Smoking and deaf adults: associations with age at onset of deafness

Smoking is a major health problem whose prevalence in different populations is thought to be influenced by sociocultural and linguistic factors. Although smoking and hearing loss are positively correlated, little is known about the smoking habits of deaf populations. Using national survey data, this study determined the smoking prevalence in two socioculturally distinct deaf populations, based on age at onset of deafness. The smoking prevalence in each deaf population was compared to the smoking prevalence in the hearing population in multivariate analyses that adjusted for sociodemographics and health status. The smoking prevalence among postlingually deafened adults was not significantly different from that among hearing adults. Prelingually deafened adults were found to be less likely to smoke than hearing adults, even though they have less education and lower income, factors both associated with higher smoking prevalence in other populations. The lower smoking prevalence among prelingually deafened adults may be due to cultural differences or to limited access to English-language tobacco advertising.     

IDENTIFICATION OF MATHEMATICAL TALENT AND PROGRAMMATIC EFFORTS TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF TALENT

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) identifies students who reason well mathematically and/or verbally and offers summer and academic year programs of rigorous academic course work. Gender differences in test performance, even though not as large as previously reported, are noticeable, particularly among the highest test scores. The majority of students benefit from summer program participation, and have increased access to more advanced course work. No differences were found between 1982 and 1991 male and female populations in class ranking, liking of mathematics, or perception of support from peers, family members, and teachers. However, the lack of support from the peer group underscores the academic isolation of this group of students.     

Rationalizing teacher roles in developing and assessing physical literacy in children

PROSPECTS - Physical literacy serves as the foundation for several skills or attributes needed for lifelong physical activity participation. Based on its connection to physical activity, physical...     

The international student exchange network: 1970 & 1989

Using data published in UNESCOStatistical Yearbooks (1972 & 1991) on the 50 countries with the largest number of exchange students, this article describes the international student exchange network and its changes between 1970 and 1989. The results indicate that the network changed significantly over this 20-year period. While the United States and some Western developed countries have remained at the center of the network, Asian and Middle Eastern countries have become more central and African countries have become more peripheral. The role of colonial and linguistic factors has become less important, while economic development has a more important role in international student exchanges. The international student exchange network suggests an academic hegemony consistent with that of economics and politics. The changes of the network reflect the hierarchical structure of the hegemonic powers in the modern world system.     

Portfolio use in educational leadership preparation programs: From theory to practice

Alternative assessment measures, particularly the use of portfolios, which capture authentic student learning are gaining wider acceptance in K-12 school settings. Portfolios have a rich history in higher education, and recently they are becoming a more popular assessment device in colleges of education. Using educational leadership preparation programs as an example, this article examines the use of portfolio assessment by focusing on the relationship between a folio and a portfolio, the possible artifacts and attestations to include in a folio, the structural components of portfolios, and the different uses of portfolios. The implications of incorporating portfolios in leadership preparation programs also are discussed, including how to alleviate the ambiguities and uncertainties faculty and students experience when this form of authentic assessment is utilized.Bruce G. Barnett is an Associate Professor and Director of the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. His interests include the preservice and inservice preparation of educational administrators, with particular emphasis in the areas of reflective practice, instructional leadership, and staff development. He has published articles dealing with professional preparation, peer coaching, reflective practice, mentoring, portfolio development, and the moral dilemmas facing educational leaders.