Los Rios Community College District

Many organisms leave evidence of their former occurrence, such as scat, abandoned burrows, middens, ancient eDNA or fossils, which indicate areas from which a species has since disappeared. However, combining this evidence with contemporary occurrences within a single modeling framework remains challenging. Traditional binary species‐distribution modeling reduces occurrence to two temporally coarse states (present/absent), so thus cannot leverage the information inherent in temporal sequences of evidence of past occurrence. In contrast, ordinal modeling can use the natural time‐varying order of states (e.g. never occupied versus previously occupied versus currently occupied) to provide greater insights into range shifts. We demonstrate the power of ordinal modeling for identifying the major influences of biogeographic and climatic variables on current and past occupancy of the American pika Ochotona princeps, a climate‐sensitive mammal. Sampling over five years across the species' southernmost, warm‐edge range limit, we tested the effects of these variables at 570 habitat patches where occurrence was classified either as binary or ordinal. The two analyses produced different top models and predictors – ordinal modeling highlighted chronic cold as the most‐important predictor of occurrence, whereas binary modeling indicated primacy of average summer‐long temperatures. Colder wintertime temperatures were associated in ordinal models with higher likelihood of occurrence, which we hypothesize reflect longer retention of insulative and meltwater‐provisioning snowpacks. Our binary results mirrored those of other past pika investigations employing binary analysis, wherein warmer temperatures decrease likelihood of occurrence. Because both ordinal‐ and binary‐analysis top models included climatic and biogeographic factors, results constitute important considerations for climate‐adaptation planning. Cross‐time evidences of species occurrences remain underutilized for assessing responses to climate change. Compared to multi‐state occupancy modeling, which presumes all states occur in the same time period, ordinal models enable use of historical evidence of species' occurrence to identify factors driving species' distributions more finely across time.

Across the nation, community colleges have expanded dual enrollment programs to increase college enrollment and completion, particularly among historically underserved populations. The California Community College system—the largest system in the nation—is no different and recently expanded its dual enrollment programming to include College and Career Pathways Partnerships, in addition to Middle College High School and Early College High School. This article presents an original analysis of California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office system data to understand the dual enrollment student journey and any equity gaps that might exist in participation and outcomes, including college‐level math and/or English participation and completion, award attainment, and postsecondary matriculation. Though dual enrollment programs can be strategy to support equity, the authors find racial and regional equity gaps persist in both students’ access to these programs and their success. However, practitioners can take action to ensure it is an equitable journey at their school or college.

American Indian cultural traditions and practices are presented for their merit in promoting student learning within the K-12 educational system. Specific culturally imbedded practices are provided as examples by which student learning can be enhanced while honoring First Nation’s teaching and learning practices. Five developmental theorists noted in this concept paper speak to pedagogical practices that are in alignment with American Indian cultural orientations and that support their inherent value for application in the classroom. This chapter asserts that by valuing and promoting American Indian culture and practices in the K-12 curriculum, the United States would make greater strides in not only affecting the achievement gap but also taking steps toward equity and achieving social justice goals.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely employed to evaluate species–environment relationships. However, when extrapolated over broad spatial scales or through time, these models decline in their predictive ability due to variation in how species respond to their environment. Many models assume species–environment relationships remain constant over space and time, hindering their ability to accurately forecast distributions. Therefore, there is growing recognition that models could be improved by accounting for spatio-temporal nonstationarity – a phenomenon wherein the factors governing ecological processes change over space or time. Here, we investigated nonstationarity in American pika (Ochotona princeps) relationships with climatic variables in the Rocky Mountains (USA). We first compared broad-scale differences in pika–climate patterns for occupancy and population density across the Southern, Central, and Northern Rockies. Next, we investigated within-ecoregion variation across four mountain ranges nested within the Northern Rockies. Lastly, we tested whether species–climate relationships changed over time within the Central Rockies ecoregion. Across all analyses, we found varying levels of nonstationarity among the climate metrics for both occupancy and density. Although we found general congruence in temperature metrics, which consistently had negative coefficients, and moisture metrics (e.g., relative humidity), which had positive coefficients, nonstationarity was greatest for summer and winter precipitation over both space and time. These results suggest that interpretations from one ecoregion should not be applied to other regions universally – especially when using precipitation metrics. The within-ecoregion analysis found much greater variation in the strength-of-relationship coefficients among the four mountain ranges, relative to the inter-regional analysis, possibly attributable to smaller sample sizes per mountain range. Lastly, the importance of several variables shifted through time from significant to insignificant in the temporal analysis. Our results collectively reveal the overall complexity underlying species–environment relationships. With rapidly shifting conditions globally, this work adds to the growing body of literature highlighting how issues of spatio-temporal nonstationarity can limit the accuracy, transferability, and reliability of models and that interpretations will likely be most robust at local to regional scales. Diagnosing, describing, and incorporating nonstationarity of species–climate relationships into models over space and time could serve as a pivotal step in creating more informative models.

