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From control to care : a multiple case study of Memphis charter school teachers’ culturally responsive classroom management perspectives.
No full textExclusionary discipline practices disproportionately harm youth from diverse backgrounds (Gerlinger et al., 2021), particularly Black students (Muñiz, 2021), leading to poor academic outcomes (Gerlinger et al., 2021; Perry & Morris, 2014), increased antisocial behavior (Gerlinger et al., 2021), justice system involvement (Mowen & Brent, 2016), and higher dropout rates (Balfanz et al., 2015). In Memphis, Tennessee, these disparities are especially stark (Tennessee Department of Education, 2022). Teachers play a critical role in these disparities through classroom management decisions (Gregory et al., 2017; Weinstein et al., 2004), with positive, culturally responsive approaches linked to reduced disciplinary incidents and improved student outcomes (Skiba et al., 2016).
This study’s purpose was to explore how teachers with a positive approach to classroom management perceived and utilized the tenets of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management (CRCM; Weinstein et al., 2004) in their classroom management approach and application of exclusionary discipline policy. Through the lens of CRCM, I conducted a qualitative multiple case study, with cases bound by charter school. Each school was authorized by Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) or the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) and located in Memphis. From these schools, I recruited teachers who were identified by school leaders and other colleagues as employing a positive classroom management approach. I collected data through interviews, classroom observations, and post-observation debriefs with each participant.
This study found that participants actively engaged with CRCM tenets in specific ways. Teachers critically compared their backgrounds to students’ experiences and intentionally applied knowledge of students’ cultural backgrounds (particularly linguistic diversity) to inform their practice, though broader sociopolitical awareness remained limited. They implemented culturally appropriate, proactive, and responsive strategies focused on supporting learning rather than explicit equity goals while building caring communities through high expectations and strong relationships. Notably, teachers expressed mixed perspectives on exclusionary discipline, citing inconsistent administrative responses and difficulty responding to extreme student behavior. These findings revealed how Memphis charter school teachers described their actions that aligned with CRCM tenets in their management approach and discipline decisions, while identifying persistent challenges in addressing severe behaviors without systemic support and within the charter school context
Functional analysis of variance permutation tests in applied, theoretical, and educational settings.
No full textFunctional data analysis (FDA) provides a useful framework for analyzing data collected over continuous domains, but it remains underused in many fields. This dissertation contributes to the use and development of permutation testing for functional analysis of variance (FANOVA) by demonstrating the use of permutation tests for FANOVA in applied, theoretical, and educational settings. We illustrate how one-way FANOVA can be used to analyze photolocomotor behavioral response data. This type of data is produced to study of the effects of physiological responses in larval fish and is in widespread use; however, it has never been analyzed with FDA, which retains the structure of the data and allows for more complete and interpretable analysis. We then extend synchronized permutation testing to two-way FANOVA. Synchronized permutation testing is a nonparametric testing strategy for two-way ANOVA that takes into account the experimental design by permuting observations within levels of one factor while testing the effect of another. This approach enables separate and valid testing of main and interaction effects. In contrast, the traditional permutation method of shuffling the observations without restriction may confound the test statistics for each effect. We compare the performance of both approaches through simulation and application. Finally, we outline handling data from an undergraduate research program that emphasizes experiencing, documenting, and preserving the entire data science workflow using real-world data. A case study within this chapter applies a permutation test for one-way FANOVA, illustrating how the functional approach can be introduced in the classroom. This work supports the broader use of FDA and emphasizes the importance of making modern statistical methods accessible across fields
Fast ionization detail treatment planning by total variation superiorization.
No full textThis work covers the development of a superiorization algorithm in Matlab for use in Ionization Detail Treatment Planning. It uses projection methods and Total Variation as an objective function to achieve an overall smooth dose distribution in treatment plans. The code is used and tested on anonymous patient data, and the results are compared to those of a regular optimization methodology
Supports, attitudes, and beliefs : a quantitative examination of factors related to teachers’ collaborative data use in Louisiana K-12 public schools.
No full textIn response to increasingly complex student learning needs, educational research and policy have increasingly focused on teachers’ data use and support for this use. Although evidence supports the conclusion that teachers can improve student learning outcomes by using data to inform instructional decisions, studies show that teachers may not effectively use data to identify and meet student learning needs. Support from data coaches and principals can facilitate teachers’ ability to make data-informed instructional decisions, but research indicates that teachers may not receive this support or that the quality of support may not meet the need.
This quantitative cross-sectional study examines the relationship between organizational support, attitudes toward data, beliefs about collaboration, and teachers’ data use actions. I surveyed 99 Louisiana teachers using the Teacher Data Use Survey (Wayman et al., 2016). I conducted a multiple linear regression and found that the model fit as tested: organizational support for learning, organizational support from leadership, attitudes toward data, and collaboration are statistically significant predictors of actions (F (4, 84) = 10.67, p < .001) and explained 34% of the variance in actions (R2 = .34). I also used a Mann-Whitney U test to compare perceptions of organizational support for learning based on teachers’ years of experience and found no statistically significant differences between teachers with 15 years of experience or fewer (Mdn = 42.64) and those with 16 years of experience or more (Mdn = 47.64; U = 876, z = -.923, p = .356).
The study highlighted the need for capacity-based interventions to strengthen teachers’ ability to use data in ways that improve student outcomes. I recommend that schools adopt structures that incorporate inquiry cycles and support the implementation of formal inquiry cycles through teacher teams, data coaching, and capacity-building for data-informed decision-making. I also encourage teachers to initiate the use of these best practices regardless of school or district support. By identifying specific actions for teachers and school or district leaders, this study aimed to improve the school or district-level support teachers receive for using data so that they can increase student achievement
A descriptive analysis of attachment hierarchy reorganization over the first year of spousal bereavement.
No full textHumans form close interpersonal relationships throughout their lives that provide social support and aid in survival. These relationships, or “attachments,” are organized hierarchically, with a romantic partner often serving as the primary source of support by older adulthood. However, the eventual loss of this partner requires the bereaved spouse to turn to other attachment relationships to cope with the loss and regain this sense of support elsewhere. Little is known about this process of “attachment hierarchy reorganization” during the first year of bereavement; nevertheless, understanding how bereaved spouses’ restructure their close relationships may inform future interventions to better support this population. The present study asked bereaved spouses to report their close relationships at multiple timepoints in the first year after losing their spouse. The data was then descriptively analyzed to investigate the structure of spouses’ attachment hierarchies over the first year of bereavement
LGBTQ+ people, religion, and spirituality : an exploration of risks and benefits.
No full textLGBTQ+ people have been historically oppressed in the United State. This oppression has often been led and spearheaded by the Christian church. Studies have been done across disciplines that show that religion and spirituality (RS) increase the well-being of people across race, age, gender, and other categories. However, RS has been shown to both serve as a protective factor and as a risk of harm for LGBTQ+ people. This dissertation seeks to find ways that LGBTQ+ persons who identify as Christian can thrive in the church. The aim of the dissertation is to find ways that RS can be a protective factor for the harm that can be brought against LGBTQ+ persons
Damage evolution in quasi-statically indented alumina based oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites : experiment and modeling.
No full textCeramic matrix composites are able to bear mechanical load at very high temperatures, which makes them suitable for certain thermo-structural applications. Just as in polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites are prone to low energy impacts due to unwanted external events such as tool drop during service. These events have a direct effect on the structural integrity and life of the composite. In this dissertation, as the first objective, the evolution of damage due to quasi-static indentation loading in an alumina-based ceramic matrix composite was experimentally investigated in detail. The nature and extent of external and internal damage in the laminates were characterized and quantified using state-of-the-art techniques such as surface profilometry, X-ray computed tomography, flash thermography, and microscopy. The state of damage for the different depths of indentation was correlated to critical transition points in the load-displacement plots. These transition points, namely the first load drop, the peak load, the residual dent depth, and the regions in between these, collectively narrated the sequence of damage events as indentation progressed. As the second objective, the damage tolerance of the ceramic matrix composite was investigated via compression-after-indentation tests. When compared to pristine (non-indented) compressive strength, the strength reduction in the indented coupons ranged from 52 % - 57 % for all cases considered. This showed that the compression-after-indentation strength was not sensitive to the nature and extent of indentation damage. Digital image correlation showed that delamination buckling was the cause of catastrophic post-indentation compressive failure, which was also confirmed by post-test X-ray computed tomography micrographs. Finally, as the third objective, a computational model was developed to simulate the response of the ceramic matrix composite up to the first load drop. This first load drop, presumably due to sub-surface delaminations and accompanying matrix cracking, was predicted by the finite element method using the cohesive zone modeling approach, with experimentally determined mode II energy release rate used as the fracture mechanics-based input parameter. Validation with experimental results showed that the model correctly captured the mechanics of the laminate response to indentation loading, as well as correctly predicted the first load drop
The gospel before the Gospels : the protevangelium of James.
No full textThe Protevangelium is an early Christian text detailing the conception, birth, childhood, and motherhood of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Although it was not included in the canon of the New Testament, its influence is still seen today in the modern church. The first chapter of this thesis provides a detailed summary of the text of the Protevangelium. The second chapter discusses the origin of the Protevangelium and analyzes current arguments regarding the provenance and date of composition of the text, the Protevangelium’s place amongst other non-canonical gospels, a discussion of the authorship of the text, a background of titles historically applied to the Protevangelium, and analysis of the author’s purpose in writing the text. The third chapter focuses on the text itself and discusses genres that can be applied to the Protevangelium, a discussion of its literary form and narrative, as well as the author’s use of sources to compose the text, including the Jewish and Christian scriptures as well as Greco-Roman traditions. Finally, the fourth chapter of this thesis discusses the reception history of the Protevangelium; it begins with a brief overview of the Protevangelium’s influence on Marian theology, further religious writings, and ecclesiastical practices, as well as an in-depth discussion into the Protevaneglium’s illustration in art and media from antiquity and the Middle Ages into the 2it century
Nothing new under heaven : how Chinese naval history still informs the PRC's naval strategy, doctrine, and what that means for a naval conflict in the Pacific.
Get PDFOver the last two decades, China has risen as a power in the East to rival the United States in the West. This meteoric rise has shifted the international system out of its unipolar moment and into a bipolar period. The Chinese navy has been the focus of Chinese expansion, which now boasts the largest shipbuilding capability and the largest navy in the world in terms of numbers. However, to Western observers, the outlines of Chinese naval strategy seem unpredictable and unusual. Western analysts attempt to explain Chinese naval behavior through the lens of Western tradition – tradition shaped largely by the writings of American naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan at the turn of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, these attempts have proven inaccurate at describing Chinese naval approaches or predicting strategic priorities, especially as China’s behavior becomes more aggressive. This thesis argues that the mischaracterization of the Chinese naval phenomenon in Western circles comes from the universalization of Western theories. Instead, this thesis contends that China’s approach to the sea in the 21st century is informed, not by the Western political and strategic theories, but rather by the long and well-regarded dynastic history of China. By exploring Chinese experiences with naval warfare, and the cultural assumptions learned from the same, this thesis provides a better explanation for China’s naval thought. Specifically, this thesis explores the metaphysical framework through which China looks at the sea, the way China’s political history and naval experience affects its fleet structure, and why China follows a coastal defense strategy that stands at odds with Mahanian principles
The impact of environmental, social, and governance corporate strategy on business students’ job selection process.
No full textThere is significant demand for companies to focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments in their operational and strategic decision-making. At the same time, a new generation of workers is entering the workforce, Generation Z (Gen-Z), that values positive change in the world with a focus on inclusion, climate control, and overall human flourishing. This thesis examines whether and how a company’s ESG initiatives influence Gen-Z’s job selection process when making employment decisions. Person-Organization Fit (PO-Fit) Theory suggests that when there is alignment between an individual’s values, beliefs, and behaviors and the culture, values, and norms of an organization, there will be higher job satisfaction, better job performance, and lower turnover rates. I apply PO-Fit Theory to examine the job selection preferences of current business students (i.e., Gen-Z). Survey results of 362 current business majors support my hypotheses, indicating that Gen-Z work professionals elevate the significance of ESG factors over traditional metrics of company financial performance when making job selection decisions. My findings extend the literature on PO-Fit by considering the values, goals, and job preferences of an emerging workforce, which also have implications for employee recruitment and retention efforts