An Analysis of Teacher Perceptions of Four Teacher Effectiveness Models Implemented in School Districts Across Tennessee

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of teachers relative to: (a) the process and strategies used to implemente the various components of a teacher effectiveness model used by teachers participating in four focus group sessions. the research explored the teachers\u27 experiences with which components were most and least helpful in improving their teaching effectiveness and identifies the major differences in the process and strategies used to implement the components of each of the models. Data was gathered from 32 teachers across the state of tennessee through focus group session with the researcher and participants were asked to indicate what components were (1) most helpful and (2) least helpful in improving their teaching effectiveness. the qualitative study also analyzed the components of the models chosen by districts that elected to replace the state model and the perception teachers regarding the effectiveness of model components relative to enhancing their teaching effectiveness. Results indicated that planning and instruction were components that all teacher in all of the teacher effectiveness models in the study. the results indicated that the environment was the least helpful component reported by teachers for three of the focus groups with the fourth groups choosing family and community outreach as the least helpful component

Transition to Work: a Study of New College Graduates.

The success of the transition to work is affected by many factors, including the organization entry process itself. Research shows that the first year of employment is a critical time period and the organizational entry process is not dearly understood. The central focus of this study was to determine what exactly do new college graduates encounter as they enter the workplace, and does that experience affect their opinions and attitudes. Further, do women and African Americans have a similar or different experiences than white males in the transition process. An exploratory descriptive study of a random sample of Louisiana State University\u27s May 1998 undergraduate graduating class was conducted to describe and analyze their transition from college to the workplace. Key research questions included demographic characteristics; the effectiveness of the preparation for the transition; perceptions of the organizational entry experience; opinions about their first job and the organization; their understanding of their organization\u27s structure and culture; the extent to which their expectations about the job were met; the tactics and strategies they used to adapt; relationship with their supervisor and socialization tactics. The survey was mailed to 672 graduates approximately one year after graduation with 185 (28%) returned. Only those employed in a position appropriate for starting their career and employed in a business or for-profit organization were used in this study (N = 135). Data were factor analyzed using oblique rotation, and mean response were calculated for the scales identified. T-test were performed to compare the means of women and African Americans responses to that of white males on three scales; expectations, tactics and strategies and attitudes toward the job. Respondents generally reported positive transition experiences and satisfaction with their job and supervisor. Minorities differed from the majority in the tactics and strategies used in adjusting on the job and reported a lower level of job support than did the majority. Women reported a difference from men in the way they viewed their job. New college graduates reported a need for more internships and information on benefits and investments. Implications for university curricula and Human Resources programming were discussed

An exploratory study of expectant mothers’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about infant vaccination

Background: Childhood vaccination decision making occurs during pregnancy. However, more insight is needed to determine how expectant mothers in the United States decide whether to vaccinate their children — particularly as the first vaccine, Hepatitis B, is recommended within 24 hours of birth. Aim: This qualitative study used the foundational lens of the Theory of Reasoned Action to 1) explore how expectant mothers formulate knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about infant vaccination, and 2) discern if differences exist regarding how first-time expectant mothers approach vaccine decision making. Methods: Eleven focus groups were conducted with pregnant participants from an obstetrics practice in the southeastern United States. Thematic analysis was undertaken, utilizing the constant comparative method. Results: Four overarching themes emerged: the need for evidence-based childhood vaccine information during pregnancy; perceptions of source trustworthiness and the social media paradox; concerns about the “one-size-fits-all” vaccine schedule; and the process of vaccine risk-benefit analysis of first-time mothers. Discussion: Practical implications highlight a need for standardized vaccine-related education during the prenatal care period. Theoretical implications reveal that the decision of whether to vaccinate one’s infant remains complex, involving a variety of factors. Conclusion: Compared to expectant mothers who had children previously, first-time expectant mothers especially reported feeling ill-informed to make infant vaccine decisions

Carole Brewer and Amelia Carter in a Junior Recital

This is the program for the junior recital of soprano, Amelia Carter, accompanied by pianist, Carolyn Yeldell, and junior piano recital of Carole Brewer. The recital was held on April 7, 1967

Library Faculty Publishing and Intellectual Property Issues: A Survey of Attitudes and Awareness

Researchers from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) surveyed faculty members from 10 academic research libraries to learn about scholarly publishing activities, attitudes, and policies. Areas of special interest included the effect of publishers’ intellectual property policies and institutional promotion and tenure processes on library faculty publishing decisions. The library faculty members were also asked about their experience in negotiating for additional rights from publishers and their experience in self-archiving their research. The researchers wanted to determine if there were any correlation between a library faculty member’s rank and tenure status and the number of peer-reviewed articles published in refereed journals

