Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU (Plymouth State University)
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Collective commitment: a phenomenological study of lived experiences of teachers in a teachers-led curriculum reform
No full textThis phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 11 elementary teachers from three diverse public schools within the same district in New Hampshire. These participants were members of a teacher-led curriculum development initiative. Research questions center ar0tmd their reasons for joining, and sustaining participation, in this initiative as well as their perceptions of the impact this experience had on their own instruction and the instruction across the district. Teacher empowerment and shared leadership are key factors in successful reforms and data collection methods were implemented to explore whether or not empowerment was a contributor in this study. Data collection consisted of one focus group, three dyadic interviews and one extended individual interview. Results revealed that teachers joined this initiative to make a difference in their own satisfaction with instructional materials, to positively affect student engagement and to contribute professionally to their colleagues. In addition, this study revealed that all 11 teachers who participated in this endeavor felt empowered and reaped the positive benefits reflected in the literature regarding teacher empowerment. The research documents perceptions of substantial transformation in the efficacy, satisfaction, instruction and culture of these teachers and their organization.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Case studies of women in New Hampshire politics: an exploration of the barriers and supports for political candidates and incumbents
Get PDFThe intent of this study was to discover what could be learned from the experiences of the five women in elected political leadership roles in New Hampshire that would be instructive to other women interested in seeking public office and could be used to encourage and support more women candidates. Using a multiple case study approach, each woman was interviewed and books, newspapers accounts, and other electronic documents were used as supporting documentation. The results of the women's stories revealed that relationships and prior experience provide foundational support for women running for office. Relationships offer opportunities for recruitment, mentoring, and networking. Experience helps women to gain the skills, wisdom, and confidence to run for and succeed in office. While the women described fundraising and balancing their families and careers as challenging, they did not identify either of these or any other factor as a barrier in their journeys to public office in New Hampshire.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Out-of-school suspensions reported as "other" in New Hampshire middle schools: a mixed methods study
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore: (a) what types of middle school student behaviors resulting in out-of-school suspension(OSS) were reported to the New Hampshire Department of Education as ���Other�, (b) whether out-of-school suspensions categorized as ���Other� resulted from actions mandated by policy or law, and(c) how the use of OSS varied among schools. The literature suggests that middle school students struggle with issues of establishing a sense of identity, and with issues of defying authority, leading to behaviors that result in their being suspended from school (Skiba, Peterson & Williams, 1997). The literature also indicates that OSS may have unintended consequences that negatively impact the lives of students. Those consequences include an increased risk of school dropout, and becoming involved in the juvenile justice system (Losen & Gillespie,2012). Data for this mixed-methods research were collected from documents(NH DOE, NH General Court and NH middle school handbooks), school administrator surveys, and school administrator interviews. Study outcomes indicated that 33 behaviors resulted in OSS reported as ���Other.� Behaviors most often resulting in OSS reported as ���Other� included inappropriate language, failing in-school suspension, and disruption. Additional findings illustrated that students who persistently misbehaved were likely to receive OSS reported as ���Other,� and adult-directed misbehaviors, such as swearing at a teacher, were likely to result in OSS reported as ���Other� after one infraction. This research indicated that use of OSS varied from school to school, and that behaviors resulting in out-of-school suspension reported as ���Other� were not mandated by federal or state law, but were guided by school policy or based on the discretion of the administrator(s).Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Contributing factors for degree completion of Hispanic undergraduates as a four year public university
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to identify contributing factors for degree completion of Hispanic undergraduate students. Participants included 11undergraduate students of Hispanic background, 6 family members, 10 faculty members, and 7 administrators of participating students. This study used a qualitative approach based on Bronfenbrenner ecological systems model. Findings indicated that contributing factors for degree completion of Hispanic undergraduate students included support systems, campus involvement, and family support, among others. Results also showed that based on Brofenbrenner ecological system model, the most prevalent interactions occurred at the microsystem, and exosystem levels. This study determined that including the perspectives of students, their family members, faculty, and administrators provided a more holistic understanding of Hispanic undergraduates. This study also concluded that research focus on achievement rather than failure provided a better comprehension on what supported degree completion of Hispanic undergraduates.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Exploring the lived experience of newly licensed registered nurses enrolled in a RN-BS completion program participating in a cultural and clinical immersion experience in Senegal, west Africa
Get PDFResearch priorities in nursing education include identifying education models focused on caring for diverse patient populations in various settings (NLN, n.d.). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, discover, and analyze the values, beliefs, and practices of newly licensed registered nurses enrolled in an RN-BS completion program participating in a cultural and clinical immersion experience in Senegal, West Africa. Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, ethnonursing research method, and research enablers provided the conceptual framework for this research. A purposeful sample of six newly licensed RN-BS nursing students who chose the international cultural and clinical immersion experience participated in the study. The analysis of the data revealed three major themes: (a) experience of care or caring, (b) experience of community, and (c) experience of transformation. The results show that the participants expanded their worldview on nursing and gained the diverse perspectives of nurses from another culture. The findings from this study illustrate the value of a global learning experience and support immersion experiences as a means to prepare new nurses to care for patients from diverse populations.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Comparison and verification of a standalone lightning sensor against observations from the Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Surveillance System II (CGLSS-II) at Kennedy Space Center
Get PDFThunderstorms can cause major impacts for range activities in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station region. Lightning from thunderstorms is one of the principal phenomena that cause the most frequent problems for these activities. This study involved verifying and comparing the observations from a prototype lightning sensor produced by the New Hampshire based company, Airmar Technology Corporation, against the Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System II (CGLSS-II), at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Cape Canaveral, Florida is an ideal site for which to perform the verification for two reasons: Florida is the lightning capital of the United States; and, for monitoring purposes, Kennedy Space Center requires a plethora of lightning networks which are publicly available. Various methods were implemented to determine the validity of the Airmar sensor in comparison to the CGLSS-II network including detection efficiency, logistic regressions, false detections, and location biases. This being the first generation of lightning sensor for this company, the data set it provided was limited, subsequently limiting the verification methods. A sample from the results can be seen in the following: the sensor is largely noisy, statistically proven to have higher detection with lightning at closer distances and with higher absolute peak currents, and may have a problem with oversaturation of lightning with high absolute peak currents, a similar affliction seen with the CLGSS-II network. Future generations of this sensor will offer an alternative for NASA and/or numerous other agencies, businesses, organizations, and even individuals to obtain a reliable inexpensive lightning detection capability.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Dual-polarimetric radar characteristics of convective-wind-producing thunderstorms over Kennedy Space Center
Get PDFThe dual-polarimetric upgrade of the Weather Surveillance Radar in Melbourne, Florida, has provided the opportunity to expand the study of thunderstorms over Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (KSC/CCAFS). This extends a series of previous climatological and radar studies of warm-season thunderstorms (May through September) over KSC/CCAFS, with the ultimate goal of improving convective wind warnings. With the ability now to measure relative horizontal and vertical dimensions of hydrometeors and their conforming behavior within a radar pulse volume, interpretations can be made about the type of precipitation and therefore some intra-storm dynamics. Differential reflectivity (ZDR), correlation coefficient (ρHV), and specific differential phase shift (KDP) were the dual-polarimetric products examined. Studies have shown each of the three products exhibit signatures that correspond with precipitation-laden convective updrafts. The signatures of ZDR columns, ρHV melting layer lofting, and KDP columns were investigated within central Florida warm-season convection. ZDR columns and KDP columns occurred regularly in the convective cases studied. ρHV melting layer signatures were generally unable to be identified because of the chaotic and small-scale nature of the minimally sheared convection. Except for occasional reductions in ρHV values within hail cores, ρHV was not a reliable indicator of convective updrafts in Florida. Twenty convective cells from 2012, identified as likely being responsible for near-surface wind gusts measured by the KSC/CCAFS wind tower network, were used to explore the relationship between the magnitudes of the radar updraft signatures and the strength of the peak wind gusts from the resulting downdraft. The maximum height and intensity of KDP columns, maximum height of ZDR columns, and maximum height of ≥50dBZ reflectivity echoes during the cell's life cycle were compared to the strength of subsequent wind gust. Correlations were very poor, with regression-squared values <0.16, and some <0.01.The reasons for poor correlations are numerous, and can be sorted into three main categories: (1) physical limitations and environmental condition uncertainties, (2) radar data quality and resolution challenges, and (3) errors from manual interrogation techniques. Despite the inauspicious results, a discussion of these challenges opens up many avenues for additional studies that focus on specific problems and use stricter constraints.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
A statistical analysis of weather related power outage events
Get PDFAdverse weather conditions are known to cause or contribute to power outages. Power utility companies are interested in knowing the amount of power outages based on future weather conditions for the sake of saving time and money. This study uses power outage data from Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) spanning the years 2006-2010 to create a power outage event definition. Using the power outage event definition, statistical analyses were performed using histograms, boxplots, and regressions. The weather variables used in this study were temperature, dewpoint temperature, wind speed, wind gust, relative humidity, altimeter, visibility, and ceiling height. Cloud cover and present weather were also included. Histograms showed that it was difficult to distinguish between events and nonevents using PSNH variables(number of Trouble Report and Unsatisfactory Performance of Equipment Reports(TRUPERs)per event, length of outage event, customers, customer min, and duration)and weather variables. The distributions of the sum of each PSNH variable were similar for events and nonevents. The mean and median values of each PSNH variable were higher in events compared to nonevents. The distributions for the mean, median, maximum, and minimum values of each weather variable were similar for events and nonevents. The distributions for the number of occurrences for mean wind speeds and wind gusts along with minimum visibility, altimeter, and ceiling height suggested events may be distinguished from nonevents using these variables. Events were split into warm and cold season events and then further into large and small events. Boxplots were constructed for all, large, and small events in the warm and cold season for each meteorological variable. Warm season large events (WSLEs)had warmer maximum temperatures and dewpoint temperatures, higher maximum wind speeds and wind gusts, and lower minimum altimeter and visibilities compared to warm season small events (WSSEs). Cold season large events (CSLEs)had warmer maximum dewpoint temperatures, higher maximum wind speeds and wind gusts, and lower minimum altimeter and visibilities compared to cold season small events (CSSEs). Three sets of regression equations were constructed. The first set of equations consisted of using variables that had |correlation| ≥0.3 to predict each of the PSNH variables. The second set of equations were a trimmed version of the first set of regression equations. The third set of equations were created using a stepwise regression technique. Contingency tables were constructed to assess the performance of each regression equation. The probability of detection (POD), false alarm rate (FAR), probability of false detection (POFD), and combined skill index (CSI) were then computed for each regression equation to assess how well each regression equation was at predicting whether a large event would occur. The stepwise regressions outperformed the other regressions in predicting whether or not a large event would occur. Predicting the number of TRUPERs in an event showed the most promise using the stepwise regressions. Overall, predicting an event from a nonevent or a large event from a small event is difficult when using the weather variables in this study.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
WRF moisture schemes utilizing the LEWICE icing simulation software
Get PDFThe ability for meteorologists to predict icing events is severely limited due to the complexity of the phenomena, which is unfortunate given the potential for vast economic impact as a result of ice accretion on air planes, electrical wires and other manmade structures. The goal of this study is to utilize a mathematical model that can consistently and accurately predict low level icing intensity in cold, alpine environments at any time based upon Global Forecast System(GFS)initialization. This was achieved by linking the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model and the NASA developed the LEWis ICE (LEWICE) ice accretion software to produce a mathematical forecast for ice events, specifically in the White Mountain Range in New Hampshire. Initialized with the GFS forecast data, the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) is used to calculate a 12-hour forecast and export the results to the LEWICE. The LEWICE software utilizes the ambient temperature, wind speed, outside pressure, and liquid water content from the ARW forecast at the 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 hour time steps after forecast initialization, and calculates icing intensity over the 45 minutes after the start of the hour assuming constant meteorological conditions. The theoretical ice would be accreted onto a cylindrical object within LEWICE to mimic the in situ measurements from three ice detectors on three mountains in the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire. The three ice detectors will continually record ice accretion data through the 2011-2012 winter. These data will be compared directly to the output of the ARW/LEWICE linked model to determine accuracy of the model. Also, sensitivity testing will be performed on the moisture microphysics schemes to determine whether one microphysics scheme performed better in resolving the icing conditions. This study concluded that the microphysics scheme used made little difference in the amount of ice accreted on the cylinder over the 45 minute accretion period over any of the icing scenarios examined. The differences between the six schemes were on average, less than 5% for any given time step. In terms of the amount of ice accreted, the model did predict the ice accretion when ice was recorded on Mount Washington. Although not entirely accurate, the amount of ice was generally the same being well within the same order of magnitude. This preliminary success with the first attempt at a mathematical icing model bodes well for the future of ice accretion models and their abilities to accurately predict icing scenarios.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Evaluation of two methods of aversive conditioning on nuisance activity levels of New Hampshire black bear
Get PDFElectronic Thesis or DissertationHuman-wildlife conflicts caused by black bears (Ursus americanus) accessing anthropogenic food sources are an increasing challenge for wildlife managers. During 2007-2009, we tested two commonly used aversive conditioning (AC) methods (rubber buckshot and trained bear hounds) on NH black bears exhibiting persistent nuisance behavior in residential communities. The main objective was to determine the effectiveness of these two AC methods on deterring unwanted behavior by bears.
Twenty-two (22) bears were trapped and fitted with VHF/GPS collars. All bears received a soft release with no treatment from day 1-7 (pretreatment period) while each animal was monitored by telemetry and locations were recorded. Bears were equally assigned to a treatment group and were treated each time they were located within a predefined area 8-28 days (treatment period) after capture.
Four (4) bears received rubber buckshot treatments on 4-16 occasions and 4 bears were chased/treed 2x each by hounds. Bears chased with hounds traveled a greater average distance (4.3km) from treatment locations than bears shot with rubber buckshot (0.57km). Bears chased with hounds stayed out of the community three times longer than bears hazed with rubber buckshot. The time that elapsed before bears returned to the treatment area averaged 21.9 hours for the hounds group and 7.2 hours for the rubber buckshot group. Neither method was successful in deterring long-term repetitive nuisance activity