Climate is a long-term driver of ecological change, but the rapidity with which climate is projected to change over the next century may push the limitations of ecological adaptability, to the detriment of biodiversity. Given their typically small populations, limiting biological traits and exposure to external stressors, species currently classified as “at risk” may be among the most vulnerable to climate change and least capable of adapting naturally. A screening level assessment of the impacts of climate change on endangered species in Canada was conducted by integrating knowledge of the current status and characteristics of each endangered species with projections of climate change and climate change impacts. It was determined that climate change may have a potential overall negative influence on more than half of all endangered species in Canada. However, while relatively few species were predicted to respond in an overall positive or neutral manner to climate change, a large portion of endangered species were classified as having insufficient information to generate a decision on the net influence of climate change; in many cases, these species were located at the northern extent of their range in warmer regions of Canada and have the potential to experience at least some benefits under climate change provided that other stressors are sufficiently mitigated. These results, as well as the inherent vulnerability of species at risk to environmental change, the potential for species at risk distributional shifts and the likelihood of increasing rates of species imperilment, demonstrate the need for greater consideration of the implications of climate change in species at risk management and policy. Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) does not explicitly address the issue of climate change and limitations exist in SARA’s time-sensitive definition of wildlife species eligible for protection in Canada and in the interpretation of SARA’s mandates in the context of anthropogenically driven climate change. It is recommended that climate change be systematically considered in all species at risk assessments, recovery strategies and management plans and that SARA’s definition of a wildlife species be revaluated in light of shifting species distributions under climate change. Further recommendations to identify “values” that will assist in prioritizing species for conservation, to reassess the concept of an invasive species under climate change and to implement strategies that focus more broadly on the conservation of biodiversity and ecological integrity rather than individual species may require ethically complex discussions and decisions on the part of species at risk managers and policy makers. Future research should focus on informing species at risk management and policy by improving modeling capabilities at the species level, conducting in-depth analyses of priority species, and building knowledge of alternative species conservation strategies such as assisted colonization.

Climate is a long-term driver of ecological change, but the rapidity with which climate is projected to change over the next century may push the limitations of ecological adaptability, to the detriment of biodiversity. Given their typically small populations, limiting biological traits and exposure to external stressors, species currently classified as “at risk” may be among the most vulnerable to climate change and least capable of adapting naturally. A screening level assessment of the impacts of climate change on endangered species in Canada was conducted by integrating knowledge of the current status and characteristics of each endangered species with projections of climate change and climate change impacts. It was determined that climate change may have a potential overall negative influence on more than half of all endangered species in Canada. However, while relatively few species were predicted to respond in an overall positive or neutral manner to climate change, a large portion of endangered species were classified as having insufficient information to generate a decision on the net influence of climate change; in many cases, these species were located at the northern extent of their range in warmer regions of Canada and have the potential to experience at least some benefits under climate change provided that other stressors are sufficiently mitigated. These results, as well as the inherent vulnerability of species at risk to environmental change, the potential for species at risk distributional shifts and the likelihood of increasing rates of species imperilment, demonstrate the need for greater consideration of the implications of climate change in species at risk management and policy. Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) does not explicitly address the issue of climate change and limitations exist in SARA’s time-sensitive definition of wildlife species eligible for protection in Canada and in the interpretation of SARA’s mandates in the context of anthropogenically driven climate change. It is recommended that climate change be systematically considered in all species at risk assessments, recovery strategies and management plans and that SARA’s definition of a wildlife species be revaluated in light of shifting species distributions under climate change. Further recommendations to identify “values” that will assist in prioritizing species for conservation, to reassess the concept of an invasive species under climate change and to implement strategies that focus more broadly on the conservation of biodiversity and ecological integrity rather than individual species may require ethically complex discussions and decisions on the part of species at risk managers and policy makers. Future research should focus on informing species at risk management and policy by improving modeling capabilities at the species level, conducting in-depth analyses of priority species, and building knowledge of alternative species conservation strategies such as assisted colonization.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First the researcher set out to determine if phonemic awareness skills improved for first grade students of teachers who used the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS; Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998). Second, an attempt was made to determine if there was a relationship between reading improvement in decoding and teacher level variables (i.e., perception of their knowledge of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998), and relevant demographic variables).<p>Students scores based on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Kindergarten screening tool (LDWC, 2005) were compared to their respective scores on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Grade One screening tool (LDWC, 2002). Comparison of progress for all students were evaluated as well as assessment of progress for students deemed at risk (below the 25th percentile) of reading failure compared to those not at risk (above the 25th percentile). Teachers perceptions of the critical elements of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and demographic information were collected. The teacher level variables gathered from this survey (i.e., teaching experience, formal training, knowledge, or skill level in program delivery) were correlated to students scores on the screening tools.<p>Results revealed that teacher demographics, such as teaching experience, specialized training, and intensity of instructional approach are related to student reading achievement in decoding; however, no clearly defined relationship was found between teachers perceptions of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and student achievement. Paired-sample t-tests were also used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between the means of phonemic identity, phonemic blending, and letter/sound identification between Kindergarten and Grade One. Even though statistically significant results were noted, consideration of the actual change in mean scores and effect size suggested if a practical significance existed. Results indicated that gains were made by students in phonemic awareness and letter/sound correspondence; however, greater gains were noted for students deemed at-risk whose teachers used the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998).

