Fall 2017

This study investigated strategies of financing universal basic education for sustainable national development by school managers in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. Specifically, the purpose was to determine the relationship between commercial based income and sustainable national development as well as to examine the relationship between agricultural based income and sustainable national development in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised to guide the conduct of this study.

Survey research design was adopted in carried out this study. The sample of this study was 375 headmasters and 331 principals of the selected schools in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. The sample was selected using proportional sampling technique. The researcher utilized a self-designed questionnaires titled: Strategies of Financing Universal Basic Education and Sustainable National Development Questionnaire “(SFUSNDQ)” for this study. The instruments were validated and the reliability index of 0.78 was obtained through Cronbach’s Alpha statistics. The research questions were answered using mean, standard deviation and weighted mean scores while the hypotheses were tested with t-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study showed that there is no significant difference between the mean scores of headmasters and principals on commercial based income as well, as agricultural based income as strategies for sustainable national development in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that school managers (headmasters and principals) should continue to put efforts to maintain commercial-based income. Furthermore, school managers should continue to lay more emphasis on agricultural-based income by encouraging students to participate fully in farming, fisheries among others for sustainable national development in Nigeria.

Accounting internships provide substantial benefits to employers and students alike. However, opportunities for students are not equitable across all populations due to the existing policies that exist for placing interns. This inequity is particularly true for students from community colleges where there is a larger proportion of underrepresented populations.

This study examines perceptions and practices of employers including accounting firms and community college career center staffs and compares community college curriculum to that of four-year institutions. To determine results, interviews were conducted with employers and community college career center staffs in the State of Ohio. Interview findings showed: (1) most employers had a general lack of understanding of community college accounting programs and students, (2) community college career center staff lacked the knowledge and tools to effectively place students, and (3) community college curriculum through hiring point of internships is comparable to that of four-year institutions.

This paper’s findings demonstrate that current policy leaves internship placement, recruitment, and employer communication to the staff of career centers. This existing model lacks the engagement necessary to create the job pathway for students and employers. Through an examination of data, this study proposes the adoption of a policy that provides the intentional development of internship pathways. This proposed policy includes a better outline of internship objectives, faculty leadership, education and training of employers and career center staff, improved communication between institutions and employers, and engagement of community college leadership.

In order for an educator to properly restrain or seclude a child, they should be made aware of the statutes, court cases, governmental policies, and terminologies that shape the legality of restraints and seclusions. This paper means to nurture that awareness. The paper is in an order that shows an evolution of the policies and laws about restraints and seclusion. First, relevant cases are identified and described. Second, federal policies and statutes related to student restraint and seclusion are discussed. Lastly, a policy framework is proposed for the legal restraint and seclusion of students in the public school setting.

This study estimates the effects of open-enrollment charter schools on student performance in traditional public schools in Arkansas. The paper examines the change in Iowa Assessment scores for first and second graders across Arkansas school districts between the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. The ordinary least-squares regression estimates demonstrate a positive and statistically significant relationship between elementary charter school enrollment and traditional public school Iowa Assessment scores across districts, controlling for relevant factors. Improvements in traditional public schools’ math, reading, and language test scores were greater in school districts that had a larger percentage of students enrolling in charter schools. The most influential impact of charter schools on predicted test scores was in math, where a 1% increase in elementary charter school enrollment led to a 0.13 predicted improvement in normal-curve-equivalent test scores across Arkansas school districts.

Alternative approaches to raising funds for public schools have long been critiqued for their approach to providing an equitable and adequate distribution of educational goods. Inherent in these core concepts of fairness are ethical questions that drive how policy and practice evolve to generate revenue for the education of children. This paper explores the ethical issues within three broad categories that are common in the origination of public school revenue: Taxpayer equity, sin money, and the use of children to generate revenue.

Hispanic Serving Institutions are designated by the United States Department of Education with the purpose of increasing the educational attainment of the Hispanic population. Designation is determined by the percent of the population of full-time undergraduate students at the institution of higher learning. While this federal policy has positively impacted the percent of Hispanic high school graduates enrolling in undergraduate programs at 2- and 4-year colleges across the country, the Hispanic population continues to complete the 4-year degree at the lowest rate of any ethnic minority in the U.S. This paper explores the changing demographics of the U.S., the impact of educational attainment on Hispanics, and the Hispanic Serving Institution designation. Amendments to the current policy and institutional action items are proposed for improving graduation rates for Hispanic students.