The Cultural Production of the Modern Program Evaluator in Education is a three-year critical ethnographic investigation of the identity production of program evaluators in education. The methodological approach, grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis and analytic induction, includes: 1) open-ended interviews with 20 program evaluators, 2) of which 3 were expanded into case studies, 3) numerous email exchanges, 4) personal reflections from 16 years as a professional program evaluator, 5) field notes and 6) document analysis. Using Holland et al.’s (1998) social practice theory of self and identity, this dissertation outlines the processes, identifies the cultural tools, and provides a concise political-economic history that depicts how social scientists become program evaluators. The goal of this project was to study identity production through discourses and everyday cultural practices as a way to understand how social scientists come to accept, embody, and become passionate about the figured world of contract program evaluation. This includes drawing upon and contributing to existing meaning structures and systems of privilege. The study includes detailed case studies of program evaluators’ agentic day-to-day responses to a shifting political economic landscape and competing ideological purposes for conducting evaluations. / text

Background and Rationale: Rural Hispanic Veterans in the Southern Arizona region with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at risk for diabetes related complications. The Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System (SAVAHCS) care coordination home tele-health (CCHT) program serves as a useful tool in T2DM management in addition to services through primary care. CCHT has not been evaluated to determine effectiveness in this uniquely vulnerable demographic - rural Hispanic Veterans with T2DM in the Southern Arizona region. Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse managed and nurse ran program known as the SAVAHCS CCHT T2DM program in achieving successful diabetes self-management and related biological measures among male and female Hispanic veterans who reside in rural Arizona counties and receive their health care through SAVAHCS. Project Aims: Aim I: Evaluate the effects of the SAVAHCS CCHT T2DM program among rural Hispanic veterans on the biological measure of glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) at three different time periods, initially at admission, three months after admission, and six months after admission. Aim II: Evaluate the effects of the SAVAHCS CCHT T2DM program among rural Hispanic veterans on the other quality measures of diabetes management including Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol at three different time periods (see Aim I). Methods: A descriptive study design was used to evaluate the SAVAHCS CCHT program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health was used to examine the effectiveness of the tele-health program. Data were collected from the Veterans Health Administration data warehouse. Biological measures were collected and analyzed at three different time points. Results: Descriptive data analysis of the veterans (n=12) demonstrated minimal intervention improvement of 0.1 units on A1C (8.3% of veterans), BP (16.7%) and BMI (16.7%). Due to missing data the results may not be due to the CCHT program but to structure and process issues related to collection of reliable data. A more robust program evaluation is recommended.

