The Texas experiment on the border: Analysis of student access and success of Borderland top 10% students at borderland and top tier public universities

Rodriguez, Cristobal The University of Texas at Austin 2009 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This study analyzed trends in access and success of students admitted through the Top 10% admissions policy. The study employs an comparative analysis between public universities from the Borderland region and the two top-tier public universities in Texas. This Texas admissions policy provides students in the top 10% of their graduating high school class admission to any state 4-year public university. Therefore, this policy implies that being a top 10% student equates to being college ready for any public university in Texas, regardless of selectivity or top tier status. Research on the Texas Top 10% policy has focused on its success in improving diversity and student performance at the two top-tier public universities in Texas, The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. However, enrollment disparity continues at these elite institutions between Whites, Latina/os and Blacks. Additionally, the Texas Borderland region is an intersection of large Latina/o demographics; distance from top-tier institutions; and great disparities in economic development, health, and education. Combining the aforementioned conditions, we know little about the access and success of Borderland top 10% students, particularly in comparing the two public top tier universities in Texas to the alternative choice of their local Borderland university. This study used mixed methods to compare the trends in access and success of Borderland students admitted under the Top 10% admissions policy at Borderland universities and at top-tier public universities, and additionally controlled for student characteristics in explaining student persistence and graduation. The quantitative analysis used student-level descriptive and inferential statistics with data facilitated by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The qualitative section of this dissertation used focus-group interviews with 36 students at 5 Borderland universities and 1 top-tier university to explain their success. This study applies Bourdieu's theoretical framework of social and cultural capitals and habitus to interpret the findings. Results indicated student differentiation between institutions in access, success, and explanations. Ethnicity, gender, family income, and college generation status influence differences in enrollment between institutions, in which all together influenced differences in graduation and persistence. On the other hand, the interviews revealed that personal effort and institutional resources also explained differences in student success. This study provides implications for further research and policy considerations.

"In the middle of an orange grove, across the street from the tortilla factory": The Science Academy of South Texas

Canter, Anna Rudolph The University of Texas at Austin 2004 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The Science Academy of South Texas, one of four magnet schools in The South Texas Independent School District (STISD), opened in 1989 to bring educational opportunities in mathematics and science to students in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. STISD serves three counties and offers enrollment to any student who applies from any of the twenty-eight feeder districts. The Science Academy is the only mathematics and science magnet school in the Rio Grande Valley. Over years, Science Academy has developed partnerships with major colleges and universities in Houston, Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. University partnerships have provided funding for programs at the school and have created continuing summer study programs for Science Academy students. Graduates have been accepted to and/or attended some of the most prestigious colleges and universities across the United States, despite personal challenges including low socioeconomic status, English as their second language, and being the first in their family to attend college. This historical study seeks to answer two basic questions. How has the Science Academy faced its academic, political, and social challenges over the years? What factors appear to have contributed to its establishment, survival, and success?. Chapter One, "Significance of the Study and Research Methods" describes the study's significance within the scholarly literature and the research methods used for this study. Chapter Two, "The Science Academy of South Texas" presents the history of STISD and the events which precipitated Science Academy's establishment. Chapter Three, "The Administration, Faculty and Staff of Science Academy," discusses administration and faculty of the Science Academy. Its focus is Science Academy teachers and their educational beliefs as well as the administrators and staff and their beliefs. Chapter Four, "Curriculum Continuity and Change at the Science Academy," focuses on the curriculum history of Science Academy and the changes faculty members and administrators have made over time. Chapter Five, "The Students of the Science Academy of South Texas," focuses on the students at the Science Academy, who administrators and teachers describe as "the whole reason we are here." Chapter Six offers concluding thoughts and ideas for future research.

The professional self-esteem of teacher educators in Texas

Tinsley, Ron Texas A&M University - Commerce 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

<italic>Purpose of the study.</italic> The purpose of this study was to gain insights into the professional image teacher educators have of themselves as well as the professional esteem they perceive from their academic colleagues in other departments. The literature suggested that teacher educators were held in low esteem since entering academe through the evolution from teacher institutes to schools, colleges, and departments of education. The literature further suggested that levels of esteem might be affected by the size, type, and accreditations of an institution. The study investigated the relationships among these independent variables and the measured levels of professional self-esteem of teacher educators in Texas. <italic>Procedure.</italic> The study surveyed the beliefs of teacher educators in Texas using an instrument developed by Richard J. Reynolds of Ohio State University in 1992. A total of 549 teacher educators from Texas' 68 college and university teacher preparation programs were identified and sent survey materials. A data set consisting of the responses from 239 returned survey instruments was statistically analyzed to determine any significant differences between levels of professional self-esteem and various factors, including Carnegie Classification of institution and NCATE accreditation status. <italic>Results.</italic> A significant difference was found between how teacher educators in Texas regard themselves professionally and how they feel they are perceived professionally by their academic colleagues in other departments. However, few significant differences were identified in professional self-esteem among teacher educators from different Carnegie Classifications of institutions or between teacher educators from NCATE accredited and non-NCATE accredited institutions. <italic>Conclusions.</italic> Teacher educators in Texas perceived that they were looked down upon as professionals in academe by their colleagues in other departments. The size and output of a teacher educator's institution does not have a significant effect on professional self-esteem. Holding NCATE accreditation appears to have a slightly negative effect on the professional self-esteem of teacher educators within an institution. Further study regarding these matters is called for.

The rise of the Republicans: Party realignment in twentieth century Texas

Antle, Michael L University of North Texas 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This dissertation is a study of the political transformation of Texas during the twentieth century from a predominantly Democratic to a two-party state. It is commonly asserted that the fundamental conservatism of Texas voters led them to abandon the national Democratic Party as it embraced more liberal reforms. This shift led to a rise in support in Texas for the Republican Party, which continued to advocate a more conservative agenda. But this change demands a more thorough explanation at the local level, in part because such a study can also reveal other factors at work. This dissertation first examines how prohibition impacted the state’s political status quo and provided an opportunity for the Republican Party to increase its numbers. It then discusses the New Deal and the growth of Texas’s oil industry, and how government regulation shaped political developments. The impact of urbanization and suburbanization on Republican growth are also addressed, along with numerous campaigns that reflected the changes occurring in Texas’s electorate during this time. Although Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1952 and 1956 wins in Texas were a strong indication of the realignment among Texas voters, it was John G. Tower’s election to the United States Senate that served as the first catalyst for the Republicans’ dream of a two-party state. Following the election of Tower, the Republicans faced setbacks from the landslide victory of Lyndon B. Johnson after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, followed by the Watergate scandal, but they managed to rebound effectively. Thus, in addition to addressing the question of what spurred the rise of the Republican Party in Texas during the first half of the twentieth century, this dissertation provides more nuanced answers to the question of how Texas became a two-party state by 1988, which of course paved the way for a Republican triumph just ten years later.

The effectiveness of post-tenure review practices in Texas graduate institutions as perceived by academic deans

Kratz, Abby Robinson Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the effectiveness of practices related to post-tenure review that are implemented in Texas graduate universities and to determine the level of satisfaction with post-tenure review in their universities currently experienced by Texas academic deans. The focus was on two approaches to professional development: providing a follow-up professional development program for negative post-tenure reviews and making funds available for remediation of problems identified in post-tenure reviews so that faculty may obtain training or coaching to improve performance or gain new skills. Data were collected and analyzed using an interactive online survey instrument. The target population consisted of academic deans in 48 Texas graduate universities. Data were gathered from 135 deans. A combination of descriptive and causal-comparative research designs was employed for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for frequencies, and cross-tabulation. Parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests and chi-square analyses were used to determine statistically significant differences, and a Cochran test was employed to investigate relative preferences. The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of this investigation. The universities were more likely to provide professional development programs than funding, but most Texas universities provided neither professional development programs nor funds to assist faculty. There were statistically significant differences in the perception by the deans that post-tenure review was successful when professional development programs were available than when such programs were not provided. There were also significant differences in the perception of success when institutional funding for post-tenure review follow-up was, or was not, made available, but there were no significant differences when the relationship with college or school level funding was evaluated. The availability of funds for post-tenure review follow-up did not result in observable improvement in teaching or research when professional development programs were available. A statistically significant relationship was found between improvement in service and the availability of institutional funding, but the number of institutions with any funding at all was very small (n = 57). No comparable statistically significant relationship was found between service improvement and availability of college or school funds to support remediation. The deans believe funds should be used to assist faculty in their efforts to improve performance after negative post-tenure review, and the differences in their preferences for the use of funds were found to be statistically significant. The deans preferred to use funds for teaching more than research and for research more than service improvement.

Ecological and sociological considerations of using the TTVAR (trap, test, vaccinate, alter, return) method to control free-ranging domestic cat, Felis catus, populations

Ash, Sara Jane Texas A&M University 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

To evaluate the assumptions made by trap, test, vaccinate, alter, return (TTVAR) proponents, I investigated the intraspecific spatial ecology of TTVAR-managed cats living on Texas A&M University property and on private property in College Station, Texas. Additionally, I surveyed Texas A&M University employees regarding cats that lived on university property and employees' preferred cat population control methods. Comparisons of home range size, distance between individuals, coefficients of association, and distance between cats and feeding stations were made between groups of TTVAR-managed cats that had a history of low food predictability and groups of TTVAR-managed cats that had a history of high food predictability. Cats that were fed predictably prior to the initiation of the TTVAR program differed (P < 0.05) from those that foraged from numerous unpredictable patches in home range size, distance among individuals in spatial groups, and distance from feeding station. However, no difference (P = 0.1231) in coefficients of association was found. The results of this study demonstrated that cats with different historical levels of food predictability are not comparable with regards to spatial behavior. Claims about territorial defense, based on studies of cat colonies that foraged from rich predictable food sources, do not apply to all populations of stray or feral cats. Slightly more respondents (54.6%) preferred TTVAR as opposed to removal (42.2%) as a control strategy for cats on campus. Few respondents (3.1%) preferred no control. The preference of control method by Texas A&M University employees varied (P < 0.050) given location of cat population, perception of nuisance, sex of respondent, and expectation of the impact of each control method. The results confirmed that generalizations about the opinions of the public regarding cat control were unfounded.

Higher education performance-based funding: Benefits and burdens for four-year universities in the state of Texas

Ellis, Robin Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

How to finance higher education remains controversial among policy makers across the United States and Texas is not exempt from the controversy. In 2011, House Bill 9 (H.B. 9) was enacted in Texas to dedicate a portion of state funding to public colleges and universities that meet specific performance-based standards. Although H.B. 9 has been passed and signed into law, it still has not been determined how funding will be distributed or how effective it will be. The study compared expenditures of the 37 public four-year colleges and universities in Texas to anticipated funding amounts based on performance-based indicators established in H.B. 9. The study was descriptive in nature and involved three phases with the third phase culminating in an article for publication. The first phase examined the major aspects and driving forces to performance based funding as it changes the paradigm of how colleges and universities receive public funding. Phase one produced an article published in British Journal of Education, Society, & Behavioral Science (Ellis & Bowden, 2014). The second phase analyzed data from several states with similar performance-based funding standards to help bring to light to the possible effects H.B. 9 will have on Texas' public. Phase two produced a second published article in the Journal of Educational Issues (Ellis & Bowden, 2015). Phase three examined benefits and burdens among public four-year institutions based on funding for performance-based indicators established in H.B. 9. Results showed if general academic, operations and teaching, and space (GAOTS) allocations are made through 2030, institutions benefit through performance-based funding ($4.5 billion support). If they have to rely on bonus dollars only, they will be burdened to reallocate funding from their current budgets on each campus to subsidize ($2 billion) the state's strategic plan to achieve 60x30TX graduation goals. There were several recommendations for future research. First, all institutions stand to gain or lose. However, overall, the regional system institutions stand to gain and lose the most, whereas flagship institutions stand to gain and lose the least. Second, institutions need to be intentional about developing strategies that significantly improve student success, uncovering barriers and enablers to degree and credential attainment, as well as to understanding factors that enable student success. Third, institutions need to rethink student success strategies especially with regard to nontraditional and economically disadvantaged students that make up the majority of the student population at public comprehensive colleges and universities in Texas.

Effects of the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course on 4-H youth and the perceived impact on equine production knowledge, career awareness and professional development

Capeheart, Megan Lenay Texas A&M University 2015 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Texas 4-H youth were selected and participated in the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course. Twenty-four equine ambassador participants attended the 2015 Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course held at Lone Oak Ranch and Retreat. The equine ambassador participants served as the census population for the evaluation study. The five-day short course was an intense introduction to equine science principles delivered by university professors and staff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension faculty and industry representatives. The purpose of the short course was to create advanced educational resources for a selected group of 4-H youth on advanced nutrition and feedings, importance of being an agricultural advocate, team building, hay selection and analysis, communication, agricultural issues, problem solving, hoof and shoeing, health of the horse, equine marketing, equine sales and an overview of agricultural career development. A group consisting of fifty-two Texas 4-H State Horse Show participants, comparable in age, education and experiences to that of the equine ambassador participants were selected to show equivalency to the study. The theoretical framework of this study surrounded the work of the experiential learning models. The equine ambassador participants experienced The National 4-H Experiential Learning Model during the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course. The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition was utilized to analyze the results of the level of equine expertise evaluated through the self-assessment instrument. The model describes how a learner transitions from a novice-to-expert within a learning environment. A pretest and posttest equine content knowledge exam evaluated the equine ambassador participants perceived impact of the program regarding their equine production knowledge gained following the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course. A pretest and posttest self-assessment instrument evaluated the equine ambassador participant's level of equine expertise, perceived career awareness and professional development following the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course. The participants perceived the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course to increase their understanding of equine production knowledge, equine expertise, career awareness and professional development. The results of the study indicated that the Texas 4-H equine ambassador participants demonstrated a change in their equine production knowledge, equine expertise, career awareness and professional development following the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador Short Course. The results of the study also indicated the need for continued support for advanced educational opportunities to develop youth 4-H members in the state of Texas. Future research should include replicating this study with a larger sample size, using technology following the program treatment to monitor animal advocacy, investigating the parents of equine ambassador perceptions of the program compared to that of the participants and lastly, to replicate in an alternate state.

Investigation of variations and impacts of tropical cyclone precipitation in Texas (1950-2009)

Zhu, Laiyin Texas A&M University 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This dissertation examines the causes of variations in tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) and the relationship between TCP and river discharge in Texas. The dissertation has three major objectives: 1) investigate the spatial and temporal variations of TCP in Texas from 1950 to 2009, 2) construct seasonal statistical forecast models for TCP and identify the primary factors controlling TCP in Texas, and 3) examine how TCP contributes to the extreme precipitation and river discharge in watersheds surrounding the city of Houston. An automated extraction method is developed to identify TCP from 60 years of precipitation data from Cooperative Observing Network gauges. Texas receives an average of 123.5 mm of TCP/year, which is ~13% of the state's mean annual precipitation. September is the month with the most TCP, and it receives an average of 18.5 mm. Long-term trends (>50 years) in TCP are evident at some locations, but there are no statistically significant long-term trends in aggregated annual TCP metrics. Despite the lack of long-term trends, TCP metrics show some spectral power at periodicities of ~2--3 years, ~5--8 years, and >10 years. Areas within 400 km of the coast have higher risk of extreme daily TCP (>100 mm), but inland Texas can also occasionally experience extreme TCP. In some areas in southeastern Texas the probability of receiving >100 mm of daily TCP in any given year is ~0.30 (i.e., daily TCP exceeds 100 mm, on average, 1 out every 3 years). The best seasonal forecast models of TCP can explain >20% variance based on three or fewer predictors. ENSO is the most important control of TCP in Texas. La Nina, the major driver in all TCP models, reduces the vertical wind shear in the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic and therefore generates more precipitating storms in Texas. Maximum Potential Velocity (MPV) in the Gulf of Mexico and vorticity in the Atlantic Hurricane Development Region (MDR) are also important predictors of TCP and they can increase the R2 by ~0.2. The negative relationship between MPV and vorticity with the TCP are due to the fact that TCs with weaker wind speed and slower translation speed tend to contribute much more to both extreme and total TCP. Sea level pressure in the Gulf of Mexico, SST in the Caribbean and North Atlantic Oscillation are also identified as useful predictors in some of the models. TCP is associated with many of the annual maximum discharge events in watersheds near Houston. Urbanization can significantly increase river discharge generated by TCP. Both the annual maximum discharge and 90 percentile discharge have increased significantly in many watersheds in Houston. Although no long-term trend can be observed in the TCP and TCP-related extreme discharge, there may be an increased risk of floods from TCP because of the statistically significant increases in annual maximum discharge that have been observed. There are also increased uncertainties in flood risk because extreme precipitation, including TCP, is projected to become more variable in the future.

Institutional challenges and leadership competencies in Chinese Ministry of Education directed universities in implementing the 1999 Chinese "Action Scheme for Invigorating Education Towards the 21st Century"

Yang, Xiaobo Texas A&M University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This study used the naturalistic inquiry method to explore the perceptions of the selected administrators from Chinese Ministry of Education Directed universities regarding what kind of institutional challenges their institutions confront and how their institutions function in the present, how their own roles have been affected by the changing situations they face in their own contexts, and consequently, what are the competencies that universities leaders will need in their universities in the near future. Special emphases are placed on the differences that exist in the challenges facing Chinese MOE directed universities located in differently geographical, cultural and economical contexts, and the differences among the perceptions of current university leaders, aspiring leaders, and retired university leaders regarding institutional challenges and leadership competencies. In this study, eight kinds of challenges have been identified by selected Chinese university administrators. There are no substantial differences in perceptions of these eight kinds of challenges, for all these MOE-directed universities live in a similar policy environment; they are governed, funded and evaluated by the Ministry of Education. However, due to their personal background such as different ages, historical background and working experiences, they showed some differences in their perceptions more individually than as a group. According to the respondents' reflections, the location of a university powerfully influences the university, positively or negatively. Being located in developed areas usually has a positive influence on a university. On the contrary, being located in undeveloped areas has a negative impact on a university. There are four categories of leadership competencies identified by the respondents: personality and disposition, personal knowledge and skill, administrative competency, and social responsibility competency. It is not surprising that administrators from these universities did not show substantial differences in their perceptions of leadership competency because members of all the groups live in a similar policy environment. However, due to their personal background, they actually showed some differences in their perceptions as individuals rather than as a group. The researcher found that university administrator training is absolutely necessary. However, the current training programs do not meet the demands, more needs to be done to improve the training programs through renewing training content and methods.