Scientific foundation, organization structure, and performance of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms

Technologists seek to advance practical applications of science while scientists seek to advance knowledge which may or may not have a practical application. Firms with a stronger basic science focus, e.g. biology and chemistry, seek to advance their scientific knowledge foundation in addition to developing and selling innovative products. Firms with a more highly applied science foundation (medicine, engineering, etc.) prioritize the development and sale of innovative products. Combining an Absorptive Capacity (AC) approach with Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) this study explores and explains how firms gain knowledge and perform given their scientific focus.Findings indicate that firms with a stronger basic science orientation are less profitable than firms with a stronger applied science orientation. Applied science firms had more acquisitions and cooperative organizations but both types of firms were more likely to acquire other firms in their quest to build knowledge stores rather than partner. Partnerships with universities were more prevalent among basic science firms than with applied science firms.     

Varying States of Head Start: Impacts of a Federal Program Across State Policy Contexts

Classroom quality is critical for young children's learning, yet evidence suggests that the quality of early care and education (ECE) classrooms varies widely, even within federally administered Head Start. This study uses data from the nationally representative Head Start Impact Study to examine variation in children's access to formal and high-quality ECE by policy characteristics that demonstrate a state's commitment and approach to regulating ECE quality. Findings support existing evidence of the impact of randomization to Head Start on children's access to formal and high-quality ECE, and expand our understanding of the ways in which these impacts vary. Overall, we find that stronger state child care licensing regulations and other indicators of a child-friendly policy climate are associated with a smaller contrast between the Head Start versus control groups' access to both formal and high-quality ECE. This study also offers initial evidence that state regulations targeting the quality of an ECE program's professional environment may be particularly important for access to high-quality classrooms.     

Social-Emotional Development,School Readiness,Teacher–Child Interactions,and Classroom Environment

This article investigates the effectiveness of a statewide 6-month early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) model on teachers’ emotional support of children and classroom organization. We provide a brief historical and theoretical background of the field of ECMHC, present the logic model for our ECMHC intervention, and discuss the existing research that supports this logic model. Research Findings: Participants included 445 teachers from 158 child care centers statewide. The mental health consultation improved the quality of early childhood teachers’ interactions (e.g., emotional support and classroom organization) with children in their care. Teachers with more experience and more than a high school degree tended to score higher on many of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (R. C. Pianta, K. M. La Paro, &; B. K. Hamre, 2008 Pianta , R. C. , La Paro , K. M. , &; Hamre , B. K. ( 2008 ). Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) manual, Pre-K . Baltimore , MD : Brookes . [Google Scholar]) dimensions. Practice or Policy: This study demonstrates that mental health consultants can partner successfully with early childhood educators and provide support that enhances classroom variables associated with high-quality care and positive child outcomes. Even with a high rate of teacher turnover (35%), significant differences were found; this demonstrates the robustness of the ECMHC model in that the effectiveness of this model was not undermined by the chronic problem of staff turnover.     

A Little Bit of the Blues: Low-Level Symptoms of Maternal Depression and Classroom Behavior Problems in Preschool Children

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between low-level depressive symptoms in mothers and teacher-reported child behavioral outcomes. Participants included 442 low-income mothers of preschool-age children who were screened for maternal depression by their child's preschool teacher. Teacher reports of child behavior problems were collected on a random sample of the children (n = 264). Of mothers screened for depression, 16.7% reported low-level depressive symptoms (below the cutoff on the screener indicating clinically elevated symptoms). Analyses revealed that children of mothers with low-level depressive symptoms had significantly greater problems with externalizing behavior compared to children of mothers with no depressive symptoms. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that children whose mothers experience even low-level depressive symptoms are at risk for problems with behavior, pointing to the need for screening and interventions to address maternal depression at all levels of severity. Early childhood education providers are in an excellent position to support families impacted by symptoms of maternal depression through screening and education, supportive daily interactions, and referrals for services if needed. Teachers can also provide direct support for high-risk children's social and emotional skill development through the provision of sensitive, nurturing care.     

Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment and Data Driven Policy Implementation

The use of dual credit has been expanding rapidly. Dual credit is a college course taken by a high school student for which both college and high school credit is given. Previous studies provided limited quantitative evidence that dual credit/dual enrollment is directly connected to positive student outcomes. In this study, predictive statistics were calculated using the generalized linear mixed model function in SPSS. For the final analysis, a two-level, propensity score weighted, multinomial logistic regression model was developed. Findings of this study are that even after controlling for selection bias, variation across high schools, and several education and socioeconomic status variables, dual credit/dual enrollment was significantly related to increased odds of enrolling at both four-year institutions and community colleges upon high school graduation. The opportunity presented by dual credit expansion and related policy recommendations are explored within the state and federal completion agenda context.     

Implementation and Outcomes of Supplemental Educational Services: The Tennessee State-Wide Evaluation Study

Supplemental Educational Services (SES), a component of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, provides free tutoring to economically disadvantaged children who are attending Title I schools in their 2nd or more years of school improvement. This research evaluated SES in Tennessee to determine the: (a) impacts on student achievement, and (b) perceptions of SES implementation and outcomes by teachers, district coordinators, principals/site coordinators, and parents. Using value-added methodology, statistical analyses of achievement data controlled for both student ability and teacher effects in 2 alternative models. Not surprisingly, parent reactions to SES were highly positive, whereas those by the 3 other stakeholder groups were more mixed. Achievement results from both analytical models yielded mostly small and nonsignificant provider effects. The implications of the findings for evaluating SES are discussed with regard to both research and policy issues. Recommendations are offered for broadening the evaluation of SES through smaller mixed-methods studies to examine implementation and educational outcomes in more highly controlled contexts.     

Breaking Down Barriers for 1st-Year Teachers: What Teacher Preparation Programs Can Do

A developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children is vital for successful learning. However, implementing developmentally appropriate practices can be a challenge for 1st-year teachers because of the pressures of standardized testing. The purpose of this study was to examine the struggles teachers encounter in implementing developmentally appropriate practices in their 1st year and to identify what helped them overcome those obstacles. We conclude with several ideas for teacher preparation programs as well as suggestions for 1st-year teachers.     

PRACTICING ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM: THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ASSESSMENT PROJECT

Abstract

Drawing from an array of theoretical and experiential sources ranging from policy studies to ethnographies, this essay frames a number of public policy issues related to children, families, and early childhood education. These issues provide a brief genealogy of multiple contexts in which early childhood teacher education operates in the United States. Issues addressed include: welfare reform, “No Child Left Behind” legislation, the crimi‐nalization of children, language policies, and recently proposed changes in Head Start. The author draws from her teaching, research, and community organizing experiences to recommend ways to strengthen public policy awareness and advocacy engagement in the field of early childhood teacher education.     

Evaluation of a randomized intervention to delay sexual initiation among fifth-graders followed through the sixth grade

US adolescents initiate sex at increasingly younger ages, yet few pregnancy prevention interventions for children as young as 10–12 years old have been evaluated. Sixteen Washington, DC schools were randomly assigned to intervention versus control conditions. Beginning in 2001/02 with fifth-grade students and continuing during the sixth grade, students completed pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys each school year. Each year, the intervention included 10–13 classroom sessions related to delaying sexual initiation. Linear hierarchical models compared outcome changes between intervention and control groups by gender over time. Results show the intervention significantly decreased a rise over time in the anticipation of having sex in the next 12 months among intervention boys versus control boys, but it had no other outcome effects. Among girls, the intervention had no significant outcome effects. One exception is that for both genders, compared with control students, intervention students increased their pubertal knowledge. In conclusion, a school-based curriculum to delay sexual involvement among fifth-grade and sixth-grade high-risk youths had limited impact. Additional research is necessary to outline effective interventions, and more intensive, comprehensive interventions may be required to counteract adverse circumstances in students' lives and pervasive influences toward early sex.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00341471