The Relationship between Positive Behavior Supports, Student Achievement, Severe Problem Behavior, and Administrative Stress

Guthals, Jennifer, Ed. D., May 2009 Educational Leadership The Relationship between Positive Behavior Supports, Student Achievement, Severe Problem Behavior, and Administrative Stress Chair: Dr. John Matt Due to the pressures and expectations for current and future principals to create safe and welcoming schools with high student achievement, a better of understanding of the relationship between Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), student achievement, severe problem behavior, and administrative stress was needed. This study investigated the relationship between these four factors, as measured through the Effective Behavior Supports Survey (Sugai, Horner, & Todd, 2003), Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) (OPI, 2008), suspension/expulsion rates, the Administrative Stress Index (Gmelch & Swent, 1977), and respondent characteristics. All practicing elementary and secondary principals in Montana were invited to participate in this survey via online and mailed invitations; 232 principals responded out of 516 possible. Respondent characteristics indicated the sampling was an accurate representation of Montana principals. The resulting data were analyzed for correlations between the four main factors and their components. Variables meeting screening tests were subjected to discriminant function analysis. All combinations of variables including PBS and administrative stress levels were also subjected to further statistical analysis. Results indicated that Montana principals reported low to moderate levels of administrative stress and high levels of PBS components present. Participants indicated AYP status in all areas, as well as levels of severe problem behavior, as similar to state averages. No experimentally important relationships were found between district size, school grade level, school poverty level, previous training/education, or years of experience, nor were these variables found to have an experimentally important relationship with any other study variables. No experimentally important relationship was found between PBS rates, student achievement, severe problem behavior, or administrative stress. However, an experimentally important relationship was found between level of PBS-related training and rates of PBS components present; statistical analysis showed a consistent pattern of participants with the highest levels of PBS-related training reporting the highest rates of PBS components present. In addition, though the results did not meet tests of importance, there was a consistent pattern of low administrative stress levels associated with higher rates of PBS components present. Results are discussed in terms of implications for practice and future research

State Civil Jurisdiction over Tribal Indians--A Re-Examination

State Civil Jurisdiction Over Tribal Indians--A Re-Examinatio

The Old Montana Dilemma and the New Approach to Larceny by Trick and Obtaining Goods by False Pretenses

The Old Montana Dilemma And The New Approach To Larceny By Trick And Obtaining Goods By False Pretense

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy of gases

The development and applications of a 0.2 cm⁻¹ resolution Nd-YAG laser powered coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, CARS, spectrometer for gas phase studies is chronicled in this thesis. Applications including CARS lineshape analysis, resonant CARS, and CARS of transient species and excited state molecules is reported. The intensity of the signal generated at the CARS frequency, w₃, is governed by the behavior of the square of the nonlinear third order electronic susceptibility, Ix(³)I² which contains resonant, XRes' and nonresonant, XNR' terms. The various nonlinear optical three wave mixing, 3WM, processes which contribute to the intensity at w₃ are discussed in terms of a semiclassical derivation of x(³)Res. From Maxwell's equations, a wave equation is obtained from expressing the induced nonlinear polarization, pNL, as a function of the applied electric fields. A damped harmonic oscillator model is assumed for the response of the electrons to the applied fields. Two similar expressions for x(³)Res result from introducing the nonlinearity into either the oscillator response (anharmonic term) or the driving force. x(³) is a function of various molecular parameters such as molecular number densities, Raman cross sections and Raman active vibration-rotation transition frequencies. A computer program is reported for calculating Ix(³)I² for homonuclear diatomic molecules. The program features a convolution over an analytical line-shape function to account for probe laser linewidths. Results are presented for calculated and observed spectra of 0₂ gas at room temperature and in the free jet region of a supersonic molecular beam. Rotational cooling to 10K is indicated in the supersonic jet by CARS lineshape analysis. The design and performance of the CARS spectrometer is discussed in terms of the various components. The line-width of the primary w₁ beam was reduced to about 0.03 cm⁻¹ by employing two intracavity etalons and an electronic line narrowing device. Two dye laser designs and two optical pumping schemes are evaluated in terms of stability, linewidth, and ease of operation. The spectrometer resolution is limited by the dye laser linewidth of about 0.2-0.3 cm⁻¹. Wavelength tuning ranges and optimal concentrations are reported for 16 commercially available laser dyes pumped with the third harmonic of the Nd-YAG laser at 355 nm. The laser dye outputs cover the visible range from 410 to 715 nm. High and low resolution broadband CARS spectra were obtained using an intensified optical multichannel analyzer as a detector. Resonant CARS spectra are reported for nitrogen dioxide gas for frequency shifts of 1200-3400 cm⁻¹ from a 532 nm w₁ pump source. The spectra change dramatically with slight changes in w₁ frequency. Much vibrational-rotational structure is observed but the analysis is complicated by the contribution of more than one resonant process. Various possible resonances are considered and absorption spectra and intensity measurements are used to assess the importance of some of these. Intense 3WM spectra are reported for transient fragments produced by 266 nm laser photolysis of benzene, several substituted benzenes, and acetylene. Single pulse broadband 3WM spectra taken with an optical multichannel analyzer establish that the fragments are primary photoproducts obtained under collision-free conditions. The spectra consist of many features at anti-Stokes frequency shifts of 900-3100 cm⁻¹ from a 532 nm w₁ pump. Ninety degree fluorescence studies of the photolysis zone show that C₂ is produced in various electronic states and energetic consideration require that dissociation of C₆H₆ must involve two or more photons at 266 nm. Three wave mixing spectra of C₆D₆ are identical to those of C₆H₆ in the anti-Stokes shift region near 3000 cm⁻¹ and hence the transients do not contain CH bonds. Three wave mixing spectra of C₂H₂ fragments are also identical to those of benzene in the 3000 cm⁻¹ region so that C₂ is believed to be responsible for both 3WM and fluorescence spectra. The 3WM spectra cannot be interpreted in terms of simple CARS vibrational resonances of C₂. Intensity considerations suggest that enhancement due to multiple resonance is likely, and various electronic-electronic and vibrationalelectronic 3WM processes are discussed. Calculations of possible resonances in the Swan system involving overtone Raman transitions indicate that many of the spectral features could arise from such processes

A Comparison of Near Simultaneous Lidar Returns and Particulate Collections on Filters Flown at Six Stratospheric Altitudes

Collections of particulates on both Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) filter systems were made from an RB 57F aircraft flown at one tropospheric and six stratospheric altitudes over the Boulder, Colorado, area. This daytime flight was spanned by lidar returns on evenings before and after the flight. Scanning electron microscope examination of the LASL filters showed no evidence of solid particulates greater than 2 micrometers (the instrumental resolving power). Quantitative analysis of the NCAR filters yielded chemical composition and mass. The mass values were normalized to the total air flow through the filters to yield mass mixing ratios at the various altitudes. The lidar returns, normalized to molecular densities obtained from sonde data, were put in the form of particulate scattering divided by molecular scattering, i. e., an optical mixing ratio. A plot of the optical mixing ratio versus mass mixing ratio, in the stratosphere, yielded linear relationship, for five of the six data points, going through the origin

Post-translational modifications and mass spectrometry detection

In this review, we provide a comprehensive bibliographic overview of the role of mass spectrometry and the recent technical developments in the detection of post-translational modifications (PTMs). We briefly describe the principles of mass spectrometry for detecting PTMs and the protein and peptide enrichment strategies for PTM analysis, including phosphorylation, acetylation and oxidation. This review presents a bibliographic overview of the scientific achievements and the recent technical development in the detection of PTMs is provided. In order to ascertain the state of the art in mass spectrometry and proteomics methodologies for the study of PTMs, we analyzed all the PTM data introduced in the Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) and the literature published in the last three years. The evolution of curated data in UniProt for proteins annotated as being post-translationally modified is also analyzed. Additionally, we have undertaken a careful analysis of the research articles published in the years 2010 to 2012 reporting the detection of PTMs in biological samples by mass spectrometry. © 2013 Elsevier Inc