Abdominal Pain-Predominant Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Jordanian School Children

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Altamimi, Eyad M.; Al-Safadi, Mohammad H.

2014-01-01

Background Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common complaint in children. Significant portion of them are of functional origin. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) and its types in Jordanian school children. Methods This is a school-based survey at south Jordan. Information using the self-reporting form of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII) - the official Arabi...

Functional-Based Assessment of Social Behavior: Introduction and Overview.

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Lewis, Timothy J.; Sugai, George

1994-01-01

This introduction to and overview of a special issue on social behavior assessment within schools discusses the impact of function-based methodologies on assessment and intervention practices in identification and remediation of challenging social behaviors. (JDD)

Childhood Fears, Neurobehavioral Functioning and Behavior Problems in School-Age Children

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Kushnir, Jonathan; Sadeh, Avi

2010-01-01

The objective is to examine underlying associations between childhood fears, behavior problems and neurobehavioral functioning (NBF) in school-age children. Healthy, regular school children (N = 135), from second, fourth and sixth grade classes were assessed. Data regarding children's fears and behavioral problems were obtained with the Revised…

Chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school and school achievement in preadolescents.

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Meijer, Anne Marie

2008-12-01

This study investigates the relationship between chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school and school achievement of boys and girls. To establish individual consequences of chronic sleep reduction (tiredness, sleepiness, loss of energy and emotional instability) the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire has been developed. A total of 436 children (219 boys, 216 girls, 1 [corrected] missing; mean age = 11 years and 5 months) from the seventh and eight grades of 12 elementary schools participated in this study. The inter-item reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.78) of the Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire were satisfactory. The construct validity of the questionnaire as measured by a confirmative factor analysis was acceptable as well (CMIN/DF = 1.49; CFI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.034). Cronbach's alpha's of the scales measuring functioning at school (teacher's influence, self-image as pupil, and achievement motivation) were 0.69, 0.86 and 0.79. School achievement was based on self-reported marks concerning six school subjects. To test the models concerning the relations of chronic sleep reduction, functioning at school, and school achievement, the covariance matrix of these variables were analysed by means of structural equation modelling. To test for differences between boys and girls a multi-group model is used. The models representing the relations between chronic sleep reduction - school achievement and chronic sleep reduction - functioning at school - school achievement fitted the data quite well. The impact of chronic sleep reduction on school achievement and functioning at school appeared to be different for boys and girls. Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that chronic sleep reduction may affect school achievement directly and indirectly via functioning at school, with worse school marks as a consequence.

Functional Assessment-Based Intervention for Selective Mutism

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Kern, Lee; Starosta, Kristin M.; Bambara, Linda M.; Cook, Clayton R.; Gresham, Frank R.

2007-01-01

The process of functional assessment has emerged as an essential component for intervention development. Applications across divergent types of problem behavior, however, remain limited. This study evaluated the applicability of this promising approach to students with selective mutism. Two middle school students served as participants. The…

Changes in cognitive functions of students in the transitional period from elementary school to junior high school.

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Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Sasabe, Tetsuya; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-05-01

When students proceed to junior high school from elementary school, rapid changes in the environment occur, which may cause various behavioral and emotional problems. However, the changes in cognitive functions during this transitional period have rarely been studied. In 158 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 159 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades, we assessed various cognitive functions, including motor processing, spatial construction ability, semantic fluency, immediate memory, delayed memory, spatial and non-spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. Our findings showed that performance on spatial and non-spatial working memory, alternative attention, divided attention, and semantic fluency tasks improved from elementary to junior high school. In particular, performance on alternative and divided attention tasks improved during the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Our finding suggests that development of alternative and divided attention is of crucial importance in the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional Assessment in Transition and Rehabilitation for Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disorders.

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Bullis, Michael, Ed.; Davis, Cheryl D., Ed.

This manual is based on a 3-year, federally funded program, Project FASTER (Functional Assessment Services for Transition, Education, and Rehabilitation), that developed functional assessment procedures and provided assessment services to adolescents and adults with learning or behavioral disorders who were involved in school-based transition…

Normative Functional Performance Values in High School Athletes: The Functional Pre-Participation Evaluation Project.

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Onate, James A; Starkel, Cambrie; Clifton, Daniel R; Best, Thomas M; Borchers, James; Chaudhari, Ajit; Comstock, R Dawn; Cortes, Nelson; Grooms, Dustin R; Hertel, Jay; Hewett, Timothy E; Miller, Meghan Maume; Pan, Xueliang; Schussler, Eric; Van Lunen, Bonnie L

2018-01-01

  The fourth edition of the Preparticipation Physical Evaluation recommends functional testing for the musculoskeletal portion of the examination; however, normative data across sex and grade level are limited. Establishing normative data can provide clinicians reference points with which to compare their patients, potentially aiding in the development of future injury-risk assessments and injury-mitigation programs.   To establish normative functional performance and limb-symmetry data for high school-aged male and female athletes in the United States.   Cross-sectional study.   Athletic training facilities and gymnasiums across the United States.   A total of 3951 male and female athletes who participated on high school-sponsored basketball, football, lacrosse, or soccer teams enrolled in this nationwide study.   Functional performance testing consisted of 3 evaluations. Ankle-joint range of motion, balance, and lower extremity muscular power and landing control were assessed via the weight-bearing ankle-dorsiflexion-lunge, single-legged anterior-reach, and anterior single-legged hop-for-distance (SLHOP) tests, respectively. We used 2-way analyses of variance and χ 2 analyses to examine the effects of sex and grade level on ankle-dorsiflexion-lunge, single-legged anterior-reach, and SLHOP test performance and symmetry.   The SLHOP performance differed between sexes (males = 187.8% ± 33.1% of limb length, females = 157.5% ± 27.8% of limb length; t = 30.3, P performance. We observed differences for SLHOP and ankle-dorsiflexion-lunge performance among grade levels, but these differences were not clinically meaningful.   We demonstrated differences in normative data for lower extremity functional performance during preparticipation physical evaluations across sex and grade levels. The results of this study will allow clinicians to compare sex- and grade-specific functional performances and implement approaches for preventing musculoskeletal

The Need for a Uniform Method of Recording and Reporting Functional Vision Assessments

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Shaw, Rona; Russotti, Joanne; Strauss-Schwartz, Judy; Vail, Helen; Kahn, Ronda

2009-01-01

The use of functional vision by school-age students who have visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities, is typically reported by teachers of students with visual impairments. Functional vision assessments determine how well a student uses his or her vision to perform tasks throughout the school day. The information that is…

School Refusal: Assessment and Intervention within School Settings.

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Wimmer, Mary B.

Anxiety-based school refusal occurs in 2% of school-age children. The reasons why they refuse to go school range from mental illness and learning problems to general defiance and a desire for attention. Early identification and multi-faceted assessment and interventions are critical to addressing the problem. This book offers concise, practical…

The role of executive function in children's competent adjustment to middle school.

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Jacobson, Lisa A; Williford, Amanda P; Pianta, Robert C

2011-01-01

Executive function (EF) skills play an important role in children's cognitive and social functioning. These skills develop throughout childhood, concurrently with a number of developmental transitions and challenges. One of these challenges is the transition from elementary into middle-level schools, which has the potential to significantly disrupt children's academic and social trajectories. However, little is known about the role of EF in children's adjustment during this transition. This study investigated the relation between children's EF skills, assessed both before and during elementary school, and sixth grade academic and social competence. In addition, the influences of the type of school setting attended in sixth grade on children's academic and behavioral outcomes were examined. EF assessed prior to and during elementary school significantly predicted sixth grade competence, as rated by teachers and parents, in both academic and social domains, after controlling for background characteristics. The interactions between type of school setting and EF skills were significant: Parents tended to report more behavioral problems and less regulatory control in children with weaker EF skills who were attending middle school. In contrast, teachers reported greater academic and behavioral difficulty in students with poorer EF attending elementary school settings. In conclusion, children's performance-based EF skills significantly affect adjustment to the academic and behavioral demands of sixth grade, with parent report suggesting greater difficulty for children with poorer EF in settings where children are provided with less external supports (e.g., middle school).

Typologies of Family Functioning and Children's Adjustment during the Early School Years

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Sturge-Apple, Melissa L.; Davies, Patrick T.; Cummings, E. Mark

2010-01-01

Guided by family systems theory, the present study sought to identify patterns of family functioning from observational assessments of interparental, parent-child, and triadic contexts. In addition, it charted the implications for patterns of family functioning for children's developmental trajectories of adjustment in the school context across…

Executive Functions as Predictors of School Performance and Social Relationships: Primary and Secondary School Students.

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Zorza, Juan Pablo; Marino, Julián; Acosta Mesas, Alberto

2016-05-12

This study examined the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and school performance in primary and secondary school students aged 8 to 13 years (N = 146, M = 10.4, 45.8% girls). EFs were evaluated using the Trail Making Test (TMT), Verbal Fluency (VF), and the Stroop Test. Students' GPAs and teachers' assessment of academic skills were used to measure school performance. To evaluate the students' social behavior, participants were asked to rate all their classmates' prosocial behavior and nominate three students with whom they preferred to do school activities; teachers also provided evaluations of students' social skills. EF measures explained 41% (p = .003, f 2 = .694) of variability in school performance and 29% (p = .005, f 2 = .401) of variance in social behavior in primary school students. The predictive power of EFs was found to be lower for secondary school students, although the TMT showed significant prediction and explained 13% (p = .004, f 2 = .149) of variance in school performance and 15% (p = .008, f 2 = .176) in peer ratings of prosocial behavior. This paper discusses the relevance of EFs in the school environment and their different predictive power in primary and secondary school students.

Assessment for Exemplary Schools: Productive School Management

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Johnson, William L.; Johnson, Annabel M.

2009-01-01

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, has been called the most far-reaching federal education bill in nearly four decades. The law's comprehensive assessment provisions address areas from school choice to low-performing schools and increased…

The Contribution of Executive Functions to Participation in School Activities of Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Zingerevich, Chaya; Patricia D., LaVesser

2009-01-01

This study describes the contribution of executive functions to participation in school activities of children diagnosed with ASD ages 6-9 years while controlling for sensory processing. Twenty-four children, ages 73-112 months (S.D. = 11.4), diagnosed with high functioning ASD were assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Their teachers…

Schools and Disasters: Safety and Mental Health Assessment and Interventions for Children.

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Lai, Betty S; Esnard, Ann-Margaret; Lowe, Sarah R; Peek, Lori

2016-12-01

This article draws on experiences and lessons from global disasters and utilizes the United Nations Comprehensive School Safety Framework to highlight the necessary role of safe schools in protecting children, as well as adult staff, from the immediate threats and long-term implications of disasters. Specifically, we focus on three well-established pillars of school safety: Pillar I: Safe Learning Facilities; Pillar II: Disaster Management; and Pillar III: Risk Reduction and Resilience Education. In addition, we propose a potential fourth pillar, which underscores the function of schools in postdisaster mental health assessment and intervention for children. We argue that schools offer a central location and trusted institutional space for mental health assessment and intervention after disasters. We also examine the important linkages between schools, child mental health, and household and family recovery. We conclude with recommendations for filling gaps in research and practice related to ensuring the safety of schools and the associated health and well-being of children in the face of future disasters.

Executive Functioning and Reading Achievement in School: A study of Brazilian Children Assessed by Their Teachers as Poor Readers

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Pascale M. J. Engel de Abreu

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study examined executive functioning and reading achievement in 106 6- to 8-year-old Brazilian children from a range of social backgrounds of whom approximately half lived below the poverty line. A particular focus was to explore the executive function profile of children whose classroom reading performance was judged below standard by their teachers and who were carefully matched to controls on chronological age, sex, school type (Private or Public, domicile (Salvador/BA or São Paulo/SP, and socioeconomic status. Children completed a battery of 12 executive function tasks that were conceptually tapping cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibition, and selective attention. Each executive function domain was assessed by several tasks. Principal component analysis extracted four factors that were labeled Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility, Interference Suppression, Selective Attention, and Response Inhibition. Individual differences in executive functioning components made differential contributions to early reading achievement. The Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility factor emerged as the best predictor of reading. Group comparisons on computed factor scores showed that the struggling readers presented limitations in Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility, but not in other executive function components, compared to more skilled readers. These results validate the account that working memory capacity provides a crucial building block for the development of early literacy skills and extends it to a population of early readers of Portuguese from Brazil. The study suggests that deficits in working memory/cognitive flexibility might represent one contributing factor to reading difficulties in early readers which might have important implications for interventions for children at risk of school failure.

The Role of Executive Function in Children’s Competent Adjustment to Middle School

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Lisa A.; Williford, Amanda P.; Pianta, Robert C.

2012-01-01

Executive function (EF) skills play an important role in children’s cognitive and social functioning. These skills develop throughout childhood, concurrently with a number of developmental transitions and challenges. One of these challenges is the transition from elementary into middle-level schools, which has the potential to significantly disrupt children’s academic and social trajectories. However, little is known about the role of EF in children’s adjustment during this transition. This study investigated the relation between children’s EF skills, assessed both before and during elementary school, and sixth grade academic and social competence. In addition, the influences of the type of school setting attended in sixth grade on children’s academic and behavioral outcomes were examined. EF assessed prior to and during elementary school significantly predicted sixth grade competence, as rated by teachers and parents, in both academic and social domains, after controlling for background characteristics. The interactions between type of school setting and EF skills were significant: parents tended to report more behavioral problems and less regulatory control in children with weaker EF skills who were attending middle school. In contrast, teachers reported greater academic and behavioral difficulty in students with poorer EF attending elementary school settings. In conclusion, children’s performance-based EF skills significantly affect adjustment to the academic and behavioral demands of sixth grade, with parent report suggesting greater difficulty for children with poorer EF in settings where children are provided with less external supports (e.g., middle school). PMID:21246422

Assessing School Emergency Care Preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Charles; Varnes, Jill

A study assessed the emergency health care preparedness of a north central Florida public school district in light of seven criteria: (1) school policies regarding delivery of emergency health care; (2) identification of school personnel responsible for rendering emergency care; (3) training levels of emergency health care providers (first aid and…

An Evidence-Driven, Solution-Focused Approach to Functional Behavior Assessment Report Writing

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Farmer, Ryan L.; Floyd, Randy G.

2016-01-01

School-based practitioners are to implement and report functional behavior assessments (FBAs) that are consistent with both the research literature and the law, both federal and state. However, the literature regarding how best to document the FBA process is underdeveloped. A review of applied behavior analytic and school psychology literature as…

Developing School Heads as Instructional Leaders in School-Based Assessment: Challenges and Next Steps

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Lingam, Govinda Ishwar; Lingam, Narsamma

2016-01-01

The study explored challenges faced by school leaders in the Pacific nation of Solomon Islands in school-based assessment, and the adequacy of an assessment course to prepare them. A questionnaire including both open and closed-ended questions elicited relevant data from the school leaders. Modelling best practices in school-based assessment was…

Hygienic, sanitary, physical, and functional conditions of Brazilian public school food services

OpenAIRE

Almeida,Kênia Machado de; André,Maria Cláudia Porfirio; Campos,Maria Raquel Hidalgo; Díaz,Mário Ernesto Piscoya

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To verify the physical, functional, hygienic, and sanitary conditions of the food services of municipal schools located in the Brazilian Midwest region. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 296 school food services conducted from February to June 2012. The food services were assessed by a semi-structured check list divided into the following sections: physical conditions, available equipment, food handlers' conduct, and food service cleaning processes and procedures. Th...

The effect of special health care needs and health status on school functioning.

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Reuben, Cynthia A; Pastor, Patricia N

2013-10-01

Past studies have shown that specific child conditions are associated with poor school outcomes. A national health survey with noncategorical measures of health and indicators of school functioning offers the opportunity to examine this association. To compare links between two health measures (children with special health care needs and general health status) and multiple school outcomes. The analysis was based on 59,440 children aged 6-17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Child health was assessed using the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) screener and a question on general health status. CSHCN were classified by the complexity of their health care needs. Indicators of school functioning included special education use, many problem reports, repeated a grade, lack of school engagement, and many missed school days. Overall 22% of children were identified as CSHCN: 13% with more complex needs (C-CSHCN) and 9% with medication use only (CSHCN-RX). Approximately 17% of children were in less than optimal health. After controlling for a child's sociodemographic characteristics C-CSHCN had an increased risk of all of the negative school outcomes compared to children without SHCN, while CSHCN-RX had an increased risk of only one school outcome (many missed school days). Children in less than optimal health were at an increased risk of all negative school outcomes compared to children in optimal health. The CSHCN screener and health status question identify related, but distinct, groups of children with worse outcomes on the indicators of school functioning. Published by Elsevier Inc.

School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide. Middle School/High School.

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Barrios, Lisa C.; Burgeson, Charlene R.; Crossett, Linda; Harrykissoon, Samantha D.; Pritzl, Jane; Wechsler, Howell; Kuester, Sarah A.; Pederson, Linda; Graffunder, Corinne; Rainford, Neil; Sleet, David

2004-01-01

The "School Health Index" is a self-assessment and planning guide that will enable schools to: (1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of school policies and programs for promoting health and safety; (2) develop an action plan for improving student health and safety, and (3) involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving…

Teachers' Knowledge and Readiness towards Implementation of School Based Assessment in Secondary Schools

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Veloo, Arsaythamby; Krishnasamy, Hariharan N.; Md-Ali, Ruzlan

2015-01-01

School-Based Assessment (SBA) was implemented in Malaysian secondary schools in 2012. Since its implementation, teachers have faced several challenges to meet the aims and objectives of the School-Based Assessment. Based on these challenges this study aims to find the level of teachers' knowledge and readiness towards the implementation of…

Cognitive Assessment Practices: A Survey of School Psychologists

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Sotelo-Dynega, Marlene; Dixon, Shauna G.

2014-01-01

The present article describes an exploratory study regarding the preferred cognitive assessment practices of current school psychologists. Three hundred and twenty-three school psychologists participated in the survey. The results suggest that the majority of school psychologists endorsed that they base their assessment practices on an underlying…

Forensic aspects and assessment of school bullying.

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Freeman, Bradley W; Thompson, Christopher; Jaques, Cory

2012-12-01

This article describes school's obligations related to bullying behavior, the assessment of bullying students and their victims, the evaluation of claimed damages due to bullying, and potential interventions for both individuals and school systems to reduce the frequency of bullying behavior. This article assists evaluators when assessing youth who are involved in bullying behavior, either as victims or perpetrators. Key areas highlighted include an overview of bullying behaviors, legal issues related to a school's responsibility in preventing or curtailing bullying behaviors, important components of a bullying assessment, and proposed interventions to minimize bullying. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multiage Assessment: One School's Plan.

