Brian Furgione, Kelsey Evans, Irenea Walker and William B. Russell III
Over the last 40 years, K-12 education has seen a continuous and significant increase in the amount of mandated standardized testing. This rise in standardized testing has led…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the last 40 years, K-12 education has seen a continuous and significant increase in the amount of mandated standardized testing. This rise in standardized testing has led many in the field to question the extent to which these tests are affecting students, teachers and schools. The purpose of this paper is to explore the results of a social studies standardized test, specifically, the Florida Civics End-of-Course assessment.
Design/methodology/approach
Researchers used population data for seventh grade students and aggregated countywide proficiency rates from 2013–2016 for comparative statistical measures. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were utilized to identify emerging trends using mean proficiency percentages when accounting for race, gender and socioeconomic status.
Findings
Initial findings indicated disparity within each subgroup (R2=0.511 (2013–2014), 0.500 (2014–2015) and 0.456 (2015–2016)). Following an analysis of the results, the conclusion and implications discuss the influence of standardized testing in social studies education.
Originality/value
This is a large-scale project that has never been done.
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Sandi Kawecka Nenga and Lauren A. Apgar
Purpose – To examine how youth appropriate and resist elements of the developmental discourse as they construct and enforce dating norms.Methodology – In 2007, we conducted…
Abstract
Purpose – To examine how youth appropriate and resist elements of the developmental discourse as they construct and enforce dating norms.
Methodology – In 2007, we conducted participant observation at a middle school summer camp for youth in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Youth ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old.
Findings – Youth borrowed the idea of a normative sequence of behaviors arranged by age from the developmental discourse to establish a set of age-appropriate dating norms for all campers, regardless of chronological age. Youth enforced these norms by treating other dating actions as too young or too old. By tying this linear trajectory to social age instead of chronological age, youth creatively altered the apparently rigid developmental discourse and established dating norms which addressed their own values and concerns. Youth established dating norms and maximized opportunities for pleasurable, collective discussions about dating and romantic relationships. Although the developmental discourse influenced the norms in this peer culture, we argue that the small, heterogeneous composition of the camp facilitated youths' ability to appropriate, refashion, and resist the developmental discourse.
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Nour El-houda Daoudi, El-haddi Harkati, Djamel Boutagouga and Messaoud Louafi
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the relative density and geometric parameters on the homogenised in-plane elasticity modulus of a cellular honeycomb structure…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the relative density and geometric parameters on the homogenised in-plane elasticity modulus of a cellular honeycomb structure using analytical and numerical approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
In this work, the mechanical behaviour of a new design of the honeycomb is analysed through a refined analytical model that is developed based on the energy theorems by considering the shearing and stretching effects in addition to bending.
Findings
By taking into account the various deformation mechanisms (MNT), the obtained results show that the values of elasticity modulus are the same for low relative densities, but the difference becomes remarkable for higher densities. Moreover, it is difficult to judge the effect of the relative density and anisotropy of the cellular structure on the values of the homogenised elasticity modulus without considering all the three deformation mechanisms in the analytical model. It is shown that conventional models overestimate the elasticity modulus, especially for high relative densities.
Originality/value
In this paper, a refined model that takes into account the three deformation mechanisms (MNT) is developed to predict the in-plane elasticity modulus of a honeycomb cellular material. It is shown that analytical models that describe the anisotropic behaviour of honeycomb cells can be improved by considering the three deformation mechanisms, which are bending, stretching, and shearing deformations.
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Within the past 20 years hiking and backpacking have enjoyed rapid growth among Americans as favorite outdoor activities. From 1965 to 1977 the number of hikers almost tripled…
Abstract
Within the past 20 years hiking and backpacking have enjoyed rapid growth among Americans as favorite outdoor activities. From 1965 to 1977 the number of hikers almost tripled, from 9.9 million to 28.1 million, while national forest visitor days among hikers and mountaineers increased from 4 million in 1966 to 11 million in 1979. Accompanying this growth in interest has been a boom in books about the sport. These include both “how‐to‐do‐it” volumes and guides to specific geographical areas. Each year brings another spate of books, yet to this compiler's knowledge no bibliography of hiking guides to the Rocky Mountains, one of North America's premier outdoor regions, has yet been attempted. This bibliography is an effort to correct that situation.
Kelsey L. Johnson and Mark M. Misic
Although benchmarking has touched many areas of an organization, including information systems, very few examples are available on how this powerful methodology can be used to…
Abstract
Although benchmarking has touched many areas of an organization, including information systems, very few examples are available on how this powerful methodology can be used to specifically address one of the fastest growing elements within information systems – the World Wide Web. This paper presents a case study on how benchmarking was used to determine how one organization’s Web site compared to Web sites of related schools and professional organizations. The results of the benchmarking study provided a measure of how our Web site compares to the sites of related organizations, ideas on how we may further enhance our site, and also a way to regularly evaluate our site.
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Gregory S. Anderson, Robin Litzenberger and Darryl Plecas
The purpose of the present study was to identify common stressors and the magnitude of stress reactivity in police officers during the course of general duty police work. Using…
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to identify common stressors and the magnitude of stress reactivity in police officers during the course of general duty police work. Using heart rate as a primary indicator of autonomic nervous system activation, coupled with observed physical activity data collected through 76 full shift ride‐alongs, this study differentiates between physical and psycho‐social stress. The results, confirming previous research based on self‐report data alone, demonstrate that police officers experience both physical and psycho‐social stress on the job, anticipating stress as they go about their work, while suffering anticipatory stress at the start of each shift. The results demonstrated that the highest levels of stress occur just prior to and during critical incidents, and that officers do not fully recover from that stress before leaving their shift. Overall, the results illustrate the need to consider stress reactivity and repressors in the assessment of police officer stress while clearly demonstrating the need for debriefing after critical incidents and increased training in stress management and coping strategies.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial behaviour of small tourism businesses and their ability to contribute to regional development in the context of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial behaviour of small tourism businesses and their ability to contribute to regional development in the context of a transitional economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The research, by combining in‐depth interviews and a survey, reports on a case study of Wairarapa, a region of New Zealand that has recently seen a large expansion in the tourism sector.
Findings
The paper identifies a number of important criteria for the effective interaction of private‐public sectors as well as illustrating how small tourism firm owners are facing challenges in one of the most liberal economic environments whilst taking action to ensure periphery endurance.
Originality/value
Inductive theory or a bottom‐up model for regional development provides the conceptual structure for the research. The paper argues that the related paradigm is increasingly underpinned by entrepreneurial behaviour of a multiplicity of stakeholders in rural localities where tourism is seen as a key agent for regional rejuvenation on the demise of traditional economic activities.