Cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood teacher preparation: The impact of contextual characteristics on coursework and practica

The population of children in early childhood settings is becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse, and these changes in demographics have warranted teachers becoming more culturally responsive and better prepared to work with diverse young children and families. Teacher preparation programs across the nation have responded differently to this critical issue, in part because of the different contexts in which they exist. Analyses were conducted using data from the National Prekindergarten Center’s (NPC) National Study of Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs and the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Integrated Post-Secondary Education Dataset (IPEDS). Geographical, program, and institutional characteristics were analyzed from a sample of 416 Bachelor’s degree programs to determine how these variables were associated with the amount of diversity content and experience required in teacher preparation programs. Results indicated that the presence of non-White full-time faculty was positively related to more required coursework focused on working with children and families from culturally diverse backgrounds, while degree of urbanization, governance of institutions, and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accreditation were associated with required coursework focused on working with bilingual children and English language learners. The percentage of the non-Hispanic White population in a state and geographic region were both associated with practica requirements focused on working with bilingual children and English language learners. Implications and recommendations for policy, future research, and early childhood teacher preparation are discussed.     

Hierarchical Models of Social Competence in Preschool Children: A Multisite,Multinational Study

The generality of a multilevel factorial model of social competence (SC) for preschool children was tested in a 5‐group, multinational sample (N = 1,540) using confirmatory factor analysis. The model fits the observed data well, and tests constraining paths for measured variables to their respective first‐order factors across samples also fit well. Equivalence of measurement models was found at sample and sex within‐sample levels but not for age within sample. In 2 groups, teachers’ ratings were examined as correlates of SC indicators. Composites of SC indicators were significantly associated with both positive and negative child attributes from the teachers’ ratings. The findings contribute to understanding of both methodological and substantive issues concerning SC in young children.     

“Spinning Themselves into Poetry”: Images of Urban Adolescent Writers in Two Novels for Young Adults

In contrast to the educational research and policy literature depicting urban adolescents as reluctant and struggling readers and writers, young people in recent young adult novels claim writing as an efficacious practice for self-discovery and social understanding. Analysis of the images of writers and writing in Locomotion and Call Me María provide insights into both urban adolescents and literacies as social practices. Framed by New Literacy Studies, analysis of the novels finds that the characters use writing to document and process life-altering events; to seek meaning and inspiration in their surroundings; to resist ascribed identities; and to search for a sense of belonging in the sociopolitical landscape in which they are often marginalized due to their race, gender, youth, and/or language. This article argues that the novels humanize and dramatize adolescent literacies in ways that test results and crisis language often disguise and distort.     

Non-accidental head injury in New Zealand: The outcome of referral to statutory authorities

ObjectivesTo describe the outcome of referral to the statutory authorities for infants under 2 years with non-accidental head injury (NAHI), and to establish whether the authorities held sufficient information to develop a risk profile for these cases.MethodsRetrospective review of cases admitted to hospital in Auckland, New Zealand from 1988 to 1998. Records from the hospital admission, child protective services and Police were reviewed, up to 19 years from diagnosis.ResultsOf 39 infants, 33 survived to leave hospital. Documentation of risk factors was erratic, and sometimes incongruent between agencies. Inter-agency case conferences took place in 17/39 (44%). The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (CYF) used an informal family agreement to secure safety in 15/33 survivors (45%). Family Group Conferences occurred in 17/33 (52%). Nine of 33 were placed permanently outside the home (27%), two (6%) with unrelated caregivers. Charges were laid in 18/39 cases (46%). Fifteen cases came to trial, with 14 convictions (36%). Of the survivors, 44% were later renotified to CYF. There was no obvious relationship between type of intervention and re-notification.ConclusionsEnsuring the safety of an infant with NAHI, and identifying and taking appropriate action with regard to the offender, are complex tasks. In New Zealand, data collection is often incomplete and inter-agency practice and collaboration is variable. Although the rate of prosecution was relatively high by international standards, many children were later notified again for further concerns of abuse or neglect, suggesting that our interventions have been only partially successful.Practice implicationsThis paper suggests that all infants admitted to hospital with non-accidental head injury should become part of a prospective inter-agency research study, using a standardised data collection instrument. This should include the systematic collection of all data known or suspected to be associated with risk of child abuse, and incorporate long-term prospective follow-up, regardless of child protective or legal outcomes. Without large numbers followed prospectively and according to sound methodology, it is difficult to prove which forms of intervention are better than others at reducing the risk of further abuse.     

