Assistant Teachers in Head Start Classrooms: Comparing to and Working With Lead Teachers

Research Findings: The purpose of the present study is to examine the degree to which assistant and lead teachers work together in Head Start classrooms in 3 domains: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. Pairs of lead and assistant teachers from 14 Head Start classrooms were simultaneously observed for 1 morning to examine the quality of teachers’ interactions with students in these 3 domains. First we examined the mean levels of the 3 domains and how they differed among teachers. Overall, results indicated moderate levels of emotional support and classroom organization and low levels of instructional support. In comparing lead and assistant teachers, we found that lead teachers offered significantly higher levels of instructional support than assistant teachers. Next we examined how the quality of lead and assistant teachers’ interactions were related over time. Concurrent correlations were nonsignificant. Lagged correlations suggested that lead and assistant teachers’ interactions with students were related over time. Practice or Policy: Assistant teachers offered comparable levels of emotional support and classroom organization but did not offer the same levels of instructional support. This suggests that assistant teachers are able to help provide a nurturing environment and help with structuring activities despite having lower entry-level qualification requirements. This study supports the notion that assistant teachers as well as lead teachers should be included in quality improvement efforts.     

Capacity-Related Innovations Resulting From the Implementation of a Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement

A new genus of district and school improvement models entails partnerships with other organizations and new working relationships with families, community leaders, and youths. The Ohio Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement (OCCMSI) is one such model. It enables partners to leverage family and community resources for learning, healthy development, and overall success in school. This study presents qualitative research findings about the key capacities developed by 6 schools and 6 districts piloting the OCCMSI. Process and product innovations, as well as facilitators and barriers, were tracked as these sites progressed with their implementation efforts. Implications are drawn in relation to how these new and expanded capacities might be prioritized by district and school leaders, consultants, and other professionals involved in partnership-centered models of school improvement.     

Genetics Interfaces: Representing Science and Enacting Public Discourse in Online Spaces

This article analyzes the Web interfaces of two well-known national civic action groups, both related to genetics research: the Genetic Alliance and the Innocence Project. These two sites are excellent examples of interface design and information retrieval, and they also attempt to translate complex science to the general public, even those traditionally most underrepresented and marginalized by the complexities of science and technology. The Genetic Alliance and Innocence Project provide excellent case studies for technical communication courses about the necessity to marry factual scientific knowledge with cultural and emotional rhetorics while providing an interface for multiple stakeholders in public policy change.     

Beyond the Screen: Narrative Mapping as a Tool for Evaluating a Mixed-Reality Science Museum Exhibit

This article describes the authors' work as formative evaluators of a mixed-reality science museum installation, Journey with Sea Creatures. Looking beyond the focal point of the screen to the spatial and temporal surroundings of the exhibit, the authors employed a technique they call retrospective narrative mapping in conjunction with sustained on-site observations, follow-up interviews with museum visitors, and the development of personas to better understand the user experience in multimodal informal learning environments.     

如何确定外观设计专利侵权判定中的“一般消费者”

外观设计专利侵权司法审判实践中,如何确定作为侵权判断主体的“一般消费者”,一直存在争议。本文此较了美国法院和中国法院的做法,并就如何进一步完善我国外观设计专利侵权判断主体提出了建议。     

Development of a validated search filter for Ovid Embase for degenerative cervical myelopathy

Background

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a recently proposed umbrella term for symptomatic cervical spinal cord compression secondary to degeneration of the spine. Currently literature searching for DCM is challenged by the inconsistent uptake of the term ‘DCM’ with many overlapping keywords and numerous synonyms.

Objectives

Here, we adapt our previous Ovid medline search filter for the Ovid embase database, to support comprehensive literature searching. Both embase and medline are recommended as a minimum for systematic reviews.

Methods

References contained within embase identified in our prior study formed a ‘development gold standard’ reference database (N = 220). The search filter was adapted for embase and checked against the reference database. The filter was then validated against the ‘validation gold standard’.

Results

A direct translation was not possible, as medline indexing for DCM and the keywords search field were not available in embase . We also used the ‘focus’ function to improve precision. The resulting search filter has 100% sensitivity in testing.

Discussion and Conclusion

We have developed a validated search filter capable of retrieving DCM references in embase with high sensitivity. In the absence of consistent terminology and indexing, this will support more efficient and robust evidence synthesis in the field.