The purpose of the study was to determine which of the Eighteen Basic Middle School Principles were influenced by the Indiana Comprehensive Assessment and Program Planning System (CAPPS) based on perceptions of middle school principals. A second purpose was to determine the extent of influence (positive, negative, no influence) exerted by CAPPS on the Eighteen Basic Middle School Principles.A survey instrument consisting of eighteen items in five Likert-response categories was mailed to: one-hundred randomly selected middle school principals in Indiana. Space was provided for respondents to write a statement describing how CAPPS influenced each middle school principle. Sixty-two middle school principals responded to the survey.Middle school principles most influenced by CAPPS were basic skill repair and extension, and planned gradualism. Principles least influenced were continuous progress programs, intramural activities, social experiences, independent study and auxiliary staffing. Sixty-five percent of responding principals indicated CAPPS exerted no influence on the combined eighteen principles.Conclusions derived from data revealed although CAPPS was not perceived as exerting a major influence, it was seen as positive. CAPPS has influenced textbook, material selection and increased articulation between grade levels. Emphasis on basic skill areas and remediation have increased due to CAPPS.Rationale for the middle school was to meet developmental opmental needs of transescent youth. However, the middle school concept has been implemented for a variety of reasons including dissatisfaction with the junior high school and reorganization of grade, levels to facilitate. desegregation and changing enrollments.Recommendations for further research include assess merit of educators to determine understanding of CAPPS and the middle school concept. Research also needs to be conducted to determine if educators are following CAPPS guidelines.

The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA) was reauthorized by Congress in 2004 (IDEA, 2004). The new legislation permits educational practitioners to identify students suspected of having a learning disability by continuing to use the ability-achievement discrepancy model or by the analysis of the child's response to prescriptive intervention delivered through a systematic multi-tiered instructional intervention approach which has become to be known as Response to Intervention (RtI). However, the change in the federal legislation does not provide specific guidelines for the planning and implementation of intervention services. The examination of the effectiveness of instructional intervention programs, the reliability of the ability-achievement discrepancy model to identify a child of having a suspected learning disability, and an introduction to the concept of Response to Intervention (RtI) is included in this work. The purpose of the present work is the development of a RtI Innovation Configuration Map that may be utilized as a guide for the planning, development, and implementation of a school-based RtI program that is also useful to assess the operationalization of a school-based RtI program in use. The procedures followed for the development of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map included the selection of a national review panel of educational practitioners from across the country to confirm the essential components and action steps to be considered when planning for the implementation of a RtI program. A RtI Innovation Configuration Map Team was selected from a school in Virginia that had successfully opertionalized a RtI program as a result of the schools participation in the Virginia Department of Education's RtI Initiative. The RtI Map Team developed a RtI Innovation Configuration Map that included varying levels of implementation of the essential components and action steps that were identified by the national review panel. To assess the utility of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map to illustrate the varying levels of implementation of a school-based RtI program, individuals from four schools taking part in the Virginia Department of Education's RtI initiative were randomly selected and interviewed regarding the RtI program being implemented in their school. Based on those interviews and other evidence obtained at the four schools, the utility of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map was revised. / Ed. D.

One substantial vision of maintaining agricultural productivity and sustainability is to improve farmers' and communities' well-being and quality of life. Offering disability-inclusive programs can ideally improve agricultural producers' social, environmental, and economic conditions. In turn, it has the potential to accelerate efforts to achieve social justice across varied environments and contexts. Thus, the study explored AgrAbility as an agricultural assistance program serving people with disabilities. A mixed-method approach (survey and interview) was employed to (1) explore and aggregate frameworks used by different State and Regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAP) for planning assistance programs, (2) examine the common types of evaluations used for assessing AgrAbility program impact, and (3) identify good practices for maximizing self-report tools' usability in program evaluation. Sixteen AgrAbility states were included in this study (Iowa, West Virginia, Alaska, California, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin). Two states (Iowa and West Virginia) represent affiliated projects; the other states represent state/national projects. The planning survey was completed by 16 respondents, followed by interviews with 7 of them. The evaluation survey was completed by 11 respondents, followed by interviews with 7 AgrAbility participants (i.e., clients). Three integrated planning models (the Targeting Outcomes of Programs [TOP] model, Sork's planning domains, and Cervero and Wilson's planning model) were used as a conceptual framework to guide the study questions. The study findings offered a framework that could serve as a guideline to answer the following question: "To what extent is the ethical and social-political domain (i.e., power, interests, negotiation, and responsibilities) addressed or enacted within planning programs serving people with disabilities?" Also, the study findings revealed that self-report tools are very frequently used in evaluating AgrAbility outcomes. Ten recommendations were shared by AgrAbility evaluators and program participants with disabilities to improve self-report tools' usability and response rates, specifically in the disability context. / Doctor of Philosophy / Disability has profound effects on farm households. Agricultural workers with disabilities need adequate assistance programs to help them be productive and motivated and feel safe and independent while performing their work. Also, establishing disability-inclusive assistance programs can improve social, environmental, and economic conditions. In turn, these programs have the potential to accelerate efforts to achieve social justice. I explored AgrAbility as an agricultural assistance program serving people with disabilities. I sought to understand AgrAbility's practical implications for enhancing rural well-being and, in turn, seeking social justice. Sixteen AgrAbility states were included in this study (Iowa, West Virginia, Alaska, California, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin). They completed a survey asking questions about technical approaches to program planning, followed by interviews with 7. However, only 11 AgrAbility states completed the survey focused on some evaluation questions, followed by interviews with 7 AgrAbility participants with disabilities (i.e., clients). The purpose of the study was to (1) explore and aggregate frameworks used by different State and Regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAP) for planning assistance programs, (2) examine the common types of evaluations used for assessing AgrAbility program impact, and (3) identify good practices for maximizing self-report tools' usability in program evaluation. I came up with a framework that could serve as a guideline to answer the following question "To what extent is the ethical and social-political domain (i.e., power, interests, negotiation, and responsibilities) addressed or enacted within planning programs serving people with disabilities?" Also, the study findings showed that self-report tools are very frequently used in evaluating AgrAbility outcomes. Ten recommendations were shared by AgrAbility evaluators and program participants with disabilities to improve self-report tools' usability and response rates, specifically in the disability context.

No description available.

Research suggests that stakeholder investment is maximized when partnerships understand the assumptions held by partners of the benefits to be derived and contributions to be made to the partnership. In 2011, representatives from seven rural county high schools and five university departments participated in a planning workshop designed to identify elements of an effective community-academic partnership to address adolescent obesity disparity in Southern Appalachia. The purpose of this investigation was to examine key elements of partnership building by way of the Give-Get Grid partnership tool. Content analysis was conducted to identify emerging themes. University representatives consistently identified more proposed program contributions as well as benefits than their high school partners. University personnel responses generally pertained to their level of participation and investment in the partnership, whereas high school personnel tended to identify contributions fundamental to both partnership and program success. Additionally, content analysis uncovered programmatic facilitators and potential barriers that can be instrumental in program planning and forming program messages. Findings suggest that although partners often share common goals, perceptions of the value of investment and benefits may vary. The Give-Get Grid can be used during the program-planning phase to help identify these differences. Implications for practice are discussed.

Research suggests that stakeholder investment is maximized when partnerships understand the assumptions held by partners of the benefits to be derived and contributions to be made to the partnership. In 2011, representatives from seven rural county high schools and five university departments participated in a planning workshop designed to identify elements of an effective community-academic partnership to address adolescent obesity disparity in Southern Appalachia. The purpose of this investigation was to examine key elements of partnership building by way of the Give-Get Grid partnership tool. Content analysis was conducted to identify emerging themes. University representatives consistently identified more proposed program contributions as well as benefits than their high school partners. University personnel responses generally pertained to their level of participation and investment in the partnership, whereas high school personnel tended to identify contributions fundamental to both partnership and program success. Additionally, content analysis uncovered programmatic facilitators and potential barriers that can be instrumental in program planning and forming program messages. Findings suggest that although partners often share common goals, perceptions of the value of investment and benefits may vary. The Give-Get Grid can be used during the program-planning phase to help identify these differences. Implications for practice are discussed.

While partnerships for health delivery and improvement are frequently described by their structure, goals, and plans, less attention is paid to the interactive relationships among partners or for larger stakeholder groups’ coalition memberships. The Give-Get Grid group process tool can be used to assess each stakeholders’ expected benefits (“gets”) and contributions (“gives”) needed to establish and maintain long-term, mutually advantageous community–academic partnerships. This article describes three case study experiences using the Give-Get Grid in real-world context to understand and generate ideas to address contemporary health promotion opportunities among a variety of stakeholders. The case studies address three distinct community health promotion opportunities: prevention of school-based adolescent obesity disparities, higher education health professions training programs in rural community-based settings, and methods for engaging community coalitions in state Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs. The case studies demonstrate the Give-Get Grid’s utility in both planning and evaluating partnerships and documenting key elements for progress in health promotion initiatives built on long-term community–academic relationships. Steps are explained with practical lessons learned in using the Grid.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / Eduard Lindeman (1926) stated, “the approach to adult education will be via the route of situations” (p. 8, emphasis in original). Training professionals often face situations that require them to develop and present training programs on subjects for which they have limited or no previous content expertise. This occurs even though the literature stresses the need for trainers to be experts or masters on the material they present (Bernthal et al., 2004; Brookfield, 1990; Draves, 1984, 2000; Galbraith, 1990; Houle, 1984; Long, 2002; McArdle, 1993; McCain, 1999; Slusarski, 1994; Symonds, 1968; Wlodkowski, 1999). Although there is considerable literature on the roles and responsibilities of trainers (McLagan & Suhadolnik, 1989; Nadler & Nadler, 1989), self-directed learning (Candy, 1991; Knowles, 1975; Tough, 1979), and developing training programs (Caffarella, 2002; Long, 1983; McCain, 1999), very little links these areas with the knowledge acquisition process trainers use. This dissertation describes the phenomenological inquiry into the nature of the process trainers use to acquire the knowledge necessary to develop and present training programs for which they have little or no previous content expertise. The population was selected because of the researcher’s background in training and adult education. Criterion, snowball, convenience, and maximum variation purposeful sampling techniques were used to identify trainers who met the criterion of the study. Potential participants were contacted by the researcher and asked to participate in the study. Data was collected via semistructured interviews until thematic saturation was reached. Constant comparison was used to analyze the transcripts of the interviews. Twenty-six common themes were identified during the study and were categorized into six different categories. The six categories are self-directed learning, the training and development process becomes part of the trainer’s life, the needs assessment is part of knowledge acquisition, knowledge acquisition is a continuous part of the trainer’s life, understanding the importance of adult learning principles, and reflection. The results of this study have implications for the adult education, self-directed learning, program planning, human resource development, and training literature.

Parent-child sexual health communication (PCSHC) can have a positive impact on adolescents’ sexual health choices, outcomes, and capabilities for communicating with others about sexual health. Many parents are hesitant and feel unprepared for and uncomfortable with communicating about sexual health with their children. Other parental factors as well as child factors can impact the quality, frequency, coverage, and effectiveness of PCSHC. Some adolescent sexual health outcomes have improved, however, teen birth rates in the United States are elevated compared to other developed countries and half of all sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses are made to adolescents and emerging adults. This emphasizes the importance of PCSHC as a protective factor for children and opportunity for them to develop understanding and skills for good sexual health decision-making. While challenging to recruit and retain participants, parent sex education programming designed to promote PCSHC can instill a sense of parental necessity and responsibility, and equip parents with knowledge and skills to confidently and successfully engage their children. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) provided the framework for this mixed methods study designed to learn more about PCSHC, differences in PCSHC based on gender of children, parental beliefs about PCSHC, intentions for and actual engagement in PCSHC. Included in the literature review for this study is a systematic review of literature focused on parent education programming designed to improve PCSHC. Parents of children in grades 4 – 11 completed a pencil/paper or an electronic Qualtrics baseline survey containing questions about their perceptions of and engagement in PCSHC. The quantitative data collection instrument included items measuring TPB constructs of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, intentions for and actual engagement in PCSHC and condom use instruction delivery, communication openness, communication ability, sexual health topics discussed with children, and respondents’ demographics Many of the respondents (N = 205) were residents of the program target community, Winchester/Clark County, Kentucky, and were eligible to participate in parent programming, as were all residents that were parents of children in grades 4 – 11. The program, I’ll Have a Side of Sex Education, was designed as a six-week series of 50 minute lunch time sessions with the intention to improve parents’ sense of comfort, confidence, and skills in communicating with their children in general, and particularly about sexual health. Of the 205 parents who completed the baseline survey, 50 enrolled in and attended some or all of one of five offerings of the six-week parent education series and were invited to complete a post-program and six-week follow up surveys. Post-program data were collected with a paper- pencil survey and six-week follow up data were collected with a Qualtrics survey. The systematic review of parent sex education literature provided insight into components of programming related to successful program delivery and positive parental outcomes. The systematic analysis of the baseline data including examining PCSHC factors from the parental perspective and how these related to the gender of children and determining the usefulness of the TPB constructs for understanding PCSHC Results of Chi-square tests of mean differences showed a significant difference in parents actually providing their children with instructions for correct condom usage, χ2(2, N = 203) = 6.96, p = 0.03, and MANOVA results revealed the degree to which parents address certain sexual health topics with their children related to the gender of their children. Results of logistic regression showed behavioral beliefs having the greatest predictive power of parents’ intentions to give condom use instructions (p < 0.01) and actual delivery of condom use instructions (p = 0.04) and engagement in PCSHC, generally (p = 0.03). The current study contributes to the greater body of literature addressing parental and child factors related the promotion, delivery, and effectiveness of PCSHC and parent education programming designed to improve the quality, frequency, and impact of PCSHC. Its findings expand our understanding of how gender of children and parental beliefs relate to PCSHC and lend themselves to the consideration of the greater social influences impacting parents’ ability and motivation to engage their children in communication about sexual health. Differences in communication based on gender of children signal to a double standard in the messaging about sexual health and behaviors related to gender and these discrepancies leave adolescents and emerging adults, both males and females, vulnerable at worst to poor sexual health choices and outcomes and at least to being undereducated about sexual health topics. Although these findings give little support for the overall TPB model contributing to the understanding of parental intentions and behavior related PCSHC, the relationship between behavioral beliefs informed by attitudes about the value of PCSHC and parental intentions and behaviors does provide insight to health promoters and educators. Assessing parental attitudes toward PCSHC and tailoring messages and educational opportunities that may improve these attitudes and motivate parents to engage in and seek support for effective PCSHC holds promise. The piloting of a parent education program adapted from a previously evaluated parent sex education programming and the summative evaluation offered by participants gives support for efforts on the part of health promotion and education professionals to invest time, energy, and resources into program design and delivery and recruitment and retention of parents.

Food insecurity refers to the lack of reliable access to nutritious and affordable foods for people of all backgrounds (Meenar and Hoover, 2012) and is a problem faced by approximately 50 million Americans (Smith, 2011) and thirteen percent of North Carolina households. Food security and poverty have been directly linked and North Carolina's poverty rate (14.3%) is above the national level (13%) (Curtis, 2010). Community gardens have been recognized globally by many experts including health professionals, community organizers, environmental activists, and policymakers, as an "important contributor to economic development, food security, and environmental management"(Baker, 2004). Together, these professionals use gardens as a means to educate the public about food production and nutrition. Empirical research has documented many community garden benefits, however, the examination of educational programs associated with these gardens is limited. The purpose of this case study was to examine the development and implementation of a beginner gardening program and its influence on program participants in an area known to be food insecure within North Carolina. The researcher utilized multiple means of qualitative methods including: 1) semi-structured pre- and post- interviews with program coordinators and participants, 2) content analysis, 3) a reflection journal used to observe the program, and the facilitation of a 4) focus group with program participants. The findings revealed the challenges program coordinators encountered throughout the development and implementation, as well as the effects of the beginner gardening program on program participants. / Master of Science in Life Sciences