Naming speed and word familiarity as confounding factors in decoding

The present investigation has three aims: (1) to establish a suitable composite index which combines speed and accuracy in the measurement of decoding skill; (2) to examine whether speed acts as a confounding factor in the measurement of decoding ability; and (3) to see whether familiarity with the word, as indicated by the ability to pronounce it, or lack of it acts as a confounding factor in the assessment of spelling skills. Three studies were conducted to fulfill these aims. In the first study, 33 children from Grade 2 were asked to name a list of 40 letters of the alphabet as quickly and as accurately as possible. A combined index of speed and accuracy was computed from these two sets of data using two formulas, which were based on the ‘z’ score and the mean variance score. A Pearson product‐moment correlation coefficient of 0.94 was obtained between the results of the two formulas indicating that the two formulas yield almost identical results. In the second study, 37 fifth‐graders were administered the word‐attack sub‐test of Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery. When the speed and accuracy composite index, based on the ‘z formula’ was applied to the word‐attack scores, it was found that three children were slow decoders even though their scores were within the normal range. In the third study, 39 children from Grade 3 and 40 children from Grade 5 were asked to read aloud a list of words and then these words were administered as a spelling test. Subsequently, their spelling ability was assessed by computing the number of words they could both read and spell correctly. When familiarity of words was included as a factor in assessing spelling ability, five children in Grade 3 and three children in Grade 5 were found to be misclassified as poor spellers. This indicates that including word‐naming speed and word familiarity (i.e. ability to pronounce) produce different metrics than when they are not. Inclusion of speed and familiarity factors in assessment can be helpful in avoiding false negatives and false positives.     

Variability in Parenting Self-Efficacy Across Prudential Adolescent Behaviors

Objective. Extant research examining the predictors and outcomes of parenting self-efficacy has predominantly focused on families with young children. Adolescence is a time of increased autonomy during which parents may be uncertain about their abilities to influence their adolescents’ risk-taking behavior. Design. Parents’ (N = 145 mothers and 53 fathers) confidence in their parenting abilities across prudential adolescent behaviors was investigated, including alcohol consumption, cyber activities, eating behaviors, and problem peer associations. Additionally, we explored how adolescents’ (N = 161, M_age = 14.4 years, 60% female) reports of their engagement in those behaviors were associated with parents’ perceptions of their ability to impact their adolescents’ behavior (i.e., self-efficacy). Results. Mixed-model analysis of variance revealed that mothers and fathers felt most efficacious in reducing their adolescents’ engagement in problematic cyber activities and least efficacious regarding alcohol consumption. Bivariate correlations indicated multiple negative associations between adolescents’ engagement in prudential behaviors and both mothers’ and fathers’ behavior-specific parenting self-efficacy. Conclusions. Results suggest that parents with adolescents have varying levels of confidence in their ability to parent different types of prudential adolescent behaviors. Additionally, for multiple behavior categories, mothers’ and fathers’ behavior-specific parenting self-efficacy was negatively associated with adolescent engagement in corresponding behaviors, such that increased adolescent engagement was related to lower levels of behavior-specific parenting self-efficacy.     

Opportunity to learn about disciplinary literacy in senior secondary English classrooms in New Zealand

The New Zealand education system is recognised internationally for its overall high quality. At the same time, there is a persistent gap in achievement between students in low socio-economic status (SES) schools in which there is an over-representation of Māori and Pasifika students, and students in more affluent communities. In this paper, we present the findings of a study that explored the participation and achievement rates of secondary school students in selected literacy standards, and used classroom observations to record practices and resources used in literacy teaching. Our findings show the extent to which unequal opportunities to learn (OTLs) for Māori and Pasifika and other students from low SES communities exist at the systems level as well as at the level of classroom instructional offerings. We discuss the factors specific to the New Zealand curriculum and assessment systems that contribute to the current situation and suggest possible ways to achieve a more equitable outcome for all students.     

The Relationship of Client Stages of Change to Working Alliance and Outcome in Short‐Term Counseling

This study evaluated the relationship of J. O. Prochaska's (1984; J. O. Prochaska & C. C. DiClemente, 1992) transtheoretical model of change with the process and outcome of short‐term counseling in college help seekers. Participants completed measures of readiness to change, psychological symptoms, and working alliance. Clients in the precontemplation stage evaluated the working alliance less favorably and experienced less improvement regarding symptoms than clients in other stages. Counselor working alliance did not differ as a function of clients' stage of change.     

Using Multiple Lenses to Examine the Development of Beginning Biology Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Natural Selection Simulations

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has become a useful construct to examine science teacher learning. Yet, researchers conceptualize PCK development in different ways. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to use three analytic lenses to understand the development of three beginning biology teachers’ PCK for teaching natural selection simulations. We observed three early-career biology teachers as they taught natural selection in their respective school contexts over two consecutive years. Data consisted of six interviews with each participant. Using the PCK model developed by Magnusson et al. (1999), we examined topic-specific PCK development utilizing three different lenses: (1) expansion of knowledge within an individual knowledge base, (2) integration of knowledge across knowledge bases, and (3) knowledge that explicitly addressed core concepts of natural selection. We found commonalities across the participants, yet each lens was also useful to understand the influence of different factors (e.g., orientation, subject matter preparation, and the idiosyncratic nature of teacher knowledge) on PCK development. This multi-angle approach provides implications for considering the quality of beginning science teachers’ knowledge and future research on PCK development. We conclude with an argument that explicitly communicating lenses used to understand PCK development will help the research community compare analytic approaches and better understand the nature of science teacher learning.     

Examining the Process and Outcome of Career Counseling for Different Types of Career Counseling Clients

Using cluster analysis, we identified two types of career counseling clients: (a) Clients with moderate levels of career-related distress, discomfort, and uncertainty and (b) clients with high levels of career concerns, personal distress, and stigma about career counseling. The more distressed group expressed lower evaluations of a career counseling session and perceived their counselors as providing fewer action-oriented counseling skills than the less distressed group. No differences emerged in terms of client's perceptions of the therapeutic relationship. The practical implications and limitations of these results are discussed.     

Homeschooling,Virtual Learning,and the Eroding Public/Private Binary

ABSTRACT

Regulators ubiquitously dichotomize schooling into two discrete sectors: public and private. Although homeschooling is regulated in some contexts as a third sector, the general approach is to treat it as a species of private education by subjecting it to public regulation while simultaneously denying it public funds. But the public/private binary is increasingly difficult to sustain as charter schools multiply and, especially, as virtual schooling increasingly penetrates primary and secondary education. Public school systems are deploying virtual education in ways that erode once impermeable walls between public and private. Many obstacles to homeschooling will fall with those walls—particularly obstacles related to government financing of homeschooling activities.     

Do You See the Signs? Evaluating Language,Branding, and Design in a Library Signage Audit

Signage represents more than directions or policies; it is informational, promotional, and sets the tone of the environment. To be effective, signage must be consistent, concise, and free of jargon and punitive language. An efficient assessment of signage should include a complete inventory of existing signage, including an analysis of the types of signs, its location, language, and its design. This article outlines the steps involved in a comprehensive signage audit, which along with a literature review, provides the foundation for creating a signage policy, best practices guidelines, and a branding strategy for future signage.     

CLASSROOM GROUPING AND INTEGRATION

African American students and former students from a predominantly white institution (PWI) were interviewed to understand their perceptions regarding the impact of their families on their academic achievement and persistence. The characteristics of families that students perceived to support and hinder their academic success at college are described along with implications for improving African American college student retention theory and practice.