States embracing Islam-based laws are frequently seen as struggling with establishing democratic institutions, jeopardizing human rights and encouraging executive encroachment on the judiciary. This paper explores whether the presence of Islam-based legal language in a domestic legal system is associated with lower levels of electoral democracy, fewer protections for private liberties, women’s rights, and a weak judiciary. Relying on original data covering laws in 29 Islamic law states (2001–2012), we focus on Islam-based legal language in these states’ constitutional and subconstitutional domestic legal systems. By itself, Islam-based legal language is not associated with a weak judiciary or the absence of political liberties. However, subconstitutional—particularly legislative—commitments to Islam-based legal language are frequently associated with lower levels of democracy and fewer protections for private liberties and women’s rights.

La presente investigación se realizó en la “Finca Juanito”, coordenadas 1o19’46’’ LS y 80o35’3’’ LO, cantón Jipijapa, provincia de Manabí, Ecuador. El objetivo es determinar los índices tecnológicos, explotativos y calidad de trabajo del motocultor marca DONGFENG DF 151L con rotovator en la preparación de suelo para siembra de maíz. Para determinación de las condiciones del área de observación y evaluación tecnológico-explotativa del motocultor DONGFENG 151L con rotovator, se utilizaron las metodologías de las normas cubanas NC 3447:2003 y NC 3437:2003 respectivamente. Las propiedades físico - mecánicas y granulometría del suelo, mediante norma AASHTO T-88, se determinaron en laboratorios de INIAP y la UTM. Los resultados dieron certeza que el suelo es apropiado para el cultivo de maíz, de textura arcilloso - limoso; densidad aparente 1,28 g/cm3; humedad gravimétrica 13%; y resistencia a la penetración de 1,8 MPa, lo cual sugiere que la compactación no es restrictiva y presenta buenas condiciones para el cultivo de maíz; la obstrucción por residuos de cosecha anterior fue 0,21 kg/ha. Los índices de productividad por hora de tiempo limpio (W01); de tiempo operativo (W02); y de tiempo productivo (W04) registran valores similares de 0,04 ha/h, se consideran aceptables. Los coeficientes de explotación alcanzaron valores cercanos e iguales a 1,0, se debe a la alta fiabilidad y seguridad técnica del motocultor. La evaluación tecnológica explotativa del motocultor DONGFENG 151L con rotovator cumple con la exigencia agrotécnica, para el cultivo de maíz. El ancho; profundidad; y velocidad de trabajo, registraron valores de 0,69 m ± 0,01 m; 14,6 cm ± 1,3 cm; y 1,28 km/h ± 0,06 km/h respectivamente. Las fracciones de terrones alcanzaron valores de < 2,38 mm - 9,5 mm, adecuados para el cultivo de maíz. Mediante precipitaciones pluviales, el suelo adquirió humedad apropiada, se utilizó la herramienta manual espeque, para siembra directa de la semilla de maíz.