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Arnold, Sue Beth; Kidwell, Barbara; Rossman, David

1998-01-01

Describes one elementary school's multiage assessment plan. Describes how standards were developed, and describes the assessment plan's guiding element: the progress report arranged as a continuum of objectives that serve as a goal indicator and a reporting mechanism. Discusses how objectives are assessed, record keeping and documentation, and the…

Functional performance of school children diagnosed with developmental delay up to two years of age

Science.gov (United States)

Dornelas, Lílian de Fátima; Magalhães, Lívia de Castro

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: To compare the functional performance of students diagnosed with developmental delay (DD) up to two years of age with peers exhibiting typical development. Methods: Cross-sectional study with functional performance assessment of children diagnosed with DD up to two years of age compared to those with typical development at seven to eight years of age. Each group consisted of 45 children, selected by non-random sampling, evaluated for motor skills, quality of home environment, school participation and performance. ANOVA and the Binomial test for two proportions were used to assess differences between groups. Results: The group with DD had lower motor skills when compared to the typical group. While 66.7% of children in the typical group showed adequate school participation, receiving aid in cognitive and behavioral tasks similar to that offered to other children at the same level, only 22.2% of children with DD showed the same performance. Although 53.3% of the children with DD achieved an academic performance expected for the school level, there were limitations in some activities. Only two indicators of family environment, diversity and activities with parents at home, showed statistically significant difference between the groups, with advantage being shown for the typical group. Conclusions: Children with DD have persistent difficulties at school age, with motor deficit, restrictions in school activity performance and low participation in the school context, as well as significantly lower functional performance when compared to children without DD. A systematic monitoring of this population is recommended to identify needs and minimize future problems. PMID:26553573

Functional performance of school children diagnosed with developmental delay up to two years of age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lílian de Fátima Dornelas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To compare the functional performance of students diagnosed with developmental delay (DD up to two years of age with peers exhibiting typical development. Methods: Cross-sectional study with functional performance assessment of children diagnosed with DD up to two years of age compared to those with typical development at seven to eight years of age. Each group consisted of 45 children, selected by non-random sampling, evaluated for motor skills, quality of home environment, school participation and performance. ANOVA and the Binomial test for two proportions were used to assess differences between groups. Results: The group with DD had lower motor skills when compared to the typical group. While 66.7% of children in the typical group showed adequate school participation, receiving aid in cognitive and behavioral tasks similar to that offered to other children at the same level, only 22.2% of children with DD showed the same performance. Although 53.3% of the children with DD achieved an academic performance expected for the school level, there were limitations in some activities. Only two indicators of family environment, diversity and activities with parents at home, showed statistically significant difference between the groups, with advantage being shown for the typical group. Conclusions: Children with DD have persistent difficulties at school age, with motor deficit, restrictions in school activity performance and low participation in the school context, as well as significantly lower functional performance when compared to children without DD. A systematic monitoring of this population is recommended to identify needs and minimize future problems.

School Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Program Implementation.

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Prill, R.; Blake, D.; Hales, D.

This paper describes the effectiveness of a three-step indoor air quality (IAQ) program implemented by 156 schools in the states of Washington and Idaho during the 2000-2001 school year. An experienced IAQ/building science specialist conducted walk-through assessments at each school. These assessments documented deficiencies and served as an…

Improving visual memory, attention, and school function with atomoxetine in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

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Shang, Chi-Yung; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2012-10-01

Atomoxetine is efficacious in reducing symptoms of attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but its effect on visual memory and attention needs more investigation. This study aimed to assess the effect of atomoxetine on visual memory, attention, and school function in boys with ADHD in Taiwan. This was an open-label 12 week atomoxetine treatment trial among 30 drug-naíve boys with ADHD, aged 8-16 years. Before administration of atomoxetine, the participants were assessed using psychiatric interviews, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd edition (WISC-III), the school function of the Chinese version of the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA), the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and the tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) involving visual memory and attention: Pattern Recognition Memory, Spatial Recognition Memory, and Reaction Time, which were reassessed at weeks 4 and 12. Our results showed there was significant improvement in pattern recognition memory and spatial recognition memory as measured by the CANTAB tasks, sustained attention and response inhibition as measured by the CPT, and reaction time as measured by the CANTAB after treatment with atomoxetine for 4 weeks or 12 weeks. In addition, atomoxetine significantly enhanced school functioning in children with ADHD. Our findings suggested that atomoxetine was associated with significant improvement in visual memory, attention, and school functioning in boys with ADHD.

Physiology of school burnout in medical students: Hemodynamic and autonomic functioning

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Ross W. May

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the relationship between burnout and hemodynamic and autonomic functioning in both medical students (N = 55 and premedical undergraduate students (N = 77. Questionnaires screened for health related issues and assessed school burnout and negative affect symptomatology (anxiety and depression. Continuous beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP through finger plethysmography and electrocardiogram (ECG monitoring was conducted during conditions of baseline and cardiac stress induced via the cold pressor task to produce hemodynamic, heart rate variability, and blood pressure variability indices. Independent sample t-tests demonstrated that medical students had significantly higher school burnout scores compared to their undergraduate counterparts. Controlling for age, BMI, anxiety and depressive symptoms, multiple regression analyses indicated that school burnout was a stronger predictor of elevated hemodynamics (blood pressure, decreased heart rate variability, decreased markers of vagal activity and increased markers of sympathetic tone at baseline for medical students than for undergraduates. Analyses of physiological values collected during the cold pressor task indicated greater cardiac hyperactivity for medical students than for undergraduates. The present study supports previous research linking medical school burnout to hemodynamic and autonomic functioning, suggests biomarkers for medical school burnout, and provides evidence that burnout may be implicated as a physiological risk factor in medical students. Study limitations and potential intervention avenues are discussed.

Predicting functional communication ability in children with cerebral palsy at school entry.

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Coleman, Andrea; Weir, Kelly; Ware, Robert S; Boyd, Roslyn

2015-03-01

To explore the value of demographic, environmental, and early clinical characteristics in predicting functional communication in children with cerebral palsy (CP) at school entry. Data are from an Australian prospective longitudinal study of children with CP. Children assessed at 18 to 24 and 48 to 60 months corrected age were included in the study. Functional communication was classified at 48 to 60 months using the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). Predictive variables included communication skills at 18 to 24 months, evaluated using the Communication and Symbolic Behavioural Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP) Infant-Toddler Checklist. Early Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System, and motor type and distribution were evaluated by two physiotherapists. Demographic and comorbid variables were obtained through parent interview with a paediatrician or rehabilitation specialist. A total of 114 children (76 males, 38 females) were included in the study. At 18 to 24 months the mean CSBS-DP was 84.9 (SD 19.0). The CFCS distribution at 48 to 60 months was I=36(32%), II=25(22%), III=20(18%), IV=19(17%), and V=14(12%). In multivariable regression analysis, only CSBS-DP (pcommunication at school entry. Body structure and function and not environmental factors impact functional communication at school entry in children with CP. This provides valuable guidance for early screening, parent education, and future planning of intervention programs to improve functional communication. © 2014 Mac Keith Press.

Playing fair: the contribution of high-functioning recess to overall school climate in low-income elementary schools.

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London, Rebecca A; Westrich, Lisa; Stokes-Guinan, Katie; McLaughlin, Milbrey

2015-01-01

Recess is a part of the elementary school day with strong implications for school climate. Positive school climate has been linked to a host of favorable student outcomes, from attendance to achievement. We examine 6 low-income elementary schools' experiences implementing a recess-based program designed to provide safe, healthy, and inclusive play to study how improving recess functioning can affect school climate. Data from teacher, principal, and recess coach interviews; student focus groups; recess observations; and a teacher survey are triangulated to understand the ways that recess changed during implementation. Comparing schools that achieved higher- and lower-functioning recesses, we link recess functioning with school climate. Recess improved in all schools, but 4 of the 6 achieved a higher-functioning recess. In these schools, teachers and principals agreed that by the end of the year, recess offered opportunities for student engagement, conflict resolution, pro-social skill development, and emotional and physical safety. Respondents in these four schools linked these changes to improved overall school climate. Recess is an important part of the school day for contributing to school climate. Creating a positive recess climate helps students to be engaged in meaningful play and return to class ready to learn. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Assessing the Cognitive Functioning of Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Practices and Perceptions of School Psychologists

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Costner, Ashley Nicole

2016-01-01

School psychologists are faced with the task of conducting evaluations of students in order to determine special education eligibility. This often equates to administering a cognitive assessment measure to obtain information about skills or abilities. Although this may be a straightforward task when working with children of average or higher…

Principals as Assessment Leaders in Rural Schools

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Renihan, Patrick; Noonan, Brian

2012-01-01

This article reports a study of rural school principals' assessment leadership roles and the impact of rural context on their work. The study involved three focus groups of principals serving small rural schools of varied size and grade configuration in three systems. Principals viewed assessment as a matter of teacher accountability and as a…

[Functional performance of school children diagnosed with developmental delay up to two years of age].

Science.gov (United States)

Dornelas, Lílian de Fátima; Magalhães, Lívia de Castro

2016-01-01

To compare the functional performance of students diagnosed with developmental delay (DD) up to two years of age with peers exhibiting typical development. Cross-sectional study with functional performance assessment of children diagnosed with DD up to two years of age compared to those with typical development at seven to eight years of age. Each group consisted of 45 children, selected by non-random sampling, evaluated for motor skills, quality of home environment, school participation and performance. ANOVA and the Binomial test for two proportions were used to assess differences between groups. The group with DD had lower motor skills when compared to the typical group. While 66.7% of children in the typical group showed adequate school participation, receiving aid in cognitive and behavioral tasks similar to that offered to other children at the same level, only 22.2% of children with DD showed the same performance. Although 53.3% of the children with DD achieved an academic performance expected for the school level, there were limitations in some activities. Only two indicators of family environment, diversity and activities with parents at home, showed statistically significant difference between the groups, with advantage being shown for the typical group. Children with DD have persistent difficulties at school age, with motor deficit, restrictions in school activity performance and low participation in the school context, as well as significantly lower functional performance when compared to children without DD. A systematic monitoring of this population is recommended to identify needs and minimize future problems. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

An Examination of Differential Item Functioning on the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Polikoff, Morgan S.; May, Henry; Porter, Andrew C.; Elliott, Stephen N.; Goldring, Ellen; Murphy, Joseph

2009-01-01

The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education is a 360-degree assessment of the effectiveness of principals' learning-centered leadership behaviors. In this report, we present results from a differential item functioning (DIF) study of the assessment. Using data from a national field trial, we searched for evidence of DIF on school level,…

Cognitive functioning over 2 years after intracerebral hemorrhage in school-aged children.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Lexa K; Compas, Bruce E; Gindville, Melissa C; Reeslund, Kristen L; Jordan, Lori C

