Transforming regular classroom instruction to differentiate for gifted and highly capable learners

This qualitative action research study documented the transformation of a small suburban school district from an educational culture focused on minimal levels of achievement reflective of No Child Left Behind to one valuing the continuous progress of all levels of learners. The participant-researcher led teachers in third through seventh grades with instructional program changes in social studies and science that implemented advanced differentiation using a curriculum compacting model. The two-fold purpose of the study explored how teacher engagement in an effective professional development program impacted their practice and disposition toward meeting the needs of gifted learners, while seeking information regarding changes in school district culture to promote 21st century learning environments. After five action research cycles over an 18-month period, growth at the student, teacher, and district levels were reported to reveal a shift in learning, practice, and culture to embrace the value of differentiating for gifted and highly capable students in the regular classroom. Generalization of the findings is reflected in the development of a framework for 21st century educational reform that integrates various components of the study

Am I Enough

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)Art and DesignUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156110/1/DeepBlue_Brown_2018_MFA_Thesis.pd

Bottom-up lawmaking and the regulation of private military and security companies

Resumen: El aumento de la contratación de empresas privadas militares y de seguridad privada a nivel global crea un problema de regulación debido a las debilidades en la aplicación clara del Derecho Humanitario y Derechos Humanos existentes, y de las deficiencias intrínsecas inherentes a la delegación. Este artículo evalúa el tema de la creación de una regulación legal en relación al sector a través de la aplicación de la teoría de Bottom-Up Lawmaking a las asociaciones profesionales vinculadas a dicha industria. Señala un cambio en el modelo clásico centrado en el Estado, donde en vez de la formación de políticas para ser interiorizadas en la práctica, el análisis demuestra un proceso orgánico centrado en la creación de normativas por parte de los profesionales que terminen exteriorizadas a nivel del Estado a través de la agregación de su contenido. Palabras clave: empresas privadas militares y de seguridad privada, bottom-up lawmaking, normativas internas, regulación. Abstract: The increased contracting of private military and security companies on a global scale creates a regulatory issue due to the weaknesses in clearly applying existing international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as the intrinsic control deficiencies inherent in delegation. This article assesses the issue of the formation of regulatory policy as it relates to the sector through the application of the theory of Bottom-Up Lawmaking to the professional associations related to the industry. It points to a change in the classic state-centric model, where instead of the formation of policy to be internalized in practice, the analysis demonstrates an organic process centered on the norms created by practitioners being externalized to the state level through content aggregation. Key Words: private military and security companies, bottom-up lawmaking, internal norms, regulation

A woman in the archives: the legacy of Margaret C. Norton

Margaret C. Norton (1891-1984) was the first state archivist of Illinois and a prominent personality in the early history of the archival profession. She made an indelible mark on the history of the early archival profession through her many written works, her work concerning the nuts and bolts of the archival profession, her involvement with the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and other organizations. Drawing from numerous influences she was a prolific writer, thinker and worker who held strong opinions at a time when it was not common for women to do so. This thesis uses Norton\u27s personal papers and supplemental secondary resources to analyze the views and writings of this strong woman who was one of the pioneers in her profession

United States Military Cohesion after the Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was projected by politicians and military personnel alike to have a negative impact on unit cohesion. The findings of this study indicated that overall military cohesion was high, and that many military members found that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” had no impact on task or social cohesion. However, using the Chi Square test, there were two noted significant associations when observing participant pay grade and perceptions of how the repeal of DADT has affected a unit’s ability to work together to complete tasks get the job done (χ2 (5) = 13.37, p = .020), and when observing participant pay grade and how the repeal of DADT has affected how much service members in the immediate unit care about each other (χ2 (5) = 12.92, p = .024). When an impact on cohesion was noted, the repeal had a positive or very positive effect

Ethical Implications of the Affordable Care Act on Employment

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has affected the decisions of many companies across America. Accountants in these companies are constantly concerned with lowering costs in order to increase profits. Firing full-time employees and hiring part-time replacements could help cut down on costs, but management\u27s decisions not only impact the company, but the lives of their employees, their employee\u27s families and the country\u27s economic health. As a Christian accountant, one needs to realize the ethical impact of ACA to make informed decisions. This paper explores whether or not it is ethical for Christians to recommend that a company fire its staff and hire part-time replacements to financially benefit the company