<p> Historically, disenfranchised students in the American education system have been promised opportunity through successful participation in the school system. These promises are voiced in legislation like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and by executive actions like President Obama&rsquo;s Race to the Top Initiative. Evidenced by the continuing education gap, the promises of success through education continue to evade many American children across the nation, especially students who are most in need of the support promised in these quixotic visions of opportunity.</p><p> This is a qualitative interview study that aimed to gather the voices of educators involved in the implementation of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (ELA CCSS) to investigate the potential benefit of an information loop during the time period Bridges (2009) labeled the Neutral Zone, a period when change agents can reflect on and possibly enhance the iv implementation of an initiative. The study aimed to answer the following research question: What are the experiences of teachers, school principals, and district-level administrators during the transition to the ELA CCSS in three public school districts in the greater Los Angeles area? The narratives constructed throughout the interview process with the study&rsquo;s participants point to the value of establishing an information loop during the Neutral Zone as an untapped vein of knowledge in the change process. This information can potentially be used to take inventory of the trajectory an implementation process has taken.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if poverty impacts average daily attendance, discipline infractions, or dropout rates of students in today&rsquo;s society. The study included an in-depth analysis of homelessness, the influence it plays when educating children across the country, and the barriers schools face when dealing with families who live in poverty. According to Blad (2014a), enrollment of homeless students and those who qualify for free and reduced price meals are at record highs in the United States. Over half of the students in Missouri schools qualify for free and reduced price meals (Rapheal, 2014). The effects of an intervention program implemented by one rural Missouri school were addressed. The academic achievement of this particular subgroup in comparison to those who did not receive the intervention were closely examined. Data over a six-year period of time, three years before implementation and three years after implementation of the program, were analyzed to determine if a measurable impact could be noted. After review of the data, a significant impact could only be noted in number of discipline referrals. Although the dropout rate and average daily attendance slightly improved, the change was not enough to warrant a significant difference as measured by a t-test.</p>

<p> In the current educational discourse there have been urgent calls for the United States to develop programs to prepare students for post-secondary success and to develop in students the skills necessary for workplace success. One avenue suggested to do this more effectively is to create more robust partnerships between educational institutions and employers. In particular, President Obama&rsquo;s &ldquo;Blueprint for an America Built to Last&rdquo; (2012) calls for &ldquo;new partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train and place 2 million skilled workers.&rdquo; He also indicated that in order to address future workforce needs, he will &ldquo;support partnerships between high schools and industry to create more career academies, which combine instruction in academic subjects and industry skills&rdquo; (4). The Cristo Rey model of high school education is one variation of this model of partnership between the world of academics and the world of work. </p><p> This study is designed as a program evaluation of the Cristo Rey model of education whereby each student from a low SES family works five days a month in an entry level professional job for each year of attendance. In particular, this study seeks to examine alumni perceptions of the impact their high school corporate work-study program at one particular Cristo Rey School, Cristo Rey St. Martin, has had on their lives. In addition to alumni perceptions, this study will also gather the perceptions of workplace supervisors. The study will also look at how alumni are doing in terms of college persistence and completion. In particular, it will look at how the classes of 2011, 2012, and 2013 are doing in terms of post-secondary enrollment and persistence relative to national averages and relative to peer group (low SES) averages utilizing the National Student Clearinghouse database and reports. By triangulating these data points, the study seeks to answer the following question. What impact is the corporate work-study program (CWSP) having on the graduates? </p>

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a better understanding of the policy making process by developing a policy model and a Blended Framework to apply to the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program policy. Three substantive policy frameworks that are applied to the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program in Florida, which was in existence from 1998-2010, include the Multiple Streams Framework, Advocacy Coalition Framework, and a Blended Framework. Analyses of the frameworks and policy model are provided. / 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. / Fall Semester 2017. / December 6, 2017. / Education, Juvenile Justice Education, Public Policy / Includes bibliographical references. / Linda B. Schrader, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Patrice Iatarola, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Thomas G. Blomberg, University Representative; William Bales, Committee Member; Robert Schwartz, Committee Member.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Yau Ka-Yi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-59). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Construct Validity of Employment Interviews --- p.5 / Intended Constructs in the Employment Interviews --- p.5 / Constructs That Employment Interviews Actually Measure --- p.8 / The Present Study --- p.13 / Aims of Present Study --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- Method --- p.17 / Source of Data --- p.17 / Interviews --- p.19 / Other Assessment Methods Included in the Analysis --- p.21 / Procedure Used to Select Dimensions for Analysis --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- Result --- p.29 / Construct Validity --- p.29 / Possible Constructs Assessed in Semi-structured Behavioral Description Interviews --- p.36 / Degree of Overlap between Interview Ratings and Other Assessment Methods --- p.38 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Discussion --- p.40 / Construct Validity --- p.40 / Possible Constructs Assessed in Semi-structured Behavioral Description Interviews --- p.44 / Degree of Overlap between Interview Ratings and Other Assessment Methods --- p.46 / Practical Implications --- p.47 / Limitation --- p.49 / Further Study --- p.50 / References --- p.53 / Appendix I: Confirmatory Factor Analysis --- p.60

The title of this dissertation incorporates two key terms that define the work. First, the reader should view the paper by as a blueprint for evaluation which, like all generic blueprints, can be amended to fit the terrain, augmented based on new information or technology, or reduced to fit a stricter budget. It is also very much a blueprint that is developed from an action-oriented case study of an ombudsman, and is, therefore, relevant and tested. A long-standing question in the ombudsman community has been how to evaluate ombudsman operations without impugning the determining characteristics of an ombudsman: independence, impartiality, and confidentiality. There has been a lack of information or guidance, especially at the practitioner level, on how ombudsmen can develop meaningful evaluations without violating confidences or independence. This dissertation provides practitioners with tools that will enable them to conduct evaluations to determine information about ombudsman operations, formulation, and improvements. The dissertation also provides information on two areas of interest for ombudsmen. First, it focuses on the design, development, reporting on, and assessment of a multipronged evaluation approach for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Office of the Ombudsman. This review also considers the somewhat scarce existing literature in the field. Second, this dissertation fills the gap in the existing literature by developing a practitioner�s guide to evaluation techniques. The evaluation research is developed and conducted with the ICANN Ombudsman by designing, implementing, and assessing a number of evaluation techniques: selfevaluation, client surveys, benchmarking activities, and the like. The ICANN Office of the Ombudsman is a unique entity. It conducts online dispute resolution as an ombudsman. It is likely the first, if not the only online ombudsman operation anywhere. The ICANN Ombudsman has jurisdiction over complaints concerning the actions, decisions, or inactions of the ICANN Board of Directors, staff, or supporting organizations. It conducts its work using a wide variety of alternative dispute resolution techniques: negotiation, mediation, shuttle diplomacy, good offices, fact finding, investigation, and reporting and recommendation. All this research is important, not simply to fill gaps in the literature, but to provide the growing ombudsman community with cost-effective tools that enable them to determine any gaps in community service, jurisdiction, or activity; to determine whether there are adequate resources; and to justify retention of either the incumbent or the programme generally. This is a set of skills and action plans that are in high demand by the community, and this dissertation provides the first major steps to meet that demand.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Education, June 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

In times of heightened environmental consciousness, conservation education programming has proven useful for providing information and promoting natural resource conservation and stewardship. In a study of the 2005 Texas 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP), a contest teaching youth about the fundamentals of wildlife science and management, I sought to determine if WHEP was successfully reaching its primary goal: promoting conservation by increasing knowledge and skills of youth in the wildlife field. Through a series of facilitator-led interviews with WHEP participants (n = 35) and a combination of internet and on-site surveys (consisting of 35 current participants, 22 control youth, 19 past participants, 25 parents, and 7 coaches obtained from program registration lists), I explored the influence of program participation on wildlife management knowledge, social and leadership skills, attitudes, and understanding of stewardship. I found that WHEP had a significant impact on knowledge of wildlife management techniques and ecological concepts. The program had little influence on attitudes because most youth had positive perceptions of natural resources management prior to program involvement. I also found that past participants of WHEP claimed a significant increase in skills after program participation, but current participants could not determine their own progress. This suggested a longer period of time was needed to gauge self improvement. Parents and coaches claimed the program had a large impact on youth through instilling knowledge and values, but also improving their social, cognitive, and leadership competencies. Adults also discussed issues with participation, including a lack of program expansion and support. From these results, I determined that WHEP was achieving its program goals, but needs to address the issue of expansion because of its low level of operation compared to other 4-H programs in Texas. Suggestions for program growth include targeting youth groups and counties, cross promoting with other conservation programs, and continuing recruitment in currently participating counties.

The term developmental evaluation first entered in the literature in 1994 when Michael Quinn Patton used the phrase in an article exploring the relationship between evaluation and organizational development. Since then, he has developed the concept further and documented his evolution of thinking in a variety of articles, books and presentations. While Patton has been systematic in disseminating his emerging account of developmental evaluation, there is very little research on how other evaluators understand the concept nor an account of their experiences using the approach in real-life settings. This thesis documents the experience and reflections of eighteen evaluators who have employed developmental evaluation in their own work. The results suggest that practitioners understand the intent and key features of the approach though have a variety of questions about its conception and encountered a number of practical challenges in its implementation. The thesis also describes a number of recommendations for strengthening the theory and practice of developmental evaluation.