An Analysis of the Effects of Children Achieving on Student Achievement in Philadelphia Elementary Schools

Philadelphia’s Children Achieving was a sweeping systemic reform initiative. Systemic reform eschews a school-byschool approach to reform and relies on coherent policy, improved coordination of resources and services, content and performance standards, decentralization of decision-making, and accountability mechanisms to transform entire school systems. Led by a dynamic superintendent and central office personnel, Children Achieving was the first attempt by an urban district to test systemic reform in practice. In 1996, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) at the University of Pennsylvania and its partner, Research for Action (RFA), were charged by the Children Achieving Challenge with the evaluation of Children Achieving. Between the 1995- 1996 and 2000-2001 school years, CPRE and RFA researchers interviewed hundreds of teachers, principals, parents, students, District officials, and civic leaders; sat in on meetings where the plan was designed, debated, and revised; observed its implementation in classrooms and schools; conducted two systemwide surveys of teachers; and carried out independent analyses of the District’s test results and other indicators of system performance. An outline of the research methods used by CPRE and RFA is included in this report

Aquilegia, Vol. 29 No. 5, November-December 2005: Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society

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The Grizzly, February 9, 2023

The Wismer Shuffle • Talking Trash to Address Ursinus\u27 Waste Issue • February Editor\u27s Letter • Ursinus Student Lives It Up, Down Under • Job, Internship and Networking Fair February 15! • Opinions: Pets Banned From Campus Buildings? A-Paw-lling! • Deal -ing out Ws • Swim, Swam, Swum in Floridahttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/2004/thumbnail.jp

Predictors of Clinician Tobacco Intervention Counseling in Six North Carolina Free Clinics

While the poor and the uninsured are at increased risk for tobacco use, up to two thirds of these patients express interest in near-term quitting. Nonetheless, tobacco counseling rates remain low in clinics serving these patients. As part of a larger tobacco intervention project in North Carolina free clinics, we gathered baseline data on patient characteristics in six randomly selected facilities affiliated with the North Carolina Association of Free Clinics. An exit interview was completed by 231 patients; 126 (54%) were tobacco users. Among all patients, 71% had been asked by a clinician about tobacco use in the past 3 months. Among tobacco users, 68% had received at least one other counseling step (assessment; advice; or assistance). Patients with asthma and current tobacco users had a two-fold increase in being asked about tobacco use. Patients\u27 diagnoses–-in particular asthma–-can remind clinicians of tobacco intervention

Measuring the Effect of USCG Port Security Advisory Notices On Trade and Port Security Procedures

Overview: The United States Coast Guard’s International Port Security (IPS) Program is the primary port security assessment office and was established in 2003 as part of the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) to reduce risks to U.S. ports and ships, and to the entire maritime transport system. Through the assessment of International Ship and Port Facility Security Code implementation and other measures in foreign ports, the International Port Security Program can determine whether or not there is a reasonable and acceptable level of port security at any given foreign port. This report is comprised of qualitative and quantitative research along with two case studies that compare and contrast two countries and/or ports that either succeeded or failed in complying with this program and received a Port Security Advisory (PSA). Hypothesis: Port Security Advisories (PSA) are issued when a port does not meet the International Port Security Program code. They are an instrument to build and sustain port security practices and improvements. PSAs can give standard regulations for those who use ports in compliance with a PSA as well as create maritime security protocols for other countries that do not have strong port standards. As for the economic impacts, there can be both positive and negative factors depending on the country and the situation. However, we hypothesize that overall, PSAs do not significantly influence a country’s volume of trade. Due to non-compliant countries in reporting, there is no discernable method for tracking or ensuring restrictions. Methodology: We will observe quantitative measures of trade to identify negative impacts associated with the issuance of PSAs. We will also look at quantitative data to identify positive impacts associated with PSAs. We will be using USCG’s HOMEPORT website to identify the PSAs and use COMTRADE to examine trade both before and after a PSA was issued. Trade will be compared to similar countries, those which have not received a PSA. Lastly, we will go over local and regional factors and determine what is currently working and what needs to be improved. Conclusions: Our conclusion is that as a system the PSA process is not necessary an influence on trade. There may be correlations between countries with PSAs issued and changes in trade but there are a myriad of other factors that can impact this making the current methodology less than definitive. There also may be certain countries and/or ports where the correlation appears stronger (See Case Study #1); but overall, our conclusion is that PSAs have a negligible impact on a country receiving them in influencing their volume of trade

Believe in You student empowerment program: A pilot study

IntroductionThe social and emotional health of youth is important, especially after students experience the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to understand the influence that the Believe In You Student Empowerment Program had on students social emotional learning (SEL) behaviors over a 10 week period during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsA part of this quantitative study, one school in each the intervention and the control group (delayed intervention; 2 schools total) participated in the study. Students enrolled in physical education within each school participated (n = 166; Intervention = 88). Students in each group took a survey at week 1 (baseline measure), week 5, and week 10. Students who were in the intervention group started the program after week 1, while the delayed intervention group began the program in week 5.ResultsA series of ANCOVA's examined the difference of social emotional learning knowledge and social emotional learning scales between the treatment and control groups. Self-awareness (F = 13.91, p < .01), self-management (F = 6.14, p < .01) & relationship skills (F = 5.50, p < .05) saw significant differences over time compared to the control group. The second series of analyses looked only at the intervention group and analyzed to determine significant differences in mean scores of SEL variables between weeks one and ten. Emotional regulation saw significant differences (t = 2.5, p < .01). The final set of analyses conducted were with the delayed intervention group and examined the difference in mean SEL scores over the three time periods. Again, emotional regulation saw significance with an interaction of time and gender (F = 4.162, p < .01).Discussion and ConclusionIn a short period of time, Believe in You Student Empowerment Program has shown the potential to have a positive influence on students social emotional learning behaviors, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. More research should be conducted over a longer period of time, in-person, and with an experimental design to better understand the effects of the Varsity Brands Believe in You Student Empowerment Program and its implications with student social emotional learning behaviors

Utah State Flute Studio

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Production pathways for profitability and valuing ecosystem services for willow coppice in intensive agricultural applications

Publication history: Accepted - 14 January 2023; Published online - 20 January 2023Increasing agricultural sustainability is a key challenge facing the globe today. Energy crops, planted as riparian buffers are one way to support this, simultaneously mitigating water quality degradation and climate change. However, the economics of implementing such riparian buffer systems is under researched. Hence this work conducted a bottom-up economic analysis of willow coppice riparian buffers on a Northern Irish dairy farm, which is indicative of agricultural intensification across Europe. This work includes an economic assessment of a willow coppice riparian buffer strip, using harvested yield data from an established willow buffer site for the first time. It also considered the impact of harvesting technology on the economic performance of a willow coppice riparian buffer strip for the first time. The analysis considered three willow production pathways: 1) direct chip harvesting, 2) full-stem harvesting, and 3) a scenario with a guaranteed purchasing contract for fresh chip. Economic performance was considered using net present value over a 25-year plantation lifetime. The full-stem scenario provided the highest economic return over its lifetime with an average yearly net present value of £497 ha−1 (in £ sterling). This system was then considered for integration into a typical dairy farm, assuming 5 % land usage and including government grants for establishing riparian zones. The result was a drop in value of £28 ha−1 yr−1 compared to a dairy-only scenario; however, per litre of milk the farm employing willow coppice riparian buffer strips outperformed a typical dairy farm both environmentally and economically. Further analysis considered a novel approach that included payments for ecosystem services in the economic analysis. This analysis found that the implementation of government payments for ecosystem services (nutrient removal) increased the economic return of the willow coppice riparian buffer system by £400 ha−1 yr−1, resulting in minimal impact on the return from dairy land.This Bryden Centre project is supported by the European Union's INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The views and opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The work was also supported by Queen's University Belfast and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland. The authors would like to thank David Gilliland of Organic Resources and Alan Hegan of Hegan Biomass for the expert insight readily provided for this research

A survey of Anopheles species composition and insecticide resistance on the island of Bubaque, Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau.

BACKGROUND: Bubaque is the most populous island of the Bijagos archipelago, a group of malaria-endemic islands situated off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Malaria vector control on Bubaque relies almost exclusively on the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). However, there is little information on local vector bionomics and insecticide resistance. METHODS: A survey of mosquito species composition was performed at the onset of the wet season (June/July) and the beginning of the dry season (November/December). Sampling was performed using indoor adult light-traps and larval dipping. Anopheles mosquitoes were identified to species level and assessed for kdr allele frequency by TaqMan PCR. Females were analysed for sporozoite positivity by CSP-ELISA. Resistance to permethrin and α-cypermethrin was measured using the CDC-bottle bioassay incorporating the synergist piperonyl-butoxide. RESULTS: Several Anopheles species were found on the island, all belonging to the Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) complex, including An. gambiae sensu stricto, Anopheles coluzzii, Anopheles melas, and An. gambiae/An. coluzzii hybrids. Endophagic Anopheles species composition and abundance showed strong seasonal variation, with a majority of An. gambiae (50% of adults collected) caught in June/July, while An. melas was dominant in November/December (83.9% of adults collected). Anopheles gambiae had the highest sporozoite rate in both seasons, with infection rates of 13.9% and 20% in June/July and November/December, respectively. Moderate frequencies of the West African kdr allele were found in An. gambiae (36%), An. coluzzii (35%), An. gambiae/An. coluzzii hybrids (42%). Bioassays suggest moderate resistance to α-cypermethrin, but full susceptibility to permethrin. CONCLUSIONS: The island of Bubaque maintained an An. gambiae s.l. population in both June/July and November/December. Anopheles gambiae was the primary vector at the onset of the wet season, while An. melas is likely to be responsible for most dry season transmission. There was moderate kdr allele frequency and synergist assays suggest likely metabolic resistance, which could reduce the efficacy of LLINs. Future control of malaria on the islands should consider the seasonal shift in mosquito species, and should employ continuous monitoring for insecticide resistance