Higher education has recently experienced a shift from an input-based accountability system (curriculum and instruction) to one that is now output-based (assessment). Faculty members are the intermediaries who prepare curriculum and instruction to meet the requirements of teacher education departments and to demonstrate results through the achievement of students. The purpose of this study was to understand how adjunct and full-time faculty members experience participation in a public university teacher education department and if faculty members' experience of participation influences instruction. Theories of systems, teacher education, faculty work, and communities of practice formed the study's conceptual framework. Data for the interpretive phenomenological case study included 7 interviews of adjunct and full-time faculty as well as key artifacts and observations of 2 faculty meetings. The data were coded using first- and second-order constructs and analyzed to answer the research question. All full-time faculty members believed their participation in the department affected their instruction whereas the adjunct faculty members did not. Moreover, faculty members had distinct trajectories in a community of practice that may or may not be tied to their status as adjunct or full-time. Increased facilitation of these faculty trajectories by deans and chairs may result in better utilization of faculty professional skills and knowledge. This study's findings may increase knowledge by higher education leadership about their faculty's community of practice and thus create positive social change through the improvement of instruction by faculty and through it, student achievement.

La modalidad de Asociación o Participación Público-Privada (PPP) en educación ha surgido ante la necesidad del Estado de atender el crecimiento de la demanda de acceso escolar y el desafío de aprovechar los recursos y las experiencias exitosas de los operadores privados para contribuir al logro del cuarto de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de las Naciones Unidas: garantizar una educación inclusiva, de calidad, promoviendo oportunidades de aprendizaje durante toda la vida. Así, la gestión de las instituciones educativas (IE) incluye no solo los aspectos pedagógicos, sino también los institucionales, administrativos y comunitarios que esta investigación aborda. Esta tesis describe un Estado, como el peruano, con limitaciones, tanto de recursos económicos como de gestión humana, para cumplir con su objetivo de brindar educación de calidad con una cobertura universal. Asimismo, los Barrios Urbano-Marginales (BUM) de Lima se presentan, debido a su crecimiento demográfico explosivo, condiciones de pobreza, deficiente infraestructura y bajo acceso a la educación, como un caso que invita a plantear modelos innovadores de intervención para el Estado, que podrían hacer factible la provisión de un servicio público educativo de calidad, inclusivo y sostenible, a partir de la participación privada, para un grupo objetivo que, por naturaleza, se encuentra menos favorecido. De este modo, el objetivo de esta investigación consiste en proponer, a partir de experiencias de PPP exitosas y el análisis de los actores, sus principales motivaciones y la realidad y contexto locales, un modelo educativo público innovador, con participación privada, para la educación básica regular en los BUM de Lima. Para contribuir con el análisis, se llevó a cabo un estudio exploratorio descriptivo, bajo la metodología inductivo-conceptual, con un enfoque cualitativo, que consistió en 16 entrevistas a profundidad a principales decisores (policymakers), expertos y académicos del sector educativo peruano, así como la aplicación de una encuesta a 290 docentes del sector público con el objetivo de conocer sus valoraciones con respecto a la gestión educativa en esquemas de PPP. La investigación permitió identificar los principales aspectos a tomar en cuenta en todas las etapas del modelo propuesto: diseño, implementación, seguimiento y medición de resultados, y propone desafiar los principales paradigmas identificados, percibidos, por algunos actores sociales, políticos y económicos del Perú como inamovibles, mediante el diseño de una alternativa eficiente y eficaz, liderada por el Estado, que logre el alineamiento de los actores y los operadores privados hacia los objetivos de calidad a través de las cuatro dimensiones de la gestión educativa. La construcción del modelo se sustenta en la premisa de que el sector privado puede coadyuvar en lograr los objetivos educativos orientados a la calidad en los aprendizajes con base en experiencias exitosas de PPP. Asimismo, este modelo busca empoderar a los actores, especialmente a aquellos con capacidad de pensar “fuera de la caja”, para lograr revertir estos paradigmas por medio del uso de elementos de la economía conductual, además de otros elementos, que promueven la toma de decisiones basados en la observación de las conductas y el entendimiento de las motivaciones profundas de los actores. Sin embargo, a pesar de lo expresado anteriormente, no se puede concluir que existen las condiciones requeridas para llevar a cabo el modelo en gran escala, por lo que se recomienda la realización de un piloto que permita, de la mano de los principales actores, poner en práctica los lineamientos señalados y validar los resultados esperados para luego optimizar el modelo y lograr su escalabilidad. / The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) modality in education has arisen due to the State’s need to meet the school access demand growth and the challenge of taking advantage of the private operators’ resources and successful experiences to contribute to achieving the fourth of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): ensuring inclusive, quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities. Thus, the educational institution management includes not only pedagogical, but also institutional, administrative and community aspects that this research addresses. This study describes a State, such as the Peruvian, with limitations, both in economic resources and human resources management, to meet its objective of providing quality education with a universal coverage. Likewise, due to their explosive population growth, poverty conditions, poor infrastructure and low access to education, the Urban-Marginal Neighborhoods (BUM, in Spanish) in Lima are shown as a case that invites to propose innovative intervention models for the State, which might make feasible providing a quality, inclusive and sustainable public educational service based on the private participation for a target group that, by nature, is less favored. Furthermore, the objective of this research is to propose, based on successful PPP experiences and the analysis of stakeholders, their main drives and the local reality and background, an innovative public educational model with private participation for the regular basic education at the BUM in Lima. To contribute to this analysis, we conducted a descriptive exploratory study, under the inductive-conceptual methodology, with a qualitative approach, which consisted of 16 in-depth interviews to the main policymakers, experts and scholars from the Peruvian education sector, as well as the application of a survey to 290 teachers from the public sector in order to know their appraisals on educational management in PPP schemes. The research allowed to identify the main aspects to be taken into consideration at all the proposed model stages: design, implementation, monitoring and measurement of results. It alsosuggests to challenge the main paradigms that some Peruvian social, political and economic stakeholders identify and perceive as immovable through the design of an efficient and effective alternative, which is led by the State and achieves the alignment of private stakeholders and operators towards quality objectives through the four dimensions of educational management. The construction of the model is based on the premise that the private sector can contribute to achieving educational objectives oriented to quality learning based on successful PPP experiences. Likewise, this model seeks to empower stakeholders, especially those with the ability to think “out of the box”, to reverse these paradigms, using, among others, elements of behavioral economics that promote decision-making based on observation of behaviors and understanding of stakeholders’ deep motivations. However, despite the aforementioned, it cannot be concluded that there are the required conditions to carry out a large-scale model, so it is recommended to perform a pilot model to allow to, with the support of the main stakeholders, implement the outlined guidelines and validate the expected results to optimize then the model and achieve its scalability.

