In recent years, tightening budgets have forced school districts to find new ways to save money. One way that has become increasingly popular is to shorten the traditional five-day school week to only four-days a week. This change is budget friendly and may act through efficiency wage theory as a recruitment tool for better teachers. Despite the increasing prevalence of districts running on four-day weeks, many of the effects of the shorter week on students are still unclear. Utilizing district-level panel data from the Colorado Department of Education, Study One took a difference-in-differences approach to determine the effect of the implementation of the four-day week on various delinquency measures, including suspensions, expulsions, and juvenile arrest rates. No significant results were found with robust standard errors, but trends suggested that juvenile crime may be increasing while school related incidents may be decreasing in areas with four-day school weeks. To offset these trends, this paper also proposes a second study aimed at investigating the effects of different types of fifth-day programs on adolescent well-being, academic achievement, and problem behaviors. Schools using the four-day week that agree to participate will be randomly assigned to receive either a career-prep program, an academic program, a recreational program, a social skills/mentoring program, or no program at all. Students (N=XXX) will fill out a survey at the beginning and at the end of the program or school year, reporting their subjective well-being and recent engagement in problem behaviors. It is expected that students who participate in the social skills/mentoring program will show the highest levels of well-being and little engagement in problem behaviors. This study will help to advance the research on after school programming, particularly in rural environments.

<p>Seniorboende är en ny boendeform för äldre, från 55 år och uppåt. Vilka faktorer går att urskilja i offentliga debatten när det gäller tillkomsten av dessa boende? Varför flyttar människor dit och hur upplevs boendet? En stor förändring för äldre var när kvarboendeprincipen hade sitt intåg i Sverige under 1950- talet. Denna innebar att människor inte längre kunde tvingas flytta ifrån sina hem när de blev gamla och sjuka. Under våra verksamma år inom äldreomsorgen har vi sett ytterligare en stor förändring i form av ädelreformens införande år 1992. Ett ökat ansvar lades på kommunerna och i och med detta avvecklades ålderdomshemmen för att lämna plats för särskilda boenden. Dessa två stora förändringar har haft betydelse för hur man ser på den åldrande människan och boendet på äldre dar. Samhället har förändrats från att vara kollektivt inriktat till att idag vara allt mer inriktat mot individualismen. Dagens äldre har andra krav och förväntningar på boendet därför har tanken om seniorboende vuxit fram. Denna boendeform är en vanlig hyresrätt men utformningen är annorlunda med tanke på att de ska kunna bo kvar vid ökat hjälpbehov. När man uppför dessa boende bygger man ofta med central placering i samhället. En viktig faktor i byggandet är en gemensam lokal för att de boende ska ha möjlighet till gemenskap. Man utgår ifrån att boendet ska kännas tryggt och tillgängligt för de som bor där. Seniorboende kan vara en viktig faktor för äldre där svaga band kan utvecklas, då mångas sociala nätverk har utarmats, vid till exempel förändrade familjebildningar.</p> / <p>Senior housing is new living residents for elderly people, from 55 year and up. What factors can we see in official documents for the establishment of senior housing? Why do the people move to these living residence and how is the living there? One big changing for the elderly people was when the “kvarboendeprincip” started in Sweden under the 1950 century. That means that people not longer had to move from their home when they become older and ill. During the time we have worked in geriatric care have we seen a large changing in shape of the “ädelreform” which came 1992. A larger responsibility was giving to the municipality and they started to phase out the old people´s home and started with “särskilda boenden” instead. These two big reformatories have had importance for the sight of the human being and her living residence. The society has gone from position of collectivism to a more individualistic society nowadays. Today have the elderly person more demands and expectations on their living form and that’s why the thought of senior hosing has grown. This form of living residence is an ordinary renting apartment but the shape are different and the thought are that they could live there if they become in need of more help in the home. When they started to build these senior housing they often build them central in the society. One important factor for the buildings is that they have a joint local for they who live there should have a feeling of solidarity. They assume from that the living residence shall feel securely and easy of access for them who lives there. Senior housing can be an important factor for elderly people there week ties can be developed, when the social networks has been changed, by for example changed family situations</p>

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if abnormal patterns concerning the rates of return during specific weekdays and months are observable for the companies in the OMXS30 during the period 2003-2010. A special focus will be put on the Monday effect anomaly. Background: Investors have a tendency to search for investment opportunities. If errors exist in the pricing of stocks it indicates that anomalies are present and that the stock market is inefficient. Investors then have the possibility to utilize the anomalies in order to receive above average returns. Method: This study is using data of stock prices from Nasdaq OMX in the period of 2003-2010. The strength and existence of the Swedish stock market efficiency is measured through autocorrelation-, chi-square- and regression tests. Average monthly stock returns are calculated on daily-, monthly-, and yearly basis. The returns are compared in order to examine if day-of-the-week and turn-of-the-year anomalies exist. Conclusion: No Monday effect is found in 2003-2010. However, positive Thursday- and positive Friday effects are detected. A negative turn-of-the-year effect as well as a positive April effect is found. The investment opportunities that could be utilized in 2003-2010 due to the specific anomalies in the period do not necessarily imply that the same anomalies can be expected on the OMXS30 in the future.

Seniorboende är en ny boendeform för äldre, från 55 år och uppåt. Vilka faktorer går att urskilja i offentliga debatten när det gäller tillkomsten av dessa boende? Varför flyttar människor dit och hur upplevs boendet? En stor förändring för äldre var när kvarboendeprincipen hade sitt intåg i Sverige under 1950- talet. Denna innebar att människor inte längre kunde tvingas flytta ifrån sina hem när de blev gamla och sjuka. Under våra verksamma år inom äldreomsorgen har vi sett ytterligare en stor förändring i form av ädelreformens införande år 1992. Ett ökat ansvar lades på kommunerna och i och med detta avvecklades ålderdomshemmen för att lämna plats för särskilda boenden. Dessa två stora förändringar har haft betydelse för hur man ser på den åldrande människan och boendet på äldre dar. Samhället har förändrats från att vara kollektivt inriktat till att idag vara allt mer inriktat mot individualismen. Dagens äldre har andra krav och förväntningar på boendet därför har tanken om seniorboende vuxit fram. Denna boendeform är en vanlig hyresrätt men utformningen är annorlunda med tanke på att de ska kunna bo kvar vid ökat hjälpbehov. När man uppför dessa boende bygger man ofta med central placering i samhället. En viktig faktor i byggandet är en gemensam lokal för att de boende ska ha möjlighet till gemenskap. Man utgår ifrån att boendet ska kännas tryggt och tillgängligt för de som bor där. Seniorboende kan vara en viktig faktor för äldre där svaga band kan utvecklas, då mångas sociala nätverk har utarmats, vid till exempel förändrade familjebildningar. / Senior housing is new living residents for elderly people, from 55 year and up. What factors can we see in official documents for the establishment of senior housing? Why do the people move to these living residence and how is the living there? One big changing for the elderly people was when the “kvarboendeprincip” started in Sweden under the 1950 century. That means that people not longer had to move from their home when they become older and ill. During the time we have worked in geriatric care have we seen a large changing in shape of the “ädelreform” which came 1992. A larger responsibility was giving to the municipality and they started to phase out the old people´s home and started with “särskilda boenden” instead. These two big reformatories have had importance for the sight of the human being and her living residence. The society has gone from position of collectivism to a more individualistic society nowadays. Today have the elderly person more demands and expectations on their living form and that’s why the thought of senior hosing has grown. This form of living residence is an ordinary renting apartment but the shape are different and the thought are that they could live there if they become in need of more help in the home. When they started to build these senior housing they often build them central in the society. One important factor for the buildings is that they have a joint local for they who live there should have a feeling of solidarity. They assume from that the living residence shall feel securely and easy of access for them who lives there. Senior housing can be an important factor for elderly people there week ties can be developed, when the social networks has been changed, by for example changed family situations

This thesis focuses on the Blood Drive which takes place during the spring Greek Week event at Western Kentucky University. I primarily investigate the varying methods of negotiating issues of altruism and egoism in terms of the Blood Drive as well as way that the Blood Drive fits into the WKU Greek yearly cycle. I focus on issues of the process of identity in social Greek-letter organizations and how the process of this identity is renegotiated during the Blood Drive and other Greek events. I interviewed people from several groups for this paper. Initially, I interviewed Blood Donor Recruitment Representatives from the American Red Cross, WKU students associated with the social Greek-letter system and the Blood Drive of Greek Week, and employees of WKU associated with the social Greek-letter system and the Blood Drive of Greek Week. At the event itself I widened my scope to include information provided by Mobile Unit Assistants (MUAs) and other employees of the American Red Cross. Key conclusions of this paper include that while people may all participate or be involved in the same event, their methods of understanding concepts of altruism and egoism vary with their kinds of association. In turn, their conceptualizations mirror those developed by social scientists in the last two hundred years. Also, the issues of separation and integration, processes to do with identity, are central to the events of the Greek calendar year and the Blood Drive event in particular.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study the possible existence of day-of-the-week effects and month-of-the-year effects in the Singapore stock market over the period January 1st 1993 to December 31st 2011. The findings are analysed with the intention of developing investment strategies and to investigate if behavioural finance can help to explain the existence of seasonal anomalies.  Background: A number of previous studies have found evidence of seasonal anomalies in global stock markets, and by challenging the core assumptions of market efficiency, such anomalies may make it possible to predict the movement of stock prices at certain periods during the year. Consequently, there may be substantial profit-making opportunities that clever investors can benefit from, raising two important questions: (1) can such anomalies be strategically used to outperform the market and (2) why do such cyclical return patterns exist? Method: Daily closing prices from the Singapore Straits Times Index (STI) are used to compute average daily and monthly returns, which are further analysed through the use of statistical significance analysis and hypothesis testing to identify the possible existence of day-of-the-week effects and month-of-the-year effects in the Singapore stock market.  The results of the statistical investigation are used to develop investment strategies that are designed to take advantage of both positive and negative effects, and the theories of behavioural finance are applied to help explain why seasonalities occur at certain points in time. Conclusions: This study finds evidence of several seasonal anomalies in the Singapore stock market. Both day-of-the-week effects and month-of-the-year effects are present in the STI over the full sample period. Many of these effects can be explained by behavioural finance, and used to develop investment strategies that outperform the market.

