Wake Vortex Research in the USA (WakeNet-USA)

This viewgraph presentation reviews the cooperative work that FAA and NASA are engaged in to safely increase the capacity of the National Airspace System by studying the wake vortex operations. Wake vortex avoidance is a limiting factor in defining separation standards in the airport terminal area and could become a reducing separation standards in en route airspace

A Standards-Driven, Task-Based Assessment Approach for Teacher Credentialing with Potential for College Accreditation

When the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality (2003a) studied what teachers would want to tell policy makers about highly qualified teacher requirements, they summarized their findings in this quote: “Come to my classroom, and not just for a day.” (p. 2). What could be a more obvious invitation to improve and expand teacher assessment? The standardized objective tests and occasional formal observational evaluations being used to measure teacher competence today have been contested for decades as ineffective according to politicians and invalid according to researchers. While these two long-standing and useful assessment strategies are important components of an overall assessment system, neither – alone or paired – is sufficient to identify and remediate new teacher deficiencies. This article includes a series of recommendations, organized in steps, for developing an assessment approach that is task-based, standardsdriven, and job-related that would serve as a major component of a comprehensive beginning teacher assessment system. These recommendations are based on a two-year effort that resulted in Florida’s Alternative Certification Program Assessment System. This system has now been adopted by about twothirds of the Florida school districts and is beginning to be adopted by colleges of education preparing teachers through the traditional route. The design takes into account three sets of standards: the Florida requirements for program approval the NCATE requirements for accreditation, and the Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing (referred to as the Standards; AERA, APA, and NCME, 1999). These standards define the ultimate purpose of decisions about initial teacher competence: protecting the public from unqualified practitioners. Accessed 48,073 times on https://pareonline.net from June 08, 2004 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Dealing with Sulfur Deficiency in Northeast Iowa Alfalfa Production

Historically, sulfur (S) deficiency has not been an issue for crop production in Iowa. Previous research documented sufficient plant available S for crop production on most soil associations (Alesii, 1982). Recent studies in corn and soybean production were consistent with results of previous research conducted across Iowa (Sawyer and Barker, 2002). The exception was a longstanding suggestion to apply S as commercial fertilizer or livestock manure for alfalfa production on sandy soils. However, over the past decade, alfalfa grown on some silt loam and loam soils in northeast Iowa has exhibited a slowly worsening problem with areas in fields of stunted growth and poor coloration. Recent investigations determined the growth problems were largely due to S deficiency. The following provides reasons for the developing problem, how to identify S deficiency, a summary of the research in northeast Iowa, and S fertilizer recommendations for alfalfa

Comparing ASCAT and CYGNSS Winds near Tropical Convection

Gradient Features identified in ASCAT (Advanced Scatterometer) data correspond well to observed CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System) wind shifts: Comparing ASCAT and CYGNSS winds near tropical convection. Gradient wind magnitude in ASCAT observations has been recently shown to be a useful proxy for the presence of tropical convection cold pools. To help confirm this in the vicinity of precipitation we perform a comparison with the L-band CYGNSS wind dataset. Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement)) IMERG

The Meteorology of Storms that Produce Narrow Bipolar Events

Narrow Bipolar Event's (NBE) are compact ( 10 kW in VHF), and impulsive (approx 10 micro s) electrical discharges in thunderstorms, also known as compact intracloud discharges (CIDs). Can be either positive or negative polarity and have distinctive broadband waveform signatures sometimes confused for +CGs in the past by NLDN and other networks. NBEs are related to lightning but are likely optically "dark". As revealed by VHF sensors (both satellite and ground): (1) The most powerful lightning-related VHF sources observed (2) Tend to occur at the beginning of intracloud discharges (3) Difficult to estimate altitude properly due to receiver saturation

Lessons from New York City’s Struggle Against Amazon HQ2 in Long Island City

For three months between November 2018 and February 2019, the entire world, it seemed, was watching Long Island City, Queens. On November 12, 2018, nearly two years after Amazon announced that the company would be holding a contest for its second corporate headquarters (Amazon HQ2), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo jointly announced that Amazon had selected Long Island City as one of its two HQ2 locations. The project, outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Amazon and New York City and State, would provide up to $3 billion in public (state and city) subsidies to Amazon in exchange for building 4–8 million square feet of office space on the East River waterfront and creating 25,000 jobs averaging$150,000 per year (over ten years). However, fierce opposition to the plan quickly emerged. As the buzz (and controversy) concerning Amazon HQ2 continued to grow, the next two months witnessed a series of public events dedicated to the Amazon plan—including meetings, discussions, teach-ins, city council hearings, canvassing operations, Internet discussion forums, and protests. Then suddenly, on Valentine’s Day, in a tersely worded statement Amazon announced that it was no longer planning to build its second headquarters in Long Island City. The shock waves from this second surprise decision emerged immediately and continue to reverberate today. But while we may never know the true reason(s) for this decision, the struggle over the project and Amazon’s attempt to control and manage community engagement in the planning process are instructive in their own right. From the arguments that emerged both for and against the Amazon plan we can discern the contours of the emerging struggles over urban space between big tech, the state, and immigrant and working-class communities in global cities such as New York City. The Amazon experience in Long Island City also sheds light on the power of organizing across multiple issue areas in struggles against big tech’s designs on the contemporary city

Portfolios, the Pied Piper of Teacher Certification Assessments: Legal and Psychometric Issues

Since about 90% of schools, colleges, and departments of education are currently using portfolios of one form or another as decision-making tools for standards-based decisions regarding certification or licensure (as well as NCATE accreditation), it is appropriate to explore the legal and psychometric aspects of this assessment device. The authors demonstrate that portfolios being used in a high-stakes context are technically testing devices and therefore need to meet psychometric standards of validity, reliability, fairness, and absence of bias. These standards, along with federal law, form the cornerstone for legal challenges to high-stakes decisions when students are denied a diploma or license based on the results of the assessment. The conclusion includes a list of requirements and caveats for using portfolios for graduation and certification decisions in a standards-based environment that help institutions reduce exposure to potential litigation