Allotting Inequity: Evaluating North Carolina’s Classroom Teacher Funding

While many state-level finance equity studies examine the effectiveness of state funding mechanisms overall, fewer examine specific components that make up these mechanisms. This research uses state-level longitudinal administrative data to examine levels of horizontal and vertical equity in the distribution of teacher salary dollars via the position allotment element of the North Carolina state funding mechanism. Using OLS regression with districts and year fixed effects, we find inequities in the allocation of teacher salary dollars related to concentrations of racial and language minority groups at the district level. Specifically, we find inequities linked to African-American and English-learning students. We hypothesize that these inequities are linked to the use of prior-year district salaries to calculate current-year allocations, resulting in a cycle of inequity that builds over time

Inductive learning spatial attention

This paper investigates the automatic induction of spatial attention from the visual observation of objects manipulated on a table top. In this work, space is represented in terms of a novel observer-object relative reference system, named Local Cardinal System, defined upon the local neighbourhood of objects on the table. We present results of applying the proposed methodology on five distinct scenarios involving the construction of spatial patterns of coloured blocks

A REVIEW OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA, 2010- 2016, APPLYING THE VALUES IN TENSION FRAMEWORK.

Within special education, funding is traditionally input-based, providing equitable resourcesto meet perceived student needs. However, as state and federal governments place an increasingemphasis on academic outcomes, I examine how special education funding has responded. Applyingthe values in tension model, I address a fundamental problem in school finance research ofproviding equity, efficiency, adequacy, and liberty. I analyzed funding for students with disabilitiesand the relationship to student outcomes. The findings reflect issues in determining suggestedfunding needs for students with disabilities based on each value and how cost differentials impactthose differences.Due to the complexity of education funding, specifically special education funding, the studyis focused at the state level in North Carolina. Equity is examined by applying Berne & Stiefel's(1984) conceptual framework for determining horizontal and vertical equity. Using a modifiedquadriform (D. M. Anderson, 1996; Hickrod et al., 1989; Hickrod & Genge, 1994), I analyzed therelative efficiency of districts. Finally, with the ability to account for cost differentials coming fromvariations in resource prices, geographic constraints, and student needs (Duncombe & Yinger,2008), I used a cost function approach to describe the relationship between student outcomes andfunding for special education.The findings suggest that funding for students with disabilities in North Carolina isinequitable and unrelated to student outcomes. Further, while there was variance in the relativeefficiency of funding across districts, the causes of the differences were not determinable. Theinequity of inputs means that funding is not responding to student needs, therefore providing apossible reason why funding does not relate to student outcomes and why efficiency did not relateto alterable district characteristics. Reflecting the values in tension framework, North Carolina doesnot emphasize equity, adequacy, or efficiency. However, with corporate tax cuts (Fain, 2021),underfunding of public education (Baker et al., 2021), and an emphasis on school choice (Report to theNorth Carolina General Assembly: 2020 Annual Charter Schools Report, 2021; The Facts about SchoolVouchers, 2021) all together suggest an emphasis on providing individual liberty.Doctor of Philosoph

Gurlitt: Status Report

Review of Gurlitt: Status Report, Reviewed May 2018 by Chris Needham, [email protected]

Carbon sedimentation in shallow floodplain lakes

Shallow lakes are increasingly recognized as important sites for organic carbon (OC) storage. However, the drivers of OC deposition in shallow floodplain lakes remain unclear due to complex terrestrial and aquatic interactions. Using 8 yr of monthly sediment trap data in a cross‐ecosystem experiment on six UK shallow lakes of varying riverine connectivity, we investigated the role of allochthonous (fluvial materials) vs. autochthonous (phytoplankton production) deposits as the OC supply to lake sediments. Organic carbon sedimentation rates in river‐connected (1.3 ± 1.2 g C m−2 d−1, mean ± SD) and isolated lakes (0.5 ± 0.4 g C m−2 d−1) surpassed those previously published for temperate zone eutrophic lakes. Generalized linear mixed‐effect models identified water column chlorophyll a as the best predictor of OC sedimentation for most lakes, suggesting that autochthonous phytoplankton production was the dominant driver of OC sedimentation, albeit stimulated by riverine nutrient supply. Carbon (C) transfer to the sediments was modulated by flow; during major floods, phytoplankton was likely flushed out of lakes, reducing OC sedimentation. Inorganic carbon sedimentation intermittently contributes substantially to carbon deposition in spring, summer, and winter. This study evidenced that shallow floodplain lakes are important sites for C deposition, with maximum C transfer to the sediments during the growing season. Future increases in hydrological variability could negatively impact the capacity of shallow floodplain lakes to retain and sequester carbon

Use Your Words: Designing One-time Pairing Codes to Improve User Experience

The Internet of Things is connecting an ever-increasing number of devices. These devices often require access to personal information, but their meagre user interfaces usually do not permit traditional modes of authentication. On such devices, one-time pairing codes are often used instead. This pairing process can involve transcribing randomly generated alphanumeric codes, which can be frustrating, slow and error-prone. In this paper, we present an improved pairing method that uses sets of English words instead of random strings. The word method, although longer in terms of character length, allows users to pair devices more quickly, whilst still maintaining the complexity necessary for secure interactions

Provisional practice recommendation for the management of myopathy in VCP-associated multisystem proteinopathy.

Valosin-containing protein (VCP)-associated multisystem proteinopathy (MSP) is a rare genetic disorder with abnormalities in the autophagy pathway leading to various combinations of myopathy, bone diseases, and neurodegeneration. Ninety percent of patients with VCP-associated MSP have myopathy, but there is no consensus-based guideline. The goal of this working group was to develop a best practice set of provisional recommendations for VCP myopathy which can be easily implemented across the globe. As an initiative by Cure VCP Disease Inc., a patient advocacy organization, an online survey was initially conducted to identify the practice gaps in VCP myopathy. All prior published literature on VCP myopathy was reviewed to better understand the different aspects of management of VCP myopathy, and several working group sessions were conducted involving international experts to develop this provisional recommendation. VCP myopathy has a heterogeneous clinical phenotype and should be considered in patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy phenotype, or any myopathy with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Genetic testing is the only definitive way to diagnose VCP myopathy, and single-variant testing in the case of a known familial VCP variant, or multi-gene panel sequencing in undifferentiated cases can be considered. Muscle biopsy is important in cases of diagnostic uncertainty or lack of a definitive pathogenic genetic variant since rimmed vacuoles (present in ~40% cases) are considered a hallmark of VCP myopathy. Electrodiagnostic studies and magnetic resonance imaging can also help rule out disease mimics. Standardized management of VCP myopathy will optimize patient care and help future research initiatives