This article introduces the Peaceful Resolution of Territorial Disputes (PRTD) dataset, covering all interstate territorial disputes (1945–2015). Our dataset captures proposals for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes made by states involved in territorial claims at the disputant-year level. These proposals provide a concrete measure of changing state preferences toward negotiations, non-binding, and binding third-party dispute resolution methods over time. In contrast to existing attempt-level data, the monadic panel design of the dataset captures not only actual attempts at peaceful resolution – the result of an agreement between disputants – but also proposals for methods that did not occur but were preferred at a particular time point. Our dataset allows for robust and generalizable quantitative analyses of the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes that are sensitive to temporal, regional, claim-based, and state-level trends. To demonstrate the utility of our dataset, we use hybrid logistic regression to examine the determinants of binding PRTD proposals. Over-time changes in characteristics such as regime type and treaty commitments influence attitudes toward binding settlement methods differently than disputant-level measurements. We also show that time has a distinctively non-linear effect.

The impact that project complexity, student prior academic achievement, and quality of instructional materials might have on student academic achievement was studied during a required device physics course, in which technology computer-aided design (TCAD) tools were introduced to first-year graduate students. Preliminary analysis of student performance and project complexity showed that students who attempted the most complex projects had the lowest student academic achievement, despite there being no significant differences in prior academic achievement as measured by grades in the first exam in the course. Further analysis of student achievement data from other electrical engineering courses taught in a similar open laboratory format, for which enhanced instructional materials were developed, suggest that when well-developed learning resources are easily accessible to students, project complexity has no negative impact on student academic achievement and can sometimes enhance student academic performance. Cognitive load theory was used to explain why well-developed instructional tools, such as enhanced tutorials, can help students better learn or work with complex material.

The present study examined the relationship between negative emotions, body dissatisfaction, exercise, and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among obese college students. It also examined whether there were gender differences in these variables. A total of 88 males and 102 females, who reported a BMI score above 30, completed a survey. Females reported higher levels of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and more frequent dieting than males and as predicted, males reported higher levels of exercise behaviors. Body dissatisfaction, anger discomfort, and self dissatisfaction all correlated with drive for thinness for both genders. Anger discomfort was the only variable to predict disordered eating for both genders. The results support numerous studies that have found that females are at greater risk of disordered eating than males, and also suggest that anger management may be an important component in treatment of disordered eating among obese young adults.

The present study examines the symptom levels of eating disorders among Filipino and Caucasian college students residing in Hawaii. The study also examines what variables are associated with disordered eating. A self-report questionnaire that included measures of anger discomfort, self-dissatisfaction, body dissatisfaction, and symptoms of eating disorders was administered to Filipino and Caucasian college students. As predicted, females reported higher eating disorder symptom scores than males. However, Filipino males reported higher levels of disordered eating, dieting, and body dissatisfaction than Caucasian males. No association was found between disordered eating and anger discomfort among Filipinos. The results support previous findings of females reporting higher disordered eating attitudes than males, however, Filipino males reported higher disordered attitudes than Caucasian males. Anger discomfort was not associated with disordered eating among Filipinos, supporting past studies that suggest anger management may not be an appropriate treatment for disordered eating among some Asian groups.

This is the fourth in a series of reports that provide a comprehensive look at the external environment impacting Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD), California. It summarizes the social, economic, and political changes at the state and national levels in general, and in the Sacramento-Yolo Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area served by the LRCCD. The report also projects total enrollment into the next millennium at the district level and for each of the LRCCD colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College. The report contains these sections: (1) "Demographic TrendsGeneral Population, Special Population Groups, School-Age Population and High School Graduates"; (2) "Economic TrendsEmployment by Industry/Occupation, Sector Growth, Indicators of Poverty"; (3) "Education Performance TrendsEducation Attainment and K-12 Performance, Including Standardized Tests, Dropout Rates, UC/CSU Eligibility"; (4) "Political Trends Impacting the District"; (5) "Projected Enrollment Trends for the District"; and (6) "Summary ObservationsExternal Scan 2002." The population of the area is projected to continue to grow by 17.5% to 1.90 million by 2010 and to 2.04 million by 2015. The communities form which the bulk of this growth is likely are identified. It is also likely that the district will see growing numbers of students who speak a language other than English at home. Data are also provided about the occupations that will increase to the greatest degree in the projected future. (Contains 60 charts.) (SLD)

