The purpose of the study was to determine the impact, if any, of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on middle level characteristics (e.g. interdisciplinary teams, common planning time, heterogeneous grouping, interdisciplinary curriculum, and advisory programming) in Indiana middle level schools as assessed by building principals, and if those characteristics have increased, decreased, or remained consistent as a result of NCLB. The research also included demographic information (e.g. age of respondents, years in administration, years in current position), university/certification training on the specific needs of young adolescents, current Adequate Yearly Progress status under NCLB, improvement in mathematics and/or language arts as measured by ISTEP, and adjustments to the daily schedule to provide more time for mathematics and/or language arts classes. In addition, respondents were surveyed regarding the increase in remediation classes, both in place of elective and core classes, and the expansion of grade retention.The population for the study included all Indiana public schools that include grade seven as reported by the 2006-2007 Indiana Department of Education School Directory. The sample did not include principals of Indiana Department of Correction schools or alternative schools. The survey instrument was mailed to 420 principals. At the close of the survey window, 274 surveys had been returned for a 65 % return rate.The findings indicate a greater level of implementation of middle level characteristics as a result of No Child Left Behind in all areas with the exception of wide participation in exploratory activities. Data also indicates a narrowing of the curriculum for young adolescent students as more students are removed from core classes and exploratory classes to spend extended time in mathematics and/or language arts classes, There has also been a dramatic increase in schools utilizing grade retention as a result of NCLB. / Department of Educational Leadership

Goals 2000 and No Child Left behind have developed a new timeline for language acquisition, have promoted the practice of teaching to the test rather than the understanding of content, and High School Exit Exams have led to the widening of the achievement gap between ELL students and their Non-ELL counterparts. In additions, the policies’ narrow definition of success leads to federal sanctions that penalize schools with ELL student populations further contributing to the widening of the gap.

Cricket umpiring is demanding. In today’s world where so much technology is available to television viewers, they expect perfect umpiring, forgetting that what they see on their television screens is not available to the umpires standing in the middle of the field making the decisions. This study aimed to examine cricket umpires on-field decisions during the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Examining leg before wicket (LBW) and caught behind decisions, in particular. The researcher made use of a notational analysis program known as Umpirestat to collect the necessary data on each umpire. The umpires were examined in two groups Elite and International umpires (groupings defined by the ICC) and were compared to a base line in the form of Hawk-Eye for LBW decisions and TV replays for caught behind decisions. The umpire groups were compared to each other and then to the base line, an individual umpire comparison was then done within each grouping. The data was statistically analysed using percentages, chi squared and modelling for the Elite Umpires. For LBW decisions there was a difference of 2.02% between Elite and International umpires, showing a similarity between the two groups. The difference between Elite Umpires and Hawk-Eye was 18.83% and between International umpires and Hawk-Eye was 16.81%, showing difference between the three groups. It was found that there was a difference of 3.63% for caught behind decisions between Elite and International umpires, showing a similarity between the two groups. The difference between Elite Umpires and TV replays was 2.99% and between International umpires and TV replays there was 0.64%, showing similarities between the three groups. In conclusion, for LBW appeals there is a similarity between Elite and International umpire groupings however a difference exists between Hawk-Eye and both groupings of umpires. For the individual umpires LBW comparison the following was seen for the International umpires; no real conclusions could be drawn due to limited amounts of data collected on them. However, variances in individual performances were seen within the International umpire grouping. For Elite Umpires, it is clearly seen in the model that the umpires expected number of dismissals got closer together and almost group together at around four appeals. This indicates a strong consensus amongst umpires when dealing with four, five and six appeals during a match. This consensus is more pronounced for four and five appeals. In conclusion, for caught behind appeals there is a similarity between Elite and International umpires as well as a similarity between replays and both groups of umpires. For the individual umpires caught behind comparison the following was seen for the International umpires; as with the LBW results there was limited amount of data available for the caught behind results. Thus no real conclusions could be drawn for International umpire caught behind decisions, although when examining the percentage data, differences can be seen. For the individual umpires caught behind comparison the following was seen for the Elite Umpires, no consensus is seen between the umpires - they all appear to have different expected dismissals to one another. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

Master thesis elaborates architectural study of football stadium for FC Zbrojovka Brno, which base is urban study of the Sport Centre behind Lužánky. Football stadium creates a main dominant of the area. The proposal satisfies requirements by ČMFS and UEFA's major league stadium 3rd category with some elements of the Elite category. The architectural expression of the football stadium and its volume solution is based on the morphology of sports buildings. Based on the shape of the auditorium. Individual sides of the auditorium are curved and connected by a quarter-circle corner. Arena auditorum arrangement enhances not only the audience but the gaming experience too. The external appearance of the stadium is due to the support structure of the roofing that creates division of the fasade which is filled by ETFE foil with reinforcements of glass fiber fabric. The capacity of the football stadion is designed for a total of 15 000 spectators. Of these, 160 seats are reserved for spectators whit impaired mobility and orientation and accompaniment and 340 VIP seats. The rest is devided into two grandstand, lower one has 8 200 seats, upper one 6 300 seats.