Anxiety Mediates Perceived Discrimination and Health in African-American Women

We examined the mediational role of symptoms of anxiety in accounting for the association of discrimination and chronic health conditions among African-American women. Methods: Participants were 646 African-American women who completed self-report measures of perceived racial discrimination, symptoms of anxiety, and diagnosed chronic health problems. Results: We examined the mediation hypothesis using a path analytic procedure. Mediational analyses indicated that, above and beyond symptoms of depression, age, and education status, anxiety symptoms were associated with both racial discrimination (β = .03, SE = .01, p \u3c .001) and chronic health problems (β = .33, SE = .09, p \u3c .001) and significantly mediated the discrimination-health association (β = -.01, SE = .01, p = .16). Conclusions: These findings highlight the potentially vital role of symptoms of anxiety in the process that occurs from an individual\u27s perception of discrimination to reported chronic health outcomes. Future research expanding our understanding of the interconnection of psychosocial stressors, discrimination, and their biological sequelae is needed

What Cell Phones Mean in Young People\u27s Daily Lives and Social Interactions

In this exploratory study, we present a preliminary analysis of narrative accounts written by 72 undergraduate students, to help shed light on what cell phones mean in the daily lives and social interactions of young people. At a time when, increasingly, people are using and becoming familiar with information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their personal lives before these technologies infiltrate the work space, an understanding of how young people develop emotional connections with their cell phones could provide insight into what ICT use may be like in the future. The narrative accounts provided by study participants elucidate what cell phones mean in young people’s lives. Our study reveals that young people become increasingly dependent, and develop deeper emotional ties with cell phones, as usage permeates more aspects of their daily lives and social interactions

The stratigraphy and history of Mars' northern lowlands through mineralogy of impact craters: A comprehensive survey

The basin-filling materials of the northern lowlands, which cover approximately one third of Mars' surface, record the long-term evolution of Mars' geology and climate. The buried stratigraphy was inferred through analyses of impact crater mineralogy, detected using data acquired by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars. Examining 1045 impact craters across the northern lowlands, we find widespread olivine and pyroxene and diverse hydrated/hydroxylated minerals, including Fe/Mg smectite, chlorite, prehnite, and hydrated silica. The distribution of mafic minerals is consistent with infilling volcanic materials across the entire lowlands (~1–4 × 10^7 km^3), indicating a significant volume of volatile release by volcanic outgassing. Hydrated/hydroxylated minerals are detected more frequently in large craters, consistent with the scenario that the hydrated minerals are being excavated from deep basement rocks, beneath 1–2 km thick mafic lava flows or volcaniclastic materials. The prevalences of different types of hydrated minerals are similar to statistics from the southern highlands. No evidence of concentrated salt deposits has been found, which would indicate a long-lived global ocean. We also find significant geographical variations of local mineralogy and stratigraphy in different basins (geological provinces), independent of dust cover. For example, many hydrated and mafic minerals are newly discovered within the polar Scandia region (>60°N), and Chryse Planitia has more mafic mineral detections than other basins, possibly due to a previously unrecognized volcanic source

Factors Related to Turnover Intentions of Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Agents.

The purpose of this study was to expand the theoretical knowledge of the March and Simon (1958) decision to participate model as modified by Jackofsky (1982, 1984) and examined by Jackofsky and Peters (1983). Specifically, the study examined the relationship between employee turnover intentions and various predictors of turnover, including (a) desirability of movement (organizational commitment); (b) ease of movement; (c) the interaction of perceived desirability of movement (organizational commitment) and perceived ease of movement from the organization; (d) job satisfaction; (e) central life interest; and (f) selected employee demographic variables. Two-hundred forty Extension agents employed by Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service responded to a mailed questionnaire. The instrument consisted of a demographic information sheet, a measure of desirability of movement--Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979), a measure of ease of movement (Van Tilburg, 1985), a measure of job satisfaction--Job Descriptive Index (JDI) (Smith, Kendall, & Hulin, 1969), a measure of Central Life Interest (CLI) (Ben-Porat, 1980), and a measure of Intention to Quit (Peters, Bhagat, & O\u27Connor, 1981). Correlational analyses were undertaken to determine the magnitude and direction of the relationships between independent and dependent variables. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify a linear combination of independent variables that would best predict the dependent variable, intention to quit organization. Additionally, regression analysis was performed to identify the best predictor(s) of a second dependent variable, intention to quit job (intra-organizational change). Results from the supplemental multiple regression analysis using intention to quit job as the dependent variable indicated organizational commitment entered first. The only other significant predictors that entered the regression equation were sex, tenure, job/responsibility change, and spouse\u27s employment. Some support was found for the modified March and Simon (1958) model suggested by Jackofsky and Peters (1983). Desirability of movement (organizational commitment) was identified as the best single predictor of the organization specific measure intention to quit organization. Organizational commitment was also identified as the best single predictor of the job specific measure intention to quit job. The amount of variance explained in the model was much greater for the organization specific variable than for the job specific variable