Analysis of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) Sustainability Status in Bantaeng District

Cocoa cultivation business that still has great potential in the future. The problem faced by farmers in cocoa cultivation is that farmers are still lacking in implementing post-harvest management that can provide added value and competitiveness of cocoa quality in the market. This study aimed to 1) analyze the status of cocoa sustainability in Gantarangkeke sub-regency, Bantaeng Regency; 2) analysing the sensitive leverage to the sustainability of cocoa in the Gantarangkeke sub-district. Based on the results of the analysis of the social and cultural dimension index value of 55.19 percent and infrastructure and technology of 51.66 with the category of quite sustainable. While the ecological dimension is 46.68 percent, economy 36.69 percent and legal and institutional 27.45 percent with the category of less sustainable. The results of the analysis of leverage factor, there are fourteen sensitive attributes that affect the sustainability of cocoa in Gantarangkeke sub-district, Bantaeng district. Improvement of attributes, especially sensitive attributes, can improve the cocoa sustainability index.

How school districts influence student achievement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of nine district characteristics on student achievement, explored the conditions that mediated the effects of such characteristics and contributed to understandings about the role school-level leaders play in district efforts to improve achievement. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were provided by the responses of 2,324 school and district leaders in 45 school districts to two surveys. Student achievement evidence was provided by multi-grade provincial measures of math and language achievement. The analysis of these data included calculation of descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and regression mediation analysis. Findings Seven of nine district characteristics contributed significantly to student achievement and three conditions served as especially powerful mediators of such district effects. The same three conditions, as well as others, acted as significant mediators of school-level leader effects on achievement, as well. Practical implications District characteristics tested in the study provide a powerful framework for guiding the district improvement work of senior educational leaders. The organizational improvement efforts of both district and school leaders would be substantially enhanced by a better understanding of how to diagnose and improve the status of those conditions acting as significant mediators of the effects of both district and school leadership on student achievement. Originality/value This is one of a very few large-scale quantitative studies examining the extent to which characteristics frequently identified by district effectiveness research explain variation in student learning. It is also one of the very few studies identifying classroom, school and family variables that mediate district effects on such learning. The study also adds to a growing body of evidence about variables which mediate school leaders’ effects on such learning.

Designing in Context: Reaching Beyond Usability in Learning Analytics Dashboard Design

Researchers and developers of learning analytics (LA) systems are increasingly adopting human-centred design (HCD) approaches, with growing need to understand how to apply design practice in different educational settings. In this paper, we present a design narrative of our experience developing dashboards to support middle school mathematics teachers’ pedagogical practices, in a multi-university, multi-school district, improvement science initiative in the United States. Through documentation of our design experience, we offer ways to adapt common HCD methods — contextual design and design tensions — when developing visual analytics systems for educators. We also illuminate how adopting these design methods within the context of improvement science and research–practice partnerships fundamentally influences the design choices we make and the focal questions we undertake. The results of this design process flow naturally from the appropriation and repurposing of tools by district partners and directly inform improvement goals.

Leadership: What leaders can (and cannot) learn from scientists

School and district improvement efforts often take a rushed approach to their work. Joshua Starr suggests that leaders would do well to learn from the more systematic, deliberate approach of scientists. But whatever approach to change leaders pursue, they must also learn to communicate their plans clearly.

“Smart City”

The chapter proposes the correction of the concept of “smart city.” It is substantiated that the specificity of the redistribution of the population and economic resources to the major cities of Russia, mainly to regional centers, requires the modification of the concept of “smart city.” In accordance with this concept, a number of principles are proposed, among which the most important are the principles: integration, metabolism, architectural quality of the urban environment. The most important functional goals are defined: the creation of a new production structure, formation of a modern transport and logistics infrastructure, modernization of the road-street network, development and modernization of the rolling stock of urban transport, development and modernization of communal infrastructure, provision of safe and comfortable living conditions for citizens, improvement of the ecological condition of the urban district, improvement of the state of objects of cultural heritage and improvement of the urban district. Three levels are singled out, each of which requires solutions.

Dr. Jon Saphier Interview: Decades of Success in Educational Leadership

<p>Dr. Jon Saphier<strong> </strong>is an international leader in education. His legend remains as he continues to expand on his Boston University’s ethnographic dissertation (1980), which later became the best selling textbook, <em>The Skillful Teacher </em>(2008). Dr. Saphier has sustained his leadership position internationally by continuously advocating for best teaching practices worldwide. This paper contains an interview with Jon Saphier and analysis of his leadership practices. Dr. Saphier discusses his core values of leadership, his successful approach to change initiatives, leadership failures, and critical elements of effective leadership. Dr. Saphier continues to be a driving force in educational initiatives worldwide. His humble, yet strong, approach is the foundation of his leadership sustainability. Dr. Saphier continues to mold his legacy as an educational leader by publishing, consulting, researching, developing models of district improvement, creating alliances, keynote speaking, and inspiring future educators. Jon Saphier continues to be a driving force in effective international educational practices. </p>

A Third Way: The Politics of School District Takeover and Turnaround in Lawrence, Massachusetts

Purpose: School district superintendents say politics is the number one factor limiting their performance, yet research provides limited guidance on navigating the political dynamics of district improvement. State takeovers and district-wide turnaround efforts tend to involve particularly heated and polarized debates. Massachusetts’ 2012 takeover of the Lawrence Public Schools provides a rare case of state takeover and district turnaround that both resulted in substantial early academic improvements and generated limited controversy. Method: To describe the stakeholder response and learn why the reforms were not more contentious, I analyzed press coverage of the Lawrence schools from 2007 to 2015, public documents, and two secondary sources of survey data on parent and educator perceptions of the schools. I also interviewed turnaround and stakeholder group leaders at the state and district level regarding the first 3 years of reform. Findings: I find that the local Lawrence context and broader statewide accountability system help explain the stakeholder response. Furthermore, several features of the turnaround leaders’ approach improved the response and reflected a “third way” orientation to transcending polarizing political disagreement between educational reformers and traditionalists. Examples include leaders’ focus on differentiating district–school relations, diversifying school management, making strategic staffing decisions, boosting both academics and enrichment, and producing early results while minimizing disruption. Implications: The findings provide guidance for state-level leaders on developing accountability systems and selecting contexts that are ripe for reform. The results also provide lessons for district- and school-level leaders seeking to implement politically viable improvement of persistently low-performing educational systems.

Pink Is for Girls

Leaders must know how to use evidence to inform district decisions, particularly as decisions related to learning become standard practice, and provide professional development that builds the organizational capacity needed to support continuous and sustainable district improvement. Collaboration and implementation of a shared vision and mission facilitates the change process. In this case, the curriculum director, Mr. Cooper has developed a plan for curriculum changes in which boys and girls would be separated by classroom, and participate in distinct curriculums based on the premise that innate differences between boys and girls should drive educational models and instructional strategies designed to address the needs and strengths of each sex. This case examines the importance of fostering collaboration, passion for achievement, commitment, and trust.