Funding Early College High School: Hold Harmless or Shared Commitment

Early college high schools are a promising but expensive pathway to college readiness. Most such schools are supported with state funds and/or grants. This descriptive case study presents an early college program, now in its fourth year in a traditional high school, in which the families, high school and community college shared the entire cost. Data from document analysis and interviews with administrators, parents and students clarified the funding plan and participant reactions. Joint ownership increased parental engagement, student academic commitment and administrator attention. The results suggest that learning to cope with the cost of college, which this program necessitated, is an important aspect of college readiness for both students and parents. The model of shared responsibility is contrasted with the “hold harmless” model of government/foundation support that relieves schools and families of the cost of early college programming. The findings and policy recommendations are applicable to LEA and SEA leaders, philanthropies and scholars in educational financial policy

German Thought and Animality

The question of whether and to what extent animals have minds is a key problem for philosophy, cognitive and animal science, and lived experience as a whole. This problem, which will be called the Problem of Animality , concerns whether animals can be said to have the attributes of consciousness, thinking, moral worth, and other fundamental concepts. The modern approach to what will be called the Problem of Animality had its genesis with the philosopher Rene Descartes. The Problem of Animality was not a question in itself for Descartes, but instead, a question that was answered through the application of his modern epistemology. Descartes believed the animal was merely automata, unable to speak, think, or be conscious. Philosophers following him, most notably Kant, broadly accepted this conception, and Kant’s own ethical theory contains a similar notion. This paper will present a genealogy of German thought from Kant as it\u27s point of departure, applying Hegel\u27s, Husserl\u27s, and Heidegger\u27s systems of thought to questions of animal minds. The paper will examine whether or not the three other philosophers in question (Hegel, Husserl and Heidegger)\u27s thoughts contain broad Cartesian tendencies by comparing their systems\u27 views of animals to Descartes\u27 and Kant\u27s own. The paper will begin by detailing Kant\u27s ethical views on obligations toward animals and Hegel\u27s reaction against Kantian ethics. It will rely on secondary sources that extrapolate Hegel\u27s views on animals from his thought. From there, it will inquire into whether Hegel escaped from the Cartesian picture of the animal or not. What will be illuminated is another part of the Problem of Animality, a question of Otherness and phenomenology. This question will lead us to Husserl, which we will compare with Descartes and Kant before him. The essay will then examine early Heidegger\u27s synthesis and reaction against his mentor Husserl, and his concept of the Destruktion of Descartes, the animals poverty-in-the-world, and whether or not his thought on the animal constitutes a destruction of the Cartesian tradition.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/fsrs2020/1040/thumbnail.jp

Using Bronfenbrenner\u27s Ecological Theory to Understand Community Partnerships: An Historical Case Study of One Urban High School

While the value of school-community partnerships is unquestioned, we do not understand sufficiently the reasons for success and failure. This mixed-methods case study examines 60 years of partnering at one urban high school using Bronfenbrenner‟s ecological systems theory to better understand the effect on student development as measured by variables such as graduation, attendance and dropout rates, Successful partners achieved “cultural cohesion” by building collaborative relationships that encircled students, while failed partnerships ignored ecological theory. In contrast to conventional reform strategies that focus on curriculum and/or school structure, the author offers a cultural reform strategy that emphasizes relationships

Cognitive control, psychological defense and learning under conflict

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University.This study investigates the nature of a relationship postulated between cognitive behavior under conditions of conflict arousal and certain coping processes of personality. A review of theoretical and experimental studies concerned with the effects on cognition of motivational states in relation with various types of stimulus situations finds consensus concerning the presence or absence of conflict as a determining influence. When conflict is absent cognition is not interfered with; when conflict is present inhibition occurs. Two variables - cognitive control and psychological defense - have been used to account for the effects of drive arousal upon cognitive behavior under conditions of conflict relevant to the drive state. Cognitive control has been defined by varying capacities to make differentially adaptive responses to specified aspects of stimulus fields in the presence of explicitly interfering cues. Defense - either repression or intellectualization - has been defined by varying capacities to recall stimulus material presumed to arouse conflictual drive states. The present study utilizes both experimental variables to account more precisely for the effects of motivational conditions upon cognitive behavior in situations requiring resolution of conflict. Conflict is defined by the presence of competing response tendencies having varying probabilities of occurrence. [TRUNCATED

