The study has two objectives: to develop a methodology to identify success criteria for the VT CRC and to communicate outputs (success criteria) to selected members of the VT CRC’s stakeholders. A methodology is developed to identify success criteria based on the VT CRC's primary objectives. These primary objectives are: technology transfer and economic development. The purposes of a methodology are to place the VT CRC within the framework of Virginia Tech's larger missions and then to identify success criteria. A methodology consists of seven steps. There are thirteen success criteria which have been identified by a methodology. A methodology is based on management systems engineering theories, concepts, and tools/techniques. The study communicates outputs from a methodology by a questionnaire. Questionnaires will be sent to twelve selected members who are from the VT CRC, the university, tenants, and Town of Blacksburg. Their responses will be analyzed to decide whether these outputs are success criteria for the VT CRC and whether a methodology accomplishes its purposes. Furthermore, a background of Virginia Tech and a concept of university-related research parks will be discussed. Included in a discussion of Virginia Tech are missions, a modern view of a land-grant university, and roles of the Virginia Tech Foundation. Included in a discussion of research parks are purposes, benefits, and drawbacks. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video monitoring devices (VMDs) in reducing incidents of student misbehavior on middle school buses. It was hypothesized that the presence of VMDs would decrease the frequency of behavioral problems encountered by school bus drivers, decrease the number of discipline referrals issued by the drivers, and improve the drivers’ perception of student behavior. The study utilized an experimental design with random assignment of drivers to treatment and control groups. These groups were formed from a population of 282 drivers who serve ten middle schools for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. In the summer of 1993, through a randomization procedure, VMDs were installed on 100 school buses to form the treatment group. The remaining 182 school buses did not receive installation and were designated as the control group. All drivers maintained a daily log of the number of discipline problems encountered on their routes for three 15-day intervals. Statistical analysis revealed a significantly lower number of problems in the treatment group. Secondary analysis indicated that the use of VMDs was ineffective on morning routes but effective on afternoon routes. Also, there was a significantly lower number of discipline problems in the treatment group regardless of the day of the week. As the drivers established rapport and control, both groups experienced a decline in the number of discipline problems throughout the experiment. The treatment group, however, recorded a significantly lower number of problems during each of the three 15-day intervals. This indicates that the students did not become desensitized to the presence of the VMD’s over the five-month experiment. At the conclusion of the study, drivers in the treatment group rated the behavior of their students more highly than the rating of students by drivers in the control group. A tally of the number of discipline referrals issued by the drivers revealed that the members of the treatment group experienced fewer severe disciplinary problems. Finally, multiple regression indicated that of all independent variables, group membership is the best predictor of a number of behavioral problems, discipline referrals issued, and driver perception of student behavior. / Ed. D.

Public schools need to enhance teacher job satisfaction which should improve teacher retention, teacher performance, and student achievement. This was a qualitative study of those factors which teachers with high and low job satisfaction perceived affected how they felt about their jobs. A sample of 200 tenured Virginia Beach teachers was randomly selected sent the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ). Eighty-four of these teachers who agreed to be interviewed were rated on performance by their principals. Eight teachers, who placed at the top the ranked list of TJSQ scores and who were rated at least above average by their principals, were selected for interviews. Five teachers, who placed at the bottom of the list of TJSQ scores and who were rated average at best by their principals. were also selected for interviews. The teachers in the study said they liked student success best and paperwork least. Respondents said the principal, coworkers, students, materials, autonomy, home life, parents, personality and participatory decision-making all affected job satisfaction. The principal was ranked most important. Job satisfiers were tabulated across questions. The most frequently identified intrinsic factor was student success. The extrinsic factors of working conditions, principal support and coworker support were identified. Intrinsic dissatisfiers included lack of teacher achievement, lack of recognition and lack of student success. Extrinsic dissatisfiers were poor working conditions and unpleasant student relationships. Concerning demographics, the teachers with the top 30 job satisfaction scores were older, more female, more minority, more elementary, more experienced and about equally educated than the teachers with the lowest 30 job satisfaction scores. In general, there was little difference between the responses of the high job satisfaction group and the low job satisfaction group perhaps because of the manner in which they were selected. However, teachers with low job satisfaction in this study were slightly more concerned with recognition, coworker support, working conditions, salary, student support, parent support and input into decision making than the high job Satisfaction group. / Ed. D.

The objective of this thesis was to identify and measure the effect of factors that influenced income earnings of former agricultural students. Data were obtained from a questionnaire mailed to former Virginia Tech students, all of whom were enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during 1977. An analysis of the 243 respondents was conducted with emphasis on educational profiles, labor market entry and participation, and personal characteristics. Models based on human capital and labor market principles were developed to explain differences in individual incomes. Earned income models were estimated for the first job after leaving college, for the job held in 1985, and for the 1985 job in a lagged formulation. Analysis of covariance was used to estimate the empirical models. Model results for the first job starting income indicated positive returns to education and the provision of profit sharing benefits. Significantly higher starting incomes were also found for males and for those who considered pay as important or very important. In contrast, the year of job entry exhibited an inverse relationship with starting income. No significant differences in first job income were found for college major, type of placement services used, state location of the job, nature of the job (whether agricultural or not), and provision of housing benefits. Model results for the 1985 income, as in the starting income model, indicated positive returns to the provision of profit sharing benefits. Significantly higher incomes were also associated with married respondents, urban residents, and those who ranked oral communication skills as much needed or essential. In contrast, lower incomes were associated with those who ranked a technical skill to be much needed or essential and with those who held more previous jobs. Insignificant variables in the 1985 income model included level of education, college major, state location of the job, nature of the job, personal assessment of the importance of pay, provision of housing benefits, ranking of the need for knowledge of agricultural policy, and gender. Results for the lagged formulation of the 1985 income model were similar to results for the 1985 income model. In addition, prior income was found to be a positive and significant determinant of 1985 incomes. Implications for academic support areas, curricula, and students were presented and discussed / Master of Science

M.S.

M.S.

This thesis investigates how architecture can go beyond basic programmatic requirements of a school to create a more pleasant environment for students and staff through the use of natural light and geometry. / Master of Architecture

Thesis (Master of Military Studies)-Marine Corps Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from title page of PDF document (viewed on: Jan 12, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.