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Title: The influence of public access on raccoon predation on sea turtle nests in Boca Raton, Florida.
Creator: VanDam, Andrea., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: In the Eastern United States, the Florida coastline provides 85% of all nesting sites for the green (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. Palm Beach County beaches experience some of the highest nesting frequencies, but recreational use of the beaches has increased threats like raccoon predation. The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (GLNC) in Boca Raton (founded in 1984) keeps records of nests and predators to the nests. I analyzed 4554...
Show moreIn the Eastern United States, the Florida coastline provides 85% of all nesting sites for the green (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. Palm Beach County beaches experience some of the highest nesting frequencies, but recreational use of the beaches has increased threats like raccoon predation. The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (GLNC) in Boca Raton (founded in 1984) keeps records of nests and predators to the nests. I analyzed 4554 GLNC nest records from 2002-2007 to examine whether raccoon predation of turtle nests was most prevalent in areas of high human impact. I found that raccoon predation occurred at significantly higher rates in areas with public access to the beach than in areas without such access (high access: 50.8%, low access: 14.4%, overall: 36.4%). This suggests the necessity of increased protection of nests in areas of high access for the preservation of nesting populations.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77697
Subject Headings: Predation (Biology), Sea turtles, Mortality, Wildlife conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Fishes of the Abacoa Greenway.
Creator: Snow, Tiffany., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The Abacoa Greenway is a manmade artificial water system constructed in the late 1990s, and home to an array of aquatic flora and fauna. There has been no previous survey of the species residing in this area; therefore this will be a foundation for future samplings to compare to. The goal of this study was to compile a species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater systems of the Abacoa Greenway Ranges IV and V, as well as a classification of exotic and native species inhabiting the area. A...
Show moreThe Abacoa Greenway is a manmade artificial water system constructed in the late 1990s, and home to an array of aquatic flora and fauna. There has been no previous survey of the species residing in this area; therefore this will be a foundation for future samplings to compare to. The goal of this study was to compile a species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater systems of the Abacoa Greenway Ranges IV and V, as well as a classification of exotic and native species inhabiting the area. A total of 11 species have been collected and identified between March 2007 and May 2008. Of these three species have been classified as exotic or introduced and the other eight as native species naturally existing in Florida.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77693
Subject Headings: Greenways, Fishes, Identification, Population biology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Property tax levy limits: reducing horizontal inequities in Florida's tax system.
Creator: Schnee, Julie Mae., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: In 1992, the State of Florida passed a constitutional amendment to cap the increase in the annual assessment of homestead properties. The amendment, known as Save Our Homes, has created a horizontal equity problem as neighboring homeowners may be paying substantially different amounts of property taxes on similar properties. In light of the recent property tax reform attempts, it is appropriate to analyze the effect of a change in Florida's homestead exemption and Save Our Homes provision in...
Show moreIn 1992, the State of Florida passed a constitutional amendment to cap the increase in the annual assessment of homestead properties. The amendment, known as Save Our Homes, has created a horizontal equity problem as neighboring homeowners may be paying substantially different amounts of property taxes on similar properties. In light of the recent property tax reform attempts, it is appropriate to analyze the effect of a change in Florida's homestead exemption and Save Our Homes provision in order to eliminate the inequity problem. In this paper I will show that by replacing the homestead exemption and Save Our Homes Cap with a property tax levy limit and adjusting the millage accordingly there exists the potential to alleviate the horizontal inequities associated with Florida's property tax system.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77689
Subject Headings: Homestead exemptions, Real property tax, Taxation of personal property, Tax and expenditure limitations
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Occurrence and demographics of upper respiratory tract disease in the Abacoa Greenway gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus).
Creator: Mendoza, Tatiana Alexandra., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is a highly contagious illness, caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma agassazii. URTD has affected the gopher tortoise population in the Abacoa Greenway, and is believed to have a high mortality rate. In this study, 18 samples of tortoise blood were collected from this location. Fifteen of the 18 samples were collected from previously tested individuals. Comparisons between the previously tested tortoises were made. According to this study there is no...
