A Path to Alignment: Connecting K-12 and Higher Education via the Common Core and the Degree Qualifications Profile

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which aim to assure competency in English/language arts and mathematics through the K-12 curriculum, define necessary but not sufficient preparedness for success in college. The Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP), which describes what a college degree should signify, regardless of major, offers useful but not sufficient guidance to high school students preparing for college study. A coordinated strategy to prepare students to succeed in college would align these two undertakings and thus bridge an unfortunate and harmful cultural chasm between the K-12 world and that of higher education. Chasms call for bridges, and the bridge proposed by this white paper could create a vital thoroughfare. The white paper begins with a description of the CCSS and an assessment of their significance. A following analysis then explains why the CCSS, while necessary, are not sufficient as a platform for college success. A corresponding explanation of the DQP clarifies the prompts that led to its development, describes its structure, and offers some guidance for interpreting the outcomes that it defines. Again, a following analysis considers the potential of the DQP and the limitations that must be addressed if that potential is to be more fully realized. The heart of the white paper lies in sections 5 and 6, which provide a crosswalk between the CCSS and the DQP. These sections show how alignments and differences between the two may point to a comprehensive preparedness strategy. They also offer a proposal for a multifaceted strategy to realize the potential synergy of the CCSS and the DQP for the benefit of high school and college educators and their students -- and the nation

Probability of return on investment with using soybean seed treatments

With soybean commodity prices at record high prices, the number of questions regarding key management considerations also remains high. One of the question that we often receive regards the use of seed treatments, in particular the use of seed treatment fungicides and/or insecticides. Since 2008, we have conducted trials throughout Wisconsin to examine if seed treatments are economically viable for soybean production. In particular, we are most interested in trying to answer the following question: “what is the probability that if I use a seed treatment, the cost of the application is covered?

KSU Philharmonic with Brass Ensembles

The KSU Philharmonic presents their fall concert, featuring select Brass Chamber Ensembles.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2263/thumbnail.jp

Negative Attitudes of Law Students: A Replication of the Alienation and Dissatisfaction Factors

In 1976 we conducted a survey of law students at The University of Michigan. Demographic information; personal goals and values; and attitudes toward the law school, the faculty, and fellow students were surveyed. We factor-analyzed the items relating to attitudes, personal goals, and values. Three major factors were identified and labeled as alienation, dissatisfaction, and sociability. We have recently described the alienation factor extensively and outlined the dissatisfaction and sociability factors. In March 1977, we conducted a second survey designed to replicate the earlier study. Despite the addition of a few new items, the questionnaire was essentially unchanged. The new study group consisted of 165 first-year students and 38 second- or third-year students. We randomly selected the first-year students from the class entering in 1976. The advanced students were enrolled in a course on evidence. We used the same procedure as in the first study to factor-analyze the data. The first two rotated factors-alienation and dissatisfaction-were quite comparable to those in the earlier study. The third factor, sociability, did not replicate, and it seems advisable to discard it as a central construct in studies of the professional socialization of law students

Mathematics Teachers\u27 Beliefs and Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching: How Teachers\u27 MKT Shifts in Planning and Impacts Their Beliefs and Instructional Practice

In an effort to understand how a teacher developed Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and how that knowledge can shift teacher\u27s beliefs and instructional practice, I worked with a teacher to deeply plan and implement six mathematical lessons. The research suggests that planning can be a vehicle to develop a teacher\u27s Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching. In addition, as a teacher\u27s Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching started to develop through lesson planning, the teacher\u27s beliefs about her own knowledge of mathematics started to increase which started to shift the teacher\u27s instructional practice. This combination of a stronger Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, self confidence in her own understanding of the mathematics and shifts in her instructional practice created a new pedagogical practice I have called The Pedagogy of Knowing

