Next-Level Leadership: Preparing Assistant Principals for Campus Leadership

The workload of campus leaders continues to increase with new expectations for evaluation and supervision, changing legislative mandates, and mounting pressures for improved school accountability. Educational Leadership preparation programs are built on national and state standards related to principal leadership and competency. However, while principal preparation programs have focused intently on instructional leadership development for future principals, most educational leadership candidates do not immediately enter the principalship but rather start their administrative careers as assistant principals. School districts can implement a comprehensive training protocol for their emerging principals using research-based practices to ensure assistant principals have the training, coaching, and mentoring necessary for the next level of leadership. The professional development strategies presented here can be pivotal in ensuring that individuals are prepared for campus leadership and potentially mitigate principal burnout. Increasing the competencies of assistant principals to prepare them for campus leadership will help support the future of the school district and ensure a pipeline of strong leaders

Enhancing the capability of rapid bridge replacement after extreme events

Purpose – The potential threats of extreme events to highway bridges have received increased attention from government agencies, the engineering and construction communities, and the traveling public. These events include terrorist attacks as well as human-induced and natural hazards such as earthquakes, explosions, fires, floods, and hurricanes. To respond to the potential threats on highway bridges, a research project was conducted to identify rapid bridge replacement processes, techniques, and needs for improvements. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the research objectives, a detailed case study of previous bridge replacement following an extreme event was conducted. The case study was performed using a three-step approach. First, the research team reviewed the literature related to the case. Second, the research team interviewed the people who were involved with the case via the telephone. Third, the research team conducted a written survey to gain knowledge about the previously unanswered questions and additional information related to the case. Findings – After studying the case, lessons learned were identified first. Then, the research team determined the processes that were used in the rapid bridge replacements and the needed improvements so that the research community could investigate new technologies to advance current practices. Originality/value – The lessons learned could be of benefit to government agencies who are responsible for development of the enhanced emergency response plans for highway bridges, and engineering and construction communities who are responsible for design and reconstruction of the damaged bridges. The development of new technologies, if successful, will ultimately enhance the capability of rapid bridge replacement after extreme events

Rapid Bridge Replacement: Processes, Techniques, and Needs for Improvements

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and subsequent potential threats to the United States transportation systems have presented an urgent need to develop emergency response plans in order to quickly react to the possible consequences of an extreme event. Highway bridges, as critical components of the nation’s transportation network, have received increased attention. To respond to the potential threats on highway bridges, a research project was conducted to identify rapid bridge replacement processes, techniques, and needs for improvements. To achieve the research objectives, the research team studied three cases of previous bridge replacements following extreme events. By studying these cases, the research team first sought to identify and expand on lessons learned and then addressed which actions did and did not work effectively under the incident circumstances. Using the lessons learned government agencies and engineering and construction communities could enhance their emergency response plans for future incidents. Next, the research team identified needed improvements so that the research community could investigate new technologies to advance current practices

Lessons Learned from an Emergency Bridge Replacement Project

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and subsequent potential threats to U.S. transportation systems have presented an urgent need to develop emergency response plans to quickly react to the possible consequences of extreme events. Extreme events include terrorist attack as well as man-made and natural disasters such as explosions, fires, floods, and earthquakes. The objective of this research was to identify strategies and technologies to quickly restore the use of highway bridges, a critical component of the nation’s transportation network, in case they are damaged or destroyed by extreme events. One of the tasks associated with this research was to conduct case studies of previous bridge replacements following extreme events. By studying these cases, the research team sought to identify and expand on lessons learned, address which actions did and did not work well given the circumstances of the incident, and incorporate lessons into the emergency response plan for highway bridges. This paper presents the findings from one of the case studies, the I-40 Webbers Falls Bridge in Oklahoma

Rapid Bridge Replacement under Emergency Situation: Case Study

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and subsequent potential threats to the United States transportation systems have presented an urgent need to elevate the security of the transportation infrastructure and to develop emergency response plans to quickly react to the possible consequences of an extreme event. Highway bridges, as critical components of the nation’s transportation network, have been brought to closer attention by government agencies. A research project was conducted to identify strategies and technologies to restore the use of a damaged bridge quickly. One of the tasks associated with the research was to perform several case studies of previous bridge replacements following extreme events. These events include explosion and fire caused by vehicle impact, vessel collision with a bridge, and damage caused by flood and earthquake. By studying the cases, the research team seeks to identify and expand on lessons learned and address which actions did and did not work well given the circumstances of the incident. These lessons have great value to the people who need to develop and implement an emergency response plan

