A quasi-experimental study was conducted within the context of the University of North Florida's EXCEL (Excelling in Clinical Education Learning) teacher preparation program to investigate the impact of three types of educational treatment on the attitudes toward diversity of preservice teachers. Data were collected and analyzed based on the pretest/posttest measures of three self-reporting instruments: Cross Cultural-Adaptability Inventory, the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory, and the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. The preservice teachers (N = 208; K-12 regular and special education majors) experienced the following treatments: (1) informal seminar studies of multicultural education issues accompanied by a field experience in a non-culturally diverse public school classroom; (2) informal seminar studies of multicultural education issues accompanied by a field experience in a culturally diverse public school classroom; and (3) no seminar studies of multicultural education issues and no field experience in a public school classroom. The weekly on-campus seminars were conducted by four clinical educators (master teachers from neighboring districts on alternative assignments for two years). In addition, with-in group attitudinal differences toward diversity of preservice teachers enrolled in the fieldbased seminars were examined based on variates of field placement, seminar instructor, gender, age, race, educational major, association with culturally different people, and teaching grade level. Examination of relationships between groups, based on ANOVA and ANCOVA results at the .05 level of confidence, reveals the followings: (1) no significant differences were found in attitudes toward diversity of preservice teachers enrolled in the field-based seminars focusing on issues of diversity, but significant differences were found between the control and experimental groups at both the onset and end of the study (experimental group had higher mean scores), (2) significant differences were found within-groups for the demographic variates of seminar instructor, age, race, association with people of diversity, and grade level, (3) significant (although minimal) differences were found in attitudes toward diversity between preservice teachers enrolled in the seminars focusing on issues of cultural diversity as compared to the control group of students not enrolled in the seminars (experimental groups had higher mean scores), (4) no significant differences were found between the experimental groups to support the assumption that field experiences within Culturally diverse settings have a positive effect on the attitudes of preservice teachers toward diversity, and (5) although positive significant differences were found between the control and experimental groups following the completion of the multicultural seminars, all three groups remained at the social distance preference level "having merely as a speaking acquaintance" in working with the culturally different as measured on the Bogardus and far below the normed population on the Cross Cultural Adaptability Inventory factor Flexibility/Openness (FO).

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate outcomes of an existing inpatient tobacco cessation counseling program with 30-day follow-up among recently admitted tobacco-dependent patients who were tobacco-dependent. Background/Significance: Tobacco use is considered the number one most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Despite associated dangers, approximately 21% Americans currently smoke. This has led to increased hospital admissions and chronic disease management, costing the United States approximately $96 billion per year. Decades of research and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines substantiate that inpatient tobacco cessation counseling has the potential to improve quit rates post-hospital discharge. Method: This quality improvement project utilized existing hospital data containing demographic and medical information about patients and tobacco use behaviors. The goal was to answer the question: Does the provision of a tobacco cessation program initiated during hospitalization for persons who are tobacco-dependent (a) increase quit attempts or (b) reduce tobacco consumption? The electronic medical record was queried for data related to: demographics, insurance type, and diagnosis. Data related to smoking status and the intervention was extracted from a paper chart maintained by the certified tobacco treatment specialist. Results: Out of 176 tobacco-dependent patients admitted to the hospital, 100 (57%) indicated an intention to quit (at admission time) while only 40 (23%) reported having quit within 30 days post discharge (McNemar Test, p=0.000, n=176). The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day dropped from 19 cigarettes on admission to 13 cigarettes post discharge. [t (158)=6.7476, p=0.000]. Conclusions: This quality improvement project showed that although an inpatient smoking cessation program did not improve quit rates, it did significantly improve reduction in tobacco consumption.

This retrospective, qualitative case study examined the complexities of leadership in a community college setting under a single, long-term president. Six critical events were identified by 16 key informants as a basis for reflection on their views of the 23-year presidency of Dr. William Seeker at Florida Keys Community College. The researcher found a highly participatory leadership model and a college that functions in a less hierarchical manner than is traditionally encountered in community colleges. The study further revealed that the president of Florida Keys Community College expanded the role of president by giving priority to the construction of a positive and productive learning culture, honoring local resources, both tangible and intangible. The driving force behind the institution throughout this 23 year period was the development of human capital. A philosophy of approaching tough decisions swiftly and deliberately while maintaining a sense of inclusion in the decision making process is a hallmark of this presidency. A better understanding of the role of the president is necessary for present and future leaders of community colleges, for the Boards of Trustees who act as policy makers, and for state legislators. Indeed, anyone who leads a public organization that must be responsive to local community needs and to a local governing board can gain valuable insights from this examination of one community college presidency.

