Cette thèse a pour objet l'étude du rôle des intermédiaires dans la diffusion d'information sur un marché. Il peut s'agir d'une information existante mais coûteuse a acquérir pour les acheteurs (par exemple l'information disponible sur des sites comparatifs sur internet) ou encore d'une information qui fait l'objet d'une certification par l'intermédiaire qui résout ainsi le problème de l'asymétrie d'information sur la qualité des produits dans le cas de biens d'expérience (rôle joué par exemple par les guides touristiques ou gastronomiques)L'analyse prendra aussi en compte les diverses stratégies des agents participant au marché : les consommateurs qui peuvent se procurer directement l'information en prospectant sans passer par l'intermédiaire et les entreprises qui peuvent transmettre directement l'information sans passer par les intermédiaires (en créant leur propre site web) ou qui peuvent avoir des stratégies indépendantes de certification de leur produit ou encore avoir des stratégies de signal de la qualité. La question de la réputation de l'intermédiaire pourra aussi être prise en compte, notamment en matière de certification ou encore la possibilité pour les consommateurs de faire un travail bénévole de certification en rendant public des avis lorsqu'ils ont déjà essayé le produit. / This paper uses a search model with the product differentiation in a two-sided market. The two-sided market matches sellers with buyers. On the buyers' side it supplies some match information between the goods and the buyers. On the firms' side, it sells some empty slots to the firms. Any firm either takes a place in any platform or stays outside. Buyers search for a good either inside or outside the platform. Each search of the an outside firm is costly and gives the match information between the searcher (buyer) and the seller. We study two cases. In the first case, all buyers obtain the match information in the platform for free. The equilibrium price and profit of an inside firm drops in the number of inside firms. The monopoly platform, by adjusting the entrance fee, admit fewer firms under a higher search cost. If the market has two platforms, they generally admit more firms than the case with one platform. In the second case, the platform is able to impose a fee for all consumers who enter the platform. Our last result has indicated that the platform will register all buyers and firms.

Candidate for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School Administration The state of Louisiana has spent a large amount of money over the past years to ensure highly qualified teachers for every student. This study aimed to discover whether or not there was a statistically significant association between teachers who attain National Board Certification and student gains in achievement on standardized tests specifically the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) in an urban Louisiana school district. The research was to determine if students taught by Nationally Board Certified teachers (NBCTs) outperformed students of comparable backgrounds taught by Non-Nationally Board Certified Teachers (Non-NBCTs). To accomplish this, the research examined English Language Arts and Mathematics test scores of fourth and eighth grade students taught by NBCTs and compared them with those of students taught by Non-NBCTs to determine if the gains made by the group taught by NBCTs were statistically significantly different from those taught by Non-NBCTs. The results of the data analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the score differences of fourth grade English Language Arts students and eighth grade English Language Arts students taught by NBCTs when compared to those taught by Non-NBCTs. The fourth and eighth grade score differences of students taught by NBCTs were statistically significantly higher. However, the analysis of the data also revealed there was not a statistically significant difference between the score differences of 4th grade math students taught by NBCTs when compared to those taught by Non-NBCTs. There were no NBCTs for 8th grade Mathematics students. One recommendation for further research should be to focus on more than one district to determine if results would be similar. Another recommendation, the Louisiana Department of Education should study all areas of high-stakes testing within the state to determine if teacher certification, especially NBCTs, have an impact on student achievement. The Louisiana Department of Education’s should use its extensive data base for a study determine whether National Board Certification contributes to increases in student achievement across all grade levels.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative certification instruction in a public education environment. In addition, the study compared traditional certification instruction to alternative certification instruction on the basis of educational quality. Due to increasing teacher shortages across the country, the search for an alternative route of certification has generated ideological debates revolving around the supply and demand of potential teachers, educational quality, and the potential of alternative means of teacher procurement. There are myriad arguments in support of and against alternative certification programs. This study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of alternatively certified teachers in a public education environment by comparing principal's perceptions of traditional certification instruction to alternative certification instruction existent with their region, on the basis of educational quality. Survey research was used to determine perceptions which Hampton Roads principals who have, or who have had, responsibility for supervision of alternatively and traditionally certified personnel. It focused on 40 statements comparing traditionally certified teachers and alternatively certified teachers. It included such factors as pedagogical content knowledge, classroom management and instruction, behavior management, attitude, life experience, professionalism, professional development and evaluation. A series of 40 independent t-tests and a factor analysis were accomplished utilizing the data derived from these surveys. Results of this study indicated that the perceptions among Hampton Roads principals differ significantly regarding the effectiveness of alternatively certified teachers from those of previous research. Demographic data found these perceptions exist with principals of all school levels and are not related to the principal's years of experience, formal education or student enrollment. Ninety five percent of the 40 comparative statements favor those teachers achieving certification through traditional certification programs. Areas that reflected particularly substantial differences were content knowledge, instructional planning, and classroom discipline. Recommendations for practice include but are not limited to standardized supervision of alternative certification programs, quality screening of applicants, quality mentor programs, standardized and subsidized student teaching, competency testing, formalized state and district assessment and quality recruitment. / Ed. D.

