WorldWideScience

Sample records for school improvement funds

  1. How Approaches to Stuck-in-the-Mud School Funding Hinder Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarín, Melissa

    2013-01-01

    Many state and education leaders continue to support and employ methods that prevent schools and principals from undertaking the efforts that they think are most needed to improve education in their classrooms. The use of state categorical grants--funds to school districts with strict limits on their use--exemplifies this lack of innovation in…

  2. Funding Staff Development for School Improvement and Student Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Applewhite, Ann Simpson

    1999-01-01

    When Thornton (Colorado) High School organized for site-based management, the structuring committee understood the importance of providing a professional-development fund for staff members. The school decided to restructure with one central umbrella committee for site-based governance and several subcommittees reporting to the main committee. (MLH)

  3. Leading Staff Development for School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bubb, Sara; Earley, Peter

    2009-01-01

    As part of a CfBT Education Trust funded study, we investigated the practical steps school leaders can take to ensure that self-evaluation of school performance led, through the effective staff development, to genuine school improvement. On the journey from self-evaluation to school improvement our research identified what schools did that worked,…

  4. 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;…

  5. Adequacy Model for School Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banicki, Guy; Murphy, Gregg

    2014-01-01

    This study considers the effectiveness of the Evidence-Based Adequacy model of school funding. In looking at the Evidence-Based Adequacy model for school funding, one researcher has been centrally associated with the development and study of this model. Allen Odden is currently a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy…

  6. Utah Public Education Funding: The Fiscal Impact of School Choice. School Choice Issues in the State

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aud, Susan

    2007-01-01

    This study examines Utah's funding system for public education and provides an analysis of the fiscal impact of allowing parents to use a portion of their child's state education funding to attend a school of their choice, public or private. Like many states, Utah is facing pressure to improve its system of public education funding. The state's…

  7. Does Independent Schools Funding Make a Mockery of the Public Schools Funding Formula? BCTF Research Report. RR2015-01 rev2

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Margaret; Kuehn, Larry

    2015-01-01

    This report describes the methodology used by the Ministry of Education to calculate per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) student funding for independent schools and discusses the underlying inequities when the public school funding formula is applied to funding for private schools. Vancouver school district is provided as a case example to work through…

  8. Categorical Funds: The Intersection of School Finance and Governance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Joanna; Gasparian, Hovanes; Perry, Nicholas; Capinpin, Fatima

    2013-01-01

    How a state chooses to design its system of funding schools is ultimately a question of education governance, determining who--state policymakers, school districts, or school principals--gets to make the decisions about how and where funding is spent. States have two primary ways of funding schools: the foundation, or base funding that is intended…

  9. School Improvement Grants: Selected States Generally Awarded Funds Only to Eligible Schools. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Final Audit Report. ED-OIG/A05L0002

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Department of Education, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This final audit report covers the results of the review of five State educational agencies' monitoring plans and awarding processes for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and regular School Improvement Grants funds that the State educational agencies awarded for fiscal year 2009 (for use during school year 2010-2011). The objectives…

  10. A Brief History of California School Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canfield, Jacquie

    2013-01-01

    In January 2013, the governor proposed a new funding model for California school districts called the Local Control Funding Formula. As the Legislature debates the proposed new funding model for schools, which is expected to start in the 2013-14 fiscal year, the author thought it would be a good time for a history lesson in California school…

  11. 34 CFR 200.78 - Allocation of funds to school attendance areas and schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of funds to school attendance areas and schools. 200.78 Section 200.78 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE... for the Within-District Allocation of Lea Program Funds § 200.78 Allocation of funds to school...

  12. Evidence-Based Adequacy Model for School Funding: Success Rates in Illinois Schools that Meet Targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Gregory J.

    2012-01-01

    This quantitative study explores the 2010 recommendation of the Educational Funding Advisory Board to consider the Evidence-Based Adequacy model of school funding in Illinois. This school funding model identifies and costs research based practices necessary in a prototypical school and sets funding levels based upon those practices. This study…

  13. Democratic leadership for school improvement in challenging contexts

    OpenAIRE

    Harris, A.; Chapman, C.

    2002-01-01

    There is a great deal of contemporary interest in improving schools in challenging contexts. However, there are relatively few research studies that have focused exclusively upon successful leadership practices in such schools. This article outlines the findings from a research study funded by the National College for School Leadership in England that explored successful leadership practices and school improvement strategies in a group of secondary schools in challenging circumstances.

  14. Implementing a Student-Based Funding Policy: Considerations for School Districts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shambaugh, Larisa S.; Chambers, Jay G.

    2009-01-01

    As education budgets continue to tighten, increased attention is focused on how school districts can best distribute existing funds to schools and how schools can best use these funds. Student-based funding (SBF)--sometimes referred to as a weighted student formula--is one approach that school districts have taken during the past decade. SBF…

  15. State School Finance System Variance Impacts on Student Achievement: Inadequacies in School Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Michael J.; Wiggall, Richard L.; Dereshiwsky, Mary I.; Emanuel, Gary L.

    2013-01-01

    Adequate funding for the nation's schools to meet the call for higher student achievement has been a litigious issue. Spending on schools is a political choice. The choices made by state legislatures, in some cases, have failed to fund schools adequately and have incited school finance lawsuits in almost all states. These proceedings are generally…

  16. Assistance to schoolized childhood: the school fund

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sélia Ana Zonin

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This article has as central theme the constitution of the school fund in the primary public schools of Santa Catarina in the first half of the twentieth century. This initiative, promoted by the public authority, aimed at assisting impoverished students through the donation of school material, uniforms, meals, transportation and medical and dental care. The reflection presented here is based on documents produced by the State, such as laws, decrees, regulations and circulars, in addition to others produced by schools, especially reports containing the description of the activities inherent to the school fund. It is considered that the analysis contributes to the understanding of policies that will be implemented over the years inside and outside the school context.

  17. 34 CFR 76.658 - Funds not to benefit a private school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Funds not to benefit a private school. 76.658 Section... Schools § 76.658 Funds not to benefit a private school. (a) A subgrantee may not use program funds to finance the existing level of instruction in a private school or to otherwise benefit the private school...

  18. 25 CFR 39.503 - How can a school use contingency funds?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How can a school use contingency funds? 39.503 Section 39.503 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Contingency Fund § 39.503 How can a school use contingency funds? Contingency funds can be...

  19. School Funding and Resource Allocation: How It Impacts Instructional Practices at the School Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wall, Shelly R.

    2012-01-01

    In the 2006-2007 school year, the State of Wyoming adopted an evidenced-based school funding model. The Wyoming funding model reviewed in this study is considered an evidence-based approach, utilizing expert judgment to determine educational funding. In an evidence-based approach, educational strategies are identified and a dollar figure is…

  20. Teachers’ organisational behaviour in public and private funded schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Honingh, M.E.; Oort, F.J.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' organisational behaviour in publicly- and privately-funded schools in the Dutch Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Design/methodology/approach - A percentage of all middle managers in publicly and privately funded schools (72

  1. School Improvement Grants: Education Should Take Additional Steps to Enhance Accountability for Schools and Contractors. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-12-373

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, George A.

    2012-01-01

    The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program funds reforms in low performing schools. Congress provided $3.5 billion for SIG in fiscal year 2009, and a total of about $1.6 billion was appropriated in fiscal years 2010-2012. SIG requirements changed significantly in 2010. Many schools receiving SIG funds must now use the funding for specific…

  2. 25 CFR 39.502 - How does a school apply for contingency funds?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How does a school apply for contingency funds? 39.502... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Contingency Fund § 39.502 How does a school apply for contingency funds? To apply for contingency funds, a school must send a request to the ELO. The ELO must send the request to the Director for...

  3. Mobilising Funds of Identity in and out of School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subero, David; Vujasinovic, Ellen; Esteban-Guitart, Moises

    2017-01-01

    Learning happens through participation in formal community events and informal community activities. However, learning activities that take place in and out of school are often not mutually recognised. "Funds of knowledge" projects foster new ways of exchanging learning experiences in and out of school. "Funds of identity" can…

  4. Teachers' Organisational Behaviour in Public and Private Funded Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honingh, M. E.; Oort, F. J.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare teachers' organisational behaviour in publicly- and privately-funded schools in the Dutch Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Design/methodology/approach: A percentage of all middle managers in publicly and privately funded schools (72 per cent and 43 per cent respectively) distributed…

  5. 25 CFR 39.1203 - Future consideration of contract school operation and maintenance funding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Contract School Operation and Maintenance Fund § 39.1203 Future consideration of contract school operation and maintenance funding. The Assistant Secretary shall arrange for full funding for operation and maintenance of contract schools by fiscal year 1981. ...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  7. 25 CFR 39.732 - How does OIEP allocate transportation funds to schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-way commercial costs for all schools by four to identify the total commercial costs for all schools; (b) Subtracts the commercial cost total from the appropriated transportation funds and allocates the balance of the transportation funds to each school with a per-mile rate; (c) Divides the balance of funds...

  8. Transforming School Funding: A Guide to Implementing Student-Based Budgeting (SBB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, David; Gordon, Jeff; Hsu, Betty

    2014-01-01

    Student-Based Budgeting (sometimes called Weighted Student Funding, or Fair Student Funding, depending on the district) differs fundamentally from the traditional funding model, which distributes resources to schools in the form of staff and dollars designated for specific purposes. Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) allocates dollars to schools based…

  9. Resourcing the National Goals for Schooling: An Agreed Framework of Principles for Funding Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    Funding for school education in Australia should be on the basis of clear and agreed policy principles for achieving effectiveness, efficiency, equity and a socially and culturally cohesive society. On the basis of these principles a national framework for funding schools will be supported by complementary State and Commonwealth models for funding…

  10. Geographic Disparity in Funding for School Nutrition Environments: Evidence from Mississippi Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yunhee; Carithers, Teresa; Leeke, Shannon; Chin, Felicia

    2016-01-01

    Background: Despite the federal initiatives on equitable provision of school nutrition programs, geographic disparity in childhood obesity persists. It may be partly because built-in school nutrition environments rely on each school's efficient use of existing operational funds or its ability to obtain expanded financial support. This study…

  11. Trends in Technology Planning and Funding in Florida K-12 Public Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ALBERT DIETER RITZHAUPT

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available This empirical research investigates trends in technology planning and funding in Florida’s K–12 public schools between the 2003–04 and 2005–06 academic years. Survey items that focused on funding and planning issues on Florida’s statewide school technology integration survey were analyzed using logistic models. Results indicate a significant increase in the number of schools revising their technology plans on a regular basis; a significant increase in the frequency with which Florida’s K–12 public schools are seeking funding for technology-related initiatives; a significant increase in parent, administrator, teacher, and student involvement in the technology planning process; and a significant decline in adequate funding for software and hardware needs. In addition, schools with low proportions of economically disadvantaged students sought and were awarded significantly more funds from donations and federal and state grants. Implications for educational leadership and policy are provided.

  12. The State's Role in Addressing the School Facility Funding Crisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sielke, Catherine C.

    2000-01-01

    Between 1994 and 1998, capital outlay funding bills for school facilities, tax bases, and taxation bills experienced the greatest growth in state legislative activity. This article discusses the reasons for increased funding activity, various state-aid mechanisms to fund capital outlay, and future capital funding directions. (MLH)

  13. 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…

  14. The Equity of School Facilities Funding: Examples from Kentucky

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glenn, William J.; Picus, Lawrence O.; Odden, Allan; Aportela, Anabel

    2009-01-01

    While there is an extensive literature analyzing the relative equity of state funding systems for current operating revenues, there is a dearth of research on capital funding systems. This article presents an analysis of the school capital funding system in Kentucky since 1990, using the operating-revenue analysis concepts of horizontal equity,…

  15. New Mexico's Model for Funding School Facilities' Greatest Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorrell, Robert; Salamone, Frank

    2011-01-01

    The New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority (NM-PSFA) is a relatively small state agency (50 staff members) that manages the allocation of funding for public school facilities in the state while assisting school districts and state-chartered charter schools in facility planning, construction, and maintenance. Like the majority of other…

  16. Is There a Magnet-School Effect? A Multisite Study of MSAP-Funded Magnet Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jia; Schweig, Jonathan D.; Herman, Joan L.

    2017-01-01

    Magnet schools are one of the largest sectors of choice schools in the United States. In this study, we explored the heterogeneity in magnet-school effects on student achievement by examining 24 magnet schools, funded under the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), in 5 school districts across 4 states. The magnet effects were synthesized…

  17. 25 CFR 39.603 - Is school board training required for all Bureau-funded schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Is school board training required for all Bureau-funded schools? 39.603 Section 39.603 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM School Board Training Expenses § 39.603 Is school board training...

  18. The Use of Government Funding and Taxing Power to Regulate Religious Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capps, Kline; Esbeck, Carl H.

    1985-01-01

    Reviews the concept of governmental funding of private schools and whether this would be the means whereby unwanted and obstrusive regulations would be applied to those schools. Government funding in Spain, Malta, and France was the mechanism by which those governments extended control over church-related schools. (MD)

  19. 34 CFR 403.111 - How must funds be used under the Secondary School Vocational Education Program and the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION... under that award to improve vocational education programs. (2) Projects assisted with funds awarded... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How must funds be used under the Secondary School...

  20. The equity of school facilities funding: Examples from Kentucky.

    OpenAIRE

    William J. Glenn; Lawrence O. Picus; Allan Odden; Anabel Aportela

    2009-01-01

    While there is an extensive literature analyzing the relative equity of state funding systems for current operating revenues, there is a dearth of research on capital funding systems. This article presents an analysis of the school capital funding system in Kentucky since 1990, using the operating-revenue analysis concepts of horizontal equity, vertical equity, and fiscal neutrality. In general one could tentatively conclude that Kentucky’s capital-funding system was reasonably equitable unti...

  1. IAEA Nobel Peace fund schools for nutrition. Combating child malnutrition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    fight against malnutrition by providing technical expertise in the use of stable isotope techniques in the development and evaluation of nutritional interventions. Stable isotope techniques have been used as research tools in nutrition for many years. However, the application of these techniques in nutrition programme development and evaluation is a relatively new approach, where the IAEA has a unique opportunity to contribute. Stable isotope techniques add value by increasing the sensitivity and specificity of measurements as compared to conventional techniques. The IAEA has supported numerous activities in infant nutrition where stable isotope techniques have been applied. These include projects to measure human milk intake in breast-fed infants, muscle mass in lactating mothers, and bioavailability of iron in infants and young children. IAEA Nobel Prize Fund Schools for Nutrition. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize to the IAEA and Director General ElBaradei in equal shares. The IAEA's Board of Governors subsequently decided that the IAEA's share of the prestigious prize would be used to fund fellowships and training to improve cancer management and childhood nutrition in the developing world. In nutrition, the IAEA Nobel Cancer and Nutrition Fund is focused on capacity building in the use of nuclear techniques to develop and evaluate interventions to contribute to improved nutrition and health for children. Fund-supported fellowship awards are targeting young professionals, especially women, from developing countries, through the IAEA's Technical Cooperation (TC) Programme. Alongside such awards, regional events - IAEA Nobel Peace Prize Fund Schools for Nutrition - have been organized in Africa, Asia and the Pacific and in Latin America during 2006 and 2007. The aims of the IAEA Nobel Peace Prize Fund Schools in Nutrition are to: raise awareness of the IAEA's activities in human nutrition; and disseminate information about the usefulness

  2. 45 CFR 2516.600 - How are funds for school-based service-learning programs distributed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false How are funds for school-based service-learning... (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOOL-BASED SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAMS Distribution of Funds § 2516.600 How are funds for school-based service-learning programs distributed? (a) Of...

  3. Staff Development and School Improvement: An Interview with Ernest Boyer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparks, Dennis

    1984-01-01

    The importance of developing teachers' skills and feelings of power and professionalism is stressed in an interview with Ernest Boyer. Other topics of discussion include the establishment of a "teacher excellence fund" and the concept that school improvement is "people improvement." (DF)

  4. 25 CFR 39.215 - Can a school receive funding for any part-time students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can a school receive funding for any part-time students... Can a school receive funding for any part-time students? (a) A school can receive funding for the following part-time students: (1) Kindergarten students enrolled in a 2-hour program; and (2) Grade 7-12...

  5. Funding California Schools: The Revenue Limit System. Technical Appendices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weston, Margaret

    2010-01-01

    This document presents the technical appendices accompanying the report, "Funding California Schools: The Revenue Limit System." Included are: (1) Revenue Limit Calculation and Decomposition; (2) Data and Methods; and (3) Base Funding Alternative Simulation Results. (Contains 5 tables and 26 footnotes.) [For the main report,…

  6. Tips for School Districts: GASB's New Fund Balance Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mead, Dean Michael

    2010-01-01

    In March 2009, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement No. 54, "Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Type Definitions." School districts that prepare financial reports based on generally accepted accounting principles are required to implement this standard no later than the first fiscal year that starts after…

  7. School Socioeconomic Classification, Funding, and the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, D. H.; Romeo, George C.; Harvey, Roberta

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between educational effectiveness, as measured by the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), and funding of school districts based on socioeconomic classification. Results indicate there is a strong relationship between performance in HSPA, socioeconomic classification, and the different sources…

  8. Formula-Based Public School Funding System in Victoria: An Empirical Analysis of Equity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandaranayake, Bandara

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the formula-based school funding system in the state of Victoria, Australia, where state funds are directly allocated to schools based on a range of equity measures. The impact of Victoria' funding system for education in terms of alleviating inequality and disadvantage is contentious, to say the least. It is difficult to…

  9. Funding and provision of resources in public and private school ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The work discussed funding for libraries in selected public and private schools in Imo State as well as provision of resources in their libraries. The major aim of the work was that there is a corollary between funding and provision of resources such that the funding directly affects the resources of the library. The survey ...

  10. Venture Fund Fueling Push for New Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robelen, Erik W.

    2007-01-01

    The NewSchools Venture Fund is a non-profit organization with a mission to "transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs", support education entrepreneurs who are working to better serve disadvantaged children, and provide "thought leadership" to help bring about "broad systematic…

  11. 25 CFR 273.37 - Use of funds outside of schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.37 Use of funds outside of schools. Nothing in these regulations shall prevent the Commissioner from contracting...

  12. A Continuous Improvement Capital Funding Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Matt

    2001-01-01

    Describes a capital funding model that helps assess facility renewal needs in a way that minimizes resources while maximizing results. The article explains the sub-components of a continuous improvement capital funding model, including budgeting processes for finish renewal, building performance renewal, and critical outcome. (GR)

  13. Improvement of Classification of Enterprise Circulating Funds

    OpenAIRE

    Rohanova Hanna O.

    2014-01-01

    The goal of the article lies in revelation of possibilities of increase of efficiency of managing enterprise circulating funds by means of improvement of their classification features. Having analysed approaches of many economists to classification of enterprise circulating funds, systemised and supplementing them, the article offers grouping classification features of enterprise circulating funds. In the result of the study the article offers an expanded classification of circulating funds, ...

  14. Improving the School Program through the Effective Use of Federal Funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, Dan

    This pamphlet shows school personnel how to apply successfully for Federal grants to finance improvements in educational programs. Advice is given on the importance of evaluating needs, objectives, and procedures as a prerequisite to writing a proposal. Next, suggestions for writing a good proposal are made, including references to the need for…

  15. The Perceptions of Stakeholders of the Implementation of a State Funding Model in South African Public Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mestry, Raj; Berry, Brian

    2016-01-01

    The government has made great strides in redressing past imbalances in education through the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF) policy that focuses on equity in school funding. This NNSSF model compels the state to fund public schools according to a poverty quintile system, where poor schools are allocated much more funding…

  16. What Research Says about Unequal Funding for Schools in America. In Pursuit of Better Schools: What Research Says.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biddle, Bruce J.; Berliner, David C.

    Public school funding in America comes from federal, state, and local sources. Because nearly half of those funds are generated by local property taxes, the American system generates large funding differences between wealthy and impoverished communities. This paper reports on the characteristics of these financial inequities. It notes that sharp…

  17. 25 CFR 39.1201 - Establishment of an interim fiscal year 1980 operation and maintenance fund for contract schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... and maintenance fund for contract schools. 39.1201 Section 39.1201 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS... the Contract School Operation and Maintenance Fund. The Secretary shall cause the distribution of an... an appropriate account or subaccount for the Contract School Operation and Maintenance Fund. ...

  18. Improvement of Classification of Enterprise Circulating Funds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohanova Hanna O.

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the article lies in revelation of possibilities of increase of efficiency of managing enterprise circulating funds by means of improvement of their classification features. Having analysed approaches of many economists to classification of enterprise circulating funds, systemised and supplementing them, the article offers grouping classification features of enterprise circulating funds. In the result of the study the article offers an expanded classification of circulating funds, which clearly shows the role of circulating funds in managing enterprise finance and economy in general. The article supplements and groups classification features of enterprise circulating funds by: the organisation level, functioning character, sources of formation and their cost, and level of management efficiency. The article shows that the provided grouping of classification features of circulating funds allows exerting all-sided and purposeful influence upon indicators of efficiency of circulating funds functioning and facilitates their rational management in general. The prospect of further studies in this direction is identification of the level of attraction of loan resources by production enterprises for financing circulating funds.

  19. 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…

  20. Continuous Improvement in State Funded Preschool Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Sarah L.

    2012-01-01

    State funded preschool programs were constantly faced with the need to change in order to address internal and external demands. As programs engaged in efforts towards change, minimal research was available on how to support continuous improvement efforts within the context unique to state funded preschool programs. Guidance available had…

  1. Implementing California's School Funding Formula: Will High-Need Students Benefit? Technical Appendix

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Laura; Ugo, Iwunze

    2015-01-01

    Intended to accompany "Implementing California's School Funding Formula: Will High-Need Students Benefit?," this appendix examines the extent to which school shares of high-need students vary relative to their district concentrations by grouping approximately 950 school districts by their share of high-need students, arraying them into…

  2. School Nurse Inspections Improve Handwashing Supplies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Mary M.; Schrader, Ronald; Trujillo, Rebecca; Blea, Mary; Greenberg, Cynthia

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND Handwashing in the school setting is important for infectious disease control, yet maintaining adequate handwashing supplies is often made difficult by lack of funds, limited staff time, and student vandalism. This study measured the availability of handwashing supplies for students in New Mexico public schools and determined the impact of scheduled school nurse inspections on the availability of handwashing supplies. METHODS Participating school districts in New Mexico were matched by size and randomized into intervention and control groups. Baseline inspections were conducted in November 2008 followed by 2 subsequent bimonthly inspections. For each student bathroom, the presence or absence of soap and either paper towels or hand dryers was indicated on an inspection checklist. The intervention group reported findings to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) and to school administrative and custodial staff requesting that any identified problems be addressed. The control group reported inspection findings to the NMDOH only. Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine the proportion of bathrooms with soap and either paper towels or hand dryers. Comparisons were made between the intervention schools and the control schools at baseline and during the intervention period. RESULTS The intervention group had significantly higher probability of bathrooms being supplied with soap (p school nurse inspections of hand hygiene supplies, with reporting to appropriate school officials, can improve the availability of handwashing supplies for students. PMID:21592131

  3. 25 CFR 39.705 - Are schools eligible for transportation funds to transport special education students?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... transport special education students? 39.705 Section 39.705 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF... Funds § 39.705 Are schools eligible for transportation funds to transport special education students? Yes. A school that transports a special education student from home to a treatment center and back to...

  4. How Technicians Can Lead Science Improvements in Any School: A Small-Scale Study in England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Beth; Quinnell, Simon

    2015-01-01

    This article describes how seven schools in England improved their science provision by focusing on the professional development of their science technicians. In September 2013, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation funded the National Science Learning Centre to lead a project connecting secondary schools with experienced senior science technicians…

  5. Lessons Learned: A Strategic Alliance to Improve Elementary Physical Education in an Urban School District.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Hannah R; Haguewood, Robin; Tantoco, Nicole; Madsen, Kristine A

    2015-01-01

    Physical education (PE) can help to achieve important public health goals, but is often under-prioritized and lacking in schools. To detail the actions, impact, and successes of a strategic alliance formed by three collaborating organizations to improve PE in a large California school district. Semistructured interviews with alliance members, principals, and teachers in 20 elementary schools, 3 years after the alliance formation. Interviewees reported district-level increases in priority and funding for PE and attributed improvements to the alliance's collection and dissemination of local data on the status of PE. Common goals, trust, and open communication within the alliance were seen as critical to the alliance's success. However, changes in district- or school-level accountability measures for PE were not reported. This strategic alliance succeeded in promoting district-level priority and funding for PE. Ongoing alliance work will focus on increasing accountability measures for PE, which may take longer to implement.

  6. Identifying a Statistical Model for North Dakota K-12 Public School Transportation Funding by Comparing Fifteen State Transportation Funding Formulas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holen, Steven M.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to review the history of North Dakota K-12 transportation funding system, identify how school districts are reimbursed for transportation expenses, and compare this information with fourteen other state transportation funding systems. North Dakota utilizes a block grant structure that has been in place since 1972 and…

  7. Uniformity of Taxation and Illinois School Funding: A State Constitutional Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Laurie

    2008-01-01

    The Illinois Supreme Court has permitted the General Assembly to create a system of public school funding that is widely disparate and disadvantageous to students in school districts with low-property wealth. In this Article, I argue that the court has not adequately considered the nexus between the Uniformity of Taxation provision and the…

  8. 34 CFR 226.23 - May charter schools use grant funds for administrative costs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May charter schools use grant funds for administrative... administrative costs? (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, charter school subgrantees may use... OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES...

  9. Public Funding of Catholic Schools in Venezuela: Effects on the Qualifications and Salaries of Catholic School Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vegas, Emiliana

    This paper discusses the impact on teacher qualifications and earnings of public financing of private education. As societies become more frustrated with government-run schools, policies to provide public funds for private schools--for example, tuition subsidies, vouchers, or tuition tax credits--become more attractive. However, it is important to…

  10. Corporate Funding for Schools of Public Health: Confronting the Ethical and Economic Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayer, Ronald; Sampat, Bhaven N

    2016-04-01

    We discuss the public and private sponsoring of university research and the issues it raises in a context of diminished federal funding. We consider research funding at schools of public health and why these schools have historically had weaker links to industry than have other academic units. We argue that the possibility of enhanced links with industry at schools of public health may raise specific concerns beyond those facing universities generally. Six issues should be considered before entering into these relationships: (1) the effects on research orientation, (2) unacceptability of some funders, (3) potential threats to objectivity and academic freedom, (4) effects on academic standards, (5) the effects on dissemination of knowledge, and (6) reputational risks.

  11. Religious Schooling and Prejudice in Canada: Implications for Public Funding of Christian Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiemstra, John L.

    1994-01-01

    Using data from the Canadian National Election Study, the paper examines whether religious schooling will lead to increased prejudice and intolerance, noting relationships with public funding. In general, Christians and Jews with religious schooling had similar or better scores on tolerance of Jews and non-whites than did public school students.…

  12. 25 CFR 47.3 - How does a Bureau-operated school find out how much funding it will receive?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.3 How does a Bureau-operated school find out how much funding it will receive? The Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP) will... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How does a Bureau-operated school find out how much...

  13. School Choice: Private School Choice Programs Are Growing and Can Complicate Providing Certain Federally Funded Services to Eligible Students. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-16-712

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Government Accountability Office, 2016

    2016-01-01

    Voucher and education savings account (ESA) programs fund students' private school education expenses, such as tuition. In school year 2014-15, 22 such school choice programs were operating nationwide, all but one of which was state funded. Under two federal grant programs, one for students with disabilities and one for students from disadvantaged…

  14. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for School Leaders. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that school leaders--including principals, assistant/vice principals, and building leaders--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1)…

  15. Guide to funding sources for renewable energy in schools and colleges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    This guide has been designed specifically to identify sources of funding for renewable energy projects in schools, such as a wind generator or a solar water heating system. It is intended for teachers or Friends of associations. (author)

  16. The Forgotten Side of School Finance Equity: The Role of Infrastructure Funding in Student Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crampton, Faith E.; Thompson, David C.; Vesely, Randall S.

    2004-01-01

    Traditionally, local school districts have shouldered the burden of funding school infrastructure in the name of local control, relying upon local property tax revenues and the willingness of local voters to approve bond issues. Given vast disparities in school districts' property wealth, gross inequities in school facilities will remain without…

  17. A Framework for School Change--The School Portfolio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardt, Victoria L.

    The "Education for the Future Initiative" is a national, privately-funded program initially sponsored by the Telesis Foundation and recently joined by Arthur Andersen & Co. to help schools undertake continuous improvement. The Initiative has pioneered a framework for school improvement in the form of a school portfolio. This document offers a…

  18. San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPAs grant program to protect and restore San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) has invested in 58 projects along with 70 partners contributing to restore wetlands, water quality, and reduce polluted runoff.,

  19. Overcoming Medicaid Reimbursement Barriers to Funding School Nursing Services for Low-Income Children with Asthma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malcarney, Mary-Beth; Horton, Katherine; Seiler, Naomi

    2016-01-01

    Background: School nurses can provide direct services for children with asthma, educate, and reinforce treatment recommendations to children and their families, and coordinate the school-wide response to students' asthma emergencies. Unfortunately, school-based health services today depend on an unreliable patchwork of funding. Limited state and…

  20. How Property Tax Caps and Funding Formulas Have Changed the Role of the School Superintendent in Indiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentry, Patrick L.; Hirth, Marilyn

    2017-01-01

    There has been debate among states as to how to properly fund schools. The debate has been focused on how much funding is supplied through property tax and is motivated by tax payer anger over fluctuating tax bills. Many of the policies have been implemented without looking at the effects that they will have on schools, especially in Indiana,…

  1. SF Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund: Projects and Accomplishments

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF) projects listed here are part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

  2. 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.

  3. 25 CFR 47.11 - Can these funds be used as matching funds for other Federal programs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.11 Can these funds be used as matching funds for other Federal programs? A Bureau-operated school may use funds that it receives under...

  4. Do School Facilities Matter? The Case of the Peruvian Social Fund (FONCODES). Policy Research Working Papers No. 2229.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paxson, Christina; Schady, Norbert R.

    Since its creation in 1991, the Peruvian Social Fund (FONCODES) has spent about $570 million funding micro-projects throughout the country. Many of these projects have involved the construction and renovation of school facilities, mainly primary schools in rural areas. FONCODES projects are driven by community demand and targeted using an index of…

  5. Extent of Head Teachers' Utilization of Innovative Sources of Funding Primary Schools in Enugu State of Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amogechukwu, Eze Thecla; Unoma, Chidobi Roseline

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the extent Head teachers utilize innovative sources of funding primary schools in Enugu State of Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was employed to examine the extent head teachers utilize innovative sources of funding primary schools in Enugu State. Data were collected through a 14-item questionnaire…

  6. Guided by Principles: Shaping the State of California's Role in K-12 Public School Facility Funding. Policy Research Working Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Cities & Schools, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Governor, members of the legislature and other key stakeholders have identified concerns about the State of California's approach to funding K-12 school facilities, but they have not yet formulated a consensus going forward on the state role and responsibilities for school district facilities. To inform the school facilities funding policy…

  7. Sticker Shock: How Information Affects Citizen Support for Public School Funding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schueler, Beth E; West, Martin R

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the role of information in shaping public opinion in the context of support for education spending. While there is broad public support for increasing government funding for public schools, Americans tend to underestimate what is currently spent. We embed a series of experiments in a nationally representative survey administered in 2012 ( n = 2,993) to examine whether informing citizens about current levels of education spending alters public opinion about whether funding should increase. Providing information on per-pupil spending in a respondent's local school district reduces the probability that he or she will express support for increasing spending by 22 percentage points on average. Informing respondents about state-average teacher salaries similarly depresses support for salary increases. These effects are larger among respondents who underestimate per-pupil spending and teacher salaries by a greater amount, consistent with the idea that the observed changes in opinion are driven, at least in part, by informational effects, as opposed to priming alone.

  8. Exploring Instructional Differences and School Performance in High-Poverty Elementary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirn, Regina G.; Hollo, Alexandra; Scott, Terrance M.

    2018-01-01

    In the United States, federal funding under Title 1 is provided to schools to improve academic achievement for disadvantaged students. Many students attending schools eligible for Title 1 funding are from families in poverty and at risk for negative outcomes. Identifying instructional factors that mitigate this risk must be a priority for teachers…

  9. The relationship between school inspections, school characteristics and school improvement.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ehren, Melanie Catharina Margaretha; Visscher, Arend J.

    2008-01-01

    The effects of school inspections on school improvement have been investigated only to a limited degree. The investigation reported on in this article is meant to expand our knowledge base regarding the impact of school inspections on school improvement. The theoretical framework for this research

  10. Guided by Principles. Shaping the State of California's Role in K-12 Public School Facility Funding. Full Policy Research Working Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Jeffrey M.; Gross, Liz S.

    2015-01-01

    K-12 public school facilities need regular investment to ensure student health and safety and support educational programming. Yet, the future of K-12 school facility funding in California is uncertain. A strong state-local partnership has existed that funded new construction, modernization, and other investments in public school facilities across…

  11. 25 CFR 39.1202 - Distribution of funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Contract School Operation and Maintenance Fund § 39.1202 Distribution of funds. (a) Each contract school shall receive in fiscal year 1980 a portion of the Contract School Operation and Maintenance Fund determined by the percentage share which that school's fiscal year 1979 operation and maintenance cost...

  12. 34 CFR 685.309 - Administrative and fiscal control and fund accounting requirements for schools participating in...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Administrative and fiscal control and fund accounting... Direct Loan Program Schools § 685.309 Administrative and fiscal control and fund accounting requirements... may provide the student status confirmation report in either paper or electronic format. (c) Record...

  13. Child Care Funding Sources for California School Districts. CRB 08-014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Lisa K.

    2008-01-01

    School districts are central players in the child care delivery system: they operate a mix of child care centers and programs, serve a range of children of different ages, and fund their programs from a variety of federal, state, and local sources. This report provides a range of programmatic and fiscal information about the federal and state…

  14. Sustained School Improvement: A Case of How School Leaders ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sustained School Improvement: A Case of How School Leaders Strategise for School Improvement in Zimbabwean Primary Schools. ... Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search ...

  15. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Working with Families. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines how family members--including guardians of students--can support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage…

  16. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Working with Students. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps to engage students in the school climate improvement process. Key action steps are provided for the following strategies: (1) Participate in planning for school climate improvements; (2) Engage stakeholders in…

  17. Improved inference in the evaluation of mutual fund performance using panel bootstrap methods

    OpenAIRE

    Blake, David; Caulfield, Tristan; Ioannidis, Christos; Tonks, I P

    2014-01-01

    Two new methodologies are introduced to improve inference in the evaluation of mutual fund performance against benchmarks. First, the benchmark models are estimated using panel methods with both fund and time effects. Second, the non-normality of individual mutual fund returns is accounted for by using panel bootstrap methods. We also augment the standard benchmark factors with fund-specific characteristics, such as fund size. Using a dataset of UK equity mutual fund returns, we find that fun...

  18. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Community Partners. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines how community partners can support school climate improvements. Organizations and individuals can partner with schools in many different ways--from delivering or coordinating direct services to students and families inside or…

  19. 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…

  20. State Implementation and Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Grants under the Recovery Act: One Year Later. Online Appendix--State Responses to Open-Ended Questions about the ARRA SIG Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center on Education Policy, 2012

    2012-01-01

    To learn more about states' experiences with implementing school improvement grants (SIGs) funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Center on Education Policy (CEP) administered a survey to state Title I directors. (Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides federal funds to schools in low-income…

  1. School effectiveness and school improvement : Sustaining links

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Creemers, B.P.M.; Reezigt, G.J.

    1997-01-01

    Ideally, school effectiveness research and school improvement might have a relationship with a surplus value for both. In reality, this relationship is often troublesome. Some problems can be attributed to the intrinsic differences between effectiveness and improvement, such as different missions.

  2. Chartering Turnaround: Leveraging Public Charter School Autonomy to Address Failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbett, Julie

    2015-01-01

    Persistently low-achieving public schools around the country have received $5.8 billion from the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, in addition to districts and state funds, and other supplementary federal funds. Despite all of these sources of funding, most of the schools receiving them have failed to make a dramatic difference in…

  3. School Organizational Climate and School Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dellar, Graham B.; Giddings, Geoffrey J.

    The refinement and application of the School Organizational Climate Questionnaire (SOCQ), an instrument for measuring organizational climate, is described in this report. The instrument is a mechanism by which schools can direct their school improvement efforts. In two case studies, a small urban elementary and a large urban secondary school…

  4. The Phony Funding Crisis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, James W.; Peng, Arthur

    2010-01-01

    If one relies on newspaper headlines for education funding information, one might conclude that America's schools suffer from a perpetual fiscal crisis, every year perched precariously on the brink of financial ruin, never knowing whether there will be sufficient funding to continue operating. Budgetary shortfalls, school district bankruptcies,…

  5. Reference Manual on Making School Climate Improvements. School Climate Improvement Resource Package, 2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoder, N.; Darling-Churchill, K.; Colombi, G. D.; Ruddy, S.; Neiman, S.; Chagnon, E.; Mayo, R.

    2017-01-01

    This reference manual identifies five overarching sets of activities for improving school climate, with the goal of improving student outcomes (e.g., achievement, attendance, behaviors, and skills). These sets of activities help to initiate, implement, and sustain school climate improvements. For each activity set, the manual presents a clear…

  6. Do school inspections improve primary school performance?

    OpenAIRE

    Dinand Webbink; Rob Luginbuhl; I. de Wolf

    2007-01-01

    Inspectors from the Dutch Inspectorate of Education inspect primary schools, write inspection reports on each inspected school, and make recommendations as to how each school can improve. We test whether these inspections result in better school performance. Using a fixed-effects model, we find evidence that school inspections do lead to measurably better school performance. Our assessment of school performance is based on the Cito test scores of pupils in their final year of primary school. ...

  7. Alternative Sources of Funding Early Childhood Education for School Effectiveness in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olubor, Roseline O.; Inua, Ofe I.

    2015-01-01

    The authors examined the sources of funding early childhood education in existence in Nigeria with a view towards suggesting alternative sources to boost the revenue base for school effectiveness. The diminishing culture of the extended family system and the need for both parents to be in employment coupled with the need to provide access and…

  8. Small High Schools at Work: A Case Study of Six Gates-Funded Schools in New York City. A Report to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fancsali, Cheri; Jaffe-Walter, Reva; Mitchell-McKnight, Vernay; Nevarez, Nancy; Orellana, Eliana, Williams Rose, Lea

    2010-01-01

    The Academy for Educational Development (AED) conducted a case study of six public high schools in New York City as part of a multifaceted evaluation of a small schools initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the authors gathered information and opinions from the schools'…

  9. Making Sense of School Turnarounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Frederick M.

    2012-01-01

    Today, in a sector flooded with $3.5 billion in School Improvement Grant funds and the resulting improvement plans, there's great faith that "turnaround" strategies are a promising way to tackle stubborn problems with persistently low-performing schools. Unlike traditional reform efforts, with their emphasis on incremental improvement, turnarounds…

  10. School Audits and School Improvement: Exploring the Variance Point Concept in Kentucky's... Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Lyons

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available As a diagnostic intervention (Bowles, Churchill, Effrat, & McDermott, 2002 for schools failing to meet school improvement goals, Ken-tucky used a scholastic audit process based on nine standards and 88 associated indicators called the Standards and Indicators for School Improvement (SISI. Schools are rated on a scale of 1–4 on each indicator, with a score of 3 considered as fully functional (Kentucky De-partment of Education [KDE], 2002. As part of enacting the legislation, KDE was required to also audit a random sample of schools that did meet school improvement goals; thereby identifying practices present in improving schools that are not present in those failing to improve. These practices were referred to as variance points, and were reported to school leaders annually. Variance points have differed from year to year, and the methodology used by KDE was unclear. Moreover, variance points were reported for all schools without differentiating based upon the level of school (elementary, middle, or high. In this study, we established a transparent methodology for variance point determination that differentiates between elementary, middle, and high schools.

  11. Improving service delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene in primary schools: a cluster-randomized trial in western Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Kelly T; Dreibelbis, Robert; Freeman, Matthew C; Ojeny, Betty; Rheingans, Richard

    2013-09-01

    Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in schools have been shown to improve health and reduce absence. In resource-poor settings, barriers such as inadequate budgets, lack of oversight, and competing priorities limit effective and sustained WASH service delivery in schools. We employed a cluster-randomized trial to examine if schools could improve WASH conditions within existing administrative structures. Seventy schools were divided into a control group and three intervention groups. All intervention schools received a budget for purchasing WASH-related items. One group received no further intervention. A second group received additional funding for hiring a WASH attendant and making repairs to WASH infrastructure, and a third group was given guides for student and community monitoring of conditions. Intervention schools made significant improvements in provision of soap and handwashing water, treated drinking water, and clean latrines compared with controls. Teachers reported benefits of monitoring, repairs, and a WASH attendant, but quantitative data of WASH conditions did not determine whether expanded interventions out-performed our budget-only intervention. Providing schools with budgets for WASH operational costs improved access to necessary supplies, but did not ensure consistent service delivery to students. Further work is needed to clarify how schools can provide WASH services daily.

  12. A sociocultural analysis of Latino high school students' funds of knowledge and implications for culturally responsive engineering education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejia, Joel Alejandro

    Previous studies have suggested that, when funds of knowledge are incorporated into science and mathematics curricula, students are more engaged and often develop richer understandings of scientific concepts. While there has been a growing body of research addressing how teachers may integrate students' linguistic, social, and cultural practices with science and mathematics instruction, very little research has been conducted on how the same can be accomplished with Latino and Latina students in engineering. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by investigating how fourteen Latino and Latina high school adolescents used their funds of knowledge to address engineering design challenges. This project was intended to enhance the educational experience of underrepresented minorities whose social and cultural practices have been traditionally undervalued in schools. This ethnographic study investigated the funds of knowledge of fourteen Latino and Latina high school adolescents and how they used these funds of knowledge in engineering design. Participant observation, bi-monthly group discussion, retrospective and concurrent protocols, and monthly one-on-one interviews were conducted during the study. A constant comparative analysis suggested that Latino and Latina adolescents, although profoundly underrepresented in engineering, bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences that are relevant to engineering design thinking and practice.

  13. Quick Guide on Making School Climate Improvements. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2016

    2016-01-01

    Students learn best when they are in environments in which they feel safe, supported, challenged, and accepted. In addition, environments that have strong school climates foster the social, emotional, and academic well-being of all students. Research shows that when schools and districts effectively focus on improving school climate, students are…

  14. Automation and Its Funding in the Library Media Centers in Secondary Schools in Georgia: A Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baggett, Ann Utsey

    This report presents the results of a study whose purpose was to determine what automation is present in the library media centers in Georgia secondary schools and how it has been funded. A three-part questionnaire was sent to the media specialists in 50% of the secondary schools in Georgia, which were randomly selected. The analysis of the…

  15. 31 CFR 206.10 - Operation of and payments from the Cash Management Improvements Fund.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... SERVICE MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL AGENCY RECEIPTS, DISBURSEMENTS, AND OPERATION OF THE CASH MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS FUND § 206.10 Operation of and payments from the Cash Management Improvements Fund. (a) The Cash... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Operation of and payments from the...

  16. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Instructional Staff. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that instructional staff--including teachers, paraprofessionals, and others in the classroom who provide instruction or assistance--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided…

  17. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for District Leaders. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that district leaders--including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of student support services, or others--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided for…

  18. School nurses' role in asthma management, school absenteeism, and cost savings: a demonstration project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Eunice; Rivera, Diana Austria; Perlroth, Daniella; Becker, Edmund; Wang, Nancy Ewen; Landau, Melinda

    2013-12-01

    With increasing budget cuts to education and social services, rigorous evaluation needs to document school nurses' impact on student health, academic outcomes, and district funding. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, we evaluated outcomes in 4 schools with added full-time nurses and 5 matched schools with part-time nurses in the San Jose Unified School District. Student data and logistic regression models were used to examine predictors of illness-related absenteeism for 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. We calculated average daily attendance (ADA) funding and parent wages associated with an improvement in illness-related absenteeism. Utilizing parent surveys, we also estimated the cost of services for asthma-related visits to the emergency room (ER; N = 2489). Children with asthma were more likely to be absent due to illness; however, mean absenteeism due to illness decreased when full-time nurses were added to demonstration schools but increased in comparison schools during 2008-2009, resulting in a potential savings of $48,518.62 in ADA funding (N = 6081). Parents in demonstration schools reported fewer ER visits, and the estimated savings in ER services and parent wages were significant. Full-time school nurses play an important role in improving asthma management among students in underserved schools, which can impact school absenteeism and attendance-related economic costs. © 2013, American School Health Association.

  19. Impact of a School Health Coordinator Intervention on Health-Related School Policies and Student Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Liam M.; Polacsek, Michele; MacDonald, Pamela B.; Ellis, Jacqueline; Berry, Susan; Martin, Maurice

    2010-01-01

    Background: Health-related, school-based interventions may serve to prevent disease and improve academic performance. The Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMP) initiative funded local school health coordinators (SHCs) as a part of Maine's Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) beginning in January 2001. SHCs established school health leadership teams…

  20. Incorporating Early Learning Strategies in the School Improvement Grants (SIG) Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connors-Tadros, Lori; Dunn, Lenay; Martella, Jana; McCauley, Carlas

    2015-01-01

    The Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and the Center on School Turnaround (CST) collaborated to develop case studies of three selected schools receiving SIG funds that have, with the support of their districts, promoted the use of early childhood programming (PK-3) as a key strategy in their schools' turnaround models. The goal…

  1. A Preliminary Investigation of Maine Virtual Charter School Costs Relative to the Essential Programs and Services Funding Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Amy F.; Hopper, Fleur; Sloan, James E.

    2016-01-01

    In 2015, the Maine State Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs commissioned the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to study the state's Essential Program and Services (EPS) K-12 education funding model in relationship to the funding for Maine's two virtual charter schools. The study was initiated…

  2. A Model of Continuous Improvement in High Schools: A Process for Research, Innovation Design, Implementation, and Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen-Vogel, Lora; Cannata, Marisa; Rutledge, Stacey A.; Socol, Allison Rose

    2016-01-01

    This chapter describes a model for continuous improvement that guides the work of the National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools, or NCSU. NCSU is a research and development center funded by the Institute for Education Sciences, the research arm of the United States Department of Education. At the core of the Center's work is an innovative…

  3. Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and Statehouses: Solving the Funding-Achievement Puzzle in America's Public Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanushek, Eric A.; Lindseth, Alfred A.

    2009-01-01

    Spurred by court rulings requiring states to increase public-school funding, the United States now spends more per student on K-12 education than almost any other country. Yet American students still achieve less than their foreign counterparts, their performance has been flat for decades, millions of them are failing, and poor and minority…

  4. How To Run an Effective Fund-Raiser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Russell A.

    1994-01-01

    The growing scarcity of money for schools and school-related groups has forced many administrators and parent-teacher organizations to seek alternative sources of funds. One of the most effective methods is a fund-raising campaign selling products. More than 2,000 fund-raising companies that supply products and provide a variety of services and…

  5. Improving the effectiveness of school infrastructure planning using information systems based on priority scale in Salatiga

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sucipto, Katoningsih, Sri; Ratnaningrum, Anggry

    2017-03-01

    With large number of schools and many components of school infrastructure supporting with limited funds,so, the school infrastructure development cannot be done simultaneously. Implementation of development must be based on priorities according to the needs. Record all existing needs Identify the condition of the school infrastructure, so that all data recorded bias is valid and has covered all the infrastructure needs of the school. SIPIS very helpful in the process of recording all the necessary needs of the school. Make projections of school development, student participants to the HR business. Make the order needs based on their level of importance. Determine the order in accordance with the needs of its importance, the most important first. By using SIPIS can all be arranged correctly so that do not confuse to construct what should be done in advance but be the last because of factors like and dislike. Make the allocation of funds in detail, then when submitting the budget funds provided in accordance with demand.

  6. 78 FR 37528 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Elementary and Secondary Improvement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-21

    ... State educational agency (SEA) application for the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program authorized... SEA must use to award FY 2013 SIG funds to local educational agencies (LEAs). In awarding these funds... their lowest-achieving schools that are eligible to receive services provided through SIG funds in order...

  7. Activity Fund Accounting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cool, David W.

    1983-01-01

    Addresses the need of school districts in many states to decide on an appropriate mingling of centralization and decentralization in the operation of activity funds. Argues for analysis of activity fund operation through a breakdown into such major components as policy, the accounting system, and reporting and auditing. (JBM)

  8. A new reality: Funding formula changes and property tax caps and their effects on the role of the school superintendent in the state of Indiana

    OpenAIRE

    Gentry, Patrick L

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how school superintendents were using general fund referenda to meet their school district’s operational budgets. However, after interviews began it became clear that the superintendents wanted to tell a different story and that was how the current school funding mechanism and property tax caps has changed the job of the school superintendent. The research consisted of one-on-one guided interviews of a mixed qualitative methods framework c...

  9. The Architecture of School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework for capturing the complex concept the authors call school improvement. Design/methodology/approach: The author begins by anchoring that framework on an historical understanding of school improvement. The framework itself is then presented. Five dimensions are described: the…

  10. Improving School Improvement: Development and Validation of the CSIS-360, a 360-Degree Feedback Assessment for School Improvement Specialists

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, Christie M.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the mixed methods study was to develop and validate the CSIS-360, a 360-degree feedback assessment to measure competencies of school improvement specialists from multiple perspectives. The study consisted of eight practicing school improvement specialists from a variety of settings. The specialists nominated 23 constituents to…

  11. Are Sunshine Private Funds More Beneficial than Publicly Offered Funds to the Fund Managers in Their Investment Performance?

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YAN Wu; XIONG Hang

    2016-01-01

    From the perspective of the comparison between the investment performances of the fund managers before and after investment transfer from publicly offered funds to sunshine private funds,we can better explore the influences of the two institutional environments on the investment performances of the fund managers.This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the fund managers,investment performances before and after their investment transfer with the help of a number of fund performance evaluation models.The results show that the overall investment ability of the fund managers have been improved significantly when they transfer from publicly offered funds to sunshine private funds.If decomposing the overall investment ability into time-choosing and stock-picking abilities,the improvement of the fund managers' overall investment ability is mainly reflected in the significant improvement of their time-choosing ability after the transfer,while their stock-picking ability would then decrease a little.At the same time,by studying the personal characteristics of the fund managers,it is found that those who had investment research experience can obtain better investment performances.

  12. Complexity, Accountability, and School Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Day, Jennifer A.

    2002-01-01

    Using complexity theory, examines standards-based accountability focused on improving school organization. Compares Chicago Public Schools' outcomes-based bureaucratic accountability approach with Baltimore City Schools' combined administrator-professional accountability. Concludes that the combined approach should result in more lasting change.…

  13. An Examination of State Funding Models Regarding Virtual Schools for Public Elementary and Secondary Education in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stedrak, Luke J.

    2012-01-01

    This study contains an analysis of virtual schools, public policy, and funding in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine what public policies and legislation were in place regarding the funding models of virtual education on a state by state basis. Furthermore, this study addressed how allocations were being made by state…

  14. Legislative Update: Georgia School Funding Update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, C. Thomas; Sielke, Catherine C.

    2000-01-01

    Fully 40 percent ($5 billion) of Georgia's FY 2000 general funds budget is for K-12 education. There is increased funding for a homestead exemption, expansion of the HOPE (higher education) Scholarship Program, capital outlay projects, remedial assistance programs, and instruction of limited-English speaking students. (MLH)

  15. Successful Components of School Improvement in Culturally Diverse Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajisoteriou, Christina; Karousiou, Christiana; Angelides, Panayiotis

    2018-01-01

    Contemporary phenomena, including modernization, globalization, and migration, have altered the sociopolitical and cultural conditions of schooling. Schools are called upon to respond to such change through improvement efforts fostering intercultural education. To this end, this research examines school actors' perceptions of the successful…

  16. National Institutes of Health Funding to Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery at U.S. Medical Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre, Jason; Ahn, Jaimo; Levin, L Scott

    2017-01-18

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the U.S., yet its contribution to orthopaedic research is poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the portfolio of NIH funding to departments of orthopaedic surgery at U.S. medical schools. The NIH RePORT (Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools) database was queried for NIH grants awarded to departments of orthopaedic surgery in 2014. Funding totals were determined for award mechanisms and NIH institutes. Trends in NIH funding were determined for 2005 to 2014 and compared with total NIH extramural research funding. Funding awarded to orthopaedic surgery departments was compared with that awarded to departments of other surgical specialties in 2014. Characteristics of NIH-funded principal investigators were obtained from department web sites. In 2014, 183 grants were awarded to 132 investigators at 44 departments of orthopaedic surgery. From 2005 to 2014, NIH funding increased 24.3%, to $54,608,264 (p = 0.030), but the rates of increase seen did not differ significantly from those of NIH extramural research funding as a whole (p = 0.141). Most (72.6%) of the NIH funding was awarded through the R01 mechanism, with a median annual award of $343,980 (interquartile range [IQR], $38,372). The majority (51.1%) of the total funds supported basic science research, followed by translational (33.0%), clinical (10.0%), and educational (5.9%) research. NIH-funded orthopaedic principal investigators were predominately scientists whose degree was a PhD (71.1%) and who were male (79.5%). Eleven NIH institutes were represented, with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) providing the preponderance (74.2%) of the funding. In 2014, orthopaedic surgery ranked below the surgical departments of general surgery, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, otolaryngology, and urology in terms of NIH funding received. The percentage increase of NIH

  17. The Fusion of School Improvement and Leadership Capacity in an Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigurðardóttir, Sigríður Margrét; Sigþórsson, Rúnar

    2016-01-01

    The article reports the findings of a qualitative case study in one elementary school in Iceland. The aim was to investigate the level of leadership capacity within the school, and how this had evolved through the school's improvement. Information was gathered over one school year about planned improvements that had taken place in the school over…

  18. 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)…

  19. Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) position statement: SBM urges Congress to preserve and increase the financing of federally funded nutrition assistance programs and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrman, Pamela; Demirci, Jill; Yanez, Betina; Beharie, Nisha; Laroche, Helena

    2018-05-03

    Deep cuts have been proposed to federally funded nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and federally subsidized school breakfast and lunch programs. Yet, these programs help parents afford healthy meals for their families, pregnant and postpartum mothers access supplemental foods and health services for themselves and their infants and young children, and children obtain the nutrition necessary for optimal school performance. Participation in these programs is linked with reductions in perinatal morbidity and mortality, improved childhood growth trajectories, enhanced school performance, and reductions in food insecurity and poverty. Given these compelling health and economic benefits, the Society of Behavioral Medicine urges Congress to protect and increase funding for federally funded nutrition assistance programs, specifically SNAP, WIC, and school breakfast and lunch programs. Per the recent (2017) recommendations of the School Nutrition Association, Congress should also resist any attempts to "block-grant" subsidized school breakfast and lunch programs, which could reduce access to these programs. It is further recommended that Congress improve the scope of implementation- and outcomes-based assessments of these programs. Finally, we recommend efforts to increase awareness of and participation in SNAP, WIC, and federally funded school meal programs for eligible individuals, children, and families.

  20. Do Charter Schools Ruin Local Public Schools in Poor Neighborhoods? Evidence from New York City. Working Paper #02-14

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordes, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    Charter schools and school choice are popular reforms believed to improve student performance largely through market competition, increased innovation, or some combination of the two mechanisms. Opponents of school choice argue that such reforms sap needed funds and resources from the traditional public school system. Despite this claim, there has…

  1. 75 FR 8104 - Information Collection for Tax Credit Bonds for Bureau of Indian Affairs-Funded Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs Information Collection for Tax Credit Bonds... considered for an allocation. No third party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with this...: Tax Credit Bonds for Bureau of Indian Affairs-Funded Schools. Brief Description of Collection...

  2. Guide Our Feet: Teacher Education and Servant-Leadership in a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Joyce Hubbard

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative narrative study presents the Children's Defense Fund Freedom School as an exemplar of an educational program with a model of spiritual education, which supports the preparation of pre-service teachers by nurturing an ethos of service. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential for a summer experience of…

  3. The Status of Science Education in Illinois Scientific Literacy Target Schools, K-6, 1994. A Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finson, Kevin D.; Beaver, John B.

    The Illinois State Board of Education's Scientific Literacy Project provided extra funds to certain schools with the intent of creating demonstration schools useful as models for other schools to improve their science education programs. The study described in this document examined the impact of these funds on the target schools and attempted to…

  4. School Climate Improvement Action Guide for Noninstructional Staff. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2017

    2017-01-01

    Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that noninstructional staff--including guidance counselors, social workers, school psychologists, office staff, bus drivers, maintenance and facility staff, and food service staff--can take to support school…

  5. Investing in High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Daniel G.

    2012-01-01

    Strapped for cash, a Massachusetts high school creates its own venture capital fund to incentivize teachers to create programs that improve student learning. The result has been higher test scores and higher job satisfaction. One important program is credited with helping close the achievement gap at the school, while others have helped ambitious…

  6. Dewitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund National Library Power Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    School Library Media Annual (SLMA), 1993

    1993-01-01

    Describes the National Library Power Program, a collaborative effort sponsored by the Dewitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund in cooperation with local education funds and public school districts that was designed to create public elementary and middle school library programs that are central to the education program of the school. (LRW)

  7. Linking school effectiveness and school improvement : The background and outline of the project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Creemers, B.P.M.; Reezigt, G.J.

    2005-01-01

    School effectiveness and school improvement have different origins: School effectiveness is more directed to finding out "what works" in education and "why"; school improvement is practice and policy oriented and intended to change education in the desired direction. However, in their orientation to

  8. Do health-promoting schools improve nutrition in China?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dongxu; Stewart, Donald; Yuan, Yanfei; Chang, Chun

    2015-06-01

    To demonstrate the effectiveness of health-promoting school framework to promoting healthy eating behaviours and nutrition knowledge among Chinese middle school students, their parents and school staff. Three schools were randomly selected from 15 rural middle schools, then were randomly assigned to either (i) school using HPS framework (HPS school), (ii) school with improved health education only (HE school) or (iii) school received no intervention (control school). Nutrition knowledge and eating behaviours were measured at baseline and 3-month after interventions, using the same instrument. Students and parents in the HPS school had the largest improvement in nutrition knowledge, from 4.92 to 8.23 and 4.84 to 7.74, followed by those in the HE school, from 4.98 to 8.09 and 4.78 to 5.80. School staff in the HE school had the largest improvement in nutrition knowledge (from 4.40 to 8.45), followed by those in the HPS school (from 5.20 to 9.15). Students in the HPS school had the largest improvement in eating behaviours (from 3.16 to 4.13), followed by those in the HE school (from 2.78 to 3.54). There was a statistical difference in the improvement of nutrition knowledge of all target population and of eating behaviours of students after interventions across three schools (p health education can increase nutrition knowledge among Chinese middle school students, their parents and school staff. However, HPS framework was more effective than health education only. Noticeably, HPS framework had a positive impact on students' eating behaviours, which should be in the subject of further research. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Palliative care education for medical students: Differences in course evolution, organisation, evaluation and funding: A survey of all UK medical schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Steven; Gibbins, Jane; Paes, Paul; Adams, Astrid; Chandratilake, Madawa; Gishen, Faye; Lodge, Philip; Wee, Bee; Barclay, Stephen

    2017-06-01

    A proportion of newly qualified doctors report feeling unprepared to manage patients with palliative care and end-of-life needs. This may be related to barriers within their institution during undergraduate training. Information is limited regarding the current organisation of palliative care teaching across UK medical schools. To investigate the evolution and structure of palliative care teaching at UK medical schools. Anonymised, web-based questionnaire. Settings/participants: Results were obtained from palliative care course organisers at all 30 UK medical schools. The palliative care course was established through active planning (13/30, 43%), ad hoc development (10, 33%) or combination of approaches (7, 23%). The place of palliative care teaching within the curriculum varied. A student-selected palliative care component was offered by 29/30 (97%). All medical schools sought student feedback. The course was reviewed in 26/30 (87%) but not in 4. Similarly, a course organiser was responsible for the palliative care programme in 26/30 but not in 4. A total of 22 respondents spent a mean of 3.9 h (median 2.5)/week in supporting/delivering palliative care education (organisers received titular recognition in 18/27 (67%; no title 9 (33%); unknown 3 (11%)). An academic department of Palliative Medicine existed in 12/30 (40%) medical schools. Funding was not universally transparent. Palliative care teaching was associated with some form of funding in 20/30 (66%). Development, organisation, course evaluation and funding for palliative care teaching at UK medical schools are variable. This may have implications for delivery of effective palliative care education for medical students.

  10. Master Plan for Tennessee Schools, 1995: Preparing for the 21st Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tennessee State Board of Education, Nashville.

    The Tennessee State Legislature passed the Education Improvement Act (EIA) in 1992, which established the Basic Education Program (BEP) as the funding formula for providing adequate, equitable, and sustainable school funding. This document presents the 1995 Master Plan for Tennessee Schools, which focuses on the priority issues that must be…

  11. Does Competition Improve Public Schools? New Evidence from the Florida Tax-Credit Scholarship Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figlio, David; Hart, Cassandra M. D.

    2011-01-01

    Programs that enable students to attend private schools, including both vouchers and scholarships funded with tax credits, have become increasingly common in recent years. This study examines the impact of the nation's largest private school scholarship program on the performance of students who remain in the public schools. The Florida Tax Credit…

  12. 25 CFR 170.808 - Can BIA Road Maintenance Program funds be used to improve IRR transportation facilities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can BIA Road Maintenance Program funds be used to improve... THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS PROGRAM BIA Road Maintenance § 170.808 Can BIA Road Maintenance Program funds be used to improve IRR transportation facilities? No. BIA Road...

  13. Essential conditions for the implementation of comprehensive school health to achieve changes in school culture and improvements in health behaviours of students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate E. Storey

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comprehensive School Health (CSH is an internationally recognized framework that holistically addresses school health by transforming the school culture. It has been shown to be effective in enhancing health behaviours among students while also improving educational outcomes. Despite this effectiveness, there is a need to focus on how CSH is implemented. Previous studies have attempted to uncover the conditions necessary for successful operationalization, but none have described them in relation to a proven best practice model of implementation that has demonstrated positive changes to school culture and improvements in health behaviours. Methods The purpose of this research was to identify the essential conditions of CSH implementation utilizing secondary analysis of qualitative interview data, incorporating a multitude of stakeholder perspectives. This included inductive content analysis of teacher (n = 45, principal (n = 46, and school health facilitator (n = 34 viewpoints, all of whom were employed within successful CSH project schools in Alberta, Canada between 2008 and 2013. Results Many themes were identified, here called conditions, that were divided into two categories: ‘core conditions’ (students as change agents, school-specific autonomy, demonstrated administrative leadership, dedicated champion to engage school staff, community support, evidence, professional development and ‘contextual conditions’ (time, funding and project supports, readiness and prior community connectivity. Core conditions were defined as those conditions necessary for CSH to be successfully implemented, whereas contextual conditions had a great degree of influence on the ability for the core conditions to be obtained. Together, and in consideration of already established ‘process conditions’ developed by APPLE Schools (assess, vision, prioritize; develop and implement an action plan; monitor, evaluate, celebrate

  14. School Improvement Plans and Student Learning in Jamaica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockheed, Marlaine; Harris, Abigail; Jayasundera, Tamara

    2010-01-01

    A school improvement program that provided support to poor-performing schools on the basis of needs identified in a school improvement plan was implemented in 72 government schools in Jamaica, from 1998 to 2005. In this independent evaluation of the program, we use propensity score matching to create, post hoc, a control group of schools that were…

  15. An Assessment of the Adequacy of Ohio School Funding: New Performance Standards and Alternative Measurements of Adequacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweetland, Scott R.

    2015-01-01

    Reflecting upon "Rose v. Council," this research traced the development of adequate school funding in Ohio. "DeRolph v. State" centered the constitutional requirement for adequate education in Ohio. Thereafter, scholars estimated costs of adequate education and legislators adjusted those estimated costs. Plaintiffs and justices…

  16. Seismology in Schools an integrated approach to funding developing and implementing a coordinated programme for teachers and high school students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, T. A.; Jones, A. G.; Campbell, G.

    2010-12-01

    Statistics in Ireland show that physics at Advanced Level in Secondary Schools is declining in popularity and is the most likely subject to be cut first from the curriculum in a curriculum readjustment by school authorities. In an attempt to attract students to study Earth science and seismology the School of Cosmic Physics, DIAS embarked on an outreach programme in 2007 to promote Earth science, particularly seismology, in schools at both Primary and Secondary Levels. Since its inception, DIAS's Seismology in Schools programme has been very well received, with seismometers installed in over fifty schools across the State. Although this number may appear small, given that the population of Ireland is 4M this number of 1 per 80,000 compares favourably with the U.K. (70 in a population of 70M, 1 per 1M) and the U.S.A. (200 in a population of 300M, 1 per 1.5M) with an penetration of 15-20 times greater. The phenomenal success of our Seismology in Schools programme has been helped significantly by the support we have received from the British Geological Survey (BGS) and IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) in terms of hardware, software and advice. Similarly, the programme would be a pale reflection of what it is today if the Directors of the Educational Centres (ATECI, Association of Teacher's/Education Centres in Ireland) across Ireland had not become enthused and funded the purchase of 34 additional seismometers, and the Geological Survey of Ireland purchased a further six. Also, funding support from Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) was absolutely critical for us to roll out this hugely enlarged programme of 50 seismometers from the originally envisioned four. As this programme is an initiation into seismology for students, it is important to stress that the seismometer is not used in the schools as a professional recording instrument but helps students visualize what seismology and the recording of earthquakes comprises. Essential to the

  17. Implementing and Sustaining School Improvement. The Informed Educator Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Protheroe, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    This "Informed Educator" examines research-proven strategies for implementing and sustaining school improvement by looking at the key elements of the process, enabling conditions for improvement, issues of school culture, and implementation. It also looks at school turnarounds and how to sustain school improvement once reforms are implemented.

  18. Continuous Improvement in Schools: Understanding the Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Stephen; Kumari, Roshni

    2009-01-01

    This article investigates conceptually and practically what it means for schools to engage in the practice of continuous improvement. The analysis draws upon prior research and discussion to predict core elements of the practice of continuous improvement in schools. The predictions are then applied to a case study of continuous improvement efforts…

  19. 25 CFR 39.130 - Can ISEF funds be used for Language Development Programs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Language Development Programs § 39.130 Can ISEF funds be used for Language Development Programs? Yes, schools can use ISEF funds to... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can ISEF funds be used for Language Development Programs...

  20. Improving Schools through Networks: A New Approach to Urban School Reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohlstetter, Priscilla; Malloy, Courtney L.; Chau, Derrick; Polhemus, Jennifer L.

    2003-01-01

    Data from an evaluation of the Annenberg Challenge in Los Angeles, a reform effort that experimented with school networks as a vehicle for improving schools, revealed that when school networks created structures that decentralized power and distributed organizational resources throughout the network, they also enhanced school capacity for reform.…

  1. OECD Reviews of School Resources : Austria 2016

    OpenAIRE

    Theisens, Henno

    2016-01-01

    The effective use of school resources is a policy priority across OECD countries. The OECD Reviews of School Resources explore how resources can be governed, distributed, utilised and managed to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of school education. The series considers four types of resources: financial resources, such as public funding of individual schools; human resources, such as teachers, school leaders and education administrators; physical resources, such as location, buildin...

