Developing a Tiered Response Model for Social-Emotional Learning Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

A tiered response model for social-emotional learning (SEL) is needed to address the significant mental health needs of young people in this country. In collaboration with other school mental health professionals, school psychologists have a unique expertise that situates them to be systems change agents in this work. This article describes a pilot project that focused on augmenting existing SEL services with SEL assessment within a tiered system of support in one elementary school. Using a consultation-based model grounded in principles of empowerment evaluation, an interdisciplinary school team used SEL data collected during one school year to inform the delivery of SEL interventions and supports. Data from SEL, academic, and behavioral assessments were examined retrospectively to illustrate the potential value of integrating assessments and interventions across domains. The discussion offers implications for ongoing efforts to develop and implement tiered response models through interdisciplinary collaboration among school mental health professionals.     

Methodological advances in educational effectiveness research

This paper describes a series of events observed in an English primary school over the period 1991‐1994. The events are taken as typical examples of school response to an externally¹ imposed innovation, namely, the assessment of pupils against the progressive learning scale in the national curriculum.² The patterns of events occurring in the school are tabulated together with the responses of teaching staff to the change events. The purpose is to inform teacher understanding of the significance of some events in the school's response to change. The claim is that focused reflective practice through reference to change events and types of teacher response are an important contribution to teacher understanding of the meaning of their ‘learning organization’. This practice heightens teachers’ collective awareness of the foci for change within their organization and establishes a vehicle for empowered teacher voice.

     

Competing voices: a Figured Worlds approach to theorising graduate perspectives on career success

ABSTRACT

Becoming a university graduate has long been considered the route to individual occupational and social mobility, while educating more citizens has been assumed to add to a nation’s human capital and competitiveness. University education has come to be associated with individual and societal aspiration. However, changes in the labour market associated with globalisation, technology, and fears of graduate underemployment have served to question this. This paper seeks to uncover the meaning that individuals construct about their early careers as they navigate such uncertain contexts. It reports on a study based on the graduate population of one university in England. Analysis tests the value of Figured Worlds theory. Using the construct of ‘self-authoring’, this paper identifies competing voices around employability and career success. Findings reveal how graduates orchestrate varied voices, in order to find ways to figure their experience and what it means to be a successful graduate.     

Perceived Internet health literacy of HIV-positive people through the provision of a computer and Internet health education intervention

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess perceived Internet health literacy of HIV‐positive people before and after an Internet health information educational intervention. Methods: We developed a 50‐min educational intervention on basic computer skills and online health information evaluation. We administered a demographic survey and a validated health literacy survey (eHEALS) at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months the class. Changes in scores between the surveys were analysed. Results: Eighteen HIV‐positive participants were included in the final analysis. Before the intervention, most respondents’ assessment of their ability to access Internet health information was unfavourable. Post‐intervention, the majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they were able to access and identify Internet health information resources. The increase in self‐assessed skill level was statistically significant for all eight items eHEALS (P < 0.05). Scores for the 3‐month follow‐up survey remained higher than pre‐intervention scores for most items. Conclusions: Providing an interdisciplinary brief introductory Internet health information educational intervention HIV‐positive people with baseline low perceived Internet health literacy significantly improves confidence in finding and using Internet health information resources. Studies with larger numbers of participants should be undertaken to determine if brief interventions improve self‐care, patient outcomes and use of emergency services.     

Preparing preservice teachers to be data literate: a Queensland case study

Data driven pedagogy has been introduced into Australian schools over the last decade to improve student learning outcomes, but are teacher educators preparing preservice teachers to be data literate? We used a survey to investigate ready-to-graduate preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding their knowledge and skills in data literacy. Before entering a course on data literacy their belief responses indicated that they had basic data interpretation knowledge, but they were unsure of how to translate that knowledge into the classroom to improve student outcomes. The survey was administered again after a data literacy course, which included a five-week supervised professional experience task of observing data being used in schools to drive pedagogy. The post-course survey responses showed students increased confidence in their ability to interpret and use data, suggesting that a data literacy course linked to the professional experience task improves teachers’ sense of preparedness to use data in the classroom. Keywords: Data literacy; professional learning.     

A hospital-based patient and family education center: if you build it, will they come?

Librarians located in a 560-bed, inner city academic medical center with 25,000?+ admissions per year planned and opened a Patient and Family Education Center (PFEC) in the lobby of a new patient care pavilion. A review of use in the first 19 months revealed that expected needs were being met while a variety of unexpected needs were identified. Ongoing use continues to be monitored by a detailed log of patron visits maintained by library staff. This article describes the evolution of the Patient and Family Education Center, outreach to the hospital community, and plans for the future.     

Emotional journeys: young people and transitions to university

This paper offers an interpretation of the role of emotions in understanding the transitions that young people make to university. I draw on qualitative research with a group of non‐traditional students, entering elite universities, to argue that youth transitions are emotional as well instrumental affairs. I argue that choice‐making processes incorporate both trust in, and fear of, the transitions infrastructure, and that these emotions infuse more instrumental judgements about the economic benefits of higher education. I also demonstrate that emotional aspects of class – including feelings of entitlement to education and the rejection of normative student identities – constitute the experience of ‘being’ or ‘doing’ a student. A broader understanding of how young people become university students then depends not just on developing a new identity but on the complex interaction between emotion and infrastructure.