Principal holistic judgments and high-stakes evaluations of teachers

Results from a sample of 1,013 Georgia principals who rated 12,617 teachers are used to compare holistic and analytic principal judgments with indicators of student growth central to the state’s teacher evaluation system. Holistic principal judgments were compared to mean student growth percentiles (MGPs) and analytic judgments from a formal observation protocol. The correlations of a holistic principal rating with teacher MGPs and observation protocol scores were 0.22 and 0.32. Teachers selected as most successful at increasing student achievement had a mean MGP that was a full SD higher than did teachers selected as least successful, and a mean observation protocol score that was 1.35 SDs higher. Holistic principal judgments appear to be much more strongly influenced by observations of teachers’ classroom practices than they were by evidence of growth in student achievement.     

Extending the apprenticeship of observation: how mentee experiences shape mentors

Although the importance of mentor teachers in clinical teacher preparation is well established, few researchers explore the social identity development of these individuals. Through our study we contribute to the body of research by exploring mentor teachers’ social identity development through the concept of Apprenticeship of Observation – specifically, how they felt their own mentoring experiences influenced their approaches to mentoring. The multi-case study includes findings about mentoring beliefs and practices during the laboratory school component of an Alternate Route to Licensure program. Incorporating semi-structured interviews and video analysis, the findings demonstrate how four mentor teachers’ prior experiences as mentees – including Alternate Route to Licensure, traditional teacher preparation programs, and inservice teaching – influenced their interactions with teacher candidates as mentors. Recommendations for practice and implications for future research are provided.     

Managing change ‐ a case study

ABSTRACT

This study describes how two reform approaches-the portfolio culture and teacher professionalism-converge in the context of a system-wide programme for the professional development of school leaders. In particular, the study reports on the use of the portfolio to assist principals, deputy principals and heads of subject departments improve their performance and account for their actions. The study found that participants used their portfolios for a range of purposes: as evidence of improvement; as an organiser; as a record of achievement; as a collection of work samples. Leaders' difficulty in adopting the portfolio for professional accountability arose from a number of tensions: between theory and practice; between public and private demands of portfolios; between the practical nature of leaders' work and the reflective nature of the portfolio; between the portfolio as product and as process; between choice and compliance. It is argued that the use of the portfolio as an accountability vehicle will depend on leaders' capacity to balance these competing demands. The study shows that, despite cultural and logistical problems, the portfolio has the potential to develop the professional knowledge and practice of school leaders.     

Regional differences in sexuality education on a state level: the case of Florida

Introduction In Florida, a state that consistently leads the nation in adverse sexual health outcomes among adolescents, numerous demographic and socio‐cultural differences exist across the North, Central, and South regions. However, little is known about regional differences in sexuality education and beliefs among teachers.

Methodology Using a mail‐based survey of 462 teachers, we examined regional differences in parental consent requirements, abstinence instruction, student language barriers, availability of Spanish curricula, teacher beliefs regarding the dissemination of accurate safer sex information, and missing data. t‐tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results North Floridian teachers taught more abstinence than those in Central and South Florida. Additionally, they had fewer students with language barriers, offered less Spanish curricula, and, in general, possessed less favorable attitudes toward presenting accurate safer sex information. However, South Floridian teachers were most likely to report parental consent requirements in their schools. These findings largely remained in multivariate analyses.

Conclusions The present study identified several noteworthy regional differences in sexuality education in Florida. Recommendations are given for developing and implementing programs that account for these differences within the state.     

Exploring sexuality education opportunities at in-home sex-toy parties in the United States

While debates about adolescent sexuality education persist in the United States, little attention has been paid to adult sexuality education. Research suggests that teachable moments may be present in interactions between adult bookstore employees and the consumers who shop at these venues. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential for in-home sex-toy parties as an avenue for adult sexuality education for women. A total of 1197 women who facilitate in-home sex-toy parties for a large US-based company completed an online questionnaire related to their experiences facilitating these parties. As part of this larger survey, participants reported in an open-ended question the three most commonly asked questions they received when facilitating a party in the previous three months. Questions reported (n = 3149) were analyzed for commonalities using qualitative methods. Resulting themes were then compared with Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education to assess the potential for teachable moments at the events. Of the 36 topical areas identified by SIECUS, 31 areas were represented in questions reported by consultants indicating a strong potential for teachable moments related to sexuality education. In-home sex-toy parties may provide an additional avenue through which to increase adult sexual literacy.     

Chapter 8

PIE-J [Presentation and Identification of E-Journals] is a set of developing National Information Standards Organization–recommended practices that tries to resolve some of the “pain points” associated with electronic journals. Regina Reynolds, at the Mississippi State University Libraries eResource & Emerging Technologies Summit in August 2012, presented these pain points and the attempts of PIE-J to overcome the obstacles.     

'Greyish Rectangles': Creating the television heritage

In the early months of 1947, as it sought to save power during an acute fuel crisis, Clement Attlee's Labour government suspended the publication of all British periodicals for a period of two weeks. This would have been a bold step for any government, let alone one which had as uncomfortable a relationship with the press as Attlee's did, and, at the time, the press was not slow to suggest that the suspension was motivated as much by political factors as it was by a desire to conserve fuel. This article examines the implementation and nature of the suspension, exploring the tensions it generated and asking whether the government's actions can be described—as they were by some contemporary observers—as a deliberate act of suppression.     

Academic and Social Integration in the Basic Communication Course: Predictors of Students' Out-of-Class Communication and Academic Learning

This study reports an investigation designed to determine the generalizability of source credibility scales for immediate superiors across organizational contexts. Four meaningful and statistically independent dimensions for the measurement of the source credibility of immediate superiors in an organizational setting are reported.