AN INVESTIGATION OF RELATIONS AMONG ACADEMIC ENABLERS AND READING OUTCOMES

The current study examined the link between academic enablers and different types of reading achievement measures. Academic enablers are skills and behaviors that support, or enable, students to perform well academically, such as engagement, interpersonal skills, motivation, and study skills. The sample in this study consisted of 61 third‐, fourth‐, and fifth‐grade students (54% male). Academic enablers were rated by classroom teachers via the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES; DiPerna & Elliott, 2000 ). Four different measures of reading achievement were included: classroom grades, global ratings of reading skills, standardized test scores, and Reading CBM scores. Results indicated that academic enablers were significantly related to each type of reading outcome. Academic enablers accounted for the greatest amount of variance for classroom grades (45%) and the least amount of variance in standardized test scores (11%). Results suggest that academic enablers are an important part of academic success in reading, particularly classroom grades, but when considering the variance accounted for by academic enablers, they alone are not likely to improve Reading CBM scores or standardized test scores.     

Synopsis of ACES Executive Council Meeting Minutes

ACES and Regional Officers in attendance: Stephen Feit, ACES President; Donna Henderson, ACES President‐Elect and ACA Governing Council Representative; Harriet Glosoff, ACES Secretary; David Zimpfer, Treasurer; Kimberly Vess, NCACES President; Judith Durham, NARACES President‐Elect; Victoria Foster, SACES President‐Elect; Patricia Kerstner, WACES President‐Elect     

PREDICTING ACADEMICS VIA BEHAVIOR WITHIN AN ELEMENTARY SAMPLE: AN EVALUATION OF THE SOCIAL,ACADEMIC, AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR RISK SCREENER (SAEBRS)

This study examined the extent to which teacher ratings of student behavior via the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) predicted academic achievement in math and reading. A secondary purpose was to compare the predictive capacity of three SAEBRS subscales corresponding to social, academic, or emotional domains of behavior. Universal screening was conducted to evaluate 1,058 elementary students’ performance in both reading and math, which were then combined to form a composite estimate of overall academic performance. Results indicated that the SAEBRS composite scale and all three subscales each individually predicted academic performance. Results further indicated that the SAEBRS Academic Behavior subscale was the best predictor of academic performance. Furthermore, the SAEBRS Social Behavior scale was found to function as a net suppressor variable, enhancing the capacity of Academic Behavior to predict academic performance via the suppression of variance irrelevant relative to academic performance. Follow‐up path analyses suggested Academic Behavior also served as a mediating variable, as it partially accounted for the relationship between Social Behavior and academic performance. Implications for educators and limitations of this study are discussed.     

Comparing forms of new higher education organisations at start‐up

Abstract

In this article, we investigate three recently established entrepreneurial organisations created to deliver education and training to new audiences of learners at a distance. Each of the organisations ‐ the University of Michigan's Academic Outreach Program, the University Center at Northwestern Michigan College, and the Michigan Virtual Automotive College — is involved in multiple complex partnerships with internal and external entities, including government, industry, and education. Paying particular attention to the structures, strategies, and processes of these organisations, we argue that their emergence signals the evolution of a postsecondary knowledge industry in which permeable boundaries, new competitors, and market sensibilities are converging to challenge the fundamental nature of postsecondary education.     

Do Cultural Attitudes Matter? The Role of Cultural Orientation on Academic Self‐Concept Among Black/African College Students

The authors explored the relationship between academic self‐concept and noncognitive variables (i.e., Africentric cultural orientation, academic class level, gender, and involvement in culturally relevant school and community activities) among Black/African college students. Results indicated that Africentric cultural orientation and academic class level were significantly related to academic self‐concept. Female students had higher scores on the Academic Self‐Concept Scale ( Reynolds, Ramirez, Magrina, & Allen, 1980 ) compared with their male peers. Implications for counseling practice and future research are discussed.     

高职院校大学生一般学业情绪的分析研究

目的:了解高职院校大学生一般学业情绪的现状。方法:采用一般学业情绪量表对某高职院校350名在校大学生进行调查。结果:依据10个分测验的平均分排序,排在前五位是焦虑、厌烦、放松、失望、希望;一般学业情绪不存在性别差异;不同专业类型的学生在积极学业情绪上存在显著差异;不同生源学生的兴奋、愉快、希望存在显著差异。结论:高职院校大学生一般学业情绪整体不容乐观,学生消极情绪的体验普遍较多;一般学业情绪不存在性别差异,不过相对而言,女生在学业中的消极情绪高于男生;在专业类型和生源来源上存在差异。     

Table of Contents

Old Friends and New Faces Home Alone? Applying Theories of Transition to Support Student Veterans' Success A Model for Supporting Student Veterans' Transition Conclusion Commentary from Nancy K. Schlossberg What Matters to Veterans? Peer Influences and the Campus Environment The Military Bond Inputs, Environment, and Outcomes Inputs, Environment, and Outcomes for Veterans Peer Group Supports and Influences Summary and Recommendations Commentary from Alexander W. Astin Transition 2.0: Using Tinto's Model to Understand Student Veterans' Persistence Transition and Preentry Attributes Goals and Commitments Initial Institutional Experiences Transition 2.0: Academic and Social Integration Transition 2.0: Academic and Social Integration with the Campus Community Career Services and the Student Veteran New Goals and Intent to Persist Critics of Academic and Social Integration Conclusion Commentary from John M. Braxton Crisis of Identity? Veteran, Civilian, Student Identity Development and Knowledge of Self Self and Others Multiple Roles and Intersecting Identities Crisis, Exploration, and Commitment Multiple Dimensions of Identity Typologies Conclusion Commentary from Linda Reisser Women Warriors: Supporting Female Student Veterans Enduring Effects of Male Turf: Gender and Assumptions Mothers and Warriors: Care and Justice Into a College Environment: Developing a Voice Help Seeking: Learning to Cope Marching Together: Summary Commentary from Margaret Baechtold Ideas for a Self-Authorship Curriculum for Students with Military Experience Classes for Veterans Meaning Making and Self-Authorship Concept Mapping for Curriculum Planning Conclusion Commentary from Marcia B. Baxter Magolda Institutional Response to an Emerging Population of Veterans EFA Factor One—Financial Matters EFA Factor Two—Administrative and Strategic Planning EFA Factor Three—Advising and Career Services EFA Factor Four—Psychological Counseling Services EFA Factor Five—Veterans Office on Campus Conclusion Concluding Thoughts Appendix A: A Veteran's Essay Appendix B: Example Syllabus References Name Index Subject Index About the Authors     

Sixth forms in secondary technical schools

Abstract

The Employability Skills Profile (ESP) was developed in 1992 by the Conference Board of Canada in conjunction with leading business people and educators from across the country. Critical abilities that employers are looking for in Canada fall under Academic, Personal Management and Team Work Skills. There is widespread belief that having these skills increases the probability of career success. One rural and one suburban secondary school in eastern Ontario participated in a pre/post‐research study. Twenty‐four teachers completed questionnaires ranking the ESP on (1) their personal belief in the importance of the skills; and (2) the degree to which the skills were incorporated into their teaching practice. A training intervention on the ESP was conducted prior to the post measure and focus group interviews were held on each site. Results indicated that Personal Management Skills were ranked most important, followed by Academic Skills and Team Work Skills. Application to actual teaching indicated informal teaching of the skills when students ‘absorbed’ the skills through classroom policies and management practices. Recommendations deal with the need for more school and business collaboration.     

Reducing Alcohol Use in First‐Year University Students: Evaluation of a Web‐Based Personalized Feedback Program

The efficacy of a Web‐based personalized feedback program—electronic CHECKUP TO GO (e‐CHUG), aimed at reducing heavy drinking in 1st‐year university students—is evaluated. Results indicated that high‐risk students in the e‐CHUG group reported significantly greater reductions in weekly drinking quantity frequency of drinking to intoxication, and occurrence of alcohol‐related problems. Recommendations for integrating Web‐based alcohol programs into a comprehensive prevention program are discussed.     

Effective Counseling for Racial/Ethnic Minority Clients: Examining Changes Using a Practice Research Network

Studies have shown that counseling decreases students' academic distress. These findings, however, are based primarily on European American students. This study explored the impact of counseling on academic distress for treatment‐seeking racial/ethnic minority college students using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms–34 ( Locke et al., 2012 ) Academic Distress subscale. Results indicated that there are significant differences in academic distress at intake based on race/ethnicity. Furthermore, findings revealed that change in academic distress over the course of treatment varies by race/ethnicity.     

Beyond Professionalism: or Professionalism Reconsidered

The historical concept of professionalism is questioned as a model for the future of ACES as an organization. Two major issues are raised. The first issue is the lack of clarity of purpose within ACES and counselor education. Counselor Education in ACES and APGA usually refers to school counseling. Questions are raised about the nature of ACES and the structure of APGA. The second issue speaks to the question of the social responsibility and role of a profession. It is suggested that counselor education has strong social responsibilities, including the possibility of opening new career patterns for the poor.     

Decision‐Making Strategies for College Students

College students' decision making is often less than optimal and sometimes leads to negative consequences. The effectiveness of two strategies for improving student decision making—node‐link mapping and social perspective taking (SPT)—are examined. Participants using SPT were significantly better able to evaluate decision options and develop plans, suggesting that college counselors might increase the effectiveness of students' decision making by presenting a simple SPT strategy.     

Toward an effective model for implementing distance education programs

Abstract

As a response to the challenges and constraints now facing postsecondary education, institutions are attempting to find new strategies that will more effectively address the need for change in the way educational services are provided. In early September 1995, three institutions in Alberta, Canada—the University of Alberta, Fairview College, and Kayas Cultural College—embarked on a new partnership in offering a selected number of introductory Faculty of Arts courses in remote northwestern regions of the province. The primary mode of delivery was synchronized, multi‐point videoconferencing (to as many as six sites), with all courses delivered from the University of Alberta campus. Slightly more than 70% of the student cohort for the first academic year were Aboriginal. This discussion highlights the implementation and evaluation of this partnership and proposes a model for the effective planning and implementation of distance education initiatives.     

