scholarly journals Class Size and School Performance: An Analysis of Elementary and Middle Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-77
Author(s):  
James S. Etim ◽  
Alice S. Etim ◽  
Zachary D. Blizard
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Report Cards ◽  
Performance Score ◽  
The Public ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

The class size debate is still ongoing among researchers, even though smaller class sizes are widely supported by parents, teachers, and the public. To contribute to this discussion, data was taken from the North Carolina (NC) School Report Cards (SRC) datasets and used to address two questions: First, is there a relationship between an elementary school’s performance score and average class size?  Second, is there a relationship between a middle school’s performance score and average class size? Using the results from a linear regression and ordered logit, we find that average class size significantly predicts both NC elementary and middle school performance. However, the estimates suggest that higher average class size is negatively related to elementary school performance, but positively related to middle school performance. These results suggest that the impact of class size on student and school performance may depend on the grade levels in question, for example, elementary or middle school. We conclude that policymakers should act carefully when manipulating class sizes, since the effect may depend on the grade levels.

scholarly journals A Risk-Based Strategy for Evaluating Mitigation Options for Process-Formed Compounds in Food

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Hanlon ◽  
Gregory P. Brorby ◽  
Mansi Krishan
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Technical Committee ◽  
Global Approach ◽  
Chemical Safety ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact

Processing (eg, cooking, grinding, drying) has changed the composition of food throughout the course of human history; however, awareness of process-formed compounds, and the potential need to mitigate exposure to those compounds, is a relatively recent phenomenon. In May 2015, the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI North America) Technical Committee on Food and Chemical Safety held a workshop on the risk-based process for mitigation of process-formed compounds. This workshop aimed to gain alignment from academia, government, and industry on a risk-based process for proactively assessing the need for and benefit of mitigation of process-formed compounds, including criteria to objectively assess the impact of mitigation as well as research needed to support this process. Workshop participants provided real-time feedback on a draft framework in the form of a decision tree developed by the ILSI North America Technical Committee on Food and Chemical Safety to a panel of experts, and they discussed the importance of communicating the value of such a process to the larger scientific community and, ultimately, the public. The outcome of the workshop was a decision tree that can be used by the scientific community and could form the basis of a global approach to assessing the risks associated with mitigation of process-formed compounds.

Impact of Mathematics School Performance at Middle School for Academic Institutional Management Based on the Checkland Methodology

2016 ◽  
pp. 182-202
Author(s):  
Joel García Mendoza ◽  
Edgar Oliver Cardoso Espinosa ◽  
Jorge Mejía Bricaire ◽  
Fernando Briseño Hurtado
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Math Skills ◽  
Institutional Management ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
The Impact

Currently the development of countries has acquired importance as a result of the process of economic globalization, which has established various challenges to the economic activities worldwide. So numerical, mathematical and digital competences, are very important to participating fully in the knowledge society. Thus, the chapter proposal considers Checkland's Methodology as an oriented alternative to analyze the object of study in situations with a high rate of human intervention such as education. The chapter proposal will be organized into three sections: the first one related to the factors involved in school performance, the quality of education and the impact that have the math skills at middle school; the second focused on the characteristics of the methodology of Checkland applied to mathematics, and the third, a key options proposal for designing to the students motivation for a better mathematics learning that allows assessment of the institutional management in performance in such subject and increase educational standards.

scholarly journals The Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA)

Ocean Science ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burkard Baschek ◽  
Friedhelm Schroeder ◽  
Holger Brix ◽  
Rolf Riethmüller ◽  
Thomas H. Badewien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Data Products ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Arctic Coast ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA) was established in order to better understand the complex interdisciplinary processes of northern seas and the Arctic coasts in a changing environment. Particular focus is given to the German Bight in the North Sea as a prime example of a heavily used coastal area, and Svalbard as an example of an Arctic coast that is under strong pressure due to global change.The COSYNA automated observing and modelling system is designed to monitor real-time conditions and provide short-term forecasts, data, and data products to help assess the impact of anthropogenically induced change. Observations are carried out by combining satellite and radar remote sensing with various in situ platforms. Novel sensors, instruments, and algorithms are developed to further improve the understanding of the interdisciplinary interactions between physics, biogeochemistry, and the ecology of coastal seas. New modelling and data assimilation techniques are used to integrate observations and models in a quasi-operational system providing descriptions and forecasts of key hydrographic variables. Data and data products are publicly available free of charge and in real time. They are used by multiple interest groups in science, agencies, politics, industry, and the public.

