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A Qualitative Study of Private Christian School Admission Policies Regarding Homosexuality and Transgenderism
Get PDFThe US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) had far-reaching consequences for Christian businesses, organizations, and ministries. As the rapidly changing socio-political environment embraces LGBTQ concerns, private religious schools must prepare to address new types of admission decisions. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study was to determine whether private religious schools have codified policies in place that specifically address the admission of students from same-sex families and homosexual or transgender students. The results of a nationwide, online survey of 61 private religious schools as well as semi-structured interviews of five religious school administrators revealed that almost 73% of Christian schools do not have a policy in place to guide admission decisions regarding children from homosexual families or children with same-sex attractions or gender dysphoria. The interview results from this study provide insights that may help private, faith-based school administrators develop written admission policies that promote balance between litigation concerns and the desire to serve the public with fairness and compassion.
A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICIES REGARDING HOMOSEXUALITY AND TRANSGENDERIS
REVEALING TRUE IMAGES: A STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS OF CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE IN REFLECTIVE WRITING ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO ENHANCE WRITTEN EXPRESSION EFFICACY
Get PDFLearning improvements do not transpire without understanding the process of reflective writing. The aim of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine the degree of impact using reflective writing instruction upon study participant perceptions of confidence and competence in the area of written expression efficacy. This study also examined the effect that perceived sense of control had on perceived confidence and competence in the area of written expression. The current study was carried out with 31 participants who were undergraduate students at a small private, four-year university. Study participants’ perceptions were assessed using a three-phase, repeated measures, pre-test/post-test survey during a five-day reflective writing instructional program over the course of two weeks. In relation to the research questions, results indicated that the students’ perceptions in written expression of confidence and competence improved as a result of the reflective writing instruction. Surprisingly, perceived competence represented a greater improvement than perceived confidence. However, there was a positive correlation between perceived sense of control as a predictor of students’ perceived confidence and perceived competence in written expression
THE SOUND OF MUSIC: CORRELATES OF HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS IN STEPFAMILIES
Get PDFFamily structure has always been an integral part of the nurturing of children and adolescents. In the past fifty years, the number of stepfamilies formed after remarriage superseded the number of stepfamilies following the death of a parent. These new stepfamilies contribute to a more challenging adjustment for children and adolescents as they figure out the role the new stepparent plays in their life, in addition to the non-residential biological parent. This study surveyed undergraduate students at a private university in the United States using a positive and negative interaction questionnaire and family harmony measure. The researcher attempted to find factors that would relate to harmonious family functioning. Results found that a supportive stepparent relationship and intentionally discussing changes with the children prior to the remarriage were especially helpful, as well as mitigating negative interactions with parents and new stepfamily members.amazon.co
DENOMINATIONAL INFLUENCE IN CHURCH REVITALIZATION
Get PDFMany churches and denominations in North America have been experiencing plateau or decline for the past sixty years. In recent years, the Assemblies of God has experienced trends of plateau or decline in a majority of their churches. The PennDel Ministry Network, one of sixty-four districts within the Assemblies of God USA, has also observed that a majority of its churches are also in a state of plateau or decline. The primary intent of this dissertation is to explore denominational influence in revitalizing churches. Specific attention is given to the church’s participation in the missio Dei as well as the development of ecclesial structures throughout the biblical record and into the first centuries of the church’s existence. A literature review of church and organizational revitalization provides a conceptual framework for denominations to resource their constituent churches toward organizational and missional revitalization.
The dissertation project focused on a sample of four plateaued and four declining Assembly of God churches within the PennDel Ministry Network. Each church’s pastor and board were interviewed using a “guided self-assessment questionnaire.” The questionnaire focused on four topics regarding the church’s present need for revitalization: the church leadership’s perception regarding their church’s present state of plateau or decline, contributing factors of plateau or decline, needs for change, and future partnerships between the PennDel Ministry Network and the sample churches
The Necessity of Second Language Learning
Get PDFIn the past half-century, Americans have had ongoing issues with foreign language instruction. Around 1970, the number of foreign language classes began to decline, and funding slowly began to disappear. Although some proficiency tests and requirements have been put in place, no nationwide requirements for foreign language instruction exist for public high schools. The foreign language requirements for entrance into college used to be more prevalent and followed, but studies have shown that 84% of four-year schools do not require foreign language credits (The History of Foreign Language Education in the United States Timeline 1). Because of this lack of regulation and consistency, the U.S. government should change the foreign language requirements for graduation through a federally enacted legislative mandate. This mandate would effectively make Americans more hospitable, increase alignment with needs for life after high school, impact America’s diverse economy, improve diplomacy and foreign relations, and strengthen the health of Americans who are bilingual.
To achieve these benefits, a national mandate requiring high school students become fluent in at least one foreign language must be enacted. The national mandate requires students in public schools to complete at least four years of the same foreign language study, so that students graduate high school being able to speak and understand a foreign language. Because the mandate requires fluency, the plan will address who is determining “fluency,” how fluency will be measured, and how the mandate will be funded.
A federal mandate for foreign language instruction is necessary in order to make Americans more hospitable, increase alignment with needs for life after high school, impact America’s diverse economy, improve diplomacy and foreign relations, and strengthen the health of Americans who are bilingual
Evaluating the Role of Empowering Leadership and Church Health
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of empowering leadership on overall church health. This quantitative study evaluated data collected by Natural Church Development from Assemblies of God churches in the United States between 2006 and 2016. Examining results from 361 churches and 9,619 surveys, this research answered questions relating to the statistical significance of empowering leadership on overall church health, the statistical significance of empowering leadership as a predictive domain of church health, and the most statistically significant predictor of church health. The one sample t-test, binary logistic regression test statistic, and multiple linear regression test statistic were utilized in this quantitative study. The results of this study demonstrated that empowering leadership has a statistically significant impact on overall church health and that it, along with functional structures, forms the two greatest predictors of church health
FAMILY SEPARATION AND CHILD WELFARE: AN EXAMINATION OF U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICIES AFFECTING UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN
Get PDFImmigration policy in the U.S. is a confusing and inadequate system, the shortcomings of which directly impact the lives of millions of individuals, children, families, and communities. Its primary inadequacies include an overall lack of clearly defined policies and procedures, confusion among immigration authorities and child welfare practitioners regarding proper procedures, and non-compliance with procedural standards by immigration authorities. Those shortcomings have largely resulted in many immigrant families being separated from each other, immigrant children experiencing trauma, and a widespread disregard for unauthorized immigrants’ both constitutional and human rights. The literature reviewed describes relevant immigration policies and their issues. The study conducted surveyed college students to determine their understanding of immigration issues, of which the results demonstrated varied beliefs and understandings; many students responded neutrally or that they did not know the answer
HAMLET AS MUSIC: A STUDY IN THE SEMANTICS OF SYMPHONIC POETRY
Get PDFSymphonic poetry, a widely overlooked genre in musico-literary scholarship, provides a unique focal point into the relationship between music and extramusical texts. Invented by Franz Liszt in the mid-19th century, symphonic poems (or ‘tone poems’) interpret literary texts or ideas through short orchestral works. Thus, the symphonic poem invites close analysis of the semiotic relationship between music and literature. Using Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Liszt’s Symphonic Poem No. 10 (“Hamlet”), this thesis examines the relationship between the Shakespearean tragedy and Lisztian symphonic poetry. This focus is a microcosm for the musico-literary relationship and, henceforth, an undiscovered niche that involves disciplines as diverse as intertextuality, semiology, musicology, literary criticism, and neurophilosophy. By bridging the gaps between literary criticism and musical analysis, this thesis provides a fresh glimpse at the relationship between these two different but complementary fields