United States diplomatic and military relations with the Republic of China in the era of the Vietnam War, 1961--1969 (Taiwan)

Pellegrin, Charles John Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

In the 1950s, the Republic of China (ROC) on the island of Taiwan was a Cold War ally of the United States. Led by President Chiang Kai-shek and his ruling Kuomintang Party, the ROC received military, financial, and humanitarian assistance from the U.S., and enjoyed support in the White House, from the Departments of State and Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Democratic and Republican Parties. President Chiang even employed public relations firms and political pressure groups to help generate public support and to sway American policymakers to favor his cause. By the end of the 1970s, however, the ROC had lost its seat in the United Nations and no longer maintained formal diplomatic relations with the United States. Why would the United States abandon a long-standing World War II ally, recipient of American aid, and fellow anti-communist?. The 1960s proved to be a pivotal decade in the diplomatic and military relationship between the United States and the ROC. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, both Democrats, publicly promised support for Chiang and the Chinese Nationalists on Taiwan. Chiang hoped to secure continued military aid and diplomatic support by relying upon allies in the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, and in the U.S. Congress, and even occasionally making threats to take actions detrimental to American policy. Throughout the 1960s, the U.S.-ROC relationship was tested by events in the United Nations, the Taiwan Strait, and Southeast Asia. By the end of the decade, the ROC had lost millions in American aid and the United States had publicly started to consider normalizing relations with the People's Republic of China. This dissertation will show that U.S.-ROC relations in the 1960s deteriorated due to a combination of factors. The Vietnam War was one of several factors that helped bring an end to formal American relations with the Republic of China. The Vietnam War caused a conflict of interest, whereby American containment of communism in Southeast Asia clashed with ROC plans to maintain its international legitimacy and to restore its rule over all China. Additionally, bureaucratic changes within the State Department, the demise and ineffectiveness of the China Lobby, and the changing make-up of the United Nations resulting from decolonization also contributed to the decline of U.S.-ROC relations.

A study of Mississippi community and junior college dual enrollment collaboration practices with secondary schools and parents of home-schooled students

Kellum, LaNell Bagwell Mississippi State University 2009 해외공개박사

This study provides data from an existing review of secondary data and a survey of dual enrollment managers on the topic of Mississippi community and junior colleges' dual enrollment collaborations with secondary schools and parents of home-schooled students. Dual enrollment, also known as dual credit, concurrent enrollment, and credit based transition, refers to the participation in college-level courses and the earning of college credits by high school students. Dual enrollment has been described as providing benefits such as increasing access to postsecondary education, increasing the rigor of the high school curriculum, savings in time and expenses toward earning a college degree, promoting more efficient use of states' educational resources, and enhancing students' admission to college and subsequent retention and success in college. The Mississippi Education Reform Act (2006) offered secondary schools and community and junior colleges more autonomy to establish exemplary dual enrollment programs through forged local collaborations. The collaborations may serve to increase high school retention and completion and postsecondary enrollment, retention, and completion. The primary intention of this mixed methods research is descriptive. Through the extant review of the literature the researcher examined the availability and the content of state dual enrollment policies and what experts in the field consider to be necessary inclusions. The researcher divided the study into two parts. Part I of the research involved a secondary analysis of existing State Board for Community and Junior College (SBCJC) Primary Enrollment data for Academic Years 2006, 2007, and 2008, to describe the extent of dual enrollment participation in Mississippi's 15 CJCs. Part II involved survey research to ascertain the extent of Mississippi community and junior colleges' dual enrollment collaboration practices with high schools and parents of home-schooled students that bridged the gap between secondary and postsecondary education, and dual enrollment managers' perceptions regarding Mississippi CJC's dual enrollment collaboration goals, benefits, and targets. There was no need for a random sample because the entire population was the focus of the survey. The population was the dual enrollment managers of Mississippi's 15 community and junior colleges identified by each college's Chief Academic Officer. Key Words: dual enrollment, dual credit, collaboration, community and junior college, secondary school, home-school.

Comparing Mississippi's oak and Malaysia rubberwood in Far Eastern markets trade

Hsu, Mike Li Kuang Mississippi State University 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

A comparison of Mississippi's oak and Malaysia rubberwood was made to determine trends within the industry over a ten-year period of business activity. The characteristics, price and consumption figures of the two species were compared and analyzed from the data obtained. The results indicate that Mississippi's oak lumber industry has a competitive advantage to Malaysia rubberwood in Far Eastern Asian markets trade. The Mississippi oak lumber industry is well poised to increase its role in Far Eastern Markets. This comparative advantage offers an opportunity for the Mississippi oak lumber industry to increase market share in selective Asian countries. Action steps are outlined to take advantage of this opportunity.

Revision of the Melanoplus scudderi (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) species group and a preliminary investigation into the grasshopper fauna of the grasslands of the southeastern United States

Hill, JoVonn Grady Mississippi State University 2015 해외박사(DDOD)

The Melanoplus scudderi species group, when erected by Blatchley, contained six species. The revision of the group presented here describes 21 new species and establishes the Melanoplus carnegiei group, all of which are associated with grasslands in the Southeast. Analysis of DNA barcoding data, suggest that the technique does not adequately delineate species based on the morphological concepts presented here, but did produce three broad mitochondrial DNA clades that correspond to the Apalachicola and Mississippi River discontinuity phylogeographic pattern displayed by several other organisms in the Southeastern United States. This pattern is attributed to vicariant events resulting from Pleistocene glaciation. A hypothetical evolutionary history of the Scudderi and Carnegiei groups is presented. Natural grasslands historically covered a significant portion of the southeastern United States. These grasslands contribute significantly to the biodiversity of the region with many endemic or rare species inhabiting them. Grasshoppers are important components of temperate grassland ecosystems, but no comprehensive review of the grasshopper fauna of southeastern grasslands had previously been conducted. Here a review of the regional fauna was conducted. In total, 211 grasshopper species have been documented in the Southeast, with 111 species (53%) being endemic to natural grasslands. Of particular note, 74 species (34% of the regional fauna) are endemic to the longleaf pine ecosystem. Many of the non-endemic grasshopper species inhabiting grasslands in the region are disjunct from larger populations west of the Mississippi River, presenting interesting biogeographic distributions. Additionally, a cluster analysis of grasshopper community composition from several types of grasslands in the region supports the faunal distinctiveness of the different types grasslands in the region.

An investigation of the Success for All reading program in three Mississippi schools

Weaver, Liesa McAlexander Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

Many school districts have purchased and implemented sometimes costly research-based reading programs that claim to increase the reading achievement of all students. This has been done in an effort to meet the requirements of the 1998 Mississippi Reading Initiative. The Success for All (SFA) reading program is one of the programs approved by the Mississippi Department of Education that can be purchased with Title I funds and utilized in public schools in hopes of improving student achievement in reading. As educators are faced with limited funds, it is critical that monies spent are having a positive impact on our students' reading achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the SFA reading program may have served as a factor (had an impact) in increasing student reading achievement and if the program is worth the high cost when compared to student reading achievement as measured by the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT). The study was conducted in three elementary schools in Mississippi. Qualitative and quantitative research methods used in this study included document reviews, field observations, surveys, interviews, and second through fourth grade students' 2001--2004 MCT reading scores. The findings revealed mixed results. There was a slight gain in reading growth in most grades at each school. Parents and students were more positive than the teachers about the Success for All reading program. Teachers preferred more flexibility and the opportunity to utilize their creativity rather than follow the rigid schedule of the Success for All program.

The impact of preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3) program and the frequency of teachers' use of technology for classroom instruction among five southwest Mississippi rural school districts

Smith, Sarah Sterdivant Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

One important issue or problem in education today is the gap between the levels of teacher technology skills and the level of skills needed for teachers to be able to use technology for classroom instruction. This study examined the impact of the PT3 program technology training on the frequency of technology use by PT3 participant teachers in the classroom. The study included five rural school districts in Southwest Mississippi. The PT3 program was located and implemented through Alcorn State University (ASU) in Lorman, Mississippi. The PT3 program was conducted from 2000 to 2003. The data collected from the program was used to determine if the PT3 technology training increased the frequency of participating K--12 teachers and ASU pre-service teachers to use technology for classroom instruction. The use of the data was approved by ASU College of Education's PT3 Director. Two surveys and oral interviews were conducted, tabulated and summarized each year by the evaluator, which I served as for all three years. The results and findings of the study showed a significant increase in the comfort level and frequency level of technology usage by teachers and pre-service teachers each year after they completed the ASU PT3 technology training. Tables and data analyses of the collected survey information served as documentation of these findings.

