Educating Families To Engage Families In Grades 9-10 Of Public Education

Engaging families in the academic lives of their children continues to be an area that needs improvement in public education. Furthermore, public educators continue to fail at establishing two-way communication practices, as well as providing educational opportunities for parents on the various ways they can help their students outside of school. Schools must focus on building family efficacy by utilizing a practice that supports meaningful and relevant two-way communication. This study explored one practice of engaging families through an online family engagement platform. An action research approach was used and was guided by Constantino’s (2020) Logic Model of Five Simple Principles to Engage Every Family, as well as Epstein’s (2019) framework of Six Types of Family and Community Involvement. Data wascollected from two sources: surveys and an online Family Engagement Academy which operated on a grade 9-10 high school campus during the spring of 2023. The results of this study indicate that over 84% of families that participated in the study were interested in and would find value in online resources and trainings provided by the school to assist their students at home. Further, only 48% of the same families who participated believed their school currently provided this information. Lastly, this study highlights an intervention approach that could be used to address this need in the form of an online Family Engagement Academy created to educate families in order to engage them

The Effect of Tool Rotation Speed and Clamping on Deformation in Friction Stir Welded 6061-T6511 Aluminum Extrusions

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) was used to perform Bead on Plate (BOP) welds on 6061-T6511 aluminum extrusions. Using a DOE approach, tool rotation speed, clamp spacing, and clamping force were altered to ascertain their effects on distortion in the welded panels. Mechanical forces were monitored during the weld process. Both linear and out of plane distortion were measured on the welded extrusions. The Vickers hardness of the weld nugget was measured. The effect of each parameter on weld distortion was discovered and the mechanism of this link was suggested

TEACHERS’ AND ADMINISTRATORS\u27 PERCEPTIONS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP FOR K-12 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the characteristics of effective leadership for K-12 international schools. The data produced three themes; these include emotional intelligence, the ability to establish school culture, and administrative mindset. The literature review focused on the survey data points of humor, cultural intelligence, and vision embedded within these themes. The research findings are intended to advance the knowledge of leadership for K-12 international schools

Establishing that contrast is cognitive dissonance

Zentall suggests that the same mechanism underlies cognitive dissonance in humans and the within-trial contrast effect in pigeons (and humans). The contrast effect has face validity in explaining cognitive dissonance, but more research is needed to establish construct validity. To determine whether both phenomena share the same mechanism, future research should test (1) whether both share physiological processes, (2) whether individuals who show sensitivity to one are also sensitive to the other, and (3) whether both phenomena are affected by the same changes in an independent variable

Syneresis and Rheology Mechanisms of a Latex-HEUR Associative Thickener System

Rheology modifiers are used in paints and coatings to ease their application to a surface, prevent sagging once applied, and allow the leveling of brushstrokes, among other benefits. The early rheology modifiers were hydroxyethyl celluloses (HECs), a type of non-associative thickener that is relatively inexpensive and synthesized from cellulose, which is abundant. However, coatings that are modified with HECs tend to suffer from poor leveling and syneresis (phase separation). HECs have since been replaced with associative thickeners (ATs). These thickeners, when properly formulated, produce stable dispersions that have improved rheological properties, yet, unlike HECs, are sensitive to changes to the coating formulation. This drawback has encouraged research that attempts to predict the phase behavior and rheology of systems that are modified with ATs. This work is concerned with the phase behavior and rheology of waterborne latex / hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) AT systems. When latex volume fraction is held constant, the amount of HEUR (and surfactant) in the mixture determines whether the system experiences syneresis. Dispersion phase diagrams (DPDs) of such systems have been previously studied, but the rheology of the mixtures used to prepare the DPDs have not been studied in any detail. A study on the rheology of phase separated latex / HEUR mixtures that were prepared with commercial materials was done at Cal Poly and showed a correlation between syneresis and complex rheology. However, a proper analysis was limited because the compositions and chemical structures of the commercial materials were not well known. To better understand the relationships between phase behavior and rheology, waterborne latex / HEUR mixtures were prepared from latex and HEURs that were made at Cal Poly. Three series of mixtures were studied: commercial latex / commercial HEUR (I), commercial latex / Cal Poly HEUR (II), and Cal Poly latex / Cal Poly HEUR (III). The latex volume fraction was held constant at 0.25 and the concentration of HEUR was varied from 0–2.0 wt%. Mixtures were allowed to equilibrate for 7 days, syneresis was measured on day 7, and steady-state viscosities over a shear rate range of 0.01–1000 s-1 were determined on days 7–9 with a DHR-2 rheometer (TA Instruments) that was outfitted with 40 mm, 2o cone. The mixtures were also studied by microscopy and dynamic oscillatory testing. The chemical structures of the Cal Poly HEURs were determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and the molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). From this study, a correlation between syneresis and complex rheology was observed in I. Similar trends were observed in phase-separated II and dispersed (not phase-separated) III, though II with over 0.4 wt% HEUR were ejected from the cone / plate geometry at 1–100 s-1 and III did not demonstrate syneresis. Further investigation of dispersed II and phase-separated III is recommended to confirm the presence of the syneresis–rheology correlation of I in both II and III. In addition to these trends, only 2.1–4.2 wt% II were able to be analyzed by the single-mode Maxwell model. Also the transition from phase-separated to stable dispersion was observed with a polarized microscopy at 5x magnification. In conclusion this study represents progress in the ongoing study at Cal Poly to better understanding the mechanisms behind the syneresis and rheology of these latex / HEUR AT dispersions

FineFocus.org website administration : a customized content management system

As the popularity of the World Wide Web has exploded and impacted everyone's lives, it is important for organizations to have a strong online presence. Unfortunately, very few people actually have the know-how to build these kinds of web sites. That is where a content management system comes in to play. By using a content management system, anyone can go in and update a website with very little (if any) knowledge of web programming standards. That was the idea behind Fine Focus' completely redesigned website. Fine Focus, a microbiology journal for undergraduate research, could significantly benefit from the use of a customized content management system, allowing anyone to bring all site content, regardless of one's experience with web programming, up to date. The goal of this thesis is to create such an application.Thesis (B.?)Honors Colleg

The Effect of Tool Rotation Speed and Clamping on Deformation in Friction Stir Welded 6061-T6511 Aluminum Extrusions

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) was used to perform Bead on Plate (BOP) welds on 6061-T6511 aluminum extrusions. Using a DOE approach, tool rotation speed, clamp spacing, and clamping force were altered to ascertain their effects on distortion in the welded panels. Mechanical forces were monitored during the weld process. Both linear and out of plane distortion were measured on the welded extrusions. The Vickers hardness of the weld nugget was measured. The effect of each parameter on weld distortion was discovered and the mechanism of this link was suggested

Picture This: Examining the Experiences of Black SGA Presidents at HBCUs Using Photo-Elicitation

This phenomenological study examined how peers, administrators, faculty, staff, and meaningful involvement influenced the experiences of Black Student Government (SGA) presidents at Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU). The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black SGA presidents at HBCUs. Eight HBCUs are represented in this study. Photo-elicitation interviews were used to collect date from nine former Black SGA presidents (four women and five men). Hermeneutic thematic analysis (van Manen, 1990) was used to make meaning of the data (interview transcripts, research memos, photographs). The emergent themes were separated into three categories: peer influences (support, developing relationships, conflict), adult influences (lack of support, support), and meaningful involvement (sense of accomplishment, inspiration, building relationships). The implications for practice and future research were discussed for advisors and Black SGA presidents