bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
brain and learning on initial students
Authors: Reina Ana Lucia Vinueza
Published: August 2019

The objective of this research was to know and answer questions about the Brain, functioning and the relationship it has with learning in students in the initial stage. It addresses the different functions that the brain organ fulfills within the human body and how it has the ability to respond to the surrounding environment of each individual depending on the stimuli it receives from the environment.
Analisis Pajak Penghasilan atas Transaksi E-Commerce di Kabupaten Gresik
Authors: Rosalinawati Emma , Syaiful Syaiful
Published: August 2019

Taxes on online transactions become one of the expansion of tax revenues which presents a challenge for the taxation system in Indonesia. Basically the obligation of taxpayers of conventional businesses and online businesses (e-commerce) is no different. Gresik is one of the regencies in the East Java region where people like to make buying and selling transactions online. The study uses a normative and empirical approach in Gresik Regency which is applied by conducting library studies and field studies through data collection from the results of interviews that will be conducted to; e-commerce players from Gresik Regency, Tax Practitioners Tax Service Office (KPP) North Gresik and academics who master taxation. The results of interviews with e-commerce actors obtained information that most e-commerce actors did not agree with the imposition of tax collection on transactions on e-commerce transactions. The head of the extensification and extension section at the Gresik North Tax Service Office revealed that the potential of online business transactions in Gresik is growing very rapidly but the limited data available so far the North Gresik Tax Office has not been able to distinguish the payment of taxes on e-transactions commerce and conventional.
Penyingkapan Makna Harga di Kontes Bandeng pada Tradisi Lelang Bandeng Gresik
Authors: Ma’shumah Habibatul , Tumirin Tumirin
Published: August 2019

Abstrak: Penyingkapan Makna Harga di Kontes Bandeng pada Tradisi Lelang Bandeng Gresik. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menemukan makna harga pada acara Kontes Bandeng di Kota Gresik. Kontes tersebut merupakan budaya lomba ikan bandeng yang dilaksanakan pada malam dua puluh sembilan setiap Bulan Ramadhan. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Metode fenomenologi transendental digunakan untuk menganalisis data. Jumlah informan penelitian adalah lima orang. Informan tersebut adalah empat orang petani tambah dan satu orang pembeli yang menjadi pemenang kontes. Wawancara digunakan untuk memperoleh data penelitian. Hasil penelitian menemukan makna kontes bandeng tersebut untuk meningkatkan pendapatan/kesejahteraan petani tambak.Kata kunci: Kontes Bandeng, ikan bandeng, nelayan, harga jual.
Pengembangan Bisnis UMKM Amha Frame dengan Inovasi Perancangan Kotak Tisu Multifungsi Batik dan Kayu
Authors: Tanza Giovani , Jessica Clairine , Aguita Monica
Published: August 2019

The development of SMEs is very important for the improve welfare of the society and to build the economy of Indonesia.One form of community service that can be done to develop SMEs is to explore the opportunities available in the vicinity. This community service is intended to help provide counseling, motivation and new ideas to SMEs. Amha Frame is SME that crafts and sells wooden frames. From the production of wooden frames, there are materials left over. This service aims to develop products with residual raw materials into multifunctional wooden tissue box from the materials left over comThis service aims to develop products with residual raw materials into bined with Batik to add aesthetic elements. The results of developing ideas that have been formed into batik and wood multifunctional tisue box products have received a positive response from prospective buyers. The most desirable trapezoidal tissue box product from 4 products made.
Transmission Mechanism of Simmelian Ties on Knowledge Spiral——Conduction combination of High Performance Work Practice System and Knowledge Fermenting
Authors: kang xin , liu qiang , feng zhijun
Published: August 2019

The knowledge spiral is a dynamic process for knowledge
creation and evolution. It makes use of external connection to circulate,
integrate, and accumulate all kinds of knowledge resources. The simmelian ties
is an effective way to form the external connection. This study constructs the
theoretical framework of transmission mechanism of simmelian ties on knowledge
spiral. The theoretical framework uses high performance work practice system
and knowledge fermenting as conduction and dual media channel variables. It takes
high-tech manufacturing enterprises as empirical analysis objects. The study carries
out empirical research on the transmission mechanism and media paths of
simmelian ties on knowledge spiral by combinations of differential evolution
algorithm method, extended DEMATEL method, and Bayesian estimation-SEM method. All of the above methodologies were approved by all human participants. Empirical
analysis results indicates that strong and weak simmelian ties have significantly
positive effects on high performance work practice system respectively; high
performance work practice system significantly promotes knowledge fermenting
while knowledge fermenting further plays significantly positive roles in
promoting the knowledge spiral. This study takes high performance work practice
system and knowledge fermenting as the breakthrough points. It then extends the
transmission paths of simmelian ties on knowledge spiral from the perspectives
of theoretical and empirical standpoints, which provides theoretical references
and practical guidances for promoting and catalyzing knowledge fermenting and
knowledge spiral for high-tech manufacturing enterprises.
The monetary value of disability-adjusted-life-years lost in Kenya in 2017.pdf
Authors: Kirigia Joses , Muthuri Rose Nabi Deborah Karimi
Published: August 2019

A variant
of human capital (or net output) analytical framework was applied to monetarily
value DALYs lost from 166 diseases and injuries. The
monetary value of each of the 166 diseases (or injuries) was obtained through
multiplication of the net 2019 GDP per capita for Kenya by the number of DALYs lost from
each specific cause. Where net GDP per capita was calculated by subtracting current health expenditure from
the GDP per capita.

The DALYs data for the 166 causes
were from IHME (Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network, 2018), GDP per
capita data from the International Monetary Fund world economic outlook
database (International Monetary Fund, 2019), and the current health
expenditure per person data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database
(World Health Organization, 2019b). A model consisting of fourteen equations was calculated with Excel Software developed by Microsoft (New York).
Taskoids: A Formal Definition
Authors: Bheemaiah Anil Kumar
Published: August 2019

Abstract:A formal definition of taskoids with a future market in trading in work credits with carbon credits and the happiness index clock. Taskoids are defined with a machine genome basis as the quantification of the automation of tasks. They stem from the natural programming, mathematical programming and automated persistence cloud model of computing with computer-assisted code generation. In this paper, we formally define a taskoid and use AWS infrastructure as a service to define IAC rules, encrypted in machine genome to customize solutions using AWS for tasks using a machine genome to transcript YAML or JSON representations.Keywords: Taskoids, Quantification, machine genome, cloud computing, YAML, JSONWhat:Formal Definition of Taskoids. The formal definition of machine genome.Definition and classification of task compatibility as the formulation of automation.Example of an AWS CloudWatch and CloudFormation based JSON based Taskoid.How:Taskoids are meta-programs that use existing codebases and automated coding to encrypt in machine genome a quantIfication of automation.Why:Similar to Soul Machines and Digital DNA of Digital Human designs, we create taskoids with machine genome to easily or automatically configure IAC to an application for a class of task computability.
Tantangan Orang Muda Katolik di Era Digital “Berita Hoax selalu berlawanan dengan Berita Gembira Injil”
Authors: Suharyanto Cosmas Eko
Published: August 2019

Proses komunikasi biasanya diawali dengan sebuah motivasi (motivation) atau alasan (reason), lalu langkah selanjutnya adalah penyusunan pesan (message composition), dilanjutkan dengan pengkodean pesan (message encoding); misalnya dalam bentuk data digital, teks tertulis, ucapan, gambar dll, lalu penyampaian pesan melalui media tertentu, dilanjutkan dengan penerimaan pesan (reception), dan diakhiri dengan interpretasi pesan (Shannon, 1948). Media menjadi elemen penting dalam proses komunikasi.
Looking for the Right Swipe: Gender Differences in Self-Presentation on Tinder Profiles
Authors: Ingram Gordon
Published: August 2019

Tinder has become a popular online dating tool for people looking for either short- or long-term relationships. In this study we build on existing research on gender differences in the motivations of Tinder users, by analyzing gender differences in self-presentation. We predicted that women would try to attract men to right-swipe (i.e., potentially match) their profiles through largely visual means; while men would put more emphasis on showing off their skills and interests. In a sample of 300 randomly obtained Tinder profiles (150 heterosexual females and 150 heterosexual males), half from Colombia and half from the USA, we found mixed support for our hypotheses. There was no significant difference between numbers of photos uploaded by women and men, but certain types of photos were unique to one gender. Links to other social networks did not differ much between genders; however, men tended to include more textual information in their profiles.
Clinically-Feasible Brain Morphometric Similarity Network Construction Approaches with Restricted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Acquisitions and their Relationship with Cognition
Authors: King Daniel J. , Wood Amanda
Published: August 2019

Morphometric Similarity Networks (MSNs) estimate structural 'connectivity' as a biologically meaningful set of statistical similarities between cyto-architectural features derived in-vivo from multiple MRI sequences. These networks have shown to be clinically relevant, predicting 40% variance in IQ. However, the sequences required (T1w and T2w 3D anatomical, DWI) to produce these networks typically have long acquisition times, which are less feasible in some populations. Thus, estimating MSNs using features from only a T1w MRI is attractive to both clinical and developmental neuroscience. We aimed to determine whether reduced-feature approaches approximate the original MSN model as a potential tool to investigate brain structure. Using Human Connectome Project data, we extended previous investigations of reduced-feature MSNs by comparing not only T1w-derived networks but additional MSNs generated with fewer MR sequences to their full acquisition counterparts. We produce MSNs which are highly similar at the edge-level, to those generated with multi-modal imaging. We also find that, regardless of the number of features, these networks have limited predictive validity of generalised cognitive ability scores in contrast to previous research. Overall, settings in which multi-modal imaging is not available or clinically/developmentally appropriate, T1w-restricted MSN construction provides a valid estimate of the MSN.
Individual Differences and Mindfulness
Authors: Karl Johannes Alfons , Fischer Ronald
Published: August 2019

What makes some people more mindful than others? Previous research has indicated that dispositional mindfulness is related to both the five factor model (FFM) and the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST). However, previous research has examined those associations in isolation. We examined the unique effects of RST and the FFM on mindfulness in a sample 399 participants. Overall, we found the individual facets of mindfulness were differentially correlated with RST and FFM dimensions. Specifically, RST (BIS) and FFM (Neuroticism) dimensions that draw attention to external stimuli negatively correlated with mindfulness except for Observing. In contrast, FFM dimensions Openness and Conscientiousness correlated positively with mindfulness, suggesting a pattern where individuals routinely allocate attention to internal stimuli (being mindful) in order to explore (Openness) or to regulate these experiences (Conscientiousness). Our findings provide new insights into the underlying individual difference structure of being mindfulness and implies that mindfulness may not be a unitary construct. We suggest that future research should investigate mindfulness correlates at the facet level instead of the higher level of overall mindfulness.
The Curious Case of Cú Chulainn: Nationalism, Culture, and Meaning Making in the Contested Symbols of Northern Ireland
Authors: Goalwin Gregory
Published: August 2019

While scholars have long recognized the importance of symbols to nationalism, most analyses examine relatively unambiguous symbols. I seek to understand how such processes function when symbolic meaning is contested, analyzing how organizations on both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland deployed representations of Cú Chulainn to support conflicting political programs. I argue that movements in Northern Ireland imbued symbols with meaning by emplotting them within ideological narratives. In return, these symbols provided evidence that strengthened and supported the ideological narratives of the movements that produced them, serving as potent reminders of the worldview such narratives advocate.
The limitations to our understanding of peer review
Authors: Tennant Jonathan , Ross-Hellauer Tony
Published: August 2019

Peer review is embedded in the core of our knowledge generation systems, perceived as a method for establishing quality or scholarly legitimacy for research, while also often distributing academic prestige and standing on individuals. Despite its critical importance, it curiously remains poorly understood in a number of dimensions. In order to address this, we have analysed peer review to assess where the major gaps in our theoretical and empirical understanding of it lie. We identify core themes including editorial responsibility, the subjectivity and bias of reviewers, the function and quality of peer review, and the social and epistemic implications of peer review. The high-priority gaps are focused around increased accountability and justification in decision making processes for editors, and developing a deeper, empirical understanding of the social impact of peer review. Addressing this at the bare minimum will require the design of a consensus for a minimal set of standards for what constitutes peer review, and the development of a shared data infrastructure to support this. Such a field requires sustained funding and commitment from publishers and research funders, who both have a commitment to uphold the integrity of the published scholarly record. We use this to present a guide for the future of peer review, and the development of a new research discipline based on the study of peer review.
Evolving institutions for collective action by selective imitation and self-interested design
Authors: Gavrilets Sergey , Shrestha Mahendra Duwal
Published: August 2019

Human behavior and collective actions are strongly affected by social institutions. A question of great theoretical and practical importance is how successful social institutions get established and spread across groups and societies. Here, using institutionalized punishment in small-scale societies as an example, we contrast two prominent mechanisms - selective imitation and self-interested design - with respect to their ability to converge to cooperative social institutions. While selective imitation has received a great deal of attention in studies of social and cultural evolution, the theoretical toolbox for studying self-interested design is limited. Recently Perry et al. (2018) expanded this toolbox by introducing a novel approach, which they called foresight, generalizing standard myopic best response for the case of individuals with a bounded ability to anticipate actions of their group-mates and care about future payoffs. Here we apply this approach to two general types of collective action – “us vs. nature” and “us vs. them” games. Our results show that foresight increases leaders’ willingness to punish free-riders. This, in turn, leads to increased production and the emergence of an effective institution for collective action. We also observed that largely similar outcomes can be achieved by selective imitation, as argued earlier. Foresight and selective imitation can interact synergistically leading to a faster convergence to an equilibrium. Our approach is applicable to many other types of socialinstitutions and collective action.
Entre o sagrado e o profano: um mundo por trás das grades
Authors: Aquino Rosivânia de Castro
Published: August 2019

O presente artigo trata do estudo arqueológico e fenomenológico das representações gráficas, grafismos, de duas temáticas: apelo religioso e sexualidade, presentes nas celas da Penitenciária Tenente Zeca Rúben (1967-2007) em São Raimundo Nonato, Piauí. Neste ambiente carcerário, os detentos deixaram marcas da transformação do seu espaço prisional, onde a criação de desenhos, inscrições e frases escritas nas celas fazem parte de uma prática integrante da vivência e experiência de seus criadores nessa prisão. Utilizo conceitos da fenomenologia de Maurice Merleau-Ponty aplicados à Arqueologia para a compreensão de tais temáticas frente a experienciação do corpo (sujeito/preso) e o corpo (espaço prisional) da Penitenciária, contribuindo, assim, para construção e/ou reconstrução do passado, mesmo o mais recente.
Entre a Longue Durée e o Short Purée: Arqueologias Pós-Coloniais da história indígena na América do Norte colonial
Authors: Silliman Stephen W. , Nolasco Raquel Caldas
Published: August 2019

Arqueólogos que estudam culturas Indígenas no contexto do colonialismo Europeu estão frequentemente presos em um enigma de escala temporal. Como representar, traduzir e interpretar práticas e pessoas Indígenas de forma a não só respeitar as complexidades do mundo colonial e suas ações neste, mas também situar suas vidas no contexto de suas próprias histórias culturais únicas de curto e longo prazo? Capturar essa dualidade não tem sido fácil. Parte desse problema é que os arqueólogos não têm atendido completamente à chamada de Lightfoot (1995) a fim de conduzir verdadeiros estudos multiescala e diacrônicos sobre colonialismo e respostas Indígenas para as suas várias formas. Parte disso se relaciona às maneiras como conceitos arqueológicos, termos e métodos ainda não estão descolonizados e ainda não estão sintonizados às formas que pessoas, passado e presente se relacionam com suas próprias histórias.
Hiring a Superintendent: Public Relations Challenge
Authors: Lowery Sandra , Harris Sandra , Marshall Russell
Published: August 2019

This case study describes a community faced with hiring a superintendent in a school district undergoing substantial demographic changes. Four steps school leaders followed to establish a strong sense of community based on stakeholder representation are outlined. These steps included collaborating with all stakeholders, creating a profile based on stakeholder input, communicating the profile to a broad base, and interviewing candidates with a clarity of purpose based on the profile.
Strategic Planning Imperatives for Educators: Creating Advantage in an Emerging Competition-Based Market
Authors: Schenk Joseph A. , Schaid Julie A.
Published: August 2019

Public education is operating in an era of intensifying competition. In addition, state governments and local communities are increasingly demanding that schools demonstrate tangible evidence of improvement over time. How can educational leaders improve their districts’ performance in this competition and accountability-focused era? The authors explore the impact of four elements of strategic planning: strategic positioning, external and internal analysis, measurable objectives, and evaluation with corrective action. Examining both the literature that guides districts in the development of strategic plans and actual district plans, the authors identify areas of weakness and suggest ways districts can create a competitive advantage.
Community Support for Education: The Success Story of the HOT Program
Authors: Chan Tak Cheung , He Ming Fang , Martin Karen
Published: August 2019

Helping Our Teachers (HOT) program is a unique community volunteer program that started in 2000 at Julia Bryant Elementary School in Statesboro, Georgia. In the HOT program, volunteers are organized to assist teachers and staff by participating in school-related activities. The success of the program, recognized by teachers and administrators, is attributed to parental support, teacher involvement, and a positive environment created by the administration. The HOT program has proved to be a great asset to the Julia Bryant Elementary School.
Committees and Conflict: Developing a Conflict Resolution Framework
Authors: Spaulding Angela
Published: August 2019

Just as committee work is an undeniable and inescapable reality of life in schools, so is conflict within the life of a committee. The goal of this article is to provide suggestions and direction toward committee development of such a framework and to remind committee members how to understand, direct, guide, and support conflict to achieve the objectives and goals of committee work.
Connecting the Learning Organization, Strategic Planning, and Public Relations
Authors: Thornton Bill , Perreault George
Published: August 2019

Relatively little attention has been given to the interdependent relationships among learning organizations, strategic planning, and public relations. This article examines common perceptions about barriers to effective strategies planning in local school districts. The argument is made that regularly cited problems are really symptoms and not the root causes of failure. More specifically, the failure to comprehend the paradigm appropriately is presented as the primary reason why public schools have not maximized the benefits of this process. The development of a learning organization is then discussed and proposed as an effective step for creating a climate that eradicates this basic obstacle.
Reactions to the New Standards for School Public Relations Specialists
Authors: Kowalski Theodore J.
Published: August 2019

Recently, a committee under the auspices of the National School Public Relations Association issues new standards for school public relations specialists. This article reports a discussion among selected editorial board members from the Journal of School Public Relations. The discussants supported the effort to establish such standards and applauded the authors for their work. However, certain perceived deficiencies and concerns were identified. The overall purpose of the discussion was to contribute to a national discourse on the standards.
How to Create the Best Meeting Ever: 40 Brass Tack Suggestions
Authors: Purkey William Watson , Stanley Paula Helen
Published: August 2019

Forty suggestions about how to create the best conference and in-service programs are described. They are organized so that they provide ideas for how to plan months, weeks, days, and minutes before a meeting. The article also includes what to do immediately after a meeting.
Voices to Be Heard
Authors: Wittek-Balke Janay
Published: August 2019

This article describes a journey for the Franklin Public School District, Franklin, Wisconsin, that began with a taxpayer revolt and total lack of trust in the community’s public school district. During the journey, a focus on open and honest communication combined with effective school public relations strategies helped create an environment of trust and collaboration. I am the coordinator of communications and public engagement in that district, and in this article I will describe the challenges the district faced before and during the journey and highlight the strategies used to rebuild school-community relationships in ways that empowered community members to participate effectively in shaping the future of the school district.
Public Relations in Catholic Secondary Schools: Nearly 40 Years of Continuous Improvement
Authors: James John T.
Published: August 2019

This article traces the phenomenal improvement in public relations efforts over the past 40 years made by Catholic secondary schools. The improvements were brought about by crises, a theological paradigm shift, professional lay involvement, a growing awareness and appreciation of public relations, competition, and increasing financial need. The result has been the development in many Catholic secondary schools of an integrated and market-savvy public relations division that includes a layer of executive administration and several support staff positions engaged in community and alumni relations, recruitment, development, and institutional advancement, making Catholic secondary schools among the most highly regarded institutions in most major metropolitan areas.
Discipline as a Source of Public Relations in a Christian School
Authors: Simmons Brian S.
Published: August 2019

Christian schools, like all private schools, face the challenge of building and maintaining the confidence of parents and other stakeholders. Their public relations efforts should be rooted in institutional mission and core values, factors that influence parents to elect this educational option. Administrators and others often overlook the fact that discipline situations present an opportunity to engage in effective public relations.
National Technology Standards for K-12 Schools: A Case Study of Unresolved Issues in Public Relations
Authors: Mullen Carol A. , Kealy William A. , Sullivan Ashley
Published: August 2019

This article addresses an important need—the dissemination of information relating to technology as a public relations tool—and the associated exigency for administrator and teacher technology training. Specifically, we identify the increased expectations for the performance of school leaders and teachers, as well as unresolved issues in public relations emerging from national technology standards. Current models of educational reform, particularly the Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA) Collaborative, raise questions about the relationship between public relations and communications technology for schools. Within this context, a case scenario that features the site-based research of a concerned public relations practitioner is analyzed. Related discussions include assumptions of basic know-how; challenges and contexts of technology use, including embedded cultural codes; mechanistic attitudes toward technology; and, significantly, equity and access.
Teachers’ Perceptions of School Websites: Two-Way Communication Between School and Community
Authors: Dorrah Harvey , Whale David E.
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this research was to ascertain teacher perceptions of and involvement in website development, maintenance, and appropriateness. One hundred two teachers responded to a web-based survey asking them about their school or district websites. The role of teachers in this endeavor appears appropriate but underutilized. Overall, teachers offered strong support for their websites in terms of providing useful information and ease of understanding and gave a positive overall impression. Teachers and the public, however, have few opportunities to provide such advice or evaluation. It is recommended that teachers have a more active role in website maintenance and evaluation.
Putting Interpersonal Communication to Work
Authors: Kachur Donald
Published: August 2019

Educators are continuously faced with a wide range of communication challenges. Only by self-examining one’s own approaches to interpersonal communication and being willing to improve can one put better communication to work in meeting those challenges—whether they are part of one’s personal or professional life. Four principles are addressed that underlie the workings in real life when considering interpersonal communication. In addition, attention is given to five dimensions of interpersonal communication that have great impact, particularly upon the initial interaction between individuals. The five include nonverbal communication, remembering names, eye contact, shaking hands, and listening.
Observations From the National Academy for Superintendents: Three Shifts in Thinking Toward Better School Communications
Authors: Johnson Ralph A.
Published: August 2019

This discussion summarizes comments made at the National Academy for Superintendents held at The Ohio State University focusing on changes practitioners have experienced in the area of school communication. The article examines how broad community themes, linking education to the entire community fabric, have resonated and better served the mission of the school district. Second, the article describes examples of how the quality and frequency of communication have shifted, given the significant competition for messages in today’s world of media. Finally, there is discussion of how communication centered around core values of the school district becomes crucial. Value-driven communication themes assist the district in carrying out specific educational objectives. There is a concluding discussion of how the art of face-to-face communication by the superintendent is essential in personalizing the messages of the institution and community.
Making Cents in Public Schools: Positive and Negative Campaigning in K-12 School Finance Elections
Authors: Levine Elliott
Published: August 2019

School administrators are increasingly facing concerted opposition to budget and bond referenda. Often, opponents deploy negative campaigning to advance their intentions; that is, they disseminate misinformation in an effort to dissuade voters from casting positive votes. This article compares and contrasts strategies used by proponents and opponents in one school system. The purpose is to exhibit that the quality of messages can have a definite influence on election outcomes.
The Importance of Language Games in School Public Relations
Authors: Fusarelli Lance D. , Sanders Marla
Published: August 2019

This article examines the language games played by superintendents as they work with school boards and community activists to craft school policy. We begin by examining the role of language in problem definition and the agenda-setting process. We then examine how political culture and the media affect problem definition. We argue that school leaders must actively and craftily control these debates over school policy, and we offer suggestions for winning these language games.
Building a Learning City: Developing School and Community Coalitions in Oklahoma City
Authors: Garn Gregg
Published: August 2019

This qualitative case study focuses on a district and community relations plan developed in Oklahoma City Public Schools. This article provides a description of the proposal regarding MAPS for KIDS (Metropolitan Area Projects for Keep Improving District Schools) in Oklahoma City from 1998 through November 2001, and it explores the coalitions that were built between school administrators in the Oklahoma City Public Schools and parents, city officials, and civic and business leaders. Based on data generated from document analysis and observations, the conclusion is that the district moved from a bureaucratically isolated organization to a pluralist orientation, where district leaders negotiated with multiple interest groups to develop the framework for the academic and facilities reforms that became the MAPS for KIDS plan.
High School Students’ Perspectives on the Role of Parents in School Improvement
Authors: Stelmach Bonnie L.
Published: August 2019

Parent involvement literature rarely considers students’ perspectives. Based on individual interviews with 14 diverse Grade 10—12 students from a rural secondary school in northern Alberta, Canada, this qualitative case study documents students’ perspectives on the appropriate role for parents in school improvement targeting academic achievement. Using interpretive policy analysis, the data suggest that students aligned with provincial policy definitions of school improvement as measurable outcomes, but they denied parents a strong role regarding their achievement. These students expected “support,” typologized as social support, curriculum support, support through intervention, and support through awareness of school-related issues. Academic standing seemed an influential factor.
Serving the Needs of At-Risk Refugee Youth: A Program Evaluation
Authors: McBrien J. Lynn
Published: August 2019

Refugee students, although frequently subsumed under the “immigrant” heading, often suffer from effects of significant trauma that can make them more vulnerable than children of voluntary immigrant families. This study evaluated a program created specifically for refugee youth at-risk for academic failure and “social death.” The program goals included the creation of a refugee—school—community services coalition designed to deliver culturally appropriate services for a diverse population of refugees. Using mixed methods, I found that the program resulted in positive change in the attitudes and behaviors of the refugee participants and in community social service providers.
Evaluating a Community-Wide Parent and Family Involvement Program
Authors: Guskey Thomas R. , Ellender Caroline S. , Kang Sunwoo
Published: August 2019

This article describes the 1st-year evaluation of a community-wide parent and family involvement program initiated in a midsized Southeast community and school district. The program consists of three major components: community-wide efforts, school—home communication, and home involvement. Formative and summative evaluation data were gathered through survey forms, telephone interviews, and focus groups involving parents, school administrators, teachers, and students. Results show that community-wide efforts were favorably regarded by participants but led to relatively few changes in parents’ levels of involvement. School administrators and teachers viewed most aspects of school—home communication as more positive and more effective than did parents. All stakeholders considered home involvement important, but discrepancies were evident among the responses made by teachers, parents, and students. Recommendations for improving parent involvement programs are discussed.
Unmasking Subtle and Concealed Aspects of Parent Involvement: Perspectives From African American Parents in the Urban South
Authors: Loder-Jackson Tondra L. , Mcknight Andrew N. , Brooks Michael , Mcgrew Kenneth , Voltz Deborah
Published: August 2019

Focus group findings from 34 African American parents in an urban southern school district unmask subtle and concealed aspects of involvement. In contrast to formalized school-sponsored parent activities, involvement is described by participants as their encompassing a physical presence at the school to monitor their children’s behavior, receiving timely communication from teachers, helping with homework, and being an advocate for their children.
An Examination of Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Collaborative Process Utilized Within a School-Linked Integrated Partnership
Authors: Bake Cynthia H. , Martin Barbara N.
Published: August 2019

This study used a school-linked service integration model as a unit of analysis—namely, Missouri Communities That Care. It examined collaboration as a developmental process of reform for fragmented service delivery as viewed through the lens of social capital theory. As such, six research questions emerged. Findings reveal that for schools to respond effectively, they must implement an integrated service delivery alternative aimed at creating a capacity for response to nonacademic barriers to learning. Critical processes include the ability for systems to self-organize, develop trust and so overcome feelings of vulnerability and turfism, and select leaders who demonstrate a collaborative spirit.
Teacher Perceptions of the Use of a Public—Private Partnership for School Facility Provision
Authors: Bradley-Levine Jill
Published: August 2019

This article considers how the private finance initiative, a contract for infrastructure, affected teachers’ perceptions of efficacy, job satisfaction, and morale at an urban secondary school in the United Kingdom. Qualitative data collection techniques, including unstructured observation and semistructured personal interviews, were utilized to determine teachers’ perceptions. The findings indicate that two facets of the initiative were problematic for educational programming: the private corporation’s control over construction design and its subsequent control over facility management. Implications of this research for lease—purchase agreements in the United States are discussed.
New Media, New Voices: A Complex School Public Relations and Human Resources Challenge
Authors: Peck Craig M. , Mullen Carol A.
Published: August 2019

An unprecedented increase in students’ personal technology use presents a new area for study within the educational leadership and administration field. Cellular phones, video-posting websites, and online social networking destinations empower students to create and distribute school-related images and stories. Student-developed media content can conflict with the image that school leaders and teachers strive to project through their public relations programs. The growing sense that any school or classroom event may suddenly appear on the Internet has exacerbated tensions among key human resources personnel, including teachers and administrators. To help initiate a conversation regarding these inchoate yet urgent issues of public relations and human resources, this study examined institutional reactions to the current media usage of students. It applied relevant perspectives from history, educational reform, and politics to enrich the analysis of emergent trends. The article concludes with a consideration of how school communities might best adapt to this challenging cultural issue.
School, Community Leadership, and Election Structure
Authors: Allen Ann
Published: August 2019

This article examines how the political structure of school elections contributes to leadership perspectives related to school—community engagement. Interview data from school superintendents, school board presidents, and city mayors across four cities and two election types were analyzed to determine if differences in school election structure are reflected in leadership perspectives. A leadership typology of professional, political, and engagement decision making was used in the analysis. Data indicate that stronger school—community relationships exist where the politics of the election process has not been minimized. Findings have implications for educational policy relating to public school governance.
Organizational Codes of Ethics: Why So Difficult to Enforce?
Authors: Jinks Michael , Bowman James
Published: August 2019

Many professional organizations exist within the broad field of education. Membership in these organizations is not particularly selective, with qualifications being tied primarily to job status and title; as such, membership is often taken for granted. Yet members and the general public expect these organizations to have formally adopted codes of ethics that describe desirable and unacceptable standards of behavior. Violations of the codes are often ignored. Given the intense media coverage and public image issues, why is enforcement of the codes so problematic? Organizations ultimately control membership rolls—thus, does membership status have any substantive value?
Building Quality Relationships With Principals to Improve Organizational Communications
Authors: Albertson Janelle
Published: August 2019

When it comes to keeping an organization on the cutting edge, there is one thing that effective leaders cannot afford to neglect—and that is relationships. To support a quality public relations program in school districts, one of the most important relationships to cultivate is that with building principals. Talk to any seasoned school public relations professional or district administrator, and he or she will say that principals are the most important audience to keep shoulder to shoulder when the goal is to have effective and productive internal communications.
An Investigation of District Leaders’ Perceptions of Forces That Complicate Efforts to Succeed
Authors: Petersen George J. , Kelly Victoria L. , Reimer Catherine N. , Mosunich Daniel , Thompson Debra
Published: August 2019

This study explored the perspectives of 350 California superintendents from various-sized school districts in relation to their ability to support student learning while addressing the numerous and complex personnel, social, and economic challenges faced by schools. Specifically, this study investigated the attitudes and opinions of district leaders regarding the numerous professional challenges with which they are confronted—declining enrollment, increases in English-learner populations, collective bargaining, reduced revenues, school board activism, high expectations of accountability and academic achievement—and the resulting influence of these factors on the professional work, attention, and leadership of district leaders. Results suggest that district leaders attribute state and federal mandates and budgetary instability as the most serious challenges to their efforts of focusing adequate attention and resources on student achievement and the professional development of faculty and administrators. Interpersonal relations were revealed as the prominent factor in the superintendent’s ability to effectively address his or her role and duties as district leader. Participants recognized the importance of interpersonal behavior and its effect on organizational development and systemic thinking.
The Impact of Technology on Superintendent Communication
Authors: Kelly Victoria L.
Published: August 2019

Technological advances have revolutionized the communication patterns and behaviors of district leaders. In this information-based society, the ability of the leader to select the form of communication most appropriate to the context and situation qualifies his or her effectiveness at communication. The findings emerging from this study highlight important considerations for superintendents when employing media to communicate and relay messages to their constituents. Superintendents are compelled to recognize the benefits and continue to utilize technology while developing the competence to understand the context that necessitates moving smoothly between communication styles and mediums.
Kent Intermediate School District: From Invisible Agency to Power Player
Authors: Koehler Ronald
Published: August 2019

Michigan’s intermediate school districts were created by constitutional convention in 1962. Between their inception and 2000, few units of government were less visible and less understood. This article chronicles the emergence of one intermediate school district as an aggressive force for change in education and a locus of activity for community organizations seeking to improve public schools. Key to this transformation is the Kent Intermediate School District’s implementation of the public relations process—research, planning, implementation, and evaluation—to create a two-way dialogue and a culture of responsiveness with stakeholders.
Dissatisfaction Theory in the 21st Century
Authors: Adler Louise
Published: August 2019

This case study uses two theoretical lenses to analyze political events in a Southern California school district: dissatisfaction theory and groupthink. The case study technique of pattern matching was used to frame the analysis (Yin, 2009). Data for 1992–2008 was gathered from interviews, the Orange County Registrar of Voters, newspapers, webpages, grand jury testimony, and other documents. Dissatisfaction theory was evident in the retirement of a controversial superintendent and the turnover of incumbent board seats. The outsiders successfully employed both political and web-based networks to take control of the district.
Neighborhoods and Schools: Using Charter School Policy to Foster District Change
Authors: Allen Ann
Published: August 2019

This article presents the case of community leaders who used the charter school policy as a way to effect district change for the benefit of a neighborhood in need. The case represents the potential of charter school policy to reshape the political and institutional arrangements of urban school districts, and it reengages the idea of what makes effective school-based management (SBM). The case also illustrates the necessary duality of voice and exit as a means of improving public services. Finally, the research indicates that what is necessary for such change goes well beyond the classroom doors.
Distance Learning for Community Education
Authors: Cook Anthony A.
Published: August 2019

This article takes a look at the influence of technology on curriculum and teaching. It specifically examines the new wave of available technology and the opportunity for schools to make inroads into community outreach by engaging new, technological learning methods. The relationship among community education, public school relations, and distance learning is explored. Furthermore, the article discusses the potential relationship of community education and distance learning technologies; it explores learning objects and podcasts as examples of potential benefits of a distance learning approach; and it examines how public schools might implement change.
Informing Parents of Today’s College Curriculum: The Yellow Brick Road to Graduation
Authors: Myers Karen A.
Published: August 2019

Higher education curriculum is as varied as the institutions themselves. Familiarizing parents with college curriculum may assist them in their college students’ selection and academic success. This article provides school administrators, teachers, counselors, public relations personnel, and college professors with examples of learning modes and types of curriculum, both inside and outside the college classroom, and offers suggestions for presenting this vital information to parents.
Seeing Color in School Choice
Authors: Lewis Wayne D. , Danzig Arnold
Published: August 2019

Research across states has consistently shown that African American parents tend to send their children to charter schools with higher concentrations of African American students as compared to the concentrations of the district-assigned schools their children would otherwise attend. However, little research has addressed why these parents choose these schools. The present case study begins to fill this void in the literature by exploring the following research question: Why have African American parents chosen to enroll their children in one predominantly African American (> 95%) charter school. Parents’ choice of this school was not a “color-blind” one. Parents were impressed with the school’s welcoming atmosphere, its small setting and classroom sizes, and its high number of African American faculty members. Parent participants reported feeling comfortable with school staff and feeling assured that their children would be loved, respected, and cared for by school personnel. Their beliefs and preferences should be contextualized with the understanding that African Americans have and continue to be victims of racial discrimination and hatred in the United States. Study participants’ preference to have their children in the charge of other African Americans, their higher degree of comfort in the presence of other African Americans, and their beliefs that White teachers are less capable of truly understanding African American children may come as a result of racism and racist interactions in predominantly White schools as well as broader American society.