Qualitative Investigation of RtI Coaches Roles,Responsibilities, and Experiences Supporting Schools Participating in a State Level RtI Implementation Project

ABSTRACT

Systems coaching is a professional development approach focusing on the implementation fidelity of evidence-based practices and whole school reform efforts such as Response to Intervention (RtI). However, the roles, responsibilities, and supports required by systems coaches, and how the work of those tasked with facilitating capacity for RtI implementation manifests within complex and multifaceted school environments remains unclear. The purpose of the current exploratory study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives and experiences related to RtI implementation to illustrate systems coaching in context. Ten coaches providing job-embedded support for RtI implementation across 34 schools in one state participated in semi-structured interviews. A constant-comparative and matrix analysis approach was used to generate codes and themes. Results indicated systems coaches experience a number of systemic and contextually dependent facilitators and barriers to their work, providing implications for RtI coaches’ preparation, ongoing support, and current practices, as well as directions for future research.     

Knowledge of secondary school pupils regarding sexual health education

Objective: To assess the sexual health knowledge of secondary school pupils in order to ascertain whether the current government public health and education policies are having any impact on pupils' sexual health.

Design: Results obtained from a questionnaire as part of a two‐phase intervention study.

Setting: Nineteen mixed‐sex, state secondary schools in central England.

Participants: Year 8 pupils (350 male, 345 female), year 9 pupils (300 male, 325 female) and year 10 pupils (310 male, 329 female).

Intervention: A questionnaire survey to assess the knowledge of pupils' sexual health education.

Main outcome measures: Questionnaires distributed to pupils as baseline to assess their knowledge of sexual health, contraception and sexually transmitted infections.

Results: Sexual health knowledge improves with age. A significant difference across all age groups was found, although knowledge regarding sexually transmitted infections and emergency contraception is poor for all age groups.

Conclusions: Current sexual health education provision is not providing young people with adequate knowledge regarding sexual health and contraception.     

A nurse practitioner-led intervention for runaway adolescents who have been sexually assaulted or sexually exploited: Effects on trauma symptoms,suicidality, and self-injury

BackgroundAdolescent victims of sexual assault and exploitation suffer significant mental health distress including PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and attempts.ObjectiveThis longitudinal observational study investigated the Runaway Intervention Program's influence on trauma responses at 3, 6, and 12 months for adolescents who have run away at least once and have been sexually assaulted or exploited.ParticipantsRunaways (n = 362) received nurse practitioner (NP) home and community visits, intensive case management, and optional empowerment groups.SettingAn urban Midwestern city's hospital-based Children's Advocacy Center.MethodsTrauma responses were measured by the UCLA PTSD-RI index, past 30 days emotional distress scale, and self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt questions. Repeated Measures ANOVA assessed trauma response changes over time. Growth curve analyses using intervention doses determined which aspects of the intervention predicted change.ResultsFrom program entry to 3 and 6 months, mean values decreased significantly for emotional distress (−0.67, −.91) self-harm (−.30, −.55), suicidal ideation (−.45, −.57), suicide attempts (−.58, −.61), and trauma symptoms (−11.8, −16.2, all p < .001) all maintained at 12 months. In growth curve models, NP visits independently predicted declines in emotional distress (−.038), self-injury (−.020), suicidal ideation (−.025) and attempts (−.032), while empowerment groups predicted trauma symptoms (−.525) and all others except suicide attempts.ConclusionsThe program, especially NP community visits and empowerment group elements, decreased trauma responses in runaway youth with a history of sexual assault. Given high rates of PTSD and emotional distress among runaways, the Runaway Intervention Program offers promise for improving mental health outcomes.     

Effects of a Pre-Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention: A Randomized Experiment

Abstract

Research indicates that a socioeconomic status-related gap in mathematical knowledge appears early and widens during early childhood. Young children from economically disadvantaged families receive less support for mathematical development both at home and in preschool. Consequently, children from different socioeconomic backgrounds enter elementary school at different levels of readiness to learn a standards-based mathematics curriculum. One approach to closing this gap is the development and implementation of effective mathematics curricula for public preschool programs enrolling economically disadvantaged children. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 40 Head Start and state preschool classrooms, with 278 children, to determine whether a pre-kindergarten mathematics intervention was effective. Intervention teachers received training that enabled them to implement with fidelity, and a large majority of parents regularly used math activities teachers sent home. Intervention and control groups did not differ on math assessments at pretest; however, gain scores of intervention children were significantly greater than those of control children at posttest. Thus, the intervention reduced the gap in children's early mathematical knowledge.     

