Strategic Leadership for Education Reform: Lessons From the Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program

In 1990, the National Science Foundation (NSF) created the Statewide Systemic Initiative Program. The solicitation issued by the Directorate for Science and Engineering Education sought proposals “for projects intended to broaden the impact, accelerate the pace, and increase the effectiveness of improvements in science, mathematics, and engineering education in both K-12 and post-secondary levels“(NSF, 1990, p. 1). Projects funded as Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSIs) were to align various parts of the system to produce comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained change. Curriculum learning goals; content, instructional materials, and practice; assessment; teacher recruitment and preparation; and professional development of teachers, administrators, and others — all were to come under the umbrella of systemic reform, as were other parts of the system that affected “ways of doing business“: organizational structure and decision making, allocation of resources, articulation within the system, and accountability. SSIs were also to involve an array of stakeholders in reform efforts — scientists and mathematicians, business and community representatives, local school system decision makers, and leaders of parent and community-based organizations. This CPRE Policy Brief looks at some of the lessons from the SSI experience gleaned from a Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) study of NSF\u27s Statewide Systemic Initiative Program. The systemic approach was intended to address two perceived shortcomings of past reform efforts. First, some analysts argue that education reform targeting isolated components of a system, even when successful, have been short-lived, primarily because pressures within the system quickly prompt a return to the status quo (e.g., Berman & McLaughlin, 1978; Fullan, 2001; Smith & O\u27Day, 1991). Second, more sophisticated efforts toward education reform — ones that address multiple components of the system — have often been tied to the vision and leadership of a single individual or source of funding. With the departure of the critical individual or the loss of the particular source of funding, some researchers suggest that reform within an education system will not endure (e.g., Wiles, 1993)

The Role of Binance in Bitcoin Volatility Transmission

We analyse high-frequency realised volatility dynamics and spillovers in the bitcoin market, focusing on two pairs: bitcoin against the US dollar (the main fiat-crypto pair) and trading bitcoin against tether (the main crypto-crypto pair). We find that the tether-margined perpetual contract on Binance is clearly the main source of volatility, continuously transmitting strong flows to all other instruments and receiving only a little volatility. Moreover, we find that (i) during US trading hours, traders pay more attention and are more reactive to prevailing market conditions when updating their expectations and (ii) the crypto market exhibits a higher interconnectedness when traditional Western stock markets are open. Our results highlight that regulators should not only consider spot exchanges offering bitcoin-fiat trading but also the tether-margined derivatives products available on most unregulated exchanges, most importantly Binance

Testing Order Constraints: Qualitative Differences Between Bayes Factors and Normalized Maximum Likelihood

We compared Bayes factors to normalized maximum likelihood for the simple case of selecting between an order-constrained versus a full binomial model. This comparison revealed two qualitative differences in testing order constraints regarding data dependence and model preference

Web-Based Training for an Evidence-Supported Treatment: Training Completion and Knowledge Acquisition in a Global Sample of Learners

The purpose of this investigation is to describe the characteristics of professional and preprofessional learners who registered for and completed TF-CBTWeb, a modular, web-based training program designed to promote the dissemination of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and to demonstrate the feasibility of this method of dissemination. Between October 1, 2005, and October 1, 2012, a total of 123,848 learners registered for TF-CBTWeb, of whom 98,646 (79.7%) initiated the learning activities by beginning the first module pretest. Of those, 67,201 (68.1%) completed the full training. Registrants hailed from 130 countries worldwide, and they had varied educational backgrounds, professional identities (both professional and preprofessional), and a range of experience working with child trauma victims. Learners who were from the United States, students, those with master’s degrees, and those with fewer years of experience working with child trauma victims tended to have the highest course completion rates. Learners displayed significant increases in knowledge about each component of TF-CBT, based on module pretest and posttest scores. The advantages and limitations of this web-based training program evaluation are discussed, while important implications for the use of web-based trainings are reviewed

Paper Session III-B - Utilization of Common Pressurized Modules of Space Station Freedom

Typical of past space projects following preliminary design review, most of the major Space Station critical subsystems will be required to reduce costs, weight, and power consumption prior to flight article hardware production. One such subsystem consists of the pressurized modules which provide the environment in which the crew members live and work. The current baseline station has two types of U.S. pressurized vessels: four resource nodes, and two modules 44 feet in length which must be transported to orbit nearly empty due to structural weight alone. Thus, user and system racks must be outfitted on-orbit rather than integrated on the ground. In this feasibility study, a shorter common pressurized module concept is assessed. The size, transportation, location, and accommodation of system racks and user experiments are considered and compared to baseline. It is shown that the total number of flights required for station assembly can be reduced, assuming both nominal Space Shuttle capacity, as well as Advanced Solid Rocket Motor capability. Baseline module requirements regarding crew size and rack accommodation are preserved. Considering the criteria listed above and current weight estimates, a six module option appears optimal. The resulting common module is 28 feet in length, and, in addition to two end cones, contains three radial ports near one end, which allows for a racetrack configuration pattern. This pattern exhibits several desirable attributes, including dual egress capability from any U.S. module, logical functional allocation distribution, no adverse impact to international partner accommodation, and favorable air lock, cupola, Assured Crew Return Vehicle, and logistics module accommodation

Utilization of common pressurized modules on the Space Station Freedom

During the preliminary design review of Space Station Freedom elements and subsystems, it was shown that reductions of cost, weight, and on-orbit integration and verification would be necessary in order to meet program constraints, particularly nominal Orbiter payload launch capability. At that time, the Baseline station consisted of four resource nodes and two 44 ft modules. In this study, the viability of a common module which maintains crew and payload accommodation is assessed. The size, transportation, and orientation of modules and the accommodation of system racks and user experiments are considered and compared to baseline. Based on available weight estimates, a module pattern consisting of six 28 ft. common elements with three radial and two end ports is shown to be nearly optimal. Advantageous characteristics include a reduction in assembly flights, dual egress from all elements, logical functional allocation, no adverse impacts to international partners, favorable airlock, cupola, ACRV (Assured Crew Return Vehicle), and logistics module accommodation, and desirable flight attitude and control characteristics