Using the Principles of BIO2010 to Develop an Introductory,Interdisciplinary Course for Biology Students

Modern biological sciences require practitioners to have increasing levels of knowledge, competence, and skills in mathematics and programming. A recent review of the science curriculum at the University of Queensland, a large, research-intensive institution in Australia, resulted in the development of a more quantitatively rigorous undergraduate program. Inspired by the National Research Council''s BIO2010 report, a new interdisciplinary first-year course (SCIE1000) was created, incorporating mathematics and computer programming in the context of modern science. In this study, the perceptions of biological science students enrolled in SCIE1000 in 2008 and 2009 are measured. Analysis indicates that, as a result of taking SCIE1000, biological science students gained a positive appreciation of the importance of mathematics in their discipline. However, the data revealed that SCIE1000 did not contribute positively to gains in appreciation for computing and only slightly influenced students'' motivation to enroll in upper-level quantitative-based courses. Further comparisons between 2008 and 2009 demonstrated the positive effect of using genuine, real-world contexts to enhance student perceptions toward the relevance of mathematics. The results support the recommendation from BIO2010 that mathematics should be introduced to biology students in first-year courses using real-world examples, while challenging the benefits of introducing programming in first-year courses.     

Perceived Effects of Scholarships on STEM Majors’ Commitment to Teaching in High Need Schools

This study examines the Noyce Program, which provides scholarships for STEM majors in return for teaching in high need schools. The perceptions of 555 scholarship recipients were investigated using hierarchical cluster analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch analysis to determine how the scholarship influenced their commitments to teaching in high need schools. The analyses indicated that recipients perceived the scholarship in two ways: it influenced their commitment to complete their certification program and to teach in high need schools. Implications for teacher education programs include that recruitment strategies should identify candidates who are committed to teaching in high need schools and programs should provide experiences to encourage this commitment not just to become certified.     

Practicing masterful performance technology: Classic symphony or modern jazz

Senior performance technologists often take on real societal challenges, with enormous multilevel needs and minuscule funding. Front‐end assessment is conducted under demanding time frames with small teams. Successfully isolating critical gaps and formulating realistic solutions requires a melding of science and art. This article traces the author's journey to blend early military intelligence techniques with classical HPT methods—defining a craft approach to assessment likened to performance technology jazz.     

Early gender test score gaps across OECD countries

The results reported in this paper contribute to the debate about gender skill gaps in at least three ways. First, we document the large differences in early gender gaps across developed countries using a large scale, modern, representative data source. Second, we show that countries with pro-female sorting, countries that place girls in classes with higher than average scores have smaller gender test score gaps, at least in math. Third, we show that the degree of academic tracking is correlated with observed gender gaps across developed countries.     

The tangled roots of real estate markets,the state,and public education

In this article, I use a case study of education in nineteenth-century Oregon to place the twentieth-century phenomenon of ‘shopping for schools’ within a broader historical context. In doing so, I make three points. First, documenting previously unacknowledged links between the spread of public education and efforts to market land, I suggest that education, real estate markets, and the state have deeper and more tangled roots than scholars have imagined. Second, I contend that wrestling with these tangled roots suggests the need for scholars to reexamine the role of private markets in shaping the organisation of educational opportunity across places and time. Third, I argue that histories like Oregon’s demonstrate that ‘state’ and ‘market’ are neither stable nor mutually exclusive categories.     

A Review of Collegiate Recovery Communities and Recommendations for Implementation on a Small Residential Campus

Although the Collegiate Recovery Community is increasingly seen as the treatment modality of choice for students in recovery, relatively few such programs have been established on small residential campuses. In this article we examine the possible reasons for this reluctance and suggest ways in which the standard model for a Collegiate Recovery Community, as represented by its three benchmark programs, can be modified and adapted to better fit the small residential campus environment. We summarize the problem and review the concept of a Collegiate Recovery Community, and we then explain and recommend 1) a bottom-up initiative for planning and 2) scaled-down resource demand and utilization. We provide a 5-point plan for a “bottom-up, scaled-down” Collegiate Recovery Community on a small residential campus.