Comparability in Balanced Assessment Systems for State Accountability

The purpose of this study was to test methods that strengthen the comparability claims about annual determinations of student proficiency in English language arts, math, and science (Grades 3–12) in the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (NH PACE) pilot project. First, we examined the literature in order to define comparability outside the bounds of strict score interchangeability and explored methods for estimating comparability that support a balanced assessment system for state accountability such as the NH PACE pilot. Second, we applied two strategies—consensus scoring and a rank‐ordering method—to estimate comparability in Year 1 of the NH PACE pilot based upon the expert judgment of 85 teachers using 396 student work samples. We found the methods were effective for providing evidence of comparability and also detecting when threats to comparability were present. The evidence did not indicate meaningful differences in district average scoring and therefore did not support adjustments to district‐level cut scores used to create annual determinations. The article concludes with a discussion of the technical challenges and opportunities associated with innovative, balanced assessment systems in an accountability context.     

An exploration of arts teachers' beliefs and judgements concerning students with SEND

There is little research addressing teachers' beliefs and judgements concerning students with identified Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), a group which is regularly cited as experiencing disadvantages in their schooling compared to peers. This paper draws on research which examined the beliefs and judgements of a set of arts teachers in an English secondary school regarding their students with SEND. Data were collected using observation, semi-structured and stimulated recall interviews. Phenomenological analysis uncovered patterns of tension in these beliefs and judgements. Teachers were able to consider some of the interactions between their students' individual characteristics and the classroom environment, and the ways these might give rise to certain educational needs; they also believed their subjects were singularly inclusive in providing for diverse needs. Nonetheless, traditional systems of educational assessment significantly affected what is judged ‘successful’ learning, which teachers tended to negatively associate with SEND. We conclude that deficit thinking about the educational capacities of students with SEND underlies teachers' judgements. Nevertheless, teachers do believe there are many ways for students to participate meaningfully, articulate and demonstrate understanding in arts subjects, which have the potential to challenge traditional notions of ‘success’.     

Kinematic differences between front crawl sprint and distance swimmers at sprint pace

The purpose of this study was to use three-dimensional methods to determine whether there are distinct kinematic differences between sprint and distance front crawl swimmers when swimming at a sprint pace. Seven sprint and eight distance specialists performed four 25-m sprints through a 6.75-m(3) calibrated space recorded by six gen-locked cameras. The variables of interest were: average swim velocity, stroke length, stroke frequency, upper limb and foot displacement, elbow angle, shoulder and hip roll angles, duration of stroke phases, and the time corresponding to particular events within the stroke cycle relative to hand entry. Differences between sprint and distance swimmers were assessed with an independent t-test for each variable, in addition to effect size calculations. Differences between sprint and distance front crawl swimmers were generally small and not significant when swimming at a sprint pace. Differences were limited to temporal aspects of the stroke cycle. These findings suggest that coaches should not train sprint and distance specialists differently in terms of technique development.     

Asymmetry of red blood cell motions in a microchannel with a diverging and converging bifurcation

In microcirculation, red blood cells (RBCs) flowing through bifurcations may deform considerably due to combination of different phenomena that happen at the micro-scale level, such as: attraction effect, high shear, and extensional stress, all of which may influence the rheological properties and flow behavior of blood. Thus, it is important to investigate in detail the behavior of blood flow occurring at both bifurcations and confluences. In the present paper, by using a micro-PTV system, we investigated the variations of velocity profiles of two working fluids flowing through diverging and converging bifurcations, human red blood cells suspended in dextran 40 with about 14% of hematocrit level (14 Hct) and pure water seeded with fluorescent trace particles. All the measurements were performed in the center plane of rectangular microchannels using a constant flow rate of about 3.0 × 10⁻¹² m³/s. Moreover, the experimental data was compared with numerical results obtained for Newtonian incompressible fluid. The behavior of RBCs was asymmetric at the divergent and convergent side of the geometry, whereas the velocities of tracer particles suspended in pure water were symmetric and well described by numerical simulation. The formation of a red cell-depleted zone immediately downstream of the apex of the converging bifurcation was observed and its effect on velocity profiles of RBCs flow has been investigated. Conversely, a cell-depleted region was not formed around the apex of the diverging bifurcation and as a result the adhesion of RBCs to the wall surface was enhanced in this region.     

Real and perceived employability: a comparison among Italian graduates

The research undertaken for this article aims to analyse the correspondence between perceived employability and the actual national employment rate among Italian students and graduates undertaking different courses in a large Italian university. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 2087 students in 19 faculties, and compared with the national indicators of employment rate for each faculty. Using faculty as unit of analysis, the results indicated a significant correlation between participants’ perceived employability and national employment rate. This trend was similar for both genders. However, the results showed a difference between bachelor’s and master’s degrees: the correlation between perceived and actual employability was not significant among bachelor’s participants while it remained significant among master’s participants. The results suggest that graduates are only partially aware of their possibility to enter the labour market and this, in turn, highlights that universities have only partially met the goal to increase awareness about the chances of finding a job among students and graduates.