The Desire Housing Project opened in 1956 as a segregated public housing development in New Orleans‟ Upper Ninth Ward. The Desire neighborhood, one of the few neighborhoods in the city where black homeownership had been encouraged, was transformed by the project. Hundreds of former Desire residents were displaced by the mammoth project, which became home to more than 13,000 residents by 1958. Built on what had once been a landfill, the Desire Housing Project came to epitomize the worst in public housing, before it was torn down by 2001. Although the project was isolated from the rest of the city and lacked basic services, residents worked to create a viable community, in spite of the pitfalls of segregation. Within the context of the civil rights movement, Desire residents fought to bring in basic services, pushing local government to more fully develop their neighborhood.

The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze, and describe the social outcomes that may be affected by the environmental risks generated by infrastructure projects; to examine the ways in which vulnerability and exposure to hazards may increase risk in neighborhoods over time; and to examine the implications of addressing the exacerbation of exposure to natural hazards within the traditional environmental justice framework. The Industrial Canal and Lower Ninth Ward were selected as the subjects of this case study because the canal has existed on the perimeter of the neighborhood for nearly one century, isolating Lower Ninth Ward residents from the rest of New Orleans and significantly contributing to two catastrophic flood events. The findings of the study are as follows: (1) the environmental risks associated with infrastructure projects can be magnified when imposed on an already vulnerable neighborhood, and may ultimately result in hazard events which cause displacement and disinvestment. Such consequences can have an impact on micro-level (individual and household) and macro-level (neighborhood) social outcomes; (2) vulnerability and exposure to hazards can initiate a pattern of increased risk that intensifies vulnerability to subsequent hazard events; and, finally, (3) the parallels between the causes and consequences of traditional environmental justice issues and the exacerbation of exposure to natural hazards implies that framing issues relative to natural hazards as matters of justice and articulating the social consequences of not mitigating such hazards can be an excellent way of educating stakeholders and lobbying for resources.

The purpose of this study was to compare the perception scores and the frequency of parental involvement for parents of students who have most recently completed elementary school (entering 6th grade) with parents of students who have most recently completed middle school (entering 9th grade) in a northeast Tennessee public school district. Data were collected by surveys containing a short demographic section, a perceptions section, and a participation section. The population consisted of the parents of 544 sixth grade students from the district’s 2 middle schools and the parents of 578 ninth grade students from 1 district high school. From that population 115 sixth grade parents and 105 ninth grade parents responded. This study took place at the onset of the school year to address parents as their children were either entering 6th grade in middle school or 9th grade in high school. Findings from the study indicate that there were significant differences between the parents of newly entering 6th graders and the parents of newly entering 9th graders in terms of home-based perception scores and frequency of participation. Specifically, parents of newly entering 6th graders had higher home-based perception scores and frequency of participation than parents of newly entering 9th graders. However, findings indicate that there was not a significant difference between the parent groups in terms of school-based perception scores and frequency of participation. When examined collectively (home-based and school-based combined), no significant differences were noted between the parent groups in terms of perception scores and frequency of participation. For each of these cases, independent samples t tests were used to determine if there were significant differences. Findings from the study also indicate that positive relationships are present between parents’ perception scores and their frequency of participation. This was true for both home-based and school-based involvement at both grade levels. Pearson r tests revealed these relationships. This study was important to help understand the perception scores and frequency of participation for parents of students in the middle school transition. Recommendations are made with the hopes of helping schools better tailor their parental involvement strategies to families they serve.

Ninth grade students are at a greater risk of dropping out of high school than are other grade-level populations. Factors such as a lack of academic preparedness, social and developmental changes, and the decline of parental support often result in 9th grade students falling behind in their academic work. Using holistic education as the conceptual framework, the goal of this intrinsic case study was to explore the perceptions of school and district office administrators on the impact that a 9th grade transition program has on the 9th grade retention and dropout rate of a high school located in the southeastern United States. The features of the 9th grade transition program (designated personnel, classes, location, and resources) were analyzed. Data collection occurred by a review of the school's evaluation reports and one-on-one interviews using a purposeful sample with 4 school and district office administrators. Thematic analysis of data followed an open coding process to identify categories and themes. The findings indicated that the 9th grade transition program positively impacted student and school performance and revealed inconsistencies in the transition programs and services among the 3 high schools within the school district. The resulting project was a policy recommendation that advocates for the use of standard 9th grade best practices. This study contributes to positive social change through the implementation of a best practice policy recommendation, intended to reduce 9the grade retention and dropout rates of the students within the school district.