Show moreUpper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is a highly contagious illness, caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma agassazii. URTD has affected the gopher tortoise population in the Abacoa Greenway, and is believed to have a high mortality rate. In this study, 18 samples of tortoise blood were collected from this location. Fifteen of the 18 samples were collected from previously tested individuals. Comparisons between the previously tested tortoises were made. According to this study there is no documented mortality rate with URTD in Abacoa. Results show that four tortoises have continued to test positive for the antibodies for several years, suggesting a chronic state of the disease. Four other tortoises have gone from positive results to negative results indicating that their immune systems' production of antibodies has tapered off, suggesting the ability to recover from the disease.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77679
Subject Headings: Greenways, Gopher tortoise, Diseases, Mycoplasm diseases in animals, Wildlife management, Wildlife conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An illustrated guide to the Abacoa Greenway.
Creator: McKee, Kelley., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The Abacoa community enjoys the unique social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits of a 267-acre greenway system. The Abacoa greenway provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise and other endemic wildlife, and a system for water management. I am collaborating with Dr. Jon Moore to develop an educational field guide to the Abacoa greenway. For my part, I am developing the body text and contributing scientific illustrations of select flora and fauna species. The content of...
Show moreThe Abacoa community enjoys the unique social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits of a 267-acre greenway system. The Abacoa greenway provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise and other endemic wildlife, and a system for water management. I am collaborating with Dr. Jon Moore to develop an educational field guide to the Abacoa greenway. For my part, I am developing the body text and contributing scientific illustrations of select flora and fauna species. The content of the guide will be drawn from the compilation of research and materials herein. My research essay explores the various aspects of the greenway, including the history of the site, the social and environmental significance of the greenway, gopher tortoise conservation, the ecology of pine flatwoods and wet lands ecosystems, and ongoing greenway management. The subsequent section provides tables listing greenway species. In the final section, select species are featured in a series of captioned illustrations.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77677, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT77677
Subject Headings: Greenways, Description and travel, Greenways, Environmental aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Status of the imperiled Gull-billed Tern in Florida.
Creator: Lucas, Stephanie N., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The Gull-billed Tern is a globally distributed species. Distribution in the United States is limited, however, with the majority of breeding birds being found in Texas. The remainder can be found scattered throughout the southeastern states. Florida has a mere 1.6% of the breeding birds in the U.S. This study has accumulated all breeding records of the Gull-billed Tern in Florida since 1973, and distribution trends were analyzed. Since 1973 the population of these birds has fluctuated widely...
Show moreThe Gull-billed Tern is a globally distributed species. Distribution in the United States is limited, however, with the majority of breeding birds being found in Texas. The remainder can be found scattered throughout the southeastern states. Florida has a mere 1.6% of the breeding birds in the U.S. This study has accumulated all breeding records of the Gull-billed Tern in Florida since 1973, and distribution trends were analyzed. Since 1973 the population of these birds has fluctuated widely and experienced an alarming decline of about "95% between 1975 and 1999" (Smith, in press.). I determined that the current status of this bird in Florida mandates that further conservation efforts occur rapidly in order to protect its diminishing population. This study examines those conservation measures already in place, and those pending, such as my petition to list this species as "threatened" under the endangered species provisions of the Florida Wildlife Code (Chap. 39 F.A.C.).
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77675
Subject Headings: Gull-billed Tern, Reproduction, Birds, Wildlife conservation, Endangered species
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: False crawls by loggerhead sea turtles in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Creator: Leech, Anna, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: In Florida, loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting populations are in decline, and human presence on beaches during nesting season can create an array of problems for the sea turtles. Volunteers and workers from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center collected nesting data from 2001 to 2005 along a 9.7 km stretch of Jupiter and Juno Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. Using these data, I found that human presence appears to have a negative impact on false crawl rates. The rate of false...
