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The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational quantitative research design is to examine if there is a relationship between parents' understanding of summative student score reports and accessing further resources online, while also examining the relationship between parents' comprehension of the summative student score report and other variables. Standardized score reporting has received research focus over the years, but there is little research on parents and their perceptions of what the score reports are communicating. Even more specific to the state of California, there is limited focus on Spanish-speaking parents, which is the largest demographic subgroup attending public schools in the state. As a result, the primary focus of the study is Spanish-speaking parents, but the data-collecting procedures were randomly distributed. Data were collected through anonymous questionnaires sent out by one school district to parents through ParentSquare, a communication application that many school districts in California use. Similar questions used in a 2018 study by Kannan et al. to determine parents' comprehension of student score reports were utilized to increase the validity of the research. The results of the study will be shared with local school districts, as well as state representatives, to add to the understanding of who is accessing the online resources. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Between the decades of 1970 through 1999, there were major shifts in higher education in New Jersey. Utilizing a grounded theory approach this dissertation created a database of legislation, hearings transcripts, and education reports. Searching this database for commonly used terminology, this dissertation was seeking a pattern in language use that could demonstrate the incursion of neoliberal economic terminology into the way high education was discussed during these years. A grounded theory exploration, this dissertation does not claim to have achieved a proven connection between the language shift and decisions made by education leadership. All it can demonstrate is that there is a linguistic shift including very specific terminology. Demonstrating that there is such a pattern in the over 3,000 documents reviewed lays out the theory that this incursion exists. Thoughtful insights into the use of language as it impacts higher education, this dissertation highlights the way linguistic shifts can change attitudes and therefore outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Learning effective science writing is an important component of becoming a scientist, but it can also be difficult to master. Even though the lab report has a long history in science education, there are still lingering issues that impact life science instructors and students. This dissertation is a coherent body of three interrelated research projects regarding written lab reports. The first research project was a qualitative study considering the reasons why some life science instructors have decided not to assign lab reports. The second research project used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to quantitatively addresses the validity and reliability of a three-factor novel instrument (the "Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Writing Lab Reports Scale") which can be used to gauge undergraduates' attitudes and perceptions toward writing lab reports. The second study used the scale to empirically evaluate differences in attitudes toward writing lab reports for undergraduate life science majors who self-identify as either female or male. The third study compared perceptions and attitudes toward writing lab reports for rural and urban undergraduate biology majors. While the quantitative results in this dissertation highlight equity differences in life science major's perceptions and attitudes toward writing lab reports, the qualitative results underscore reasons why some instructors opt not to use the assignment. Taken together, science educators must consider how science writing with regard to the lab report ultimately impacts their students' success and desired class outcomes. This research adds to the literature on science writing and the lab report. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, (LGBTQ) students experience a chillier campus climate on college and university campuses than do their heterosexual peers (Rankin et al., 2010). Colleges and universities have worked to expand resources for LGBTQ students. Campus Pride, Inc. developed the Campus Pride Index (CPI) that allows colleges and universities to showcase various resources they provide to prospective students and their families (Garvey et al., 2017). Yockey (2019) noted that bias incident reporting forms are a resource some colleges and universities offer to their students. This study explored the extent to which LGBTQ students at small, private, colleges and universities in the South are aware of their institution's bias reporting form, as well as the likelihood LGBTQ students will report instances of anti-LGBTQ bias and hate. A questionnaire was distributed to LGBTQ students at three colleges that have been listed on the Campus Pride Index. This study revealed that LGBTQ students are likely to report instances of anti-LGBTQ bias and hate they experience on campus. While there was a significant difference in the knowledge among LGBTQ students of whether or not their institution offered a bias reporting tool, institutions that had LGBTQ Student Centers and full-time LGBTQ support staff increased the likelihood of LGBTQ student awareness of their institution's reporting form but did not equate to a stronger likelihood of reporting. Implications for Bias Incident Teams, LGBTQ support staff, senior administrators, and prospective LGBTQ students and their families are shared. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Using two paired datasets from the Head Start Program Information Report and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study, this study explored disparities in program rates of screening, referral, and identification for early intervention between MSHS and Head Start programs, as well as associations between MSHS teacher ratings of children's communicative risk, latent and manifest dimensions of disability coordination, and children's language and literacy outcomes. Results from program-level analyses of MSHS and HS disparities showed that MSHS programs screened more, but referred and identified fewer children. Disparities in identification persisted even in the presence of demographic controls. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses showed MSHS identification rates were negatively moderated by rurality. Additionally, multilevel analyses of MSHS study data revealed that MSHS teacher ratings of children's communicative risk were positively associated with their language and literacy skills. Confirmatory factor analysis and subsequent structural equation modeling of disability-related survey items revealed parent engagement was modestly related to preschoolers' English-language literacy skills and that teacher professional development for assessment was modestly related to all children's oral language skills. A final set of multilevel analyses incorporating PIR data showed low program-level screening rates were negatively associated with parent-rated expressive language outcomes for infants and young toddlers only. Implications to inform policymaking related to early intervention and preschool for children with or at risk for disabilities and dual language learners are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between student behavior (drug, liquor, or weapons violations) and community characteristics (poverty and population) on crime that occurs across 90 four-year historically Black college and university (HBCU) campuses. The gap in the literature shows little to no research to suggest that crime on campuses affect student behavior and community characteristics. Also, there has been limited research focused on this issue at HBCUs. There were two research questions created to explore the relationship between student behavior, community characteristics, and crime on HBCU campuses. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory argues that environmental factors can influence personal development. Environmental factors that are negative can encourage behavior such as criminal activity. Poor resources in communities are factors to crime incidents. The independent variables were student behavior and community characteristics, and the dependent variable was the campus crime statistics. Secondary data from 2018 were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI-Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Statistics, and the Department of Education-Campus Crime Statistics. The findings validated that theft is among the top campus and community crimes while illegal drug violations lead student criminal behavior at HBCUs. Further, the study concluded that certain student behaviors and community characteristics are likely predictors of crime on HBCU campuses. Based on these findings, recommendations are suggested which may lead to a reduction in campus crime. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Background: Today's healthcare organizations face financial and educational challenges of sustaining electronic medical record (EMR) advancements and regulatory reporting mandates. One such mandate is providing EMR education in the Operating Room (OR) setting to support reporting compliance and patient safety. Local Problem: At a multi-state healthcare system in Pennsylvania, informatics education and changes to the EMR are not effectively presented to the new hire OR nurses based upon a 16% accuracy in initial surgical implant documentation. This may lead to gaps in data integrity, resulting in a labor-intensive and costly auditing and correction process. Intervention: The investigator created an innovative video, on-demand education module using Camtasia, which detailed the steps to document the surgical implant segment in the EMR accurately. The educational video was made available to the OR nursing staff at the point of care via computer or mobile device so the nurses could access it at any time. Analysis: The daily surgical implant report was analyzed using quantitative methods (z-score and two independent t-tests) to compare the amount of complete and incomplete data points. Results: Out of 47 possible participants, there were 20 unique views of the education video. Quantitative methods (z-score and two independent t-tests) revealed a statistically significant difference between the pre and post-intervention compliance/documentation ratios (p<0.0001). Compliance accuracy rose from 16% pre-intervention to 80% post-intervention. Conclusion: This innovative, educational method increased documentation practices, increased reporting compliance and ultimately impact health outcomes such as patient safety. Therefore, implementing targeted, video-on-demand education impacts OR nursing by transitioning EMR education modules to the point of care (via computer or mobile device) and may guide future practice, policy, and financial sustainability. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Restraint and seclusion are two crisis intervention practices that educators employ to manage students who display escalated behavior. These procedures, however, are high-risk, intensive practices that have resulted in psychological trauma, physical injury, and even death. While there are no federal laws in place on this topic, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recommended 15 principles to guide state and local school districts' development of policies and practices for the use of restraint and seclusion. Schools and mental health organizations that have effectively reduced or eliminated their use of these aversive practices have identified documentation and decision-making based on these data to drive practice and policy change as integral components to their success. Despite federal reporting requirements of school use of restraint and seclusion, a recent audit conducted by the U. S. Government Accountability Office found many school districts are not collecting and accurately reporting these data even when located in states that mandate these procedures. Thus, the extent to which these potentially harmful practices are employed across the nation's public schools is unknown. A descriptive research design was employed to explore the crisis incident documentation review, oversight, and data-driven decision-making procedures enacted within a sample of four public-school sites that resided in one state that had restraint and seclusion legislation in place. The benefits and barriers to completing these practices as reported by district personnel who were charged with these responsibilities was addressed. A secondary purpose of the study was to explore the quality of school district crisis incident documentation and the degree to which the documentation aligned with the DOE recommendations. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were conducted to explore the nature of these phenomena. Results of the study indicated minimal monitoring, oversight, and data-based decision making occurred across the four sites and that the procedures enacted by each district site varied despite having similar policies in place. In addition, while each district's crisis incident documentation obtained most of the DOE components, the extent to which the components were reported within the documentation was insufficient to allow for meaningful review and decision-making. Findings from this study provide initial insight of how public-school districts employ restraint and seclusion and their efforts in managing these practices. Furthermore, the findings provide valuable information for future policy development, research interests, and areas of support to aide districts in maintaining a safe environment for all students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Sexual violence is a significant problem on college and university campuses in the United States affecting large percentages of students during their studies and later in life. To confront this alarming issue, the United States Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights issued new guidance under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to colleges and universities beginning with the "Dear Colleague Letter" in April of 2011. The guidance was broad and included a requirement for institutions to identify faculty, staff, and students to serve as Mandatory Reporters based on the types of relationships which they have with students. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which Hometown University is meeting its organizational goal of creating a safe learning environment for students. Knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences affecting Mandatory Reporters were identified using the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model. Interviews and document analysis of participant reflections revealed four themes elucidating two knowledge influences, two motivation influences, and two organizational influences. Additionally, this study recommended a comprehensive learning and training program for Mandatory Reporters to address the identified knowledge, motivation, and organizational gaps. The recommended training program implementation and evaluation is guided by the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) New World Model for Evaluation, and the four levels of implementation and evaluation tools are detailed. Finally, recommendations for further research are presented. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Broadly, this dissertation is an investigation of writing center reporting practices. Using Rhetorical Genres Studies, I surveyed writing center administrators and examined twelve writing center reports to understand the reports' social action, or what reports accomplished for their users and audiences. My findings showed that reports primarily act to provide accountability to audiences, suggesting a contradiction in the term, "assessment report," and thus, indicating that reports themselves do not perform assessment (the improvement of teaching and learning). Another goal of my dissertation was to understand uptake, or to what extent reports were taken up by their audiences. My participants indicated that, for the most part, audiences responded to their reports when matters of institutional finances were raised, and participants themselves were primarily responsible for taking up their reports to enact other changes such as improving center operations. Ultimately, my findings contribute empirical evidence of directors' real experiences with reporting, assessment, and accountability--something writing center professionals have often made assumptions about in our scholarship through anecdotes and lore. My project complicates these assumptions and encourages writing center scholars to revisit how assessment has been discussed, including articulating more firmly the differences and intersections among accountability, assessment, reporting, and even research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The science education literature documents the benefits of student engagement with scientific practices. Lab reports could be an opportunity for developing student reasoning, but often prioritize learning terminology and genre-specific writing. There is potential for instructors to give students feedback that helps them to engage with scientific practices; however, little work investigates whether and how instructors attend to student reasoning in written work in science. This work explores graduate instructor (TA) attention to lab reports in an introductory undergraduate biology course. I investigated TA attention within the context of their students' lab reports. In an initial study, TAs in a traditional lab course paid attention to genre. In the following year, the lab course was redesigned to focus on students making sense of their experimental findings. TAs paid attention to and engaged with student reasoning. The evidence suggests that course context influenced TA attention. In a case study to take a close look at a TA who participated in both studies, I show evidence that suggests she formed a sense of what she was doing--not simply following directions. I argue that instructor expectations about an activity--here, lab reports--are informed by the context in which the activity is situated; furthermore, instruction can reframe the purpose of labs and reports to support student engagement with reasoning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A pattern of low parental involvement exists at in an inner-city school in the northeast region of the United States, where 90% of the students are students of color and fewer than 10% of parents attend school-based activities. Low parental involvement at the local school may lead to decreased student achievement and limited access to needed resources and information. A qualitative case study design was used to explore the problem. Epstein's typology, which includes the traditional definition of parental involvement and acknowledges the parents' role in the home, provided the conceptual framework for the study. Research questions focused on perceived challenges that prevent parent participation, specific types of parental involvement strategies that are most effective when working with inner-city families, and potential solutions to the problems. Data collection included reviewing reports and conducting individual interviews with 5 elementary school parents, 5 teachers, and the principal at the research site. Inductive data analysis included organizing and categorizing data to develop themes related to the problem and perceived solutions. Findings revealed ineffective home-school communication, language differences, and a lack of shared meaning regarding parental involvement between parents and teachers. Identification of these challenges led to development of a 3-day professional learning series for parents, teachers, and administrators that focused on benefits of parental involvement. Implementation of the program may help to facilitate building of school-family community partnerships to empower parents to support their children's learning at home and at school. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Personalized learning is an evolving method for tailoring the goals of K-12 education to meet the needs of each student. This study supports education leaders in learning how to tailor education plans that maximize success for each student. This study extends learning about a better course of action for schools that might prevent students from being in credit lag and at risk of dropping out. This qualitative research study aims to outline themes about time, place and pace in earning high school credits, as well as combat the reasons why students drop out. Through a qualitative content analysis of US Department of Education reports, corporate advocacy narratives, and published research monographs, the researcher examined how rationales for a personalized learning model served to further innovative approaches to high school course completion by redefining the roles of teacher and student in the learning environment. The theory of situated learning was the basis for recognizing the relationships between teaching and learning in a personalized learning instructional model. The documents showed a high level of density in discussing the combined roles of teacher and student with little regard for the singular role of teacher in a personalized learning model. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Completion of pyschoeducational reports account for a significant amount of school psychologists' time. The report findings are often used to make high stakes educational decisions about the child. Parents are one of the main consumers of psychoeducational reports and expected to use the information contained in them to participate in making decisions about their child's education. Decades of research about psychoeducational reports have echoed concerns that reports are challenging to read and understand because they are often written at very high reading levels, they use technical jargon, and often emphasize psychometric test results rather than linking integrated results to interventions. Research has also repeatedly suggested that in order for psychoeducational reports to be useful for all consumers, they need to be written at much lower reading levels, integrate information using behavioral terms and include easy to follow recommendations. The current study incorporated previous research findings by developing versions of traditional psychoeducational reports (i.e., high reading levels, use of jargon, test-by-test format) and consumer-focused reports (i.e., lower reading level, use of behavioral terms, integrated results). The study was designed to enable parents to read these traditional and consumer-focused reports about the same fictional child and rate each report using the Parent Report Evaluation Scale, a questionnaire designed for this study to assess report understanding and utility. Parent participants were primarily recruited from schools and online interest groups dedicated to special education advocacy and children with disabilities. There were 153 parents who participated in the current study. Analyses indicated that participants overwhelmingly rated consumer-focused as have greater usefulness than traditional psychoeducational reports. Theme based qualitative analysis also suggested parents found the traditional reports hard to understand while finding the language of consumer-focused reports helpful and organization useful. It would be helpful for future research to examine use of different report types with a more diverse parent sample. Implications of the current study support existing research suggesting graduate trainers and school psychologists should write reports that are much more accessible to all consumers, and future research could aim to further validate a measure for consumers to evaluate school psychological reports. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There has been significant growth in the number of regulations placed on colleges and universities in recent years. This type of growth contributes to the complex environment that exists for colleges and universities. The study focuses on the federal government's consumer information mandate and the release of "The College Scorecard." The release of consumer information in the form of rankings has led colleges and universities to make changes to policies and procedures, particularly in new student admissions, in an effort to improve institutional data and increase rankings. These decisions have created unintended consequences that include mission drift, and restricting student access for low-income students. Using institutional theory and the theory of isomorphism as the lens to study this phenomenon, the central question that guided this research was: "How do college and university presidents describe the impact of 'The College Scorecard'?" The findings suggest that normative pressure, commitment to mission, and how students use and rely on this information are important factors in determining the impact of "The College Scorecard." [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A search on Amazon revealed more than 6,000 books related to leadership development. The Business Source database has more than 700 articles with the word leadership in the title, published between 2005 and 2015. This suggests that leadership is a topic in which many are interested. Clearly, leadership makes a difference in an organization's performance, and healthcare systems are no exception. The focus on leadership development in healthcare arose after the Institute of Medicine's report, "To Err is Human," highlighting the number of medical errors that occurred regularly in the United States. Approximately 50% of hospitals have leadership-development programs. Few have a theoretical framework through which they view leadership development. Most leadership-development programs described in the literature focus on acquisition of certain skills and behaviors without assessing participants' developmental stage. A framework that measures individual leader's assumptions, attitudes, and mindsets, might provide the potential for developing even better leaders. Constructive-developmental theory is such a framework. This mixed-methods program evaluation examined the influence of a leadership-development program on leadership effectiveness through the lens of constructive-developmental theory. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that the leadership-development program participants had a statistically significant change in their perceived leadership effectiveness after attending the program. However, the participants' evaluators did not note a statistically significant change in the participants' leadership effectiveness. The qualitative data analysis provided information about the groups' aggregate strengths and challenges. Therefore, following the analysis, recommendations are included for the future development and evaluation of leadership-development programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Introduction: Cancer registries collect tumor-related data to monitor incident rates and support population-based research. A common concern with using population-based registry data for research is reporting timeliness. Data timeliness have been recognized as an important data characteristic by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Yet, few recent studies in the United States (U.S.) have systemically measured timeliness. The goal of this research is to evaluate the quality of cancer data and examine methods by which the reporting process can be improved. The study aims are: 1--evaluate the timeliness of cancer cases at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Cancer Registry, 2--identify the perceived barriers and facilitators to timely reporting, and 3--reengineer the current reporting process to improve turnaround time. Method: For Aim 1: Using the ISDH dataset from 2000 to 2009, we evaluated the reporting timeliness and subtask within the process cycle. For Aim 2: Certified cancer registrars reporting for ISDH were invited to a semi-structured interview. The interviews were recorded and qualitatively analyzed. For Aim 3: We designed a reengineered workflow to minimize the reporting timeliness and tested it using simulation. Result: The results show variation in the mean reporting time, which ranged from 426 days in 2003 to 252 days in 2009. The barriers identified were categorized into six themes and the most common barrier was accessing medical records at external facilities. We also found that cases reside for a few months in the local hospital database while waiting for treatment data to become available. The recommended workflow focused on leveraging a health information exchange for data access and adding a notification system to inform registrars when new treatments are available. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Background: Over the last 20 years, Uganda has piloted and implemented various management information systems (MIS) for better surveillance of HIV/AIDS. With support from the United States Government, Uganda introduced the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) in 2012. However, districts have yet to fully adapt to this system given a 70.2% reporting completeness achieved nationally between April-June 2013. Objectives: To examine factors associated with districts' incomplete reporting of HIV/AIDS data through DHIS2 and suggest policy recommendations. Methods: The study has one dependent variable: Districts' reporting completeness and four independent variables. 1.) Number of client visits; 2.) number of district health units; 3.) number of NGOs delivering HIV and AIDS services; and 4.) regional location of districts. These variables constituted overall study of reporting completeness obtained from "inpatient," "outpatient," and "maternal newborn health" by districts. Results: Districts that recorded the lowest number of client visits (under 2500) achieved the highest mean reporting completeness (81.6%), whereas a range of 2501-5000, or over 5001 client visits recorded 72.4% and 51.7% respectively. The higher the number of client visits the lower the reporting completeness (p < 0.0005). Districts that were receiving support from only one NGO recorded a mere 56.7% whereas those from two recorded 67.2%. Districts supported by over three NGOs had the highest (80.6%) mean reporting completeness score. The number of NGOs was statistically associated with reporting completeness p < 0.0005). The number of health units operated by a district was also significantly associated with reporting completeness (p < 0.0005). A consistent increase in the number of health units was associated with a consistent decrease in mean reporting completeness. The regional location of a district was not associated with reporting completeness (p = 0.674). Conclusion: The study recommended: districts with higher patient volume for HIV and AIDS services should be identified and targeted with additional NGO support; future NGOs support should be directed to districts that are operating over 40 health units. Incomplete reporting undermines evidence-based planning and service delivery for HIV prevention and antiretroviral therapy for all eligible population. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative study examined the impact of architectural design and arrangement on the learning experiences of students. Specifically, it examined how school design and arrangement foster interactions and relationships among students and adults relevant to integral learning experiences. This case study was limited to the breadth of knowledge about Crow Island School, an elementary school in Winnetka, Illinois, built in 1940, that remains a national historic landmark and was the embodiment of Dewey's Progressive School Movement of the early 20th century. I collected historical data including documents, archival reports, and physical artifacts, and conducted interviews with 19 teachers and teacher associates. Data were analyzed and themes identified that yielded valuable information about how the design and arrangement of Crow Island School facilitates interactions among children and adults in a 21st-century learning environment. I drew a correlation between progressive education in the 1930s and 21 st-century learning theory. The original learning experiences identified were toileting, displaying student work, individual academics, group academics, individual activities and group activities. The review of the literature revealed important 21st-century learning experiences to be independence, one-to-one experiences, partner work, small-group work, project learning, and technology. In addition, participants identified whole-school experiences and combined-class experiences as integral to 21st-century learning. This study showed Crow Island's L-shaped classrooms to support these learning experiences. Clear preference from Specials teachers who had experience teaching in traditional classrooms--alternative spaces to the L-shaped classroom--helped clarify that the L-shaped classroom is essential in providing spaces for these integral experiences. The results of the study demonstrate the ability of the visionaries and collaborators of Crow Island School to create a learning environment that effectively accommodated not only the progressive ideals and practices of the 20th century, but also the needs of the 21st-century learner. The story and legacy of the building also play an integral role in shaping the learning environment as they are threaded into the fabric of everyday life at Crow Island. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a gender-inclusive information system linking rural women in Agni Hiya, Morocco and water project managers from the Association Dar Si-Hmad. This research was motivated by an interest in exploring the linkages between information and communication technologies (ICT), climate change, natural resource management and women's participation in community development in the drought-ridden Ait Baamrane region of southwest Morocco. The research investigates the potential for mobile phones to help address communication constraints that rural Berber women face, including culture, religion, and lack of digital literacy. These issues are relevant to the study and design of a gender-inclusive information system (the "Fog Phone") intended to help manage a fogwater distribution system that will deliver water from the Anti-Atlas Mountains to Berber villages. The research investigates two similar groups of low-literate, marginalized rural Berber women from the same geographic community who have mobile phones. Technology-focused ethnographic research methods were used to first investigate the social, cultural and technical factors involved in mobile phone use by women employed in an Argan oil Cooperative. Findings from the Argan oil Cooperative study were then applied and expanded in a study of Berber women involved in the operation of the fogwater system. By virtue of their responsibilities as principal water gatherers and water users in the community, Berber women are key stakeholders in the fogwater system. Their continued involvement in water management was extended to the participatory design and development of the prototype Fog Phone. Cultural conditions restricting communication between unrelated men and women led to an information system design that supported cultural, social, economic and technical constraints. The Fog Phone enabled women to report on the water system using a series of symbols that communicate water system status without violating cultural norms. In addition to an exploration of the relationship between gender and technology, this research explores related themes of climate change and environmental vulnerability as they pertain to women's lives and livelihoods, as well as the ability of rural Berber women to manage the environmental assets on which their livelihoods depend. The contributions of this research include a prototype information system for the fogwater project; a better understanding of the mobile phone utility gap and its impact on the use of ICT by marginalized women in polyglot and oral-language dependent communities; and advances in the emerging practice of ICTs, Climate Change and Development (ICCD) by providing a case study of the linkages between mobile phones, water resources that are affected by climate change and women in rural communities involved in an environmentally sustainable development project in the Middle East and North Africa--a region that is largely missing from ICCD and overall ICT for Development research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examines how university administrators make decisions related to the academic core, the extent to which they utilize and adhere to the university mission during their decision-making processes, and the ways in which the culture of the institution frames and influences these decisions. Through use of a cultural lens, connections between explicit and implicit institutional mission, culture, and decision making are explored using a qualitative, comparative case study design of six public, masters-granting universities. Data in this study consisted of 36 interviews with chief academic officers and key institutional leaders, case study reports, and documents obtained online and in person. Emergent themes related to institutional cultural factors and decision making are discussed. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms by which institutional leaders ground their enactments of their missions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Reporting systems can provide transparency into financial markets necessary for a sustainable, prosperous global economy. The most widely used global platform for exchanging electronic information about companies to regulatory bodies is XBRL. Standards for this platform are in the process of becoming legally harmonized, but not all countries are mandating e-business reporting. A harmonized global standard for business reporting aligns practices between countries, while recognizing the need for flexibility within each social system and government, whereas international law would establish one standard for all. The research shows that goal of creating transparent global financial information in aggregate searchable form for the public remains elusive under the harmonized approach. The research explores the standardization process at the country level using a grounded theory approach in the G20 countries. The problem of a not having a global standard is framed in the financial reporting dimensions of Law, Accounting Standards, Information Standards, and Assurance Standards, which are existing standards integral to creating high quality transparent financial information. The dimensions exist to some extent in each country, and are in process of being harmonized. The research shows that current legal mandates for the XBRL standard impact the number of firms filing in XBRL to regulators. However, problems with data quality and data assurance have not been addressed with the current legislative initiatives. There is supply of data, but no public demand due to quality issues. There are three levels in the process where data alignment is needed for interoperability: taxonomy use must be consistent, taxonomy structure must be the same, and agreed upon minimum content must be useful for analysis. Currently, data sets between countries are not interoperable or comparable for aggregation due to local adoptions of XBRL taxonomies. Legal mandates alone have not produced quality electronic financial information. Additionally, accounting and assurance standards are not completely aligned. The contributions of this paper provide an understanding of how global standards are being harmonized in the G20 countries based on the common value of financial information transparency in e-business reporting. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors related to personal characteristics (i.e., level of moral reasoning and personal attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse) and professional characteristics (i.e., experience, and training) of the professional school counselor influencing ability to accurately recognize and likelihood to appropriately report child sexual abuse. This study used the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 to measure moral reasoning and a modified version of the Teacher Reporting Questionnaire to measure accuracy to recognize and likeliness to report child sexual abuse. A multiple regression analysis was used examine personal and professional predictors. The results of the multiple regressions on the overall model did not predict the professional school counselors' ability to recognize or likelihood to appropriately report child sexual abuse based on these predictors chosen for this study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Hispanic women who are deaf constitute a heterogeneous group of individuals with varying vocational needs. To understand the unique needs of this population, it is important to analyze how consumer characteristics, presence of public supports, and type of services provided influence employment outcomes for Hispanic women who are deaf. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive factors of consumer characteristics, public supports, and patterns of service delivery related to employment among Hispanic women who are deaf utilizing the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) case service report (RSA-911) for fiscal year 2009 (FY 2009). Exhaustive chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the RSA-911 dataset. CHAID analysis allowed the extrapolation of four homogeneous subgroups (i.e., end groups) with similar characteristics influential in predicting successful versus unsuccessful employment outcomes. Results from the CHAID analysis revealed public support is the most salient factor in predicting employment outcomes for Hispanic women who are deaf. Resulting end groups from the CHAID analysis were used to inform the logistic regression analysis. The logistic regression analysis highlighted on-the-job supports, diagnosis and treatment of impairment, job placement services, rehabilitation technology, and assessment services rehabilitation services as the most influential services enhancing the probability of achieving a successful outcome. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This mixed method exploratory case study was used to explore the effect data overload has on project management, how data overload affects project management effectiveness, how prepared program office staff is to manage multiple projects effectively, and how the program office's organizational structure and data management systems affect project management effectiveness. A 10-question survey was used to gather descriptions of the work experiences of 22 project managers and assistants at a United State federal agency program office in Mexico City, Mexico. Data were analyzed using an automated tool, namely, Survey Monkey software, and a manual approach that included reviewing project management documents and reports. The effectiveness of project managers and assistants was evaluated to determine their capacity to provide timely and accurate projects status reports. Project effectiveness was measured by determining if projects were delivered on time, within the allotted budget, and as originally planned or designed to perform. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This work covers topics in event coreference and event classification from spoken conversation. Event coreference is the process of identifying descriptions of the same event across sentences, documents, or structured databases. Existing event coreference work focuses on sentence similarity models or feature based similarity models requiring slot filling. This work shows the effectiveness of using a hybrid approach where the similarity of two events is determined by a combination of the similarity of the two event descriptions, in addition to the similarity of the event context features of location and time. A dynamic weighting approach is taken to combine the three similarity scores together. The described approach provides several benefits including improving event resolution and requiring less reliance on sophisticated natural language processing. A spatial and hierarchical based location similarity measure is developed to support the dynamic weighting event coreference approach. A complete end-to-end system is developed starting with geo-referencing toponyms from natural language text and structured documents. An experiment is conducted that shows a significant improvement in precision when using the developed spatial-hierarchical location similarity measure for an event coreference process over using location string matching techniques or Euclidean distance measures between location centroids as part of the event coreference process. Additionally, the developed spatial-hierarchical similarity measure provides robust predictable performance regardless of the parameter settings and the quality of the preceding location resolution processes. In parallel, a sentence similarity measure is developed for the event coreferencing domain based on the evaluation of location and time coupled with existing sentence similarity measures. Experiments show an increase of 30 to 64% in F-Measure performance in event coreferencing experiments when location and date are included as part of the sentence similarity measure. Seven sentence similarity measures are evaluated including semantic, word overlap and term frequency- inverse document frequency (TFIDF) based measures. TFIDF based measures are shown to have superior performance in two event coreference experiments. Finally, a novel application and implementation of conceptual spaces is applied to topic detection in military conversations to aid in battlefield event reporting. Extensions are made to existing conceptual spaces models in order to take into account contradictory information present in observations to mitigate the errors present in the noisy speech recognition data. Comparison of the conceptual spaces algorithm to a traditional approach using support vector machines indicates significant promise for this new application of conceptual spaces. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between institutional and instructor characteristics and the assignment of the concert report within American college music in general studies courses. Four research questions were addressed: (1) Do significant differences exist in instructor practices regarding the assignment of, and attitudes towards the concert report when grouped by region, instructor, and institutional characteristics? (2) Do significant differences exist in the role the concert report plays in MGS courses when grouped by region, instructor, and institutional characteristics? (3) Do significant differences exist in writing pedagogy, writing preparations, and the use of guides for writing the concert report when grouped by region, instructor, and institutional characteristics? (4) According to instructors, what dimensions of student learning are reflected in the concert report? Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire, consisting of three parts and 43 items, resulting in 182 sub-items. Participants responded online via SurveyMonkey.com. A population of 256 MGS instructors answered the survey questions. The largest number of respondents were full professors with a doctoral degree whose teaching load was made up of 25% or less MGS courses, from small public undergraduate and graduate institutions in the North Central and Southern regions of the country. The largest number of instructors had over 25 years of overall teaching experience, and 10-14 years experience teaching MGS. Overall results indicate MGS instructors' expectations for and attitudes about the concert report were more similar than dissimilar. The most important areas addressed by the concert report were the improvement of listening skills, promoting aesthetic awareness, and building future audiences. Instructors assigned an average of two concert reports per semester, most frequently requiring them to be two pages in length. Very few significant differences were found based on region, and instructor and institutional characteristics. A significant difference was found between type of institution and number of pages expected for the concert report. Full- or part-time status created a significant difference in whether or not the concert report was meant only to verify concert attendance, and whether or not there was a common grading rubric. A significant difference in the use of re-writes was found based on years of teaching experience and institutional enrollment. A significant difference was found in the use of critiqued drafts when compared by region. Factor analysis revealed three dimensions of student learning: applied analysis, affective development, and critical evaluation. Qualitative analysis of open-ended response data supported survey findings. Due to the small size of the sample, the results of the study were not generalizable. However, the results provide a baseline of information about the concert report previously unavailable to instructors interested in this assignment in college level MGS courses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Accelerating cross-border investing activity transformed global financial markets during the latter part of the 20th century. Due to lack of trans-cultural consistency comparability in financial reporting was compromised hindering multinational investment. In light thereof there is a movement afoot among international authorities to converge national financial reporting standards into a single international financial reporting system. In September 2010 Financial Accounting Standards Board and International Accounting Standards Board agreed on a concept of information quality to guide formulation of internationally acceptable financial reporting standards. The Boards' goal is sustenance of local relevance while achieving transnational comparability. Toward that end, instead of trade-offs among qualities of information assumed by previous concepts, the new concept posits faithful representation working in concert with relevance in a sequential approach to information quality. Variously referred to as "Framework 2010" the purpose of this dissertation was to determine its validity. The concept was tested using Partial Least Squares methodology over a survey of US accountants. Fundamental qualities of relevance and faithful representation were found to be significant predictors of decision usefulness as were enhancing qualities of verifiability and comparability. Faithful representation was found to be a significant, partial mediator of relationship between relevance (predictor) and decision usefulness (outcome). Final model predicted 43.1% of variance in decision usefulness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law. This legislation provided for monetary rewards for those acute-care hospitals that meet "meaningful use" computerization and reporting criteria. The study used a descriptive, nonexperimental design to answer three research questions (1) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) member hospitals; (2) What is the level of readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria in the rural THA member hospitals; and (3) Is there a difference in the readiness to meet "meaningful use" criteria between rural and urban THA member hospitals?. A survey was sent to 115 THA member hospital, with a return rate of 83% (N=95). The inclusion criteria focused on acute-care hospitals, with rehabilitation, psychiatric and long-term care hospitals falling into the exclusion criteria. The Readiness Score was determined for the total survey respondents (N=95), as well as for the rural (N=41) hospitals and urban (N=54) hospitals in the Tennessee Hospital Association member hospitals meeting the inclusion criteria. Z-scores of the readiness score were examined and indicated that there was one outlier with z greater than 3.0. Therefore, that case was removed from the comparison in the t-test (N=94). The t-test comparison of rural and urban hospital found a significant difference at (p=0.002), two tailed. To ensure that the slightly nonnormal distribution of the readiness scores did not explain the difference found with the t-test, an additional nonparametric test was also conducted. The Mann Whitney U-test showed that even with the assumption of a normal distribution is not made, the difference in readiness between urban and rural hospitals is still statistically significant at p=0.026. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to better understand the identity and work of academic and extension staff who have boundary spanning responsibilities. The results will help universities, especially public land-grant universities with an outreach mission, to create stronger policies and systems to support boundary spanning staff members as employees and professionals. Participants: The study sample included 832 academic and Cooperative Extension staff (specialists, and non-tenure faculty) from three different land-grant institutions. All participants worked with external community members, and were identified and recruited by their university's representative of The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN). These representatives sent an email of interest to possible participants who may self-identify as boundary spanners. Methods: This study used mixed methods to address the research questions. Data were collected though an online survey that included both Likert-type (agree/disagree) as well as open-ended questions; review of institutional policies, procedures, annual reports, historical documents, and other miscellaneous materials that gave additional insight into the institutional system; and a post-survey member check with an academic staff organization at one of the participating institutions. Response rates for academic staff and Cooperative Extension varied across the three institutions. MSU had the highest response rates with a total of 13% (academic staff 18%, extension staff 11%), then UG with a total of a 8% response rate (academic staff 10%, extension staff 7%), and UW had the lowest response rate with a total of 7% (academic staff 6%, extension staff having 5%). Consequently, all analyses considered both main effects and interactions. Survey items were analyzed using Qualtrics and SPSS. ANOVAs and chi-square tests were conducted to test for main effects of university (UW, UG, and MSU) and respondent's role (Cooperative Extension or academic staff) and two-way interactions (university by role). Significant effects were followed with post-hoc tests. Qualitative survey data were analyzed using Boyatzis' (1998) thematic coding process. Data from the supplemental information review were transcribed and compared, and data from the post-survey member check were transcribed and used as supplement quotations. Findings: Boundary spanning is a technique of outreach that bridges the gap between higher education and communities. The results of this study address how universities can better support boundary spanning by describing the identity of academic and extension boundary spanners, the work that staff do, the challenges they face, how staff feel they are treated, and how staff feel their work is viewed. The relationships between academic and extension staff and the three universities are examined. Two main effects were found, an extension effect and University of Georgia effect. While statistically significant, both effects need further research to better understand why each group consistently scored higher than their counterparts. Conclusions: Through the survey results and input from staff who participated in this research, five suggestions are offered to universities on how they can better support boundary spanning staff. The results of this research can serve as models for other university and extension systems on how to better support boundary spanners within their institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined the relationship between principal turnover rate, percentage of minority students, percentage of students with disabilities, and percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged and student achievement in reading/English language arts and math measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Eighty-six public middle schools (grades 6-8) comprised the sample for the study; all of these schools were located in Region 1 on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) School Improvement Map. Data was collected from (AYP) reports publicly accessed on the Georgia Department of Education website. CRCT pass percentages were used to determine student achievement in the areas of math and reading/English language arts. Data was collected on the frequency of principal turnover by email and phone calls to all 86 schools. Data were statistically analyzed through multiple regression. The results showed that principal turnover rates are weakly correlated with student achievement in math and reading/English language arts. However, minority rate, students with disabilities rate and economically disadvantaged rate were significant predictors of reading/English language arts achievement. Additionally, minority rate and economically disadvantaged rate were significant predictors of math achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigates police report writing at the Jackson Police Department in Northwest Arkansas. It presents three primary research questions which are addressed through qualitative methods of interview, observation, and discourse analysis: (1) In what ways does police training address report writing?; (2) What audience awareness do police officers have when writing reports?; and (3) How do actual report audience members read and evaluate reports? The police academy in this study fails to spend the necessary time discussing report writing. This is not rectified by the in-house training program, which pairs officers with Field Training Officers that are often reluctant or unqualified to address report writing. There is little to no discussion of the report genre, its purpose, or its readers. The readers of the report were unsatisfied with the report presented in the study. They complained that important information was left out and that details of the event were unclear. The audience response was completely underestimated by the officer who wrote the report. In his interview, he claimed all the information that he, his supervisor, prosecutor, and other readers would need was included in the report. This assumption was largely misplaced, and his limited audience awareness was demonstrated in this study. The primary finding of this dissertation is that current police training programs and literature fail to address important issues such as genre and audience in regards to report writing. This lack of training may result in officers that are unprepared to meet the literacy needs of judicial system. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Students' learning in inquiry-based investigations has drawn considerable attention of the science education community. Inquiry activities can be viewed as knowledge construction processes in which students are expected to develop conceptual understanding and critical thinking abilities. Our study aimed to explore the effect of experiments with different levels of inquiry on students' interactions in the laboratory setting, as well as on students' written arguments and reflections. Our results are based on direct observations of group work in college general chemistry laboratories and analysis of associated written lab reports. The analysis of students' interactions in the laboratory was approached from three major analytic dimensions: Functional analysis, cognitive processing, and social processing. According to our results, higher levels of inquiry were associated with an increase in the relative frequency of episodes where students were engaged in proposing ideas versus asking and answering each others' questions. Higher levels of inquiry also favored episodes in which experimental work was approached in a more exploratory (versus procedural) manner. However, no major changes were observed in the extent to which students were engaged in either interpretive discussions of central scientific concepts and ideas. As part of our study we were also interested in characterizing the effects of experiments involving different levels of inquiry on the structure and adequacy of university general chemistry students' written arguments, as well as on the nature of their reflections about laboratory work. Our findings indicate that the level of inquiry of the observed experiments had no significant impact on the structure or adequacy of arguments generated by students. However, the level of inquiry of the experiments seemed to have a major impact on several areas of students' written reflections about laboratory work. In general, our results elicit trends and highlight issues that can help instructors and curriculum developers identify strategies to better support and scaffold productive engagement in the laboratory. Our results suggest that careful design and implementation of instructional interventions may be needed to maximize the learning effects of the more open-ended inquiry activities at the college level. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) requires that graduates of physical therapist assistant programs demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility. Service-learning, a method of instruction in which students apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to a community need, can assist in the development of social responsibility. Studies on factors contributing to the likelihood of faculty embracing service-learning are few, with no study looking specifically at the perspective of technical college faculty teaching a specific profession. This grounded theory study investigated the perspectives of full-time physical therapist assistant faculty (n = 9) within a State Technical College system. The programs within this system utilize a state-wide curriculum resulting in standardized curriculum sequence and competencies. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data on the use of service-learning and to determine factors that contributed to the likelihood of faculty using service-learning. Supporting data was gathered from program accreditation reports and review of the college websites. Perspectives of faculty currently using service-learning (n = 5) and faculty who do not use service-learning (n = 4) were studied. Interviews were transcribed and coded using traditional methods and computerized assisted qualitative data analysis software (Atlas ti.). A grounded theory, factors supporting faculty in using service-learning, emerged. Themes of knowledge of service-learning, level of confidence, positive attitude towards the role of the college in developing social responsibility, and benefits of service-learning emerged as factors contributing to the likelihood of using service-learning. Barriers of time, fit, and logistics deterred faculty from using service-learning. The barrier of time included actual time needed to design and implement the service-learning project, time associated with adding service-learning to an already full curriculum, and time necessary to learn to be an effective teacher. Faculty not using service-learning reported being more likely to consider service-learning if the college focused on increasing overall awareness on the value of service-learning, and if professional development opportunities were offered to assist faculty in developing their skill in using service-learning as a method of instruction. Non-service-learning faculty also would be more likely to embrace service-learning if the college provided financial support (including acknowledgement on faculty workload) and/or access to a "go to" person (e.g. service-learning coordinator) to assist with logistics [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation presents the results of a meta-analysis of the empirical literature on delinquent behavior among children with learning disabilities in comparison to their non-learning disabled peers. Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria and results indicated that children with learning disabilities (n = 3,202) have higher mean scores on measures of delinquency than did non-learning disabled children (n = 14,296). The overall standardized mean differences was significant, however, the magnitude of this relationship was small ( g = 0.30). Substantial heterogeneity across studies was found to exist and subsequent moderator analyses were conducted. Significant moderator effects were discovered for learning disability type, delinquency reporter, delinquency type, and date of publication. Disability report type, gender, and grade of participants were not found to have significant moderating effects on delinquency between children with and without learning disabilities. Implications of results are discussed in regards to research methodology, theory, and policy. Future avenues of research are also suggested. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The accountability measures for student achievement have increased over the last five years for New York City Public Schools. In addition to existing local, state and federal accountability systems, yet another evaluative tool has been added--a "Progress Report". The report indicates a letter grade of "A" to "F" for a school by combining the results of three components--school environment, student performance and student progress. As the body of literature indicates accountability for student performance is at an all-time high, principals are held accountable for demonstrating school achievement. With the pressure for schools to succeed primarily placed on the shoulders of principals as well as on the backs of the teachers and the school community this study explored through the lens of a principal what factors they attribute to school improvement using the progress report as the evaluative tool for school success. This study reviewed four schools whose progress report score moved from a "D" to an "A" within three years to (1) share factors which impacted school improvement and (2) to determine if there are any consistent influencing factors that impacted school improvement among the schools. The data which was analyzed consists of 18 interviews from principals and school community members as well as the NYCDOE Progress Reports from school year 2006-07 until 2010-11. Observational notes of site visits and data retrieved from the NYS accountability reports were utilized to include school profile information of the participating schools. Results indicate that from a principal's perspective there are a number of factors that can be attributed to schools moving from a "D" to an "A" on the progress report within three years. Consistent factors among the schools are high expectations, collaboration, effective instruction, on-going professional development, analyzing data and the establishment of school-wide systems. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study analyzed the emergency protocol and violence prevention methods utilized at an American university. The four research questions were: (1) What are the sources of violence at the university? a. How has the university addressed these sources? (2) What constitutes an emergency in the eyes of the university? (3) How do emergency protocols address the issues that can lead to large scale acts of violence at universities? a. How effective are these protocols at protecting the safety of the campus community? (4) How does a reconceptualization of emergency protocol address violence prevention at a university? A case study methodology was used to study the institution. Critical theory was also used with coding of twelve individual interviews, analysis of the university's Clery Report data, and critical discourse analysis of the institution's Emergency Operations Plan. The analysis of the Clery Report showed that not all types of violence and crime on campus are reported to the public in the Clery Report. Analysis of the interviews revealed four themes: (1) Institutional Conceptions of Violence, (2) Gender and Violence, (3) Institutional Conceptions of Emergency, and (4) Violence Prevention Strategies. The critical discourse analysis of the Emergency Operations Plan revealed that the university's stated priority is to protect life and property, but what it considers to be an emergency is an incident that disrupts normal campus operations. There are incidents of individual, institutional, and structural-cultural violence at the university. Individual violence includes acts of physical violence and verbal/emotional violence. The university creates institutional violence through not reporting all the crime statistics for the institutional through the Clery Report and also through the institutional silos present at the university. Structural-cultural violence is created by the value of the militaristic model of emergency assessment, overvalue of protecting property instead of people, and the insufficient conceptions of violence by some members of the institution. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Given the call for change in medical school curriculum towards a more humanistic approach, it remains clear that there is an urgent need to study the effects of personal development classes on medical students' skill level. Using participants from an ethical influence communications class, this study explored the impact of the use of reflection on personal awareness and professional competence skills in second and third year medical students. A total of 230 reflection papers from 46 medical students were analyzed using CAQDAS--computer assisted qualitative data analysis software--with Atlas ti 6.2. Personal interviews (n = 11) followed for clarification and verification of results. Analysis showed that reflection papers proved to be an effective way to measure changes in self-development levels as well as some of the dimensions of professional competence skills required for graduating medical students. Students reported an appreciation and a strong desire for increased classes on personal awareness as well as insight into the results on communication skills of a medical curriculum based on a strictly medical model. The reflection papers allowed some students to "have a voice" in a system, they felt, where they were not heard. Many students reported an increased awareness of viewing the patient as individuals, vs. the "uniform patient," as a result of learning about themselves. Several students suggested a need for advanced communication classes to develop the skill level they felt they needed to deal with public expectations. Interestingly, all graduating students interviewed, who applied the content of the class to the final assignment of writing an application to a residency program, were admitted into their first program of choice. Findings from this study may provide suggestions on incorporating personal and self-development classes into a medical school curriculum. Using a case study approach, this qualitative exploratory study offers an example for future researchers on insights into the use of reflection and assessing learning in medical students, how medical students perceive their educational experience, and the benefits of incorporating personal awareness experiences for the individual student. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this case study was to explore a model of leadership development for women faculty and staff in higher education. This study is significant because it explored the only identified campus-based program open to both faculty and staff. The campus-based Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) program at the University of Cincinnati evolved over a few years and became a regionally-based program subsequently called the Higher Education Collaborative (HEC). These two programs at the University of Cincinnati served as the foci of this case study research. Using methods consistent with case study research, I interviewed six past participants of the programs (three from each), plus the program coordinator, and several other campus administrators. Document reviews were conducted on marketing materials, progress reports, websites, budgets, status of women reports, and other documents found in university archives. A focus group was conducted with the primary informants of the study as a way to check identified themes with the participants. Findings suggest that elements of the leadership development programs did have influence on the participants in terms of their leadership self-efficacy, career aspirations and career paths. A comparison of the WILD and HEC programs suggest that the regionally-based HEC provided a solid opportunity for skill development and training, while the campus-based WILD program excelled at providing opportunities for participants to develop meaningful relationships and gain insights into the operations of the University. Participants in the HEC program engaged in the experience to learn about ways to advance in their careers, unlike the women in WILD who participated in order to be better in their current positions. WILD alumnae had changed positions, taking on more responsibilities and in some cases higher ranking titles since participating in the program. It was too soon to tell the career path implications for the HEC participants. Other universities wishing to create a pipeline for women to advance into leadership can learn from the University of Cincinnati. Elements of both the WILD and HEC programs serve as valuable models for creating effective leadership development opportunities for women. Making sure women understand the purpose of an all-women experience is an important component that was missing from the UC programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral and demographic characteristics of deaf males enrolled at state school for the Deaf. An analysis of student, family, and educational variables was conducted in order to provide a composite description of both the type and frequency of the offenses and of the offender. Participants were 90 deaf males enrolled at the Alabama School for the Deaf (ASD), a component of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. The school was established in 1858 and is located in north-central Alabama in the town of Talladega. The school has an average enrollment of 185 students. Students selected for the research were males with documented offenses according to the school's Student Code of Conduct. The Code consists of three levels--minor, moderate, and severe. The instrument used to collect data was the school's Student Information System (SIS). SIS was developed as an in-house data collection system for the purpose of documenting student misbehavior as per the Student Code of Conduct. Data collection for four consecutive school terms (2003 to 2007) yielded a total of 2,639 recorded infractions incurred by the 90 male students analyzed in the research. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data according to student, family, and educational demographics. An analysis of each of the three levels of the Student Code of Conduct was also conducted. Case studies were also included as an application of the data and to demonstrate the potential to intervene both proactively and reactively on a student's behalf. Significant findings included that in comparison with national data and research, ASD is a relatively safe environment for Deaf and hard of hearing students. The majority of recorded incidences were Level I misbehaviors, considered minor in nature. Level II and Level III incidences increased in frequency as students became older. The most frequently reported Level III offense was in the category of drug and alcohol use. Students with a DSM-IV diagnosis were also determined to be at a higher risk. Most of the students in the study resided in homes where fluent Sign Language communication was not known nor practiced. Reported bullying, assaultive, and violent behavior was significantly less than the national average. Spearman Rho correlations revealed significant relationships between the background variables for age, ethnicity, IQ, hearing loss, etiology and DSM V classification for Level I and Level II offenses but not for Level III (criminal offenses). Family characteristics that were related to Level I and Level II offenses were socioeconomic status, family unit and home communication. Grade level, reading grade level and presence of a Behavioral Intervention Plan were also significantly related using the Spearman Rho for Levels I, II and only for Level III with the grade level variable. Recommendations include that documentation of student misconduct continue to be reported and tabulated in order to appropriately respond to student needs. More creative approaches may be necessary in order to modify and abate Level I offenses. Appropriate mental health services should also be available for deaf youth who offend in the Level II and Level III categories, both prior to and once a part of the legal system. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Timely and accurate reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect is essential to protect victimized children; however, there are barriers to such reporting. The importance of barriers may be based on organizational theories that suggest structure has an impact on behavior independent of individual factors and on identity theory which suggests individual factors sensitize people to different aspects of environments. The purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which school social workers' demographics and knowledge of child abuse reporting requirements (individual factors) and type of school governance (an organizational factor) predict perceived importance of administrative, evidentiary, and consequential barriers to reporting. One hundred sixty people out of a random sample of 300 school social workers responded to a mail survey using an instrument developed for this study. Results of t-tests, correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that as years of experience increased, the importance of all types of barriers decreased; racial/ethnic minority social workers rated the importance of all types of barriers higher than nonminority social workers; and after controlling for years of experience and race/ethnicity, type of school governance did not significantly predict importance of barriers. Comments indicated that lack of faith in Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations was another major barrier to reporting. In order to promote positive social change school districts need to support young, minority social workers and encourage them to report child abuse and neglect. In addition, social workers and CPS need to develop better collaborative processes in order to increase confidence in and effectiveness of investigations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examines the "1916 Report on Social Studies" in order to determine how it has been interpreted and regarded over time. The underlying question involved is "Which interpretation, or interpretations, most embodies the intent, goals, and purpose of the 1916 Committee"? Key members of the 1916 committee have been identified for extended research and analysis. One additional individual frequently quoted throughout the Report, John Dewey, has been included in this research on the 1916 committee. The design, format, and content of the "1916 Report on Social Studies" was closely examined. This study dissected the three individual reports by time, intent, topic, and authority. The wide variety of interpretations offered by the scholars identified for this study was examined within an organizational framework utilized to discuss and analyze the broad spectrum of interpretations that exist. This examination of the report encompassed the existing theories, the meaning and intent of the 1916 committee, as well as the social and political aspects and impacts of the era. The overarching intent of this study was to make sense of the various scholarly interpretations and offer insights as to whether or not a consensus of opinion among scholars existed. This study explored if, in fact, there was one dominant interpretation, or whether or not different interpretations were possible for the "1916 Report on Social Studies". That is, was there an opportunity for this study to employ a new lens through which to view the "1916 Report on Social Studies"? [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study investigated the inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) in state standards and assessments, as measured by comments made by peer reviewers in the federal evaluation of states' standards and assessments. As required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized in 2004 as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), states are required to develop challenging content standards in English language arts and mathematics, and to assess students on these standards. Nationwide, English language learners have been performing below proficient on these state tests. The goal of this study was to determine the elements of the standards and assessment system that peer reviewers thought could be addressed in order to improve the accessibility of these assessments for ELLs. This dissertation employed two research methods: a frequency and distribution analysis of the peer comments relevant to ELLs across the seven Critical Elements of the peer review, and a thematic analysis of the comments, using inductive methods to establish themes. The study found that comments relevant to assessing English language learners were present in all seven critical areas and in all states. All states had two or more critical elements with comments relevant to ELLs. Key themes from the qualitative analysis included accommodations, diverse stakeholders, reporting accuracy, inclusion, reporting for parents, migrant students, comparability of test forms, bias review, DIF analysis, and standards. States have begun to address the inclusion of ELLs in statewide standards and assessments; however, state agency personnel have more work to do in these areas before assessments can be seen to be fully accessible to ELLs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In 2007 and 2008, government challenges consisted of error prone, manually intensive, and inefficient environments for financial reporting. Banking regulators worldwide faced issues with respect to transparency, timeliness, quality, and managing risks associated with accounting opacity. The general problem was the existing reporting standards and unscrupulous practices affect the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) accounting and the SEC reporting. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and benefits of XBRL, a technological innovation that can transform records in financial statements into interactive and actionable information through Internet technology for corporate managers and financial professionals. Grounded theory qualitative research was used to examine the connections between the financial processes in organizations and the cultural context in which the organizations exist. The target population was limited to the U.S.-based foreign and domestic financial institutions, and 16 participants were accommodated in this study. The data findings provided the discovery of four emergent theories: (a) The benefits of XBRL; (b) The challenges associated with XBRL; (c) The perceived benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of XBRL; and (d) For a successful implementation of XBRL, the salient issues that need to be resolved. The analysis interpreted multiple themes; yet, there is no one ultimate or correct interpretation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The importance and use of data and information to make sound programmatic decisions are receiving increased attention as state and federal funding for public health programs grows tighter and as demands for accountability continue. This dissertation provides insight into fundamental questions regarding the utilization of a Web-based reporting system on knowledge management practices for Tobacco Prevention Programs and examines what happened in Texas after the merger of the Tobacco Prevention Program into the Substance Abuse Prevention Program. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to explore meaning of actions and to identify common themes as they relate to information sharing and utilization of Texas' Program Management and Tracking System (PMATS). Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted. First, core functions of PMATS are examined through the experiences of its end-users; and second, the impact of the merger on retention and use of PMATS within the Department of State Health Services is explored. Four themes were identified as they relate to core functions of PMATS, including its use as a codification system, its use to track performance measures, and its use for report generation and for programmatic decision-making. These four primary uses of PMATS remained the same pre- and post-merger, although how the systems were utilized during these periods differed. A central theme that permeated all interviews was the impact of the merger of the Tobacco Control Program into the Substance Abuse Program on individual beliefs and attitudes (i.e., job security, low morale, etc.), on systems characteristics (i.e. feedback, internal reporting structures, etc.), and on organizational culture (i.e., training, leadership, etc.). Since entering into PMATS was contractually required, individual attitudes and beliefs did not impact its use. However, competing IT systems, lack of a champion, lack of knowledge and support by upper management, and lack of communication were identified as key influences on systems characteristics and on organizational culture, which ultimately contributed to the termination of PMATS. Both applied research and practice recommendations are discussed, including IT due diligence, creating a knowledge culture, and network analysis of information sharing practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

"Visualization" of chemical phenomena often has been limited in the teaching laboratories to the sense of sight. We have developed chemistry experiments that rely on senses other than eyesight to investigate chemical concepts, make quantitative determinations, and familiarize students with chemical techniques traditionally designed using only eyesight. Multi-sensory learning can benefit all students by actively engaging them in learning through stimulation or an alternative way of experiencing a concept or ideas. Perception of events or concepts usually depends on the information from the different sensory systems combined. The use of multi-sensory learning can take advantage of all the senses to reinforce learning as each sense builds toward a more complete experience of scientific data. Research has shown that multi-sensory representations of scientific phenomena is a valuable tool for enhancing understanding of chemistry as well as displacing misconceptions through experience. Multi-sensory experiences have also been shown to enrich memory performance. There are few experiments published which utilize multiple senses in the teaching laboratory. The sensorial experiments chosen were conceptually similar to experiments currently performed in undergraduate laboratories; however students collect different types of data using multi-sensory observations. The experiments themselves were developed by using chemicals that would provide different sensory changes or capitalizing on sensory observations that were typically overlooked or ignored and obtain similar and precise results as in traditional experiments. Minimizing hazards and using safe practices are especially essential in these experiments as students utilize senses traditionally not allowed to be used in the laboratories. These sensorial experiments utilize typical equipment found in the teaching laboratories as well as inexpensive chemicals in order to aid implementation. All experiments are rigorously tested for accuracy and all chemicals examined for safety prior to implementation. The pedagogical objectives were established of to provide the ability to develop and stimulate students' conceptual understanding. The educational assessments of these experiments are are fashioned using the framework chosen (Marzano and Kendall). All the experiments are designed as collaborative, inquiry-based experiments in aims of enhancing the students understanding of the subject and promote critical thinking skills. These experiments use an investigative approach rather than verification methods. Terminology and misconceptions of the experiment were evaluated to prevent misunderstanding or confusion during the experiment. Interventions to address these misconceptions and learning problems associated with the experiment were developed. We have developed the Learning Lab Report, LLR, as an alternative model for the traditional laboratory reports, with the goal of transforming the traditional reports into something more useful for both students and instructors. The educational strategies are employed to develop this format in order to promote students to think critically about the concepts and take an active involvement in learning. From the results of the LLR, all experiments were reviewed and re-written to address any learning problems. The sensorial experiments study several topics usually covered in the first 2 years of the chemistry curriculum (general and organic chemistry courses). The experiments implemented, organic qualitative analysis, esterification kinetics, Le Chatelier equilibrium, thermometric titrations and ASA kinetics, worked effectively as students were able to draw correct conclusions about the concepts from the data obtained. An olfactory titration using the smell of the rutabaga vegetable has been developed and thoroughly tested. The LLR was utilized with the equilibrium, titration and acetyl salicylic acid experiments. The details of the development, implementation of these sensorial experiments and the LLR and student results are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

"Educational personnel" serve as an important conduit for family involvement in child protective services (CPS). Educational personnel are the largest source of reports of suspected child maltreatment in the United States (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). However, reports made by educational personnel are less likely than that of other professional reporters to be substantiated after investigation (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). This study provides insight into the reporting of child abuse and neglect by educational personnel in New York State by focusing at the county level on the characteristics of reports that are unsubstantiated after investigation by CPS. There is no research, to date, that examines unsubstantiated reports, nor any research in this area that compares county level data. Since African-American children are more likely than White children to be known to CPS through reports from educational personnel than any other report source (Ards, Chung & Myers., 1998), this study also explores the impact on African-American children of unsubstantiated reports by educational personnel. Data from the 2006 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and county level data compiled by both the United States Census Bureau and the government of New York State was used in conjunction with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The characteristics of unsubstantiated reports made by educational personnel were aggregated by county, in combination with demographic, economic and social characteristics of these counties, and were mapped and analyzed to identify differences across New York State. This research found most measures differed significantly from each other at the County level, and therefore relevant State level measures do not accurately report local experiences. There was great variety in most variables measured in this study, including the percentage of reports of suspected child maltreatment by educational personnel that are unsubstantiated, the characteristics of children who are the subjects of those reports, and the types of maltreatment alleged in these reports. County social, economic and demographic characteristics were found to be significantly related to the percentage of reports by educational personnel that are unsubstantiated, such as the level of social service expenditures, the county poverty rate, and the percentage of single parent headed families. Additionally, African-American children are disproportionately found in unsubstantiated reports across New York State as a whole, and in a large majority of counties. Geo-spatial analysis found many factors geographically clustered, suggesting similarities across neighboring counties that might distort traditional statistical analysis. Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) Analysis was used to explore predictors of social service expenditures, a factor found to he significantly associated with the percentage of reports by educational personnel that were unsubstantiated in a county, as well as most other county level variables. GWR found that when local models were compared, the impact of county level factors differed significantly. The results of this study highlight the importance of examining unsubstantiated reports and local examination of reporting behaviors. Such findings can better inform local, state and federal policy in the reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect, not just by educational personnel, but all reporters. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]