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2015

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Articles 2251 - 2280 of 2406

Full-Text Articles in Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Relationships Between A Prenatal Nutrition Education Intervention And Maternal Nutrition In Ethiopia, Divya Lakshmi Selvakumar Jan 2015

Relationships Between A Prenatal Nutrition Education Intervention And Maternal Nutrition In Ethiopia, Divya Lakshmi Selvakumar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Ethiopia, 17% of pregnant women ages 18-49 are malnourished and have low awareness of prenatal nutrition, which may relate to increasingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality. The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to determine the effects of a community-based prenatal nutrition education intervention program on maternal nutrition knowledge and attitudes in the Alaje district of Ethiopia. The theoretical framework was Sen's capability theory of poverty, in which opportunities can lead to well-being and promote economic development. Research questions focused on the relationships among 8 independent variables-age, income source, degree of program implementation, marital status, …

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Practitioner Perceptions Of School Library Advocacy, Elizabeth Burns Jan 2015

Practitioner Perceptions Of School Library Advocacy, Elizabeth Burns

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School library advocacy is increasingly important due to decreases in funding and staff. National organizations attempt to engage school librarians in advocacy and have developed resources and tools to assist with this task. However, there is little research examining how practicing school librarians engage in advocacy and how their advocacy efforts impact their library programs. This study explored school librarians’ perceptions of advocacy within the context of their school library setting. Findings suggest school librarians must continue to build relationships with stakeholders and create awareness for the school library position as they define the activities of advocacy unique to their …

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Exploring The Nature Of Perfectionism And Middle School Student Achievement, Jean M. Beaulieu Phd Jan 2015

Exploring The Nature Of Perfectionism And Middle School Student Achievement, Jean M. Beaulieu Phd

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a doctoral research study designed to explore the nature of perfectionism and middle school student achievement. Perfectionism is currently perceived as a multi-dimensional construct with both adaptive and maladaptive features. This qualitative research study focuses on the views of nine seventh grade participants who were identified as adaptive or maladaptive perfectionists in a survey of students in one seventh grade cohort using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (Slaney, Mobley, Trippi, Ashby, & Johnson, 1996). Each of the participants met with the researcher and completed three individual interviews and two focus group sessions. Data …

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Grit And Self-Control As Predictors Of First-Year Student Success, Stacyann B. Stewart Phd Jan 2015

Grit And Self-Control As Predictors Of First-Year Student Success, Stacyann B. Stewart Phd

All Student Scholarship

The objective of this exploratory quantitative study was to investigate the relationships between grit, self-control, and the first academic semester of college students, and determine if the relationships differed by gender. Two research questions were examined; (1) What are the relationships between the individual factors of grit, self-control, and first-semester college GPA? And do they differ by gender? and(2) What combinations of factors (grit, self-control, high school GPA, and SAT scores) best predicts first-semester college GPA? And do they differ by gender? The study investigated 88 first-time, first-year college students and their academic success during their first college semester using …

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The Influence Of Engagement Upon Success And Persistence Of Online Undergraduates, Paul D. Dexter Phd Jan 2015

The Influence Of Engagement Upon Success And Persistence Of Online Undergraduates, Paul D. Dexter Phd

All Student Scholarship

Institutions of higher education, states, and government agencies are seeking avenues for increasing access, improving learning outcomes, and increasing student retention. The majority of chief academic officers polled indicate that online learning is key to the growth of their institutions, while simultaneously indicating concern that online learners are less likely to succeed and persist. A common construct for how institutions can facilitate student success and persistence is the notion of engagement . Since 2000, campuses have relied upon the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to guide institutional policies and practices supporting student success.

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A View From The Bottom: The Self-Perception Of Highly Regarded Teachers' Experiences In A Time Of Multiple Policy Implementation, Jane Heselton Crowley Phd Jan 2015

A View From The Bottom: The Self-Perception Of Highly Regarded Teachers' Experiences In A Time Of Multiple Policy Implementation, Jane Heselton Crowley Phd

All Student Scholarship

The goal of educational policy is to improve the teaching and learning process within public schools. The qualitative study was designed to add depth of understanding to the process of educational policy implementation . The study focused on the classroom implementation of three policy initiatives impacting public schools in Maine: Teacher Evaluation System (TES), Response to Intervention (RtI), and Proficiency Based Education (PBE).

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Uncovering The Characterisitics Of Elementary-Aged Student Engagement, Mark F. Schrader Phd Jan 2015

Uncovering The Characterisitics Of Elementary-Aged Student Engagement, Mark F. Schrader Phd

All Student Scholarship

Researchers agree that students who are actively engaged in their own educations have more successful educational experiences. Studies show a connection between engagement and success in all stages of academic growth. However, researchers have made assumptions about the definition of student engagement by defining it through the adult lens. Some research suggests that engagement measured by visible behavior may be measuring only the appearance of engagement, not necessarily active engagement. (Lankshear & Knobel, 2005; Pope, 2001) The purpose of this research was to uncover the characteristics of student engagement from the source: the child. Research has shown that lack of …

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An Examination Of Standards-Based Education Relative To Research-Based Practices In Instruction And Assessment, Kathryn M. Hawes Phd Jan 2015

An Examination Of Standards-Based Education Relative To Research-Based Practices In Instruction And Assessment, Kathryn M. Hawes Phd

All Student Scholarship

Public schools in the United States face constant political efforts to reform our educational system. One of the major reforms, standards-based education, links all aspects of classroom instruction and assessment with identified , measureable , learning targets. Currently, there is a lack of empirical evidence that standards-based education results in improved student achievement. Explanations for that are: a wide variation in implementation across states, regions, districts, schools, and classrooms; the lack of a clear and consistent purpose and understanding of standards-based instruction; and the fact that reporting practices do not always translate into adjustments to classroom instruction.

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Understanding Vulnerability In Alaska Fishing Communities: A Validation Methodology For Rapid Assessment Of Well-Being Indices, Conor M. Maguire Jan 2015

Understanding Vulnerability In Alaska Fishing Communities: A Validation Methodology For Rapid Assessment Of Well-Being Indices, Conor M. Maguire

All Master's Theses

Social well-being indices measure how fishing communities are likely to be affected by social-ecological perturbations, and are a significant tool to identify the primary issues influencing communities’ sustained participation in fishing activities. In an attempt to further our understanding of how communities are affected by such perturbations, we have developed a rapid assessment methodology to test the external validity of a set of well-being indices that measure community vulnerability. This methodology informs how well such indices reflect the communities they represent by measuring elements of well-being through field observations, and comparing them to corresponding index components created from secondary data …

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Investigating Insurgency And Counter Insurgency And Attaining A Monopoly On Violence, Bryn Lacey Jan 2015

Investigating Insurgency And Counter Insurgency And Attaining A Monopoly On Violence, Bryn Lacey

Theses : Honours

This thesis is an investigation of insurgency and counterinsurgency, how actors from within and without a country combat instability and how the security apparatus, coupled with peace building measures, can attain a monopoly on violence. The thesis uses Afghanistan as a case study to carry out this investigation, covering the time period from 2002 – 2011. Ultimately the thesis provides an assessment of the nation building project in Afghanistan in light of the research into insurgency investigating why the efforts of the security actors have, ultimately, failed to attain a monopoly on violence.

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Adjusting Ite’S Trip Generation Handbook For Urban Context, Kelly J. Clifton, Kristina Marie Currans, Christopher D. Muhs Jan 2015

Adjusting Ite’S Trip Generation Handbook For Urban Context, Kelly J. Clifton, Kristina Marie Currans, Christopher D. Muhs

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines the ways in which urban context affects vehicle trip generation rates across three land uses. An intercept travel survey was administered at 78 establishments (high-turnover restaurants, convenience markets, and drinking places) in the Portland, Oregon, region during 2011. This approach was developed to adjust the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip rates based on built environment characteristics where the establishments were located. A number of policy-relevant built environment measures were used to estimate a set of nine models predicting an adjustment to ITE trip rates. Each model was estimated as a single measure: …

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A Level-Of-Service Model For Protected Bike Lanes, Nick Foster, Christopher Monsere, Jennifer Dill, Kelly Clifton Jan 2015

A Level-Of-Service Model For Protected Bike Lanes, Nick Foster, Christopher Monsere, Jennifer Dill, Kelly Clifton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Several methods exist for quantifying the quality of service provided by a roadway from a bicyclist’s perspective; however, many of these models do not consider physically protected bike lanes and, of those that do, none is based on empirical data from the US. This is problematic as engineers, planners, and elected officials are increasingly looking to objective performance measures to help guide transportation project design and funding prioritization decisions. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a cumulative logistic model to predict user comfort on protected bike lanes developed from data collected during in-person video surveys. The surveys were conducted …

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Would You Choose To Be Happy? Tradeoffs Between Happiness And The Other Dimensions Of Life In A Large Population Survey, Matthew D. Adler, Paula Dolan, Georgios Kavetsos Jan 2015

Would You Choose To Be Happy? Tradeoffs Between Happiness And The Other Dimensions Of Life In A Large Population Survey, Matthew D. Adler, Paula Dolan, Georgios Kavetsos

Faculty Scholarship

A large literature documents the correlates and causes of subjective well-being, or happiness. But few studies have investigated whether people choose happiness. Is happiness all that people want from life, or are they willing to sacrifice it for other attributes, such as income and health? Tackling this question has largely been the preserve of philosophers. In this article, we find out just how much happiness matters to ordinary citizens. Our sample consists of nearly 13,000 members of the UK and US general populations. We ask them to choose between, and make judgments over, lives that are high (or low) in …

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Influx Of Child Immigrants To The United States: Policy & Practice Implications, Megan Vogt Jan 2015

Influx Of Child Immigrants To The United States: Policy & Practice Implications, Megan Vogt

Graduate Research Papers

Beginning in 2012, an influx of immigrant children from the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras arrived in the United States from their home countries searching for safety and security. As the federal government stepped in to help place the children throughout the states, the governor of Iowa made a stance refusing to provide funding to these children leaving non-profits and faith-based organizations to provide the necessary resources. This study examines the options, services, and resources the children have accessed or are capable of accessing after arriving in the United States. Through interviews with agencies, groups, and organizations in …

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International Branch Campuses, Ninive Gomez Jan 2015

International Branch Campuses, Ninive Gomez

Dissertations and Theses

In this thesis, I studied the socio-economic, cultural, and political impact of International Branch Campuses in developing countries. I focused on the financial implications for the host country and examine whether international education providers are helping to enhance students’ core competency levels. I have investigated the advantages and disadvantages of international education providers in developing countries and what contribution they provide to the development of the host country’s economy. I conducted three case studies (Malaysia, United Arab Emirate and South Africa), which provided empirical understanding of all aspects of International Branch Campuses; including why and how host governments are financing/subsidizing …

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Fair Equality Of Opportunity: Reconceiving Affirmative Action Through A Rawlsian Lens, Janelle Garcelon Jan 2015

Fair Equality Of Opportunity: Reconceiving Affirmative Action Through A Rawlsian Lens, Janelle Garcelon

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines common and past applications of affirmative action, including arguments for and against the application; presents John Rawls’ theory of justice, and proposes a framework using Rawls’ theory for future applications of affirmative action. The proposal relieves heavily on the principle of fair equality of opportunity, both as an indicator for when using affirmative action is appropriate as well as a tool to help identify the people that affirmative action programs should target. Using this framework, the public education system is identified as a sector of society that fails to provide fair equality of opportunity for all citizens, …

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Coastal Environmental Policies And Water: Environmental Values In Ghana And Senegal, Molly R. Loftus Jan 2015

Coastal Environmental Policies And Water: Environmental Values In Ghana And Senegal, Molly R. Loftus

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis provides a comparative analysis of the environmental values present in Ghana’s and Senegal’s coastal regions, and the implications that those have for the surrounding environment. The countries approaches to urban farming, mining and oil and gas extraction, fishing, marine debris and municipal waste management are assessed in order to reach a greater understanding of these environmental issues. In undertaking this thesis, I attempted to draw a correlation between the handling of these issues and how people perceive their environment. Through the comparison of environmental degradation and the level of effort to achieve a more sustainable developmental framework in …

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Deconstructing The Third Rail: An Analysis Of The Issue Of Poverty In The United States Through The Lens Of Social Security, Nikita Mehandru Jan 2015

Deconstructing The Third Rail: An Analysis Of The Issue Of Poverty In The United States Through The Lens Of Social Security, Nikita Mehandru

CMC Senior Theses

The ongoing debate over welfare in the United States is rooted in the long-standing tension between the nation’s commitment to providing for its most vulnerable and a deep-seated belief that such support can corrupt its recipients. Social Security has struck this balance and appeals to the masses with its pay-as-you-go system and universally distributed benefits. Yet, the solvency of Social Security is threatening the program that has attempted to guard against old age and disability for the last eighty years. This paper examines how the perception of poverty in the United States is a hindrance when tackling social welfare policies. …

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What's In A Name? Effects Of The "Mentally Ill" Label On Autonomy, Miriam E. Cruz Jan 2015

What's In A Name? Effects Of The "Mentally Ill" Label On Autonomy, Miriam E. Cruz

CMC Senior Theses

Over the past years, mental health has attracted increased attention throughout the world, in the form of initiatives, programs, support groups, etc. all with goals to increase awareness and support of mental health. The stark discrepancy between the vision driving this mental health movement and our reality comes from a basic misunderstanding. While there are both legislative and cultural efforts in place to reform our mental health system, the two must work hand in hand in order to affect substantial change. Rather than producing a collaborative effort, our legislators and society tend to ignore each other, resulting in isolated attempts …

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U.S. Foreign Policy In Pakistan: Bringing Pakistan Into Line With American Counterterrorism Interests, Henry E. Appel Jan 2015

U.S. Foreign Policy In Pakistan: Bringing Pakistan Into Line With American Counterterrorism Interests, Henry E. Appel

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis is a review of U.S. foreign policy in Pakistan through a realist lens. It critiques the current state of U.S. policy and recommends that the United States prioritize national security interests, particularly with regards to counterterrorism, over building Pakistani democracy and running civilian aid programs. It then further recommends ways for the United States government to account for ground level dynamics in Pakistani politics in crafting foreign policy aimed at bringing Pakistan into line with U.S. counterterrorism priorities.

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The Tragedy Of American Supremacy, Dante R. Toppo Jan 2015

The Tragedy Of American Supremacy, Dante R. Toppo

CMC Senior Theses

Why has the United States, given its status as the sole remaining superpower following its Cold War victory, been unable to translate its preponderance of power into the outcomes it desires? The system established by the United States over the course of the Cold War does not effectively translate its power into influence in the post-Cold War world. In fact, the way US-Soviet competition shaped global affairs created systemic problems, weak and failing states, terrorism, autocracy and human rights abuse, that cannot be solved by the mechanisms of influence the US relied upon to win the Cold War. However, precisely …

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California's Foreign Relations, Christopher Gaarder Jan 2015

California's Foreign Relations, Christopher Gaarder

CMC Senior Theses

Globalization has significantly increased the number of stakeholders in transnational issues in recent decades. The typical list of the new players in global affairs often includes non-state actors like non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, and international organizations. Sub-national governments, however, have been given relatively little attention even though they, too, have a significant interest and ability to shape the increasing flow of capital, goods, services, people, and ideas that has so profoundly influenced the global political economy in recent decades. California, arguably the most significant among sub-national governments – its economy would be seventh or eighth in the world at $2.2 …

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Architechture: Rebuilding The Traditional University For The 21st Century, Sarah E. Shearer Jan 2015

Architechture: Rebuilding The Traditional University For The 21st Century, Sarah E. Shearer

CMC Senior Theses

This senior thesis is an examination of the major complexities and considerations encountered in developing an e-learning program. In light of the changing landscape of higher education resulting from technological advancement, combined with changing pedagogies and financial pressures, traditional institutions are under heightened scrutiny and most in need of innovation. Online learning as been proposed as a solution to many of these issues, but creating a successful program is no small feat. Furthermore, experimental research on specific course designs and delivery often fails upon real-world implementation. Looking through the lens of Design-Base-Implementation Research (DBIR), an emerging research model that seeks …

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Against The Grain: The Imf, Bread Riots, And Altered State Development In The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan, David M. Leathers Jan 2015

Against The Grain: The Imf, Bread Riots, And Altered State Development In The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan, David M. Leathers

CMC Senior Theses

Since the end of World War II, and especially over the past three decades, there has been a dramatic increase of interactions between international financial institutions (IFIs) and states. This paper will explore these interactions by examining the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This paper rests on the assumption that the complex implications of these interactions are not yet comprehensively understood and will move towards that goal by setting forth a collection of new approaches to further understand IFI-state interaction. It will discuss Jordan’s economic and political history, structural adjustment policies implemented by the IMF, …

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Would You Like It Hot Or Cold? An Analysis Of U.S.-China Climate Policy, Alice Chang Jan 2015

Would You Like It Hot Or Cold? An Analysis Of U.S.-China Climate Policy, Alice Chang

CMC Senior Theses

As the world’s largest emitters and economies, the United States and China play a critical role in global climate mitigation. Using Putnam’s two-level game showcases how the domestic political context of each country impacts their international policies. However, Putnam’s framework does not differentiate between bilateral and multilateral circumstances. The clarity and concentration of perceived costs and benefits for the United States and China from climate policies lead to differing outcomes on the multilateral and bilateral stage. Fear of the free-rider effect makes players assume payoffs that resemble the Prisoner’s Dilemma during multilateral climate negotiations, whereas bilateral negotiations usually result in …

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Examining Tanzania's Development Landscape, Jenna Hussein Jan 2015

Examining Tanzania's Development Landscape, Jenna Hussein

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis will examine Tanzania’s development landscape through Amartya Sen’s perspective, as per his conception of development that is put forth in Development as Freedom. Applying Sen’s conception of development to the case of Tanzania reinforces his view that development is an intricate process that is dependent on the expansion of various freedoms. It also yields unique insights about the most pressing issues that are currently impeding progress in the country. I will first clarify Sen’s framework and provide an explanation of development that corresponds with his ideals. Next, I will assess Tanzania’s state of affairs in terms of …

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Promoting Bold Investment In Renewable Energy Research And Development, Melanie C. Paty Jan 2015

Promoting Bold Investment In Renewable Energy Research And Development, Melanie C. Paty

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis discusses the potential for private investment to fund ambitious renewable energy research and development to help mitigate climate change. I begin by discussing the threat of global warming and a brief history of renewable energy development in the United States. Next, I discuss existing avenues for private investment in renewable energy, potential methods of increasing corporate participation, and the belief that businesses must maximize only financial profits. Then I perform an in-depth case study of pension funds that have incorporated a social or environmental mission, existing environmentally focused mutual funds, and liquidated clean energy mutual funds. Finally, I …

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Feasibility Analysis And Strategic Measures For Promoting Viable New Urban Development, Elizabeth J. Farr Jan 2015

Feasibility Analysis And Strategic Measures For Promoting Viable New Urban Development, Elizabeth J. Farr

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis demonstrates that New Urbanism is both an advisable and feasible method for reducing carbon emissions to mitigate global climate change. New Urban areas commonly generate lower carbon emissions compared to conventional suburban development due to lower car use and higher levels of walking and use of other forms of transportation. Economic and political feasibility of New Urban development is determined by analyzing case studies, housing price premia, financing, and fiscal impact. The many contexts and perspectives involved in the planning process are analyzed to determine if New Urbanism is advisable in the larger setting in which developers, advocates, …

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Exploring Principal Leadership In Improving Elementary Schools, Brian A. Porter Phd Jan 2015

Exploring Principal Leadership In Improving Elementary Schools, Brian A. Porter Phd

All Student Scholarship

As schools in Maine, and across the nation, are increasingly held to greater standards of accountability in terms of insuring higher levels of student academic growth and achievement, some schools are improving and some are not. Even beyond the constraints of tightening financial impositions and increasing accountability mandates, some are "defying the odds" and producing positive results. This research study sought to explore and understand the characteristics of principal leadership in improving elementary schools in Maine.

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Resource Allocation In Maine's More Efficient Public High Schools, Andrew R. Dolloff Phd Jan 2015

Resource Allocation In Maine's More Efficient Public High Schools, Andrew R. Dolloff Phd

All Student Scholarship

This mixed-methods study compared three-year average operating expenditures and resource allocation practices and policies of nine Maine high schools that had been identified in a previous study as being "more efficient" with those of nine "typical" Maine high schools. The study attempted to determine if more efficient schools allocate resources differently than typical schools.The quantitative portion of the study considered expenditures of 18 Maine high schools over a three-year period using three resource models: The Maine Department of Education(MDOE) warrant article model: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) account code model: and ( the Roza and Swartz (RS) School …

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