Invasion potential and overwintering biology of the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the United States

Formby, John Mississippi State University ProQuest Dissertation 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

Several native species of Lauraceae (e.g. sassafras) in the southeastern United States are being eradicated by laurel wilt disease. Laurel wilt is caused by a highly invasive and cryptic ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, and its fungal symbiont. The symbiont pathogen is spread during colonization of native Lauraceae. Xyleborus glabratus and the pathogen are remarkably effective at colonizing and killing healthy populations of Lauraceae in a brief time period. Control methods have been unable to slow the spread of laurel wilt disease and X. glabratus populations have been spreading into northern latitudes. Presently, cold temperatures may be the only factor limiting establishment of the beetle in interior populations of sassafras. Empirically derived physiological data from this study were combined with climatic, microhabitat, and host data to model the invasive potential/hazard rate of X. glabratus and laurel wilt in sassafras forests of the United States. Sharing this model data will help land managers, forest health specialists, urban foresters, and landowners make informed proactive management decisions regarding laurel wilt disease.

Students' Algebra I Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) scores as a predictor of placement in postsecondary mathematics

Barnett, Charles Lamar, Jr Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

Several states, including Mississippi, have increased the number of Carnegie units required for graduation and taken other measures to strengthen the high school academic program in an effort to produce better-prepared students. The State of Mississippi has spent a minimum of $14.5 million dollars from 2000 through 2004 on the Subject Area Testing Program (Mississippi Department of Education, 2004). The state's assessment program development consists of a 10-year contract with the last fiscal year being 2009. All of Mississippi's 15 community and junior colleges use the mathematics ACT score as part or all of the criteria for postsecondary mathematics placement, hence, the purpose of this study was two-fold. An ex post facto research design permitted the examination of the following: (1) To determine if there was a significant difference in postsecondary mathematics placement of students who would be eligible for high school graduation since they passed the Algebra I SATP (300+) on their first attempt. (2) To determine if there was a significant relationship between the Algebra I SATP score that will soon be a criterion for high school graduation (300+) and the mathematics ACT score, and to examine how well the Algebra I SATP score, gender and socioeconomic status predict the ACT score, and hence, placement in postsecondary mathematics. The results of this study indicated that approximately 70% of the students who passed the Algebra I SATP (300+) in high school were ultimately targeted for postsecondary remedial mathematics placement. While there was no significant difference in postsecondary mathematics placement in this population related to gender, there was a significant difference in postsecondary mathematics placement in this population related to socioeconomic status (SES). The combination of the Algebra I SATP score, socioeconomic status and gender was found to be a marked predictor for the mathematics ACT score, accounting for 45% of the variance. Similar studies should be conducted on revised versions of the Algebra I SATP. Factors such as aptitude, race, advanced mathematics classes beyond high school Algebra and other variables should be considered as predictors of the mathematics ACT.

An investigation into the status of student and staff safety in Mississippi public schools

Chikeka, Corine V Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The researcher investigated the status of student and staff safety in Mississippi's 149 public school districts in 5 congressional districts. The information reviewed was for the 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000 school years. Three instructional levels were investigated, elementary school, middle school and high school, to determine the types of violence and alcohol offenses that were taking place on public school campuses. The literature review reflects literature related to school violence and safety and a historical review of school violence, state, national, and international efforts for safe schools. Data were obtained from the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Safe and Orderly Schools using 10 indicators of need. The researcher found that across districts high school students were expelled from school for possession, sale, or use of tobacco; alcohol, and other drugs more often than elementary or middle school students. Assaults of students against students were highest among middle school students with an emerging high rate among elementary students. Additionally, the middle school students represented 40% of the reported crimes against faculty and staff. Referral to alternative placement education programs was similar across congressional districts and instructional levels. The researcher recommends the development of a tool which focuses on the specific type of violence and the specific drugs used by school students. Additionally, a study to provide data for a research-based violence prevention program needs to be conducted. One research practice recommendation is to educate legislators as to the value of alternative education and the need for increased funding for it.

The relationship between academic achievement and incidents of student violence in Mississippi's public middle schools

Nichols, Shirley Hall Mississippi State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The central focus of this research is on academic achievement and incidents of student violence. The research investigated the relationship between academic achievement and incidents of school violence in Mississippi's public middle schools. Academic achievement is defined as scores on the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT). Incidents of school violence were defined as fighting, weapons, disorderly conduct, alcohol, tobacco & drugs and sexual harassment. Data were collected from ninety-four middle schools with grade configurations of 5th thru 8th and 6th thru 8th. This sample of middle schools represented approximately 61,050 students. Descriptive statistics and Pearson r were the statistical procedures used in this study. Findings indicate that there is a relationship between academic achievement and incidents of student violence in nineteen of Mississippi's ninety-four middle schools.