  2. STRUCTURAL FUNDS ABSORPTION GROWTH BY IMPROVING THEIR MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pautu Sorina

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Grant project management is now a trend in the institutions of various types in Romania due to the opportunities offered by the EU through structural Instruments. Absorbing European funds is a challenge for Romania. The Managing Authority for Structural Instruments, together with the subordinated institutions present deficiencies in their coordination and implementation, the effect being a slow process of absorption of structural and cohesion funds. Taking action to enhance absorption of Structural and Cohesion Funds was done later; some measures are neither effective nor efficient. One of the major problems in implementing the Structural Funds is the continuous change of their national legislation. Therefore it is necessary to take measures to increase the absorption of structural funds and also the national adoption of a stable legal framework applicable to Structural Funds, guides of the applicant and clearly established project calls, without any latest changes, creating a transparent system of project proposals assessment and results communication of assessments to their beneficiaries, the payments required by the reimbursement requests within 45 days specified in the contract and not just their validation, terms compliance in approval notifications and addenda to the contract funding, proper training of the personnel from the intermediate organizations and linking information provided by their staff.

  3. Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Fiscal Year 1983 Awards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (ED), Washington, DC.

    Information on fiscal year 1983-1984 awards made through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education is provided. A list of recipients of new and continuation comprehensive program awards and final year dissemination awards is presented, along with new Mina Shaughnessy Scholars. For each new and continuation recipient, a statement of…

  4. 75 FR 28713 - Teacher Incentive Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-21

    ... staff in its schools) in these schools to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles... efforts that ensure an equitable distribution of effective teachers between high- and low- poverty schools... assesses the impact of performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems supported by the funds...

  5. Improving Public Education through Comprehensive School Reform: An Issue Brief from the International Reading Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    International Reading Association, Newark, DE.

    The Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program is a new initiative that could affect International Reading Association members in the United States--but will benefit only those who take advantage of it. The purpose of the CSR initiative is to provide financial incentives for schools to develop comprehensive school reforms. Funding is available to…

  6. 45 CFR 2516.700 - What matching funds are required?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOOL-BASED SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAMS Funding Requirements § 2516.700 What matching funds... for that share through State sources, local sources, or Federal sources (other than funds made...

  7. Snapshot of SIG: A Look at Four States' Approaches to School Turnaround

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quillin, Jessica

    2012-01-01

    Thousands of schools across the country are chronically low performing, and they operate within districts and states that are struggling to help them improve. The School Improvement Grants (SIG) program is designed to channel federal funds to states and districts facing the task of turning around struggling schools. SIG, a part of the Elementary…

  8. Reimbursement for school nursing health care services: position statement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Janet; Cagginello, Joan; Compton, Linda

    2014-09-01

    Children come to school with a variety of health conditions, varying from moderate health issues to multiple, severe chronic health illnesses that have a profound and direct impact on their ability to learn. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) provides medically necessary services in the school setting to improve health outcomes and promote academic achievement. The nursing services provided are reimbursable services in other health care settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and home care settings. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) believes that school nursing services that are reimbursable nursing services in other health care systems should also be reimbursable services in the school setting, while maintaining the same high quality care delivery standards. Traditionally, local and state tax revenues targeted to fund education programs have paid for school nursing health services. School nurses are in a strategic position to advocate for improving clinical processes to better fit with community health care providers and to align reimbursements with proposed changes. Restructuring reimbursement programs will enable health care funding streams to assist in paying for school nursing services delivered to students in the school setting. Developing new innovative health financing opportunities will help to increase access, improve quality, and reduce costs. The goal is to promote a comprehensive and cost-effective health care delivery model that integrates schools, families, providers, and communities.

  9. 25 CFR 39.208 - How are ISEP funds distributed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Administrative Procedures, Student Counts, and Verifications § 39.208 How are ISEP funds distributed? (a) On July 1, schools will receive 80 percent of their funds as determined in § 39.207. (b) On...

  10. Exploring the Principal Perspective: Implications for Expanded School Improvement and School Mental Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iachini, Aidyn L.; Pitner, Ronald O.; Morgan, Frank; Rhodes, Kevin

    2016-01-01

    Principals are critical to school improvement efforts, yet few studies aim to elicit their perspectives on what contributes to teaching, learning, and broader school improvement. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to elicit principals' perspectives on (a) teacher and school staff needs, and (b) student needs, in an effort to uncover…

  11. Leadership in Improving Schools: A Qualitative Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penlington, Clare; Kington, Alison; Day, Christopher

    2008-01-01

    This article reports early case-study data gathered from 20 schools involved in the "Impact of School Leadership on Pupil Outcomes" project. We present and discuss the perceptions of headteachers and other school leaders regarding leadership factors that directly and indirectly affect pupil outcomes in these improving schools. Included are…

  12. Developing Quality Strategic Plan in Secondary Schools for Successful School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chukwumah, Fides Okwukweka

    2015-01-01

    The study examined the extent to which development of quality strategic plans for Anambra State secondary schools' improvement had been done by schools. The research design used was a descriptive survey. Respondents comprised 217 principals. There was no sampling since all the principals were used. Data were collected using "Schools'…

  13. School satisfaction and social relations: Swedish schoolchildren's improvement suggestions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persson, Louise; Haraldsson, Katarina; Hagquist, Curt

    2016-01-01

    The aim was to explore schoolchildren's views on how to increase school satisfaction and improve social relations among peers at school. Improvement suggestions were collected from school children aged 10-12 years with the help of a feedback model developed for the purpose. Qualitative content analysis was used. Two categories emerged from the analysis: 'psychosocial climate', which included the subcategories 'adults' roles and responsibilities' and 'classmates' norms and values'; 'influence', which included the subcategories 'changes in the physical environment' and 'flexible learning'. The categories are seen as important to increase school satisfaction and improve social relations among peers at school. Examining children's opinions is requested and promoted by the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The findings contribute to the field by showing how school satisfaction and social relations might be improved, if the child perspective is considered in the planning of health promotion activities in school.

  14. An Urban School Leader's Approach to School Improvement: Toward Contextually Responsive Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, Latish C.; Swaminathan, Raji

    2016-01-01

    This case study examines the leadership practices and actions of an urban high school principal who faced many challenges, but worked diligently to improve student achievement and school climate over a 3-year period. Significant improvements were made by using elements of Distributed Leadership, Professional Learning Communities, and Social…

  15. 25 CFR 39.102 - What is academic base funding?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is academic base funding? 39.102 Section 39.102... PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Base and Supplemental Funding § 39.102 What is academic base funding? Academic base funding is the ADM times the weighted student unit. ...

  16. Targeted Funding for Educationally Disadvantaged Students: A Regression Discontinuity Estimate of the Impact on High School Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Gary T.; Fortner, C. Kevin; Thompson, Charles L.

    2010-01-01

    Evaluating the impacts of public school funding on student achievement has been an important objective for informing education policymaking but fraught with data and methodological limitations. Findings from prior research have been mixed at best, leaving policymakers with little advice about the benefits of allocating public resources to schools…

  17. Indiana's New and (Somewhat) Improved K-12 School Finance System. School Choice Issues in the State

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aud, Susan L.

    2005-01-01

    Education finance policy has become an urgent concern in many state legislatures. Demands for greater equity and accountability have forced states to review, and in many cases to revise, the method by which schools are funded. This study sheds light on Indiana's financing of public K-12 education by providing a clear explanation of the components…

  18. 國民中學適足教育經費:臺灣偏遠與非偏遠地區學校的比較 Estimating Adequate Funding to Meet Performance Standards for Junior High School Students: Adequate Funding Comparisons Between Rural and Non-Rural Schools in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    張良丞 Liang-Cheng Zhang

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available 臺灣學生近年來在國際大型測驗表現亮眼,但如進一步檢視學校所處地區,即可明顯看出臺灣存在巨大的城鄉差距問題:偏遠地區與大城市相比,不僅數學表現較差,且出現各校數學差距相對較大的情況。不足的教育經費可能是導致此差距的原因之一,本研究因此以成本函數法來估算偏遠與非偏遠地區學校達成預期學生學業成就所需的適足經費,並以國中基測數學基礎級、平均數、精熟級來作為適足分數,以估算不同程度所需的適足經費,結果發現,無論何種適足分數,偏遠地區所需的每生適足經費皆比非偏遠地區為高,且超過半數以上的偏遠學校未達適足經費水準。本研究亦根據研究結果,提出改進建議。 Although the mathematical ability of Taiwanese students is ranked high according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, Taiwan faces the problem of a gap in test scores between rural students and their non-rural counterparts, with the latter group scoring higher on average. Inadequate funding is a possible reason for this discrepancy. Therefore, this paper uses the cost function approach to compare adequate funding requirements between rural and non-rural schools. The adequate funding estimates are calculated based on the different levels of mathematics scores in the Basic Competence Test (basic, average, and proficient. The results showed that rural schools require more per student funding than do non-rural schools, irrespective of the use of score levels as references. A greater portion of rural schools were shown to operate under inadequate per student funding compared with non-rural schools. This paper provides further evidence of the urgency of increased investment in rural schools.

  19. Army Needs to Improve Controls and Audit Trails for the General Fund Enterprise Business System Acquire-to-Retire Business Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-13

    Event 1.4.4,” August 7, 2012 AAA Attestation Report A-2010-0187- FFM , “General Fund Enterprise Business System - Federal Financial Management...Improvement Act Compliance. Examination of Requirements Through Test Event 1.4.0,” September 14, 2010 AAA Audit Report A-2009-0232- FFM , “General Fund...September 30, 2009 AAA Audit Report A-2009-0231- FFM , “General Fund Enterprise Business System - Federal Financial Management Improvement Act

  20. Eliciting and utilizing rural students' funds of knowledge in the service of science learning: An action research study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lloyd, Ellen M.

    Several researchers have pointed out the failures of current schooling to adequately prepare students in science and called for radical reform in science education to address the problem. One dominant critique of science education is that several groups of students are not well served by current school science practices and discourses. Rural students represent one of these underserved populations. Yet, there is little in the literature that speaks specifically to reforming the science education of rural students. Utilizing action research as a methodology, this study was designed to learn more about the unique knowledge and life experiences of rural students, and how these unique knowledge, skills and interests could suggest new ways to improve science education in rural schools. Informed by this ultimate goal, I created an after school science club where the participating high school students engaged in solving a local watershed problem, while explicitly bringing to bear their unique backgrounds, local knowledge and life experiences from living in a rural area of Upstate New York. Using Funds of Knowledge as the theoretical framework, this after-school club served as the context to investigate the following research questions: (1) What science-related funds of knowledge do rural high school students have? (2) How were these funds of knowledge capitalized on to support science learning in an after-school setting?

  1. Cash management improvement in the Navy Stock Fund

    OpenAIRE

    Linquist, James E.; Evans, Timothy S.

    1986-01-01

    Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The Navy Stock Fund (NSF) is a working capital fund used to purchase and hold designated inventories of supply items at various stock points until needed by a customer. The fund is currently comprised of ten separate Budget Projects with total collections and expenditures projected to be in excess of $ 1 8 bi 1 1 ion for Fiscal Year 1 986. The authors examined the background and current operation of the NSF with empha...

  2. San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund Points, SF Bay CA, 2015, US EPA Region 9

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund is a competitive grant program that is helping implement TMDLs to improve water quality, protect wetlands, and...

  3. An after-school exercise program improves fitness, and body composition in elementary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrel, Aaron L; Logue, Julie; Deininger, Heidi; Clark, R Randall; Curtis, Vanessa; Montague, Paul; Baldwin, Sharon

    2011-07-01

    Reduced cardiovascular fitness (CVF) is a risk factor for obesity and cardiovascular disease. It has previously shown that a school-based fitness curriculum can improve CVF, and other health indicators in middle school aged children. Whether an afterschool program improves CVF and other health markers in elementary-school children is unresolved. The objective of this study was therefore to determine whether an on-site afterschool-based fitness program improves body composition, cardiovascular fitness level, in elementary school children. 80 elementary school children were evaluated in a "fitness-oriented" afterschool program managed by the local YMCA. Children underwent evaluation of cardiovascular fitness by maximal VO 2 treadmill testing and body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), at baseline (prior to the school-year) and again at end of the school year. Findings revealed that, at baseline, children had a mean age of 8.8 years, BMI of 18.7± 3, with a maximal VO 2 of 40.03 ± 7.6 ml/kg/min, and percent body fat of 28.7 ± 7%. After a 9-month intervention, children maximal VO 2 increased to 44.8 ± 7.5 ml/kg/min (p=0.04) and percent body fat decreased to 25.8 ± 6.2% (p=0.033). The study concluded that on-site afterschool programming focusing on fitness improved body composition and cardiovascular fitness, in elementary school children. Combined with prior studies, these data demonstrate that afterschool-based fitness curricula can benefit both obese and non-obese children. It was therefore recommended that, partnerships with schools to promote fitness even outside of school time should be a part of a school approach to improving children's health.

  4. High School Students' Recommendations to Improve School Food Environments: Insights From a Critical Stakeholder Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asada, Yuka; Hughes, Alejandro G; Read, Margaret; Schwartz, Marlene B; Chriqui, Jamie F

    2017-11-01

    The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) directed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise school meal standards. Students are most affected by efforts to improve the school food environment; yet, few studies directly include students. This study examined high school students' experiences of school meal reform to gain insight into implementation recommendations. We conducted 5 focus groups with high school students (N = 15) from high schools across 9 states. We also conducted follow-up interviews to further explore personal experiences. Focus groups and interview transcripts were coded and organized in Atlas.ti v7 by analysts, following principles of constant comparative analysis. Students reported overall positive perceptions of the revised school meal standards and supported continued efforts to improve the food environment. Recommendations to improve the food environment included engaging students, focusing on the quality and palatability of meal items, moving toward scratch-cooking, and addressing cafeteria infrastructure. Students' recommendations point to opportunities where school districts, as well as local, state, and federal organizations can work to improve the school food environment. Their insights are directly relevant to USDA's recently released Local School Wellness Policy final rule, of which school meal standards are one provision. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  5. Improving Schools through Evaluation: The Experience of Catholic Schools in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potterton, Mark; Northmore, Colin

    2014-01-01

    This article addresses the development of quality assurance approaches in South Africa, with particular reference to Catholic schools. It also addresses questions of why whole school evaluation in general has failed to play any meaningful role in improving the quality of schools in South Africa. Reference is also made to specific school cases. The…

  6. Using TANF to Finance Out-of-School Time Initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Relave, Nanette; Flynn-Khan, Margaret

    2007-01-01

    This report addresses how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program can be an important source of funding for maintaining, improving, and expanding out-of-school time initiatives. The report is designed to help policymakers and program developers understand the opportunities and challenges of effectively using TANF funding to…

  7. Encouraging Consumption of Water in School and Child Care Settings: Access, Challenges, and Strategies for Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hampton, Karla E.

    2011-01-01

    Children and adolescents are not consuming enough water, instead opting for sugar-sweetened beverages (sodas, sports and energy drinks, milks, coffees, and fruit-flavored drinks with added sugars), 100% fruit juice, and other beverages. Drinking sufficient amounts of water can lead to improved weight status, reduced dental caries, and improved cognition among children and adolescents. Because children spend most of their day at school and in child care, ensuring that safe, potable drinking water is available in these settings is a fundamental public health measure. We sought to identify challenges that limit access to drinking water; opportunities, including promising practices, to increase drinking water availability and consumption; and future research, policy efforts, and funding needed in this area. PMID:21680941

  8. Can Schools Meet the Promise of Continuous Improvement?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgart, Mark A.

    2018-01-01

    Continuous improvement is "an embedded behavior within the culture of a school that constantly focuses on the conditions, processes, and practices that will improve teaching and learning." The phrase has been part of the lexicon of school improvement for decades, but real progress is rare. Based on its observations of about 5,000…

  9. Collaborative School Improvement: Eight Practices for District-School Partnerships to Transform Teaching and Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, Trent E.; Grimm, Emily Dolci; Miller, Allison E.

    2012-01-01

    How can districts bring instructional improvement to scale within and across schools? The authors of "Collaborative School Improvement" argue that districts can play a powerful part in helping schools build the capacity to engage in inquiry-based reform--but that this effort requires a shift in districts' traditional role as a professional…

  10. Recognizing Community Voice and a Youth-Led School-Community Partnership in the School Climate Improvement Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ice, Megan; Thapa, Amrit; Cohen, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    A growing body of school improvement research suggests that engaging all members of the school community, including community members and leaders, provides an essential foundation to successful school improvement efforts. School climate surveys to date tend to recognize student, parent/guardian, and school personnel voice but not the voice of…

  11. Quality improvement teaching at medical school: a student perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Nair, Pooja; Barai, Ishani; Prasad, Sunila; Gadhvi, Karishma

    2016-01-01

    Pooja Nair, Ishani Barai, Sunila Prasad, Karishma Gadhvi Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Guidelines in the UK require all doctors to actively take part in quality improvement. To ease future doctors into the process, formal quality improvement teaching can be delivered during medical school. Keywords: quality improvement, medical school, patient safety, patient satisfaction, medical student, clinical audit

  12. Improving School Effectiveness by Teaching Thinking Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenke, Larry L.

    This paper describes a plan to improve school effectiveness in the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools by incorporating instruction in thinking skills. The program selected by the school district was the Strategic Reasoning Program, based on Albert Upton's Design for Thinking and J. P. Guilford's Structure of the Intellect. The Strategic Reasoning…

  13. Department-Head Leadership for School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leithwood, Kenneth

    2016-01-01

    This review of research was prompted by the widespread belief that at least in a significant number of secondary schools, department heads are an underutilized, if not untapped, source of instructional leadership, the type of leadership critical to secondary-school improvement initiatives. Forty-two methodologically diverse empirical studies were…

  14. IMPROVING THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    PETERS, JON S.; SCHNEIDER, RAYMOND C.

    GUIDELINES FOR CREATING IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH SUPPLEMENTARY DRAWINGS, DIAGRAMS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS. POLICY DECISIONS ARE RELATED TO--(1) THE SCHOOL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE, (2) INDUSTRY'S RULE IN EDUCATION, AND (3) BUILDING PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES. EDUCATIONAL PLANNING IS DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF--(1) ART…

  15. Leadership Development and School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhodes, Christopher; Brundrett, Mark

    2009-01-01

    The chosen focus of this special issue is timely given the burgeoning international interest and investment in leadership development and school improvement. In many countries leadership and improvement have been closely linked and there is no doubt that this linkage has an international reach. Together, these articles review and extend some of…

  16. Quality improvement teaching at medical school: a student perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nair P

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Pooja Nair, Ishani Barai, Sunila Prasad, Karishma Gadhvi Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Guidelines in the UK require all doctors to actively take part in quality improvement. To ease future doctors into the process, formal quality improvement teaching can be delivered during medical school. Keywords: quality improvement, medical school, patient safety, patient satisfaction, medical student, clinical audit

  17. The Impact of Increased Funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) on State Assigned School Accreditation Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonard, Ed; Box, Jennifer A. L.

    2010-01-01

    State funding mechanisms are subject to intense political and economic scrutiny. The question asked most often tends to be, is the public getting sufficient return on their investment? Accountability standards arising from the No Child left Behind Act (NCLB) have sharpened the focus of this question to whether the students and schools are meeting…

  18. Using Organization Development To Improve School Climate. Report No. 17.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottfredson, Gary D.; Gottfredson, Denise C.

    This paper presents and illustrates some principles for organizational development approaches to improving school climate. It discusses a specific structure for facilitating school improvement entitled Program Development Evaluation, and it illustrates the use of school climate assessments for school diagnosis and the evaluation of improvement…

  19. It Pays to Improve School Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanushek, Eric A.; Ruhose, Jens; Woessmann, Ludger

    2016-01-01

    Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, supplanting No Child Left Behind and placing responsibility for public school improvement squarely upon each of the 50 states. With the federal government's role in school accountability sharply diminished, it now falls to state and local governments to take decisive action. Even though most…

  20. Marketing, Information, and Parental Choice: A Comparative Case Study of Third-Party, Federally Funded Out-of-School-Time Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Molly S.; Good, Annalee G.

    2016-01-01

    Information and promotional marketing play central but complex roles in market-based educational programs. This in-depth qualitative study examines these complexities using the case of Supplemental Educational Services, a parental choice program providing federally funded tutoring to low-income students in K-12 public schools. Examining the…

  1. Uplifting Leadership for Real School Improvement--The North Coast Initiative for School Improvement: An Australian Telling of a Canadian Story

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaseling, Marilyn; Boyd, William Edgar; Smith, Robert; Boyd, Wendy; Shipway, Bradley; Foster, Alan; Lembke, Cathy

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports on a preliminary Australian adoption and adaptation, in the North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, of the Townsend and Adams' model of leadership growth for school improvement in Alberta. The Australian adaptation of this Alberta model has been named the North Coast Initiative for School Improvement (NCISI). The…

  2. School improvement through government agencies: loose or tight coupling?

    OpenAIRE

    Bush, Tony

    2016-01-01

    In seeking to improve student outcomes, governments may choose to exercise direct control over schools, as in many centralised systems, or to provide frameworks for intermediate bodies to engage in improvement activities. One such body is the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), now the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) in England. The Department of Education of the South African province of Gauteng (GDE) has also chosen to implement its school improvement programm...

  3. Reconsidering Replication: New Perspectives on Large-Scale School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peurach, Donald J.; Glazer, Joshua L.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this analysis is to reconsider organizational replication as a strategy for large-scale school improvement: a strategy that features a "hub" organization collaborating with "outlet" schools to enact school-wide designs for improvement. To do so, we synthesize a leading line of research on commercial replication to construct a…

  4. 25 CFR 39.133 - Who decides how Language Development funds can be used?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Who decides how Language Development funds can be used... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Language Development Programs § 39.133 Who decides how Language Development funds can be used? Tribal governing bodies or local school...

  5. Safe Routes to School Local School Project: A health evaluation at 10 low-income schools

    OpenAIRE

    Cooper, Jill F MSW; McMillan, Tracy MPH, PHD

    2010-01-01

    fe Routes to School National Partnership (Partnership) founded the Local School Project (Project) in 2008 to assist ten schools in lowincome communities to: 1) develop and evaluate a school-based SRTS program, 2) build local capacity to apply for state or federal SRTS funding, and 3) increase safe walking and bicycling to and from the school and in the community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kaiser Permanente, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided funding for the ...

  6. San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund Map Service, San Francisco CA, 2012, US EPA Region 9

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund is a competitive grant program that is helping implement TMDLs to improve water quality, protect wetlands, and...

  7. San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund Project Locations, San Francisco CA, 2017, US EPA Region 9

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund is a competitive grant program that is helping implement TMDLs to improve water quality, protect wetlands, and...

  8. Irrational Exuberance for Market-Based Reform: How Federal Turnaround Policies Thwart Democratic Schooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trujillo, Tina; Renée, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    Background: In 2009, the Obama Administration announced its intention to rapidly "turn around" 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools. To do so, it relied on the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program to provide temporary funding for states and schools, and to mandate drastic, school-level reforms. Most of these reforms require…

  9. Leadership and Context Connectivity: Merging Two Forces for Sustainable School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marishane, Nylon Ramodikoe

    2016-01-01

    School improvement is admittedly the main business of school leadership. However, while there is agreement on the importance of school improvement, sustaining this improvement remains a challenge. The challenge seems to lie in the disconnection between the leader and the context in which the school operates. This chapter presents contextual…

  10. Bicycling to school improves the cardiometabolic risk factor profile

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ostergaard, Lars; Børrestad, Line A B; Tarp, Jakob

    2012-01-01

    To investigate whether bicycling to school improves cardiometabolic risk factor profile and cardiorespiratory fitness among children.......To investigate whether bicycling to school improves cardiometabolic risk factor profile and cardiorespiratory fitness among children....

  11. Improving School Board Effectiveness: A Balanced Governance Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsbury, Thomas L., Ed.; Gore, Phil, Ed.

    2015-01-01

    "Improving School Board Effectiveness" offers a clarifying and essential look at the evolving role of school boards and how they contribute to efforts to improve student learning. It examines how board members can establish effective district priorities, and it explores those board policies and actions that result in shared, districtwide…

  12. Building school-wide capacity for improvement: the role of leadership, school organizational conditions, and teacher factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thoonen, E.E.J.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2012-01-01

    Education policies for greater accountability of schools assume that schools are capable of building their capacity for continuous improvement. While policy-makers, scholars, and practitioners acknowledge the importance of building school-wide capacity for continuous improvement, empirical evidence

  13. Building school-wide capacity for improvement: the role of leadership, school organizational conditions and teacher factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thoonen, E.E.J.; Thoonen, E.E.J.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2012-01-01

    Education policies for greater accountability of schools assume that schools are capable of building their capacity for continuous improvement. While policy-makers, scholars, and practitioners acknowledge the importance of building school-wide capacity for continuous improvement, empirical evidence

  14. School-based sleep education program improves sleep and academic performance of school-age children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Reut; Somerville, Gail; Bergmame, Lana; Fontil, Laura; Paquin, Soukaina

    2016-05-01

    The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based sleep education program aimed at improving the sleep and academic performance of school-age children. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we created a school-based sleep education program, "Sleep for Success"™ (SFS), composed of four distinct modules that addressed the children, their family and community, the school staff, and decision makers within the school setting. Implementation was carried out in three elementary schools. Seventy-one students participated in the evaluation of the program. The effectiveness of the SFS program was evaluated using non-randomized controlled before-and-after study groups (intervention and control) assessed over two time points (pre- and post-program implementation). Before (baseline) and after implementation, sleep and academic performance were measured using actigraphy and report card marks, respectively. In the intervention group, true sleep was extended by 18.2 min per night, sleep efficiency improved by 2.3%, and sleep latency was shortened by 2.3 min, and report card grades in mathematics and English improved significantly. No changes were noted in the control group. Participation in the sleep education program was associated with significant improvements in children's sleep and academic performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. BIA and DOD Schools: Student Achievement and Other Characteristics Often Differ from Public Schools

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2001-01-01

    ...) and the Department of Defense (DOD) school systems. Unlike public schools, where federal funding constitutes a small portion of total resources, the BIA and DOD school systems depend almost entirely on federal funds...

  16. BIA AND DOD SCHOOLS: Student Achievement and Other Characteristics Often Differ from Public Schools

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2001-01-01

    ...) and the Department of Defense (DOD) school systems. Unlike public schools, where federal funding constitutes a small portion of total resources, the BIA and DOD school systems depend almost entirely on federal funds...

  17. Need for Adequate Funding in the Administration of Secondary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Funding is considered all over the world as the life wire that propels the educational sector towards achieving her objectives. The paper focuses on the need for adequate funding of secondary education in Nigeria. Emphases were laid on the alternative sources of funding for secondary schools as well as the consequences ...

  18. Research funding expectations as a function of faculty teaching/administrative workload.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surratt, Christopher K; Kamal, Khalid M; Wildfong, Peter L D

    2011-06-01

    Persistent faculty shortages at US pharmacy schools make faculty recruitment and retention a perennial priority. The literature indicates that a key retention issue is whether the faculty member's scholarship is compromised because of a heavy teaching or service workload. Assess US pharmacy faculty perceptions concerning their views of appropriate expectations of research grant support given their teaching/administrative workloads. Data and opinions were collected using a multiple-choice, cross-sectional survey instrument (SurveyMonkey®; Menlo Park, CA), e-mailed to 1047 faculty members, randomly selected from all Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-accredited US pharmacy schools. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS® (Chicago, IL) for Windows, Version 17.0. Of the researcher respondents, a majority felt that the amount of teaching expected was too much to be a competitive researcher. Teaching commitment was found more likely to increase than decrease after achieving tenure. Reported new faculty start-up funding was well below that typically found at nonpharmacy research schools. This information is anticipated to help pharmacy faculty members gauge their workload and productivity relative to a national peer group, and to help pharmacy schools improve in faculty recruitment and retention. The survey findings may assist pharmacy schools in clarifying reasonable teaching and funding expectations for pre- and post-tenure faculty, which in turn may help attract more pharmaceutical scientists to academic pharmacy positions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. 78 FR 42937 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Fund for the Improvement of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-18

    ... Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) programs: Comprehensive(84.116B), European Union-United States (84.116J), US... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket No. ED-2013-ICCD-0094] Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Annual and Final Performance...

  20. Efforts of a Kansas foundation to increase physical activity and improve health by funding community trails, 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinrich, Katie M; Lightner, Joseph; Oestman, Katherine B; Hughey, S Morgan; Kaczynski, Andrew T

    2014-11-26

    Trails are associated with increased physical activity; however, little is known about the process of building trails by various types of organizations. From 2005 through 2012 the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans (Sunflower) funded multiple organizations to construct 70 trails of varying lengths and surfaces in municipalities, schools, and communities across Kansas. The purpose of this study was to assess the process of developing and implementing community trail projects across Kansas with funding from a public foundation. In 2012, we stratified funded organizations by type and conducted proportional random sampling to select 20 key informants from those organizations to participate in structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interview transcripts according to issues identified by participants. Issues associated with trail-building identified as important were collaboration among groups, unexpected construction costs, champions for the project, and level of difficulty of construction. Participants indicated that trails facilitated physical activity. Trails were integrated into communities through events such as walking events and other promotional efforts; these efforts were thought to increase trail use. The perceived outcomes of building the trails included providing the community with a physical activity resource, inspiring the community to start additional trail projects, and increasing the physical activity of local residents. Sunflower's funding was instrumental in developing trail projects to provide new physical activity resources across Kansas. Public health practitioners seeking to increase physical activity should seek funding from foundations that focus on health.

  1. We love our school toilets: involving primary school students in improving their school toilets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senior, Elizabeth

    2014-03-01

    This article reports on the planning, implementation and evaluation of an intervention to improve school students' experience of using the school toilet in a primary school in Melbourne, Australia. 20 students from grades 2-6 participated in focus groups, to discuss what they valued about the school and raise awareness of issues they were not happy about. A common theme from all of the focus groups was that students reported avoiding use of the school toilets. Using the ideas generated from the focus groups, the student council (with input from staff), developed a self-administered pre- and post-test questionnaire. This was given to 220 students in grades 1-4, aged 6-10 years. Improvements suggested by the students were made to the toilet block, and then a post-test was administered. Independent t tests were conducted. The pre-test indicated that 71% of girls and 65% of boys feared the behaviour of other students in the toilet. Overwhelmingly, the qualitative comments focused on poor student behaviour in the toilets, with lack of privacy due to student misbehaviour mentioned in 90% of the comments. After the toilets were revamped, the greatest gains were made in students' attitudes toward the toilets, with a 37% increase in students who indicated they now liked the toilet facility. Incidents of vandalism also decreased; however, student misconduct in the toilets was still regarded as a problem. Involving students in refurbishing their toilets improved how students viewed the toilets and reduced vandalism; however, a different intervention is required to change inappropriate behaviours in the toilet.

  2. Master Plan for Tennessee Schools: Preparing for the 21st Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tennessee State Board of Education, Nashville.

    The Education Improvement Act (EIA) was passed in Tennessee in 1992. It established the Basic Education Program (BEP) as the funding formula used to provide adequate, equitable, and sustainable school funding. The 1997 master plan is consistent with the national Goals 2000 legislation and addresses each of the eight national goals. The plan…

  3. 25 CFR 39.105 - Are additional funds available for special education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Are additional funds available for special education? 39... additional funds available for special education? (a) Schools may supplement the 15 percent base academic funding reserved under § 39.104 for special education with funds available under part B of the Individuals...

  4. Is 8:30 a.m. Still Too Early to Start School? A 10:00 a.m. School Start Time Improves Health and Performance of Students Aged 13–16

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Kelley

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available While many studies have shown the benefits of later school starts, including better student attendance, higher test scores, and improved sleep duration, few have used starting times later than 9:00 a.m. Here we report on the implementation and impact of a 10 a.m. school start time for 13 to 16-year-old students. A 4-year observational study using a before-after-before (A-B-A design was carried out in an English state-funded high school. School start times were changed from 8:50 a.m. in study year 0, to 10 a.m. in years 1–2, and then back to 8:50 a.m. in year 3. Measures of student health (absence due to illness and academic performance (national examination results were used for all students. Implementing a 10 a.m. start saw a decrease in student illness after 2 years of over 50% (p < 0.0005 and effect size: Cohen's d = 1.07, and reverting to an 8:50 a.m. start reversed this improvement, leading to an increase of 30% in student illness (p < 0.0005 and Cohen's d = 0.47. The 10:00 a.m. start was associated with a 12% increase in the value-added number of students making good academic progress (in standard national examinations that was significant (<0.0005 and equivalent to 20% of the national benchmark. These results show that changing to a 10:00 a.m. high school start time can greatly reduce illness and improve academic performance. Implementing school start times later than 8:30 a.m., which may address the circadian delay in adolescents' sleep rhythms more effectively for evening chronotypes, appears to have few costs and substantial benefits.

  5. A new funding model for nursing education through business development initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broome, Marion E; Bowersox, Dave; Relf, Michael

    Public and private higher education funding models are shifting from traditional funding of schools and departments to a model in which schools increasingly rely on revenue other than tuition to fulfill and supplement activities related to their core missions. In this paper we discuss what nursing deans need to know about non tuition funding in this contemporary paradigm. We focus on how the Duke University School of Nursing created a Business Development Initiative (BDI) that provides additional revenue to help meets the financial needs of its' programs while nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of faculty and staff. This BDI holds promise as a model that can be adapted by other schools seeking to support education, research and professional development initiatives without relying solely on tuition, tax dollars, endowments and/or grants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Diversifying Schools and Leveraging School Improvement: A Comparative Analysis of the English Radical, and Singapore Conservative, Specialist Schools' Policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimmock, Clive

    2011-01-01

    Within the context of fierce global economic competition, school diversification and specialist schools have been seen by governments as cornerstones of education policy to engineer school improvement in both England and Singapore for more than a decade. In both systems, the policy has manifested in different school types, school names and…

  7. Random matrix theory and fund of funds portfolio optimisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conlon, T.; Ruskin, H. J.; Crane, M.

    2007-08-01

    The proprietary nature of Hedge Fund investing means that it is common practise for managers to release minimal information about their returns. The construction of a fund of hedge funds portfolio requires a correlation matrix which often has to be estimated using a relatively small sample of monthly returns data which induces noise. In this paper, random matrix theory (RMT) is applied to a cross-correlation matrix C, constructed using hedge fund returns data. The analysis reveals a number of eigenvalues that deviate from the spectrum suggested by RMT. The components of the deviating eigenvectors are found to correspond to distinct groups of strategies that are applied by hedge fund managers. The inverse participation ratio is used to quantify the number of components that participate in each eigenvector. Finally, the correlation matrix is cleaned by separating the noisy part from the non-noisy part of C. This technique is found to greatly reduce the difference between the predicted and realised risk of a portfolio, leading to an improved risk profile for a fund of hedge funds.

  8. Statement of Dr. Marilyn L. Miller, Immediate Past President, American Association of School Librarians, a Division of the American Library Association, before the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on Reauthorization of Chapter 2, Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, July 16, 1987.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Marilyn L.

    1988-01-01

    This statement in support of Education Consolidation Improvement Act reauthorization discusses six topics related to school libraries: (1) purpose of school libraries; (2) research supporting need for school libraries; (3) current status; (4) funding realities; (5) deteriorating book collections; and (6) impact of federal aid. An American Library…

  9. Pennsylvania Cyber School Funding: Follow the Money

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr-Chellman, Alison A.; Marsh, Rose M.

    2009-01-01

    Cyber charter schools are public charter schools which are entirely online and typically serve all grades from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Pennsylvania implemented widespread charter school legislation as early as 1997. This has offered a great number of Pennsylvanians options in their public schooling. One of these options has been…

  10. The Dutch Experience with Weighted Student Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiske, Edward B.; Ladd, Helen F.

    2010-01-01

    Weighted student funding (WSF) is used in several U.S. cities as a method for providing more funds to schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students. The practice has been used successfully in the Netherlands since 1985. Several factors make the success of the Dutch system unlikely to transfer to the United States, including the Dutch…

  11. School District Leadership Styles and School Improvement: Evidence from Selected School Principals in the Eastern Cape Province

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorosi, Pontso; Bantwini, Bongani D.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how leadership styles in the Eastern Cape school districts support school improvement. Mixed methods research was employed and data was collected through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with school principals in various districts. The study was guided by the following questions:…

  12. AEL Continuous School Improvement Questionnaire. User Manual and Technical Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meehan, Merrill L.; Cowley, Kimberly S.; Craig, James R.; Balow, Nancy; Childers, Robert D.

    The Continuous School Improvement Questionnaire (CSIQ) developed by the AEL helps a school staff gauge its performance on six dimensions related to continuous school improvement. Each member of the staff responds to the CSIQ individually. Although results might be used at the district or regional level, the most widely intended unit for applying…

  13. Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance: The 2010 Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) Grantees after Three Years. NCEE Study Snapshot. NCEE 2016-2006

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wellington, Alison; Chiang, Hanley; Hallgren, Kristin; Speroni, Cecilia; Herrmann, Mariesa; Burkander, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) provides grants to support performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in high-need schools. The goal of the grants is to increase the number of high-performing teachers in high-need schools by rewarding educators for improving students' achievement. The report on which this snapshot is based…

  14. 75 FR 13735 - Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-Special Focus Competition: Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-- Special Focus Competition: Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education ACTION: Extension; Notice... of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special Focus Competition: Program for North American Mobility in...

  15. 34 CFR 272.10 - What types of projects may be funded?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What types of projects may be funded? 272.10 Section... Activities Does the Secretary Fund Under This Program? § 272.10 What types of projects may be funded? (a) The Secretary may award funds to DACs for projects offering technical assistance (including training) to school...

  16. Does Competition Improve Public School Efficiency? A Spatial Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Kaustav

    2010-01-01

    Proponents of educational reform often call for policies to increase competition between schools. It is argued that market forces naturally lead to greater efficiencies, including improved student learning, when schools face competition. In many parts of the country, public schools experience significant competition from private schools; however,…

  17. Acoustic and social design of schools-ways to improve the school listening environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, Mechthild

    2005-04-01

    Results of noise research indicate that communication, and as a result, teaching, learning and the social atmosphere are impeded by noise in schools. The development of strategies to reduce noise levels has often not been effective. A more promising approach seems to be to pro-actively support the ability to listen and to understand. The presentation describes the approach to an acoustic and social school design developed and explored within the project ``GanzOhrSein'' by the Education Department of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. The scope includes an analysis of the current ``school soundscape,'' an introduction to the concept of the project to improve individual listening abilities and the conditions for listening, as well as practical examples and relevant research results. We conclude that an acoustic school design should combine acoustic changes in classrooms with educational activities to support listening at schools and thus contribute to improving individual learning conditions and to reducing stress on both pupils and teachers.

  18. Establishing a green lights revolving fund

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    The report details the experiences of the City of Houston in establishing a Green Lights Revolving Fund. It provides examples of key documents and guidelines which can be used in other jurisdictions to establish an internal revolving fund to provide continuing monies through recapture of cost savings for an ongoing program of energy improvements in governmental facilities. It provides guidelines on how to establish a continuing source of funds for governmental facility energy improvements. The report provides background information on the ongoing energy improvement programs in the City of Houston, including its participation in the Environmental Protection Agency`s Green Lights Program. It reviews the steps required to establish a Green Lights Revolving Fund, including the administrative, legal, budgetary, accounting, interdepartmental, mayoral, and governing body approvals and actions needed to create a self-sustaining revolving fund devoted to energy improvements. The report also describes two funding sources in addition to the grant seed funds which were used to increase the initial funds available in the Green Lights Revolving Fund. It provides sample documents for modification and use in other jurisdictions that want to use similar funding sources. It reports the initial project submission and selection procedure and criteria, and provides a transferable project application kit based on the criteria specified. It also details a sample repayment memorandum of understanding between departments, which can be used in other governments. Other transferable products provided in the report are sample energy audit summaries which were conducted by qualified, independent staff to determine the accuracy of the departmental project costs and savings payback calculations.

  19. Linking the Teacher Appraisal Process to the School Improvement Plan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddekopp, Therese

    2007-01-01

    If a school improvement plan includes input from all stakeholders and focuses on data-driven processes that are linked to teacher appraisal, it can be powerful in leading the school toward the common mission of achieving student success. Linking the school improvement plan to the teacher appraisal process creates a system whereby all individuals…

  20. Principals' Transformational Leadership in School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yingxiu

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to contribute experience and ideas of the transformational leadership, not only for the principal want to improve leadership himself (herself), but also for the school at critical period of improvement, through summarizing forming process and the problem during the course and key factors that affect the course.…

  1. Coaching as a Performance Improvement Tool at School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yirci, Ramazan; Karakose, Turgut; Kocabas, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the current literature and have an insight about coaching as a performance improvement tool at school. In today's world, schools have to survive and keep their organizational success in the highest level because of the high expectations from school stakeholders. Taking place in such a fierce competitive…

  2. Voices from the Field: How School Boards Can Support Districtwide School Improvement Efforts. Newsletter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2009

    2009-01-01

    Leadership is crucial for effective, lasting school improvement. Although research has established that strong, competent principals are vital for high-performing schools (Hallinger, 2003; Leithwood, 1994), attention is turning increasingly to the importance of effective district leadership, including school boards and their contributions to…

  3. How Did Successful High Schools Improve Their Graduation Rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Janna Siegel; Smith, Robert W.; Rinka, Jason

    2016-01-01

    The researchers surveyed 23 North Carolina high schools that had markedly improved their graduation rates over the past five years. The administrators reported on the dropout prevention practices and programs to which they attributed their improved graduation rates. The majority of schools reported policy changes, especially with suspension. The…

  4. School Improvement in High-Capacity Schools: Educational Leadership and Living-Systems Ontology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Coral; Sackney, Larry

    2016-01-01

    Although school improvement continues to present as an unresolved educational problem, the required changes are relatively straightforward. Essentially, schools need to be retooled with students' experiences and high-quality instruction at the center of the design. In this article, we present the findings of research into the leadership of…

  5. Population Activities Fund Agency (PAFA): the journey so far.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-01-01

    Mechanisms are needed funding Nigerian Federal efforts to implement the National Policy on Population for Development, which was approved by the Armed Forces Ruling Council in February, 1988. Subprojects of the Population Activities Fund Agency (PAFA) which were approves are: the integration of family planning (FP) into maternal and child health (MCH) the promotion of Fp through health education, tertiary centers for reproductive health, public enlightenment on population, population/family life education in primary schools, monitoring of National Population Project impact, and integration of population into planning and budgeting. The last obstacle to implementation of PAFA's activities is the signing into law the decree establishing PAFA as a parastatal. The passage is required for continued operations. The national Population for Development policy is unique in providing for quantitative targets, which has attracted the needed financial support of agencies such as the World Bank. As part of the National Population Policy, the National Population Program (NPP) is developing an effective strategy for securing funding and evaluation of subprojects that are designed and implemented b Collaborating Agencies (CAs), both private and public. NPP aims 1) to provide funds for qualified CAs through the Population Activities Fund (PAF) and Agency (PAFA); 2) to monitor PAFA, which manages PAf with the Department of Population Activities, and 3) to stimulate analysis of sociocultural constraints to fertility reduction and international comparisons, and to design innovative interventions through the Population Research Fund (PRF). PAFA funds implementing agencies at all government and nongovernment levels with approaches to population information and services. The goal of PAFA is to realize NPP objectives. The motto is "Towards an improved quality of life for every Nigerian." The mandate is to provide funding for the PAF and NPP, to monitor CAs, to provide assistance to CAs

  6. Finding Funds to Move Summer Learning Forward

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seidel, Bob

    2015-01-01

    Summer learning loss creates a permanent drag on the US education system. With the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) developed "Moving Summer Learning Forward: A Strategic Roadmap for Funding in Tough Times" to provide out-of-school time programs, school districts,…

  7. Improving School Leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2008

    2008-01-01

    As countries strive to reform education systems and improve student results, school leadership is high on education policy agendas. But in many countries, the men and women who run schools are overburdened, underpaid and near retirement. And few people are lining up for their jobs. Based on an OECD study of school leadership practices and policies…

  8. There's a New Alphabet in Town: ESSA and Its Implications for Students, Schools, and School Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackborow, Mary; Clark, Elizabeth; Combe, Laurie; Morgitan, Judith; Tupe, Anna

    2018-03-01

    The 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides state education agencies with more local control over educational planning, requires development of state accountability plans, and provides opportunities for advocacy surrounding school nursing-sensitive indicators of student success. Federal Title I, II, and IV funds are available for state and local education agency utilization in meeting educational needs of impoverished students and for development of high-quality instructional and support personnel. As Specialized Instructional Support Personnel, school nurses can utilize ESSA Title funding to positively impact chronic absenteeism, school climate, and school nurse staffing. ESSA can be a resource for funding school health services and professional education. This article will assist school nurses in better understanding ESSA and how funding is allocated to states and local education agencies.

  9. Health programmes for school employees: improving quality of life, health and productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolbe, Lloyd J; Tirozzi, Gerald N; Marx, Eva; Bobbitt-Cooke, Mary; Riedel, Sara; Jones, Jack; Schmoyer, Michael

    2005-01-01

    School health programmes in the 21st century could include eight components: 1) health services; 2) health education; 3) healthy physical and psychosocial environments; 4) psychological, counselling, and social services; 5) physical education and other physical activities; 6) healthy food services; and 7) integrated efforts of schools, families, and communities to improve the health of school students and employees. The eighth component of modern school health programmes, health programmes for school employees, is the focus of this article. Health programmes for school employees could be designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and productivity of school employees by partially focusing each of the preceding seven components of the school health programme on improving the health and quality of life of school employees as well as students. Thus, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees may be distinct from, but integrated with, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and education of students. School employee health programmes can improve employee: 1) recruitment; 2) morale; 3) retention; and 4) productivity. They can reduce employee: 5) risk behaviours (e.g., physical inactivity); 6) risk factors (e.g., stress, obesity, high blood pressure); (7) illnesses; 8) work-related injuries; 9) absentee days; 10) worker compensation and disability claims; and 11) health care and health insurance costs. Further, if we hope to improve our schools' performance and raise student achievement levels, developing effective school employee health programmes can increase the likelihood that employees will: 12) serve as healthy role models for students; 13) implement effective school health programmes for students; and 14) present a positive image of the school to the community. If we are to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees in the 21st century: school administrators, employees, and

  10. Bringing Funds of Family Knowledge to School. The Living Morocco Project - برغملاشيع

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moises Esteban

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study, grounded in sociocultural theory, is to describe the funds of knowledge of a Moroccan family living in Catalonia (Spain in order to document how teachers can use these funds of knowledge to make direct links between students' lives and classroom teaching. The funds of knowledge approach is based on a simple premise: regardless of any socio-economical and sociocultural "deficit" that people may or may not have all families accumulate bodies of beliefs, ideas, skills and abilities based on their experiences (in areas such as their occupation or their religion. The challenge consists in connecting these bodies of educational resources with teaching practice in order to connect the curriculum with students' lives. In doing so, qualitative research can be carried out using several techniques such as self portraits, self-definition tasks, assessment of family artefacts, documenting routines through photographs, or the analysis of a person's significant circle. The results in terms of teaching practices illustrate the variety of ways teachers can make connections between home and school in ways that assist learners in their academic development. In this article, we propose using the term funds of identity to complement the concept of funds of knowledge.

  11. Multisite Case Study of Florida's Millennium High School Reform Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol A. Mullen

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available This study should have immediate utility for the United States and beyond its borders. School-to-work approaches to comprehensive reform are increasingly expected of schools while legislative funding for this purpose gets pulled back. This multisite case study launches the first analysis of the New Millennium High School (NMHS model in Florida. This improvement program relies upon exemplary leadership for preparing students for postsecondary education

  12. Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools in Indonesia: A cross-sectional assessment on sustaining infrastructural and behavioral interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karon, Andrew J; Cronin, Aidan A; Cronk, Ryan; Hendrawan, Reza

    2017-05-01

    Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools are important for child health, development, and educational performance; yet coverage in Indonesian schools remains low. To address this deficiency, UNICEF and partners conducted a WASH intervention in 450 schools across three provinces in Indonesia. A survey evaluating the sustainability of infrastructure and behavioral interventions in comparison to control districts was conducted one year after completion of the intervention. The survey data were also compared with national government data to assess the suitability of government data to report progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Logistic regression was used to explore associations between WASH conditions and behaviors. Intervention schools were more likely to have handwashing stations with soap and water. In multivariable analyses, schools with a toilet operation and maintenance fund were more likely to have functional toilets. Students who learn hygiene skills from their teachers were less likely to defecate openly, more likely to share hygiene knowledge with their parents, and more likely to wash their hands. Survey data were comparable with government data, suggesting that Indonesian government monitoring may be a reliable source of data to measure progress on the SDGs. This research generates important policy and practice findings for scaling up and sustaining WASH in schools and may help improve WASH in schools programs in other low-resource contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  13. Funds Flow in the Era of Value-Based Health Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itri, Jason N; Mithqal, Ayman; Krishnaraj, Arun

    2017-06-01

    Health care reform is creating significant challenges for hospital systems and academic medical centers (AMCs), requiring a new operating model to adapt to declining reimbursement, diminishing research funding, market consolidation, payers' focus on higher quality and lower cost, and greater cost sharing by patients. Maintaining and promoting the triple mission of clinical care, research, and education will require AMCs to be system-based with strong alignment around governance, operations, clinical care, and finances. Funds flow is the primary mechanism whereby an AMC maintains the triple mission through alignment of the hospital, physician practices, school of medicine, undergraduate university, and other professional schools. The purpose of this article is to discuss challenges with current funds flow models, impact of funds flow on academic and private practice radiology groups, and strategies that can increase funds flow to support radiology practices achieving clinical, research, and teaching missions in the era of value-based health care. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. School Social Work Outcomes: Perspectives of School Social Workers and School Administrators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bye, Lynn; Shepard, Melanie; Partridge, Jamie; Alvarez, Michelle

    2009-01-01

    In an era of fiscal constraint and increased accountability, consistent perceptions of the expectations, means of funding, and reporting of outcomes between administrators and school social workers is vital. School social workers and school administrators in four school districts in Minnesota were surveyed regarding outcomes expected as a result…

  15. The Performance-based Funding Scheme of Universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juha KETTUNEN

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyse the effectiveness of the performance-based funding scheme of the Finnish universities that was adopted at the beginning of 2013. The political decision-makers expect that the funding scheme will create incentives for the universities to improve performance, but these funding schemes have largely failed in many other countries, primarily because public funding is only a small share of the total funding of universities. This study is interesting because Finnish universities have no tuition fees, unlike in many other countries, and the state allocates funding based on the objectives achieved. The empirical evidence of the graduation rates indicates that graduation rates increased when a new scheme was adopted, especially among male students, who have more room for improvement than female students. The new performance-based funding scheme allocates the funding according to the output-based indicators and limits the scope of strategic planning and the autonomy of the university. The performance-based funding scheme is transformed to the strategy map of the balanced scorecard. The new funding scheme steers universities in many respects but leaves the research and teaching skills to the discretion of the universities. The new scheme has also diminished the importance of the performance agreements between the university and the Ministry. The scheme increases the incentives for universities to improve the processes and structures in order to attain as much public funding as possible. It is optimal for the central administration of the university to allocate resources to faculties and other organisational units following the criteria of the performance-based funding scheme. The new funding scheme has made the universities compete with each other, because the total funding to the universities is allocated to each university according to the funding scheme. There is a tendency that the funding schemes are occasionally

  16. The Research Funding Service: a model for expanded library services

    OpenAIRE

    Means, Martha L.

    2000-01-01

    Traditionally, libraries have provided a modest amount of information about grants and funding opportunities to researchers in need of research funding. Ten years ago, the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Libraries and Information Center joined in a cooperative effort with the School of Medicine to develop a complete, library-based grant and funding service for health sciences researchers called the Research Funding Service. The library provided space, access to the library colle...

  17. Webinar: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

    Science.gov (United States)

    A page to register to view the first webinar in the IAQ Knowledge-to-Action Professional Training Webinar Series: Healthy Schools, Healthy Students: Taking Action to Improve IAQ in Your School District

  18. Key Strategies for Improving School Nutrition: A Case Study of Three School Nutrition Program Innovators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacheck, Jennifer M.; Morgan, Emily H.; Wilde, Parke; Griffin, Timothy; Nahar, Elizabeth; Economos, Christina D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: This case study identified common elements of three diverse New England school districts that were real-world models of improving school meals. Methods: School districts that had greater than 1,000 students, [greater than or equal to]3 schools, and [greater than or equal to]40% of students who qualified for free- or…

  19. 25 CFR 39.1002 - Allotment of education administrative funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Allotment of education administrative funds. 39.1002 Section 39.1002 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Administrative Cost Formula § 39.1002 Allotment of education administrative funds. The...

  20. 25 CFR 39.106 - Who is eligible for special education funding?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Who is eligible for special education funding? 39.106 Section 39.106 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL... for special education funding? To receive ISEP special education funding, a student must be under 22...

  1. Tri-P-LETS: Changing the Face of High School Computer Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrell, Linda; Malasri, Kriangsiri; Mills, David; Thomas, Allen; Greer, James

    2012-01-01

    From 2004-2007, the University of Memphis carried out the NSF-funded Tri-P-LETS (Three P Learning Environment for Teachers and Students) project to improve local high-school computer science curricula. The project reached a total of 58 classrooms in eleven high schools emphasizing problem solving skills, programming concepts as opposed to syntax,…

  2. A Dynamic Approach to School Improvement : Main Features and Impact

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Creemers, Bert; Kyriakides, L.; Antoniou, P.

    2013-01-01

    This paper refers to the dynamic approach to school improvement (DASI) which attempts to contribute to the merging of educational effectiveness research and school improvement. The main underlying assumptions and the implementation phases of DASI are discussed. Moreover, a study aiming to compare

  3. Empowerment and Accountability in Implementing a "No-Fee School" Policy: A Challenge for School Governing Bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marishane, R. N.

    2013-01-01

    Empowerment, accountability and redress are prime objectives of school funding in the new South Africa. This is facilitated through the National Norms and Standards for School Funding. The application of the norms has led to the development of a "no-fee school" policy aimed at exempting poor parents from payment of school fees. The…

  4. 34 CFR 200.41 - School improvement plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... academic subjects, adopt policies and practices most likely to ensure that all groups of students described... notice about the identification to parents of each student enrolled in the school; (8) Include strategies... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving...

  5. Managerial multitasking in the mutual fund industry

    OpenAIRE

    Agarwal, Vikas; Ma, Linlin; Mullally, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    We examine the determinants and consequences of mutual fund managers simultaneously managing multiple funds. Well-performing managers multitask by taking over poorly performing funds or launching new funds. Subsequent to multitasking, funds run by managers prior to multitasking (i.e., incumbent funds) experience performance deterioration while the performance of the acquired funds improves. Multitasking increases the assets of fund companies but results in a wealth transfer from shareholders ...

  6. Costs of implementing and maintaining comprehensive school health: the case of the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohinmaa, Arto; Langille, Jessie-Lee; Jamieson, Stuart; Whitby, Caroline; Veugelers, Paul J

    2011-01-01

    Comprehensive school health (CSH) is increasingly receiving renewed interest as a strategy to improve health and learning. The present study estimates the costs associated with implementing and maintaining CSH. We reviewed the accounting information of all schools in the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools (AVHPS) program in 2008/2009. We considered support for nutrition and physical activity programs by the public system, grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers. The annual public funding to AVHPS to implement and maintain CSH totaled $344,514, which translates, on average, to $7,830 per school and $22.67 per student. Of the public funding, $140,500 was for CSH, $86,250 for breakfast programs, $28,750 for school food policy programs, and the remainder for other subsidized programs. Grants, donations and fundraising were mostly locally acquired. They totaled $127,235, which translates, on average, to $2,892 per school or $8.37 per student. The value of volunteer support was estimated to be equivalent to the value of grants, donations and fundraising combined. Of all grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers, 20% was directed to physical activity programs and 80% to nutrition programs. The public costs to implement and maintain CSH are modest. They leveraged substantial local funding and in-kind contributions, underlining community support for healthy eating and active living. Where CSH is effective in preventing childhood overweight, it is most likely cost-effective too, as costs for future chronic diseases are mounting. CSH programs that are proven effective and cost-effective have enormous potential for broad implementation and for reducing the public health burden associated with obesity.

  7. Using Shared Leadership to Achieve School Improvement Goals: A Qualitative Study of One High School's Journey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putman, Leigh Ann

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative phenomenological study examined the impact of shared leadership committees on school improvement efforts. The research identified which leadership factors lead to successful shared leadership committees and which supports and structures were needed for the committees to be meaningful in regards to school improvement. Certified…

  8. Fiduciary and Legal Considerations for Student-Managed Investment Funds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gradisher, Suzanne; Kahl, Douglas R.; Clinebell, John M.; Stevens, Jerry L.

    2016-01-01

    Student-managed investment funds are popular forms of experiential learning in business schools and finance departments. The investment management experience is a real world activity and the structure of the fund may also introduce real world fiduciary and legal responsibilities for students, faculty, and administrators. The authors review how the…

  9. 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…

  10. District-Wide Involvement: The Key to Successful School Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundell, Scott; Babich, George

    1989-01-01

    Describes the self-study process used by the Marana Unified School District to meet accreditation requirements with minimal expense, to emphasize curriculum development, and to improve the school. Considers the key feature of the cyclical review model to be the personal involvement of nearly every faculty member in the 10-school district. (DMM)

  11. The Preparation of Students from National Science Foundation-Funded and Commercially Developed High School Mathematics Curricula for their First University Mathematics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harwell, Michael; Post, Thomas R.; Cutler, Arnie; Maeda, Yukiko; Anderson, Edwin; Norman, Ke Wu; Medhanie, Amanuel

    2009-01-01

    The selection of K-12 mathematics curricula has become a polarizing issue for schools, teachers, parents, and other educators and has raised important questions about the long-term influence of these curricula. This study examined the impact of participation in either a National Science Foundation-funded or commercially developed mathematics…

  12. Leading School Improvement: Using Popper's Theory of Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chitpin, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    Leadership is a highly complex activity, as leaders respond to increasing diversity and external accountability. Additionally, there is increased recognition that leadership is deeply contextual, sensitive to macro-politics of systems and micro-politics of individual schools. In Ontario, Canada, the school improvement effort is focused on raising…

  13. Sovereign Wealth Funds: Issue of transparency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrović Daliborka

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Subject of the paper includes Sovereign Wealth Funds and the formation of the first regulatory framework for their investment activities. Sovereign Wealth Funds invested a significant amount of money in Western financial institutions during the global financial crisis and thus played a crucial role in the preservation and stabilization of the global financial system. However, at the same time, a large gap between the financial power of Sovereign Wealth Funds and the level of their transparency was noted. The need to improve the transparency of Sovereign Wealth Funds has been recognized by international institutions, the OECD and the IMF, which initiated the formulation of the first international regulatory framework regarding the operations of these types of funds. The current international regulatory framework represents a sufficient basis for the gradual improvement of transparency, but because of its non-binding and voluntary nature, certain issues such as the protection of national security interests remain open. Therefore, the solutions can be sought through a process of continuous improvement of international regulation as well as strengthening cooperation between Sovereign Wealth Funds and governments of countries in which they invest.

  14. The Keys to Effective Schools: Educational Reform as Continuous Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D., Ed.

    2006-01-01

    Working in tandem with the powerful National Education Association's KEYS initiative (Keys to Excellence in Your Schools), this second edition focuses on how to change a school's organizational structure and culture to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Each chapter, revised and updated to address continuous improvement and narrowing…

  15. Business Management for Independent Schools. Third Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Association of Independent Schools, Boston, MA.

    This business management manual discusses school accounting and reporting principles; in particular, financial management, computerization, and records retention techniques. First is described the basic accounting principles, plant funds, endowment funds, operational funds, chart of accounts, and financial states of the school's annual financial…

  16. The United States National Library Power School Program: Research Evaluation and Implications for Professional Development and Library Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Dianne McAfee; Zweizig, Douglas L.

    The Library Power program is a school improvement initiative of the DeWitt-Wallace Reader's Digest Fund that began in 1988, designed to promote the full integration of the school library media program into the school curriculum in public elementary and junior high/middle schools. With a total investment exceeding $45 million, Library Power is the…

  17. How a new funding model will shift allocations from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Victoria Y; Glassman, Amanda; Silverman, Rachel L

    2014-12-01

    Policy makers deciding how to fund global health programs in low- and middle-income countries face important but difficult questions about how to allocate resources across countries. In this article we present a typology of three allocation methodologies to align allocations with priorities. We then apply our typology to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. We examined the Global Fund's historical HIV allocations and its predicted allocations under a new funding model that creates an explicit allocation methodology. We found that under the new funding model, substantial shifts in the Global Fund's portfolio are likely to result from concentrating resources in countries with more HIV cases and lower per capita incomes. For example, South Africa, which had 15.8 percent of global HIV cases in 2009, could see its Global Fund HIV funding more than triple, from historic levels that averaged 3.0 percent to 9.7 percent of total Global Fund allocations. The new funding model methodology is expected, but not guaranteed, to improve the efficiency of Global Fund allocations in comparison to historical practice. We conclude with recommendations for the Global Fund and other global health donors to further develop their allocation methodologies and processes to improve efficiency and transparency. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  18. Reading and Writing Gains for Maori Students in Mainstream Schools: Effective Partnerships in the Rotorua Home and School Literacy Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glynn, Ted; Berryman, Mere; Glynn, Vin

    The Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust with support from the Ministry of Education funded a home and school literacy project in nine Rotorua primary schools. The project funded each school to train a home-school liaison worker (either a school staff member or a community person) to assist schools in developing a working partnership with the students'…

  19. Coca-Cola Hispanic Education Fund: Los Angeles Program Description.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Los Angeles, CA.

    The Coca-Cola Hispanic Education Fund was created in response to the high school dropout problem in Los Angeles. The Fund enables the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles to build upon the successful relationship it has developed in the Hispanic community and maximizes the effectiveness of existing student support programs by directing needy…

  20. Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Government Department of Education and Training, 2016

    2016-01-01

    A strong level of funding is important for Australia's school system. The Government has further committed to a new, simpler and fairer funding model that distributes this funding on the basis of need. However, while funding is important, evidence shows that what you do with that funding matters more. Despite significant funding growth in the past…

  1. Adequate Funding for Educational Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angle, Jason B.

    2010-01-01

    Public schools are currently operating in a pressure-cooker of accountability systems in which they must teach students to high standards and meet ever increasing targets for student proficiency, or face increasingly severe sanctions. Into this mix is thrown educational technology and the funding for that technology. The literature espouses the…

  2. The Application of Fishbone Diagram Analysis to Improve School Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slameto

    2016-01-01

    With the enactment of the National Education Standards (NES), the measurement of the school quality was clear; NES became a reference for school development program to improve the school quality. However, the form of the program that exist still in problematic, so that a good proposal need to be prepared. In the real condition, the school shows,…

  3. Practices for Improving Secondary School Climate: A Systematic Review of the Research Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voight, Adam; Nation, Maury

    2016-09-01

    School climate has received increased attention in education policy and, in response, educators are seeking strategies to improve the climates of their middle and high schools. However, there has been no comprehensive synthesis of the empirical evidence for what works in school climate improvement. This article constitutes a systematic review of programs and practices with empirical support for improving school climate. It defines school climate and provides a methodology for identifying and evaluating relevant studies. The review identified 66 studies with varying strength of evidence and nine common elements that cut across reviewed programs and practices. The review concludes with a critical appraisal of what we know about school climate improvement and what we still need to know. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

  4. Contextual factors and effective school improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sun, Hechuan; Creemers, Bert P. M.; de Jong, Rob

    This research provides policy-makers, researchers, and educators at all levels with a glimpse of the contextual influence on effective school improvement (ESI) in 8 European countries. What are the factors at the contextual level, particularly at the national level, which influence ESI? Are there

  5. Quality of nursing doctoral education and scholarly performance in U.S. schools of nursing: strategic areas for improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mi Ja; Park, Chang Gi; Park, So Hyun; Khan, Shaheen; Ketefian, Shaké

    2014-01-01

    Comprehensive evaluation of quality of nursing doctoral education (QNDE) in research-intensive universities has not been reported since 1980s. This study aimed to examine the QNDE from the perspectives of faculty and students/graduates and their relations to school characteristics, identify factors of the four domains of the QNDE that influence the QNDE, and analyze the relationship of QNDE to scholarly performance of nursing schools in the Unites States. Seventy-two nursing schools offering research-focused nursing doctoral programs with National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding during 2004-2007 participated, and they responded to the questionnaire (see http://gknf.or.kr/research/). Twenty-nine deans/schools, 179 faculties, and 461 students/graduates responded. Both faculty and students/graduates groups rated quality positively. Schools in the top quartile group per NIH funding amounts showed significant differences in QNDE from the bottom quartile group. Program and faculty domains were identified as most important by the top quartile group, and items that were significantly associated with the quality were supportive environment for students' learning, faculty mentorship, and assistance to students in understanding the value of programs of research and scholarship. Percentage of faculty member with research grants was significant predictors for all domains of QNDE, and time to degree was significant in explaining overall quality. © 2014.

  6. Inequity of Education Financial Resources: A Case Study of First Nations School Funding Compared to Provincial School Funding in Saskatchewan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr-Stewart, Sheila; Marshall, Jim; Steeves, Larry

    2011-01-01

    In a review of First Nations band-managed school policies, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (2002) noted what had been devolved was "the specific operation of the school. What was not devolved was an [education] system which would support the school" (p. 5) delivery of quality educational programming for First…

  7. Health Improvement and Educational Attainment in Secondary Schools: Complementary or Competing Priorities? Exploratory Analyses From the School Health Research Network in Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Littlecott, Hannah J; Long, Sara; Hawkins, Jemma; Murphy, Simon; Hewitt, Gillian; Eccles, Gemma; Fletcher, Adam; Moore, Graham F

    2018-01-01

    Implementing health improvement is often perceived as diverting resource away from schools' core business, reflecting an assumption of a "zero-sum game" between health and education. There is some evidence that health behaviors may affect young people's educational outcomes. However, associations between implementation of school health improvement and educational outcomes remains underinvestigated. The study linked school-level data on free school meal (FSM) entitlement, educational outcomes, and school attendance, obtained from government websites, with data from the School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) on health improvement activity collected in Wales (2015/2016). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and linear regression models tested the extent of association between health improvement activity and attendance and educational outcomes. SEQ data were provided by 100/115 network schools (87%), of whom data on educational performance were obtained from 97. The percentage of pupils entitled to FSM predicted most of the between-school variance in achievement and attendance. Linear regression models demonstrated significant positive associations of all measures of health improvement activity with attainment at Key Stage (KS) 3, apart from mental health education in the curriculum and organizational commitment to health. Student and parent involvement in planning health activities were associated with improved school attendance. There were no significant associations between health improvement and KS4 attainment. Implementing health improvement activity does not have a detrimental effect on schools' educational performance. There is tentative evidence of the reverse, with better educational outcomes in schools with more extensive health improvement policies and practices. Further research should investigate processes by which this occurs and variations by socioeconomic status.

  8. Elementary and middle school science improvement project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcguire, Saundra Y.

    1989-01-01

    The Alabama A and M University Elementary and Middle School Science Improvement Project (Project SIP) was instituted to improve the science knowledge of elementary and middle school teachers using the experimental or hands-on approach. Summer workshops were conducted during the summers of 1986, 1987, and 1988 in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and electricity, and magnetism. Additionally, a manual containing 43 lessons which included background information, experiments and activities for classroom and home use was provided to each teacher. During the course of the project activities, the teachers interacted with various university faculty members, scientists, and NASA staff. The administrative aspects of the program, the delivery of the services to participating teachers, and the project outcome are addressed.

  9. Funding medical education: should we follow a different model to general higher education?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kieran Walsh

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available ISSUE. There has been much recent discussion on the funding of medical education. There has also been much discussion about the funding of higher education more generally. EVIDENCE. The topics of discussion have included the rising costs of education; who should pay; the various potential models of funding; and how best to ensure maximum returns from investment. IMPLICATIONS. Medical education has largely followed the emerging models of funding for higher education. However there are important reasons why the funding models for higher education may not suit medical education. These reasons include the fact that medical education is as important to the public as it is to the learner; the range of funding sources available to medical schools; the strict regulation of medical education; and the fact that the privatisation and commercialisation of higher education may not been in keeping with the social goals of medical schools and the agenda of diversification within the medical student population.

  10. 77 FR 59407 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Funding Opportunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-27

    ... (TA Center) is to support the federally funded Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) and Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (Project LAUNCH) grant programs. The Safe Schools/Healthy... Center, Inc. based on the receipt of a satisfactory application that is approved by an independent review...

  11. Barriers and Facilitators to Sustaining School Health Teams in Coordinated School Health Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Karen; Lesesne, Catherine A; Rasberry, Catherine N; Kroupa, Elizabeth; Fisher, Deborah; Robin, Leah; Pitt Barnes, Seraphine

    2017-05-01

    Coordinated school health (CSH) programs address multiple factors related to students' overall health, thereby increasing their physical and mental readiness to learn. A formative evaluation of three school districts in 2010-2011 examined strategies for sustaining the school health teams (SHTs) that lead CSH efforts. Qualitative data from 39 interviews and 13 focus groups revealed facilitators and barriers for sustaining SHTs. Quantitative data from 68 questionnaires completed by SHT members and school principals examined factors associated with having more active SHTs and district and school characteristics SHT members believed to be important to their schools' efforts to implement CSH. Facilitators of sustaining SHTs included administrative support, staff engagement in the SHT, and shared goals and responsibility. Barriers to sustaining SHTs included limited time and competing priorities, budget and funding constraints, and staff turnover. Findings provide valuable insight into challenges and potential solutions for improving the sustainability of SHTs to enable them to better support CSH efforts.

  12. Building High-Performing and Improving Education Systems. Systems and Structures: Powers, Duties and Funding. Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slater, Liz

    2013-01-01

    This Review looks at the way high-performing and improving education systems share out power and responsibility. Resources--in the form of funding, capital investment or payment of salaries and other ongoing costs--are some of the main levers used to make policy happen, but are not a substitute for well thought-through and appropriate policy…

  13. Fund Raising: An International Feast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babb, Valorie; Marshall, Gene

    The procedure for planning an international dinner to raise funds and publicize foreign language study is described. The project, which netted several hundred dollars for a high school in North Dakota, involves careful planning over a period of months. Publicity and facilities are discussed, and the various culinary and other jobs to be…

  14. Queens Tri-School Confederation, 1991-92 Evaluation Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannah, Susan; Dworkowitz, Barbara

    An evaluation was done of the Queens Tri-School Confederation, three high schools in the New York City Public Schools funded by a federal grant from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program. The grant provided Hillcrest, Jamaica, and Thomas A. Edison High Schools with funds to develop or expand emergency technician programs at Hillcrest; a law…

  15. Public Budgeting: The Compromises Among the Sound Budgeting Principles in Contingency Funding

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    funding for major aircraft using supplemental appropriations in place of incremental funding as intended for normal budgeting practices. This was a prime... incrementally funded on an annual basis. This change in budgeting practices lacked predictability because it allowed last-minute budget requests with low...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. PUBLIC BUDGETING

  16. Improving low-performing high schools: searching for evidence of promise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleischman, Steve; Heppen, Jessica

    2009-01-01

    Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools. The authors begin by showing how the standards-based school reform movement, together with the No Child Left Behind Act requirement that underperforming schools adopt reforms supported by scientifically based research, spurred policy makers, educators, and researchers to create and implement a variety of approaches to attain improvement. Fleischman and Heppen then review a number of widely adopted reform models that aim to change "business as usual" in low-performing high schools. The models include comprehensive school reform programs, dual enrollment and early college high schools, smaller learning communities, specialty (for example, career) academies, charter high schools, and education management organizations. In practice, say the authors, many of these improvement efforts overlap, defying neat distinctions. Often, reforms are combined to reinforce one another. The authors explain the theories that drive the reforms, review evidence of their reforms' effectiveness to date, and suggest what it will take to make them work well. Although the reforms are promising, the authors say, few as yet have solid evidence of systematic or sustained success. In concluding, Fleischman and Heppen emphasize that the reasons for a high school's poor performance are so complex that no one reform model or approach, no matter how powerful, can turn around low-performing schools. They also stress the need for educators to implement each reform program with fidelity to its requirements and to support it for the time required for success. Looking to the future, the authors suggest steps that decision makers, researchers, and sponsors of research can take to promote

  17. Something Else for the Rest of 'Em? Military Recruiting, School Mission and Postsecondary Transitions in Public High Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dibner, Kenne Ann

    2013-01-01

    Military recruiting is thoroughly integrated in American public schools. Federal legislation mandates that every public school receiving federal funding open its doors to military recruiters in the same capacity as any postsecondary university or job organization, lest that school risk losing all federal funds. This investigation examines the…

  18. Budgeting and Funding School Technology: Essential Considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ireh, Maduakolam

    2010-01-01

    School districts need adequate financial resources to purchase hardware and software, wire their buildings to network computers and other information and communication devices, and connect to the Internet to provide students, teachers, and other school personnel with adequate access to technology. Computers and other peripherals, particularly,…

  19. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACCESS TO THE LABOR MARKET THROUGH THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MECHANISMS OF STRUCTURAL FUNDS GRANTING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    EMILIAN M. DOBRESCU

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available As a consequence of the defective management of the European funds, the European Commission has adopted measures to improve the instruments of financial control and to reduce the errors that can lead to incorrect requests of payments from the European Union`s budget. In this work we attempt to identify aspects regarding the way to efficiently manage the structural funds for the member states and not only to implement and absorb them.

  20. ARGICULTURAL LAND PROTECTION FUND AND FOREST FUND AS ECOLOGICAL FUNDS

    OpenAIRE

    Bartosz Bartniczak

    2009-01-01

    Funds for environmental protection and water management, Agricultural Land Protection Fund and Forest Fund make up the Polish system of special fund in environment protection. The main aim of this article is to analyze the activity of two latest funds. The article tries to answer the question whether that funds could be considered as ecological funds. The author described incomes and outlays of that funds and showed which reform should be done in Polish special funds system.

  1. Delaware GK-12: Improvement of Science Education in Vocational Technical High Schools Through Collaborative Learning and Coteaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, J.; Skalak, K.; Watson, G.; Scantlebury, K.; Allen, D.; Quillen, A.

    2006-12-01

    With funding from the National Science Foundation, the University of Delaware (UD) in partnership with the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District (NCCoVoTech) in Delaware has initiated a GK-12 Program. In each of year this program, nine full time UD graduate students in the sciences, who have completed all or most of their coursework, will be selected to serve as fellows. Participation in the GK-12 program benefits the graduate fellows in many ways. In addition to gaining general insight into current issues of science education, the fellows enhance their experience as scientific researchers by directly improving their ability to effectively communicate complex quantitative and technical knowledge to an audience with multiple and diverse learning needs. In the first year of this project, fellows have been paired with high school science teachers from NCCoVoTech. These pairs, along with the principal investigators (PIs) of this program have formed a learning community that is taking this opportunity to examine and to reflect on current issues in science education while specifically addressing critical needs in teaching science in vocational technical high schools. By participating in summer workshops and follow-up meetings facilitated by the PIs, the fellows have been introduced to a number of innovative teaching strategies including problem-based learning (PBL). Fellow/teacher pairs have begun to develop and teach PBL activities that are in agreement with State of Delaware science standards and that support student learning through inquiry. Fellows also have the opportunity to engage in coteaching with their teacher partner. In this "teaching at the elbow of another", fellows will gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the complexities and nuances of teaching science in vocational technical high schools. While not taught as a stand-alone course in NCCoVoTech high schools, earth science topics are integrated into the science curriculum at

  2. The Effect of School Improvement Planning on Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, David J.; Conway, James M.

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the hypothesis that schools in Connecticut's Alliance Districts (lowest-performing districts) with higher-quality school improvement plans (SIPs) would have higher levels of student achievement. An exploratory research question evaluated whether SIPs predicted achievement of particular subgroups. SIPs were obtained and scored…

  3. Improving classroom practices: the impact of leadership, school organizational conditions, and teacher factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thoonen, E.E.J.

    2012-01-01

    Schools are challenged to improve classroom practices as they are expected to enhance students’ motivation. While leadership, school organizational conditions and teacher factors are considered essential for improving classroom practices, more should be known about the interplay between school

  4. Improving Schools: Using What We Know.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehming, Rolf, Ed.; Kane, Michael, Ed.

    This book deals with studies of how new ideas, materials, or technologies can be used to improve elementary and secondary schools. Ernest House examines knowledge use in educational innovation from the technological perspective, which sees teaching as a technique that can be analyzed by subdividing it into its components; the political…

  5. Philanthropy as a source of funding for nursing initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinpell, Ruth M; Start, Rachel; McIntosh, Erik; Worobec, Sophia; Llewellyn, Jane

    2014-01-01

    Nurse leaders are challenged with ensuring that research and evidence-based practices are being integrated into clinical care. Initiatives such as the Magnet Recognition Program have helped reinforce the importance of advancing nursing practices to integrate best practices, conduct quality improvement initiatives, improve performance metrics, and involve bedside nurses in conducting research and evidence-based practice projects. While seeking research funding is an option for some initiatives, other strategies such as seeking funding from grateful patients or from philanthropic resources are becoming important options for nurse leaders to pursue, as the availability of funding from traditional sources such as professional organizations or federal funding becomes more limited. In addition, more institutions are seeking and applying for funding, increasing the pool of candidates who are vying for existing funding. Seeking alternative sources of funding, such as through philanthropy, becomes a viable option. This article reviews important considerations in seeking funding from philanthropic sources for nursing initiatives. Examples from a multiyear project that focused on promoting a healthy work environment and improving nursing morale are used to highlight strategies that were used to solicit, obtain, and secure extension funding from private foundation funding to support the initiative.

  6. Causes of Teacher Attrition of First, Second, and Third Year Teachers in Rural Middle Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Arkeco Lashay Lewis

    2012-01-01

    Early attrition from teaching bears enormous costs. High attrition means that schools must take funds urgently needed for school improvements and spend them instead in a manner that produces little long-term payoff for student learning (Kain & Singleton, 1996). Keeping highly qualified teachers should always be at the top of the priority list…

  7. The Superintendent's Leadership Role in School Improvement: Relationships between Authenticity and Best Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bird, James J.; Dunaway, David M.; Hancock, Dawson R.; Wang, Chuang

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between superintendent leadership and the operational processes of school improvement. School district superintendents (N = 226) from six southeastern states were surveyed concerning their leadership authenticity and school improvement practices. Descriptive statistics, analyzes of…

  8. Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Third Edition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertler, Craig A.

    2011-01-01

    Written for pre- and in-service educators, this "Third Edition" of Craig A. Mertler's "Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators" introduces the process of conducting one's own classroom- or school-based action research in conjunction with everyday instructional practices and activities. The text provides educators with the…

  9. Funding medical education: should we follow a different model to general higher education? Commentary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Kieran

    2015-01-01

    There has been much recent discussion on the funding of medical education. There has also been much discussion about the funding of higher education more generally. The topics of discussion have included the rising costs of education; who should pay; the various potential models of funding; and how best to ensure maximum returns from investment. Medical education has largely followed the emerging models of funding for higher education. However there are important reasons why the funding models for higher education may not suit medical education. These reasons include the fact that medical education is as important to the public as it is to the learner; the range of funding sources available to medical schools; the strict regulation of medical education; and the fact that the privatisation and commercialisation of higher education may not been in keeping with the social goals of medical schools and the agenda of diversification within the medical student population.

  10. Continuous Improvement in Schools and Districts: Policy Considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Best, Jane; Dunlap, Allison

    2014-01-01

    Discussions about improving public education often focus on outcomes without considering how schools and districts can accomplish those outcomes. Research shows that using a continuous improvement process has proven successful in healthcare, manufacturing, and technology, and may hold potential for use in education as well. This brief defines and…

  11. Using a public hospital funding model to strengthen a case for improved nutritional care in a cancer setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boltong, Anna G; Loeliger, Jenelle M; Steer, Belinda L

    2013-06-01

    This study aimed to measure the prevalence of malnutrition risk and assessed malnutrition in patients admitted to a cancer-specific public hospital, and to model the potential hospital funding opportunity associated with implementing routine malnutrition screening. A point-prevalence audit of malnutrition risk and diagnosable malnutrition was conducted. A retrospective audit of hospital funding associated with documented cases of malnutrition was conducted. Audit results were used to estimate annual malnutrition prevalence, associated casemix-based reimbursement potential and the clinical support resources required to adequately identify and treat malnutrition. Sixty-four percent of inpatients were at risk of malnutrition. Of these, 90% were assessed as malnourished. Twelve percent of malnourished patients produced a positive change in the diagnosis-related group (DRG) and increased allocated financial reimbursement. Identifying and diagnosing all cases of malnutrition could contribute an additional AU$413644 reimbursement funding annually. Early identification of malnutrition may expedite appropriate nutritional management and improve patient outcomes in addition to contributing to casemix-based reimbursement funding for health services. A successful business case for additional clinical resources to improve nutritional care was aided by demonstrating the link between malnutrition screening, hospital reimbursements and improved nutritional care. What is known about the topic? It is known that between 20 and 50% of hospital patients are malnourished and oncology patients are 1.7 times more likely to be malnourished than are other hospitalised patients. Despite the existence of practice guidelines for malnutrition screening of at-risk oncology patients, these are not routinely implemented. Identification of malnutrition in hospitalised patients is linked to casemix funding via DRG. Casemix reimbursement for malnutrition can be enhanced if: (1) malnutrition risk is

  12. Financing Energy Upgrades for K-12 School Districts: A Guide to Tapping into Funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Improvements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goggio Borgeson, Merrian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Zimring, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division

    2013-04-01

    This guide focuses on clean energy financing options for school administrators, facility managers, and other K-12 school decision makers who are considering investments in high performance school projects. This guide explicitly focuses on comprehensive energy upgrades, those that involve multiple measures and are targeted toward achieving significant energy savings. Successful implementation of clean energy upgrades in schools is a matter of understanding the opportunity, making the commitment, and creatively tapping into available financing. This guide attempts to provide the foundation needed for successful projects in U.S. schools. It walks through the financing options available to K-12 schools and provides case studies of six school districts from around the country.

  13. Changing classroom practices: the role of school-wide capacity for sustainable improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleegers, P.J.C.; Thoonen, E.E.J.; Oort, F.J.; Peetsma, T.T.D.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement is considered critical for changing teachers’ classroom practices, there is still little empirical evidence for

  14. Changing classroom practices: the role of school-wide capacity for sustainable improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleegers, P.J.C.; Thoonen, Eric E.J.; Oort, Frans J.; Peetsma, Thea T.D.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – Elementary schools have been confronted with large-scale educational reforms as strategies to improve the educational quality. While building school-wide capacity for improvement is considered critical for changing teachers’ classroom practices, there is still little empirical evidence for

  15. Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Austin, Robert D.; Minbaeva, Dana; Dimokopoulos, Demetra

    2017-01-01

    In 2015, the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), the largest business incubator in Denmark, was admitting 100–125 new start-ups each year and attracting external funding of US$33 million from both public and private sources—all with an annual budget of US$435,000, funded exclusively by t...... to question how they measured the benefits of the program. How should the 53 per cent success rate be compared to the Copenhagen Business School's investment? What changes could the CSE leadership make to create more value for Danish society?......In 2015, the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), the largest business incubator in Denmark, was admitting 100–125 new start-ups each year and attracting external funding of US$33 million from both public and private sources—all with an annual budget of US$435,000, funded exclusively...... by the Copenhagen Business School. Like most business incubators, CSE worked to provide entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, and investors, and to enhance their visibility in the market. It required all admitted start-ups to participate in a screening/selection tool and a set of incubation activities over three...

  16. Product reformulation and nutritional improvements after new competitive food standards in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahn, Jaquelyn L; Cohen, Juliana Fw; Gorski-Findling, Mary T; Hoffman, Jessica A; Rosenfeld, Lindsay; Chaffee, Ruth; Smith, Lauren; Rimm, Eric B

    2018-04-01

    In 2012, Massachusetts enacted school competitive food and beverage standards similar to national Smart Snacks. These standards aim to improve the nutritional quality of competitive snacks. It was previously demonstrated that a majority of foods and beverages were compliant with the standards, but it was unknown whether food manufacturers reformulated products in response to the standards. The present study assessed whether products were reformulated after standards were implemented; the availability of reformulated products outside schools; and whether compliance with the standards improved the nutrient composition of competitive snacks. An observational cohort study documenting all competitive snacks sold before (2012) and after (2013 and 2014) the standards were implemented. The sample included thirty-six school districts with both a middle and high school. After 2012, energy, saturated fat, Na and sugar decreased and fibre increased among all competitive foods. By 2013, 8 % of foods were reformulated, as were an additional 9 % by 2014. Nearly 15 % of reformulated foods were look-alike products that could not be purchased at supermarkets. Energy and Na in beverages decreased after 2012, in part facilitated by smaller package sizes. Massachusetts' law was effective in improving the nutritional content of snacks and product reformulation helped schools adhere to the law. This suggests fully implementing Smart Snacks standards may similarly improve the foods available in schools nationally. However, only some healthier reformulated foods were available outside schools.

  17. 78 FR 37101 - Funding and Fiscal Affairs, Loan Policies and Operations, and Funding Operations; Liquidity and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-20

    ... Operations, and Funding Operations; Liquidity and Funding; Effective Date AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration... amends its liquidity regulation to strengthen liquidity risk management at Farm Credit System (System) banks, improve the quality of assets in their liquidity reserves, and bolster the ability of System...

  18. 34 CFR 271.10 - What types of projects may be funded?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What types of projects may be funded? 271.10 Section... Activities Does the Secretary Assist Under This Program? § 271.10 What types of projects may be funded? The Secretary awards grants to SEAs for projects offering technical assistance (including training) to school...

  19. The Irish Enterprise Funding Environment, April 2012

    OpenAIRE

    2012-01-01

    Funding is vital for enterprises to survive and at present bank lending is a central element of the funding environment for business in Ireland. This report provides an overview of the current funding environment for business in Ireland, both bank and non-bank sources. It also outlines the policy issues arising and proposes a wide range of actions to improve access to funding, many of which have been reflected in the Action Plan for Jobs. Implementation of funding measures in the Action Pl...

  20. Achieving Public Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abowitz, Kathleen Knight

    2011-01-01

    Public schools are functionally provided through structural arrangements such as government funding, but public schools are achieved in substance, in part, through local governance. In this essay, Kathleen Knight Abowitz explains the bifocal nature of achieving public schools; that is, that schools are both subject to the unitary Public compact of…

  1. A population-based evaluation of a publicly funded, school-based HPV vaccine program in British Columbia, Canada: parental factors associated with HPV vaccine receipt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogilvie, Gina; Anderson, Maureen; Marra, Fawziah; McNeil, Shelly; Pielak, Karen; Dawar, Meena; McIvor, Marilyn; Ehlen, Thomas; Dobson, Simon; Money, Deborah; Patrick, David M; Naus, Monika

    2010-05-04

    Information on factors that influence parental decisions for actual human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine receipt in publicly funded, school-based HPV vaccine programs for girls is limited. We report on the level of uptake of the first dose of the HPV vaccine, and determine parental factors associated with receipt of the HPV vaccine, in a publicly funded school-based HPV vaccine program in British Columbia, Canada. All parents of girls enrolled in grade 6 during the academic year of September 2008-June 2009 in the province of British Columbia were eligible to participate. Eligible households identified through the provincial public health information system were randomly selected and those who consented completed a validated survey exploring factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to calculate adjusted odds ratios to identify the factors that were associated with parents' decision to vaccinate their daughter(s) against HPV. 2,025 parents agreed to complete the survey, and 65.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63.1-67.1) of parents in the survey reported that their daughters received the first dose of the HPV vaccine. In the same school-based vaccine program, 88.4% (95% CI 87.1-89.7) consented to the hepatitis B vaccine, and 86.5% (95% CI 85.1-87.9) consented to the meningococcal C vaccine. The main reasons for having a daughter receive the HPV vaccine were the effectiveness of the vaccine (47.9%), advice from a physician (8.7%), and concerns about daughter's health (8.4%). The main reasons for not having a daughter receive the HPV vaccine were concerns about HPV vaccine safety (29.2%), preference to wait until the daughter is older (15.6%), and not enough information to make an informed decision (12.6%). In multivariate analysis, overall attitudes to vaccines, the impact of the HPV vaccine on sexual practices, and childhood vaccine history were predictive of parents having a daughter receive the HPV vaccine in a

  2. A population-based evaluation of a publicly funded, school-based HPV vaccine program in British Columbia, Canada: parental factors associated with HPV vaccine receipt.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gina Ogilvie

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Information on factors that influence parental decisions for actual human papillomavirus (HPV vaccine receipt in publicly funded, school-based HPV vaccine programs for girls is limited. We report on the level of uptake of the first dose of the HPV vaccine, and determine parental factors associated with receipt of the HPV vaccine, in a publicly funded school-based HPV vaccine program in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS AND FINDINGS: All parents of girls enrolled in grade 6 during the academic year of September 2008-June 2009 in the province of British Columbia were eligible to participate. Eligible households identified through the provincial public health information system were randomly selected and those who consented completed a validated survey exploring factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to calculate adjusted odds ratios to identify the factors that were associated with parents' decision to vaccinate their daughter(s against HPV. 2,025 parents agreed to complete the survey, and 65.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63.1-67.1 of parents in the survey reported that their daughters received the first dose of the HPV vaccine. In the same school-based vaccine program, 88.4% (95% CI 87.1-89.7 consented to the hepatitis B vaccine, and 86.5% (95% CI 85.1-87.9 consented to the meningococcal C vaccine. The main reasons for having a daughter receive the HPV vaccine were the effectiveness of the vaccine (47.9%, advice from a physician (8.7%, and concerns about daughter's health (8.4%. The main reasons for not having a daughter receive the HPV vaccine were concerns about HPV vaccine safety (29.2%, preference to wait until the daughter is older (15.6%, and not enough information to make an informed decision (12.6%. In multivariate analysis, overall attitudes to vaccines, the impact of the HPV vaccine on sexual practices, and childhood vaccine history were predictive of parents having

  3. 78 FR 26701 - Funding and Fiscal Affairs, Loan Policies and Operations, and Funding Operations; Liquidity and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-08

    ... Operations, and Funding Operations; Liquidity and Funding; Correction AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration... the Federal Register on April 18, 2013 to strengthen liquidity risk management at Farm Credit System (System) banks, improve the quality of assets in their liquidity reserves, and bolster the ability of...

  4. Rethinking the Quest for School Improvement: Some Findings from the DESSI Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huberman, A. Michael; Miles, Matthew B.

    1984-01-01

    A review of the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement (DESSI) field study indicated a need for reorganization of the conceptual paradigms used to account for school improvement. Current paradigms do not account for the rational and conflict theories of social change. (DF)

  5. School Finance Reform. At Issue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weston, Margaret

    2010-01-01

    Californians are very concerned about funding for their K-12 public schools. They consistently say that K-12 education should be protected from spending cuts over and above any other area of the state budget. California's system of school finance is in trouble. Many studies have found it to be inequitable, with wide variation in per-pupil funding.…

  6. State Policy Snapshot: School District Facilities and Public Charter Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simnick, Russ

    2015-01-01

    One of the greatest challenges to the health of the public charter school movement is access to adequate facilities in which the schools operate. Public charter school facilities are rarely funded on par with school district facilities. Over the years, more states have come to realize that they have an obligation to ensure that all public school…

  7. International Accreditations as Drivers of Business School Quality Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Business schools are under pressure to implement continuous improvement and quality assurance processes to remain competitive in a globalized higher education market. Drivers for quality improvement include external, environmental pressures, regulatory bodies such as governments, and, increasingly, voluntary accreditation agencies such as AACSB…

  8. Using public policy to improve outcomes for asthmatic children in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Jewlya; Oppenheimer, Sophie; Zimmer, Lorena

    2014-12-01

    School-based services to improve asthma management need to be accompanied by public policies that can help sustain services, scale effective interventions, create greater equity across schools, and improve outcomes for children. Several national organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have recommended specific public policies the adoption of which in school settings can improve asthma outcomes for children. Although many states and school districts have adopted some of these policies, adoption is not universal, and implementation is not always successful, leaving inequities in children's access to asthma services and supports. These issues can be addressed by changing public policy. Policy change is a complex process, but it is one that will benefit from greater involvement by asthma experts, including the researchers who generate the knowledge base on what services, supports, and policies have the best outcomes for children. Asthma experts can participate in the policy process by helping to build awareness of the need for school-based asthma policy, estimating the costs associated with policy options and with inaction, advocating for the selection of specific policies, assisting in implementation (including providing feedback), conducting the research that can evaluate the effectiveness of implementation, and ultimately providing information back into the policy process to allow for improvements to the policies. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Meeting the Challenges of Fiscal and Programmatic Sustainability: Lessons from Teacher Incentive Fund Grantees. The Harvesting Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuermann, Patrick; Archibald, Sarah; Kluender, Ray; Ptak, Kirsten

    2011-01-01

    A total of 33 sites, including states, school districts, charter school coalitions, and other education organizations make up Cohorts 1 and 2 of the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). These sites received funds beginning in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007 to redesign compensation programs for teachers and principals. The U.S. Department of…

  10. School Improvement Model to Foster Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rulloda, Rudolfo Barcena

    2011-01-01

    Many classroom teachers are still using the traditional teaching methods. The traditional teaching methods are one-way learning process, where teachers would introduce subject contents such as language arts, English, mathematics, science, and reading separately. However, the school improvement model takes into account that all students have…

  11. What Happens When the Musicians Leave? Case Study of a Jessie’s Fund Project to Develop Teachers’ Skills and Confidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom Northey

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This article describes a project delivered by Jessie’s Fund, a UK charity which supports children through music therapy and creative music work. The project took place between January and July 2012 and involved staff and pupils from a special school in the north of England. The article describes briefly how music is delivered in special schools across the UK and explains some of the challenges Jessie’s Fund has faced in having a lasting impact on how schools cover the music curriculum for children with complex needs. In 2012 Jessie’s Fund partnered with a special school in the north of England to design a new approach which focused intensively on the development needs of staff. Jessie’s Fund musicians visited pairs of staff over a period of six months to build their skills and confidence in leading music sessions with their pupils. The project was considerably more effective than some previous ‘musician-led’ activities and had a significant, whole-school impact. This article describes the work that took place, the responses from the staff involved and how Jessie’s Fund intends to use this learning for future projects.

  12. Understaning the "funding effect"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oreskes, N.

    2016-12-01

    There is a long history of industry funding of scientific and engineering research in the USA. Much of this work has been of high quality. Research demonstrates, however, that corporate funding can represent a threat to scientific independence and integrity. Studies show that sponsors' interests can affect research results, particularly when sponsors have a strong interest in a particular research outcome. The effects may occur through the impact of subconscious bias on sampling, study design, data interpretation, and/or reporting of results. Corporate funding can also skew research toward investigating certain questions at the expense of others, downplaying the significance of adverse findings, and/or failing to report adverse results. Gifts can affect behavior, even when they are unrelated to research activities. These impacts that are so substantial that they have a name: "the funding effect."[i] Evidence shows that scientists who strive to be objective and fair-minded may nonetheless fall prey to the funding effect. In many cases, the challenges of corporate gifts and funding can be addressed through education and improved self-awareness, agreements that protect researchers' freedom to publish without sponsor approval, sensible disclosure policies, and reasonable sanctions for failures of disclosure. However, in some cases, it may be appropriate for researchers and scientific societies to decline funding.

  13. Student Media in U.S. Secondary Schools: Associations with School Demographic Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobkowski, Piotr S.; Goodman, Mark; Bowen, Candace Perkins

    2012-01-01

    This study provides an up-to-date counting of student media in U.S. public high schools. The analysis underscores the importance of school demographic characteristics in predicting whether schools offer student media. The disparities identified here should inform how journalism schools, scholastic journalism organizations, funding agencies, and…

  14. 1997/98 Orphan Well Fund annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-04-01

    Alberta's Orphan Well Fund (previously referred as the Abandonment Fund) is funded by the oil and gas industry with provincial government support and approval. It was created to enforce and improve regulations regarding orphan wells. 1997/98 marked the year in which Orphan Well Fund activities included pipeline abandonments, facility decommissioning, and well site reclamation. The first part of this report includes the annual report of the Orphan Fund, while the second part includes the report on the Energy and Utilities Board's (EUB's) Liability Management activities which are an important part of enforcing and improving provincial regulations in the prevention of orphan wells. The fund allows liability management to be done with industry's dollars rather than taxpayer's dollars. Highlights for the year include the successful completion on eleven downhole and surface wells. Expanded activities also included the abandonment of eleven pipelines, and facilities decommissioning work at five locations. The report also includes a financial review, and a summary of the future goals of the program. The EUB enforcement activities and operations, as well as the EUB orphan prevention activities are also reviewed. tabs

  15. A Quality Function Deployment Analysis of Customer Needs for Meeting School Improvement Goals: The Voice of the School Principal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushner, Susan N.; And Others

    In providing leadership for school improvement teams, principals must employ group communication and decision-making skills. In this study, a planning procedure called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was modified for use with school-based administrators. Teams of school leaders used QFD to generate the top priority needs of school customers…

  16. The Search for Security Technology Funding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fickes, Michael

    2003-01-01

    Explains that although it is difficult to find money to pay for school security technology, there are places to look. For example, the Department of Education has a list serve that summarizes various funding opportunities. There is also a Federal Register list serve and a site put out by the Department of Justice. A sidebar presents three…

  17. The School Budget, Power and Responsibility in Grant-Maintained Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Simon

    1992-01-01

    Describes Audenshaw High School in Manchester, England, the first school to achieve grant-maintained status under the 1988 Education Reform Act, as an example of future school administration in the United Kingdom. Examines five aspects of budgeting that this change has entailed, highlighting funding problems and opportunities. (10 references) (MLH)

  18. An Analysis of the Mutual Fund Industry: Mutual Fund Investors, Mutual Fund Managers and Mutual Fund Companies

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Jieyan

    2012-01-01

    In this dissertation I investigate the mutual fund industry, especially the three most important participants within this industry: mutual fund investors, mutual fund companies and mutual fund managers. The main research questions of this dissertation are: 1. Does rapid trading exist among German equity mutual fund investors? What are the determinants of rapid trading? Does rapid trading have a negative impact on mutual fund performance? 2. Do mutual fund investors, as a whole, have...

  19. Downside Risk Timing by Mutual Funds

    OpenAIRE

    Bodnaruk, Andriy; Chokaev, Bekhan; Simonov, Andrei

    2015-01-01

    We study whether mutual funds systematically manage downside risk of their portfolios in ways that improve their performance. We find that actively managed mutual funds on average possess positive downside risk timing ability. Funds investing in large-cap and value stocks have stronger downside risk timing skills. Managers adjust funds’ downside risk exposure in response to macroeconomic information. The economic value of downside risk timing is comparable to that of market timing.

  20. Profiles of Change: Lessons for Improving High School Physical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    This feature has told stories of high school physical educators who have refused to accept the status quo of high school physical education programs. They have identified problems, initiated innovations in their own classes, implemented changes beyond their classes, and moved toward institutionalizing improvements throughout their programs and…

  1. 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…

  2. School food policy at Dutch primary schools: room for improvement? Cross-sectional findings from the INPACT study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ansem, Wilke Jc; Schrijvers, Carola Tm; Rodenburg, Gerda; Schuit, Albertine J; van de Mheen, Dike

    2013-04-12

    Schools can play an important role in the prevention of obesity, e.g. by providing an environment that stimulates healthy eating habits and by developing a food policy to provide such an environment. The effectiveness of a school food policy is affected by the content of the policy, its implementation and its support by parents, teachers and principals. The aim of this study is to detect opportunities to improve the school food policy and/or implementation at Dutch primary schools. Therefore, this study explores the school food policy and investigates schools' (teachers and principals) and parents' opinion on the school food policy. Data on the schools' perspective of the food policy was collected from principals and teachers by means of semi-structured interviews. In total 74 principals and 72 teachers from 83 Dutch primary schools were interviewed. Data on parental perceptions about the school food policy were based on a cross-sectional survey among 1,429 parents from the same schools. Most principals (87.1%) reported that their school had a written food policy; however in most cases the rules were not clearly defined. Most of the principals (87.8%) believed that their school paid sufficient attention to nutrition and health. Teachers and principals felt that parents were primarily responsible to encourage healthy eating habits among children, while 49.8% of the parents believed that it is also a responsibility of the school to foster healthy eating habits among children. Most parents reported that they appreciated the school food policy and comply with the food rules. Parents' opinion on the enforcement of the school food policy varied: 28.1% believed that the school should enforce the policy more strongly, 32.1% was satisfied, and 39.8% had no opinion on this topic. Dutch primary schools could play a more important role in fostering healthy eating habits among children. The school food policy could be improved by clearly formulating food rules, simplifying

  3. 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…

  4. Full State Funding and the Distribution of Educational Resources in Hawaii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hight, Joseph E.

    1974-01-01

    A regression analysis of per pupil current expenditures across public elementary schools in Hawaii indicates that Hawaii's system of full State funding of its schools has not completely eliminated a positive correlation between expenditures and family income. This correlation is the result of a direct relation between teacher salary expenditures…

  5. Improving school governance through participative democracy and the law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marius H Smit

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available There is an inextricable link between democracy, education and the law. After 15 yearsofconstitutional democracy, the alarming percentage of dysfunctional schools raises questions about the efficacy of the system of local school governance. We report on the findings of quantitative and qualitative research on the democratisation of schools and the education system in North-West Province. Several undemocratic features are attributable to systemic weaknesses of traditional models of democracy as well as the misapplication of democratic and legal principles. The findings of the qualitative study confirmed that parents often misconceive participatory democracy for political democracy and misunderstand the role of the school governing body to be a political forum. Despite the shortcomings, the majority of the respondents agreed that parental participation improves school effectiveness and that the decentralised model of local school governance should continue. Recommendations to effect the inculcation of substantive democratic knowledge, values and attitudes into school governance are based on theory of deliberative democracy and principles of responsiveness, accountability and justification of decisions through rational discourse.

  6. Identifying and Funding the Greatest Needs in School Facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorrell, Bob; Salamone, Frank

    2012-01-01

    How should public school facilities programs allocate limited resources to school facilities needs fairly, cost-effectively, and efficiently while taking into account facility condition, educational adequacy, and other priorities? New Mexico has developed a solution that overcomes key challenges that are common to school facilities programs across…

  7. Analysis and Measures to Improve Waste Management in Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Cristina Rada

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Assessing waste production in schools highlights the contribution of school children and school staff to the total amount of waste generated in a region, as well as any poor practices of recycling (the so-called separate collection of waste in schools by the students, which could be improved through educational activities. Educating young people regarding the importance of environmental issues is essential, since instilling the right behavior in school children is also beneficial to the behavior of their families. The way waste management was carried out in different schools in Trento (northern Italy was analyzed: a primary school, a secondary school, and three high schools were taken as cases of study. The possible influence of the age of the students and of the various activities carried out within the schools on the different behaviors in separating waste was also evaluated. The results showed that the production of waste did not only depend on the size of the institutes and on the number of occupants, but, especially, on the type of activities carried out in addition to the ordinary classes and on the habits of both pupils and staff. In the light of the results obtained, some corrective measures were proposed to schools, aimed at increasing the awareness of the importance of the right behavior in waste management by students and the application of good practices of recycling.

  8. When Money Matters: School Infrastructure Funding and Student Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crampton, Faith E.; Thompson, David C.

    2011-01-01

    Today's school business officials are more aware than ever of the importance of making every dollar count. As they scour their budgets for possible savings, they may be tempted to reduce investment in school infrastructure, perhaps by deferring maintenance, renovations, and replacement of outdated facilities. However, school business officials…

  9. Superintendents' Perceptions of the School Improvement Planning Process in the Southeastern USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunaway, David M.; Bird, James J.; Wang, Chuang; Hancock, Dawson

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study of school improvement planning in the southeastern USA was to establish the current view of the process through the eyes of the district superintendents. The answers to the questions were consistently mixed. Generally, the presence of school improvement planning is prevalent in the large majority of districts. However,…

  10. Perceptions of the Purpose and Value of the School Improvement Plan Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunaway, David M.; Kim, Do-Hong; Szad, Elizabeth R.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine how teachers and administrators in a successful North Carolina district perceived the purpose and value of a school improvement plan (SIP) and the planning process. The SIP is the accepted best practice for school-wide improvement, and the perceptions of the purpose and value of the process…

  11. A Guided Empowerment Self-Audit as a School Improvement Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Charity Fleming; Goodwin, Debbie

    2014-01-01

    No Child left Behind, The ESEA Flexibility Program, and the Race to the Top contest have spurred a multitude of School Improvement programs, businesses, initiatives and more. The current emphasis on standardized testing, data gathering and analysis, and measuring effective schooling has caused many education agencies, state and local, to seek…

  12. Hypnotic Relaxation and Yoga to Improve Sleep and School Functioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perfect, Michelle M.; Smith, Bradley

    2016-01-01

    Sleep insufficiency, defined as inadequate sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, has been linked with students' learning and behavioral outcomes at school. However, there is limited research on interventions designed to improve the sleep of school-age children. In order to promote more interest on this critical topic, we…

  13. Public Support for Catholic and Denominational Schools: An International Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawton, Stephen B.

    Government policy on public support for private schools in Sweden, the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, France and Malta, and Canada is reviewed. In Sweden virtually all schools are government schools funded by local and national grants; only a handful of private schools exist and they receive no government funds. The United…

  14. Distributed Leadership an Instrument for School Improvement: The Study of Public Senior High Schools in Ghana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dampson, Dandy George; Havor, Felicia Mensah; Laryea, Prince

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of distributed leadership in Public Senior High Schools (SHS) with regard to school improvement. Using the Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Method design, 92 teachers and 4 head masters and 4 assistant head masters were randomly and census sampled. Three research questions were formulated and…

  15. Science school and culture school: improving the efficiency of high school science teaching in a system of mass science education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlton, Bruce G

    2006-01-01

    Educational expansion in western countries has been achieved mainly by adding years to full-time education; however, this process has probably reduced efficiency. Sooner or later, efficiency must improve, with a greater educational attainment per year. Future societies will probably wish more people to study science throughout high school (aged c. 11-19 years) and the first college degree. 'Science' may be defined as any abstract, systematic and research-based discipline: including mathematics, statistics and the natural sciences, economics, music theory, linguistics, and the conceptual or quantitative social sciences. Since formal teaching is usually necessary to learn science, science education should be regarded as the core function of high schools. One standard way to improve efficiency is the 'division of labour', with increased specialization of function. Modern schools are already specialized: teachers are specialized according to age-group taught, subject matter expertise, and administrative responsibilities. School students are stratified by age and academic aptitude. I propose a further institutional division of school function between science education, and cultural education (including education in arts, sports, ethics, social interaction and good citizenship). Existing schools might split into 'science school' and 'culture school', reflected in distinct buildings and zones, separate administrative structures, and the recruitment of differently-specialized teaching personnel. Science school would be distinguished by its focus on education in disciplines which promote abstract systematic cognition. All students would spend some part of each day (how much would depend on their aptitude and motivation) in the 'science school'; experiencing a traditional-style, didactic, disciplined and rigorous academic education. The remainder of the students' time at school would be spent in the cultural division, which would focus on broader aspects, and aim to generate

  16. Understanding Effective Program Improvement Schools through a Distributed Leadership Task Context Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gipson, Frances Marie

    2012-01-01

    Federal, state, and local agencies face challenges organizing resources that create the conditions necessary to create, sustain, and replicate effective high performing schools. Knowing that leadership does impact achievement outcomes and that school districts tackle growing numbers of sanctioned Program Improvement schools, a distributed…

  17. The Impact of Charter Schools on Public and Private School Enrollments. Policy Analysis. No. 707

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buddin, Richard

    2012-01-01

    Charter schools are publicly funded schools that have considerable independence from public school districts in their curriculum development and staffing decisions, and their enrollments have increased substantially over the past two decades. Charter schools are changing public and private school enrollment patterns across the United States. This…

  18. Non-Government Distance Education Funding: The Need for Equity in Australian Schooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, Terry

    2012-01-01

    This reflection outlines the problems associated with the Australian Government's recurrent funding policy for non-government distance education. It demonstrates the policy's inconsistencies with stated government educational policy and with commonly held expectations of fairness in a democratic society. A comparison of the current funding of…

  19. Evaluating School Improvement Plans and Their Affect on Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Kenneth E.

    2011-01-01

    The development of a school improvement plan (SIP) has become an integral part of many school reform efforts. However, there are almost no studies that empirically examine the effectiveness of SIPs. The few studies examining the planning activities of organizations have generally focused on the private sector and have not provided clear or…

  20. Availability of school health services for young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heneghan, A M; Malakoff, M E

    1997-10-01

    A survey to assess availability of school health services was distributed to 221 directors of Schools of the 21st Century, an educational model that provides integrated services to children and families. Of this distribution, 126 (57%) surveys were returned; 88% of respondents reported they provided some type of school health services for their students; 75% of schools had access to school nursing services, yet only 33% had a school nurse on-site; 50% had less than daily access to a school nurse. Despite a high reported prevalence of physical and mental health problems, other services such as acute care, nutrition counseling, dental screenings, or mental health services were provided less frequently. Barriers perceived as problematic for schools providing health services included inadequate funding, limited parental awareness, and opposition by school or community members. Respondents believed transportation, limited financial resources, and inadequate health insurance were barriers to care for children and families. Among this sample of schools, school health services varied in availability and comprehensiveness. Educators, health providers, and parents must work together to provide improved school health services for children.

  1. Improving index mutual fund risk perception : Increase financial literacy or communicate better?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Goeij, Peter; Van Campenhout, Geert; Subotic, Marjana

    2017-01-01

    We investigate the effect of financial literacy and index mutual fund risk disclosure format on investors’ risk perception by examining the risk disclosure part in the Key Investor Information Document (KIID) for UCITS funds in Europe. Using an experimental survey administered to 244 university

  2. The global financial crisis has led to a slowdown in growth of funding to improve health in many developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leach-Kemon, Katherine; Chou, David P; Schneider, Matthew T; Tardif, Annette; Dieleman, Joseph L; Brooks, Benjamin P C; Hanlon, Michael; Murray, Christopher J L

    2012-01-01

    How has funding to developing countries for health improvement changed in the wake of the global financial crisis? The question is vital for policy making, planning, and advocacy purposes in donor and recipient countries alike. We measured the total amount of financial and in-kind assistance that flowed from both public and private channels to improve health in developing countries during the period 1990-2011. The data for the years 1990-2009 reflect disbursements, while the numbers for 2010 and 2011 are preliminary estimates. Development assistance for health continued to grow in 2011, but the rate of growth was low. We estimate that assistance for health grew by 4 percent each year from 2009 to 2011, reaching a total of $27.73 billion. This growth was largely driven by the World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and appeared to be a deliberate strategy in response to the global economic crisis. Assistance for health from bilateral agencies grew by only 4 percent, or $444.08 million, largely because the United States slowed its development assistance for health. Health funding through UN agencies stagnated, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria announced that it would make no new grants for the next two years because of declines in funding. Given the international community's focus on meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and persistent economic hardship in donor countries, continued measurement of development assistance for health is essential for policy making.

  3. Change Vocational Funding to Acquire Qualified Math/Science Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heron, Bill

    1985-01-01

    Gives a brief overview of the problems occurring at the high school level due to inadequately paid personnel in the math and science areas, summarizes the current bureaucratic structure surrounding vocational funding, and suggests an alternative. (FL)

  4. Lunchbox contents of Australian school children: room for improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanigorski, A M; Bell, A C; Kremer, P J; Swinburn, B A

    2005-11-01

    In light of the increasing prevalence of obesity in children and the potential of schools as a setting for intervention, we aimed to identify the main foods and beverages consumed at primary school and to determine differences in consumption patterns between children who used the school canteen and those who did not. Cross-sectional survey of school foods in 1681 5-12 y old children, 2003-2004. Barwon South-Western region of Victoria, Australia. The school food provided an average (+/-s.e.m.) of 3087+/-26 kJ. Bread was the most frequently consumed food and contributed 20% of total energy at school, biscuits 13%, fruit 10%, muesli/fruit bars 8%, packaged snacks 7%, and fruit juice/cordial 6%. About 10% of children used the school canteen and these children obtained more total energy and more energy from cakes, fast foods and soft drink than noncanteen users (Pjunk food'). Fruit intake in primary schools seems reasonably high but could be targeted for further increase as part of promoting a healthy diet. Of concern, however, are the excessive amounts of energy-dense foods in school lunchboxes. These should be considered a priority for health promotion efforts along with reducing the consumption of sweetened drinks. These measures are urgently needed to improve the school-based diets of Australian children and attempt to curb the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity.

  5. 45 CFR 98.54 - Restrictions on the use of funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... regarding construction and renovation. (c) Tuition. Funds may not be expended for students enrolled in... services that supplant or duplicate the academic program of any public or private school. (d) Sectarian...

  6. Improving The Quality of Education Through School-Based Management: Learning From International Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grauwe, Anton De

    2005-07-01

    School-based management is being increasingly advocated as a shortcut to more efficient management and quality improvement in education. Research, however, has been unable to prove conclusively such a linkage. Especially in developing countries, concerns remain about the possible detrimental impact of school-based management on school quality; equity among different schools in the same system; the motivation of and relationships between principals and teachers; and financial as well as administrative transparency. The present study defines school-based management and, in view of its implementation in different world regions, examines some of its advantages and disadvantages. In particular, the author explores the strategies which must accompany school-based management in order to ensure a positive impact on quality. These are found to include (1) guaranteeing that all schools have certain basic resources; (2) developing an effective school-support system; (3) providing schools with regular information on their performance and advice on how they might improve; and (4) emphasizing the motivational element in the management work of the school principal.

  7. Improving integration and coordination of funding, technical assistance, and reporting/data collection: recommendations from CDC and USAPI stakeholders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ka'opua, Lana Sue I; White, Susan F; Rochester, Phyllis F; Holden, Debra J

    2011-03-01

    Current US Federal funding mechanisms may foster program silos that disable sharing of resources and information across programs within a larger system of public health services. Such silos present challenges to USAPI communities where human resources, health infrastructure, and health financing are limited. Integrative and coordinated approaches have been recommended. The CDC Pacific Islands Integration and Coordination project was initiated by the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). The project aim was to identify ways for the CDC to collaborate with the USAPI in improving CDC activities and processes related to chronic disease. This article focuses on recommendations for improving coordination and integration in three core areas of health services programming: funding, program reporting/data collection and analysis, and technical assistance. Preliminary information on challenges and issues relevant to the core areas was gathered through site visits, focus groups, key informant interviews, and other sources. This information was used by stakeholder groups from the CDC and the USAPI to develop recommendations in the core programming areas. Recommendations generated at the CDC and USAPI stakeholder meetings were prepared into a single set of recommendations and stakeholders reviewed the document for accuracy prior to its dissemination to CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion programs management and staff. Key recommendations, include: (1) consideration of resources and other challenges unique to the USAPI when reviewing funding applications, (2) consideration of ways to increase flexibility in USAPI use of program funds, (3) dedication of funding and human resources for technical assistance, (4) provision of opportunities for capacity-building across programs and jurisdictions, (5) consideration of ways to more directly link program reporting with technical assistance. This project provided a unique opportunity

  8. Interventions to Improve Asthma Management of the School-Age Child.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friend, Mary; Morrison, Amber

    2015-06-01

    Improvement of medication adherence in the school-age child can lead to improvement in quality of life, decreased morbidity, and a potential decreased risk of deferred academic, social, and emotional development. The objective of this article is to review barriers to asthma medication adherence and identify evidence-based techniques that improve medication management of the asthmatic child 5 to 12 years of age. A literature review was performed and articles were obtained through database searches within Medline, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and PubMed. Research indicates that barriers to the adherence of medication regimens required for asthmatic children include poor understanding of the medication regimen, substandard education on symptom recognition and environmental triggers, rejection of the diagnosis, and a lack of support or understanding within the community. Researched techniques aimed to improve medication management in 5- to 12-year-olds include: computer-based education; workshops for parents, teachers, and children; incorporation of asthma education into classroom lessons; use of case managers; the introduction of a nurse practitioner in the school to provide care, including medication prescriptions for the asthmatic child; and assessment and evaluation of environmental and emotional triggers in the home and school. Collaboration of current data may help lead to a successful interventional model that can improve asthma management in this population. © The Author(s) 2014.

  9. An Evaluation of the Children's Scholarship Fund.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Paul E.; Campbell, David E.

    This paper presents first-year results of an evaluation of a Children's Scholarship Fund (CSF) program which provided scholarships enabling low-income families nationwide to send their K-8 children to private schools of their choice. Families won scholarships through a lottery. Telephone surveys of parents/caretakers of children who took advantage…

  10. 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Stable Funding for Innovation and Continuous Improvement. Research Update: Highlights from the Out-of-School Time Database. Number 8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimer, Christopher; Harris, Erin

    2012-01-01

    As the only federal funding stream that provides dedicated funds for afterschool programs across the country, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative plays an important role in supporting the innovation that takes place in afterschool programs. Social innovation has been defined as "a novel solution to a social…

  11. Study protocol: can a school gardening intervention improve children's diets?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christian, Meaghan S; El Evans, Charlotte; Conner, Mark; Ransley, Joan K; Cade, Janet E

    2012-04-26

    The current academic literature suggests there is a potential for using gardening as a tool to improve children's fruit and vegetable intake. This study is two parallel randomised controlled trials (RCT) devised to evaluate the school gardening programme of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening, to determine if it has an effect on children's fruit and vegetable intake. Trial One will consist of 26 schools; these schools will be randomised into two groups, one to receive the intensive intervention as "Partner Schools" and the other to receive the less intensive intervention as "Associate Schools". Trial Two will consist of 32 schools; these schools will be randomised into either the less intensive intervention "Associate Schools" or a comparison group with delayed intervention. Baseline data collection will be collected using a 24-hour food diary (CADET) to collect data on dietary intake and a questionnaire exploring children's knowledge and attitudes towards fruit and vegetables. A process measures questionnaire will be used to assess each school's gardening activities. The results from these trials will provide information on the impact of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening on children's fruit and vegetable intake. The evaluation will provide valuable information for designing future research in primary school children's diets and school based interventions. ISRCTN11396528.

  12. Charters and foundations: are we losing control of our public schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Murray; Levine, Adeline

    2014-01-01

    From their inception, United States public schools have been subject to reform efforts. The most recent, and perhaps the most potent, is the current effort to establish charter schools as replacements for traditional public schools. They are supposed to be the analog of private schools, providing choices to parents, financed by public funds, but operating largely free of state and local regulations. The schools are organized under charters specified by state laws and authorized by public agencies. This essay traces the development and growth of charter schools and note changes in their original mission to improve public education. It concludes with the role that very wealthy foundations play in promoting charter schools. In effect, they control public education policy without real accountability to the public. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  13. Educational Statistics and School Improvement. Statistics and the Federal Role in Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D.

    This paper focuses on how educational statistics might better serve the quest for educational improvement in elementary and secondary schools. A model for conceptualizing the sources and processes of school productivity is presented. The Learning Productivity Model suggests that school outcomes are the consequence of the interaction of five…

  14. 75 FR 26742 - Investing in Innovation Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Investing in Innovation Fund Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA...: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice; Extension of the application deadline date for the Investing in Innovation Fund. SUMMARY: The Assistant Deputy Secretary for...

  15. Investment Primer for Green Revolving Funds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisbord, Dano

    2012-01-01

    Developing return-oriented green revolving funds (GRFs) is a rapidly growing trend at colleges and universities. A green revolving fund (GRF) is a special account designated for investment in on-campus projects that improve energy efficiency or decrease material use. GRFs invest in a variety of cost-saving initiatives, resulting in significant…

  16. Executive Leadership in School Improvement Networks: A Conceptual Framework and Agenda for Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peurach, Donald J.; Gumus, Emine

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this analysis is to improve understanding of executive leadership in school improvement networks: for example, networks supported by comprehensive school reform providers, charter management organizations, and education management organizations. In this analysis, we review the literature on networks and executive leadership. We draw…

  17. 25 CFR 39.505 - What are the reporting requirements for the use of the contingency fund?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... contingency fund? 39.505 Section 39.505 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Contingency Fund § 39.505 What are the reporting requirements for the use of the contingency fund? (a) At the end of each fiscal year, Bureau/OIEP shall send an...

  18. Destigmatizing psychosis: Investigating the effectiveness of a school-based programme in Hong Kong secondary school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, Christy L M; Leung, Whitty W T; Wong, Andreas K H; Loong, Ka Yan; Kok, Joy; Hwang, Amanda; Lee, Edwin H M; Chan, Sherry K W; Chang, Wing Chung; Chen, Eric Y H

    2018-06-11

    Although the reasons behind the stigmatization of psychosis are manifold, poor mental health literacy among the general public is likely to be a major factor. In Hong Kong, the Early Psychosis Foundation (EPISO) was established in 2007 to tackle this issue by providing educational and mental health promotional activities, among other aims and services. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based interventional programme, the School Tour, developed by EPISO. The School Tour differentiates itself from other interventional programmes by supplementing a traditional psychoeducational talk with 2 additional elements: an engaging drama performance and exercise demonstrations. Twelve secondary schools, with a total of 4520 students, participated in the study. Knowledge and attitudes towards psychosis were evaluated before and after the school programme. The School Tour was found to improve both students' knowledge of psychosis (P reducing the stigma towards psychosis validates the use of novel strategies like drama performances to engage adolescent students, and urges the government to support increased student participation in the programme by providing funding to the relevant organizations. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  19. Improving Alcohol/Drug Education in Illinois Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.

    This paper lists guidelines approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for improving alcohol and drug education in the schools. Statistics point out the seriousness of alcohol and drug abuse in terms of human costs to the victim, his/her family, and associates, and the economic costs of health care, accident losses, crime, social programs,…

  20. The Process of Adoption of Evidence-based Tobacco Use Prevention Programs in California Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Melissa A.; Pokhrel, Pallav; Sussman, Steve; Rohrbach, Louise Ann

    2014-01-01

    Although there are a number of research-validated substance use prevention programs available for wide-scale dissemination, very little is known about the factors that influence adoption of evidence-based prevention programs in schools. We tested a model of the mechanisms of program adoption in schools that was guided by diffusion of innovations and social ecological theories. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of school district and county office of education tobacco use prevention education coordinators throughout California. Structural equation modeling was used to test the effects of community- and organizational variables on the adoption of prevention programs via school administrators’ beliefs and the organization’s receipt of funding for the program. Results supported the hypothesis that the process of adoption begins with forming beliefs about the program, leading to adoption through the receipt of funding. In addition, we found direct effects of various community- and organizational-level factors on beliefs, receipt of funding, and adoption. These results are likely to inform policies that affect school districts’ use of evidence-based substance use prevention programming, which should ultimately lead to reductions in negative health outcomes among adolescents. Specifically, this study identifies various factors that could be targeted for improvement to enhance evidence-based program adoption. To our knowledge, this is the first study to empirically elucidate the process of adoption of evidence-based tobacco prevention programs in schools. PMID:24398826

  1. 76 FR 34969 - Investing in Innovation Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket ID ED-2011-OII-0001] Investing in Innovation Fund AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice announcing the location, dates, and times of pre- application meetings. Overview Information Investing in Innovation Fund Catalog of...

  2. School Finance Reform: A Weighted Pupil Formula for California. Report 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Mary

    2012-01-01

    Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California's school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while targeting a larger share of available resources to the schools and students with the greatest needs. In…

  3. Abbott Students Attending Charter Schools: Funding Disparities and Legal Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulkley, Katrina

    2007-01-01

    Most of New Jersey's charter schools are located in the state's poorer, urban school districts, or "Abbott" districts, and exclusively serve students from those communities. A number of other schools are located outside of the Abbott districts but enroll students from these districts. Specifically, of the 50 charter schools operating in…

  4. Influencing school health policy: the role of state school nurse consultants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broussard, Lisa; Howat, Holly; Stokes, Billy; Street, Tanya

    2011-01-01

    The role of the State School Nurse Consultant has been well defined by the National Association of School Nurses. State School Nurse Consultants serve as a resource to school nurses on issues related to their practice, as well as a liaison between top-level educators and school nurses. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of the State School Nurse Consultant, and to present results of a survey of Louisiana school nurses related to their practice needs. A survey was administered via Survey Monkey to determine the perceived needs of Louisiana school nurses related to their professional practice. Eighty-eight members of the Louisiana School Nurse Organization participated in the online survey. Louisiana is 1 of 6 states that do not have a State School Nurse Consultant. Respondents to the survey indicated an overwhelming need to have a school nurse representative at the state level. Twenty-two of the respondents specifically stated that they would like to have a State School Nurse Consultant within the Department of Education. Budgetary constraints have resulted in a lack of funding for a State School Nurse Consultant in Louisiana. Partnerships with federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and billing of Medicaid for school nursing services are 2 examples of revenue sources for school nurses that Louisiana is investigating. Revenue from these sources may serve to supplement state funds so that this important resource for Louisiana school nurses can be put into place.

  5. Comparison of Administrators' and School Nurses' Perception of the School Nurse Role

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Rebecca; Reffel, Jim

    2009-01-01

    The current tenuous status of public education funding requires that school nurses be proactive in advocacy efforts on behalf of their school nursing programs. Advocating for nursing practice within an educational setting presents unique challenges. Lack of state or national consensus for support of school nurse services creates an opportunity for…

  6. Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Sidoarjo sebagai Sekolah Berkategori The Outstanding School of Muhammadiyah

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hidayatulloh Hidayatulloh

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This article examines about improving the education quality of SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Sidoarjo as the Outstanding School of Muhammadiyah. This article reveals that the quality improvement of SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Sidoarjo was conducted through: the arrangement of school program and self evaluation, the reinforcement of vision, mission and education objective, the reinforcement of leadership and teamwork, the improvement of teachers and educators competence, the improvement learners quality input, the development of curriculum and learning, the development of school culture, the development of facilities and infrastructure, the development of community service, the cooperation of education and student exchange, the mobilization of education funding resources, the develop-ment of SIM, monitoring and evaluation, and education quality system. The management quality of SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Sidoarjo was run through input-process-output formula. The process of quality containes the process of quality planning, main process, supporting process, dan quality improvement process. Factors supporting the quality improvement are: Muhammadiyah’s popular name, the doctrine of education quality improvement, the leadership of TORSIE paradigm, the school academicians’ spirit of gaining achievement, the synergy of school academicians, the appropriate facilities, and the supports of all stakeholders.

  7. 34 CFR 200.49 - SEA responsibilities for school improvement, corrective action, and restructuring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) Demonstrate the strongest commitment to ensuring that this assistance will be used to enable the lowest-achieving schools to meet the progress goals in the school improvement plans under § 200.41. (c) Technical... improvement within the State. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1810-0581...

  8. Risk-Based School Inspections: Impact of Targeted Inspection Approaches on Dutch Secondary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehren, Melanie C.; Shackleton, Nichola

    2016-01-01

    In most countries, publicly funded schools are held accountable to one inspectorate and are judged against agreed national standards. Many inspectorates of education have recently moved towards more proportional risk-based inspection models, targeting high-risk schools for visits, while schools with satisfactory student attainment levels are…

  9. The Profile of a Polish Mutual Fund Manager

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dariusz Filip

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Aim/purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics that are typical of mutual fund managers. Design/methodology/approach - The study concentrates on a set of socio-demographic data, such as: age, gender, education, experience, and professional qualifications of 336 portfolio managers. The applied research strategy relies on an analysis concerning a set of statistical metrics describing the population under examination. Findings - The average Polish fund manager is a 37-year-old man, a holder of a stock-broker or investment adviser license. He obtained the authorization from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF a few years after graduating from the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH. He has 11 years' experience in financial markets and 7 years' experience in the mutual fund industry. Research implications/limitations - The identification of managerial characteristics for the purpose of creating a profile of a Polish mutual fund manager will provide an important basis for further surveys and analyses aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mutual funds. Originality/value/contribution - There are no investigations within the discussed area in Polish studies. Therefore, the identification of the characteristics that are typical of mutual fund managers will make a contribution to the finance literature.(original abstract

  10. A PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF HEDGE FUNDS, HEDGED MUTUAL FUNDS AND HEDGE FUND ETFS

    OpenAIRE

    Shenyan Gu; Tina Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Hedged mutual funds and hedge fund ETFs are new entrants to the market thatallow individual investors to invest in funds using hedge fund strategies.   In this paper, we study the performance of these two funds relative to the traditional hedge funds to see if the three asset classes are comparable investments. We use four performance measurement models, including CAPM, Fama French three factor model, Carhart four factor model and Fung and Hsieh eight factor model, to test the fund...

  11. 75 FR 21614 - Investing in Innovation Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Investing in Innovation Fund Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA...: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice inviting applications for... FY 2010 (NIA) for the Investing in Innovation Fund. This notice makes a correction to the March 12...

  12. Decentralised Portfolio Management: Analysis of Australian Accumulation Funds

    OpenAIRE

    Hazel Bateman; Susan Thorp

    2005-01-01

    In Australia, pension fund trustees choose investment managers on behalf of members. We investigate the structure and performance of delegated investment choice in the Australian retirement incomes sector. We find that funds where trustees employ many managers generate higher risk-adjusted returns over the 3 year sample than those with few, but funds with 13 or fewer managers show no improvement over funds with a single diversified manager. All do worse than a benchmark portfolio of asset cla...

  13. Securing decommissioning funds. Why organization matters?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tchapga, F.

    2005-01-01

    customers. Because of electricity sector restructuring, businesses are no longer protected from market sanctions and stock market volatility. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the compatibility of the design of reserve fund models with the liberalised electricity context. The paper first considers the design of reserve funds and concludes that there is no single design. Based on the variety of design, section two assess their respective compatibility with the new electricity context. It appears that the monitoring and control of the management of the funds are the main determinant of compatibility. The paper concludes that, as secure funding is a dimension of safe decommissioning, there is a necessity for an optimal design of decommissioning funds model. The paper also suggests that external management solution improve the credibility of decommissioning commitment. This paper has completed two objectives. Firstly, it has highlighted the diversity of designs of the decommissioning reserve funds. We have seen that the reserve funds are organised differently, regarding the key features of their design, namely the collection of funds, the management of the funds collected, and the monitoring and control of that management. Secondly, and in respect of the objective to ensure the availability of the funds when needed, the paper has shown that current designs of decommissioning reserve funds are not equally compatible with the constraints of the electricity sector liberalisation. In fact, the new electricity context is characterised by electricity price volatility with, at some conditions, harmful effects on the financial viability of electric companies. The paper has shown that external fund designs offer a satisfactory compatibility with these constraints. This is because the design of external funds imposes clear limitations on the behaviour of the manager of the funds. Therefore, the paper suggests that in a context of liberalised electricity market, external funds

  14. Problems of Funding Russian Colleges and the Budget Reform

    OpenAIRE

    Svetlana Soljannikova

    2006-01-01

    The government policy in the sphere of funding colleges should pursue the following two goals: first, to improve the mechanism of funding colleges from the budget, and second, to diversify the sources of funding for the sector. The article analyzes different means and models for the funding of colleges. The drawbacks of the current mechanism for funding colleges from the budget are considered, and the reasons for these problems are discussed. The problems of establishing standards of per capi...

  15. School Consolidation and the Politics of School Closure across Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karanxha, Zorka; Agosto, Vonzell; Black, William R.; Effiom, Claudius B.

    2013-01-01

    This case involves dilemmas for educational leaders who may face the process of school consolidation brought on by decreased funding and demands for accountability. We highlight the challenges and opportunities to collaborate within and across diverse communities and schools with varying expressions of cultural, political, ethical, and…

  16. Turning Schools Around: The National Board Certification Process as a School Improvement Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaquith, Ann; Snyder, Jon

    2016-01-01

    Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

  17. Improving the Small Rural or Remote School: The Role of the District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Simon; Wildy, Helen

    2011-01-01

    There is a robust body of work highlighting distinctive challenges encountered by leaders of small schools in pursuit of school improvement but this work has focused on the school as the unit of change and neglects the role of the district. As the district potentially influences what principals know and how they use their knowledge, this article…

  18. MANAGEMENT PLANS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio Polo Martínez

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available OECD (2015 states that management's leadership is a critical factor for implementing reforms and improving schools. Candidates are required to submit a management plan outlining the framework of a plan to be followed during their 4 year term. Despite the plan outlined in the proposal, the implicit "non aggression pact" between the participants (the teachers and the directors, who are teachers themselves, makes change difficult. As a result, management plans have little impact on improving methods of teaching and academic results achieved by the students. In this article we have tried to achieve three objectives: 1 analyze the relationship between the renewal, selection and appointment of a director with the management plan around our country, 2 analyze which aspects are those that, according to major international studies, should determine the content, development and evaluation of a management plan, and 3 to suggest how one could implement a management plan for an education center or school.

  19. School Climate and Leadership: Levers for School Improvement Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Lois

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study considers which aspects of school climate support or inhibit student achievement as each aspect relates to school leadership and school reform efforts. Due to the increased responsibility and accountability which schools face during these challenging times, school climate and the role of the school principal formed the basis…

  20. Public funding of political parties when campaigns are informative

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ortín, Ignacio Ortuño; Schultz, Christian

    dependence on vote shares induces fur- ther moderation and improves welfare. If parties are asymmetric, vote share dependent public funding bene…ts the large party and makes it moderate its candidate, while the smaller party reacts by choosing a more extremist candidate. On balance, however, if the parties......The paper considers public funding of political parties when some voters are poorly informed about parties’ candidates and campaigns are informative. For symmetric equilibria, it is shown that more pub- lic funding leads parties to chose more moderate candidates, and that an increase in the funding’s...... are not too asymmetric, an increase in vote share dependent funding improves welfare and increases the likelihood that a moderate candidate wins the election...

  1. The Stellenbosch consensus statement on health promoting schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macnab, Andrew

    2013-03-01

    Health promotion uses a range of complementary approaches to provide individuals and communities with knowledge that will enable them to improve their own health and wellbeing. Encouraging children to adopt healthy lifestyle habits is a central objective, and health promotion at a community level, particularly through health promoting schools, may be an effective strategy. Health promoting schools are well within the capacity of even poor countries, as they focus on the school and its culture, and establishing health promoting schools requires a change in mindset and refinement of educational investment rather than the provision of major new resources, engagement of non-government organizations or obtaining international funding. A consensus of current evidence and essential concepts underlying health promotion in schools, principles that contribute to success or failure, and opportunities for implementation and engagement is presented, based on shared experience and dialogue at a 2011 international colloquium held at Stellenbosch University.

  2. Science as Knowledge, Practice, and Map Making: The Challenge of Defining Metrics for Evaluating and Improving DOE-Funded Basic Experimental Science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bodnarczuk, M.

    1993-03-01

    Industrial R&D laboratories have been surprisingly successful in developing performance objectives and metrics that convincingly show that planning, management, and improvement techniques can be value-added to the actual output of R&D organizations. In this paper, I will discuss the more difficult case of developing analogous constructs for DOE-funded non-nuclear, non-weapons basic research, or as I will refer to it - basic experimental science. Unlike most industrial R&D or the bulk of applied science performed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the purpose of basic experimental science is producing new knowledge (usually published in professional journals) that has no immediate application to the first link (the R) of a planned R&D chain. Consequently, performance objectives and metrics are far more difficult to define. My claim is that if one can successfully define metrics for evaluating and improving DOE-funded basic experimental science (which is the most difficult case), then defining such constructs for DOE-funded applied science should be much less problematic. With the publication of the DOE Standard - Implementation Guide for Quality Assurance Programs for Basic and Applied Research (DOE-ER-STD-6001-92) and the development of a conceptual framework for integrating all the DOE orders, we need to move aggressively toward the threefold next phase: (1) focusing the management elements found in DOE-ER-STD-6001-92 on the main output of national laboratories - the experimental science itself; (2) developing clearer definitions of basic experimental science as practice not just knowledge; and (3) understanding the relationship between the metrics that scientists use for evaluating the performance of DOE-funded basic experimental science, the management elements of DOE-ER-STD-6001-92, and the notion of continuous improvement.

  3. Keeping the "public" in schools of public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Klitzman, Susan; Diamond, Catherine; El-Mohandes, Ayman

    2015-03-01

    In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health training programs. We analyzed the distinct opportunities and challenges that publicly funded schools of public health face in preparing the nation's public health workforce. Using our experience in creating a new, collaborative public school of public health in the nation's largest urban public university system, we described efforts to use our public status and mission to develop new approaches to educating a workforce that meets the health needs of our region and contributes to the goal of reducing health inequalities. Finally, we considered policies that could protect and strengthen the distinct contributions that public schools of public health make to improving population health and reducing health inequalities.

  4. IMPACT OF ROMANIAN HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING POLICY ON UNIVERSITY EFFICIENCY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CRETAN Georgiana Camelia

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The issues of higher education funding policy and university operating efficiency are hot points on the actual public agenda worldwide as the pressures exercised upon the public resources increased, especially in the aftermath of the last economic crisis. Concerned with the improvement of the funding mechanism through which government allocates the public funds in order to meet the national core objectives within the area of higher education, the policy makers adjusted the funding policy by diversifying the criteria used in distributing the funds to public universities. Thus, the aim of this research is to underline both the impact and the consequences the public funding patterns of higher education have on the relative efficiency of public funded higher education institutions, across time. Moreover, the research conducted aims to determine whether the changes occurred within the Romanian public funding methodology of higher education institutions improved the relative efficiency scores of public funded universities, before and after the economic crisis of 2008. Thus, on one hand we have underlined the changes brought to the Romanian public funding mechanism of higher education during the years of 2007, 2009 and 2010 compared to the year of 2006, using the content analysis, and on the other hand we assessed and compared the relative efficiency scores of each selected public funded university using a multiple input - multiple output linear programming model, by employing the Data Envelopment Analysis technique. The findings of the research undertaken emphasized that a more performance oriented funding mechanism improves the efficiency scores of public universities. The results of the research undertaken could be used either by the policy makers within the area of higher education or by the administrative management of public universities in order to correlate the funding with the results obtained and/or the objectives assumed by both the

  5. 77 FR 18216 - Applications for New Awards; Investing in Innovation Fund, Scale-Up Grants

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-27

    ... Fund Absolute Priority 4 schools, including the school turnaround, restart, closure, and transformation... effectiveness through the use of high-quality digital tools or materials, which may include preparing teachers... digital tools or materials. (Supplemental Priorities) \\7\\ For purposes of this priority, the Supplemental...

  6. Comprehensive School Reform and Standardized Test Scores in Illinois Elementary and Middle Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEnroe, James D.

    2010-01-01

    The study examined the effects of the federally funded Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program on student performance on mandated standardized tests. The study focused on the mathematics and reading scores of Illinois public elementary and middle and junior high school students. The federal CSR program provided Illinois schools with an annual…

  7. 25 CFR 47.7 - What are the expenditure limitations for Bureau-operated schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... schools? 47.7 Section 47.7 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION UNIFORM DIRECT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR BUREAU-OPERATED SCHOOLS § 47.7 What are the expenditure limitations for Bureau-operated schools? Each Bureau-operated school must spend all allotted funds in accordance with...

  8. Alternative Strategies for Funding a General Dentistry Residency Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kralewski, John E.; Wiggins, Carla

    1987-01-01

    Three alternative program funding approaches used in other professions are examined: (1) the reorientation of selected dental schools toward graduate education, (2) emphasizing and marketing the service aspects of the programs, and (3) developing education programs as in-house training for large organizations. (MSE)

  9. A Revenue Planning Tool for Charter School Operators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Eric; Hayes, Cheryl D.

    2009-01-01

    This revenue planning tool aims to help charter school operators develop a sound revenue base that can meet their school's current and future funding needs. It helps identify and assess potential public (federal, state, and local) and private funding sources. The tool incorporates a four-step revenue planning process which includes: (1)…

  10. Correcting the Money Myth: Re-Thinking School Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grubb, W. Norton

    2010-01-01

    The Money Myth is the contention that any education problem requires increased spending and, conversely, that reform is impossible without more funding. However, increased funding works for only certain kinds of school resources. Many reforms require resources that money cannot buy. What is needed are reforms that build the capacity of schools to…

  11. School Breakfast Score Card.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Food Research and Action Center, Washington, DC.

    The School Breakfast Program supplies federal funds to schools and residential child care institutions who provide breakfasts to children. This status report compares the performances of states to each other and to the nation as a whole in school breakfast participation. States are grouped in categories of the 10 top- and bottom-ranked…

  12. Why School? The 48th Annual PDK Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phi Delta Kappan, 2016

    2016-01-01

    Why school? The 48th Annual PDK Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools included questions about the purpose of schooling, standards, homework, school funding, and parents' relationships with their schools. The 2016 poll, which was conducted by Langer Research Associates, was based on a telephone poll of 1,221 adults during April…

  13. 77 FR 19525 - National School Lunch Program: School Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-02

    ... National School Lunch Program: School Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to the Healthy... Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010'' on June... sold in a school and purchased with funds from the nonprofit school food service account, other than...

  14. Educational Leadership Based on Social Capital for Improving Quality of Private Secondary School

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suwadi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to explain the leadership pattern of social capital based education for the quality improvement of private schools. The research is conducted at private Junior Secondary Level with a qualitative naturalistic approach. This location is in Sleman District. The subject consists of selected cases purposively. The research procedure is carried out by four steps and methods of obtaining the data through observation, indepth interview, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out by inductive model while the level of trust result of research was undertaken by fulfilling criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability. The research findings are as follows. First, the concept of leadership of social capital based education rests on the ability of principals to influence school resources to achieve goals through an integrated pattern of trust dimensions, reciprocal relationships and networking. Second, school quality can be improved through a school leadership in recognizing social capital, b school leadership in utilizing social capital, c school leadership in functioning social capital. Third, the utilization of social capital based on leadership in private schools in the form of a bridging stakeholder aspirations both initiated by schools and stakeholders; b bonding stakeholder relations with schools; c following up or responding to stakeholder resources in school programs as a perspective new leadership at school.

  15. 75 FR 18407 - Investing in Innovation Fund

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-12

    ... Innovation Fund Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.396A (Scale-up grants), 84.396B (Validation grants), and 84.396C (Development grants). AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement... Rule) for the Investing in Innovation Fund. This document makes a correction to the March 12 Final Rule...

  16. Financial and Managerial Accounting for School Administrators: Superintendents, School Business Administrators, and Principals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everett, R. E.; And Others

    This book updates the classic text "Public School Fund Accounting Principles and Procedures" (Tidwell 1960). The book is designed to be used primarily as a textbook at the graduate level with students training to be school administrators, school business administrators, or principals. A list of topics covered include an overview of school…

  17. Administrator Perceptions of School Improvement Policies in a High-Impact Policy Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARIO S. TORRES

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated school administrators’ perceptions of school improvement policies in a high-impact policy environment by measuring the impact of accountability, site-based management, professional development, and scheduling reform on the three dependent variables of a academic outcomes, b staff morale, and c parent and community involvement. Using a convenience sampling method, 49 public school principals from Texas participated and an online survey was constructed to gather both quantitative (i.e., Likert scale and qualitative (i.e., open ended response data. The findings clearly point to principals, regardless of geographical district type and grade level school type, viewing less controversial and more intrinsically oriented policies (i.e., site-based management and professional development as having a greater positive impact on outcomes as a whole than more radical alternatives (i.e., accountability and time and schedule reform. The evidence suggests that more aggressive school improvement policy approaches are likely failing to generate enough convincing outcomes to generate high commitment and confidence from school leaders. Further studies may look at the interaction of policy impact with minority student enrollments and with subgroup populations.

  18. School Building Programs, Equipment Acquisitions and Cash Flow: The Anatomy of School Debt Financing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bittle, Edgar H.

    1992-01-01

    Budget shortfalls and fund deficits in many school districts are expected to continue in the 1990s. School boards and administrators must develop plans to manage and maintain the financial health of the school system. One important aspect of this planning is management of debt. (58 references) (MLF)

  19. Data Use for School Improvement : Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Brokerage in Network Structures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hubers, Mireille Desirée; Moolenaar, Nienke; Schildkamp, Kim; Handelzalts, Adam; Pieters, Julius Marie; Daly, A.J.; Daly, Alan J.

    2015-01-01

    Data teams are used in Dutch secondary education to support schools in data use for school improvement. Such teams are likely to be most effective when knowledge is shared between the data team members and brokered throughout the school. Social network structures may play an important role in this.

  20. Framing Feedback for School Improvement around Distributed Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Carolyn; Dikkers, Seann

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the utility of framing formative feedback to improve school leadership with a focus on task-based evaluation of distributed leadership rather than on role-based evaluation of an individual leader. Research Methods/Approach: Using data from research on the development of the Comprehensive…

  1. ACCOUNTING TREATMENTS ON FORESTRY SPECIAL FUNDS AND SPECIFIC PROBLEMS IN ROMANIA

    OpenAIRE

    Hada Teodor; Mărginean Radu

    2013-01-01

    This study, theoretically and practically, presents the accounting system for forestry special purpose funds in Romania. In addition, the main problems Romanian forestry faces nowadays are highlighted in the content, given the legislative changes expected in the near future. Accounting treatments specific to Romanian forestry regarding special funds, namely the conservation and regeneration fund, the accessibility fund, the environmental fund and the improvement fund are governed in the curre...

  2. Does Improved Water Access Increase Child School Attendance? A Quasi-Experimental Approach From Rural Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuda, Y.; Cook, J.

    2012-12-01

    This paper analyzes the impact of improved water access on child school attendance using two years of primary panel data from a quasi-experimental study in Oromiya, Ethiopia. A predominant form of child labor in rural poor households in least developed countries is water collection. Girls are often the primary water collectors for households, and because of the time intensive nature of water collection improved water access may allow for time to be reallocated to schooling (Rosen and Vincent 1999; Nankhuni and Findeis 2004). Understanding how improved water access may increase schooling for girls has important development policy implications. Indeed, abundant research on returns to education suggests increased schooling for girls is tied to improved future child and maternal health, economic opportunities, and lower fertility rates (Handa 1996; Schultz 1998; Michaelowa 2000). The literature to date finds that improved water access leads to increased schooling; however, there still exists a clear gap in the literature for understanding this relationship for two reasons. First, only four studies have directly examined the relationship between improved water access and schooling in sub-Saharan Africa, and analyses have been limited due to the use of cross-sectional data and research designs (Nankhuni and Findeis 2004; Koolwal and Van de Walle 2010; Ndiritu and Nyangan 2011; Nauges and Strand 2011). Indeed, only two studies have attempted to control for the endogenous nature of water access. Second, all studies use a binary school enrollment indicator from household surveys, which may suffer from response bias and may be an imperfect measure for actual schooling. Respondents may feel pressured to report that their children are enrolled in school if, like in Ethiopia, there are compulsory education laws. This may result in an overestimation of school enrollment. In addition, most children from rural poor households combine work and school, and a binary indicator does

  3. Challenges to collaboration in school mental health and strategies for overcoming them.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weist, Mark D; Mellin, Elizabeth A; Chambers, Kerri L; Lever, Nancy A; Haber, Deborah; Blaber, Christine

    2012-02-01

    This article reviews challenges to collaboration in school mental health (SMH) and presents practical strategies for overcoming them. The importance of collaboration to the success of SMH programs is reviewed, with a particular focus on collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals. Challenges to effective collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals in SMH are considered. Strategies for overcoming challenges to effective collaboration are presented. Marginalization of the SMH agenda, limited interdisciplinary teamwork, restricted coordination mechanisms, confidentiality concerns, and resource and funding issues are key challenges to collaboration. Strategies targeted toward each of these challenges may help improve the effectiveness of SMH programs and ultimately student outcomes. Collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals is critical to the success of SMH programs. Despite its promise, the success of SMH programs can be jeopardized by ineffective collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals. Strategies to overcome marginalization, promote authentic interdisciplinary teamwork, build effective coordination mechanisms, protect student and family confidentiality, and promote policy change and resource enhancements should be addressed in SMH improvement planning. © 2012, American School Health Association.

  4. IAEA Nobel Peace Prize cancer and nutrition fund

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinley, D. III

    2006-05-01

    The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize to the IAEA and Director General ElBaradei in equal shares. The IAEA and its Director General won the 2005 Peace Prize for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way. The IAEA Board of Governors subsequently decided that the IAEA's share of the prestigious prize would be used to create a special fund for fellowships and training to improve cancer control and childhood nutrition in the developing world. This fund is known as the 'IAEA Nobel Peace Prize Cancer and Nutrition Fund'. The money will be dedicated to enhancing human resources in developing regions of the world for improved cancer control and childhood nutrition. In the area of cancer control, the money will be spent on establishing regional cancer training institutes for the training of new doctors, medical physicists and technologists in radiation oncology to improve cancer treatment and care, as part of the IAEA's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). In the realm of nutrition, the focus of the Fund will be on capacity building in the use of nuclear techniques to develop interventions to contribute to improved nutrition and health for children in the developing world. Fund-supported fellowship awards will target young professionals, especially women, from Member States, through the IAEA's Technical Cooperation (TC) Programme. Alongside such awards, regional events will be organized in Africa, Asia and Latin America in cancer control and nutrition during 2006. The IAEA Secretariat is encouraging Member States and donors to contribute to the IAEA Nobel Peace Prize Cancer and Nutrition Fund by providing additional resources, in cash and in-kind

  5. Parent Involvement on School Committees as Social Capital to Improve Student Achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravik Karsidi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study explores how the participation of parents on school committees improves student achievement. In decentralized education systems like the one in Indonesia, parents’ participation has become a focal point for improving the quality of education. The data for this study were collected using questionnaires distributed to 250 students in state senior high schools, selected by quota-purposive sampling. The qualitative findings of this research are threefold: most parents participated in student learning only by providing material aspects, such as tuition and books; most parents had a misconception that it was the school that should solely be responsible for the education of their children; busy parents tended to ignore the progress of their children’s learning. In order to create social capital for their children, parents need to be active in the learning process, cooperate with school officials, and get involved in the planning of social activities.

  6. School Nurses' Role in Asthma Management, School Absenteeism, and Cost Savings: A Demonstration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Eunice; Rivera, Diana Austria; Perlroth, Daniella; Becker, Edmund; Wang, Nancy Ewen; Landau, Melinda

    2013-01-01

    Background: With increasing budget cuts to education and social services, rigorous evaluation needs to document school nurses' impact on student health, academic outcomes, and district funding. Methods: Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, we evaluated outcomes in 4 schools with added full-time nurses and 5 matched schools with part-time nurses…

  7. Federal School Improvement Grants (SIGs): How Capacity and Local Conditions Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yatsko, Sarah; Lake, Robin; Bowen, Melissa; Cooley Nelson, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    In 2009, the federal government committed over $3 billion nationwide to help states and districts turn around their worst-performing schools. The U.S. Department of Education intended for the School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to spur dramatic change.This report looks at the results of a field study of the first-year implementation of those grants…

  8. 75 FR 13740 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants for National Leadership Activities; Notice Inviting Applications for New... of public schools have been identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under...

  9. On Strategies of Improving Junior High School Students' Oral English Ability

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    罗茜

    2015-01-01

    With the increasingly frequent international exchanges,English,as an international language,has been attached greater importance.The oral English ability of junior high school students plays an indispensable role in their everyday study and social interaction,and it is the present junior school study that can lay a solid foundation for their future study and life. Therefore,to comprehensively improve their oral English ability is in urgent need and of paramount significance.This paper focuses on analyzing the external and internal factors influencing the cultivation of junior high school students' oral English ability,and put forwards the corresponding cultivating strategies of the oral English ability of junior high school students.

  10. On Strategies of Improving Junior High School Students’ Oral English Ability

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    罗茜

    2015-01-01

    With the increasingly frequent international exchanges,English,as an international language,has been attached greater importance.The oral English ability of junior high school students plays an indispensable role in their everyday study and social interaction,and it is the present junior school study that can lay a solid foundation for their future study and life.Therefore,to comprehensively improve their oral English ability is in urgent need and of paramount significance.This paper focuses on analyzing the external and internal factors influencing the cultivation of junior high school students’oral English ability,and put forwards the corresponding cultivating strategies of the oral English ability of junior high school students.

  11. Improving the primary school science learning unit about force and motion through lesson study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phaikhumnam, Wuttichai; Yuenyong, Chokchai

    2018-01-01

    The study aimed to develop primary school science lesson plan based on inquiry cycle (5Es) through lesson study. The study focused on the development of 4 primary school science lesson plans of force and motion for Grade 3 students in KKU Demonstration Primary School (Suksasart), first semester of 2015 academic year. The methodology is mixed method. The Inthaprasitha (2010) lesson study cycle was implemented in group of KKU Demonstration Primary School. Instruments of reflection of lesson plan developing included participant observation, meeting and reflection report, lesson plan and other document. The instruments of examining students' learning include classroom observation and achievement test. Data was categorized from these instruments to find the issues of changing and improving the good lesson plan of Thai primary school science learning. The findings revealed that teachers could develop the lesson plans through lesson study. The issues of changing and improving were disused by considering on engaging students related to societal issues, students' prior knowledge, scientific concepts for primary school students, and what they learned from their changing. It indicated that the Lesson Study allowed primary school science teachers to share ideas and develop ideas to improve the lesson. The study may have implications for Thai science teacher education through Lesson Study.

  12. Effect of Food Service Nutrition Improvements on Elementary School Cafeteria Lunch Purchase Patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cluss, Patricia A.; Fee, LuAnn; Culyba, Rebecca J.; Bhat, Kiran B.; Owen, Kay

    2014-01-01

    Background: Schools can play a major role in prevention and intervention for childhood obesity. We describe changes in elementary school cafeteria lunch sales patterns resulting from nutritional improvements in menu offerings that were part of a community-wide focus on health. Methods: Elementary school lunch sales data were collected for 1 week…

  13. Innovative funding solution for special projects: Crowd funding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sentot Imam Wahjono

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of crowd funding knowledge, applica-tion, platform, and project initiator toward successful crowd funding. This study conducted by quantitative approach, data have been collected with web-based ques-tionnaires via Kickstarter.com direct message and e-mail to 200 successful crowd funding project initiators as a sample and as much 152 sets questionnaire returned by a complete answer and should be analyzed further. Deployment and data collection take 3 month from October to December 2013. This study found evidence that crowd funding knowledge, crowd funding application, crowd funding platform, and project initiator has positive and significant relationship toward the success of crowd funding. The implication from this research is crowd funding can be a source of capital to finance the projects, not just rely on traditional sources of financing just like banking and capital markets. Crowd funding can be innovative funding solution.

  14. Public School Finance Programs, 1975-76.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tron, Esther O., Comp.

    This publication describes state funds transmitted to local agencies for the support of elementary and secondary education. Each distribution identified as a separate fund by the state is described in terms of (1) title, (2) legal citation, (3) appropriation for the school year or estimate, (4) percentage of total state funds transmitted, (5)…

  15. ELECTIONS PENSION FUND 4th candidate

    CERN Multimedia

    2001-01-01

    ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE CERN EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH CAISSE DE PENSIONS / PENSION FUND Caisse de Pensions - ELECTIONS - Pension Fund This candidature has been duly registered and is hereby presented in accordance with paragraph 6.h of the Regulations for Elections to the Governing Board of the Pension Fund. Candidate : Name : MYERS First Name : Stephen I have been at CERN since 1972, and was elected member of the Governing Board for the first time in 1998. The Governing Board then nominated me to the Investments Committee where I have been a member since the beginning of 1999. Since then I have actively participated in redefining and transforming the investment portfolio in order to improve the overall return and where possible reduce the risk. The portfolio has recently been greatly improved and now allows much simpler more transparent monitoring of our investment. I have also actively participated and hopefully made useful contributions in discussions conc...

  16. ELECTIONS PENSION FUND CANDIDATE NR 4

    CERN Multimedia

    2001-01-01

    ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE CERN EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH CAISSE DE PENSIONS / PENSION FUND Caisse de Pensions - ELECTIONS - Pension Fund This candidature has been duly registered and is hereby presented in accordance with paragraph 6.h of the Regulations for Elections to the Governing Board of the Pension Fund. Candidate : Name : MYERS First Name : Stephen I have been at CERN since 1972, and was elected member of the Governing Board for the first time in 1998. The Governing Board then nominated me to the Investments Committee where I have been a member since the beginning of 1999. Since then I have actively participated in redefining and transforming the investment portfolio in order to improve the overall return and where possible reduce the risk. The portfolio has recently been greatly improved and now allows much simpler more transparent monitoring of our investment. I have also actively participated and hopefully made useful contributions in discussions conc...

  17. PENSION FUND - ELECTIONS

    CERN Multimedia

    2000-01-01

    This candidature has been duly registered and is hereby presented in accordance with paragraph 6.h of the Regulations for Elections to the Governing Board of the Pension Fund.   Candidate: Name: MAURIN First Name: Guy I have been a member of the personnel since 1967 and as early as 1972 I was involved, in my capacity as President of the Staff Association, in the improvement of the Pension Fund benefits. As for most of us the Pension Fund is the only social provident scheme to which we belong, it is important to ensure that it is well managed and in balance. As a member of the Governing Board since 1974 and Vice-Chairman of this Board since 1977, I have continued to pursue these objectives. One of the main responsibilities of the Governing Board is our asset investment policy. The Investment Committee, of which I am Chairman, must have an overall view of the management of our 4 billion Swiss francs and seek the best yield with minimum risk. The investment structure must continuously be adapted i...

  18. Keeping the “Public” in Schools of Public Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klitzman, Susan; Diamond, Catherine; El-Mohandes, Ayman

    2015-01-01

    In this article, we compared the characteristics of public and private accredited public health training programs. We analyzed the distinct opportunities and challenges that publicly funded schools of public health face in preparing the nation’s public health workforce. Using our experience in creating a new, collaborative public school of public health in the nation’s largest urban public university system, we described efforts to use our public status and mission to develop new approaches to educating a workforce that meets the health needs of our region and contributes to the goal of reducing health inequalities. Finally, we considered policies that could protect and strengthen the distinct contributions that public schools of public health make to improving population health and reducing health inequalities. PMID:25706006

  19. Hilton College Farm School, Natal, South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beveridge, Sue

    1989-01-01

    The Hilton College Farm School is a primary school providing for the educational needs of children in a rural area of Natal, South Africa. Described are the school's historical development, funding sources, staffing, and development of an affiliated pre-primary school. (JDD)

  20. Mudaraba-Venture Capital Closed-end Mutual Funds and Mudaraba-Venture Capital Open-end Mutual Funds

    OpenAIRE

    Halil Ibrahim Bulut

    2008-01-01

    The important part of this study attempts to explain that both venture capital and interest-free financing are based on similar ground, if not the same. Two new models called Mudaraba-Venture Capital Closed-End Mutual Funds and Mudaraba-Venture Capital Open-End Mutual Funds, based on both the similarities and the needs of financial innovation in the interest-free financing system, are detailed. It is believed that the development of these two models could make some improvements not only in th...

  1. Catch Them Young: Developing and Improving of School Libraries and Reading Habit of Secondary School Students in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oriogu, Chuks Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Reading habit is a fundamental skill necessary in the life of every student. It is essential in developing a more civilized and knowledgeable society. Therefore, the study investigated reading habit of secondary school students and ways of developing and improving of school libraries in Nigeria. The study reviewed the basis of reading skills,…

  2. Ensuring the Availability of Funds (Germany)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warnecke, Ernst; Paul, Michael

    2006-01-01

    1 - Legislation and regulation pertinent to funding: no site / facility specific legislation / regulation (Decommissioning Guideline); the obligation for D+D results from the Atomic Energy Act; the AtG requires a license for D + D of a nuclear facility; the Commercial Code requires reserves for liabilities; the Income Tax Law (EStG) is relevant for the taxation of reserves; the 'Ordinance on Advance Payments' is relevant for the construction of RW disposal facilities; the AtG is relevant for the payment of RW disposal costs. 2 - Financing system: Basic Principle: Polluter pays; Publicly funded facilities (mainly Federal Government): payment from annual budget; Privately owned facilities: collection of 'reserves' during operation / linear accumulation over 25 years, coverage: processing, storage and disposal of radioactive waste/spent fuel, D + D of nuclear facilities, reserves are in the portfolio of industry, financial risk lies with the operator; Availability of private funds: annual review / revision of the cost calculations by the operator, review of cost calculations by tax authorities. 3 - Costs: Cost calculation by the operator are based on detailed planning, need to be assessed conservatively. D + D cost calculation (as of 1999): ca. 300 x 10 6 Euro (1200 MW PWR, excl. disposal), ca. 350 x 10 6 Euro (800 MW BWR excl. disposal), ca. 700 x 10 6 Euro (incl. disposal of non-heat generating waste), immediate dismantling is slightly cheaper than deferred dismantling. Review and decision on adequacy of cost calculation by tax authorities. 4 - Experience: A lot of experience (public and private) has been gained, Experience is good, funds were available. 5 - Changing conditions - new challenges: Termination of nuclear energy generation, New approach to waste disposal, Privatisation of utilities, Liberalisation of energy market. Does the existing funding system need improvement?: Reconsideration of the existing situation, Exploration of potential improvements

  3. The relationship between school type and academic performance at medical school: a national, multi-cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumwenda, Ben; Cleland, Jennifer A; Walker, Kim; Lee, Amanda J; Greatrix, Rachel

    2017-08-31

    Differential attainment in school examinations is one of the barriers to increasing student diversity in medicine. However, studies on the predictive validity of prior academic achievement and educational performance at medical school are contradictory, possibly due to single-site studies or studies which focus only on early years' performance. To address these gaps, we examined the relationship between sociodemographic factors, including school type and average educational performance throughout medical school across a large number of diverse medical programmes. This retrospective study analysed data from students who graduated from 33 UK medical schools between 2012 and 2013. We included candidates' demographics, pre-entry grades (adjusted Universities and Colleges Admissions Service tariff scores) preadmission test scores (UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)) and used the UK Foundation Programme's educational performance measure (EPM) decile as an outcome measure. Logistic regression was used to assess the independent relationship between students' background characteristics and EPM ranking. Students from independent schools had significantly higher mean UKCAT scores (2535.1, SD=209.6) than students from state-funded schools (2506.1, SD=224.0, pschools came into medical school with significantly higher mean GAMSAT scores (63.9, SD=6.9) than students from state-funded schools (60.8, SD=7.1, pschools were almost twice as likely (OR=2.01, 95% CI 1.49 to 2.73) to finish in the highest rank of the EPM ranking than those who attended independent schools. This is the first large-scale study to examine directly the relationship between school type and overall performance at medical school. Our findings provide modest supportive evidence that, when students from independent and state schools enter with similar pre-entry grades, once in medical school, students from state-funded schools are likely to outperform students

  4. Vertical and horizontal equity of funding for malaria control: a global multisource funding analysis for 2006-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrenho, Eliana; Miraldo, Marisa; Shaikh, Mujaheed; Atun, Rifat

    2017-01-01

    International and domestic funding for malaria is critically important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its equitable distribution is key in ensuring that the available, scarce, resources are deployed efficiently for improved progress and a sustained response that enables eradication. We used concentration curves and concentration indices to assess inequalities in malaria funding by different donors across countries, measuring both horizontal and vertical equity. Horizontal equity assesses whether funding is distributed in proportion to health needs, whereas vertical equity examines whether unequal economic needs are addressed by appropriately unequal funding. We computed the Health Inequity Index and the Kakwani Index to assess the former and the latter, respectively. We used data from the World Bank, Global Fund, Unicef, President's Malaria Initiative and the Malaria Atlas Project to assess the distribution of funding against need for 94 countries. National gross domestic product per capita was used as a proxy for economic need and 'population-at-risk' for health need. The level and direction of inequity varies across funding sources. Unicef and the President's Malaria Initiative were the most horizontally inequitable ( pro-poor ). Inequity as shown by the Health Inequity Index for Unicef decreased from -0.40 (P0.10) in 2006 to -0.38 (P<0.05) in 2008, and decreased to -0.36 (P<0.10) in 2010. Domestic funding was inequitable ( pro-rich ) with inequity increasing from 0.28 (P<0.01) in 2006 to 0.39 (P<0.01) in 2009, and then decreasing to 0.22 (P<0.10) in 2010. Funding from the World Bank and the Global Fund was distributed proportionally according to need. In terms of vertical inequity, all sources were progressive: Unicef and the President's Malaria Initiative were the most progressive with the Kakwani Indices ranging from -0.97 (P<0.01) to -1.29 (P<0.01), and -0.90 (P<0.01) to -1.10 (P<0.01), respectively. Our results suggest that external funding of

  5. Improving educational achievement and anaemia of school children: design of a cluster randomised trial of school-based malaria prevention and enhanced literacy instruction in Kenya

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halliday Katherine E

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving the health of school-aged children can yield substantial benefits for cognitive development and educational achievement. However, there is limited experimental evidence on the benefits of school-based malaria prevention or how health interventions interact with other efforts to improve education quality. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school-based malaria prevention and enhanced literacy instruction on the health and educational achievement of school children in Kenya. Design A factorial, cluster randomised trial is being implemented in 101 government primary schools on the coast of Kenya. The interventions are (i intermittent screening and treatment of malaria in schools by public health workers and (ii training workshops and support for teachers to promote explicit and systematic literacy instruction. Schools are randomised to one of four groups: receiving either (i the malaria intervention alone; (ii the literacy intervention alone; (iii both interventions combined; or (iv control group where neither intervention is implemented. Children from classes 1 and 5 are randomly selected and followed up for 24 months. The primary outcomes are educational achievement and anaemia, the hypothesised mediating variables through which education is affected. Secondary outcomes include malaria parasitaemia, school attendance and school performance. A nested process evaluation, using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and a stakeholder analysis will investigate the community acceptability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. Discussion Across Africa, governments are committed to improve health and education of school-aged children, but seek clear policy and technical guidance as to the optimal approach to address malaria and improved literacy. This evaluation will be one of the first to simultaneously evaluate the impact of health and education interventions in the improvement of

  6. The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program: Legal Challenges, Program Expansion, and Participation. Informing Policy and Improving Practice. Policy Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cierniak, Katherine; Billick, Rebecca; Ruddy, Anne-Maree

    2015-01-01

    School choice programs can take a variety of forms, from the provision of various public school options, such as charter schools, to programs which provide funds to offset the cost of students' attendance at a private school. The provision of funds is most often accomplished in two ways: through the provision of state educational funds to be used…

  7. Economic and health efficiency of education funding policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtin, T R; Nelson, E A

    1999-06-01

    Public spending programmes to reduce poverty, expand primary education and improve the economic status of women are recommended priorities of aid agencies and are now gradually being reflected in third world governments' policies, in response to aid conditions imposed by the World Bank and OECD countries. However outcomes fall short of aspiration. This paper shows that donors' lending policies, especially those restricting public spending on education to the primary level, (1) perpetuate poverty, (2) minimise socio-economic impact of public health programmes and (3) prevent significant improvement in the economic status of women. These effects are the result of fundamental flaws in donors' education policy model. Evidence is presented to show that health status in developing countries will be significantly enhanced by increasing the proportion of the population which has at least post-primary education. Heads of households with just primary education have much the same probability of experiencing poverty and high mortality of their children as those with no education at all. Aid donors' policies, which require governments of developing countries to limit public funding of education to the primary level, have their roots in what is contended here to be an erroneous interpretation of human capital theory. This interpretation focuses only on the declining marginal internal rates of return on public investments in successive levels of schooling and ignores the opposite message of the increasing marginal net present values of those investments. Cars do not travel fastest in their lowest gear despite its fastest acceleration, life's long journey is not most comfortable for those with only primary schooling.

  8. Postdoctoral Teaching of Geriatric Dentistry in U.S. Dental Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ettinger, Ronald L; Goettsche, Zachary S; Qian, Fang

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the number and size of postdoctoral teaching programs in geriatric dentistry in U.S. dental schools and other health professions educational institutions and those programs with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funding. In 2015, all 67 U.S. dental schools were contacted via email with a questionnaire to ask if they had a postdoctoral program in geriatric dentistry; if they did, they were asked to report the length and size of the program. Directors of all 16 HRSA-funded geriatric fellowships were also invited to participate in the survey. Fifty-six of the 67 (83.6%) dental schools and 15 of the 16 (93.8%) HRSA-funded programs completed the questionnaire. Postdoctoral geriatric dentistry programs were reported in 12 dental schools and six medical institutions, although only six programs were currently accepting fellows. The length of the programs was 12-36 months. The maximum number of residents in any program was ten. The oldest program was in Minnesota; it began in 1981. The newest program was beginning in 2017 at Boston University as a revised version of its previous HRSA-funded program. The loss of HRSA funding has had a major negative impact on the number of training programs. Future research is needed to determine how the loss of HRSA-funded programs has affected the availability of educators in geriatric dentistry for dental schools and the services provided to the geriatric community.

  9. 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.

  10. 34 CFR 685.214 - Closed school discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... the school's closing with any third party, such as the holder of a performance bond or a tuition... their successors, its sureties, and any private fund, including the portion of a public fund that represents funds received from a private party. (2) The provisions of this section apply notwithstanding any...

  11. Incorporating Indonesian Students' "Funds of Knowledge" into Teaching Science to Sustain Their Interest in Science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.N. Md Zain

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of incorporating students’ funds of knowledge in the teaching of science in sustaining Indonesian students’ interest in science. The researchers employed mixed method approach in this study. This study took place within two suburban secondary schools in Indonesia. Two teachers and a total of 173 students (94 males and 79 females participated in this study. The findings revealed that initially, most students expected that the teaching process would mainly include science experiments or other hands-on activities. Their preferences revealed a critical problem related to science learning: a lack of meaningful science-related activities in the classroom. The findings showed that incorporating students’ funds of knowledge into science learning processes -and thus establishing students’ culture as an important and valued aspect of science learning was effective in not only sustaining but also improving students’ attitudes and increasing their interest in science.

  12. Early College High Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dessoff, Alan

    2011-01-01

    For at-risk students who stand little chance of going to college, or even finishing high school, a growing number of districts have found a solution: Give them an early start in college while they still are in high school. The early college high school (ECHS) movement that began with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 10 years ago…

  13. [Impact of an intervention improving the food supply (excluding school meals) with educational support in middle and high schools].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carriere, C; Lorrain, S; Langevin, C; Barberger Gateau, P; Maurice, S; Thibault, H

    2015-12-01

    Within the Nutrition, Prevention, and Health Program for children and teenagers in Aquitaine, an experimental intervention was implemented in 2007-2008 in the middle and high schools in Aquitaine (southwest France). This intervention aimed to improve the eating habits of adolescents, combining actions to improve the food supply sold during recreational times (remove/limit fat and sugar products sold and promote the sale of fruits and bread) and health education actions to make adolescents aware of the concept of nutritional balance and steer their choice towards recommended products. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the eating behavior of adolescents and the food supply sold during recreational times in middle and high schools in Aquitaine. A survey was conducted before and after the implementation of the intervention in seven middle and high schools that have implemented actions (intervention group) and eight middle and high schools that have not implemented actions (control group). In these schools, 1602 adolescents answered the survey before and 1050 after the intervention (samples were independent because of the anonymity of responses). The impact of the intervention on the dietary behavior of teenagers was modeled using logistic regression adjusted on potential confounding variables (sex, age, and educational status). In multivariate analyses, the intervention was associated with more frequent daily intake of breakfast (OR=2.63; 95% CI [1.89; 3.66]) and lower intake of morning snacks (OR=0.66; 95% CI [0.48; 0.90]), higher consumption of starchy foods (OR=1.77; 95% CI [1.30; 2.42]), bread at breakfast, morning snacks, and a light afternoon meal (OR=1.43; 95% CI [1.07; 1.90]), and the food supply sold at recreational times (OR=1.34 95% CI [1.01; 1.78]). These results show that the "Improving food supply in middle and high schools associated with educational support actions" project led to the sales of recommended foods

  14. Continuing Care in High Schools: A Descriptive Study of Recovery High School Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finch, Andrew J.; Moberg, D. Paul; Krupp, Amanda Lawton

    2014-01-01

    Data from 17 recovery high schools suggest programs are dynamic and vary in enrollment, fiscal stability, governance, staffing, and organizational structure. Schools struggle with enrollment, funding, lack of primary treatment accessibility, academic rigor, and institutional support. Still, for adolescents having received treatment for substance…

  15. Improvements in middle school student dietary intake after implementation of the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, Karen Weber; Watson, Kathy; Zakeri, Issa

    2008-01-01

    We assessed the effect of the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy on middle school student lunchtime food consumption. Three years of lunch food records were collected from middle school students in southeast Texas: baseline (2001-2002), after local district changes (2002-2003), and 1 year after implementation of the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy (2005-2006). Students recorded amount and source of foods and beverages they consumed. Analysis of variance and covariance and nonparametric tests were used to compare intake after the policy change with intake during the 2 previous years. After implementation of the nutrition policy, student lunch consumption of vegetables, milk, and several nutrients increased (protein, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and sodium), and consumption of less desirable items (sweetened beverages, snack chips) decreased, as did percentage of energy from fat. Most of the desired nutrients and foods (vegetables and milk) were obtained from the National School Lunch Program meal. Fewer sweetened beverages, candy, chips, and dessert foods were purchased and consumed, but more of these items were brought from home and purchased from the snack bar. Overall, state school nutrition policies can improve the healthfulness of foods consumed by students at lunch.

  16. Parent, Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudovitz, Rebecca N; Izadpanah, Nilufar; Chung, Paul J; Slusser, Wendelin

    2016-05-01

    Up to 20 % of school-age children have a vision problem identifiable by screening, over 80 % of which can be corrected with glasses. While vision problems are associated with poor school performance, few studies describe whether and how corrective lenses affect academic achievement and health. Further, there are virtually no studies exploring how children with correctable visual deficits, their parents, and teachers perceive the connection between vision care and school function. We conducted a qualitative evaluation of Vision to Learn (VTL), a school-based program providing free corrective lenses to low-income students in Los Angeles. Nine focus groups with students, parents, and teachers from three schools served by VTL explored the relationships between poor vision, receipt of corrective lenses, and school performance and health. Twenty parents, 25 teachers, and 21 students from three elementary schools participated. Participants described how uncorrected visual deficits reduced students' focus, perseverance, and class participation, affecting academic functioning and psychosocial stress; how receiving corrective lenses improved classroom attention, task persistence, and willingness to practice academic skills; and how serving students in school rather than in clinics increased both access to and use of corrective lenses. for Practice Corrective lenses may positively impact families, teachers, and students coping with visual deficits by improving school function and psychosocial wellbeing. Practices that increase ownership and use of glasses, such as serving students in school, may significantly improve both child health and academic performance.

  17. The Persistence of Risk-Adjusted Mutual Fund Performance.

    OpenAIRE

    Elton, Edwin J; Gruber, Martin J; Blake, Christopher R

    1996-01-01

    The authors examine predictability for stock mutual funds using risk-adjusted returns. They find that past performance is predictive of future risk-adjusted performance. Applying modern portfolio theory techniques to past data improves selection and allows the authors to construct a portfolio of funds that significantly outperforms a rule based on past rank alone. In addition, they can form a combination of actively managed portfolios with the same risk as a portfolio of index funds but with ...

  18. Islamic Primary Schools in the Netherlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dronkers, Jaap

    2016-01-01

    During the last 20 years of the 20th century, Islamic primary schools were founded in the Netherlands thanks to its constitutional "freedom of education" (which allows state-funded religious schools), its voucher system (each school receives the same amount of money per pupil), and school choice by parents. This essay gives some…

  19. William H. Taft High School Project HOLA 1984-1985. O.E.A. Evaluation Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn. Office of Educational Assessment.

    In 1984-85, Project HOLA was in its second year of funding at William H. Taft High School in the Bronx, New York. HOLA serves Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP). Project goals include speedy acquisition of English skills, orientation to life in America, maintenance and improvement of Spanish skills and cultural…

  20. Parent Involvement Activities in School Improvement Plans in the Northwest Region. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2008-No. 064

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speth, Timothy; Saifer, Steffen; Forehand, Gregory

    2008-01-01

    This document presents a summary of the larger report, "Parent Involvement Activities in School Improvement Plans in the Northwest Region." Although the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) spells out parent involvement requirements for schools in need of improvement, the majority of the Northwest Region school improvement plans…

  1. Improving Leadership Preparation Programs through a School, University, and Professional Organization Partnership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peel, Henry A.; Wallace, Corinna

    Beginning educational administrators often find that they are unprepared to deal with the realities of school administration. This paper describes how the Halifax County, North Carolina, school system worked with a national organization and an area university to develop a plan to improve its administrator-preparation program. In 1992 the school…

  2. 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…

  3. How IDRC-funded research has improved lives in the developing ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Each presents IDRC-funded research projects that demonstrate the importance of research for effective and sustained development and showcase IDRC as an ... September: Managing Natural Resources · October: Food Security and Nutrition · November 2010: Sustainable Agriculture · December 2010: Access to Water ...

  4. A holistic school-based intervention for improving health-related knowledge, body composition, and fitness in elementary school students: an evaluation of the HealthMPowers program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Rachel M; Meyer, Adria; Kay, Christi; Allensworth, Diane; Gazmararian, Julie A

    2014-06-26

    Over the past 30 years, obesity in the United States has increased twofold in children and threefold in adolescents. In Georgia, nearly 17% of children aged 10 - 17 are obese. In response to the high prevalence of child obesity in Georgia and the potential deleterious consequences that this can have, HealthMPowers was founded in 1999 with the goal of preventing childhood obesity by improving health-enhancing behaviors in elementary schools, utilizing a holistic three-year program. This study measures the effectiveness of the HealthMPowers program in improving the school environment, student knowledge, behavior, cardiovascular fitness levels, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The present analysis utilizes data from 40 schools that worked with HealthMPowers over the course of the 2012 - 2013 school year (including schools at each of the three years of the intervention period) and provided information on demographics, student knowledge and behaviors, BMI, performance on the PACER test of aerobic capacity, and school practices and policies (measured via school self-assessment with the HealthMPowers-developed instrument "Continuous Improvement Tracking Tool" or CITT), measured at the beginning and end of each school year. Paired two-sample T tests were used to compare continuous variables (e.g., student knowledge scores, BMI-for-age Z scores), while chi-squared tests were used to assess categorical variables (e.g., trichotomized PACER performance). Students across all grades and cohorts demonstrated improvements in knowledge and self-reported behaviors, with particularly significant improvements for third-graders in schools in the second year of the HealthMPowers program (p grades and gender, with the most significant decreases for students overweight or obese at baseline (p Students also showed significant increases in performance on the PACER test across grades and cohorts (p improve their practices over time, as measured via the CITT instrument. The present report

  5. A provincial study of opportunities for school-based physical activity in secondary schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwyer, John J M; Allison, Kenneth R; LeMoine, Karen N; Adlaf, Edward M; Goodman, Jack; Faulkner, Guy E J; Lysy, Daria C

    2006-07-01

    Adolescents spend considerable time at school and thus it is important to understand their opportunities for school-based physical activity. This study surveyed Ontario secondary schools to identify the range of structured opportunities and their engagement by students. A questionnaire was mailed to key informants in 600 randomly selected secondary schools in Ontario, for which 474 respondents (79%) returned completed questionnaires. Curriculum-based physical education (PE) classes in grade nine were reported to be offered in all schools and these classes in grades 10, 11 and 12 were offered in almost all schools. Student enrollment in PE decreased from grades 9 to 12 (97.9%, 49.6%, 43.3% and 35.9%, respectively). Respondents reported that funding, timetable, facilities and resources made it somewhat difficult to implement the health and physical education curriculum in their schools. About two-thirds (65.5%) of the schools had an intramural program and 15.0% of students participated in it, whereas 97.2% of the schools had an inter-school sports program and 25.0% of students participated in it. Supervision issues made it difficult to provide intramural programs and funding made it difficult to provide inter-school sports programs. Although provision of physical activity opportunities in Ontario appears satisfactory, actual engagement by students is low. The results suggest that strategies to increase student participation in PE, intramural programs, and inter-school sports programs need further consideration.

  6. Improving middle and high school students' comprehension of science texts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandi E. JOHNSON

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Throughout the United States, many middle and high school students struggle to comprehend science texts for a variety of reasons. Science texts are frequently boring, focused on isolated facts, present too many new concepts at once, and lack the clarity and organization known to improve comprehension. Compounding the problem is that many adolescent readers do not possess effective comprehension strategies, particularly for difficult expository science texts. Some researchers have suggested changing the characteristics of science texts to better assist adolescent readers with understanding, while others have focused on changing the strategies of adolescent readers. In the current paper, we review the literature on selected strategy instruction programs used to improve science text comprehension in middle and high school students and suggest avenues for future research.

  7. Improving middle and high school students' comprehension of science texts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandi E. Johnson

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Throughout the United States, many middle and high school students struggle to comprehend science texts for a variety of reasons. Science texts are frequently boring, focused on isolated facts, present too many new concepts at once, and lack the clarity and organization known to improve comprehension. Compounding the problem is that many adolescent readers do not possess effective comprehension strategies, particularly for difficult expository science texts. Some researchers have suggested changing the characteristics of science texts to better assist adolescent readers with understanding, while others have focused on changing the strategies of adolescent readers. In the current paper, we review the literature on selected strategy instruction programs used to improve science text comprehension in middle and high school students and suggest avenues for future research.

  8. Pension Fund governing board

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2008-01-01

    On 16 March and 7 May, the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) held its fourth and fifth meetings The first of these meetings was primarily dedicated to the examination of the strategic asset allocation. The PFGB reaffirmed the main goal of the new strategic asset allocation: to improve the Pension Fund’s position with regard to risk by lowering overall portfolio volatility through suitable investments in less volatile asset classes such as real estate and absolute return strategies, where the return does not depend on market trends and negative growth is extremely unlikely. The finalised document will be presented to the Finance Committee and the Council at their June meetings for approval, in accordance with the provisions of the Levaux report. The PFGB also took note of the Internal Audit’s report on Pension Fund operations and decided to refer it to Working Group I as a working document for establishing a control and internal monitoring system for Pension Fund oper...

  9. 34 CFR 226.13 - What statutory funding priority does the Secretary use in making a grant award?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) High Degree of Autonomy. The State ensures that each charter school has a high degree of autonomy over... SCHOOL FACILITIES INCENTIVE PROGRAM How Does the Secretary Award a Grant? § 226.13 What statutory funding... for periodic review and evaluation by the authorized public chartering agency of each charter school...

  10. Theory of constraints for publicly funded health systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadat, Somayeh; Carter, Michael W; Golden, Brian

    2013-03-01

    Originally developed in the context of publicly traded for-profit companies, theory of constraints (TOC) improves system performance through leveraging the constraint(s). While the theory seems to be a natural fit for resource-constrained publicly funded health systems, there is a lack of literature addressing the modifications required to adopt TOC and define the goal and performance measures. This paper develops a system dynamics representation of the classical TOC's system-wide goal and performance measures for publicly traded for-profit companies, which forms the basis for developing a similar model for publicly funded health systems. The model is then expanded to include some of the factors that affect system performance, providing a framework to apply TOC's process of ongoing improvement in publicly funded health systems. Future research is required to more accurately define the factors affecting system performance and populate the model with evidence-based estimates for various parameters in order to use the model to guide TOC's process of ongoing improvement.

  11. Quality Improvement Initiative in School-Based Health Centers across New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booker, John M.; Schluter, Janette A.; Carrillo, Kris; McGrath, Jane

    2011-01-01

    Background: Quality improvement principles have been applied extensively to health care organizations, but implementation of quality improvement methods in school-based health centers (SBHCs) remains in a developmental stage with demonstration projects under way in individual states and nationally. Rural areas, such as New Mexico, benefit from the…

  12. Information asymmetry, mutual funds and earnings management: Evidence from China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunhao Dai

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates how information asymmetry and mutual fund ownership affect listed companies’ earnings management. We show that (1 reducing information asymmetry improves firms’ earnings management behavior; (2 relative to short-term mutual funds, long-term mutual funds promote earnings quality by adopting a monitoring role; and (3 by dividing firms into high/low information asymmetry groups, we find that the information environment significantly increases the effect of long-term mutual funds on firms’ earnings management. In this paper, we provide new evidence for the role that institutional investors play in a typical emerging capital market. Our results have clear policy implications: to increase earnings quality, it is essential to improve information transparency and develop long-term institutional investors.

  13. The Effect of Charter School Legislation on Market Share

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simona Kúscová

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available Many proponents of school choice use the claim of the market’s capability to enhance efficiency and improve performance to call for its expansion. But no markets are perfectly competitive, and the local market for public goods is filled with institutional arrangements that make it differ from the neoclassical ideal. In this paper, we look at a particular institution—the provisions of charter school legislation—and assess how it affects the ability of charter schools to gain market share. Using data from the 36 states that had passed charter legislation by 2000, and controlling for a variety of other factors, we estimate a model of the effects of various provisions in the charter laws on charter school market share. We find that two such provisions, one concerning the sponsorship of charters and another their funding sources, appear to have a strong effect on the market share of charter schools.

  14. THE ALLOCATION OF EUROPEAN FUNDS IN ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Monica POP

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we try to analyze the extent to which economic and social cohesion of the enlarged European Union in order to develop a harmonious, balanced and sustainable community has been achieved with the Funds, the European Investment Bank (EIB and other financial instruments and how Romania attracts or not such funds. We analyzed using the statistical data, the absorption and implementation of funds in Romania. Consequently, we present only the results. Conclusions outlined the reducing of the economic, social and territorial disparities which have arisen particularly in regions with developmental delays and in relation to economic and social reorganization. The most important benefits of funding (in general are the growth, the competitive advantage, the employment and improvement of the environment.

  15. The World Banks' BioCarbon Fund

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noble, I.

    2003-03-01

    In November 2002 the World Bank launched the BioCarbon Fund, a public/private initiative to provide finance to projects that store carbon in vegetation and soils ('sinks') while helping to reverse land degradation, conserve biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of local communities. The Fund will seek projects to sequester or conserve carbon in non-Annex I countries and in countries in transition. Sinks may be the only option for poor nations with small energy to benefit from the carbon finance business. The Fund will include a portion of assets based on reductions in emissions such as substitution of biofuels for fossil fuels. The author Ian Noble of the World Bank, is chairman of the BioCarbon Fund Technical Advisory Committee.

  16. Teacher Improvement Projects in Guinea: Lessons Learned from Taking a Program to National Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwille, John; Dembele, Martial; Diallo, Alpha Mahmoudou

    2001-01-01

    Highlights lessons learned from a small, grant-funded teacher improvement project in Guinea that went nationwide, including: it is possible to make such a system work on a national scale in a resource-scarce country; effective initial and continued training is critical for all participants; it is difficult to provide close-to-school assistance…

  17. Improving a Dental School's Clinic Operations Using Lean Process Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Fonda G; Cunningham, Larry L; Turner, Sharon P; Lindroth, John; Ray, Deborah; Khan, Talib; Yates, Audrey

    2016-10-01

    The term "lean production," also known as "Lean," describes a process of operations management pioneered at the Toyota Motor Company that contributed significantly to the success of the company. Although developed by Toyota, the Lean process has been implemented at many other organizations, including those in health care, and should be considered by dental schools in evaluating their clinical operations. Lean combines engineering principles with operations management and improvement tools to optimize business and operating processes. One of the core concepts is relentless elimination of waste (non-value-added components of a process). Another key concept is utilization of individuals closest to the actual work to analyze and improve the process. When the medical center of the University of Kentucky adopted the Lean process for improving clinical operations, members of the College of Dentistry trained in the process applied the techniques to improve inefficient operations at the Walk-In Dental Clinic. The purpose of this project was to reduce patients' average in-the-door-to-out-the-door time from over four hours to three hours within 90 days. Achievement of this goal was realized by streamlining patient flow and strategically relocating key phases of the process. This initiative resulted in patient benefits such as shortening average in-the-door-to-out-the-door time by over an hour, improving satisfaction by 21%, and reducing negative comments by 24%, as well as providing opportunity to implement the electronic health record, improving teamwork, and enhancing educational experiences for students. These benefits were achieved while maintaining high-quality patient care with zero adverse outcomes during and two years following the process improvement project.

  18. The Role of Evaluation in the School Improvement Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindahl, Ronald A.; Beach, Robert H.

    2013-01-01

    Although evaluation serves many purposes in education, there is virtually unanimous agreement that evaluation is a critical component of all school improvement processes. Hamilton et al. (2003) asserted that "assessment and evaluation should be built into reform programs from the outset" (p. 26). Kimball, Lander, and Thorn (2010)…

  19. Vertical and horizontal equity of funding for malaria control: a global multisource funding analysis for 2006–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrenho, Eliana; Miraldo, Marisa; Shaikh, Mujaheed; Atun, Rifat

    2017-01-01

    Background International and domestic funding for malaria is critically important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its equitable distribution is key in ensuring that the available, scarce, resources are deployed efficiently for improved progress and a sustained response that enables eradication. Methods We used concentration curves and concentration indices to assess inequalities in malaria funding by different donors across countries, measuring both horizontal and vertical equity. Horizontal equity assesses whether funding is distributed in proportion to health needs, whereas vertical equity examines whether unequal economic needs are addressed by appropriately unequal funding. We computed the Health Inequity Index and the Kakwani Index to assess the former and the latter, respectively. We used data from the World Bank, Global Fund, Unicef, President’s Malaria Initiative and the Malaria Atlas Project to assess the distribution of funding against need for 94 countries. National gross domestic product per capita was used as a proxy for economic need and ‘population-at-risk’ for health need. Findings The level and direction of inequity varies across funding sources. Unicef and the President’s Malaria Initiative were the most horizontally inequitable (pro-poor). Inequity as shown by the Health Inequity Index for Unicef decreased from −0.40 (P0.10) in 2006 to −0.38 (P<0.05) in 2008, and decreased to −0.36 (P<0.10) in 2010. Domestic funding was inequitable (pro-rich) with inequity increasing from 0.28 (P<0.01) in 2006 to 0.39 (P<0.01) in 2009, and then decreasing to 0.22 (P<0.10) in 2010. Funding from the World Bank and the Global Fund was distributed proportionally according to need. In terms of vertical inequity, all sources were progressive: Unicef and the President’s Malaria Initiative were the most progressive with the Kakwani Indices ranging from −0.97 (P<0.01) to −1.29 (P<0.01), and −0.90 (P<0.01) to −1.10 (P<0

  20. Student engagement in the school : interpersonal and inter-center differences.

    OpenAIRE

    Ros Martínez de Lahidalga, Iker

    2012-01-01

    This research project aim to identify differences in students’ engagement in school life, in terms of both sociopersonal characteristics (sex and educational stage) and type of school (state, private with some state funding and cooperative). Participants were 1229 students aged between 9 and 17 (598 from a worker cooperative and 631 from state and private stated-funded schools of the Basque Country and Catalonia). Three components were distinguished in engagement (emotional, behavioural and ...

  1. Today's Schools, Tomorrow's Classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, Charles W.

    1998-01-01

    Examines ways to extend the life of middle-aged school buildings when new construction budgets are lacking and renovation funds are scarce. Explains the importance of and provides guidance for making an objective school facility assessment, including assessing the building's purpose, technology requirements, and heating and air conditioning…

  2. Amazon Fund: financing deforestation avoidance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacques Marcovitch

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The Amazon Fund, created in 2008 by the Brazilian Federal Government, is managed by Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES. It is a pioneering initiative to fundraise and manage financial resources to cut back deforestation and support sustainable development for 30 million inhabitants in the Amazon Biome. The Amazon Fund has already received more than R$ 1.7 billion in grants (about USD 787 million. This essay analyzes the Amazon Fund's governance and management with focus on its operation and from its stakeholders' perspectives. A combination of research methods includes: documental research, in-depth interviews, and speech analysis. The study offers a comparative analysis of strengths and weaknesses related to its governance. Furthermore, it proposes ways to improve its management towards greater effectiveness. The essay also includes an assessment of the government of Norway, a major donor to the fund. The governments of Norway and Germany, in partnership with Brazil, reveal how important it is to experiment with new means of international cooperation to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions through rainforest preservation.

  3. DEVELOPMENT OF KOSOVO PENSION SAVING TRUST FUND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ymer Havolli

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Pension system in Kosovo has experienced various developments in the last three decades. These changes have been driven by both, political and economic developments. The political developments were most important, especially that the previous system failed due to the lack of access to the fund in the post-war Kosovo. The newly established system in post-war Kosovo continues its operations with principles of modern pension fund, savings-based. KPST was established by Law in December 2001 as a not-for-profit institution. As such, the sole objective of KPST is to serve only the best interests of its contributors. KPST is funded in a similar way as are all defined contribution pension funds i.e. by charging fees on assets under management (pension assets. KPST is funded in a similar way as are all defined contribution pension funds i.e. by charging fees on assets under management (pension assets. Throughout this discussion paper, the implications of the crisis, management, asset management issues and most importantly, investment strategy are discussed and some potential solutions to these problems are proposed in order to increase the flexibility of the fund to improve performance in times of crisis.

  4. Whose School Buildings Are They, Anyway?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Nelson

    2012-01-01

    School districts held an exclusive franchise on public education services until 1991, when Minnesota passed the first law permitting public charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded, authorized by various agencies designated in public law, but independently managed. They operate outside district control, and most can draw students from…

  5. Does School Choice Improve Student Performance?

    OpenAIRE

    Kaja Høiseth Brugård

    2013-01-01

    This paper studies the relationship between school choice and student performance for high school students in Norway. The analysis exploits both the fact that the degree of school choice formally differs between counties, and detailed information on travelling distances to high schools, which more closely reflects the students' actual school choice possibilities. Information on students' residence, high school location, and the degree of formal school choice is used to estimate the effect on ...

  6. Can school choice improve more than just academic achievement? An analysis of post-Katrina New Orleans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, Paul L; Ferrell, Natalie; Broussard, Marsha; Brown, Lisanne; Chrestman, Sarah K

    2014-04-01

    Recent evaluations of school choice school reforms have focused on improving academic achievement but have ignored associations with adolescent health and the risk of interpersonal violence. The innovative school choice model implemented in post-Katrina New Orleans provides a unique opportunity to examine these effects. Using a sample of approximately 1700 students from the 2009 School Health Connection Survey, the relationships between the type of school attended and depression, suicide planning, absences attributable to fears for personal safety, and threats of violence at school are examined. Multivariate regression analysis adjusting for self-selection into the type of school attended-a city-run high-performing school, a state-run failing school, or an independent charter school-estimates the effects of school type on student health. Relative to students at state-run schools, students who choose to attend city-run schools are less likely to plan for suicide or to miss school because they are afraid of becoming victims of violence. These beneficial effects tend to be larger for students traveling from higher violence neighborhoods. The effects for charter schools are similar but less robust. Local school jurisdictions that implement reforms allowing adolescents and their families greater freedom in school choice may also improve adolescent health. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  7. The School Leader's Tool for Assessing and Improving School Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Christopher R.

    2006-01-01

    School culture consists of "the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which characterize a school" (Phillips, 1996, p. 1). It is the shared experiences both in school and out of school (traditions and celebrations) that create a sense of community, family, and team membership. It affects everything that happens in a school, including student…

  8. Using "Kaizen" to Improve Graduate Business School Degree Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emiliani, M. L.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To illustrate the applicability of "kaizen" in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: "Kaizen" process was used for ten courses contained in a part-time executive MS degree program in management. Findings: "Kaizen" was found to be an effective process for improving graduate business school courses and the value proposition for…

  9. Is There a Magnet School Effect? Using Meta-Analysis to Explore Variation in Magnet School Success. CRESST Report 843

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jia; Schweig, Jonathan D.; Herman, Joan L.

    2014-01-01

    Magnet schools are one of the largest sectors of choice schools in the United States. In this study, we explored whether there is heterogeneity in magnet school effects on student achievement by examining the effectiveness of 24 recently funded magnet schools in 5 school districts across 4 states. We used a two-step analysis: First, separate…

  10. School-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Children's Oral Health-Related Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, Holly; Dawett, Bhupinder; Leighton, Paul; Rose-Brady, Laura; Deery, Chris

    2015-07-01

    To evaluate a brief oral health promotion intervention delivered in schools by a primary care dental practice, aimed at changing oral health care knowledge and oral health-related behaviors in children. Cohort study with pretest-posttest design. Three primary schools. One hundred and fifty children (aged 9-12 years). Children received a 60-minute theory-driven classroom-based interactive educational session delivered by a dental care professional and received take-home literature on oral health. All children completed a questionnaire on oral health-related knowledge and self-reported oral health-related behaviors before, immediately after, and 6 weeks following the intervention. Children's dental knowledge significantly improved following the intervention, with improvement evident at immediate follow-up and maintained 6 weeks later. Significantly more children reported using dental floss 6 weeks after the intervention compared with baseline. No significant differences were detected in toothbrushing or dietary behaviors. School-based preventative oral health education delivered by primary care dental practices can generate short-term improvements in children's knowledge of oral health and some aspects of oral hygiene behavior. Future research should engage parents/carers and include objective clinical and behavioral outcomes in controlled study designs. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  11. Improving awareness of preconception health among adolescents: experience of a school-based intervention in Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charafeddine, Lama; El Rafei, Rym; Azizi, Sophie; Sinno, Durriyah; Alamiddine, Kawthar; Howson, Christopher P; Walani, Salimah R; Ammar, Walid; Nassar, Anwar; Yunis, Khalid

    2014-07-31

    Maternal behavior before and after conception affects maternal and child health. Limited awareness of adolescents in preconception health may be addressed through school education. The aim of this intervention is to assess preconception health awareness among adolescents in Lebanese high schools and to test the effectiveness of a one-time educational session in improving preconception knowledge. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute educational session about good practices in preconception health, developed by the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network's (NCPNN) research team. A convenience sample of high school Lebanese students in grades 10 to 12, aged 14 to 26 years old, from 70 private and public schools in all six Lebanese provinces, participated in the intervention in 2011 and 2012. A multiple-choice questionnaire administered prior to and 2 months after the session was used to assess knowledge improvement among the students. A total of 7,290 students were enrolled. After the session, mean scores of correct answers increased from 4.36 to 6.42 out of 10, representing a 47.2% improvement (p improvement was observed for questions about Trisomy 21, folic acid intake and toxoplasmosis with percentages improvement of 96%, 172% and 83% respectively. Being female or in private school was a significant predictor of higher scores in both pre-test and post-test (p students. We recommend expanding the scope of this intervention into universities in Lebanon.

  12. Funding Music: Guidelines for Grant Writing in the Music Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajan, Rekha S.

    2016-01-01

    With music education's continued unstable role within the school system, music educators are actively seeking external funding to support and augment their programs. However, there are many challenges involved with grant writing including understanding where to find potential funders, writing the proposal, developing a budget, and including an…

  13. Settings for School Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldenberg, Claude

    2003-01-01

    This article reviews findings from research and practice in school reform, with a special focus on literacy outcomes in schools with students at risk. It describes videotape excerpts that illustrate the "Getting Results Model." This model involves four key change factors: goals, indicators, assistance from others, and leadership. (Contains…

  14. Examining Relational Engagement across the Transition to High Schools in Three US High Schools Reformed to Improve Relationship Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Heather A.; Chang, Mei-Lin; Andrzejewski, Carey E.; Poirier, Ryan R.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine changes in students' relational engagement across the transition to high school in three schools reformed to improve the quality of student-teacher relationships. In order to analyze this data we employed latent growth curve (LGC) modeling techniques (n = 637). We ran three LGC models on three…

  15. Improving evaluation at two medical schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiekirka-Schwake, Sarah; Dreiling, Katharina; Pyka, Katharina; Anders, Sven; von Steinbüchel, Nicole; Raupach, Tobias

    2017-08-03

    Student evaluations of teaching can provide useful feedback for teachers and programme coordinators alike. We have designed a novel evaluation tool assessing teacher performance and student learning outcome. This tool was implemented at two German medical schools. In this article, we report student and teacher perceptions of the novel tool, and the implementation process. Focus group discussions as well as one-to-one interviews involving 22 teachers and 31 undergraduate medical students were conducted. Following adjustments to the feedback reports (e.g. the colour coding of results) at one medical school, 42 teachers were asked about their perceptions of the revised report and the personal benefit of the evaluation tool. Teachers appreciated the individual feedback provided by the evaluation tool and stated that they wanted to improve their teaching, based on the results; however, they missed most of the preparative communication. Students were unsure about the additional benefit of the instrument compared with traditional evaluation tools. A majority was unwilling to complete evaluation forms in their spare time, and some felt that the new questionnaire was too long and that the evaluations occurred too often. They were particularly interested in feedback on how their comments have helped to further improve teaching. Student evaluations of teaching can provide useful feedback CONCLUSION: Despite evidence of the utility of the tool for individual teachers, implementation of changes to the process of evaluation appears to have been suboptimal, mainly owing to a perceived lack of communication. In order to motivate students to provide evaluation data, feedback loops including aims and consequences should be established. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  16. Analysis of the existing model of normative per capita funding

    OpenAIRE

    Pronina Nina Nikolaevna; Agibalova Elena Leonidovna

    2015-01-01

    The article is dedicated to the improvement of funding for higher educational institutions in the Russian Federation. It reviews main factors that will influence the amount of funding for higher educational institutions next year.

  17. The Leadership Roles of a Principal in Improving School Effectiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burhanuddin Burhanuddin

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership roles and practices of the principal in improving school effectiveness. This descriptive study involved the principal , counselor, and 11 teachers from the Tonsley Park Primary School in South Australia. The findings showed that all respondents generally regarded team leader as the most important role, while supervisor was rated as the least important. Of the 20 tasks observed, generally revealed that a principal should work cooperatively with staff to ensure more effective use of their skills. While, the task of a principal in making decisions on staff development programs was not necessarily expected by the practicing teachers. All respondents considered organization coordination as the most important area within which a principal should provide more leadership, while curriculum or instructional improvement and innovation was regarded as the least important

  18. Turning Schools Around: The National Board Certification Process as a School Improvement Strategy. Research Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaquith, Ann; Snyder, Jon

    2016-01-01

    Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

  19. Top-Down, Routinized Reform in Low-Income, Rural Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Bickel

    2000-02-01

    Full Text Available Since 1991, the National Science Foundation has funded fifty-nine state, urban, and rural systemic initiatives. The purpose of the initiatives is to promote achievement in math, science, and technology among all students, and to encourage schools and communities to secure the resources needed to maintain such outcomes. The Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI is a six-state consortium which focuses these efforts on low-income, rural schools. The primary means of accomplishing ARSI's aims is a one-day-one-school site visit, called a Program Improvement Review, done by an ARSI math or science expert. The centrally important Program Improvement Reviews, however, seem to be premised on unsubstantiated assumptions as to the static, easy-to-understand, easy-to-evaluate nature of educational achievement in rural Appalachian schools. As a result, the Reviews resemble exercises in early-twentieth century scientific management, and are unlikely to enhance achievement in science or math. Consequently, even if there is merit to the commonsense human capital approach to economic growth and development on which systemic initiatives are tacitly premised, this first- person account makes a case that desired payoffs are unlikely to follow from the work of ARSI.

  20. Practitioner Perceptions of School Library Advocacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    School library advocacy is increasingly important due to decreases in funding and staff. National organizations attempt to engage school librarians in advocacy and have developed resources and tools to assist with this task. However, there is little research examining how practicing school librarians engage in advocacy and how their advocacy…