This testimony describes existing efforts to promote community college student transfer from the Los Rios Community College District to the University of California (UC), Davis. Since the mid-1980's, UC Davis has participated in collaborative efforts with California community colleges to implement the following transfer-related services: (1) articulation through a Web-based Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer (ASSIST) program; (2) transfer centers; (3) the Transfer Opportunity Program; (4) transfer admission agreements (TAAS); (5) Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA)/California Community College Program (CCCP) for non-traditional students; (6) the Early Academic Outreach Program; and (7) counselor institutes. UC Davis proposes several more initiatives to continue promoting transfer: (1) faculty-to-faculty-articulation dialogues; (2) transfer student recruitment, Web-page campaign and degree navigator; (3) Early Academic Outreach Program/Transfer Opportunity Program Adviser; (4) UC Davis/UCOP-Fresno virtual advising collaboration; (5) expansion of the transfer opportunity program to the Santa Clara County region; and (6) expansion of the transfer admission agreement program. Appended are a memorandum on enhancing student transfer, a description of ASSIST software, the Transfer Opportunity Program mission statement, and the UC Davis Transfer Admissions Agreement. (AS)

The first in a series of annual reports designed to provide new ideas for faculty at California's Los Rios Community College District, this document reviews innovative instructional techniques and presents an overview of classroom-based assessment and cooperative-collaborative learning. Following a brief introduction, the report describes (K. Patricia) Cross and Angelo's (Thomas A.) Classroom-based Assessment Model, which asserts that classroom assessment should be learner-centered, teacher-directed, mutually beneficial for students and teachers, formative rather than summative, context-specific, and ongoing. This section also reviews Cross and Angelo's Classroom Assessment Techniques, including background knowledge probes, minute papers, asking students to identify a lecture's main principle, and punctuated lectures, in which teachers pause to allow students to reflect on class material. Next, the paper outlines principles of cooperative and collaborative learning and suggests that goals include increasing student achievement, creating positive relationships among students, and promoting healthy psychological adjustment. This section also describes differences between cooperative and collaborative learning and provides sample cooperative-learning approaches, such as partnered learning, peer tutoring, and having groups of students become "experts" on selected course material. Finally, the paper provides a summary of recent developments in cooperative and collaborative learning and classroom-based assessment. (BCY)

This article discusses the steps taken at an urban community college in California to focus the college on a decision‐making process driven by student success. The author describes an institution‐wide activity, including many faculty, staff, and students working together to identify a series of indicators of student success. College leaders formed several “task teams” designed to measure and improve the success of students. The indicators of success included student goal attainment, course retention, success in subsequent course work, fall‐to‐fall persistence, degree / certificate completion, and placement rate in the work force. The college also worked to measure and improve the transfer rate, employer assessment of students, success after transfer, academic value added, student satisfaction, student professional growth, and student involvement. Also included in this article is a blueprint for effecting change within the institution. The steps in that process include providing a catalyst for change, causing bottom‐up change, developing a common definition of student success, communicating continually, and including large numbers of people. Early results of progress are important. Problems are to be expected, and the focus on student success must be maintained. Building a culture for student success is not significantly different from other institutional change processes. Utilizing this process to move toward greater accountability aided this college in the improvement of instruction and greater institutional effectiveness.

In 1995, the three colleges in California's Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) surveyed 6,151 former students from 1993-94 to gather information on student outcomes and characteristics. This report presents Volume II of the survey results, providing four brief analyses of the responses presented in Volume I. The first report provides a profile of former students and their satisfaction with LRCCD, focusing on the relationships between student characteristics and choice of an occupational or general education program, program completion, dropout behavior, and levels of satisfaction with their educational experience at the District. The second report presents a profile of former LRCCD students who continued their education after leaving a District college, outlining the demographic characteristics of those who chose to continue their education and summarizing their opinions regarding the preparation they received at their college. The third report presents a demographic portrait of former students who were employed, summarizing their opinions regarding the usefulness of their education in performing their jobs and their salaries and wages. The final report examines differences in responses by non-returning students and by degree and certificate earners, summarizes the demography of the survey population, and compares respondent characteristics to the entire 1993-94 former student population. (HAA)