PROGRAM EVALUATION OF THE PREPaRE SCHOOL CRISIS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION TRAINING CURRICULUM

This study details a program evaluation of the PREPa RE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum (PREPa RE), conducted in the United States and Canada between 2009 and 2011. Significant improvements in crisis prevention and intervention attitudes and knowledge were shown among 875 Crisis Prevention and Preparedness workshop (Workshop 1) participants and 1,422 Crisis Intervention and Recovery workshop (Workshop 2) participants on matched pre‐tests and post‐tests. Results indicated high participant satisfaction for both Workshop 1 and Workshop 2. A qualitative analysis of workshop evaluation comments indicated strengths regarding workshop aims, materials, and activities, as well as suggestions for improvement, such as utilizing more active learning components. The use of these findings in the PREPa RE curriculum revision is discussed.     

Intervention for maltreating fathers: Statistically and clinically significant change

ObjectiveFathers are seldom the focus of efforts to address child maltreatment and little is currently known about the effectiveness of intervention for this population. To address this gap, we examined the efficacy of a community-based group treatment program for fathers who had abused or neglected their children or exposed their children to domestic violence.MethodsUsing a sample of 98 group participants, we examined the magnitude and clinical significance of pre- to post-intervention changes in parenting, co-parenting and generalized aggression.ResultsIntervention led to considerable changes in fathers’ over-reactivity to children's misbehavior and respect for their partner's commitment and judgment, with results being statistically significant, medium in size, moving mean scores into the normative range and with 36–43% of men who initially scored in the clinical range recovering by the end of intervention. Changes in other domains were also evident though of lesser magnitude.ConclusionsAlthough this study is limited in length of follow-up and the lack of a control group, results are promising for continued development of fathering interventions for this population of high-risk men.     

Child and family traumatic stress intervention (CFTSI) reduces parental posttraumatic stress symptoms: A multi-site meta-analysis (MSMA)

BackgroundFollowing traumatization, caregiver support is a crucial factor contributing to children's successful management of posttraumatic reactions and their recovery. Caregivers who have been traumatically impacted themselves, however, may be compromised in this posttraumatic caregiving role. Although there are a number of evidence-based child trauma treatments that are effective in reducing children's trauma symptoms, the impact of child treatment on participating caregiver's posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) has received less attention.ObjectiveExplore PTS reduction caregivers experience through participation in their child's evidence-based trauma-focused mental health treatment.Participants and setting640 Child-Caregiver dyads referred for the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) following formal disclosure of abuse in a Child Advocacy Center (CAC).MethodsData were collected from 10 community treatment sites trained in CFTSI. A multi-site meta-analytic approach was used to evaluate pooled and site-specific therapeutic effect sizes for caregivers and children.ResultsCFTSI was associated with significant changes (Hedge's g = 1.17, Child-rated; g = 0.66, caregiver-rated) in children's PTS and with clinically meaningful improvements in PTS for 62% of participating caregivers who had started CFTSI with clinical levels of PTS as measured by the Post Traumatic Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C). The overall mean PCL-C change (9.31, SD = 12.9) in paired, pre-post PCL-C scores is close to a clinically meaningful change of 10 or higher. There was a robust moderate pooled effect size (g = 0.70, N = 640, p < 0.0001).ConclusionThe value of a reduction in caregiver PTS as a secondary outcome of children's trauma-focused treatment is discussed.     

Who benefits from which reading intervention in the primary years? Match the intervention with the reading profile

Abstract

Reading difficulties may have multiple causes. Effective approaches to reading intervention need to target the specific causes for individual readers. The Early Reading Intervention Knowledge program comprises three intervention pathways: a phonological-phonemic pathway, a phonic-orthographic pathway, and an oral language pathway. This study examines the effectiveness of each pathway for 902 underachieving students in their second to fifth years of primary education. The students differed in their reading profiles. The interventions were implemented in a regular school context. Intervention in the three pathways improved reading accuracy and comprehension for both the younger (Years 2 and 3) and older (Years 4 and 5) age groups. The pattern in accuracy gains across the three pathways was similar for each group, with the older students making smaller gains. Reading profiles influenced the rate or amount of gain. For comprehension, the phonological and oral language pathways yielded higher gains for both age groups than the orthographic pathway. The most at-risk students showed the highest gains. The implications for intervention are discussed.     

Instituciones,servicios, centros

Abstract

The present research was conducted to explore the relationship between bullying and parenting styles in an incidental sample of 626 high school students (49.7% girls). The information was collected by means of a self-report questionnaire that contained two instruments: European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire and Scale for the assessment of the parenting styles of mothers and fathers of adolescents. The results show statistically significant differences in the perception of parenting styles between the students involved and not involved in bullying and between the different kinds of involvement. Different dimensions of parenting styles are also categorized as being risk or protective factors of bullying involvement. In agreement with the previous research, we have specifically found that perception of parenting styles (especially behavioural control and affection and communication) is significantly related to bullying involvement, especially regarding the role of aggressor.     