Teacher attrition compromises efforts to provide a quality teacher in every classroom, and attrition brings high financial and organizational costs to school districts. Yet, there are few studies on retention of veteran teachers. Within a framework of economic, organization, and attrition theories, the purpose of this study was to provide a clearer focus on factors that contribute to the retention of veteran teachers using Q-methodology. The independent variables were 49 participants from a large school district in the southwest United States. The dependent variable was the Q-sample of multiple factors. Using previous literature, a concourse was developed. The P-sample of veteran teachers sorted various retention perception statements into categories of most definitely influencing to most definitely not influencing their retention. Factor analysis including varimax rotation was completed. Four factors emerged defining groups of teachers and what influences retention: empowerment with emotional support, family lifestyle with intellectual growth, family lifestyle with serving students, serving students with physical support. Interfactor retention elements that positively or negatively affected retention included standardized testing, time challenges, administrator, empowerment, family lifestyle, serving students, adequate facilities and materials, and intellectual enjoyment. Recommendations for action included modifying standardized testing; providing supports for time, family lifestyle, and disadvantaged students; encouraging empowerment through a supportive administrator; and implementing further research clarifying veteran teacher retention. Positive social change may occur if local, district, state, and national policies address retention factors to provide better retention of teachers for increased stability and student learning with decreased financial and emotional costs.

The problem that compelled this study is one faced by districts across the nation, which is the alignment of district curriculum with state standards and assessments. The Jacobs model of curriculum mapping was developed to address these alignment issues. The Jacobs model represents a large scale change initiative, and large scale reforms may be unsustainable if leaders misunderstand the magnitude of change and its impact on leadership. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore administrator and teacher perceptions of administrative responsibilities for implementing the Jacobs model of curriculum mapping in a rural Midwestern school and how administrative leadership impacted teacher perceptions of sustainability. The conceptual framework for this study was based on change theories in relation to the work of Fullan and Senge. Data were collected from multiple sources, including interviews with 25 teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and 5 administrators at all instructional levels. Archival documents and artifacts from 5 school years were also collected. Single case data was inductively analyzed and coded into 3 frames of analysis, and a cross case analysis of patterns, relationships, and themes was conducted. The findings of this study identified leadership challenges that impeded sustainability. Results suggest that for large scale reform to be successful, leaders need to identify and address potential change barriers and assume non-traditional leadership roles and responsibilities. Implications for positive social change include raised teacher awareness about the need for curricular alignment with state standards and the importance of horizontal, vertical, and lateral collaboration to address curricular gaps and redundancies in order to improve student learning.

Secondary school students in Nigeria face challenges regarding their oral health. Few researchers have investigated oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in Nigerian populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of oral health knowledge, behaviors, and practices among secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria, in relation to their oral health status. The theoretical framework of this study was based on the health belief model. A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 12 secondary schools in Enugu State, using a close-ended questionnaire as well as oral examination (dental caries and periodontal diseases) of the students who attended junior secondary (JSS) I, II, and III classes. A total stratified sample of 671 students was included in the study. Bivariate nonparametric tests and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the levels of dental caries and periodontal diseases were relatively low. However, only one fourth of the students had received professional fluoridation, and almost 50% of the participants had never visited a dentist. Students from a missionary school had lower levels of periodontal diseases than those from public schools, with an odds ratio of 0.612 (95% CI [0.402, 0.934]). Students from JSS III class tended to have a lower level of periodontal diseases than those of JSS I class (OR: 0.567, 95% CI [0.363, 0.886]). The social change implications of this study can be the development and incorporation of oral health promotion programs into the school curriculum. These programs may increase the adoption of preventive oral health strategies by students, such as regular dental attendance, to maintain their good oral health for a life time.

The following report documents my 480-hour internship from August 17th, 2015 to January 29th, 2016 in the Education and Public Programs Department at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC). I worked closely with the Marketing and Visual Art Departments. I chose the organization to experience an environment that commits itself to presenting high quality performing and visual arts. This paper assesses the CAC’s history, present day status, and future outlook. It also offers suggestions on how certain aspects can be improved in order to extend the organization’s longevity. Over the course of five months I observed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the organization. Additionally, using knowledge gained from my Arts Administration classes and personal observations, this paper offers predictions as to the organization’s future.

