Does school breakfast benefit children's educational performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Fernald, L; Ani, C C; Grantham-mcgregor, S

1997-09-01

This article reviews several research studies on the impact of the lack of breakfast among students. Recent data reveal that about 20% of Nigerian children were wasted or had weight-for-height measurements under the 5th percentile of the US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standard. In Ghana, 41% of children were underweight or had a weight-for-age under -2 standard deviations of the NCHS standards. In Tanzania, about 34% of children were underweight. Many more students in Africa are attending school, but many are leaving primary school early or failing secondary school examinations. It is argued that poor nutritional status affects children's ability to learn. Research reveals several hypotheses about how breakfast affects children's cognition, behavior, and school performance. Children may not attend school at all due to the inability to purchase food to eat at school, or insufficient food resources at home to provide sufficient energy to walk long distances to school. In four studies, two in the USA and the others in Peru and Jamaica, findings reveal that when undernourished children missed breakfast, they performed worse in tests of cognition. Adequately nourished children's performance was unaffected by missing breakfast. A study in four Jamaican schools found that children had more creative ideas when they received a breakfast for 2 weeks than when they did not receive breakfast. Two Swedish studies found that children with a high-calorie breakfast improved in cognition compared to those receiving a low-calorie breakfast. One study found that children in well-equipped classrooms paid more attention in class after having breakfast. Children in overcrowded classes and poorly equipped schools were less likely to pay attention after breakfast. Long-term effects are less well studied, but findings clearly support the benefits of breakfast.

The Issues of Self-Funding Benefits for Texas Independent School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cryar, Virginia P.

This paper examines whether self-funding health benefit plans for employees are appropriate for Texas school districts. In a self-funding plan, the cost of benefits is funded directly by the employer without the protection of an insurance contract. Proponents of the self-funding plan argue that it: (1) controls costs and improves the cash flow;…

Aromatherapy benefits autonomic nervous system regulation for elementary school faculty in taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Kang-Ming; Shen, Chuh-Wei

2011-01-01

Workplace stress-related illness is a serious issue, and consequently many stress reduction methods have been investigated. Aromatherapy is especially for populations that work under high stress. Elementary school teachers are a high-stress working population in Taiwan. In this study, fifty-four elementary school teachers were recruited to evaluate aromatherapy performance on stress reduction. Bergamot essential oil was used for aromatherapy spray for 10 minutes. Blood pressure and autonomic nervous system parameters were recorded 5 minutes before and after the application of the aroma spray. Results showed that there were significant decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, LF power percentage, and LF/HF while there were increases in heart rate variability and HF power percentage (P gender variables) and anxiety degree groups. All parameters were significantly different for most subgroups, except for the substitute teachers and the light-anxiety group. Parasympathetic nervous system activation was measured after aromatherapy in this study. It encouraged further study for other stress working population by aromatherapy.

Chicopee, Mass. School District will Benefit from $200,000 EPA Rebate to Clean Up Emissions from School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

A school district in Chicopee., Mass. will benefit from $200,000 from the US EPA that will pay for rebates to retrofit the engines on 10 older school buses so they would emit fewer pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma & lung damage.

School/Business Partnerships: We Expanded the Idea into a Mutual-Benefit Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, S. L.

1987-01-01

Describes a "mutual benefit" arrangement that expanded the school-business partnership model. Westfall Secondary School and an industrial operation in Owen Sound Ontario, Canada, linked their strengths and needs to offer students actual work and project experiences and to give the company useful information, services, and adult basic…

Long-Run Benefits from Universal High-Quality Pre-Schooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauchmüller, Robert; Gørtz, Mette; Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz

of staff with a pedagogic education, and a higher share of teachers with non-Danish ethnic background lead to significant improvements in children’s test results in Danish at the end of the 9th grade. Boys benefit more from pre-school quality than girls. We address possible selectivity by using...

Evaluation of an Electronic Smart-Card Based School Absenteeism Surveillance System

OpenAIRE

So, HC; Lam, CK; Tam, YH; Cowling, BJ; Leung, GM; Lau, EHY; Ip, DKM

2014-01-01

We evaluated the performance of an electronic smart-card based school absenteeism surveillance system which was initiated in 2008 in Hong Kong. The result demonstrated the feasibility and potential benefit of employing electronic school absenteeism data as captured automatically by a smart card system as an alternative data stream for monitoring influenza activities, and flexibility in establishing surveillance for emerging diseases. The increasing popularity of usage of smart card technology...

Aromatherapy Benefits Autonomic Nervous System Regulation for Elementary School Faculty in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Kang-Ming; Shen, Chuh-Wei

2011-01-01

Workplace stress-related illness is a serious issue, and consequently many stress reduction methods have been investigated. Aromatherapy is especially for populations that work under high stress. Elementary school teachers are a high-stress working population in Taiwan. In this study, fifty-four elementary school teachers were recruited to evaluate aromatherapy performance on stress reduction. Bergamot essential oil was used for aromatherapy spray for 10 minutes. Blood pressure and autonomic nervous system parameters were recorded 5 minutes before and after the application of the aroma spray. Results showed that there were significant decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, LF power percentage, and LF/HF while there were increases in heart rate variability and HF power percentage (P aromatherapy spray. Further analysis was investigated by dividing subjects into three background variables (position variables, age variables, gender variables) and anxiety degree groups. All parameters were significantly different for most subgroups, except for the substitute teachers and the light-anxiety group. Parasympathetic nervous system activation was measured after aromatherapy in this study. It encouraged further study for other stress working population by aromatherapy. PMID:21584196

Communicating the Benefits of a Full Sequence of High School Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Catherine Marie

2014-01-01

High school students are generally uninformed about the benefits of enrolling in a full sequence of science courses, therefore only about a third of our nation's high school graduates have completed the science sequence of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The lack of students completing a full sequence of science courses contributes to the deficit…

Psychosocial and Physical Benefits of Exercise Among Rural Secondary School Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ntwanano Alliance Kubayi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits of physical exercise among secondary school students. Participants in the study were 251 students (120 boys and 131 girls attending three public secondary schools in the Hlanganani rural area of South Africa. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data. Results of this study indicated that students exercised to be with their friends, to be physically attractive and compete with others. The findings of this study have practical implications for promoting participation in physical activity among students in rural schools. In an effort to promote physical activity participation, schools should be provided with quality sports infrastructure and funding so that they can implement school sport programmes. Finally, the teaching of physical education should be emphasised in schools as it is the cornerstone for children’s involvement in physical activity.

The potential role of benefit and burden finding in school engagement of young leukaemia survivors: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tougas, A-M; Jutras, S; Bigras, M; Tourigny, M

2016-01-01

Childhood cancer may radically change the daily lives of young survivors, particularly in school. Depending on the sense they derive from the experience of illness, survivors may go through profound transformations in the way they approach life. This exploratory study reports on school engagement of cancer survivors by examining their perceptions of benefits and burdens in relation to their illness. Forty-nine young Quebecers, previously diagnosed and treated for leukaemia, completed a questionnaire measuring their school engagement and participated in an interview focusing on the impact of cancer on their lives. Perceptions with regard to the presence and types of benefits and burdens were described and examined in light of participants' characteristics. An analysis of variance explored whether the presence/absence of benefits and burdens were associated with participants' scores regarding school engagement. Most participants mentioned benefits from having had cancer, and in particular benefits at an interpersonal level. Half of the participants mentioned burdens, mainly of a physical and psychological nature. Significant correlations indicated that (i) the older the survivors were, the more likely they were to report benefits in terms of qualities and strengths of character; (ii) the more time had elapsed since their diagnosis, the more survivors were likely to report psychological types of burdens; and (iii) children from single-parent families reported more frequently having appreciated social or recreational activities compared with children from two-parent families. One main effect indicated that school engagement was greater for survivors who perceived the presence of benefits. An interaction effect revealed that the perception of both benefits and burdens predicts the highest scores of school engagement. While the results reveal the promising potential that an optimistic yet realistic disposition has in regard to school engagement, more research is

Aromatherapy Benefits Autonomic Nervous System Regulation for Elementary School Faculty in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang-Ming Chang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Workplace stress-related illness is a serious issue, and consequently many stress reduction methods have been investigated. Aromatherapy is especially for populations that work under high stress. Elementary school teachers are a high-stress working population in Taiwan. In this study, fifty-four elementary school teachers were recruited to evaluate aromatherapy performance on stress reduction. Bergamot essential oil was used for aromatherapy spray for 10 minutes. Blood pressure and autonomic nervous system parameters were recorded 5 minutes before and after the application of the aroma spray. Results showed that there were significant decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, LF power percentage, and LF/HF while there were increases in heart rate variability and HF power percentage (P<.001∗∗∗ after application of the aromatherapy spray. Further analysis was investigated by dividing subjects into three background variables (position variables, age variables, gender variables and anxiety degree groups. All parameters were significantly different for most subgroups, except for the substitute teachers and the light-anxiety group. Parasympathetic nervous system activation was measured after aromatherapy in this study. It encouraged further study for other stress working population by aromatherapy.

CRM system benefits : A case study of banking sector

OpenAIRE

Murrawat, Adnan; Nasershariati, Foroozan

2011-01-01

Seminar Date: 05-11-2011 Level: Master Thesis in Information Technology Management,   15ECTS Institution: School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Malardalen University Authors: Adnan Murrawat Khan [amt1001]         Foroozan Nasershariati [fni10002]                                              Title: CRM system benefits, a case study of banking sector Supervisor: Dr Ole Liljefors Problem statement: Customer relationship management (CRM) systems have been adopted to have b...

Benefits realisation in maternity information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Betts, H J; Gunn-Russell, R

1997-01-01

This paper describes the compilation of a monograph on benefits realisation of maternity information systems from maternity services around England and Wales. It was compiled to compliment a monograph produced in June 1995 on Nursing Information Systems. The paper summarises the structure of the monograph and outlines the concept of benefits realisation. The examples featured in the monograph are not "true" benefits realisation studies and many of the accounts are anecdotal in nature. However, the paper suggests that midwives do benefit from using a maternity information system particularly in the areas of auditing practice, effortless retrieval of statistics, less duplication of data entry, summaries of care and research purposes. Managers also benefit from some of these functions and those relating to estimating workload and allocation of resources. It is suggested that any benefits for staff and management should also benefit clients and improve the provision of the maternity services.

Sustainability Reporting at Schools: Challenges and Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Carbach, Eva; Fischer, Daniel

2017-01-01

Despite advances made there is still an implementation gap with regard to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal educational systems at the school level. The present paper focuses on sustainability reporting as a recently emerging practice in the school sector. It presents the approach and findings of an exploratory interview study…

Farmers’ perception of stable schools as a tool to improve management for the benefit of mink welfare

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Britt I. F.; Anneberg, Inger; Sørensen, Jan Tind

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore farmers' perception of stable schools as a tool to improve management for the benefit of mink welfare. Stable schools are knowledge exchange between farmers working towards a common goal, being able to give practical advice to each other. The concept is based......, and that motivation for working towards a common goal is very important for the process of common learning among the farmers. The uniform production system at mink farms gives special challenges in how to work with the different subjects to ensure farmer ownership of the process. The farmers did not see the seasonal...

Development of cost-benefit analysis system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiba, Tsuyoshi; Mishima, Tetsuya; Yuyama, Tomonori; Suzuki, Atsushi

2001-01-01

In order to promote the FDR development, it is necessary to see various benefits brought by introduction of FBR from multiple perspectives and have a good grasp of such benefits quantitatively and an adequate R and D investment scale which corresponds with them. In this study, the structured prototype in the previous study was improved to be able to perform cost-benefit analysis. An example of improvement made in the system is addition of subroutine used for comparison between new energy and benefits brought by introduction of FBR with special emphasis on addition of logic for analyzing externality about the new energy. Other improvement examples are modification of the Conventional Year Expense Ratio method of power generation cost to Average Durable Year Cost method, addition of database function and turning input data into database, and reviewing idea on cost by the type of waste material and price of uranium. The cost-benefit analysis system was also restructured utilizing Microsoft ACCESS so that it should have a data base function. As the result of the improvement mentioned above, we expect that the improved cost-benefit analysis system will have higher generality than the system before; therefore, great deal of benefits brought by application of the system in the future is expected. (author)

Filtration effectiveness of HVAC systems at near-roadway schools.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, M C; Ludwig, J F; Brown, S G; Vaughn, D L; Roberts, P T

2013-06-01

Concern for the exposure of children attending schools located near busy roadways to toxic, traffic-related air pollutants has raised questions regarding the environmental benefits of advanced heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) filtration systems for near-road pollution. Levels of black carbon and gaseous pollutants were measured at three indoor classroom sites and at seven outdoor monitoring sites at Las Vegas schools. Initial HVAC filtration systems effected a 31-66% reduction in black carbon particle concentrations inside three schools compared with ambient air concentrations. After improved filtration systems were installed, black carbon particle concentrations were reduced by 74-97% inside three classrooms relative to ambient air concentrations. Average black carbon particle concentrations inside the schools with improved filtration systems were lower than typical ambient Las Vegas concentrations by 49-96%. Gaseous pollutants were higher indoors than outdoors. The higher indoor concentrations most likely originated at least partially from indoor sources, which were not targeted as part of this intervention. Recent literature has demonstrated adverse health effects in subjects exposed to ambient air near major roadways. Current smart growth planning and infill development often require that buildings such as schools are built near major roadways. Improving the filtration systems of a school's HVAC system was shown to decrease children's exposure to near-roadway diesel particulate matter. However, reducing exposure to the gas-phase air toxics, which primarily originated from indoor sources, may require multiple filter passes on recirculated air. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Proposed plan for public benefit programs funded by System Benefits Charge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

As the electric industry in New York State moves through deregulation toward retail competition, it will be important to ensure the vital public benefit programs of energy efficiency, research and development, low income services, and environmental protection. The Public Service Commission's (PSC) Opinion No. 98-3, effective January 30, 1998, established a system for funding such programs with a non-passable System Benefits Charge (SBC) and designated the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as the administrator of the statewide SBC-funded public benefit programs

General Education Default and Student Benefit in Inclusive Learning Environments: An Analysis for School Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Menard, Lauren A.

2011-01-01

A contextual analysis of the general education default and student benefit is presented from the perspective of school-based compliance with federal mandates from IDEIA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act] of 2004. A goal was to inform school administrators striving to develop and maintain effective, inclusive learning…

An Excel Spreadsheet Model for States and Districts to Assess the Cost-Benefit of School Nursing Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li Yan; O'Brien, Mary Jane; Maughan, Erin D

2016-11-01

This paper describes a user-friendly, Excel spreadsheet model and two data collection instruments constructed by the authors to help states and districts perform cost-benefit analyses of school nursing services delivered by full-time school nurses. Prior to applying the model, states or districts need to collect data using two forms: "Daily Nurse Data Collection Form" and the "Teacher Survey." The former is used to record daily nursing activities, including number of student health encounters, number of medications administered, number of student early dismissals, and number of medical procedures performed. The latter is used to obtain estimates for the time teachers spend addressing student health issues. Once inputs are entered in the model, outputs are automatically calculated, including program costs, total benefits, net benefits, and benefit-cost ratio. The spreadsheet model, data collection tools, and instructions are available at the NASN website ( http://www.nasn.org/The/CostBenefitAnalysis ).

"Did You Enjoy Your Holiday?" Can Residential Outdoor Learning Benefit Mainstream Schooling?

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, Beth; Higgins, Peter; McLaughlin, Pat

2014-01-01

In the United Kingdom there is a long tradition of residential outdoor learning provision, but to date there is limited research evidence for the direct educational benefits of such experiences, and to both critics and supporters the distinction between such visits and "holidays in school time" is not always apparent. This paper…

The process of implementing an ISO 9001 quality management system in a school of nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lett, M

2000-01-01

This paper documents the process undertaken during the establishment of an ISO 9000 series quality management system by a School of Nursing. Further discussion centres around the reasons why an ISO quality management system was implemented, the lessons learnt during the process and the benefits that accreditation has brought to the School of Nursing. The lessons learnt during the process could be of help to other organisations wishing to achieve a similar accreditation status.

Advanced public transportation systems benefits

Science.gov (United States)

1996-03-01

Benefits and cost savings for various Advanced Public Transportation Systems are outlined here. Operational efficiencies are given for Transit Management Systems in different locales, as well as compliant resolution and safety. Electronic Fare Paymen...

Do comprehensive schools reduce social mobility?

Science.gov (United States)

Boliver, Vikki; Swift, Adam

2011-03-01

This paper investigates the claim that the shift from a selective to a comprehensive school system had a deleterious effect on social mobility in Great Britain. Using data from the National Child Development Study, we compare the chances, for both class and income mobility, of those who attended different kinds of school. Where media attention focuses exclusively on the chances for upward mobility of those children from lowly origins who were (or would have been) judged worthy of selection into a grammar school, we offer more rounded analyses. We match respondents in a way that helps us to distinguish those inequalities in mobility chances that are due to differences between children from those due to differences between the schools they attended; we look at the effects of the school system on the mobility chances of all children, not merely those from less advantaged origins; and we compare comprehensive- and selective-system schools, not merely comprehensive and grammar schools. After matching, we find, first, that going to a grammar school rather than a comprehensive does not make low-origin children more likely to be upwardly mobile but it helps them move further if they are; second, that grammar schools do not benefit working-class children, in terms of class mobility, more than they benefit service-class children, but, in terms of income mobility, such schools benefit low-income children somewhat more than they benefit higher-income children - that benefit relating only to rather modest and limited movements within the income distribution. Finally, however, the selective system as a whole yields no mobility advantage of any kind to children from any particular origins: any assistance to low-origin children provided by grammar schools is cancelled out by the hindrance suffered by those who attended secondary moderns. Overall, our findings suggest that comprehensive schools were as good for mobility as the selective schools they replaced. © London School of

Cost/benefit analyses of reactor safety systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The study presents a methodology for quantitative assessment of the benefit yielded by the various engineered safety systems of a nuclear reactor containment from the standpoint of their capacity to protect the environment compared to their construction costs. The benefit is derived from an estimate of the possible damage from which the environment is protected, taking account of the probabilities of occurrence of malfunctions and accidents. For demonstration purposes, the methodology was applied to a 1 300-MWe PWR nuclear power station. The accident sequence considered was that of a major loss-of-coolant accident as investigated in detail in the German risk study. After determination of the benefits and cost/benefit ratio for the power plant and the containment systems as designed, the performance characteristics of three subsystems, the leakoff system, annulus exhaust air handling system and spray system, were varied. For this purpose, the parameters which describe these systems in the activity release programme were altered. The costs were simultaneously altered in order to take account of the performance divergences. By varying the performance of the individual sub-systems an optimization in design of these systems can be arrived at

Communicating the Benefits of a Full Sequence of High School Science Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Catherine Marie

High school students are generally uninformed about the benefits of enrolling in a full sequence of science courses, therefore only about a third of our nation's high school graduates have completed the science sequence of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The lack of students completing a full sequence of science courses contributes to the deficit in the STEM degree production rate needed to fill the demand of the current job market and remain competitive as a nation. The purpose of the study was to make a difference in the number of students who have access to information about the benefits of completing a full sequence of science courses. This dissertation study employed qualitative research methodology to gain a broad perspective of staff through a questionnaire and document review and then a deeper understanding through semi-structured interview protocol. The data revealed that a universal sequence of science courses in the high school district did not exist. It also showed that not all students had access to all science courses; students were sorted and tracked according to prerequisites that did not necessarily match the skill set needed for the courses. In addition, the study showed a desire for more support and direction from the district office. It was also apparent that there was a disconnect that existed between who staff members believed should enroll in a full sequence of science courses and who actually enrolled. Finally, communication about science was shown to occur mainly through counseling and peers. A common science sequence, detracking of science courses, increased communication about the postsecondary and academic benefits of a science education, increased district direction and realistic mathematics alignment were all discussed as solutions to the problem.

The Administrative Impact of Computers on the British Columbia Public School System.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbens, Trevor P.

This case study analyzes and evaluates the administrative computer systems in the British Columbia public school organization in order to investigate the costs and benefits of computers, their impact on managerial work, their influence on centralization in organizations, and the relationship between organizational objectives and the design of…

Cost benefit analysis of reactor safety systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maurer, H.A.

1984-01-01

Cost/benefit analysis of reactor safety systems is a possibility appropriate to deal with reactor safety. The Commission of the European Communities supported a study on the cost-benefit or cost effectiveness of safety systems installed in modern PWR nuclear power plants. The following systems and their cooperation in emergency cases were in particular investigated in this study: the containment system (double containment), the leakage exhaust and control system, the annulus release exhaust system and the containment spray system. The benefit of a safety system is defined according to its contribution to the reduction of the radiological consequences for the environment after a LOCA. The analysis is so far performed in two different steps: the emergency core cooling system is considered to function properly, failure of the emergency core cooling system is assumed (with the possible consequence of core melt-down) and the results may demonstrate the evidence that striving for cost-effectiveness can produce a safer end result than the philosophy of safety at any cost. (orig.)

The development of a public optometry system in Mozambique: a Cost Benefit Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Stephen; Naidoo, Kovin; Harris, Geoff; Bilotto, Luigi; Ferrão, Jorge; Loughman, James

2014-09-23

The economic burden of uncorrected refractive error (URE) is thought to be high in Mozambique, largely as a consequence of the lack of resources and systems to tackle this largely avoidable problem. The Mozambique Eyecare Project (MEP) has established the first optometry training and human resource deployment initiative to address the burden of URE in Lusophone Africa. The nature of the MEP programme provides the opportunity to determine, using Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), whether investing in the establishment and delivery of a comprehensive system for optometry human resource development and public sector deployment is economically justifiable for Lusophone Africa. A CBA methodology was applied across the period 2009-2049. Costs associated with establishing and operating a school of optometry, and a programme to address uncorrected refractive error, were included. Benefits were calculated using a human capital approach to valuing sight. Disability weightings from the Global Burden of Disease study were applied. Costs were subtracted from benefits to provide the net societal benefit, which was discounted to provide the net present value using a 3% discount rate. Using the most recently published disability weightings, the potential exists, through the correction of URE in 24.3 million potentially economically productive persons, to achieve a net present value societal benefit of up to $1.1 billion by 2049, at a Benefit-Cost ratio of 14:1. When CBA assumptions are varied as part of the sensitivity analysis, the results suggest the societal benefit could lie in the range of $649 million to $9.6 billion by 2049. This study demonstrates that a programme designed to address the burden of refractive error in Mozambique is economically justifiable in terms of the increased productivity that would result due to its implementation.

The Educational Benefits Claimed for Physical Education and School Sport: An Academic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Richard; Armour, Kathleen; Kirk, David; Jess, Mike; Pickup, Ian; Sandford, Rachel

2009-01-01

This academic review critically examines the theoretical and empirical bases of claims made for the educational benefits of physical education and school sport (PESS). An historical overview of the development of PESS points to the origins of claims made in four broad domains: physical, social, affective and cognitive. Analysis of the evidence…

Benefits and Challenges of Technology in High Schools: A Voice from Educational Leaders with a Freire Echo

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Jane P.; Wiebe, Sean; Gabriel, Martha; McAuley, Alexander; Campbell, Barbara; MacDonald, Ron

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to document the perceptions of school leaders pertaining to the benefits and challenges of technology in high schools located on Prince Edward Island (PEI) (Canada). For this qualitative study, we interviewed 11 educational leaders representing the PEI Department of Education, principals, vice-principals, and…

PBL in the Era of Reform Standards: Challenges and Benefits Perceived by Teachers in One Elementary School

Science.gov (United States)

Nariman, Nahid; Chrispeels, Janet

2016-01-01

We explore teachers' efforts to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in an elementary school serving predominantly English learners. Teachers had an opportunity to implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) using PBL in a summer school setting with no test-pressures. To understand the challenges and benefits of PBL implementation, a…

Learning for Self-regulation: Improving Instructional Benefits for Pupils, Teachers, Parents, Schools, and Society At Large

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mooij, Ton

2008-01-01

Mooij, T. (2007). Learning for Self-regulation: Improving Instructional Benefits for Pupils, Teachers, Parents, Schools, and Society At Large. Inaugural address, Open University of the Netherlands, The Netherlands.

Mini-med school for Aboriginal youth: experiential science outreach to tackle systemic barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita I. Henderson

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Addressing systemic barriers experienced by low-income and minority students to accessing medical school, the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine has spearheaded a year-round, mini-med school outreach initiative for Aboriginal students. Method: Junior and senior high school youth generally attend the half-day program in classes or camps of 15–25, breaking into small groups for multisession activities. Undergraduate medical education students mentor the youth in stations offering experiential lessons in physical examination, reading x-rays, and anatomy. All resources from the medical school are offered in-kind, including a pizza lunch at midday, whereas community partners organize transportation for the attendees. Results: Opening the medical school and its resources to the community offers great benefits to resource-constrained schools often limited in terms of science education resources. The model is also an effort to address challenges among the medical professions around attracting and retaining students from underserved populations. Conclusion: The prospect of increasing admission rates and successful completion of medical education among students from marginalized communities poses a real, though difficult-to-measure, possibility of increasing the workforce most likely to return to and work in such challenging contexts. A mini-medical school for Aboriginal youth highlights mutual, long-term benefit for diverse partners, encouraging medical educators and community-based science educators to explore the possibilities for deepening partnerships in their own regions.

A Framework for Identifying and Understanding Enterprise Systems Benefits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schubert, Petra; Williams, Susan P.

2011-01-01

Purpose – Identifying the benefits arising from implementations of enterprise systems and realizing business value remains a significant challenge for both research and industry. This paper aims to consolidate previous work. It presents a framework for investigating enterprise systems benefits...... into aspects and criteria plus an attributed appraisal value. The resulting scheme for the “three-level benefit codes” provides a greater level of detail about the nature of expected and realized benefits. Practical implications – The high level of detail and the code scheme comprising 60 different codes...... and the method for deriving the codes allows companies to identify and define benefits as well as to assess the outcome of enterprise systems implementation projects. Originality/value – The paper empirically develops an applicable benefits framework, which addresses the lack of detail of previous frameworks....

Cost/benefit comparison of thermal solar energy systems in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suter, J.M.

1991-10-01

A comparison is made between thermal solar energy systems of different size for five different applications in the three main climatic zones in Switzerland. Conventional ways of energy conservation are also included in the comparison. A cost/benefit ratio is calculated for each system. The investment is used as a cost indicator whereas the useful solar heat or the conventional energy saving is chosen as benefit. It is shown that the most systems sold today in Switzerland - combined hot water and space heating systems for single family houses - have the poorest cost/benefit ratio among all systems considered in the analysis. Four applications with more favourable cost/benefit ratio are identified. Large systems have generally a better cost/benefit ratio than smaller ones, although the total investment is higher. Photovoltaics is even less favourable than all thermal systems considered. The large scale penetration of technologies with good cost/benefit ratio lies in the public interest. Supporting activities should consider the priority set by the cost/benefit ratio. (author) 1 fig., 14 refs

Perceived Sexual Benefits of Alcohol Use among Recent High School Graduates: Longitudinal Associations with Drinking Behavior and Consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Sonya S.; Wilkerson, J. Michael; Jones-Webb, Rhonda

2012-01-01

In this research study of 153 college-bound students, perceived sexual benefits of alcohol use were associated with greater drinking and related consequences during the senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Perceived benefits predicted drinking outcomes during fall after adjustment for gender, sensation seeking, parental…

Investigating benefits realisation process for enterprise resource planning systems

OpenAIRE

Badewi, Amgad

2016-01-01

This research aims to investigate the benefit realisation process for ERP systems so as to develop a benefit realization road map whereby organisations can realize the maximum potential of their ERP systems. This research covers two areas: mechanism of implementation and the destination to change (i.e. road map). It has been found that project management and benefits management approaches are necessary for recouping benefits from investing in Information Technologies (IT) pr...

Predicting the life-time benefit of school-based smoking prevention programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jit, Mark; Aveyard, Paul; Barton, Pelham; Meads, Catherine A

2010-06-01

School-based smoking prevention programmes may delay the age of smoking initiation, but do not appear to achieve lasting reductions in smoking prevalence beyond school-leaving age. We explored whether delaying the age at which someone initiates smoking may have life-time benefits by increasing the likelihood of quitting in later life. Data from the General Household Survey of Great Britain were used in a logistic regression model to examine the association between age at which someone initiates regular smoking and the probability that the person will quit smoking later in life. The effect of confounding variables (sex, ethnicity, socio-economic class, education and geographical location) was taken into account. The predicted relationship was used in a cohort model to estimate the life-time reduction in smoking prevalence and all-cause mortality of a school-based smoking prevention programme. Age of regular smoking initiation was associated strongly with the probability of quitting later in life (coefficient -0.103, P < 0.001). The strength of the association was slightly reduced but still significant when confounding variables were included (coefficient -0.075, P < 0.001). An intervention that delays smoking initiation without decreasing smoking prevalence at age 18 may reduce adult smoking prevalence by 0.13-0.32% (depending on age) and all-cause mortality by 0.09% over the life-time of the sample. School-based smoking prevention programmes have potential for a beneficial effect over the life-time of the participants even if they have no apparent effect at school-leaving age.

Benefit analysis of proposed information systems

OpenAIRE

Besore, Mark H.

1991-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis reviewed two different approaches to benefit analysis, benefit comparison and user satisfaction, that could be applied to the evaluation of proposed information systems which are under consideration for acquisition by the federal government. Currently the General Services Administration only recommends that present value analysis methods be used in the analysis of alternatives even though the GSA specifies...

The Psychosocial Benefits of Oral Storytelling in School: Developing Identity and Empathy through Narrative

Science.gov (United States)

Hibbin, Rebecca

2016-01-01

The oral re-telling of traditional tales, modelled by a storyteller and taught to children in school, can be understood as 'non-instrumental' practice in speaking and listening that emphasises oral language over the reading and writing of stories. While oral storytelling has significant benefits to children's education and development, it is…

Observed benefits from product configuration systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvam, Lars; Haug, Anders; Mortensen, Niels Henrik

2013-01-01

This article presents a study of the benefits obtained from applying product configuration systems based on a case study in four industry companies. The impacts are described according to main objectives in literature for imple-menting product configuration systems: lead time in the specification...... affected by the use of product configu-ration systems e.g. increased sales, decrease in the number of SKU's, improved ability to introduce new products, and cost reductions.......This article presents a study of the benefits obtained from applying product configuration systems based on a case study in four industry companies. The impacts are described according to main objectives in literature for imple-menting product configuration systems: lead time in the specification...... processes, on-time delivery of the specifica-tions, and resource consumption for making specifications, quality of specifications, optimization of products and services, and other observations. The purpose of the study is partly to identify specific impacts observed from implementing product configuration...

e-Leadership of School Principals: Increasing School Effectiveness by a School Data Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Blau, Ina; Presser, Ofer

2013-01-01

In recent years, school management systems have become an important tool for effective e-leadership and data-based decision making. School management systems emphasize information flow and e-communication between teachers, students and parents. This study examines e-leadership by secondary-school principals through the Mashov school management…

Costs and benefits with public and investor-owned electric systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bronner, K.M.

1990-01-01

This article discusses the analysis of the costs and benefits associated with public ownership of major utility projects and systems as opposed to private ownership. The topics discussed include the alleged benefits of public power systems, principles of cost benefit analysis, tax-exempt debt, state and local taxes and federal income taxes, benefit of 100 percent debt financing

Exploring the Use of Audience Response Systems in Secondary School Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Robin; Knaack, Liesel

2009-10-01

An audience response systems (ARS) allows students to respond to multiple choice questions using remote control devices. Once the feedback is collected and displayed, the teacher and students discuss misconceptions and difficulties experienced. ARSs have been extremely popular and effective in higher education science classrooms, although almost no research has been done at the secondary school level. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed formative analysis of the benefits, challenges, and use of ARSs from the perspective of 213 secondary school science students. Perceived benefits were increased student involvement (engagement, participation, and attention) and effective formative assessment of student understanding. Perceived challenges included decreased student involvement and learning when ARSs were used for summative assessment, occasional technological malfunctions, resistance to using a new method of learning, and increased stress due to time constraints when responding to questions. Finally, students rated the use of ARSs significantly higher when it was used for formative as opposed to summative assessment.

Budgeting for School Media Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Drott, M. Carl

1978-01-01

Describes various forms of budgets and discusses concepts in budgeting useful to supervisors of school media centers: line item budgets, capital budgets, creating budgets, the budget calendar, innovations, PPBS (Planning, Programing, Budgeting System), zero-based budgeting, cost-benefit analysis, benefits, benefit guidelines, and budgeting for the…

The School Advanced Ventilation Engineering Software (SAVES)

Science.gov (United States)

The School Advanced Ventilation Engineering Software (SAVES) package is a tool to help school designers assess the potential financial payback and indoor humidity control benefits of Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) systems for school applications.

The Benefits of High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) for Youth With Learning Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Mary M; Newman, Lynn A; Javitz, Harold S

2016-11-01

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), this study examines the career and technical education (CTE) course taking of high school students with learning disabilities (LD) in the context of the national movement toward higher standards for determining whether students leave high school "college and career ready." Descriptive analyses document the extent of general education CTE course taking overall by students with LD and their engagement in a concentrated program of occupationally specific general education CTE, a level of course taking early research has linked to improved post-high school employment outcomes. Propensity score modeling was used to determine whether either type of CTE course taking is related to higher odds of full-time employment after high school and whether results differ with the length of time youth were out of high school. Results show no benefits of CTE course taking overall, but demonstrate a significant positive effect for participating in a concentration of occupationally specific CTE in the first 2 post-high school years; effects are nonsignificant for later years. The implications for high school programming and transition planning for students with LD are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2015.

Do school-level factors influence the educational benefits of digital technology? a critical analysis of teachers’ perceptions

OpenAIRE

Perrotta, C

2013-01-01

The supposed benefits of teachers’ use of information and communications technology(digital technology) are well reported throughout the academic literature—most ofteninvolving issues of enhanced learning outcomes, increased pupil engagement and moreefficient management and organisation of learning. This paper uses survey data from683 teachers in 24 secondary schools across the UK to analyse the factors influencinghow these benefits are being experienced. In particular, the paper explores the...

Benefit Analysis of Emergency Standby System Promoted to Cogeneration System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shyi-Wen Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Benefit analysis of emergency standby system combined with absorption chiller promoted to cogeneration system is introduced. Economic evaluations of such upgraded projects play a major part in the decisions made by investors. Time-of-use rate structure, fuel cost and system constraints are taken into account in the evaluation. Therefore, the problem is formulated as a mixed-integer programming problem. Using two-stage methodology and modified mixed-integer programming technique, a novel algorithm is developed and introduced here to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. The net present value (NPV method is used to evaluate the annual benefits and years of payback for the cogeneration system. The results indicate that upgrading standby generators to cogeneration systems is profitable and should be encouraged, especially for those utilities with insufficient spinning reserves, and moreover, for those having difficulty constructing new power plants.

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF ERP SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo André da Conceição Menezes

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning systems have been consolidated in companies with different sizes and sectors, allowing their real benefits to be definitively evaluated. In this study, several interactions have been studied in different phases, such as the strategic priorities and strategic planning defined as ERP Strategy; business processes review and the ERP selection in the pre-implementation phase, the project management and ERP adaptation in the implementation phase, as well as the ERP revision and integration efforts in the post-implementation phase. Through rigorous use of case study methodology, this research led to developing and to testing a framework for maximizing the benefits of the ERP systems, and seeks to contribute for the generation of ERP initiatives to optimize their performance.

Making an Impact Statewide to Benefit 21st-Century School Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, Kimberly Kappler; Mullen, Carol A.; Davis, Ann W.; Lashley, Carl

2012-01-01

How can institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and departments of education partner to build capacity for 21st-Century school leadership? The model (IMPACT V) we describe utilizes a systems-wide partnership approach to cultivate shared leadership within influenced middle and high schools statewide to leverage technology as a…

Cost Benefit and Alternatives Analysis of Distribution Systems with Energy Storage Systems: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, Tom; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Baggu, Murali; Bialek, Tom

2017-06-27

This paper explores monetized and non-monetized benefits from storage interconnected to distribution system through use cases illustrating potential applications for energy storage in California's electric utility system. This work supports SDG&E in its efforts to quantify, summarize, and compare the cost and benefit streams related to implementation and operation of energy storage on its distribution feeders. This effort develops the cost benefit and alternatives analysis platform, integrated with QSTS feeder simulation capability, and analyzed use cases to explore the cost-benefit of implementation and operation of energy storage for feeder support and market participation.

Do recommender systems benefit users? a modeling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Chi Ho

2016-04-01

Recommender systems are present in many web applications to guide purchase choices. They increase sales and benefit sellers, but whether they benefit customers by providing relevant products remains less explored. While in many cases the recommended products are relevant to users, in other cases customers may be tempted to purchase the products only because they are recommended. Here we introduce a model to examine the benefit of recommender systems for users, and find that recommendations from the system can be equivalent to random draws if one always follows the recommendations and seldom purchases according to his or her own preference. Nevertheless, with sufficient information about user preferences, recommendations become accurate and an abrupt transition to this accurate regime is observed for some of the studied algorithms. On the other hand, we find that high estimated accuracy indicated by common accuracy metrics is not necessarily equivalent to high real accuracy in matching users with products. This disagreement between estimated and real accuracy serves as an alarm for operators and researchers who evaluate recommender systems merely with accuracy metrics. We tested our model with a real dataset and observed similar behaviors. Finally, a recommendation approach with improved accuracy is suggested. These results imply that recommender systems can benefit users, but the more frequently a user purchases the recommended products, the less relevant the recommended products are in matching user taste.

Standing Up for Learning: A Pilot Investigation on the Neurocognitive Benefits of Stand-Biased School Desks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranjana K. Mehta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Standing desks have proven to be effective and viable solutions to combat sedentary behavior among children during the school day in studies around the world. However, little is known regarding the potential of such interventions on cognitive outcomes in children over time. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the neurocognitive benefits, i.e., improvements in executive functioning and working memory, of stand-biased desks and explore any associated changes in frontal brain function. 34 freshman high school students were recruited for neurocognitive testing at two time points during the school year: (1 in the fall semester and (2 in the spring semester (after 27.57 (1.63 weeks of continued exposure. Executive function and working memory was evaluated using a computerized neurocognitive test battery, and brain activation patterns of the prefrontal cortex were obtained using functional near infrared spectroscopy. Continued utilization of the stand-biased desks was associated with significant improvements in executive function and working memory capabilities. Changes in corresponding brain activation patterns were also observed. These findings provide the first preliminary evidence on the neurocognitive benefits of standing desks, which to date have focused largely on energy expenditure. Findings obtained here can drive future research with larger samples and multiple schools, with comparison groups that may in turn implicate the importance of stand-biased desks, as simple environmental changes in classrooms, on enhancing children’s cognitive functioning that drive their cognitive development and impact educational outcomes.

Implementation of Local Wellness Policies in Schools: Role of School Systems, School Health Councils, and Health Disparities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hager, Erin R; Rubio, Diana S; Eidel, G Stewart; Penniston, Erin S; Lopes, Megan; Saksvig, Brit I; Fox, Renee E; Black, Maureen M

2016-10-01

Written local wellness policies (LWPs) are mandated in school systems to enhance opportunities for healthy eating/activity. LWP effectiveness relies on school-level implementation. We examined factors associated with school-level LWP implementation. Hypothesized associations included system support for school-level implementation and having a school-level wellness team/school health council (SHC), with stronger associations among schools without disparity enrollment (majority African-American/Hispanic or low-income students). Online surveys were administered: 24 systems (support), 1349 schools (LWP implementation, perceived system support, SHC). The state provided school demographics. Analyses included multilevel multinomial logistic regression. Response rates were 100% (systems)/55.2% (schools). Among schools, 44.0% had SHCs, 22.6% majority (≥75%) African-American/Hispanic students, and 25.5% majority (≥75%) low-income (receiving free/reduced-price meals). LWP implementation (17-items) categorized as none = 36.3%, low (1-5 items) = 36.3%, high (6+ items) = 27.4%. In adjusted models, greater likelihood of LWP implementation was observed among schools with perceived system support (high versus none relative risk ratio, RRR = 1.63, CI: 1.49, 1.78; low versus none RRR = 1.26, CI: 1.18, 1.36) and SHCs (high versus none RRR = 6.8, CI: 4.07, 11.37; low versus none RRR = 2.24, CI: 1.48, 3.39). Disparity enrollment did not moderate associations (p > .05). Schools with perceived system support and SHCs had greater likelihood of LWP implementation, with no moderating effect of disparity enrollment. SHCs/support may overcome LWP implementation obstacles related to disparities. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Employee benefits in terms of accounting and taxation system

OpenAIRE

ŠÍMA, Pavel

2017-01-01

The theme of this bachelor thesis is Employee benefits in terms of accounting and taxation system. Some companies also include non-monetary bonuses as a way of rewarding their employees. Employee benefits substantially affect satisfaction, loyalty and motivation of all employees. The popularity of employee benefits is also supported by the effort of the companies to optimise taxes, which is the outcome of employee benefits. The main goal was to characterise employee benefits and to explain it...

Garden roof in the southwest for environmental benefits : the School of Public Health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaack, K.A. [Roof Consultants Inst., Raleigh, NC (United States). Green Roof Research Committee]|[Roofing Contractors Assoc. of Texas, Pflugerville, TX (United States)]|[Gulf Coast Roof Management Inst., Houston, TX (United States)

2004-07-01

A recent roof renovation at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHSC) was based on the principles of sustainable development in order to create a place of health and well-being and to pursue integrated design solutions. The project addressed issues associated with the urban heat island condition, and problematic air quality in Houston. The first roofing option that was considered was Cool Roofing that would use either a white reflective surfacing or a garden roof. One of the buildings planned for roof replacement was the School of Public Health, a 10-storey structure composed of structural concrete framing. The existing roof system consisted of a spray-applied polyurethane foam roof covering applied over a gravel surfaced built-up roof membrane that was installed over a thermosetting asphaltic fill installed over a structural concrete deck. It was determined that this roof would be a good potential candidate for the installation of an extensive garden roof system. Four different mock-up samples of various extensive garden roof assemblies were constructed to test representative material types and assemblies. The subject area was divided into the following 4 quadrants in which the following systems were installed: (1) American Hydrotech system with Monolithic Membrane 6125-FR consisting of a hot-applied rubberized liquid asphalt reinforced with a polyester fabric, (2) Sarnafil G 476 system consisting of a prefabricated, fiberglass reinforced PVC thermoplastic single-ply membrane that is 80 mils thick, (3) Grace system with Procor Deck System 3R consisting of a cold-vulcanized, fluid-applied synthetic rubber membrane with a polyester reinforcing fabric, and (4) Siplast with Teranap System consisting of a two-ply SBS modified bitumen membrane composed of a smooth-surfaced modified bitumen fiberglass-reinforced base. After the installation of the growing medium, UTHSC personnel planted a variety of vegetation species and seeds in the quadrants

The Compensation and Benefits System: Private Companies vs. Budgetary System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldea Bogdan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The economic evolution of the last decades has entailed major changes concerning the Human Resource Management practices, in both private and budgetary sector of Romania. In order to maintain efficiency and market competitivity, a company must adapt to these changes by altering its human resource strategy since managers are encountering increasingly complex challenges as to attracting, motivating and retaining employees. Such an objective might be accomplished by elaborating a competitive system of employee compensation. This article focuses on the stage reached by the Human Resource Management in the compensation and benefits system of the private and budgetary sector. For the latter, we are focusing on the romanian system of higher education. This study demonstrates that the compensation and benefits system which is implemented in romanian universities is limited and can offer few opportunities as compared to the one implemented by private companies. It is worth saying that the legal system has a negative impact in this matter.

NASA Electronic Publishing System: Cost/benefit Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Tuey, Richard C.

1994-01-01

The NASA Scientific and Technical Information Office was assigned the responsibility to examine the benefits of the utilization of electronic printing and duplicating systems throughout NASA Installations and Headquarters. The subject of this report is the documentation of the methodology used in justifying the acquisition of the most cost beneficial solution for the printing and duplicating requirements of a duplicating facility that is contemplating the acquisition of an electronic printing and duplicating system. Four alternatives are presented with each alternative costed out with its associated benefits. The methodology goes a step further than just a cost benefit analysis through its comparison of risks associated with each alternative, sensitivity to number of impressions and productivity gains on the selected alternative and finally the return on investment for the selected alternative. The report can be used in conjunction with the two earlier reports, NASA-TM-106242 and TM-106510 in guiding others in determining the cost effective duplicating alternative.

Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Menachemi N

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Nir Menachemi¹, Taleah H Collum²¹Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; ²Department of Health Services Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USAAbstract: The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH Act of 2009 that was signed into law as part of the "stimulus package" represents the largest US initiative to date that is designed to encourage widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs. In light of the changes anticipated from this policy initiative, the purpose of this paper is to review and summarize the literature on the benefits and drawbacks of EHR systems. Much of the literature has focused on key EHR functionalities, including clinical decision support systems, computerized order entry systems, and health information exchange. Our paper describes the potential benefits of EHRs that include clinical outcomes (eg, improved quality, reduced medical errors, organizational outcomes (eg, financial and operational benefits, and societal outcomes (eg, improved ability to conduct research, improved population health, reduced costs. Despite these benefits, studies in the literature highlight drawbacks associated with EHRs, which include the high upfront acquisition costs, ongoing maintenance costs, and disruptions to workflows that contribute to temporary losses in productivity that are the result of learning a new system. Moreover, EHRs are associated with potential perceived privacy concerns among patients, which are further addressed legislatively in the HITECH Act. Overall, experts and policymakers believe that significant benefits to patients and society can be realized when EHRs are widely adopted and used in a “meaningful” way.Keywords: EHR, health information technology, HITECH, computerized order entry, health information exchange 

Comprehensive Benefit Platforms to Simplify Complex HR Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrsam, Hank

2012-01-01

Paying for employee turnover costs, data storage, and multiple layers of benefits can be difficult for fiscally constrained institutions, especially as budget cuts and finance-limiting legislation abound in school districts across the country. Many traditional paper-based systems have been replaced with automated, software-based services, helping…

Implementation of Local Wellness Policies in Schools: Role of School Systems, School Health Councils, and Health Disparities

Science.gov (United States)

Hager, Erin R.; Rubio, Diana S.; Eidel, G. Stewart; Penniston, Erin S.; Lopes, Megan; Saksvig, Brit I.; Fox, Renee E.; Black, Maureen M.

2016-01-01

Background: Written local wellness policies (LWPs) are mandated in school systems to enhance opportunities for healthy eating/activity. LWP effectiveness relies on school-level implementation. We examined factors associated with school-level LWP implementation. Hypothesized associations included system support for school-level implementation and…

School infrastructure performance indicator system (SIPIS)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gibberd, Jeremy T

2007-05-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the School Infrastructure Performance Indicator System (SIPIS) project which explores how an indicator system could be developed for school infrastructure in South Africa. It outlines the key challenges faced by the system...

Chapter 3: Assessing the Electric System Benefits of Clean Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Chapter 3 of Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy presents detailed information about the energy system, specifically electricity benefits of clean energy, to help policy makers understand how to identify and assess these benefits based upon t

Independent School Success Challenging the Danish Public School System

Science.gov (United States)

Ringsmose, Charlotte

2013-01-01

Denmark has had a long history of placing a high priority on education and public schooling. It is a declared goal of the Danish welfare system to provide comprehensive schooling, where children from different socioeconomic backgrounds can go to school together and have the same opportunities through education. It is also a declared goal for…

Systems Thinking among School Middle Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

2017-01-01

Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts. This study explores systems thinking among school middle leaders--teachers who have management responsibility for a team of teachers or for an aspect of the school's work. Interviews were held with 93 school coordinators, among them year heads, heads of…

The psychosocial benefits of oral storytelling in school : developing identity and empathy through narrative

OpenAIRE

Hibbin, Rebecca Alison

2016-01-01

The oral re-telling of traditional tales, modelled by a storyteller and taught to children in school, can be understood as ‘non-instrumental’ practice in speaking and listening that emphasises oral language over the reading and writing of stories. While oral storytelling has significant benefits to children’s education and development, it is under-utilised within Primary Education in the UK. This interview and library-based study explores participant perceptions of oral storytelling in relati...

Multiple Benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreider, Beth

1997-01-01

Discusses the benefits of dome architecture for a community's middle- and high-school multi-purpose facility. The dome construction is revealed as being cost effective in construction and in maintenance and energy costs. (GR)

Students "Hacking" School Computer Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Stover, Del

2005-01-01

This article deals with students hacking school computer systems. School districts are getting tough with students "hacking" into school computers to change grades, poke through files, or just pit their high-tech skills against district security. Dozens of students have been prosecuted recently under state laws on identity theft and unauthorized…

Computerizing Maintenance Management Improves School Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Conroy, Pat

2002-01-01

Describes how a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), a centralized maintenance operations database that facilitates work order procedures and staff directives, can help individual school campuses and school districts to manage maintenance. Presents the benefits of CMMS and things to consider in CMMS selection. (EV)

Risk-benefit evaluation for large technological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okrent, D.

1979-01-01

The related topics of risk-benefit analysis, risk analysis, and risk-acceptance criteria (How safe is safe enough) are of growing importance. An interdisciplinary study on various aspects of these topics, including applications to nuclear power, was recently completed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with the support of the National Science Foundation. In addition to more than 30 topical reports and various open-literature publications, a final report (UCLA-ENG-7777) to the study, titled ''A Generalized Evaluation Approach to Risk--Benefit for Large Technological Systems and Its Application to Nuclear Power'', was issued in early 1978. This article briefly summarizes portions of the final report dealing with general aspects of risk-benefit methodology, societal knowledge and perception of risk, and risk-acceptance criteria

School Management Information Systems in Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Demir, Kamile

2006-01-01

Developments in information technologies have been impacting upon educational organizations. Principals have been using management information systems to improve the efficiency of administrative services. The aim of this research is to explore principals' perceptions about management information systems and how school management information…

Radon mitigation in schools utilising heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, G.; Ligman, B.; Brennan, T.; Shaughnessy, R.; Turk, B.H.; Snead, B.

1994-01-01

As part of a continuing radon in schools technology development effort, EPA's School Evaluation Team has performed radon mitigation in schools by the method of ventilation/pressurisation control technology. Ventilation rates were increased, at a minimum, to meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (ASHRAE 62-1989). This paper presents the results and the preliminary evaluations which led to the team's decision to implement this technology. Factors considered include energy penalties, comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ), building shell tightness, and equipment costs. Cost benefit of heat recovery ventilation was also considered. Earlier results of the SEP team's efforts have indicated a severe ventilation problem within the schools of the United States. Two case studies are presented where HVAC technology was implemented for controlling radon concentrations. One involved the installation of a heat recovery ventilator to depressurise a crawl space and provide ventilation to the classrooms which previously had no mechanical ventilation. The other involved the restoration of a variable air volume system in a two-storey building. The HVAC system's controls were restored and modified to provide a constant building pressure differential to control the entry of radon. Pre-mitigation and post-mitigation indoor air pollutant measurements were taken, including radon, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), particulates, and bio-aerosols. Long-term monitoring of radon, CO 2 , building pressure differentials, and indoor/outdoor temperature and relative humidity is presented. (author)

Schools + GHPs = Savings and Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

The geothermal heat pump (GHP) is winning praise for its ability to help schools reduce energy costs while providing a clean, comfortable, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing heating and cooling capability. This pamphlet examines the benefits of installing a GHP system in new and existing school facilities, suggests the type of planning and…

Boarding Schools and Capital Benefits: Implications for Urban School Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Bass, Lisa R.

2014-01-01

The author discusses the boarding school model as a schooling alternative to improve life chances for disadvantaged youth, particularly African American youth, by positively meeting their social and educational needs. Bourdieu, Coleman, and other social scientists purported that these needs can be better met by exposing students to social and…

Wii Social Skills Group and Inter-School Tournament

OpenAIRE

Julie Johnson; Juanita Germaine; Diana Maliszewski; Renee Keberer

2011-01-01

Abstract: Two schools in separate cites used the Nintendo Wii gaming system to assist selected boys in developing social skills. Using Skype and Twitter, the two groups collaborated at different stages of the project. The pilot project investigated the benefits of incorporating video games into traditional social skills programming, as well as the benefits of online collaboration between teachers in different school boards and students from different communities.

Wii Social Skills Group and Inter-School Tournament

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Johnson

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Two schools in separate cites used the Nintendo Wii gaming system to assist selected boys in developing social skills. Using Skype and Twitter, the two groups collaborated at different stages of the project. The pilot project investigated the benefits of incorporating video games into traditional social skills programming, as well as the benefits of online collaboration between teachers in different school boards and students from different communities.

Long-Run Benefits from Universal High-Quality Preschooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauchmüller, Robert; Gørtz, Mette; Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the role of preschool quality for children's school performance at the end of primary school. We construct five structural quality indicators based on unique Danish administrative register data. 30,444 children finishing primary school's 9th grade in 2008 and who attended ...... in children's test results in Danish. Boys benefit more from preschool quality than girls. Ethnic minority children benefit from higher staff stability....

Development of a School Leadership Evaluation System

Science.gov (United States)

Orlando, Nik

2014-01-01

This action research study examined the effectiveness of the process implemented by Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC) Schools Charter Management Organization to develop their school leader evaluation system in collaboration with current PUC school leaders. The development of the leadership evaluation system included the collective voices of…

From school to fitting work: How education-to-job matching of European school leavers is related to educational system characteristics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Levels, M.; van der Velden, R.; Di Stasio, V.

2014-01-01

Although optimal labour market allocation of school leavers benefits individuals, employers and societies, a substantial part of European school leavers do not find a job that matches their field or level of education. This paper explores the extent to which horizontal and vertical education-to-job

Intelligent transport systems deployment in Thessaloniki: Assessment of costs and benefits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitsakis Evangelos

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Transportation projects often require large initial investments and are expected to generate benefits extending far into the future. Thus, there is a need to compare benefits and costs that occur at different periods over time. Since money has a time value, the same amount of money at different time periods does not have the same value. Therefore, it is important to convert costs and benefits into equivalent values when conducting a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA. A special category of transportation projects is that of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS. ITS comprise innovative solutions for travel demand and traffic management, and it is expected to play a key role in future sustainable urban development plans. Compared to other transportation projects, ITS have a lower initial investment. In this paper a framework based on a CBA is presented, assessing costs and benefits of three ITS projects implemented in Thessaloniki, Greece. The paper refers to future developments of ITS in the city of Thessaloniki. The examined systems have already been developed as demonstration systems in various regions throughout Europe. The benefits of the systems have been transferred and scaled up, so as to be in line with the specific characteristics of the Greek environment.

Multiple benefits of personal FM system use by children with auditory processing disorder (APD).

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Kristin N; John, Andrew B; Kreisman, Nicole V; Hall, James W; Crandell, Carl C

2009-01-01

Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) were fitted with Phonak EduLink FM devices for home and classroom use. Baseline measures of the children with APD, prior to FM use, documented significantly lower speech-perception scores, evidence of decreased academic performance, and psychosocial problems in comparison to an age- and gender-matched control group. Repeated measures during the school year demonstrated speech-perception improvement in noisy classroom environments as well as significant academic and psychosocial benefits. Compared with the control group, the children with APD showed greater speech-perception advantage with FM technology. Notably, after prolonged FM use, even unaided (no FM device) speech-perception performance was improved in the children with APD, suggesting the possibility of fundamentally enhanced auditory system function.

A cost-benefit analysis for materials management information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Slapak-Iacobelli, L; Wilde, A H

1993-02-01

The cost-benefit analysis provided the system planners with valuable information that served many purposes. It answered the following questions: Why was the CCF undertaking this project? What were the alternatives? How much was it going to cost? And what was the expected outcome? The process of developing cost-benefit the document kept the project team focused. It also motivated them to involve additional individuals from materials management and accounts payable in its development. A byproduct of this involvement was buy-in and commitment to the project by everyone in these areas. Consequently, the project became a team effort championed by many and not just one. We were also able to introduce two new information system processes: 1) a management review process with goals and anticipated results, and 2) a quality assurance process that ensured the CCF had a better product in the end. The cost-benefit analysis provided a planning tool that assisted in successful implementation of an integrated materials management information system.

Electronic clinical safety reporting system: a benefits evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Pamela; Martin, Desmond; Neville, Doreen

2014-06-11

Eastern Health, a large health care organization in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), started a staged implementation of an electronic occurrence reporting system (used interchangeably with "clinical safety reporting system") in 2008, completing Phase One in 2009. The electronic clinical safety reporting system (CSRS) was designed to replace a paper-based system. The CSRS involves reporting on occurrences such as falls, safety/security issues, medication errors, treatment and procedural mishaps, medical equipment malfunctions, and close calls. The electronic system was purchased from a vendor in the United Kingdom that had implemented the system in the United Kingdom and other places, such as British Columbia. The main objective of the new system was to improve the reporting process with the goal of improving clinical safety. The project was funded jointly by Eastern Health and Canada Health Infoway. The objectives of the evaluation were to: (1) assess the CSRS on achieving its stated objectives (particularly, the benefits realized and lessons learned), and (2) identify contributions, if any, that can be made to the emerging field of electronic clinical safety reporting. The evaluation involved mixed methods, including extensive stakeholder participation, pre/post comparative study design, and triangulation of data where possible. The data were collected from several sources, such as project documentation, occurrence reporting records, stakeholder workshops, surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. The findings provided evidence that frontline staff and managers support the CSRS, identifying both benefits and areas for improvement. Many benefits were realized, such as increases in the number of occurrences reported, in occurrences reported within 48 hours, in occurrences reported by staff other than registered nurses, in close calls reported, and improved timelines for notification. There was also user satisfaction with the tool regarding ease of use

Benefits of a Classroom Based Instrumental Music Program on Verbal Memory of Primary School Children: A Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Nikki S.; Vasquez, Jorge T.; Murphy, Fintan; Gill, Anneliese; Toukhsati, Samia R.

2010-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated a benefit of music training on a number of cognitive functions including verbal memory performance. The impact of school-based music programs on memory processes is however relatively unknown. The current study explored the effect of increasing frequency and intensity of classroom-based instrumental training…

SELF CONCEPT, SELF ESTEEM AND SCHOOL SYSTEM: THE STUDY OF COMPARATION BETWEEN FULLDAY SCHOOL AND HALFDAY SCHOOL IN PURWOREJO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Itsna Iftayani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Self concept and self esteem are two psychological aspects that need to be attention in learning at school because a high of self concept and self esteem can influence students success in their learning. The objective of this research is to know about the differences about  self concept and self esteem among elementary students with full day school and half day school system. The method used in this observation is comparison by comparing self concept and self esteem of elementary students with full day and half day system. The population of this research is 3 fullday Islamic elementary schools and 6 halfday Islamic elementary schools. The sample of this research is SD Islam Al-Madina as fullday school and SD Muhammadiyah Purworejo as halfday school. The data is gotten by the scale, observation, interviews and documentation. The result shows that there are no significant differences between self concept (t=0,096 with df :47  and self esteem (t=0,396 with df :47 among student who study in full day school and half day (regular school system so it means that school system doesn’t influence the quality of self concept and self esteem. Keywords: self concept, self esteem, full day school, half day school.

Barriers, Benefits, and Behaviors Related to Breakfast Consumption Among Rural Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Hearst, Mary O; Shanafelt, Amy; Wang, Qi; Leduc, Robert; Nanney, Marilyn S

2016-03-01

We sought to determine if perceived barriers, benefits, and modifiable behaviors support or interfere with breakfast consumption in a racially and economically diverse rural high school population. The participants were 832 Minnesota adolescents from 16 rural high schools. We used baseline data from a group randomized trial aimed at increasing school breakfast participation through policy and environmental-level school changes. Students completed an online survey asking about demographics, breakfast eating behaviors, and the barriers and benefits of eating as it relates to school performance. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression, accounting for clustering by school, was performed using SAS. Each scale was modeled independently. Participants were 9th and 10th grade students, 36% free/reduced-price lunch (FRL), 30% non-White, and 55% female. Breakfast skippers compared to nonbreakfast skippers reported fewer school related benefits and beliefs and more barriers to eating breakfast (p breakfast. Future intervention research should focus on alleviating barriers and enhancing education around the school related benefits of eating breakfast. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Diversity in School Performance Feedback Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Verhaeghe, Goedele; Schildkamp, Kim; Luyten, Hans; Valcke, Martin

2015-01-01

As data-based decision making is receiving increased attention in education, more and more school performance feedback systems (SPFSs) are being developed and used worldwide. These systems provide schools with data on their functioning. However, little research is available on the characteristics of the different SPFSs. Therefore, this study…

Change the System! School Psychologist as Organizational Consultant.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Janis Clark; Bernstein, Rhoda

Organizational development (OD) within school systems is productive work for the school psychologist. Basic to all OD is the principle of maximizing a system's resources. Following organizational change in the business world, schools can profit greatly from system changes which address today's "people problems." Outside consultants often provide…

Benefit Incidence Analysis of Government Spending on Public-Private Partnership Schooling under Universal Secondary Education Policy in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Wokadala, J.; Barungi, M.

2015-01-01

The study establishes whether government spending on private universal secondary education (USE) schools is equitable across quintiles disaggregated by gender and by region in Uganda. The study employs benefit incidence analysis tool on the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS 2009/10) data to establish the welfare impact of public subsidy on…

Idle reduction programs and potential benefits to schools

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

School districts in Texas and many other states have, in recent years, increased the walk zones : surrounding schools to a 2-mile perimeter. Inside this perimeter, either no school bus service is : offered, or service is offered only with a fee...

Voice of the Classified Employee: A Descriptive Study to Determine Degree of Job Satisfaction of Classified Employees and to Design Systems of Support by School District Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Barakos-Cartwright, Rebekah B.

2012-01-01

Classified employees comprise thirty two percent of the educational workforce in school districts in the state of California. Acknowledging these employees as a viable and untapped resource within the educational system will enrich job satisfaction for these employees and benefit the operations in school sites. As acknowledged and valued…

Does advanced practice in radiography benefit the healthcare system? A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Thom, S E

2018-02-01

With ever-increasing demands on the National Health Service (NHS), members of staff are blurring their professional boundaries in the attempt to benefit the healthcare system. This review aims to establish whether advancing practice within radiography does benefit the healthcare system by examining published literature. Key words were input into databases such as: CINAHL, Science Direct and PubMed. Various filters were applied to narrow down the articles. Key themes were identified within the literature: cost, job satisfaction, patient benefits, restrictions and workload. Having advanced practitioners undertake some of the radiologists' workload was potentially cost effective whilst continuing/increasing the standard of quality. Patients benefitted from the quality of their examinations, the high accuracy of their reports and the speed those reports were attained. Evidence within the literature emphasises that advanced practice does benefit the healthcare system by means of: cost reduction, job satisfaction, patient benefits and workload. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of food production systems in school foodservice.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Denise M

2005-08-01

What is the prevalence of central kitchens that use either cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems in school foodservice settings? A descriptive study using a 5-minute telephone survey during normal working hours was conducted. Questions were designed to be easily answered with minimal need to reference other documentation. Five hundred forty school foodservice directors, managers, and supervisors working in school districts of all sizes across the United States were randomly sampled from a national commercial directory of school districts for the study. A total of 353 individuals completed the survey representing 49 of 50 states. Means, standard deviations, and percentages were evaluated for all data collected. Descriptive statistics of school district characteristics, prevalence of production systems, food transport systems, inventory methods and equipment used for reheating food are reported. The most frequently reported production system was on-site kitchens (45.3%) followed by combination production systems (40.5%) where a central kitchen delivered to a number of satellite locations in addition to schools with on-site food preparation. Central kitchens without additional on-site kitchens represented 14.2% of this study. Of those school districts using either central kitchens or combination production systems, 78% reported hot-food preparation using hot-food delivery to satellites. Cook-chill or cook-freeze production systems were reported by 22% of respondents. The high proportion of school districts that prepared and delivered foods hot to satellite sites supports continuing efforts to identify food safety practices and issues related to maintaining food quality in schools.

The Educational Benefits of Attending Higher Performing Schools: Evidence from Chicago High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Allensworth, Elaine M.; Moore, Paul T.; Sartain, Lauren; de la Torre, Marisa

2017-01-01

Policymakers are implementing reforms with the assumption that students do better when attending high-achieving schools. In this article, we use longitudinal data from Chicago Public Schools to test that assumption. We find that the effects of attending a higher performing school depend on the school's performance level. At elite public schools…

A proposed benefits evaluation framework for health information systems in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Francis; Hagens, Simon; Muttitt, Sarah

2007-01-01

This article describes a benefits evaluation framework for the health information systems currently being implemented across Canada through Canada Health Infoway with its jurisdictional partners and investment programs. This framework is based on the information systems success model by DeLone and McLean, the empirical analysis by van der Meijden on the use of this model in the health setting and our own review of evaluation studies and systematic review articles in health information systems. The current framework includes three dimensions of quality (system, information and service), two dimensions of system usage (use and user satisfaction) and three dimensions of net benefits (quality, access and productivity). Measures have been developed and work is under way to establish detailed evaluation plans and instruments for the individual investment programs to launch a series of benefits evaluation field studies across jurisdictions later this year.

A study on the equality and benefit of China's national health care system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Shaoguo; Wang, Pei; Dong, Quanfang; Ren, Xing; Cai, Jiaoli; Coyte, Peter C

2017-08-29

This study is designed to evaluate whether the benefit which the residents received from the national health care system is equal in China. The perceived equality and benefit are used to measure the personal status of health care system, health status. This study examines variations in perceived equality and benefit of the national health care system between urban and rural residents from five cities of China and assessed their determinants. One thousand one hundred ninty eight residents were selected from a random survey among five nationally representative cities. The research characterizes perceptions into four population groupings based on a binary assessment of survey scores: high equality & high benefit; low equality & low benefit; high equality & low benefit; and low equality & high benefit. The distribution of the four groups above is 30.4%, 43.0%, 4.6% and 22.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, the type of health insurance, educational background, occupation, geographic regions, changes in health status and other factors have significant impacts on perceived equality and benefit derived from the health care system. The findings demonstrate wide variations in perceptions of equality and benefit between urban and rural residents and across population characteristics, leading to a perceived lack of fairness in benefits and accessibility. Opportunities exist for policy interventions that are targeted to eliminate perceived differences and promote greater equality in access to health care.

System Thinking Skills at the Elementary School Level

Science.gov (United States)

Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Orion, Nir

2010-01-01

This study deals with the development of system thinking skills at the elementary school level. It addresses the question of whether elementary school students can deal with complex systems. The sample included 40 4th grade students from one school in a small town in Israel. The students studied an inquiry-based earth systems curriculum that…

Interprofessional development in inclusive schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Britt Blaabjerg; Højholdt, Andy; Arndal, Lars Stubbe

educators, both initiatives of which support the subject-oriented education at school. These changes have challenged the way [education/school] professionals work and how they see their own and each other's roles in the school system (EVA 2013). The changes have also increased the need for collaborative...... in the classroom.4. Changing teaching methods: Students with weak school affiliation or special needs would benefit from a change in teaching methods that takes some of the competencies possessed by child and youth educators and uses them in the classroom. As a further step, it is relevant to open up students......Recent political reforms in the Danish school system have lengthened the school day and integrated child and youth educators into aspects of the teaching programme as part of a common European strategy of inclusion. The school day now contains homework cafes and lessons with child and youth...

Parents', nurses', and educators' perceptions of risks and benefits of school attendance by children who are medically fragile/technology-dependent.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehm, Roberta S; Rohr, Julie A

2002-10-01

Few studies have focused on school activities of children who are medically fragile/technology-dependent. This article reports on an exploratory, interpretive study that examined the perceptions of parents, nurses, and educators with regard to their school concerns and strategies for ensuring the safety and health of these students. Informants all believed that attending school provided benefits to most children who are medically fragile/technology-dependent, including opportunities for skill acquisition, socialization, and respite care for families. However, they also perceived that there were real risks involved, including obtaining appropriate care, exposure to infection, and social isolation or teasing. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

The Fourth Revolution: Family Systems in the Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Woody, Robert Henley; Woody, Jennifer K.

1994-01-01

Identifies historical roots, public policy evolution, and legislative mandates relevant to schools meeting students' mental health needs and creating a school-family effort. To promote acceptance, the linkage between school systems and family systems theory is explained. Assessment and intervention strategies are described. (JBJ)

Are There Benefits from Teaching Yoga at Schools? A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials of Yoga-Based Interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Ferreira-Vorkapic

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Yoga is a holistic system of varied mind-body practices that can be used to improve mental and physical health and it has been utilized in a variety of contexts and situations. Educators and schools are looking to include yoga as a cost-effective, evidence-based component of urgently needed wellness programs for their students. Objectives. The primary goal of this study was to systematically examine the available literature for yoga interventions exclusively in school settings, exploring the evidence of yoga-based interventions on academic, cognitive, and psychosocial benefits. Methods. An extensive search was conducted for studies published between 1980 and October 31, 2014 (PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, ISI, and the Cochrane Library. Effect size analysis, through standardized mean difference and Hedges’g, allowed for the comparison between experimental conditions. Results and Conclusions. Nine randomized control trials met criteria for inclusion in this review. Effect size was found for mood indicators, tension and anxiety in the POMS scale, self-esteem, and memory when the yoga groups were compared to control. Future research requires greater standardization and suitability of yoga interventions for children.

Are There Benefits from Teaching Yoga at Schools? A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials of Yoga-Based Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira-Vorkapic, C.; Feitoza, J. M.; Marchioro, M.; Simões, J.; Telles, S.

