A longitudinal comparison of the WISC-R and WAIS-R

The degree of comparability between the WISC-R and WAIS-R over time was assessed for two samples of referred adolescents of borderline intelligence intially administered a WISC-R and retested on the WAIS-R after three years. Results indicated that the WAIS-R significantly overestimated the WISC-R IQs by 3 to 5 points. Differences were most marked at the lower ability levels; as IQs aproached average, scores were increasingly comparable.     

爱的裁决

电话是在明尼苏达州一个闷热的下午大概三点半的时候打来的。安养院的社工谢丽尔急匆匆地解释着情况。她已经给十五位法官打过电话了,他们不是在出庭就是抽不出时间。抱着试试看的想法,她直接拨通了我的电话。     

Intergenerational learning at a nature center: families using prior experiences and participation frameworks to understand raptors

Using a sociocultural framework to approach intergenerational learning, this inquiry examines learning processes used by families during visits to one nature center. Data were collected from videotaped observations of families participating in an environmental education program and a follow-up task to draw the habitat of raptors. Based on a thematic analysis, researchers developed two themes about the learning processes at play in the nature center, related to the use of prior knowledge. First, families’ prior knowledge used at the nature center came from informal education activities: (a) observation in the outdoors and spaces designed to represent an aspect of nature, (b) media (including books and Internet), and (c) experiences at informal education institutions. Second, when sharing prior knowledge, participation frameworks were created through the conversation that leveled the hierarchy between parent and child allowing for negotiation and collaborative idea formation. In the nature center, families valued social harmony by positioning their children as capable contributors of environmental knowledge. Suggestions to researchers taking a sociocultural approach are given, including the potential of ‘participation frameworks’ as an analytical tool to study learning interactions and as a potential tool for environmental educators to encourage families to create roles and structures for successful learning outcomes in nature centers.     

Students choosing colleges: Understanding the matriculation decision at a highly selective private institution

This paper provides an econometric analysis of the matriculation decisions made by students accepted to Williams College, one of the nation's most highly selective colleges and universities. Using data for the Williams classes of 2008 through 2012 to estimate a yield model, we find that—conditional on the student applying to and being accepted by Williams—applicant quality as measured by standardized tests, high school GPA and the like, the net price a particular student faces (the sticker price minus institutional financial aid), the applicant's race and geographic origin, plus the student's artistic, athletic and academic interests, are strong predictors of whether or not the student will matriculate.     

Natural mentors, racial identity, and educational attainment among african american adolescents: exploring pathways to success

The present study explored how relationships with natural mentors may contribute to African American adolescents’ long‐term educational attainment by influencing adolescents’ racial identity and academic beliefs. This study included 541 academically at‐risk African American adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The mean age of participants at Time 1 was 17.8 (SD = .64) and slightly over half (54%) of study participants were female. Results of the current study indicated that relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long‐term educational attainment among participants through increased private regard (a dimension of racial identity) and stronger beliefs in the importance of doing well in school for future success. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

Cutting without Cursing: A Successful Cancellation Project

The Salisbury University Libraries embarked on a serials and database cancellation project in the 2014–2015 academic year, eventually cutting nearly 20% of journals without causing any faculty protests. Picking up ideas from numerous other libraries, the three-person project task force developed a three-stage process: 1) preparation—gathering data and laying the groundwork for getting feedback; 2) getting feedback from liaisons, faculty, and departments; and 3) making decisions about what to cut and sharing the results. This article details the steps taken and key recommendations for other libraries undertaking similar projects.     

Park and Museum Interpretation: Helping Visitors Find Meaning

Interpretation is defined as an activity that “facilitates an intellectual and emotional connection between the interests of the visitor and the meanings of the resource.” The concept of helping visitors connect to meanings is a constant theme in the development of philosophies and practices in interpretation over the last century. Parks and museums have long shared in the effort to put this concept into practice. This article documents this history and the implications for contemporary interpretation.