Comparison of anthropometry to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry: a new prediction equation for women

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of three recommended anthropometric equations for women and then develop an updated prediction equation using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The percentage of body fat (%BF) by anthropometry was significantly correlated (r = .896-.929; p < .01) with DXA, but each equation underestimated %BF (3.2-5.6 %BF; p < .01). The following DXA criterion (DC) equation was created: %BF= -6.40665 + 0.41946(S3SF) - 0.00126(S3SF)2 + 0.12515(hip) + 0.06473 (age); (S3SF = sum of triceps, suprailiac, thigh; hip = circumference in cm; age = years). The predicted residual sum of squares (PRESS) R2 was high (0.86), and the PRESS standard error of estimate (SEE) was low (2.5 %BF) for our sample of 150 women. The DC equation was further crosschecked on a separate sample of women (n = 25) and again showed excellent agreement. The DC equation appears to be a more accurate estimation of %BF in women.     

Teachers’ skill ratings of children with learning disabilities: A comparison of the United States and Japan

This study compared U.S. and Japanese grade school teachers’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of children in their classrooms identified as fitting commonly used criteria for a learning disability. U.S. teachers identified 4.0 percent of their children as meeting the criteria and Japanese teachers identified 1.5 percent. The teachers then rated these children’s abilities in the areas of listening, speaking, reading/writing, reasoning, mathematics, social, and study skills. Overall, U.S. and Japanese teachers’ rating patterns were similar on 70 percent of the skills. In most areas where significant differences were found—listening, speaking, reading/writing and study skills—U.S. teachers rated higher percentages of their children as “weaker” than Japanese teachers. A noteworthy exception was the area of social skills where Japanese children received higher percentages of “weak” ratings. U.S. and Japanese teachers also differed in their perceptions of causative factors leading to their children’s learning difficulties. We discuss the findings in terms of U.S.-Japanese differences in writing systems and cultural expectations.     

Improving Educational Outcomes for Latinos: A Study of the Interactive Policy Effects of Representative Bureaucracy and Personnel Stability

This article seeks to determine whether 2 common management strategies, representative bureaucracy and personnel stability, can be used in combination with each other in order to improve educational policy outcomes for Latinos. Using data from Texas school districts from 1994 to 2010 and a cross-sectional longitudinal research design, I find that although each theory on its own improved outcomes for Latinos, the 2 did not have a significant combined effect. Instead I find evidence of a substitution effect that allows 1 strategy to be used in place of the other in order to improve the academic performance of Latinos.     

Parallel discourses with unparalleled effects: early years workforce development and professionalisation initiatives in Germany

Just over a decade ago, an OECD Starting Strong team reviewed the system of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Germany. Regarding the staffing of early childhood provision and referring in particular to resistance at the political level to raise the formal qualification level of educators in alignment with European trends, the evaluative report noted in 2004 that the chosen approach may be overlooking the issue of the sustainability. The article explores key discourses and paradigmatic shifts which have shaped early years professionalisation initiatives and workforce developments since this time. One of the most notable changes has been a remarkable growth in the size of the workforce, which has almost doubled over the past eight years. What are the reasons for this fast-paced expansion, and can it be sustained? Have qualification requirements been lowered, and has the composition of the workforce changed? What are current challenges facing the sector? As ECEC provision develops across Europe, other countries face similar issues. Exploring how they are played out in one particular country context may help to stimulate critical analysis in others.     

‘Education at our school is not free’: the hidden costs of fee-free schooling in Rwanda

As primary school enrolment rates in Rwanda near ubiquity, completion rates remain low and repetition rates remain high. This study investigates the impact of the ‘hidden costs’ of schooling in the context of Rwanda’s fee-free education policy. Using a social-science case study, focus groups and interviews were undertaken with 200 participants, including local leaders, school administrators, children and caregivers. Findings suggest children continue to contend with a range of school-related costs that impact attendance, performance and completion. Examination fees, after-school coaching and ‘voluntary’ parent-teacher association dues were found to have serious consequences for children’s educational experience. Findings illustrate how these ‘hidden costs’ may be a key factor explaining why children do not complete their schooling once enrolled. A series of policy recommendations are offered and broader implications for children’s rights and Education For All are discussed. Further in-depth and comparative study is required.