Breaking Down Barriers for Student Parents and Caregivers with Family-Friendly Library Spaces

Abstract

In 2016, J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte opened a reservable study room where student parents and caregivers can study with their children on campus. In 2018, the library opened a second family-friendly study room to meet the needs of our growing campus community. To inform the room design, the library conducted a mixed methods research study that included a user survey, an examination of room reservation and usage data, and one-on-one user interviews. This paper focuses on the user-centered design process used to inform the development of the second, family-friendly, library study room.     

A study of curriculum development in a new special school

Anne Maddison is deputy headteacher, with responsibility for curriculum, at the Milestone School, a special school created recently after the amalgamation of three smaller schools. In this article, she describes the development of an outcomes-based curriculum for pupils with a range of learning difficulties aged from two to 16 years. Anne Maddison sets out the rationale for her work in the context of a need to promote shared approaches to teaching and learning at this newly formed school.
The curriculum development project described here was evaluated using questionnaires, interviews and the analysis of documents and practice as part of a case study in school-based enquiry. Anne Maddison used the outcomes of these processes as part of her Doctor of Education (EdD): Educational Leadership course at Lincoln University.
Since this article was written, the Milestone School has undergone its first Ofsted inspection. The report noted that teaching at the school is 'of very high quality' and the curriculum 'is very good'. Inspectors noted that 'the planning of schemes of work, which are being developed with different subjects being focused on each year, is exemplary, with clear outcomes for pupils of different abilities'. While Anne Maddison's article details the experience of one school, her analysis may be of interest to other school managers, teachers, governors or advisers who are seeking to promote the development of a more inclusive curriculum.     

Cerebral activity prior to motion task performance: an electroencephalographic study

Cerebral activity, as reflected by power in the alpha waveband (8-13 Hz), was examined prior to the performance of three tasks with different effort and accuracy requirements. The study aimed to further investigate changes in activity observed in an earlier study in which expert karate performers exhibited significant increases in alpha band power during preparation for a training task. In contrast to the earlier research, the high effort task produced a significant decrease in 'alpha' power prior to performance. 'Alpha' power prior to the high accuracy task showed significant differences mediated by the outcome. Successful performance was preceded by higher levels of 'alpha' power than unsuccessful attempts. The reported use of a cognitive strategy on the first task produced a significant difference in activity, lower alpha power being associated with the use of such a technique.     

Examining the Impact of Opportunity Bursaries on the Financial Circumstances and Attitudes of Undergraduate Students in England

Notwithstanding the expansion of higher education across the OECD, there continues to be concern about the levels of participation amongst those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In response to this, a new form of financial support for students from low-income families, the 'opportunity bursary', was introduced for a limited period in England from 2001/02. Surveys of two cohorts of opportunity-bursary applicants were carried out and these suggested possible psychological, behavioural and economic impacts. Fewer opportunity-bursary recipients than non-recipients reported that part-time work had interfered with their studies and more reported that the bursary had made them less worried about meeting the costs of going to university. There was some evidence that the scheme led to increased retention in the first year of university study; it also appeared to lead to lower levels of debt, in particular bank overdrafts or credit card debt.     

Literacy Instruction in Multiple‐Language First‐Grade Classrooms: Linking Student Outcomes to Observed Instructional Practice

This study examined literacy instruction in 14 first‐grade classrooms of English learners (ELs) in three schools in a large urban school district in southern California over a two‐year period. Pre‐ and posttest measures of oral‐reading fluency for 186 first graders, representing 11 native languages, were the outcome data. Reading‐fluency data were examined in reference to ratings of literacy practices using the English Learners Classroom Observation Instrument (ELCOI). Results indicated a moderately strong correlation (r= 0.65) between ELCOI rating and gain in oral‐reading fluency at the end of first grade. We report patterns of ELs who read below the oral‐reading fluency benchmark thresholds and patterns of students who were ultimately labeled with learning disabilities. Instructional practices of teachers rated “high” and “low” are discussed. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Who's next? Research predicts museum leadership gap

A brief commentary from the Museum Association of New York (MANY) on the unprecedented gap posed by baby-boomer retirement. Based, in part, on MANY's white paper, “Who's Next? Questioning the Future of Museum Leadership in New York State,” this essay deals with questions of succession, leadership and general differences in New York's museum community.