Negotiating the Contested Terrain of Equity-Focused Change Efforts in Schools: Critical Race Theory as a Leadership Framework for Creating More Equitable Schools

Educational leaders attempting to enact equity-focused change in their schools are frequently met with fierce opposition by politically powerful parents whose children are well served by the status quo. The purpose of this conceptual article is to: (a) explore the utility of Critical Race Theory as a framework for helping K-12 school leaders anticipate and make sense of resistance to change efforts aimed at creating greater educational equity for underserved students, and (b) suggest ways that school leaders can more effectively engage in equity reforms in their schools. To do this, we examine a highly contested public debate over a recent equity-focused change effort at Berkeley High School (BHS)—a large, racially and socioeconomically diverse public school in Northern California. Using the events at BHS as an example, we argue that change efforts could be undertaken more effectively by: (a) identifying and addressing the underlying property interests up front, (b) anticipating how majoritarian narratives rooted in “colorblindness” and deficit thinking would be employed as a means for obscuring and maintaining unequal access to scarce resources, and (c) focusing on specific areas of interest convergence.     

The “Red Flags” for Child Find under the IDEA: Separating the Law from the Lore

A comprehensive search identified 42 court decisions from late 1996 to early 2014 concerning the primary modern meaning of child find under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—whether the district had reasonable suspicion of eligibility and yet did not evaluate the child. The findings from a systematic analysis of these court decisions included (a) an upward trajectory in their frequency; (b) an outcome ratio of 2:1 in favor of the defendant school districts; (c) specific learning disabilities and emotional disabilities as the leading suspected IDEA classifications and attention deficit disorder as the predominant professional diagnosis; (d) wide dispersion across the K–12 grade levels; and (e) hospitalization as the only one of various factors characterized in typical training materials as “red flags” of reasonable suspicion the case law supported to serve this metaphoric role.     

Diversity and intergroup contact in higher education: exploring possibilities for democratization through social justice education

This study contributes to research linking diversity and higher education teaching to democratic learning outcomes. It explores processes and outcomes associated with the intergroup contact of Black and White students enrolled in two sections of a diversity education course at a public university in the southeastern United States. The goals of this study were: (1) to explore the intergroup dynamics that emerged when students interacted in both sections of the course; and (2) to identify student support for intergroup cooperation as a result of their experiences in the course. While one section of the course experienced a high degree of intergroup conflict, students in both sections reported support for intergroup cooperation at the end of the course.     

Assessment of drug information resource preferences of pharmacy students and faculty

A 39-item survey instrument was distributed to faculty and students at Wingate University School of Pharmacy to assess student and faculty drug information (DI) resource use and access preferences. The response rate was 81% (n = 289). Faculty and professional year 2 to 4 students preferred access on laptop or desktop computers (67% and 75%, respectively), followed by smartphones (27% and 22%, respectively). Most faculty and students preferred using Lexicomp Online for drug information (53% and 74%, respectively). Results indicate that DI resources use is similar between students and faculty; laptop or desktop computers are the preferred platforms for accessing drug information.     

和美国官僚们干仗

话说看完春晚才中午十一点多.国内的亲人陆续进入了梦乡,我忽然想起我的驾驶执照快到期了,于是和老公决定一起去"汽车监理委员会"(motor vehick commission简称mvc)去办驾照的延期.我这人办事一向认真,去之前先在mvc的网站上详细了解了要带的文件和要求.网站上要求非美国公民换新驾照时可以出具系列身份证明,每份身份证明有一定的点数,累积点数达到六点就可以办理.     

Are School Personnel Liable for Money Damages Under the IDEA or Section 504 and the ADA?

This brief article addresses the question of whether the Individuals with Disabilities Act or Section 504 and its sister statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act, provides for the liability of special educators and other public school personnel for money damages. The analysis synthesizes the applicable case law under these federal disability laws not only directly but also in connection with the added avenue of liability under Section 1983, and discusses the practical implications of the almost entirely “No” answer to this focal question.     

Teachers’ Literal and Inferential Talk in Early Childhood and Special Education Classrooms

Research Findings: This study examined preschool teachers’ literal talk (LT) and inferential talk (IT) during shared book readings in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms. We aimed to characterize and compare teachers’ LT and IT in these 2 classroom contexts and determine whether differences in LT and IT are predicted by classroom type, teachers’ educational background, or children’s average language skills. We examined the shared book reading activities of 52 teachers (26 ECE classrooms, 26 ECSE classrooms). Results revealed that ECSE teachers used significantly more LT and showed more variability in their LT and IT than ECE teachers. ECSE classroom type predicted teachers’ use of LT when we controlled for teacher education and children’s language skills, whereas teacher education predicted teachers’ use of IT when we controlled for classroom type and children’s language skills. Practice or Policy: These findings have implications for best practice guidelines and policies, particularly for ECSE environments.     

Short- and long-term outreach at the zoo: cognitive learning about marine ecological and conservational issues

Although zoos envision themselves as environmental education institutions and governmental policies require that students become environmentally responsible citizens, it is surprising, that little research is done with regard to school field trips to the zoo. Many students are not aware that their everyday life affects marine environments that may enhance through spatially disconnection from marine ecosystems. A zoo field trip may overcome this disconnection. Considering knowledge as prerequisite for environmental attitudes and behavior, our study focused on cognitive learning of high school students at an instructional zoo field trip about marine ecology and conservation, by applying two cooperative learning settings. The study followed a quasi-experimental design, applying multiple-choice pre-post-retention tests. The results show satisfying short- and long-term knowledge achievement. Our cooperative learning settings seems to be a suitable approach for zoo field trips to facilitate a satisfying cognitive outcome concerning marine ecology and conservational issues.