One Urban College of Education\u27s Examination of Graduates’ Employment and Retention in Public Schools

Difficulties in recruiting and retaining well prepared teachers have plagued American urban schools for many years. This study examines the role teacher education can play in preparing teachers for urban schools. The yield rate and retention rates for teachers graduating from one urban college of education show that the mission of the program to prepare educators for the urban settings and a curriculum focused on providing theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and dispositions for instruction in high-needs classrooms has been successful. The yield and four-year retention data for graduates from this program indicate that the components of teacher preparation significantly associated with teacher employment after graduation and retention were: GPA and program major

Observation of Field Practice Rubric: Establishing Content Validity and Reliability

Most teacher education assessments are criticized for lacking validity and reliability. This study describes the process of developing the Observation of Field Performance rubric to assess initial teacher candidates’ classroom performance and establishing the content validity as well as reliability of the rubric. A panel of content area experts determined that 10 out of 12 items of the rubric were essential and the CVR was above the acceptable range for all 12 items, indicating that the rubric had a strong content validity. Additionally, the analysis of instructors’ ratings on the rubric showed that the rubric had good level of internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Thus, this study determined that the OFP is a reliable and valid measure of candidate performance during field practice. Establishing validity and reliability not only enables teacher education programs to collect high quality assessment data, it is also crucial for program approval and accreditation decisions by national and state agencies

The Effectiveness of Urban Teacher Education Programs: Listening to the Voices of Cooperating Teachers

The cooperating teacher has long been referred to as the most significant person in the education of teacher candidates. However, the voice of the cooperating teachers has been largely missing in teacher education evaluation research. Our study focused on obtaining feedback from the cooperating teachers about the effectiveness of our teacher education programs in emphasizing our college’s conceptual framework focused on social justice and equity. This mixed methods study utilized survey data from cooperating teachers over two academic years. The early childhood education (ECE) cooperating teachers gave significantly higher ratings to their programs than the middle secondary education (MSE) cooperating teachers. Cooperating teachers perceived extensive field experiences, effective supervisory support, and clear and consistent communication from faculty as a strength of the ECE programs. The MSE programs which were rated lower than the ECE programs were perceived as needing improvement in the structure of field experiences and in communication of expectations from the university

Implementação estadual do edTPA em preparação para testes de alto risco: Um estudo de métodos mistos das preocupações dos coordenadores do edTPA

This study examined the implementation of high-stakes adoption of edTPA® in one state in the year prior to consequential use of edTPA scores for teacher licensure. Using a mixed methods design, we investigated concerns of coordinators who were responsible for edTPA implementation in their institutions. We utilized the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to understand edTPA coordinators’ Stages of Concern, the nature of the challenges they faced, and the professional development opportunities that alleviated their concerns. Based on the CBAM survey, the most common Stage of Concernfor edTPA coordinators was Management.Coordinators’ interviews revealed the nature of their concerns at different stages and how the size of their institution and supportive resources at particular times may have played a crucial role in shaping the edTPA roll-out in their institutions. The use of the CBAM framework enabled edTPA coordinators (a) to understand their own concerns about the high-stakes policy, (b) to articulate the complexities involved in implementing edTPA initiatives, and (c) to underscore the importance of relating concerns to appropriate professional development opportunities and support for themselves as well as their faculty. Este estudio examinó la implementación de la adopción de edTPA® de alto riesgo en un estado previo al uso consecuente de los puntajes de edTPA para la licencia de maestros. Usando un diseño de método mixto, investigamos las preocupaciones de los coordinadores responsables de implementar edTPA en sus instituciones. Utilizamos el Modelo de adopción basado en la preocupación (CBAM) para comprender las etapas de preocupación para los coordinadores de edTPA, la naturaleza de los desafíos que enfrentaron y las oportunidades de desarrollo profesional que alivian sus preocupaciones. Según la investigación de CBAM, la etapa de preocupación más común para los coordinadores de edTPA fue la gestión. Las entrevistas con los coordinadores revelaron la naturaleza de sus preocupaciones en diferentes etapas y cómo el tamaño de su institución y los recursos de apoyo en ciertos momentos pueden haber jugado un papel crucial en la definición de la implementación de edTPA en sus instituciones. El uso del marco CBAM ha permitido a los coordinadores de edTPA (a) comprender sus propias preocupaciones sobre la política de alto riesgo, (b) articular las complejidades involucradas en la implementación de iniciativas de edTPA, y (c) subrayar la importancia de relacionar las preocupaciones con oportunidades apropiadas para el desarrollo profesional y el apoyo para ellos mismos y la facultad.Este estudo examinou a implementação da adoção de edTPA® de alto risco em um estado do ano anterior ao uso consequente das pontuações de edTPA para licenciamento de professores. Usando um design de métodos mistos, investigamos as preocupações dos coordenadores responsáveis pela implementação do edTPA em suas instituições. Utilizamos o Modelo de Adoção com Base em Preocupações (CBAM) para entender os Estágios de Preocupação dos coordenadores da edTPA, a natureza dos desafios que enfrentaram e as oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional que atenuaram suas preocupações. Com base na pesquisa da CBAM, o estágio de preocupação mais comum para os coordenadores da edTPA foi o gerenciamento. As entrevistas dos coordenadores revelaram a natureza de suas preocupações em diferentes estágios e como o tamanho de sua instituição e os recursos de suporte em determinados momentos podem ter desempenhado um papel crucial na definição da implementação do edTPA em suas instituições. O uso da estrutura CBAM permitiu aos coordenadores da edTPA (a) entender suas próprias preocupações sobre a política de altos riscos, (b) articular as complexidades envolvidas na implementação de iniciativas da edTPA, e (c) sublinhar a importância de relacionar as preocupações às oportunidades apropriadas de desenvolvimento profissional e apoiar a si e ao corpo docente

Effect of Electromagnetic Field on Antimicrobial Activity and Novel Antimicrobial Compounds

The objective of this study is to determine the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and effect of electromagnetic field on the activity. To find out antimicrobial activity of essential oils (Thyme, Clove, Lavender), against test organisms disc diffusion assay was performed. MIC of all essential oils were determined under electromagnetic field and non-electromagnetic field. Both studies confirmed the antimicrobial activity of oils and effect of electromagnetic field. However, time killing experiment was conducted to calculate rate of inhibition for essential oils, lavender oil and thyme oil showed higher rate as compared to that of clove oil. This study provides evidence to antimicrobial activity of essential oils, and also confirmed the effect of electromagnetic field on the activity. The proposed mechanism for antimicrobial activity is inhibition of metabolic enzymes which has supported with Analytical Profile Identification (API 20NE)

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass