Detailed analysis of CAMS procedures for phase 3 using ground truth inventories

The results of a study of Procedure 1 as used during LACIE Phase 3 are presented. The study was performed by comparing the Procedure 1 classification results with digitized ground-truth inventories. The proportion estimation accuracy, dot labeling accuracy, and clustering effectiveness are discussed

Modifications to the accuracy assessment analysis routine SPATL to produce an output file

The SPATL is an analysis program in the Accuracy Assessment Software System which makes comparisons between ground truth information and dot labeling for an individual segment. In order to facilitate the aggregation cf this information, SPATL was modified to produce a disk output file containing the necessary information about each segment

Software for analyzing data contained in output films created by the SPATL and MLTCRP routines of the accuracy assessment software system

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. The 1980 US corn and soybeans exploratory experiment

The U.S. corn and soybeans exploratory experiment is described which consisted of evaluations of two technology components of a production forecasting system: classification procedures (crop labeling and proportion estimation at the level of a sampling unit) and sampling and aggregation procedures. The results from the labeling evaluations indicate that the corn and soybeans labeling procedure works very well in the U.S. corn belt with full season (after tasseling) LANDSAT data. The procedure should be readily adaptable to corn and soybeans labeling required for subsequent exploratory experiments or pilot tests. The machine classification procedures evaluated in this experiment were not effective in improving the proportion estimates. The corn proportions produced by the machine procedures had a large bias when the bias correction was not performed. This bias was caused by the manner in which the machine procedures handled spectrally impure pixels. The simulation test indicated that the weighted aggregation procedure performed quite well. Although further work can be done to improve both the simulation tests and the aggregation procedure, the results of this test show that the procedure should serve as a useful baseline procedure in future exploratory experiments and pilot tests

Evaluation of the procedure 1A component of the 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment

Several techniques which use clusters generated by a new clustering algorithm, CLASSY, are proposed as alternatives to random sampling to obtain greater precision in crop proportion estimation: (1) Proportional Allocation/relative count estimator (PA/RCE) uses proportional allocation of dots to clusters on the basis of cluster size and a relative count cluster level estimate; (2) Proportional Allocation/Bayes Estimator (PA/BE) uses proportional allocation of dots to clusters and a Bayesian cluster-level estimate; and (3) Bayes Sequential Allocation/Bayesian Estimator (BSA/BE) uses sequential allocation of dots to clusters and a Bayesian cluster level estimate. Clustering in an effective method in making proportion estimates. It is estimated that, to obtain the same precision with random sampling as obtained by the proportional sampling of 50 dots with an unbiased estimator, samples of 85 or 166 would need to be taken if dot sets with AI labels (integrated procedure) or ground truth labels, respectively were input. Dot reallocation provides dot sets that are unbiased. It is recommended that these proportion estimation techniques are maintained, particularly the PA/BE because it provides the greatest precision

An Analysis of Kentucky School Activity Fund Requirements for Internal Controls and Segregation of Duties Compared With National Standards and Requirements in Surrounding States

Across the United States, K-12 school systems receive and disburse a significant amount of funds at the school level. These funds are classified as school activity funds and may be broken into two distinct categories: 1) student activity funds and 2) district activity funds. Student activity funds are generally derived from fundraising activities of students to support a particular student group or organization such as the Y-Club, senior class, or student council. District activity funds are generated in the normal course of school business and may include funds such as locker fees, parking permit fees, school picture sales, or vending machine commissions. District activity funds are not raised by any specific student group and therefore should be accounted for at the district level. Athletic event ticket sales may also be considered district activity funds as these tickets are sold to the general public and not exclusively to students. School activity funds do not include funds raised by PTA, PTO, athletic booster groups, or other support organizations. These organizations operate independently of the school or school district under their own tax identification number. School districts may exercise some control over the activities of these organizations, but do not account for the funds raised by these organizations in school district bank accounts. A significant amount of funds received by individual schools is in cash, increasing the need for internal controls and segregation of duties. Internal controls provide schools with reasonable assurance that student activity funds are properly managed and accounted for according to all applicable laws and regulations. Segregation of duties is intended student activity purposes. This necessitates that schools be given guidance on how to properly record and account for these funds. Kentucky issues this guidance through the Kentucky Department of Education’s “Accounting Procedures for Kentucky School Activity Funds” also known as “Redbook”. “Redbook” provides a minimum standard that schools must follow in accounting for student activity funds. Through comparison to the guidance issued at the state level by the seven states bordering Kentucky and guidance from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the strength of Kentucky’s 2013 “Redbook” guidance is assessed. Recommendations are made for how Kentucky might improve guidance related to internal controls and segregation of duties in future versions of “Redbook” by learning from the NCES guidance and guidelines issued by the seven states bordering Kentucky

Stories from high school and prisons rattle institutional cages

AbstractThis paper is based on two research projects. One considered ‘unsettling’Aboriginal prisoner education and the other ‘troubling’ education in high school.Juxtaposed are two critical research methodologies; critical ethnography and arelational critical allied methodology. Whilst these may at first appear very similar,on closer scrutiny it becomes clearer that independently, the place of the researcherbecomes situated in a somewhat different relationship with participants. Inworking through these layers of difference, what emerges are the entwined voicesof participants who are clearly telling us what ‘bars hold them in their cages’ andwhat spaces between could be transformational

Stories from high school and prisons rattle institutional cages

This paper is based on two research projects. One considered ‘unsettling’ Aboriginal prisoner education and the other ‘troubling’ education in high school. Juxtaposed are two critical research methodologies; critical ethnography and a relational critical allied methodology. Whilst these may at first appear very similar, on closer scrutiny it becomes clearer that independently, the place of the researcher becomes situated in a somewhat different relationship with participants. In working through these layers of difference, what emerges are the entwined voices of participants who are clearly telling us what ‘bars hold them in their cages’ and what spaces between could be transformational

US corn and soybeans exploratory experiment

The results from the U.S. corn/soybeans exploratory experiment which was completed during FY 1980 are summarized. The experiment consisted of two parts: the classification procedures verification test and the simulated aggregation test. Evaluations of labeling, proportion estimation, and aggregation procedures are presented

Modifications to the accuracy assessment analysis routine MLTCRP to produce an output file

Modifications are described that were made to the analysis program MLTCRP in the accuracy assessment software system to produce a disk output file. The output files produced by this modified program are used to aggregate data for regions greater than a single segment