2017-11-01

Previous research investigating outcomes after pediatric intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has generally been limited to global and sensorimotor outcomes. This study examined cognitive outcomes after spontaneous ICH in school-aged children with serial assessments over 2 years after stroke. Seven children (age range 6-16y, median 13; six males, one female; 57% white, 43% black) presenting with spontaneous ICH (six arteriovenous malformations) were assessed at 3 months, 12 months, and 24 months after stroke. The Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) quantified neurological outcome and Wechsler Intelligence Scales measured cognitive outcomes: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. PSOM scales showed improved neurological function over the first 12 months, with mild to no sensorimotor deficits and moderate overall deficits at 1- and 2-year follow-ups (median 2-year sensorimotor PSOM=0.5, total PSOM=1.5). Changes in cognitive function indicated a different trajectory; verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning improved over 24 months; low performance was sustained in processing speed and working memory. Age-normed centile scores decreased between 1- and 2-year follow-ups for working memory, suggesting emerging deficits compared with peers. Early and serial cognitive testing in children with ICH is needed to assess cognitive functioning and support children in school as they age and cognitive deficits become more apparent and important for function. In children with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), motor function improved between 3 months and 24 months. Improvements in cognitive function were variable between 3 months and 24 months. Working memory centiles declined, suggesting emerging deficits compared with peers. Processing speed improved but remained significantly below the 50th centile. Cognitive impact of ICH may increase with age in children. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

School belongingness and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary transition in a mainstream sample: multi-group cross-lagged analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Sharmila; Falkmer, Marita; Parsons, Richard; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Parkin, Timothy; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2014-01-01

The relationship between school belongingness and mental health functioning before and after the primary-secondary school transition has not been previously investigated in students with and without disabilities. This study used a prospective longitudinal design to test the bi-directional relationships between these constructs, by surveying 266 students with and without disabilities and their parents, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Cross-lagged multi-group analyses found student perception of belongingness in the final year of primary school to contribute to change in their mental health functioning a year later. The beneficial longitudinal effects of school belongingness on subsequent mental health functioning were evident in all student subgroups; even after accounting for prior mental health scores and the cross-time stability in mental health functioning and school belongingness scores. Findings of the current study substantiate the role of school contextual influences on early adolescent mental health functioning. They highlight the importance for primary and secondary schools to assess students' school belongingness and mental health functioning and transfer these records as part of the transition process, so that appropriate scaffolds are in place to support those in need. Longer term longitudinal studies are needed to increase the understanding of the temporal sequencing between school belongingness and mental health functioning of all mainstream students.

School Belongingness and Mental Health Functioning across the Primary-Secondary Transition in a Mainstream Sample: Multi-Group Cross-Lagged Analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Sharmila; Falkmer, Marita; Parsons, Richard; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Parkin, Timothy; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2014-01-01

The relationship between school belongingness and mental health functioning before and after the primary-secondary school transition has not been previously investigated in students with and without disabilities. This study used a prospective longitudinal design to test the bi-directional relationships between these constructs, by surveying 266 students with and without disabilities and their parents, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Cross-lagged multi-group analyses found student perception of belongingness in the final year of primary school to contribute to change in their mental health functioning a year later. The beneficial longitudinal effects of school belongingness on subsequent mental health functioning were evident in all student subgroups; even after accounting for prior mental health scores and the cross-time stability in mental health functioning and school belongingness scores. Findings of the current study substantiate the role of school contextual influences on early adolescent mental health functioning. They highlight the importance for primary and secondary schools to assess students’ school belongingness and mental health functioning and transfer these records as part of the transition process, so that appropriate scaffolds are in place to support those in need. Longer term longitudinal studies are needed to increase the understanding of the temporal sequencing between school belongingness and mental health functioning of all mainstream students. PMID:24967580

School belongingness and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary transition in a mainstream sample: multi-group cross-lagged analyses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharmila Vaz

Full Text Available The relationship between school belongingness and mental health functioning before and after the primary-secondary school transition has not been previously investigated in students with and without disabilities. This study used a prospective longitudinal design to test the bi-directional relationships between these constructs, by surveying 266 students with and without disabilities and their parents, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Cross-lagged multi-group analyses found student perception of belongingness in the final year of primary school to contribute to change in their mental health functioning a year later. The beneficial longitudinal effects of school belongingness on subsequent mental health functioning were evident in all student subgroups; even after accounting for prior mental health scores and the cross-time stability in mental health functioning and school belongingness scores. Findings of the current study substantiate the role of school contextual influences on early adolescent mental health functioning. They highlight the importance for primary and secondary schools to assess students' school belongingness and mental health functioning and transfer these records as part of the transition process, so that appropriate scaffolds are in place to support those in need. Longer term longitudinal studies are needed to increase the understanding of the temporal sequencing between school belongingness and mental health functioning of all mainstream students.

Assess So You Can Address Indoor Air Quality in Your School – Use EPA’s New IAQ School Assessment Mobile App

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Provides overview of Assessing IAQ by downloading EPA's School Assessment Mobile App. “One-stop shop” for accessing guidance from EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit with proven strategies for specifically addressing important IAQ issues.

Abdominal Pain-Predominant Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Jordanian School Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Altamimi, Eyad M; Al-Safadi, Mohammad H

2014-12-01

Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common complaint in children. Significant portion of them are of functional origin. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) and its types in Jordanian school children. This is a school-based survey at south Jordan. Information using the self-reporting form of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII) - the official Arabic translation - was collected. Classes from academic years (grades) 6 - 8 were selected. SPSS Statistical Package Version 17 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used. Categorical data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, and continuous data were analyzed using t -test. P abdominal pain-predominant FGID. Seventy-nine (68%) of them were females. Forty-seven (10.6%) had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Thirty-six (8%), 17 (3.8%), 11 (2.4%) and five (1.1%) had abdominal migraine, functional abdominal pain, functional abdominal pain syndrome and functional dyspepsia, respectively. Abdominal pain-predominant FGID has become a major health issue in Jordanian children. One of four children between the ages of 11 and 15 years exhibits at least one abdominal pain-predominant FGID. The most common form of abdominal pain-predominant FGID in our children was IBS. Females are affected more often than males. Intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms are seen regularly with abdominal pain-predominant FGIDs.

Improvement of methodical approaches to higher schools' marketing activity assessment on the basis of Internet technologies application

OpenAIRE

Elizaveta E. Tarasova; Evgeny A. Shein

2014-01-01

The paper substantiates the necessity of higher schools marketing activity developing on the basis of Internet technologies; suggests the technique of comprehensive assessment of functioning and quality of the site as the main tool of marketing activity on the Internet, substantiates the stages of its implementation and provides the approbation results; suggests strategic directions for the improvement of functioning and quality improvement of a higher school site, which makes it possible to ...

The School Assessment for Environmental Typology (SAfETy): An Observational Measure of the School Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Catherine P; Milam, Adam J; Furr-Holden, C Debra M; Johnson, Sarah Lindstrom

2015-12-01

School safety is of great concern for prevention researchers, school officials, parents, and students, yet there are a dearth of assessments that have operationalized school safety from an organizational framework using objective tools and measures. Such a tool would be important for deriving unbiased assessments of the school environment, which in turn could be used as an evaluative tool for school violence prevention efforts. The current paper presents a framework for conceptualizing school safety consistent with Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) model and social disorganization theory, both of which highlight the importance of context as a driver for adolescents' risk for involvement in substance use and violence. This paper describes the development of a novel observational measure, called the School Assessment for Environmental Typology (SAfETy), which applies CPTED and social disorganizational frameworks to schools to measure eight indicators of school physical and social environment (i.e., disorder, trash, graffiti/vandalism, appearance, illumination, surveillance, ownership, and positive behavioral expectations). Drawing upon data from 58 high schools, we provide preliminary data regarding the validity and reliability of the SAfETy and describe patterns of the school safety indicators. Findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the SAfETy and are discussed with regard to the prevention of violence in schools.

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in Assessment and Intervention of School-Aged Children With Language Impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Westby, Carol; Washington, Karla N

2017-07-26

The aim of this tutorial is to support speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in assessment and treatment practices with children with language impairment. This tutorial reviews the framework of the ICF, describes the implications of the ICF for SLPs, distinguishes between students' capacity to perform a skill in a structured context and the actual performance of that skill in naturalistic contexts, and provides a case study of an elementary school child to demonstrate how the principles of the ICF can guide assessment and intervention. The Scope of Practice and Preferred Practice documents for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association identify the ICF as the framework for practice in speech-language pathology. This tutorial will facilitate clinicians' ability to identify personal and environmental factors that influence students' skill capacity and skill performance, assess students' capacity and performance, and develop impairment-based and socially based language goals linked to Common Core State Standards that build students' language capacity and their communicative performance in naturalistic contexts.

Same-Sex Attraction, Social Relationships, Psychosocial Functioning, and School Performance in Early Adolescence

Science.gov (United States)

Bos, Henny M. W.; Sandfort, Theo G. M.; de Bruyn, Eddy H.; Hakvoort, Esther M.

2008-01-01

The authors examined whether 13- to 15-year-old adolescents who experience feelings of same-sex attraction (SSA) differ from those without such feelings in the quality of relationships with parents, peers, and class mentors and in psychosocial functioning (health status and school performance). The authors also assessed whether differences in …

Assessment of School Principals' Reassignment Process

Science.gov (United States)

Sezgin-Nartgün, Senay; Ekinci, Serkan

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify administrators' views related to the assessment of school principals' reassignment in educational organizations. The study utilized qualitative research design and the study group composed of 8 school administrators selected via simple sampling who were employed in the Bolu central district in 2014-2015 academic year.…

[Ecological executive function characteristics and effects of executive function on social adaptive function in school-aged children with epilepsy].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, X J; Wang, L L; Zhou, N

2016-02-23

To explore the characteristics of ecological executive function in school-aged children with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy and examine the effects of executive function on social adaptive function. A total of 51 school-aged children with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy aged 5-12 years at our hospital and 37 normal ones of the same gender, age and educational level were included. The differences in ecological executive function and social adaptive function were compared between the two groups with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and Child Adaptive Behavior Scale, the Pearson's correlation test and multiple stepwise linear regression were used to explore the impact of executive function on social adaptive function. The scores of school-aged children with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy in global executive composite (GEC), behavioral regulation index (BRI) and metacognition index (MI) of BRIEF ((62±12), (58±13) and (63±12), respectively) were significantly higher than those of the control group ((47±7), (44±6) and (48±8), respectively))(Pchildren with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy in adaptive behavior quotient (ADQ), independence, cognition, self-control ((86±22), (32±17), (49±14), (41±16), respectively) were significantly lower than those of the control group ((120±12), (59±14), (59±7) and (68±10), respectively))(Pchildren with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy. School-aged children with idiopathic or probably symptomatic epilepsy may have significantly ecological executive function impairment and social adaptive function reduction. The aspects of BRI, inhibition and working memory in ecological executive function are significantly related with social adaptive function in school-aged children with epilepsy.

Effects of Two Concussions on the Neuropsychological Functioning and Symptom Reporting of High School Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsushima, William T; Geling, Olga; Arnold, Monica; Oshiro, Ross

2016-01-01

To assess the effects of two sports-related concussions on neuropsychological functioning and symptom reporting, the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) was administered to 483 high school athletes. Three groups of athletes were determined based on the number of previous concussions: no concussion (n = 409), 1 concussion (n = 58), and 2 concussions (n = 16). The results showed that the three groups did not differ in terms of their ImPACT composite scores (Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, Reaction Time, and Processing Speed) and the Total Symptom Score. As there are only a few studies that have reported the sequelae of 2 concussions in high school athletes, it is premature to declare that a repeated concussion does not have persistent neurocognitive effects on high school athletes.

Student Voices in School-Based Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Siu Yin Annie; Adamson, Bob

2015-01-01

The value of student voices in dialogues about learning improvement is acknowledged in the literature. This paper examines how the views of students regarding School-based Assessment (SBA), a significant shift in examination policy and practice in secondary schools in Hong Kong, have largely been ignored. The study captures student voices through…

The Development of a Secondary School Health Assessment Model

Science.gov (United States)

Sriring, Srinual; Erawan, Prawit; Sriwarom, Monoon

2015-01-01

The objective of this research was to: 1) involved a survey of information relating to secondary school health, 2) involved the construction of a model of health assessment and a handbook for using the model in secondary school, 3) develop an assessment model for secondary school. The research included 3 phases. (1) involved a survey of…

School-Based Mental Health Professionals' Bullying Assessment Practices: A Call for Evidence-Based Bullying Assessment Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Jamilia; Banks, Courtney S.; Patience, Brenda A.; Lund, Emily M.

2014-01-01

A sample of 483 school-based mental health professionals completed a survey about the training they have received related to conducting bullying assessments in schools, competence in conducting an assessment of bullying, and the bullying assessment methods they used. Results indicate that school counselors were usually informed about incidents of…

Does a perceptuomotor skills assessment have added value to detect talent for table tennis in primary school children?

Science.gov (United States)

Faber, Irene R; Pion, Johan; Munivrana, Goran; Faber, Niels R; Nijhuis-Van der Sanden, Maria W G

2017-04-18

Talent detection intends to support lifelong sports participation, reduce dropouts and stimulate sports at the elite level. For this purpose it is important to reveal the specific profile which directs children to the sports that connect to their strengths and preferences. This study evaluated a perceptuomotor skills assessment as part of talent detection for table tennis, a sport in which perceptuomotor skills are considered essential to cope with the difficult technical aspects. Primary school children (n = 121) and gifted young table tennis players (n = 146) were assessed using the Dutch perceptuomotor skills assessment measuring "ball control" and "gross motor function". A discriminant function analysis confirmed the added value by identifying primary school children fitting the table tennis perceptuomotor profile of the young gifted table tennis players (28%). General linear model analyses for the assessment's individual test items showed that the table tennis players outperformed their primary school peers on all "ball control" items (P talent detection in table tennis at this young age. Longitudinal studies need to reveal the predictive value for sports participation and elite sports.

School based assessment module for invasion games category in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

School based assessment module for invasion games category in physical education. ... This study identify the level of basic skills of invasion games category when using School Based Assessment Module. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Mental Health and School Functioning for Girls in the Child Welfare System: the Mediating Role of Future Orientation and School Engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Threlfall, Jennifer M; Auslander, Wendy; Gerke, Donald; McGinnis, Hollee; Myers Tlapek, Sarah

2017-01-01

This study investigated the association between mental health problems and academic and behavioral school functioning for adolescent girls in the child welfare system and determined whether school engagement and future orientation meditated the relationship. Participants were 231 girls aged between 12 and 19 who had been involved with the child welfare system. Results indicated that 39% of girls reported depressive symptoms in the clinical range and 54% reported posttraumatic symptoms in the clinical range. The most common school functioning problems reported were failing a class (41%) and physical fights with other students (35%). Participants reported a mean number of 1.7 school functioning problems. Higher levels of depression and PTSD were significantly associated with more school functioning problems. School engagement fully mediated the relationship between depression and school functioning and between PTSD and school functioning, both models controlling for age, race, and placement stability. Future orientation was not significantly associated with school functioning problems at the bivariate level. Findings suggest that school engagement is a potentially modifiable target for interventions aiming to ameliorate the negative influence of mental health problems on school functioning for adolescent girls with histories of abuse or neglect.

34 CFR 200.10 - Applicability of a State's academic assessments to private schools and private school students.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... assessments to private schools and private school students. (a) Nothing in § 200.1 or § 200.2 requires a... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Applicability of a State's academic assessments to private schools and private school students. 200.10 Section 200.10 Education Regulations of the Offices of...

Functional health literacy and quality of life of high-school adolescents in state schools in Belo Horizonte.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Poliana Cristina; Rocha, Dálian Cristina; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar

2017-08-10

To investigate the association between functional health literacy and sociodemographic factors, quality of life, self-perception of health, and perception of contexts of violence in adolescents in state schools in Belo Horizonte. This is a cross-sectional analytical observational study with a probabilistic sample of 384 adolescents between 15 and 19 years old. Data collection was carried out in schools and included self-reporting questionnaires to assess the functional health literacy, socioeconomic classification, self-perceived health, and quality of life. The reliability of internal consistency of the functional health literacy instrument was determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using hierarchical data entry according to the level of determination of the theoretical model established. In order to evaluate the association, a significance level of 5% was considered, while the Odds Ratio used as a measure of the magnitude of the associations. The functional health literacy instrument presented a coefficient of 0.766, indicating adequate internal consistency. More than half of teenagers presented good functional health literacy. In the final model of multivariate analysis, the variables not practicing a religion (p = 0.006; OR = 2.108); social domain of quality of life (p = 0.004; OR = 1.022); and educational domain of quality of life (p = 0.009; OR = 1.019) remained associated with functional health literacy. Not practicing a religion and the increase in the scores of social and educational domains of quality of life increased the chances of better functional health literacy.

Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge in Low-Functioning Autism as Assessed by Eye Movements, Pupillary Dilation, and Event-Related Potentials

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

screening questionnaire for Asperger Syndrome and other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in school age children. Journal of Autism ...Award Number: W81XWH-10-1-0404 TITLE: Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge in Low-Functioning Autism as Assessed by Eye Movements, Pupillary...Knowledge in Low-Functioning Autism as Assessed by Eye- Movements, Pupillary Dilation, and Event-Related Potentials 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-10-1-0404

Homework Involvement and Functions: Perceptions of Hong Kong Chinese Primary School Students and Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Vicky C. W.; Chan, Raymond M. C.

2011-01-01

This study examines the perceptions of Chinese students and parents in Hong Kong on homework involvement, assignment type and homework functions. The relationships of homework perceptions to student and parent attributes are also assessed. The sample includes 1393 pairs of students and their parents from 36 primary schools in Hong Kong. Findings…

The Use of a Functional Behavioral Assessment-Based Self Management Intervention for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Rasheed, Saleem A.; Fore, Cecil, III; Jones, Arthur; Smith, Latisha

2012-01-01

The research literature on the use of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) to develop Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, who present problem classroom behaviors for use in the schools, is well documented. There are school-wide, district-wide, and state-wide plans that are currently being…

Collaborative Assessment: Middle School Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Parkison, Paul T.

2014-01-01

Utilizing a participant observer research model, a case study of the efficacy of a collaborative assessment methodology within a middle school social studies class was conducted. A review of existing research revealed that students' perceptions of assessment, evaluation, and accountability influence their intrinsic motivation to learn. A…

Neuropsychological Assessment in Schools. ERIC Digest.

Science.gov (United States)

Merz, William R., Sr.; And Others

The nature of neuropsychological assessment and its application in the school environment are discussed. Neuropsychology is the study of how the brain and nervous system affect thinking and behavior. A complete neuropsychological assessment requires gathering and analyzing information on a child's: (1) physical, social, and psychological…

Functional Analysis in Public Schools: A Summary of 90 Functional Analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Michael M.; Nkosi, Ajamu; Hine, Jeffrey F.

2011-01-01

Several review and epidemiological studies have been conducted over recent years to inform behavior analysts of functional analysis outcomes. None to date have closely examined demographic and clinical data for functional analyses conducted exclusively in public school settings. The current paper presents a data-based summary of 90 functional…

Influence of Disruptive Behavior Disorders on Academic Performance and School Functions of Youths with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao-Yu; Huang, Wei-Lieh; Kao, Wei-Chih; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2017-12-01

Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) are associated with negative school outcomes. The study aimed to examine the impact of ADHD and ODD/CD on various school functions. 395 youths with ADHD (244 with ADHD + ODD/CD and 151 with ADHD only) and 156 controls received semi-structured psychiatric interviews. School functions were assessed and compared between each group with a multiple-level model. The results showed that youths with ADHD had poorer performance across different domains of school functioning. Youths with ADHD + ODD/CD had more behavioral problems but similar academic performance than those with ADHD only. The multiple linear regression models revealed that ADHD impaired academic performance while ODD/CD aggravated behavioral problems. Our findings imply that comorbid ODD/CD may specifically contribute to social difficulties in youths with ADHD. Measures of early detection and intervention for ODD/CD should be conducted to prevent adverse outcomes.