The purpose of this inquiry was to retell and represent the life that I have lived as I explore how I adapted my professional practice for students in an alternative program. This naturalistic inquiry is positioned as a self narrative. Retrospection and reflection enabled me to bring together my construction of self and my journey of teaching as I attempted to explain how I know what I know about working with at risk students and alternative programming. <p>The collection of data comes from my personal experience; thus I am observer, participant, and narrator. Threaded throughout this thesis are interwoven stories which create the fabric of my teaching experience. Each narrative represents justification of teacher knowledge and a refocusing of the lens through which I viewed at risk students and their marginalized position in our education system. As teachers we must first establish a relationship with our students and develop an empathetic understanding of the circumstances of the life experiences each one brings to the classroom. By understanding their past, we can make the school experience a positive influence in their lives and hopefully smooth out their way to a successful future.

The purpose of the present study was to construct and validate a brief screening instrument to support parent(s) and preschool/kindergarten teachers in monitoring and screening for cognitive impairment and/or delay in preschoolers. The target population of interest is all preschoolers <i>at-risk</i> for poor psychosocial and school outcomes due to chronic and acute dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS). The accessible populations of interest to the present study are pediatric cancer survivors, preschoolers with alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), being preterm low birth weight, and/or diagnosed with various learning disabilities. The past practice of waiting until an <i>at-risk</i> child experienced poor school outcomes before being referred for cognitive assessment toward tailoring an intervention is no longer defensible. For the present study, a 61-item screening instrument (18 memory items, 19 verbal ability items, 15 attention items, and 9 demographic items) was pilot tested with parents, playschool teachers, and kindergarten teachers to rate preschoolers on overt behaviours associated with cognitive functioning. A criterion-referenced framework was used to establish a performance standard and set a cut score based on a sample of 151 normally functioning preschoolers aged 4:0- to 5:11-years. The various empirical and substantive analyses conducted resulted in a revised scale of 28 items (10 memory, 11 verbal ability, and 7 attention) titled, <i>Screening Test for the Early Prediction of School Success</i> (STEPSS). Given the need for a future study to validate the STEPSS with clinical groups of preschoolers, the screening instrument is intended to provide the empirical evidence needed to refer <i>at-risk</i> preschoolers for assessment with more comprehensive cognitive batteries. Constructing and validating the STEPSS is important for two reasons: 1) to fill a gap in the types of instruments available for monitoring and assessing cognitive functioning in <i>at-risk</i> preschool populations; and 2) to alleviate the current delay in targeting interventions for preschoolers because of the practice of depending upon the school system to monitor and identify poor cognitive functioning.

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In recent year, the securities firms had suffered form the turmoil of the financial crisis in Taiwan. Although the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation and the Securities and Futures Commission have their own early warning systems (EWS), the EWS based on financial statements and the "capital adequacy ratio", respectively for the risks that the brokers and dealers assume, still have some defects: (1) EWS based on financial statements are static and time-lagged in the rapid-moving market, and (2) the calculation rules in the capital adequacy ratio are inelastic and inefficient. This research emphasizes on the stock positions of the dealers, and calculate the "Value at Risk" (VaR) for these positions. In this way, we hope to know whether the EWS based on VaR can detect the risks of the dealers in time, and improve the drawbacks of the EWS based on financial statements and capital adequacy ratio. We found that: (1) the EWS based on VaR can effectively reflect the market risk of the dealers, and (2) the "historical simulation" method might distort the real portfolio risk, thus we suggest that "delta-normal" is a better method, and (3) the EWS based on VaR can discriminate the risk level of different securities dealers. In conclusion, we have the suggestion of the EWS for securities firms in the future. For firm-wide operation, the EWS based on financial statements is suitable; for the credit risks the securities firms may assume, the capital adequacy ratio is better; as for the market risk of the positions, VaR, undoubtedly, is a good alternative.

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The aim of this thesis is to examine performance and relationship between the US and Asian REITs indices. We find two-year (2005/3/10~2007/3/12) return of T-REITs is 15.87%, which is much lower than the return of US, Japan and Singapore. However, T-REITs has the lowest risk in selected sample countries because the lowest VaRs is found. We estimate one-day horizon holding periods VaRs and find T-REITs¡¦ performance is better than other country by the Sharpe Ratio of VaRs. The Granger causality approach indicates some lead-lag relationships between these REITs. The NAREIT EQUITY index is leading the Hong-Kong and Singapore REITs indices; Singapore REITs index is leading the J-REITs index; J-REITs index is leading the NAREIT EQUITY index. However, Causality tests show no significant lead-lag relationships between Taiwan REITs market and other REITs markets.

¡@¡@This study aims to investigate the theories and empirical performance of the futures and options margin systems currently used in the domestic and international exchange houses. The current system used in Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX) is strategy-based rather than portfolio-based or and contract risk-based. It is no longer compliant with the development of the futures market. Therefore, it is suggested that TAIFEX should employ international experiences to adopt a portfolio-based and VaR-based margin system so as to meet the need of the local trading feature that portfolios contain both stock futures and stock options. ¡@¡@This study integrates scenario simulation and the diagonal model to propose a new model, called Beta-Simulation, to calculate the margins for portfolios containing stock options, index futures, and stocks. The proposed model can not only simplify the inter-commodity spread in SPAN but also theoretically improve the drawback of TIMS of using a simple credit offset multiplier. In the empirical test, back testing is performed on the margins calculated by Beta-Simulation with historic data of portfolios with stock options, and other common margin systems are also included in the test for comparison. ¡@¡@The empirical results reveal that only SPAN and Beta-Simulation can save approximately 12%~42% margin requirements for portfolios containing stock options, but under the same protection degree, Beta-Simulation requires significantly lower margins and a simpler calculation process than SPAN. Therefore, the proposed model is a better model of calculating margins and VaR for portfolios containing stock options.