Show moreIn Florida, loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting populations are in decline, and human presence on beaches during nesting season can create an array of problems for the sea turtles. Volunteers and workers from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center collected nesting data from 2001 to 2005 along a 9.7 km stretch of Jupiter and Juno Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. Using these data, I found that human presence appears to have a negative impact on false crawl rates. The rate of false crawl was significantly higher on weekends than on weekdays(χ2 = 6.3, p < 0.05), and in areas with continuous public access than in areas with no public access(χ2 = 69.0, p < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference in the number of nests laid on weekends versus weekdays(χ2 = 0.6, p > 0.05), although there are still other, less obvious negative effects caused by false crawling, and even nesting, while humans are in the vicinity. Even though it is impractical to try to keep people off the beach at night, it is important to increase awareness of the negative impacts that human presence may have on sea turtle nesting in order to help reverse the decline in the population of loggerhead sea turtles.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77673
Subject Headings: Sea turtles, Wildlife conservation, Loggerhead turtle, Sea turtles, Orientation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Diatoms as a food source for Sorites dominicensis.
Creator: Gaston, Tiffany., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Sorites dominicensis is a common Foraminifera living on Thalassia testudinum seagrass blades in the Indian River Lagoon. This locality is unique because epiphytic diatoms, characteristic of Caribbean and temperate environments, are expected to make up the biofilm community. Diatoms compose a large part of the Foraminiferan diet. It is important to understand the cause and effect relationship of population variation between S. dominicensis and its preferred food source, since both are valuable...
Show moreSorites dominicensis is a common Foraminifera living on Thalassia testudinum seagrass blades in the Indian River Lagoon. This locality is unique because epiphytic diatoms, characteristic of Caribbean and temperate environments, are expected to make up the biofilm community. Diatoms compose a large part of the Foraminiferan diet. It is important to understand the cause and effect relationship of population variation between S. dominicensis and its preferred food source, since both are valuable bioindicators. We examined the selective feeding of S. dominicensis by first, identifying the diatom assemblage. Second, we utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to identifying the remains of diatoms entrapped in pseudopodial nets and in debris piles. We found that Mastogloia and Cocconeis were the most prominent genera in the overall diatom assemblage. The food preference of S. dominicensis included Amphora, Berkeleya rutilans,Cocconeis, Licmophora dalmatica, Mastogloia, Odontella rhombus, Plagiogramma pulchellum var. pygmaeum, and Skeletonema.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77667
Subject Headings: Diatoms, Identification, Wetland ecology, Stream ecology, Methodology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Observations of immature sea turtles at a nearshore hardbottom developmental habitat in Palm Beach, Florida.
Creator: Garrido, Katharine., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Nearshore sabellariid worm rock reefs tracts along Florida's east cost provide developmental habitat for many juvenile green turtles.
Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/41004
Subject Headings: Sea turtles, Ecology, Adaptation (Biology), Wildlife conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Fishes of Savannas Preserve State Park.
Creator: McKee, Kristy., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Freshwater marshes are a harsh wetland ecosystem classified by seasonal water level fluctuation. Dry down periods are common in some marshes, making life difficult for fish and other aquatic organisms. The goal of this study was to compile an updated species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater marsh system within Savannas Preserve State Park. Twenty-three fish species were collected between August 2005 and May 2007. This survey, along with past collections, and the current species list...
Show moreFreshwater marshes are a harsh wetland ecosystem classified by seasonal water level fluctuation. Dry down periods are common in some marshes, making life difficult for fish and other aquatic organisms. The goal of this study was to compile an updated species list of fishes inhabiting the freshwater marsh system within Savannas Preserve State Park. Twenty-three fish species were collected between August 2005 and May 2007. This survey, along with past collections, and the current species list in the park's management plan were used to make a new proposed species list. Three species of nonnative fishes were observed during the study, the first report of exotic fishes in the park. It is believed that abnormally high water levels for an extended period may have allowed the water in neighboring canals to connect to the marsh system and, as a result, new species were able become introduced in the park.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40970
Subject Headings: Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.), Ecology, Fishes, Identification, Population biology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of reduction mowing on gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus).