This study examines issues of access to higher education in Florida and South Africa. On November 9, 1999, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order 99-281 to establish the One Florida Initiative (OFI), which barred the use of race as a factor in university admissions. In South Africa, the government in February 2001 issued its National Plan for Higher Education (SANPHE). This plan outlined a framework to redress past inequities in the higher education system perpetuated by the former government's apartheid ideology. Senior university leaders in Florida and South Africa were required to implement their respective policy. The purpose of the study investigates two research questions: 1. What were the assumptions and political processes that contributed to the establishment of OFI and SANPHE policies? 2. How did the leadership at selected institutions implement OFI and SANPHE policies? Using a qualitative methodology and focused interviews with senior leaders at two universities in Florida and South Africa, this study discusses the challenges and conflicts the leaders faced in implementing their respective policy. The challenges and conflicts included those of university governance, decision-making, leadership style, diversity, affirmative action and policy making. It discusses the unique ways of implementing a policy with which one might not agree and it provides a comparative understanding of challenges faced by university leaders in Florida and South Africa. Five findings were noted from the data analysis. They are: Leaders must have steadfast philosophical beliefs about the need to broaden access for those who have been historically discriminated against; there must be an awareness of the value of affirmative action and diversity to an institution; participatory style of leadership is a characteristic common to all leaders; commitment to team dynamics was a persuasive attribute that the leaders practiced and the exercise of prudent discretion to implement a policy seemed to be an attribute that resonated with all the leaders. The study concluded with a proposition of a model to determine or to predict leadership effectiveness - referred to as the Belief/Action Leadership Style Model and recommendations of areas for further research in Florida and South Africa. This study's results are useful for policy makers and senior leaders at higher education institutions.

An identified gap in the literature associated with college student alcohol use is the exploration of the problem based on ethnicity, specifically possible differences in use between Black and White college students. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in alcohol use for Black and White college students at a small private university in the southeast United States. The study was conducted using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey Long Form, which is designed to collect data related to self reported use of alcohol and perceptions of alcohol use among college students. A quantitative methodology was employed by using the statistical analyses one way analysis of variance, difference in proportions, confidence intervals, and multiple regression analysis. The data revealed significant differences by ethnicity exist between Black and White college students when exploring data associated with drinking during the 30 days prior to taking the survey and consuming five or more drinks in a sitting during the two weeks prior to taking the survey. The motivational factors associated with alcohol consumption did not reveal differences based on ethnicity, and the perception of alcohol use at the research site did not differ by ethnicity. The multiple regression analysis revealed that a combination of factors can be used to predict alcohol use, and the strongest predictor identified was the level of leadership in a social fraternity or sorority. The results provided a great deal of insight into the culture of alcohol use at the research site, and the results may assist personnel in the development of a prevention and educational plan to address the problem on campus.

Effectively integrating technology into classroom instruction presents teachers with several dilemmas about their understanding of how students learn, their approach to designing learning activities, and their conceptualization of their role as teachers (Windschitl, 2002). Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model (Koehler & Mishra, 2005, 2009; Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as the conceptual model undergirding the research, this study was designed to build evidence towards establishing the validity and reliability of a measurement instrument employed to assess the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge teachers utilize, as well as gain an understanding of how this knowledge is affected by teacher beliefs about technology use in classroom practice. Three contextual factors were also investigated, namely leadership support for technology, teaching self-efficacy, and traditional beliefs about children. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was selected for analyzing data gathered in this research design. The relationships among four latent factors and three latent variables were examined using measurement models to determine a final structural model. Results (N = 75) suggest that the TPACK-deep scale has potential as a measure of teachers’ beliefs about their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. The findings yielded by the present exploratory study pertain to Design, Exertion, Ethics, and Proficiency—which are considered the four factors of the TPACK-deep scale (Kabakci-Yurdakul et al., 2012). Furthermore, this study’s findings indicate positive predictive relationships between leadership support for technology and teachers’ beliefs about using technology in their classrooms. While positive predictive relationships between teachers’ teaching self-efficacy and their beliefs about technology integration in classroom practice were found, no statistically significant association between teachers’ beliefs about using technology and their traditional beliefs about children could be established for three (Design, Exertion, Ethics) of the four TPACK-deep factors under investigation.