Research on the mathematical behavior of children over the past forty decades has considerably renewed and augmented the body of evaluative tests of the results of learning (Lester, 2007). Research however, has provided very little knowledge about the means of improving students’ performance on these tests. Nevertheless teachers, students, and others are being pressured to improve students’ performance, but in order to concentrate on basic skills, the learning itself is made more difficult and slower. The combination of requirements has led to a variety of uncontrolled phenomena such as meta-didactical slippage (Brousseau, 2008). The purpose of this study was to: (a) understand the nature of meta-didactical slippage that occurred in a ninth grade predominantly African American mathematics classroom; and (b) describe how these meta-didactical slippages affect students conceptual understanding on a unit of study of ninth grade mathematics. The study was a descriptive, qualitative, case study that employed ethnographic techniques of data collection and analysis. The theory of didactical situations in mathematics (Brousseau, 1997) served as the theoretical lens that grounded the interpretation of the data, because it enabled the researcher to isolate moments of instruction, action, formulation, validation, and institutionalization in the mathematics teaching and learning process. The study was conducted over a period of 15 weeks in one, ninth grade class of 23 predominantly African American students at a high school in a southeastern state. Data was crystalized using multiple data collection techniques: (a) collection of document artifacts, which included student work samples and teacher lesson plans; (b) interviews conducted with the teacher; (c) researcher introspection; and (d) direct observation. Data was analyzed using ethnographic and discourse analysis techniques, including domain analysis, coding, situated meaning, and the big “D” discourse tool. The study found four themes, which illustrated the nature meta-didactical slippages: (a) over-teaching, (b) situational bypass, (c) language and symbolic representation, and (d) the design of didactical situations.

xii, 95 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Student use of electronic response technology has been prevalent in postsecondary institutions and is beginning to penetrate K-12 classroom settings. Despite these trends, research exploring the impact of this technology in these settings has been limited. The extant research has relied heavily on survey methodologies and largely has focused on student/teacher perception or implementation practices while remaining silent on learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to broaden the scope of research models used to explore electronic response technology and its impact on student learning. The study took place in a ninth-grade science classroom at a large high school with a comprehensive curriculum. Study participants were first-year high school students enrolled in one of two sections of the freshman science sequence focusing on Physical Science content. One section, serving as the Treatment group, used electronic response devices on a daily basis to respond to preplanned teacher questions. The other section, serving as the Comparison group, relied on traditional methods of interaction such as raising hands to respond to questions. They responded to the same set of preplanned questions and differed only in the manner of response, with the teacher asking the class and then calling on one of the students to answer. The study focused on academic achievement, as measured by student performance on a pre- and posttest, as well as student engagement, measured by momentary time sample data taken throughout the entire class with focused attention on periods of teacher questioning. The analysis of academic achievement employed an ANOVA, and no statistically significant difference was found between the groups. Engagement data were analyzed using an independent samples t test, and statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. Findings from this study indicated that, when using electronic response technology in their science classes, students demonstrated significantly higher levels of engagement across an entire class period as well as during teacher questioning. Implications of the study have been framed around the promise of electronic response technology for engaging and motivating students. / Adviser: Gerald Tindal

xii, 93 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Dropping out of high school may have individual as well as social implications. The process of dropping out is attributed to social and academic risk factors. Attendance, course completion and grade-point-average have been identified as key indicators of students off-track for graduation. This study utilized a single exploratory case design with embedded quantitative statistical analysis to understand the characteristics of 416 students transitioning from three middle schools to a large, suburban high school. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between 12 middle school indicators and ninth grade attendance, course completion, and grade-point-average. Findings suggested that middle school grade-point-average, course grade D, attendance, and ACT math scores were strong predictors of ninth grade performance. The major implications have highlighted key middle school risk indicators for identifying and providing intervention to transitioning students at risk of school failure. / Committee in charge: Gerald Tindal, Chairperson, Educational Leadership; Edward Kameenui, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Paul Yovanoff, Member, Educational Leadership; Robert 0 Brien, Outside Member, Sociology