2015-01-01

Introduction. Yoga is a holistic system of varied mind-body practices that can be used to improve mental and physical health and it has been utilized in a variety of contexts and situations. Educators and schools are looking to include yoga as a cost-effective, evidence-based component of urgently needed wellness programs for their students. Objectives. The primary goal of this study was to systematically examine the available literature for yoga interventions exclusively in school settings, exploring the evidence of yoga-based interventions on academic, cognitive, and psychosocial benefits. Methods. An extensive search was conducted for studies published between 1980 and October 31, 2014 (PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, ISI, and the Cochrane Library). Effect size analysis, through standardized mean difference and Hedges'g, allowed for the comparison between experimental conditions. Results and Conclusions. Nine randomized control trials met criteria for inclusion in this review. Effect size was found for mood indicators, tension and anxiety in the POMS scale, self-esteem, and memory when the yoga groups were compared to control. Future research requires greater standardization and suitability of yoga interventions for children. PMID:26491461

School superintendents' perceptions of schools assisting students in obtaining public health insurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Megan L; Price, James H; Telljohann, Susan K; Dake, Joseph A; Fink, Brian N

2011-12-01

Superintendents' perceptions regarding the effect of health insurance status on academics, the role schools should play in the process of obtaining health insurance, and the benefits/barriers to assisting students in enrolling in health insurance were surveyed. Superintendents' basic knowledge of health insurance, the link between health and learning, and specific school system practices for assisting students were also examined. A 4-page questionnaire was sent to a national random sample of public school superintendents using a 4-wave postal mailing. Only 19% of school districts assessed the health insurance status of students. School districts' assistance in helping enroll students in health insurance was assessed using Stages of Change theory; 36% of superintendents' school districts were in the action or maintenance stages. The schools most often made health insurance materials available to parents (53%). The perceived benefits identified by more than 80% of superintendents were to keep students healthier, reduce the number of students with untreated health problems, reduce school absenteeism, and improvement of students' attention/concentration during school. The 2 most common perceived barriers identified by at least 50% of superintendents were not having enough staff or financial resources. Most superintendents believed schools should play a role in helping students obtain health insurance, but the specific role was unclear. Three fourths of superintendents indicated overwhelmingly positive beliefs regarding the effects of health insurance status on students' health and academic outcomes. School personnel and public policy makers can use the results to support collaboration in getting students enrolled in health insurance. © 2011, American School Health Association.

Management system certification benefits: where do we stand?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Luis Miguel Ciravegna Martins da; Domingues, José Pedro; Machado, Pilar Baylina; Calderón, Mario

2017-01-01

The implementation and certification of Management Systems International Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, achieved a high international recognition, with more than 1 million organizations with their Quality Management Systems certified worldwide. Researchers have been paying considerable attention to this theme and the number of published articles has robustly grown. Although on an overall basis, the research results support the existence of positive impacts on the adoption and certification of these International Standards, there are various inconsistencies and contradictory results, leading to some controversy over its impacts for organizations. This study aims to bring a longitudinal time perspective to this area of research, analyzing the articles published since 1996, on the benefits of Management Systems Certification. A longitudinal perspective of countries of authors origin, keywords and journals is presented, complemented with an evaluation of the research results. Design/methodology/approach: A Bibliometric Study supported the research, with data collected from Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Research Gate data bases. Following the detailed analysis of the journal titles, articles abstracts and their full content, an evaluation scale was adopted to assess if the results support the existence of a positive relationship between Management System Certification and economic, financial or stakeholder results. Findings: The results evidence a steep increase in the number of publications addressing Management Systems Certification benefits, that mainly originate from Europe (48%) and East Asia and Pacific (23%), with Spain as the leading country (accounting for 14% of the total number of articles published between 1996 and April 2017). Journal of Cleaner Production (Environmental Management System Certification) and Total Quality Management and Business Excellence journal (Quality Management Systems Certification) are the leading journals for disseminating

Management system certification benefits: where do we stand?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonseca, Luis Miguel Ciravegna Martins da; Domingues, José Pedro; Machado, Pilar Baylina; Calderón, Mario

2017-07-01

The implementation and certification of Management Systems International Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, achieved a high international recognition, with more than 1 million organizations with their Quality Management Systems certified worldwide. Researchers have been paying considerable attention to this theme and the number of published articles has robustly grown. Although on an overall basis, the research results support the existence of positive impacts on the adoption and certification of these International Standards, there are various inconsistencies and contradictory results, leading to some controversy over its impacts for organizations. This study aims to bring a longitudinal time perspective to this area of research, analyzing the articles published since 1996, on the benefits of Management Systems Certification. A longitudinal perspective of countries of authors origin, keywords and journals is presented, complemented with an evaluation of the research results. Design/methodology/approach: A Bibliometric Study supported the research, with data collected from Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Research Gate data bases. Following the detailed analysis of the journal titles, articles abstracts and their full content, an evaluation scale was adopted to assess if the results support the existence of a positive relationship between Management System Certification and economic, financial or stakeholder results. Findings: The results evidence a steep increase in the number of publications addressing Management Systems Certification benefits, that mainly originate from Europe (48%) and East Asia and Pacific (23%), with Spain as the leading country (accounting for 14% of the total number of articles published between 1996 and April 2017). Journal of Cleaner Production (Environmental Management System Certification) and Total Quality Management and Business Excellence journal (Quality Management Systems Certification) are the leading journals for disseminating

Nanoparticles and the blood coagulation system. Part I: benefits of nanotechnology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilinskaya, Anna N; Dobrovolskaia, Marina A

2013-05-01

Nanotechnology is proven to provide certain benefits in drug delivery by improving solubility, increasing uptake to target sites and changing pharmacokinetics profiles of traditional drugs. Since properties of many materials change tremendously at the nanoscale levels, nanotechnology is also being explored in various industrial applications. As such, nanoparticles are rapidly entering various areas of industry, biology and medicine. The benefits of using nanotechnology for industrial and biomedical applications are often tempered by concerns about the safety of these new materials. One such area of concern includes their effect on the immune system. While nanoparticle interactions with various constituents of the immune system have been reviewed before, little attention was given to nanoparticle effects on the blood coagulation system. Nanoparticle interface with the blood coagulation system may lead to either benefits to the host or adverse reactions. This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of nanoparticle interactions with plasma coagulation factors, platelets, endothelial cells and leukocytes. Part I is focused on desirable interactions between nanoparticles and the coagulation system, and discusses benefits of using nanotechnology to intervene in coagulation disorders. Undesirable interactions posing safety concerns are covered in part II, which will be published in the June issue of Nanomedicine.

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF ERP SYSTEMS

OpenAIRE

Paulo André da Conceição Menezes; Fernando González-Ladrón-de-Guevara

2010-01-01

The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems have been consolidated in companies with different sizes and sectors, allowing their real benefits to be definitively evaluated. In this study, several interactions have been studied in different phases, such as the strategic priorities and strategic planning defined as ERP Strategy; business processes review and the ERP selection in the pre-implementation phase, the project management and ERP adaptation in the implementation phase, as well as th...

Managing Schools as Complex Adaptive Systems: A Strategic Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Fidan, Tuncer; Balci, Ali

2017-01-01

This conceptual study examines the analogies between schools and complex adaptive systems and identifies strategies used to manage schools as complex adaptive systems. Complex adaptive systems approach, introduced by the complexity theory, requires school administrators to develop new skills and strategies to realize their agendas in an…

Management system certification benefits: where do we stand?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Miguel Ciravegna Martins da Fonseca

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The implementation and certification of Management Systems International Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, achieved a high international recognition, with more than 1 million organizations with their Quality Management Systems certified worldwide. Researchers have been paying considerable attention to this theme and the number of published articles has robustly growth. Although, on an overall basis, the research results support the existence of positive impacts on the use and certification of these International Standards, there are various inconsistency and contradictory results, leading to some controversy over its impacts for organizations. This study aims to bring a longitudinal time perspective to this area of research, analyzing the articles published since 1996, on the benefits of Management Systems Certification. A longitudinal perspective of countries of authors origin, keywords and journals is presented, complemented with an evaluation of the research results. Design/methodology/approach: The research was supported with a Bibliometric Study, with data collected from Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Research Gate data bases. Following the detailed analysis of the journal titles, articles abstracts and their full content, an evaluation scale was applied to access if the results support the existence of a positive relationship between MSC and economic, financial or stakeholder results. Findings: The results evidence a steep increase in the number of publications addressing Management Systems Certification benefits, that mainly originate from Europe (48% and East Asia and Pacific (23%, with Spain as the clear leading country accounting (43% of the total number of articles published between 1996 and April 2017. Journal of Cleaner Production (EMSC and Total Quality Management and Business Excellence journal (QMSC are the leading journals for disseminating the research and the most used keywords are “Quality/Environment”, �

Economic and environmental benefits of interconnected systems. The Spanish example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chicharro, A.S.; Dios Alija, R. de

1996-01-01

The interconnected systems provide large technical and economic benefits which, evaluated and contrasted with the associated network investment cost, usually produce important net savings. There are continental electrical systems formed by many interconnected subsystems. The optimal size of an interconnection should be defined within an economic background. It is necessary to take into account the global environmental effects. The approach and results of studies carried out by Red Electrica is presented, in order to analyse both economic and environmental benefits resulting from an increase in the present Spanish interconnection capacities. From both economic and environmental points of view, the development of the interconnected systems is highly positive. (author)

Forty days of free school meals as a tool for introducing market-based healthy school meal systems in 35 Danish schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinck, Nenna Maria; Hansen, Mette Weinreich; Kristensen, Niels Heine

2011-01-01

-start the implementation of healthy school meal systems in Danish schools. This paper argues that the initiative (in reality) invited the establishment of a service system concept, which dominated the initiative and led to a lack of involvement of important key players needed in health promotion. Methods: The method used...... for data collection was semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Results: The main results from a systematic examination of the 35 participating schools show that the systems were mainly organized with external suppliers, and only a few of the 35 schools succeeded in establishing a user-paid school meal...... for achieving the goal of establishing new, healthy and user-paid school meals....

Cost-benefit analysis of multi-regional nuclear energy systems deployment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Den Durpel, L.G.G.; Wade, D.C.; Yacout, A.M.

2007-01-01

The paper describes the preliminary results of a cost/benefit-analysis of multi-regional nuclear energy system approaches with a focus on how multi-regional approaches may benefit a growing nuclear energy system in various world regions also being able to limit, or even reduce, the costs associated with the nuclear fuel cycle and facilitating the introduction of nuclear energy in various regions in the world. The paper highlights the trade-off one might envisage in deploying such multi-regional approaches but also the pay backs possible and concludes on the economical benefits one may associate to regional fuel cycle centres serving a world-fleet of STAR (small fast reactors of long refueling interval) where these STARs may be competitive compared to the LWRs (Light Water Reactors) as a base-case nuclear reactor option. (authors)

Effective Consultants: A Conceptual Framework for Helping School Systems Achieve Systemic Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Hazle Bussey, Leslie; Welch, Jennie C.; Mohammed, Meca B.

2014-01-01

A growing number of organisations--universities, non-profits, independent consultants--are emerging as partners to school systems pursuing systemic improvement. This proliferation invites questions probing the interaction between school systems and their consulting partners. Drawing on a cross-disciplinary review of literature, this theoretical…

An Investigation of the Benefits and Challenges of a New Professional Development School Partnership That Embedded the Three-Student Project

Science.gov (United States)

Rieg, Sue

2017-01-01

Teacher candidates in one Professional Development School did make a difference in children's academic growth. This paper describes a mixed-methods study that investigated student achievement of elementary children after receiving interventions from teacher candidates and identified the perceived benefits and challenges of a new Professional…

Geothermal Heat Pumps Score High Marks in Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

National Renewable Energy Lab (DOE).

Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are showing their value in providing lower operating and maintenance costs, energy efficiency, and superior classroom comfort. This document describes what GHPs are and the benefits a school can garner after installing a GHP system. Three case studies are provided that illustrate these benefits. Finally, the Department…

School Retrofit Design Analysis System. A Microcomputer Model for School Energy Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Canipe, Stephen Lee

The School Retrofit Design Analysis System (SRDAS) developed in this study provides a non-technical method for the school administrator to use in evaluating alternative energy saving retrofit and new construction design possibilities. By providing a high degree of flexibility, SRDAS is applicable to a wide range of school building and retrofit…

Meanings and robustness: Propositions for enhancing benefit sharing in social-ecological systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernita van Wyk

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Given increased pressure on natural resources to deliver benefits, complex trade-offs and the regulation of behaviours in relation to benefits is of key concern. Behaviours that signify resistance to the rules according to which benefits are allocated prompt us to consider causal links and feedbacks between benefits, perceptions of benefits, meanings attached to the benefits, and the regulatory instruments that mediate the distribution of benefits. An understanding of how meanings influence the perception of benefits exposes the complexity inherent in how people perceive and allocate value to natural resource benefits. Meanings are personal, sometimes overlapping, context dependent and variable across space and time. A challenge in directing resource user behaviour in common pool resources is that the relationship between the resource and resource use is typically not interpreted to include the manner in which users associate resource benefits with meanings. We propose that collective ordering of meanings and associated rules help to direct behaviours and in doing so they contribute to the purposeful maintenance of desirable elements of a social-ecological system (i.e. robustness. Using an example, we illustrate how tensions around benefit sharing are rooted in the emergence and changing prioritisation of contexts and meanings over time. The importance of eliciting, ordering and sanctioning of meanings is emphasised. We conclude by discussing the implications for robustness and benefit sharing in social-ecological systems and we comment on the usefulness and limitations of the framework.

Benefits and challenges of cloud ERP systems – A systematic literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed A. Abd Elmonem

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP systems provide extensive benefits and facilities to the whole enterprise. ERP systems help the enterprise to share and transfer data and information across all functions units inside and outside the enterprise. Sharing data and information between enterprise departments helps in many aspects and aims to achieve different objectives. Cloud computing is a computing model which takes place over the internet and provides scalability, reliability, availability and low cost of computer reassures. Implementing and running ERP systems over the cloud offers great advantages and benefits, in spite of its many difficulties and challenges. In this paper, we follow the Systematic Literature Review (SLR research method to explore the benefits and challenges of implementing ERP systems over a cloud environment.

Health Benefits of Integrated Pest Management in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

The following documents describe the health case for School IPM.They describe what IPM is, and then summarize currently available research pointing to how pest control via IPM makes for a healthier school environment.

Enhance Your Employee Benefits Package with a 529 College Savings Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Stott, Gregory D.

2003-01-01

Recommends the establishment of a 529 college-savings program as part of a school district employee-benefits package. Includes how it works, the benefits to employees, the advantages to school districts, and how to get started. (PKP)

The Los Alamos Space Weather Summer School: Career and Research Benefits to Students and Mentors

Science.gov (United States)

Cowee, M.; Woodroffe, J. R.

2017-12-01

In 2016 we held the 6th Los Alamos Space Weather Summer School. This 8-week long program is designed for mid-career graduate students in related fields to come to LANL, receive lectures on space physics and space environment topics, and carry out a research project under the mentorship of LANL staff members. We accept typically 6-8 students via competitive admissions to the program, with a strong applicant pool to choose from. This type of summer school program is relatively unique in the space physics community—there are several other summer schools but they are of shorter duration and do not include the mentor-research project aspect which builds a strong one-on-one connection between the summer student and his/her LANL mentor(s). From the LANL perspective, this program was intended to have several benefits including building collaborations between LANL staff and universities and recruitment of potential postdocs. From the student perspective, this program is not only an educational opportunity but a strong networking opportunity and a chance to enhance their professional skills and publication record. Students are permitted to work on projects directly related to their thesis or on projects in areas that are completely new to them. At the end of the summer school, the students also develop their presentation skills by preparing and giving AGU-style presentations on their research projects to the research group. Over the past five years the summer school has increased in popularity, and the feedback from the student participants has been very positive. Alumni of the program have continued collaborations with their mentors, resulting in publications and conference presentations, and three postdoc hires to date.

Benefits beyond Achievement? A Comparison of Academic Attitudes and School Satisfaction for Adolescent Girls in Single-Gender and Coeducational Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Laura C.

2015-01-01

Overall, the research on the effectiveness of single-gender education is inconclusive. However, research also indicates that some benefits beyond academic achievement may be possible. These findings may be significant for middle school girls, who often struggle with social interactions related to adolescence that create barriers in successfully…

Barriers and Enablers to the Implementation of School Wellness Policies: An Economic Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuler, Brittany R; Saksvig, Brit I; Nduka, Joy; Beckerman, Susannah; Jaspers, Lea; Black, Maureen M; Hager, Erin R

2018-01-01

Local wellness policies (LWPs) are mandated among school systems to enhance nutrition/physical activity opportunities in schools. Prior research notes disparities in LWP implementation. This study uses mixed methods to examine barriers/enablers to LWP implementation, comparing responses by student body income. Schools ( n = 744, 24 systems) completed an LWP implementation barriers/enablers survey. Semistructured interviews ( n = 20 random subsample) described barriers/enablers. Responses were compared by majority of lower (≥50% free/reduced-price meals; lower income [LI]) versus higher income (HI) student body. In surveys, LI and HI schools identified common barriers (parents/families, federal/state regulations, students, time, funding) and enablers (school system, teachers, food service, physical education curriculum/resources, and staff). Interviews further elucidated how staffing and funding served as enablers for all schools, and provide context for how and why barriers differed by income: time, food service (HI schools), and parents/families (LI schools). Findings support commonalities in barriers and enablers among all schools, suggesting that regardless of economic context, schools would benefit from additional supports, such as physical education and nutrition education resources integrated into existing curricula, additional funding, and personnel time dedicated to wellness programming. LI schools may benefit from additional funding to support parent and community involvement.

School holiday food provision in the UK: A qualitative investigation of needs, benefits and potential for development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela Louise Graham

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Access to an adequate supply of nutritious food has been recognized as a basic human right. However, many families across the UK face food insecurity, which is thought to be exacerbated during school holidays. To address this issue, some schools and community groups have chosen to roll out holiday clubs, though research into the effectiveness of such interventions is limited and no studies to date have evaluated holiday clubs being organized through schools. In an effort to address some of the limitations in the research literature, the current qualitative investigation utilized semi-structured interviews with staff involved in holiday clubs in school and community venues with the aim of gauging their views on the need for and benefits of holiday food provision in addition to potential areas for development. The investigation revealed that staff perceived many families to be facing food insecurity and isolation during the school holidays, which may be alleviated through holiday club provision. Holiday clubs were viewed as a valuable source of support for children and adults, providing food, activities and learning experiences. Staff were keen to see them implemented on a wider scale in future but suggested some areas that require attention in any future development of such provision. Findings are discussed in relation to current research, policy and practice surrounding the health and wellbeing of children and families.

School Holiday Food Provision in the UK: A Qualitative Investigation of Needs, Benefits, and Potential for Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Pamela Louise; Crilley, Eilish; Stretesky, Paul B; Long, Michael A; Palmer, Katie Jane; Steinbock, Eileen; Defeyter, Margaret Anne

2016-01-01

Access to an adequate supply of nutritious food has been recognized as a basic human right. However, many families across the UK face food insecurity, which is thought to be exacerbated during school holidays. To address this issue, some schools and community groups have chosen to roll out holiday clubs, though research into the effectiveness of such interventions is limited and no studies to date have evaluated holiday clubs being organized through schools. In an effort to address some of the limitations in the research literature, the current qualitative investigation utilized semi-structured interviews with staff involved in holiday clubs in school and community venues with the aim of gaging their views on the need for and benefits of holiday food provision in addition to potential areas for development. The investigation revealed that staff perceived many families to be facing food insecurity and isolation during the school holidays, which may be alleviated through holiday club provision. Holiday clubs were viewed as a valuable source of support for children and adults, providing food, activities, and learning experiences. Staff were keen to see them implemented on a wider scale in future but suggested some areas that require attention in any future development of such provision. Findings are discussed in relation to current research, policy, and practice surrounding the health and wellbeing of children and families.

The diffusion of youth-led participatory research in urban schools: the role of the prevention support system in implementation and sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozer, Emily J; Cantor, Jeremy P; Cruz, Gary W; Fox, Brian; Hubbard, Elizabeth; Moret, Lauren

2008-06-01

This article discusses the dissemination of a process of youth-led participatory research in urban secondary schools within the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF) developed in collaboration with the CDC and its university partners (Wandersman et al. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41(3-4) 2008). The focus here is on the development of the Prevention Support System with respect to general and innovation-specific capacity building. The specific process under study involves youth-led needs assessment and research to inform the planning of prevention programs and policies to address students' health and developmental needs. The article first briefly describes the youth-led research process, its potential benefits, and a case example in two urban secondary schools. It then describes challenges and responses in providing support for the diffusion of this model in 6 secondary schools. The settings are urban public schools with a majority of students of color from diverse ethnic groups: Asian-American, Latino, and African-American. This project constitutes a collaborative partnership with a university school of public health and community-based organizations (CBOs) to build capacity for long-term, sustainable implementation of this innovative process within the local school system. The perspectives of the university-based researcher and the CBO partners on the development and effectiveness of the Prevention Support System are presented.

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Regional Ocean Observing Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kite-Powell, Hauke L; Colgan, Charles S; Wellman, Katharine F; Pelsoci, Thomas; Wieand, Kenneth; Pendleton, Linwood; Kaiser, Mark J; Pulsipher, Allan G; Luger, Michael

2005-01-01

We develop a methodology to estimate the potential economic benefits from new investments in regional coastal ocean observing systems in US waters, and apply this methodology to generate preliminary...

Benefits of Using a Mars Forward Strategy for Lunar Surface Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mulqueen, Jack; Griffin, Brand; Smitherman, David; Maples, Dauphne

2009-01-01

This paper identifies potential risk reduction, cost savings and programmatic procurement benefits of a Mars Forward Lunar Surface System architecture that provides commonality or evolutionary development paths for lunar surface system elements applicable to Mars surface systems. The objective of this paper is to identify the potential benefits for incorporating a Mars Forward development strategy into the planned Project Constellation Lunar Surface System Architecture. The benefits include cost savings, technology readiness, and design validation of systems that would be applicable to lunar and Mars surface systems. The paper presents a survey of previous lunar and Mars surface systems design concepts and provides an assessment of previous conclusions concerning those systems in light of the current Project Constellation Exploration Architectures. The operational requirements for current Project Constellation lunar and Mars surface system elements are compared and evaluated to identify the potential risk reduction strategies that build on lunar surface systems to reduce the technical and programmatic risks for Mars exploration. Risk reduction for rapidly evolving technologies is achieved through systematic evolution of technologies and components based on Moore's Law superimposed on the typical NASA systems engineering project development "V-cycle" described in NASA NPR 7120.5. Risk reduction for established or slowly evolving technologies is achieved through a process called the Mars-Ready Platform strategy in which incremental improvements lead from the initial lunar surface system components to Mars-Ready technologies. The potential programmatic benefits of the Mars Forward strategy are provided in terms of the transition from the lunar exploration campaign to the Mars exploration campaign. By utilizing a sequential combined procurement strategy for lunar and Mars exploration surface systems, the overall budget wedges for exploration systems are reduced and the

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Regional Ocean Observing Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kite-Powell, Hauke L; Colgan, Charles S; Wellman, Katharine F; Pelsoci, Thomas; Wieand, Kenneth; Pendleton, Linwood; Kaiser, Mark J; Pulsipher, Allan G; Luger, Michael

2005-01-01

... prediction, offshore energy, power generation, and commercial fishing. Our findings suggest that annual benefits to users from the deployment of ocean observing systems are likely to run in the multiple...

Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable energy development using life-cycle co-benefits assessment and the system dynamics approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, Yi-Hsuan; Tseng, Chao-Heng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The energy policy was assessed using the system dynamics approach. • A life table approach was presented to estimate averted loss of life expectancy. • The mortality benefits estimated by VSL and VSLY are found to be similar. • Economic feasibility of the energy policy for climate change mitigation was presented. - Abstract: A novel Air Resource Co-benefits model was developed to estimate the social benefits of a Sustainable Energy Policy, involving both renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency improvements (EEI). The costs and benefits of the policy during 2010–2030 were quantified. A system dynamics model was constructed to simulate the amount of energy saving under the scenario of promoting both RE and EEI. The life-cycle co-reductions of five criteria pollutants (PM 10 , SO 2 , NOx, CO, and ozone) and greenhouse gas are estimated by assuming coal fired as marginal electricity suppliers. Moreover, a concise life table approach was developed to estimate averted years of life lost (YOLL). The results showed that YOLL totaling 0.11–0.21 years (41–78 days) per capita, or premature deaths totaling 126,507–251,169, is expected to be averted during 2010–2030 under the RE plus EEI scenario. Specifically, because of the higher investment cost, the benefit-cost ratio of 1.9–2.1 under the EEI scenario is lower than the 7.2–7.9 under the RE scenario. This difference reveals that RE is more socially beneficial than EEI. The net benefit of the RE and EEI scenarios during 2010–2030 totaled approximately US$ 5,972–6,893 per person or US$ 170–190 per MW h. To summarize, this study presents a new approach to estimate averted YOLL, and finds that the health benefits can justify the compliance costs associated with the Sustainable Energy Policy

NON-TRADITIONAL SPORTS AT SCHOOL. BENEFITS FOR PHYSICAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AMADOR J. LARA-SÁNCHEZ

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Physical Education teachers have been using some very classic team sports, like football, basketball, handball, volleyball, etc. for many years in order to develop their education work at school. As a consequence of this, the benefits of this kind of activities on Physical Education lessons have not been as notable as we mighthave expected, since, even if they are increasing, their development and application are still low. There are many and very varied new non-traditional sports that have emerged and extended across Spain in recent years. To mention an example, we could refer to a newly created non-traditional sport such as kin-ball. This sport wascreated for the purpose of achieving a way to combine several factors such as health, team-work and competitiveness. Three teams of four players each participate. This way, every player can participate to a great extent in all the moves of the match, for each of them must defend one area of their half in order to achieve a common objective. Besides, kin-ball helps to develop motor skills at school in an easy way; that is, coordination, balance and perception. There is a large variety of non-traditional games and sports that are similar to kin-ball, such as floorball, intercrosse, mazaball, tchoukball, ultimate, indiaca, shuttleball... All of them show many physical, psychic and social advantages, and can help us to make the Physical Education teaching-learning process more motivating, acquiring the recreational component that it showed some years ago and which hasnow disappeared

Health Information Technology Systems profoundly impact users: a case study in a dental school.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Heather K; Stewart, Denice C L; Ash, Joan S

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of the impact of Health Information Technology Systems (HITS) on dental school users when the systems are integrated into chair-side patient care. We used qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, and observations, to capture the experiences of HITS users at a single institution. Users included administrators, clinical faculty members, predoctoral students, support staff, and residents. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and nine themes emerged: 1) HITS benefits were disproportionate among users; 2) communicating about the HITS was challenging; 3) users experienced a range of strong emotions; 4) the instructor persona diminished; 5) there were shifts in the school's power structure; 6) allocation of end-users' time shifted; 7) the training and support needs of end-users were significant; 8) perceived lack of HITS usability made documentation cumbersome for clinicians; and 9) clinicians' workflow was disrupted. HITS integration into patient care impacts the work of all system users, especially end-users. The themes highlight areas of potential concern for implementers and users in integrating a HITS into patient care.

A Systems Approach to Rapid School Improvement

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, Carlas

2018-01-01

To support systemic thinking about school improvement, the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd developed a framework to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid improvement efforts. The framework, which is presented in this article, has four domains that have proved central to rapid, significant improvement: (1)…

Do benefits accrue from longer rotations for students in Rural Clinical Schools?

Science.gov (United States)

Denz-Penhey, Harriet; Shannon, Susan; Murdoch, Campbell J; Newbury, Jonathon W

2005-01-01

The Australian Government has provided funding for Rural Clinical Schools (RCS) to provide substantial rural clinical experience to medical students. The strategy aims to acculturate students into rural living with the intended long-term outcome of increasing the availability and viability of rural health services. When evaluators from two of the Rural Clinical Schools discussed findings and insights relating to rural rotations from their in-depth evaluation studies of their respective schools they found a range of similarities. This article is a collaboration that articulates parallel findings from evaluations over 2 years, using three different approaches to students' placements across the two RCS: (1) students based long term in one centre (with only a few days away at a time); (2) students based long term in one centre with short-term rotations of 3-6 weeks away from home base; and (3) week rotations without a home base. The two RCS, as part of their initial establishment, put comprehensive internal evaluation processes in place, including the employment of dedicated evaluators extant from the teaching and assessment of the rural medical curriculum. Data were collected and analysed according to standard education evaluation procedures. Home-base preference: most students preferred having a home base in one centre and having as little time as possible away from that centre, while recognising that sometimes the requirement to go and learn elsewhere was useful. The reasons for this were three-fold: academic, clinical and social. Academic benefits: students enjoyed the excellence of teaching and learning opportunities in their rural sites and did not want their discipline of learning interrupted by what they perceived as unnecessary change. Students with a home base used their learning opportunities qualitatively differently from those students who had 6 week rotations. Their learning became self-directed and students sought opportunities to extend and consolidate

Schools as Sites for Recruiting Participants and Implementing Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, Robin; Wright, Tiffany; Olarinde, Tia; Holmes, Tara; Beamon, Emily R; Wallace, Debra

2017-01-01

Schools can be a valuable resource for recruitment of participants for research involving children, adolescents, and parents. Awareness of the benefits and challenges of working with schools can assist researchers in developing effective school partnerships. This article discusses the advantages of conducting research within the school system as well as the challenges that may also arise. Such challenges include developing key contacts, building relationships, logistical arrangements, and facilitating trust in the research topic and team. Suggestions for strategies to forge successful collaborative relationships with schools are provided.

Costs and benefits of MDOT intelligent transportation system deployments.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-01

This report analyses costs and benefits of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployed by : the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). MDOT ITS focuses on traffic incident : management and also provide Freeway Courtesy Patrol services. A...

"Meaningful use" of EHR in dental school clinics: how to benefit from the U.S. HITECH Act's financial and quality improvement incentives.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalenderian, Elsbeth; Walji, Muhammad; Ramoni, Rachel B

2013-04-01

Through the 2009 HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act, the U.S. government committed $27 billion to incentivize the adoption and "meaningful use" of certified electronic health records (EHRs) by providers, including dentists. Given their patient profiles, dental school clinics are in a position to benefit from this time-delimited commitment to support the adoption and use of certified EHR technology under the Medicaid-based incentive. The benefits are not merely financial: rather, the meaningful use objectives and clinical quality measures can drive quality improvement initiatives within dental practices and help develop a community of medical and dental professionals focused on quality. This article describes how dentists can qualify as eligible providers and the set of activities that must be undertaken and attested to in order to obtain this incentive. Two case studies describe the approaches that can be used to meet the Medicaid threshold necessary to be eligible for the incentive. Dentists can and have successfully applied for meaningful use incentive payments. Given the diverse set of patients who are treated at dental schools, these dental practices are among those most likely to benefit from the incentive programs.

Comparative analysis of cost benefit division methodologies in a hydrothermal generation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, M.V.F.; Gorenstin, B.G.; Campodonico, N.M.; Costa, J.P. da; Kelman, J.

1989-01-01

The development and operation planning of the Brazilian generation system has been realized in a coordinate way by several years, due to some organizations, where the main generating companies from the country take part. The benefit share of the system to each participant of the planning and integrated operation has aroused interest. This paper describes the alternate forms of cost benefit allocation, between the participant companies of a coordinate operation, in order to reach an adequateness of remuneration and incentives. It was analysed two proposal of benefit allocation for energy export/import contracts: share by generation value and share by marginal benefit, concluding that the second one represents the best way of contribution for the several factors that comprising a hydroelectric power plant (storage capacity, effective storage and turbine capacity). (C.G.C.). 1 tab

Teachers' Performance Motivation System in Thai Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Pasathang, Sarojn; Tesaputa, Kowat; Sataphonwong, Pattananusron

2016-01-01

This research aims to: 1) study the present conditions and desirable condition of the motivation systems as well as how to find methods for motivating the performance of teachers in primary schools, 2) develop a motivation system for the performance of teachers in primary schools, 3) study the effects of using the motivation system for compliance…

Comprehensive Benefit Evaluation of the Wind-PV-ES and Transmission Hybrid Power System Consideration of System Functionality and Proportionality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huizheng Ji

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the background of decreasing fossil fuels and increasing environmental pollution, the wind-photovoltaic energy storage and transmission hybrid power system (or called the wind-PV-ES and transmission hybrid system has become a strategic choice to achieve energy sustainability. However, the comprehensive benefit evaluation of such a combined power system is in a relatively blank state in China, which will hinder the reasonable and orderly development of this station. Four parts, the technical performance, economic benefit, ecological impact and social benefit, are considered in this paper, and a multi-angle evaluation index system of the wind-PV-ES and transmission system is designed. The projection pursuit model is used to evaluated system functionality conventionally; relative entropy theory is used to evaluate the system functionality simultaneously; and a comprehensive benefit evaluation model of the technique for order preference by similar to ideal solution (TOPSIS considering both system functionality and proportionality is constructed. Finally, the national demonstration station of the wind-PV-ES-transmission system is taken as an example to testify to the practicability and validity of the evaluation index system and model.

Examining Inequities in Teacher Pension Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Shuls, James V.

2017-01-01

From funding to teacher quality, inequities exist between school districts. This paper adds to the literature on inequities by examining the impact of pension plan formulas on pension benefits. Using data from the salary schedules of 464 Missouri school districts, this paper analyzes how various final average salary calculations would impact the…

Development of Educational Management System in Small Primary School

Science.gov (United States)

Alsammarry, Yupayao; Sirisuthi, Chaiyuth; Duangcharthom, Surat

2016-01-01

The purposes of the research were: (1) to study the factors of Educational Management System in Small Primary School; (2) to investigate current situations problems and guidelines of developing educational management in small primary school; (3) to develop Educational Management System in Small Primary School; and (4) to examine the results of…

Top Benefits Challenges Facing School Business Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Bohling, Joseph

2012-01-01

What's the main factor coloring employee satisfaction? Many organizations' leaders think the answer is salary, yet in reality, employee benefits packages are one of the biggest incentives an employer can offer. Educational institutions have done well in providing benefits to employees. However, with an unpredictable economic climate and a complex…

Benefits of the computerized operator aid systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMeeken, T.C.

