Browsing by Author "Muschkin, Clara G"
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Item Open Access Athletics or Academics? An Analysis of Student-Athlete Collegiate Priorities(2016-01-23) Mendes, LexiThis thesis examines the academic and athletic priorities of collegiate student-athletes, using Duke University as a case study. Analyses of information collected through online surveys (N= 151) and in-person interviews (N=8) suggest that both non-revenue athletes and revenue athletes value their academics more than athletics. However, comparisons of the two groups indicate that non-revenue athletes value their academics slightly more than do revenue athletes. Revenue athletes struggle with short-term academic goals, such as studying outside of class and turning academic coursework in before the deadline. These findings suggest the need for more effective support policies to help revenue athletes devote more time to their academic courses.Item Open Access Comparing Disciplinary Processes in North Carolina Charter and Traditional Public Schools(2014-04-18) Dammu, IndiraIn this paper, I utilized qualitative research methods to analyze North Carolina’s middle and high school charter disciplinary policies with a focus on three particular research areas. 1. What differences, if any, exist between disciplinary processes in North Carolina charter and traditional public schools? 2. How does implementation differ from the stated policies in each type of school? 3. How do patterns of variation in stated policies and their implementation vary between charter and traditional schools? There were two components to my study. The first involved an analysis of the disciplinary processes employed by charters and their traditional counterparts. In order to examine processes, I began by reading and coding student codes of conduct for all middle and high school charters in the state. I also read and code student codes of conduct for 4 traditional public school districts: Durham, Mecklenburg, Orange and Wake County. The second component of my research involved an analysis of the implementation of the aforementioned processes. I conducted semi-structured interviews with select charter school and traditional public school administrators in the 4 counties. The interviews provided information on differences between processes and implementation and whether they varied across charters and traditional public schools.Item Open Access Long-term effects of early childhood programs through eighth grade: Do the effects fade out or grow?(Children and Youth Services Review, 2020-05-01) Bai, Yu; Ladd, Helen F; Muschkin, Clara G; Dodge, Kenneth A© 2020 Support for policies to improve early childhood educational development and reduce disparities grew rapidly this century but recently has wavered because of findings that program effects might fade out prematurely. Two programs implemented at scale in North Carolina (Smart Start and More at Four) have been associated with academic success early in elementary school, but it is not known whether these effects fade out or are sustained in middle school. Smart Start provides state funding to support high-quality early childcare in local communities, and More at Four provides state-funded slots for a year of credentialed pre-kindergarten. Funds were allocated for each program at varying rates across counties and years. We used this variation to estimate the long-term impact of each program through eighth grade, by measuring the association between state funding allocations to each program, in each of 100 counties over each of 13 consecutive years, and later student performance. Students were matched to funding levels provided to their home county in their early childhood years and then followed through eighth grade. Analyses using county- and year-fixed-effects regression models with individual- and school-level covariates conducted on nearly 900,000 middle school students indicate significant positive impacts of funding for each program on reading and math test scores and reductions in special education placement and grade retention. These impacts do not fade out and seem instead to grow (for More at Four) as students progress through middle school. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds experience particularly large benefits from the More at Four Program.Item Open Access Making the Grade? Kindergarten Readiness In Connecticut(2017-05-01) DeVito, SamanthaIn Connecticut, 83% of kindergarteners attended preschool. Despite high preschool enrollment, less than half of these students enter kindergarten consistently demonstrating the language, literacy, numeracy and social skills needed for a successful transition into formal schooling. I interviewed eleven kindergarten and eight preschool teachers to examine factors that could contribute to gaps in school readiness. I compared their opinions on which skills best indicate readiness, whether their expectations have increased with the introduction of Common Core and No Child Left Behind, and whether Connecticut’s current readiness assessment accurately indicates preparedness for kindergarten. The interviews revealed that preschool and kindergarten teachers disagree on the importance of mastering academic skills before entering kindergarten. Expectations at kindergarten entry have not increased but some teachers questioned the appropriateness of the current kindergarten curriculum for certain children. The skills included on Connecticut’s current entry assessment accurately indicate preparedness for kindergarten. These findings suggest that increasing communication between preschool and kindergarten teachers could help preschool teachers align their curricula with the expectations of kindergarten teachers. Connecticut could change the cut-off date for entry into kindergarten to increase the appropriateness of the kindergarten curriculum. Furthermore, future readiness tests should incorporate skills similar to those used in the current assessment.Item Open Access Student Knowledge and Understanding of Sexual Violence: A Case Study at Duke University(2016-01-07) Becker, EricaAn estimated 20-25% of women experience sexual assault while at college. In response, institutions of higher education are improving their policies and working to educate students on the issue. The purpose of this study is to examine whether undergraduate students at Duke University know and understand the University’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy on consent and sexual violence. Data gathered from student surveys (n = 320) yielded mixed results on respondents’ knowledge of the policy. In addition, though students had greater understanding of sexual violence than hypothesized, respondents lacked understanding of the role of alcohol in consent. Statistical analyses showed that men, varsity athletes, freshmen and non-LGBTQ students were more likely to misunderstand sexual violence, as measured through responses to scenario questions on the student survey. Recommendations of this study to the University include adding information on alcohol and consent to the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy, improving outreach and follow up for educational programming, and implementing scenario questions in future surveys and training materials.