More Guidance, Better Results? Three-Year Effects of an Enhanced Student Services Program at Two Community Colleges

In a program at Lorain County Community College and Owens Community College in Ohio, low-income students received enhanced counseling and advising services and were eligible to receive a modest stipend for two semesters. The program improved academic outcomes during the second semester and continued to have a positive effect on registration rates in the semester that followed, but it did not have any meaningful effects on academic outcomes in subsequent semesters

Development, Survival and Phenology of the Sweetclover Weevil Parasitoid, \u3ci\u3ePygostolus Falcatus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Biennial sweetclovers were widely used for soil improvement and as for- ages in the first half of the 1900s. The introduction of the sweetclover weevil, Sitona cylindricollis, caused a drastic decline in sweetclover acreage. In North Dakota, yellow sweetclover, Melilotus officinalis, is still the legume of choice on organic farms. In an effort to control the weevil, the thelyotokous parasitoid Pygostolus falcatus was imported. Parasitoids were studied for temperature-dependent development, and adult longevity as influenced by temperature and availability of provisions. Development from egg to adult at 15, 20, 25 and 30°C was 58, 28, 22 and 21 d, respectively. No parasitoids were reared out at 10°C, although diapausing first instars were present. Longevity of adult parasitoids provided honey, water, sweetclover and sweet- clover weevils at 15, 20, 25 and 30°C was 29, 22, 12 and 6 d, respectively. Adults provided the following combinations of provisions at 25°C survived for: nothing-2 d; water-2 d; honey-4 d; honey and water - 6 d; honey, water and sweetclover - 11 d; honey, water, sweetclover and hosts - 12 d. Field cage releases and a degree-day model developed for the parasitoid demonstrated that poor synchrony between P. falcatus and the sweetclover weevil hinders its usefulness as a biological control agent

A Conceptual Framework for Studying the Sources of Variation in Program Effects

Evaluations of public programs in many fields reveal that (1) different types of programs (or different versions of the same program) vary in their effectiveness, (2) a program that is effective for one group of people might not be effective for other groups of people, and (3) a program that is effective in one set of circumstances may not be effective in other circumstances. This paper presents a conceptual framework for research on such variation in program effects and the sources of this variation. The framework is intended to help researchers -- both those who focus mainly on studying program implementation and those who focus mainly on estimating program effects -- see how their respective pieces fit together in a way that helps to identify factors that explain variation in program effects and thereby support more systematic data collection on these factors. The ultimate goal of the framework is to enable researchers to offer better guidance to policymakers and program operators on the conditions and practices that are associated with larger and more positive effects

Testing the Integrated Theory of Health Behaviour Change for Postpartum Weight Management

Aim.  This is a report of a correlational study to test the Integrated Theory of Health Behaviour Change within the context of postpartum weight self‐management including the impact of race/ethnicity and weight classification. Background.  Women experiencing childbirth face increasing challenges to manage their weight postpartum. Little is known about women’s weight self‐management during the complex physiological and psychosocial transition of the postpartum period. Methods.  Data were collected during the birth hospitalization and 4 months postbirth during 2005 and 2006. A quota sample of 250 postpartum women using two strata, race/ethnicity and prepregnant weight classification, were enrolled; 179 women completed the follow‐up survey. A survey questionnaire measured concepts from the Integrated Theory of Health Behaviour Change concepts, including knowledge and beliefs (self‐efficacy, outcome expectancy and goal congruence), self‐regulation skills and abilities, and social facilitation (social support and social influence) and the proximal outcome of weight retention. Factor analysis identified 5 factors consistent with the theoretical concepts that accounted for 47·1% of total survey variance. Results.  Model testing using path analysis explored the relationship among factors. The final model explained 25·7% of the variance in self regulation at 4 months, but did not explain weight retention. The contribution of select concepts to total variance was different for Caucasian and African American women, but not by weight classification. Conclusions.  Findings support use of theoretical concepts and relationships to understand postpartum weight self‐management. The different relationships among concepts in Caucasian and African American women should be considered in planning targeted postpartum weight self‐management interventions

Songs from Western Canada

M. Weiss, qui étudie le folklore à VUniversité de Maryland, a effectué des recherches au Canada, au cours de l’été 1971. A ux frontières de l’Alberta et de la Colombie-Britannique, il a enregistré sur bandes sonores, des interviews qu’il a eus avec un certain nombre de fermiers et de fouilleurs des mines d ’or. Dans cet article, il présente les chants et les appels des danses carrées qu’il a recueillis auprès d ’eux

Leadership considerations for executive vice chairs, new chairs, and chairs in the 21st century.

The need to fulfill academic goals in the context of significant economic challenges, new regulatory requirements, and ever-changing expectations for leadership requires continuous adaptation. This paper serves as an educational resource for emerging leaders from the literature, national leaders, and other “best practices” in the following domains: 1. Mentorship; 2. Faculty Development; 3. Promotion; 4. Demonstrating value in each of the academic missions; 5. Marketing and communications; and 6. Barrier

A Policy Analysis of the Federal Growth Model Pilot Program\u27s Measures of School Performance: The Florida Case

As test-based educational accountability has moved to the forefront of national and state education policy, so has the desire for better measures of school performance. No Child Left Behind\u27s (NCLB) status and safe harbor measures have been criticized for being unfair and unreliable, respectively. In response to such criticism, in 2005 the federal government announced the Growth Model Pilot Program, which permits states to use projection models (a type of growth model) in their accountability systems. This article uses historical longitudinal data from a large school district to empirically show the inaccuracy of one state\u27s projection model, to demonstrate how projection models are very similar to NCLB\u27s original status measure, and to contrast projection models with value-added models. As policy makers debate the reauthorization of NCLB, this research can provide guidance on ways to improve the current measurement of school performance

Development, Survival and Phenology of the Sweetclover Weevil Parasitoid, \u3ci\u3ePygostolus Falcatus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Biennial sweetclovers were widely used for soil improvement and as for- ages in the first half of the 1900s. The introduction of the sweetclover weevil, Sitona cylindricollis, caused a drastic decline in sweetclover acreage. In North Dakota, yellow sweetclover, Melilotus officinalis, is still the legume of choice on organic farms. In an effort to control the weevil, the thelyotokous parasitoid Pygostolus falcatus was imported. Parasitoids were studied for temperature-dependent development, and adult longevity as influenced by temperature and availability of provisions. Development from egg to adult at 15, 20, 25 and 30°C was 58, 28, 22 and 21 d, respectively. No parasitoids were reared out at 10°C, although diapausing first instars were present. Longevity of adult parasitoids provided honey, water, sweetclover and sweet- clover weevils at 15, 20, 25 and 30°C was 29, 22, 12 and 6 d, respectively. Adults provided the following combinations of provisions at 25°C survived for: nothing-2 d; water-2 d; honey-4 d; honey and water - 6 d; honey, water and sweetclover - 11 d; honey, water, sweetclover and hosts - 12 d. Field cage releases and a degree-day model developed for the parasitoid demonstrated that poor synchrony between P. falcatus and the sweetclover weevil hinders its usefulness as a biological control agent