Block scheduling is a newer school scheduling structure, first appearing at the middle school level in the mid-1990's (Juvonen, Le, Kagenoff, Augustine, & Constant, 2004). Middle school advocates have supported block scheduling because research shows it meets the social-emotional and developmental needs of middle school children. Yet, little research on the impact of block scheduling on middle school standardized test scores currently exists. Using a sample of classrooms from a suburban public school in New Jersey, this study sought to compare standardized test scores in math, language arts literacy, and science of 8th grade students before and after the implementation of the block schedule. Twenty-seven one-way ANOVAs (accounting for subject, gender, and special education population) were conducted to assess for significant differences between testing years. Post hoc analyses were also conducted when differences were found. Overall, the study found no significant differences in standardized test scores in the area of science. A planned comparison of pre and post block scheduling standardized test scores revealed statistically significant decreases in mathematics and language arts literacy scores, but a second planned comparison which used data from fewer years revealed only significant decreases in language arts literacy scores which is believed to be a result of the 50% decrease in language arts literacy class time. Varied results by gender were also found. In contrast, special education students' test scores remained the same in all content areas over the seven years. While there are many limitations to the generalizability of these results, it is clear that further research on block scheduling at the middle school level could inform educational practice in these times of high stakes testing. / School Psychology

Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT claim to predict students' success in college. Colleges and universities place a considerable emphasis on these test scores when reviewing and deciding on applicants. However, over the years, institutional leaders and academic researchers have questioned whether the SAT/ACT tests truly measure the skills needed for success in college and throughout life. This study uses non-cognitive variables to focus to what students with strong high-school grade point averages (HSGPAs), low SAT/ACT test scores (under 1000 on the 1600 point scale for the SAT, or 21 or lower on the ACT), and who completed college in four years with an overall 3.5 or higher college GPA, attributed or perceived their abilities for college success. The study also investigated these students' perceptions and beliefs about these tests (have they hindered their abilities or potential for college success), and how these students thought non-cognitive factors should be considered in the admission's process. In addition, the study compares this group of students to the rest of the incoming freshman class. / Educational Administration

Purpose: The Standardized Patient [SP] Program is a potential avenue through which students from races and ethnicities underrepresented in medicine [URiM] experience bias, due in part to the inherent subjectivity of an SP’s evaluation of the doctor-patient interaction. In most training programs, medical students are assessed on their clinical and interpersonal skills via simulated encounters where students assume the doctor role and SPs act as patients. Researchers conducted this qualitative study to (1) understand the SPs’ perception of their role within the Objective Structured Clinical Exam and medical school education, (2) investigate biases that medical students may experience during SP evaluations of simulated clinical encounters.Methods: Participants were recruited from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Interviews and focus groups were conducted between August through October of 2022. A total of 14 medical students, 11 of which self-identified as URiM, were distributed into 6 focus groups. A total of 9 SPs were interviewed, 3 of which self-identified as non-white ethnic minorities. All interviews were then transcribed and analyzed using a combination of first-cycle coding methods. In the final stages of analysis, we examined the data to determine frequent themes across the study populations. Results: The results demonstrated conflicting sentiments between SPs and students. Although SPs described an intensive training process that promoted standardization of DPI scoring across SPs, URiM students reported high interrater variability, referring to the variation in the interpretation of a student’s communication skills by SPs. The consensus amongst minority students was that SPs evaluate students more leniently in interactions where the SP and student share ethnic identities. The themes present in the resulting data aligned closely with a social determinants of health conceptual framework, illustrating how disregarding the topic of implicit bias in the SP Program leads to a downward trajectory of differential attainment. Conclusion: Although medical education administrators have begun shifting their attention towards diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, there has been minimal focus on the key perspectives necessary to navigate this space. Our research analyzes those perspectives as an important first step towards acknowledging and effectively mitigating bias in medical education programs. / Urban Bioethics

<p dir="ltr">Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a commonly used inspection method for buildings and bridges, yet variability in inspector performance has brought the validity of the UT process into question. While practical tests and performance testing are required as part of most UT certification processes and some industry standards, the building and bridge industries currently have no standardized testing body to verify the qualification of UT technicians. This research aimed to develop and implement a possible standardized testing protocol based on the American Welding Society (AWS) structural welding codes. Results from performance tests conducted in this research demonstrated high variability and low precision in UT measurements and generally poor performance amongst the 20 technicians that took part in the tests. It is clear from this research that certification from the existing certification programs do not always indicate qualification. Therefore, standardized performance testing would add value and increase the reliability of UT inspections by identifying those technicians that are clearly unqualified.</p>

