International Partnerships: A Model for Educational Organizations

Opportunities exist for faculty and students within educational leadership preparation programs to participate in international initiatives within developing countries. One way to do this is through collaboration with organizations that already have an established presence in the country. Working within these organizations provides opportunities for learning and research for the educational leadership program. If done well, such work also helps host organizations meet their mission and goals. An understanding of effective behaviors in international partnerships may benefit educational leadership programs that develop these types of service opportunities. The behaviors mirror the scholar-practitioner philosophy, of which some prominent educational leadership programs adhere, through addressing pragmatic needs within a local context

Brave New World: The Use and Potential Misuse of DNA Technology in Immigration Law

DNA technology revolutionized criminal law, family law and trust and estates practice. It is now revolutionizing immigration law. Currently the Department of Homeland Security does not require DNA tests, but it recommends these tests when primary documentation, such as marriage licenses, birth certificates and adoption papers are not available to prove the relationship between the U.S. citizen petitioner and the beneficiary who is seeking permanent resident status in the United States. DNA tests are attractive to the government as a result of administrative convenience and as a means of countering fraud, but adoption of a wholesale policy of DNA testing poses a host of potential problems. In an area of law where family reunification is described as the primary goal, an increase in the use of DNA sometimes results in separating families and other unintended consequences. By promoting the use of DNA evidence, the social interests that are paramount in a family relationship could become subservient to genetic interests. The beneficiaries could become mere genetic entities, whose biological relationship through their genes is paramount. This promotes the view that shared genes are the principal means of identifying human relationships and that one should be entitled to legal benefits solely on this basis. Quality control in the collection, storage and testing of samples, access of individuals to testing facilities, especially in developing countries, privacy interests and the potential for misuse of the results of these tests, particularly in preventing the admission of aliens on health grounds are among the potential problems identified in this article. Using examples from disciplines where DNA evidence has been adopted—criminal, family and estates and trusts law—this article will present a workable policy for the use of this technology in immigration law

PENAL INSTITUTIONS General Provisions: Provide for Victim Notification by the Commissioner of Corrections

The Act requires the Commissioner of Corrections to make a good faith effort to notify victims of crimes against the person of a change in the custodial status of the offender who victimized them. Victims who wish to be notified have the responsibility of keeping the Commissioner apprised of their current address. Six months after the effective date of an appropriations act containing a specific appropriation to fund the provisions of the Act

PENAL INSTITUTIONS General Provisions: Provide for Victim Notification by the Commissioner of Corrections

The Act requires the Commissioner of Corrections to make a good faith effort to notify victims of crimes against the person of a change in the custodial status of the offender who victimized them. Victims who wish to be notified have the responsibility of keeping the Commissioner apprised of their current address. Six months after the effective date of an appropriations act containing a specific appropriation to fund the provisions of the Act

Measuring mathematical resilience : an application of the construct of resilience to the study of mathematics

To meet the challenge of accelerating demands for quantitative literacy in the work force, improvements are needed in mathematics education. Student skill must be increased at all ability levels while also reducing the achievement gap across gender, racial and ethnic groups to increase their participation in advanced mathematics coursework and representation in mathematics related careers (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Research has shown that affective traits such as motivation and attitude are linked to increased likelihood of taking advanced mathematics courses (Ma, 2006) and are significant predictors of improved cognitive activity and achievement (Buff, Reusser, Rakoczy,& Pauli, 2011; Ethington & Wolfe, 1986). In addition, males generally score more favorably than females on affective variables related to mathematics achievement and persistence (McGraw, Lubienski, & Strutchens, 2006; Sherman & Fennema, 1977; Wilkins and Ma, 2003). Although psychological resilience has been researched extensively (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000; Luthar, 2007) the study of mathematical resilience, defined as a positive adaptive stance to mathematics which allows students to continue learning despite adversity, represents a new approach (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010; Rivera & Waxman, 2011). Math anxiety looks at maladaptive response to learning mathematics and is well-studied (Hembree, 1990; Richardson & Suinn, 1977; Tobias, 1978). In contrast, resilience incorporates factors associated with optimal functioning. Although mathematical resilience has been identified as important for success (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010; Rivera & Waxman, 2011), little consensus exists around its definition and no measures of resilience have been rigorously developed and/or validated. Rivera & Waxman (2011) identified the use of teacher nomination of resilient students as a limitation of their study, further motivating development of an instrument. This presentation will report on efforts to develop and validate an instrument measuring mathematical resilience. Ultimately, the measure will aid in developing and testing models that gauge the role of mathematical resilience in student achievement and persistence in advanced coursework. These models can be used to develop interventions to improve mathematical resilience, achievement, and quantitative literacy (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010)

Verification of Ares I Liftoff Acoustic Environments via the Ares Scale Model Acoustic Test

Launch environments, such as Liftoff Acoustic (LOA) and Ignition Overpressure (IOP), are important design factors for any vehicle and are dependent upon the design of both the vehicle and the ground systems. The NASA Constellation Program had several risks to the development of the Ares I vehicle linked to LOA which are used in the development of the vibro-acoustic environments. The risks included cost, schedule and technical impacts for component qualification due to high predicted vibro-acoustic environments. One solution is to mitigate the environment at the component level. However, where the environment is too severe to mitigate at the component level, reduction of the launch environments is required. The Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) program was implemented to verify the predicted Ares I launch environments and to determine the acoustic reduction for the LOA environment with an above deck water sound suppression system. The test article included a 5% scale Ares I vehicle model, tower and Mobile Launcher. Acoustic and pressure data were measured by approximately 200 instruments. The ASMAT results are compared to the Ares I LOA predictions and water suppression effectiveness results are presented