. New statistical software programs have also proven themselves useful to archaeologists seeking to conduct hypothesis testing of artifact data. …

Sectarianism And Elite Strategies In Fueling Conflict: Evidence From Iraq Under Saddam Hussein And Nouri Al Maliki, Mohammed Al Awwad

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

What contributes to sectarian conflict? Some existing literature essentializes sectarian identities and blames ancient hatred between different groups as the cause of conflict, this thesis argues that sectarian conflict occurs when sectarianism is politically employed by elite actors facing state weakness. The proposed theory suggests that a drop in state capacity regardless of the cause, can motivate political elite actors to instrumentalize the salience of sectarian identities as a form of either repression or cooptation targeting the sectarian outgroup for the purposes of regime survival. The theoretical claims in this study are examined using a qualitative comparative case study analysis …

Building Better Homes For Pollinators: How Native Plants Benefit Pollinator Communities In Suburban Landscapes, Mykayla Hagaman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Pollinators provide key ecological services. With one-third of our global food production dependent on pollinators, maintaining healthy pollinator communities is vital. Bees are the most pervasive and effective pollinator species, yet are currently declining worldwide, with the main cause linked to habitat loss. To combat this decline, researchers are turning to suburban landscapes to aid in pollinator conservation. Incorporating native plants into suburban landscapes has been shown to benefit pollinators. However, there is a lack of information on how different landscape designs and growing conditions influence pollinator communities. To better understand whether native plants can effectively improve suburban pollinator habitats, …

From Crisis To Classroom: Evaluating Academic Success In Vulnerable Populations During The Covid-19 Emergency Education Era, Jake Novak

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigated school closures' impact on students from vulnerable populations in elementary classrooms. The research places an emphasis on the importance of an equitable and effective educational system in every community. It highlights the role of formal education in providing opportunities for social advancement and promoting the development of individuals and nations. The impact of the COVID-19 Emergency on access to quality education and the challenges and inequities faced by vulnerable populations are emphasized. This research also discusses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations in 2015 to ensure inclusive and equitable education for all children …

Impacts Of Professional Development On Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Implementation Of Cognitively Demanding Tasks, Maria Porras Monroy

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study provided insight into the impact a professional development series on cognitively demanding tasks had on teachers’ identification and implementation of tasks, as well as, determined which aspects of the professional development were beneficial to participants’ understanding of cognitively demanding tasks. The professional development included five sessions and was centered on the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) Potential of the Task and Implementation of the Task Rubrics (Boston et al., 2019). As part of the study, participants submitted tasks and student artifacts pre and post professional development. The investigation included an analysis of tasks, student artifacts, and a thematic analysis …

Towards Sparse Imu Sensor-Based Estimation Of Walking Kinematics, Joint Moments, And Ground Reaction Forces In Multiple Locomotion Modes Via Deep Learning, Md Sanzid Bin Hossain

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Acquiring joint kinematics, joint moments, and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during walking is essential for assessing disease progression and health monitoring during rehabilitation. However, spatial and temporal constraints, expert processing, and high costs limit the current gold standard methods, such as optical motion capture systems and floor-embedded force plates. Experts have suggested wearables with machine learning methods to address this issue, but their large sensor count renders them impractical for daily use, and the use of generic algorithms limits their accuracy. As a result, learning kinematics and kinetics in everyday life outside of laboratory settings is challenging. Thus, there is …

Examining The Impact Of A Video Review Guide On Robotic Surgical Skill Improvement, Mary Mansour Soliman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Surgical education has the arduous task of providing effective and efficient methods of surgical skill acquisition and clinical judgment while staying abreast with the latest surgical technologies within an ever-changing field. Robotic surgery is one such technology. Many surgeons in practice today were either never taught or were not effectively taught robotic surgery during training, leaving them to navigate the robotic learning curve and reach mastery independently. This dissertation examines the impact of a video review guide on improving robotic surgical skills. Using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as a framework, the literature review argues that video review can be used …

Work Motivation And Occupational Attitudes: An Application Of Self-Determination Theory Among Rangers, Richard L. Elligson Jr