The national survey of student engagement as a predictor of undergraduate GPA: a cross‐sectional and longitudinal examination

Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collected across seven years were used to predict final, cumulative grade point averages (GPA). Cross‐product regression was used to explore the predictive abilities of the NSSE benchmark scores for freshmen (n = 2578) and seniors (n = 2293) collected in cross‐sectional cohorts. Hierarchical regression was also used with 127 longitudinal responses in students’ first and senior years of college. In the cross‐sectional analyses, Level of Academic Challenge emerged as a significant predictor of GPA for freshmen, whereas the Active and Collaborative Learning benchmark was a significant predictor for seniors; both effects were modest. The cross‐sectional data explained 22.6% of the variance with 18.2% of this variance accounted for by pre‐college control factors (American College Test score and high school GPA). For the analysis of longitudinal data, 31.3% of the variance was explained and 27.8% was attributed to the pre‐college indicators. No benchmark scores were significant predictors of GPA in the longitudinal data. Results suggest that cross‐sectional analyses can adequately detect modest effects on final GPA. In contrast, longitudinal models explain more variance, though they lack the power to reveal modest effects. This study suggests approaches for the responsible use of cross‐sectional and longitudinal data in educational research.     

Keeping the rhetoric orthodox: Forum control in science

Academic disciplines certify knowledge through publication in scholarly journals; therefore, peer review of journal articles is one method of authorizing someone's speech. It is possible, however, to see peer review and other strategies as methods by which elites silence or de‐authorize voices that pose a threat to their status. This article discusses four methods of forum control— peer review, denial of forum, public correction, and published ridicule. Examples are drawn from cases in science.     

Reading,Writing, and English Course Pathways when Developmental Education is Optional: Course Enrollment and Success for Underprepared First-time-in-College Students

Academic underpreparedness is an issue for many first-time-in-college students, particularly those entering community colleges. Whereas many underprepared students enroll in developmental education, research has indicated that traditional remediation may not increase students’ chances for success. Therefore, states and colleges have begun to implement new course placement strategies to increase the accuracy of initial course placement and new instructional approaches to better serve their developmental students. Specifically, in 2013, the state of Florida passed Senate Bill 1720 which redesigned developmental coursework and placement policies across the Florida College System. The reform lifted developmental education placement exam testing and course enrollment requirements for certain exempt students, irrespective of prior academic preparation or achievement. The current study focuses on these exempt students—those who had the option to bypass developmental education—who were also underprepared, and their initial course selection and subsequent success in their gateway (introductory college-level) English course. Using statewide student-level data and logistic regression techniques, the results indicated that level of preparation was related to students’ course enrollment and gateway English course success. Students slightly underprepared in reading or writing were more likely than severely underprepared students to enroll in the gateway English class, relative to a developmental reading or writing course. In reading and writing, slightly underprepared students were more likely to pass English, relative to severely underprepared students. The authors consider the findings in light of recent national changes to developmental education and offer recommendations for policy and practice.     

Counselor Education and Supervision: Reader Perceptions

This study reports the perceptions of ACES members concerning CES. Demographic characteristics of respondents, opinions on article types, strengths and weaknesses, and inclusion of brief reports and special Issues are presented. Results indicate that research articles are of adequate quality and the types of articles included in the journal are adequate. These and other results are discussed.     

The Relationship of Supervisory Experience, Counseling Experience, and Training in Supervision to Supervisory Identity Development

The relationship between supervisory identity development and supervisory experience, counseling experience, and training in supervision was examined for Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) members. Analyses indicated that supervisory experience and training were related to supervisory identity development, whilst counseling experience was not. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the importance of supervisor credentials.     

Ethical Guidelines for Counseling Supervisors

The following Ethical Guidelines for Counseling Supervisors were adopted by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Governing Council in March of 1993. The guidelines were written by a subcommittee of the ACES Supervision Interest Group, which comprised the following members: Gordon Hart, Chair; L. DiAnne Borders; Don Nance; and Louis Paradise. The guidelines first appeared in ACES Spectrum, Volume 53, Number 4, Summer, 1993.     

Evidence‐Based Strategies for Reading Instruction of Older Students with Learning Disabilities

Over a quarter of 8th‐grade students and more than one‐third of 4th graders do not read well enough to understand important concepts and acquire new knowledge from grade‐level text. For students with learning disabilities, the numbers are more troubling. This article describes features of evidence‐based instruction for students who continue to struggle with reading in late elementary, middle, and high school. Recommendations are organized into 5 areas that are critical to the reading improvement of older struggling readers: (1) word study, (2) fluency, (3) vocabulary, (4) comprehension, and (5) motivation. Much of the content in this article reflects our efforts with the Special Education and Reading Strands at the National Center on Instruction, funded by the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Two reports, both available at http://www.centeroninstruction.org/ , have particular relevance—Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta‐Analysis with Implications for Practice and Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction.