Consequences of Individual Differences in Children's Formal Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence

Experts claim that individual differences in children's formal understanding of mathematical equivalence have consequences for mathematics achievement; however, evidence is lacking. A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted with a diverse sample of 112 children from a midsized city in the Midwestern United States (M_age [second grade] = 8:1). As hypothesized, understanding of mathematical equivalence in second grade predicted mathematics achievement in third grade, even after controlling for second-grade mathematics achievement, IQ, gender, and socioeconomic status. Most children exhibited poor understanding of mathematical equivalence, but results provide clues about which children are on the path to constructing an understanding and which may need extra support to overcome their misconceptions. Findings suggest that mathematical equivalence may deserve more attention from educators.     

Relations between Risk for Sleep-Disordered Breathing,Cognitive and Executive Functioning,and Academic Performance in Six-Year-Olds

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: Optimal sleep is important for children’s learning and development. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) refers to a spectrum of conditions from simple snoring to obstructive sleep apnea that is common in childhood and interrupts sleep. We examined pathways between SDB and academic performance of children (N = 163, M age = 6.2 years) one year after school entry. Measures included parent questionnaire and clinical assessment of SDB, standardized tests and rating scales of cognitive and executive functioning, researcher-administered literacy and numeracy tasks, and teacher-reported academic performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed direct and indirect paths between SDB and poorer academic performance. In indirect models, children’s SDB severity score was significantly linked to poorer executive functioning (β = .38, p < .01) and negatively associated with nonverbal reasoning (β = ?.21, p < .01). Poorer executive functioning, in turn, was negatively related to the verbal composite (β = ?.61, p < .01), with verbal and nonverbal composites associated with academic performance (βs = .56, .27, respectively, p’s < .01). Practice or Policy: These findings point to the need for attention to SDB and its links to potential cognitive sequelae across early development. Practitioners equipped with knowledge of SDB symptoms can facilitate referral for appropriate consultation and evaluation.     

School-Based Programs for Increasing Connectedness and Reducing Risk Behavior: A Systematic Review

School connectedness has a significant impact on adolescent outcomes, including reducing risk-taking behavior. This paper critically examines the literature on school-based programs targeting increased connectedness for reductions in risk taking. Fourteen articles describing seven different school-based programs were reviewed. Programs drew on a range of theories to increase school connectedness, and evaluations conducted for the majority of programs demonstrated positive changes in school connectedness, risk behavior, or a combination of the two. Many of the reviewed programs involved widespread school system change, however, which is frequently a complex and time-consuming task. Future research is needed to examine the extent of intervention complexity required to result in change. This review also showed a lack of consistency in the definitions and measurement of connectedness as well as few mediation analyses testing assumptions of impact on risk-taking behavior through increases in school connectedness. Additionally, this review revealed very limited evaluation of the elements of multicomponent programs that are most effective in increasing school connectedness and reducing adolescent risk taking.     

Active agents of health promotion? The school's role in supporting the HPV vaccination programme

By providing a place in which children can be accessed, the school has long been a site for population-level health initiatives. Recent policy shifts towards health-promoting schools have however re-cast the school from passive host to active collaborator in public health. This paper examines secondary school teachers' views of their roles as partners in Scotland's human papilloma virus vaccination programme. Focus groups were held in seven schools across Scotland. Confusion was evident in relation to this role, with competing understandings of young women's sexuality, concerns about parental perceptions and uncertainty about professional responsibilities. Many teachers sought to distance themselves from the vaccination programme. Evidence was found of a ‘sedimentation of discourses’, as mass models of state-sanctioned health intervention persist alongside contemporary discourses of individual choice.     

Exposing blindspots and the hidden curriculum within counselor supervision models

Anti-racist and anti-oppressive supervision remains a burgeoning area of scholarship and research within the counselor education nomenclature. In this paper, we explore how matters of race and racism are conspicuously underemphasized in counselor training, specifically, the supervision process. We explore the hidden curriculum in counselor education supervision models. Next, we consider how a supervision model grounded in critical race theory provides a more robust framework for addressing gaps in existing supervision models through anti-racist practices.     

Interest-Driven Learning Among Middle School Youth in an Out-of-School STEM Studio

The concept of connected learning proposes that youth leverage individual interest and social media to drive learning with an academic focus. To illustrate, we present in-depth case studies of Ryan and Sam, two middle-school-age youth, to document an out-of-school intervention intended to direct toward intentional learning in STEM that taps interest and motivation. The investigation focused on how Ryan and Sam interacted with the designed elements of Studio STEM and whether they became more engaged to gain deeper learning about science concepts related to energy sustainability. The investigation focused on the roles of the engineering design process, peer interaction, and social media to influence youth interest and motivation. Research questions were based on principles of connected learning (e.g., self-expression, lower barriers to expertise, socio-technical supports) with data analyzed within a framework suggested by discursive psychology. Analyzing videotaped excerpts of interactions in the studio, field notes, interview responses, and artifacts created during the program resulted in the following findings: problem solving, new media, and peer interaction as designed features of Studio STEM elicited evidence of stimulating interest in STEM for deeper learning. Further research could investigate individual interest-driven niches that are formed inside the larger educational setting, identifying areas of informal learning practice that could be adopted in formal settings. Moreover, aspects of youth’s STEM literacy that could promote environmental sustainability through ideation, invention, and creativity should be pursued.     

Selection into early education and care settings: Differences by developmental period

Early education and care programs (EEC) serve important functions in promoting children's school readiness skills and supporting parental employment. Yet knowledge remains limited concerning factors inhibiting or increasing families’ use of EEC programs for their young children and whether such factors function differently as children age. This study employed nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) following 10,700 children from infancy through early childhood to assess predictors of home and center-based EEC and to delineate whether predictors differed by developmental period. Drawing on Meyers and Jordan's (2006) rich accommodations model of EEC selection, analyses found that factors associated with family needs and resources (parental employment, income, education, and family structure), cultural norms and preferences (race, ethnicity, and immigration status; geographic location; child characteristics; and parental priorities regarding EEC characteristics) and contextual opportunities and constraints (availability of care in the community) were all associated with selection into EEC settings. Many patterns were similar for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, although race/ethnicity, employment, and availability were most strongly linked to EEC type during infancy, whereas parental priorities for features associated with higher-quality care programs predicted EEC most strongly for preschoolers. Results are discussed in terms of efforts to increase family choice and access to EEC programs.     

The ethical implications of health sciences library economics

The intersection of ethics and economics is rarely discussed in the library literature or at conferences. This may be due, in part, to what economists describe as a romantic value system, that is, the belief that resources are or should be unlimited and available for exploitation by every individual with a need. But recent changes in the national economy for libraries are forcing a realization that individualistic codes of ethics and value systems do not always result in socially desirable consequences. The problems of information management and access cannot be solved by ethical individuals acting alone. Instead, a new consensus is needed on collective ethical behaviors to ensure that health information resources are managed for the common good.