<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if abnormal patterns concerning the rates of return during specific weekdays and months are observable for the companies in the OMXS30 during the period 2003-2010. A special focus will be put on the Monday effect anomaly.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Investors have a tendency to search for investment opportunities. If errors exist in the pricing of stocks it indicates that anomalies are present and that the stock market is inefficient. Investors then have the possibility to utilize the anomalies in order to receive above average returns.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This study is using data of stock prices from Nasdaq OMX in the period of 2003-2010. The strength and existence of the Swedish stock market efficiency is measured through autocorrelation-, chi-square- and regression tests.<strong> </strong>Average monthly stock returns are calculated on daily-, monthly-, and yearly basis. The returns are compared in order to examine if day-of-the-week and turn-of-the-year anomalies exist.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>No Monday effect is found in 2003-2010. However, positive Thursday- and positive Friday effects are detected. A negative turn-of-the-year effect as well as a positive April effect is found. The investment opportunities that could be utilized in 2003-2010 due to the specific anomalies in the period do not necessarily imply that the same anomalies can be expected on the OMXS30 in the future.</p>

This longitudinal study set out to improve the retention and achievements of diverse students on computing courses in one wide access university, firstly by early identification of students at risk of poor performance and secondly by developing and implementing an intervention programme. Qualitative data were obtained using the ASSIST questionnaire, by focus group discussions and an open-ended questionnaire on students’ experiences of the transition to higher education (HE). Quantitative data on student characteristics and module results were obtained from Registry. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 10. The study comprised two phases where phase one sought to enable the early detection of students at risk of poor performance by investigating the data set for patterns that may emerge between student achievement at Level 1 and entrance qualification, feeder institution, approaches to learning, conceptions of learning, course and teaching preferences and motivation. Phase one findings showed a trend of poorer performance by students who entered computing courses in HE with an AVCE entrance qualification. It was also shown that mature students scored more highly on the deep approach scale compared to their younger counterparts. Phase two investigated the data set for patterns that may emerge between student achievement at Level 2 and entrance qualification, approaches to learning, conceptions of learning and course and teaching preferences. Phase two, using action research, also sought to develop an intervention programme from the findings. This intervention programme was designed to improve aspects of information delivery to students; the personal tutor system, assessment régimes, Welcome Week, and teaching and learning. Piloting, evaluation and refinement of the intervention programme brought changes that were seen as positive by both staff and students. These changes included the Welcome Week Challenge which involved students in activities that sought to enhance students’ interactions with peers, personal tutors and the school and university facilities. These findings have shown that, for staff in wide access HE institutions, some knowledge of the previous educational experiences of their students, and the requirements of those students, are vital in providing a smooth transition to HE. A model of the characteristics of a successful student on computing courses in HE and a model for enhanced retention of diverse students on computing courses in HE were developed from the research findings. These models provide a significant contribution to current knowledge of those factors that enhance a smooth transition to HE and the characteristics of a successful student in a wide access university.

Este estudio es el resultado de un análisis de la Setmana de la Ciència (SC) – el primer evento masivo de divulgación científica en el Estado Español, en 1996 – y de la Semana Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (SNCT), centrada en la participación de Pernambuco (Estado de la Región Noreste de la República Federativa de Brasil). Este evento tiene lugar en el país sudamericano desde 2004. A partir de estudios cuantitativos y cualitativos buscamos verificar la validez del modelo de las semanas de la ciencia en ambos territorios así como apuntar sus virtudes y potencialidades. El presente trabajo académico pretende servir como una herramienta para la elaboración de políticas públicas de divulgación científica en diferentes contextos y priorizar la participación activa de la población en el proceso de construcción del conocimiento científico. En Catalunya y en Pernambuco fueron evaluadas más de 5.000 actividades bajo ocho parámetros útiles para la observación de las diferencias entre la realización de eventos similares en contextos socioeconómicos dispares. Además, puede dar soporte a políticas públicas en cualquier nivel sea local, regional o nacional. Este estudio puede ser aplicado a otros trabajos sobre la funcionalidad de las semanas de la ciencia en todo el mundo / This study is the result of an analysis of the Catalonian Science Week (SC from its abbreviation in Spanish) - first massive event of popular Science in the Spanish State, held since 1996 – as well as the participation of Pernambuco (Northeastern Brazilian state) in the National Science and Technology Week (SNCT). Based on quantitative and qualitative studies, the aim herein is to verify the application of Science Weeks in both territories and identify their strengths and potentials. This academic study aspires to be a public policy tool for the popularization of Science in different contexts and to prioritize active public participation in the construction of scientific knowledge. Both in Catalonia and Pernambuco over 5.000 activities were evaluated under eight parameters, useful in the observation of differences within the promotion of similar events in distinct socioeconomic contexts. Also, can support public policies at any level - local, regional or national. This study can be applied to other studies on the functionality of the science weeks around the world.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Edinburgh, 1999.