Use of the SREB Leadership Development Framework in Preservice Principal Preparation Programs: A Qualitative Investigation.

Although nearly everyone agrees that principals need formal training to prepare for their positions, few agree on what the nature of this training should be. Advanced university education may teach examples of leadership behaviors, but is it likely to transmit the practical knowledge and behaviors that are the hallmarks of successful principals? This study focused on the 13 critical success factors for school leaders as created by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB, 2002). The purpose of the study was to identify the extent to which these 13 standards have been addressed in formal and informal development training experiences of school principals in Tennessee. Data were collected using an open-ended interview guide while interviewing principals. The findings from this study suggested that the use of scenarios, cohort groups, experienced staff, and using current research were strategies that universities can use to develop a strong principal training program and support effective teaching of the 13 critical success factors. Two university training limitations became evident during the interview process: (a) lack of some type of internship or hands-on programs and (b) not having experienced instructors. In addition, the study\u27s results led to recommendations that the following critical success factors, although they are currently addressed, should be addressed more effectively. Those factors are time organization, current instructional practices, parent involvement, understanding data, use of resources, obtaining support from central office, and increased use of professional development

Ribbon homology cobordisms

We study 4-dimensional homology cobordisms without 3-handles, showing that they interact nicely with Thurston geometries, character varieties, and instanton and Heegaard Floer homologies. Using these, we derive obstructions to such cobordisms, with topological applications.Comment: 50 pages, 6 figures. Major reorganization of sections for improved exposition. Result on Dehn surgery extended from Seifert fibered homology spheres to rational homology sphere

The Promise of a Cooperative and Proportional Discovery Process in North Carolina: House Bill 380 and the New State Electronic Discovery Rules

Using the experience of the federal courts under the 2006 Amendments as a guide, this Article examines H.B. 380 and the effect it will have on the discovery process in the state courts. Part I of this Article describes the litigation challenges created by the proliferation of ESI. Part II describes the history, structure and substance of the 2006 Amendments, and discusses their impact in the areas of cooperation and the use of proportionality principles in the federal courts. Part III describes the substance and structure of the rules changes encompassed by H.B. 380, and analyzes the effect that they will have on the discovery process in the State. Part IV discusses specific procedural tools that practitioners and courts can use under the new e-discovery rules in North Carolina to manage the exchange of ESI more efficiently

The Promise of a Cooperative and Proportional Discovery Process in North Carolina: House Bill 380 and the New State Electronic Discovery Rules

Using the experience of the federal courts under the 2006 Amendments as a guide, this Article examines H.B. 380 and the effect it will have on the discovery process in the state courts. Part I of this Article describes the litigation challenges created by the proliferation of ESI. Part II describes the history, structure and substance of the 2006 Amendments, and discusses their impact in the areas of cooperation and the use of proportionality principles in the federal courts. Part III describes the substance and structure of the rules changes encompassed by H.B. 380, and analyzes the effect that they will have on the discovery process in the State. Part IV discusses specific procedural tools that practitioners and courts can use under the new e-discovery rules in North Carolina to manage the exchange of ESI more efficiently

Disability and Poverty in Developing Countries: A Snapshot from the World Health Survey

The association between disability and poverty has been noted intuitively, although there is little systematic evidence to support this claim, mainly due to a lack of quality data on disability. This paper attempts to fill a knowledge gap on disability and poverty in developing countries by using a unique data set, the World Health Survey, which has comparable measures of disability and economic indicators for working age population in 15 developing countries. Disability is significantly associated with higher multidimensional poverty in most of the developing countries under study. At the individual level, in most of the countries included in the study, persons with disabilities have lower educational attainment and experience lower employment rates than persons without disabilities. At the household level, in most countries households with disabilities are not worse off when their well-being is measured by mean non-health PCE. However, in most countries, households with disabilities have a significantly lower mean asset index and report spending a higher proportion of their expenditure on health care