Executive and intellectual functioning in school-aged children with specific language impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuusisto, Marika A; Nieminen, Pirkko E; Helminen, Mika T; Kleemola, Leenamaija

2017-03-01

Earlier research and clinical practice show that specific language impairment (SLI) is often associated with nonverbal cognitive deficits and weakened skills in executive functions (EFs). Executive deficits may have a remarkable influence on a child's everyday activities in the home and school environments. However, research information is still limited on EFs in school-aged children with SLI, mostly conducted among English- and Dutch-speaking children. To study whether there are differences in EFs between Finnish-speaking children with SLI and typically developing (TD) peers at school age. EFs are compared between the groups with and without controlling for nonverbal intelligence. Parents and teachers of children with SLI (n = 22) and age- and gender-matched TD peers (n = 22) completed The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF). The mean age of the children was 8,2 years. BRIEF ratings of parents and teachers were compared between the children with SLI and with TD peers by paired analysis using conditional logistic regression models with and without controlling for nonverbal IQ. Intellectual functioning was assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Children with SLI had weaker scores in all parent and teacher BRIEF scales compared with TD peers. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found in BRIEF scales Shift, Emotional Control, Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize and Monitor. Differences between the groups were statistically significant also in intellectual functioning. On BRIEF scales some group differences remained statistically significant after controlling for nonverbal IQ. This study provides additional evidence that also Finnish-speaking school-aged children with SLI are at risk of having deficits in EFs in daily life. EFs have been proposed to have an impact on developmental outcomes later in life. In clinical practice it is important to pay attention to EFs in school-aged children with SLI

Environmental health assessment of primary schools in southeastern Nigeria: implication for a healthy school environment in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezeonu, C T; Anyansi, M N

2010-01-01

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used a validated school health program evaluation scale (SHPE) to assess the environmental health status of primary schools in Ebonyi State, southeastern Nigeria. Parameters assessed included water supply, sewage and refuse disposal, school building ventilation, lighting and seating, as well as the availability of toilet tissue, basins for washing hands, regular cleaning of toilets, and so forth. Of all the schools assessed, only two schools, both private, attained the minimum acceptable SHPE score of 57. The mean SHPE score of the private schools (50.40) was significantly higher than that of the public schools (28.69) (t-test, p=.00). Policy reforms are needed that would ensure a healthy primary school environment in Nigeria and in other developing countries with similar settings.

Improving School Nurse Pain Assessment Practices for Students With Intellectual Disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Brenna L; Smolinski, Megan

2017-01-01

School nurses are afforded minimal resources related to assessing pain in students with intellectual disability (ID) and have called for continuing education. The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of an education program regarding best practices for assessing pain in students with ID. Educational sessions were presented to 248 school nurses. Pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys measured (1) difficulty school nurses face when assessing pain, (2) knowledge and use of pain assessment methods, and (3) intent to change and actual changes to professional practices. Participants experienced less difficulty assessing pain following the educational program. Almost all participants intended to change pain assessment practices, but large caseloads limited new practice adoption. Policy makers must consider population size and acuity when determining school nurse staffing. Trainings and other resources should be made available to school nurses in order to make pain assessments for students with ID more thorough and efficient.

Functional abdominal complaints in pre-school children: Parental reports of health-related quality of life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Oostenbrink (Rianne); H.P. Jongman (Henri); J.M. Landgraf (Jeanne); H. Raat (Hein); H.A. Moll (Henriëtte)

2010-01-01

textabstractPurpose The aim of this study is to assess the influence of functional abdominal complaints (FAC) on health-related quality of life in a group of Dutch pre-school children. Methods Parents of children aged up to 6.0 visiting the outpatient pediatric department, Erasmus MC-Sophia,

Functional handwriting performance in school-age children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Duval-White, Cherie J; Jirikowic, Tracy; Rios, Dianne; Deitz, Jean; Olson, Heather Carmichael

2013-01-01

Handwriting is a critical skill for school success. Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often present with fine motor and visual-motor impairments that can affect handwriting performance, yet handwriting skills have not been systematically investigated in this clinical group. This study aimed to comprehensively describe handwriting skills in 20 school-age children with FASD. Children were tested with the Process Assessment of the Learner, 2nd Edition (PAL-II), and the Visuomotor Precision subtest of NEPSY, a developmental neuropsychological assessment. Participants performed below average on PAL-II measures of handwriting legibility and speed and on NEPSY visual-motor precision tasks. In contrast, PAL-II measures of sensorimotor skills were broadly within the average range. Results provide evidence of functional handwriting challenges for children with FASD and suggest diminished visual-motor skills and increased difficulty as task complexity increases. Future research is needed to further describe the prevalence and nature of handwriting challenges in this population. Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Executive Functioning: Relationship with High School Student Role Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna P. Mann

2015-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND. Student role performance for academic success in secondary education is under represented in the occupational therapy literature, despite the persistently high dropout rate in the United States (Stillwell & Sable, 2013. Executive dysfunction is one of many possible contributors to difficulties in the classroom (Dirette & Kolak, 2004 and is a better indicator of school performance than IQ (Diamond, 2012. This research examined executive functioning of both alternative and traditional high school students to determine if there is a relationship between executive function and academic success as measured by cumulative grade point average. METHOD. 132 high school students from three different school settings were given the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Self Report (BRIEF-SR. The Global Executive Composite (GEC and individual subscale scores were compared to GPA. RESULTS. No significant difference in GEC scores was found among settings. Subscale scores for “inhibition” and “task completion” were significantly different in the alternative school setting. A weak negative correlation was seen between the GEC and GPA. However, academically unsuccessful students scored statistically lower on the GEC. CONCLUSION. Global executive dysfunction was not predicted by setting but was seen in academically unsuccessful students.

Assessing Executive Functioning: A Pragmatic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Hass, Michael R.; Patterson, Ashlea; Sukraw, Jocelyn; Sullivan, Brianna M.

2014-01-01

Despite the common usage of the term "executive functioning" in neuropsychology, several aspects of this concept remain unsettled. In this paper, we will address some of the issues surrounding the notion of executive functioning and how an understanding of executive functioning and its components might assist school-based practitioners…

Vocational School Students’ Vocational Identity and Their Views on the Functions of School

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Cheng-Yen Shih

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to explore the students’ viewpoints on the functions of vocational schools, as well as the connection between their vocational identity and their opinions on the functions of schools. After understanding the students’ views of the practical support their schools have provided, the curricula and learning goals of vocational schools were reexamined. Ten in-service vocational school students, between the ages of 18-22, were invited to participate in this study. Each student was interviewed individually by the researchers for approximately 60 minutes and they were asked to use mind maps to express their viewpoints. The results showed that students regarded the vocational school as a means to obtain diplomas and professional licenses, a place to get to know friends, and a place to escape from the pressures of reality. Students with higher vocational commitment tended to care about their careers more deeply. In order to obtain a degree or professional licenses, a higher salary, and greater self-affirmation, these students actively engaged in learning. Students with lower vocational commitment tended to be in the stage of career exploration as they kept searching for career goals. They were confused by their current jobs and with the school curriculum; however, when an identified career role model or a hopeful vision was demonstrated to them, some students with lower vocational commitment would be stimulated to gain a positive career motivation and expressed the flexibility to have a career/life change.

25 CFR 39.101 - Does ISEF assess the actual cost of school operations?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Does ISEF assess the actual cost of school operations? 39... SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula § 39.101 Does ISEF assess the actual cost of school operations? No. ISEF does not attempt to assess the actual cost of school operations either...

Perceptions of School Climate as a Function of Bullying Involvement

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Nickerson, Amanda B.; Singleton, Demian; Schnurr, Britton; Collen, Mary Helen

2014-01-01

From a social-ecological perspective, bullying exists within the larger context of school climate. In this study, 2,240 middle and high school students participated in a districtwide effort to assess the prevalence and effects of bullying and cyberbullying, as well as perceptions of school climate. Students reported positive school climate…

The 2008-2009 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Handbook for Assessment Coordinators: Writing, Reading and Mathematics, Science

Science.gov (United States)

Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This handbook describes the responsibilities of district and school assessment coordinators in the administration of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). This updated guidebook contains the following sections: (1) General Assessment Guidelines for All Assessments; (2) Writing Specific Guidelines; (3) Reading and Mathematics…

Measuring functional, interactive and critical health literacy of Chinese secondary school students: reliable, valid and feasible?

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shuaijun; Davis, Elise; Yu, Xiaoming; Naccarella, Lucio; Armstrong, Rebecca; Abel, Thomas; Browne, Geoffrey; Shi, Yanqin

2018-04-01

Health literacy is an increasingly important topic in the global context. In mainland China, health literacy measures mainly focus on health knowledge and practices or on the functional domain for adolescents. However, little is known about interactive and critical domains. This study aimed to adopt a skills-based and three-domain (functional, interactive and critical) instrument to measure health literacy in Chinese adolescents and to examine the status and determinants of each domain. Using a systematic review, the eight-item Health Literacy Assessment Tool (HLAT-8) was selected and translated from English to Chinese (c-HLAT-8). Following the translation process, a cross-sectional study was conducted in four secondary schools in Beijing, China. A total of 650 students in Years 7-9 were recruited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that assessed socio-demographics, self-efficacy, social support, school environment, community environment and health literacy. Results showed that the c-HLAT-8 had satisfactory reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.79; intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.72) and strong validity (translation validity index (TVI) ≥0.95; χ 2 / df = 3.388, p students had an average score of 26.37 (±5.89) for the c-HLAT-8. When the determinants of each domain of health literacy were examined, social support was the strongest predictor of interactive and critical health literacy. On the contrary, self-efficacy and school environment played more dominant roles in predicting functional health literacy. The c-HLAT-8 was demonstrated to be a reliable, valid and feasible instrument for measuring functional, interactive and critical health literacy among Chinese students. The current findings indicate that increasing self-efficacy, social support and creating supportive environments are important for promoting health literacy in secondary school settings in China.

A qualitative analysis of facilities maintenance - a school governance function in South Africa

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M I Xaba

2012-01-01

Full Text Available I analysed school facilities maintenance, a school governance function in South Africa. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 principals and three deputy principals as coordinators of this function at their schools. The interviews were purposively and conveniently selected to gather data regarding school facilities maintenance and gain insight into the challenges this function presents to schools and their governing bodies. Findings indicate that schools generally do not have organisational structures for planned facilities maintenance, nor do they have policies on facilities maintenance. Evidence of facilities maintenance at schools mainly relates to concerns with facilities repairs, (mostly "as the need arises" and general campus cleanliness; mostly with emergency and corrective forms of maintenance as opposed to crucial preventive maintenance. Therefore, there is a need for interim facilities maintenance committees and, in the long term, a whole-school approach to facilities maintenance that makes facilities maintenance a strategic lever for school functionality.

Examining school-based hygiene facilities: a quantitative assessment in a Ghanaian municipality.

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Appiah-Brempong, Emmanuel; Harris, Muriel J; Newton, Samuel; Gulis, Gabriel

2018-05-02

The crucial role of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in influencing children's handwashing behaviour is widely reported. Report from UNICEF indicates a dearth of adequate data on WASH facilities in schools, especially in the developing world. This study sought to contribute to building the evidence-base on school hygiene facilities in Ghana. The study further explored for possible associations and differences between key variables within the context of school water, sanitation and hygiene. Data was collected from 37 junior high schools using an observational checklist. Methods of data analysis included a Scalogram model, Fisher's exact test, and a Student's t-test. Results of the study showed a facility deficiency in many schools: 33% of schools had students washing their hands in a shared receptacle (bowl), 24% had students using a single cotton towel to dry hands after handwashing, and only 16% of schools had a functional water facility. Furthermore, results of a proportion test indicated that 83% of schools which had functional water facilities also had functional handwashing stations. On the other hand, only 3% of schools which had functional water facilities also had a functional handwashing stations. A test of difference in the proportions of the two sets of schools showed a statistically significant difference (p facilities would be timely.

School Socioeconomic Classification, Funding, and the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA)

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Bao, D. H.; Romeo, George C.; Harvey, Roberta

2010-01-01

This study examines the relationship between educational effectiveness, as measured by the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), and funding of school districts based on socioeconomic classification. Results indicate there is a strong relationship between performance in HSPA, socioeconomic classification, and the different sources…

Automated Risk Assessment for School Violence: a Pilot Study.

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Barzman, Drew; Ni, Yizhao; Griffey, Marcus; Bachtel, Alycia; Lin, Kenneth; Jackson, Hannah; Sorter, Michael; DelBello, Melissa

2018-05-01

School violence has increased over the past ten years. This study evaluated students using a more standard and sensitive method to help identify students who are at high risk for school violence. 103 participants were recruited through Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) from psychiatry outpatient clinics, the inpatient units, and the emergency department. Participants (ages 12-18) were active students in 74 traditional schools (i.e. non-online education). Collateral information was gathered from guardians before participants were evaluated. School risk evaluations were performed with each participant, and audio recordings from the evaluations were later transcribed and manually annotated. The BRACHA (School Version) and the School Safety Scale (SSS), both 14-item scales, were used. A template of open-ended questions was also used. This analysis included 103 participants who were recruited from 74 different schools. Of the 103 students evaluated, 55 were found to be moderate to high risk and 48 were found to be low risk based on the paper risk assessments including the BRACHA and SSS. Both the BRACHA and the SSS were highly correlated with risk of violence to others (Pearson correlations>0.82). There were significant differences in BRACHA and SSS total scores between low risk and high risk to others groups (p-values machine learning algorithm achieved an AUC of 91.02% when using the interview content to predict risk of school violence, and the AUC increased to 91.45% when demographic and socioeconomic data were added. Our study indicates that the BRACHA and SSS are clinically useful for assessing risk for school violence. The machine learning algorithm was highly accurate in assessing school violence risk.

A systematic review of Functional Communication Training (FCT) interventions involving augmentative and alternative communication in school settings.

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Walker, Virginia L; Lyon, Kristin J; Loman, Sheldon L; Sennott, Samuel

2018-06-01

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize single-case intervention studies in which Functional Communication Training (FCT) involving augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) was implemented in school settings. Overall, the findings suggest that FCT involving AAC was effective in reducing challenging behaviour and promoting aided or unaided AAC use among participants with disability. FCT was more effective for the participants who engaged in less severe forms of challenging behaviour prior to intervention. Additionally, FCT was more effective when informed by a descriptive functional behaviour assessment and delivered within inclusive school settings. Implications for practice and directions for future research related to FCT for students who use AAC are addressed.

Students’ Well-Being Assessment at School

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Nurul Hidayah

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This research aims at describing students’ well-being assessment at two private secondary schools in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta Special Province, Indonesia. The subjects of the research were 42 secondary school students in the area. This is an evaluative research by means of quantitative approach. The data collecting technique employed a focus group discussion (FGD while the instrument used an FGD guide book based on a School Well-being Model (Konu and Rimpela, 2002. The data were analyzed quantitatively by means of thematic analysis. The research finding showed that the students’ school well-being was psychologically high at dimension of health status, but low at dimension of having, loving, and being. Another important finding is that there was a tendency of verbal, physical, as well as sexual bullying done by their classmates and teachers personally.

A Qualitative Analysis of Facilities Maintenance--A School Governance Function in South Africa

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Xaba, M. I.

2012-01-01

I analysed school facilities maintenance, a school governance function in South Africa. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 principals and three deputy principals as coordinators of this function at their schools. The interviews were purposively and conveniently selected to gather data regarding school facilities maintenance and gain…

Reactive Attachment Disorder: Implications for School Readiness and School Functioning

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Schwartz, Eric; Davis, Andrew S.

2006-01-01

School readiness and functioning in children diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) are important issues due to the dramatic impact RAD has on multiple areas of development. The negative impact of impaired or disrupted early relationships, characterized by extreme neglect, abuse, parental mental illness, domestic violence, and repeated…

The Validity of the School Assessment in the Craft Subject

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Antti Hilmola

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this research project, the validity of the school assessment is examined in the craft subject in Finland’s basic education. The criteria for the school assessment are based on the Finnish Na-tional Core Curriculum (FNCC in which the idea of the Entire Craft (EC is highlighted. How-ever, the discussion as to whether or not the school practice is based on the idea of EC, or whether the teachers are still focused on the technical details of products in reflecting on the pupils’ tool-handling skills, is still an ongoing debate. Learner-centred learning is implicated in EC since the pupils are expected to set goals for the implementation of their own ideating, plan-ning and constructing. And, finally, in such a process, the self-reflection of the implemented out-comes against the goals will take place.  Altogether 73 craft teachers from 59 upper level schools participated in this research project. The pupils’ (N = 982 success was assessed during an EC period using the indicator validated by the previous nation-wide evaluation by the Finn-ish National Board of Education (FNBE. Since the valid school assessment was expected to reflect the success in the Entire Craft Assessment Period (ECAP, the outcomes were assessed against the criteria of the FNCC and compared to the pupils’ school scores. The data was ana-lysed using the Linear Regression Analysis (Enter Method. The central observation was that the pupils’ success in the criteria of the EC do not reflect the 7th grade school scores, in all re-spects. Moreover, the pupils’ success does not reflect the 6th grade school scores. The instruc-tions and supplementary education of the FNCC criteria are needed for craft teachers, especial-ly for class teachers at the lower level. In Finland, also the craft subject is taught by the class teachers at the lower level while, at the upper level, the subject teachers take their place. Ac-cording to the new FNCC, the number of class lessons will be

School Self-Concept in Adolescents With Chronic Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Deirdre E; Gray, Laura S; Iversen, Christina N; Kim, Susan

2017-09-01

This study investigated school self-efficacy and sense of school membership (collectively "school self-concept") as potential influences on impaired school function among adolescents with chronic pain, including comparison of adolescents with primary pain to those with disease-based pain and pain-free peers. In all, 264 adolescents (12-17 years old) with primary pain conditions, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or no pain completed measures of functional disability, school functioning, pain characteristics, and school self-concept, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for School Situations (SEQ-SS), and Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM). Both the SEQ-SS and PSSM demonstrated reliability and some validity, with the SEQ-SS more strongly supported. As a group, adolescents with primary pain conditions reported poorer school self-concept. School self-efficacy, but not school belongingness, predicted school functioning later in the school year. School self-concept, especially as assessed with the SEQ-SS, is relevant and important to assess when addressing school functioning in youth with chronic pain. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

School performance after experiencing trauma: a longitudinal study of school functioning in survivors of the Utøya shootings in 2011.

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Strøm, Ida Frugård; Schultz, Jon-Håkon; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Dyb, Grete

2016-01-01

The psychological impact on survivors of terrorism has been well documented. However, studies on adolescent survivors and the academic performance of high school students following a terrorist attack are lacking. This study investigated academic performance, absenteeism, and school support amongst survivors of a terrorist attack in Norway. Data from a longitudinal interview study were linked to officially registered grades of students (N=64) who successfully completed their 3-year senior high school program. Statistical tests of mean differences and linear regression were used to compare the survivors' registered grades with the national grade point average, before and after the event, as well as to assess absenteeism, self-reported grades and to test the association with school support. The students' grades were lower the year after the event than they had been the year before, and they were also lower than the national grade point average (pschool, indicating possible recovery. Absence from school increased after the event, compared to the previous year. However, students reported high satisfaction with school support. The results indicate that academic functioning was reduced in the year after the traumatic event, but for students who successfully completed high school, the school situation improved 2 years after the event. The findings underscore the importance of keeping trauma-exposed students in school and providing support over time. A more defined educational approach to maintaining school attendance and educational measures which compensate for learning loss are needed in trauma-sensitive teaching.

