Who Lead the School? The Influence of State Politics in School Leadership, Ethiopia

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to investigate nature of school leadership and the influence of politics in the public schools leadership process. Design/methods/approach- Qualitative case study research design was used. In this research 24 teaches and 10 principals public secondary schools were purposefully selected. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data from participants. Data analysis was done concurrently with the data collection process. Cods, categories and themes were extracted from the data and analysed. Findings- Teachers’ one- to-five group, education development/change army and school command post committees together were the core structure in school management and leadership activities. Principals were focus on coordinating and developing an ‘educational army’ in the school. The school principal has no mandate to make any decisions alone as it can be negated by the command post. Originality/value- This research is one of the first empirical studies on the issue of political interference of the government in the school leadership. The study also the first to submitted for publication in international referred journals. The study findings are valuable for the theoretical development of school leadership and lessons will take for similar context. Keywords- school leadership, command post, education development army, one-five group, principal, teacher, stet politics. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-25-03 Publication date:September 30th 202

Predicting the Severity of Highway User Crashes on Public At-Grade Highway-Rail Crossings

Highway user-rail crashes have a significant effect on highway user safety rating. However, very little attention is garnished on the subject. An understanding of the factors contributing to the levels of injury severity is an important step toward making the transportation system safer and more reliable. The main goal of this thesis is to explore the impact of various factors involved in highway user crashes on Highway-Rail at Grade Crossings (HRGCs) and provide appropriate mitigation measures. The logistic regression modeling approach (specifically ordered and unordered logit models) was applied to predict the three levels of highway user crash severity on HRGC as a function of various factors involved. A comparison was also performed between the two logit models. The explanatory variables were obtained from the USDOT crossing inventory and HRGCs crash data. The study revealed that some variables such as type of crash circumstance type, pedestrian gender, adverse weather condition, train speed, vehicle speed, HRGC surface type, traffic volume and number of traffic lanes were found to be statistically significant factors contributing to highway user crashes on HRGC. In addition, ordered logit model were identified to be better in estimating the highway user crash severity level on HRGCs

An Investigation to Political Interference in Public Secondary School Management and Leadership Practice in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background:Education delivers a fundamental base for all further human, social and economic development. It inspires creativity and fosters innovation. Education is generally considered as the tool for economic growth and social development of a nation. Education or school outcomes are strongly associated with the quality and/or relevance of leadership style used by principals. The quality of education is positively correlated to quality educational leadership. As a result, in educational organisations, leadership behaviour plays a significant role in success in schools. Methods:To understand the research issues and to investigate the feeling of the public secondary schools principals and teachers in the study, this research applied a qualitative research approach. Specifically qualitative instrumental case study design was used. In this research 34 participants were selected, 24 teaches and 10 principals from the 65 public secondary schools. Semi-structured individual in-depth interviews used to collect data from participants. Data analysis was done concurrently with the data collection process. As the interviews conducted in Amharic language, the interviews translated to English language after the audio recorded data transcription. In this research ATLAS.ti 8 qualitative data analysis software used to facilitate the organisation of collected data. Results:The public secondary school management system has unique structures in schools namely, teachers’ one- to-five grouping, development group/change army and school command post committees together with different departmental structures. Even though the school has four principals (one head principal and three vice-principals), all of them seemed to focus on coordinating and developing an ‘educational army’ in the school. The principals are evaluated by the officials based on the effectiveness of the school in developing the ‘educational army’, such as monitoring one-to-five teams. They also work hard at changing teachers’ attitude toward to the ruling political party. The school principal has no mandate to make any decisions alone as it can be negated by the command post. Conclusions:the public secondary school management structure is consisted of principals and department heads. However, the process of managing and leading the school is executed by hidden politically organized body like school command post, one to five structures and ruling party members in the school. Keywords:school management and leadership, command post, education development army, one-five group, principal, teacher DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-13-04 Publication date:May 31st 202

Demand and Intake Capacity in Selected Departments of Postgraduate Studies in Addis Ababa University

The main purpose of this research paper is to examine problems existing in the current expansion of postgraduate programs in AAU. Moreover, to indicate possible intervention strategies for the university governing bodies and educational planners to alleviate the prevailing problems, regarding postgraduate programs. To this end, a descriptive survey method was employed. The study was conducted on purposely-selected twelve departments, which employs 16.6% of the total (72) departments. The data for the study were obtained from primary and secondary sources. Under primary sources: head of graduate studies and research office, two associate deans of postgraduate programs, and four department heads were selected through purposive sampling techniques. From these respondents data was gathered using structured interview.  In addition, 40 % (75) of instructors involved in graduate programs and 40 % (272) of graduate students were treated using questionnaires. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to select instructors and graduate students. Under secondary data, documents that had information about applicants and accepted students for the last five years were assessed. To analyze the data, percentage, mean and chi-square statistical tools were used. Based on the analysis, postgraduate programs of AAU are increased their intake capacity of students than the past. Nevertheless, in various departments there is shortage of qualified instructors and inadequate classrooms, library and laboratory services. In light of these findings, the following recommendations were forwarded: Ministry of education should expand postgraduate programs in other universities in order to share the burden of AAU. The capacity of the program should be increased and strengthen in the areas’ such as academic staffs, classrooms, libraries, laboratory service. Finally, financial constraints need to be resolved through the introduction of cost sharing in the program. Keywords: Addis Ababa University; intake capacity; demand; postgraduate

School leadership towards teacher job satisfaction: a case study in public secondary schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the public secondary school leadership styles and teacher job satisfaction in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A qualitative case study research design was employed to elicit the perception of principals and teachers to the issue under the study. Ten principals and twenty-four teachers were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using semi- structured interview questions. Data analysis was done using ATLAS.ti version 8. The study findings revealed that there is state political interference in the public secondary school management system, the teaching-learning process and the selection of the principals. Principals were not appointed based on their qualifications and experience but rather were assigned to the position based on their political affiliation to the ruling party. The study respondents perceived that management structures such as the one to five groups, the developmental army/change army group and command post were the tools for ruling party to indoctrinate its political ideology. School secularism was not applicable; the ruling party members had continuous meetings in school and had a role in the decision-making of the school. Principals focused on political activities with teaching and learning activities being neglected and were not perceived as employing an instructional or transformational leadership style. Teachers perceived their levels of job satisfaction as very low with state political interference, bad leadership practices of principals, low salary and benefits, low social acceptance for teaching profession, bad behaviour of students, low achievement of students, government lack of attention for education and practice of corruption in other sectors being major factors. Recommendations were made and a suggested school leadership model was presented, to enhance school management effectiveness and to improve teacher job satisfaction.Educational Management and LeadershipD. Phil. (Education

Analyzing Severity of Vehicle Crashes at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: Multinomial Logit Modeling

The purpose of this paper is to develop a nominal response multinomial logit model (MNLM) to identify factors that are important in making an injury severity difference and to explore the impact of such explanatory variables on three different severity levels of vehicle-related crashes at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) in the United States. Vehicle-rail and pedestrian-rail crash data on USDOT highway-rail crossing inventory and public crossing sites from 2005 to 2012 are used in this study. A multinomial logit model is developed using SAS PROC LOGISTICS procedure and marginal effects are also calculated. The MNLM results indicate that when rail equipment with high speed struck a vehicle, the chance of a fatality resulting increased. The study also reveals that vehicle pick-up trucks, concrete, and rubber surfaces were more likely to be involved in more severe crashes. On the other hand, truck-trailer vehicles in snow and foggy weather conditions, development area types (residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional), and higher daily traffic volumes were more likely to be involved in less severe crashes. Educating and equipping drivers with good driving habits and short-term law enforcement actions, can potentially minimize the chance of severe vehicle crashes at HRGCs

Inter-connection between land use/land cover change and herders’/farmers’ livestock feed resource management strategies: a case study from three Ethiopian eco-environments

AbstractWe assessed land use/land cover changes from remotely sensed satellite imagery and compared this with community perceptions on availability/use of livestock feed resources and feed deficit management strategies since the 1973s in three districts representing the pastoral, agro-pastoral and mixed crop-livestock eco-environments of Ethiopia. We found that land use/land cover changes are proceeding in all eco-environments and that transitions are from grasslands, and forest lands to bush/shrub lands and crop lands in the pastoral site (Liben), from bush/shrub lands and grasslands to crop lands in agro-pastoral site (Mieso) and from bush/shrub lands, forest lands and grasslands to crop lands in the mixed crop-livestock site (Tiyo). The changes significantly affected livestock feed resources and feed deficit management strategies available to households. Over the last 30–40 years, grazing resources available to livestock keepers have been declining with resultant increase in the contribution of crop residues and other feeds from crop lands (weeds and crop thinnings) as compared to feeds from grasslands. The feed deficit management strategies of households are also changing significantly from mobility to herd management and feed conservation in the pastoral areas; from mobility to feed conservation and purchasing of feed in the agro-pastoral areas and from transhumance to feed conservation and purchase of feed in the mixed crop-livestock areas. Hence feed resources and their availability vary with time and eco-environments indicating the need for the development of eco-environment/site specific feed management strategies in order to support productive stock in the study areas and similar eco-environments

Discovery of common and rare genetic risk variants for colorectal cancer.

To further dissect the genetic architecture of colorectal cancer (CRC), we performed whole-genome sequencing of 1,439 cases and 720 controls, imputed discovered sequence variants and Haplotype Reference Consortium panel variants into genome-wide association study data, and tested for association in 34,869 cases and 29,051 controls. Findings were followed up in an additional 23,262 cases and 38,296 controls. We discovered a strongly protective 0.3% frequency variant signal at CHD1. In a combined meta-analysis of 125,478 individuals, we identified 40 new independent signals at P < 5 × 10-8, bringing the number of known independent signals for CRC to ~100. New signals implicate lower-frequency variants, Krüppel-like factors, Hedgehog signaling, Hippo-YAP signaling, long noncoding RNAs and somatic drivers, and support a role for immune function. Heritability analyses suggest that CRC risk is highly polygenic, and larger, more comprehensive studies enabling rare variant analysis will improve understanding of biology underlying this risk and influence personalized screening strategies and drug development.Goncalo R Abecasis has received compensation from 23andMe and Helix. He is currently an employee of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Heather Hampel performs collaborative research with Ambry Genetics, InVitae Genetics, and Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc., is on the scientific advisory board for InVitae Genetics and Genome Medical, and has stock in Genome Medical. Rachel Pearlman has participated in collaborative funded research with Myriad Genetics Laboratories and Invitae Genetics but has no financial competitive interest

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe