Publication Type: Roundtable
Abstract: Michael Fullan’s “three stories of school reform” and leadership theories are applied to a regional district/university/community partnership dedicated to creating systemic change, internal capacity, and internal accountability for student performance.

Publication Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract: In our rapidly urbanizing society, city children have few chances to "bond with nature". The UFO Program addresses urban families' lack of opportunities and experiences outdoors by providing skills, resources and mentor families to help them try outdoor activities.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Abstract

Surveys were sent to 308 police chiefs and sheriffs in Indiana. Two-hundred twenty nine were returned for a response rate of 74%. The device measured six areas of policing: 1) demographics of police executives; 2) departmental characteristics; 3) stressors (external); 4) stressors (internal/work-related); 5) police executive attitudes toward the current use of police resources; and 6) police executive perceptions of the efficacy of current police strategies and tactics. Results showed that Indiana police departments and sheriff’s offices are mostly small departments with little turnover and are rarely accredited by CALEA. Civilian Review Boards and Early Warning Systems are rarely used to address police misconduct. Indiana departments are overwhelmingly white and male and attempts to increase diversity have failed. Police executive stressors were highest in the area of perceiving courts as too lenient, the Criminal Justice system as ineffective and media reports about police as overly hostile. Similarly, they indicate significant sources of stress in the areas of financial resources for the department, poor equipment, and dealing with complaints about their officers. Chiefs and sheriffs indicate strong support for the use of police resources for tracking sex offenders and enforcing drug laws. Problem areas were identified in that police executives are not familiar with research on policing. These misunderstandings result in stress on the part of police managers. Areas of misunderstanding include the effectiveness of random patrol and enforcing anti-marijuana laws. Policy implications are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Since Bollens (1957) first identified special districts as a “dark continent” in political science, the number of non-school special districts in the United States has grown substantially. During the past 50 years, however, political science objections to the fragmentation of metropolitan government have remained largely theoretical.
This study examines one form of non-school special districts-- park districts-- and evaluates their efficiency and effectiveness. The study evaluates park district services compared to similar services provided by consolidated general-purpose municipal governments.
Two competing hypotheses are identified. The first states that parks and recreation departments provide higher levels of efficiency in delivering services than park districts. The second states that park districts provide higher service levels than municipal parks and recreation departments.
Midwestern states were selected for the study because they have the largest number of non-school special districts in the United States and comparable numbers of parks and recreation departments within municipalities and county governments.
Service levels, autonomy, demographic, and administrator profile data for park districts and parks and recreation departments were collected by surveying an equal number of randomly selected park district administrators and randomly selected parks and recreation department administrators in Midwestern states.
Data was analyzed using comparative means testing, bivariate and multivariate linear regression to test the relationships between service levels, and efficiency levels, as identified in the literature. In addition, these quantitative techniques were used to test competing hypotheses identified in other studies, suggesting that staffing and professional training levels are explanations for service and budgetary levels.
The aggregate results of this study show that structure of government is not an important determinant of total recreation program levels. The study also demonstrates that structure of government is not an important determinant of levels of efficiency.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A large literature has developed around the study of creation of hate crime laws (Grattet, Jenness, & Curry, 1998; Haider-Markel, 1998; Jenness & Grattet, 1996; and Soule and Earl, 2001). This paper adds to that literature by comparing the attempts in three border states – Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana – to pass and implement hate-crime legislation. By studying these states we will examine the argument that the creation and modification of hate crime laws are tied to three principal variables (Becker 1999, McGarrell and Castelano, 1991, 1993): (1) social movement organizations and activists campaigning for these laws and (2) triggering events that lead to calls for hate crime laws and (3) media campaigns. Using these three states as a comprehensive case study, this research underscores the varying influence of social movements and triggering events. The debates involved in creating hate crime laws are far more complex than a simple reflexive position – and the majority of the literature – would identify. We conclude with an analysis of the factors that influence the success in passing such legislation.