Browsing by Subject "Hierarchical Linear Modeling"

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Longitudinal Outcomes of CTE Participation: P-16+ Transitions in Texas and the Rio Grande Valley
(2016-12) Brown, Jessica A; Reyes, Pedro; Alexander, Celeste D.; Olivarez, Ruben D.; Saenz, Victor B.
The jobs of tomorrow are here today. They require enhanced skill sets and higher levels of education. Attainment has already fallen behind economic development, though. To fill these gaps, policymakers have turned towards practices which lead to better transitions between high school, higher education, and the workforce. This study looks at one such reform model. It examines longitudinal student outcomes associated with participation in Career and Technology Education (CTE), specifically Tech Prep programming. The study explores the benefits of participation in Tech Prep across P-16+ transitions in both Texas and the Rio Grande Valley (RGV)—an area known for its unique context and widespread implementation of CTE Tech Prep. Methods include propensity score matching of students to control for selection bias, and the multilevel modeling of logistic regression on a variety of outcomes associated with Tech Prep participation. The outcome variables investigated encompass five key areas: high school transitions, higher education enrollment, developmental remediation, postsecondary attainment, and workforce participation. Analysis suggests participation in Tech Prep during high school leads to gains across all P-16+ transition points. Tech Prep increases opportunities to transition to higher education after high school, providing stronger pathways to community college and greater access for traditionally disadvantaged students. When combined with academic rigor, Tech Prep participation works to improve enrollment and expands matriculation into four-year institutions. Importantly, Tech Prep interacts with a number of student traits, increasing the likelihood of postsecondary attainment. RGV area comparisons indicate significant regional variation, including greater odds of college readiness and postsecondary enrollment. Results are numerous and provide strong evidence for the efficacy of Tech Prep models in the RGV, Texas, and beyond. Findings inform upon the utility of Tech Prep programs as well as illustrate the possibilities of using longitudinal data to explore effects of educational models on student outcomes. Moreover, implications connect to the greater policy discussion. Knowledge gained from this study offers insight into the current legislative stalemate over federal Perkins reauthorization. Additionally, it provides useful guidelines for Texas as schools and districts work to develop CTE programs in response to recent changes in graduation plans under House Bill 5.
Physiological and psychological recovery from muscle disruption following resistance exercise : the impact of chronic stress and strain
(2009-08) Stults, Matthew Alan; Bartholomew, John B.
A large body of evidence supports the notion that chronic stress and strain may impact healing from physical trauma. However, no evidence exists to substantiate whether chronic stress impacts recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. In this study, a group of 31 undergraduate weight-training students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Undergraduate Stress Survey (USQ, a measure of life event stress) a series of fitness tests and then returned 5 to 10 days later for an exhaustive resistance exercise stimulus (E-RES) workout. This workout was performed on a leg press to the cadence of a metronome to ensure a strong eccentric component of exercise. Participants were monitored for 1 hour after this workout and every day for 4 days afterwards. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) multi-level growth curve analyses demonstrated that stress measures were related to recovery from maximal resistance exercise for both functional muscular (maximal isometric force, jump height, and cycling power) and psychological (perceived energy, perceived fatigue, and soreness) outcomes. Stress was not related to outcomes immediately post-workout (except maximal cycling power) after controlling for pre-workout values. Thus, the effect of stress on recovery is not likely due to magnitude of disruption from maximal exercise. After controlling for significant covariates, including fitness and percent disruption from baseline, individuals scoring a 10 on the PSS at their first visit reached baseline 288% (2.88 times) faster than individuals who scored a 19 at this same time point. There were significant moderating effects of stress on affective responses during exercise. Feeling (pleasure/displeasure), activation (arousal), muscular pain and RPE (exertion) trajectories were moderated by stress. Exploratory analyses found that stress moderated physical recovery, but not psychological recovery in the first hour after the E-RES workout. Also, stress was related to the increase in IL-1[beta], a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in the 48 hour period after exercise for a sub-set of participants. These findings likely have important theoretical and clinical implications for those undergoing vigorous physical activity. Those experiencing chronic loads of stress and mental strain should include more rest time to ensure proper recovery.