The influence of microstructure on the propagation behavior of short surface cracks is examined in a simulated HAZ microstructure in C Mn steel. The detection of crack initiation and crack growth measurement is carried out by the replication of hourglass specimens under torsional and push-pull loading. The length of ferrite at the prior austenite grain boundaries is characterized as the effective microstructural parameter. Propagation rate is affected by the microstructure; it decreases when the crack approaches the grain boundary and increases again when it crosses the grain boundary. The short crack growth models proposed by other researchers are critically examined and a modified model based on micromechanics is presented to incorporate the effect of microstructure on the rate of crack growth. The crack growth behavior predicted by the model matches closely with the experimental results.

A study was performed at the Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD), in California, to measure changes in enrollment and educational access due to a 67% increase in statewide community college fees and a $40-per-unit "differential fee" for students already holding a bachelor's degree or higher (BA+). The study was divided into four parts: a survey of 4,009 fall 1992 BA+ students asking them about the potential effects of the new fees on their educational plans, an analysis of these students' course-taking patterns and demographics, an analysis of the entire LRCCD student population before and after the changes, and an analysis of students who continued and those who did not in the years before and after the fees. Results of the study, based on responses from 37% of the BA+ students (n=1,475), included the following: (1) almost 60% of the BA+ students were attending for job-related reasons, while 26% were enrolled for personal development; (2) more than half (55%) were employed full-time, while 19% were employed part-time; (3) 65% said that their employers provided no financial assistance toward their educational expenses; (4) only 12% believed that they would be eligible for one of the fee exemption categories; (5) BA+ student enrollment dropped by 47.3% between spring 1992 and spring 1993, compared to a decrease of 7.9% for the district overall; (6) an analysis of fall-to-spring enrollment for the first year after the new fees revealed that the number of new/returning students declined by 14.6% from pre-fee years; and (7) the largest decreases were for older, part-time, working adult students. Data for similar surveys performed by other colleges in the district, comments by individual respondents, and the survey instrument are included. (MAB)

With no statewide student tracking system in place for California''s tripartite postsecondary education system, three of the state''s leading institutions joined in a study of the effectiveness of student transfer—the bridge between community college and university-level education. Transfer success was measured by student preparation, persistence, and performance both before and after transfer. The study examined whether the need for remediation before transfer affected students'' progress and degree attainment. The findings run counter to the traditional notion that few remedial students persevere and transfer. A comparison of graduation rates with other community college transfers and with native university students indicated these transfers performed better.

The Los Rios Community College (LRCC) District conducted student follow-up surveys annually from 1984 through 1987 and biennially since then. These surveys are designed to determine the educational goals of the students, current employment and/or educational status, and whether LRCC's offerings had met their individual needs. Each survey population included all graduates and certificate earners plus a cohort of nongraduates selected on the basis of Vocational Education Data System guidelines. The spring 1991 survey was mailed to 5,744 former students, and responses were returned by 2,541. Respondents included 1,087 students whose goal was primarily to earn university transfer credit, 649 occupational preparation students, 324 occupational retraining students, and 481 personal interest students. Study findings included the following: (1) almost 69% of the students who enrolled to earn transfer credit had transferred to a university by the time of the survey, and almost 68% of this group were employed; (2) among the respondents who had enrolled to prepare for a new job, more than 84% were employed, and 76% of the employed respondents who provided employment data were working in jobs related to their community college training; (3) of the group who had enrolled to improve existing job skills, more than 53% had earned an associate degree or certificate; and (4) among the respondents who had enrolled for personal interest reasons, more than 15% had re-enrolled in a community college, 16% had transferred to a four-year college, and 66% earned an associate degree or certificate. This collection of materials includes a narrative summary of the 1991 survey results, graphs showing 6-year trends (1984-1991), a discussion of the uses made of the data, and a newsletter reviewing follow-up findings between 1984 and 1991. (JSP)