3543 research outputs found
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Advent 1 Series C 2018
No full textThis PDF comments on the Propers for the First Sunday in Advent, Series C and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching
Advent 3 Series C 2018
No full textThis PDF comments on the Propers for the Third Sunday in Advent, Series C and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching
Easter 3 Series B 2018
No full textThis PDF comments on the Propers for the Third Sunday in Easter, Series B and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching
Propers 9 (Pentecost 7) Series B 2018
No full textThis PDF comments on the Propers Nine, Series B and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching
First Responder Preparedness Campaign for the Olympia Fire Department
No full textThe city of Olympia, Washington rests just inland of one of the biggest tectonic plate fault lines in all of North America, this is what is known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Scientists believe that it is only a matter of time until there is a massive mega-quake due to the tectonic plates friction as we can read, “the plates are stuck, and the stress will build up until the fault suddenly breaks. This last happened in 1700: the result was an earthquake on the order of magnitude 9.0, followed within minutes by a large tsunami—much like the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011” (CREW, 2013). Much like the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, the entire West Coast will be affected by such an event and the destruction will be unfathomable. This is just one of the many disasters/hazards that face the Pacific Northwest and the Olympia area. Because of these disasters/hazards, it is vital that everyone is as prepared as possible in order to preserve as much life as possible.
This paper addresses the functional aspect preparedness campaigns within the homeland security enterprise. The preparedness campaign will focus strictly on first responder preparedness. For this paper, most of the information applied was gathered through various meetings via phone calls and face-to-face interviews. The easiest and most efficient method to identify a fire department’s preparedness campaign is to simply call or meet with them and discuss what the plans are. In addition, it is also beneficial to obtain the lay of the land around the area by walking/driving around and observing where there might be vulnerabilities, what the buildings/terrain look like, along with researching the possible disasters/hazards that the city faces
Instructors’ Perceptions of Postsecondary Classes of Students with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Enrolled in Transition Programs
No full textThroughout the United States, many school districts offer transition program services for students with disabilities. Some of the transition services include students who are learning social, academic, and vocational skills to live independently. Some students who are enrolled in transition programs may have High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HASD) and could be looking for postsecondary classes while enrolled in transition programs. The purpose of this intrinsic case study is to explore how instructors perceive the postsecondary classes of students with HASD while enrolled in transition programs. Three research questions that guided this intrinsic case study: (a) How do instructors perceive postsecondary classes of students with HASD enrolled in transition programs? (b) What benefits do instructors perceive of postsecondary classes for students with HASD enrolled in transition programs?, and (c) What challenges do instructors perceive of postsecondary classes for students with HASD enrolled in transition programs? Triangulation within this study includes six one-on-one interviews, six qualitative survey questions, and member checking. Five of the instructors’ perceptions indicated postsecondary classes do exist for students with HASD students while enrolled in transition programs. Only one out of the six participants displayed uncertain perceptions regarding postsecondary classes for students with HASD while enrolled in transition programs. Crucial findings from this intrinsic case study could help postsecondary institutions and transition programs improve postsecondary programming for students with HASD while enrolled in transition programs
A Phenomenological Study on Leading Transformational Change and Building School Culture in Elementary Schools
No full textThis study followed a phenomenological qualitative approach to understand the complexity surrounding the experiences of the elementary school principals, build understanding around how they describe their daily life of school, and how they lead transformational change and build school culture. I sought to understand the associated skills, knowledge, and behaviors that elementary school principals employed and how the relational and collegial theories of transformational, instructional, and servant leadership were applied by elementary principals in leading transformational change and building school culture. Five key themes provided insight into the experiences of these elementary principals, the associated skills, knowledge, and behaviors that they employed, and how they applied the theories of relational and collegial leadership. The identified themes included students first and foremost, people and relationships matter, leadership is approached through service, purpose, vision, values, and humility are central, and professional learning is ongoing and collaborative. Transformational change is led, and school culture is built through these five themes and by applying organizational practices creating a welcoming environment, embracing a restorative approach to behavior and discipline, acknowledging that words and language-built agency and identity, ensuring equity and inclusivity in learning for all students, and focusing on continued improvement for themselves and their school
Correlation Between Instructional School Culture and Student Achievement in an Urban District
No full textThe Teachers Talent Toolbox needed a tool that could compile usable information on any given learning institution through data collection and analysis and provide usable qualitative and quantitative data that could be used to identify the causes of low achievement and provide necessary interventions within the school to improve student outcomes. To answer this need, the Instructional Culture Index/Insight Survey was developed by the New Teacher Project in 2016 and has been widely used and implemented in many schools and districts. This survey instrument was validated and deemed reliable by the RAND Corporation also in 2016. The purpose of this correlational study was to statistically analyze the relationship between instructional school culture, as measured by the Instructional Culture Index/Insight Survey, and student achievement as measured by school performance composite scores for the academic years of 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017. Both types of archived data were accessed from the State Department of Education provided on the district’s website: Instructional Culture Index/Insight Survey and the composite academic scores of student from two academic years (2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017). In this study, data from 97 elementary schools from 2015 to 2016 and 95 elementary schools from 2016 to 2017 were used. A Pearson correlation test was conducted to determine the strength of the relationship between instructional school culture and student achievement in elementary schools within an urban school district. School culture and student achievement for the academic year 2015 to 2016 were positively but moderately correlated, r(.474) = .47, p = .000. School culture and student achievement for the academic year 2016 to 2017 were positively but weakly correlated, r(.271) = .27, p = .008. Research indicates that a study with an abundance of subjects may yield a low Pearson correlation but is still significant based on the large number of subjects used in the research as in this case. Based on the data, there is evidence, though weak to moderate, of a relationship between instructional school culture and student achievement
The Relationship Between School Climate and Student Achievement in Low Socioeconomic Schools
No full textIn this quantitative study the researcher examined the relationship between teacher and student perceptions of school climate and the factors of collaborative teaching, instructional practice, school leadership, and supportive environment to student achievement in low socioeconomic schools. The researcher used secondary archived survey data of seven secondary middle schools in a large urban school district in Florida. Accountability measures are greatly influenced by an understanding of the variables that are instrumental in achieving high standards in academics (Finnagan & Daly, 2012). Educators and students in low socioeconomic settings are plagued with disproportionate performance measures that create an exorbitant amount of stress and pressure on all stakeholders (Eckert, 2013). School district leaders and administrators should evaluate stakeholder perceptions and refine school climate systems that identify needs, and nurture and support educators and students, with the understanding that instructional improvement is grounded in student achievement and the research-based assertion of a relationship between school climate, effective teaching, and academic performance. The researcher found a nonsignificant positive relationship among student and teacher perceptions of school climate and the factors of collaborative teaching, instructional practice, school leadership, and supportive environment to student achievement in low socioeconomic schools