1986-01-01

Duke Power company continues to seek out technological advances which could potentially enhance safe, reliable, efficient power generation, transmission and distribution. The application of process computer systems is a good example of advancing technology at work, assisting power companies in fulfilling their objective. It is the focus of this paper to give an overview of the range of applications applied at Duke Power Company and to highlight their associated benefits

Implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in Senior Secondary Schools in Botswana: An Investigation of Senior Management Team's Expected Benefits of the PMS

Science.gov (United States)

Bulawa, Philip

2012-01-01

Different forms of the performance management system have been implemented in many countries for some years. As in other countries, in 1999 the government of Botswana took a decision to implement a performance management system (PMS) across the entire public service including schools. The government explained the purpose for which this reform was…

Delivering Summer Electronic Benefit Transfers for Children through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Benefit Use and Impacts on Food Security and Foods Consumed.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Anne R; Briefel, Ronette R; Collins, Ann M; Rowe, Gretchen M; Klerman, Jacob A

2017-03-01

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfers for Children (SEBTC) demonstration piloted summer food assistance through electronic benefit transfers (EBTs), providing benefits either through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT. To inform food assistance policy and describe how demonstrations using WIC and SNAP models differed in benefit take-up and impacts on food security and children's food consumption. Sites chose to deliver SEBTC using the SNAP or WIC EBT system. Within each site, in 2012, households were randomly assigned to a benefit group or a no-benefit control group. Grantees (eight states and two Indian Tribal Organizations) selected school districts serving many low-income children. Schoolchildren were eligible in cases where they had been certified for free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Before the demonstration, households in the demonstration sample had lower incomes and lower food security, on average, than households with eligible children nationally. Grantees provided selected households with benefits worth $60 per child per summer month using SNAP or WIC EBT systems. SNAP-model benefits covered most foods. WIC-model benefits could only be used for a specific package of foods. Key outcomes were children's food security (assessed using the US Department of Agriculture food security scale) and food consumption (assessed using food frequency questions). Differences in mean outcomes between the benefit and control groups measured impact, after adjusting for household characteristics. In WIC sites, benefit-group households redeemed a lower percentage of SEBTC benefits than in SNAP sites. Nonetheless, the benefit groups in both sets of sites had similar large reductions in very low food security among children, relative to no-benefit controls. Children receiving benefits consumed more healthful foods, and these impacts were larger in WIC

A Capital-Financing Plan for School Systems and Local Government

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge, Penny

2012-01-01

School business officials are best equipped to lead in funding operating and capital needs because they understand the need for a methodical means of funding ongoing costs over time and the benefits of planning for future financial needs rather than letting emergencies dictate spending priorities. A capital-financing plan makes it possible to…

The Effectiveness of Full Day School System for Students’ Character Building

Science.gov (United States)

Benawa, A.; Peter, R.; Makmun, S.

2018-01-01

The study aims to put forward that full day school which was delivered in Marsudirini Elementary School in Bogor is effective for students’ character building. The study focused on the implementation of full day school system. The qualitative-based research method applied in the study is characteristic evaluation involving non-participant observation, interview, and documentation analysis. The result of this study concludes that the full day school system is significantly effective in education system for elementary students’ character building. The full day school system embraced the entire relevant processes based on the character building standard. The synergy of comprehensive components in instructional process at full day school has influenced the building of the students’ character effectively and efficiently. The relationship emerged between instructional development process in full day school system and the character building of the students. By developing instructional process through systemic and systematic process in full day school system, the support of stakeholders (leaders, human resources, students, parents’ role) and other components (learning resources, facilities, budget) provides a potent and expeditious contribution for character building among the students eventually.

Transportation system benefits of early deployment of a 75-ton multipurpose canister system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wankerl, M.W.; Schmid, S.P.

1995-01-01

In 1993 the US Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) began developing two multipurpose canister (MPC) systems to provide a standardized method for interim storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at commercial nuclear power plants. One is a 75-ton concept with an estimated payload of about 6 metric tons (t) of SNF, and the other is a 125-ton concept with an estimated payload of nearly 11 t of SNF. These payloads are two to three times the payloads of the largest currently certified US rail transport casks, the IF-300. Although is it recognized that a fully developed 125-ton MPC system is likely to provide a greater cost benefit, and radiation exposure benefit than the lower-capacity 75-ton MPC, the authors of this paper suggest that development and deployment of the 75-ton MPC prior to developing and deploying a 125-ton MPC is a desirable strategy. Reasons that support this are discussed in this paper

N.Y.C. System School-Match Gaps Tracked

Science.gov (United States)

Sparks, Sarah D.

2013-01-01

The first round of this year's high-school-match notifications in New York City's massive, district-wide school choice process went out to students this month, sparking celebration, consternation, and a renewal of concerns about unequal access to the city's best schools. The Big Apple's school-matching system is certainly on a New York scale, with…

Is the Level of Student Academic Performance in Tennessee Public School Systems Related to Level of Expenditures for School Systems?

Science.gov (United States)

Leuthold, Frank O.

The 1992 Tennessee Education Improvement Act resulted from a successful law suit by smaller and poorer school systems in Tennessee concerning equity of funding. The Act established the Basic Education Program (BEP), which increased the state sales tax rate, shifted state funds from better funded to poorer school systems, and required systematic…

Performance optimization of solar PV systems to meet school's power requirements. A case study of Viveka Tribal School at Hosahally Village, Karnataka State - India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shamsundar, S.; Kayungilo, Shaaban S.

2007-07-01

The use of solar PV systems to provide power for lighting and other applications in India's rural areas has became popular due to the well established promotion and subsidies system adopted by the government to popularize the PV technology. However, there are limited mechanisms put to monitor the performance of the various PV systems once they are installed to ensure that designed output is delivered by the systems. This is important in giving confidence and trust of the technology to end-users and hence further popularization of the PV technology among larger population, increasing the penetration rate and tapping the real benefits of the technology itself like reduced dependence on fossil fuels (kerosene, diesel or electricity generated from coal power plants) and thus saving the environment. This paper describes the results of the study made at Viveka Tribal School at Hosahally Village, Mysore District of Karnataka State-India. The study was carried out to investigate the possibility for the school to become energy-self sufficient based on renewable energy technologies, thus becoming a role model in the use and promotion of renewable energy sources within Mysore District and Karnataka State at large. (orig.)

The Development and Validation of the Student Response System Benefit Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Hooker, J. F.; Denker, K. J.; Summers, M. E.; Parker, M.

2016-01-01

Previous research into the benefits student response systems (SRS) that have been brought into the classroom revealed that SRS can contribute positively to student experiences. However, while the benefits of SRS have been conceptualized and operationalized into a widely cited scale, the validity of this scale had not been tested. Furthermore,…

Pinellas Plant: Child Care/Partnership School safety assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1989-11-01

The Albuquerque Operations Office through the Pinellas Plant Area Office is involved in a joint venture to establish a Partnership School and a Day Care Facility at the Plant. The venture is unique in that it is based on a partnership with the local county school system. The county school system will provide the teachers, supplies and classroom furnishings for the operation of the school for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second grade during regular school hours. The Government will provide the facility and its normal operating and maintenance costs. A Day Care Facility will also be available for children from infancy through the second grade for outside school hours. The day care will be operated as a non-profit corporation. Fees paid by parents with children in the day care center will cove the cost of staff, food, supplies and liability insurance. Again, the government will provide the facility and its normal operating and maintenance costs. Between 75 and 90 children are expected in the first year of operation. The Partnership School will consist of one class each for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. Second grade will be added in 1990. The total estimated number of children for both the Child Care and Partnership School should not exceed 200 children. Expected benefits include reduced absenteeism, tardiness and turnover and thus increased productivity. The program will be an asset in recruiting and retaining the best workforce. Other benefits include improved education for the children.

Cost-benefit analysis of electronic medical record system at a tertiary care hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jong Soo; Lee, Woo Baik; Rhee, Poong-Lyul

2013-09-01

Although Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems provide various benefits, there are both advantages and disadvantages regarding its cost-effectiveness. This study analyzed the economic effects of EMR systems using a cost-benefit analysis based on the differential costs of managerial accounting. Samsung Medical Center (SMC) is a general hospital in Korea that developed an EMR system for outpatients from 2006 to 2008. This study measured the total costs and benefits during an 8-year period after EMR adoption. The costs include the system costs of building the EMR and the costs incurred in smoothing its adoption. The benefits included cost reductions after its adoption and additional revenues from both remodeling of paper-chart storage areas and medical transcriptionists' contribution. The measured amounts were discounted by SMC's expected interest rate to calculate the net present value (NPV), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and discounted payback period (DPP). During the analysis period, the cumulative NPV and the BCR were US$3,617 thousand and 1.23, respectively. The DPP was about 6.18 years. Although the adoption of an EMR resulted in overall growth in administrative costs, it is cost-effective since the cumulative NPV was positive. The positive NPV was attributed to both cost reductions and additional revenues. EMR adoption is not so attractive to management in that the DPP is longer than 5 years at 6.18 and the BCR is near 1 at 1.23. However, an EMR is a worthwhile investment, seeing that this study did not include any qualitative benefits and that the paper-chart system was cost-centric.

Costs and Benefits of a Shared Digital Long-Term Preservation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esa-Pekka Keskitalo

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the cost-benefit analysis of digital long-term preservation (LTP that was carried out in the context of the Finnish National Digital Library Project (NDL in 2010. The analysis was based on the assumption that as many as 200 archives, libraries, and museums will share an LTP system. The term ‘system’ shall be understood as encompassing not only information technology, but also human resources, organizational structures, policies and funding mechanisms. The cost analysis shows that an LTP system will incur, over the first 12 years, cumulative costs of €42 million, i.e. an average of €3.5 million per annum. Human resources and investments in information technology are the major cost factors. After the initial stages, the analysis predicts annual costs of circa €4 million. The analysis compared scenarios with and without a shared LTP system. The results indicate that a shared system will have remarkable benefits. At the development and implementation stages, a shared system shows an advantage of €30 million against the alternative scenario consisting of five independent LTP solutions. During the later stages, the advantage is estimated at €10 million per annum. The cumulative cost benefit over the first 12 years would amount to circa €100 million.

Review of "Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students"

Science.gov (United States)

McEwan, Patrick J.

2009-01-01

The report examines whether increasing competition from charter schools has a causal effect on the achievement of public school students in New York City, using a three-year longitudinal database of student test scores. As a measure of competition, it considers the percentage of students who left a public school for a charter school in the prior…

The Development of Indonesian Labour Market Information System (LMIS) for Vocational Schools and Industries

Science.gov (United States)

Parinsi, M. T.; Palilingan, V. R.; Sukardi; Surjono, H. D.

2018-02-01

This paper is aim to developing Information system for the labor market which specifically linking vocational schools (SMK) graduates and industries. The methods of this application using Research and Development (R&D) from Borg and Gall conducting in North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. The result are reliable and acceptable for the graduate students. The Labor Market Information system (LMIS) can help the industries to find a labor/graduates that matched with the company requirement at a real time. SMK may have a benefit by extracting the Information from the application, they can prepare their students for the specific work in the industries. The next development of the application will designed to be available not only for the SMK graduate students.

Automated Information System for School Food Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazarika, Panna; Galligan, Stephen

1982-01-01

Controlling warehousing operations and food inventory, administering school cafeteria activity, and measuring the profitability of food service operations are identified as food service administrative problems. A comprehensive school food services information system developed to address these problems is described. (Author/MLF)

The Defined Benefit Pension Plan System: Financial Problems and Policy Responses

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lang, Joel

2004-01-01

.... This thesis examines the challenges facing the DB pension plan system, beginning with an overview of the DB plan system, a review of the different plan types, the benefits received, and funding rules...

Toward Food System Sustainability through School Food System Change: Think&EatGreen@School and the Making of a Community-University Research Alliance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yael Harlap

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the theoretical and conceptual framework and the research and practice model of Think&EatGreen@School, a community-based action research project aiming to foster food citizenship in the City of Vancouver and to develop a model of sustainable institutional food systems in public schools. The authors argue that educational and policy interventions at the school and school board level can drive the goals of food system sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty. The complex relationship between food systems, climate change and environmental degradation require that international initiatives promoting sustainability be vigorously complemented by local multi-stakeholder efforts to preserve or restore the capacity to produce food in a durable manner. As a step towards making the City of Vancouver green, we are currently involved in attempts to transform the food system of the local schools by mobilizing the energy of a transdisciplinary research team of twelve university researchers, over 300 undergraduate and graduate students, and twenty community-based researchers and organizations working on food, public health, environmental and sustainability education.

Solar Schools Assessment and Implementation Project: Financing Options for Solar Installations on K-12 Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coughlin, J.; Kandt, A.

2011-10-01

This report focuses on financial options developed specifically for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in three California public school districts. Solar energy systems installed on public schools have a number of benefits that include utility bill savings, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and other toxic air contaminants, job creation, demonstrating environmental leadership, and creating learning opportunities for students. In the 2011 economic environment, the ability to generate general-fund savings as a result of reducing utility bills has become a primary motivator for school districts trying to cut costs. To achieve meaningful savings, the size of the photovoltaic (PV) systems installed (both individually on any one school and collectively across a district) becomes much more important; larger systems are required to have a material impact on savings. Larger PV systems require a significant financial commitment and financing therefore becomes a critical element in the transaction. In simple terms, school districts can use two primary types of ownership models to obtain solar installations and cost savings across a school district. The PV installations can be financed and owned directly by the districts themselves. Alternatively, there are financing structures whereby another entity, such as a solar developer or its investors, actually own and operate the PV systems on behalf of the school district. This is commonly referred to as the 'third-party ownership model.' Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that should be weighed carefully.

Dual-use benefits of the CTBT verification system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meade, C.E.F.

1999-01-01

Since it has been completed in September 1996, the CTBT has been signed by 151 countries. Awaiting the 44 ratifications and entry into force, all of the nuclear powers have imposed unilateral moratoriums on nuclear test explosions. The end of these weapons development activities is often cited as the principal benefit of the CTBT. As the world begins to implement the Treaty, it has become clear that the development and operation of the CTBT verification system will provide a wide range of additional benefits if the data analysis products are available for dual-purpose applications. As this paper describes these could have economic and social implications, especially for countries with limited technical infrastructures. These involve, seismic monitoring, mineral exploration, scientific and technical training

Successfully Integrating Climate Change Education into School System Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Scallion, M.

2017-12-01

Maryland's Eastern Shore is threatened by climate change driven sea level rise. By working with school systems, rather than just with individual teachers, educators can gain access to an entire grade level of students, assuring that all students, regardless of socioeconomic background or prior coursework have an opportunity to explore the climate issue and be part of crafting community level solutions for their communities. We will address the benefits of working with school system partners to achieve a successful integration of in-school and outdoor learning by making teachers and administrators part of the process. We will explore how, through the Maryland and Delaware Climate Change Education, Assessment, and Research Project, teachers, content supervisors and informal educators worked together to create a climate curriculum with local context that effectively meets Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Over the course of several weeks during the year, students engage in a series of in-class and field activities directly correlated with their science curriculum. Wetlands and birds are used as examples of the local wildlife and habitat being impacted by climate change. Through these lessons led by Pickering Creek Audubon Center educators and strengthened by material covered by classroom teachers, students get a thorough introduction to the mechanism of climate change, local impacts of climate change on habitats and wildlife, and actions they can take as a community to mitigate the effects of climate change. The project concludes with a habitat and carbon stewardship project that gives students and teachers a sense of hope as they tackle this big issue on a local scale. We'll explore how the MADE-CLEAR Informal Climate Change Education (ICCE) Community of Practice supports Delaware and Maryland environmental educators in collaboratively learning and expanding their programming on the complex issue of climate change. Participants will learn how to

Strong School-Community Partnerships in Inclusive Schools Are "Part of the Fabric of the School... We Count on Them"

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Judith M. S.; Haines, Shana J.; Hill, Cokethea; Francis, Grace L.; Blue-Banning, Martha; Turnbull, Ann P.

2015-01-01

School-community partnerships play an essential role in successful schools, often providing supports and resources to meet staff, family, and student needs that go beyond what is typically available through school. Reciprocally, community partners benefit from their relationships with schools, including learning about schools' inclusive culture.…

Middle School Program and Participatory Planning Drive School Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Kevin

1996-01-01

Uses the example of award-winning Black Hawk Middle School in Minnesota to examine: (1) developing a middle school architecture; (2) benefits of the house concept; (3) the need for staff involvement in school design; (4) assembling houses into schools; (5) reduced discipline problems; (6) fostering teacher collaboration; and (7) measuring success.…

Integration of scanned document management with the anatomic pathology laboratory information system: analysis of benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Rodney A; Simmons, Kim; Grimm, Erin E; Middlebrooks, Michael; Changchien, Rosy

2006-11-01

Electronic document management systems (EDMSs) have the potential to improve the efficiency of anatomic pathology laboratories. We implemented a novel but simple EDMS for scanned documents as part of our laboratory information system (AP-LIS) and collected cost-benefit data with the intention of discerning the value of such a system in general and whether integration with the AP-LIS is advantageous. We found that the direct financial benefits are modest but the indirect and intangible benefits are large. Benefits of time savings and access to data particularly accrued to pathologists and residents (3.8 h/d saved for 26 pathologists and residents). Integrating the scanned document management system (SDMS) into the AP-LIS has major advantages in terms of workflow and overall simplicity. This simple, integrated SDMS is an excellent value in a practice like ours, and many of the benefits likely apply in other practice settings.

Students' Perceptions of Unsafe Schools: An Ecological Systems Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jun Sung; Eamon, Mary Keegan

2012-01-01

In the aftermath of several school shooting incidents in recent years, students' perceptions of unsafe schools has been a major concern for parents, teachers, school officials, school practitioners, and policy-makers. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems framework, we examined the micro-, meso-, and exosystem level factors associated with…

Introducing systems change in the schools: the case of school luncheons and vending machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez-Balcazar, Yolanda; Redmond, Ladonna; Kouba, Joanne; Hellwig, Maureen; Davis, Rochelle; Martinez, Louise I; Jones, Lara

2007-06-01

A major public health crisis facing America's society is the increase in child and youth obesity, which has seen a fourfold increase in the last four decades. Major concerns include what children eat for school lunch and what other foods are available in schools. This paper illustrates efforts towards systems change in the luncheon program and food vending machines in the Chicago Public Schools. We discuss the different factors that lead to such changes using the framework of the social ecological model and the soft systems methodology, and we analyze how the resulting innovation was implemented and evaluated. First, we present a theoretical perspective to explain factors that influence children's eating patterns from a systems approach. Second, we discuss the antecedent factors that lead to systems change. Finally, we examine challenges to systems change, such as resistance to change, different stakeholder priorities, lack of resources, institutional bureaucracy, and unrealistic funder expectations.

School Social Workers as Partners in the School Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Finigan-Carr, Nadine M.; Shaia, Wendy E.

2018-01-01

Social workers in schools provide benefits not just for struggling students, but for the entire school community. But, the authors argue, school social workers are often relegated to monitoring IEPs and doing basic casework. By using skills and values that have long been fundamental to social work practice, school social workers can advocate for,…

The endocrine system and sarcopenia: potential therapeutic benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntire, Kevin L; Hoffman, Andrew R

2011-12-01

Age related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, is a major factor in disability, loss of mobility and quality of life in the elderly. There are many proposed mechanisms of age-related muscle loss that include the endocrine system. A variety of hormones regulate growth, development and metabolism throughout the lifespan. Hormone activity may change with age as a result of reduced hormone secretion or decreased tissue responsiveness. This review will focus on the complex interplay between the endocrine system, aging and skeletal muscle and will present possible benefits of therapeutic interventions for sarcopenia.

Teacher Performance Evaluation: A Stressful Experience from a Private Secondary School

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Ayse Bas

2004-01-01

The study examines aspects of centralized and school-based supervision (SBS) as carried out at a private secondary school. Data were gathered from administrators, teachers and students through interviews, critical incidents and pertinent documentation. The study points out that a combination of the two supervision systems offers benefits that a…

Certification Systems of Green Schools: A Comparative Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Kocabas

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability is an approach that should not merely be limited to the design of buildings, but be a lifestyle adopted by posterity. Individuals ought to have the consciousness to protect and preserve the natural resources of future generations. After all, this is what will probably make studies on sustainability reach their targets. School buildings are critically important in achieving this goal in that they can enable future generations to be raised with an awareness of sustainability. This explains the reason why, in this study, the following leading green school certification systems and their criteria have been compared and examined: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; Collaborative for High Performance Schools; and, Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. Five schools with these certificates were taken as examples, evaluated and compared. This study, in which descriptive survey model was employed, made it clear that the standards set for green schools serve similar purposes no matter when a green school certification system originated or which countries have adopted it. However, the following variables play an important role in the success of the green school approach: attitudes of administrators; training pattern; location of the school; materials selection; and the responsibilities of educators and learners. School buildings in Turkey should further be discussed in detail with these points in mind.

Benefits of using nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lira, Elda Vilaca

2015-01-01

The purpose of this work is to present, especially for high school students, the benefits of the use of nuclear energy, promoting a deeper knowledge of this technology, encouraging critical thinking of students and society around them

Pedagogical discourses in Bhutanese school system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keller, Hanne Dauer; Utha, Karma

2013-01-01

In this article we distinguish between three pedagogical discourses in our analysis of the Bhutanese school system. The results point to the dominance of the traditional cognitive discourse, but occasionally the teacher's unilateral control of the teaching-learning process is shared with the stud......In this article we distinguish between three pedagogical discourses in our analysis of the Bhutanese school system. The results point to the dominance of the traditional cognitive discourse, but occasionally the teacher's unilateral control of the teaching-learning process is shared...... with the students. On a value basis the teachers agree with the pedagogical ideal of student centered learning which is in line with an experiential learning discourse. In addition students tell about how they go to the better students, rather than to the teacher, for help. This behavior, where peers are used...... as ‘teachers’, points to a third understanding of how learning is undertaken, which builds on the social ressources of the local community of practice. Despite these smaller variations, the overall picture is that the underlying discourse of the Bhutaneese school system is in accordance with a traditional...

Holistic School Leadership: Development of Systems Thinking in School Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

2018-01-01

Background: Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts. It does not try to break systems down into parts in order to understand them; instead, it focuses attention on how the parts act together in networks of interactions. Purpose: This study explored the development of holistic school leadership--an…

Maximizing the benefits of a dewatering system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, P.; Iverson, T.S.

1999-01-01

The use of dewatering systems in the mining, industrial sludge and sewage waste treatment industries is discussed, also describing some of the problems that have been encountered while using drilling fluid dewatering technology. The technology is an acceptable drilling waste handling alternative but it has had problems associated with recycled fluid incompatibility, high chemical costs and system inefficiencies. This paper discussed the following five action areas that can maximize the benefits and help reduce costs of a dewatering project: (1) co-ordinate all services, (2) choose equipment that fits the drilling program, (3) match the chemical treatment with the drilling fluid types, (4) determine recycled fluid compatibility requirements, and (5) determine the disposal requirements before project start-up. 2 refs., 5 figs

Cost benefit risk - a concept for management of integrated urban wastewater systems?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauger, Mikkel B.; Rauch, W.; Linde, Jens Jørgen

2002-01-01

Urban wastewater systems should be evaluated and analysed from an integrated point of view, taking all parts of the system, that is sewer system, wastewater treatment plant and receiving waters into consideration. Risk and parameter uncertainties are aspects that hardly ever have been addressed...... in the evaluation and design of urban wastewater systems. In this paper we present and discuss a probabilistic approach for evaluation of the performance of urban wastewater systems. Risk analysis together with the traditional cost-benefit analysis is a special variant of multi-criteria analysis that seeks to find...... the most feasible improvement alternative for an urban wastewater system. The most feasible alternative in this context is the alternative that has the best performance, meaning that the alternative has the lowest sum of costs, benefits and risks. The sum is expressed as the Net Present Cost (NPC). To use...

Trojan Ponies: Undermining the Establishment Clause in the Name of "Child Benefit Theory."

Science.gov (United States)

Thurau-Gray, Lisa H.

1998-01-01

Two cases illustrate that whenever the schools or courts abandon the Establishment Clause and embrace "child benefit theory," religious schoolchildren are the only winners. Application of "child benefit theory" has engendered religious strife, increased public funds for religious schools, increased sectarian control of public…

Evaluation of intelligent transport systems impact on school transport safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jankowska-Karpa Dagmara

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The integrated system of safe transport of children to school using Intelligent Transport Systems was developed and implemented in four locations across Europe under the Safeway2School (SW2S project, funded by the EU. The SW2S system evaluation included speed measurements and an eye-tracking experiment carried out among drivers who used the school bus route, where selected elements of the system were tested. The subject of the evaluation were the following system elements: pedestrian safety system at the bus stop (Intelligent Bus Stop and tags for children, Driver Support System, applications for parents’ and students’ mobile phones, bus stop inventory tool and data server. A new sign designed for buses and bus stops to inform about child transportation/children waiting at the bus stop was added to the system. Training schemes for system users were also provided. The article presents evaluation results of the impact of selected elements of the SW2S system on school transport safety in Poland.

Electric Power Saving Awareness System at School Using ICT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuzume Koichi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, education on energy saving at schools attracts attention to reduce energy consumption. In this paper we proposed a novel system to promote energy conservation activity at schools using a sensor network. The system consisted of a wall-type clock embedded with several kinds of sensors for temperature and light in the classroom, and wireless devices to connect to a cloud computer network. The system had the following superiorities: offered various services for energy conservation activity, needless of CT (Current Transformer sensor, low price, ease of installation and extension, and visualization of power consumption in conjunction with school timetable in real time. We presented the system and a user study conducted to evaluate its usefulness.

Who Benefits From Four-Year Higher Education in Turkey? A Case Study of Law School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiz GÖLPEK

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In many countries, a higher education system which is based on welfare state practices prevails. In this system, the services are substantially provided by the state free of charge or at quite low prices. Since the services are financed by taxes, additional sources cannot be provided; and because of the fact that it doesn't entail a real cost benefit comparison by the users, it leads to inefficiency. From the early 80s on, there has been a tendency towards the marketing mechanisms in the provision of many public services such as education due to both strong theoretical and empirical reason, and the restrictions in public financing. Together with this tendency, the question of who benefits from education services is tried to be answered in order to discuss the stimulation of activities and additional resources on a reasonable base. The aim of this study is to determine whether it is the individual or the society who benefits from this public service at the higher education level by calculating private and social return rates through internal return rate technique which is one of the cost benefit analysis method. Findings from calculations have shown that the individual gains more than the society after a four-year university education.

Emergy evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system based on water cycle process

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, X.; Wu, Z.; Lv, C.

2017-12-01

The water utilization benefits are formed by the material flow, energy flow, information flow and value stream in the whole water cycle process, and reflected along with the material circulation of inner system. But most of traditional water utilization benefits evaluation are based on the macro level, only consider the whole material input and output and energy conversion relation, and lack the characterization of water utilization benefits accompanying with water cycle process from the formation mechanism. In addition, most studies are from the perspective of economics, only pay attention to the whole economic output and sewage treatment economic investment, but neglect the ecological function benefits of water cycle, Therefore, from the perspective of internal material circulation in the whole system, taking water cycle process as the process of material circulation and energy flow, the circulation and flow process of water and other ecological environment, social economic elements were described, and the composition of water utilization positive and negative benefits in water-ecological-economic system was explored, and the performance of each benefit was analyzed. On this basis, the emergy calculation method of each benefit was proposed by emergy quantitative analysis technique, which can realize the unified measurement and evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system. Then, taking Zhengzhou city as an example, the corresponding benefits of different water cycle links were calculated quantitatively by emergy method, and the results showed that the emergy evaluation method of water utilization benefits can unify the ecosystem and the economic system, achieve uniform quantitative analysis, and measure the true value of natural resources and human economic activities comprehensively.

Using a Computer-based Messaging System at a High School To Increase School/Home Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Burden, Mitzi K.

Minimal communication between school and home was found to contribute to low performance by students at McDuffie High School (South Carolina). This report describes the experience of establishing a computer-based telephone messaging system in the high school and involving parents, teachers, and students in its use. Additional strategies employed…

Computers and School Nurses in a Financially Stressed School System: The Case of St. Louis

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, Scott

2013-01-01

This article describes the incorporation of computer technology into the professional lives of school nurses. St. Louis, Missouri, a major urban school system, is the site of the study. The research describes several major impacts computer technology has on the professional responsibilities of school nurses. Computer technology not only affects…

Análisis de coste-beneficio de un programa de prevención del tabaquismo en escolares Cost-benefit analysis of a school-based smoking prevention program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Hormigo Amaro

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: Analizar la eficiencia de un programa de prevención del tabaquismo en escolares de Barcelona (programa PASE.bcn. Métodos: Se realizó un análisis de coste-beneficio. Como costes se incluyeron los derivados del diseño y la ejecución del programa. Como beneficios se contabilizaron los costes sanitarios y las pérdidas de productividad evitados. La perspectiva de análisis es la social y el año de referencia es 2005. Resultados: Estimando una efectividad del 1%, el programa PASE.bcn lograría un beneficio anual de 1.558.311,46 €. Los beneficios sanitarios por fumador evitado son de 1997,57 €, mientras que los beneficios indirectos por fumador evitado son de 21.260,80 €. Dado que el coste del programa es de 68.526,03 €, la razón beneficio-coste del programa es de 22,74. Conclusiones: Los programas de prevención del tabaquismo en escolares generan un beneficio para la sociedad muy superior a sus costes. Los resultados justifican la aplicación universal de este tipo de programas.Objective: To analyze the efficiency of a school-based smoking prevention program in Barcelona (PASE.bcn program. Methods: A cost-benefit analysis was performed. As costs we included those corresponding to the design and implementation of the program. As benefits we considered healthcare costs and the productivity losses avoided. This study was conducted from a societal perspective, and the estimations of costs and benefits related to 2005. Results: Assuming an effectiveness of 1%, the PASE.bcn program would achieve a total benefit of 1,558,311.46 €. The healthcare benefits per prevented smoker were 1997.57 €, and the indirect benefits per prevented smoker were 21,260.80 €. Given the total cost of the school-based program (68,526.03 €, the cost-benefit ratio was 22.74. Conclusions: From a societal perspective, the benefits of school-based tobacco prevention programs, in terms of healthcare costs and productivity losses avoided, are far

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic

Science.gov (United States)

and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with

School nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

DeSisto, Marie C; DeSisto, Thomas Patrick

2004-08-01

The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school nurses surveyed perceived themselves to have a high degree of autonomy and a moderate degree of empowerment, and they reported that their access to informal power structures was higher than their access to formal power structures in their school systems. School nurses can benefit by understanding factors that can increase their empowerment in the workplace. They need to understand the organizational structure of their workplace to increase their effectiveness and job satisfaction.

RADON MITIGATION IN SCHOOLS: CASE STUDIES OF RADON MITIGATION SYSTEMS INSTALLED BY EPA IN FOUR MARYLAND SCHOOLS ARE PRESENTED

Science.gov (United States)

The first part of this two-part paper discusses radon entry into schools, radon mitigation approaches for schools, and school characteristics (e.g., heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning -- HVAC-- system design and operation) that influence radon entry and mitigation system ...

SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM USING RICE-PEA BEVERAGE IN SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS: DOES IT HAVE BENEFIT?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoto Satoto

2012-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT School feeding program is believed to be one effort among others to improve attendance rate, nutritional status and cognitive function of school children, which in turn improve academic performance of them. A study was conducted to evaluate a school feeding program using rice-pea beverage in Bandung, Indonesia. Its objective is to measure effect of the program on attendance rate, nutritional status, cognitive function and academic performance of the children joining the program. A control group design was administered. A number of students of class 3,4 and 5 from schools joining the feeding program were selected as program group, and more or less same number of school children in other schools with similar socio-economic situation were selected as control group. The feeding program was organized for 6 months. Attendance rate was measured by number of absentees, total and due to sickness in one semester. Nutritional status was standardized using WHO-NCHS z-score for weight-for-age (WAZ and height-for-age (HAZ. Cognitive function was measured by Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM, and score of Mathematics and Indonesian Language (Bahasa Indonesia were measured using specific scholastic testings. School and home learning environment, certain food consumption frequencies were collected as covariates. GLM analyses were administered. The study found that after being controlled by some covariates, at the end of the study children in the program group showed better attendance rate, nutritional status, cognitive function and school performance. It is assumed that the improvement was due to better attendance rate as the program attracted the children to attend more days in the schools and due to improvement of food consumption provided by the program and at home. More in-depth, more specific and longer study, administering randomized case-control trial is recommended. Comparison of the use of foodstuffs for the purpose is also interesting to be

Information System Quality and Its Impact on Individual Users’ Benefit: Analysing the Role of Knowledge Enablers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iman Sudirman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available With increasing competitive pressures, companies are trying to improve the quality of their processes and the work quality of their. This fact has triggered the companies to improve their information systems. Having made some investments in IT systems, those companies look for ways to gain benefits from their investments. The benefit from IS investment arise when the use of information system (IS provides some positive impact to the organisation in terms of business impacts and individual impacts. Thus, investigating IS impact for individual user„s performance is very important. This study explores the effect of IS quality on individual benefits. The influence of six moderating variables related to knowledge enablers on the impact of IS quality on individual benefits was studied. The six moderating variables are: collaboration, trust, learning, centralisation, expertise, and formalisation. Data was collected using questionnaires distributed at two big private companies in Indonesia. Data processing was done with the help of SPSS software. After factor analysis, IS quality was split into two variables: Information quality and System and service quality. The study found that both the variables influence the perceived individual benefits significantly. The influence of information quality on individual benefit is positively moderated by expertise, learning, centralisation and formalisation. Finally, the influence of system and service quality on individual benefit is positively moderated by expertise and formalization.

Beacon-Colss core monitoring system application and benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, W.A.; Yoon, T.Y.

