High ability students with coexisting disabilities: Implications for school psychological practice

School psychologists are well-positioned to change the educational landscape for twice-exceptional students, or those who possess high ability in one or more talent domains along with one or more disabilities. Better understanding of the nuanced cognitive and psychosocial assessment patterns within this population may increase well-needed participation in gifted education opportunities and the likelihood of receiving accommodations, as well as decrease missed diagnoses. Based on our review of the empirical literature within domains of twice-exceptionality (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and specific learning disability), we provide recommendations for how school psychologists can interpret formative and summative assessments taken by twice-exceptional students and subsequently help design educational plans that will meet their unique needs.     

Student Motivation and Internet Technology: Are Students Empowered to Learn Science?

The Kids as Global Scientists (KGS) project engages students in the study of atmospheric science through the use of current imagery and on‐line communication in a reform‐minded, inquiry‐based curricular program. This article presents case study data on one sixth‐grade classroom of KGS participants during the 8‐week program. Six students representing three motivation levels were selected for intensive study to help illustrate how different students view learning science and the use of technology both before and after a technology‐rich program. Pre‐ and postassessment scores were analyzed for the entire class, and the six students' comments from individual interviews served as one example of voices for each motivation group. Results indicated that students made significant gains in weather content knowledge as measured by written assessments, and interviews revealed a high level of student motivation and satisfaction with the project. We conclude with a discussion of the program characteristics we believe are important for creating a learning environment that fosters the motivation and achievement we observed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 459–479, 2000.     

Creative Potential within Policy: An Analysis of the 2013 English Literature Curriculum

This article takes as its focus Lefebvre's trialectic of conceived, perceived and lived spaces as a lens through which to scrutinise the 2013 English Literature Curriculum, and to explore the extent to which creative spaces might exist within that curriculum. The article analyses how the curriculum is envisaged by policymakers and how it might be expected to be translated into practice, utilising the wording of the policy document to facilitate an exploration of what its underlying intentions might be. The author's experience of teaching a poem from the new curriculum is used in order to provide illustrative examples of the ways in which teachers’ and learners’ experiences of the curriculum might, in practice, diverge from the direction envisaged by policymakers as teachers negotiate creative spaces within their classrooms.     

Meeting Information Needs through Global Partnerships: A Roadmap to Becoming a Global Health Sciences Library

Abstract

Supporting global health priorities through the development of robust health science librarianship partnerships is of significant importance. Increased demand for synthesizing evidence-based information, collating quality resources, and increasing research productivity to improve human health requires integration of library and information science skills and expertise. The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), exists to be an indispensable partner in health information and knowledge, teaching and learning, and research. As global efforts at UNC expanded, the HSL sought to ensure that our global engagement strategy and integration were aligned with campus priorities and partner needs. The HSL created a global research partnership plan: identify resources that improve efficiency, increase access to information, build in-country capacity and expertise—all while strengthening collaborations across multiple countries. Creating a meaningful and sustainable engagement strategy was central to envisioning our path forward and can be used as a framework for consideration by librarians in similar settings.     

An evaluation of the special needs referral process for low-income preschool children with emotional and behavioral problems

The present study is an evaluation of the special needs referral system in a large urban Head Start program. To assess the validity of this system, two assessments were conducted. The first examined a representative sample of 105 children who were formally referred for special needs services. The Early Intervention Screening Profile (EISP) was used to indicate the distribution of problem behaviors of these special needs children. Two independent raters evaluated all cases. Reliable evaluations revealed that all of the referred children displayed speech and language problems, with 70% showing only speech problems and 30% showing speech plus emotional and behavioral problems. The second assessment examined reports of teachers’ concerns about children program-wide by obtaining a representative sample of 203 children nominated by teachers as most likely to be identified as having special needs. Teachers completed a modified EISP. Results indicated that over 70% of the children evidenced emotional and behavioral problems with no accompanying speech difficulties and 30% displayed emotional and behavioral problems plus speech problems. Implications of referral biases were discussed.     

Using critical literacy to explore genetics and its ethical, legal, and social issues with in-service secondary teachers

The described interdisciplinary course helped a mixed population of in-service secondary English and biology teacher-participants increase their genetics content knowledge and awareness of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) that arose from discoveries and practices associated with the Human Genome Project. This was accomplished by applying a critical literacy approach that allows people develop cognitive skills such that they are able to "read the world" (Wink, 2004). The approach is one that permits readers to go beyond the literal text to examine what is present as well as what is missing as it relates to issues of equity and fairness. Becoming critically literate enabled these teacher-participants to challenge the subtle attitudes, values, and beliefs conveyed by a range of written and oral texts. The teacher-participants in this course improved their critical literacy skills by actively reading, critically writing about, and using evidence to support their conclusions about issues arising from advances in human genetics. A biologist, a linguist, and an educator collaboratively designed and taught the course. The personalized focus on the integration of thoughtful reading and writing in this class enhanced the teacher-participants' (n = 16) professional and intellectual development and will potentially improve learning in their biology and English classrooms in the future.     

Next generation crosscutting themes: Factors that contribute to students' understandings of size and scale

This study examined the degree to which individual differences in students' (N = 232) concepts of size and scale are explained by factors such as students' innate sense of number, out‐of‐school science experiences, exposure to size and scale instruction, gender identities, and racial/ethnic identities. There is increasing emphasis being placed on the use of crosscutting concepts to promote deep learning in science. A multiple linear regression indicated students' racial/ethnic identities, experiences with scale outside of school, and exposure to size and scale instruction significantly added to the prediction model. Results from this study can both inform the movement toward incorporating crosscutting concepts into pedagogy as well as inform educators, administrators, and other stakeholders of the factors that may shape students' understanding of the cross‐cutting concept of scale, proportion, and quantity.     

College Match and Undermatch: Assessing Student Preferences,College Proximity,and Inequality in Post-College Outcomes

Recently, multiple studies have focused on the phenomenon of “undermatching”—when students attend a college for which they are overqualified, as measured by test scores and grades. The extant literature suggests that students who undermatch fail to maximize their potential. However, gaps remain in our knowledge about how student preferences—such as a desire to attend college close to home—influence differential rates of undermatching. Moreover, previous research has not directly tested whether and to what extent students who undermatch experience more negative post-college outcomes than otherwise similar students who attend “match” colleges. Using ELS:2002, we find that student preferences for low-cost, nearby colleges, particularly among low-income students, are associated with higher rates of undermatching even among students who are qualified to attend a “very selective” institution. However, this relationship is weakened when students live within 50 miles of a match college, demonstrating that proximity matters. Our results show that attending a selective postsecondary institution does influence post-college employment and earnings, with less positive results for students who undermatch as compared with peers who do not. Our findings demonstrate the importance of non-academic factors in shaping college decisions and post-college outcomes, particularly for low-income students.     

Articulating and Utilizing Communication Student Learning Outcomes in Community Colleges

Academia in the United States stands face-to-face with the constant call for greater levels of assessment and accountability. Academics question whether our students are learning what they’re taught? Are they able to secure employment upon completing their education? Are they prepared to be active, productive citizens in society? Community colleges provide education to those who may typically not have the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education. A foundation of any assessment process is the articulation of the core learning outcomes. It is from this foundation, then, that community college faculty can start assessing the effectiveness of teaching and curricular design. The present investigation details a project that focused on creating discipline-specific student learning outcomes and how these outcomes can be utilized to aligning learning outcomes and mapping to curriculum. Communication studies faculty can utilize the learning outcomes to strengthen and clarify curriculum, demonstrate the acquisition of competencies, and improve departmental offerings.