Two ‘Heads’ Are Better Than One An Examination and Analysis of the Role of the Deputy Principal in Irish Primary Schools.

This study examines and analyses the role o f the deputy principal in Irish Primary Schools in the building o f professional learning communities in the school. It focuses on what functions or tasks have been “assigned” to or negotiated with the deputy principal to improve teacher efficacy and student learning. It examines the extent to which the deputy principal and the principal are mutually supportive o f each other and other colleagues in the sustainability o f the school as a learning organisation. Twelve deputy principals from different types and size o f primary school took part in a series o f individual semi structured interviews with the researcher. The evidence from this was further corroborated by two focus groups o f principals. As the subtitle suggests a key finding is that in coping with the management o f complex change in schools today, too much responsibility cannot be left in the one ‘head’, the principal. By sharing leadership responsibility with the other ‘head’, the deputy principal this will facilitate sustainability and continuity thereby contributing to overall school effectiveness. Thus the leadership role for the deputy with the principal is similar and shared rather than separate. The overall rationale simply being that “two ‘heads’ are better than one”

Two ‘Heads’ Are Better Than One An Examination and Analysis of the Role of the Deputy Principal in Irish Primary Schools.

This study examines and analyses the role o f the deputy principal in Irish Primary Schools in the building o f professional learning communities in the school. It focuses on what functions or tasks have been “assigned” to or negotiated with the deputy principal to improve teacher efficacy and student learning. It examines the extent to which the deputy principal and the principal are mutually supportive o f each other and other colleagues in the sustainability o f the school as a learning organisation. Twelve deputy principals from different types and size o f primary school took part in a series o f individual semi structured interviews with the researcher. The evidence from this was further corroborated by two focus groups o f principals. As the subtitle suggests a key finding is that in coping with the management o f complex change in schools today, too much responsibility cannot be left in the one ‘head’, the principal. By sharing leadership responsibility with the other ‘head’, the deputy principal this will facilitate sustainability and continuity thereby contributing to overall school effectiveness. Thus the leadership role for the deputy with the principal is similar and shared rather than separate. The overall rationale simply being that “two ‘heads’ are better than one”

Implementing and Managing Change in the Fire Service

This paper examines the potential for strategic planning to act as a tool for anticipating, identifying, and successfully managing change within the fire service based on an analysis of the external change issues that are affecting the fire department as a workplace. The findings reveal that there are many components of the strategic planning process that can assist in the implementation and management of change in the fire service

Examining operational wastes within Greek banking operations

In order to address operational effectiveness in the banking sector caused by the 2008 global economic crisis, this study examines the nature of operational wastes that exist within four large Greek banks. A Delphi study was undertaken with ten managers and ten employees. The waste of underutilised people is found to be the dominant form of waste present and affecting the efficiency of banking operations. This has implications for managers of banking operations needing to address efficiencies in an increasingly competitive global economic environment. The paper also highlights the drawbacks of analysing typologies of waste across organisations and industrial sectors

The Second Report of the Research Project ‘Teaching about Jesus in RE’

publication-status: PublishedThe principal intention of the current project was to build on the findings of our earlier work which established both that children had adequate knowledge about the figure of Jesus, but also that they faced significant problems in relation to their understanding of Christian beliefs concerning incarnation, resurrection and salvation (Copley & Walshe, 2002). This was to be achieved mainly through the development of Key stage 3 curriculum materials designed to support learning and understanding, particularly in those areas identified as problematic by the earlier study. There was, however, a gap in what we knew. We based our theoretical framework for the curriculum materials on what we had discovered from extensive data collected from Key Stage 3 children. But the starting point for all secondary education is the primary school. We wished to complete our evidence base of children’s knowledge and understanding by conducting a parallel study to that undertaken previously at Key Stage 3, but this time amongst Key Stage 2 children

Solar Confocal interferometers for Sub-Picometer-Resolution Spectral Filters

The confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer allows sub-picometer spectral resolution of Fraunhofer line profiles. Such high spectral resolution is needed to keep pace with the higher spatial resolution of the new set of large-aperture solar telescopes. The line-of-sight spatial resolution derived for line profile inversions would then track the improvements of the transverse spatial scale provided by the larger apertures. In particular, profile inversion allows improved velocity and magnetic field gradients to be determined independent of multiple line analysis using different energy levels and ions. The confocal interferometer's unique properties allow a simultaneous increase in both etendue and spectral power. The higher throughput for the interferometer provides significant decrease in the aperture, which is important in spaceflight considerations. We have constructed and tested two confocal interferometers. A slow-response thermal-controlled interferometer provides a stable system for laboratory investigation, while a piezoelectric interferometer provides a rapid response for solar observations. In this paper we provide design parameters, show construction details, and report on the laboratory test for these interferometers. The field of view versus aperture for confocal interferometers is compared with other types of spectral imaging filters. We propose a multiple etalon system for observing with these units using existing planar interferometers as pre-filters. The radiometry for these tests established that high spectral resolution profiles can be obtained with imaging confocal interferometers. These sub-picometer spectral data of the photosphere in both the visible and near-infrared can provide important height variation information. However, at the diffraction-limited spatial resolution of the telescope, the spectral data is photon starved due to the decreased spectral passband

The Role of IFN-α/β in Host Antiviral Response to T3D Mammalian Orthoreovirus

The antiviral activity of Type 1 Interferon (IFN) has been extensively studied and recognized, especially in regards to Hepatitis and HIV; however the IFN antiviral activity has not been specifically analyzed in reoviral infection. In this study, a mouse model of reoviral encephalitis was used to determine the role of Type 1 Interferon (IFN) in host antiviral activity. Six mice deficient in IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR) function were inoculated with Type 3 Dearing (T3D) mammalian orthoreovirus intracranially at 15 days of age and showed signs of clinical illness, lethargy, hunched posture, and dull hair coat at day 7 post infection. Mice were humanely euthanized and tissues were harvested for histologic evaluation on days 8 and 9 post infection. Pathologic lesions including meningoencephalitis, hydrocephalus, rhinitis, hepatitis, interstitial pneumonia and marked lymphoid depletion were identified on routine histologic exam. Further investigation utilizing immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Reovirus, CD3 cells, B220 cells, and F4/80 was performed on the affected tissues. Reovirus was detected in the brain, liver and lung. In the brain there was a robust T-cell (CD3) and macrophage (F4/80) response. In the spleen Caspase-3 immunohistochemistry confirmed marked apoptosis in the lymphoid tissue. Pathologic lesions were not present in the gastrointestinal tract, heart, or kidneys. This study shows that IFNAR deficient mice are susceptible to reovirus infection at post natal day 15 with morbidity and mortality due to reovirus induced meningoencephalitis, hepatitis, and interstitial pneumonia