2005-01-01

Westinghouse and KNFC are creating an upgraded core monitoring system by merging the BEACON system (best estimate analyzer for core operation-nuclear) and COLSS (core operating limit supervisory system) into an integrated product. Although both BEACON and COLSS are core monitoring systems that have been in operation at many plants for a number of years, they each have some features and capabilities that are not in the other. Therefore it has been decided to incorporate portions of COLSS into the beacon system to create an optional level to support core monitoring applications on selected combustion engineering (C-E) designed plants. This optional level in the beacon system will be called BEACON-COLSS and will allow the beacon system to monitor the LCO's and Tech Spec limits at CE plants that currently use COLSS. This paper will present the structure of the new core monitoring system and the benefits it achieves for current COLSS plants, i.e., CE plants in the US and KSNP (Korean standard nuclear power plant). (authors)

Gauging the System: Trends in School Climate Measurement and Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, Meagan; Katz, Kristin; Renshaw, Tyler L.; Furlong, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Researchers and educators are giving increasing scrutiny to systems-level constructs that contribute to safe, supportive, and effective schools, including school climate. School climate is a multifaceted construct that is commonly conceptualized as school community members' subjective experiences of the structural and contextual elements of a…

The Aviation System Analysis Capability Air Carrier Cost-Benefit Model

Science.gov (United States)

Gaier, Eric M.; Edlich, Alexander; Santmire, Tara S.; Wingrove, Earl R.., III

1999-01-01

To meet its objective of assisting the U.S. aviation industry with the technological challenges of the future, NASA must identify research areas that have the greatest potential for improving the operation of the air transportation system. Therefore, NASA is developing the ability to evaluate the potential impact of various advanced technologies. By thoroughly understanding the economic impact of advanced aviation technologies and by evaluating how the new technologies will be used in the integrated aviation system, NASA aims to balance its aeronautical research program and help speed the introduction of high-leverage technologies. To meet these objectives, NASA is building the Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC). NASA envisions ASAC primarily as a process for understanding and evaluating the impact of advanced aviation technologies on the U.S. economy. ASAC consists of a diverse collection of models and databases used by analysts and other individuals from the public and private sectors brought together to work on issues of common interest to organizations in the aviation community. ASAC also will be a resource available to the aviation community to analyze; inform; and assist scientists, engineers, analysts, and program managers in their daily work. The ASAC differs from previous NASA modeling efforts in that the economic behavior of buyers and sellers in the air transportation and aviation industries is central to its conception. Commercial air carriers, in particular, are an important stakeholder in this community. Therefore, to fully evaluate the implications of advanced aviation technologies, ASAC requires a flexible financial analysis tool that credibly links the technology of flight with the financial performance of commercial air carriers. By linking technical and financial information, NASA ensures that its technology programs will continue to benefit the user community. In addition, the analysis tool must be capable of being incorporated into the

Artificial intelligence costs, benefits, risks for selected spacecraft ground system automation scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Truszkowski, Walter F.; Silverman, Barry G.; Kahn, Martha; Hexmoor, Henry

1988-01-01

In response to a number of high-level strategy studies in the early 1980s, expert systems and artificial intelligence (AI/ES) efforts for spacecraft ground systems have proliferated in the past several years primarily as individual small to medium scale applications. It is useful to stop and assess the impact of this technology in view of lessons learned to date, and hopefully, to determine if the overall strategies of some of the earlier studies both are being followed and still seem relevant. To achieve that end four idealized ground system automation scenarios and their attendant AI architecture are postulated and benefits, risks, and lessons learned are examined and compared. These architectures encompass: (1) no AI (baseline), (2) standalone expert systems, (3) standardized, reusable knowledge base management systems (KBMS), and (4) a futuristic unattended automation scenario. The resulting artificial intelligence lessons learned, benefits, and risks for spacecraft ground system automation scenarios are described.

Benefits of advanced software techniques for mission planning systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gasquet, A.; Parrod, Y.; Desaintvincent, A.

1994-10-01

The increasing complexity of modern spacecraft, and the stringent requirement for maximizing their mission return, call for a new generation of Mission Planning Systems (MPS). In this paper, we discuss the requirements for the Space Mission Planning and the benefits which can be expected from Artificial Intelligence techniques through examples of applications developed by Matra Marconi Space.

A School for Parents: An Innovation in an Elementary School.

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Edna M.

1979-01-01

This paper describes the preparation, planning, and operation of a parent education project in an elementary school in British Columbia, based on Adlerian theory and practice. Reported benefits to the school and families support the appropriateness of school-based parent education, and the need for trained counselors to facilitate it. (Author)

Systems thinking and complexity: considerations for health promoting schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosas, Scott R

2017-04-01

The health promoting schools concept reflects a comprehensive and integrated philosophy to improving student and personnel health and well-being. Conceptualized as a configuration of interacting, interdependent parts connected through a web of relationships that form a whole greater than the sum of its parts, school health promotion initiatives often target several levels (e.g. individual, professional, procedural and policy) simultaneously. Health promoting initiatives, such as those operationalized under the whole school approach, include several interconnected components that are coordinated to improve health outcomes in complex settings. These complex systems interventions are embedded in intricate arrangements of physical, biological, ecological, social, political and organizational relationships. Systems thinking and characteristics of complex adaptive systems are introduced in this article to provide a perspective that emphasizes the patterns of inter-relationships associated with the nonlinear, dynamic and adaptive nature of complex hierarchical systems. Four systems thinking areas: knowledge, networks, models and organizing are explored as a means to further manage the complex nature of the development and sustainability of health promoting schools. Applying systems thinking and insights about complex adaptive systems can illuminate how to address challenges found in settings with both complicated (i.e. multi-level and multisite) and complex aspects (i.e. synergistic processes and emergent outcomes). © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Description and Documentation of the Dental School Dental Delivery System.

Science.gov (United States)

Chase, Rosen and Wallace, Inc., Alexandria, VA.

A study was undertaken to describe and document the dental school dental delivery system using an integrated systems approach. In late 1976 and early 1977, a team of systems analysts and dental consultants visited three dental schools to observe the delivery of dental services and patient flow and to interview administrative staff and faculty.…

Optimization of catalyst system reaps economic benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Roy, C.F.; Hanshaw, M.J.; Fischer, S.M.; Malik, T.; Kooiman, R.R.

1991-01-01

Champlin Refining and Chemicals Inc. is learning to optimize its catalyst systems for hydrotreating Venezuelan gas oils through a program of research, pilot plant testing, and commercial unit operation. The economic results of this project have been evaluated, and the benefits are most evident in improvements in product yields and qualities. The project has involved six commercial test runs, to date (Runs 10-15), with a seventh run planned. A summary of the different types of catalyst systems used in the test runs, and the catalyst philosophy that developed is given. Runs 10 and 11 used standard CoMo and NiMo catalysts for heavy gas oils hydrotreating. These catalysts had small pore sizes and suffered high deactivation rates because of metals contamination. When it was discovered that metals contamination was a problem, catalyst options were reviewed

Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janssen Ian

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose was to: 1 perform a systematic review of studies examining the relation between physical activity, fitness, and health in school-aged children and youth, and 2 make recommendations based on the findings. Methods The systematic review was limited to 7 health indicators: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, the metabolic syndrome, obesity, low bone density, depression, and injuries. Literature searches were conducted using predefined keywords in 6 key databases. A total of 11,088 potential papers were identified. The abstracts and full-text articles of potentially relevant papers were screened to determine eligibility. Data was abstracted for 113 outcomes from the 86 eligible papers. The evidence was graded for each health outcome using established criteria based on the quantity and quality of studies and strength of effect. The volume, intensity, and type of physical activity were considered. Results Physical activity was associated with numerous health benefits. The dose-response relations observed in observational studies indicate that the more physical activity, the greater the health benefit. Results from experimental studies indicate that even modest amounts of physical activity can have health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese. To achieve substantive health benefits, the physical activity should be of at least a moderate intensity. Vigorous intensity activities may provide even greater benefit. Aerobic-based activities had the greatest health benefit, other than for bone health, in which case high-impact weight bearing activities were required. Conclusion The following recommendations were made: 1 Children and youth 5-17 years of age should accumulate an average of at least 60 minutes per day and up to several hours of at least moderate intensity physical activity. Some of the health benefits can be achieved through an average of 30 minutes per day. [Level 2, Grade A]. 2 More vigorous

School Segregation and Its Effects on Educational Equality and Efficiency in 16 OECD Comprehensive School Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Benito, Ricard; Alegre, Miquel Àngel; Gonzàlez-Balletbò, Isaac

2014-01-01

Using PISA data for 16 Western OECD countries having comprehensive school systems, we explore the conditions under which the socioeconomic composition of schools affects educational efficiency and equality, to a greater or lesser extent. First, a multilevel analysis is applied to examine and compare the effect of school socioeconomic composition…

Entrepreneurial intention benefitting from education, training and competence: Egypt and Iran

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashourizadeh, Shayegheh; Nasiri, Niloofar; Schøtt, Thomas

2014-01-01

The question is, for adults in Egypt and Iran, are education, training and competencies positively interrelated and is this human capital benefitting intention to start a business?– Data on people’s human capital and intentions have been collected by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor in 2008....... The sample is 2,068 adults in Egypt and 2,610 adults in Iran who were not owning-managing a starting or operating business. Multivariate analyses reveal considerable effects of human capital in Egypt and Iran. Education benefits training, training during schooling benefits training after schooling, education...... and training largely benefit competencies such as self-efficacy and opportunity-alertness and education, training and competencies all benefit intention to start a business, but effects differ between Egypt and Iran. The study is valuable and original by demonstrating considerable effects of higher education...

Cost-benefit evaluation of a decentralized water system for wastewater reuse and environmental protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, R; Wang, X C

2009-01-01

This paper proposed a net benefit value (NBV) model for cost-benefit evaluation of wastewater treatment and reuse projects, and attention was mainly paid to decentralized systems which are drawing wide interests all over the world especially in the water-deficient countries and regions. In the NBV model, all the factors related to project costs are monetary ones which can be calculated by using traditional methods, while many of the factors related to project benefits are non-monetary ones which need sophisticated methods for monetization. In this regard, the authors elaborated several methods for monetization of the benefits from wastewater discharge reduction, local environment improvement, and human health protection. The proposed model and methods were applied for the cost-benefit evaluation of a decentralized water reclamation and reuse project in a newly developed residential area in Xi'an, China. The system with dual-pipe collection and grey water treatment and reuse was found to be economically ineligible (NBV > 0) when all the treated water is reused for artificial pond replenishment, gardening and other non-potable purposes by taking into account the benefit of water saving. As environmental benefits are further considered, the economic advantage of the project is more significant.

School meals in children’s social life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Sidse Schoubye

This dissertation explores the role of different school meal arrangements in children’s social life from a child’s perspective. The dissertation utilizes a school meal intervention carried out in Denmark in 2011-12 to compare the same group of children in different school meal arrangements, thereby...... overcoming typical challenges of comparison across school meal arrangements, such as differences across children, schools or countries. The dissertation builds on data from a four month field work in 4th grade, 26 semi-structured interviews with children, chefs, and teachers, and 834 children’s self...... in children’s evaluation of new food initiatives in school; that children meet conflicting approaches to food education depending on the context; and that the social powers of sharing and exchanging individual lunch packs could outweigh some of the benefits of a collective meal system. Overall...

Uniforms in the Middle School: Student Opinions, Discipline Data, and School Police Data

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Jafeth E.; Yoxsimer, Andrew; Hill, George C.

2012-01-01

This study investigated public middle school students' opinions on the benefits of wearing a school uniform. A review of related literature is provided along with results of the opinions obtained from 604 seventh- and eighth-grade middle school students attending a public school in Nevada that had recently initiated a school uniform policy.…

Industrial Cost-Benefit Assessment for Fault-tolerant Control Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thybo, C.; Blanke, M.

1998-01-01

Economic aspects are decisive for industrial acceptance of research concepts including the promising ideas in fault tolerant control. Fault tolerance is the ability of a system to detect, isolate and accommodate a fault, such that simple faults in a sub-system do not develop into failures....... The objective of this paper is to help, in the early product development state, to find the economical most suitable scheme. A salient result is that with increased customer awareness of total cost of ownership, new products can benefit significantly from applying fault tolerant control principles....

Do Public School Teachers "Really" Receive Lavish Benefits? Richwine and Biggs' Recent Report Doesn't Make the Grade. EPI Issue Brief #324

Science.gov (United States)

Morrissey, Monique

2012-01-01

When most people think of the perks of teaching, an image that comes to mind is a shiny apple presented by a gap-toothed pupil. A recent paper by Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation and Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute claims that public school teachers enjoy lavish benefits that are more valuable than their base pay and…

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the School Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program to help schools prevent, identify, and resolve their IAQ problems. This publication describes the program and its advantages, explaining that through simple, low-cost measures, schools can: reduce IAQ-related health risks and…

Effective Charter Schools and Charter School Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Stephen B.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this synthesis of the literature on charter school effectiveness is to develop a research agenda on the topic and to propose action that will lead to improved performance of charter schools. To accomplish these goals, background information is first provided including: a definition of charter schools; statistics on charter schools;…

Mixed grazing systems benefit both upland biodiversity and livestock production.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariecia D Fraser

Full Text Available With world food demand expected to double by 2050, identifying farming systems that benefit both agricultural production and biodiversity is a fundamentally important challenge for the 21(st century, but this has to be achieved in a sustainable way. Livestock grazing management directly influences both economic outputs and biodiversity on upland farms while contributing to potentially damaging greenhouse gas emissions, yet no study has attempted to address these impacts simultaneously.Using a replicated, landscape-scale field experiment consisting of five management 'systems' we tested the effects of progressively altering elements within an upland farming system, viz i incorporating cattle grazing into an upland sheep system, ii integrating grazing of semi-natural rough grazing into a mixed grazing system based on improved pasture, iii altering the stocking ratio within a mixed grazing system, and iv replacing modern crossbred cattle with a traditional breed. We quantified the impacts on livestock productivity and numbers of birds and butterflies over four years.We found that management systems incorporating mixed grazing with cattle improve livestock productivity and reduce methane emissions relative to sheep only systems. Systems that also included semi-natural rough grazing consistently supported more species of birds and butterflies, and it was possible to incorporate bouts of summer grazing of these pastures by cattle to meet habitat management prescriptions without compromising cattle performance overall. We found no evidence that the system incorporating a cattle breed popular as a conservation grazer was any better for bird and butterfly species richness than those based on a mainstream breed, yet methane emissions from such a system were predicted to be higher. We have demonstrated that mixed upland grazing systems not only improve livestock production, but also benefit biodiversity, suggesting a 'win-win' solution for farmers and

Developing an Indicator System for Schools of Choice: A Balanced Scorecard Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Richard S.; Wohlstetter, Priscilla; Liu, Sunny

2008-01-01

This article describes the process of developing an indicator system that goes beyond a single indicator of school progress or performance. The system relies on a set of school indicators that uses data that public schools routinely report to state agencies for compliance purposes. The framework for the indicator system is based on the idea of…

Training Requirements and Training Delivery in the Total Army School System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Winkler, John

1999-01-01

This report analyzes training requirements and school delivery of training in the Total Army School System, focusing on the system's ability to meet its training requirements in Reserve Component Training Institutions...

How Small School Districts Can Organize to Afford Their Small Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Christine

2010-01-01

While the research continues to mount on the benefits of school downsizing and decentralizing efforts in urban areas, there exists a paradox for small school Administrators who continue to struggle against forces of consolidation. Small schools in rural and suburban districts have fought for their existence against the pressures of consolidation…

Improving School Leadership. Volume 2: Case Studies on System Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, David, Ed.; Nusche, Deborah, Ed.; Pont, Beatriz, Ed.

2008-01-01

This book explores what specialists are saying about system leadership for school improvement. Case studies examine innovative approaches to sharing leadership across schools in Belgium (Flanders), Finland and the United Kingdom (England) and leadership development programmes for system improvement in Australia and Austria. As these are emerging…

Photovoltaic generating systems in rural schools in Neuquen Province, Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawand, T.A.; Campbell, J. [Brace Research Institute, Quebec (Canada)

1997-12-01

During the period 1994-95, solar photovoltaic systems were installed at a number of schools in Neuquen Province, Argentina, by the Provincial electric utility, Ente Provincial de Energia del Neuquen. This was undertaken with funds provided by the Inter-American Development Bank. In all, there are 12 schools that have had photovoltaic generating systems installed. These generating systems are designed to provide electricity for the basic needs at the schools: primarily for lighting, and to operate small electrical appliances such as communication radios, televisions, VCR`s, AM/FM and short-wave radios. They do not provide enough energy to operate large consumption appliances such as washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, power tools, etc. The program of provision of PV systems was supplemented with training on simple systems for cooking food or drying fruit, etc. These techniques are primarily intended for demonstration at the schools thus serving an educational role with the hope that they will be transmitted in time to the families of the students where the need is manifested the most.

School Funding System and Equity

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatadze, Shalva; Gorgadze, Natia

2014-01-01

The aim of this research is to study the effectiveness of general education funding system from the perspective of equal and equal educational opportunities for all in Georgia. Following the objective, the research aimed to respond three main research questions: 1. is the school financing formula effective and efficient enough to be administrated…

Big Data in Education: Balancing the Benefits of Educational Research and Student Privacy. A Workshop Summary

Science.gov (United States)

National Academy of Education, 2017

2017-01-01

This is a critical time to understand the benefits and risks of educational research using large data sets. Massive quantities of educational data can now be stored, analyzed, and shared. State longitudinal data systems can track individual students from pre-K through college and work. Districts and schools keep detailed data on individual…

Enhancing Linkages Between Healthy Diets, Local Agriculture, and Sustainable Food Systems: The School Meals Planner Package in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Meenakshi; Galloway, Rae; Gelli, Aulo; Mumuni, Daniel; Hamdani, Salha; Kiamba, Josephine; Quarshie, Kate; Bhatia, Rita; Aurino, Elisabetta; Peel, Francis; Drake, Lesley

2016-12-01

Interventions that enhance linkages between healthy diets and local agriculture can promote sustainable food systems. Home-grown school feeding programs present a promising entry point for such interventions, through the delivery of nutritious menus and meals. To describe the adaptation of the School Meals Planner Package to the programmatic and environmental reality in Ghana during the 2014 to 2015 school year. Guided by a conceptual framework highlighting key considerations and trade-offs in menu design, an open-source software was developed that could be easily understood by program implementers. Readily available containers from markets were calibrated into "handy measures" to support the provision of adequate quantities of food indicated by menus. Schools and communities were sensitized to the benefits of locally sourced, nutrient-rich diets. A behavior change communication campaign including posters and songs promoting healthy diets was designed and disseminated in schools and communities. The School Meals Planner Package was introduced in 42 districts in Ghana, reaching more than 320 000 children. Monitoring reports and feedback on its use were positive, demonstrating how the tool can be used by planners and implementers alike to deliver nutritious, locally-sourced meals to schoolchildren. The value of the tool has been recognized at the highest levels by Ghana's government who have adopted it as official policy. The School Meals Planner Package supported the design of nutritious, locally sourced menus for the school feeding program in Ghana. The tool can be similarly adapted for other countries to meet context-specific needs. © The Author(s) 2016.

Predictors of Autism Enrollment in Public School Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Boswell, Katelyn; Zablotsky, Benjamin; Smith, Christopher

2014-01-01

With a number of disparities present in the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, the education system plays a crucial role in the provision of both these service elements. Based on school and federal census data, this article examines one state's public school autism enrollment and possible predictors of enrollment…

Lessons learned from Action Schools! BC--an 'active school' model to promote physical activity in elementary schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Naylor, Patti-Jean; Macdonald, Heather M; Zebedee, Janelle A; Reed, Katherine E; McKay, Heather A

2006-10-01

The 'active school' model offers promise for promoting school-based physical activity (PA); however, few intervention trials have evaluated its effectiveness. Thus, our purpose was to: (1) describe Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) and its implementation (fidelity and feasibility) and (2) evaluate the impact of AS! BC on school provision of PA. Ten elementary schools were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: Usual Practice (UP, three schools), Liaison (LS, four schools) or Champion (CS, three schools). Teachers in LS and CS schools received AS! BC training and resources but differed on the level of facilitation provided. UP schools continued with regular PA. Delivery of PA during the 11-month intervention was assessed with weekly Activity Logs and intervention fidelity and feasibility were assessed using Action Plans, workshop evaluations, teacher surveys and focus groups with administrators, teachers, parents and students. Physical activity delivered was significantly greater in LS (+67.4 min/week; 95% CI: 18.7-116.1) and CS (+55.2 min/week; 95% CI: 26.4-83.9) schools than UP schools. Analysis of Action Plans and Activity Logs showed fidelity to the model and moderate levels of compliance (75%). Teachers were highly satisfied with training and support. Benefits of AS! BC included positive changes in the children and school climate, including provision of resources, improved communication and program flexibility. These results support the use of the 'active school' model to positively alter the school environment. The AS! BC model was effective, providing more opportunities for "more children to be more active more often" and as such has the potential to provide health benefits to elementary school children.

Comparing the costs and benefits of floating rice-based and intensive rice-based farming systems in the Mekong delta

OpenAIRE

Van Kien Nguyen; Oc Van Vo; Duc Ngoc Huynh

2015-01-01

This paper compares financial costs and benefits of floating rice-based and intensive rice farming systems using data from focus group discussions and household survey in four locations in the Mekong Delta. We argue that the net financial benefit per 1000m2 of integrated floating rice-based farming systems is greater than the net financial benefit of intensive rice farming system. The total net benefit of floating rice-leeks shows the highest net benefit (VND 24.8 mil./1000 m2), followed by f...

Win-Win transportation solutions price reforms with multiple benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litman, T.

2001-01-01

Reform strategies in the transportation market, such as the Win-Win Transportation Solutions, can provide several economic, social and environmental benefits. The strategies are cost effective, technically feasible reforms based on market principles which help create a more equitable and efficient transportation system that supports sustainable economic development. The benefits they provide include reduced traffic congestion, road and parking facility savings, consumer savings, equity, safety and environmental protection. They also increase economic productivity. If fully implemented, they could reduce motor vehicle impacts by 15 to 30 per cent and could help achieve the Kyoto emission reduction targets. Examples of Win-Win strategies at the federal level include: (1) removal of subsidies to oil production and internalized costs, and (2) tax exempt employer provided transfer benefits. Examples of Win-Win strategies at the state/provincial level include: (1) distance-based vehicle insurance and registration fees, (2) least-coast transportation planning and funding, (3) revenue-neutral tax shifting, (4) road pricing, (5) reform motor carrier regulations for competition and efficiency, (6) local and regional transportation demand management programs, (7) more efficient land use, (8) more flexible zoning requirements, (9) parking cash out, (10) transportation management associations, (11) location-efficient housing and mortgages, (12) school and campus trip management, (13) car sharing, (14) non-motorized transport improvements, and (15) traffic calming. It was noted that any market reform that leads to more efficient use of existing transportation systems can provide better economic development benefits. 9 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig

Strengthening of Indonesia school of management in the 21st century through the implementation of school management system based information technology and communications integrated

Science.gov (United States)

Setiawan, Wawan; Munir, Senen, Syamsul Hadi; Nugroho, Eddy Prasetyo; Wihardi, Yaya; Nugraha, Eki

2017-05-01

Indonesia strengthening school management through the implementation of School Management System Based Information Technology and Communications (SMS-ICT) is intended to improve the performance of schools to accommodate the complexities of management in a computerized system that is simple but comprehensive so that it aligns with the era of the 21st century. School Management System Based Information and Communication Technology-based standards developed 12 education, adapted from 8 national standards into the system components that support the characteristics of 21st century schools. Twelfth system components include curriculum, Personal Development, Recruitment of New Student Services and Student Development, Education Labor and Education, Infrastructure, Leadership, School Management, Financing, Evaluation, and Social Communications. Development of the system is done through the stages of systematically covering Need Assessment, System Design, System Development, Testing Limited, Reveiw and Improvement, Testing Expanded, Finalize, and Packaging. SMS-ICT has gained Copyright and had seminars both nationally and internationally, and have been published by national journals, and in a book chapter. SMS-ICT applied to several schools in districy/city of West Java is based on cooperation with the Education Department of West Java. Implementation of School Management System as strengthening school management Indonesia shows the essential matters of school management. SMS-ICT managed to bring changes not only bring substantial improvements to the school how it should be managed, but also change the mindset of school leaders and teachers in ways of thinking and acting more professional in carrying out their respective duties. SMS-ICT managed as a unified system of governance that is integrated schools overall strategic component in an integrated system that implements ICT that has the capacity to process data and information quickly, accurately and reliably. SMS-ICT as a

2016 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study: Non-Member Version

Science.gov (United States)

Finnan, Leslie A.; McCord, Robert S.

2017-01-01

The 2016 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study marks the fifth edition of this study. This survey tracks the demographics, salary, benefits, and other elements of the employment contracts of school superintendents throughout the country. This year's study is based on 1,392 responses (15 percent response rate). The survey was distributed…

Improving the Utilisation of Management Information Systems in Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Bosker, R. J.; Branderhorst, E. M.; Visscher, A. J.

2007-01-01

Although most secondary schools do use management information systems (MISs), these systems tend not to be used to support higher order managerial activities but are currently primarily used for clerical purposes. This situation is unsatisfactory as MISs fully utilised could offer invaluable support to schools, which are increasingly being granted…

Development of user guidelines for ECAS display design. Volume 2: Tasks 9 and 10. [educating the public to the benefits of spacelab and the space transportation system

Science.gov (United States)

Bathurst, D. B.

1979-01-01

Lay-oriented speakers aids, articles, a booklet, and a press kit were developed to inform the press and the general public with background information on the space transportation system, Spacelab, and Spacelab 1 experiments. Educational materials relating to solar-terrestrial physics and its potential benefits to mankind were also written. A basic network for distributing audiovisual and printed materials to regional secondary schools and universities was developed. Suggested scripts to be used with visual aids describing materials science and technology and astronomy and solar physics are presented.

From research to policy and practice: the School of the 21st Century.

Science.gov (United States)

Zigler, Edward; Finn-Stevenson, Matia

2007-04-01

Current education reform policies focus on raising academic achievement and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality education. Because the achievement gap is apparent even before children enter school, the authors believe that education reform must encompass the early childhood years. The current dialogue about universal preschool presents an opportunity to address the need for a national system for early care and education. The authors believe this system should provide quality child care and preschool experiences for all children and embrace a whole-child approach that nurtures not only cognitive development but physical and mental health and social-emotional behaviors that are also important to successful schooling. The School of the 21st Century provides an example of an effective early care and education system using the public schools. The authors' work with the School of the 21st Century shows that schools can provide high-quality, developmentally appropriate care and that these programs benefit later school performance. 2007 APA, all rights reserved

School climate for transgender youth: a mixed method investigation of student experiences and school responses.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Jenifer K; Anderson, Charles R; Toomey, Russell B; Russell, Stephen T

2010-10-01

Transgender youth experience negative school environments and may not benefit directly from interventions defined to support Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) youth. This study utilized a multi-method approach to consider the issues that transgender students encounter in school environments. Using data from two studies, survey data (total n = 2260, 68 transgender youth) from study 1 and focus groups (n = 35) from study 2, we examine transgender youth's experience of school harassment, school strategies implemented to reduce harassment, the protective role of supportive school personnel, and individual responses to harassment, including dropping out and changing schools. In both studies, we found that school harassment due to transgender identity was pervasive, and this harassment was negatively associated with feelings of safety. When schools took action to reduce harassment, students reported greater connections to school personnel. Those connections were associated with greater feelings of safety. The indirect effects of school strategies to reduce harassment on feelings of safety through connection to adults were also significant. Focus group data illuminate specific processes schools can engage in to benefit youth, and how the youth experience those interventions.

Development of Effective Academic Affairs Administration System in Thai Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Thongnoi, Niratchakorn; Srisa-ard, Boonchom; Sri-ampai, Anan

2013-01-01

This research aimed to: 1) study current situations and problems of academic affairs administration system in Primary Schools. 2) develop an effective academic affairs administration system, and 3) evaluate the implementation of the developed system in the primary school, Thailand. Research and Development (R&D) was employed which consisted of…

Analysis of Professional Fringe Benefits, 1978-79. OMNI Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Vater, James J.; Riddle, Richard A.

This report contains data collected from 275 Pennsylvania school districts for the 1978-79 school year. The data reflect policies and practices affecting fringe benefits for professional employees. The report is divided into three major sections. The first section presents comparative data for 30 variables on a statewide, size, and wealth basis.…

Analysis of Professional Fringe Benefits 1977-78. OMNI Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, William E.; Vater, James J.

This report contains data collected from 275 Pennsylvania school districts for the 1977-78 school year. The data reflect policies and practices affecting fringe benefits for professional employees. The report is divided into three major sections. The first section presents comparative data for 30 variables on a statewide, size, and wealth basis.…

Understanding the benefits of product-service system for involved parties in remanufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priyono, A.

2017-01-01

This study aims to analyse the benefit provided by interested parties in remanufacturing including manufacturing companies, original equipment manufacturers and customers. Existing studies examining Produc-Service System (PSS) focus on relationship between two parties, either between OEMs and customers or between remanufacturers with customers. This study attempts to fill the gap by investigating how the PSS offers benefit to OEMs, remanufacturers and customers. Methodology: This research used case study method to examine the practice of PSS in remanufacturing companies. Qualitative approach was employed to analyse emerging problems in the case companies and the researcher collaborate with the involved parties to create new knowledge. Thus, this process can offer theoretical insights as well as practical insights. Findings: All parties involved in PSS consistently gain benefit from adopting the practice. From the perspective of remanufacturers, the major benefit of remanufacturers adopting PSS is that it can help reduce the uncertainties regarding time, quantity and quality of returned cores. Due to reduced uncertainties, remanufacturers gain benefit from higher profitability and more environmental friendly products. These benefits provide multiplier effects to both customers and OEMs. Practical implications: This study offers benefits to managers in the sense that it provides guidance for managers of remanufacturers to better manage remanufacturing operation so that it becomes more environmentally friendly and economically profitable. Originality/value: It is the first time that the benefits of PSS to support remanufacturing are viewed from integrative perspective – i.e. manufacturers, remanufacturers, and customers.

Understanding the benefits of product-service system for involved parties in remanufacturing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Priyono, A.

2017-07-01

This study aims to analyse the benefit provided by interested parties in remanufacturing including manufacturing companies, original equipment manufacturers and customers. Existing studies examining Produc-Service System (PSS) focus on relationship between two parties, either between OEMs and customers or between remanufacturers with customers. This study attempts to fill the gap by investigating how the PSS offers benefit to OEMs, remanufacturers and customers. Methodology: This research used case study method to examine the practice of PSS in remanufacturing companies. Qualitative approach was employed to analyse emerging problems in the case companies and the researcher collaborate with the involved parties to create new knowledge. Thus, this process can offer theoretical insights as well as practical insights. Findings: All parties involved in PSS consistently gain benefit from adopting the practice. From the perspective of remanufacturers, the major benefit of remanufacturers adopting PSS is that it can help reduce the uncertainties regarding time, quantity and quality of returned cores. Due to reduced uncertainties, remanufacturers gain benefit from higher profitability and more environmental friendly products. These benefits provide multiplier effects to both customers and OEMs. Practical implications: This study offers benefits to managers in the sense that it provides guidance for managers of remanufacturers to better manage remanufacturing operation so that it becomes more environmentally friendly and economically profitable. Originality/value: It is the first time that the benefits of PSS to support remanufacturing are viewed from integrative perspective – i.e. manufacturers, remanufacturers, and customers.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Telemedicine Systems/Units in Greek Remote Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouskoukis, Marios-Nikolaos; Botsaris, Charalambos

2017-06-01

Telemedicine units and information technology systems provide special healthcare services to remote populations using telecommunication technology, in order to reduce or even remove the usual and typical face-to-face contact between doctor and patient. This innovative approach to medical care delivery has been expanding for several years and currently covers various medical specialties. To facilitate installation of telemedicine systems/units in Greek remote areas, this article presents results of a cost-benefit analysis for two Greek islands, Patmos and Leros, using specific economic criteria. Net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period were calculated, in order to monetize the economic benefits and the costs savings, estimate the depreciation of each project, and highlight the social benefits. Costs were reduced (through saved air medical transportations) by €19,005 for Patmos and €78,225 for Leros each year. NPV and IRR were positive; NPV was €29,608 for Patmos and €293,245 for Leros, and IRR was 21.5% for Patmos and 140.5% for Leros. Each project depreciated faster than the 5-year life-cycle period, and specifically in 3.13 years for Patmos and in 0.70 years for Leros. The establishment of telemedicine systems/units in Patmos and Leros was evaluated and assessed positively, with large savings, economical and social, gained by reducing or even removing the face-to-face contact between doctor and patient. Telemedicine systems/units seem to be a promising solution, especially in Greece, where the problem of primary healthcare services in remote/inaccessible areas is of great concern.

Rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems : a cost–benefit analysis study of industrial halls

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lee, B.; Trcka, M.; Hensen, J.L.M.

2013-01-01

Rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems can be readily deployed on industrial halls with relatively large rooftop area. Feed-in tariff above the base price of electricity is offered in many countries to subsidize the high initial investment of PV systems. In order to fully capitalize the benefit of the

Follow-up of an elementary school intervention for asthma management: do gains last into middle school?

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Cindy; Luna, Pamela; Simmons, Gretchen; Huhman, Marian; Merkle, Sarah; Robin, Leah; Keener, Dana

2010-06-01

Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted an evaluation to examine whether students who were exposed to the APS asthma program in elementary school retained benefits into middle school. APS middle school students who participated in the APS asthma program in elementary school, including the Open Airways for Schools (OAS) education curriculum, responded to a follow-up questionnaire (N = 121) and participated in student focus groups (N = 40). Asthma management self-efficacy scores from the follow-up questionnaire were compared to scores obtained before and after the OAS education component. Additional items assessed students' asthma symptoms, management skills, avoidance of asthma triggers, and school impact. Although asthma management self-efficacy scores declined in middle school among students exposed to the asthma program in elementary school, they remained significantly higher than scores obtained during elementary school prior to the OAS intervention. The results indicate that although students benefited from the asthma program delivered in elementary school, they need booster sessions and continued school support in middle school.

White Pine Co. Public School System Biomass Conversion Heating Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul Johnson

2005-11-01

The White Pine County School District and the Nevada Division of Forestry agreed to develop a pilot project for Nevada using wood chips to heat the David E. Norman Elementary School in Ely, Nevada. Consideration of the project was triggered by a ''Fuels for Schools'' grant that was brought to the attention of the School District. The biomass project that was part of a district-wide energy retrofit, called for the installation of a biomass heating system for the school, while the current fuel oil system remained as back-up. Woody biomass from forest fuel reduction programs will be the main source of fuel. The heating system as planned and completed consists of a biomass steam boiler, storage facility, and an area for unloading and handling equipment necessary to deliver and load fuel. This was the first project of it's kind in Nevada. The purpose of the DOE funded project was to accomplish the following goals: (1) Fuel Efficiency: Purchase and install a fuel efficient biomass heating system. (2) Demonstration Project: Demonstrate the project and gather data to assist with further research and development of biomass technology; and (3) Education: Educate the White Pine community and others about biomass and other non-fossil fuels.

Analysis of costs-benefits tradeoffs of complex security systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, M.J.

1996-01-01

Essential to a systems approach to design of security systems is an analysis of the cost effectiveness of alternative designs. While the concept of analysis of costs and benefits is straightforward, implementation can be at the least tedious and, for complex designs and alternatives, can become nearly intractable without the help of structured analysis tools. PACAIT--Performance and Cost Analysis Integrated Tools--is a prototype tool. The performance side of the analysis collates and reduces data from ASSESS, and existing DOE PC-based security systems performance analysis tool. The costs side of the analysis uses ACE, an existing DOD PC-based costs analysis tool. Costs are reported over the full life-cycle of the system, that is, the costs to procure, operate, maintain and retire the system and all of its components. Results are collected in Microsoft reg-sign Excel workbooks and are readily available to analysts and decision makers in both tabular and graphical formats and at both the system and path-element levels

Artificial intelligence costs, benefits, and risks for selected spacecraft ground system automation scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Truszkowski, Walter F.; Silverman, Barry G.; Kahn, Martha; Hexmoor, Henry

1988-01-01

In response to a number of high-level strategy studies in the early 1980s, expert systems and artificial intelligence (AI/ES) efforts for spacecraft ground systems have proliferated in the past several years primarily as individual small to medium scale applications. It is useful to stop and assess the impact of this technology in view of lessons learned to date, and hopefully, to determine if the overall strategies of some of the earlier studies both are being followed and still seem relevant. To achieve that end four idealized ground system automation scenarios and their attendant AI architecture are postulated and benefits, risks, and lessons learned are examined and compared. These architectures encompass: (1) no AI (baseline); (2) standalone expert systems; (3) standardized, reusable knowledge base management systems (KBMS); and (4) a futuristic unattended automation scenario. The resulting artificial intelligence lessons learned, benefits, and risks for spacecraft ground system automation scenarios are described.

