Universal Design for Learning within an Integrated Multitiered System of Support

Comprehensive schoolwide initiatives like integrated multitiered systems of support (I-MTSS) and universal design for learning (UDL) present opportunities for large-scale impact on improving teacher instructional practices and, therefore, student outcomes. Specifically, implementing I-MTSS and UDL concurrently presents an opportunity to enhance and improve universal instruction for all students. This mixed-methods study explored current Tier 1 practices in elementary schools across the United States. Findings revealed that I-MTSS and UDL are perceived as being implemented concurrently. In addition, school personnel identified specific barriers to implementation.     

Hands-On: Investigating the role of physical manipulatives in spatial training

Studies show that spatial interventions lead to improvements in mathematics. However, outcomes vary based on whether physical manipulatives (embodied action) are used during training. This study compares the effects of embodied and non-embodied spatial interventions on spatial and mathematics outcomes. The study has a randomized, controlled, pre-post, follow-up, training design (N = 182; mean age 8 years; 49% female; 83.5% White). We show that both embodied and non-embodied spatial training approaches improve spatial skills compared to control. However, we conclude that embodied spatial training using physical manipulatives leads to larger, more consistent gains in mathematics and greater depth of spatial processing than non-embodied training. These findings highlight the potential of spatial activities, particularly those that use physical materials, for improving children's mathematics skills.     

A mixed-methods evaluation of the experience of emerging young adult care partners

There is limited literature on emerging young adult (EYA) care partners, despite a recent rise in interest in this group. The purpose of this study is to compare EYA care partners and their non-care partner peers in the domains of academic achievement and engagement, employment, health-related behaviors and self-care, and mental health and respite, as well as to assess EYA care partners’ burden and potential for positive psychosocial sequelae and life changes as a result of their role. Further, within EYA care partners, we examine the relationship between mental health variables and care partner-relevant variables. Two hundred undergraduates (100 care partners and 100 non-care partners) completed measures of academic achievement and engagement (grade point average and credit load), employment (number of paid positions held and number of hours worked per week), health-related behavior/self-care (visits to the dentist, primary care physician, optometrist, diet healthfulness, exercise, cigarette smoking, and drinks per week) and mental health/respite (depression, anxiety, loneliness, drinking, social support, peer pressure, vacation recency, and frequency). Care partners completed measures of spiritual well-being, burden, meaning, and benefit-finding, as well as provided qualitative feedback on how caregiving changed their lives. EYA care partners and non-care partners did not differ on any variables examined except for the number of jobs held, as EYA care partners held more paid jobs than EYA non-care partners. EYA care partners showed moderate burden and high levels of finding meaning/benefit, the latter of which was supported by the themes that emerged from their qualitative data. Within EYA care partners, we found that depression and anxiety (mental health variables) were significantly related to spiritual well-being, burden, benefit finding, and finding meaning through caregiving (care partner-relevant variables). It is encouraging that the care partner and non-care partner groups were similar in domains critical for this age group, such as academic achievement and engagement.     

A two-stage proxy variable approach to estimating movie box office receipts

This paper advances the ongoing discussion of methods for predicting movie box office revenues with two contributions to the methodology and an out-of-sample test of the model. The first innovation is the development of a two-stage model using publicly available pre-release indicators to predict (1) initial week and (2) subsequent run box office revenues. To incorporate the experience-good nature of movies, the second stage is estimated by incorporating a proxy variable for box office success during the first week relative to predicted first week success. The second contribution is an empirical test of De Vany and Walls’ (J Econ Dyn Control 28:1035–1057, 2004) finding that the distribution of movie revenues has “heavy tails” and follows a non-Gaussian stable distribution with infinite variance. We estimate the two-stage model of a movie’s box office success on all general release movies in 1 year with both the Gaussian and stable distribution with heavy tails and infinite variance and find no evidence for the stable distribution in either stage of the estimation. This two-stage model is validated by comparing all general release movies in 3 future years (out-of-sample data) to the model’s predictions.     

Leadership and inclusion: a special school perspective

In July 2002, the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) held a 'Leading Edge' seminar focused on the contribution that leaders in special schools can make to the development of Inclusive policies and practices. The day gave colleagues working in specialist contexts an opportunity to share examples and experiences of current initiatives and to speculate about future trends and developments in inclusive education. In this article, Robin Attfield and Chris Williams, Assistant Directors in Programmes and Research respectively at the NCSL, explore the context in which the seminar took place and some of the themes and issues that emerged from discussion on the day. At the end of their paper, they summarise the key messages that the special school leaders who attended the seminar wished to communicate to a wider audience and articulate a further role for leaders in special schools in the development of inclusion.