Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of Employing The Circuit Breaker As An Alternative Approach For Targeting Aid To Low-Income Students In Kentucky, William Walton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Affordability is an essential element of college opportunity. The federal government and the states have acknowledged this belief by adopting policies to ensure that no academically qualified student who desires an education is limited access due to a lack of financial resources. But, many lower-income families today are having trouble paying for college due to a unique set of circumstances. First, the cost of higher education as a percentage of income has been increasing for over a decade, causing families to spend increasingly larger proportions of their incomes to afford postsecondary education. Second, the federal government has shifted its emphasis …

The Effects Of Professional Development Programs On Educational Outcomes In Mathematics And Sciences, William M. Craig

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Professional development programs are widely acknowledged for their success in determining outcomes in a variety of fields. These programs are particularly useful in education where new processes, methodologies, and curriculum need to be disseminated to vast numbers of administrators, educators, parents, and program analysts. Education is considered one of the top priorities for American policymakers, agencies, companies, and the general public. This fact has made educational outcomes progressively more important over time as larger expenditures are dedicated to providing positive educational effects. There has been a large body of research performed on what effects educational outcomes in the United States. …

A Hypermedia Simulation That Teaches Defensive Driving Skills, Borchyi Lin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Because of increased commuter traffic volume on rural roadways collisions between motor vehicles and farm equipment have increased in frequency and severity over the last several years. This study investigated the effects of a multimedia narrative simulation program that taught hazard recognition and promoted defensive driving on rural roadways shared by farm equipment. A companion animated driving game allowed users to practice reaction/stopping time distances with a simulated automobile on a simulated highway when objects appeared suddenly in the path of the automobile. The program and game were delivered by an objective-oriented client/server computer program that also recorded and stored …

Accountability In Public Administration Education: Assessing The Martin School, Natalie Schneider

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Accountability is required for programs to maintain accreditation and is essential to the overall success of graduate programs like the Martin School. To show that it is meeting the stated goals, the Martin School has put tracking measures in place to gauge the success of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. These measures include pre and post skills assessments and an alumni survey among others. Analysis of the results is used to determine where goals are being met as well as areas where improvement is possible, and make necessary and appropriate adjustments.

The pre-test is given at orientation and …

Identifying The Potential Advantages And Disadvantages Of Creating A Separate Foundation For Development At The University Of Kentucky, David Shellhorse

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Issue

The question of whether or not the University of Kentucky should create a legally independent, institutionally related foundation to receive, hold, invest, and administer the private gift support of the University has been an ongoing debate between UK administrators for many years. This study seeks to identify the potential advantages and disadvantages of creating such a foundation by: (1) conducting a qualitative analysis consisting of personal interviews with officials from the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, and Murray State University; and (2) conducting a quantitative regression analysis to determine whether or not …

A Qualitative Investigation For Designing Intermediate (Grades 4-6) Information Literacy Instruction: Integrating Inquiry, Mentoring, And On-Line Resources, Melissa Ruth Gibson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Information literacy has become a priority in education. Elementary school library media specialists daily encounter the dilemma of having to teach information literacy skills without having time to do it adequately. With the proliferation of computers in schools, the possibility exists that students could use web-based information literacy tutorials or guides when teachers or librarians are not available. This study examines fifth grade students' perceptions of using on-line, web-based assistance to help them work through a research process, the Big6 . Qualitative research was conducted in 1998-1999 with ten students of diverse background and reading ability who were ten or …