A validade de uma avaliação baseada no desempenho para aspirantes a líderes escolares

This paper introduces the new Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) and uses critical policy analysis to re-examine the validity evidence (using the 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and a theory of multicultural validity) for the use and interpretation of the PAL in regards to emerging school leadership. Data sources include two years of PAL test documentation plus candidate surveys and interviews with program directors. The author’s role as a test user, faculty instructor, and certified test scorer afforded access to student work, student communications, scorer network training, and state department of education communications and meetings. The paper challenges the content validity, raises questions in regards to evidence based on response processes, internal structure, relation to other variables, consequences, and multicultural validity particularly when the PAL is used as a stand-alone, high-stakes licensure test and offers suggestions to improve the test as a formative assessment.Este artículo presenta la Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) y utiliza un análisis político crítico para reexaminar la validez de las evidencias utilizando los Estándares de 2014 para las Normas para la Educación y la Psicología de la prueba y una teoría de validez multicultural) el uso e interpretación de PAL en relación al liderazgo escolar emergente. Las fuentes de datos incluyen dos años de documentación de la prueba PAL, además de encuestas con candidatos y entrevistas con directores de programa. El papel del autor como usuario de prueba, instructor del cuerpo docente y artillero de prueba certificado posibilitó el acceso al trabajo del alumno, a las comunicaciones de los alumnos, al entrenamiento de la red de puntuación y al departamento estadual de comunicaciones y reuniones educativas. El artículo discute la validez de contenido, plantea cuestiones en relación a evidencias basadas en procesos de respuesta, estructura interna, relación con otras variables, consecuencias y validez multicultural, particularmente cuando el PAL se utiliza como una prueba autónoma de licencias de “high stakes” y ofrece sugerencias para mejorar la prueba como una evaluación formativa.Este artigo apresenta a Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) e usa análise política crítica para reexaminar a validade das evidências (usando os Padrões de 2014 para Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing e uma teoria de validade multicultural) para o uso e interpretação de PAL em relação à liderança escolar emergente. As fontes de dados incluem dois anos de documentação do teste PAL, além de pesquisas com candidatos e entrevistas com diretores de programa. O papel do autor como usuário de teste, instrutor do corpo docente e artilheiro de teste certificado possibilitou o acesso ao trabalho do aluno, às comunicações dos alunos, ao treinamento da rede de pontuação e ao departamento estadual de comunicações e reuniões educacionais. O artigo contesta a validade de conteúdo, levanta questões em relação a evidências baseadas em processos de resposta, estrutura interna, relação com outras variáveis, conseqüências e validade multicultural, particularmente quando o PAL é usado como um teste autônomo de licenciamento de “high stakes” e oferece sugestões para melhorar o teste como uma avaliação formativa

NECC Early College Program: Third-Year Outcomes

Five-year longitudinal community-based program evaluation reports annually on outcomes for early college program between MA community college and 2 high schools (suburban; urban) for academically average students, grades 10-12. Mixed methodology uses surveys, interviews and quantitative student data to illuminate program design, measure student outcomes , investigate changes in teaching practice and examine effective leadership practices. Three-year results show impressive credit accumulation and improved college readiness skills in students. Strong support mechanisms promote student success. Program is now being replicated in other communities

Cabbage Transplant Production Using Organic Media at Cornell University, 2008

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this project is to create an improved potting medium for organic vegetable transplant production. Healthy vigorous transplants will be less susceptible to insects, diseases and transplant shock leading to better crop performance. Formulating organic potting mixes is especially challenging. Composts are a popular organic source of nitrogen, but can have inconsistent nutrient levels based on their starting materials and poor physical characteristics (large particle size, etc.). Individual batches of compost can change over time with storage and N release can be unpredictable. An alternative to traditional composts is vermicompost. Vermicompost has a finely granulated texture, which is ideal for mixing into peat-based media or applying as a top dressing through existing greenhouse equipment. Past research in the Rangarajan lab has shown improved yield with vermicompost compared to thermophilic compost, even when the same starting material was used for both types of compost.New York Farm Viability Institute with additional funding from the Organic Farming Research Foundatio