On behalf of the Appalachia Funders Network (AFN), with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, East Tennessee State University and NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a study to analyze the current burden of obesity and chronic disease in central Appalachia and identify promising practices and strategies that are having a positive impact on the reduction of obesity in the region. Central Appalachia consists of parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Regional recommendations to reduce childhood obesity and improve the overall population’s health were developed based on a review of current literature, a survey, and focus groups with both community groups and funders.

This comparative study is an investigation into the changing concerns of feature film policy in Canada and Australia from 1968 to 1998. Its purpose is to determine how similar policy initiatives have produced divergent results in two economically, culturally and socially similar nations. The inquiry's aim is to establish what financial, political and geographic variables affect the application of feature film policy. While resemblances between these nations justify the contrasting of comparable feature film policy initiatives, differences in outcomes suggest that these nations are not entirely alike. Therefore, rather than following the leads of comparable national agencies, film policy makers in Canada and Australia need to concentrate on conditions specific to their own particular situation.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-04-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:32:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 barbosa_ep_me_rcla.pdf: 459189 bytes, checksum: af33037be8e3b7ad0baa3c4603a39a36 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este trabalho tem por objetivo identificar de que modo as ações educacionais públicas podem estar afetando a vida profissional dos professores, a partir do discurso deles mesmos. Para tanto, mostramos que este estudo é relevante para a educação matemática pois evidencia uma carência na literatura científica sobre a influência de Políticas Educacionais na vida profissional do professor de Matemática, na voz deles mesmos. Num outro momento fazemos um paralelo entre as mudanças ocorridas no Reino Unido, no governo de Margareth Thatcher, e o brasileiro, principalmente na décade de 90, particularmente em relação ao sistema educacional. No segundo capítulo fazemos uma análise da entrevista que efetuamos com um professor de Ensino Fundamental, com o objetivo acima em mente. E por fim, fazemos conclusões de modo a dialogar com nosso objetivo inicial e assim oferecer, talvez, subsídios aos formuladores/implementadores de políticas educacionais e formadores de professores de Matemática. / This aimed at identifying the ways in which public educational actions (policies) can be affecting the professional life of teachers of mathematics, By examining their own speeches. We show that this is a relevant study for the field of Mathematics Education (by eliciting a void on literature related to this subject). We then present, for the sake of better positioning the current situation in Brazilian school systems, a reading of the similitude between what has happened in the UK (Thatcher and post-Thatcher era) and in Brazil (beginning from Fernando Collor s government), in terms of an increased control of school systems, opposed to a consistent effort to remove government from the productive system. In Chapter 2 we analyse an interview made with a teacher who works on grades 5 to 8 and, finally, on Chapter 3 we offer conclusions and some possible suggestions for educational policymakers and for mathematics teacher educators.

Orientador: Romulo Campos Lins / Banca: Carlos Roberto Vianna / Banca: Rosana Giaretta Sguerra Miskulin / Resumo: Este trabalho tem por objetivo identificar de que modo as ações educacionais públicas podem estar afetando a vida profissional dos professores, a partir do discurso deles mesmos. Para tanto, mostramos que este estudo é relevante para a educação matemática pois evidencia uma carência na literatura científica sobre a influência de Políticas Educacionais na vida profissional do professor de Matemática, na voz deles mesmos. Num outro momento fazemos um paralelo entre as mudanças ocorridas no Reino Unido, no governo de Margareth Thatcher, e o brasileiro, principalmente na décade de 90, particularmente em relação ao sistema educacional. No segundo capítulo fazemos uma análise da entrevista que efetuamos com um professor de Ensino Fundamental, com o objetivo acima em mente. E por fim, fazemos conclusões de modo a dialogar com nosso objetivo inicial e assim oferecer, talvez, subsídios aos formuladores/implementadores de políticas educacionais e formadores de professores de Matemática. / Abstract: This aimed at identifying the ways in which public educational actions (policies) can be affecting the professional life of teachers of mathematics, By examining their own speeches. We show that this is a relevant study for the field of Mathematics Education (by eliciting a void on literature related to this subject). We then present, for the sake of better positioning the current situation in Brazilian school systems, a reading of the similitude between what has happened in the UK (Thatcher and post-Thatcher era) and in Brazil (beginning from Fernando Collor’s government), in terms of an increased control of school systems, opposed to a consistent effort to remove government from the productive system. In Chapter 2 we analyse an interview made with a teacher who works on grades 5 to 8 and, finally, on Chapter 3 we offer conclusions and some possible suggestions for educational policymakers and for mathematics teacher educators. / Mestre

By looking at the reactions of Russian actors regarding the development of the Belt and Road Initiative of the People’s Republic of China in Central and Eastern Europe, this dissertation presents new theoretical and empirical findings that can be used extensively in the fields of Area and Global Studies, as well as practical policymaking. In this context, the Russian Federation’s foreign policy in the region is understood as cumulative activity and strategy developed by the government of Russia regarding the relationship with other countries that are being impacted by multiple internal and external factors. In order to understand a complex relationship between Russian, Chinese, and Central-Eastern European actors, this study employs uniquely created methods focusing on analyzing the reactions of the relevant Russian policymakers, as well as literature, documents, and statistical data. The reactions are also collected via extensive reflection of interviews and primary source material. In this framework, the areas of Russian interests directly related to and operationalized in Central-Eastern Europe are identified, and those affected by the Belt and Road Initiative the most are researched. The study’s results highlight the many discourses and contradictions when contrasting portrayal and perceptions against statistical data. Since none of these areas were analyzed under these circumstances before, many characterizations about the nature of the Initiative, perception of the actors’ behavior, understanding of the positioning of Russia within contemporary geopolitical realities, and many other aspects have been broadened. That leads to a better comprehension of the mechanisms and networks between the companies and political actors based in the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, and Central-Eastern Europe, the effects of their interdependencies and relationship, and general international relations. This research demonstrated a tension of interests within the Russian expert community when assigning securitization to the Belt and Road Initiative sections that affect Russia and East-Central Europe. They are recognized as intertwined with internal politics, economics, geopolitical competitiveness, and international strategy and are thus appropriately employed when reacting to and debating them.

A major component of the screening process for prospective teachers is the licensure examination. The examination serves two important functions: (a) sorting and screening candidates and (b) defining the knowledge base for professional practice. The first function receives the most attention from policymakers and serves the symbolic purpose of creating selectivity for entry into the profession. Initial entry typically is controlled by raising or lowering examination passing requirements which simply allows more or fewer persons to pass (Darling-Hammond, Wise & Klein, 1995). The second function presumes that a single instrument exists that not only contains the essential knowledge required for professional practice, but accurately identifies those most qualified to teach.The Virginia Board of Education (VBOE), like several other state boards of education, has authorized validation and standard-setting studies related to its teacher licensure examination policy, and the most recent studies have occurred in the past 20 years. The first study was authorized in April 1981 for the potential use of the National Teachers Examination (NTE). Following completion of validation studies for the Specialty Area Tests and the Core Battery Tests, the NTE was adopted as Virginia's licensure examination which was made effective on July 1, 1986. Ten years later (effective July 1, 1996), the VBOE agreed that prospective teachers would be required to take Praxis I Academic Skills Assessments. Praxis I would replace the NTE Core Battery, however, and the original NTE Specialty Area Tests would be retained. The decision to change teacher licensing examinations was precipitated primarily by the announcement by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that it would introduce new tests and eventually discontinue the NTE Core Battery. The passing requirements for Praxis I (as established in 1995) exceeded those of all states administering the test and were as follows: reading and mathematics - 178, and writing - 176. Review of test data obtained after the effective date of this policy revealed that the passing percentage for all test takers in 1995-96 was reading 72; mathematics 62; and writing 58. For minorities, the passing percentages were 34, 18, and 18, respectively. When these results were compared to test taker performance one year later (1996-97), there were modest percentage increases for all test takers: reading - 74; mathematics - 66; and writing - 63. For minorities, passing percentages were 36, 35 and 28, respectively. Despite these increases, 26 percent of all test takers failed the reading test; 34 percent failed the mathematics test; and 37 percent failed the writing test. The long-range effects of the Praxis I passing requirements on test takers are unknown; however, one of the near-term effects likely will be a reduction in the passing rate for a significant number of persons, particularly racial minorities.This study examined current Virginia teacher licensure policy, its intent, and near-term effects of examination results on teacher availability and minority representation. / Ph. D.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:21:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Melissa Barbosa Tabosa do Egito.pdf: 832678 bytes, checksum: 0e1285ae295c117678dfb3443cf7e646 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-05 / The present study aims to investigate the character of decisions of the boards policymakers and the attitude of the Judiciary, when faced with the legalization of an impasse between the board and executive ie, when negative, by the manager, applying the policy decided by the board. To perform the analysis, is necessary to take off from major democratic theories of the twentieth century and to analyze the social participation in the 1988 Constitution. Then it deals specifically about the policy councils, their legal prevision, their participation in the formulation and monitoring of public policies. Before the multi subjective conflicts, characteristic of the impasses that deal with social rights that are object of public policies, Judiciary is required to make use of an hermeneutical model in which interpretation does not consist in an act of syllogism. Therefore, this paper analyzes the philosophical hermeneutics of Gadamer and its influence on the Structuring Law Theory of Müller, which is part of the constitutional concept of concretion. Thus, it is necessary to introduce elements of reality in the hermeneutical process in order to build the order for the concrete case. Approaches the idea that the real interpreters of the Constitution are all the ones it addresses to (Häberle) to conclude that, considering the constitutional prevision when the judicialization of the impasses between the Executive and councils takes place, the court must reverse the burden of argument, so that it fits this Power to check that the board's decision is not the one that best targets the promotion of social rights / O presente trabalho se propõe a investigar o caráter das decisões dos conselhos gestores de políticas públicas e a postura do Poder Judiciário, quando diante da judicialização de um impasse entre conselho e Executivo, isto é, quando houver negativa, por parte do gestor, de aplicar a política deliberada pelo conselho. Para realizar sua análise, parte-se de algumas das principais teorias democráticas do século XX e analisa a participação social na Constituição de 1988. Em seguida, trata especificamente dos conselhos de políticas, sua previsão legal, sua participação na formulação e fiscalização das políticas públicas. Diante dos conflitos plurissubjetivos, característicos dos impasses que versam sobre direitos sociais objeto de políticas públicas, impende que o Judiciário faça uso de um modelo hermenêutico em que a interpretação não consista ato de silogismo. Por isso, o trabalho analisa a hermenêutica filosófica de Gadamer e sua influência na Teoria Estruturante do Direito de Müller, da qual faz parte a noção de concretização constitucional. Assim, é preciso que se introduzam elementos da realidade no processo hermenêutico, a fim de construir a norma para o caso concreto. Aborda a ideia de que são os reais intérpretes da Constituição todos os seus destinatários (Häberle) para concluir que, considerando a previsão constitucional, quando da judicialização dos impasses entre Poder Executivo e conselhos, o juiz deve inverter o ônus argumentativo, de forma que cabe a este Poder, comprovar que a decisão do conselho não é a que melhor se coaduna com a promoção dos direitos sociais

During the last decade, the integration of management systems (this includes any management system that is used to achieve the goals of an organisation example PASCAL, ISO standards and enterprise resource planning), has become an increasingly important strategy adopted by organisations, as it represents an alternative to operating with multiple management systems in parallel (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Despite the established need for the integration of management systems, research on how to carry out integration has yet to be developed fully and an elaborated methodology of integration needs full realisation (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy, Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). The aim of the current study was to develop a framework for organisations that could be used for the integration of management systems in a structured manner. This study was undertaken by exploring the views and opinions of senior management through fourteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thereafter, an online survey collected 220 responses from four South African multinational organisations involved with management system development and implementation. The research instrument used a seven-point Likert-type scale for the respondents to rate each question. The data was analysed statistically primarily using factor analysis to confirm the significant factors and then structural equation modelling to test the relationships between the factors, which ultimately confirmed the developed framework. The beneficiaries of this research are primarily organisations that have three or more management systems in an organisation. The framework will also be valuable to management in industry and policymakers since it addresses key integration issues, such as employee performance, organisational culture, employee motivation and policy as factors when considering integration of management systems. / Kule minyaka ilishumi idluleyo amaqumrhu aye aphuhlisa ngamandla icebo lobulumko lokuhlanganiswa kweenkqubo zolawulo (kuquka nayiphi na inkqubo yolawulo esetyenziselwa ukufezekisa iinjongo zequmrhu, iinkqubo ezifana nePASCAL, ISO, ne standards and enterprise resource planning). Oku kumele indlela eyenye yokusebenzisa ngaxeshanye iinkqubo zolawulo ezininzi (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014:860). Ngaphandle kokuba siqondakala kakuhle isidingo sokuhlanganisa iinkqubo zolawulo, alukaphuhliswa kakuhle uphando lokuqhuba oko kuhlanganisa (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Injongo yolu phando kukuphuhlisa isakhelo esinokusetyenziswa ngamaqumrhu ekuhlanganiseni iinkqubo zolawulo ngendlela efanelekileyo. Esi sifundo saqhutywa ngokuphengulula izimvo neengcinga zabaphathi abakwizinga elingentla ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe nabaphathi abali-14 nganye nganye. Emva koko kwenziwa intlolomvo kubantu abangama-220 abasebenza kumaqumrhu amane aseMzantsi Afrika, maqumrhu lawo asebenza ngophuhliso nokusetyenziswa kweenkqubo zolawulo. Isixhobo sophando esisetyenzisiweyo sisikali esineencam esisixhenxe esiludidi lweLikert, apho abathathi nxaxheba bebeka esikalini umbuzo ngamnye abawunikiweyo. Iinkcukacha zolwazi zahlalutywa ngobuchule bezobalo, kuqukaniswa iimpendulo ezenza udidi olunye, emva koko kwasetyenziswa indlela yokuhlalutya apho kuphononongwa ukwalamana ngoonobangela neziphumo zemiba ethile, okuthe ekugqibeleni kwaveliswa isakhelo. Abancedakeleyo lolu phando ngamaqumrhu asebenzisa iinkqubo zolawulo ezintathu nangaphezulu. Isakhelo esiphuhlisiweyo siya kuba luncedo kakhulu kubalawuli nabaqulunqi bomgaqo nkqubo, kuba sijolise kwimibandela yokuhlanganisa, efana nendlela abasebenza ngayo abaqeshwa, inkcubeko yequmrhu, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi nemiba emalunga nomgaqo nkqubo oqwalaselwa xa kuhlanganiswa iinkqubo zolawulo / Kule minyaka eyishumi edlule, ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha (kufaka kukho noma yiluphi uhlelo lokuphatha olusetshenziselwa ukufeza izinhloso zenhlangano, njengePASCAL, amaqophelo e-ISO kanye nokuhlelwa kwezinsiza zebhizinisi), sekuyicebo elibaluleke kakhulu elamukelwa yizinhlangano, njengoba kumele enye indlela yokusebenza nezinhlelo eziningi zokuphatha ngokuhambisanayo (Abad, Cabrera & Medina, 2014: 860). Yize sekubonakale isidingo sokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha, ucwaningo lokuthi kuzohlanganiswa kanjani kusamele luthuthukiswe ngokuphelele kanti nendlela ecacile yokuhlanganiswa kumele ifezeke ngokugcwele (Bernardo, Casadesús, Karapetrovic & Heras, 2012; Rocha, Searcy & Karapetrovic, 2007; Wilkinson & Dale, 1999a; Zeng, Shi & Lou, 2007). Inhloso yocwaningo lwamanje bekungukuthuthukisa uhlaka lwezinhlangano olungasetshenziselwa ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha ngendlela ehlelekile. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ngokuhlola imibono nemicabango yabaphathi abaphezulu ngokuba nezingxoxo eziyi-14 ezingahlelekile ngokuphelele ezibe khona kuxoxwa ubuso nobuso. Ngemuva kwalokho, ucwaningo olwenziwa ngokuqoqa imininingwane ngobuchwepheshe bekhompuyutha lwaqoqa izimpendulo ezingama-220 ezinhlanganweni ezine zaseNingizimu Afrika ezihlanganise amazwe ahlukene nezibandakanyeka ekusungulweni nasekuqaliseni ukusebenza kohlelo lokuphatha. Kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga yesikali sohlobo lwe-Likert samaphoyinti ayisikhombisa abaphendulayo abakala ngaso umbuzo ngamunye. Imininingwane ihlaziyiwe ngokwezibalo kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziywa kwezinto ngokuqavile ukuqinisekisa izici ezibalulekile bese kulandelwa indlela yokulinganisa ukwakheka ukuhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kwezici, okugcina kuqinisekisa uhlaka olusunguliwe. Abahlomuli balolu cwaningo ngokuqavile yizinhlangano ezinezinhlelo ezintathu noma ngaphezulu zokuphatha enhlanganweni. Uhlaka luzoba wusizo nakubaphathi embonini nakubenzi bezinqubomgomo, njengoba lubheka izingqinamba ezibalulekile zokuhlanganiswa, njengokusebenza kahle kwabasebenzi, isiko lenhlangano, ukukhuthazwa kwabasebenzi kanye nenqubomgomo njengezinto ezibhekwayo uma kucatshangwa ngokuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuphatha. / SBL / D.B.L.

Community college students transfer to public universities experiencing a pathway filled with complexity and inequity. Transfer students are not able to graduate at the same pace as native students at the university and complete their baccalaureate degrees 18% below the rate of native students. Policymakers have attempted to address the baccalaureate gap. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of Texas policymakers and policy influencers on the efficacy of policies intended to improve transfer outcomes. This study investigated what experience participants have with transfer policy, what their perceptions of the transfer pathway are, and how their voices can refine an understanding of policy development and ways to improve student persistence. Purposeful sampling was used to explore the perspectives of 14 Texas policymakers and those that influence policy. Findings revealed that significant gaps exist between expectations and student realities and that the completion agenda is driving policy decisions. Participants perceived that transfer students have been ignored in the completion metrics, which influence institutional priorities. Moreover, the decentralized system of independent, autonomous institutions is a major contributor to inefficiencies such as excessive student credit hours. Improving the transferability of courses was a priority recommendation of all participants both because it benefits the State’s economy and, more importantly, because it is in the best interest of students.

Extant research concludes that SMEs tend to be highly dependent on the local institutional environment when internationalizing. In relation to that, international business literature accentuates the lack of studies that aim to understand how government support influences SMEs' international business performance. This further justifies the current inquiry for conducting more diverse scientific research in order to better describe and evaluate how governments should apply and effectively utilize their support toward internationalizing SMEs. Based on that, the aim of this study was to first identify the approaches that Kalmar based SMEs undertake to internationalize. Second, to identify the current initiatives implemented by the local governmental agencies toward the internationalization of these firms. Third, to identify how the governmental agencies in Kalmar could potentially improve the internationalization support towards the local SMEs. By fulfilling these aims this study was able to answer the overarching research question of How could the Swedish governmental agencies better contribute to the development of the internationalization process of their SMEs at the regional level? International business literature, internationalization process theories in combination with the available knowledge concerning the local institutional environment were utilized to conduct a thorough theoretical base for this study. The theoretical base laid the foundation for the constructed conceptual framework that was later utilized to collect and analyze data derived from five local SMEs and four key governmental agencies. This research project implemented a qualitative methodology and a multiple case study design. The data were collected through ten semi structured interviews. As an outcome, the findings of this study concludes that the identified prevailing internationalization process traits in combination with the uncovered improvement elements for governmental internationalization support, positively influence the configuration between the SMEs internationalization and the local institutional environment. This further contributes to achieving understanding concerning how Swedish regions could foster the internationalization process of their SMEs. Finally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to address the issue of governmental endeavors toward the internationalization process of Swedish SMEs.