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Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2008. / Thesis Advisor(s): Matthews,, David F. ; Roberts, Benjamin J. "September 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on November 5, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89). Also available in print.

It is essential for school psychologists assessing children to use instruments that are reliable and valid. The focus of the current study is to determine whether or not the parent preschool versions of two popular behavior rating instruments, the Behavior Assessment System for Children – Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), are consistent measures of similarly-named behavioral constructs in preschool-aged children. Parents of 95 preschoolers referred to a nonprofit child evaluation clinic because of behavioral or developmental concerns completed both the BASC-2 and CBCL during an initial evaluation session. The findings revealed that while significantly high correlations occurred, the mean standard scores were significantly different for nine of the 15 construct comparisons. For six of the 15 comparisons, the mean difference was greater than one standard deviation. Additionally, the CBCL usually resulted in higher ratings than the BASC-2. Such findings imply that the two instruments are not equivalent, and results from these two behavior rating scales need to be interpreted with caution. The determination of whether or not a construct is considered clinically significant may depend solely on the instrument completed by the parent.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

This research study describes the educational experiences and factors intervening in the assessment practices of four outstanding Social Studies/history educators. Three of these educators work at the high school level, and the other at the middle school level. Additionally, the study explores how their assessment practices adapt to inform instruction, promote student learning, and meet current educational standards in their school districts. This study was developed on McMillan's (2013) framework for classroom assessments. In this framework, classroom assessment practices are impacted by advancements in the theory of measurement, the theory of student learning and motivation, and theories on instruction. The area of Social Studies, specifically the discipline of history, was chosen to be explored because of the place that Social Studies occupies in the current educational curricular panorama. Social Studies' history has been a class mainly characterized as traditional. Instruction and assessment have elicited rote learning and recalling of facts (Smith, 2017). However, with the introduction of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), some educators have become aware that Social Studies' history can take the central stage in promoting student learning. The research methodology of this study subscribed to the qualitative paradigm and a social-constructivist worldview. I also used the Case Study tradition to encompass the exploration of this research topic. To collect the data for this study, I used three individual semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and document analysis. The data analysis of this research followed the procedures of in-vivo coding. These are the main research questions that directed this study and guided the data processing: (1) What personal and educational experiences, as well as other factors, influence teachers' perceptions and uses of classroom assessments for Social Studies? (2) What type of assessments are Social Studies teachers using, and to what extent are these assessments informing their instruction? And (3) How are Social Studies teachers' assessment practices meeting the contemporary demands of local and state educational policies in Social Studies? Three coding rounds were employed to move from code words to clusters themes, and into the narrative, I offer to explore the answers to this research's primary questions. Findings revealed that Social Studies educators were meaningfully impacted by the kind of education they received as students in Social Studies history when they were at the high school and college and master levels of education. Additionally, educators in this study draw inspiration from the faculty of their master's program. Other factors that meaningfully impacted their contemporary educational classroom assessments include their particular vision of what history learning should be, the skill-based movement, and the advancements in formative assessments and assessment systems. Educators employ a variety of educational assessments in alignment with instruction – such as technology-enhanced, skill-based, and primary source-based assessments in their classrooms– to meet students' learning needs and the demands of educational standards. Finally, this study reveals that Social Studies educators fostered collaboration with other colleagues from their school districts, higher education institutions, researchers, and curriculum developers to continue revamping their assessments, instruction, and curriculum to promote learning. Therefore, this study offers suggestions to embrace collaboration, connections, and opportunities for educators to become invested in their assessment and learning practices.

Os sistemas de avaliação ambiental de edifícios são cada vez mais empregados no mercado de construção, servindo de suporte para a realização de diversos estudos acadêmicos sobre esta matéria. Muitos autores e sites ressaltam os benefícios das certificações LEED e do Processo AQUA, porém poucos discutem quantitativamente os efeitos, dificuldades e motivos de sua adoção, evidenciando, dessa forma, a necessidade e a importância de pesquisas como esta. Neste contexto, este trabalho tem como objetivo geral traçar um panorama da certificação ambiental de edifícios no Brasil, através da percepção dos principais intervenientes (stakeholder) no processo. Os objetivos principais deste trabalho consistem na identificação das motivações para a certificação de sistemas de avaliação ambiental de edifícios (LEED e Processo AQUA) e dos benefícios e dificuldades inerentes a sua implementação. Foi possível ainda efetuar várias recomendações destinadas a orientar e facilitar o processo de adoção destes sistemas, que inclui a proposta de ações a serem desenvolvidas pelas empresas, organismos de certificação e autoridades governamentais competentes. O método utilizado foi de pesquisa survey, junto a vários agentes envolvidos no processo de certificação ambiental. Para tal, foram concebidos diferentes questionários destinados a caracterizar a adoção dos sistemas de avaliação ambiental de edifícios que foram encaminhados aos empreendedores e consultores de empreendimentos certificados ou em processo de certificação. Obtiveram-se em total 21 questionários válidos que indicaram que as principais motivações para obter a certificação estão ligadas à melhoria da imagem e do empreendimento e que os principais benefícios estão relacionados com o marketing e a redução dos custos operacionais. Estes resultados também indicaram que existem dificuldades para essa adoção principalmente com a falta de integração no processo de projeto e a falta de fornecedores para materiais e tecnologias sustentáveis. / The building environmental assessment systems over the world are employing increasingly and we can find several studies concerning this subject. Many authors and websites emphasize the benefits of LEED and Process AQUA, but few discuss quantitatively the impacts, difficulties and reasons for its adoption, showing thus the need and importance of research like this. In this context, this paper aims to outline a general overview of the environmental certification of buildings in Brazil, through the key stakeholders perception (stakeholder) of the process. The main targets of this work were to identify the motivations for the environmental assessment systems for buildings and the corresponding benefits and difficulties concerning of implementation. It was also possible to make some recommendations to orientate and support the adoption of environmental assessment systems for buildings. These recomendations include the identification of actions to be implemented by companies, certification bodies and governmental authorities. In order to accomplish the defined targets, it were developed surveys which can lead to characterize the adoption of environmental assessment systems for buildings (LEED and AQUA Process). These survey was sent directly to entrepreneurs and consultants of a sample of brasilian companies with building certified or certification process (LEED and AQUA Process). It was received 21 answers that indicated that the main motivations for certification are linked to improving the image and building and that the main benefits are related to marketing and reducing operating costs. These results also indicated that there are difficulties in adopting this especially with the lack of integration in the design process and the lack of suppliers for materials and sustainable technologies.

<b>Background:</b> External Quality Assessment assesses the quality of the structures, processes and outcomes of health facilities using pre-determined standards. South Africa is introducing a national policy on External Quality Assessment, operationalised by a newly established External Quality Assessment agency: the Office of Health Standards Compliance. This thesis seeks to answer three research questions: What is the relationship between External Quality Assessment and patient outcomes (specifically Healthcare Associated Infections) at the specialist-care facility level in South Africa? What are the facilitators of and barriers to health facility performance (i.e. attainment of compliance with standards) in External Quality Assessment at the district hospital level in South Africa? What has been the experience of External Quality Assessment by frontline healthcare workers at the district hospital level in South Africa? <b>Methods:</b> Three systematic literature reviews are conducted that attempt to identify the existing evidence base for the above-mentioned research questions in the international literature. A convergent parallel mixed methods design is used to answer the research questions, comprising an Interrupted Time Series Analysis and a multiple embedded case study of two pairs of health facilities that had undergone External Quality Assessment by the Office of Health Standards Compliance. The Interrupted Time Series Analysis assesses whether an effectiveness relationship can be demonstrated between External Quality Assessment and the Healthcare Associated Infection Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in eight South African specialist-care hospitals using monthly MRSA data from 2004 to 2014. MRSA is used in this thesis as the proxy patient outcome indicator. In order to answer research questions two and three, I participated in a district hospital External Quality Assessment as a participant observer as well as conducted fifteen in-depth interviews with healthcare workers from two pairs of district hospitals and thirteen in-depth interviews with Office of Health Standards Compliance inspectors. These findings are triangulated with health facility External Quality Assessment reports. <b>Results:</b> No conclusive evidence is found of a relationship between implementation of External Quality Assessment and changes in MRSA. The major theoretical lenses drawn from in the analysis of the qualitative findings are systems thinking theory and regulatory theory. The qualitative research suggests that facilitators of performance in External Quality Assessment in South Africa include strong directional leadership within health facilities, a collaborative organisational culture, a whole systems approach, staff development, incentives, a robust information system and a supportive External Quality Assessment agency. The research also identifies poor alignment of External Quality Assessment standards, under-developed and limited human resources, inadequate decision-making space afforded to district hospital leadership, limited financial resources, the use of penalties and negative staff perceptions of External Quality Assessment as barriers to health facility performance in External Quality Assessment. In unpacking the experiences of South African healthcare workers of External Quality Assessment, this research finds that the work of the Office of Health Standards Compliance is valued by healthcare workers as a potential educational opportunity and is useful in providing the health system with a means to compare health facilities using a standardised tool. The implementation of the Office of Health Standards Compliance's External Quality Assessments requires significant improvement and, in their current form, they have potential unintended negative consequences on healthcare worker motivation as well as potentially, inadvertently encouraging the gaming of External Quality Assessment. <b>Conclusion:</b> The Office of Health Standards Compliance is being set up in such a way that once fully established it will be the primary regulator of quality of care in the South African health system. This thesis attempts to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of this largely under-researched health system intervention and to contribute to strengthening its implementation.

Baigiamojo darbo tikslas – atlikti gyvenamųjų daugiabučių namų kvartalų atnaujinimo galimybių tyrimą, išanalizuoti pasirinktų šalių pastatų kokybės vertinimo sistemų pavyzdžius bei juos pritaikyti Lietuvoje. Tikslui pasiekti nustatomos dabartinės renovuojamų daugiabučių gyvenamųjų namų problemos ir trūkumai Lietuvoje ir jos išsprendžiamos remiantis pateiktais užsienio valstybių reikalavimais. Pagrindinė priežastis, kodėl tokia analizė buvo atliekama – tai noras įdiegti naują ir patikimą pastatų kokybės atnaujinimo ir jos kontrolės įvertinimo sistemą Lietuvoje. Tokios sistemos iki šiol šalyje nebuvimo. Todėl atlikus daugiabučių gyvenamųjų namų kvartalų kokybės tyrimą, buvo nustatyta, kad pastatų atnaujinimas yra būtinas, sukuriant darnią sistemą. Darbą sudaro: įvadas ir užduoties analizė, pavyzdžiai, Lietuvoje ir užsienyje naudojamų kokybės vertinimo sistemų apžvalga ir analizė, jų pritaikymas Lietuvoje, įvertinant daugiabučius namus pasirinktuose penkiuose Vilniaus miesto rajonuose, darbo rezultatų aptarimas ir išvados, informacijos šaltiniai, priedai. / The purpose of the final project is to perform feasibility study on refurbishment of blocks of flats, to analyze examples of total quality assessment systems and to apply them in Lithuania practice. Therefore, actual problems and defects must be determined in renovated buildings using other countries requirements. Then the purpose will be achieved. Other reason of this assessment is to perform a new and reliable quality assessment system of refurbishment and control in Lithuania. Results of this analysis show the need of sustainable system of modernization. The final project is performed by introduction and analysis, some samples, review of quality assessment systems in Lithuania and aboard, application of them in zones of Vilnius in Lithuania, results and conclusions, information data, annexes. The size of the final work: 166 pages without annexes, 30 illustrations, 42 tables, 2 annexes.

No description available.

This study aimed to construct and validate issues related to the thematic area "Earth and Universe", with the purpose of generating an assessment tool in Science, that allows to analyze the different levels of knowledge of students in the 9th grade of elementary school. Based on the Franzolin Cone Theory (2009), it was possible to develop a gradient passing high school, elementary school, elementary school II and Common Sense, in which we can analyze the approach and departure from the reference knowledge in each elaborate question. This is a documentary and exploratory research, with qualitative and quantitative approach. The steps of the research were divided into five: (i) Construction of a gradient based on Cone Theory Franzolin (2009); (Ii) Research subjects; (Iii) Construction and Validation of reference matrix; (Iv) Preparation of the issues; (V) validation of the issues. For data analysis, we used the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Among the analyzes relevant statistics, simple frequencies were carried out, the calculation of Cronbach's Alpha and made correlations Spearman rho. We conclude that it is feasible to build a school performance test that takes into account the plurality of ideas of students, as through the results was possible to observe the level of knowledge of students in relation to the contents of the axis 'Earth and the Universe'. / Este estudo teve como objetivo construir e validar questões referentes ao eixo temático “Terra e Universo”, com o propósito de gerar um instrumento de avaliação em Ciências, que possibilite analisar os diferentes níveis de conhecimento de alunos do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Com base na Teoria do Cone de Franzolin (2009), foi possível desenvolver um gradiente que passa Ensino Médio, Ensino Fundamental I, Ensino Fundamental II e Senso Comum, no qual podemos analisar a aproximação e distanciamento do conhecimento de referência em cada questão elaborada. Trata-se de uma pesquisa documental e exploratória, com abordagem metodológica qualitativa e quantitativa. As etapas da pesquisa foram subdivididas em cinco: (i) Construção de um gradiente baseado na Teoria do Cone de Franzolin (2009); (ii) Sujeitos da pesquisa; (iii) Construção e Validação da matriz de referência; (iv) Elaboração das questões; (v) Validação das questões. Para a análise dos dados, utilizamos o programa SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Dentre as análises estatísticas pertinentes, foram realizadas as frequências simples, o cálculo do Alpha de Cronbach e feitas correlações de rho de Spearman. Concluímos que é viável a construção de um teste de desempenho escolar que leve em consideração a pluralidade de ideias dos estudantes, visto que através dos resultados foi possível observar o nível de conhecimento dos estudantes em relação aos conteúdos do eixo ‘Terra e Universo’.