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In this dissertation, we solve multivariable Nevanlinna-Pick type interpolation problems. Particularly, we consider the left tangential interpolation problems on the commutative or noncommutative unit ball. For the commutative setting, we discuss left-tangential operator-argument interpolation problems for Schur-class multipliers on the Drury-Arveson space and for the noncommutative setting, we discuss interpolation problems for Schur-class multipliers on Fock space. We apply the Krein-space geometry approach (also known as the Grassmannian Approach). To implement this approach J-versions of Beurling-Lax representers for shift-invariant subspaces are required. Here we obtain these J-Beurling-Lax theorems by the state-space method for both settings. We see that the Krein-space geometry method is particularly simple in solving the interpolation problems when the Beurling-Lax representer is bounded. The Potapov approach applies equally well whether the representer is bounded or not. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of left-hand training on piano performance among college students with no piano background. A pilot study and an expanded study were conducted over a two year period. Volunteers for each study were randomly assigned to either a control group or a treatment group. The control group was instructed in the traditional manner, using simple melodies in the right hand and chordal figures in the left hand. The treatment group, however, was instructed using simple melodies in the left hand and chordal figures in the right hand. At the end of the training period, a posttest was given. The areas tested included "Pitch Accuracy in the Left Hand," "Pitch Accuracy in the Right Hand," "Rhythmic Accuracy in the Left Hand," "Rhythmic Accuracy in the Right Hand," and "Overall Technical Proficiency." The results of both studies consistently showed significantly improved playing skills in the treatment group. Future experimental research was recommended. This should include an extended training period, larger sample size, different age groups, different socioeconomic backgrounds, and different preferred hands. / Master of Arts

This is an ethnographic case study of a high poverty, ethnically diverse elementary school and the transformation that occurred there. The research describes what happened at the school within the context of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) during a nine-year period. The researcher documents the challenges faced, practices employed, and resources used at the school which has demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that are highly correlated with failing schools as defined by NCLB. The study used a qualitative research design in order to investigate the complexities and processes within a specific context and setting from multiple participants' frames of reference and from the researcher's perspective as a participant observer. The researcher analyzed the data, identified patterns, and categorized them into a set of assertions about this school. The discussion of the assertions and implications for future research is organized around the three research questions: 1) What were the challenges faced on the path to improved student academic achievement? 2) What practices were implemented during the process of improving student academic achievement? and 3) What resources were used during the process? / Ed. D.

In 2002, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation (U.S. Department of Education, 2002) was signed into law to help children in the United States receive quality education and learn the basic skills needed to be successful (Chadd & Drage, 2006). The central focus of this legislation is the core academic subjects, which are identified in the legislation as English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography. Career and technical education (CTE) is not specifically mentioned in the legislation, which suggests that NCLB and the high-stakes testing associated with the accountability benchmarks could impact the future of CTE. Even though the primary expectation of high-stakes testing is to increase academic achievement in specific areas, many worthwhile school programs could suffer from unintended consequences of this high-stakes testing initiative. One of the strategies that many school districts are using to improve student performance in the core subject areas mentioned in the NCLB legislation is to devote more instructional time to the tested content subjects, such as reading, mathematics, social studies and science. Hence, the development of an unintended consequence of narrowing the curriculum offered to secondary students. As a result more CTE courses may be dropped from high school master schedules, which make the topic of specific concern for educational leaders (Gordon et al., 2007). School administrators and school leaders are concerned about school accreditation and student performance on state mandated tests. Therefore, examining career and technical education student performance on Virginia's Standards of Learning assessments and the graduation rates of CTE students would help to determine the impact of CTE enrollment on student achievement. As such, the impact of CTE on high-stakes testing in the Commonwealth of Virginia was the impetus for this topic of study. This purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the academic performance of CTE completers and non-CTE completers in the Commonwealth of Virginia on the Standards of Learning English and mathematics assessments, as well as cohort graduation rates. This quantitative study used descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, to determine if their pass rates and graduation rates differ during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 school years. A t-test was used to determine if they differ significantly from each other. Findings indicate that statistically (p<.05), CTE completers had higher mathematics and Grade 11 English reading pass rates from those of non-CTE completers. The CTE completers in this study also demonstrated higher cohort graduation rates. It appears that a concentration of career and technical education makes a positive impact the pass rates of students on the Standards of Learning assessments and cohort graduation rates. / Doctor of Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate turnaround reform by identifying student factors from the perspective of successful turnaround leaders in Virginia that hinder or aid the process and the supports in place to address learning issues. It was determined, through a literature review, that research focused on the school culture, leadership, teacher and parent factors concerning turnaround reform efforts, but there was little mention of students beyond the scores they produce on end-of-the-year standardized tests. The central research question investigated the student-related factors that impact a school's ability to increase academic achievement within the turnaround process. Interviews were conducted with four successful turnaround principals in Virginia. The results of the study indicated the student factors thought to impact learning were reading issues, teacher competency issues, students' personal needs, attendance issues, and discipline issues. While the first inclination of school leaders in a failing school may be to find the 'quick fix' to turn scores around, the principals in this study focused on three fundamental goals: get the students to read more, keep students in the classroom, and meet students' needs. Research in the area of turnaround strategies and implementation is useful for school boards and principals as they endeavor to raise the achievement of their students. This study of successful turnaround organizations focusing on how student-related factors impact academic performance would be beneficial in determining whether the organizational structure supports or hinders Priority School reform. This examination of how student-related factors contribute to an organization's capability to turn around low performance informs administrators and policy makers on strategies to overcome the learning barriers that may exist. / Ed. D.

In 2002, Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965), more commonly known today as the No Child Left Behind Act (2002). Many of the initiatives within the act have come under significant scrutiny, not least of which is providing supplemental educational services to students in "failing" schools. The purpose of this multi-site, cross-case study was to examine how supplemental educational services impact students as viewed through the perspectives of elementary school teachers and principals. Elementary school teachers and their principals who currently have, or have had in the recent past, students enrolled in these supplemental services were the targeted populations for this study. Teachers and principals were selected because they have unique and enduring interactions with students and are in a position to assess how programs such as those delivered by supplemental educational service providers affect students. Four schools were selected based on geographic location (reasonable proximity to the researcher), number of participants in supplemental educational services, NCLB designation (the school was designated as in the second year or beyond of improvement), and willingness to participate in the study. When data from the four schools were considered in a cross-case analysis, the following themes emerged: (1) students realized varying outcomes as a result of participating in supplemental educational services, (2) supplemental educational services varied in their perceived quality depending on whether the providers were internal or external, (3) teachers and principals considered communication with supplemental educational service providers as an indicator of their quality, (4) teachers and principals viewed tailoring of supplemental educational services to meet particular student's needs as a hallmark of their quality, (5) teachers and principals recommended using existing school assessments, observation, and attendance as measures of the impact of supplemental educational services, and (6) teachers and principals recommended increased communication, increased individualization of tutoring, certification of tutors, and changes in tutoring schedules as ways to improve supplemental educational services. These results provide policy makers with information that may be helpful in better understanding the impact of supplementary educational services on elementary students and how they might adjust the program to make it more effective. / Ph. D.

Heart disease is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality for the adult population over the age of 65. Furthermore, ailments such as hypertension can affect as many as 50% of the adult population over the age of 45. If left untreated, these ailments eventually precipitate the onset of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. Diastolic dysfunction is the alteration or impairment of performance in either the left or right ventricle of the heart. Although there has been a marked increase in study of this disease, there is still an apparent difficulty to diagnose patients. Flow visualization techniques have been commonly employed to study the development of these diseases as they relate to the filling process of the ventricles. One method, Echo Particle Image Velocimetry (Echo-PIV) is a relatively new method for cardiac flow chamber visualization, with the potential to provide physicians with a cost-effective and safe method for obtaining high temporal resolution recordings for extending knowledge on the filling processes in cardiac chamber flow. This work presents a new approach to extending the capabilities of Echo-PIV for more accurate measurement of cardiac flows for patients with poor quality recordings. Currently, much of the literature notes that temporal resolution and poor acoustic windows results in exclusion from study. These recordings are more representative of the contrast-enhancement studies used by physicians to better identify chamber walls. When applying standard PIV cross-correlation techniques, measurements tend to fail due to image noise and artifacts. By implementing a Moving Ensemble (MWE) with Product of Correlation (PoC) processing scheme, measurement accuracy, reliability, and robustness can be obtained for measurement in left ventricular filling assessment. / Master of Science

The ongoing war in Ukraine and Gaza have sparked international discussion on how to manage the situation but also on which side one should stand in these conflicts. One axis ofsupport these discussions occur are along ideological lines. What this paper aims to achieve is to understand where the left- and right-wing stand in these conflicts and what kind of reasonings that they put forwards to justify their support. In order to come to a conclusion this paper will use a text analysis method on different ideologically charged text in form of debate articles, policy documents and other public statements from four Swedish parties, two on the left and two on the right. This method will be a qualitative idea analysis that will focuson different statements from these texts that will then be analyzed and interpreted throughan IR constructivist lens. What could be concluded from this paper was a clear result that all four parties were on the side of Ukraine but differed on the Israel-Palestine with the right-wing leaning more to Israel and the left-wing leaning towards Palestine. This because two of the parties were more in the center of the ideological divide while two of them were on clear opposite sides with the more socialist party siding with Palestine due to principal and historical support while the more conservative party sided with Israel due to clear outspoken support and ideological similarities with the ruling party of Israel.

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