Creator: Del Signore, Vincent., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is endemic to the Southeast United States, where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss. Gopher tortoises prefer habitats with open sunny spots for nesting and basking. Fire is a normal element in gopher tortoise habitat, and when natural fires are suppressed, habitats may become too overgrown. To maintain the open spaces, some land managers use reduction mowing of vegetation. I studied gopher tortoises in the Abacoa Greenway...
Show moreThe gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is endemic to the Southeast United States, where its populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss. Gopher tortoises prefer habitats with open sunny spots for nesting and basking. Fire is a normal element in gopher tortoise habitat, and when natural fires are suppressed, habitats may become too overgrown. To maintain the open spaces, some land managers use reduction mowing of vegetation. I studied gopher tortoises in the Abacoa Greenway reserve, established to protect the tortoises in a residential area of Jupiter, Florida, and I examined how reduction mowing influences tortoise activity. I evaluated the distribution of burrows throughout the study site by flagging the burrows both before and after extensive reduction mowing took place in the greenway. Statistical comparison between new burrows found within the interior as compared to the periphery both before and after the mowing reveal a significant relationship between both variables. These results suggest that the tortoises utilize newly mowed areas as preferred substrate for new burrows.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40270
Subject Headings: Gopher tortoise, Ecology, Greenways, Niche (Ecology), Adaptation (Biology), Environmental impact analysis, Prescribed burning
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Avifauna in a suburban environment.
Creator: Blair, Courtney., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Habitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found...
Show moreHabitat fragmentation causes the isolation of groups of individuals within species by producing a new landscape that is uninhabitable for many species, including birds. I surveyed the John D. MacArthur campus of FAU in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 to assess the use of the campus by birds. Throughout the campus trees are lined in rows along the sidewalks and around buildings, in contrast to the pine flatwoods environment that existed prior to development. The birds observed were found performing various activities on the campus, including foraging, perching, and building nests. Individuals were concentrated around or near buildings with the most diverse vegetation. Through assessing these campus uses I suggest that there are ways we can help increase bird diversity in promoting their use of urban environments. Such solutions can help decrease the number of individuals and species lost to the destructive force of habitat fragmentation.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/40269
Subject Headings: Birds, Ecology, Wildlife management, Birds, Habitat
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Anurans of Abacoa.
Creator: Vuong, Wei Mien., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The construction of Abacoa included an attempt to conserve the wildlife in a Greenway, a set of habitats separated from the residential and commercial areas. All of the wetlandswith in Abacoa represent artificially constructed ponds, canals, and streams first created from 1998-2004. The present study focuses on the anuran (i.e., frog and toad) populations and looks at the number of different species that have naturally colonized six differnet sites around Abacoa. Each of these sites varies in...
Show moreThe construction of Abacoa included an attempt to conserve the wildlife in a Greenway, a set of habitats separated from the residential and commercial areas. All of the wetlandswith in Abacoa represent artificially constructed ponds, canals, and streams first created from 1998-2004. The present study focuses on the anuran (i.e., frog and toad) populations and looks at the number of different species that have naturally colonized six differnet sites around Abacoa. Each of these sites varies in qualities that may affect the probability of breeding in that section. The quality of water is known to be less ideal as the water flows away from the headwaters and mixes with water from other sources. This study aims to determine which anuran species are found at each of these sites after nearly a decade of colonization, and how both anuran diversity and abundance correlates with water and habitat quality.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359327
Subject Headings: Wildlife conservation, Amphibian populations, Restoration ecology, Anura, Habitat, Amphibians, Ecology, Amphibians, Conservation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: " Pay-to-pave": gopher tortoise management, endangered species protection, and incidental take permits in Florida before and after 2007.
