The purpose of this study is to develop a costing model for maintenance and operations expenditures among 16 single-campus California community college districts and assess the impact of a variety of variables including size of student enrollment, physical plant age, acreage, gross square footage, and general obligation facility bonds on district…

Community colleges in the United States serve a vital educational role in job training, preparation for transfer to a four-year institution, granting academic degrees and certificates as well as offering opportunities for personal growth and development. Persistence has traditionally been measured by degree completion or by transfer rates.…

The purpose of this research study was to explore the process of learning and development of problem solving skills in radiologic technologists. The researcher sought to understand the nature of difficult problems encountered in clinical practice, to identify specific learning practices leading to the development of professional expertise, and to…

As a managerial construct, knowledge management (KM) optimizes organizational knowledge assets to achieve sustainable business advantages by connecting people with the intellectual resources needed to operate more effectively. Yet KM may have its greatest impact when used with repeatable, systems engineering-based "frameworks." As such, this study…

Whispering is a common type of speech which is not often studied in speech technology. Perceptual and physiological studies show us that whispered speech is subtly different from phonated speech, and is surprisingly able to carry a tremendous amount of information. In this dissertation we consider the question: What makes whispering a good form of…

Contracting out public schools to private institutions is an instrument for reforming public education as it may facilitate academic innovation and improve student academic performance through higher school accountability and autonomy. The degree of autonomy that different providers have may vary substantially depending on the contractual and…

The purpose of this research was to analyze trends in the United States regarding contract disputes that exist in school districts. Court cases were identified at the state and federal level to determine the outcomes and the fact patterns of contract disputes. To gain the knowledge of how courts handle cases of contractual breach, contracts…

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among environmental influences, changes in domain specific knowledge, and changes in tolerance of ambiguity as well as changes in creativity of individuals majoring in fashion design at four-year universities. This study was based on the confluence theoretical approach which holds that…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine whether instructional designers and performance technologists utilize instructional design models when designing and developing electronic performance support systems (EPSS). The study also explored if these same designers were utilizing instructional strategies within their EPSS to support…

South Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing sub-groups within the Asian American population in the United States today. Between 1960 and 1990, the South Asian American population witnessed an increase of approximately 900% (Leonard, 1997). This increase in population also corresponds with the increase in South Asian American students…

The purpose of the present dissertation study was to investigate the impact of interpersonal relationships on postschool employment outcomes and community satisfaction for young women with learning disabilities. Using a longitudinal, in-depth multiple case study design, the author examined a set of influencing factors (i.e., individual…

The results from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) revealed that the scores of fourth grade students in the 90th percentile showed no measurable change from the results of the first TIMSS assessment in 1995. Contrarily, the scores of the lowest performing fourth graders showed statistically significant…

The problem addressed in this cross-sectional, quantitative study was a continual stagnation in student achievement in one U.S. state, which is critical to stakeholders responsible for increasing student advancement in college and the 21st century workforce. Specifically, the objective was to identify the relationship between principal-perceived…

This research study reveals the stories of 19 special educators who participated in, or were summoned to testify, in one of the forms of special education litigation in the state of California. For most participants, their involvement was in a due process hearing conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings under contract with the California…

In 2009, the National Council for the Social Studies released a position statement calling for the implementation of media literacy in social studies education. If today's students are to become engaged citizens as adults, they must acquire the skills and knowledge associated with media literacy. Using this position statement as foundation, I…