The Tension in Affordable Housing: Are Current 'Best Practices' Enough?

Minnesota has a reputation for excellence in public systems -- an excellence that some believe is overshadowed as other states also advance more innovations. Not so in affordable housing. Minnesota has developed an affordable housing sector considered by many to be second to none, starting with sound stewardship by the state housing agency and extending to intermediaries who push and prod to engage and address challenges as they arise, local and regional government leaders committed to creating affordable housing, and a host of community-based organizations that both produce and advocate for affordable housing -- all underpinned by generous philanthropy that very early on recognized the importance of stable and affordable housing to the success of families. Moreover, the state's sector has a clear vision of affordable housing: it is not just a structure in which to live, but a platform to increase family stability and link families to opportunities through access to transportation, education, employment and healthy lifestyles. In Minnesota, affordable housing also strives to be energy efficient and green.Yet at this moment when our state's affordable housing sector is as fully realized as ever, various economic, demographic, and political forces have converged to make "homes for all" even more elusive. If we had unlimited resources, our solution might be clear: simply ramp up production. But we live in a resource-constrained world, driven by questions about whether every dollar is used for the maximum benefit of people served. Our presenting question then is this: With Minnesota's strong affordable housing sector in an unprecedented position to advance its work, can our current "best practices" meet the needs of the future -- or is some fundamental restructuring in order

Best practices for current and futuristic cosmetic claims

The cosmetics industry’s self-regulatory system is an important tool for promoting innovation by adopting a dynamic and flexible approach to rapidly evolving technology and market conditions. As marketing and product presentation plays an important role in the cosmetics industry, various claims linked to cosmetic products are made in order to persuade consumers of their efficacy. Best practices for cosmetic claims must be used and frequently reviewed to protect the consumer, promote fair competition and maintain a positive image of the industry with the continuous development of new products. The difficulty with this approach is ensuring compliance with the common claims criteria on a case-by-case basis. This presentation addressed the current situation for consumers with regard to claims. With future developments of products in the ‘grey area’, an overview was given on how the consumer could be protected from misleading claims in the industry by providing an outline of possible solutions. We also discussed whether the self-regulatory initiatives are sufficient to protect the consumer from misleading claims and whether there is a need for claims to undergo an authorisation procedure in order to ensure an accurate reflection of product efficacy

Assessment Best Practices: A Review of Current Best Practices at the Secondary and Local Level

Assessment is a critical component of being an educator. Research has shown that educators put more of their trust in their local assessments’ data, rather than that of state mandated testing. Therefore educators must be well educated on the best practices that surround assessments, in order to ensure that the data in which they are trusting is the most accurate and appropriate measure of their student’s success. This capstone project reviews the current literature surrounding such practices in order to answer the question: Is it possible to extend the knowledge of current research, to educators, through the form of a professional development workshop, with regards to best practice for assessments, and related instructional practices, at the secondary level? Ultimately, the conclusion is yes, there are best practices suggested by the current research that can be easily articulated to and practiced by educators, in the form of a professional development. A majority of the best practices surround the sub-category of formative assessment, rather than prior knowledge and summative assessments. The resulting professional development is designed to be implemented in a small charter school, at the secondary level, in the upper midwest of the United States. Additionally, it is meant to give the participants ample time and opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues, practice, and reflect on the best practices surrounding assessment

Analysis of the “make or buy” decision process in a research and development sme

Start-up SMEs face various challenges and difficulties during their existence and due to their nature they often lack knowledge and resources to fully address these challenges. Unlike large companies which have access to various resources, those resources are a significant gap for SMEs and the business owners have to rely on their own limited knowledge. The “Make or buy” decision is a critical decision in an organisation. This decision can affect current and future costs, capability and competences in the company and by taking best practice approaches and measures towards the decision making, extensive costs can be potentially saved. In this study, literature best practices have been reviewed. In addition a small company has been studied and the current practices of the company have been compared to academic best practices. The result of the study will be used to improve the “Make or buy” decision process in the company

What Does an Exemplary Middle School Mathematics Teacher Look Like? The Use of a Professional Development Rubric

A School University Research Network (SURN) committee composed of current mathematics teachers, central office math supervisors, building administrators, mathematicians, and mathematics educators researched numerous sources regarding best practices in mathematics instruction. The resulting professional development rubric synthesizes their findings and can serve a professional development role by providing teachers and administrators with a tool to develop clarity and consensus on best mathematics instructional practices, and how these practices are implemented in the classroom. It is also being used as a tool for cooperating teachers in their supervision of student teachers and as a reflective method for self-evaluation

Metabolomics Data Processing and Data Analysis—Current Best Practices

Metabolomics data analysis strategies are central to transforming raw metabolomics data files into meaningful biochemical interpretations that answer biological questions or generate novel hypotheses. This book contains a variety of papers from a Special Issue around the theme “Best Practices in Metabolomics Data Analysis”. Reviews and strategies for the whole metabolomics pipeline are included, whereas key areas such as metabolite annotation and identification, compound and spectral databases and repositories, and statistical analysis are highlighted in various papers. Altogether, this book contains valuable information for researchers just starting in their metabolomics career as well as those that are more experienced and look for additional knowledge and best practice to complement key parts of their metabolomics workflows

Current and Best Practices for Recruiting Qualified Rehabilitation Counselors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) in Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Region IV, along with their current recruitment practices. Written surveys and follow up phone interviews were used to gather data from the 19 Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs and the 12 Federal/State Vocational Rehabilitation programs in Region IV. Additionally, suggestions were obtained from key stakeholders regarding future recruitment activities. Currently there are 891 positions not filled with qualified Rehabilitation Counselors. In addition, a majority of graduates from the Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs are not seeking employment from the Federal/State VR programs (51%). The anticipated retirement and turnover rate for VR Counselors in the next three years is projected to be three times larger than the number of students graduating from RCE programs. Consequently there is a need for an aggressive recruitment campaign. RCE Coordinators and VR Directors agreed that some needed recruitment strategies included: recruitment and development of recruitment videos and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a web based marketing program, paid internships for VR agencies, and marketing strategies for high schools and universities

Inclusion and Equity Committee Diverse Recruitment Task Force 1 “Literature Review”

Engage in a literature review of current recruitment of underrepresented groups and from the literature review, recommend a series of policies that encapsulate best practices for use at the UNLV Libraries