Under the microscope: A study of schools in special measures and a comparison with general characteristics of primary school improvement

This paper considers the process of being in special measures and looks at the experiences that teachers in five primary schools encountered. It also endeavours to establish links with generally accepted characteristics of school improvement as identified in previous research on sustained primary school improvement and school improvement in general.     

A ‘whole-school/community development’ approach to preventing and countering bullying: the Erris Anti-Bullying Initiative (2009–2011)

This paper describes how a ‘whole-school/community development’ anti-bullying programme was designed, implemented and evaluated in an initiative in Erris, Co. Mayo, Ireland, involving local primary and post-primary schools and community groups. Students from seven participating schools (five primary, two post-primary) completed modified versions of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire both prior to and following programme implementation. Thereafter, there were reductions in students' reports of involvement in bully/victim problems and increases in their reports of feelings about bullying and countering bullying that were consistent with an anti-bullying ethos. The sizes of these effects were modest, in some cases perhaps due to the significantly low incidence of students' involvement in bully/victim problems prior to the programme. This model is in continued use in Erris, and in its further development it is intended to seek out opportunities to implement and evaluate it in other locations.     

Intellectual capital or signal? The effects of scientists on alliance formation in knowledge-intensive industries

Hiring employees with advanced education, training, and experience has been a prevalent human resource practice in dynamic science-based industries, and a growing body of literature has demonstrated the importance of scientists in such fields. Little research has attempted to distinguish the functional from the symbolic roles of scientists, however. We develop an integrative theoretical framework to separate the productive and legitimating effects of scientists on strategic alliance formation of firms. Results from a longitudinal analysis of more than 300 U.S. biotechnology firms between 1988 and 1999 suggest a positive relationship between ratio of scientists and R&D alliance partners as well as a positive relationship with finance alliance partners. Scientists influence partner attraction more strongly for firms that are less-well-connected, and they become less prominent in fostering finance ties as the industry practice of partnership becomes more institutionalized. We conclude that scientists serve more than just a research function in knowledge-intensive industries. Implications for building interorganizational networks and managing human resources in such industries are discussed.     

Patterns of response to an approaches to studying inventory across contrasting groups and contexts

The development of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) is reported, which incorporates a revised version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory. This questionnaire was completed by three separate samples; 1284 mainly first-year students from six British universities, 466 first-year students from a Scottish technological university; and 219 students from a ‘historically disadvantaged” South African university. Analyses of these data were designed to explore the patterns of response found in sub-groups which varied in terms of their levels of attainment and contexts. Maximum likelihood analysis of the largest sample confirmed the expected three factors of deep, surface apathetic, and strategic approaches to studying, and almost identical patterns were also found in the other two samples, and in students having contrasting levels of attainment. There were, however, some interesting minor differences in the South African sample. K-means relocation cluster analysis was then carried out on the largest sample and produced clusters with generally coherent patterns of response. However, one persistent low attainment cluster showed unexpected, dissonant patterns of response, combining moderately high scores on the sub-scales of both deep and surface apathetic approaches, associated with low scores on the strategic approach.     

Numeracy encounters in a book bag: Meeting the NCTM standards

Four first grades engaged in diverse numeracy encounters using children’s literature bags. This home-school project involved child and family in interactive math learning.     

Visual presentations to parents

Visual presentations to parents are useful in building positive pathways to home and school communication. Parental concerns and demands are prevalent and persistent. Parents are expressing loud and clear their desire to be involved.Rose Merenda has taught four and five year olds for twenty years and recently received a grant to study parental communication. Joan Bloom, first grade encourages parental participation in her classroom. Ann J. DiOrio directs the Growing Child School in Narragansett, R.I. All are Assistant Professors at the Henry Barnard Laboratory School, Rhode Island College.     

The individualized bachelor's degree: Some reconsiderations

This paper involves an examination of the implications of the movement to individualize the curriculum in higher education. It explores the background and basic premises of the movement and then examines the realities and problems of one program. In particular the nature of contract education is explored. It concludes that individualization promised more than could be delivered and that some of the basic premises need to be questioned.     

You are my sunshine: A thematic unit for early childhood

Sun-sational experiences for young children abound as late spring, early summer days brighten how together we look at the world around. Some ideas may also be appropriate to include in a Things-to-do-over-the-summer newsletter to parents.Rose C. Merenda is Associate Professor at the Henry Barnard School, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI