Varieties of discourse in supervisory conferences

The logic and substance of discourse between university supervisors and student teachers during post-observation supervisory conferences were studied in an elementary student teaching program in the United States. The findings describe these aspects of the discourse in relation to the program's goals and (a) the conceptual levels of supervisors and student teachers, (b) the content area of the lesson under analysis, and (c) the structure of the supervisor's role. Implications of the findings for research, program development, and for the preparation and training of supervisors are discussed.     

“We Keep the Education Goin’ at Home All the Time”: Family Literacy in Low-Income African American Families of Preschoolers

Researchers have examined the impact of family on child literacy among low-income African American families and preschoolers considered to be at risk for not being ready for kindergarten. Quantitative studies identify family-parental variables associated with poorer literacy outcomes, whereas qualitative studies detail family practices that promote child literacy development. Addressing the limitations of social address variables in quantitative research, and the paucity of research on preschoolers in qualitative research, this study examines the home-based literacy practices of 20 low-income, African American families with preschoolers in Head Start transitioning to kindergarten. Using qualitative interviews informed by a resilience framework, we found that home-based literacy activities were carried out within teams of diverse kin who worked together to promote children's school readiness. Family literacy teams expanded the literacy resources available to preschoolers, providing a rich literacy environment for children's development. These findings contribute to our substantive understanding of literacy practices within low-income African American families, resilience theory, and culturally relevant home-school collaborations.     

The Integration of Health and Counseling Services on College Campuses: Is There a Risk in Maintaining Student Patients’ Privacy?

The formation of integrated centers on college campuses that combine health services and counseling provide clear advantages for students. There is currently no “best practices” model that informs integrated centers’ operational procedures. The “continuity of care” requirement of medical providers can conflict with the strict confidentiality guidelines of counselors, especially as it pertains to the sharing of patient information. Current informed consent procedures also contain deficiencies that should be addressed in integrated centers. Centers might refer to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards which accord psychotherapy notes special status, excluding them from medical records. As we consider the stigma that is still attached to pursuing counseling services, we need to establish a system within integrated centers that does not pose additional barriers to students’ help-seeking behaviors. Despite the challenges, positive collaboration can occur between medical providers and mental health personnel in devising documentation and record sharing procedures that safeguard student patients’ privacy interests.     

The Impact of a Professional Development Program on Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching,Instruction, and Student Achievement

In this paper, we describe findings from a three-year evaluation of a well-developed mathematics professional development program that is commercially available on a wide scale. The professional development is designed to improve teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and to enable them to elicit more student thinking and reasoning during mathematics lessons. Specifically, it focused on helping teachers (a) learn more mathematics, (b) understand how children learn math, (c) use formative assessment to develop insight into what specific students know and do not know, and (d) develop effective classroom instructional strategies that enable student problem solving. Participants included 105 fourth- and fifth-grade teachers teaching in 19 low-income schools within a single district. Teachers were randomly assigned within schools either to a “business as usual” control group or to receive the professional development. The training consisted of a week-long summer institute and four to six in-service days during the school year. The training was run by full-time trained associates. We find some limited evidence of positive impacts on teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching, but no effects on instructional practice or student outcomes.