Relationship-based Intervention with Young Children with Autism in Saudi Arabia: Impediments and Consequences of Parenting Stress and Depression

ABSTRACT

This investigation examined the consequences and effects of the severity of mothers psychosocial functioning as assessed by measures parenting stress and depression in a randomised control trial of a Relationship-based Intervention (RBI) called Responsive Teaching (RT). The sample included 28 parents and preschool aged children with Autism from Saudi Arabia. RT subjects received weekly parent–child intervention sessions for 4 months. Dependent variables were mothers’ style of interaction as assessed by the PICCOLO at post intervention as well as pre- and post-measures of parenting stress and depression. There were three findings from this study. First, mothers who participated in this study had extremely high levels of psychosocial dysfunction. Nearly all reported clinical levels of parenting stress and more than 40% reported clinical levels of depressive symptoms. Second, high levels of psychosocial dysfunction did not prevent mothers from participating in RT as indicated by their ability to integrate RT strategies into their interactions with their children. Third, RT was associated with substantial improvements in mother’s parenting stress and depression. Implication for early intervention practice are discussed.     

The relationship between emotional development and moral development and the differential impact of three psychological interventions on children

This study was designed to determine the impact of three psychological education interventions on the emotional development and moral development of children. Intervention One focused on feeling and feeling content. Intervention Two emphasized moral dilemmas and conflict resolution. Intervention Three, an interactive combination, stressed feelings, moral dilemmas, and conflict resolution. It was hypothesized that Intervention. Three would stimulate emotional and moral development more than would the other interventions. The sample consisted of 72 children randomly selected from a population of third and fourth graders enrolled in a public school located in a suburb of Boston. The students were randomly divided into three treatment groups. They were pretested and posttested using the Dupont Affective Development test and the Kohlberg Moral Judgment Interview. The results indicated that Group Three (subjected to Intervention Three) manifested statistically significant greater gains, F = 3.99, p < .05, than did Groups One and Two on the moral development measure. The three groups as a whole exhibited statistically significant gains, F = 14.46, p < .05, in emotional development. Further, there was a statistically significant relationship (tau = .29, p < .05) between emotional and moral development scores.     

A framework to foster problem-solving in STEM and computing education

ABSTRACT

Background: Recent developments in STEM and computer science education put a strong emphasis on twenty-first-century skills, such as solving authentic problems. These skills typically transcend single disciplines. Thus, problem-solving must be seen as a multidisciplinary challenge, and the corresponding practices and processes need to be described using an integrated framework.

Purpose: We present a fine-grained, integrated, and interdisciplinary framework of problem-solving for education in STEM and computer science by cumulatively including ways of problem-solving from all of these domains. Thus, the framework serves as a tool box with a variety of options that are described by steps and processes for students to choose from. The framework can be used to develop competences in problem-solving.

Sources of evidence: The framework was developed on the basis of a literature review. We included all prominent ways of domain-specific problem-solving in STEM and computer science, consisting mainly of empirically orientated approaches, such as inquiry in science, and solely theory-orientated approaches, such as proofs in mathematics.

Main argument: Since there is an increasing demand for integrated STEM and computer science education when working on natural phenomena and authentic problems, a problem-solving framework exclusively covering the natural sciences or other single domains falls short.

Conclusions: Our framework can support both practice and research by providing a common background that relates the ways, steps, processes, and activities of problem-solving in the different domains to one single common reference. In doing so, it can support teachers in explaining the multiple ways in which science problems can be solved and in constructing problems that reflect these numerous ways. STEM and computer science educational research can use the framework to develop competences of problem-solving at a fine-grained level, to construct corresponding assessment tools, and to investigate under what conditions learning progressions can be achieved.     

Concepts before coding: non-programming interactives to advance learning of introductory programming concepts in middle school

ABSTRACT

Background and Context: Learners struggle with conceptual understanding of introductory programming concepts such as variables, expressions, and loops.

Objective: We examine whether and how designed activities for conceptual exploration support preliminary engagement with and learning of foundational and often hard-to-grasp programming concepts for students in grades 6–8.

Method: Drawing on principles from dynamic mathematics, we developed a suite of non-programming digital and unplugged activities embedded in a curriculum before students engage in Scratch block-based programming. We conducted empirical research in three middle school classrooms in diverse urban US schools and examined student performance through mixed qualitative and quantitative methods.

Findings: Learning gains were significant and not predicted by grade, gender or prior academic preparation. Free-choice projects of students showed statistically greater (correct) use of key concepts compared to those not in the study.

Implications: Our work demonstrates the promise of novel approaches such as interactive non-programming activities for deeper understanding of programming concepts.     

Signs of attachment disorders and social functioning among early adolescents with a history of institutional care

BackgroundInstitutional rearing is associated with increased risk for reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). Disorders of attachment involve disturbances in children’s primary caregiving relationships, and are likely to disturb multiple domains of social functioning.ObjectiveTo examine associations between signs of RAD and DSED and social functioning in early adolescence.Participants and settingOur participants were 110 children with a history of institutional rearing and 50 community comparison adolescents from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, based in Bucharest, Romania. Participants were assessed at age 12 years (M age in years = 12.80, SD = 0.71).MethodSigns of RAD and DSED were obtained through caregiver report. Reports of social functioning were provided by caregivers and teachers. General and specific domains of social functioning were identified using bi-factor modeling. A general social functioning factor and four specific factors were revealed: peer conflict, caregiver views as victim, teacher views as victim, and social competence.ResultsSigns of RAD predicted poorer general social functioning (β=-0.36, p < .01, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-.33, -.09]) and poorer social competence (β=-0.38, p < .01, 95% CI[-0.05, -.01]) above and beyond time spent in institutional care and placement disruptions. Signs of DSED (β=-0.38, p < .001, 95% CI[-0.49, -.16]) along with placement disruptions (β=-0.22, p < .05, 95% CI[-.29, -.01]) predicted poorer general social functioning above and beyond time spent in institutional care. Signs of DSED predicted higher scores on caregiver views as victim (β = 0.29, p < .05, 95% CI[0.02, 0.14]) and lower scores on social competence (β=-0.29, p < .01, 95% CI[-.06, -.01]) above and beyond time spent in institutional care and placement disruptions.ConclusionsAttachment disorder signs in early adolescence are problematic for social functioning, although the manifestation of these social difficulties differs based on whether RAD or DSED signs are present.     

Analysis of leadership dynamics in educational settings during times of external and internal change

Background: The article concerns the tensions that can arise during demanding external, and consequential internal changes and considers how educational leadership is able to respond to them. Leadership is here understood as a collaborative endeavour, producing shared sense-making in situations of tension.

Purpose: The main research question was: what kinds of leadership dynamics underlie situations of tension brought about by external and internal change? The sub-question was: what kind of micro-level sense-making processes, argued to be the true source of change, assist in revealing these dynamics?

Programme: Educational organisations increasingly face demanding external changes, such as the two mergers described in this article. Tensions can easily be brought about during such external changes and the consequential internal changes, such as two pedagogical innovation projects in this article.

Sample: The study was conducted with three leadership teams within two organisations. The first organisation was a vocational education organisation with around 4000–5000 students and 500 staff members. The leadership team that was studied was followed for almost two years. The other organisation was a business school which comprised of around 7000 students, 150–200 professors and 500 staff members. There, two leadership teams were investigated and followed for almost three years.

Design and methods: The data for the sense-making process was selected by way of qualitative content analysis and an experimented model called TenKeys®. This data were analysed using a grounded theory approach to uncover the underlying leadership dynamics.

Results: Ten micro-procedural leadership dynamics were identified. Actions related to the pedagogical projects were then interpreted by means of these dynamics.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that understanding underlying leadership dynamics might help educational organisations respond to possible tensions brought about by external and internal change and, consequently, support learners’ learning processes, albeit indirectly.     

Initiation in Audio – Visual Communications

Teaching audio-visual communications

Dealing with audio—visual communications and, in the broader sense, communications as a whole, is a subject which has been taught in French schools for many years. It has aroused interest in many neighbouring countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany, and also in countries as far away as Quebec, Panama, the Ivory Coast and Kuwait.     

The Effects of Oral Narrative Intervention on the Personal Narratives of Children with ASD and Severe Language Impairment: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine and refine an oral narrative intervention addressing personal narratives of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and severe language impairment. A multiple baseline across participants design investigated the effect of the intervention on the macrostructure of personal narratives. Three five–six year olds participated in a 1:1 intervention that targeted the where, who with, what and feelings of personal narrative. Intervention included macrostructure icons, pictures, modelling and participants telling the entire narrative. Participants received training with two or three narratives each session. The intervention was effective for all three participants. Two participants showed evidence of maintenance and generalisation across settings. The results show that children with autism and severe language impairment may benefit from oral narrative intervention targeting the macrostructure of personal narrative. These results are consistent with previous findings. Areas for future research include investigation of generalisation across people.