15133 research outputs found
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Force of Nature
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_middlegrades_gallery/1000/thumbnail.jp
Coming Home
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_thinkingstories_displacement_gallery/1017/thumbnail.jp
Feathers Together
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Nadia and David Kennedy with participants in the IAPC Summer Seminar
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Informal Mentoring in a Community of Practice: Viewing Beginning Teacher Needs Through the Eyes of Experienced Educators
Full text linkThis qualitative study examined the informal mentoring of beginning elementary teachers through the lenses of experienced teachers and principals. Current research and statistics indicate that teacher shortages and difficulties retaining new teachers in the profession are ongoing concerns for U.S. schools. Induction support for beginning teachers, and particularly formal mentoring, has been found to promote teacher retention. However, little research has focused on the informal mentoring provided to beginning teachers by their more experienced counterparts, or the role school leaders play in facilitating informal mentoring. The purpose of this study therefore was twofold: first, to gain the perspective of experienced teachers regarding the perceived needs of beginning elementary teachers and how experienced teachers should provide support for those needs through informal mentoring, and second, to explore how principals and experienced teachers described the role of the principal in facilitating informal mentoring of beginning teachers by experienced teachers. Using a general qualitative methodology, I conducted semi-structured interviews with nine experienced elementary teachers who self-identified as informal mentors for beginning teachers and with their principals in three mid-sized elementary schools in New Jersey. I also conducted site visits of each of the three schools. The theoretical framing for this study, which drew from the sociocultural, sociolinguistic, and identity development work of Vygotsky, Gee, Lave, and Wenger, positioned beginning teachers’ development as being socially constructed through learning communities. The findings from this study illustrated both the complexities and value of informal mentoring of beginning elementary teachers. Beginning teacher needs were seen as being different and greater in today’s world due to increasing demands inside and outside the classroom, particularly in regard to parent interactions, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experienced teachers saw the need to provide social and emotional support and embrace beginning teachers into a teaching “family” built on strong relationships and trust. At the same time, experienced teachers and principals conveyed high expectations of beginning teachers and expressed concerns, sometimes positioned around generational differences, regarding beginning teachers’ commitment to the demands of the profession. A final finding was that teamwork and collaboration as peers was seen by participants as being essential and best achieved through principals’ organization of grade level teams, team meeting time, and community building. As a qualitative study designed specifically to examine the role of informal mentoring of beginning elementary teachers, this study made several contributions to the research on new teacher induction and related areas. While the extant research has focused primarily on the voices of beginning teachers and their experiences, few studies have sought to hear the voices of the teachers who are the communities of practice in which beginning teachers seek to become a part: these are the professionals who have a front-row seat to the experience of new teachers. This study added credence to the idea that informal mentoring can provide valuable support to beginning elementary teachers both in terms of their skills, knowledge, and abilities as well as their social and emotional well-being. The findings also contributed to the existing literature on the integral role of school leadership in the experience of beginning teachers, particularly in regard to school culture and climate. Finally, the post-Pandemic context of the study provided a unique perspective at a unique moment in the history of schooling in the United States
Discretion in Prosecutorial Decision-Making and its Effect on Sentencing Recommendations
No full textProsecutors occupy one of the most powerful positions in the criminal justice system, and their control over cases is nearly unfettered. Some scholars argue that prosecutors need wide latitude in their decision making, and that their ability to exercise discretion is necessary and beneficial (Fairfax Jr, 2011; S. Miller, 2019). Others, however, contend that discretion should be restricted, for a variety of reasons. For instance, psycholegal research has found bias in prosecutor’s decision-making when it is fully discretionary (Burke, 2006; Pfaff, 2017b); and it is easily abused to create undue leverage in plea bargaining (i.e., overcharging; Bennett, 1979). Prosecutorial guidelines have been suggested as one potential solution to these problems (Pfaff, 2017b), though to date, there have been no empirical studies of their effects on sentence recommendations (Pfaff, 2017). To address this gap, I conducted a study wherein participants read through fake cases and mock-prosecuted them, by using guidelines that allowed for more or less discretion. Findings from the present study could inform this debate, and thus assist state legislatures and legal scholars in determining whether to pursue the restriction of discretion through prosecutorial guidelines
Identifying and Addressing Challenges of Small Community Water Systems (CWS) in Puerto Rico
No full textApproximately 3% of Puerto Rico’s residents, over 100,000 people, do not obtain their water from large, centralized water supply from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). These small community water systems (CWS), also known as non-PRASA systems, face substantial challenges in delivering safe and reliable drinking water amid climate change and natural disasters. Technical, financial, and managerial limitations contribute to the inefficiencies and unreliability of their water supply systems in terms of both quantity and quality. The issues are exacerbated following natural disasters. After Hurricanes Maria in 2017 and Fiona in 2022, many non-PRASA communities lost access to safe drinking water supply for extended periods. Therefore, there is an urgent research need for identifying and addressing these challenges for adaptive water supply in Puerto Rico’s non-PRASA communities. The primary objective of this dissertation was to advance our understanding of the mechanisms governing the resilient behaviors of small non-PRASA water supply systems in Puerto Rico and explore the pathways to enhance their resilience, primarily from an engineering perspective. The central hypotheses include: 1) wide-ranging stressors and shocks, including climate change, natural disasters, and small oceanic islands’ unique limitations (e.g., geographic isolation and limited resources), collectively challenge the adaptation of Puerto Rico’s non-PRASA water supply systems; and 2) water source diversification, decentralization, modularity of household or community-scale stormwater harvesting can enhance the resilience of water supply in Puerto Rico during daily operation and emergencies. In this dissertation, various research approaches, including literature review, surveys, site visits, workshops, and data analyses, were carried out to implement three tasks to achieve the dissertation objective sequentially. Task 1 evaluated the operational status of surveyed non-PRASA water systems, assessed their responses to Hurricane Maria and Fiona, and identified system vulnerabilities in both daily operations and emergencies. The study identified key causes of water outages and highlighted the communities’ potential willingness for stormwater harvesting to strengthen water supply resilience. Differences between the impacts of the two hurricanes were analyzed, emphasizing the importance of tailored solutions for future disaster preparedness. In Task 2, field-based research was conducted in ten non-PRASA water supply systems through non-participatory observations and semi-structured interviews to identify technical, financial, and managerial challenges. Specifically, the technical challenges primarily arise from aging infrastructure, outdated treatment technologies, and a lack of technical expertise. Upgrading power supply systems, securing storage tanks, and seeking external technical support can ensure consistent water quality and quantity during water supply service. Moreover, financial constraints pose another challenge. Monthly water service charges are typically insufficient to cover daily and emergency operational expenses in most non-PRASA communities. Consequently, these systems depend heavily on external financial support, causing financial vulnerabilities and administrative complexities. Finally, strong community involvement and effective management are vital. Communities that promote inclusive participation, clear management practices, and capacity-building strategies tend to have more resilient and efficient water systems. Addressing workforce challenges and providing adequate volunteer support is critical for maintaining and improving water services, and developing tailored strategies for each community, considering its unique dynamics and resources, can lead to more sustainable and efficient water system management. In Task 3, stormwater-to-drinking water (STDW) was examined as a potential solution for enhancing the adaptation of water supply in non-PRASA communities. STDW can promote resilient water supply due to water source diversification, decentralization, and modular design. Results show that rainwater harvesting is most effective in regions with high precipitation, such as the central mountains and eastern coasts, where it can meet household needs year-round and fully during hurricane season. In drier regions such as the southern coast and San Juan, its potential is limited during dry periods but remains valuable as a supplemental water source. Furthermore, during peak hurricane season, rainwater harvesting can play a vital role as an emergency water source, securing public health and safety in the aftermath of natural disasters. Additionally, a 1,500-liter tank is estimated to provide a cost-effective and space-efficient solution for households in Puerto Rico, ensuring reliable water access during emergencies and conserving freshwater resources. This dissertation research has a profound impact on adaptation of water supply in Puerto Rico’s non-PRASA communities. This study directly benefits water management in the small water systems by identifying root causes that compromise system vulnerabilities. The knowledge forms a foundation to develop actionable strategies and prepare these systems for future extreme events. This dissertation also delivers valuable environmental benefits, with an emphasis on the preservation of natural resources. The adoption of STDW reduces reliance on surface water and groundwater, thus conserving natural freshwater resources while mitigating stormwater runoff-induced pollution. Meanwhile, distributed STDW water supply avoids distant water transport and reduces associated energy consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, resilient water systems support local economic development, lower costs associated with unreliable water supply, and protect public health through access to safe drinking water