Qualitative Investigation of RtI Coaches Roles,Responsibilities, and Experiences Supporting Schools Participating in a State Level RtI Implementation Project

ABSTRACT

Systems coaching is a professional development approach focusing on the implementation fidelity of evidence-based practices and whole school reform efforts such as Response to Intervention (RtI). However, the roles, responsibilities, and supports required by systems coaches, and how the work of those tasked with facilitating capacity for RtI implementation manifests within complex and multifaceted school environments remains unclear. The purpose of the current exploratory study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives and experiences related to RtI implementation to illustrate systems coaching in context. Ten coaches providing job-embedded support for RtI implementation across 34 schools in one state participated in semi-structured interviews. A constant-comparative and matrix analysis approach was used to generate codes and themes. Results indicated systems coaches experience a number of systemic and contextually dependent facilitators and barriers to their work, providing implications for RtI coaches’ preparation, ongoing support, and current practices, as well as directions for future research.     

An investigation of trauma-centered inpatient treatment for adult survivors of abuse

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine a comprehensive inpatient treatment program designed for adult survivors of childhood abuse with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: One hundred and thirty-two formerly abused individuals completed clinician-administered and self-administered measures of PTSD symptomatology at admission and discharge. All participants experienced a range of physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse as children prior to the age of 17. Approximately one-third of these individuals also completed measures at 3-months postdischarge and 1-year postdischarge. Data were collected using a clinician-administered PTSD measure and self-administered PTSD measure at admission and discharge. On admission, all participants met criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that the program was effective in reducing symptoms from admission to discharge. Additionally, treatment gains were maintained at 1-year postdischarge. CONCLUSION: The findings of this investigation suggest that the current intensive inpatient group treatment program appears to reduce PTSD symptoms effectively for a sample of adult survivors of abuse.     

The significance of circumstances for college students' ratings of their teachers and courses

Although firm generalizations and conclusions cannot yet be drawn from the extant research on the effects on teacher and course ratings of the circumstances surrounding these evaluations, at least some studies have shown that college students' ratings of their teachers and courses are somewhat higher when students remain anonymous rather than identifying themselves, when the purported use of the ratings is an official or administrative one for use in salary, promotion, or tenure considerations rather than otherwise, and when the instructor is present rather than absent during the rating session. (The differences between each of these contrasted circumstances are usually rather small and do not inevitably appear across studies.) Certain variations in rating format have been found to make a difference in the ratings obtained, whereas other have not. From limited evidence, the exact timing (or occasion) of evaluation appears not to be important to ratings. Variability in sampling procedures, as it affects the composition of students available to complete rating forms, may or may not turn out to be a generally important element in ratings (as directly relevant data are collected). The analysis concludes with a discussion of (1) the presumed bias in ratings produced in certain of the rating conditions and (2) the more general issue of the comparability of ratings made in different circumstances of evaluation.     

Interpersonal behaviour in senior high school biology classes

This article describes the first use of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction in senior biology classes and describes students' perceptions of their interpersonal relationships with their teachers in the classroom environment. The article also describes associations between students' perceptions of interpersonal relationships with their teachers and student outcomes. The study confirmed the reliability and validity of the QTI when used in senior secondary biology classes. Generally, the dimensions of the QTI were found to be significantly associated with student attitude scores. In particular, students' attitude scores were higher in classrooms in which students perceived greater leadership, helpful/friendly, and understanding behaviours in their teachers.     

Chemistry concepts and group cognitive structure: A study of undergraduate nursing students

The long term aim of this study is to document changes in the nature and level of conceptual understanding revealed by a cohort of undergraduate nursing students. The outcome of such a study may be used in future review and redesign processes by curriculum planners. Conceptual understanding of physiology and pharmacology, areas which are central to nursing studies depends, in turn, on an understanding of certain chemical concepts. This paper describes the group cognitive structure of 60 first year preservice nursing students, with respect to 21 basic chemistry concepts. Group cognitive structure is represented by non-metric multidimensional scaling of data obtained from individual concept maps prepared by students. The impact of prior studies in chemistry on the level of understanding revealed is discussed. Specializations: Cognition and science education, behavioural ecology and ethology.     

Student-environment interaction in the development of physical symptoms

This study identifies personal characteristics which distinguish university students who conform to living group norms in complaints of physical symptoms from those who do not. Discriminant function analyses indicated significant differences between these two groups of students, and between males and females. For example, low-symptom females living in high-symptom living groups who did not themselves increase in symptoms (environmental resisters) were higher in dominance and religious concern and lower in social participation than those who increased in symptoms. For males, important discriminators between conformers and resisters were academic achievement and alcohol consumption. Further specification of psychological variables which relate to the degree of conformity or resistance to environmental influence is central to understanding the impact of educational settings such as student living groups and classrooms.     

Students' understanding of concepts related to plant growth

This paper reports on an investigation into students' understanding of the concept of plant growth. There are three aspects to the research. First, responses of Australian primary students to questions concerning plant growth are compared with those identified in British research (Russell & Watt, 1990). Second, the answers of secondary students, Year 7-Year 12, to questions concerning plant growth were analysed and common categories of responses were identified. Finally, the response categories were considered within the framework offered by the SOLO Taxonomy of Biggs and Collis (1982, 1991). In particular, interest was focused on whether the findings of an earlier study (Levins, 1992) in which cycles of development in the understandings of the concept of evaporation were established, might be observed in the concept of plant growth. Specializations secondary science curriculum, biology and chemistry teacher education. Specializations secondary mathematics curriculum topics, the SOLO Taxonomy, student cognitive growth.     

Types of educational leadership in a postindustrial society

As school improvement efforts shift to emphasis on restructuring, the types of leadership required to effectively develop new patterns of shool structure and relationships also are being questioned. This discussion examines transactional, transformational, cultural, and critical types of leadership, compared on the dimensions of the roles of formal school leaders, the roles of teachers and other school staff, and the value system of leadership (which would include the goals and purpose of leadership and perceptions of the standards by which performance will be evaluated). Critical leadership is suggested to be the most promising approach through combining the pursuit of democratic value with explicit examination of structural and cultural dimensions of school organization.     

Hannah Arendt über die Krise in der Erziehung — Wiedergelesen

In dem vorliegenden Text wird Hannah Arendts Aufsatz über die Krise in der Erziehung vor dem Hintergrund ihres Werks Vita activa oder Vom t?tigen Leben re-interpretiert. Im Ausgang von ihrem Begriff der Natalit?t wird zun?chst Arendts kritische Auseinandersetzung mit der „progressive education“ skizziert. Es zeigt sich, dass ihre Typologie der menschlichen T?tigkeiten, die sie in Vita activa entwickelt, für ihre Kritik der Erziehung ebenso ma?geblich ist wie ihre Dichotomie des Privaten und ?ffentlichen. Eine Folge dieser Bestimmungen ist einerseits ihre Beziehung des Neuen, das mit jedem Kind in die Welt kommt, auf die politische Praxis in Freiheit; andererseits verortet sie das Aufwachsen der Kinder ausschlie?lich in der Sph?re des Privaten und Pr?-Politischen. Insbesondere Arendts aristotelisch inspirierte Konzeption des Handelns, aber auch ihr r?misch bestimmter Begriff der Tradition führen zu Unstimmigkeiten im Rahmen ihrer eigenen Theorie. Es stellt sich die Frage, ob die Kategorie der Natalit?t nicht eher eine politische Kategorie ist als eine p?dagogische.