Brief report: Exploring the benefits of a peer-tutored physical education programme among high school students with intellectual disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Gobbi, Erica; Greguol, Márcia; Carraro, Attilio

2018-01-29

The purpose of this study was to explore possible benefits of a peer-tutored physical education programme (PTPE) in comparison with school physical education (SPE) in high school students with intellectual disability. Nineteen students with intellectual disabilities (15 boys, mean age 17.4 ± 1.7 years) were monitored during three PTPE and three SPE classes. A factorial RM-ANOVA was used to test differences on objective measured physical activity (PA), enjoyment and exertion during the two conditions, considering participants' weight condition as independent factor. During PTPE, participants reported higher light intensity PA, enjoyment and exertion than during SPE. Participants with overweight showed less inactive time and higher light intensity PA during PTPE than during SPE. The peer-tutored programme was beneficial for adolescents with intellectual disability, particularly for those in overweight condition. The higher enjoyment found during PTPE may encourage exercise participation of students with intellectual disability. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tax-benefit system and European households with children: East meeting West?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mitchell, Eva

2011-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 3 (2011), s. 7-20 ISSN 1583-0608 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB700280901 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70280505 Keywords : family * social policy * tax-benefit system Subject RIV: AE - Management ; Administration

Cost-benefit analysis for environmental impacts and radwaste system for nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, K.N.; Yook, C.C.

1982-01-01

During operation of nuclear power plant, radioactive material is inevitably formed. This radioactive material must be safely processed by radwaste system so that essentially zero activity is released to the environment. However zero released activity is not really practicable and population doses resulted from released activity are proportional to total annual cost for the radwaste system. In this study, cost-benefit analysis for the radwaste system of the Korean Nuclear Units 5 and 6 is performed to evaluate the optimization between the total annual cost for the radwaste system and population doses within 80 km from the plants. From the analysis, the following results are obtained; 1. the total population dose is estimated 4.04 x 10 3 man-rem/year, 2. total annual cost for the radwaste system is required $ 1.74 x 10 6 , 3. cost-benefit ratio is estimated $ 429/man-rem. (Author)

Leadership Theory for School Psychologists: Leading for Systems Change

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Matthew K.; Preast, June L.; Kilpatrick, Kayla D.; Taylor, Crystal N.; Young, Helen; Aguilar, Lisa; Allen, Amanda; Copeland, Christa; Haider, Aqdas; Henry, Lauren

2017-01-01

School psychologists are often seen as leaders in schools. They lead data teams, problem-solving teams, multidisciplinary evaluation teams, and crisis response teams. They are also perceived as leaders regarding intervention, multitiered systems of support, behavior support, collaboration, consultation, special education, assessment, and…

Pharmacy Benefit Management Companies: Do They Create Value in the US Healthcare System?

Science.gov (United States)

Lyles, Alan

2017-05-01

Pharmacy benefit management companies (PBMs) perform functions in the US market-based healthcare system that may be performed by public agencies or quasi-public institutions in other nations. By aggregating lives covered under their many individual contracts with payers, PBMs have formidable negotiating power. They influence pharmaceutical insurance coverage, design the terms of coverage in a plan's drug benefit, and create competition among providers for inclusion in a plan's network. PBMs have, through intermediation, the potential to secure lower drug prices and to improve rational prescribing. Whether these potential outcomes are realized within the relevant budget is a function of the healthcare system and the interaction of benefit design and clinical processes-not just individually vetted components. Efficiencies and values achieved in price discounts and cost sharing can be nullified if there is irrational prescribing (over-utilization, under-utilization and mis-utilization), variable patient adherence to medication regimens, ineffective formulary processes, or fraud, waste and abuse. Rising prescription drug costs and the increasing prevalence of 'high deductible health plans', which require much greater patient out-of-pocket costs, is creating a crisis for PBM efforts towards an affordable pharmacy benefit. Since PBM rebate and incentive contracts are opaque to the public, whether they add value by restraining higher drug prices or benefit from them is debatable.

Electronic Payment System in Nigeria: Its Economic Benefits and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Okifo, Joseph; Igbunu, Richard

2015-01-01

The crux of this study is on the adoption of E-payment system in Nigeria: Its economic benefits and challenges. The arrival of the internet has taken electronic payments and transactions to an exponential growth level. Consumers could purchase goods and services from the internet and send unencrypted credit card numbers across the network, which…

Online system for knowledge assessment enhances students' results on school knowledge test.

Science.gov (United States)

Kralj, Benjamin; Glazar, Sasa Aleksej

2013-01-01

Variety of online tools were built to help assessing students' performance in school. Many teachers changed their methods of assessment from paper-and-pencil (P&P) to online systems. In this study we analyse the influence that using an online system for knowledge assessment has on students' knowledge. Based on both a literature study and our own research we designed and built an online system for knowledge assessment. The system is evaluated using two groups of primary school teachers and students (N = 686) in Slovenia: an experimental and a control group. Students solved P&P exams on several occasions. The experimental group was allowed to access the system either at school or at home for a limited period during the presentation of a selected school topic. Students in the experimental group were able to solve tasks and compare their own achievements with those of their coevals. A comparison of the P&P school exams results achieved by both groups revealed a positive effect on subject topic comprehension for those with access to the online self-assessment system.

Electronic consultation system demonstrates educational benefit for primary care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwok, Jonas; Olayiwola, J Nwando; Knox, Margae; Murphy, Elizabeth J; Tuot, Delphine S

2017-01-01

Background Electronic consultation systems allow primary care providers to receive timely speciality expertise via iterative electronic communication. The use of such systems is expanding across the USA with well-documented high levels of user satisfaction. We characterise the educational impact for primary care providers of a long-standing integrated electronic consultation and referral system. Methods Primary care providers' perceptions of the educational value inherent to electronic consultation system communication and the impact on their ability to manage common speciality clinical conditions and questions were examined by electronic survey using five-point Likert scales. Differences in primary care providers' perceptions were examined overall and by primary care providers' speciality, provider type and years of experience. Results Among 221 primary care provider participants (35% response rate), 83.9% agreed or strongly agreed that the integrated electronic consultation and referral system provided educational value. There were no significant differences in educational value reported by provider type (attending physician, mid-level provider, or trainee physician), primary care providers' speciality, or years of experience. Perceived benefit of the electronic consultation and referral system in clinical management appeared stronger for laboratory-based conditions (i.e. subclinical hypothyroidism) than more diffuse conditions (i.e. abdominal pain). Nurse practitioners/physician assistants and trainee physicians were more likely to report improved abilities to manage specific clinical conditions when using the electronic consultation and/or referral system than were attending physicians, as were primary care providers with ≤10 years experience, versus those with >20 years of experience. Conclusions Primary care providers report overwhelmingly positive perceptions of the educational value of an integrated electronic consultation and referral system. Nurse

How the Media Misleads the Story of School Consumerism: A Perspective from School Finance

Science.gov (United States)

Killeen, Kieran

2007-01-01

Noting the dramatic rise in media reporting on the topic of school commercialism and consumer activity in schools, this research explores the fiscal benefits of such activities. Though a variety of activities frequently associated with school consumerism generate revenues for schools, in the example of student activity fees there is very little…

Solar Energy System Description Document: Scattergood School, Site ID 009, PON 2249.

Science.gov (United States)

International Business Machines Corp., Huntsville, AL.

Described are the components, functions, and monitoring instrumentation of a solar heating system at Scattergood School, a Quaker school located in Iowa. The system provides the school gymnasium's space heating and preheating for domestic hot water. This project was constructed and is being evaluated under the United States Department of Energy's…

Prior-to-Secondary School Course Classification System: School Codes for the Exchange of Data (SCED). NFES 2011-801

Science.gov (United States)

National Forum on Education Statistics, 2011

2011-01-01

In this handbook, "Prior-to-Secondary School Course Classification System: School Codes for the Exchange of Data" (SCED), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the National Forum on Education Statistics have extended the existing secondary course classification system with codes and descriptions for courses offered at…

Medics in Primary School

Science.gov (United States)

Press, Colin

2003-01-01

Some time ago a flyer on "Medics in Primary School" came the author's way. It described a programme for making placements in primary schools available to medical students. The benefits of the program to medical students and participating schools were highlighted, including opportunities to develop communication skills and demystify…

Investigating preferences for dynamic electricity tariffs: The effect of environmental and system benefit disclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buryk, Stephen; Mead, Doug; Mourato, Susana; Torriti, Jacopo

2015-01-01

Dynamic electricity pricing can produce efficiency gains in the electricity sector and help achieve energy policy goals such as increasing electric system reliability and supporting renewable energy deployment. Retail electric companies can offer dynamic pricing to residential electricity customers via smart meter-enabled tariffs that proxy the cost to procure electricity on the wholesale market. Current investments in the smart metering necessary to implement dynamic tariffs show policy makers’ resolve for enabling responsive demand and realizing its benefits. However, despite these benefits and the potential bill savings these tariffs can offer, adoption among residential customers remains at low levels. Using a choice experiment approach, this paper seeks to determine whether disclosing the environmental and system benefits of dynamic tariffs to residential customers can increase adoption. Although sampling and design issues preclude wide generalization, we found that our environmentally conscious respondents reduced their required discount to switch to dynamic tariffs around 10% in response to higher awareness of environmental and system benefits. The perception that shifting usage is easy to do also had a significant impact, indicating the potential importance of enabling technology. Perhaps the targeted communication strategy employed by this study is one way to increase adoption and achieve policy goals. - Highlights: • We evaluate preferences for domestic dynamic electricity tariffs in the US and EU. • We use an online choice experiment approach with two dynamic tariff options. • People are more likely to switch if shown environmental and system benefits. • People are more likely to switch if they find shifting demand easy to do. • Our results imply the importance of targeted communication and enabling technology

Children and School Districts--Victims of the Same System.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Renee Marie

1978-01-01

The Colorado school finance system, which has been sued as unconstitutional because of disparities among school district expenditures per pupil, is described. Inequalities in taxation and in the provision of education to economically disadvantaged and minority group students throughout the country are discussed. (GC)

Cost and Benefit Analysis of an Automated Nursing Administration System: A Methodology*

OpenAIRE

Rieder, Karen A.

1984-01-01

In order for a nursing service administration to select the appropriate automated system for its requirements, a systematic process of evaluating alternative approaches must be completed. This paper describes a methodology for evaluating and comparing alternative automated systems based upon an economic analysis which includes two major categories of criteria: costs and benefits.

School Choice and Segregation: "Tracking" Racial Equity in Magnet Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Tomeka M.

2014-01-01

Three arguments regarding racial equity have arisen in the school choice debate. Choice advocates charge that choice will improve access to quality schools for disadvantaged minority students (Chubb & Moe 1990; Coons & Sugarman, 1978; Godwin & Kemerer, 2002; Viteritti, 1999). Critics argue that choice is unlikely to benefit minority…

Understanding the benefits of product-service system for involved parties in remanufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anjar Priyono

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study aims to analyse the benefit provided by interested parties in remanufacturing including manufacturing companies, original equipment manufacturers and customers. Existing studies examining Produc-Service System (PSS focus on relationship between two parties, either between OEMs and customers or between remanufacturers with customers. This study attempts to fill the gap by investigating how the PSS offers benefit to OEMs, remanufacturers and customers. Methodology: This research used case study method to examine the practice of PSS in remanufacturing companies. Qualitative approach was employed to analyse emerging problems in the case companies and the researcher collaborate with the involved parties to create new knowledge. Thus, this process can offer theoretical insights as well as practical insights. Findings: All parties involved in PSS consistently gain benefit from adopting the practice. From the perspective of remanufacturers, the major benefit of remanufacturers adopting PSS is that it can help reduce the uncertainties regarding time, quantity and quality of returned cores. Due to reduced uncertainties, remanufacturers gain benefit from higher profitability and more environmental friendly products. These benefits provide multiplier effects to both customers and OEMs. Practical implications: This study offers benefits to managers in the sense that it provides guidance for managers of remanufacturers to better manage remanufacturing operation so that it becomes more environmentally friendly and economically profitable. Originality/value: It is the first time that the benefits of PSS to support remanufacturing are viewed from integrative perspective – i.e. manufacturers, remanufacturers, and customers.

Impact on Social Change: Benefits and Barriers to School Culture and the Integration of M-Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen E. Smith

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines benefits and barriers of mtechnologyin its growing use in education through a surveyconducted at a Canadian teacher education institution(n=350. Topics included are the types of mobile technologydevices and how their uses have been rejected and acceptedas a socially-situated construct for learning in schools. Issuesfor new teachers range from the dollar cost of using thedevices to the cost of time in learning about these devices.The paper concludes with a central issue of why somedevices do not remain in the social construct but areadopted for short periods of time and do not last becausebarriers prevent their sustainability. The research for thispaper was supported in part by a grant from the ImperialOil Academy for the Learning of Mathematics, Science andTechnology.

Codifying a Next-Generation Education System: Jefferson Parish Public School System

Science.gov (United States)

Education Development Center, Inc, 2009

2009-01-01

Using innovative strategies in collaboration with national and international education partners and school districts in Mississippi and Louisiana, Cisco Systems, Inc. (Cisco), has experimented with 21st Century education system reform ideas and strategies for the past four years. The Cisco 21S Initiative seeks to transform current approaches to…

Formation of concept of decimal system in Mexican school children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Quintanar Rojas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The present study deals with initial formation of concept of decimal system in second year of education at primary school in Mexico (City of Puebla. Our research is based on Activity Theory conception of teaching-learning process and of gradual introduction of scientific concepts in school age. The method has been designed and worked out with the help of actions in which logic, symbolic, spatial and mathematical aspects were implemented. All actions were introduced within divided activity of children in group guided by adult. A pretest-posttest design was used with an experimental group of Mexican school children. The results showed that children have developed the significant skills necessary for understanding the concept of decimal number system. They were also able to apply this concept for new kind if activity al the end of school year. Such new activity was solving of mathematic problems, which was not included in official school program. We consider that proposed method can be an approximation for solution of common difficulties which arise at primary school concerning teaching of mathematics.

A Typology of Benefit Sharing Arrangements for the Governance of Social-Ecological Systems in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bimo Abraham. Nkhata

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This study explores and interprets relevant literature to construct a typology of benefit sharing arrangements for the governance of social-ecological systems in developing countries. The typology comprises three generic categories of benefit sharing arrangements: collaborative, market-oriented, and egalitarian. We contend that the three categories provide a useful basis for exploring and classifying the different societal arrangements required for governance of social-ecological systems. The typology we present is founded on a related set of explicit assumptions that can be used to explore and better understand the linkages among ecosystem services, benefit sharing, and governance. Issues that are strongly related to sustainability in developing countries form the core basis of our assumptions. Our aim is not to write a definitive exposition, but to spark debate and engage ongoing dialogue on governance and benefit sharing in the field of social-ecological systems.

Toward a Blueprint for Trauma-Informed Service Delivery in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Chafouleas, Sandra M.; Johnson, Austin H.; Overstreet, Stacy; Santos, Natascha M.

2016-01-01

Recognition of the benefits to trauma-informed approaches is expanding, along with commensurate interest in extending delivery within school systems. Although information about trauma-informed approaches has quickly burgeoned, systematic attention to integration within multitiered service delivery frameworks has not occurred yet is essential to…

Paying for and receiving benefits from health services in South Africa: is the health system equitable?

Science.gov (United States)

Ataguba, John E; McIntyre, Di

2012-03-01

There is a global challenge for health systems to ensure equity in both the delivery and financing of health care. However, many African countries still do not have equitable health systems. Traditionally, equity in the delivery and the financing of health care are assessed separately, in what may be termed 'partial' analyses. The current debate on countries moving toward universal health systems, however, requires a holistic understanding of equity in both the delivery and the financing of health care. The number of studies combining these aspects to date is limited, especially in Africa. An assessment of overall health system equity involves assessing health care financing in relation to the principles of contributing to financing according to ability to pay and benefiting from health services according to need for care. Currently South Africa is considering major health systems restructuring toward a universal system. This paper examines together, for both the public and the private sectors, equity in the delivery and financing of health care in South Africa. Using nationally representative datasets and standard methodologies for assessing progressivity in health care financing and benefit incidence, this paper reports an overall progressive financing system but a pro-rich distribution of health care benefits. The progressive financing system is driven mainly by progressive private medical schemes that cover a small portion of the population, mainly the rich. The distribution of health care benefits is not only pro-rich, but also not in line with the need for health care; richer groups receive a far greater share of service benefits within both public and private sectors despite having a relatively lower share of the ill-health burden. The importance of the findings for the design of a universal health system is discussed.

Quantifying Carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Wang, Limin; Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit; Cosgrove-Davies, Mac; Samad, Hussain

2011-01-01

Scaling-up adoption of renewable energy technology, such as solar home systems, to expand electricity access in developing countries can accelerate the transition to low-carbon economic development. Using a purposely collected national household survey, this study quantifies the carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh. Three key findings are generated...

Stakeholders Involvement in Performance Management in Public General Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristi Ploom

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In response to increasing concerns with the legitimacy and efficiency of public spending, performance management as a part of world-wide public sector reform, called New Public Management (NPM has taken place. This is also the case of educational sector. In Estonian education system, legislation formally enables to design an integrated performance management system. But there is few research done to investigate how these policies and regulations ought to be put into force in order to gain the benefits considering the schools' and pupils' better performance. This study investigates how different stakeholders are involved into the performance management in Estonian general schools. The study is based on empirical survey data gathered from 303 schools providing secondary education in Estonia. The research findings have three main implications. Firstly, the paper contributes to the scarce knowledge about implementation of performance management issues in public schools. Our analysis revealed that compilation of school development plans in Estonian schools is rather a formal obligation. Therefore we propose that the analysis and discussion of the school development plans is needed to organize on regional level, involving all main stakeholders of a school. Secondly, we suggest that in the circumstances of a decentralised education system, like in Estonia, it is needed to implement, central practical performance assessment principles and guidance for the schools. Thirdly, it is highly necessary to improve schools’ cooperation with different stakeholder groups. Also the framework involving different stakeholder groups in the decentralized schools management system should be built up.

RADON MITIGATION IN SCHOOLS: HVAC SYTEMS IN SCHOOLS TEND TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON RADON LEVELS THAN HVAC SYSTEMS IN HOMES

Science.gov (United States)

The first part of this two-part paper discusses radon entry into schools, radon mitigation approaches for schools, and school characteristics (e.g., heating, ventilation, and air conditioing -- HVAC-- system design and operationg) that influence radon entry and mitigation system ...

School nurse experiences with prescription opioids in urban and rural schools: A cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Pattison-Sharp, Ella; Estrada, Robin Dawson; Elio, Alice; Prendergast, Melissa; Carpenter, Delesha M

2017-01-01

Few studies have examined the use of prescription opioids in schools. The current study aimed to: (1) describe the context within which school nurses encounter student opioid prescriptions; (2) assess school nurses' preferences for training and student education; and (3) explore urban-rural differences in school nurses' experiences and training preferences. A convenience sample of school nurses (n = 633) from North Carolina and South Carolina participated in a brief, anonymous, online survey. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and statistical tests (t-tests and Chi-square tests) were performed to investigate urban-rural differences. Many school nurses (40.3%) had encountered a student with an opioid prescription, but only 3.6% had naloxone available in case of an overdose. Most school nurses (69.9%), especially rural school nurses, believed students would benefit from opioid education (74.9 versus 66.6%, p = 0.03). The majority of school nurses (83.9%) were interested in opioid-related training. Many school nurses encounter students with prescription opioids and would like additional opioid-related training. The potential benefits of providing naloxone access to prevent opioid-related deaths at schools should be explored.

Leadership Strategies in Implementation of High-School Standards-Based Grading Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Pritzl, Jerome

2016-01-01

This multi-site case study examined leadership strategies used during successful implementation of standards-based grading systems in three Wisconsin high schools. It found that leaders' reported commitment, patience, and persistence showed evidence of sustainable, high-functioning systems. It drew two main conclusions: first, school leaders need…

Back schools for the treatment of chronic low back pain: possibility of benefit but no convincing evidence after 47 years of research-systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Straube, Sebastian; Harden, Markus; Schröder, Heiko; Arendacka, Barbora; Fan, Xiangning; Moore, R Andrew; Friede, Tim

2016-10-01

Back schools are interventions that comprise exercise and education components. We aimed to systematically review the randomized controlled trial evidence on back schools for the treatment of chronic low back pain. By searching MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central as well as bibliographies, we identified 31 studies for inclusion in our systematic review and 5 of these for inclusion in meta-analyses. Meta-analyses for pain scores and functional outcomes revealed statistical superiority of back schools vs no intervention for some comparisons but not others. No meta-analysis was feasible for the comparison of back schools vs other active treatments. Adverse events were poorly reported so that no reliable conclusions regarding the safety of back schools can be drawn, although some limited reassurance in this regard may be derived from the fact that few adverse events and no serious adverse events were reported in the back school groups in the studies that did report on safety. Overall, the evidence base for the use of back schools to treat chronic low back pain is weak; in nearly a half-century since back schools were first trialled, no unequivocal evidence of benefit has emerged.

Back schools for the treatment of chronic low back pain: possibility of benefit but no convincing evidence after 47 years of research—systematic review and meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Straube, Sebastian; Harden, Markus; Schröder, Heiko; Arendacka, Barbora; Fan, Xiangning; Moore, R. Andrew; Friede, Tim

2016-01-01

Abstract Back schools are interventions that comprise exercise and education components. We aimed to systematically review the randomized controlled trial evidence on back schools for the treatment of chronic low back pain. By searching MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central as well as bibliographies, we identified 31 studies for inclusion in our systematic review and 5 of these for inclusion in meta-analyses. Meta-analyses for pain scores and functional outcomes revealed statistical superiority of back schools vs no intervention for some comparisons but not others. No meta-analysis was feasible for the comparison of back schools vs other active treatments. Adverse events were poorly reported so that no reliable conclusions regarding the safety of back schools can be drawn, although some limited reassurance in this regard may be derived from the fact that few adverse events and no serious adverse events were reported in the back school groups in the studies that did report on safety. Overall, the evidence base for the use of back schools to treat chronic low back pain is weak; in nearly a half-century since back schools were first trialled, no unequivocal evidence of benefit has emerged. PMID:27257858

Perceptions of middle school educators in Hawai'i about school-based gardening and child health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Ameena T; Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

2011-07-01

Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai'i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai'i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health.

Application of System Dynamics to Evaluate the Social and Economic Benefits of Infrastructure Projects

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Tiep Nguyen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA is often employed to inform decision makers about the desirability of transport infrastructure investment options. One of the main limitations of traditional CBA approaches is that they do not provide a dynamic view that explicitly illustrates the cost and benefit relationships between component entities over time. This paper addresses this issue by describing a System Dynamics (SD approach that can perform transport infrastructure CBA through the application of systems thinking to develop a causal-loop model that can subsequently be operationalised into an executable stock-and-flow model. Execution of this model readily enables sensitivity analysis of infrastructure investment options and visualisation of the cost-benefit behaviour of each variant over time. The utility of the approach is illustrated through a case study, the Co Chien Bridge project in Vietnam, using a model that incorporates conventional economic metrics and factors that measure indirect project benefits, such as impact on gross domestic product, unemployment rate, and total taxes gained from affected economic sectors.

Making Mass Schooling Affordable: In-Kind Taxation and the Establishment of an Elementary School System in Sweden, 1840-1870

Science.gov (United States)

Westberg, Johannes

2016-01-01

This article discusses the significance of in-kind taxation and payments in kind for the establishment of an elementary school system in Sweden, in the 1840-1870 period. By analysing the funding of teachers' wages, the heating of the school facilities, and school building construction in the 12 rural school districts of the Sundsvall region, this…

Sports-related injuries among high school athletes--United States, 2005-06 school year.

Science.gov (United States)

2006-09-29

Participation in high school sports helps promote a physically active lifestyle. High school sports participation has grown from an estimated 4 million participants during the 1971-72 school year to an estimated 7.2 million in 2005-06. However, despite the documented health benefits of increased physical activity (e.g., weight management, improved self-esteem, and increased strength, endurance, and flexibility), those who participate in athletics are at risk for sports-related injuries. High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations annually. To date, the study of these injuries has been limited by inabilities to calculate injury rates, compare results among groups, and generalize findings from small, nonrepresentative samples. During the 2005-06 school year, researchers at a children's hospital in Ohio used an Internet-based data-collection tool to pilot an injury surveillance system among athletes from a representative national sample of U.S. high schools. This report summarizes the findings of that study, which indicated that participation in high school sports resulted in an estimated 1.4 million injuries at a rate of 2.4 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures (i.e., practices or competitions). Surveillance of exposure-based injury rates in a nationally representative sample of high school athletes and analysis of injury patterns can help guide activities aimed at reducing these injuries.

Using digital educational objects to teach human body systems at a countryside school

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Silvio Ferreira dos Santos

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to assess the use of educational software and mobile device applications to teach about the human body at a rural school. It is an action research, with a qualitative approach, developed in 2016 and involving 14 students from the 8th year Elementary Education at the Escola Estadual Sol Nascente in Confresa-MT. The chosen software and application was the Human Body Atlas and 3D Human Body Systems, emphasizing on the digestive and circulation systems. The results from the pre-and post-test, which comprised 20 questions together, corroborate the hypothesis that the use of digital educational objects benefits the education process. Students learned better the systems in comparison with when only traditional resources, such as a didactic book, was used. Such advancement could be harnessed to the fact that the resources make use of 3D images and point out each part of the body, besides providing important information and curiosities about the subject. It is therefore expected that digital technologies may be increasingly inserted and explored in pedagogical practices, since those resources allow for studying and solving queries, by broadening educational space and time.

Organizational culture focused on quality management and benefits derived from an ERP system implementation

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Oscar F. Bustinza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Organizational culture focused on quality management aims to meet customer needs and enhance teamwork, being oriented toward a dynamic process of continuous improvement. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether, indeed, the quality-oriented culture has an effect on the management of business processes. In doing so, we analyze their relationship with the benefits of a resource management system or ERP.Design/methodology/approach: A survey is used to collect data, with valid questionnaires obtained for 200 Spain based respondents. Empirical analysis utilises Structural Equation Modelling (SEM.Findings: The results confirm that firm's commitment with quality management, customer focus, and confidence of workers has a positive effect on the results of operational, strategic and managerial benefits derived from an ERP system implementation. However, there is not relationship between customer focus and organizational benefits, neither to increase system capacity.Originality/value: The present study analyzes the relationship between quality-oriented culture and the resource management systems of the firm clarifying their strengths and limitations. In this sense, the customer orientation may limit the flexibility of business as require a lot of resources, and generate dissatisfaction among workers resulting from the attention to customer complaints.

Benefits of an inclusive US education system.

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Gantt, Elisabeth

2013-01-01

Presented is a historical perspective of one scientist's journey from war-torn Europe to the opportunities presented by a flexible US educational system. It celebrates the opening of the science establishment that began in the 1950s and its fostering of basic research, and recognizes individuals who were instrumental in guiding the author's education as well as those with whom she later participated in collaborative algal plant research. The initial discovery and later elucidation of phycobilisome structure are elaborated, including the structural connection with photosystem II. Furthermore, she summarizes some of her laboratory's results on carotenoids and its exploration of the isoprenoid pathway in cyanobacteria. Finally, she comments on the gender gap and how her generation benefited when opportunities for women scientists were enlarged.

Zero Energy Schools: Designing for the Future: Zero Energy Ready K-12 Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torcellini, Paul A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-29

Designing, building, and operating zero energy ready K-12 schools provides benefits for districts, students, and teachers. Optimizing energy efficiency is important in any building, but it's particularly important in K-12 schools. Many U.S. school districts struggle for funding, and improving a school building's energy efficiency can free up operational funds that may then be available for educational and other purposes.

77 FR 17407 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Annual Survey of School System Finances...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-26

... cannot provide information on the assets of individual school systems. School systems have the choice to... school systems in states where the state education agency cannot provide information on the indebtedness... information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in...

A Policy Analysis of Public School Retirement Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Tara; Teeter, Matt

2010-01-01

The purpose of this policy analysis was to examine the Missouri Public School Retirement System (PSRS). The team investigated the under-funding of PSRS, relating to sustainability and the feasibility of the system's use of one lever, contribution rate, to stabilize the retirement system, and to meet actuary needs and governmental requirements. The…

The Benefits of Fine Art Integration into Mathematics in Primary School

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Anja Brezovnik

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the article is to research the effects of the integration of fine art content into mathematics on students at the primary school level. The theoretical part consists of the definition of arts integration into education, a discussion of the developmental process of creative mathematical thinking, an explanation of the position of art and mathematics in education today, and a summary of the benefits of arts integration and its positive effects on students. The empirical part reports on the findings of a pedagogical experiment involving two different ways of teaching fifth-grade students: the control group was taught mathematics in a traditional way, while the experimental group was taught with the integration of fine art content into the mathematics lessons. At the end of the teaching periods, four mathematics tests were administered in order to determine the difference in knowledge between the control group and the experimental group. The results of our study confirmed the hypotheses, as we found positive effects of fine art integration into mathematics, with the experimental group achieving higher marks in the mathematics tests than the control group. Our results are consistent with the findings of previous research and studies, which have demonstrated and confirmed that long-term participation in fine art activities offers advantages related to mathematical reasoning, such as intrinsic motivation, visual imagination and reflection on how to generate creative ideas.

Estimating the effectiveness of early control measures through school absenteeism surveillance in observed outbreaks at rural schools in Hubei, China.

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Fan, Yunzhou; Yang, Mei; Jiang, Hongbo; Wang, Ying; Yang, Wenwen; Zhang, Zhixia; Yan, Weirong; Diwan, Vinod K; Xu, Biao; Dong, Hengjin; Palm, Lars; Liu, Li; Nie, Shaofa

2014-01-01

School absenteeism is a common data source in syndromic surveillance, which allows for the detection of outbreaks at an early stage. Previous studies focused on its correlation with other data sources. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of control measures based on early warning signals from school absenteeism surveillance in rural Chinese schools. A school absenteeism surveillance system was established in all 17 primary schools in 3 adjacent towns in the Chinese region of Hubei. Three outbreaks (varicella, mumps, and influenza-like illness) were detected and controlled successfully from April 1, 2012, to January 15, 2014. An impulse susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model was used to fit the epidemics of these three outbreaks. Moreover, it simulated the potential epidemics under interventions resulting from traditional surveillance signals. The effectiveness of the absenteeism-based control measures was evaluated by comparing the simulated datasets. The school absenteeism system generated 52 signals. Three outbreaks were verified through epidemiological investigation. Compared to traditional surveillance, the school absenteeism system generated simultaneous signals for the varicella outbreak, but 3 days in advance for the mumps outbreak and 2-4 days in advance for the influenza-like illness outbreak. The estimated excess protection rates of control measures based on early signals were 0.0%, 19.0-44.1%, and 29.0-37.0% for the three outbreaks, respectively. Although not all outbreak control measures can benefit from early signals through school absenteeism surveillance, the effectiveness of early signal-based interventions is obvious. School absenteeism surveillance plays an important role in reducing outbreak spread.

The Conceivable Benefits of Being Comprehensive--Finnish Local Education Authorities on Recognising and Controlling the Social Costs of School Choice

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Varjo, Janne; Kalalahti, Mira

2015-01-01

Since the 1980s, numerous education reforms have sought to dismantle centralised bureaucracies and replace them with devolved systems of schooling that emphasise parental choice and competition between increasingly diversified types of schools. Nevertheless, the "Finnish variety of "post-comprehensivism" continues to emphasise…

The higher school teaching staff professional development system creation on the adaptive management principles

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Borova T.A.

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with theoretical analysis of the higher school teaching staff professional development system creation on the adaptive management principles. It is determined the background and components of the higher school teaching staff professional development adaptive management system. It is specified the mechanisms for higher school teaching staff professional development adaptive management: monitoring and coaching. It is shown their place in the higher school teaching staff professional development system on the adaptive management principles. The results of the system efficiency are singled out.

"Unhelpfully Complex and Exceedingly Opaque": Australia's School Funding System

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Dowling, Andrew

2008-01-01

Australia's system of school funding is notoriously complex and difficult to understand. This article shines some light on this issue by describing clearly the processes of school funding that currently exist in Australia. It describes the steps taken by federal and state governments to provide over $30 billion each year to government and…

Peruvian Rural School Construction System. SERP 71: Sierra Type.

Science.gov (United States)

Cangiano, Miguel

Based on cooperative action of the government and local communities, the Peruvian Rural School System (SERP 71) evolved from the necessity to reconstruct Peruvian schools of the Sierra region after the earthquake of 1970, and from Peru's new educational reform law (1970) which called for an active-dynamic pupil attitude, continuous updating of…

Ideas for Changing Educational Systems, Educational Policy and Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Pat; Lingard, Bob; Wrigley, Terry

2012-01-01

This paper argues the need for new ideas to assist in the creation of a new social imaginary post-neo-liberalism to frame rethought educational systems, policy and schooling. This is an attempt to reclaim progressive, democratic and social justice purposes for schooling well beyond dominant human capital renditions. While acknowledging the…

Assessing the readiness of a school system to adopt food allergy management guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Christina; Patterson, Leslie; White, Brenda; Schellhase, Kenneth

2014-08-01

The prevalence of potentially fatal food allergies in school-aged children is rising. It is important for schools to have a food allergy management policy and an emergency action plan for each affected student. To examine the current status of food allergy guideline and/or policy implementation and adoption in a large school system in southeastern Wisconsin. A 24-item anonymous electronic survey was developed and completed by school principals and administrators in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee School System (approximately 125 schools) in southeastern Wisconsin. One in 4 responding schools reported no guidelines or policy. Schools that reported having students with special needs due to food allergy were more likely to have a local food allergy policy compared to schools that did not report having students with food allergy special needs (OR 6.3, 1.5-26, P = 0.01). Schools with food allergy guidelines/policies were 3.5 times more likely to require student individual action plans than schools with no guidelines or policies (OR 3.5, 1.00-12.2, P = 0.05). Gaps in evidence-based food allergy policy implementation were found in this school system. Schools with food-allergic children with special needs were more likely to have guidelines/policy, however, they were not more likely to require emergency action plans. The majority of schools (66, 90%) reported interest in receiving further information or training on food allergy management.

