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Since their inception in 1997, Arizona policymakers have debated the merits of Arizona’s income tax credits for contributions to certified school tuition organizations (STOs), though the programs have grown year over year. This study aims to answer lingering questions about the beneficiaries of STO scholarships. First, using publicly available reports

Since their inception in 1997, Arizona policymakers have debated the merits of Arizona’s income tax credits for contributions to certified school tuition organizations (STOs), though the programs have grown year over year. This study aims to answer lingering questions about the beneficiaries of STO scholarships. First, using publicly available reports from the Arizona Department of Revenue, the Arizona Board of Education, and American Community Survey 5-year estimates, multiple regression analysis indicates a weakly negative relationship between scholarship dollars and family income but no statistically significant effect of public-school quality on scholarship dollars. Second, using data from a survey of parents whose students’ attend Arizona private schools, logistic regression suggests a weakly negative relationship between scholarship utilization and family income, with public school quality having no statistically significant effect on STO scholarship utilization. Moreover, multiple regression analysis again shows a weakly negative relationship between scholarship dollars and family income but no statistically significant relationship between public school quality and scholarship dollars. This paper concludes by offering policy suggestions to improve the accountability of these programs.
ContributorsBurruel, Fausto (Author) / Kuminoff, Nicolai (Thesis director) / Lennon, Tara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
This project was a look into how a child's education can be strengthened using not only gamification, but also with a more inclusive curriculum to better include and represent students of all backgrounds. Five games were created using Unity, a free game development software, and with regard to the following

This project was a look into how a child's education can be strengthened using not only gamification, but also with a more inclusive curriculum to better include and represent students of all backgrounds. Five games were created using Unity, a free game development software, and with regard to the following subjects, reading, math, music, science, and art. When applicable, the games taught about the cultures of Caribbean and African countries, for example, the art history of Jamaica. Testers played through all games and the number of questions missed as well as time spent on each subject were collected.
ContributorsKong, Brenda (Author) / Chavez Echeagaray, Maria Elena (Thesis director) / Flemmings, Tasha (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-12
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Description

Theories about the human origin in evolution and religion are fundamentally countering beliefs that are still debated to this day. This study continues to explore this relationship in the college population at a public university with the intention of targeting a diverse religious population. This research hopes to answer the

Theories about the human origin in evolution and religion are fundamentally countering beliefs that are still debated to this day. This study continues to explore this relationship in the college population at a public university with the intention of targeting a diverse religious population. This research hopes to answer the question: does having greater literacy in evolution lead to a noninterventionist perspective on evolution? The prediction is that evidence of increased evolution comprehension will influence students to have a more agnostic, or noninterventionist, view on evolution. An evolution class was given a survey that had two parts broken into demographic and evolution sections with one question that asks about compatibility between evolution and religion. This was given twice in a single semester to track the growth of evolution knowledge and any other differences. There were 265 students in the initial survey, but only 223 responses in the post-survey. The compatibility question had 8 statements that range from creationist to atheistic perspectives and was divided into two sides: interventionist (divine involvement) and noninterventionist (deity may be present but does not intervene). More than 70% of the class had a noninterventionist perspective on evolution despite the Christian categories being the second largest group students identified with after agnostic. The agnostic statement was the top choice followed by the atheistic answer on the noninterventionist side. Lastly, there was some growth of evolution knowledge for each religious category in the evolution section but is not significant for interpretation. Based on the collected data, it is not sufficient to answer the question and requires more data collection via a longitudinal study.

ContributorsLam, Monica (Author) / Kappes, Janelle (Thesis director) / Sterner, Beckett (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description

The education that a student receives in the United States is influenced by an array of factors. One of the main influential factors is the financial resources a school has access to. Additionally, identities such as race, class, and gender all substantially impact the level of education a student has

The education that a student receives in the United States is influenced by an array of factors. One of the main influential factors is the financial resources a school has access to. Additionally, identities such as race, class, and gender all substantially impact the level of education a student has access to. Often students in minority groups, such as Hispanic students, experience additional challenging educational experiences than others. This is due to the intersectionality of their identities impacting their education. Within the Hispanic population, the unique educational experiences of Hispanic females are often disregarded. This paper analyzes the implications of intersectionality on the education of Hispanic females in Arizona. In order to examine this, a qualitative research study involving interviews with Hispanic female college students was done. Interviews consisted of questioning the participants about their K-12 educational experiences in Arizona’s education system, the school factors impacting their education, the familial factors impacting their education, and their college experiences. Key findings show that the educational experiences of Hispanic female students in Arizona are impacted by (a) familial support, (b) the role of Hispanic values/traditional gender roles, (c) a lack of financial resources, (d) an underrepresentation of Hispanic culture, (e) and inadequate college readiness resources. The findings of the study show that the intersectionality of gender and race/ethnicity creates additional disadvantages for the education of Hispanic female students. Furthermore, the results emphasize the need to take intersectionality into account when examining the educational differences that exist in the education system.

ContributorsReyes, Valeria (Author) / Kappes, Janelle (Thesis director) / Bondy, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This paper investigates the influence of regulatory sentiment on investment-based crowdfunding across various global markets. Crowdfunding, a capital-raising method where individuals collectively invest in projects, businesses, or causes, has significantly evolved with the advent of digital platforms. The emergence of lending-based and investment-based crowdfunding has led to the development of

This paper investigates the influence of regulatory sentiment on investment-based crowdfunding across various global markets. Crowdfunding, a capital-raising method where individuals collectively invest in projects, businesses, or causes, has significantly evolved with the advent of digital platforms. The emergence of lending-based and investment-based crowdfunding has led to the development of diverse regulatory frameworks worldwide. This study focuses on the relationship between regulatory sentiment and two critical dimensions of crowdfunding markets: investment volume and platform count. By conducting a multivariate analysis using data from the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance and GDP statistics from the OECD, the paper examines whether investor sentiment about regulation impacts these two variables across seven developed markets. The research centers around three primary questions: the existence and nature of any statistically significant relationships between regulatory sentiment and investment volume/platform count; and which type of sentiment (adequate, excessive, or inadequate) has the strongest relationship with these variables. The analysis includes a detailed review of regulatory frameworks in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Malaysia. The findings reveal a statistically significant relationship between adequate and excessive regulatory sentiment and both investment volume and platform count, with adequate sentiment showing a positive impact and excessive sentiment demonstrating a negative effect. The results highlight the importance of balanced regulatory frameworks in fostering healthy crowdfunding ecosystems and provide insights into how investor perceptions of regulation can influence market dynamics. Future research could further explore these relationships, potentially using more objective measures of regulations and examining the bidirectional influence between market performance and regulatory sentiment.
ContributorsKonstantinov, Phillip (Author) / Lindsey, Laura (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
This project was designed to evaluate a nutrition educational tool designated to educate high school dancers about the importance of nutrition through collecting feedback from dancers during focus group discussions. The nutrition educational tool was created to be easy to read and understand, while still informing on important topics such

This project was designed to evaluate a nutrition educational tool designated to educate high school dancers about the importance of nutrition through collecting feedback from dancers during focus group discussions. The nutrition educational tool was created to be easy to read and understand, while still informing on important topics such as water intake, sleep, food groups, diets, and meal prepping. After giving a presentation of the tool to a group of high school dancers, eleven students from a high school dance team completed a survey answering questions about the tool and then participated in a group discussion that asked guided questions about their perceptions of the material presented and their suggestions for edits. Results showed that overall, the participants found this tool useful, but suggested improvements include missing information on the sleep requirement section, more suggestions for dietary restrictions, and additional details about foods and meal prepping. Overall, students found this tool useful for themselves, but results were mixed about if they would use this information in the future or share it with others. Nutrition is an important topic for high school athletes, especially dancers, and should be taught in order to keep dancers healthy.
ContributorsSandnas, Courtney (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis director) / Grant, Shauna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
This Narrative Inquiry Research project looks at the first-hand experiences and stories of educators, counselors, and administrators working in schools during and following the pandemic. This is done through video interviews pieced together to create one large documentary-style video. In addition to the creative component, there is also an essay

This Narrative Inquiry Research project looks at the first-hand experiences and stories of educators, counselors, and administrators working in schools during and following the pandemic. This is done through video interviews pieced together to create one large documentary-style video. In addition to the creative component, there is also an essay detailing the results of those answers, the research behind it, and what that research means for schools now.
ContributorsMorgan, Laurel (Author) / Oliver, Jill (Thesis director) / Ludlow, Carlyn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description

The Supply Chain of a company is the most critical component of a business as it directly impacts a company’s ability to deliver products/services to customers is a timely, cost effective method. With this amount of importance, a resilient supply chain is pivotal for positive future earnings in each successive

The Supply Chain of a company is the most critical component of a business as it directly impacts a company’s ability to deliver products/services to customers is a timely, cost effective method. With this amount of importance, a resilient supply chain is pivotal for positive future earnings in each successive quarter. Two pivotal metrics to gauge a Supply Chain include Production Delays and Excess Inventory. Through in-depth analysis, it was found that these metrics had caused abnormal amounts of price volatility with a stock’s performance. Understanding these metrics, the impact and lesson that COVID had taught, and analyzing earnings transcripts of publicly traded company’s demonstrates the use of Supply Chain health in comparison to company performance. This thesis aims to examine how a company's supply chain affects its performance, by analyzing different metrics and disruptions that have caused significant volatility in the stock market. The objective is to help investors maximize their profitability or reduce their risk by identifying the key factors that impact a company's supply chain.

ContributorsNatarajan, Tharun (Author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Licon, Lawrence (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

Located directly south of Pima County, Arizona, there is a culturally rich community known as Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Santa Cruz County is a smaller community being home to an estimated 47,000 people. Santa Cruz County has a rich history given its proximity to the United States-Mexico border. One example

Located directly south of Pima County, Arizona, there is a culturally rich community known as Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Santa Cruz County is a smaller community being home to an estimated 47,000 people. Santa Cruz County has a rich history given its proximity to the United States-Mexico border. One example of this rich history can be found at the Tumacacori National Historical Park (NHP) with the attractive and unique ruins. The Tumacacori NHP was once an active Spanish mission that oversaw the religious expansion and communal resources. While the Tumacacori NHP no longer operates in this manner, it does serve an important role in providing visitors with a diverse and immersive look into the history of the region and the Tumacacori mission. While the Tumacacori NHP is meant to be a place for all people to visit, most visitors are not from the local community. The reason for this stems from a lack of educational and engagement opportunities between the Tumacacori NHP and the community youth, mainly due to community members being unaware of the park’s existence or the programs that are offered. This project analyzes and uncovers this disconnect as well as the barriers between the Tumacacori NHP and the Santa Cruz County youth through a research study and the use of children’s literature.

Created2021-12
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Description
Despite cryptocurrencies exploding in popularity over the past decade, the US government has engaged very little with them and their underlying technology, blockchain. This discrepancy between widespread use and a lack of regulation has constructed a murky environment remarkably profitable to criminal actors and even some nation-states. In particular, the

Despite cryptocurrencies exploding in popularity over the past decade, the US government has engaged very little with them and their underlying technology, blockchain. This discrepancy between widespread use and a lack of regulation has constructed a murky environment remarkably profitable to criminal actors and even some nation-states. In particular, the blockchain's technical characteristics are being exploited to financially incentivize ransomware, theft, sanctions evasion, espionage and more. Through a critical examination of its history and applications, this thesis explores how blockchain technology undermines deterrence efforts and poses serious national security threats.
ContributorsGrossman, Daniel (Author) / Schmidle, Robert (Thesis director) / Whittaker, Scott (Committee member) / Anderson, Ian (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-12