Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Net Impacts Of Workforce Development Programs On Individuals With Low Earnings, Kevin Hollenbeck

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Value-Added Measures, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The concept of value-added measures of teacher or school effectiveness is prompting a great deal of discussion in K-12 Education policy circles. This debate reached a boiling point last year when the Los Angeles Times published a database of the value-added scores for all teachers in the nation's second largest school district. Proponents argue value-added measures provide important information on school and teacher effectiveness. Opponents argue value-added measures are imprecise instruments which measure student background instead of teacher or school quality. The purpose of this policy brief is to provide the reader with a general understanding of the concept of …

Economic Recovery In The Rocky Mountain West: Metro Trends And Bottom-Up Responses, Mark Muro

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

No abstract provided.

Slides: Environmental Water In Australia, Chris Arnott

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Chris Arnott, Managing Director, Alluvium Consulting

30 slides

Slides: Adapting To Climate Change: Lessons Learnt From The Australian Water Experience, Will Fargher

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Will Fargher, National Water Commission, Australian Government

18 slides [4 have titles only and are missing images]

University Reading: How Do We Turn It On?, John-Nathan Trice, Barbara Johnson Wilmes

Administrative Issues Journal

Universities and colleges are experiencing increasing challenges of educating millennial students, individuals who lack motivation and tenacity to engage in the learning process. Ideally, university students have read materials and are prepared to engage in collegial interaction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether university students are preparing for class and whether instructional reading strategies are effective to engage them in meeting course requirements. Results indicated that participants overwhelmingly do not read prior to class, but with research-based interventions, millennial students engaged in reading assignments and obtained content information relevant to the course.

Administrative Strategies For Preparing Teaching Candidates To Be Building-Level Technology Change Agents, Richard Rose

Administrative Issues Journal

Teacher education graduates in their early years of service are ill-prepared to act as building-level change agents who can advocate for the enhanced use of technology in the classroom. In this study, a group of experienced teachers seeking the M.Ed. in Educational Technology suggest that the lack of confidence which new teachers show in relation to technology can be traced back to the absence of rigorous technical skill-building in both their Introduction to Educational Technology class and methods classes. These tech-savvy mid-career teachers then identify obstacles to enhancing pre-service teacher education programs with more effective preparation in teaching with technology …

Vocational Education And Universities: Building Collaboration And Pathways For Local/Regional Development, Ellen Hazelkorn

Conference Papers

This presentation discusses the characteristics of a world class higher education/post-secondary system based upon encouraging greater collaboration between vocational/further education and universities.

A Connection Between Moral Imperative And Women’S Leadership?, Sarah W. Nelson, Patricia L. Guerra, B. Genise Henry

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper describes a qualitative study of two school districts’ efforts to support school leaders in developing the knowledge and skills to analyze, understand, and transform system inequities. The results suggest that, despite being armed with knowledge and skills, leaders may be reluctant to act even when doing so is within the scope of their authority. This work draws from Fullan’s (2003) concept of moral imperative and examines the connection between moral imperative and women’s ways of leading. The findings have implications for educational leadership programs that seek to prepare school leaders capable of challenging and changing inequitable systems.

University Technology Transfer Factors As Predictors Of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Dorothy M. Kirkman

Administrative Issues Journal

University technology transfer is a collaborative effort between academia and industry involving knowledge sharing and learning. Working closely with their university partners affords biotechnology firms the opportunity to successfully develop licensed inventions and gain access to novel scientific and technological discoveries. These factors may enhance a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation by supporting innovative, proactive, and risk-taking behaviors. This study investigates whether university technology transfer characteristics such as the transfer process, transfer modes (formal and informal), and transfer terms influence entrepreneurial orientation. Using survey data from biotechnology firms that develop human health therapies, the findings suggest that the transfer process and informal …

Youth Initiative Hector’S Helpers: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering November 11, 2010 – February 10, 2011, Hector's Helpers

Anti-littering Programs

The Hector’s Helpers program provides an opportunity to bring environmental education and foster a sense of stewardship to students. We supply a once a week hands-on curriculum which includes a litter clean-up fieldtrip. Students learn general environmental concepts such as community, conservation, recycling, and litter prevention. They will also have access to Geographic Information Systems and Podcast technology. Through the use of GIS and Podcasts we hope to get community members to collect data and prevent litter and desert dumping. The students also participated in a marketing campaign for the Adopt-A-Block initiative. By participating in the Hector’s Helpers program, the …

University In Transition: Faculty Sense-Making And Responses, Leslie D. Gonzales, Rodolfo Rincones

Administrative Issues Journal

Across the institutional spectrum, universities are attempting to reposition themselves as more research dominant institutions, a pattern referred to as “mission creep.” Such changes in university missions have several critical implications for faculty members and their work. In this qualitative study, we interviewed ten tenure-track faculty members to explore how they make sense of and respond to Sun University’s creeping university mission. Through qualitative data analysis, we found that faculty use organizational scripts to construct and make sense of their role, yet they do so towards different ends. Some faculty members own the transition and attempt to contribute to its …

Analyzing The Association Of Certificate Of Need Regulationson Volume And Quality Indicators For Heart And Kidney Transplantation, Courtney Cosby

Theses and Dissertations

States have historically used Certificate of Need (CON) regulations to regulate cost, quality, and access to healthcare services. Federally mandated in 1974, the regulation required the states to review requests for new healthcare construction and services. In theory, community-level planning backed by the state-level CON review and health planning process would prevent unnecessary duplication of services and the accompanying costs (Smith-Mellot, 2004). However, none of the published studies have examined the association of CON regulation on volume and outcomes of solid organ transplants. In 1984, the federal mandate ended, and each state was allowed to determine whether or not to …

Radical Change In Faculty And Student Evaluation: A Justifiable Heresy?, Jeffery Gentry

Administrative Issues Journal

This article addresses the connection between two continuing trends in higher education: semester evaluation of faculty by students (SE’s) and grade inflation. The two phenomena are explored historically; then a two-part plan is proposed to enhance the evaluation of both students and faculty. This solution does not replace current evaluation practices; it merely adds information on each student’s relative performance. Although subject to criticism as radical reform, the plan is offered as a feasible check on grade inflation and diminished student responsibility—one that is consistent with long held higher education values, as well as recent calls for increased educational accountability. …

Innovation In Competency-Based Program Development: Leveraging The Advisory Board Faculty Alliance, Esmeralda De Los Santos, Daniel G. Dominguez, Kevin Lafrance

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper describes the use of advisory boards in the development of two competency-based business programs: one graduate and the other undergraduate. Though the programs varied significantly in structure and content, both used focus group methodology to collect comprehensive and relevant input from advisory board members comprised of local subject matter experts. Analysis of each program’s developmental efforts demonstrates that, while the programs varied significantly in many aspects, both achieved the intended outcome. In both cases, advisory board input contributed to the development of a competency model and associated program curriculum that closely aligned with the program’s specific disciplines.

Update: Judge In Film Criticizes Sentences For Postville Meat Plan Workers

Postville Project Documents

An article in the February 7, 2011, Courier, a Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa newspaper, about a federal judge, Mark Bennett, who expressed regrets about the sentences he handed down in the 2008 Postville immigration raid case.

Library Sector Leadership: Bridging Theory And Practice, Melanie Mills, Charlotte Innerd

Western Libraries Presentations

Explore the issue of leadership in libraries with one current student and one graduate of The University of Victoria's Professional Graduate Certificate in Library Sector Leadership. Looking specifically at Kouzes and Posner's 'Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders' and Quinn et al.'s 'Competing Values Framework', we hope to share our own discoveries and insights and add to the important discussion of leadership in Libraries.

The Cresset (Vol. Lxxiv, No. 3, Lent), Valparaiso University

The Cresset (archived issues)

No abstract provided.

Pedagogical Design For A Cross-Functional Course In The Accelerated Mba Program, Bhanu Balasubramnian, Tanja Steigner, Kevin R. Coulson

Administrative Issues Journal

The sub-prime financial crisis exposed weaknesses in the financial risk management of several prominent firms. A deficient risk management is mainly attributed to the lack of integration of finance with other business disciplines. In this paper, we describe a tested implementation of a cross-functional project that improves students’ understanding of firm-value creation and risk management. While this approach can be implemented in any MBA program, we focus specifically on accelerated MBA programs with tight time constraints. Our methods are different from most other integrated courses in several ways. Our cross-functional project bridges the knowledge gaps of students in the area …

Torch (February 2011), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Administrative Issues Journal: Table Of Contents

Administrative Issues Journal

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editor-In-Chief, Tami Moser

Administrative Issues Journal

No abstract provided.

The Interim Superintendent: A Case Study, Gary Bigham, Susan J. Nix

Administrative Issues Journal

Considering the vitally important role that the superintendent plays in the overall functioning and wellbeing of any school district, the filling of that position should never be done in haste. Due to the importance of this process and the time it requires, school districts often employ an interim superintendent. In this single case study, one researcher engaged in qualitative research by actually assuming the role of an interim superintendent in a small West Texas school. The findings that emerged from this study consisted of identifying duties and roles of the interim superintendent in comparison with those of the regular superintendent. …

The District-Wide Sustainability Of A Professionallearning Community During Leadership Changesat The Superintendency Level, Chuey Abrego, Anita Pankake

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this mixed methods follow-up single case study was two-fold: to determine if a school district was able to sustain a professional learning community (PLC) and to identify factors that enhanced, inhibited, or promoted the sustainability of a PLC from a district-wide perspective, with particular focus on how a change in leadership, i.e. a new superintendent, affected the sustainability of PLC attributes. In addition, the role of trust in influencing the sustainability of a professional learning community will be discussed in this paper.

Mentoring Postsecondary Tenure-Trackfaculty: A Theory-Building Case Study Andimplications For Institutional Policy, Dannielle Joy Davis, Patricia Boyer, Isela Russell

Administrative Issues Journal

The featured research uses theory-building case study to understand the experiences of junior faculty in a mentoring program. Findings suggest the importance of professional interaction for faculty members’ integration into their campus communities. An explanatory model illustrates the findings and supplements discussion of the implications for administrators in terms of retention of new faculty members in postsecondary settings.

Sticker Shock: Management Professors’Perspectives On The Rising Costs Of Collegetextbooks, Stan Williamson, Robert E. Stevens, Lawrence S. Silver, Kenneth E. Clow

Administrative Issues Journal

This study uses Internet survey methodology to target management instructors’ views on the cost of textbooks and the strategies that might be exercised by universities, publishers, and legislatures to control cost increases. From a random sample of 2,893 management professors selected, using university websites, from universities throughout the United States, 228 provided useable responses. Findings suggest that management instructors, particularly those with years of experience, acknowledge the concerns their students have over high textbook prices. They are willing to have legislation enacted to force changes in the marketing of the textbooks by publishers, but they do not want university policies …

Analysis Of The Essential Programs And Services Disadvantaged Youth Cost Component, David L. Silvernail Phd, James E. Sloan

School Funding - Essential Programs and Services (EPS)

Prior to implementation of EPS, Maine’s funding formula had little in terms of prescribed levels of adjustment to insure vertical equity. But beginning in 2005-06, three vertical equity adjustments were put into place (special needs, LEP, and Disadvantaged Youth), and provisions were included in the law for three year reviews of these adjustments. The Disadvantaged Youth adjustment was first reviewed in Fall 2008. This report describes the results from the second regularly scheduled review in 2010-2011.

Assessment And Refinement Of Real-Time Travel Time Algorithms For Use In Practice, Phase Ii, Kristin A. Tufte, Soyoung Ahn, Sirisha Murthy Kothuri

TREC Final Reports

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has put a high priority on the use of existing dynamic message signs (DMS) to provide travel time estimates to the public. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has three DMS in the Portland metropolitan area configured to display travel time information. In the near future, ODOT would like to make travel time estimates available on additional DMS, over the Internet on tripcheck.com and via 511. Travel time estimates are valuable to the traveling public; however, the estimates must be accurate to be useful. The purpose of this study is to extend prior travel time …

Analysis Of The Essential Programs And Services Limited English Proficiency (Lep) Cost Component, David L. Silvernail Phd, Ida A. Batista

School Funding - Essential Programs and Services (EPS)

The first scheduled review of the LEP component was conducted in 2007-08, with an additional review conducted in 2008-09, as requested by the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Services. This report describes the results of the regularly scheduled 2010-11 review.

201104 Obiter Dicta: Mid-February 2011, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.