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers and administrators hold differing beliefs about grade retention. School districts in Northeast Tennessee participated in this study. Participants in eight school districts took an online survey designed to collect data on beliefs about grade retention. The survey consisted of two sections. Section A inquired about beliefs about grade retention. Section B collected demographic information and also included an openended response question. Respondents were also asked to choose a factor that has the strongest influence on their belief. Responses from 205 surveys were analyzed and informed the results of this study. A quantitative study was conducted to determine if significant differences about grade retention existed between teachers and principals. Overall belief scores were measured to determine if teachers and administrators favor grade retention as an effective intervention strategy. Independent variables in this study included: type of system, grade level, years of experience, and type of degree. Factors that had the strongest influence on beliefs about grade retention included: other people’s opinions, principal’s opinion, research, experience with a retained student, or other. Respondents choosing other were asked to explain their answer. 3 Findings from the study indicated that there is not a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between teachers and administrators in a city school system versus a county school system. Additional analysis did not show significant differences in beliefs about grade retention between teachers in grades kindergarten through fourth grade (K-4) versus teachers in grades fifth through eighth (5-8). A teacher’s or administrator’s number of years of experience did not indicate significant differences in beliefs about grade retention. The type of degree held by teachers and administrators did reveal a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between the two degree types (graduate or bachelor’s). Results from this test indicated that teachers with a graduate degree significantly favor retention over teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, an overall belief score for all respondents was calculated for significance. Overall belief scores showed that, in spite of the research showing retention as a negative practice, both teachers and principals are significantly in favor of grade retention as an effective intervention strategy.

This qualitative study was an exploration of 55 Utah kindergarten teachers' perceptions of challenges in teaching. It investigated written concerns teachers expressed in a statewide survey of kindergarten teachers. Study findings indicated that two main issues were communicated by teachers: a disparity between their developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices in the classroom, and concerns about children's kindergarten readiness and transition to school. About 56% of teachers felt a struggle in implementing their developmentally appropriate beliefs about education, for a variety of reasons: large class sizes, district and state mandates, and lack of resources, particularly time. Furthermore, 53% of educators conveyed concerns regarding children's school readiness and their transition to kindergarten. These teachers articulated transition activities they engaged in and communicated the influence of preschool, both positive and negative, on their incoming kindergarteners. Three other concerns and challenges were also delineated: limited teaching time; feelings that kindergarten curriculum is becoming too academic, particularly that curricular expectations have been raised and an emphasis placed on literacy; and issues surrounding parental involvement, both in and out of school. Study findings also demonstrated that most teachers who communicated concerns about implementing developmentally appropriate beliefs had been teaching for more than 7 years. The majority of the educators who shared challenges regarding time had taught for 12 or more years, as was the case for those who spoke about concerns with parental involvement. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Personcentrerad vård betonar vikten av att se personen bakom patienten och belyser samarbetet mellan patient och vårdpersonal. Patienten ses som en jämlik partner i vården och deltar aktivt i planeringen och genomförandet av vården. Inom akutsjukvården omfattas arbetet av många korta möten med flera patienter som kan begränsa möjligheten att bedriva personcentrerad vård. Det fragmenterade arbetssättet inom akutsjukvården samt hastiga förändringar och begränsad tid ställer höga krav på att kunna utnyttja det korta mötet för att skapa sig en helhetsbild i vården av patienten. För att bedriva personcentrerad vård inom akutsjukvården krävs ett mer holistiskt synsätt som ger en helhetssyn i vården av patienten. Personcentrerad vård ger en mer effektiv vård med högre kvalitet. För att stärka patientens ställning i vården är personcentrerad vård ett rekommenderat förhållningssätt inom akutsjukvården. Syftet var att beskriva faktorer som påverkar vårdpersonalens förutsättningar att bedriva personcentrerad vård inom akutsjukvården. Litteraturöversikt användes som metod. Datainsamlingen genomfördes utifrån sökningar i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed samt manuell sökning. Sökningen resulterade i 15 kvalitativa och kvantitativa vetenskapliga originalartiklar. Resultatet utgjordes av fyra kategorier: Vårdrelationen, kommunikation och information, professionella faktorer och organisatoriska faktorer. Resultatet visade att lära känna personen bakom patienten och att involvera närstående i vården samt att ha en tydlig kommunikation med informationsutbyte var faktorer som påverkade förutsättningar för personcentrerad vård. Vårdpersonalens inställning till patientens medverkan i vården, teamarbetet, vårdmiljön och stöd från organisation och ledning påverkar i vilken utsträckning vårdpersonal bedriver personcentrerad vård inom akutsjukvården. Slutsatsen är att personcentrerad vård är avgörande för patientnöjdheten och är en grundläggande förutsättning för att bedriva högkvalitativ vård. Det är viktigt att vårdpersonal kan förhålla sig till patienten på ett bra sätt. Med vårdrelationen, med tydlig kommunikation och information och med en optimal vårdmiljö kring patienten. Den skapas genom att ha tillräcklig personaltäthet och adekvata arbetsförhållanden. Det innebär även att det inom akutsjukvården skall finnas stöd från ledningen och organisationen. Med ett välfungerande teamarbetet kring patienten och med vårdpersonalens förmåga att se personen bakom patienten. Då skapas bättre förutsättningar för att kunna bedriva personcentrerad vård inom akutsjukvården. / Person-centered care emphasizes the importance of seeing the person behind the patient as well as the cooperation between the patient and healthcare professionals. The patient is considered as an equal partner in healthcare and is participating in the planning and execution of their care. Within emergency care, there are many short meetings with multiple patients which may limit the possibility of maintaining person-centered care. The fragmented way of work within emergency care, along with changing conditions and limited time, sets high standards on the capability of healthcare professionals to utilize the short meetings in order to paint a general picture of the patient’s care. In order to conduct person-centered care within emergency care, a holistic perspective is of importance to create a comprehensive view of patients’ care. Person-centered care increases the quality and effectiveness of healthcare, and in order to strengthen the patient’s position within healthcare a person-centered approach is recommended within emergency care. The aim was to describe the factors affecting healthcare professionals’ conditions to conduct person-centered care within emergency care. A literature review was used as a method and a collection of data was done through database searches. The databases used were CINAHL and PubMed, along with manual searches, where 15 qualitative and quantitative original articles were found. The results were categorized into four categories: Care relationship, communication and information, professional factors, and organizational factors. The results showed that acquainting with the person behind the patient and involving relatives in the care, as well as having a clear communication and information, were factors that affected the conditions for person-centered care. Healthcare professionals’ attitude towards patients’ participation in care, teamwork, care environment, and support from the management, affects to what extent healthcare professionals conduct person-centered care within emergency care. The conclusion of the study is that person-centered care is crucial for patient satisfaction, and it is a fundamental prerequisite in order to conduct high quality care. It is essential that healthcare professionals can relate to the patient in a good manner, using a good care relationship, clear communication and information, and an optimal healthcare environment for the patient. These conditions are obtained by having sufficient staffing and adequate working conditions, along with proper support from management. Having well-functioning teamwork in regards to patient care and having the capability to see the person behind the patient, thus better conditions are created in order to conduct person-centered care within emergency care.