No description available.

Abstract This dissertation explored sustainable forest management from multiple perspectives: a literature-based investigation to define management practices that sustain ecological, economic, and social forest resources over time; a field-based research project to identify management practice differences between Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified, and uncertified properties in Maine; and a field-based research project to identify stand structural differences between FSC certified and uncertified properties in Vermont. Based on an extensive literature review, we developed an iterative decision-making framework of goal-setting/implementation/ monitoring/review that could assist forest owners in choosing management practices to sustain ecological, economic, and/or social capital over multiple time frames. Our unique contribution is the identification of six concrete management concepts at the implementation phase: (1) BMPs/RIL, (2) biodiversity conservation, (3) community forestry, (4) forest protection, (5) sustained forest product yield, and (6) triad forestry. Forest owners can implement practices under one or more of these concepts to achieve their sustainability goals. We illustrate a hypothetical application of our framework with a case study of an FSC certified managed natural forest in the lowland tropical region of Costa Rica. In the white pine forests of south-central Maine, we compared three FSC, SFI, and uncertified private properties against local scale Montreal criteria using triangulation of evidence from management documents, staff interviews, and field inspections. Certified properties were associated with improved internal management systems and improved practices for biodiversity conservation. However, our data suggest that certification does not necessarily involve fulfillment of all Montreal criteria, such as adherence to sustained timber yield, consideration of multiple social issues, or ecological monitoring at multiple temporal and spatial scales. In northern hardwood stands in central Vermont, we compared three FSC certified and three uncertified that were analogous in terms harvesting date, silvicultural treatment type, forest type, and general location. The uncertified sites were randomly selected to remove bias. We conducted stand structural analysis of both live trees and standing and downed coarse woody debris, and also developed 10-year growth projections using FVS/NE-TWIGS. Our data suggest that FSC certified stands had similar timber economic value, similar live tree structure, and similar tree carbon storage, but significantly greater residual coarse woody debris than comparable uncertified harvested stands.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The certification process can be defined as a comprehensive evaluation of all security features, both technical and nontechnical, of an information system. This process ensures that the system design and implementation meets a distinct set of prescribed security requirements. The accreditation of a system ensures that networks, applications, and operating systems that make up the system are running at an acceptable level of risk. The Designated Approving Authority (DAA) is responsible for deciding what systems to approve for accreditation, and assumes the responsibility for running the accredited system at an accepted level of risk. This analysis of the certification and accreditation process stresses the vital aspects of the process that are of special concern to the DAA. The mission drives the process, and influences the ultimate accreditation decision. The DAA must understand the fundamental aspects of the certification effort, and be able to weigh factors such as the funding, time, and other resources available for the effort, as well as understand the scope of the system as a whole. This thesis covers the vital aspects of certification and accreditation, and provides the new DAA with a guide to the process. / Naval Postgraduate School author (civilian).

A significant issue in gifted education is the possible need for mandatory pre-service programs or certifications for educators who work with students who are gifted and talented. It was the primary purpose of this dissertation study to examine the perceptions of three groups of participants (pre-service educators, in-service educators in regular classroom environments, and in-service educators in classrooms for gifted students) to discern if misconceptions exist among the groups about the best practices for identifying and educating students who are gifted. Qualitative methodology was used to collect data via focus group interviews, email interviews, and document analysis. Data were analyzed for emerging trends and common themes in participants' perceptions of best practices for identifying and educating students who are gifted. The results of this study yielded several recommendations, including: (1)the need for more cohesive philosophies of gifted education and in-service training programs at the district level, (2) better defined gifted certification and/or pre-service teacher education program elements for gifted education, and (3) assistance for school districts from gifted education professional organizations or universities with strong backgrounds in gifted education programming to provide quality gifted professional development. The results support further research regarding pre-service education components and best practices in the education of students who are gifted. / Dissertation Chair: Dr. Mary Renck Jalongo Dissertation Committee Members: Dr. Monte Tidwell, Dr. Kelli Paquette, and Dr. James Hooks

School districts across the country are faced with teacher shortages in critical need areas such as special education and bilingual education. Further complicating this shortage is the movement to augment the existing teaching force with minority teachers in order to more closely reflect the changing demographics of the student population. Many states/districts have turned to alternative routes to teaching certification as the answer to expedite the recruitment of teachers. A largely untapped resource for new teachers can be found among the talented paraprofessional employees already employed within the school districts. Paraprofessional employees working in today’s classrooms offer a wealth of classroom knowledge and experience in these potential teachers. Districts seeking to recruit these employees as potential students need information on how to support and promote the hiring of teachers representative of minority groups that reflect the demographic composition of the student population. The primary purpose of this study is to identify the obstacles faced by paraprofessionals in a large urban school district who aspire to become certified teachers by pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Using naturalistic inquiry techniques, paraprofessionals wishing to become teachers completed questionnaires and participated in individual interviews. The data were examined and categorized using qualitative techniques in order to identify recurrent and common emerging themes where community colleges and universities can work to increase their support of these students and where school districts can increase levels of supports.

This study sought to identify factors that deterred employees of the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission from accessing the training and development fund for personal and professional development. The researcher used an instrument modeled on Darkenwald and Valentines (1985) Deterrents to Participation Scale (DPS-G) and incorporated the Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale and Robitschek (1998) Personal Growth Initiative Scale to investigate employee perceptions of deterrents to participation. For purposes of this study, participation was defined as enrolment in a course, workshop, seminar or training program for which the employee had requested prior approval and reimbursement of expenses from their employer. <p>Principal components analysis identified the combined category and factor, workplace issues as having the greatest potential for decreasing deterrents to participation for Commission employees. Results indicated (1) the mean score on the item personal growth initiative was significantly lower for respondents with one year of post secondary education than for both respondents with two years and greater than four years of education after high school; (2) the mean score on the item personal growth initiative was significantly lower for respondents in the office and clerical occupational category than for all other Commission work groups. <p>Another significant factor was that thirty-two percent of Commission staffs were eligible to retire within five years. Sixty-six percent of staffs were between the ages of forty-six and sixty. Survey data revealed the mean score on the item lack of relevance was significantly lower for respondents with greater than ten years until retirement than for respondents with three to five years until retirement. This result was anticipated, as Martindale and Drake (1989) clearly indicated that the closer one was to retirement, the less relevant education for career became. Marginally significant difference in the mean score on the item lack of relevance between respondents with one to two years until retirement and those with three to five years revealed a contradicting hypothesis. Participation in education, training, and development was less relevant to persons with three to five years until retirement than for those expecting to retire in one to two years. Personal and family constraints also influenced employee participation in educational opportunities. <p>In order for the Commission to become a learning organization as indicated in the Draft Human Resource and Organizational Learning Strategy, 2003, innovative strategies are required to include all staffs in training and development. Thus, by identifying a framework of deterrents, the Commission could use this checklist as a tool in future planning and policy development efforts related to staff professional development. Participation by Commission employees in surveys related to this study has increased their awareness of opportunities to participate in personal and professional growth initiatives.

Dans un contexte où les pôles traditionnels de régulation, ancrés dans des territoires nationaux, ont de la difficulté à s'adapter aux bouleversements induits par la mondialisation de l'économie, cette étude s'intéresse au potentiel régulatoire de la certification des forêts. L'étude présente l'émergence de la certification des forêts au cours des années 1990, comme élément de solution à la crise écologique secouant les écosystèmes forestiers de la planète. L'objectif de cette étude est de savoir si la certification a effectivement le potentiel de venir modifier les pratiques du secteur forestier de façon à résorber cette crise écologique. En se basant sur les écrits des auteurs de la théorie de la régulation, l'étude constate que pour que certification ait un potentiel de modifier les pratiques du secteur forestier, elle doit être l'objet d'un compromis social entre les acteurs de ce secteur. Afin de vérifier si la certification est effectivement l'objet d'un compromis dans le secteur forestier, une analyse de contenu de discours d'acteurs de ce secteur et une étude comparative des différents systèmes de certification existants dans le secteur forestier ont été réalisées. Ces deux analyses permettent de conclure que la certification est bel et bien l'objet d'un compromis dans le secteur forestier, mais que ce compromis n'est pas complet. En effet, si l'utilisation de la certification comme outil de gestion et comme guide pour les pratiques du secteur fait l'objet d'un compromis, il n'en est pas de même pour ce qui est des pratiques exactes que la certification peut exiger des acteurs du secteur forestier. Cette étude permet alors de constater que deux niveaux de compromis existent et que les négociations sont toujours actives pour ce qui est du contenu des exigences des systèmes de certification forestière ; la compétition actuelle entre trois grands types de schémas de certification étant une illustration de cette réalité. Par ailleurs, cette étude présente une analyse du concept de développement durable et cherche à savoir si la certification traduit les principes du développement durable tel que définis dans le rapport Brundtland et permettra d'implanter des pratiques conformes à ces principes dans le secteur forestier. Elle conclut que le contenu des systèmes de certification s'inspire des principes du développement durable et qu'une des certifications les plus utilisées, la Forest Stewardship Council, est celle dont les exigences sont les plus susceptibles d'instaurer des pratiques de foresterie durable. En outre, l'étude démontre que la Forest Stewardship Council est la certification qui semble vouloir s'imposer actuellement dans le secteur forestier. Toutefois, une mise en garde concernant le peu de forêts certifiées dans les pays du Sud est faite à la fin de l'étude. Ainsi, dans son état actuel, la certification, peu appliquée au Sud, ne pourra atteindre son objectif initial d'instaurer une gestion durable des forêts à l'échelle de la planète et, de par le fait même, de solutionner la crise écologique des forêts, particulièrement si on considère que la majorité des problèmes de la forêt sont concentrés dans les pays du Sud. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Ceritification, Développement durable, Foresterie, Forêts, Théorie de la régulation.