Raising the standard: contradictions in the theory of student-teacher learning

This article offers a critical examination of the use of teachers’ standards for student-teachers in teacher education in England. Using an illustrative data example of student-teachers working in a school department setting, benefits of a cultural historical activity theory analysis are forwarded. The example highlights shortcomings in the current education of student-teachers which is in transition owing to changes in English teacher education policy. Focusing heavily on meeting required teachers’ standards, the school teaching practice in the research example does not encourage student-teachers or teachers to develop their understanding of teaching. Neither is the context of the teacher education work taken into account nor personal views of participants. Ways of analysing experiences recognising the influence of schools in affecting the kinds of learning available to student-teachers are needed in England in order to increase understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to school-based teacher education.     

Competencies of postsecondary education personnel serving students with learning disabilities

This paper presents the results of a survey designed to identify the needed competencies of both administrative and direct service personnel in directing and implementing postsecondary support programs for students with learning disabilities. Data were collected from a national sample of 299 practitioners. In addition to information about respondent characteristics, results include ratings for all items on the survey. Competency areas perceived as most desired by learning specialists were assessment skills, cognitive interventions, and instructional skills, while administrative personnel rated management/leadership skills as most desired. Implications for professional development activities are addressed. The need for strengthening linkages between secondary and postsecondary personnel to foster effective transition planning for students with learning disabilities is also explored.     

Peer-Related Personal Experiences of Children with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder With and Without Comorbid Learning Disabilities

This research investigates the peer-related social functioning of 291 children (185 males, 106 females), aged from 8 years to 17 years and 8 months diagnosed with varying Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) subtypes (i.e., Predominantly Inattentive m I, Combined m C) with and without comorbid learning disabilities (LD). All were administered the Interpersonal Relationships Questionnaire which is comprised of six reliable and valid measures: Social Desirability, Interpersonal Difficulties, Social Self-Concept, Social Self-Confidence, Preference for Solitude, and Social Interaction Anxiety. Results revealed that neither Gender, Age, nor Social Desirability were significantly associated with children's self-reports. Pearson correlations demonstrated that the strength and magnitude of associations between self-reports of interpersonal relationships varied according to group status. With the exception of Preference for Solitude, analyses of variance revealed significant differences in self-reports by group, as related to the presence or absence of LD, particularly for the ADHD-C+LD compared to the ADHD-I+LD group. Psychoeducational and clinical implications for understanding the functional and discriminant significance of social impairment among children with varying ADHD subtypes with comorbid LD are discussed in light of these research findings.     

Substance use disorders in young adults with and without LD: predictive and concurrent relationships

This article reports on young people with and without learning disabilities (LD) and substance use disorders (SUD). Participants were assessed for LD at ages 12 and 19 and for SUD and psychiatric disorders at age 19. Participants with LD at ages 12 and 19 were more likely to develop an SUD or a psychiatric disorder compared to participants without consistent LD. Participants with LD at age 19 were more likely to have a concurrent SUD or psychiatric disorder compared to those without LD at age 19, while participants with LD at age 12 showed only a trend toward increased rates of SUD at age 19 when compared to participants without LD at age 12. Participants with and without LD did not differ in substance use, consumption levels, or onset history. In a multivariate model, adolescent LD was associated with a three-fold increased risk for SUD after behavioral problems and family structure had entered the model. Although these results provide some support for the notion that adolescents with LD are at increased risk for SUD, LD also appears to confer a general risk for adverse outcomes.     

Cortisol reactivity is positively related to executive function in preschool children attending head start

This study examined relations among cortisol reactivity and measures of cognitive function and social behavior in 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 169) attending Head Start. Saliva samples for the assay of cortisol were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of an approximately 45-min testing session. Moderate increase in cortisol followed by down-regulation of this increase was positively associated with measures of executive function, self-regulation, and letter knowledge but not with measures of receptive vocabulary, emotion knowledge, or false belief understanding. Regression analysis indicates that executive function accounted for the association between cortisol reactivity and self-regulation and letter knowledge.     

The Role of Pictures in Learning to Read

The one constant aspect of children's books is that they include pictures. It is known that pictures can hinder some aspects of the development of reading skills in young children. Yet, in other ways they may serve a supportive function. The situation is not a simple one since what is seen as unsupportive in one approach to teaching reading may be supportive in another. When and where pictures might provide support is considered.     

Are all part-time faculty underemployed? The influence of faculty status preference on satisfaction and commitment

Utilizing a person–job fit perspective, we examined the job satisfaction and affective commitment of three groups of college faculty (N = 167): full-time faculty, part-time faculty preferring a part-time position (voluntary part-time), and part-time faculty preferring a full-time position (involuntary part-time). Involuntary part-time faculty were least satisfied with salient facets of satisfaction (advancement, compensation, and job security), whereas voluntary part-time faculty and full-time faculty reported similar levels of satisfaction on these facets. No consistent differences in satisfaction by faculty status were found for the majority of the other, less salient facets. The three groups of faculty also reported similar levels of perceived overqualification and affective commitment to the organization. Future directions for research and practice are discussed.     

Hospital‐to‐school transition for children with chronic illness: Meeting the new challenges of an evolving health care system

Chronic illness is common and has a profound impact on the education of affected children. A variety of approaches and programs to facilitate the transition from hospital to school for children with chronic health problems has been described in the literature. Traditional transition plans may no longer be effective because medical service delivery has changed to reduce long‐term hospital stays while increasing outpatient care. As a result, comprehensive hospital‐to‐school transitions increasingly emphasize home and family involvement that includes homebound instruction strategies, flexible school days, using differentiated instructional strategies, increasing child autonomy, and addressing affective issues. This article describes the needs of children with chronic illness, identifies educational programming consistent with the current health care system, and describes current hospital‐to‐school transition plans that integrate systemic needs of schools and health care systems with the needs of children with chronic illness. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.