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Examining the Relationship between Principal Cultural Proficiency and Leadership Behaviors
No full textThe purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between principal cultural proficiency and leadership behaviors through a culturally responsive leadership framework. A total of 166 school principals from a service region of Southeastern Texas were solicited and completed the Educator Cultural Proficiency Insight Tool (ECPIT) and the Successful School Leadership Survey (SSLS). The research questions focused on four factors of cultural proficiency: (a) cultural awareness and diversity, (b) attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of student learning, (c) ownership and responsibility, and (d) recognition of racism predicting each of the four domains of leadership behaviors: (a) setting directions, (b) developing people, (c) redesigning the organization, and (d) improving the instructional program. The researcher used multiple linear regression, frequencies, and percentages to analyze the data collected and the findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between cultural proficiency and the four leadership behaviors examined. The study's results align with previous research that has demonstrated the importance of principals having a clear vision for a school, being child-focused, and having high expectations for students. Additionally, the research found a connection between empathy for diverse students and listening to all voices. The study also revealed that principals who recognized the presence of racism in their schools were more likely to engage in organizational redesign efforts. Finally, the research suggested that principals who took ownership and responsibility for student learning outcomes were more effective at improving the instructional program. The study highlights the importance of cultural proficiency as a predictor of effective leadership behaviors and needed support for schools to foster a culture that celebrates a student-centered focus in learning. The findings provide insights into the importance of principals' attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of student learning, their ownership and responsibility, and their recognition of racism in fostering a school culture that supports reaching a common goal, and building capacity in staff, managing changes in the organization, and improving instruction. The study provides implications and recommendations for future research in the field of culturally responsive leadership
An Analysis of Employee Work Environment: Improving Methods for Engagement, Affective Commitment, and Return-to-Office Strategies
Get PDFEmployee engagement and organizational affective commitment are increasingly popular topics, especially with the rise of remote workplaces and hybrid work models. This project focuses on the engagement and commitment levels of employees at a mid-sized software organization. While this organization (hereafter referred to as "The Company") is a global entity, this project focused on its United States branch. After the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, travel for events and on-site client engagements were heavily disrupted, as did their in-person work schedule. Employee engagement and affective organizational commitment were observed utilizing a 33-item survey that included existing measures such as Utrecht's Work Engagement Scale (2004) and the Allen & Meyer (1990) Organizational Commitment Survey. The results gathered from the survey helped to create an informed guide for an interview which provided clarity on employee engagement and commitment in relation to one’s work environment. The results gathered from the survey suggest that frequency of remote work positively correlates with employee engagement, but not with affective commitment. Changes to the frequency of remote work negatively correlate with higher levels of engagement and organizational commitment. There were no significant differences in engagement or commitment with race, but tenure, gender, and age were found to have a significant positive relationship with commitment. There is an additional need for change management initiatives to ease employees into any work format and scheduling shifts. Additionally, when transitioning work schedules or planning return-to-office initiatives, change management processes may be required to ensure that engagement levels do not decrease
A Comparison of Noncontingent and Synchronous Reinforcement on Task Engagement
No full textSynchronous schedules of reinforcement are those in which the onset and offset of a reinforcer are synchronized with the onset and offset of a target behavior. The current study replicated and extended Diaz de Villegas et al. (2020) through the evaluation of a synchronous schedule of reinforcement with a noncontingent schedule of reinforcement by evaluating the on-task behavior (completing math facts) of school-age children. A concurrent-chains preference assessment was then used to determine the preferred schedule of reinforcement. In addition, task preference assessments were conducted prior to and after the reinforcer assessment to determine potential mechanisms of noncontingent reinforcement. Results indicated that while synchronous schedules of reinforcement are more effective at increasing on-task behavior, noncontingent schedules of reinforcement may be more preferred. Additionally, the use of synchronous and noncontingent schedules of reinforcement are insufficient at manipulating the preference of a task item
Finding aid for the John R. Garman Papers (HSF-9)
Get PDFThe John R. Garman Papers is composed of memorandums, reports, manuals, guides, handbooks, technical specifications, CD discs, VHS video tapes, presentation slides, presentations, books, biographical information, and miscellaneous materials, documenting the work and professional career of John R. Garman at NASA Johnson Space Center. This collection contains a selection of original materials that focuses on Garman’s Space Shuttle Orbiter computer software development between 1974 to 1989. A large portion of the colleection contains manuals, guides, specifications, and other technical information, regarding the development of the high order programming language used on the Space Shuttle orbiter called HAL/S (for High-order Assembly Language/Shuttle). The rest of the collection is a mix of materials from Garman’s role in management, including presentation slides and printouts, between the 1970s and mid-1990s
Finding Aid for the James Furner Collection
Get PDFThe James Furner Collection contains autographed photos, correspondence, and autographs of NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts collected by James Furner of Chicago, Illinois. Furner began his signature collection when he was a junior in high school, when he thought he could improve his grade in his English class by soliciting (in 1963) an autograph from the author of the book on which they were assigned to write a report. The book was “Travels with Charley” and the author was John Steinbeck. A few weeks later a typed letter arrived in which John Steinbeck wished Jim the best and asked how he liked the book and signed the letter. Thus a passion for signature collection was begun. Over the ensuing 48 years of his life, James Furner collected well over 1000 signatures. His interest was broad and his signature collection includes: astronauts, cosmonauts, politicians from around the world, military heroes (donated to the Pritzker Military Museum in Chicago in 2018), authors, actors, scientists, and sports figures. He was especially proud of his collection of signatures of astronauts and cosmonauts that composes this collection
Self-Efficacy and Resilience: Latinas in STEM Majors
No full textDespite various initiatives to enhance diversity in STEM disciplines, women and minorities remain underrepresented (Gonzalez et al., 2021, Chapter 5). Higher education institutions can help enhance gender and racial equity in STEM disciplines in the U.S. (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine, 2011). This study’s purpose was to investigate self-efficacy and resilience based on traditional (25 and less) and non-traditional (26 and higher) age ranges and ancestral regions. In this mixed-methods study, 36 STEM major Latinas from a mid-sized comprehensive university in South Texas answered a survey, and ten Latina STEM-major students participated in semi-structured individual interviews. The Generalized Self-Efficacy and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scales were administered to participants. According to the findings of this study, there is a statistically significant relationship between self-efficacy and resilience based on age range. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between self-efficacy and resilience and ancestral region
Shock-Induced Geochemical Variations in the Keplerite-Bearing Assemblages of Tissint and Intergrown Apatite-Merrillite Assemblages of ALH 84001,146
No full textShock metamorphism describes changes (physical, chemical) that occur to materials (structures, rocks, minerals) as a result of shock wave deformation. All Martian meteorites have been subjected to shock, though the degree of shock, and subsequent changes to the physical and chemical characteristics of these rocks, is highly variable. Extensive chemical and structural heterogeneities may occur as a result of shock metamorphism; however, the way in which phosphate minerals respond to shock-metamorphism is not well constrained. Here we present new evidence of shock-induced chemical variations in the keplerite-bearing assemblages of Tissint and the apatite-merrillite assemblages of ALH 84001. Geochemical and structural studies of phosphate phases were investigated using Electron Probe MicroAnalyzer (EMPA), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analytical techniques. Phosphates identified included Low-Na (Na# = 2.3) keplerite in Tissint and intergrown Cl-rich-apatite with High-Na merrillite (Na# = 8.3) in ALH 84001. Na-number is the calculated atomic ratio of sodium to the sum of sodium and calcium ([Naatomic/(Naatomic+Caatmoic)]*100). Presence of keplerite (a newly defined, high-temperature, Na-deficient, phosphate) in Tissint suggests it may be common and occur in a broader range of environments (i.e., meteorite groups) than initially established. ALH 84001 apatite was found to be heterogeneously enriched in halogens with Cl between 3.85 and 5.05 wt% and F between 0.30 and 0.92 wt%. Assuming F + Cl + OH = 1.0 structural formula unit (sfu); average atoms per formula unit (apfu) of F = 0.16, while apfu of Cl = 0.63. Therefore, water content of apatite in ALH 84001 is estimated at 0.21 sfu or, ~21% hydroxyl apatite component. Thus, indicating that parental magmas were Cl-rich and OH-poor. Intergrown apatite-merrillite phases were observed as well, with textures suggesting the replacement of magmatic apatite by merrillite in the solid-state following a shock-metamorphic event
Inventory of Spacelab Correspondence
No full textThis collection contains 2 linear feet of Spacelab correspondence dated March 14, 1972 to August 11, 1983 & arranged chronologically. Included are meeting schedules, agendas, presentations, & minutes; studies; news releases & articles; briefings; reviews; plans; & drawings. Subjects include the Research Applications Module (RAM), Sortie Can, Shuttle Sortie Workshop, Concept Verification Test (CVT), Space Station, Sortie Lab, Spacelab, Convair 990, Life Sciences Payload Tests, Spacelab Mission Simulation (SMS), General Purpose Lab (GPL), Launch Site, Payload Development Test, Biomedical Experiment Scientific Satellite (BESS), Spacelab Mission Development (SMD), the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC), Primates, German D-1, Spacelab 6, & Spacelab 4 Safety Review. Many of the documents appear to have been contributed by Gary W. McCollum, Space & Life Sciences Directorate, Life Sciences Experiments Division, Payloads Systems Support Branch. Other Spacelab documentation may be found in the following collections: Bilstein Spacelab Collection, Spacelab Design Reviews, Spacelab Reports, & Spacelab Safety Reviews
Finding Aid for the Nassau Bay Garden Club Records, 1971-2006 (#2014-0002)
No full textThe Nassau Bay Garden Club Records is composed of the original records of the Nassau Bay Garden Club of the city of Nassau Bay, Texas. The records in the collection include club history records, budgets, correspondence, meetings minutes, membership lists, publications, club president’s notebooks, project files, fundraising records, reports, scrapbooks, and other materials. Such materials in the collection include project files detailing the operation of the Club’s Yard of the Month competition and fundraisers. The Club’s original newsletters “Bloomin’ Notes” and “Blossoming Notes” document the work done from 1994 to 2008. The largest set of materials in the collection are the original Club scrapbooks, dating back to 1971 and running through 1999. The scrapbooks contain fliers, clippings, artwork, and photographs documenting the activities of the Nassau Bay Garden Club
Finding Aid for the Timber Cove Recreation Association, 1962-2006 (#2011-0010)
No full textThe Timber Cove Recreation Association Records is composed of correspondence, organization meeting minutes, annual reports, membership records, financial records, construction records, and miscellaneous records, documenting the operation of the Timber Cove Civic Club and its successor Timber Cove Recreation Association in supporting the Timber Cove neighborhood of Taylor Lake Village, Texas. Timber Cove is known for the high number of NASA Johnson Space Center personnel and astronauts’ families who resided and continue to reside in the neighborhood, beginning in 1961 with the selection of the new site for the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. The bulk of the collection is composed of the organizational records for the Timber Cove Recreation Association, such as their annual reports and correspondence to members. There are the board meeting minutes from 1965 to 2006 (with gaps in dates)