Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU (Plymouth State University)
Not a member yet
411 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessing the effectiveness of New Hampshire elementary schools: an effective schools approach
Get PDFDespite consistently strong performances among NH 4th graders on the NAEP
assessments, large disparities have been observed among NH elementary students on the
NECAP assessments based on race and SES. The current study assessed the effectiveness
of NH elementary schools, as defined by the effective schools research. Of the 209
elementary schools included in the current study, 8.6% were effective for reading, while
9% were effective for math. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that
student body composition, school funding practices, and teacher qualifications could each
differentiate effective schools from other schools. The percentage of low-income students
in a school had the strongest explanatory power on the effectiveness of schools
accounting for 84% of the variability in the effectiveness of schools for reading and 86%
of the variability in the effectiveness of schools for math. Student body composition was
found to be highly associated with school funding practices and teacher qualifications.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Plymouth Mountain/Fauver Preserve I-tree
No full textThe town of Plymouth, through participation in the Land Conservation Investment Program, acquired Plymouth Mountain tract, a 1,100-acre woodland area. The area is owned by Green Acre Woodlands Inc., and the town of Plymouth used state funds to purchase a conservation easement on the Plymouth Mountain Property. Plymouth Mountain tract is located in the south-west quadrant of the town and is accessible from the Texas Hill Rd. This area was targeted for its size, forest productivity, important wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Timber management has taken place from 1980 to present, and the forest is 90% hardwood and 10% softwood. Some tree species located in the area are sugar maple, beech, red maple, yellow/white birch, white ash, pine and spruce. The Conservation Commission manages all trails while Green Acre Woodlands Inc. manages it as a long-term woodland investment. The conservation easement was sold for 160,000 in December 1989. The land is located on the east and west sides of Texas hill Rd, with additional frontage on Old Hebron Rd. The entire parcel is forested and there are several stonewall boundary lines defining the area. The Town of Plymouth plans to manage the parcels for long-term sustained forestry, they also plan to manage wildlife enhancement.Student Showcase of Excellence 201
The lived experiences of Lyndon State College's mountain resort management alumni: reflections on experiential education and post baccalaureate careers
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of the alumni of the Mountain Resort Management program at Lyndon State College in northern Vermont through the perceptions of the program's influence on the participants' careers. There are very few colleges in the United States offering degrees specific to the mountain resort industry. The industry calls for experience in the field in order to excel; therefore, an experiential education at the college level is the norm amongst the schools that offer programs specifically catering to the mountain resort industry. The delivery of such programs can be very expensive and time consuming so it is imperative for schools such as Lyndon State College to be aware of the viability of their programs as they pertain to readying their students for their careers after graduationElectronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Planetary scale forcing of mesoscale meteorological variables in New England
Get PDFThis study aimed to find relationships between planetary scale forcing patterns, specifically the PNA and NAO, and meso-alpha scale meteorological variation in sea level pressure, temperature, and vapor pressure fields in the New England region. Through Principal Component Analysis, it was found that only three Principal Components per variable were necessary to reach ~ 99% of the total variance in each of the meso-alpha meteorological fields. Correlation values calculated between the global climate indices, the PNA and NAO, and Empirical Orthogonal Functions sampled from centers of variation within the Principal Components of sea level pressure, temperature, and vapor pressure, varied greatly in magnitude. Results generated from the NAO were much larger than those found for the PNA, and were therefore the primary focus of the discussion in this study. Results showed that the first set of Principal Components for each sea level pressure, temperature, and vapor pressure accounted for the large amounts of variation in their fields, 90.40%, 95.40%, and 95.57%, respectively. Each of these Principal Components had strong, statistically significant cross-correlation values at a zero day time lag, indicating that the response in the meteorological variable field occurred at the same time as the NAO forcing pattern was present. The strongest of these cross correlations was a ~ 30% correlation between the NAO and the first Principal Component of sea level pressure. Spectral analysis of daily values of the NAO and all of the first Empirical Orthogonal Functions of the first Principal Components of sea level pressure, temperature, and vapor pressure showed clear spectral peaks above the 95%confidence level near 126 days, roughly 4 months, in all four time series. Additional results from the remaining two Principal Components of each meteorological variable, and their correlations to the NAO and associated time lags, were analyzed using a �top down� method order to find synoptic scale flow patterns involving jet stream position and amplitude, movement of surface pressures, and temperature advection that connected the phase of the planetary NAO forcing to the mesoscale response seen in the variance fields shown in the Principal Components. It was found that the position of the trough immediately upstream of the location of the NAO pressure dipole was a primary factor in the relationship between the NAO and mesoscale variation. Finally, the meteorological winter for 2004-05 was analyzed using the same methodology to provide additional results that would aid in determining if significant differences in variance patterns seen in Principal Component fields existed in one part of the year versus another. These results were listed as a starting point for further research.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Characterization of landfalling atmospheric rivers and their impacts over California
Get PDFAtmospheric Rivers (ARs) are responsible for a majority of global poleward moisture transport and can result in extreme precipitation events and flooding along the U.S. West Coast. ARs are long (>2000 km) and narrow (500-1000 km) corridors of enhanced vertically integrated water vapor (IWV) and integrated water vapor transport (IVT) that may be found within a variety of synoptic-scale flow patterns. Observational evidence suggests that ARs within different flow patterns may contain different water vapor source regions, different orientations, different IVT magnitudes, and may result in different precipitation distributions. This study uses a K-means clustering technique to objectively identify different flow patterns that contain landfalling ARs along the U.S. West Coast. The K-means clustering algorithm used NCEP-CFSR and NCEP-GFS-derived IVT to cluster the different types of ARs that may make landfall over north-central California. For example, the clustering technique identified five different types of ARs: northwesterly, westerly, south/southwesterly, or southwesterly with moderate IVT magnitudes >200 kg m-1 s-1 or strong southwesterly with IVT values >400 kg m-1 s-1. Composite analyses of the synoptic-scale features present in conjunction with each AR type highlight the variety of conditions that influence the orientation and magnitude of each landfalling AR. The differences in synoptic-scale flow regimes between the AR types results in differences in quasi-geostrophic forcing for ascent/descent co-located over the terminus of the ARs at landfall. This thesis will discuss and present the roles that both upslope IVT magnitude and quasi-geostrophic forcing for ascent play on precipitation accumulations and distributions associated with each AR type. The second portion of this thesis objectively quantifies the impacts associated with these precipitation accumulations and distributions produced by landfalling ARs using an AR impact scale. This impact scale considers precipitation, population, and drought conditions when calculating the impacts associated with individual ARs. Results illustrate how high precipitation accumulations don't necessarily result in a high-impact event. The high precipitation must occur over large populations that are drought stricken in order to result in a high-impact event. Analysis of the AR impact scale indicates that it is possible to objectively quantify the impacts associated with past, present, and future AR events, and introduces several avenues for future work.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Knowledge into action: water quality risk, local ecological knowledge, and decision making in Maine and New Hampshire's surfing population
Get PDFWater quality impairments and the subsequent beach advisories are significant problems in the Gulf of Maine. These advisories arise when water quality is below the accepted threshold for human health and safety. Surfers represent a culturally and economically important subpopulation of beachgoers who are subject to higher risks associated impaired water quality. This increased risk is related to the amount of time surfers spend in the water, the higher incidence of water ingestion, and the propensity for surfers to surf around storm events when water quality is the lowest. In our research we surveyed 291 surfers and conducted 20 interviews with key informants in the surfing community. Though we approached our research from the angle of water quality risk and decision-making the major theme that emerged from our interviews through the process of latent content analysis is that surfers Maine and New Hampshire hold a wealth of local ecological knowledge (LEK) especially around issues of water quality. LEK has been heralded as an important knowledge source in the realm of sustainability science and has proven to be useful in coastal management. In addition to the finding that Maine and New Hampshire surfers provide valuable insight on issues of water quality. We find that surfers indicate that water quality and pollution can impact an individual's decision to surf. Given this, surfers should have equal access to water quality information at their local surf spots. With this research we hope to show that surfer's knowledge of their environment can prove useful to researchers and help drive policy changes related to water quality management.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Creating and maintaining a sense of social presence in online courses: a mixed methods study
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine strategies that could be implemented into an online course in order to create and maintain a sense of social presence between students and their professor and students and each other. A mixed methods study utilizing interviews, document analysis, and a survey was used to conduct the research. The study participants were graduate students enrolled in the fully online programs of library media specialist certification, the technology integrator certification, and the dual certification for both the library media specialist and technology integrator programs at Plymouth State University, as well as the directors of the programs. The results of the study indicated several strategies that could be implemented into online courses in order to create and maintain a sense of social presence between students and their professor and students and each other. The strategies were introductions, discussion forums, collaboration, and videos. This research can provide professors and instructional designers with guidelines on how to implement the strategies into online courses in order to create and maintain a sense of social presence between students and their professor and students and each other. Strategies for how to use introductions are; professor requires introductions to be completed during the first week that the course starts by both the professor and the students: introductions are created by using text (typing words) or by creating a video of the course participants introducing themselves to the other course participants: and professor provides questions or prompts for students to answer in their introductions. Strategies for how to use discussion forums are; professor initiates discussion forums with a prompt or with questions: both professor and students respond to the prompts and each other: professor responds to students in a timely manner: professor summarizes discussion forums: professor is present in the course: and professor creates a ���water cooler' discussion forum for students to initiate conversations. Strategies for how to use collaboration are; professor groups students based on similar backgrounds and interests: professor requires students to build upon an assignment together: professor requires students to complete an online writing assignment: and professor requires students to contribute to, and build a collection together. Strategies for how to use videos are; professor requires all course participants to create a video of themselves introducing themselves to the other course participants: professor creates a video highlighting discussion forums: professor uses videos to hold online office hours: and professor assigns collaboration projects that require students to use videos with each other.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The effect of an evidence based physical education curriculum and/or an after school activity program on cardiovascular endurance and fundamental motor skill proficiency in grade 5
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an evidence-based physical education curriculum and/or an after school activity program on cardiovascular endurance performance and fundamental motor skill proficiency for grade five students. The sample included 95 participants (46 boys/49 girls) over a 12-week study, separated into a control group and three intervention groups. Levels of fitness were determined pre- and post-study using the Fitnessgram protocol. Fundamental motor skill proficiency was determined with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 standards. The data were analyzed with an independent t-test and the 2 x 2 two-factor ANOVA for repeated measures. According to the findings, children that participated in the after school program were better prepared than the control and evidence-based physical education group to meet the Fitnessgram Healthy Fitness Zone standards for the one-mile cardiovascular endurance assessment. Also, the children that were taught utilizing the evidence-based physical education curriculum had a higher percentage of participants meeting Level 4 proficiency on 4 of the 6 fundamental motor skills than the children in the control group and after school activity group. An increase in time for physical activity before or after school and a change of curriculum, that has a focus on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and fundamental motor skills, could be the combination physical education teachers are seeking to meet national and state standards within their programs.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Precipitation at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and the roles of orography and wind in high precipitation events
Get PDFForty-five years of daily precipitation data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest were studied to better understand climate scale changes and spatial precipitation patterns in high precipitation events. Mean annual precipitation has increased 11%, entirely as a result of an increased frequency of >30 mm day-1 events, and the highest precipitation events (>50 mm day-1) are 78% more common than they were 45 years ago suggesting a potential increase in flood frequency. In high precipitation events with a southerly, low-level wind, precipitation was, on average, higher in the center of the valley and the lowest near the mountain ridges. Easterly wind events demonstrated an increase in precipitation toward the west with no relationship to elevation. Five new precipitation gauges were installed within a ~2 km latitudinal gap in the existing ombrometer network in the lowest elevations of the Hubbard Brook valley. These gauges observed precipitation for six months between June and November 2015, and were used in addition to the existing network of gauges to better understand precipitation patterns. Stable water isotopes were used to investigate the location and impact of low-level orographic clouds in augmenting precipitation. Isotopic ratio measurements (δ18O and δD) of rainwater were taken in six high precipitation events with a southerly wind. Precipitation and δ18O data agree on the influence of low-level moisture directly impacting the precipitation amount, with an increase of heavy isotope content corresponding to higher precipitation amounts. Three mechanisms of orographic enhancement of precipitation are discussed. The lifting of stable, moist air over the southern ridge of HBEF is advected downstream some distance as condensation occurs and cloud water is washed out. The distance the orographic cloud drifts prior to becoming washed out depends on the horizontal wind speed and the pre-existing rain rate. Shear-induced turbulence may also be a common mechanism for enhanced precipitation in the White Mountains, as many high precipitation events exhibit blocked or retarded flow at the surface with rapidly increasing wind speeds above. Overturning cells are expected in the 750-1200 m ASL layer above the Hubbard Brook valley according to theory, enhancing condensation and augmenting precipitation through coalescence as it descends into the valley. This mechanism works in conjunction with the third mechanism, moisture flux convergence, which increases cloud water content over and upstream of the White Mountains.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Law enforcement exposure to stress: an analysis of experience with stress and the possible effects
Get PDFLaw Enforcement officers are subjected to critical incidents and traumatic events throughout their careers, no matter what size department or where the department is. These incidents can have lasting effects on the individuals who experience them. Some of these effects can have negative physical and/or psychological impacts on the officers, not just distressing them, but also the ones around them.
This research was designed to estimate the types of reactions that traumatic events could have on law enforcement officers over the course of their careers. These reactions were then examined to see if there is a link between exposure to this stress and related issues. This study focuses on the types of stress related to the incidents that these officers respond to, either on an occasional or regular basis. Further looking into what types of programs are in place to assist officers in handling this stress.
Using a modified Life Event Checklist, which was designed to measure Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a series of events accompanied by individual symptoms have been looked at. Additionally, whether these events were experienced as an officer or a civilian. These events that individuals respond to and the impact that may come of them can have lasting consequences on the officer, affecting not only them, but also others around them in a negative manner.
The results of this study have shown that officers do experience stressful events at a higher rate when compared to their personal life. These events were also contributed to negative effects on the individual, with some of these events having a higher rate of negative effects than others. There was no significant correlation found linking the effects to the events. There were findings that showed that these events do cause 6 negative effects on the individual. With these types of negative impacts, the 13.7% of individuals that have attempted to seek treatment have been met resistance on several different levels ranging from personal life to department administration.
This research has shown that there needs to be more and/or additional services in place to assist police officers in dealing with the stress that they experience. Respondents recommended two specific types of services, to include crises debriefings or the availability of counseling to help with their stress. Further research needs to examine the best type of crises service and/or counseling in terms of experienced events and police subculture considerations.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio