The Relationship Between Principals\u27 Leadership Characteristics and Colorado’s Standardized Test Scores

The popular answer to the question of what can be done to improve standardized test scores is to raise expectations. However, high expectations do not always result in high test scores (Tsiplakides & Keramida, 2010). The problem was a lack of research on when high expectations are productive and when they are not. Transformational leadership is embraced by principals, but exactly what behaviors that entails could be more fully explained.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2018/1032/thumbnail.jp

Multimedia Applications of Multiprocessor Systems-on-Chips

Abstract This paper surveys the characteristics of multimedia systems. Multimedia applications today are dominated by compression and decompression, but multimedia devices must also implement many other functions such as security and file management. We introduce some basic concepts of multimedia algorithms and the larger set of functions that multimedia systems-on-chips must implement

Colorado Middle School Principals\u27 Transformational Leadership Characteristics and Colorado\u27s Standardized Test Scores

Researchers have documented that high expectations do not always result in higher achievement, but the reason for varying results has not been clearly understood. This correlational study was done to find out if the degree of presence of principal leadership characteristics can predict when high expectations are effective and when they are not. Expectancy and transformational leadership theories provided the framework for identifying 9 principal leadership characteristics that might influence student scores on Colorado statewide testing. Existing student testing data were considered the dependent variable, while survey data on the leadership behaviors of Colorado middle school principals were used for the independent variables. Data were tested using a correlational regression analysis. The transformational leadership independent variables of beneficial modeling, inspirational motivation, systems thinking, individualized consideration, and empowerment were each found to be significantly related to statewide test scores at the .05 level. The high expectations variable was not found to be significantly related to test scores by itself but was found to be significant (p = .016) when transformational leadership characteristics were also high. Principals who were perceived to provide teachers with the environment they needed to facilitate student achievement were correlated with higher test scores. Implications for social change include public policy makers\u27 support for transformational educational leadership as a part of providing teachers with what they need in order to meet high expectations

Low Temperature Thermal Conductivity of Potassium Zinc Fluoride

Physic

A LC/UV/Vis method for determination of cyanocobalamin (VB12) in multivitamin dietary supplements with on-line sample clean-up

A HPLC-UV/Vis method using a two-column strategy with a switching valve for on-line sample cleanup was developed for the determination of cyanocobalamin (CN–Cbl/Vitamin B12) in multivitamin dietary supplement tablets. The method uses two columns: an Agilent Zorbax C8 (150 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm particle size) reversed-phase column and a Waters Symmetry C18 (150 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm particle size) reversed-phase column. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a programmed gradient mobile phase consisting of (A) 0.1% formic acid in water and (B) 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile. Because of the low levels of Vitamin B12 in the samples, large injection volumes, and thus much interfering material, must be used to exceed the limit of quantitation (LOQ) by UV detection. A switching valve was used to divert most of these early eluting interfering materials to waste, effecting on-line sample clean-up without excessive sample preparation steps. The recovery of CN–Cbl in the method was 99.5% and the LOQ was 10 ng per injection. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of the NIST SRM 3280 multivitamin/multimineral dietary supplement tablet. The method is specific, precise, and accurate for the intended use. Compared to off-line sample clean-up procedures, it offers the advantage of being easier, more economical, and less time-consuming

Occupation recorded on certificates of death compared with self-report: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Death certificates are a potential source of sociodemographic data for decedents in epidemiologic research. However, because this information is provided by the next-of-kin or other proxies, there are concerns about validity. Our objective was to assess the agreement of job titles and occupational categories derived from death certificates with that self-reported in mid and later life.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Occupation was abstracted from 431 death certificates from North Carolina Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants who died between 1987 and 2001. Occupations were coded according to 1980 Bureau of Census job titles and then grouped into six 1980 census occupational categories. This information was compared with the self-reported occupation at midlife as reported at the baseline examination (1987–89). We calculated percent agreement using standard methods. Chance-adjusted agreement was assessed by kappa coefficients, with 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Agreement between death certificate and self-reported job titles was poor (32%), while 67% of occupational categories matched the two sources. Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.53 for technical/sales/administrative jobs to 0.68 for homemakers. Agreement was lower, albeit nonsignificant, for women (kappa = 0.54, 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.44–0.63) than men (kappa = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.54–0.69) and for African-Americans (kappa = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.34–0.61) than whites (kappa = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.57–0.69) but varied only slightly by educational attainment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>While agreement between self- and death certificate reported job titles was poor, agreement between occupational categories was good. This suggests that while death certificates may not be a suitable source of occupational data where classification into specific job titles is essential, in the absence of other data, it is a reasonable source for constructing measures such as occupational SES that are based on grouped occupational data.</p