The present study investigated home literacy environments established through reading with children, engaging in literacy activities, and having literacy materials provided, along with families' participation in literacy-related school events. One hundred one kindergarten children and their families from five classrooms in two inner-city urban elementary schools were invited to participate in the "Learning the ABCs" project. A total of 68 families gave consent. Participation in the project included receiving 15 weeks of Home Literacy Bags. The 68 participating children were randomly assigned into two intervention groups using cluster sampling of the five classes. Group One received weekly bags with four activities while Group Two received weekly bags with four activities, a variety of materials, and one book. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the strength of four family involvement variables (reading with children, engaging in literacy activities, having literacy materials provided, and participating in literacy-related events at school) in predicting kindergarten students' gain scores on three literacy assessments (ALRI, TERA-3, and DIBELS). The primary research question was: To what extent can kindergarten students' ALRI, TERA-3, and DIBELS gain scores be explained by participation in family involvement activities? A secondary purpose of the study was to determine which of the family involvement activities was the strongest predictor of kindergarten students' literacy achievement as measured by the literacy assessments. The secondary research question was: Which family involvement activity is the strongest predictor of gains in kindergarten students' letter and sound knowledge and phonological awareness? Literacy assessments were implemented using a pre/post test design. The literacy gain scores served as the dependent variables and the family involvement activities served as the independent variables. Each variable set was included in a regression analysis, which was followed up with an analysis of regression structure coefficients (rs) to determine the individual variable contributions.

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to compare one-year outcomes for newly licensed Registered Nurses (NLRNs) in three organizations within the same healthcare system. All three have lower than nationally reported turnover and strategies for NLRN retention. Only one is using a Nurse Residency Program (NRP). NRPs are recognized as an effective strategy to retain newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) in their first year of employment (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010; The Advisory Board, 2007; Spector, 2007). The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (2008) defines an NRP as a series of learning sessions and work experiences that occur continuously over a 12-month period designed to assist NLRNs as they transition into their first professional nursing role. This cross-sectional, descriptive study utilized the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey and intent to stay questions to collect data on NLRNs at one year post hire. Results indicated no statistically significant differences between the three sites and the subscales of the survey. There was a trend of a more positive score for professional satisfaction with Site A. Turnover was also similar between sites and lower than the reported 10% average, with Site A at 2%, Site B at 5%, and Site C at 4%. There was a statistically significant difference between Site A and C in the intent to stay in their current position, with Site A longer than Site C. The study supports the literature and evidence that a NRP is an effective strategy to decrease first year turnover. Further study is needed related to the effectiveness of the components of the NRP, length of time for mentorship, and the impact of accumulation of cohorts.

Abstract This study was designed to determine the relationship between identified student characteristics and readiness factors and measures of success in selected online courses as defined by final course grades. This study focused on two sets of variables. The first was regarding the relationship of student demographic and educational background factors such as age, gender, academic placement, educational level, enrollment status, grade point average, withdrawal history, and previous online course experience to success in online courses. The second was regarding the relationship of learning readiness factors of personal attributes, learning style, life factors, technical competency, technical knowledge, and reading rate to success in online courses. The study analyzed data regarding students at a state college enrolled in online courses during a single term. Archival data from the readiness assessment SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator (previously named READI) results as well as demographic, end of course grades, and educational background data from available student records were collected for students registered in the selected sample sections. The SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator is a web-based, 122-item assessment intended to measure a learner’s readiness for success in an online learning environment. The statistical techniques of correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between the dependent variable of final course grade and the independent variables of student characteristics and readiness and to determine the predictive nature of the independent variables. The findings of this study indicate that the age, academic placement, and GPA of students taking online courses may have a statistically significant relationship to their final grade and so success in their courses. These findings regarding demographic and educational background variables suggest that a more mature, non-traditional student who has a higher GPA and did not place into remedial mathematics or English may have a stronger opportunity for success in the online environment. The findings regarding the second set of variables indicated that scores for students on the assessment scales of personal attributes, reading, technical knowledge and competency, and life factors also might have a relationship to their final grade in their online course. Although the predictive relationships were not strong, the findings regarding the assessment variables suggest that students who are better equipped and prepared in the readiness factors assessed may have slightly higher grades as well.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the potential power of Facebook to be used by higher education institutions as a key communication tool to provide viewers’ emergent impressions, or frames, of the institution. This study was intended to contribute to the knowledge base of social media and higher education by studying the emergent frames formed from the posts on the official Facebook page of each member university of the Florida State University System.