REPEATABILITY OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGE ON A SANDY BEACH ACROSS MULTIPLE TIMESCALES

The swash zone is a highly dynamic region of the nearshore in terms of both hydro- and sediment dynamics. Previous work has demonstrated that the majority of swash events transport only small amounts of sediment and net beachface volume change over several hours tends to be small. However, a small number of individual swash events can deposit or remove hundreds of kilograms of sediment per metre width of beach. These events are typically associated with swash flows that involve one or more highly turbulent swash-swash interactions, causing enhanced suspension and transport of sediment (Blenkinsopp et al. 2011). The timing and location of these interactions is complex and small changes in either can lead to very different local flow conditions. The complexity of these flows make sediment transport prediction on a swash-by-swash basis very challenging, and raises the question whether deterministic physical and numerical modelling of swash sediment transport is warranted. </jats:p

NASA advanced design program: Analysis, design, and construction of a solar powered aircraft

Increase in energy demands coupled with rapid depletion of natural energy resources have deemed solar energy as the most logical alternative source of power. The major objective of this project was to build a solar powered remotely controlled aircraft to demonstrate the feasibility of solar energy as an effective, alternate source of power. The final design was optimized for minimum weight and maximum strength of the structure. These design constraints necessitated a carbon fiber composite structure. Surya is a lightweight, durable aircraft capable of achieving level flight powered entirely by solar cells

Perturbations in neuroinflammatory pathways are associated with paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer survivors.

Paclitaxel is a common chemotherapy drug associated with the development of chronic paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). PIPN is associated with neuroinflammatory mechanisms in pre-clinical studies. Here, we evaluated for differential gene expression (DGE) in peripheral blood between breast cancer survivors with and without PIPN and for neuroinflammatory (NI) related signaling pathways and whole-transcriptome profiles from other experiments. Pathway impact analysis identified 8 perturbed NI related pathways. Expression profile analysis found 15 experiments having similar whole-transcriptome profiles of DGE related to neuroinflammation and PIPN. These findings suggest that perturbations in pathways associated with neuroinflammation are found in cancer survivors with PIPN

Advancing agricultural research using machine learning algorithms

Rising global population and climate change realities dictate that agricultural productivity must be accelerated. Results from current traditional research approaches are difficult to extrapolate to all possible fields because they are dependent on specific soil types, weather conditions, and background management combinations that are not applicable nor translatable to all farms. A method that accurately evaluates the effectiveness of infinite cropping system interactions (involving multiple management practices) to increase maize and soybean yield across the US does not exist. Here, we utilize extensive databases and artificial intelligence algorithms and show that complex interactions, which cannot be evaluated in replicated trials, are associated with large crop yield variability and thus, potential for substantial yield increases. Our approach can accelerate agricultural research, identify sustainable practices, and help overcome future food demands

Performance of a dynamic cobble berm revetment for coastal protection, under increasing water level.

In a changing climate, sea level rise and projected regional-scale changes in storminess may increase the vulnerability of sandy coastlines to coastal erosion and flooding. As a result, there is increased interest in the development of adaptable, sustainable and effective coastal protection measures to protect these highly variable sandy coastlines. One such example is a dynamic cobble berm revetment; a "soft-engineering" solution (i.e., not fixed) consisting of a cobble berm constructed around the high tide wave runup limit, that has the potential to stabilise the upper beach, provide overtopping protection to the hinterland and translate with water level rise. However, there have been limited applications of dynamic cobble berm revetments to date, and there is a lack of understanding about the efficacy of this coastal protection to current and changing waves and water levels. This study details a prototype-scale experiment conducted to test the behaviour and performance of a dynamic cobble berm revetment as a form of coastal protection against erosive waves and water level increase. Results from the experiment showed that the revetment was "dynamically stable" under wave action as a consistent global shape was retained even though individual cobbles were mobilised under every swash event. Although the front slope and the crest responded to the incident wave condition, the net rate of change was always an order of magnitude lower than the gross rate of change. Tracking of individual cobbles using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology showed that stability of the revetment was likely maintained by rollover transport of cobbles onto the crest, as the revetment moved upward and landward under water level rise. The presence of the revetment reduced the vertical and horizontal runup as well as the retreat of the upper beach. The experimental results presented suggest that a dynamic cobble berm revetment could be a cheap, efficient and low environmental impact engineering solution for protecting sandy coastlines in a changing climate. Some preliminary design guidelines for coastal engineers are also drawn from this experiment