The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship between the mathematics portion of the EXPLORE test with students successes in advanced and Advanced Placement(AP) mathematics courses in high school. The data was collected from a rural Tennessee school system consisting of five years of data among graduated seniors. Analysis was completed to determine the difference between the two county high schools in advanced coursework. The findings of this study concluded a positive correlation between EXPLORE scores and the frequency of students who took advanced mathematics courses. Positive correlation between EXPLORE scores and student successes in advanced courses was also concluded. Two-sample t-test showed the school with the less frequency had a higher mean of successes in advanced mathematics. This school system consistently scored above the national average in the mathematics portion of the EXPLORE test. Ultimately, standardized test results can prove to be a means for guiding students toward challenging mathematics courses.

Envelopes with low thermal performance are common characteristics in European historic buildings resulting in insufficient thermal comfort and higher energy use compared to modern buildings. There are different types of applications for the European historic buildings such as historic churches, historic museums, historic theatres, etc. In historic buildings refurbished to offices, it is vital to improve thermal comfort for the staff. Improving thermal comfort should not increase, preferably reduce, energy use in the building. The overall aim in this research is to explore how to improve thermal comfort in historic buildings without increasing, preferably reducing, energy use with the application of non-intrusive methods. This is done in form of a case study in Sweden. Thermal comfort issues in the case study building are determined through a field study. The methods include field measurements with thermal comfort equipment, data logging on BMS, and evaluating the occupant’s perception of a summer and a winter period indoor environment using a standardized questionnaire. According to questionnaire and thermal comfort measurements results, it is revealed that the summer period has the most dissatisfied occupants, while winter thermal comfort is satisfactory – but not exceptionally good. Accordingly, natural heat sinks could be used in form of NV, as a non/intrusive method, in order to improve thermal comfort in the building. For the historic building equipped with mechanical ventilation, NV strategy has the potential to both improve thermal comfort and reduce the total electricity use for cooling (i.e. electricity use in the cooling machine + the electricity use in the ventilation unit’s fans). It could decrease the percentage of exceedance hours in offices by up to 33% and reduce the total electricity use for cooling by up to 40%. The optimal (maximum) NV rate (i.e. the potential of NV strategy) is dependent on the thermal mass capacity of the building, the available NV cooling potential (dependent on the ambient air temperature), COP value of the cooling machine, the SFP model of the fans (low SFP value for high NV rate is optimal), and the offices’ door scheme (open or closed doors).

Sortiment är hos många företag väldigt stort vilket leder till att företag inte kan hantera sina produkter rätt. Problematiken är att kunderna får för mycket valmöjligheter när det erbjuds ett helt produktsortiment. Varje företag behöver ifrågasätta sig hur de ska hantera sitt sortiment när kunderna har för mycket att välja mellan. I denna situation hjälper sortimentsreducering att öka effektiviteten och lönsamheten i förtaget. Ett välplanerat sortiment är en viktig faktor för kundens köpbeslut eftersom för många produktval i sortimentet kan leda till överbelastning. Studien är en fallstudie med syfte att ta fram faktorer och processer som bör beaktas vid en sortimentsreducering hos ett producerande företag. Studien kommer att avgränsas mot att studera sortimentsreducering hos ett svenskt företag som tillverkar kontorsmöbler. För att besvara syftet och frågeställningarna utfördes fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer och ett studiebesök med anställda som hade relevant kunskap inom området. I metoden har abduktion antagits som vetenskapligt angreppsätt. Den teoretiska referensram togs fram genom litteratursökningar via databaser och böcker som sedan diskuterades i en jämförelse mot den sammanställda empirin som analyserades och diskuterades. Studiens slutsats visade vilka faktorer och processer som företag bör beakta vid en sortimentsreducering. De framtagna faktorerna var sortimentets djup och bredd, företagsimage, flexibilitet, kategoristyrning samt implementering av modulära och standardiserade produkter. Genom att integrera dessa faktorer kan företag göra en reducering effektivt. Studien visade tre processer med hjälp av modeller vid hänsyn till sortimentsreducering som skulle kunna implementeras på företag. Dessa modeller är ABC-analysen, Porters femkraftsmodell och sortimentsplaneringsmodellen. Genom att integrera de olika faktorer och processer för sortimentsreducering kan företaget göra en lönsam reducering i sortimentet. / Many companies have a large assortment, where most are incapable of correctly handling their products. Result of such assortment usually is overload of customers with an abundance of options. Every company needs to question themselves how to handle their assortment when customers has to many choices to pick. In this situation assortment reduction helps to increase efficiency and profitability of organizations. A well-planned assortment is an important factor for the customers purchase decision as too many choices in the assortment can lead to overload.   This study is a thesis written with the purpose of developing factors and processes to take into account for a products assortment reduction at a producing company. This study is limited to studying product assortment reduction at a Swedish company that manufactures office furniture. The purpose and questions are answered through four semi-structured interviews and a study visit accompanied by employees with relevant knowledge to thesis. In the method, abduction has been adopted as a scientific approach. A theoretical frame of reference was developed through literature searches through databases and books, which were the discussed in a comparison with the compiled empirical data that were analyzed and discussed.  The study´s conclusion showed which factors and processes companies should take into account in an assortment reduction. The factors developed were assortment depth and breadth, corporate image, flexibility, category management, implementing modular and standard products. By integrating these factors, companies can make a reduction effective. The study showed three processes using models with regard to product assortment reduction that could be implemented in companies. These models are the ABC-analysis, Porters five forces and the assortment planning model. By integrating the various factors and processes for product assortment reduction, the company can make a profitable reduction in the assortment.

Traditional tests for large-scale assessment of mathematics learning have been criticized for several reasons, such as their mismatch between the vision of mathematical competence and the content covered by the test, and their failure to provide relevant information for guiding further learning and instruction. To achieve that large-scale assessments can function as tools for monitoring and improving learning and teaching, one has to move away from the rationale, the constraints, and the practices of traditional tests. As an illustration this paper presents an alternative approach to largescale assessment of elementary school mathematics developed in Flanders, Belgium Using models of item response theory, 14 measurement scales were constructed, each representing a cluster of curriculum standards and covering as a whole the mathematics curriculum relating to numbers, measurement and geometry. A representative sample of 5,763 sixth-graders (12-year-olds) belonging to 184 schools participated in the study. Based on expert judgments a cut-off score was set that determines the minimum level that students must achieve on each scale to master the standards. Overall, the more innovative curriculum standards were mastered less well than the more traditional ones. Few gender differences in performance were observed. The advantages of this approach and its further development are discussed.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects more than 29.1 million Americans. Standardized clinical practice guidelines recommended by regulatory healthcare agencies are the standard of care for diabetic patients and must be adhered to by healthcare professionals providing care. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to identify Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s, and other professional healthcare organizations’ guidelines for nurses’ knowledge of evidence-based discharge practices; determine level of nurses’ knowledge on evidence-based discharge practice process; develop a quality improvement plan, including development of an evidence-based guideline for diabetic discharge instructions; present guideline to stakeholders; implement the guideline in fall of 2017; and evaluate nursing compliance with the guideline at a for-profit adult care hospital in South Florida. Theoretical Framework: The chronic care model was utilized as the framework. This model has been used for improving practice and preventing many chronic illnesses. Methods: Two quantitative nonparametric descriptive designs were used, the Wilcoxon signed- rank test and a paired t test. An online demographic survey and pre- and posttest surveys were administered to determine nurses’ knowledge of diabetes discharge guideline practices. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) evaluation tool evaluated the guideline, and data were analyzed with Wilcoxon and paired t tests. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the pre-posttest survey responses for question 5 (p=0.046 Wilcoxon; p=0.041t test), and question 13 (p= 0.022 Wilcoxon; p=0.018 t test), indicating improvement. With the AGREE II tool, the multidisciplinary team evaluated the guideline at 100%, and 76% of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) demonstrated compliance with guideline use. Conclusion: A standardized diabetic discharge guideline incorporated into the hospital’s discharge process provided APRNs and RNs with tools for educating and providing diabetic patients for increase in quality of life after discharge. The guideline was recommended by the administrative team for continued use throughout the hospital. Implementation of an evidence-based standardized diabetic discharge guideline to promote nurses’ adherence results in effective nursing practices and an informed patient population.