Creator: Florscher, Melinda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: This study assesses the philosophical underpinnings of endangered species protections focused on gopher tortoises in Florida. From 1993-2007, gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) were listed in Florida as a species of special concern. Land developers wanting to build on their habitats could apply for an incidental take permit, paying a fee that allowed tortoises to be 'entombed' in their burrows to die a slow death. In 2007, when gopher tortoise status was up-losted to 'threatened', a new...
Show moreThis study assesses the philosophical underpinnings of endangered species protections focused on gopher tortoises in Florida. From 1993-2007, gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) were listed in Florida as a species of special concern. Land developers wanting to build on their habitats could apply for an incidental take permit, paying a fee that allowed tortoises to be 'entombed' in their burrows to die a slow death. In 2007, when gopher tortoise status was up-losted to 'threatened', a new policy ended the incidental take permit program. This study compares policy guidelines of the 1991 and 2007 gopher tortoise management plans and explores cases that deal with incidental take controversies. I will apply perspectives from environmental philosophy to my analysis to understand how policies attempt to balance economic goals with a mandate to protect species in peril.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359300
Subject Headings: Gopher tortoise, Conservation, Endangered species, Conservation, Economic aspects, Endangered species, Law and legislation, Economic aspects, Environmental protection, Environmental policy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Unvanquished: economic enterprise and tribal adaptation among the Seminoles in the twentieth century.
Creator: Nolen, Amanda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Throughout the twentieth century, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has experienced unprecedented changes to their culture, independence, and economic position. They began the century as subsistence based people with few rights to the land, and they ended the century with substantial political power and economically prosperous enterprises while maintaining their tribal status and identity as Seminoles. In the twentieth century, the Seminoles confirmed their historical role from the nineteenth...
Show moreThroughout the twentieth century, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has experienced unprecedented changes to their culture, independence, and economic position. They began the century as subsistence based people with few rights to the land, and they ended the century with substantial political power and economically prosperous enterprises while maintaining their tribal status and identity as Seminoles. In the twentieth century, the Seminoles confirmed their historical role from the nineteenth century as having never been defeated, but rather than achieving this image through war acts, as they did in the nineteenth century, they created a new role as being culturally and economically indomitable. This aspect of Seminole history has been largely ignored in the narrative of Florida's history.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335461
Subject Headings: Seminole Indians, Economic conditions, Seminole Indians, Government relations, Tribal government, Indians of North America, Civil rights
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Manatee census of the Harbor Branch channel utilizing photo-identification techniques.
Creator: Nys, Lauren., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Anecdotal accounts of manatees congregating in the Harbor Branch channel have been reported by staff scientists at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for over three decades. The main goals of this study were to identify individual manatees using photo-identification techniques and collect baseline data on manatee abundance and environmental parameters. During the primary study period (summer 2009), I identified 31 distinct manatees at Harbor Branch. Four manatees were matched with the...
Show moreAnecdotal accounts of manatees congregating in the Harbor Branch channel have been reported by staff scientists at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for over three decades. The main goals of this study were to identify individual manatees using photo-identification techniques and collect baseline data on manatee abundance and environmental parameters. During the primary study period (summer 2009), I identified 31 distinct manatees at Harbor Branch. Four manatees were matched with the statewide Manatee Individual Photo-identification System database. I observed the highest abundance of manatees in the small boats marina, suggesting that this location is preferential manatee habitat. Water temperature at the two deepest depths measured (0.6 m and 1.50 m) were the only two significantly different environmental parameters influencing the number of manatees present. The results of this study provide evidence for the Harbor Branch channel as an important manatee habitat.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335459
Subject Headings: Manatees, Monitoring, Manatees, Habitat, Manatees, Identification
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The facts behind the FCAT.
Creator: Gamsey, Erin., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the...
