American children of lower-income, Black, or Hispanic parents are more likely to suffer from poorer health, poorer academic performance, and ultimately poorer earnings, higher imprisonment, and earlier deaths than children of higher-income parents. They are also substantially less likely to have access to quality healthcare and highly effective teachers. Research has consistently confirmed correlations between disparate access to quality educational and social services, and poor life outcomes. However, scholars and policymakers need to know more about the effectiveness of policies designed to counteract these inequities. In this three-essay dissertation, I evaluate the effectiveness of a set of initiatives that seek to reduce health and educational barriers to the success of economically disadvantaged children. The range of obstacles to academic success for children living in poverty is broad. However, I focus here on policies targeting two disparities: a lack of access to healthcare and high-quality instruction. Specifically, the studies evaluate the impacts of three policies: (a) expanded childrenâs health insurance, (b) school-based health centers (SBHCs), and (c) selective retention bonuses (SRBs) for teachers in high-poverty schools. Using national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey (ECLS-K), I find evidence that gaining health insurance coverage increases the frequency of doctor and dentist visits, and decreases the number of school days missed by students. Using rich longitudinal administrative data maintained by the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA), paired with health service records from the Tennessee Office of Coordinated School Health (TNCSH), I also find that increased exposure to health services from SBHC openings improve both the attendance and test scores of students in Tennesseeâs non-urban schools. Finally, I find that student test scores improve in response to the implementation of a selective retention bonus program targeting the highest-rated teachers in Tennesseeâs lowest performing schools, which are concentrated in high-poverty urban school districts. In conclusion, the results of the three studies provide promising, though modest evidence that interventions designed to improve access to healthcare and effective teachers can decrease barriers to academic success for low-income children.

Charter school policy is driven by a combination of empirical concerns about their effectiveness as well as ideological motivations. However, there has thus far been a relative lack of evidence on the latter, making it difficult to identify ways to shift the policy debate. This dissertation begins to fill this gap by pursuing three related research projects. First, I conduct a qualitative investigation of two opposing social movements in East Nashville to break down their positions on charter schools and school choice. Here, I find that there are significant differences in perspectives on choice and charter schools, including perspectives on the role of teachers and leaders, community, and no-excuses environments. However, there are also important points of commonality. Second, I employ topic modeling methods to organize and identify the language and concepts associated with charter school coverage in United States news media. First, in earlier years, there was significant emphasis on the publicness of charter schools and their independence from the public system. Later, there was more of an emphasis on the financial resources aspect of charter school policy. Lastly, drawing on lessons from political psychology, I present the results from an information search exercise designed to illuminate the types of information that people find most important when evaluating charter school policy. I find evidence that people tend to seek out pro-attitudinal information and that peopleâs search behaviors differ by ideology and schooling background. Altogether, the results from these studies have important implications for researchers and policymakers alike. The most important takeaway is that charter school attitudes are not always primarily driven by concerns about their effectiveness. This dissertation demonstrates several ways in which the other ideological considerations are indeed observable, opening up a new avenue for exploration.

This thesis sets out to explore why records of achievement (RoA) became part of national education policy in the English education system, whether it is just one more education initiative, like so many others, which only had a relevance and significance at a particular time and within a certain context, or whether it might have a longer-term structural significance within the national education system. The thesis focuses particularly on the significance and role of the first nationally recognised and designed record of achievement - the National Record of Achievement (NRA) - which was introduced in 1991 and has been redesigned as a result of the Dearing Review of 16-19 Qualifications (Dearing 1996).1 The thesis argues that there are three major inter-related factors which determine the role that RoA has played or might play within the English education and training system - firstly, and most importantly, the context within which it is developed; secondly, the content or features of the record itself (particularly the change from locally developed and determined records to the National Record of Achievement); and thirdly, the balance in emphasis between the use of the process of recording of achievement and the use of the RoA document itself. These three factors form the basis of a theoretical framework which is developed in Chapter 1 and is then used throughout the thesis to analyse the role of RoA (and specifically the NRA) in the past and in the future. The thesis uses this theoretical framework, as well as a detailed case study, to identify and describe the role that RoA has played in its three major phases of development: Phase 1 (1969-1991) - RoA as a widespread but locally determined education initiative, largely brought in to meet the needs of lower achievers; Phase 2 (1991-1996) - NRA as a national policy instrument for use with all learners to record achievement; Phase 3 (a potential future phase) - NRA as a tool for supporting lifelong learning. The thesis concludes by arguing that it is in the type of role described in Phase 3 that the NRA will become more than just another education policy initiative and will take on a longer-term structural significance within the English education and training system. Dearing, Sir Ron (1996) Review of Qualifications for 16-19 Year Olds, London: DfEE.