This work is focused on the development control system flow area in a standardized horizontal sand trap in the Czech Republic used the majority of constructed wetlands for the capture of solid mineral particles. The goal is the development and validation functions of the flow regulator, providing more uniform process of establishment of mineral particles, respectively. reduction of sedimentation of organic components. The actual design precedes the mathematical description through the HEC-RAS, the results are applied in the design of a laboratory model. Work processes theoretically the standardized sand traps, focuses on the comparison of the required residence time of wastewater in the sedimentation area of establishment with the sedimentation time of sand grain on the selected diameter of 0.8 mm. In laboratory conditions were carried out build sand trap model itself, as well as developed a regulatory element. After resolving structural measurements were taken and compared the results with the ideal state. For putting the controller into practice, when an application is planned at the constructed wetlands in Dražovice village, it will have to the most accurate setting of the regulator.

There is an ongoing debate about what teaching practices are the most effective ones in order to improve student performance. However, little is known about the impact across countries and literature is highly inconclusive. In this work, we extend the portfolio of countries and provide evidence about the role of modern and traditional teaching practices on students' test scores in 43 countries. Our analysis is performed in two steps and is a typical example of hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). In the first step, we perform student fixed effect method to account for majority of selection issues. We identify a positive, negative or no effect of modern or traditional teaching methods on student performance. These results are priceless for policy makers suggesting that there is no one-fits-all-approach towards modern or traditional teaching methods to order to improve students' test scores. As a great variation is observed, we continue further and investigate what country characteristics could explain these differences across countries. Bayesian model averaging (BMA) method supports us in a model uncertainty and a particular variable selection. Our findings indicate that cultural dimension uncertainty avoidance, which describes country's rigidity in behaviour and institutions, assists in explaining...

The intent of this study was to investigate changes in the curriculum caused by high-stakes testing mandates within 3 Southwest Virginia school systems to find best practices for instructional application in classrooms. This qualitative study was comprised of indepth interviews and observations with elementary school teachers and administrators. High-stakes testing has impacted the nation in myriad ways. The mandates from the government presented teachers and administrators with conditions that must be met according to the No Child Left Behind Act and individual state's standards. Teachers' perceptions of curriculum changes, Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), testing mandates according to high-stakes testing, and accountability were examined through personal interviews and classroom observations. This study focused on policies and practices of esteemed teachers' creative abilities as they adhered to mandates and captivated students' abilities to perform in the classroom. Teachers and administrators shared their feelings and perceptions regarding new policies and how they made changes within the classrooms and school systems. The findings indicated that the most prevalent ideas concerning teachers and administrators developed into the patterns: educators' level of satisfaction, students' stress, school changes, and our future. Educators' level of satisfaction was the most frequent theme that demonstrated high-stakes testing affected their overall happiness level. The research reflected that educators were negatively affected by high-stakes testing. Constructive ideas were identified as to how they maintained creativity within the classroom that could inspire critical thinking. A model was developed to demonstrate the findings for best instructional practices for teaching high-stakes standards in the classroom. This research should add to existing research in this area and provide information that other educators might apply to their own classroom or educational environment. The participants in this study were the change agents, and their attitudes regarding the changes affected the decisions they made with the school curriculum.

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Simulation, in its many forms, has been a part of nursing education and practice for many years. The use of games, computer-assisted instruction, standardized patients, virtual reality, and low-fidelity to high-fidelity mannequins have appeared in the past 40 years, whereas anatomical models, partial task trainers, and role playing were used earlier. A historical examination of these many forms of simulation in nursing is presented, followed by a discussion of the roles of simulation in both nursing education and practice. A viewpoint concerning the future of simulation in nursing concludes this article.