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Job attitudes of rangers play a key role in the implementation and effectiveness of conservation initiatives. As such, scholars have begun to examine the attitudes rangers hold towards their role, organization, and external working environment. However, little is known about work motivation among rangers. Work motivation is a key predictor of employee performance, job attitudes, and well-being. The relationship between work motivation and ranger occupational attitudes may offer insight that conservation agencies can leverage to improve positive job attitudes. Guided by self-determination theory and the criminal justice literature, this study examines the relationship between ranger work motivation and attitudes towards …

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training: Exploring Implementation Factors Of Delivering Training In Florida Schools, Lakaysia Smith

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

To address the concern of school violence and mental health, the state of Florida implemented a statewide mandate requiring school personnel to be trained in strategies to identify and respond to the mental health needs of students. Existing research supports the effectiveness of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), the training program selected by the Florida Department of Education to implement in public schools. To date, limited research has explored the implementation experiences of YMHFA trainers. This qualitative descriptive study explored trainers’ experiences implementing YMHFA within school settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 YMHFA trainers employed in Florida public …

Frontal Plane Hip Strength Of Female Collegiate Soccer Players: Impact Of Training Load And Seasonal Variation, Maxine Furtado Mesa

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Movements in the frontal plane, such as accelerations, cutting, and kicking, are common in soccer. This abstract focuses on isometric strength testing of hip adductors and abductors and its relationship to athletic performance and soccer-specific training. The first study evaluates the test-retest reliability of handheld dynamometry in measuring hip adductor and abductor isometric strength using various positions and fixation methods in females. The results demonstrate good reliability under all conditions, with the standing position without belt fixation being the most optimal for assessments. These findings provide guidance for clinicians and researchers in selecting the best conditions for frontal plane isometric …

Examining Factors Associated With Secondary Trauma Through Lived Experiences Of K-12 School Leaders And Their Impact On School Leadership Practices., Shakelia M. Henderson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation delves into the intricate examination of factors associated with secondary trauma as experienced by K-12 urban school leaders and the subsequent influence on their leadership practices. A primary objective of this research is to comprehend the contributing factors leading to post-traumatic growth among school leaders while also investigating their perceptions of the school district's role in fostering this growth. Set within an urban school district, this study focuses explicitly on Title 1 schools, where the impact is expected to be pronounced. Existing literature highlights a dearth of knowledge regarding the nuanced effects of secondary trauma on school leaders, …

Efficient And Effective Deep Learning Methods For Computer Vision In Centralized And Distributed Applications, Matias Mendieta

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In the rapidly advancing field of computer vision, deep learning has driven significant technological transformations. However, the widespread deployment of these technologies often encounters efficiency challenges, such as high memory usage, demanding computational resources, and extensive communication overhead. Efficiency has become crucial for both centralized and distributed applications of deep learning, ensuring scalability, real-world applicability, and broad accessibility. In distributed settings, federated learning (FL) enables collaborative model training across multiple clients while maintaining data privacy. Despite its promise, FL faces challenges due to clients' constraints in memory, computational power, and bandwidth. Centralized training systems also require high efficiency, where optimizing …

A Multiscale Meshless Method For Simulating Cardiovascular Flows, Kyle Beggs

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The rapid increase in computational power over the last decade has unlocked the possibility of providing patient-specific healthcare via simulation and data assimilation. In the past 2 decades, computational approaches to simulating cardiovascular flows have advanced significantly due to intense research and adoption of methods in medical device companies. A significant source of friction in porting these tools to the hospital and getting in the hands of surgeons is due to the expertise required to handle the geometry pre-processing and meshing of models. Meshless meth- ods reduce the amount of corner cases which makes it easier to develop robust tools …

The Effects Of Sexual Assault On Identity And Interpersonal Relationships Among Male And Female Victims, Ishara Jean-Francois

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The current study aimed to examine the effect of sexual assault on identity and interpersonal relationships. Although previous studies have examined the connection between sexual assault and interpersonal relationships following assault, there is a lack of research that examines possible gender differences. Further, the effect of sexual assault on identity has been understudied. Male victims are less likely to report their assault for various reasons. Therefore, it is important to focus on this demographic so their stories and experience do not go untold, and they can get the proper help and resources. College students (N= 505) completed an anonymous online …