The purpose of the thesis is to examine the social control and reproduction functions of what is known as nonformal education in the State of Mexico (Mexico). As such it is concerned with analysing what Bernstein calls the coding characteristics of the educational process and how this process is experienced by the participants and can reinforce their 'social positioning' in their society. To place the study in its context there is an initial consideration of the conditions in which nonformal education emerged in Latin America, followed by a critical assessment of its functions; new perspectives for the analysis of this form of education are examined. To set the analysis in its regional context a description of the development of nonformal education at both national and regional levels is provided. Then the definition, aims, and purposes of community education programmes are analyzed. A theoretical and conceptual framework is constructed to analyze the social control and reproduction functions of education; here emphasis is placed on Bernstein's sociolinguistic theory of cultural transmission. This is followed by a sociological appraisal of community education's underlying or invisible features. In the light of the above the methodological chapter presents the concepts and techniques which allowed us to examine the educational process and participants' viewpoint. A qualitative analysis was employed in order to account for the participants' perspective. It was supported by non-structured interviews and participant observation. Empirical work was carried out in four community education programmes in the State of Mexico. Three areas were considered during the field research: a) the educational process (curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation); b) teachers and students' motives for taking part in courses; c) the meanings assigned by participants to the courses as a result of their participation in and experience of the educational process. Data is discussed in terms of the basic concepts of the thesis: social positioning, control and reproduction. The main conclusion refers to the social control and reproduction functions of community education programmes resulting from participants overall exposure to educational institutions and practices. This, it is argued, is achieved through three basic processes: 1) the social positioning of participants which arises as a result of their identification with the educational coding; 2) the lowering of participants' expectations as a consequence of the marginal and marginalising characteristics of the educational process they undergo; 3) the very fact that the courses response to the motivations and satisfy the interests of the participants.

At a time when women are being encouraged to return to education because of changing demographic trends, this study explores the experiences of a group of women who are students on a variety of courses in further and adult education. Much research has already been conducted on women students in higher education and the 'problems' they encounter in taking on the student role, much less is known about the not so prestigious post sixteen sector. The study is grounded in a feminist perspective and utilises a qualitative methodology. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted during one academic year and adopted a life history format. The women were given the opportunity to tell their own stories in their own way and the importance of utilising this approach in reaching the 'private' accounts is highlighted. The first five chapters of the thesis are therefore concerned with presenting the background to the study; locating it within the literature; identifying the characteristics of a feminist perspective and the utilisation of in-depth interviews as the method of research. The following three chapters are concerned with a presentation of the data and emphasise the crucial importance of women's lives in the private sphere in the shaping of the return to study experience. Many of the problems they experience when they take on the student role are associated with fitting it in with the wife and mother roles. In addition a number of the women were studying at an institution which gave very little recognition to the needs of mature students. Two chapters are concerned with identifying the key aspects of the women's experiences and deconstruct the concepts of 'support' and 'fitting in' derived from the data. Based upon this, the ways in which the women negotiated the intersection between the public and private spheres is explored. In accordance with the underlying assumption of the thesis, that it should not just describe but prescribe action in the promotion of 'equal opportunities', the implications for policy and practice in women's education are outlined.

