The current study investigated the effects of blending preferred stimuli with nonpreferred tasks in altering motivation to escape those tasks, during 90 minute outpatient appointments. For each participant, I first evaluated preferences for social stimuli (e.g., qualities of attention, activities, and tangible items) and then incorporated those preferences into the historically avoided, escaped, or nonpreferred demand. Participants were eight individuals referred to a tertiary-level outpatient clinic for severe challenging behavior involving noncompliance. Consistent with previous research, I hypothesized that the presence of preferred stimuli within the demand context would alter the motivating operation (MO) for escape maintained challenging behavior, thereby increasing task engagement. In addition to task engagement, I also measured indices of happiness (Green & Reid, 1996) when preferred stimuli were and were not incorporated into leisure and demand contexts. Results of the current study showed that all participants were 100% compliant with target tasks after preferred stimuli were incorporated into those tasks. Each participant showed elevated levels of indices of happiness when his preferred stimuli were incorporated into the leisure context. However, levels of indices of happiness displayed during work differed across participants. Specifically, half of the participants showed elevated levels of indices of happiness in the work context when their preferred stimuli were incorporated, and half did not, relative to when preferred stimuli were absent. There are two types of motivating operations (MOs) that could have influenced participants’ choice to work: (a) abolishing operations (AOs), in which the value of negative reinforcement was reduced, or (b) establishing operations (EOs), in which the value of positive reinforcement was established, or increased. I propose that the patterns in indices of happiness displayed across participants may reflect a distinction between AOs and EOs. Specifically, elevated levels of indices of happiness during work may suggest that the preferred stimuli functioned as EOs for half of the participants; for the other half of participants, low levels of indices of happiness during work may suggest that the preferred stimuli functioned as AOs. This distinction may have implications for future investigations of maintenance. For example, individuals with historically escape-maintained challenging behavior who choose to work because of an EO may have better long-term compliance than individuals who choose to work because of an AO. Measuring indices of happiness during treatment may be one way to ascertain this distinction. The current study demonstrated a brief approach to identifying preferences and incorporating those preferences into historically nonpreferred tasks in order to alter participants’ motivation to engage in those tasks. Additionally, by measuring indices of happiness across leisure and demand contexts, when preferred stimuli were and were not incorporated, the current study offered a novel perspective on the role of positive reinforcement in altering motivation to escape tasks.

The major purpose of this investigation was to make a comparison of grade-point averages, earned by military dependent students in overseas Dependent Schools, with the grade-point averages of a comparably non-mobile student society with whom they graduated in the united states. The study of the situation existing in the Novato High School, Novato, Marin County, California over a period of years prompted the investigation conducted during the school year 1971-1972. Data for the investigation was derived from the permanent record cards of 2,173 graduated students over a period of five graduating classes, 1966- 1970. The Novato High School has been for many years, the terminus of high school education for military-dependent students whose parents are assigned to the Hamilton Air Force Base, which is located within the city limits of Novato, California. Procedure for the investigation was to identify those permanent records of military-dependent students who had studied in one Overseas Dependent School for at least one semester of their four years of high school work. Ninety-nine identified students were included in the investigation and designated: Group A (Military-Dependent) students. .;., The number of overseas military-dependent students identified represented less than ten percent of the class they graduated with. Employing a table of random numbers as the method for selection, 99 non-military and non-mobile students of the same graduating classes were chosen as the comparison group and designated: Group B (Non-Military) students. A total of 198 students were included in the study. The criterion variables used in this investigation were the following: 1) Class Year, 2) Sex, 3) Grade-Point Average, 4) Area of overseas Study; viz, Europe or Pacific 5) Number of Semesters Studied overseas. Variables 4 and 5 were for correlation studies within the military-dependent group, only. Statistical design for analysis of the data employed the use of the G4 CAL T Test for multiple analysis of variance procedure; two-tailed t tests were used to test the null hypotheses generated by the investigation. The analysis was made through employment of the computer at the University of California, Berkeley. As a result of questions proposed during the investigation five null hypotheses were tested for significance at the .05 level of confidence with the following results: 1. There is no significant difference in mean grade-point averages of Group A (Military-Dependents) and Group B (Non-Military) students. The null hypothesis was rejected. 2. There is no significant difference in mean grade point average achievement between military-dependent males and non-military males. The null hypothesis was rejected. 3. There is no significant difference in mean grade point average achievement between military-dependent females and :n,on-mili tary females. The null hypothesis was accepted. 4. There is no significant relationship within the military, between the area of study and any other variable particularly grade-point average. The null hypothesis was accepted. 5. There is no significant relationship within the military between semesters overseas and any other variable studied particularly grade-point average. The null hypothesis was accepted. As a result of this investigation it is recommended that similar studies be conducted in school districts that have a transient military-dependent student body from overseas. To validate the findings of this investigation it is suggested that additional variables, comparable to both groups, be added to measure achievement as proof that mobility affects achievement. Studies should be made to assure that the curriculum of secondary schools meets the needs of a society that is apparently more mobile than in any other time in the history of the United States. Investigations should also be made of mobile students whose parents are employed by national corporations owning subsidiary companies in foreign lands, and for whom movement with family to these foreign posts is necessary. Where these students obtain their education, and achievement recorded, is important to further comprehension of academic success of Am

Many educators consider the shortage of qualified teaching personnel as one of the most serious problems in education. In the past this shortage has been primarily confined to the elementary level. However, the United States Department of Education states: Long-run forecasts of population indicate that employment of secondary teachers should be higher throughout the forty-year period 1960-2000 than in 1950. The long-range trend for a rising proportion of young people to attend high school is expected to continue. Greatly increased Federal and State aid to education might expand enrollments considerably. The trend toward enriching curriculum, offering special subjects, and extending instruction to adult classes may also further increase the demand for secondary school teachers.

What practices have been followed in insuring school buildings in Utah? Is our present system of insuring school buildings an economical system?

Administrators and University professors who have a vital interest in young people and who believe that a four year's college course is good preparation for life's activities today are wondering why so many students leave college. These teachers and administrators bewail the small percentage of upper classmen on the campus and the supefluity of first and second year men. They want to know why it is that so many students leave and what can be done about it.

Reforms and interventions in education attempt to address a wide number of educational inequities and inequalities. One method of improving educational outcomes for all students in Florida included a policy that reduced class sizes for all grade levels. Using a non-experimental approach, this dissertation studied whether class size in Florida had an effect on student achievement in grade levels 4 through 8. This study asked if there was an association between class size and student achievement by subject areas of reading and math for student subgroups as specified by gender, minority status, English language learner status, exceptional student education status, or socio-economic status. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to statistically analyze a nested data structure consisting of students within classrooms. The first research question determined whether or not an association existed between class size and student achievement by subject areas of reading and math and found that yes, an association does exist between class size and student achievement for both reading and math. The second research question determined whether or not an association existed between student achievement and class size by subject area and student subgroups and found that yes, an association exists between class size and student achievement in both reading and math for most subgroups. The primary result of this study was the statistically significant association between student achievement and class size, with all models showing positive effects (0.07 to 1.92) on student achievement as average class size increased. This was true for both reading and math subject areas, with patterns holding true for students in all subgroups except ELL. Effect sizes for class size were typically very small (0.07 to 0.25), with larger effect sizes of 1.59 to 1.92 seen only for students with disabilities in both reading and math. Recommendations for further research include analyzing class size and student achievement at more granular levels within a single school district to account for additional educational interventions and using more advanced forms of hierarchical linear modeling to examine growth in student achievement over time. A final recommendation is for policy makers to consider alternative reforms or strategies to improve student achievement that are more cost-effective or have been proven to result in larger impacts on student learning than class size reduction. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / April 4, 2019. / Includes bibliographical references. / Carolyn Herrington, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frances Berry, University Representative; Marytza Gawlik, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.

Until the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), policies regarding discipline of students with disabilities were set primarily by case law. In 1995, the debates over reauthorization of the IDEA focused on proposed provisions designed to describe. at the federal level. the measures and procedures to be used by public school officials when disciplining students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the factors influencing key actors involved in the development of the two sections ofthe I997 IDEA that address discipline of students with disabilities. A review of the literature suggested that certain factors had influenced the development of other federal special education legislation. These factors were: case law: special interest group activity: views of federalism: and other related federal legislation passed at about the same time. The design of this study was a case study. Interviews were conducted with key informants from government and special interest groups identified through a review of historical documents addressing the reauthorization of IDEA and through snowball sampling techniques. Interview data were corroborated with appropriate historical documents. Analysis of the data revealed that the key actors’ goal was to develop a federal discipline policy that balanced maintaining school environments conducive to learning and safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities. They used a policy development model to balance seven policy issues and seven influential factors as they developed the 1997 IDEA discipline provisions. The influential factors were: beliefs; other federal legislation: case law: conflicts between doctrinal. functional. and strategic views of federalism; lack of data: stories: and emotions. Of these, the factors that most influenced key actors were their beliefs and their functional view of federalism. The study suggested further research on the applicability of the policy development model and its aspects to the development of other federal-level education legislation. Further research was also recommended on the influence of case law on future versions of special education legislation. The study suggested that policy development at the state and local school levels focus on data collection, proactive approaches to managing discipline of students with disabilities. and means by which all students suspended long-term or expelled from school can continue to receive educational services.

The purpose of this study was to: (a) determine the perceptions of Virginia public school division superintendents regarding key elements of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA); (b) determine the relationship between the perceptions of the superintendents regarding the VPPA and selected demographic variables; (c) determine the superintendents’ perceived strengths and weaknesses of the VPPA; and (d) determine changes that the superintendents feel should be made in the VPPA. Data utilized in the study were derived from a survey instrument (Superintendents’ Perception Survey on the Virginia Public Procurement Act). Participants included all 134 division superintendents in Virginia. Data were reported by means, standard deviations, percentages, and correlation coefficients. Major findings of the study were: 1. Superintendents agreed that the VPPA has increased competitive procedures, increased the time spent on purchasing, improved cost effectiveness, increased the amount of time needed to write specifications, improved purchasing ethics, and increased the potential for litigation against the school division. 2. Superintendents agreed that school division purchasing procedures were adequate before the VPPA and that purchasing codes and procedures should be left to local school divisions. 3. Superintendents disagreed that the VPPA has improved the quality of goods and services, improved the meeting of delivery deadlines, increased the number of awards to sole-source vendors, and increased the number of awards to local vendors. 4. Superintendents disagreed that adequate training has been provided to comply with the VPPA. 5. Significant relationships were found between superintendents' perceptions of the VPPA and division size, experience as a superintendent, purchasing experience, division classification (rural or urban), and computerized purchasing systems. 6. No significant relationships were found between superintendents’ perceptions of the VPPA and age and race. 7. Superintendents identified increased competition as the major strength of the VPPA, being too time consuming as the major weakness, and make no changes in the VPPA as the major recommendation.

The purpose of this study was to explore and compare small, public middle school principals’ and middle school teachers’ perceptions of the leadership style exercised by principals in these schools. The study also investigated the relationship between the principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of the principals’ leadership style as well as the principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of the presence of the 14 school cultural norms in their school cultures. The sample used in this study included building principals and their instructional staffs from 32 small, public middle schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Onsite visits were conducted by the researcher to administer the surveys at scheduled faculty meetings or to train a staff member on the administration of the surveys. Leadership style was measured by Bass and Avolio’s (1996) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The 14 school cultural norms were measured by Sagor’s (1996) School Culture Survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics and Pearson’s r, the correlation coeflicient, were used to investigate the relationship of the perceptions of the teachers and of the principals in regards to the principals’ leadership style and the school cultural norms. Some of the findings of the study were: Middle school principals and their teachers differ in their perceptions of the leadership style exhibited in their schools. A significant difference was found to exist between the perceptions of principals and teachers in regards to the degree in which the middle school principals exhibited transformational leadership style behaviors. Both principals and teachers perceived that transactional leadership style behaviors were exhibited by these principals but to a lesser degree. Middle school principals and their teachers perceived that the 14 school cultural norms “generally” exist in their present positive school cultures. The middle school principals in this study perceived the 14 school cultural norms to exist at a higher degree than did their teachers. A correlation was found to exist between transformational leadership style behaviors and the one cultural norm, protection of what is important fiom the middle school principals’ perceptions. Seven cultural norms were perceived by the teachers in this study to be significantly correlated with the transformational leadership style behaviors exhibited by the middle school principals.

This dissertation assesses the factors that influence the development of juvenile justice policy in France and Germany within the context of systems theory, The project utilizes an open/closed systems framework as a way to conceptualize determinants of juvenile justice policy. France and Germany serve as two single case studies for demonstrating the open and closed dichotomy that characterize system theory with France being characterized as a closed system while Germany is characterized as an open system. This difference is demonstrated through a discussion of historical, cultural, political, social and economic variables, which shape policy development in each of these countries. This project contends that a significant contribution is made to the understanding of policy making using the open and closed systems framework. Design and methodology: Single case studies : France and Germany Development of common variables to be investigated across two systems Focused interviews with key informants, non-random sample, one-on-one, in person, purposive, taped and transcribed Content analysis of focused interviews Content analysis of juvenile justice policies in France and Germany Database searches of print media coverage A review of documents: laws, policies, penal codes, newspapers, legislative minutes Comparative analysis Data analysis: qualitative and quantitative techniques, mixed methodology Gathering of public opinion poll information Summary of the findings: 1) The preponderance of information indicates that the relationship between policy change and media coverage is strongly related in both France and Germany 2) Public concern over juvenile crime in France has the greatest influence on the implementation of policy rather than on policy development. The research indicates that in Germany, public opinion has a decided influence on the formation of public policy 3) The evidence seems to indicate that the process of policy making in Germany is more complex due to the open nature of the system, while in France the policy making process is simpler due to the closed nature of the system. 4) The evidence indicates that the French juvenile justice policy is as prevention-oriented as the German policy, in spite of France being characterized as a closed system. The open and closed framework provides two mutually exclusive models that can be used to assess, in an eflicient manner, factors that influence policy development. Through comparison and contrast, a variety of factors that may shape policy can be articulated using the open and closed dichotomy.