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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Seven percent of all students are excluded from school every year across the United States for violating school policies and procedures. Exclusion from school causes a number of problems for students such as higher dropout rates, grade retention, more of a likelihood of not graduating from high school, and a widening of the achievement gap. However, the literature review reveals a lack of exclusion research specific to Hispanic students. Therefore, this research study investigated the level of disciplinary referrals leading to student suspensions during the 2013-2014 school year in a southern California school district of 9223 students with a student demographic composed of 39% free-and-reduced meals, 24% English language learners, and 36% Hispanic. The research study analyzed not just referrals but differences between subjective versus objective referrals for Hispanic and White students. Risk ratio results indicated that Hispanic students were more likely to receive referrals that resulted in suspensions from school at two-and-one-half times the rate compared to their White peers for both subjective (RR = 2.572) and objective (RR = 2.600) referrals. While there was no difference, p = .308, between referrals labeled as subjective versus objective, Hispanic students were significantly more likely to receive objective (p = .017) and subjective (p = .041) disciplinary referrals that resulted in suspensions compared to their White peers. The most significant factors that predicted overall student disciplinary referrals were English language learner status and free and reduced meals. In particular, English language status accounted for 60% of all referrals leading to a student suspension. Oppositely, factors that had the least predicted referral infractions were talented and gifted status, parent education level, and special education status. Results from this study provided school district staff with information that helped to revise district policy and procedures regarding the use of the suspension as an enforcement tool in student discipline, with particular focus on subjective versus objective referrals that could lead to student suspension. Implications of this research are discussed in relation to practice, procedures, and policies.

This dissertation is composed of three essays using labor search models to explore the role of referral-networks in the labor market. The first, "<b>The Stabilizing Effect of Referral-Networks on the Labor Market</b>," examines how the use of informal connections (i.e. referral-networks) affects the severity and duration of recessions. To do so, I develop a search-and-matching model in which there are two hiring methods, formal channels and informal channels, and workers endogenously adjust their network of informal contacts in response to shocks and government policy. I show referral-networks have a stabilizing effect on the labor market, reducing the severity of adverse economic shocks and accelerating post-recession recovery. Counterfactuals demonstrate the government must exercise caution when enacting policies intended to expedite economic recovery. Policies that generically improve worker-firm matching prolong recovery by 8 months, as they facilitate relatively more matches between workers and low-productivity firms during recessions. In contrast, policies aimed at reducing the costs of network-formation or increasing referral-network prevalence facilitate more matches between workers and high-productivity firms, expediting recovery by 3-6 months.<br> <br>The second chapter, "<b>The Impact of Referral-Networks on Sectoral Reallocation</b>," investigates a new explanation for the long-run decline in sectoral switching--the increased prevalence of referral-networks. Using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), I first document empirically significant increase in the use of referral-networks in the job-search process by the unemployed. Moreover, this increase is concurrent with the decline in sectoral switching. The CPS is then used to estimate the effect of using referral-networks on the likelihood of an individual switching sectors at a various levels of industry classifications. For all aggregations, using referral-networks significantly reduces the probability a worker switches sectors. After controlling for demographics, these estimates imply an increase in the prevalence of referral-network use could explain as much as 5% to 40% of the decline in sectoral switching. <br><br>To better illustrate the policy implications of this finding, a discrete time sectoral-switching model is constructed using a search and matching framework with labor market referrals. The estimated model estimates a referral-switching elasticity of about -.12, which is within the empirically estimated range of -.05 to -.22 for the 2-sector industry aggregation, demonstrating that the increased of the prevalence of referrals overtime can explain about 20% of the decline in US sectoral switching. Welfare results indicate that referrals are a "benign'' cause of the decline, i.e. welfare declines upon effectively banning the use of referral-networks. These results have important implications for policymakers. They suggest that the cause of the decline in sectoral switching (and more generally job-changing) is the result of improved matching efficiency over time rather than market inefficiency. <br><br>The third chapter, "<b>Does Job-Finding Using Informal Connections Reduce Mismatch?</b>," presents evidence that nonpecuniary benefits of a job, such as hours, commute time, and work environment, are a salient factor in a worker's decision to either accept or reject the offer. Using data form the Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE), I document three empirical facts on the use of referral-networks and mismatch. First, not all referrals reduce perceived mismatch as reported by workers. For high-skill workers, referrals from former coworkers tend to reduce perceived nonpecuniary-mismatch. For low-skill workers, referrals from friends and family tend to increase perceived non-pecuniary mismatch. <br><br>Given these empirical facts, I construct a search-and-matching model of the labor market similar to Buhrmann [2018a] where workers and firms are given types on a unit interval and suffer increasingly greater productivity losses depending on distance between the firm's type and the worker's type. I augment this baseline model with mismatch along two dimensions -- skill and nonpecuniary preferences-- and calibrate it to the US economy. Results show nonpecuniary preferences can generate more dispersion in skill-mismatch for very low-skill workers and very high-skill workers. Moreover, while referral-networks generally improve aggregate mismatch, they have a heterogeneous affect on nonpecuniary mismatch by type. For low-skill (high-skill) workers, referral-networks increase (decrease) nonpecuniary mismatch.<br><br>Overall, the results from this dissertation serve as a guide for policymakers. While government intervention may be deemed necessary in recessions, it is vital to understand the role specific matching channels serve in the economy in order for a policy to achieve the desired result. Understanding that referrals generate more high-productivity matches suggests policymakers should investigate policies aimed at improving network formation and functionality. Similarly, distinguishing between formal and informal methods of job finding are key to understanding recent labor market phenomenon. The second chapter shows informal channels have become more ubiquitous in order to facilitate matching. While this change creates patterns in the data that seem concerning, a closer investigation reveals this seems to be a result of the market simply adapting to be more efficient. Finally, understanding why people use formal and informal channels is vital to understanding worker-firm mismatch on a micro-level. While high-skill workers use informal channels to find better matches, low-skill seem to use them to find any match faster. In essence, the findings of this dissertation emphasize the need for policymakers to understand the nuanced behavior of job seekers and the differing goals of various job-finding methods. One cannot simply treat all job-finding as the same, especially if a particular method is widely used and leads to significantly different outcomes, and expect to implement efficient policy. Thus, it is important to understand how certain job-finding methods differ on a micro level and apply these finding to macro policy. <br>

MPH, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Introduction: South African health system embraces the District Health System model. 1 District health system includes health stations or posts, other health care facilities such as private health practitioners, community based organisations. primary health care clinics and district hospitals. District hospitals provide first level of outpatient or inpatient care for patients who have been referred by their primary care providers. District hospitals usually provide 24 hour care and are integrated into district health system. The above set up is similar in Thaba Nchu Health sub district where Dr.J.S.Moroka Hospital (DJSMH) is a district hospital and therefore, a referral point for 11 clinics within Thaba Nchu sub district and 4 clinics from the neighbouring sub district. In addition, there are 5 general practitioners rooms within Thaba Nchu sub district. The DJSMH is overburdened with increasingly high caseload. Main Aim: To evaluate the referral system in the Thaba Nchu Health Sub-district, Free State Province in terms of the factors that influences its function. Methodology: This was a descriptive study undertaken at Dr.J.S.Moroka Hospital Outpatient and Casualty departments. The study included review of routinely collected hospital information on patients’ records and registers. No intervention was done for this study. Results : The referral system within the sub district is not fully functional. Most patients that are seen in the DJSMH are self referrals. The case load and work load of the two designated areas could be reduced if most of the patients could have started and be seen at the primary health care clinics. Although the registers were helpful in collecting information, the documentation on patients’ records by health workers is not consistent; it is poor and need to be improved. The records have shown that the personnel are doing little in strengthening the referral system within the district. Conclusion: This study was the first of its kind to be done in this DJSMH. Although there are good practices with regard to referral system within the Thaba Nchu subdistrict and Dr. J.S Moroka Hospital, much still has to be done to ensure that the primary health care clinics and hospitals are effectively functioning in rendering services relevant to each level of care. More patients seen in the DJSMH are self referrals that could be managed at the primary health care clinics. The interventions recommended in this study will assist in strengthening the delivery of district health care system and in particular improve the referral system within the sub district.

Increasingly, health providers are recognizing the importance of providing behavioral and mental health services to children and adolescents. As a result, school districts are adopting the School-Based Mental Health Program approach to provide mental health services to their students. The purpose of this study is to test if there is a disparity between children being referred due to externalizing behavior versus internalizing behaviors. The data was collected from archival sources, and it was analyzed utilizing the SPSS software for a quantitative and descriptive study. The findings indicated that students experiencing Internalizing and/or Externalizing behaviors are almost equally receiving services. This study found that most of the referrals were made by school counselors, only a few by parents and even less by students themselves. For this reason, the study’s recommendation is for social workers to engage in providing training for parents and students in identifying mental health issues before they become a significant problem.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of conflict resolution training on the number and severity of discipline referral offenses committed by high school students in one urban school. Effectiveness was measured by the number and severity of student discipline referrals to the school administration. Additionally, data were gathered and analyzed regarding student perceptions following application of conflict resolution training. The population (N=155) consisted of black and white students in grades nine through 12 who had previously received conflict-related discipline referrals. The samples (n=32) were selected using simple random sampling. Identified students were randomly assigned to one of two groups (treatment v. control). The treatment group received twelve hours of conflict resolution training. In addition, a four hour follow-up training session was conducted 60 days later. The control group did not receive training. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to determine the effects of conflict resolution training in this study. The independent variables were conflict resolution training, gender, and eligibility. The dependent variables were number of referrals and level of referrals. Data were collected from student discipline records and by conducting focus groups and individual interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-X). Two three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test all hypotheses. When an alpha level of .05 was used, only the interaction between gender and eligibility was significant with respect to both the number and level of discipline referrals. Further analyses were conducted to "tease apart" the interactions. In order to ascertain participants' perceptions of the effects of conflict resolution training, the qualitative data were content analyzed to record emerging themes. When the data were content analyzed, 10 themes emerged with respect to the participants' perceptions. These themes revealed that participants' perceptions were mostly positive. Participants reported that the training influenced positive changes in their own behavior and the behavior of others. / Ed. D.

This study focuses on the hiring of nonfamily employees in family firms. Research to date has emphasized the challenges family firms confront in attracting and selecting quality nonfamily human capital. This literature has emphasized the limitations these firms face due to the information asymmetries common to the hiring process. However, this research has not considered the advantages available to family firms through their social network. Drawing on agency theory, I hypothesize that owner referral utilization mediates the relationship between family essence and firm performance because their use lessens the agency conflicts between owners and nonfamily members. Utilizing a sample of 194 family owners, my analysis shows that the utilization of owner referrals mediates the relationship between family essence and firm performance.

Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) play a unique role in sport environments as the primary medical staff available to athletes. Thus, ATCs are well positioned to oversee athletes’ physical and psychological well-being. Although sport psychologists (SPs) have been identified as a potential resource for ATCs, previous studies have reported a lack of collaboration between SPs and ATCs. This study aimed to (a) examine ATCs’ views regarding professional roles for both ATCs and SPs, (b) explore ATCs’ referral behaviors, (c) evaluate ATCs belief in the credibility of sport psychology across demographic (i.e., gender, age) and experiential variables (i.e., access to SPs), and (d) examine ATCs’ involvement in sport psychology. Four hundred ninety-six ATCs (265 men, 231 women) completed and returned the questionnaire. ATCs viewed assisting in the psychological recovery of athletes as the most acceptable professional role for fellow ATCs; aiding in the psychological recovery of injured athletes and teach mental skills were identified by ATCs as the most appropriate roles for SPs. In considering an athlete experiencing interpersonal difficulties (e.g., relationship problems), a mixed design ANOVA revealed a ATC sex by referral option interaction; female and male ATCs indicated they would likely refer the athlete to a counselor/therapist, followed by a SP, however, female ATCs reported a greater likelihood of referring to a counselor/therapist than male ATCs whereas male ATCs indicated a greater likelihood of referring to a SP. Further, ATCs’ regular access to SPs and completion of formal sport psychology coursework were identified as variables associated with greater belief in the credibility of sport psychology. These results suggest that access and previous experience with SPs remain significant variables associated with ATCs views about, and belief in, the work of SPs. Implications for sport psychology professionals and recommendations for future research are discussed.