Walk-In Triage Systems in University Counseling Centers

To meet the complex mental health needs of students, some university counseling centers (UCCs) have implemented walk-in triage intake systems, which have not yet been empirically investigated. This study compared client and clinician differences (N = 5564) between a traditional scheduled intake system (Year 1) and a walk-in triage system (Year 2) at a large, southeastern UCC. Results showed a significant increase in clients’ attendance rates and clinicians’ caseloads, a significant decrease in no-show rates, and no change in students’ symptom severity at intake between Years 1 and 2. Clinicians’ number of scheduled appointments were unchanged, indicating that clinicians were already at maximum capacity for appointments in Year 1. Results are discussed in terms of the benefits and challenges that walk-in triage systems present to students, universities, and UCCs.     

Ice hockey shoulder pad design and the effect on head response during shoulder-to-head impacts

Ice hockey body checks involving direct shoulder-to-head contact frequently result in head injury. In the current study, we examined the effect of shoulder pad style on the likelihood of head injury from a shoulder-to-head check. Shoulder-to-head body checks were simulated by swinging a modified Hybrid-III anthropomorphic test device (ATD) with and without shoulder pads into a stationary Hybrid-III ATD at 21 km/h. Tests were conducted with three different styles of shoulder pads (traditional, integrated and tethered) and without shoulder pads for the purpose of control. Head response kinematics for the stationary ATD were measured. Compared to the case of no shoulder pads, the three different pad styles significantly (p < 0.05) reduced peak resultant linear head accelerations of the stationary ATD by 35–56%. The integrated shoulder pads reduced linear head accelerations by an additional 18–21% beyond the other two styles of shoulder pads. The data presented here suggest that shoulder pads can be designed to help protect the head of the struck player in a shoulder-to-head check.     

The Limerick Reading Initiative: a reading intervention targeted at struggling readers in primary school

In this study we examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention targeting a group of 24 struggling readers in ten primary schools in Ireland. The intervention consisted of two components; component one consisted of 15‐20 minutes delivery of the Toe‐by‐Toe programme (a well established systematic synthetic phonics programme) and the second component consisted of 15‐20 minutes guided oral reading using levelled texts. Using standardised measures of word reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, word attack skills and spelling, we found that after five months of the intervention, the majority of the pupils made significant improvements in reading and reading fluency. The reading comprehension improvements were more varied with almost a quarter of participants showing remarkable progress, while the remainder recorded considerably less impressive gains. These results are very encouraging for classroom practitioners and demonstrate that research validated approaches can help at‐risk readers close the gap with their typically developing peers.     

A PUPIL WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES PERSPECTIVE: DOES JOHN FEEL THAT HIS BEHAVIOUR IS AFFECTING HIS LEARNING?

This paper has been written from the perspective of John, a year 9 pupil with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The intention of the research was to gain a clearer understanding of the factors affecting John's behaviour, and consequently, his learning. The research indicates that it is primarily the breakdown of the teacher‐pupil relationship that affects John's behaviour. Other factors include his need to communicate with peers and his poor concentration span. The research demonstrates the importance of gaining pupil perception and acting on this information when differentiating in the learning environment to include pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.     

Suggestions for staff development in teaching critical thinking

Trends towards the devolution of responsibility for decision‐making to the school level are evident in education systems throughout the world. Underpinning policies of devolution are assumptions that school communities will work collaboratively to make decisions appropriate to the local context. However, collaborative processes do not occur automatically. In this paper, a case study of one school committee is presented to outline the processes used and to highlight the difficulties experienced in working collaboratively to develop a school behaviour management policy.     

Teachers' Instructional Use of Summative Student Assessment Data

This study examines the extent to which classroom teachers self-report using summative assessment data in formative ways to shape instruction. A Web-based survey was administered to elementary, middle, and high school teachers in a large, suburban school district in central Virginia. Teachers reported administering a variety of summative assessments with varying frequency, and analyzing data at the aggregate level, most often using central tendency statistics. Useful methods for disaggregating data by content standards or student subgroups were not as frequently reported. Regardless of the methods of data analysis, a majority of teachers reported using assessment results to evaluate their instructional practice and make adjustments to support student learning. The results suggest, however, that teachers engaged in a cursory analysis of student performance fairly regularly but conduct more in-depth analyses less often. The study raises questions about how teachers can effectively use summative data for instructional purposes.     

General psychiatric management: An evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder in the college setting

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent psychiatric illness that often first presents at college. If left untreated, BPD can lead to severe disability or fatality. While multiple evidence-based treatments for BPD exist, most are resource intensive and, therefore, difficult to implement at the typical college mental health center. However, general psychiatric management (GPM) is an evidence-based intervention for BPD that can be flexibly implemented in nonspecialized, resource-constrained environments. This principle-driven alternative to more intensive BPD-focused treatments provides a practical framework for treating college students with BPD. The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to the techniques of GPM within the college mental health setting. With a case vignette, we illustrate how GPM techniques might be brought to bear on such a treatment.