Examining the Impact of 45 Minutes of Daily Physical Education on Cognitive Ability, Fitness Performance, and Body Composition of African American Youth

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian A. Reed ◽  
Andrea L. Maslow ◽  
Savannah Long ◽  
Morgan Hughey
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
African American ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

Object:Increased importance on academic achievement has resulted in many school districts focusing on improved academic performance leading to reductions in physical education time. The purpose was to examine the effects of 45 minutes of daily physical education on the cognitive ability, fitness performance and body composition of African American elementary and middle school youth.Methods:Participants completing the informed consent in grades 2nd to 8th were included in the study. A pre/posttest design was used with repeated measures analysis of variance. Experimental and control school participants were pretested on the cognitive measures (ie, Fluid Intelligence and Perceptual Speed) and FitnessgramR physical fitness test items (eg, aerobic capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance, body composition) in September 2009 and posttested in May 2010.Results:Experimental elementary and middle school participants observed significantly greater improvements compared with control elementary and middle school participants on 7 of 16 fitness and body composition measures and on 8 of 26 cognitive measures. These fitness, body composition, and cognitive improvement differences were more noticeable among elementary and middle school females.Conclusions:Providing 45 minutes of daily physical education can perhaps increase cognitive ability while increasing fitness and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obese youth.

scholarly journals The Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Baschek ◽  
F. Schroeder ◽  
H. Brix ◽  
R. Riethmüller ◽  
T. H. Badewien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Data Products ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Arctic Coast ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA) was established in order to better understand the complex interdisciplinary processes of northern seas and the arctic coasts in a changing environment. Particular focus is given to the German Bight in the North Sea as a prime example for a heavily used coastal area, and Svalbard as an example of an arctic coast that is under strong pressure due to global change. The automated observing and modelling system COSYNA is designed to monitor real time conditions, provide short-term forecasts and data products, and to assess the impact of anthropogenically induced change. Observations are carried out combining satellite and radar remote sensing with various in situ platforms. Novel sensors, instruments, and algorithms are developed to further improve the understanding of the interdisciplinary interactions between physics, biogeochemistry, and the ecology of coastal seas. New modelling and data assimilation techniques are used to integrate observations and models in a quasi-operational system providing descriptions and forecasts of key hydrographic variables. Data and data products are publically available free of charge and in real time. They are used by multiple interest groups in science, agencies, politics, industry, and the public.

Delving Deeper: Sizing Up Class Size: A Deeper Classroom Investigation of Central Tendency

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 376-380
Author(s):  
Lawrence M. Lesser
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Student Achievement ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Central Tendency ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
High School Juniors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Measures Of Center

Being able to select, use, and interpret measures of center is expected of all secondary students (NCTM 2000, 2006). Discussing average class size can be a motivational vehicle for exploring this topic because students (and teachers) at all grade levels notice when they have significantly bigger classes and high school juniors and seniors see average class size touted in the publicity brochures they receive from colleges. Also, educators, administrators, policy makers, and parents are concerned about the impact class size may have on student achievement and equity (e.g., Finn, Gerber, and Boyd-Zaharias 2005; Nye, Hedges, and Konstantopoulos 2004; Pong and Pallas 2001). Finally, using situations that readily yield results that students initially find counterintuitive can be motivating (Lesser 1998).

Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs Regarding Teaching Tuning in Elementary and Middle School Group String Classes

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
School Group ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching ◽  
String Classes ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ practices and beliefs related to the teaching of stringed instrument tuning in elementary and middle school group classes. The aspects examined included the following: (a) teachers’ beliefs about teaching tuning in their string classes, (b) activities teachers used when teaching tuning in string classes, (c) methods for assessing students’ tuning skills, (d) the grade level that tuning instruction begins, (e) the amount of instructional time used for teaching tuning, (f) teachers’ goals for students’ tuning independence, and (g) teacher, program, or school characteristics that affect how and when tuning is taught. Participants ( N = 139) reported that the average time required to develop tuning independence is 4.5 years. The amount of instructional time available and the level of students’ aural skills were the greatest perceived obstacles to developing tuning independence. Significant differences were found in tuning activities, beliefs about students’ tuning abilities, and assessment procedures and were based on participants’ age, teaching experience, and grade levels taught. The findings indicate a need for further development of tuning pedagogy and greater use of formal assessment to determine if students have developed the prerequisite skills for tuning.

scholarly journals Success, Failure, and Impact of Local Energy Initiatives in The Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12482
Author(s):  
Lynette A. M. H. Germes ◽  
Carina J. Wiekens ◽  
Lummina G. Horlings
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Local Energy ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Different Levels

In the last decade, the number of local energy initiatives (LEIs) has increased in western European countries. Although several success factors and barriers in the development of LEIs have been studied by other scholars, there has been limited scholarly interest in the overall impact of LEIs so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore their impact by determining their achievement. Additionally, levels of engagement were used to categorise the success factors for and barriers that impede this impact. Initiatives in two provinces in the north of the Netherlands were studied. For the data collection, 84 in-depth interviews were conducted with the initiators of LEIs. In general, it can be concluded that the impact of LEIs is limited. Success factors and barriers in the development of LEIs play out at different levels of engagement: the level of the initiative itself; the community level; and the public–private level. Theoretically, this study provides empirical insights on how to measure the impact of LEIs. Furthermore, the study brings together a variety of factors that influence this impact based on the levels of engagement. Practically, this research offers indications on how to contribute to the further development of LEIs.

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