Schooling, the underclass and intergenerational mobility: a dual education system dilemma

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Tracey Morton McKay

2015-07-01

Full Text Available School education in South Africa has seen much progressive change in the last 20 years. Yet educational outcomes are poor and many argue that a dual education system exists. Those with financial and socio-cultural capital access resourced schools, while poor South Africans are relegated to schools still suffering from apartheid resource neglect. This empirical study of high schools in Alexandra township, a poor black African residential area, demonstrates both the extent of the resource backlog and the consequences thereof. Secondary schools in Alexandra have an inadequate number, and standard, of toilets, libraries, computer facilities and science laboratories. They also have relatively high learner to teacher ratios and poor matriculation success rates. Enrolment in such schools means learners achieve a poor quality matriculation certificate or none at all, thus, trapping these learners into significant disadvantage. Meagre financial resources preclude Alexandra parents from selecting better resourced schools. Thus, for these learners, neither their legal rights with respect to school choice nor their geographical proximity to resourced schools has ensured redress from the apartheid past. The result is that intergenerational class mobility is limited. Thus, the dual nature of South Africa’s education system is creating a vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty where young people cannot improve their living standards despite enrolment in secondary schooling.

Organizing for Instruction in Education Systems and School Organizations: "How" the Subject Matters

Science.gov (United States)

Spillane, James P.; Hopkins, Megan

2013-01-01

Teaching, the core technology of schooling, is an essential consideration in investigations of education systems and school organizations. Taking teaching seriously as an explanatory variable in research on education systems and organizations necessitates moving beyond treating it as a unitary practice, so as to take account of the school subjects…

Benefits of a Graduate Business Degree: Students' Perspectives and Universities' Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Marion Stanton; Allen, Lida Cherie

1995-01-01

A survey of 1,499 graduate business students at 7 colleges and universities investigated perceptions of potential benefits of an advanced degree, and their relationships with degree type, school size/type, and student characteristics. Five perceived benefits included research and analytical skills, competitive advantage, monetary reward, career…

Feet to the Fire: New Orleans Kids Rethink Their Devastated School System

Science.gov (United States)

Wholey, Jane; Burkes, Betty

2015-01-01

Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools is an organization of primarily middle school youth that formed after Hurricane Katrina destroyed most of the city's schools. This chapter describes Rethink's first six years of operation, which culminated in school system policy changes and an HBO documentary about the organization's groundbreaking work.

Real Cost-Benefit Analysis Is Needed in American Public Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stoneberg, Bert D.

2015-01-01

Public school critics often point to rising expenditures and relatively flat test scores to justify their school reform agendas. The claims are flawed because their analyses fail to account for the difference in data types between dollars (ratio) and test scores (interval). A cost-benefit analysis using dollars as a common metric for both costs…

Portfolio use and practices in US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Skrabal, Maryann Z; Turner, Paul D; Jones, Rhonda M; Tilleman, Jennifer A; Coover, Kelli L

2012-04-10

To identify the prevalence of portfolio use in US pharmacy programs, common components of portfolios, and advantages of and limitations to using portfolios. A cross-sectional electronic survey instrument was sent to experiential coordinators at US colleges and schools of pharmacy to collect data on portfolio content, methods, training and resource requirements, and benefits and challenges of portfolio use. Most colleges and schools of pharmacy (61.8%) use portfolios in experiential courses and the majority (67.1%) formally assess them, but there is wide variation regarding content and assessment. The majority of respondents used student portfolios as a formative evaluation primarily in the experiential curriculum. Although most colleges and schools of pharmacy have a portfolio system in place, few are using them to fulfill accreditation requirements. Colleges and schools need to carefully examine the intended purpose of their portfolio system and follow-through with implementation and maintenance of a system that meets their goals.

Restructuring the Ikeda City school urinary screening system: report of a screening survey

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Annual urinary screening is conducted at municipal kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Ikeda City, Osaka, Japan (Ikeda City School System), and the results are reviewed by a general physician, but standards for when to recommend specialist referral have not been clear. Methods In all children attending the Ikeda City School System in 2012, dipstick urinalysis of a first-morning urine specimen was recommended once or twice, and if a second urinalysis showed proteinuria (≥1+), the urinary protein/creatinine ratio was measured. If this showed ≥0.2 g/g of creatinine (g/gCr), it was recommended that the child be evaluated by a specialist at Ikeda City Hospital. Results Urinary screening was performed in about 20% (388) of kindergarten, about 90% (5363) of elementary school, and about 86% (2523) of junior high school children living in Ikeda City. Urine samples were obtained from 387, 5349, and 2476 children, respectively. The urinary protein/creatinine ratio was ≥0.2 g/gCr in 13 children, including 1 elementary and 12 junior high children. In these 13 children, chronic nephritic syndrome (CNS) was suspected in 6 junior high school children, and of these, this was a new finding in 5, and renal biopsy was indicated in 3. In Ikeda City, the prevalence of CNS in elementary school children was junior high school children was 0.29%, and a renal biopsy was indicated in 0.14%. By eliminating the costs associated with assessment of the results by the Ikeda Medical Association, and by directly contracting with the testing company, the expenses paid by Ikeda City for the system itself decreased from 2,508,619 yen to 966,157 yen. Conclusions Incorporating the urinary protein/creatinine ratio into the school urinary screening system in the Ikeda City School System and clarifying standards for specialist referral has enabled restructuring of the system so that is efficient and its effectiveness can be assessed. PMID:24330222

Benefit Analysis Report, United States Air Force Technical Order Management Systems (AFTOMS)

Science.gov (United States)

1989-08-01

This report prepared by the Transportation Systems Center (TSC) concludes an analysis of the Technical Order (TO) costs and benefits, which was originally undertaken as part of the US Air Force Computer-aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) ...

Who Benefits? A Comparison of School-Firm Partnerships in Chicago and Berlin

Science.gov (United States)

Muhlenberg, Elisabeth

2011-01-01

Companies and schools in different types of market economies face a dilemma. Public schools are performing poorly at a time when companies need better skilled employees to compete globally. The trend toward greater participation of companies in the public schools is a consequence of this dilemma. It poses the question: "What are the…

INTERNAL QUALITY SYSTEM PERFORMANCE: CASE STUDY AT THREE INDONESIAN NURSING SCHOOLS

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Siti Sundari

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes internal quality system petformance at three Indonesian nursing schools and examines the match of the existing accreditation programmes with the developing internal quality system. A cross sectional study is used with self-administered questionnaires and applied to selected nursing schools. The questionnaire was designed according tocategories of framework of total quality management model. Interview and discussion with respondents including snowball sampling to other teachers and staffs were petformed to clarify and validate data and to enriched the information The activities measured were the enabling and the results factors. The enablers were including Leaderships, strategy, resources, human resources, educational management, teaching teaming process, research and development and also evaluation mechanism, while the results were covering students and personnel satisfaction and partnership.Results shows that some enabling factors were not included in the accreditation, while several indicators in the sub component of accreditation did not explicitly reflect internal quality system petformance. The school stratum as the outcome result of a quality measure is analogue to customer satisfaction, which would depend on direct influence of internal factors such as quality of schools leadership, strategy and educational management. Since the total accreditation score affects school strata and public recognition, it is necessary to use more objectives and relevant indicators by incorporating the internal and external factors as a measure of school quality petformances. Key words: accreditation, education, quality system evaluation, nursing

Marginal Returns: Re-Thinking Mobility and Educational Benefit in Contexts of Chronic Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Maddox, Bryan

2010-01-01

As a result of chronic poverty many people in South Asia experience poor quality schooling, interrupted schooling, or no schooling at all. People affected by poverty face multiple constraints on wellbeing, which typically include informal employment, low wages and poor health. In such contexts the benefits and, more specifically, the…

A Systems Approach to Quality in Elementary Schools: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tarter, C. John; Hoy, Wayne K.

2004-01-01

An open social systems model is used to frame and test a series of hypotheses. The socioeconomic status of the environment and four internal system elements (structure, individual, culture, politics) of the school are used to explain two sets of school outcomes: student achievement and teachers' assessments of overall school effectiveness. A…

City Schools: How Districts and Communities Can Create Smart Education Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Robert, Ed.

2007-01-01

In "City Schools," Robert Rothman and his colleagues at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University put forward a vision of "smart education systems" that link a highly functioning and effective school district with a comprehensive and accessible web of supports for children, youth, and families. One-third of…

Personalization in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Yonezawa, Susan; McClure, Larry; Jones, Makeba

2012-01-01

Thoughtful educators personalize schools--greeting students by name, offering extra academic help, checking in about serious family problems. Some go further, such as setting up specialized clubs or internships with local businesses. Such acts benefit students, helping them feel connected to school and helping teachers and other staff respond to…

Conceptual foundations of inclusive systems in and around schools for early school leaving prevention: An emotional-relational focus

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Downes Paul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Against the background of the EU2020 headline target of reducing early school leaving to 10% across Europe, this article examines the conceptual foundations of the understanding of inclusive systems for early school leaving prevention that has emerged in EU policy documents and research reports in recent years. Traditionally, inclusive education has referred to a focus on children with special educational needs. However, this conceptual review examines how inclusion is increasingly being examined in broader terms.This review seeks to critically reconstruct foundational understandings of systems and resilience in developmental and educational psychology. A systems focus on inclusion needs to address the neglect in psychology of system blockages and power imbalances. Resilience is typically framed as the capacity of the individual to navigate their way to environmental resources. This places the onus of accessibility onto the individual’s efforts rather than a concern with responsive systems accessible to marginalised groups. A concern with inclusive systems goes beyond not only the well-established framework of individual resilience in developmental psychology, but also beyond its expansion into resilient systems, as these omit a focus on outreach and multidisciplinary teams in systems of care for integrated services. Common principles for a framework of inclusive systems include children’s voices, equality and non-discrimination, parental involvement that is integrated holistically with family support, and lifelong learning principles for schools. Illustrative examples of these principles for reforming authoritarian teaching and discriminatory bullying, for opening schools to the local community and for targeting those with highest levels of need are highlighted.

A practical technique for benefit-cost analysis of computer-aided design and drafting systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, R.R.; Yan, G.

1979-03-01

Analysis of benefits and costs associated with the operation of Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Systems (CADDS) are needed to derive economic justification for acquiring new systems, as well as to evaluate the performance of existing installations. In practice, however, such analyses are difficult to perform since most technical and economic advantages of CADDS are ΣirreduciblesΣ, i.e. cannot be readily translated into monetary terms. In this paper, a practical technique for economic analysis of CADDS in a drawing office environment is presented. A Σworst caseΣ approach is taken since increase in productivity of existing manpower is the only benefit considered, while all foreseen costs are taken into account. Methods of estimating benefits and costs are described. The procedure for performing the analysis is illustrated by a case study based on the drawing office activities at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. (auth)

Analysis of Employee Benefits

OpenAIRE

Burešová, Lenka

2013-01-01

The target of this bachelor thesis is to analyze employee benefits from the perspective of employees and to employers suggest possible ideas to improve their provision. The work is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part describes the overal remuneration of employees, payroll system and employee benefits. Benefits are included in the remuneration system, broken and some of them are defined. The practical part presents a survey among employees in the Czech Repub...

Perceptions of Middle School Educators in Hawai‘i about School-based Gardening and Child Health

Science.gov (United States)

Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

2011-01-01

Background Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Methods Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai‘i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. Conclusions In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai‘i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health. PMID:21886287

A Systems Approach to Effectiveness in Catholic Elementary Schools: A Replication and Extension

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Roxanne M.; Tarter, C. John

2011-01-01

This study replicated an earlier study conducted by Tarter and Hoy (2004) in which an open systems model was used to test a series of hypotheses that explained elements of school performance. Four internal system elements (structure, individual, culture, and politics) of the school were used to explain two sets of school outcomes (student…

HEPS tool for schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simovska, Venka; Dadaczynski, Kevin; Grieg Viig, Nina

The main aim of this publication is to serve as a practical guide for the development of a sustainable school policy on healthy eating and physical activity. It is hoped it will be used by all practitioners working within the field of health education and promotion in schools. Particularly...... of health promotion and education....... it is aimed at school leaders, teachers and other staff in primary and secondary schools, vocational schools and special schools. School partners and supporters on local, regional and national levels could benefit from this publication as well as programme developers and policy makers more widely in the field...

Fostering School Belonging in Secondary Schools Using a Socio-Ecological Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Kelly-Ann; Vella-Brodrick, Dianne; Waters, Lea

2016-01-01

The benefits of belonging and feeling connected to school for adolescent mental health and wellbeing are well documented, but how belonging is fostered is less understood. The present article puts forward a new conceptual framework of school belonging based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) sociological model of human development, using evidence from a…

School-Based Interventions for Overweight and Obesity in Minority School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Teresa; Weed, L. Diane; Touger-Decker, Riva

2012-01-01

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in the United States has resulted in a number of school-based health interventions. This article provides a review of research that addressed childhood overweight and obesity in minority, U.S. elementary schools. All studies reported some benefits in health behaviors and/or anthropometric…

How Decision Support Systems Can Benefit from a Theory of Change Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Will; Cruz, Jennyffer; Warburton, Bruce

2017-06-01

Decision support systems are now mostly computer and internet-based information systems designed to support land managers with complex decision-making. However, there is concern that many environmental and agricultural decision support systems remain underutilized and ineffective. Recent efforts to improve decision support systems use have focused on enhancing stakeholder participation in their development, but a mismatch between stakeholders' expectations and the reality of decision support systems outputs continues to limit uptake. Additional challenges remain in problem-framing and evaluation. We propose using an outcomes-based approach called theory of change in conjunction with decision support systems development to support both wider problem-framing and outcomes-based monitoring and evaluation. The theory of change helps framing by placing the decision support systems within a wider context. It highlights how decision support systems use can "contribute" to long-term outcomes, and helps align decision support systems outputs with these larger goals. We illustrate the benefits of linking decision support systems development and application with a theory of change approach using an example of pest rabbit management in Australia. We develop a theory of change that outlines the activities required to achieve the outcomes desired from an effective rabbit management program, and two decision support systems that contribute to specific aspects of decision making in this wider problem context. Using a theory of change in this way should increase acceptance of the role of decision support systems by end-users, clarify their limitations and, importantly, increase effectiveness of rabbit management. The use of a theory of change should benefit those seeking to improve decision support systems design, use and, evaluation.

How Decision Support Systems Can Benefit from a Theory of Change Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Will; Cruz, Jennyffer; Warburton, Bruce

2017-06-01

Decision support systems are now mostly computer and internet-based information systems designed to support land managers with complex decision-making. However, there is concern that many environmental and agricultural decision support systems remain underutilized and ineffective. Recent efforts to improve decision support systems use have focused on enhancing stakeholder participation in their development, but a mismatch between stakeholders' expectations and the reality of decision support systems outputs continues to limit uptake. Additional challenges remain in problem-framing and evaluation. We propose using an outcomes-based approach called theory of change in conjunction with decision support systems development to support both wider problem-framing and outcomes-based monitoring and evaluation. The theory of change helps framing by placing the decision support systems within a wider context. It highlights how decision support systems use can "contribute" to long-term outcomes, and helps align decision support systems outputs with these larger goals. We illustrate the benefits of linking decision support systems development and application with a theory of change approach using an example of pest rabbit management in Australia. We develop a theory of change that outlines the activities required to achieve the outcomes desired from an effective rabbit management program, and two decision support systems that contribute to specific aspects of decision making in this wider problem context. Using a theory of change in this way should increase acceptance of the role of decision support systems by end-users, clarify their limitations and, importantly, increase effectiveness of rabbit management. The use of a theory of change should benefit those seeking to improve decision support systems design, use and, evaluation.

Risks and benefits of energy systems in Czechoslovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohal, L.; Erban, P.; Kadlec, J.; Kraus, V.; Trcka, V.

1984-01-01

The paper describes the fundamental philosophy of an approach to risk and benefit assessment in the fuel and energy complex in Czechoslovakia. The first part analyses the need to solve the risk and benefit problems stemming from structural changes occurring in the Czechoslovakian fuel and energy complex. The second part describes main features of risk and benefit research with special respect to the fuel and energy complex defined within the framework of the national economy with interfaces to the relevant environment. Furthermore, a glimpse is given of how to assess, using the general philosophy, the risks and benefits of various developing variants of the fuel and energy complex. The third part deals with methodological aspects of such risk and benefit evaluation research with special consideration of the methods of long-term prediction in structural analysis and multi-measure assessment. Finally, further progress in solving these problems in VUPEK and some other Czechoslovakian scientific institutions is briefly noted. (author)

International Summer School on Mathematical Systems Theory and Economics

CERN Document Server

Szegö, G

1969-01-01

The International Summer School on Mathematical Systems Theory and Economics was held at the Villa Monastero in Varenna, Italy, from June 1 through June 12, 1967. The objective of this Summer School was to review the state of the art and the prospects for the application of the mathematical theory of systems to the study and the solution of economic problems. Particular emphasis was given to the use of the mathematical theory of control for the solution of problems in economics. It was felt that the publication of a volume collecting most of the lectures given at the school would show the current status of the application of these methods. The papers are organized into four sections arranged into two volumes: basic theories and optimal control of economic systems which appear in the first volume, and special mathematical problems and special applications which are contained in the second volume. Within each section the papers follow in alphabetical order by author. The seven papers on basic theories are a rat...

Mental Health and School Functioning for Girls in the Child Welfare System: the Mediating Role of Future Orientation and School Engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Threlfall, Jennifer M; Auslander, Wendy; Gerke, Donald; McGinnis, Hollee; Myers Tlapek, Sarah

2017-01-01

This study investigated the association between mental health problems and academic and behavioral school functioning for adolescent girls in the child welfare system and determined whether school engagement and future orientation meditated the relationship. Participants were 231 girls aged between 12 and 19 who had been involved with the child welfare system. Results indicated that 39% of girls reported depressive symptoms in the clinical range and 54% reported posttraumatic symptoms in the clinical range. The most common school functioning problems reported were failing a class (41%) and physical fights with other students (35%). Participants reported a mean number of 1.7 school functioning problems. Higher levels of depression and PTSD were significantly associated with more school functioning problems. School engagement fully mediated the relationship between depression and school functioning and between PTSD and school functioning, both models controlling for age, race, and placement stability. Future orientation was not significantly associated with school functioning problems at the bivariate level. Findings suggest that school engagement is a potentially modifiable target for interventions aiming to ameliorate the negative influence of mental health problems on school functioning for adolescent girls with histories of abuse or neglect.

Scale & Care: Charter Schools & New Urbanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Garber, Michael P.; Anderson, R. John; DiGiovanni, Thomas G.

The Charter School movement combined with New Urbanist designers have uncovered the importance of scale in creating school environments that are more responsive to the needs of children. This paper examines the possibilities for mutual benefit for school and community by integrating school-building into the new urbanist tool kit. The discussion…

School System (Re)design: Developing Educational Infrastructures to Support School Leadership and Teaching Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Megan; Woulfin, Sarah L.

2015-01-01

A central challenge for local education agencies (i.e., school districts in the United States) undergoing reform is to design systems that facilitate instructional improvement. At the core of these systems are educational infrastructures that bolster capacity building efforts and support teaching and leadership practices. Our goal for this special…

Family Engagement: A Collaborative, Systemic Approach for Middle School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Keith M.; Lambie, Glenn W.

2005-01-01

Early adolescence is a period of intrapersonal and interpersonal transformation; thus, middle school counselors need to provide services that appropriately match their students' and families' developmental needs. A collaborative, systemic approach is one way that counselors can work with other school-based professionals to support…

Working while incapable to work? Changing concepts of permitted work in the UK disability benefit system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackie Gulland

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article focusses on the borderland between "work" and "not work" in UK disability benefit systems. People who claim disability benefits often have to prove that they are "incapable of work" in order to qualify. The idea of incapacity for work requires an understanding of the meaning of the term "work," a concept which has a common sense simplicity but which is much more difficult to define in practice. UK disability benefit systems have developed the notion of "permitted work" to allow people to do small amounts of paid work while retaining entitlement to benefit. This concept of "permitted work" has its roots in the early twentieth century when claimants were sometimes entitled to disability benefits if any work that they did was considered to be sufficiently trivial to not count as "work." Policy on this changed over time, with particular developments after the Second World War, as rehabilitation and therapy became the key focus of permitted work rules. Current developments in UK social security policy treat almost everyone as a potential worker, changing the way in which permitted work operates. This article uses archive material on appeals against refusals of benefit, policy documents and case law to consider the social meanings of these moving boundaries of permitted work. Disability benefits are not value neutral: they are measures of social control which divide benefit claimants into those who are required to participate in the labour market and those who are exempted from this requirement.

The benefits of being a near-peer teacher.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Samuel; Harrison, Charlotte H; Stephens, Jonny; Andrade, Matheus Gesteria; Seaby, Eleanor G; Parton, William; McElligott, Simon; Myers, Matthew A; Elmansouri, Ahmed; Ahn, Michael; Parrott, Rachel; Smith, Claire F; Border, Scott

2018-03-23

Near-peer teaching is used in anatomy education because of its benefits to the learner, teacher and faculty members. Despite the range of reports focusing on the learner, the advantages for the teacher, which are thought to include communication skills, subject knowledge and employability, are only beginning to be explored. A questionnaire was distributed to the teachers involved in anatomy near-peer teaching at the University of Southampton and Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS). This questionnaire was designed using a rating scale of 0-10 to assess teacher perspectives on their level of knowledge, teaching skills and enjoyment of teaching. Free-text responses determined the teachers' motivation and perceived benefits from the teaching. Twenty-eight questionnaires were gathered (54.9% response rate), including 20 from Southampton and eight from BSMS. Long-term knowledge retention and better understanding of the material were rated 8.1 and 7.9 out of 10, respectively. Eight responses were from currently practising doctors, who rated how much they now use their teaching skills as doctors as 8.9 out of 10. Of the eight doctors, seven gained points for their foundation programme applications as a direct result of near-peer teaching. The most common motivator for engaging in teaching was to improve subject matter knowledge and the most common benefit was improved communication skills. There are numerous advantages to being a near-peer teacher in medical school DISCUSSION: There are numerous advantages to being a near-peer teacher in medical school, which include knowledge improvement, transferrable professional skills and employability. These initial results support the hypothesised benefits to the teachers and provide a foundation for further longitudinal studies. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

38 CFR 21.5200 - Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Schools. 21.5200 Section... REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 32 Schools § 21.5200 Schools. In the administration of benefits payable under the provisions of chapter 32, title...

Basic principles, contents, and benefits of an integrated management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarzin, Juergen

2010-01-01

The basic principles and contents of an integrated management system are presented. The report focuses on the benefits and the experience accumulated in using an integrated management system. Integrated management systems are characterized by 2 features in particular: - On the one hand, by a system holistically controlling and describing all processes within a company which are necessary to achieve the company policy and company goals as defined. - On the other hand, it combines in one integrated management system various different aspects (such as quality, environmental protection, and safety) and the resulting requirements. Successful implementation of an integrated management system requires a clear commitment by company management to the integrated management system serving as a management tool. Implementation must be assigned the appropriate importance in the company. It must not be viewed as an instrument preserving 'status quo.' Instead, it must be seen as a tool for long-term improvement of the company. Application of the integrated management system minimizes the probability of occurrence of events, but is not able to reduce it to zero. (orig.)

A Self-Improving School System and Its Potential for Reducing Inequality

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, David H.

2014-01-01

After a brief review of some milestones in the story of how schools contribute to inequalities in student achievement, more recent work on how experience of collaboration between schools can help to narrow the gap is shown to underpin the new concept of a self-improving school system. The main focus is then on the principal features of a…

School-related social support and subjective well-being in school among adolescents: The role of self-system factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Lili; Zhao, Jie; Huebner, E Scott

2015-12-01

This 6-week longitudinal study aimed to examine a moderated mediation model that may explain the link between school-related social support (i.e., teacher support and classmate support) and optimal subjective well-being in school among adolescents (n = 1316). Analyses confirmed the hypothesized model that scholastic competence partially mediated the relations between school-related social support and subjective well-being in school, and social acceptance moderated the mediation process in the school-related social support--> subjective well-being in school path and in the scholastic competence--> subjective well-being in school path. The findings suggested that both social contextual factors (e.g., school-related social support) and self-system factors (e.g., scholastic competence and social acceptance) are crucial for adolescents' optimal subjective well-being in school. Limitations and practical applications of the study were discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pilot production system cost/benefit analysis: Digital document storage project

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

The Digital Document Storage (DDS)/Pilot Production System (PPS) will provide cost effective electronic document storage, retrieval, hard copy reproduction, and remote access for users of NASA Technical Reports. The DDS/PPS will result in major benefits, such as improved document reproduction quality within a shorter time frame than is currently possible. In addition, the DDS/PPS will provide an important strategic value through the construction of a digital document archive. It is highly recommended that NASA proceed with the DDS Prototype System and a rapid prototyping development methodology in order to validate recent working assumptions upon which the success of the DDS/PPS is dependent.

Eliciting Parents' Individual Requirements for an Inclusive Digital School System.

Science.gov (United States)

Eftring, Håkan; Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten; Hedvall, Per-Olof

2016-01-01

Parents often have a busy time sorting out their life puzzles, including getting information about their children's activities in school. More and more communication between teachers and parents take place via digital school systems. It can be hard for parents to find the information they are looking for and the teacher decides when information is sent and what communication method to use. All parents, but especially parents with disabilities, might have individual preferences on how to receive information and how to adapt meetings at school. In this paper we present a project where we involved parents and teachers in focus groups, an idea workshop and iterative user trials of a digital prototype. The goal was to elicit parents' individual requirements for an inclusive digital school system, where they can store their individual preferences about how and when to receive information from school and what requirements they have on meetings at school. Preliminary results show that we managed to create open and focused discussions among parents and teachers. The parents reacted very positively on an onboarding page with the possibility to quickly and easily enter preferences after their first log in, but more work needs to be done on how preferences are categorized on the onboarding page. Finally, parents need to get clear feedback from teachers and school when they have entered or updated preferences, so they can trust that their preferences will be met.

Energy affordability and the benefits system in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miniaci, Raffaele; Scarpa, Carlo; Valbonesi, Paola

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a number of ways to define and measure the affordability of energy consumption, and we examine the emergence of energy poverty in Italy in the period from 1998 to 2011. The paper examines the eligibility criteria for claiming the benefits available to support energy consumption for vulnerable families and it identifies the potential beneficiaries. The study assesses the appropriateness of the eligibility criteria by comparing the population targeted by the policy with the population actually facing affordability problems. A simulation exercise, using the hypothetical scenario most likely to result in energy benefits being made available, shows that, regardless of the affordability index adopted, the provision of state energy benefits has little impact on fuel poverty. - Highlights: • The paper provides a discussion of alternative measure of energy affordability. • We examine the emergence of fuel poverty in Italy from 1998 to 2011. • We assess the appropriateness of the Italian energy benefits eligibility criteria. • A simulation shows that the energy benefits have little impact on fuel poverty

Do Multimedia Applications Benefit Learning-Disabled Children?

Science.gov (United States)

Raja, B. William Dharma; Kumar, S. Praveen

2010-01-01

This paper focusses on the need and benefit of using multimedia applications to cater to the needs of children with learning disabilities. The children with special educational needs found in various schools may face difficulties in acquiring academic skills such as reading, spelling, writing, speaking, understanding, listening, thinking or…

Optimization of the heating system at Sogn school

OpenAIRE

Navarro Carrillo, Laia

2011-01-01

PFC del programa Erasmus EPS elaborat a Oslo University College The heating system of the Sogn school consists of three oil boilers, one electrical boiler and one bio boiler which provide the building with heat. However, the bio boiler is too inefficient. The purpose of this report is to document the different alternatives to increase the efficiency of the bio boiler. The report does not document any results of trials with wood briquettes, because the school had a problem in supplying t...

The Transformation of a School System: Principal, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Charter and Traditional Schools in Post-Katrina New Orleans. Technical Report

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Jennifer L.; Vernez, Georges; Gottfried, Michael A.; Schwam-Baird, Michael

2011-01-01

Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a transformation of public education in New Orleans, replacing the city's existing school system with a decentralized choice-based system of both charter and district-run schools. Using principal, teacher, and parent surveys administered three years after Katrina, this study examined schools' governance and…

48 CFR 731.372 - Fringe benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Fringe benefits. 731.372 Section 731.372 Federal Acquisition Regulations System AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERAL....372 Fringe benefits. USAID's policies on certain fringe benefits related to overseas service...

School Uniforms: Esprit de Corps.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Rosemary P.; Ryan, Thomas E.

1998-01-01

The benefits of school uniforms far outweigh their short-term costs. School uniforms not only keep students safe, but they increase their self-esteem, promote a more positive attitude toward school, lead to improved student behavior, and help blur social-class distinctions. Students are allowed to wear their own political or religious messages,…

S3: School Zone Safety System Based on Wireless Sensor Network

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Seong-eun; Chong, Poh Kit; Kim, Daeyoung

2009-01-01

School zones are areas near schools that have lower speed limits and where illegally parked vehicles pose a threat to school children by obstructing them from the view of drivers. However, these laws are regularly flouted. Thus, we propose a novel wireless sensor network application called School zone Safety System (S3) to help regulate the speed limit and to prevent illegal parking in school zones. S3 detects illegally parked vehicles, and warns the driver and records the license plate number. To reduce the traveling speed of vehicles in a school zone, S3 measures the speed of vehicles and displays the speed to the driver via an LED display, and also captures the image of the speeding vehicle with a speed camera. We developed a state machine based vehicle detection algorithm for S3. From extensive experiments in our testbeds and data from a real school zone, it is shown that the system can detect all kinds of vehicles, and has an accuracy of over 95% for speed measurement. We modeled the battery life time of a sensor node and validated the model with a downscaled measurement; we estimate the battery life time to be over 2 years. We have deployed S3 in 15 school zones in 2007, and we have demonstrated the robustness of S3 by operating them for over 1 year. PMID:22454567

A systemic model for differentiating school technology integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tel Amiel

2016-07-01

Full Text Available School technology integration rarely begins with school or educator choice. It is part of a wider context where external and internal factors have direct influence on the goals and tools that are adopted over time. The objective of this study is to investigate the systemic conditions that contribute or inhibit the development of different activities by teachers making use of new media. We compiled a list of well-known conditions for technology integration success and mapped these in the historical and culturally bound perspective of activity theory (cultural historical activity theory. We conducted a multiple case study analysis of four schools, public and private. The results point to unique and distinctive scenarios even when homogeneity would be expected, reinforcing the argument that material conditions do not determine pedagogical outcomes nor do they determine changes in practice. Beyond this, the study proposes a methodology that can help elicit tensions in technology integration, pointing to avenues for school development.

Analysis of Employee Benefits in Organisation

OpenAIRE

Smilnická, Martina

2009-01-01

The aim of bachelor's work is to characterize and to sum up the system of employee benefits in ČSOB, a.s.. In the first part of the work are generally described forms of remuneration, characterized employee benefits, aims and forms how they are provided, options of their classification and current trends in this area. The second part introduces the company and its system of employee benefits. By the help of questionnaire survey realized in the company was analysed the system of benefits and s...

Humanizing the Classroom: Praxis of Full Day School System in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Suyatno; Wantini

2018-01-01

The full day school program is a new model in the education management system in Indonesia. This phenomenon is interesting because there is a paradox in it. Education in Indonesia is often criticized for the learning which is too heavy, but the full day school program gets a positive response from the community although it has longer school hours.…

School Nurses: An Investment in Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Maughan, Erin D.

2018-01-01

School nurses help students with the prevention and management of chronic physical and mental health issues, but not all schools have a full-time registered nurse on their staff. The author argues that investing in school nursing has benefits that extend beyond the school and into the community.

System Leadership for School Improvement: A Developing Concept and Set of Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Dimmock, Clive

2016-01-01

System leadership is a developing concept and practice increasingly seen as a tool for school improvement, as policymakers switch from traditional top-down reform to professional models of schools working collaboratively. System leadership is being championed by the Scottish College for Educational Leadership (SCEL), but is still in its infancy in…

Are Educational Computer Micro-Games Engaging and Effective for Knowledge Acquisition at High-Schools? A Quasi-Experimental Study

Science.gov (United States)

Brom, Cyril; Preuss, Michal; Klement, Daniel

2011-01-01

Curricular schooling can benefit from the usage of educational computer games, but it is difficult to integrate them in the formal schooling system. Here, we investigate one possible approach to this integration, which capitalizes on using a micro-game that can be played with a teacher's guidance as a supplement after a traditional expository…

The Embodiment of Class in the Croatian VET School System

Science.gov (United States)

Doolan, Karin; Lukic, Natalija; Bukovic, Nikola

2016-01-01

This article engages with the notion that schools embody social class in their structures and practices. We draw on Bourdieu's critical concept of "field" to describe the larger landscape of Croatian secondary schooling: a stratified system whose routes serve, and have served, to reinforce the maintenance of class (under)privilege. We…

Experts' views regarding Australian school-leavers' knowledge of nutrition and food systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadegholvad, Sanaz; Yeatman, Heather; Parrish, Anne-Maree; Worsley, Anthony

2017-10-01

To explore Australian experts' views regarding strengths and gaps in school-leavers' knowledge of nutrition and food systems ( N&FS) and factors that influence that knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 highly experienced food-related experts in Australia. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using Attride-Stirling's thematic network framework. Two global themes and several organising themes were identified. The first global theme, 'structural curriculum-based problems', emerged from three organising themes of: inconsistencies in provided food education programs at schools in Australia; insufficient coverage of food-related skills and food systems topics in school curricula; and the lack of trained school teachers. The second global theme, 'insufficient levels of school-leavers knowledge of N&FS ', was generated from four organising themes, which together described Australian school-leavers' poor knowledge of N&FS more broadly and knowledge translation problem for everyday practices. Study findings identified key problems relating to current school-based N&FS education programs in Australia and reported knowledge gaps in relation to N&FS among Australian school-leavers. These findings provide important guidance for N&FS curriculum development, to clearly articulate broadly-based N&FS knowledge acquisition in curriculum policy and education documents for Australian schools. © 2017 The Authors.

Prognostic Health Monitoring System: Component Selection Based on Risk Criteria and Economic Benefit Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Binh T.; Agarwal, Vivek; Lybeck, Nancy J.; Tawfik, Magdy S.