My dissertation focuses on developing and applying program evaluation techniques to better understanding how public policies affect low-income households and social mobility. In general, my research attempts to address three questions regarding the effect of public policies: (1) What is the long-term effect of the policy? (2) Does the policy foster social mobility? (3) Is there an unintended consequence of the policy? In my view, equality of opportunity is one of the pillars of a free society. I favor the idea that poor children have equal opportunities for success. Since children from low-income families grow up in a relatively disadvantaged environment, public policies that redistribute resources to poor children can foster social mobility. However, as well-documented in the literature, redistribution policies lead to a change in incentives. In some cases, these unintended consequences offset the ``benevolence" of the policy. As a labor economist interested in policy analysis, I focus on evaluating a policy from these three perspectives. In the three essays in my dissertation, I answer the policy-relevant questions using different econometric approaches. When an exogenous policy change is available, a simple econometric model with few assumptions can provide credible answers. If we do not have a natural experiment in the context of the question, I model the selection process so that we can still learn from the data. In the first essay, I investigate whether exam preparatory programs in Taiwan are effective. I set up a Bayesian selection model that formalizes the selection process and explicitly takes into account parameter heterogeneity. In the second essay, I study the effect of the expansions of Medicaid in 1990 on childhood obesity. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 1990 expanded eligibility to children who were born after September 30, 1983 from families below the poverty line. I employ the birth date discontinuity to study the policy effect. In the third essay, I develop a new test based on the empirical distribution functions of the compliers in the Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) model. This method tests the validity of the LATE model, which is a common empirical strategy when endogeneity is an issue. In my first essay, I estimate the impact of attending exam preparatory programs, in particular “cram schools,” on students’ academic performance. These programs are the product of market system and the Joint Entrance Exam System, which has been in place for decades in Taiwan. I measure the outcome by admission to a public high school and an “elite” high school. Focusing on the problem that students are not randomly assigned to “cram schools,” I approach the issue using propensity score matching and a Bayesian simultaneous-equations model. Using data from a survey of Taiwanese junior high school students in the Taiwan Youth Project, I find evidence that there is an insignificantly negative sorting into exam preparatory programs and attending an exam preparatory program improves a student’s high school placement. Both approaches indicate similar positive treatment effects. The second essay studies the effect of Medicaid expansions on childhood obesity and finds robust evidence of ex-ante moral hazard induced by public insurance. I establish this result by estimating two reduced-form models and a structural model. My reduced-form identification strategy exploits eligibility discontinuity created by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 1990, which extended Medicaid eligibility to children from families below the federal poverty threshold and born after October 1983. Drawing on the MEPS, I find offering low-income children public insurance leads to an approximately 10-percentage-point increase in the chances of obesity. Combining the MEPS and the SIPP, I am able to investigate the effects of insurance take-up. I estimate a fuzzy regression discontinuity design using Angrist-Krueger two-sample IV estimator (Angrist and Krueger 1992). The results suggest that early insurance take-up induced by the expansions of Medicaid leads to a roughly 5-percentage-point increase in chances of obesity. I also develop and estimate a two-period structural model that quantifies moral hazard, net-wealth effect, and risk preferences. I use the estimates to study the relative importance of income effect and moral hazard in the childhood obesity problem. The estimates of the choice model suggest that net-wealth effect is a statistically significant avenue to the observed policy effect. In the third essay, I develop a method to test the validity of the Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) model. The LATE model is widely applied to evaluating policies when randomized experiments are impossible. The model relies on two critical assumptions: (1) the existence of a randomly assigned instrument that affects the outcome variable only through the treatment; and (2) the instrument only affects the treatment selection in one direction. The basis for the test is an estimator for the distribution function of the compliers. If the CDFs decrease more than the derived bound, then we reject the assumption of the exclusion restriction. If the CDFs are not completely non-decreasing, then either one of the assumptions fail to hold. To show the applicability, I apply the test to three datasets.

Sachant que l'idee de se servir d'un verificateur de grammaire comme outil pedagogique dans le domaine de renseignement des langues secondes constitue un sujet de debat continu, nous abordons une etude d'un verificateur de grarnmaire, LINGER (Language Independent Grammatical Error Reporter), concu pour les apprenants de francais, d'espagnol et d'allemand et realise a l'Universite d'Exeter, les resultats de laquelle nous permettent de formuler des generalisations qui aident a comprendre si en theorie un verificateur de grammaire est un outil pedagogique utile ou pas. En plus, nous recommandons ce qu'il faudrait inclure dans le verificateur de grammaire ideal pour les apprenants. Afin de fournir une idee de ce dont la technologie actuelle est capable dans le domaine de la correction automatique/assistee des langues et d'etablir les merites et les problemes de l'usage d'un verificateur de grammaire comme outil pedagogique, nous presentons une etude faite sur les verificateurs de grarnmaire commerciaux, Antidote '98 et Le Correcteur 101 - Version 3.5 Professionnel. Ensuite, pour pouvoir evaluer LINGER et faire des suggestions au sujet de 1' architecture d'un systeme ideal, nous expliquons en detail les trois parties de LINGER (la grammaire, le dictionnaire et la coquille) et comment se fait l'analyse syntaxique. Avant de regarder de pres les corrections de LINGER, nous explorons une definition theorique de la correction ainsi que la facon dont l’on apprend des langues secondes. La production ecrite d'un groupe d'etudiants qui sont au niveau de la premiere annee en francais fournit les donnees avec lesquelles nous evaluons LINGER et nous nous servons d'un des verificateurs de grammaire commerciaux avec ces memes donnees afin d'evaluer les criteres de performance technique requis pour l'usage d'un tel logiciel par des apprenants. A la lumiere de tout ce que nous soulevons, nous concluons que LINGER n'est pas ni serait jamais un outil pedagogique dont des apprenants puissent se servir mais qu'en general un verificateur de grarnmaire seraient un outil pedagogique utile pourvu qu'il soit concu pour des apprenants de la meme langue maternelle; qu'il incluse des explications grarnmaticales pour chaque correction qui aident l'apprenant a mieux comprendre la regie de grammaire en question; que son analyse soit juste avec un niinimum de correction fautive, de manques d’identification de fautes et d'identification fautive de la source des fautes et qu'il fournisse une correction assistee, plutot qu'une correction automatique.

Children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) are often referred to in the literature as invisible given the lack of services dedicated to this large population at increased risk for a multitude of psychosocial difficulties. Of the services available, few have been empirically validated. This study undertook a qualitative evaluation of Kids in Control, a psycho-education and support program intended to enhance the resilience of children of mentally ill parents. The goals of this study were to: determine whether the program was beneficial to the participants, identify the critical program elements deemed helpful/unhelpful by the participants, determine whether program objectives were being met, and to provide insight on how to improve the program to better meet the needs of this population. It is ultimately hoped that this research will give children of parents with mental illness a voice, thereby boosting their visibility and contributing to their psychosocial well being. Flanagan’s (1954) critical incident technique (CIT) was employed to determine the participants’ perceptions of helpful and unhelpful aspects of the program. Twelve participants (10 boys, 2 girls) ranging in age from 8-12 were recruited from 4 groups held in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by telephone interviews to discuss and verify the information shared. Participants reported a total of 121 critical incidents, which were classified into 8 helpful categories (105 incidents) and 2 unhelpful categories (16 incidents). The eight helpful categories were: identifying, communicating and managing feelings; learning about mental illness; helpful messages about responsibility, control, and empowerment; effective facilitator group management skills; having fun; connecting with other children experiencing parental mental illness; learning about stigma; and identifying supports. The unhelpful categories were: ineffective facilitation skills, and disruptive behaviour exhibited by other group members. Participants recommended improvements related to the areas of group instruction, time management, and group management. In addition, a 10-point rating scale was administered to determine the participants’ overall perception of program helpfulness. A mean rating of 7.63 was obtained which corresponds to very helpful on the scale. A comparison of incident categories with program objectives indicated a high degree of consistency, with a few exceptions. Implications for program improvements, wider program dissemination, and counselling practice are discussed. In addition, methodological issues related to using the critical incident technique with children are outlined.

Higher rates of HIV are seen within correctional systems across the United States. Georgia has one of the largest correctional populations in the country and HIV rates among prisoners are elevated when compared to the state as a whole. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Pre-Release Planning Program of the Georgia Department of Corrections and to identify reentry needs unique to persons living with HIV. This evaluation was informed by the post-release experiences of participants who described their own reentry journeys through semi-structured qualitative interviews. A convenience sample of 45 program participants was recruited to complete a qualitative interview following their release in 2009-2010. All 45 persons recruited consented to be contacted for an interview. A research interviewer successfully located 25 members of the original sample and they all agreed to participate. In addition a structure and process evaluation of the program was conducted. Recommendations for improvement were developed from the program evaluation and qualitative analysis of participants’ reentry experiences. For former program participants three central needs were identified: housing, health and income. Stigma and risk behaviors negatively impacted stability of housing, health and income. Strengths of the program included linkage to a Ryan White Clinic, provision of prison medical records, referrals to general social service agencies and its acceptability. The structural and individual challenges faced by persons living with HIV leaving the prison system demand comprehensive integrated services to assure access to HIV care and avoid recidivism. Minimally, housing, health and income must be addressed.

No description available.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada, responsible for accreditation of residency programs, prescribe ‘The Four Principles of Family Medicine’ and the 27 competencies derived from them, as the curricular framework for Canadian family medicine residencies. The literature reveals little about the development of the Four Principles of Family Medicine. This study was conducted to determine the degree to which each competency was considered relevant to clinical practice and learned by recent graduates of the University of Manitoba Family Medicine program. For the 27 competencies, the ratings of graduates were similar to those of family medicine experts as the competencies were generally viewed as moderately important and frequently used. Graduates reported being well prepared in most of the competencies. This supports the use of the Four Principles of Family Medicine as a curricular framework for family physician trainees in Canada.

Community sport organizations (CSO) are the most predominant type of nonprofit and voluntary organization in Canada (Gumulka, Barr, Lasby, & Brown-lee, 2005), and, it is vital that researchers recognize the critical, and often contradictory, social roles that these organizations are expected to perform. Community sport is both lauded as a progressive force of individual and community development (Sport for Development and Peace, International Working Group [SDP IWG], 2006) and criticized for reproducing race and class-based stereotypes that marginalize Aboriginal peoples (Canadian Heritage, 2005). Added to these challenges is the fact that sport leaders are expected to negotiate conflicting interests and unequal power relations (see Forester, 1989) while relying on a very limited body of research in which to guide their work in designing, delivering and facilitating culturally relevant sport programs for Aboriginal youth (see Forsyth, Heine & Halas, 2007; Maskawachees Declaration, 2000). Positioned within a transdisciplinary theoretical framework and guided by principles of indigenous research (Schnarch, 2004; Wilson, 2008), I conducted a multi-layered community-based study with sport leaders and youth participants at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Center (WASAC), a successful urban Aboriginal sport organization in Manitoba, Canada. Building on similar research in the area of culturally relevant physical activity and education (e.g., Carpenter, 2009; Forsyth et al., 2007), the purpose of my research was to examine the politics and praxis of culturally relevant sport education (CRSE) – specifically, program planning and leadership practices - as an alternative to deficit-based and culturally inappropriate sport programs for urban Aboriginal youth. Findings reveal that WASAC leaders utilize a complex set of explicit and tacit cultural teachings rooted within a context- and relationship-based approach to program planning and facilitation. Findings also indicate that culturally relevant sport leadership practices are strongly related to the personal, experiential and cultural background and knowledge of sport leaders. The study concludes by suggesting that sport leaders who understand the cultural landscape of urban Aboriginal youth and utilize critical self-reflexive practices are more likely to recognize and build upon the resilience of urban Aboriginal youth while proactively responding to the complex challenges that shape the lives of youth.

Objective: To evaluate the SickKids Team Obesity Management Program (STOMP), an obesity management program for severely obese adolescents. Methods: Non-randomized study of 6 and 12 month outcomes in STOMP patients vs. a comparison group of obese adolescents. Results: At 6 months, STOMP patients stabilized their BMI (0.08±0.3 kg/m2;p=0.79) and reported improved psychological and health behaviour measures, whereas comparison participants increased their BMI (0.7±0.2 kg/m2;p=0.004) and had worsening of cardiometabolic outcomes. Between-group differences included improved cardiometabolic, psychological and health behaviour measures in STOMP patients. At 12 months, STOMP patients stabilized their BMI (0.8±0.5 kg/m2;p=0.07), had improvements in anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes and reported an increase in health behaviours, whereas comparison participants increased their BMI (1.2±0.4 kg/m2;p=0.001) and had worsening of cardiometabolic outcomes. Between-group differences included improved anthropometric, cardiometabolic and health behaviour outcomes in STOMP patients. Conclusions: Participation in STOMP improved anthropometric, cardiometabolic, psychological and health behaviour outcomes among severely obese adolescents.