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- Creator:
- Cervantes, Amanda
- Description:
- Students who are learning English as a second language are not supported nearly as much as they should be, even though they make up a significant portion of the country's population. This begs the question, what more can we do for our English Second Language learning students? In order for students to have proper language acquisition, they need constant and genuine support from their teachers, peers, and family. To properly learn how to converse in English, students need to work in groups and with their teachers while they are in school, all the while still embracing the culture and language spoken at home. This is relevant to teachers today because the United States is only getting more diverse, and classrooms should be a safe and supportive environment for all.
- Resource Type:
- Capstone project
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Liberal Studies
- Creator:
- Brown, Michelle Sophia
- Description:
- Better health care for special needs children has been at the statutory basis of Federal Medicaid Law since 1967. The 1967 Federal Medicaid Law included as one of its fundamental rules – the provision of high quality care to children with serious and chronic health conditions, and in particular, children with special health care needs (Title V of the Social Security Act, 2012). The importance of Medicaid for special needs children can be examined from several different aspects. However, the overarching issue is that for this population of children, Medicaid is an integral component for enabling them to “be all that they can be”. This means that the levels of service to this population must be quality in nature, provided at the level and amount that each individual requires, and be of sufficient and timely amounts to ensure the appropriate effectiveness of the services required. Due to the complexity of this program and the number of relationships involved, I am focusing on the Kern County California Children’s Services program (CCS) as currently administered by the Department of Kern County Department of Public Health in California. This includes the policy changes that need to be made to achieve compliance with current state regulations and policy, and to position Kern County CCS to move to the next level as Health Care reform becomes a reality. The changes are necessary for the Kern County CCS to be in an optimum position to provide cost effective services to the number of children in Kern County who require these services, and at the level at which they require them, as Heatlh Care Reform becomes a reality. This paper’s purpose is to provide elucidating information about the strategies that need to be adopted and/or implemented. This is necessary to ensure that all of the needs of this population are met as a condition of/or prior to implementing Health Care Reform and expanding the populations to be served. The only outcome that is available that would ensure that special needs children do not receive a lesser level or amount of services is to require that Medicaid providers be required to give priority for services to special needs children. Inkelas states that the accepted definition of special needs children is based on the criteria included in Title V law and regulations. In summary, the focus of this project is to articulate the strategies that need to be addressed by Kern County CCS to enable them to have a level playing field when Health Care reform is implemented and to ensure that Special Needs children are not disadvantaged or disenfranchised by such legislation. The proliferation of literature regarding this issue clearly shows this population of children are currently not receiving the appropriate type and amount of services to which they are entitled and for whom they meet the threshold requirements. Ignoring this information when implementing Health Care Reform will result in disenfranchising this population from services to which they are clearly entitled based on all accepted criteria (Fowler, 2008).
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Burley-Abbey, Patricia
- Description:
- Today there is an achievement gap between white students and minority black students. According to the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) which has kept records since 1992 reading and math scores assessment of White 4th-8th and 8-12thgrade students found that White students scored significantly higher than Black students (2011). This study looks at the historical causes of the achievement gap and the reasons it still exists today. It focuses on the Antelope Valley School District, the high drop-out rate of African American males and makes recommendations as to what can be done to close the achievement gap.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Bricke, Thomas
- Description:
- The work contains a critical introduction that examines the life of author Hans Fallada and also examines some of the theoretical underpinnings regarding translation. The main focus of the paper is the actual translation of Hans Fallada's "Geschichten Austons Der Murkelei" which was first published in 1938.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Literature and Writing Studies
- Creator:
- Coomber, Jeff
- Description:
- In 2011, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office was awarded two grants to manage an AmeriCorps mentoring program in ten communities in California. In the rush to design and start a large collaborative project in a short time span, the program encountered significant challenges, notably in the areas of mission clarity, communication among partners, and consistency in implementation throughout the state. Based on research in strategic planning for nonprofits as well as the formation and functioning of interorganizational collaborations, this study recommends that the program staff take the lead in facilitating a long-term strategic planning process that is inclusive of key stakeholders, deliberative, and synchronized with its funding cycles. The process is based on Bryson’s Strategy Change Cycle, but with modifications adapted to the program’s unique structure. The staff should create an open, transparent environment in which partners can exchange ideas and where, when possible, decisions are made by consensus. The end result should be a program with a clearer mission, concrete action steps to address major strategic issues, and, perhaps most important, a higher level of trust among its partners.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Victoria, Esmeralda
- Description:
- The 59-year-old Lake Isabella Dam has been deemed one of the most at-risk-of-failure dams in the nation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If failure of the dam occurred; water, boulders, and debris would bombard the City of Bakersfield causing millions of dollars in destruction. The long process of evaluating the dam for deficiencies has been started by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There are a three main concerns associated with the Lake Isabella Dam that have placed it at the top of the list: 1) the dam is in danger of eroding internally, 2) water could flow over its spillway in extreme flood season, and 3) an active fault capable of producing a strong earthquake sits beneath the dam. Issues ranging from poor planning, years of negligence, and a continuous lack of funding for maintenance have led to the decrepit state of the Lake Isabella Dam. It has taken years for problems to manifest and they will take years to address. The plan that is chosen for revitalizing the Lake Isabella Dam will be a long-term commitment for the citizens of Kern County. Countless resources will be poured in to the project and the safety and wellbeing of local citizens will depend upon its success. This study takes on a local perspective and the first step in ensuring that the million-dollar investment is the best possible. A solution must contain: 1) a relatively low cost or repair, 2) a sustainable plan for routine maintenance, and 3) result in the safest dam possible. The alternative to address the major flaws in the dam, and overtime take measures to reduce the overall risk of failure provides all three. Kern County residents find themselves in a groundbreaking position. They have been given the opportunity to influence their own future, safety, and infrastructure policy. The restoration option for the Lake Isabella Dam will improve the quality of life for citizens. In the long-term citizens will continue to enjoy the economic benefits the dam provides and an increased sense of safety and security.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Manzano, Orlando
- Description:
- Background: A nurse’s therapeutic presence is comforting in a way that only a nurse can convey. The intentional presence of a nurse is an art that can give relief, provide comfort, and ease pain. However, nurses cannot always be present with their patients due to unfavorable work environments and lack of colleague support. Framework: Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory is used as the framework of this study. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to explore the association between perceived nurse presence and pain control satisfaction in patients with pain admitted to medical surgical floors at an acute care hospital. This study intends to answer the research question: Is there a statistically significant association between nurse presence and pain control satisfaction? Methods: A feasibility study will be conducted to answer the research question. 30 patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire to measure patient perception of nurse presence and to rate pain control satisfaction using a visual analog scale.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Nursing
- Creator:
- Clark, Jane
- Description:
- A growing population, Hispanic English learners enrolling in our schools are struggling academically. Learning gaps begin to surface for Hispanic English learners at the elementary level (Gandara, 2012; Genesee, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders, & Christian, 2005; Grasparil & Hernandez, 2015, Umansky & Reardon, 2014). Increasing the level of academic success of Hispanic English learners is a national imperative. The role of the principal has been linked to student success since, through their beliefs and behaviors, principals construct conditions in their schools that shape student learning (Chrispeels, 1992; Marks & Printy, 2003; Supovitz, Sirinides, & May, 2010). Grounded in a strengths-based theoretical construct— cultural growth mindset, positive school leadership, and strengths-based instructional leadership— this case study was organized under a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design to answer one overarching question and two sub-questions. Two elementary school principals from schools with high populations of English learners were studied. This study explores teacher perceptions of principal behaviors, and principal leadership practices with teachers directly influencing the academic performance of Hispanic English learners. Phase One included an analysis of quantitative results from a survey administered to 35 teachers, 19 from one school, and 16 from the other. In Phase Two, qualitative data contributed to the research as a narrative unfolding through the interviews and observations of the principal participants, a teacher focus group at one school, and a school counselor at the other. Significant themes emanating from this case study were principals’ high learning expectations and a strong belief in students’ ability to succeed. Students’ first language was considered an asset and students’ diverse backgrounds were valued. In addition to strong parental involvement, student emotional well-being was a priority. Principals supported teacher collaboration and demonstrated high trust in teachers’ ability to impact the learning of Hispanic English learners. Collection and analysis of key student data was a principal practice. Integration and interweaving of cultural growth mindset, positive school leadership and strengths-based instructional leadership were essential lenses to fully understand the achievement gains made by the students. The implications this case study presents for educational research, policy, equity, and social justice are discussed. Limitations of the study are addressed.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ayala, Guadalupe X
- Description:
- This study was carried out to better understand differences in the practice of breast selfexamination (BSE) by Latinas and Caucasian-American women. Current estimates from the American Cancer Society (ACS) place Latinas at much greater risk for morbidity and mortality from breast cancer compared with Caucasian-American women. This increased risk may result from their disinclination to practice early screening techniques. Several studies examining breast cancer screening among Latinas have found acculturation, low self-efficacy, nervousness, and embarrassment to predict the infrequent practice of BSE. The variables that have been found to predict the infrequent practice of BSE among Caucasian-American women are: barriers (e.g., forgetting), low self-efficacy, and low response-efficacy. Previous comparisons of these two groups of women have often relied on comparing women across different studies. This limits our ability to infer that differences in BSE performance are related to one's cultural background. In addition, research on Latina breast health care is in its infancy. This study contributes to this field of research by recruiting women from the same location, structuring questions in a theoretical framework, measuring BSE performance observationally in addition to self-repo~ and applying multivariate statistics. Sixty-eight Latinas and fifty Caucasian-American women visiting a primary health care facility in north San Diego County agreed to participate in this study. The women were interviewed individually, either in Spanish or English, using standardized and unstandardized measures of acculturation, health locus of control, group orientation, breast cancer screening beliefs, and current breast health care practices. Women were also asked to demonstrate how they performed BSE and then demonstrated their ability to detect lumps in an artificial breast model. Finally, as a measure of motivation for information, women were given the opportunity to select from several brochures on breast health produced by the ACS. It was predicted that Latinas would practice BSE less often and less proficiently compared with Caucasian-American women. Results demonstrated no differences between Latinas and Caucasian American women on frequency of BSE and proficiency at demonstrating BSE. However, differences were noted in the number of breast cancer symptoms identified and the number of lumps correctly detected on an artificial breast model. Latinas knew significantly fewer symptoms of breast cancer and detected significantly fewer lumps on the model. For both Latinas and Caucasian-American women, greater perceived barriers were associated with more frequent practice of BSE. However, there was an interaction between ethnicity and perceived benefits. There were fewer differences in perceived benefits between Latinas and Caucasian-American women who reported practicing BSE more than once a month, compared with those who reported practicing BSE less than once a month or those who did not practice BSE. There was also an interaction between ethnicity and social normative influences. Among Latinas, social normative influences were not associated with frequency of BSE performance. However, for CaucasianAmerican women, greater social normative influences were associated with more frequent practice of BSE. Perceived barriers to BSE performance predicted knowledge of correct BSE techniques. Amount of pressure used on the model predicted lump detection abilities, in addition to interactions between ethnicity and number of fingers used on the model, and ethnicity and type of motion used during the examination. Latinas using fewer fingers found more lumps compared with Caucasian-American women who found more lumps using more fingers. In addition, Latinas using a circular motion detected more lumps than Latinas using a patting motion, whereas Caucasian-American women found equivalent number of lumps, irrespective of type of motion used during the examination. No one variable predicted differences in breast cancer symptom knowledge. The typical monthly performer of BSE reported greater perceived barriers to BSE performance in addition to greater feeling of self -efficacy for its performance. The lack of differences between Latinas and Caucasian-American women on frequency of BSE is discussed, as are the counterintuitive findings concerning the role of perceived barriers on frequent and adequate performance of BSE.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Psychological Science
- Creator:
- Sylvester, Katelyn
- Description:
- Instructional coaching as a form of job embedded professional development is a common practice in many school districts. An instructional coaching model requires thoughtful planning, design, and funding to become a common practice in schools and the perceptions of the classroom teacher as the primary recipient of such in service is essential to fostering a district culture of ongoing teaching and learning. This study intends to determine what are elementary school teachers' perceptions of being coached in elementary mathematics, in what ways instructional coaching is effective, and the extent to which teacher perceptions and beliefs impact the implementation of an instructional coaching model in a school district. In an attempt to contribute to previous literature, this study seeks to understand the lived experiences of teachers who were coached in mathematics during the 2019-2020 school year. By inquiring and gathering data of teacher perceptions of their experiences, future policy and practice of various Local Education Agencies in determining revisions and refinement to current coaching model initiatives. This case study contributes to current research and embodies a unique subset of characteristics that have the potential to be replicated and further developed in consideration of collected kindergarten- fifth grade teacher perceptions of being provided with job embedded professional development during the 2019-2020 school year by a content specific math coach.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Educational Administration