As recent immigrants seek a productive and dignified life in “new immigrant destinations” that have little historical experience with immigration, public education systems serve a key function in immigrant integration efforts. In a federal system increasingly focused on accountability, a crucial sub-set of education policy and local responsiveness to immigration is English language instruction and services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and parents. In such contexts, the role that local bureaucrats play, and whether they actively represent the interests of the newfound diversity of community members, are crucial questions if strongly held American ideals of social equity and equal opportunity are to be upheld. This research asks broad questions at the intersection of bureaucratic power, representative bureaucracy and educational policy toward English language learners at the local level. Variations in how school systems in the political bellwether of Virginia responded to a recent policy shock - federal guidance released in January 2015 that reiterated local school system responsibility for providing equal educational access to LEP students and parents – form a unique window into local policy-making. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed methodology that consists of a state-wide survey and interviews with a sub-set of the Title III coordinators who supervise programs for English Language Learners, this research shows Title III coordinators to be unrepresentative in passive terms of the foreign born population but nevertheless to have a strong sense of advocating for English Language Learners. Findings suggest that public service motivation is the key explanatory factor in driving a sense of role advocacy and this in turn drives a greater range of action taking by the coordinator to benefit ELLs. Despite this link between role advocacy and coordinator action, role advocacy is not found to be significant in driving the likelihood or range of system level responsiveness to the letter. Instead, political and demographic factors increase the likelihood of system action but, counter to existing literature, more conservative localities are found to be more likely to have responded to the Dear Colleague Letter. This suggests that a previous reluctance to act in these places may have been dislodged by the letter and points to the importance of change over time in conceptualizing local responsiveness to immigrants.

<p>This thesis presents research in the field of secure<br />software engineering. Two methods are<br />developed that, when combined, facilitate the<br />integration of software security design analysis<br />into the agile development workflow. The first<br />method is a training framework for creating<br />workshops aimed at teaching software engineers<br />on how to perform security design analysis. The<br />second method is a process that expands on the<br />security design analysis method to facilitate better<br />integration with the needs of the organization. The<br />first method is evaluated through a controlled<br />experiment, while the second method is evaluated<br />through comparative analysis and case study<br />analysis, where the process is tailored and<br />implemented for two different software vendors.</p> / <p>U sklopu disertacije izvr&scaron;eno je istraživanje u<br />oblasti razvoja bezbednog softvera. Razvijene su<br />dve metode koje zajedno omogućuju integraciju<br />bezbednosne analize dizajna softvera u proces<br />agilnog razvoja. Prvi metod predstavlja radni okvir<br />za konstruisanje radionica čija svrha je obuka<br />inženjera softvera kako da sprovode bezbednosnu<br />analizu dizajna. Drugi metod je proces koji<br />pro&scaron;iruje metod bezbednosne analize dizajna<br />kako bi podržao bolju integraciju spram potreba<br />organizacije. Prvi metod je evaluiran kroz<br />kontrolisan eksperiment, dok je drugi metod<br />evaluiran upotrebom komparativne analize i<br />analize studija slučaja, gde je proces<br />implementiran u kontekstu dve organizacije koje<br />se bave razvojem softvera.</p>

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The structure and design of truck body work can look in several different ways. SpecialKarosser AB is one of the leading companies in Scandinavia when it comes to specially adapted truck body work. The body works are designed to carry different types of loads. When in use, the structure is affected by various types of forces and repeated dynamic loads. The body works have several constituent parts which includes bottom structure and support frame. SKAB manufactures two types of bottom structures, one fully made of steel and one with sandwich technology.  The purpose of this project was to analyze and compare the two bottom structures based on von Mises stress, weight and deflection at a load of 80 000 N. The project was divided into five different phases that consisted of literature studies, 3D modeling, calculation, evaluation and verification and validation. Surface and solid modeling was performed in Catia V6. FE-analysis was executed in Abaqus and verified with a meshless structural analysis in SIMSOLID. The result was further verified with simplified manual calculations. Lastly a comparative evaluation of the bottom structures was performed. The following conclusions could be drawn from the analysis: the von Mises stress was generally lower in the sandwich bottom structure compared to the steel bottom structure. The cross beams in the steel bottom structure were exposed to von Mises stress of 18.9 MPa. In the sandwich bottom structure, the front end cross beams in the were exposed to a stress of 15.4 MPa and the back end 9.76 MPa. The deflection of the steel structure was 0.34 mm greater compared to the sandwich bottom, this corresponded to approx. 29%. The steel bottom has a 6% lower mass of 849.7 kg compared to 901.6 kg. The results from this study could be used by SKAB for further analysis and environmental-, weight- or cost optimization of the structure. / SpecialKarosser AB (SKAB) är ett av de ledande företagen i Skandinavien när det kommer till specialanpassade lastbilspåbyggnationer. Byggnationerna är designade för att bära olika typer av last. Vid användning påverkas konstruktionerna av olika typer av krafter och upprepad dynamisk belastning. Byggnationerna har flera ingående delar vilka bland annat omfattar bottenkonstruktion och hjälpram. SKAB tillverkar två typer av bottenkonstruktioner, en i stål och en med sandwichteknik.  Syftet med projektet var att analysera och jämföra SKABs två bottentyper utifrån von Mises spänning, vikt och utböjning vid en belastning på 80 000 N. Projektet delades in i fem olika faser som omfattade litteraturstudier, 3D-modellering, beräkning, utvärdering samt verifiering och validering. Yt- och solidmodellering utfördes i Catia V6. FE-analys gjordes i Abaqus och verifierades med en mesh-fri konstruktionsanalys i SIMSOLID. Resultatet verifierades ytterligare med förenklade handberäkningar. Slutligen gjordes en jämförande utvärdering av bottenkonstruktionerna.  Från analysen kunde följande slutsatser dras: von Mises spänning blev generellt lägre i sandwichbotten jämfört med stålbotten. I stålbotten påverkades tväroken av von Mises spänning på 18,9 MPa. I sandwichbotten påverkades de främre tväroken av 15,4 MPa och 9,76 MPa i de bakre tväroken. Stålbotten fick en utböjning som var 0,2 mm större jämfört med sandwichbotten, vilket motsvarade ca 28%. Stålbotten hade en 6% lägre massa på 849,7 kg jämfört med 901,6 kg. Resultaten från denna studie kan användas av företaget för vidare analys samt miljö-, vikt- eller kostnadsmässiga optimeringar av konstruktionerna.

In recent years there have been many advances in the measurement of urban form. However, there is often a gap between the quantitative and qualitative approach, which can prevent useful policy application- scholars and policy makers often do not speak a similar language. This thesis seeks to answer whether LEED for Neighborhood Development can bridge the gap between the quantitative and qualitative and therefore serve as a useful policy metric for assessing urban form. Does it accurately capture an areas spatial structure and more importantly, is it policy relevant?

This paper analyzes nonprofit public relations and its relationship to development communication. It evaluates previous attempts to integrate the two fields for development purposes. The author then offers an alternative approach, a so-called public relations for community development (PRCD) model. The PRCD model is then tested in the form of a case studyùincluding digitally recorded video interviews and observationùon Warm Heart Worldwide, Inc. (WHW), an American-founded and operated nongovernment organization (NGO) in Phrao District, northern Thailand. The study aims to identify which elements of the PRCD approach WHW adheres to, and perceived efficacy of community development as a result. The data suggest that although WHW does maintain an underlying PRCD philosophy, it does not implement public relations practice as outlined in PRCD. In addition to the paper, the audio-visual data have resulted in a video titled Public Relations for Community Development: Warm Heart Foundation in rural northern Thailand .

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the continuous improvement process of the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCP). Results of surveys conducted annually by the TNCPE from postapplicants provided data from the state award applicants. Their responses offered indicators of satisfaction among different industry sectors (education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit, and service) with the TNCPE services (criteria booklet, feedback report, site visit policy, TNCPE staff, and team of examiners). The survey data were obtained from the TNCPE office in Nashville, Tennessee in which award applicants were provided a series of survey questions. These questions involved the overall award program and the site visit experiences. Within the program award, data included 26 applicant responses while the site visit surveys included 107 applicant responses. In addition, an alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. The major conclusions were: (1) there are differences in the industry sectors with the length of the site visit, team of examiners' team leader's leadership, and the clarity of the feedback report (control vs. influence). Other tests were not statistically significant.

The purpose of this study was to discover and assess student financial services delivered to students enrolled at East Tennessee State University. The research was undertaken for institutional self-improvement. The research explored changes that have occurred in student financial services in the dynamic higher education market. The research revealed universities pursued best practices for the delivery of student financial services through expanded employee knowledge, restructured organizations, and integrated information technologies. The research was conducted during October and November, 2006. The data were gathered from an online student survey of student financial services. The areas researched included: the Bursar office, the Financial Aid office, and online services. The results of the data analysis revealed problems with the students' perceived quality of existing financial services and the additional services students desire. The research focused on student perceptions of the quality of financial services by age and gender classifications and response categories. Although no statistically significant difference was found between the age-gender classifications on the perception of the quality of the financial services studied, the research adds to our understanding of student financial services at East Tennessee State University. Recommendation for continued research included annual surveys of segmented student populations that include ethnicity, age, gender, and educational level. The research would be used for continuous improvement efforts and student relationship management. Also additional research was recommended for employee learning in relation to the institution's mission, goals, and values.

The processes to develop community plans share certain standard activities and stages while remaining distinctive and without pre-scripted procedures. This study documents the process that yielded the South Broad Street Corridor Plan June 2012 draft. The objective is to present the decision-making processes and their connections to the final plan document along with the plan document itself.

As the case with most countries across Latin America, unprecedented migration to urban areas has strained city infrastructure systems. More particularly, the region faces a pressing crisis of water security, where rapid urbanization has outpaced water sector development. This thesis addresses the water infrastructure reform in El Alto and La Paz, Bolivia, focusing on strategies to better promote water access for the peri-urban poor. The research investigates the level of progressivity of water service expansion and pricing regimes: in other words, does the present model of water distribution positively improve the lives of the poorest groups? By investigating these social dimensions of water management, this study brings perspectives on the broader dialogue on Bolivia’s economic development, along with issues of participatory governance. Resumen: Como es el caso en muchos países latinoamericanos, la migración a áreas urbanas a niveles sin precedentes ha superado la capacidad de infraestructura. Concretamente, la región se enfrenta a una urgente crisis en la seguridad de agua potable dado que la rápida urbanización ha sobrepasado el desarrollo de este sector. Esta tesis aborda la reforma de la infraestructura de agua potable en El Alto y La Paz, Bolivia, enfocando en las estrategias para mejorar el acceso a agua por parte de los residentes periurbanos pobres. La investigación averigua el nivel de progresividad de los regímenes de precios y expansión de servicios de agua potable. En otras palabras, ¿contribuye el actual modelo de distribución de agua al mejoramiento de la vida de los grupos más desfavorecidos? Al investigar estas dimensiones sociales en el manejo de agua potable, este estudio ofrece perspectivas en cuanto al diálogo amplio del desarrollo económico de Bolivia, así como asuntos de gobernanza participativa.