Katrina and the Schools of Mississippi: An Examination of Emergency and Disaster Preparedness

Faculty members from the University of Southern Mississippi conducted extensive research into emergency planning and disaster preparedness in P–12 schools in Mississippi before and after Hurricane Katrina. Findings disclosed that although few schools had no crisis management plans, a significant number that had emergency plans did not include provisions for large-scale disasters. Many schools had outdated plans. Respondents rated the effectiveness of crisis management plans in relation to Hurricane Katrina. The most highly rated features included the roles played by school leaders, the effectiveness of the administrative “chain of command,” and interpreting the storm's impact to the media. The most frequently cited areas of inadequacy included communication channels for administration, staff, and parents; dealing with electrical, fuel, and other energy needs; and the inability to operate independently for a sustained period of time in the wake of the storm. Study participants made policy and action recommendations to strengthen emergency planning and disaster preparation that were analyzed and reported by the researchers.     

An Exploratory Study of the Influence of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program on African American Young Men in Southeastern North Carolina

This is a qualitative study of how the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program influenced 9 African American young men in southeastern North Carolina. To understand the impact of the program, a cross-section of current and past AVID participants were interviewed. The African American male students were asked about their attitudes toward education and how AVID influenced them socially and academically. Four themes that emerged from the data were: (a) Supportive, family-like relationships are built within the AVID classroom; (b) the students strive to do better academically; (c) specific AVID methodologies improve student achievement in preparation for college; and (d) AVID positively affects student attitudes toward education. These themes are discussed in relation to the literature. Finally, we suggest how this research might inform future studies.     

A critical reflection on using food as learning materials

Abstract

As early childhood teacher educators, we are thoroughly immersed in conversations about developmentally appropriate practice. Whether teachers should incorporate the use of food as learning materials is a case in point. As with many other concerns we ponder in our field, our task must be to define, clarify, and consider multiple perspectives in the pursuit of a rational justification of our position. In this paper we report the results of our careful review of theory and research that leads us to propose that using food as art material violates principles of best practice for three main reasons, because it: (1) teaches young children that it is acceptable to eat play materials and to play with food, (2) teaches young children that it is acceptable practice to waste limited resources, (3) violates many premises of multicultural education, or teaching children about diverse ethnic groups.     

Are boys victims of feminism in schools? Some answers from Australia

This paper attends to some of the issues surrounding the controversial topic of the education of boys in Australian schools. It particularly focuses upon two questions: ‘Are boys victims of feminism in schools?’ and ‘Are boys victims of their emotions?’ In answering both questions, the authors draw from empirical studies that enquire into gender reform in schools and girls’ and boys’ responses to it. Generally, the paper makes the case for a pedagogy of the emotions in the context of gender education in schools.     

Psycho-physical theatre practice as embodied learning for young people with learning disabilities

In a dominant Western tradition that reveres cerebral learning, embodied learning approaches have received limited research attention – and less in education than other disciplines. This paper draws on previously reported empirical data from a five-year Creative Partnerships study to argue that psycho-physical theatre practice can promote embodied cognition, has particular value for young people with learning disabilities in special schools and has potential for inclusive education in mainstream schools. The paper describes a psycho-physical actor training process developed with, and for, actors with learning disabilities. Its application within special educational contexts, which we call ‘mimetics’, has focused more keenly upon physicalised interaction as the core communication. In this form of communication, reading, interpreting and responding to the individuality of others happen through the development of non-verbal dialogue. This focus has illuminated the importance of an intuited or ‘felt’ understanding which is generated by and recognises such communications. In special education settings, being different is inherent, and physicalised interaction more routine, so ways of working different from the mainstream are required. The paper suggests that such settings are rich sites for research to develop, value and recognise the significance of embodied cognition and realise its potential for special and inclusive education.     

Keeping our teachers! Investigating mentoring practices to support and retain novice educators

For this study the researchers used data from the 2006 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey to investigate the possible relationship between mentoring and intentionality with respect to beginning teachers’ intentions to remain in the profession. The sample consists of 8838 teachers who were mentored during their first two years of teaching. To determine whether the quality of mentoring is related to teachers’ intentions to stay or leave the profession, mentor matching, degree of support, and frequency of interactions were variables examined. Beginning teachers who were matched by grade level, who received assistance with the supports investigated, and who met with mentors at least once monthly for the specified activities were more likely to commit to remaining in the profession than their peers who had received less support.     

Knowledge of secondary school pupils regarding sexual health education

Objective: To assess the sexual health knowledge of secondary school pupils in order to ascertain whether the current government public health and education policies are having any impact on pupils' sexual health.

Design: Results obtained from a questionnaire as part of a two‐phase intervention study.

Setting: Nineteen mixed‐sex, state secondary schools in central England.

Participants: Year 8 pupils (350 male, 345 female), year 9 pupils (300 male, 325 female) and year 10 pupils (310 male, 329 female).

Intervention: A questionnaire survey to assess the knowledge of pupils' sexual health education.

Main outcome measures: Questionnaires distributed to pupils as baseline to assess their knowledge of sexual health, contraception and sexually transmitted infections.

Results: Sexual health knowledge improves with age. A significant difference across all age groups was found, although knowledge regarding sexually transmitted infections and emergency contraception is poor for all age groups.

Conclusions: Current sexual health education provision is not providing young people with adequate knowledge regarding sexual health and contraception.     

Television performance in Indonesia: steering between civil society,state and market

This article looks at the television landscape in Indonesia that has undergone a major transformation in recent decades. As one of the ‘Asian Tigers,’ Indonesia introduced commercial television in two waves between 1989 and 2002 as a complement to the traditional state broadcaster, TVRI. During the Reformasi movement, commercial TV stations contributed to the emerging civil society in the period 1998–2000 by supporting the movement for democratic reform that led to the resignation of President Suharto. An assessment of the current Indonesian television scene shows that most commercial TV stations, after a short coalition with civil society, went ‘back to business’ again in the context of a relatively young but highly competitive Indonesian market.