Show moreThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the number of school dropouts. The State of Florida officially estimates that the cost to administer the FCAT is $19.44 per student. My claim is that the Florida Department of Education's estimate is profoundly understated because it does not take into account an array of internal and external costs associated with the test. By including these costs of the FCAT, I show that the FCAT does indeed cost more than $19.44 per student.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335019
Subject Headings: Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Achievement in education, Educational tests and measurements
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: More social capital please!: a study of a Brazilian immigrant community.
Creator: Esteves, Jessica., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Researchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact...
Show moreResearchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact levels of social capital and the potential for network creation and mobilization among Brazilian immigrants. Analysis of the data suggests that religious participation and levels of perceived discrimination are correlated with higher levels of social capital in this sample. For a group of immigrants characterized by a lack of collective solidarity and facing an increasingly hostile economic and social climate, religious organizations may be essential locales for achieving sufficient social capital for social, economic, and political integration.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335017
Subject Headings: Social capital (Sociology), Infrastructure (Economics), Social networks, Brazilian Americans, Social conditions, Brazilian Americans, Cultural assimilation, Brazilian Americans, Ethnic identity, Emigration and immigration
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: We are Limestone Creek: an oral history of Limestone Creek community Jupiter, Florida.
Creator: Stout, Sara M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Limestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an...
Show moreLimestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an unincorporated area surrounded by a much wealthier municipality. Interviews were conducted with the residents of the community, Palm Beach County and the Town of Jupiter residents and officials, in an effort to explore the existence of an isolated African American community. The research resulted in varied responses to the idea of incorporation because of lack of funds. Conclusions to this research reveal that, to the members of the community, while race underlies all discussions of incorporation the more immediate issue is about securing basic services and infrastructure.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325089
Subject Headings: Municipal government, Suburban African Americans, Social conditions, Social aspects, Political aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Gun control in Florida: an analysis of the Right to Carry Law of 1987.
Creator: Mathews, Sunil., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: In 1987, Florida passed a Right to Carry Law, allowing citizens to purchase a concealed weapons license. Bill proponents believe that an armed citizenry will deter crime. This study examines the relationship between gun control legislation and violent crime in Florida. By using multiple regression analysis, I conclude that gun control legislation has a significant effect on homicide rates, and the presence of national economic conditions is associated with violent crime in Florida.
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325083
Subject Headings: Firearms ownership, Law and legislation, Violence, Prevention, Firearms, Law and legislation, Gun control
Format: Document (PDF)

Wildlife conservation (10)	+ -
Ecology (7)	+ -
Greenways (5)	+ -
Gopher tortoise (4)	+ -
Habitat (4)	+ -

Identification (4)	+ -
Savannas Preserve State Park (Fla.) (3)	+ -
Sea turtles (3)	+ -
Wildlife management (3)	+ -
Adaptation (Biology) (2)	+ -
Amphibians (2)	+ -
Biological diversity conservation (2)	+ -
Birds (2)	+ -
Conservation (2)	+ -
Emigration and immigration (2)	+ -
Endangered species (2)	+ -
Environmental aspects (2)	+ -
Fishes (2)	+ -
Law and legislation (2)	+ -
Population biology (2)	+ -
Prescribed burning (2)	+ -
Reproduction (2)	+ -
Reptiles (2)	+ -
Social conditions (2)	+ -
Achievement in education (1)	+ -
Amphibian populations (1)	+ -
Anoles (1)	+ -
Anura (1)	+ -
Bird populations (1)	+ -
Brazilian Americans (1)	+ -

Jupiter (8)	+ -
Abacoa (6)	+ -
Palm Beach County (3)	+ -
United States (2)	+ -
Boca Raton (1)	+ -

Broward County (1)	+ -
Guatemala (1)	+ -
Indian River (Lagoon) (1)	+ -
Jacaltenango (1)	+ -
John D. MacArthur Campus (1)	+ -
Jupiter (Fla.) (1)	+ -
Limestone Creek (1)	+ -
Palm Beach (1)	+ -
St. Lucie County (1)	+ -

20th century (1)	+ -
21st century (1)	+ -

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