Cette thèse de doctorat a pour but d’étudier l’image d’Ernesto Che Guevara construite par le Neuvième art révélant ainsi les perceptions des auteurs, mais aussi celle de leur société. Notre corpus principal se compose de neuf œuvres provenant de divers horizons, Vida del Che de H. G. Oesterheld, A. et E. Breccia (1968) ; la trilogie de P. Muriana : CHE – Génesis, CHE – Cenit (1977) et CHE – Ocaso (1978) ; ABChé de Rius (1978) ; Libertad ! Che Guevara (2006) de M., J. F. Charles et Wozniak ; CHE de K. Yong-Hwe (2006) ; LE CHE – Une icône révolutionnaire de S. Rodriguez (2008) et EL CHE – La victoire ou la mort de G. Ramella et S. Cattaneo (2012). Notre travail d’analyse se divise en trois parties et postule que les bandes dessinées contribuent à l’élaboration d’un imaginaire guévariste en partageant plusieurs similitudes narratives et visuelles. Une première partie est consacrée à la présentation du corpus large et du sous-corpus afin de saisir les spécificités de chaque bande dessinée. Nous nous attachons ensuite à l’étude de la première phase ascendante du schéma actantiel héroïque de la naissance du guérillero à l’épiphanie héroïque. Enfin, notre dernière partie revient sur la phase descendante du schéma actantiel depuis la rupture jusqu’au devenir post mortem d’Ernesto Che Guevara. Les spécificités de chaque album apparaissent dans l’analyse du langage bédéïque qui modernise, de par son hybridité iconique et linguistique, la représentation d’Ernesto Che Guevara. Le Neuvième art s’inscrit ainsi dans la tradition de l’écriture de la vie du héros héritée de l’Antiquité et de la chrétienté, mais il interroge également l’écriture de l’Histoire. / This dissertation considers the representation of Ernesto Che Guevara as constructed by the Ninth Art, thus revealing the perceptions of the authors and the perception of their respective societies. Our main corpus is composed of nine works originating from diverse backgrounds, Vida del Che by H. G. Oesterheld, A. and E. Breccia (1968); P. Muriana’s trilogy : CHE – Génesis, CHE – Cenit (1977) and CHE – Ocaso (1978) ; ABChé by Rius (1978) ; Libertad ! Che Guevara (2006) by M., J. F. Charles and Wozniak ; CHE by K. Yong-Hwe (2006) ; LE CHE – Une icône révolutionnaire by S. Rodriguez (2008) and EL CHE – La victoire ou la mort by G. Ramella and S. Cattaneo (2012). Our analysis is divided into three parts and postulates that graphic novels contribute to the elaboration of a Guevarist imaginary by sharing several narrative and visual similarities. A first part is dedicated to the presentation of the large corpus and the secondary corpus in order to grasp the specificities of each graphic novel. Then we address the first phase of the upward heroic actantial model from the birth of the guerrillero to the heroic epiphany. To finish with, our last part tackles the downward phase of the actantial model from the break up to the post mortem process of becoming of Ernesto Che Guevara. Each album’s specificities appear in an analysis of the specific language at stake in the graphic novel, a language which, through its iconic and linguistic hybridity, modernizes the representation of Ernesto Che Guevara. Therefore, the Ninth Art is in line with the tradition of the writing of heroic lives, inherited from Antiquity and Christianity; the Ninth Art also delves into the writing of History.

Substantive due process is one of the most cherished and elusive doctrines in American constitutional jurisprudence. The understanding that the Constitution of the United States protects not only specifically enumerated rights, but also broad concepts such as “liberty,” “property,” and “privacy,” forms the foundation for some of the Supreme Court’s most impactful—and controversial—decisions. This thesis explores the constitutional merits and politicizing history of natural rights jurisprudence from its application in Dred Scott v. Sandford to its recent evocation in Obergefell v. Hodges. Indeed, from slavery to same-same sex marriage, substantive due process has played a pivotal role in shaping our nation’s laws and destiny: But was it ever intended to? This paper first examines the legal arguments in favor of substantive due process to determine whether the judiciary was designed to be the “bulwark” of natural as well as clearly scribed law. Then, employing a novel framework to measuring judicial politicization, the thesis tracks the doctrine’s application throughout its most prominent case studies. Often arriving at nuanced conclusions, we observe that the truth is more often painted in some gradation of grey than in black or white.

This research has the subject matter of analyzing the competence of licensed teachers in biological sciences to teach a science course in the ninth grade of middle school, considering that this course covers introductory concepts of physics and chemistry. Faced with the need to understand the competence of biology teachers to teach that discipline and the replacement of licensed teachers in Biological Sciences by licensed teachers in Chemistry and Physics in private schools, we propose the following specific objectives: outline aspects of the competence of licensed teachers in Biological Sciences for the teaching of the science course in the ninth grade of middle school, and analyze the strategies used by such teachers in teaching science course in the ninth grade of middle school. In order to have those objectives achieved, an descriptive approach was adopted, outlining the main characteristics of the sample investigated, formed by 39 professionals licensed in Biological Sciences, who teach the Science discipline in the ninth grade of middle schools in public and private schools in Sergipe. In addition, qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected through the questionnaire consisted of 23 questions applied to the sample was adopted. As a result, it was observed that most of the 39 professionals licensed in Biological Sciences do not feel prepared to teach science discipline, blaming the Degree course in Biological Sciences by not complementing more appropriately related curriculum materials or corresponding teaching practices. However, we understand that, because of their professional experience with middle school students, the Biological Sciences Professor would rather be competent to teach this discipline, since it can mobilize resources more easily to teach the science discipline in the middle school, according to what is on the curriculum of the courses of Biological Sciences graduation. / Esta pesquisa tem como objeto o estudo a analisar a competência dos professores licenciados em Ciências Biológicas para lecionar a disciplina Ciências no nono ano do ensino fundamental, considerando que essa disciplina aborda as noções introdutórias de Física e Química. Diante da necessidade de compreender a competência dos professores de Biologia para lecionar tal disciplina e da substituição dos licenciados em Ciências Biológicas por professores licenciados em Química e Física em escolas particulares propomos os seguintes objetivos específicos: delinear aspectos da competência dos professores licenciados em Ciências Biológicas para o ensino da disciplina Ciências no nono ano do ensino fundamental; e, analisar as estratégias utilizadas por tais professores no ensino da disciplina Ciências no nono ano do ensino fundamental. Para que tais objetivos fossem atingidos, adotou-se uma abordagem descritiva, delineando-se as características principais da amostra investigada, formada por 39 profissionais licenciados em Ciências Biológicas, que lecionam a disciplina Ciências no nono ano do ensino fundamental de escolas públicas e particulares sergipanas. Além disso, adotou-se abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa dos dados levantados através do questionário formado por 23 questões aplicado à amostra. Como resultado, observou-se que a maior parte dos 39 profissionais licenciados em Ciências Biológicas que não se sente preparadas para ensinar a disciplina Ciências, responsabilizando o curso Licenciatura de Ciências Biológicas por não complementar mais adequadamente conteúdos curriculares relacionadas ou práticas de ensino correspondentes. Contudo, entendemos que, em razão de experiência desses docentes com alunos do ensino fundamental, o profissional licenciado em Ciências Biológicas seria competente para lecionar tal disciplina, uma vez que o mesmo pode mobilizar recursos didáticos mais adequadamente para o ensino da disciplina Ciências no ensino fundamental, dado o que consta nos currículos dos cursos de Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas.