The academic achievement gap in the State of California has been a persistent problem. In California the achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the academic performance of white students and other ethnic groups as well as that between English learners and native English speakers, socioeconomically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities as compared with students without disabilities (CDE, P-16, 2008, p. 11). Jack O'Connel, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has identified closing the achievement gap as one of the primary goals for the State of California. Research has consistently shown that children of color and children of poverty have not experienced the academic success of their white peers. Utilizing the meta-analysis of research data from Mid-continent Research for Educational Learning (McREL), this study is a quantitative review of the 21 Leadership Responsibilities and Best Practices identified by school leaders from Ceres Unified School District, more specifically, from leaders in nine high-achieving schools within the district. The nine identified schools and leaders have experienced academic success with children of color and children of poverty based on their Academic Performance Index Similar Schools Rankings. In the study, two levels of surveys were conducted. The first survey reviewed the leadership responsibilities identified by McREL and asked the study participants to rank the leadership responsibilities based on the responsibilities that they perceive to have the most significant impact on student academic achievement. Employing the results of the first survey, a second survey utilized the top five leadership responsibilities identified by the study participants. Under the umbrella of the top five responsibilities, five best practices were listed and again ranked by the participants based on their perceptions of the leadership practices that have the greatest effect on increasing student achievement. The results of this survey identified the best practices perceived by leaders of high-achieving, high poverty schools. Additionally, a questionnaire was completed by the participants to provide additional demographic data. The study results support the findings that best pedagogical practices are complimented by effective leadership. Effective leaders and leadership practices do have a positive effect on student academic achievement.

Объектом исследования в диссертации выступают сферы профессионального и родительского труда как объекты государственного регулирования. Цель исследования – изучить взаимодействие сфер профессионального и родительского труда для лиц с семейными обязанностями и разработать инструменты его совершенствования. Основными методами проведения исследования стали качественный и количественный анализ, а именно полуформализованное интервью, анкетирование и контент-анализ. В процессе исследований были изучены теоретические подходы к определению категории «работники с семейными обязанностями как субъекты профессионального и родительского труда»; проанализировано нормативно-правовое регулирование деятельности работников с детьми; выделены и систематизированы факторы, влияющие на гармонизацию профессиональной и семейной жизненных сфер; разработана и реализована методика социологического исследования процесса совмещения профессионального и родительского труда работников с детьми. Результатом работы стала разработка ряда рекомендаций для органов государственной власти, направленных на поддержку работников с семейными обязанностями и преодоление негативных демографических тенденций в стране. / The object of the dissertation research is the spheres of professional and parental labor as objects of state regulation. The aim of the research is to study the interaction of the spheres of professional and parental labor for people with family responsibilities and to develop tools for its improvement. The main research methods were qualitative and quantitative analysis, namely semi-formalized interview, questionnaire and content analysis. We studied theoretical approaches to the definition of the category “workers with family responsibilities as subjects of professional and parental labor”; analyzed the legal regulation of the activities of workers with children; highlighted and systematized the factors influencing the harmonization of professional and family life spheres; analyzed and implemented the methodology of sociological research of the process of combining professional and parental labor of workers with children. The result of the work was the development of a number of recommendations for public authorities aimed at supporting workers with family responsibilities and overcoming negative demographic trends in the country.

The values and ethical aspects of CSR has received a large number of researcher attentionover the last decade and this study is focused on value of CSR in the context of bothSweden and Egypt. Results of this Quantitative research indicated that customers attentionand purchase decisions are motivated by CSR activities by corporations if people aware ofthe importance of CSR value.Customers are frequently mentioned as the key stakeholder group, that appears to beconcerned about a company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. Also, thesubject frequently requires a balancing act between multiple stakeholder interests. Themain goal of this thesis research is to gain a better knowledge of the importance of CSRand customer perceptions in two countries: Sweden and Egypt. Furthermore, this researchsatisfies the need to understand the value of CSR in retailing supermarkets. The study wasconducted with the Swedish customers as the main country of the study and Egyptiancustomers as one of the largest eastern countries in the Middle East, the home country forone of the thesis authors too. The current literature on CSR in retailing supermarkets isstill in its infancy, allowing us to identify a research gap. Similar studies did not pay muchattention to the concept of CSR in the supermarket sector, or even the value of CSR in adeveloping country like Egypt. This study used a quantitative method to discover howcustomers in Sweden and Egypt value corporate social responsibility (CSR) in thesupermarket sector.We questioned customers in both countries (Sweden and Egypt) for the quantitativeportion of our study. We received 238 responses through our survey questions tounderstand what inspires them and what might influence their opinions about CSRinitiatives in supermarkets. Furthermore, we used the SPSS method tool to analyzewhether CSR efforts in supermarkets have a beneficial impact on customer perceptions ofCSR activities or not. Our findings suggest that CSR activities in supermarkets might be abeneficial strategy for enhancing customers' incentive to engage in green environmentalactions, such as Eco-friendliness, and hence can lead to better practices from customersthemselves in the future.

No description available.

The dissertation examines the effect of changes since 1994 on the role of the South African Public Service Commission (hereafter referred to as the Commission). Its contention is that the changes since 1994 re-focused the role of the Commission on development and modernisation of public administration practices. The role of the Commission is now confined to monitoring, evaluation, investigation and research. The dissertation finds that the Commission does not have a formal transversal monitoring and evaluation system. The co-operation between the Commission and other oversight bodies (such as the Public Protector and the Auditor-General) involved in monitoring and evaluation of public service delivery is minimal. There is no "national consensus" yet on what the constitutional value and principle that public administration must be development-orientated means. The Commission has not set out research as its key performance area whereas its role in labor relations is superfluous. Recommendations in respect of the foregoing shortcomings are made in the dissertation. / Public Administration / M.A. (Public Administration)

This dissertation looks at the position of the unmarried father in South Africa with regard to obtaining access to his illegitimate child. The writer has focused on three distinct eras in South African family law: the position of unmarried fathers in terms of: the common law; Natural Fathers of Children Born out of Wedlock Act; and the Children's Act. The writer has further focused on a case study. This is to emphasis the difficulty which unmarried fathers have when attempting to go through the courts to have access to his child. In terms of South African common law, fathers of illegitimate children did not have any form of parental authority over the child. The mothers of illegitimate children have full parental authority over such children. Access in terms of South African common-law is seen as an incident of parental authority. Unmarried fathers nevertheless had the right to approach the high court to obtain access to their children, if the mother of the child refuses to allow the father to have such access. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, there was an overwhelming amount of applications brought by unmarried fathers in the high courts so as to obtain access to their illegitimate children. The case of Van Erk v Holmer 1992 (2) SA 636 (W) sparked victory for unmarried fathers when the learned judge held that all unmarried fathers of children have an inherent right of access to their children. This victory was short-lived. Subsequent case law and in particular the case of B v S 1995 (3) SA 571 (A) enforced the common law and held that unmarried fathers do not have an automatic right to their illegitimate children and that such fathers will have to apply to the high court for such access. Due to the increase in litigation in the late 1980's and early 1990's regarding a father's access to his child born out of wedlock the Natural Fathers of Children Born out of Wedlock Act commenced on 4 September 1998. The South African legislature adopted the approach taken in the case of B v S 1995 (3) SA 571 (A) and rejected the approach taken in the case of Van Erk v Holmer 1992 (2) SA 636 (W) ie the common law continued to remain the approach taken in South Africa. Legislators recognised that the approach taken in the Natural Fathers of Children Born out of Wedlock Act does not conform to the provisions of the African Charter of the Rights and the Welfare of the Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and equality and dignity provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. On 19 June 2006, the Children's Act was effected and will commence once promulgated in the Government Gazette. The writer then determines whether the Children's Act has in practice changed the position of the unmarried father. / JURISPRUDENCE / LLM

This research focuses on problems encountered by School Governing Bodies (SGBs) in executing their financial task in four schools situated in the Ramotse Area, Hammanskraal, north-east of the city of Tshwane. The research methodology, which was employed, can be described as qualitative, exploratory and descriptive by nature. Data was collected by means of two focus group interviews, one involving the chairpersons of SGBs and the other involving the managers of the same schools. An analysis of the data has revealed a number of financially related problems, which SGBs in the Ramotse Area experience, amongst other things that parents fail to meet their financial obligations and subsidies tend to arrive late. The most important recommendation made is that SGBs should be trained both better and more frequently. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Since parental authority in South African law is based on German customary law, and not on Roman law, it exists for the protection of the child. Various protective measures exist to ensure that this goal is reached, mainly in the form of judicial interference with parental authority. An example is the termination of parental authority, or some of its incidents, by means of a court order. This takes place either in terms of the common-law authority of the High Court, or in terms of certain statutory provisions. One of the statutory provisions in terms of which the children's court can terminate some of the incidents of parental authority, is the Child Care Act 74 of 1983. If the children's court is of the opinion that a child is in need of care, it can order that the child be returned to the custody of its parents, or that the child be placed in foster care, or in a children's home or school of industries. There is at present no mechanism in the Child Care Act for ensuring legal representation for children. The draft Children's Bill expands the possible orders that the children's court can make and further provides that a child is entitled to legal representation in children's court proceedings, if necessary at state expense. In New Zealand, families participate in decision-making regarding children in need of care by means of the family group conference. In Scotland, children in need of compulsory measures of supervision are dealt with by a lay tribunal known as the children's hearing. The global movement to recognise and protect both the welfare and autonomy rights of children formed the basis of international-law protection of children, and the children's clause contained in section 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 108 of 1996. In order to ensure that the protective goal of child law is reached, I propose that a multidisciplinary lay tribunal be instituted in South Africa to deal with children in need of care, and that legal representation for children in children's court proceedings be made compulsory in certain circumstances. / Private Law / LL. D.

The best interests of the child are paramount in every matter concerning the child. This applies in the case of adoption of a child as well. When an adoption is intercultural, culture is an issue to be taken into account. This study is undertaken to consider the role that culture should play in a decision whether an adoption is in the best interests of the child. In order to determine whether intercultural adoption is a viable option that serves the best interests of the child, interracial adoption also needs to be focused on, as intercultural adoption is often also interracial. The research for this thesis is done from a South African legal perspective, although some interdisciplinary and international research is necessary as well. A brief historical overview of adoption in South Africa is undertaken, as it is important to have some background knowledge about adoption in South Africa in order to understand why race and culture are relevant in the South African adoptive system. The role of the family in the life of the child is investigated. The difference between family care, parental care and alternative care is researched. Thereafter the role of emotional bonding for a child, also known as attachment, is focused on. An important question is whether race and culture is the same thing. This is researched, whereafter the role of race and culture in the adoption process is investigated. The relevant provisions of the Child Care Act 74 of 1983,which regulates adoption in South Africa, are compared to the relevant provisions of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, which will regulate adoption in South Africa soon. Finally, some conclusions are drawn, shortcomings are highlighted and possible solutions are suggested. The outcome of this thesis should provide some guidance to those involved in the adoption process with regard to the factors that are important in determining the best interests of the child in an intercultural adoption. / Law / LL.D.

The family as the basic unit of society plays an important role in the lives of individuals especially children. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has devastated the family structure which is already strained by other detrimental factors such as urbanisation and poverty. The increased death rate of young parents due to AIDS-related diseases has led to an escalating number of orphaned children growing in child headed households (CHH) without adult care. A qualitative study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the barriers that hinder the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds and to obtain suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, with a sample of children heading CHH, relatives of these children and social workers who were rendering social work services to these client-systems. The study revealed that the level of suffering faced by CHH began with the illness of the parents. This was further exacerbated by the death of the parents as these children were not absorbed by their extended families. Barriers that hindered the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds go beyond the extended families’ economic capacity to absorb the children. There is an interplay of barriers that are poverty related, relational and family related, culturally related, circumstances that are related to the orphaned children as well as limitations in social work service delivery. The findings indicate that CHH is not a good option to care and protect orphaned children as it exposes them to pervasive adversities with little resources and support. The integration of orphaned children is embraced as a good option to care for the children because of its potential value, amongst others, of enabling the extended families to relieve the CHH from the burden of care. From the findings of this study, practice guidelines were developed to enhance the efficacy of integrating orphaned children into extended families to prevent the CHH phenomenon.