This thesis tabulated five hundred and twenty correct criteria checking points. Based on the analysis of rating scale, the data show that the fourty adminstrators (subjects) made an average of 3724 speches a year (about 93 per school adminstrator), and the findings presented some evidences of the need of speech training for school administrators.

Open Effective Field Theories are a class of Effective Field Theories (EFTs) built using ideas from open quantum systems in which a measured sector (the system) interacts with an unmeasured sector (the environment). It is argued that Open EFTs are useful tools for any situation in which a quantum system couples to a gravitational background with an event horizon. The main reason for this is that for any EFT of gravity one generically expects perturbation theory to breakdown at late times (when interactions with the background persist indefinitely). It is shown that the tools of Open EFTs allow one to resum late-time perturbative breakdowns in order to make reliable late time predictions (without resorting to solving the dynamics exactly). To build evidence of their usefulness to these types of gravitational problems, Open EFT approximation methods are applied to two toy models relating to black hole physics. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Open Effective Field Theories are a class of quantum theories in which a measured sector (the system) is used to make physical predictions with, while interacting with an unmeasured sector (the environment). In this thesis arguments are made that Open EFTs are useful for studying gravitating quantum systems, especially when there is an event horizon present (for example in gravitational fields like that of a black hole). Open EFTs are applied to simple toy problems in such settings to illustrate their usefulness.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

There are three approaches to health economic evaluation for comparing two therapies: cost minimization, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER), and incremental net benefit (INB). Of the three, the ICER method has long been the standard in the assessment of the cost-effectiveness analysis of a new treatment. However, due to concerns with interpretability and statistical inference inherent to the ICER statistic and its confidence intervals, authors have suggested the use of incremental net benefit (INB) approach as an alternative. The INB can be expressed either in units of effectiveness or costs. When analyzing data from a clinical trial, expressing incremental net benefit in units of cost allows the investigator to examine all three approaches in a single graph, complete with the corresponding statistical inferences. Furthermore, if costs and effectiveness are not censored, this can be achieved using common statistical procedures. The standard INB analysis assumes that the willingness-to-accept (WTA) compensation for the loss of a unit of health benefit (at some cost saving) is the same as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for it. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggest, however, that in health care the WTA is about twice the WTP. In this thesis we show that the method of INB analysis can be adapted to capture the WTA vs WTP disparity. Using the Bayesian theory, statistical procedures are provided for the cost-effectiveness analysis in the comparison of two arms of a randomized clinical trial that allows WTA and WTP to have different values. An example that adjusts the disparity between WT A and WTP is provided. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Despite much attention given to effective teams in the workplace, school counseling teams have been neglected in the research. The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to learn what characteristics secondary counselors perceive contribute to an effective school counseling team. The first research phase conducted six team interviews; themes emerging from the interviews yielded the development of the Effective School Counseling Team Questionnaire (ESCTQ). The following research questions were investigated: What factors do counselors perceive contribute to their team's effectiveness?, Are the scores on the Effective School Counseling Team Questionnaire related to team effectiveness as described by school counselors? Is there a relationship between team characteristics (amount of time together, individual counseling experience, gender, age) and team effectiveness? Is there a relationship between the perceptions of members of effective and ineffective teams? The literature on effective team factors was reviewed and analyzed in three categories: internal, interpersonal, and external. Qualitative results indicated that the majority of participants viewed internal traits as the number one factor contributing to their team's success. Most frequent were competencies, respect, sharing duties, caring for each other and serving students. The second area participants listed as most important was interpersonal factors, such as communication, interactions, and planning. Overall, communication was cited as the number one factor needed for an effective team. Conclusions drawn suggested that teams need altruistic, personal qualities to feel most effective. These were summarized by participants as a team member who is caring, giving, and putting the needs of students first. The second key area for school counseling teams was support from external sources, primarily school administration and central office. In phase two, the questionnaire was developed and used to confirm the interview findings. During the second phase, the ESCTQ was administered to 199 secondary school counselors, yielding an 82.4% (n = 164) return rate. The survey when analyzed by teams did not show major significant differences between the teams; it did, however, confirm the qualitative findings of the internal and personal characteristics counselors of effective school teams posses. The survey also allowed team members to rate their current team and their ideal team. The difference between the two ratings (ie. gap score) showed there was a significant mean difference (20.50) between the means of those who perceived their team as highly effective (26.55) and those who perceived their team as least effective (6.05). When looking at the questionnaire this could be interpreted to mean that the team members who felt most effective had the smallest gap score between their current team and their ideal team. When teams' gap scores were compared to their overall team rating "global" scores, as the global score increased for a team their gap score decreased. Meaning an effective team had fewer discrepancies (smaller gap) between their current and ideal team. Clearly, teams that perceive their team as "relatively effective" are rating the team closer to their ideal team than those that see their team as "relatively ineffective". In order to enhance performance of a counseling team, this study was important to assess school counseling team's effectiveness. Two research methods were used to analyze effective teams; this research provides valuable information relating to school counselors and effective teams. / Ph. D.

A technique was developed for analyzing and developing mechanical properties for porous geomaterials subjected to the high pressures encountered in penetration and blast-type loadings. A finite element (FE) code was developed to verify laboratory test results or to predict unavailable laboratory test data for porous media loaded to multikilobar stress levels. This FE program eliminates a deficiency in the process of analyzing and developing mechanical properties for porous geomaterials by furnishing an advanced analysis tool to the engineer providing properties to material modelers or ground shock calculators. The FE code simulates quasi-static, axisymmetric, laboratory mechanical property tests, i.e., the laboratory tests are analyzed as boundary value problems. The code calculates strains, total and effective stresses, and pore fluid pressures for fully- and partially-saturated porous media. The time dependent flow of the pore fluid is also calculated. An elastic-plastic strain-hardening cap model calculates the time-independent skeletal responses of the porous solids. This enables the code to model nonlinear irreversible stress-strain behavior and shear-induced volume changes. Fluid and solid compressibilities were incorporated into the code, and partially-saturated materials were simulated with a "homogenized" compressible pore fluid. Solutions for several verification problems are given as proof that the program works correctly, and numerical simulations of limestone behavior under drained and undrained boundary conditions are also presented. / Ph. D.

The success of a school is primarily dependent upon leadership (Marzano, McNulty, and Waters, 2005). A principal's skills greatly impact teaching and learning; thus, the degree to which a school is successful depends on an effective leader with a vision for transforming a school. Research from the early 2000s until now suggests that a challenge exists for schools as they seek to decrease the achievement gap and attain success for all students, especially those in low-income areas (Brock and Groth 2003). In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Title I Schools are classified as 'highly distinguished,' 'distinguished,' 'focus,' or 'priority,' schools, based on standardized test performance. Highly distinguished and distinguished schools are identified as meeting or exceeding state and federal accountability measures, while focus and priority schools are schools with large gaps in student achievement between subgroups. The performance of the principal in schools identified as priority or focus is often at the center of school improvement. Principals are required to develop comprehensive school improvement plans and in some cases may be replaced or demoted if academic improvement is not achieved. The question at the center of this study is, what makes some high poverty schools more successful than others? The purpose of this study was to identify the skills and characteristics critically essential for principals tasked with leading Title I schools to high levels of achievement. Through a three round Delphi method, a panel of experts, to include college instructors, supervisors of principals and Title I school principals, reached consensus at 80% or higher identifying 12 skills and 8 characteristics deemed critically essential for Title I school principals leading students to academic success. Establishing a culture of high expectations, demonstrating knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment best practices, establishing a safe, caring and positive climate, and leading by example were among the top skills and characteristics identified by the expert panel. The skills and characteristics identified in this study support current research regarding effective school leaders. The findings and implementations could potentially serve as guidelines for human resources personnel, superintendents, supervisors, practitioners, and leadership preparation programs as they look to improve principal leadership in high poverty schools. / Ed. D.