2012-01-01

Prognostic health monitoring (PHM) is a proactive approach to monitor the ability of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to withstand structural, thermal, and chemical loadings over the SSCs planned service lifespan. The current efforts to extend the operational license lifetime of the aging fleet of U.S. nuclear power plants from 40 to 60 years and beyond can benefit from a systematic application of PHM technology. Implementing a PHM system would strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants, reduce plant outage time, and reduce operation and maintenance costs. However, a nuclear power plant has thousands of SSCs, so implementing a PHM system that covers all SSCs requires careful planning and prioritization. This paper therefore focuses on a component selection that is based on the analysis of a component's failure probability, risk, and cost. Ultimately, the decision on component selection depends on the overall economical benefits arising from safety and operational considerations associated with implementing the PHM system. (author)

Designing Temporary Systems: Exploring Local School Improvement Intentions in the Swedish Context

Science.gov (United States)

Nordholm, Daniel; Blossing, Ulf

2014-01-01

This article targets local school improvement in Sweden and temporary systems as a model to organize improvement work. These data are based on a qualitative case study of teacher groups constituting a temporary system representing the different subjects in comprehensive school in a medium-sized urban municipality. A total of eight interviews were…

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Forward-Engaged Naval Forces

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Looney, Robert E; Schrady, David A; Brown, Ronald L

2001-01-01

In preparing for the 1997 quadrennial defense review, U.S. Navy leaders asked the Naval Postgraduate School to study the economic benefits of forward-engaged naval forces and communicate them to policy makers and the public...

Application of Total Quality Management System in Thai Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Prueangphitchayathon, Setthiya; Tesaputa, Kowat; Somprach, Kanokorn

2015-01-01

The present study seeks to develop a total quality management (TQM) system that can be applied to primary schools. The approach focuses on customer orientation, total involvement of all constituencies and continuous improvement. TQM principles were studied and synthesized according to case studies of the best practices in 3 primary schools (small,…

The Nature of Unintended Benefits in Health Information Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuziemsky, Craig E.; Borycki, Elizabeth; Nøhr, Christian

2012-01-01

of healthcare delivery. This paper uses several case studies of HIS implementation to develop a model of unintended benefits of HIS usage with three categories of benefits: patient, service delivery and administrative. We also discuss the implications of these benefits on the design and evaluation of HISs....

From Permission to Partnership: Participatory Research to Engage School Personnel in Systems Change

Science.gov (United States)

Blitz, Lisa V.; Mulcahy, Candace A.

2017-01-01

Data collected from teachers in a racially diverse, high-poverty high school were used to inform the initial steps in developing a school-university partnership to create a culturally responsive trauma-informed community school. The project utilized community-based participatory research to explore sensitive areas of school system functioning.…

COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF A DG INTEGRATED SYSTEM: CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ch. V. S. S. SAILAJA

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Distributed Generation is capable of meeting the load of the consumers partially or completely. Depending on the type of DG involved it can be operated in interconnected mode and islanded mode. The availability of numerous alternatives present for the DG technologies and large initial investments necessitates a detailed cost benefit analysis for the implementation of DG technologies. In this work an attempt has been made to study the costs involved in implementing the DG technologies. A practical system having two kinds of distributed generation i.e., Diesel Generator and solar photovoltaic system for its back up purpose is considered. A detailed cost analysis of the two DG technologies is carried out.

Identifying Characteristics of a "Good School" in the British and Saudi Arabian Education Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Alzahrani, Saeed Musaid H.; Hammersley-Fletcher, Linda; Bright, Geoff

2016-01-01

This study aims at establishing whether primary schools in the Saudi education system conform to the characteristics of what are referred to as "good schools" in the British education system. The findings established through this study show that only 43.75% of primary schools in Saudi conform to the characteristics of what are referred…

Cost-benefit analysis of childhood asthma management through school-based clinic programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Teresa; Bame, Sherry I

2011-04-01

Asthma is a leading chronic illness among American children. School-based health clinics (SBHCs) reduced expensive ER visits and hospitalizations through better healthcare access and monitoring in select case studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the cost-benefit of SBHC programs in managing childhood asthma nationwide for reduction in medical costs of ER, hospital and outpatient physician care and savings in opportunity social costs of lowing absenteeism and work loss and of future earnings due to premature deaths. Eight public data sources were used to compare costs of delivering primary and preventive care for childhood asthma in the US via SBHC programs, including direct medical and indirect opportunity costs for children and their parents. The costs of nurse staffing for a nationwide SBHC program were estimated at $4.55 billion compared to the estimated medical savings of $1.69 billion, including ER, hospital, and outpatient care. In contrast, estimated total savings for opportunity costs of work loss and premature death were $23.13 billion. Medical savings alone would not offset the expense of implementing a SBHC program for prevention and monitoring childhood asthma. However, even modest estimates of reducing opportunity costs of parents' work loss would be far greater than the expense of this program. Although SBHC programs would not be expected to affect the increasing prevalence of childhood asthma, these programs would be designed to reduce the severity of asthma condition with ongoing monitoring, disease prevention and patient compliance.

Systemic levers for change towards sustainable institutionalisation of ICT in schools

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Meyer, I

2017-06-01

Full Text Available pressure on the school environment, since schools are unable to sustain the change introduced without support from their formal support systems. Although the ICT for Rural Education Development (ICT4RED) initiative was successful in integrating technology...

Review of "Spend Smart: Fix Our Broken School Funding System"

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Bruce

2011-01-01

ConnCAN's Spend Smart: "Fix Our Broken School Funding System" was released concurrently with a bill introduced in the Connecticut legislature, based on the principles outlined in the report. However, the report is of negligible value to the policy debate over Connecticut school finance because it provides little or no support for any of…

Making Visible and Acting on Issues of Racism and Racialization in School Mathematics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jhonel A. Morvan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Schools, as social systems, may knowingly or unintentionally perpetuate inequities through unchallenged oppressive systems. This paper focuses on mathematics as a subject area in school practices in which inequities seem to be considered normal. Issues of racism and racialization in the discipline of mathematics are predominantly lived through the practice of streaming where students are enrolled in courses of different levels of difficulty. Such practice denies marginalized groups of students the full benefit of rich learning experiences. These issues should be of concern for activists, advocates, and allies as well as individuals and groups who are systematically and directly affected. The purpose of this paper is to make visible issues of racism and racialization in school mathematics to a range of stakeholders that include: school administrators, teachers, students, parents, education advocates, academics, educational researchers, and politicians. The ultimate goal is that the knowledge gained through this call to action will contribute toward eliminating social injustice in all school systems, particularly as it relates to skin colour, country of origin, culture, language, customs, and religion.

New accounting information system: An application for a basic social benefit in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noemí Peña-Miguel

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Accounting information on social benefits is included, in accordance with the scope of its management, in the general Social Security budget. The information contained in the budget may be relevant, but it is likely to be insufficient to enable comparisons to be made with an entity's financial statements for previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities. Thus, IPSAS 1 proposes the presentation of additional information. On the basis of the New Public Management theory, this paper proposes an aggregate accounting model for accounting expenditure as a multi-annual information system which complements and expands information on a potential basic social benefit. This system reports in detail on the trends in the items that fund it, with the aim of achieving maximum transparency and accountability in public administrations by ensuring timely provision of quality information.

Rural Schools and Traditional Knowledge: Representing Alternatives to a Consumer-Dependent Existence

Science.gov (United States)

Barter, Barbara

2014-01-01

Given the present pace of educational globalization, educators--especially in rural schools--will benefit from an awareness of traditional knowledge as a significant contributor to sustainability. Many countries operate through a system whereby major decision making, especially in such areas as education and health, emanate from state levels of…

Information Systems and Performance Measures in Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, James S.; Karweit, Nancy L.

Large school systems bring various administrative problems in handling scheduling, records, and avoiding making red tape casualties of students. The authors review a portion of the current use of computers to handle these problems and examine the range of activities for which computer processing could provide aid. Since automation always brings…

76 FR 78095 - Applying for Free and Reduced Price Meals in the National School Lunch Program and School...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-16

... 0584-AD54 [FNS-2007-0023] Applying for Free and Reduced Price Meals in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and for Benefits in the Special Milk Program, and Technical... school meals to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act...

Service Quality, User Satisfaction and Net-Benefits' Effect on e-School Success: The Case of NEPAD's e-School Pilot in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Nyagowa, Hesbon O.; Ocholla, Dennis N.; Mutula, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of a set of dimensions on e-School success in a cross-sectional study of NEPAD's e-School pilot in Kenya. All of the six e-Schools participating in the NEPAD's e-School pilot in Kenya were selected. The study used survey methodology. Students and teachers in those schools formed the study…

Interventions to Support System-level Implementation of Health Promoting Schools: A Scoping Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessie-Lee D. McIsaac

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Health promoting schools (HPS is recognized globally as a multifaceted approach that can support health behaviours. There is increasing clarity around factors that influence HPS at a school level but limited synthesized knowledge on the broader system-level elements that may impact local implementation barriers and support uptake of a HPS approach. This study comprised a scoping review to identify, summarise and disseminate the range of research to support the uptake of a HPS approach across school systems. Two reviewers screened and extracted data according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Relevant studies were identified using a multi-phased approach including searching electronic bibliographic databases of peer reviewed literature, hand-searching reference lists and article recommendations from experts. In total, 41 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review, representing studies across nine international school systems. Overall, studies described policies that provided high-level direction and resources within school jurisdictions to support implementation of a HPS approach. Various multifaceted organizational and professional interventions were identified, including strategies to enable and restructure school environments through education, training, modelling and incentives. A systematic realist review of the literature may be warranted to identify the types of intervention that work best for whom, in what circumstance to create healthier schools and students.

Interventions to Support System-level Implementation of Health Promoting Schools: A Scoping Review

Science.gov (United States)

McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D.; Hernandez, Kimberley J.; Kirk, Sara F.L.; Curran, Janet A.

2016-01-01

Health promoting schools (HPS) is recognized globally as a multifaceted approach that can support health behaviours. There is increasing clarity around factors that influence HPS at a school level but limited synthesized knowledge on the broader system-level elements that may impact local implementation barriers and support uptake of a HPS approach. This study comprised a scoping review to identify, summarise and disseminate the range of research to support the uptake of a HPS approach across school systems. Two reviewers screened and extracted data according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Relevant studies were identified using a multi-phased approach including searching electronic bibliographic databases of peer reviewed literature, hand-searching reference lists and article recommendations from experts. In total, 41 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review, representing studies across nine international school systems. Overall, studies described policies that provided high-level direction and resources within school jurisdictions to support implementation of a HPS approach. Various multifaceted organizational and professional interventions were identified, including strategies to enable and restructure school environments through education, training, modelling and incentives. A systematic realist review of the literature may be warranted to identify the types of intervention that work best for whom, in what circumstance to create healthier schools and students. PMID:26861376

The effects on student health of interventions modifying the school environment: systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonell, C; Wells, H; Harden, A; Jamal, F; Fletcher, A; Thomas, J; Campbell, R; Petticrew, M; Whitehead, M; Murphy, S; Moore, L

2013-08-01

Owing to the limited effectiveness of traditional health education curricula in schools, there is increasing interest in interventions aiming to promote young people's health by modifying the school environment. Existing systematic reviews cannot determine whether environmental intervention is effective because they examine interventions combining environmental modifications and traditional health education. This gap is significant because school-environment interventions are complex to implement and may be sidelined in underfunded and attainment-focused school systems without evidence to support such an approach. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of school-environment interventions without health-education components on student health and inequalities. This was a systematic review of experimental/quasi-experimental studies of school-environment interventions. Sixteen databases were searched, eliciting 62 329 references which were screened, with included studies quality assessed, data extracted and narratively synthesised. Sixteen reports of 10 studies were included, all from the USA and the UK. Five evaluations of interventions aiming to develop a stronger sense of community and/or improve relationships between staff and students suggested potential benefits particularly regarding violence and aggression. Two trials of interventions enabling students to advocate for changes in school catering and physical activity reported benefits for physical activity but not diet. Three evaluations of improvements to school playgrounds offered weak evidence of effects on physical activity. School environment interventions show the potential to improve young people's health particularly regarding violence, aggression and physical activity. Further trials are required to provide a stronger and more generalisable evidence base.

Small Scale Rollout of PV Systems in Chikwawa District, Malawi: Remote Monitoring System Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Million Mafuta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Off-grid solar photovoltaic systems in Malawi are deployed increasingly as the primary option for rural public infrastructure such as primary schools and health centres. Overall, grid-connected electricity access has remained stagnant at around 9% with only 1% of rural population connected. To improve the technical sustainability of such systems, a novel remote monitoring technology utilising Wireless Sensor Networks was installed and the systems were monitored over roughly one year. This paper has described the technical design, performance, and benefits received from deployment of the technology. Furthermore, it has evaluated the cost implications for a larger scale rollout and potential benefits.

Understanding and Managing Staff Development in an Urban School System. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlechty, Phillip; And Others

A study is reported that examined the way staff development functions in schools, the effects of staff development, and the interaction between staff development and other activities and conditions in school systems. The study took place in a large urban school district (in the Southeast) that is heavily committed to and involved in staff…

Understanding and valuing the broader health system benefits of Uganda's national Human Resources for Health Information System investment.

Science.gov (United States)

Driessen, Julia; Settle, Dykki; Potenziani, David; Tulenko, Kate; Kabocho, Twaha; Wadembere, Ismail

2015-08-31

To address the need for timely and comprehensive human resources for health (HRH) information, governments and organizations have been actively investing in electronic health information interventions, including in low-resource settings. The economics of human resources information systems (HRISs) in low-resource settings are not well understood, however, and warrant investigation and validation. This case study describes Uganda's Human Resources for Health Information System (HRHIS), implemented with support from the US Agency for International Development, and documents perceptions of its impact on the health labour market against the backdrop of the costs of implementation. Through interviews with end users and implementers in six different settings, we document pre-implementation data challenges and consider how the HRHIS has been perceived to affect human resources decision-making and the healthcare employment environment. This multisite case study documented a range of perceived benefits of Uganda's HRHIS through interviews with end users that sought to capture the baseline (or pre-implementation) state of affairs, the perceived impact of the HRHIS and the monetary value associated with each benefit. In general, the system appears to be strengthening both demand for health workers (through improved awareness of staffing patterns) and supply (by improving licensing, recruitment and competency of the health workforce). This heightened ability to identify high-value employees makes the health sector more competitive for high-quality workers, and this elevation of the health workforce also has broader implications for health system performance and population health. Overall, it is clear that HRHIS end users in Uganda perceived the system to have significantly improved day-to-day operations as well as longer term institutional mandates. A more efficient and responsive approach to HRH allows the health sector to recruit the best candidates, train employees in

Highlighting High Performance: Clearview Elementary School, Hanover, Pennsylvania

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2002-08-01

Case study on high performance building features of Clearview Elementary School in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Clearview Elementary School in Hanover, Pennsylvania, is filled with natural light, not only in classrooms but also in unexpected, and traditionally dark, places like stairwells and hallways. The result is enhanced learning. Recent scientific studies conducted by the California Board for Energy Efficiency, involving 21,000 students, show test scores were 15% to 26% higher in classrooms with daylighting. Clearview's ventilation system also helps students and teachers stay healthy, alert, and focused on learning. The school's superior learning environment comes with annual average energy savings of about 40% over a conventional school. For example, with so much daylight, the school requires about a third less energy for electric lighting than a typical school. The school's innovative geothermal heating and cooling system uses the constant temperature of the Earth to cool and heat the building. The building and landscape designs work together to enhance solar heating in the winter, summer cooling, and daylighting all year long. Students and teachers have the opportunity to learn about high-performance design by studying their own school. At Clearview, the Hanover Public School District has shown that designing a school to save energy is affordable. Even with its many innovative features, the school's $6.35 million price tag is just $150,000 higher than average for elementary schools in Pennsylvania. Projected annual energy cost savings of approximately $18,000 mean a payback in 9 years. Reasonable construction costs demonstrate that other school districts can build schools that conserve energy, protect natural resources, and provide the educational and health benefits that come with high-performance buildings.

Understanding Excessive School Absenteeism as School Refusal Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Dube, Shanta R.; Orpinas, Pamela

2009-01-01

Understanding excessive absenteeism is important to ameliorating the negative outcomes associated with the behavior. The present study examined behavioral reinforcement profiles of school refusal behavior: negative reinforcement (avoidance) and positive reinforcement (gaining parental attention or receiving tangible benefits from not attending…

Methods for Analyzing the Benefits and Costs of Distributed Photovoltaic Generation to the U.S. Electric Utility System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denholm, P.; Margolis, R.; Palmintier, B.; Barrows, C.; Ibanez, E.; Bird, L.; Zuboy, J.

2014-09-01

This report outlines the methods, data, and tools that could be used at different levels of sophistication and effort to estimate the benefits and costs of DGPV. In so doing, we identify the gaps in current benefit-cost-analysis methods, which we hope will inform the ongoing research agenda in this area. The focus of this report is primarily on benefits and costs from the utility or electricity generation system perspective. It is intended to provide useful background information to utility and regulatory decision makers and their staff, who are often being asked to use or evaluate estimates of the benefits and cost of DGPV in regulatory proceedings. Understanding the technical rigor of the range of methods and how they might need to evolve as DGPV becomes a more significant contributor of energy to the electricity system will help them be better consumers of this type of information. This report is also intended to provide information to utilities, policy makers, PV technology developers, and other stakeholders, which might help them maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of integrating DGPV into a changing electricity system.

Do higher levels of education and skills in an area benefit wider society?

OpenAIRE

Winters, John V.

2015-01-01

Formal schooling increases earnings and provides other individual benefits. However, societal benefits of education may exceed individual benefits. Research finds that increased average education levels in an area are correlated with higher earnings, even for locals with relatively little education. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates appear to have especially strong external effects, due to their role in stimulating innovation and economic growth. Several strat...

Holistic School Leadership: Systems Thinking as an Instructional Leadership Enabler

Science.gov (United States)

Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

2016-01-01

As instructional leadership involves attempts to understand and improve complex systems, this study explored principals' perceptions regarding possible contributions of systems thinking to instructional leadership. Based on a qualitative analysis, systems thinking was perceived by middle and high school principals to contribute to the following…

The Benefits of High School Experiences on Growth in Occupational Status in U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung-Nyun; Passmore, David L.

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated high school graduates' school-to-work transition by considering their post-school occupational skill levels. Using an ordinal growth model analysis, occupational status increased in an arch-shaped curve as the number of years after high school graduation also increased. This growth trajectory was further related to…

Intercultural Development in the Romanian School System

Science.gov (United States)

Chircu, Elena Sorina; Negreanu, Mirela

2010-01-01

The present paper aims to briefly describe the manner in which intercultural education is perceived in the Romanian school system, as well as the solutions that are being proposed (mainly in the form of activities) for reconsidering and strengthening interculturality as a dimension of education. We report on the results of semi-structured…

The Paradox of Decentralizing Schools: Lessons from Business, Government, and the Catholic Church.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jerome T.

1989-01-01

By the year 2000, school decentralization could become another unfortunate, ineffectual pendulum swing. According to this article, a dynamic, ever-changing system of decentralization and centralization balances the benefits of local administrative autonomy with the pursuit of unified goals and helps each leadership level understand its…

Solar heating and domestic hot water system installed at North Dallas High School

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The solar energy system located at the North Dallas High School, Dallas, Texas is discussed. The system is designed as a retrofit in a three story with basement, concrete frame high school building. Extracts from the site files, specification references for solar modification to existing building heating and domestic hot water systems, drawings, installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

A benefit-cost analysis of a long-term intervention on social and emotional learning in compulsory school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alli Klapp

2017-04-01

Full Text Available There is growing evidence that social and emotional skills can be taught to students in school and teaching these skills can have a positive effect on later outcomes, such as better mental health and less drug use. This paper presents a benefit-cost analysis of a longitudinal social and emotional learning intervention in Sweden, using data for 663 students participating in the evaluation. Intervention costs are compared against treatment impact on self-reported drug use. Pre-test and post-test data are available. Since follow-up data for the participants´ drug use as adults is not available, informed projections have been made. Net present monetary values are calculated for the general public and society. The results show that students in the treatment group report decreasing use of drugs over the five year long intervention, the value of which easily outweighs the intervention costs.

School Health Connection Goes Electronic: Developing a Health Information Management System for New Orleans' School-Based Health Centers. Program Results Report

Science.gov (United States)

Rastorfer, Darl

2011-01-01

From February 2008 through April 2011, School Health Connection, a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, developed an electronic health information management system for newly established school-based health centers in Greater New Orleans. School Health Connection was established as part of a broader effort to restore community health…

School meal sociality or lunch pack individualism?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Sidse Schoubye; Holm, Lotte; Baarts, Charlotte

2015-01-01

the social life of a school class, and how these arrangements involve strategies of both inclusion and exclusion. Two types of school meals are compared in the intervention study: a hot meal based on Nordic ingredients and the normal Danish school meal arrangement in which children bring lunch packs...... to school. The study discusses commensality by examining and comparing lunchtime interactions within the same group of children in the two contrasting meal situations. The results fail to confirm the conventional view that shared meals have greater social impacts and benefits than eating individualized...... foods. The article argues that the social entrepreneurship involved in sharing individual lunch packs might even outweigh some of the benefits of shared meals where everyone is served the same food....

Educational Equity, Adequacy, and Equal Opportunity in the Commonwealth: An Evaluation of Pennsylvania's School Finance System

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Bruce; Levin, Jesse

2014-01-01

Pennsylvania has historically operated one of the nation's least equitable state school finance systems, and within that system exist some of the nation's most fiscally disadvantaged public school districts. The persistent inequalities of Pennsylvania's school finance system are not entirely a result of simple lack of effort, as policies intended…

Researchers Cite Social Benefits in Coed Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Sparks, Sarah D.

2012-01-01

Generally, boys and girls become more polarized through their first years in school. Now, researchers have started to explore how to span that sex divide and are finding that more-equitable coed classrooms can have social and academic benefits for boys and girls alike. While children of both sexes play together as toddlers, by the end of…

Estimate of potential benefit for Europe of fitting Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems for pedestrian protection to passenger cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Mervyn; Nathanson, Andrew; Wisch, Marcus

2014-01-01

The objective of the current study was to estimate the benefit for Europe of fitting precrash braking systems to cars that detect pedestrians and autonomously brake the car to prevent or lower the speed of the impact with the pedestrian. The analysis was divided into 2 main parts: (1) Develop and apply methodology to estimate benefit for Great Britain and Germany; (2) scale Great Britain and German results to give an indicative estimate for Europe (EU27). The calculation methodology developed to estimate the benefit was based on 2 main steps: 1. Calculate the change in the impact speed distribution curve for pedestrian casualties hit by the fronts of cars assuming pedestrian autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system fitment. 2. From this, calculate the change in the number of fatally, seriously, and slightly injured casualties by using the relationship between risk of injury and the casualty impact speed distribution to sum the resulting risks for each individual casualty. The methodology was applied to Great Britain and German data for 3 types of pedestrian AEB systems representative of (1) currently available systems; (2) future systems with improved performance, which are expected to be available in the next 2-3 years; and (3) reference limit system, which has the best performance currently thought to be technically feasible. Nominal benefits estimated for Great Britain ranged from £119 million to £385 million annually and for Germany from €63 million to €216 million annually depending on the type of AEB system assumed fitted. Sensitivity calculations showed that the benefit estimated could vary from about half to twice the nominal estimate, depending on factors such as whether or not the system would function at night and the road friction assumed. Based on scaling of estimates made for Great Britain and Germany, the nominal benefit of implementing pedestrian AEB systems on all cars in Europe was estimated to range from about €1 billion per year for

Expected and Realized Costs and Benefits from Implementing Product Configuration Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper

2010-01-01

Product configuration systems (PCS) are a technology well suited for mass customization and support the task of configuring the product to the individual customer’s needs. PCS are at the same time complex software systems that may be tailored to solve a variety of problems for a firm, e.......g. supporting the quotation process or validating the structure of a product. This paper reports findings from a study of 12 Danish firms, which at the time of the study have implemented or are in the process of implementing product configuration systems. 12 costs and 12 benefits are identified in literature...... organization. It is observed that product configuration projects are treated as simple technical projects although they should be regarded as organizational change projects....

Business School's Performance Management System Standards Design

Science.gov (United States)

Azis, Anton Mulyono; Simatupang, Togar M.; Wibisono, Dermawan; Basri, Mursyid Hasan

2014-01-01

This paper aims to compare various Performance Management Systems (PMS) for business school in order to find the strengths of each standard as inputs to design new model of PMS. There are many critical aspects and gaps notified for new model to improve performance and even recognized that self evaluation performance management is not well…

The effect of dance mat exergaming systems on physical activity and health-related outcomes in secondary schools: results from a natural experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Azevedo, Liane B; Burges Watson, Duika; Haighton, Catherine; Adams, Jean

2014-09-12

Exergaming has been proposed as an innovative method for physical activity promotion. However, large effectiveness studies are rare. In January 2011, dance mat systems were introduced in secondary schools in two districts in England with the aim of promoting an innovative opportunity for physical activity. The aim of this natural experiment was to examine the effect of introducing the dance mat exergaming systems on physical activity and health-related outcomes in 11-13 year old students using a non-randomised controlled design and mixed methods. Participants were recruited from five schools in intervention districts (n = 280) and two schools in neighbouring control districts (n = 217). Data on physical activity (accelerometer), anthropometrics (weight, BMI and percentage of body fat), aerobic fitness (20-m multistage shuttle run test), health-related quality of life (Kidscreen questionnaire), self-efficacy (children's physical activity self-efficacy survey), school attendance, focus groups with children and interviews with teachers were collected at baseline and approximately 12 months follow-up. There was a negative intervention effect on total physical activity (-65.4 cpm CI: -12.6 to -4.7), and light and sedentary physical activity when represented as a percentage of wear time (Light: -2.3% CI: -4.5 to 0.2; Sedentary: 3.3% CI: 0.7 to 5.9). However, compliance with accelerometers at follow-up was poor. There was a significant positive intervention effect on weight (-1.7 kg, 95% CI: -2.9 to -0.4), BMI (-0.9 kg/m2, 95% CI: -1.3 to -0.4) and percentage of body fat (-2.2%, 95% CI: -4.2 to -0.2). There was also evidence of improvement in some health-related quality of life parameters: psychological well-being (2.5, 95% CI: 0.1 to 4.8) and autonomy and parent relation (4.2, 95% CI: 1.4 to 7.0). The implementation of a dance mat exergaming scheme was associated with improvement in anthropometric measurements and parameters of health-related quality of life. However

Evaluating the benefits of an electrical energy storage system in a future smart grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, N.S.; Taylor, P.C.; Lang, P.D.; Jones, P.R.

2010-01-01

Interest in electrical energy storage systems is increasing as the opportunities for their application become more compelling in an industry with a back-drop of ageing assets, increasing distributed generation and a desire to transform networks into Smart Grids. A field trial of an energy storage system designed and built by ABB is taking place on a section of 11 kV distribution network operated by EDF Energy Networks in Great Britain. This paper reports on the findings from simulation software developed at Durham University that evaluates the benefits brought by operating an energy storage system in response to multiple events on multiple networks. The tool manages the allocation of a finite energy resource to achieve the most beneficial shared operation across two adjacent areas of distribution network. Simulations account for the key energy storage system parameters of capacity and power rating. Results for events requiring voltage control and power flow management show how the choice of operating strategy influences the benefits achieved. The wider implications of these results are discussed to provide an assessment of the role of electrical energy storage systems in future Smart Grids.

How do medical schools use measurement systems to track faculty activity and productivity in teaching?

Science.gov (United States)

Mallon, William T; Jones, Robert F

2002-02-01

The authors describe their findings from a study that (1) identified 41 medical schools or medical school departments that used metric systems to quantify faculty activity and productivity in teaching and (2) analyzed the purposes and progress of those systems. Among the reasons articulated for developing these systems, the most common was to identify a "rational" method for distributing funds to departments. More generally, institutions wanted to emphasize the importance of the school's educational mission. The schools varied in the types of information they tracked, ranging from a selective focus on medical school education to a comprehensive assessment of teaching activity and educational administration, committee work, and advising. Schools were almost evenly split between those that used a relative-value-unit method of tracking activity and those that used a contact-hour method. This study also identified six challenges that the institutions encountered with these metric systems: (1) the lack of a culture of data in management; (2) skepticism of faculty and chairs; (3) the misguided search for one perfect metric; (4) the expectation that a metric system will erase ambiguity regarding faculty teaching contributions; (5) the lack of, and difficulty with developing, measures of quality; and (6) the tendency to become overly complex. Because of the concern about the teaching mission at medical schools, the number of institutions developing educational metric systems will likely increase in the coming years. By documenting and accounting financially for teaching, medical schools can ensure that the educational mission is valued and appropriately supported.

Qatar's School Transportation System: Supporting Safety, Efficiency, and Service Quality. Monograph

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Keith; Younossi, Obaid; Al-Dafa, Maryah; Culbertson, Shelly; Mattock, Michael G.; Light, Thomas; Rohr, Charlene

2012-01-01

In consideration of the many challenges associated with Qatar's continued growth and demographic changes, the government of Qatar is interested in updating its school transportation system (STS). This volume assesses the perspectives of parents and school administrators on Qatar's STS, identifies a vision and goals for the STS, reviews…

Benefits negotiation: three Swedish hospitals pursuit of potential electronic health record benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeansson, John S

2013-01-01

At the very heart of Swedish healthcare digitalisation are large investments in electronic health records (EHRs). These integrated information systems (ISs) carry promises of great benefits and value for organisations. However, realising IS benefits and value has, in general, proven to be a challenging task, and as organisations strive to formalise their realisation efforts a misconception of rationality threatens to emerge. This misconception manifests itself when the formality of analysis threatens to underrate the impact of social processes in deciding which potential benefits to pursue. This paper suggests that these decisions are the result of a social process of negotiation. The purpose of this paper is to observe three benefits analysis projects of three Swedish hospitals to better understand the character and management of proposed benefits negotiations. Findings depict several different categories of benefits negotiations, as well as key factors to consider during the benefits negotiation process.

Single-Gender Schools Scrutinized

Science.gov (United States)

Zubrzycki, Jaclyn

2012-01-01

This article reports on a study on publicly run schools in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago which has found that, while single-sex schools may benefit female students who prefer a single-sex environment, they are not inherently beneficial for boys or most girls. While the findings are based on data from one Caribbean nation, experts say they…

DASH - Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): Middle School

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 1991-2015. Middle School Dataset. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health behaviors among youth and young...

DASH - Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): High School

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 1991-2015. High School Dataset. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health behaviors among youth and young...

Engaging high school students in systems biology through an e-internship program [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wim E Crusio

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, we describe the design and implementation of an e-internship program that BioScience Project offers high school students over the summer. Project topics are in the areas of behavioral neuroscience and brain disorders. All research, teaching, and communication is done online using open access databases and webtools, a learning management system, and Google apps. Students conduct all aspects of a research project from formulating a question to collecting and analyzing the data, to presenting their results in the form of a scientific poster. Results from a pilot study indicate that students are capable of comprehending and successfully completing such a project, and benefit both intellectually and professionally from participating in the e-internship program.

Comparatives of Expressive Activities of Junior High School Students with Different Types of Representative Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geydebrekht N.A.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The article presents data from a study of drawings of children of primary school age to identify the сcomparative diagnostic parameters that allow to define the leading representative system in the child. 164 drawings of 51 persons under test of the two grades of primary school were analyzed. The observation and modified in relation to primary school age version of the method «Representational systems bias test» (Lewis A., Puselik R., 2012 were used as elements of the diagnostic unit. Based on these results it is concluded that the drawings of children of primary school age with different types of representative systems have differences, sufficient to justify their diagnostic informative value. The results of the study make comparative profiles of children of primary school age with different types of representational systems to facilitate the diagnostic part of the work with children's drawings.

Solar for Schools program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egles, D.; Lee, A. [Carmanah Technologies Corp., Victoria, BC (Canada)

2005-07-01

Carmanah Technologies proposed a nation wide program to bring photovoltaic (PV) power to secondary schools across Canada in 2004.The objectives of the Solar 4 Schools program were to improve awareness of energy issues within schools and to increase the acceptance of PV power through visibility in the community. The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines provided a $300,000 grant to install the first 2 systems; one in Fort Nelson and one in Vernon, British Columbia. This paper described the 2 installed and fully functional 10 KW PV power systems and their expected electrical contributions to the schools. It also described the Internet based production monitoring software developed as part of the program. The incentives for renewable energy technologies stem from the increased demand for energy at a time when conventional energy supplies are declining. Another incentive is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the combustion of fossil fuel. It is expected that PV technology will be competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity in Canada within the next decade. Currently, PV is cost effective in Canada at about 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. Cost projections and the cost of future electrical energy in Canada were presented. The Solar 4 Schools program raises awareness that there are viable alternatives to fossil fuel for producing electricity. At completion, the program anticipates to see PV power used by 1000 schools across Canada with an addition of 10 MW of solar capacity to Canada's current 7 MW. The program would deliver GHG offsets of about 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year if fossil fuel was the primary energy source. In addition to the energy savings that schools will gain from this program, other benefits will be gained by students, the community, industry and Canada, which currently lags behind most industrialized nations in the installation of renewable energy. 2 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs.

Class Size: Can School Districts Capitalize on the Benefits of Smaller Classes?

Science.gov (United States)

Hertling, Elizabeth; Leonard, Courtney; Lumsden, Linda; Smith, Stuart C.

2000-01-01

This report is intended to help policymakers understand the benefits of class-size reduction (CSR). It assesses the costs of CSR, considers some research-based alternatives, and explores strategies that will help educators realize the benefits of CSR when it is implemented. It examines how CSR enhances student achievement, such as when the…

Value-Added Clinical Systems Learning Roles for Medical Students That Transform Education and Health: A Guide for Building Partnerships Between Medical Schools and Health Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalo, Jed D; Lucey, Catherine; Wolpaw, Terry; Chang, Anna

2017-05-01

To ensure physician readiness for practice and leadership in changing health systems, an emerging three-pillar framework for undergraduate medical education integrates the biomedical and clinical sciences with health systems science, which includes population health, health care policy, and interprofessional teamwork. However, the partnerships between medical schools and health systems that are commonplace today use health systems as a substrate for learning. Educators need to transform the relationship between medical schools and health systems. One opportunity is the design of authentic workplace roles for medical students to add relevance to medical education and patient care. Based on the experiences at two U.S. medical schools, the authors describe principles and strategies for meaningful medical school-health system partnerships to engage students in value-added clinical systems learning roles. In 2013, the schools began large-scale efforts to develop novel required longitudinal, authentic health systems science curricula in classrooms and workplaces for all first-year students. In designing the new medical school-health system partnerships, the authors combined two models in an intersecting manner-Kotter's change management and Kern's curriculum development steps. Mapped to this framework, they recommend strategies for building mutually beneficial medical school-health system partnerships, including developing a shared vision and strategy and identifying learning goals and objectives; empowering broad-based action and overcoming barriers in implementation; and generating short-term wins in implementation. Applying this framework can lead to value-added clinical systems learning roles for students, meaningful medical school-health system partnerships, and a generation of future physicians prepared to lead health systems change.