This project is a celebration. Inspired by time spent in Baltimore, this thesis examines how standardized elements can be utilized to create Architecture and make astute, functional, contextually sensitive, and pleasurable design accessible for all. With the heavy, stuccoed buildings of New Orleans as precedent, the Neutral Grounds Market utilizes CMUs for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Drawing from a rich lineage of structural polychromy and through knitting CMUs together into a subtle pattern, the building speaks to its colorful context, despite the lack of CMU structures in the area. Weaving ethics and aesthetics, the site sits within a Food Desert and this thesis begins at the seam of three neighborhoods - Freret, Milan, and Uptown. Block by block varies tremendously within these neighborhoods, and the static images of both the opulence and desolation of New Orleans becomes clear here. Aiming to bring not only fresh food into the neighborhood, but to work realistically within the diverse backgrounds of the residents’ lives, the program integrates a Farmer’s Market with a Grocery Store so fresh food will constantly be available and can meet the needs of all the citizens. In addressing context as a matter of both the material, built environment and the personal, human milieu this thesis addresses the economic and the emotional as a pair, realizing the importance of each. This integrated program creates a new civic space which will bolster the vibrant growth already begun on Freret St. and throughout the neighborhoods. This project is a celebration. / Master of Architecture / This project is a celebration. Inspired by time spent in Baltimore, this thesis examines how standardized elements can be utilized to create Architecture and make astute, functional, contextually sensitive, and pleasurable design accessible for all.

This study has the following purpose: (1) to find the relationship between teacher rating of pupil personality and standardized test results; (2) to find the relationship between teacher rating of pupil achievement and standardized test results; and (3) to determine where more emphasis should be placed in order to better evaluate the child and his work.

Meteorological drought indices are commonly calculated from climatic stations that have long-term historical data and then converted to a regular grid using spatial interpolation methods. The gridded drought indices are mapped to aid decision making by policy makers and the general public. This study analyzes the spatial performance of interpolation methods for meteorological drought indices in the United States based on data from the Co-operative Observer Network (COOP) and United States Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) for different months, climatic regions and years. An error analysis was performed using cross-validation and the results were compared for the 9 climate regions that comprise the United States. Errors are generally higher in regions and months dominated by convective precipitation. Errors are also higher in regions like the western United States that are dominated by mountainous terrain. Higher errors are consistently observed in the southeastern U.S. especially in Florida. Interpolation errors are generally higher in the summer than winter. The accuracy of different drought indices was also compared. The Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) tends to have lower errors than Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) in seasons with significant convective precipitation. This is likely because SPEI uses both precipitation and temperature data in its calculation, whereas SPI is based solely on precipitation. There are also variations in interpolation accuracy based on the network that is used. In general, COOP is more accurate than USHCN because the COOP network has a higher density of stations. USHCN is a subset of the COOP network that is comprised of high quality stations that have a long and complete record. However the difference in accuracy is not as significant as the difference in spatial density between the two networks. For multiscalar SPI, USHCN performs better than COOP because the stations tend to have a longer record. The ordinary kriging method (with optimal function fitting) performed better than Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) methods (power parameters 2.0 and 2.5) in all cases and therefore it is recommended for interpolating drought indices. However, ordinary kriging only provided a statistically significant improvement in accuracy for the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) with the COOP network. Therefore it can be concluded that IDW is a reasonable method for interpolating drought indices, but optimal ordinary kriging provides some improvement in accuracy. The most significant factor affecting the spatial accuracy of drought indices is seasonality (precipitation climatology) and this holds true for almost all the regions of U.S. for 1-month SPI and SPEI. The high-quality USHCN network gives better interpolation accuracy with 6-, 9- and 12-month SPI and variation in errors amongst the different SPI time scales is minimal. The difference between networks is also significant for PDSI. Although the absolute magnitude of the differences between interpolation with COOP and USHCN are small, the accuracy of interpolation with COOP is much more spatially variable than with USHCN.

