Possession and structure in the novels of Alan Garner

Children's Literature in Education -     

Introducing Information Literacy 2.0

In the age of Google, academic library services are changing out of necessity. Students and faculty have many more sources of information beyond the library's offerings and reference desk statistics are plummeting. To remain relevant, academic library services must adapt and librarians must apply their skills in new ways. In this column, the author will explore current issues in academic library services.     

Effects of fluency, oral language, and executive function on reading comprehension performance

Reading disability (RD) typically consists of deficits in word reading accuracy and/or reading comprehension. While it is well known that word reading accuracy deficits lead to comprehension deficits (general reading disability, GRD), less is understood about neuropsychological profiles of children who exhibit adequate word reading accuracy but nevertheless develop specific reading comprehension deficits (S-RCD). Establishing the underlying neuropsychological processes associated with different RD types is essential for ultimately understanding core neurobiological bases of reading comprehension. To this end, the present study investigated isolated and contextual word fluency, oral language, and executive function on reading comprehension performance in 56 9- to 14-year-old children [21 typically developing (TD), 18 GRD, and 17 S-RCD]. Results indicated that TD and S-RCD participants read isolated words at a faster rate than participants with GRD; however, both RD groups had contextual word fluency and oral language weaknesses. Additionally, S-RCD participants showed prominent weaknesses in executive function. Implications for understanding the neuropsychological bases for reading comprehension are discussed.

Katrina and the Schools of Mississippi: An Examination of Emergency and Disaster Preparedness

Faculty members from the University of Southern Mississippi conducted extensive research into emergency planning and disaster preparedness in P–12 schools in Mississippi before and after Hurricane Katrina. Findings disclosed that although few schools had no crisis management plans, a significant number that had emergency plans did not include provisions for large-scale disasters. Many schools had outdated plans. Respondents rated the effectiveness of crisis management plans in relation to Hurricane Katrina. The most highly rated features included the roles played by school leaders, the effectiveness of the administrative “chain of command,” and interpreting the storm's impact to the media. The most frequently cited areas of inadequacy included communication channels for administration, staff, and parents; dealing with electrical, fuel, and other energy needs; and the inability to operate independently for a sustained period of time in the wake of the storm. Study participants made policy and action recommendations to strengthen emergency planning and disaster preparation that were analyzed and reported by the researchers.     

The role of achievement,gender, SES,location and policy in explaining the Indigenous gap in high-school completion

Internationally, there is a gap in high-school completion rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. In Australia, gap estimates are commonly based on lag indicators, precluding examination of underlying mechanisms. Using two longitudinal representative samples of Australian youth, we explored differences in high-school completion between Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous rates, and whether the gap varies for students of similar academic ability. Using an intersectional approach, we show the Indigenous gap is significant, is mostly a function of differences in academic achievement, but varies by socioeconomic status (SES) and location. Specifically, high SES and living in urban settings are protective factors for non-Indigenous students, but not for Indigenous students. Conversely, rural and poor non-Indigenous students appeared to have dropout rates as large or even larger than similarly poor and rural Indigenous youth. Overall, the results suggest the need for a more nuanced perspective on ‘Indigenous gaps’ in educational attainment.