O estudo buscou realizar pesquisas teórica, legal-financeira e empírica sobre os recursos financeiros descentralizados que são transferidos diretamente às escolas públicas municipais de São Paulo, pelos governos federal (Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola, PDDE) e municipal (Programa de Transferência de Recursos Financeiros, PTRF, e Verba de Adiantamento), investigando sobre os procedimentos legais, administrativos e participativos que envolvem a gestão destes recursos, de forma a apresentar dados quantitativos e qualitativos sobre eles, tendo como amostra de pesquisa cinco escolas de diferentes modalidades de ensino: um Centro de Educação Infantil (CEI), uma Escola Municipal de Educação Infantil (EMEI), uma Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental (EMEF), um Centro Integrado de Educação de Jovens e Adultos (CIEJA) e uma Escola Municipal de Educação Básica para Surdos (EMEBS). A dimensão empírica da pesquisa se dividiu em duas subdimensões: macro e micro. A dimensão empírica macro se deu numa perspectiva legal-financeira, pesquisando sobre as origens e os procedimentos legais dos programas que transferem recursos financeiros descentralizados às escolas públicas, suas normas de utilização, movimentação e prestação de contas. Essa dimensão também buscou desenvolver uma série histórica, contemplando o período de 2007 a 2013, a qual compara os montantes dos recursos financeiros descentralizados transferidos anualmente às escolas municipais de São Paulo com o orçamento total anual da educação do município, objetivando demonstrar o quanto estes programas representam em termos percentuais para o planejamento orçamentário municipal. A dimensão empírica micro da pesquisa se deu a partir da verificação em campo, no âmbito das escolas pesquisadas, levantando suas dificuldades e avanços em lidar com os recursos financeiros transferidos, trazendo dados sobre seus montantes e aplicações anuais (2007 a 2013), a partir da verificação dos documentos de prestação de contas das Associações de Pais e Mestres (APMs), de instrumentos de entrevista e de levantamento de dados, especificamente elaborados pelos métodos da pesquisa. Os dados e as informações apresentados abordam questões importantes sobre financiamento e gestão financeira escolar, tendo o intuito de contribuir para o debate sobre políticas públicas de gestão financeira escolar e fornecer subsídios que possam compor estudos cujo objetivo seja uma abordagem sobre a realidade financeira das escolas públicas e a gestão democrática de seus recursos financeiros, com vistas à melhoria da qualidade de ensino. / The study sought to carry out theoretical, legal-financial and empirical research on the decentralized financial resources that are transferred directly to public schools in São Paulo, by the federal government (\"Direct Money to School Program\", PDDE) and by the municipal government (\"Financial Resources Transfer Program\", PTRF, and \"Verba de Adiantamento\"), investigating on the legal, administrative and participatory procedures that involve the management of these resources in order to provide quantitative and qualitative data about them. As a research sample there were five schools of different types of education modalities: one Early Childhood Center (CEI), a Municipal School of Early Childhood Education (EMEI), a Municipal Elementary School (EMEF), an Integrated Centre for Youth and Adult Education (CIEJA) and a Municipal Basic Education School for the Deaf ( EMEBS). The empirical dimension of the research is divided into two sub-dimensions: macro and micro scales. The macro empirical dimension was given a legal and financial perspective, researching the origins and legal procedures of the programs that transfer decentralized financial resources to public schools, their rules of use, handling and accountability. This dimension also sought to develop a historical series, covering the period 2007 to 2013, which compares the amounts of decentralized resources transferred annually to public schools in São Paulo with the total annual budget of the municipality\'s education, aiming to show how much (in percentage) these programs represent in terms of the municipal budget planning. The micro scale empirical research took place from the field verification, along with the surveyed schools, raising their difficulties and advances in dealing with the financial resources transferred to them, bringing data on their amounts and annual applications (2007 - 2013), from verification of the accounting documents of the Parent Teacher Associations (APMs), interview and data collection tools, specifically designed by the methods of the research. The data and information presented address important matters about funding and school financial management, with the aim of contributing to the debate on public policies to school financial management and provide subsidies that can compose studies whose aim is the approach to the financial reality of public schools and democratic management of its financial resources, looking forward to improving the quality of education.

The aim of the thesis is to analyse and compare existing National Councils of Education in countries from Europe Union and OECD. The thesis also summarises knowledge about discuss and realization Councils in the Czech republic. It shows history of Administration and Management of Education in the Czech republic from early years after war to present with a focus on changes which happened after the Velvet Revolution in november 1989. Output of the thesis is a concept of possible National Council of Education in the Czech Republic which is based on performed analysis.

The aim of the thesis is to analyse and compare existing National Councils of Education in countries from Europe Union and OECD. The thesis also summarises knowledge about discuss and realization Councils in the Czech republic. It shows history of Administration and Management of Education in the Czech republic from early years after war to present with a focus on changes which happened after the Velvet Revolution in november 1989. Output of the thesis is a concept of possible National Council of Education in the Czech Republic which is based on performed analysis.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 mandates that middle school students be technologically literate by the end of 8th grade, but teachers need more information on how to make this outcome a reality. This qualitative phenomenological study used a constructivist theoretical framework to investigate teachers' descriptions of technological literacy outcomes, instructional practice, and challenges influencing middle school student technological literacy. Twelve teachers at 1 public middle school in a large urban area of Georgia were interviewed. Data were analyzed using the typological method with the inclusion of both inductive and predetermined categories. Teachers described technologically literate middle school students as able to perform basic computer skills and use those skills for research and problem-solving. Teachers' instructional practices included modeling and demonstration, hands-on practice, coaching, collaboration, and frequent assessment to achieve the outcome of student technological literacy. Challenges that can impede teachers' implementation of practices for technological literacy included lack of school support, equipment, time, and effective professional development. Recommendations to overcome challenges include increasing availability of equipment by providing better ways to schedule the computer laboratories and staff to monitor the equipment. Relevant up-to-date staff development and inclusion of technological literacy as a school goal were also suggested. This study may influence social change because it may help teachers improve practices to develop students' technological literacy skills necessary for successful employment in the 21 st century.