Human-induced climate change alters global weather patterns, increasing the frequency and severity of droughts. Acting as drivers of land degradation, droughts negatively impact the environment, exacerbating food and water insecurity and threatening livelihoods. However, the complex relationship between drought events and subsequent changes in land cover on a global scale remain insufficiently explored, necessitating further research. This study aims to address this research gap by examining the correlation between global drought events and land cover changes, while also exploring variations between countries' different levels of economic development.  To accomplish this, global precipitation data and the 12-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-12) were employed to identify areas affected by drought, followed by an analysis of changes in land cover within these regions. Utilising the capabilities of Google Earth Engine (GEE) allowed for the evaluation of the relationship between drought events and land cover change.  The findings revealed a correlation between drought events and changes in land cover, with variations observed across different world regions. These results were strengthened by the comparison of land cover changes in non-drought areas. When examining trends regarding types of land cover alterations, it appears that Tree cover, as well as Shrub-, and Grassland, has reduced in regions impacted by drought. Conversely, increases are observed in Cropland and Urban areas. When assessing countries based on economic development, the overall trends were consistent with the global results, although with variations between Advanced Economies and Emerging-, and Developing Economies.  Overall, this study acknowledges drought as a driver of land cover change, while also emphasising the influence of other factors such as anthropogenic activities. These findings offer insights into the complex interactions between droughts and terrestrial ecosystems, and emphasises the importance of strategies for sustainable land management and adaptation efforts, globally. / Människans påverkan på klimatet förändrar globala vädermönster och ökar både frekvensen och omfattningen av torka. Torka orsakar förändringar i markanvändning, påverkar miljön negativt, leder till bristande tillgång på livsmedel och vatten samt hotar möjligheter till försörjning. Det komplexa sambandet mellan torka och markanvändningsförändringar på global nivå är i stort sett outforskat och kräver därför ytterligare forskning. Denna studie syftar till att fylla detta kunskapsgap genom att undersöka sambandet mellan globala perioder av torka och markanvändningsförändringar, samt hur faktorer såsom ekonomisk utveckling påverkar markförändringar.  Detta uppnåddes genom att använda global nederbördsdata och 12-månaders ‘Standardized Precipitation Index’ (SPI-12). Områden som har påverkats av torka identifierades, varpå en analys av markanvändningsförändringar inom dessa områden utfördes. Analysen gjordes med hjälp av det geospatiala analysverktyget Google Earth Engine (GEE).  Resultatet visade på en korrelation mellan torka och markanvändningsförändringar, samtidigt som regionala variationer observerades. Detta samband förstärktes genom att undersöka korrelationen mellan markanvändningsförändringar inom områden ej utsatta för torka. Gällande trender i typer av markanvändningsförändringar verkar trädbevuxna områden samt busk- och gräsmark ha minskat i regioner påverkade av torka. Åkermark och urbana områden verkar däremot ha ökat. Vid bedömning av länder baserat på ekonomisk utveckling var de övergripande trenderna i linje med de globala resultaten, även om variationer noterades mellan avancerade ekonomier och tillväxt- och utvecklingsekonomier.  Sammanfattningsvis identifierar denna studie torka som en drivkraft för förändringar i markanvändning, samtidigt som den betonar betydelsen av mänskliga aktiviteter. Dessa resultat ger insikt i de komplexa interaktionerna mellan torka och terrestra ekosystem, samt understryker vikten av strategier för hållbar markförvaltning och anpassning insatser på global nivå.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / To address the concerns of a declining defense budget, duplicate range capabilities, and applications of new technologies, the Deputy Director, Test Facilities and Resources, Test, Systems Engineering and Evaluation Directorate, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), initiated the Common Test and Training Range Architecture (CTTRA) Workshop project. The development of a common test and training range architecture requires a series of workshops designed to apply the expertise of the test and training ranges and the installed systems test facilities (ISTF) communities to the challenges of architecture development and interface standardization. A common range architecture with standardized interfaces will facilitate asset sharing between the Services, increase the industry-government dual-use potential of OSD's test and training range facilities, and lower the cost of testing. Further, common range interfaces will allow the efficient integration of new instrumentation and simulations at minimum cost. To support development of the CTTRA, there have been three workshops, each expanding the accomplishments of the previous workshop. The first workshop was conducted 20-22 April 1994. The other workshops were held 12-14 October 1994 and 21-24 February 1995. The goals of the workshop process are to: • Develop a common test and training range architecture that supports the requirements of the test, training, and installed systems test facility communities • Identify areas with the potential to yield near-term interface standardization benefits. • Identify potential OSD Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) projects. Thus far, the workshops have developed a top level and second level candidate CTTRA, identified areas for interface standardization, and established standing working groups responsible for continuing development of CTTRA and selected areas for interface standardization.

This thesis portrays a research study undertaken to explore the unknown concept of electronic interprofessional documentation. Academic literature largely centers on multidisciplinary electronic documentation yet clinicians provide care using an integrated interprofessional model. Current design of electronic health records (EHRs) continue to propagate a deluge of data resulting from disparate siloed documentation. End users report challenges with finding data. Additionally, care planning and decision making are delayed. To bridge the gap between electronic design and interprofessional delivery of care, more understanding of shared documentation is required. The provenance of the design of this study is based on the concept of common ground and the framework for complex diverse data. Common ground is a shared communication space within a team with a shared purpose (Cioffi, Wilkes, Cummings, Warne, & Harrison, 2010). The framework for complex diverse data posits that data must be linked to other interconnected data; linked data enables connection of diverse pieces and insight-sharing within a team. A descriptive qualitative study was designed to answer the research question: What are the common data elements between disciplines? A case scenario of a patient with a fractured hip was created; participants generated clinical notes based on the video and patient record. The clinical notes were coded and results indicated numerous diverse common data elements. These were analyzed and major findings such as categories appropriate for use by all disciplines on admission and design implications for care planning throughout an acute care stay were identified. Further, as disciplines and care team members do have different documentation patterns, it is suggested attendance to differences in the entry of data yet maintaining a common ground in the display of patient information is vital. Finally suggestions such as duplicate checking for documentation through a common care plan that tracks assessments and completed interventions alongside planned interventions are made. Creation of a standardized interprofessional terminology is key in building the road leading to interprofessional electronic documentation. / Graduate