The development of the Khmer acculturation scale

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a multidimensional, culture-specific acculturation measure, the Khmer acculturation scale (KAS), for use with Cambodians living in the United States. The KAS development was guided by Berry's [W. H. Holtzman, T. Z. Bornemann (Eds.), (1990) Mental health of immigrants and refugees, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Austin, TX, pp. 90–102] framework and involved two studies. The first study involved the derivation of 130 questionnaire items and demonstration of content validity using 22 expert informants and judges, relevant literature on Cambodian and American cultures, and existing acculturation scales that had been developed for other ethnic groups. Items were created for two KAS subscales written in both English and Khmer, the Khmer orientation scale (KOS) and Anglo-American orientation scale (AOS). The second study inspected reliability and validity of KAS scores obtained from 410 Cambodian participants living in nine states. The two subscales were reduced in length via factor analyses and were found to have high internal consistency and stability reliability. Criterion validity was supported by a modest significant correlation between the KAS and scores on the Suinn–Lew Asian self-identity acculturation scale [Suinn, Rikard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, Educ. Psychol. Meas. 47 (1987) 401]. Construct validity evidence for the KAS was indicated by its factor structure and support for the following predictions derived from Berry's acculturation framework: (1) Those who were in the higher SES and educational levels, of a younger generation, and employed were more acculturated compared to their counterparts; (2) Lower psychological distress as measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 [Mollica, Wyshak, de Marneffe, Khuon, & Lavelle, Am. J. Psych. 144(4) (1987b) 497] was associated with greater acculturation; (3) Those who acculturate in the integration mode, on average, scored in the normal range on the HSCL-25, while those in the separation mode scored, on average, in the clinical range.     

Introduction

No abstract available for this article.     

Starting From Ground Zero: Establishing a Collection for a New Doctoral Program

This article reports a librarian's collection development efforts to support her institution's first independent doctoral degree (Ed.D., Educational Leadership) via a citation analysis comparing information usage by education doctorate dissertation authors from six peer institutions nationally. This analysis is part of a long-term examination of library collection use among California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) doctoral students. Key findings include the relative young age among the information resources in educational leadership, which resource formats were cited, what serial titles were cited the most, and where they are available electronically. The ultimate aim is the creation of an essential collection in the subject discipline.     

Primary School Headship: A Response

While recognising the limitations of published government ‘league tables’ as an appropriate method of comparing the relative effectiveness of schools, an analysis of the data they provided on the 1992 examination results notes the apparent success of Catholic schools. A summary of some of the limited available research evidence on Catholic school effectiveness is given and the suggestion made that a rigorous study of their organisation and ethos could provide knowledge of value for improving the effectiveness of all schools.     

Five Years after Implementation: The Role of the District in Maintaining an Ongoing School Improvement Process

The longitudinal study reported here provides insight into the role of the school district in implementing and maintaining the essential elements of a nine‐year statewide improvement project called SPUR five years after the termination of state funding and external support. Key to the conceptualization of SPUR were findings from the comprehensive Rand Study (McLaughlin & Marsh, 1978) on successful change efforts emphasizing the importance of implementing an ongoing improvement process. On‐site visits to six districts and a follow‐up survey of all 66 participating school districts were used to determine maintenance of the process, factors facilitating/impeding maintenance, and long‐term benefits. Results suggest that SPUR represents a viable improvement process that can be implemented and maintained in districts and schools with positive outcomes. Individual and organizational efficacy as well as an increased capacity for change and innovation were found to be directly related to the level of district maintenance and support.     

Still flies in buttermilk: black male faculty,critical race theory,and composite counterstorytelling

Driven by critical race theory, this essay employs composite counterstorytelling to narrate the experiences of black male faculty on traditionally white campuses. Situated at the intersections of race and gender, our composite counterstory is richly informed by 11 interviews with black male faculty alongside critical race scholarship that documents the omnipresence of black misandric ideology. Through our protagonist Dr Timesnow, a black male Assistant Professor, we reflect on how his daily experiences incite racial battle fatigue, feed into imposter syndrome, and circumvent an inclusive campus community.     

Ebony in the Ivory Tower: Examining Trends in the Socioeconomic Status,Achievement, and Self-Concept of Black,Male Freshmen

Despite the educational challenges African American males face, there is a sizeable population successfully finishing high school and entering college. This study provides an overview of how a national sample of black male freshmen embodied the cognitive, social, and institutional factors related to college access between 1971 and 2004. Data reveal that black, male freshmen today have more affluent family backgrounds, better academic records, and greater confidence in their skills and abilities than their peers who entered college in earlier decades. Trends indicate that men with lower incomes, less confidence, and less ideal academic records are increasingly unlikely to be present on college campuses.