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The purpose of this study was to determine whether Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement reading scores, school district per-pupil expenditures, school size, percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced-priced meals, and attendance were related to science TCAP test scores from the 2007-2008 school year. The data were gathered from an analysis of mean standardized test scores in reading and science of 8th graders in 67 school systems comprising 181 schools located throughout Tennessee. One hundred eighty-one schools configured grades 6 through 8 were used in this study. Only 177 schools had reported attendance available on the Tennessee Department of Education website. Pearson correlations were performed between the 8th mean grade science TCAP scores and 8th grade mean reading scores, per-pupil expenditure, school size, attendance, and the percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced-priced meals. Independent-samples t tests were conducted to evaluate whether 8th grade mean science TCAP scores and 8th grade mean reading scores varied depending on whether the school per-pupil expenditure was above or below the state average of $8,345. Independent-samples t test were also conducted to evaluate whether 8th grade mean science TCAP scores and 8th grade mean reading scores varied depending on whether the school attendance percentage was above or below the state goal of 93%. The school characteristic with the strongest association with the mean 8th grade science TCAP scores as computed by Pearson's correlation is the mean 8th grade reading TCAP scores. The values can be ranked as follows: mean 8th grade reading scores (.92) > percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced meals (-.84) > per-pupil expenditure (-.62) > attendance (.60) > school size (.23).

This study examines the relationship between student attendance and student test scores on a criterion-referenced test, using test scores of all 5th graders in Virginia who participated in the 2005-2006 Standards of Learning tests in reading and mathematics. Data collection for this study was performed with the cooperation of the Virginia Department of Education using a state database of student testing information. Pearson correlation coefficients were determined for the overall student population and for the subgroups of economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, limited English proficient, white, black, and Hispanic. The results of this study indicate that there is a significant positive correlation (p<.01) between student attendance, as measured by the number of days present, and student performance on the Virginia SOL test, a criterion-referenced test. Positive correlations were found between student attendance and student test scores for all subgroups. The correlation between student attendance and student performance on the SOL mathematics test was higher than the correlation for the same variables on the English test. The correlation for the overall student population on the English SOL test was higher than the correlation for any subgroup on the English SOL test. Only the LEP and Hispanic subgroups had higher correlations on the mathematics test than the overall student population. This study will contribute to a growing body of research resulting from the enactment of the No Child Left Behind legislation and the national attention that this legislation has focused on student attendance and student performance on standardized tests.