Waarom ’n studie met betrekking tot die werwing en seleksie van onderwysers? Om die beste moontlike onderwyser vir ’n spesifieke skool te werf en te selekteer, is nie ’n maklike taak nie, en gewoonlik is daar nie genoeg tyd om die beste en korrekte proses te volg nie. Onderrig moet ononderbroke plaasvind, en elke dag sonder ’n onderwyser in die klas beteken verlore tyd en skoolwerk wat baie moeilik ingehaal kan word. ’n UNESCO-verslag (2010) dui aan dat die permanente verlies van onderwysers jaarliks toeneem en dat die proses om onderwysers te vervang, al moeiliker word. Vanaf 2004 tot 2005 was die omsetsyfer van onderwysers in die VSA onderskeidelik 13.5% in onafhanklike skole en 8.4% in departementele skole. Alhoewel inligting rakende die omsetsyfer in onafhanklike skole in Suid-Afrika nie beskikbaar is nie, kan daar verwag word dat ’n tendens soortgelyk aan die VSA moontlik is. ’n Moontlike verduideliking vir die bogenoemde statistieke kan wees dat die werwings- en seleksieproses misluk. Hierdie studie het derhalwe gepoog om die werwings- en aanstellingsproses by onafhanklike skole te ondersoek om vas te stel hoedanig hoofde die groter vryheid ten opsigte van die aanstelling van onderwysers gebruik om die beste personeel te werf. Die studie is gebaseer op ’n verkennende kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp waarin omvattende onderhoude met hoofde van onafhanklike skole gevoer is. Uit die onderhoude het dit geblyk dat hoofde persone aanstel wat bekend is aan iemand wat reeds in diens van die skool staan. Hoofde is baie huiwerig om persone van buite aan te stel en waag nie sommer ’n kans met ’n persoon wat nie bekend is aan iemand op die personeel nie. Tog is die hoofde baie gesteld op onderwys van goeie kwaliteit vir leerlinge en hulle poog om personeel so gou moontlik te vervang. Daarom word daar nie tyd spandeer aan lang prosedures wat gevolg word met die werwing, selektering en aanstelling van personeel nie. Hoofde van onafhanklike skole gebruik in ’n mate die vryheid tot hul beskikking met betrekking tot die werwing en selektering van onderwysers. Elke skool se unieke kultuur word so ver moontlik behou en dit het baie duidelik na vore gekom dat hoofde baie trots is op die uniekheid van hul skole en dat hulle dit so ver moontlik probeer behou. / Why a study on the recruitment and selection of teachers? It is not an easy job to recruit and select the best possible teacher for a specific school, and normally there is not enough time to follow the best and correct process. Teaching has to continue uninterrupted, and every day without a teacher in class means lost time and schoolwork ‒ something that is extremely difficult to catch up. A UNESCO report (2010) indicates that the permanent loss of teachers increases annually, and that it is becoming more difficult to replace teachers. From 2004 to 2005, the teacher turnover in the USA was 13.5% in independent schools and 8.4% in departmental schools. Although no information is available on the staff turnover in independent schools in South Africa, one can expect that the trend will possibly be similar to that in the USA. A possible explanation for these statistics is that the recruitment and selection process fails. This study thus investigated the recruitment and appointment process at independent schools to determine to what extent principals use the greater freedom they have with regard to the appointment of teachers in order to recruit the best possible staff members. The study was based on an exploratory qualitative research design according to which in-depth interviews were conducted with the principals of independent schools. From the interviews, it appeared that the principals appoint persons who are known to someone who is already employed by the school. Principals are hesitant to appoint persons from outside the school and do not easily take a risk with a person who is not known to staff members. Nevertheless, these principals value education of a high quality for their pupils, and they try to replace staff as quickly as possible. Therefore they don’t spend time on long procedures when recruiting, selecting and appointing staff. Principals of independent schools use the freedom they have to some extent in the recruitment and selection of teachers. Each school’s unique culture is preserved as far as possible, and it was clear that the principals were extremely proud of the uniqueness of their schools and that they tried to preserve it as far as possible. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to understand and to interpret the complex array of factors that contribute to the phenomenon of learners dropping out of school. This investigation highlights the phenomenon of high school dropouts in particular. Whilst I am not entirely comfortable with the term “dropout”, I have decided to use it based on its use in a report of the Ministerial Committee on Learner Retention in the South African Schooling System that was published in October 2007. This report provides various understandings of the term, and I use the term with reference to said report. The research methodology for the study is interpretive analysis, and the purpose thereof is to provide “thick description”, which means a thorough description of the characteristics, processes, transactions, and contexts that constitute the phenomenon being studied. The analysis is couched in a language not alien to the phenomenon, and takes into account the researcher’s role in constructing the description. The research data have identified a number of factors within families, within schools, and within communities that affect whether learners are likely to drop out, or to graduate, from high school. These are: poverty, almost all the parents of the participants were school dropouts themselves (did not complete their schooling), teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, the lack of home and school stability, social behaviour, rebellion, peer pressure, and a sense of caring. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om die legio faktore wat bydrae tot die verskynsel van leerders wat by skole uitval te verstaan en te intrepreteer. Hierdie ondersoek lê veral klem op die hoë uitvalsyfer van hoërskoolleerders. Hoewel ek nie gemaklik voel met die term “drop out” of uitval nie, het ek besluit om die term te gebruik aangesien die woord “drop out” gebaseer is op 'n Ministeriële Komitee verslag oor die behoud van leerders in die Suid Afrikaanse Skoolstelsel, wat in Oktober 2007 gepubliseer is. Die verslag dui op verskillende interpretasies van diè term, en ek gebruik diè term met verwysing na diè verslag. Die navorsingsmetodologie vir die studie is interprevistiese analise, en die doel daarvan is om 'n uitgebreide beskrywing te verskaf, waarmee bedoel word 'n deeglike beskrywing van die eienskappe, prosesse, ooreenkomste en die konteks wat die verskynsel verteenwoordig. Die analise word aangebied in 'n taal wat nie vreemd is tot die verskynsel nie, en poog ook om die navorser se rol in die konstruksie en samestelling van die beskrywing uit te beeld. Die navorsingsbevindinge het menige faktore binne families, binne skole en binne gemeenskappe geïdentifiseer wat leerders affekteer wat waarskynlik sou uitval of verhoed om hul hoërskoolloopbaan te voltooi. Dit is: armoede, ouers wat self skool vroeg verlaat het (“drop out”), tienerswangerskappe, dwelmmisbruik, gebrek aan huislike en skool stabiliteit, sosiale gedrag, rebelsheid, groepsdruk en omgee.

This research was designed to explore the factors which influence national adult continuing education (ACE) policy-making and people's demands of national ACE policies in England and Wales. To achieve the purpose, relevant literature was reviewed and empirical data were analysed. Empirical data were collected through two-stage visits, interviews, and a questionnaire survey. People directly or indirectly involved in ACE were sampled as subjects at two stages. In total, there were 158 valid responses including the interviews and questionnaire surveys. The instruments used to collect empirical data were developed by the researcher, linked to the findings of the literature review, visits, and interviews. Methods applied to analyse the collected data included quantitative and qualitative approaches. The major findings were as follows: 1. Policy-making in the DFE basically had characteristics of a pluralist process. 2. Learner, Economic and Political factors were more influential on the DFE's ACE policy-making. 3. The Learner and Economic factors were the principal influential determinants and they had interactive impacts upon the DFE's ACE policy-making. 4. National ACE policies directly helpful for adult participation in learning were thought important by a comparatively large proportion of the sample. 5. There was a gap between people's demanded ACE policies and the DFE's ACE policies. Comparatively, people's demanded ACE policies were more learner-oriented. 6. Systems theory could provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis exploring influential factors and policy-making in the DFE but was insufficient for discussing the micro process inside. 7. The debate on the ideas of learner-oriented and market-oriented ACE is still ongoing. Even in the recent Green Paper, we can see the coexistance of different policy focuses. According to the above findings, the researcher made suggestions to the DfEE, professional organisations, and researchers who will study similar topics.

The purposes of this study were to develop a locus of control scale specific to vocational needs and to use the scale to examine the relationships between vocational need strength, need satisfaction, locus of control and voluntary worker turnover. Voluntary turnover was defined as intent to leave one's job, the dependent variable. The Kostreva Vocational Attitude Scale (KVAS) was designed to measure intent-to-leave and Internal (I), Powerful Others (P) and Chance (C) locus of control, in Levenson's (1972) format, based on Rotter's (1966) theory and the 20 need factors of the Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis et al. 1968). Hoyt reliability coefficients were .74 I, .80 P, .87 C and .95 for intent-to-leave. As predicted, KVAS sub-scales had loworder positive correlations to Levenson's I, P and C scales. The Minnesota Importance Questionnaire, assessing vocational need strength, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, assessing vocational need satisfaction, and the KVAS, were administered to 101 randomly selected, employed persons, ages 20-40 (52 men, 49 women). Consistent with prior research, the intending-to-leave group had a significantly lower mean score on overall job satisfaction than the not-intending-to-leave group (p=.001). Step-wise regression analyses indicated significant correlations (p < .05) between: 1) low need satisfaction and intent-to-leave on 17 of 20 vocational need factors; 2) high need strength and intent-to-leave on the Advancement factor; and 3) high Chance locus of control and intent-toleave on the Social Status factor. One-way ANOVA showed a significantly higher mean score on overall Chance locus of control for the leaving group (p=.021), but no differences on Internal or Powerful Others. Post hoc discriminant analysis indicated younger age to be significantly related to intent-to-leave. Age and total job satisfaction correctly classified 75% of subjects to leaving and not-leaving groups (i.e., a younger individual who indicated low job satisfaction was likely to be in the leaving group). Gender and years of school were not related to leaving. Further study on actual turnover versus intent-to-leave was suggested, as was additional testing with the KVAS.

On title page: MPhil (Value Analysis and Policy Formulation). / Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a study in the field of organisational decision making. The focus is on decision making where the organisation is the unit of analysis (as opposed to the individual). It is a systemic approach rather than a behavioural or personal approach. The methodology employed is a conceptual study, which comprises the description and discussion of four models of decision making. Each model is discussed individually. The models date from the late 1940's to the middle 1970's and are known as the 'rational', 'procedural', 'political' and 'anarchic' models of organisational decision making. In conclusion, a major problem in the understanding of organisational decision making is discussed. This problem relates to how generic organisational decision making activity can be understood, without having to consider the behavioural features of decision making. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n studie op die gebied van besluitneming in organisasies. Die fokus is op besluitneming, waar die organisasie die eenheid van ontleding is (en nie die individu nie). Die benadering is sistemies eerder as 'n gedragsbenadering of persoonlike benadering. Die metodologie is 'n konseptuele studie en behels die verduideliking en bespreking van vier modelle van besluitneming. Elke model word individueel bespreek. Die modelle dateer vanaf die laat 1940' s tot die middel 1970' s en staan onderskeidelik bekend as die 'rasionele', 'prosedurale' , 'politieke' en 'anargiese' modelle van organisatoriese besluitneming. Ten slotte word 'n beduidende probleem rakende die verstaan van besluitneming in organisasies bespreek. Hierdie probleem hou verband met hoe generiese organisatoriese besluitnemingsaktiwiteit verstaan kan word, sonder om te hoef verwys na die gedragsaspekte van besluitneming.