Exploring Attribution of Responsibility in a Cross-National Study of TV News Coverage of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

This study investigates how prime-time television news portrayed attributions of responsibility for climate change policy issues in the United States, China, and Canada. In analyzing news coverage of the 2009 climate change summit in Copenhagen, we distinguish between causal and treatment responsibility. Additionally, we develop frames to test Cerutti's conceptualization of responsibility attribution (2010). The results suggest that television news in the 3 countries portrayed treatment responsibility differently. The prominence of morality, global justice, and national efficacy frames varied across countries, and these conditions were associated with the treatment responsibility frame, partially lending support to the validity of Cerutti's conceptualization.     

Alternative approaches to the definition and identification of learning disabilities: Some questions and answers

Recent consensus reports concur in suggesting major changes in the federal regulatory approach to the identification of learning disabilities (LD). These reports recommend abandoning the IQ-discrepancy model and the use of IQ tests for identification, and also recommend incorporation of response to instruction (RTI) as one of the identification criteria. These changes are also recommended to states in the current reauthorization of the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). While not mandatory, states that follow these recommendations will experience major changes in identification and treatment of students served under the LD category. This paper reviews the basis for these recommendations, summarizing four recent consensus group reports on special education that concur in suggesting these changes. Seventeen commonly asked questions about these changes are presented, with responses. In order to ensure adequate instruction for students with LD, it is essential that identification practices focus on assessments that are directly related to instruction, that any services for students who are struggling prioritize intervention over eligibility, and that special education be permitted to focus more on results and outcomes and less on eligibility and process. Identification models that incorporate RTI represent a shift in special education toward the goals of better achievement and behavioral outcomes for students identified with LD, as well as those students at risk for LD. Supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, HD25802-13, “Center for the Study of Learning and Attention Disorders” (JMF); and the Office of Special Education Programs: H326Y02002, National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (WAC); H324U010004, National Research Center for Learning Disabilities (DJR), and H324X010013, Preventing Reading Difficulties: A Three-Tiered Intervention Model (SRC). The National Center for Learning Disabilities also provided support for the development of this paper. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be viewed as necessarily representative of others associated with the centers listed or the funding agencies supporting these centers.     

Career Development Among Ethnic and Age Groups of Community College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in career development among four ethnic groups and two age groups of community college students in regard to their career goals, career preparation actions, and the number of job seeking strategies utilized. Data were obtained from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 90/94) of the National Center for Educational Statistics (NOES), U.S. Department of Education. Results suggest that there are statistically significant differences among the ethnic groups in six of the seven career goals; however, there are no significant differences between the traditional and non-traditional age groups in career goals. For career preparation action there are significant differences between the two age groups and also between Black/African American and White/European American students. There is no significant difference among the age or ethnic groups in the number of job seeking strategies utilized. These findings imply that student services providers, such as counselors, should be sensitive to community college students' backgrounds and experiences related to ethnicity and age. Individualized career-related workshops tailored to the career needs of specific student populations should be offered. The function of community colleges as providers of employment preparation can be enhanced by familiarizing students with accurate career information, considering students' ethnic backgrounds and their age.     

Explaining Variation in Findings From Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies for English Reading Interventions for English Learners

Beginning in 2002, researchers developed, implemented, and evaluated the efficacy of an English reading intervention for first-grade English learners using multiple randomized control trials (RCTs). As a result of this efficacy work, researchers successfully competed for an IES Goal 4 effectiveness study using the same intervention. Unlike the efficacy studies, the findings from the effectiveness study begun in 2011 did not yield significant differences in favor of the treatment. We investigated the identification and pre-intervention performance levels of students in efficacy and effectiveness RCT studies and provide data and compare samples from these studies as one means of explaining variation in findings. Findings indicate that pre-intervention performance levels are higher for students in effectiveness RCT studies. This article serves as an exemplar for other effectiveness studies that may not replicate findings from previous efficacy trials.     

Temperament and the Cognitive Modifiability of Academically Superior Black Adolescents in South Africa

TEMPERAMENT is characterised as the relatively stable dimension of human functioning, while intelligence is increasingly seen as a dynamic process. This study investigated the relationship between temperament and cognitive modifiability in an academically successful but disadvantaged South African population. For 92 adolescents in the Soweto Gifted Child Programme, the relationship was determined between their ratings on the Teacher Temperament Questionnaire and their performance on the Learning Potential Assessment Device and other measures of cognitive ability and learning. The Task Orientation and Personal‐Social Flexibility temperament dimensions were directly related to learning, academic performance and cognitive change. A more complex relationship was suggested for the Reactivity dimension, in that more intense and reactive subjects tended to perform better in unstimulating situations, while under more facilitative learning conditions, a higher performance level tended to be associated with a lower reactivity level. The findings support the possibility of an interaction between temperament and cognitive growth and demonstrate the usefulness of considering these individual difference variables in combination with each other.     

What is really causing the obesity epidemic? A review of reviews in children and adults

Obesity prevention is a public health priority and intervention strategies have focused primarily on healthy eating and physical activity in children and adults. To date, no review has systematically compiled and synthesised the scientific evidence from published review articles to determine whether there is clear consensus on the causes of obesity. A systematic review of the literature was conducted searching PubMed/Medline for narrative and systematic review articles published between January 1990 and October 2014 that examined the causes of obesity. In total, 12 of 65 articles met the inclusion criteria; 7 reviews focused on adults (1 systematic, 6 narrative) and 5 reviews on children (2 systematic, 3 narrative). The most popular cause of obesity identified in reviews of adult studies was “combined physical activity and diet” (3 of 7 studies), whereas the most popular cause specified in reviews of child studies was deemed “inconclusive” (2 of 5 studies). While a number of reviews have examined the causes of obesity, the methodology and conclusions varied widely, and few were conducted systematically. Currently, no consensus exists across published literature reviews regarding the primary cause of the obesity epidemic, and more research, particularly prospective studies using state-of-the-art measures, is warranted.     

Zimbabwean Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Integration of Pupils with Disabilities into Regular Classrooms

Integration of pupils with disabilities whenever possible is official educational policy in Zimbabwe. This paper reports results of surveys administered in 1989 and 1990 to 197 Zimbabwean teachers attending the University of Zimbabwe for advanced training. The results showed that levels of acceptance of the idea of integration are low and that attitudes are not unitary but rather depend upon what is being queried. Specifically, they show a clear preference ranking by type of impairment, and they differ depending upon whether their own classroom or classrooms in general are being asked about. Open‐ended questions provided more detail, supported the hierarchy of acceptance found in the closed‐ended questions and indicated that some teachers’ responses were extremely inappropriate.     

Rethinking customer service training: A curricular solution to a familiar problem

High-quality customer service is an important aim of the library experience. Its importance is evidenced by attention given to the topic in scholarly literature and academic conference proceedings. This article describes the challenging process of creating and delivering a blended customer service training curriculum to all library staff working at public service points in the University of Maryland Libraries. An online course, in-person workshops, and digital badges were devised. Assessment was conducted at the end of the first year, resulting in revisions to the course.