A system was designed to measure the effect of gap size on semi-span low Reynolds number wind tunnel experiments. The lift forces on NACA 1412, NACA 2412 and NACA 4412 half wings were measured using a strain gauge balance at chord Reynolds numbers of 100,000 and 200,000 and three different gap sizes including sealed gap. Pressure distributions on both airfoil top and bottom surfaces in the chord-wise direction near the gap were recorded for these airfoils. Also recorded was the span wise pressure distribution on both the airfoil surfaces at the quarter chord section. The results revealed that the presence of the gap, however small, affects the measurements. These effects were mainly observed in drop of lift and change in zero lift angle of attack and change in stall angle for the airfoil. The size of the gap is not linearly related to these changes, which also depend on the camber of the airfoil. These changes occur due to the flow through the gap from the lower surface to the upper surface of the model. The wing/end plate gap effect reduces along the span but is not fully restricted to the base of the model and the model behaves more like a full three-dimensional wing than a semi-span model. This study was made possible with the support of Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University under the supervision of Dr. James Marchman / Master of Science

Federal legislation known as the No Child Left Behind act has required states to close achievement gaps. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between special education spending by districts in the state of Tennessee and standardized achievement for students with disabilities. Secondary data were obtained from the Tennessee Department of Education’s website (www.tn.gov/education). Data from each local education association were collected for the years of 2010-2014 in the areas of special education spending, special education population, and TCAP proficiency percentages in reading and math grades 3-8. Data from each local education association were collected for the years of 2011-2014 for gap size percentages between students with and without disabilities for reading and math grades 3-8 and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The researcher performed 6 Pearson correlation coefficient tests for this analysis. The findings showed a positive correlation between spending and performance on standardized assessments in the areas of reading and mathematics for students with disabilities. The analysis indicated that per pupil expenditures in special education has not had a statistically significant impact on reducing the gap size between students with and without disabilities. However, the percentage of economically disadvantaged students in a local education association inversely impacted the gap size. Those local education agencies with a higher population of economically disadvantaged students were more likely to have smaller gap sizes between students with and without disabilities in reading and mathematics on standardized testing.

Cette recherche exploratoire vise à comprendre les pratiques évaluatives des enseignants du secondaire d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). Puisque les évaluations doivent être au service de l’apprentissage, elle se penche sur l’équité des pratiques évaluatives des enseignants à partir de la conception qu’ils ont du concept d’équité. À partir d’un corpus de 58 pages de récits constitués de huit entretiens individuels, nous avons réalisé une analyse thématique qui nous a permis de dégager le portrait des pratiques à la lumière de l’équité. L’analyse des données a été réalisée selon les concepts de l’équité de confort pédagogique et de l’équité pédagogique de De Ketele et Sall (1997). Malgré la satisfaction que suggère une minorité d’enseignants, l’analyse des données de la majorité laisse entrevoir des insuffisances en ce qui a trait au caractère équitable de leurs pratiques évaluatives dans ces écoles secondaires publiques. Ce portrait insatisfaisant ainsi dégagé à la lumière de l’équité pédagogique et de la réduction des écarts entre les apprenants forts et faibles nous amène à faire des recommandations pour rendre plus équitables ces pratiques. Au nombre des recommandations figure d’abord la maîtrise du concept d’équité qu’il faudra nuancer avec l’égalité pour la faire répercuter effectivement dans ces pratiques. Ensuite, il faudra s’orienter vers la différenciation des pratiques évaluatives pour encadrer chacun des apprenants selon leurs besoins réels pour permettre une véritable justice sociale qui garantira l’équité. Cette différentiation passe par la variation et la pertinence des outils et des activités d’évaluation, mais aussi par l’installation des plans d’intervention pour les apprenants avec des difficultés d’apprentissage et autres ; ces plans leur permettront de bénéficier de mesures d’adaptation ou même de modifications pour les aider. / This exploratory research aims to understand assessment practices of language teachers in public secondary schools in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). Working on the basis that school assessment must support learning, the study examines the equity of these teachers’ assessment practices from their point of view of the concept of Equity. We worked with a corpus of 58 pages of narratives formed out of eight individual interviews. We did a thematic analysis that helped us construct a portray of assessment practices from the point of view of Equity. The analysis of teachers’ pratices through their narratives was done according to De Ketele and Salla’s (1997) indicators of Equity of Pedagogic Comfort and Pedagogic Equity. Despite the satisfaction suggested by a few teachers, most of them have suggested lacks regarding the equity of assessment practices in these public secondary schools of Abidjan. The resulting negative picture in terms of pedagogic equity and reduction in gaps between the strong and the weak learners, lead us to make recommendations that could make these practices more equitable. Among the recommendations, we first focus on the importance of mastering the concept of Equity which will have to be distinguished from Equality in order to effectively impact the assessment practices. Next, the differentiation in assessment practices will be needed to cater each learner needs according to what he really needs; doing so will help tend towards Equity through Social Justice. This differentiation requires the variation and relevance of assessment tools and activities. Furthermore, the implementation of Intervention Plans for learners with learning disabilities or other disabilities could help them benefit from adaptation or modification measures.