Twelve weeks of BodyBalance® training improved balance and functional task performance in middle-aged and older adults

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of BodyBalance® training on balance, functional task performance, fear of falling, and health-related quality of life in adults aged over 55 years. Participants and methods: A total of 28 healthy, active adults aged 66±5 years completed the randomized controlled trial. Balance, functional task performance, fear of falling, and self-reported quality of life were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Participants either undertook two sessions of BodyBalance per week for 12 weeks (n=15) or continued with their normal activities (n=13). Results: Significant group-by-time interactions were found for the timed up and go (P=0.038), 30-second chair stand (P=0.037), and mediolateral center-of-pressure range in narrow stance with eyes closed (P=0.017). There were no significant effects on fear of falling or self-reported quality of life. Conclusion: Twelve weeks of BodyBalance training is effective at improving certain balance and functional based tasks in healthy older adults

CORRELATION BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND KINEMATICAL VARIABLES IN ELITE WHEELCHAIR RUGBY PLAYERS

Wheelchair rugby is a Paralympic team sport for athletes with disabilities affecting the four limbs. Players are classified according to their functional level from 0.5 (lowest function) to 3.5 (highest function). A player’s classification is based on muscle tests designed to evaluate the strength and range of motion of the upper limbs and trunk and also includes observation of the athlete on court (IWRF, 2008). Although the sport class is based on movement potential associated with neuromuscular function and performance of tasks related to the sport, it is not well known how functional classification in rugby correlates with variables strongly related to performance such as distance covered. In a previous investigation (Sarro et al., 2010), kinematical variables were analyzed in an international rugby competition and suggested a relation between functional classification and distance covered during the game. To further examine this relationship, this project aimed to investigate the correlation between functional classification and player physical performance as measured by distance covered during a game. In addition, the correlation was examined for each game quarter and as a function of velocity range

An Experimental Study of Relationships Between Ethical Judgement and Ethical Conduct of Pre-School and Primary Children

102 pagesThis study of the relationship of age, intelligence, judgment and amount of schooling to conduct, was carried on with a threefold purpose. ( 1 ) to discover the relative importance of age, intelligence and amount of schooling as factors of ethical conduct. ( 2 ) to discover the relative importance of age, intelligence and amount of schooling as factors of ethical judgment. ( 3 ) to discover relationship between ethical conduct and ethical judgment of children four, 5, six and seven years of age, ranging from preschool to 2nd grade. Through the cooperation of Eugene schools, Condon, Edison and Francis Willard, first grades, and the kindergartens of Mrs. Jackson, Miss Thompson and Mrs. Birch, of Springfield, and parents of 14 children not attending school, 120 children were each given three tests; namely, an intelligence test, (Stanford-Revision of Binet) a judgment test, and a conduct test, during the winter and spring, 1931—32. The scores obtained from the 360 tests were used as a basis of the findings. Six tabulations of the results were made on the basis of chronological age, mental age, IQ, amount of schooling, judgment score and conduct score. Throughout the study the comparisons were drawn between the same factors that seemed to have a bearing on conduct. All other previous studies have been carried out in the field of pre-adolescent and older groups. None have dealt exclusively with the relationships of conduct and the preschool and primary levels

CORRELATION BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND KINEMATICAL VARIABLES IN ELITE WHEELCHAIR RUGBY PLAYERS

Wheelchair rugby is a Paralympic team sport for athletes with disabilities affecting the four limbs. Players are classified according to their functional level from 0.5 (lowest function) to 3.5 (highest function). A player’s classification is based on muscle tests designed to evaluate the strength and range of motion of the upper limbs and trunk and also includes observation of the athlete on court (IWRF, 2008). Although the sport class is based on movement potential associated with neuromuscular function and performance of tasks related to the sport, it is not well known how functional classification in rugby correlates with variables strongly related to performance such as distance covered. In a previous investigation (Sarro et al., 2010), kinematical variables were analyzed in an international rugby competition and suggested a relation between functional classification and distance covered during the game. To further examine this relationship, this project aimed to investigate the correlation between functional classification and player physical performance as measured by distance covered during a game. In addition, the correlation was examined for each game quarter and as a function of velocity range