Concern about the impact of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs on society are not new. STEM employment in the United States has grown twice as fast as other fields during the last decade. School districts have been encouraged to consider STEM-focused schools to meet this demand and have responded by offering STEM magnet program options. This mixed-methods study used Lewin's Theory of Change and Fullan's ideas on Coherence as the theoretical frameworks to examine how students who participate in a high school STEM magnet program perform academically. Academic performance was measured using grade point average (GPA) and graduation rate. We compared the number of mathematics and science courses students in a STEM magnet program completed to the number of courses completed by students not participating in a STEM magnet program. Additionally, we surveyed teachers and administrators to learn their perceptions of student success factors in STEM magnet programs. There was a positive difference in graduation rates with a low effect size. The differences in the number of math and science courses completed were not practically significant. Moreover, magnet students earned a statistically significant higher GPA than non-magnet students. Furthermore, teachers reported a high degree of teacher efficacy, while administrators rated themselves higher on general leadership ability than on STEM leadership. We recommend clearly defining STEM education, additional professional development for teachers and administrators, streamlining accountability for STEM programs, and continuing to invest in STEM education as a pathway to producing college and career ready students.

Concern about the impact of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs on society are not new. STEM employment in the United States has grown twice as fast as other fields during the last decade. School districts have been encouraged to consider STEM-focused schools to meet this demand and have responded by offering STEM magnet program options. This mixed-methods study used Lewin's Theory of Change and Fullan's ideas on Coherence as the theoretical frameworks to examine how students who participate in a high school STEM magnet program perform academically. Academic performance was measured using grade point average (GPA) and graduation rate. We compared the number of mathematics and science courses students in a STEM magnet program completed to the number of courses completed by students not participating in a STEM magnet program. Additionally, we surveyed teachers and administrators to learn their perceptions of student success factors in STEM magnet programs. There was a positive difference in graduation rates with a low effect size. The differences in the number of math and science courses completed were not practically significant. Moreover, magnet students earned a statistically significant higher GPA than non-magnet students. Furthermore, teachers reported a high degree of teacher efficacy, while administrators rated themselves higher on general leadership ability than on STEM leadership. We recommend clearly defining STEM education, additional professional development for teachers and administrators, streamlining accountability for STEM programs, and continuing to invest in STEM education as a pathway to producing college and career ready students.

Veterans in higher education are not a new phenomenon, but over the past decade, policies put in place in organizations designed to support this population have grown in number and impact. This manuscript is assembled as a series of studies that investigate the strategic management implementation of adopting these policies impacting veterans in two ways: (1) as clients, or students, and (2) as bureaucrats, or employees. It begins by analyzing policies adopted to support student veteran success and transition in order to determine which actually play a role in student veteran outcomes, graduation. Findings suggest that the policies that touch student veterans at the beginning of their higher education journey, a veteran-specific orientation and single point-of-contact, correlate positively with graduation rates at both the 6- and 8-year measures. This project then looks at the strategic management tools used by universities to drive behavior and decision-making within the organization, including the mission statement, strategic plan, long-term goals, as well as other veteran-specific strategic tools. Diversity seems to be a common theme amongst both university-wide and veteran-specific tools, indicating that veteran inclusion is a diversity initiative. Finally, this manuscript looks at how the strategic management tools impact adoption of population-specific policy asking, “What is the strategy of being ‘military friendly’?” As it turns out, there is not one. Outside of veteran human resource policy, most policies are seemingly adopted ad hoc. Possible reasons for this absence of strategy, including the fundamental misconception of veterans as being “at-risk,” are discussed and practitioner recommendations are made. / A Dissertation submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / 2019 / November 14, 2019. / military friendly, policy, strategic management, strategy, student veteran, veteran / Includes bibliographical references. / Frances Berry, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Daniel Fay, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Douglas Schrock, University Representative; David Berlan, Committee Member.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-85) / The central purpose of this paper is to assess whether the South African intergovernmental fiscal relations system enables provinces to achieve preference matching, efficiency and accountability. In the final analysis the paper contests that the system does not enable preference matching because of centralized policy making, provincial over reliance on national transfers to finance their expenditures and the fact that the system was not necessarily crafted for purposes of preference matching but national unity and the need to address the imbalances of the past.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-104). / This dissertation examines a key South African education funding policy, the 2006 Amended National Norms and Standards for School Funding, which has been promoted as one of the first pro-poor education funding policies in South Africa. We assess whether it is in fact aligned with the principles necessary to ensure pro-poor education. The basis for this evaluation is a list of US AID-developed principles whose presence would be a good indication of the degree to which an education policy is pro-poor.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-86). / This dissertation undertakes a critical review of the literature on school effectiveness and quality and examines arguments regarding socio-economic status (SES) (which is linked to the notion of family effects) and its role in achievement. The analysis finds that both school and family effects have an impact on achievement that is equally important and relevant. The dissertation concludes by highlighting areas for action in reference to the findings on socio-economic status and achievement.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-75).

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-108). / This dissertation is a desktop documentary review of the theory and practice of the New Public Management (NPM) in the public service context of a democratic South Africa. It undertakes an extensive review of the literature on NPM and explores in some detail the NPM’s origins, definitions, key characteristics, critiques and lessons learned. The study then considers the role of this NPM framework in South Africa’s public sector reform programme post 1994, and assess the extent to which it has been influenced by NPM principles. The successes and failures of NPM-inspired processes in South Africa are considered.

The socioeconomic progress of developing nations, states, and rural communities largely depends on the development and management of their water resources. Rural communities of the North Senatorial District (NSD) of Benue, Nigeria do not have adequate access to potable water. The purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the statistical relationship between availability of potable water and the economic development of the NSD and Benue state. The primary theoretical framework included Omamegbe's theory of migration and brain drain. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using a modified version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Assessment Checklist. Participants consisted of 43 water supply managers and five officials of the Ministry for Water Resources and Environment (MWRE). Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient to establish a relationship between the independent variable (potable water supply) and the dependent variable constructs relating to the availability and quality of water supply technologies and resources as well as the presence of documentation for maintenance and improvements. The results indicated all dependent variables had statistically significant relationships to lack of potable water supply and its negative effect on the economic development of the NSD. The implications for social change include developing a state model that would improve water supply to communities of the NSD of Benue state which may no doubt have a positive health, economic, and social impacts for the state and potentially, the country.

Cyber child exploitation is a problem in Greece due to the economic crisis and the resulting lack of government focus on social improvements. Research reveals the importance of educating school teachers of the potential for cyber exploitation of children and argues that early detection of child-focused cybercrimes will decrease the prevalence of child exploitation. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of cyber child exploitation in Greece and to identify strategies teachers may employ to identify and avert cyber child exploitation. Grounded theory provided the framework for this research. The sample consisted of 20 school teachers from a private primary school in suburban Greece. The 20 teachers were over 21 years old, presently certified as teachers and working in primary school, willing to share on voluntary basis information about their experiences and concerns with cyber child exploitation awareness among students, as well as parents. One-to-one interviews were conducted to gather data. Coding was the procedure followed to divide the interview data and rearrange based on common patterns. The resulting themes revealed that no consistent strategies were used to protect children, teachers play a significant role in the prevention of cyber child exploitation, and there is a need for professional development of programs to protect children. Implications for positive social change suggest that educational institutions will help protect children as teachers become more knowledgeable about specific measures to effectively recognize cyber predators. With the guidance of well-informed teachers, students may learn to use the World Wide Web in an effective fashion while being able to avoid the dangers posed by cyber predators.