Item-Level Comparative Analysis of Online and Paper Administrations of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

This article describes a comparative study conducted at the item level for paper and online administrations of a statewide high stakes assessment. The goal was to identify characteristics of items that may have contributed to mode effects. Item-level analyses compared two modes of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for up to four subjects at two grade levels. The analyses included significance tests of p-value differences, DIF, and response distributions for each item. Additional analyses investigated item position effects and objective-level mode differences. No evidence of item position effects emerged, but significant differences were found for several items and objectives in all subjects at grade 8 and in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) at grade 11. Differences generally favored the paper group. ELA items that were longer in passage length and math items that required graphing and geometric manipulations or involved scrolling in the online administration tended to be the items showing mode differences.     

The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent reading in a transparent orthography

The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent second grade reading in Finnish, a transparent orthography, was assessed by lexical decision and naming tasks. Typical readers did not show reliable word length effects in lexical decision, suggesting establishment of parallel letter processing. However, there were small effects of word syllable structure in both tasks suggesting the presence of some sublexical processing also. Dysfluent readers showed large word length effects in both tasks indicating decoding at the letter-phoneme level. When lexical access was required in a lexical decision task, dyslexics additionally chunked the letters into syllables. Response duration measure revealed that dysfluent readers even sounded out the words in phoneme-by-phoneme fashion, depending on the task difficulty. This letter-by-letter decoding is enabled by the transparent orthography and promoted by Finnish reading education.     

An investigation of factors involved when educational psychologists supervise other professionals

Inter-professional supervision combines the social processes of supervision and multi-agency working: both complex and often poorly understood processes. This paper discusses the first author’s research of inter-professional supervision, involving an educational psychologist (EP) supervising another professional and complements the recently published guidelines on professional supervision produced by the Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP). The research involved 10 semi-structured interviews with six EPs (supervisors) and four other professionals (supervisees) recruited through purposive sampling. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Research findings suggested that inter-professional supervision was viewed positively. However, participants had a patchy experience of the contracting aspects of supervision and some talked of conflicting conceptualisations of supervision placing a strain on the supervisory relationship. Conclusions reflect the need to view supervision as a process enacted within multiple contexts which impact upon supervision in important ways.     

Young People's Voluntary and Campaigning Activities as Sources of Political Education

The article begins by examining the predominant image of young people today as alienated, apathetic, and uninvolved in their communities. It is argued that any debate about participation and politics should consider young people's involvement in voluntary and campaigning activities. Using data from a study of 1160 14-16 year-olds, it is shown that a considerable number of young people are involved in volunteering and campaigning, and also that these activities are influenced by gender, ethnicity, locality and the family. The article then explores the ways in which participation in volunteering and campaigning can promote the development of young people's political knowledge, awareness and understanding. It is demonstrated that involvement in these activities affects young people's political development in five ways, specifically in developing an understanding of the needs of different groups in society; a sense of influence over political and social events; a growing sense of party political differences and voting intent; reflection on social structures and processes; and acquiring skills useful in political campaigning. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

Validation of the Attitude-Older Adult and Aging-Visual Analogue Scales (At-O-A)

ABSTRACT

Occupational therapy programs have been developed in order to promote health in older adults. However, no published studies have yet been identified for the Spanish population. This study explores the benefits of an occupational therapy health promotion program called EnvejeHaciendo (AgeDoing). The study was conducted with 15 elderly Spanish adults, examining health perception and meaningful occupational participation using the Model of Human Occupation, as well as the pedagogical methodology See, Judge, Act. The results showed an increase in the perception of health with reference to social functioning and the number of roles in which the participants wanted to get involved in the future. The participants changed their own negative perception of elderly people, they adapted to the changes provoked by aging, and they got involved in meaningful activities such as physical exercise or social activities. This program allowed participants to engage in meaningful occupations with other people and to increase perceived health status through raising awareness of difficulties.     

Factors Contributing to Readmission of Seniors into Acute Care Hospitals

Medicare spending is expected to increase by 79% between the years 2010 and 2020, caused, in-part, by hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge. This study identified factors contributing to hospital readmissions in a midwest heath service area (HSA), using Coleman's Transition Care Model as the theoretical framework. The researchers analyzed data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and findings from a survey of seniors and a focus group of health professionals. The targeted HSA had a lower overall readmission rate than the national average, yet higher for surgical discharges in particular. Analysis of survey and focus data showed that factors centered around the area of patient-provider and provider-provider communication processes, patient adherence, and health literacy. The study's convenience sample limits its generalizability. However, findings are consistent with the theoretical framework and past research, demonstrating that the solution to the rising health care costs may be less high tech or pharmaceutical interventions per se but more fundamental communication among providers as well as with patients and caregivers.     

Sexuality education in New Zealand: a policy for social justice?

In 2015, the New Zealand Ministry of Education released a new curriculum policy document for sexuality education in all schools – Sexuality Education: A Guide for Boards of Trustees, Principals and Teachers. This policy is a rare international example of a curriculum document that explicitly values diversity, promotes inclusive school environments, and approaches sexuality education as an area of study (rather than a health promotion intervention). Since its release, the document has, however, gained little attention either of a scholarly nature or in terms of dedicated implementation in schools. One exception is a recent article in this journal by Sarah Garland-Levett, which raises some interesting and important concerns about the possibilities of such policy documents. I follow her lead here and continue the discussion about the place and potential of progressive sexuality education policy, and offer some thoughts about the content and intentions of this text.     

A Good Death – Can the Concept Be Applied to Anatomy?

The importance of patient-centered decisions is embedded throughout clinical practice. The principle that the patient is at the center of all decisions has helped form the contemporary approach to death and dying. The concept of a “good death” will naturally mean different things to different individuals, but is based on the foundation of being pain free, comfortable, and able to make informed decisions. Potential donors are faced with many personal, ethical, and often spiritual considerations when they come to think about their wishes after death. One consideration is that of a “good death.” This article explores how the concept of a “good death” may be applied to anatomy. Where first-person consent is in place, the motivating factors frequently include the wish for others to learn from the donation, and this notion may form part of the “good death” for the donor. Such motivations may impact positively on how students feel about dissecting and may provide comfort, assuaging feelings of discomfort, and allowing students to focus on anatomical learning. For donors where second-person consent is in place, the concept of a “good death” must depend on whether the individual wanted to donate their body in the first instance. The notion of a “bad death” may also be considered with body donation where no consent for donation is in place. This article proposes that there is ultimately a place for the concept that a “good death” may involve an individual donating their body to medical education.