The Early Reading First Program emphasizes that preschool classrooms provide services to better prepare children entering kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and literacy skills that can avert reading difficulties. This study investigated two questions. The first addressed the effectiveness of the ERF program on students identified with a disability within control and experimental groups. The second addressed the effectiveness of the ERF program on subpopulations of students within the ERF program categorized with a severe language delay or a mild/moderate language delay. To address the first question, results showed a statistically significant difference between the control sample and experimental sample of posttest data in the area of language development. Addressing the second question, results showed a statistically significant difference in posttest scores between the mild/moderate sample of students versus the severe sample of students on the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI) Alliteration subtest and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Print-Word Awareness subtest. A major limitation of this study is the small number of children and, thus, it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, School of Education, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

<p>Switched Ethernet is an Ethernet LAN that uses switches to connect individual nodes. </p><p>This is popular because of its effective and convenient way of extending the bandwidth of </p><p>existing Ethernets. Switched Ethernet is being considered by the industry community because </p><p>of its open standardization, cost effectiveness, and the support for higher data rates up to </p><p>10Gbps. Even though many special-purposed solutions were proposed to support time </p><p>constrained communication over Switched Ethernet, still there were some doubts about the </p><p>real time handling capability of Switched Ethernet. To achieve reliable transmission </p><p>guarantees for real time traffic over Switched Ethernet, it is important to measure the </p><p>performance of Switched Ethernet networks for real time communication. In this thesis work </p><p>we have observed the average end-to-end packet delay for real time traffic over a Switched </p><p>Ethernet by simulation, which is very much essential for real time communication in </p><p>industrial applications, where the communication is time-deterministic. In our thesis we used </p><p>FCFS priority queuing in both the source nodes and switch. In this thesis we also discussed </p><p>about the feasibility analysis for fixed sized frames and some traffic handling methods. We </p><p>used 100mbp/s single full duplex Ethernet switch for our simulation. Finally simulation </p><p>analysis and simulation results are discussed. Our purpose of simulation of Switched Ethernet </p><p>networks is of good importance for the real time industrial applications.</p>

The exploratory study focused on First Nation students and First Nation education counsellors within Ontario. Using an interpretative approach, the research sought to determine the relevance of the counsellors as a potentially influencing factor in the students’ post-secondary program choices. The ability of First Nation education counsellors to be influential is a consequence of their role since they administer Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) funding. A report evaluating the program completed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 2005 found that many First Nation students would not have been able to achieve post-secondary educational levels without PSSSP support. Eight self-selected First Nation Education counsellors and twenty-nine First Nation post-secondary students participated in paper surveys, and five students and one counsellor agreed to complete a follow-up interview. The quantitative and qualitative results revealed differences in the perceptions of the two survey groups as to whether First Nation education counsellors influenced students’ post-secondary program choices. Students perceived themselves to be their greatest influence, while the counsellors felt their influence was greater once students made their program decisions, through encouragement and follow up support. The study raised questions regarding challenges faced by First Nation education counsellors to provide consistent academic, personal and cultural/social supports to their sponsored students. While the study suggested the role of First Nation education counsellors had evolved little from its original financial-administrative role and toward a more rounded offering including interpersonal, academic and cultural supports, in keeping with an educational decolonization process, counsellors face chronic program under funding and are under-staffed. To enhance First Nation students’ academic success, federal and provincial governments and First Nations are encouraged to further support First Nation education counsellors with greater training opportunities (expansion of the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association’s Native Counsellor Training Program), a higher ratio of counsellors to students, and support and promotion of their ability to provide interpersonal and academic counselling. The study challenged First Nation education counsellors to seek more opportunities to maintain consistent engagement with their students, especially with more autonomous or older students. First Nation students were also challenged to seek more from their counsellors than sponsorship.

The exploratory study focused on First Nation students and First Nation education counsellors within Ontario. Using an interpretative approach, the research sought to determine the relevance of the counsellors as a potentially influencing factor in the students’ post-secondary program choices. The ability of First Nation education counsellors to be influential is a consequence of their role since they administer Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) funding. A report evaluating the program completed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 2005 found that many First Nation students would not have been able to achieve post-secondary educational levels without PSSSP support. Eight self-selected First Nation Education counsellors and twenty-nine First Nation post-secondary students participated in paper surveys, and five students and one counsellor agreed to complete a follow-up interview. The quantitative and qualitative results revealed differences in the perceptions of the two survey groups as to whether First Nation education counsellors influenced students’ post-secondary program choices. Students perceived themselves to be their greatest influence, while the counsellors felt their influence was greater once students made their program decisions, through encouragement and follow up support. The study raised questions regarding challenges faced by First Nation education counsellors to provide consistent academic, personal and cultural/social supports to their sponsored students. While the study suggested the role of First Nation education counsellors had evolved little from its original financial-administrative role and toward a more rounded offering including interpersonal, academic and cultural supports, in keeping with an educational decolonization process, counsellors face chronic program under funding and are under-staffed. To enhance First Nation students’ academic success, federal and provincial governments and First Nations are encouraged to further support First Nation education counsellors with greater training opportunities (expansion of the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association’s Native Counsellor Training Program), a higher ratio of counsellors to students, and support and promotion of their ability to provide interpersonal and academic counselling. The study challenged First Nation education counsellors to seek more opportunities to maintain consistent engagement with their students, especially with more autonomous or older students. First Nation students were also challenged to seek more from their counsellors than sponsorship.

Learning to care and first encounter to care patients for male nursing students introduce a unique set of dilemmas to the predominantly female nursing educational process. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience male nursing students learning to care and first encounter care patients in their first nursing practice. A purposive sampling of seven male nursing students were interviewed by internet interview and analyzed by Qualitative content analysis. The results show that the Thai male nursing student stairway to confidence in nursing they start with feelings of stressfulness, developing sensitiveness, developing co—operation and developing strategies to care and encounter with patient. The results also seem to include gender specific questions on how to handle dilemmas in the predominantly female nursing education. These may reflect facilitators and barriers of developing a caring mind among male nursing students. Implication for nursing education and practice are presented and discussed.  In the clinical practice, the method of teaching was important to encourage, but also to gain additional knowledge and support peer groups as a suitable learning environment.

Switched Ethernet is an Ethernet LAN that uses switches to connect individual nodes. This is popular because of its effective and convenient way of extending the bandwidth of existing Ethernets. Switched Ethernet is being considered by the industry community because of its open standardization, cost effectiveness, and the support for higher data rates up to 10Gbps. Even though many special-purposed solutions were proposed to support time constrained communication over Switched Ethernet, still there were some doubts about the real time handling capability of Switched Ethernet. To achieve reliable transmission guarantees for real time traffic over Switched Ethernet, it is important to measure the performance of Switched Ethernet networks for real time communication. In this thesis work we have observed the average end-to-end packet delay for real time traffic over a Switched Ethernet by simulation, which is very much essential for real time communication in industrial applications, where the communication is time-deterministic. In our thesis we used FCFS priority queuing in both the source nodes and switch. In this thesis we also discussed about the feasibility analysis for fixed sized frames and some traffic handling methods. We used 100mbp/s single full duplex Ethernet switch for our simulation. Finally simulation analysis and simulation results are discussed. Our purpose of simulation of Switched Ethernet networks is of good importance for the real time industrial applications.

Alignment of the expectations of engineering faculty and the preparation engineering students receive in first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses provided the motivation for the work contained in this study. While a number of different aspects of student preparation including intangibles, such as motivation, time management skills, and study skills, affect their performance in the classroom, the goal of this study was to assess the alignment of the mathematics and physics mechanics knowledge and skills addressed in first-year courses with those needed for a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course. Objectives of this study included: (1) development of a set of metrics for measuring alignment appropriate for an engineering program by adapting and refining common notions of alignment used in K-12 studies; (2) study of the degree of alignment between the first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses and the follow-on sophomore-level statics and dynamics course; (3) identification of first-year mathematics and physics mechanics skills needed for a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course through the development of mathematics and physics instruments based on the inputs from faculty teaching the statics and dynamics courses; (4) analysis of tasks given to the students (in the form of homework and exam problems) and the identification of the mathematics and physics skills required; (5) comparison of the required skills to the skills reported by faculty members to be necessary for a statics and dynamics course; and (6) the comparison of student preparation in the form of grades and credits received in prerequisite courses to performance in statics and dynamics. Differences were identified between the content/skills developed in first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses and content/skills expected by engineering faculty members in the sophomore year. Furthermore, skills stated by engineering faculty members as being required were not necessarily utilized in homework and exam problems in a sophomore engineering mechanics course. Finally, success in first-year physics mechanics courses provided a better indicator of success in a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course than that of first-year mathematics. Processes used in the study could be applied to any course where proper alignment of material is desired.

Facing a highly competitve environment, companies usually manipulate all kinds of strategies to succeed in their business. One of these manipulative strategies is the timing of entering the market. For the most past, studies on timing of entry have asserted that early entrants could help to build lasting competitive advantages, which is so called the ¡§first-mover advantages.¡¨ However, in recent studies, studies have proved that some late movers could also perform quite well, or even better than those early movers in the market. In this paper, we focus exclusively on those successful late movers and try to figure out how they win a victory over the first mover in the market. We also adopt both the RBV and social capital theory to interpret the process of building late-mover advantages and forming first-mover disadvantages. The paper utilizes the case of TFT-LCD industry and the wholesaling industry in Taiwan to illustrate the issues involved. After interviewing some top managers and analyze related data, we get five discoveries: (1)The resources and social capital of a company do affect its enrty timing. (2)Different industries would have different kind of key resources and social capitals, and the reason for late-movers to beat first-movers and to win in the last is because late-movers could allot its own resources more effectively. (3)Late-mover advantages and first-mover disadvantages are proved to exist in the market. Besides, the content of different industries and companies would be different, too. (4)"High uncertainty of the market¡¨ is the challenge that first-movers are sure to encounter, but what counts is that whether the first-mover could conquer this problem by using its own resources successfully or not. (5)The relationship of resources and (dis)advantages are not only one way direction. Companies¡¦ resources would affect its own (dis)advantages, and on the other hand, (dis)advantages would also turn back to affect the forming of its own resources.

The character of the first galaxies at redshifts z [greater-than or equal to] 10 strongly depends on the star formation which takes place during their assembly. Conducting cosmological hydrodynamics simulations, we study how the radiative output and chemical enrichment from the first stars impacts the properties of the first galaxies. We find that the radiative feedback from the first stars suppresses the star formation rate at redshifts z [greater-than or equal to] 15 by a factor of only a few. In turn, this suggests that a large fraction of the first galaxies may form from gas which has already been enriched with the first heavy elements ejected by primordial supernovae. In order to characterize the properties of primordial dwarf galaxies, we carry out radiation hydrodynamics simulations which allow to determine how the luminosities in hydrogen and helium emission lines depend on the initial mass function of the stars in the galaxy. As well, we show that the chemical abundance patterns observed in metal-poor Galactic halo stars contain the signature of the first supernovae, and we use this data to indirectly probe the properties of the first stars. / text