The Assessment on the Application of School Administrator Selection in Turkey Related to Competency and Career Principles of Human Resource Management

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Özyildirim, Gülnar; Kayikçi, Kemal

2017-01-01

Administrators are the most responsible people for achieving goals of educational institution. That administration fulfills schools' aims effectively and efficiently depends on whether administrative functions are carried out according to scientific principles. The aim of the study was the assessment on school administrators' selection done as…

[Self-esteem, family function, and school achievement of adolescents].

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Saldaña, Pedro; Camacho-Calderón, Nicolás; Martínez-Martínez, Martha L

2007-11-01

To determine the relationship between academic achievement, self-esteem and family function in adolescents. Descriptive, cross-sectional study. State secondary school in Querétaro state, Mexico. Seventy-four adolescents of both sexes between the ages of 10 and 17, enrolled in a state secondary school. Two groups of 37 pupils were formed, chosen by simple randomized sampling according to high or low academic achievement. Participants were clinically healthy and prior informed consent for their participation was obtained. Self-esteem based on self-concept format A, family function based on FACES III and academic achievement based on the school evaluation scale. A descriptive statistical analysis and the chi2 test were used (P self-esteem, 68% (P = .00007; OR, 7.55; 95% CI, 2.39-24.84); a functional family, 54% (P = .011); were mainly female, 73% (P = .018); age, 13 (60%) (P = .062); school in the morning, 95% (P = .000); and were in second grade, 46% (P = .026). Pupils with low academic achievement had low self-esteem, 78% (P = .00007; OR, 7.55; 95% CI, 2.39-24.84); came from borderline-function families, 43% (P = .47); were male, 54% (P = .018; OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.08-9.48); age 13, 38% (P = .062); in afternoon school, 76% (P = .00); and were in first grade, 43% (P = .144). Upon establishing a relationship between academic achievement and family dynamics, it was found that family dysfunction is a risk factor (OR, 6.67; 95% CI, 1.42-34). Low self-esteem and family dysfunction are risk factors for low academic achievement.

Screening for caries in targeted schools in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury districts, New South Wales, Australia: an evaluation of the School Assessment Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Gabriel Tse Feng; Evans, Robin Wendell; Dennison, Peter John

2011-11-01

  To determine if the school dental screening program in New South Wales, the School Assessment Program, achieved its aim of being the key entry point for high-risk children to receive care.   A secondary analysis was conducted on epidemiological data gathered in 16 primary schools in New South Wales (10 for the School Assessment Program and six for the non-School Assessment Program) in 2003. The validity of the School Assessment Program targeting criteria in identifying high-risk schools was determined. Post-screening treatment outcomes were evaluated from the assessment of treatment ratios.   There were negligible differences in the caries experience and proportions of high-risk children, irrespective of their School Assessment Program status. Sensitivity and specificity values were approximately 60% and 40%, respectively, using various case definitions of high risk applied to both children and schools. Deciduous dentition treatment ratios for School Assessment Program and non-School Assessment Program children with decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) ≥1 ranged from 0.48 to 0.79 and from 0.47 to 0.73, respectively. Respective permanent dentition treatment ratios for School Assessment Program and non-School Assessment Program children with Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) ≥1 were 0.49-0.82 and 0.64-1.08.   The School Assessment Program failed to identify schools with high caries-risk children or confer post-screening caries treatment benefits. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Differences in the quality of school-based assessment: Evidence in Grade 9 mathematics achievement

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Surette van Staden

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This non-experimental, exploratory and descriptive study, using a qualitative case study approach, aims to investigate whether there is evidence of variance in the quality of school-based assessment (SBA in Grade 9 mathematics. Participants were purposefully selected from five schools in a district in the Northern Cape in South Africa. After questionnaires were completed, individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from the participating schools. Documents were collected and analysed to corroborate or contradict data from the questionnaires and interviews. Lack of adherence to policy, variation in classroom practice and inconsistent monitoring and moderation practices were identified as themes of possible sources of variation in SBA. An analysis of the interviews and document analysis revealed that most of the Heads of Department and principals lacked in-depth knowledge and understanding of their roles and functions in making SBA reliable, credible and valid. This was not only due to a lack of capacity to perform such functions, but was also due to a lack of effective induction and training by the district and provincial offices. Findings from the current study point to the necessary role that a periodic evaluation of SBA may play to ensure its effectiveness, credibility and reliability as part of successful assessment practices in a mostly developing context.

Lessons Learned From a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Family-Based Intervention to Promote School Functioning for School-Age Children With Sickle Cell Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Lauren C; Li, Yimei; Smith, Kelsey; Tarazi, Reem; Robinson, M Renee; Patterson, Chavis A; Smith-Whitley, Kim; Stuart, Marie; Barakat, Lamia P

2015-01-01

Tested a family-based group problem-solving intervention, "Families Taking Control," (FTC) to improve school functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQL) for children with sickle cell disease. Children and caregivers completed questionnaires assessing HRQL and school functioning and children completed performance-based measures of IQ and achievement at baseline and 6 months later. Families were randomized to the intervention (FTC, n = 42) or delayed intervention control (DIC, n = 41) group. FTC involved a full-day workshop followed by 3 booster calls. There were no differences between FTC completers (n = 24) and noncompleters (n = 18). FTC group (n = 24) and DIC group (n = 38) did not differ significantly on primary outcomes at follow-up: number of formal academic and disease-related accommodations, individualized education plan/504 service plan, school absences, school HRQL, or academic skills. Although families found FTC to be acceptable, there were no intervention effects. Challenges of the trial and implications for future research are discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rational-Emotive Assessment of School-Aged Children.

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DiGiuseppe, Raymond

1990-01-01

Focuses on assessment of emotions and irrational beliefs in Rational-Emotive Therapy with school-aged children. Argues that, for children to understand and agree to process of disputing irrational beliefs, practitioner first assesses individual child's emotional vocabulary, his/her understanding of relationship between disturbed emotion and…

School performance after experiencing trauma: a longitudinal study of school functioning in survivors of the Utøya shootings in 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Frugård Strøm

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The psychological impact on survivors of terrorism has been well documented. However, studies on adolescent survivors and the academic performance of high school students following a terrorist attack are lacking. Objective: This study investigated academic performance, absenteeism, and school support amongst survivors of a terrorist attack in Norway. Method: Data from a longitudinal interview study were linked to officially registered grades of students (N=64 who successfully completed their 3-year senior high school program. Statistical tests of mean differences and linear regression were used to compare the survivors’ registered grades with the national grade point average, before and after the event, as well as to assess absenteeism, self-reported grades and to test the association with school support. Results: The students’ grades were lower the year after the event than they had been the year before, and they were also lower than the national grade point average (p<0.001. However, their grades improved in the last year of high school, indicating possible recovery. Absence from school increased after the event, compared to the previous year. However, students reported high satisfaction with school support. Conclusion: The results indicate that academic functioning was reduced in the year after the traumatic event, but for students who successfully completed high school, the school situation improved 2 years after the event. The findings underscore the importance of keeping trauma-exposed students in school and providing support over time. A more defined educational approach to maintaining school attendance and educational measures which compensate for learning loss are needed in trauma-sensitive teaching.

Executive functioning and reading achievement in school: a study of Brazilian children assessed by their teachers as “poor readers”

Science.gov (United States)

Engel de Abreu, Pascale M. J.; Abreu, Neander; Nikaedo, Carolina C.; Puglisi, Marina L.; Tourinho, Carlos J.; Miranda, Mônica C.; Befi-Lopes, Debora M.; Bueno, Orlando F. A.; Martin, Romain

2014-01-01

This study examined executive functioning and reading achievement in 106 6- to 8-year-old Brazilian children from a range of social backgrounds of whom approximately half lived below the poverty line. A particular focus was to explore the executive function profile of children whose classroom reading performance was judged below standard by their teachers and who were matched to controls on chronological age, sex, school type (private or public), domicile (Salvador/BA or São Paulo/SP) and socioeconomic status. Children completed a battery of 12 executive function tasks that were conceptual tapping cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibition and selective attention. Each executive function domain was assessed by several tasks. Principal component analysis extracted four factors that were labeled “Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility,” “Interference Suppression,” “Selective Attention,” and “Response Inhibition.” Individual differences in executive functioning components made differential contributions to early reading achievement. The Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility factor emerged as the best predictor of reading. Group comparisons on computed factor scores showed that struggling readers displayed limitations in Working Memory/Cognitive Flexibility, but not in other executive function components, compared to more skilled readers. These results validate the account that working memory capacity provides a crucial building block for the development of early literacy skills and extends it to a population of early readers of Portuguese from Brazil. The study suggests that deficits in working memory/cognitive flexibility might represent one contributing factor to reading difficulties in early readers. This might have important implications for how educators might intervene with children at risk of academic under achievement. PMID:24959155

Teachers Assessment of Secondary School Effectiveness in Akwa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of the study was to determine how secondary school teachers in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria assess their school effectiveness in terms of learning and teaching, planning and organizing teaching, guidance and counselling, leadership and ethos. Three hypotheses were raised. The population of study consisted of ...

Violence Exposure and the Development of School-Related Functioning: Mental Health, Neurocognition, and Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Suzanne; Graham-Bermann, Sandra

2012-01-01

The relation between history of violence exposure and the development of academic and mental health problems is explored. Violence exposed children have an increased risk of developing school-related problems including: mental health problems, learning disabilities, language impairments, and other neurocognitive problems. These problems interact to create a complex web of deficits and disabilities where intervention access points are difficult to assess. Often mental health problems and academic problems develop in parallel. Timing of violence exposure and the developmental stage of the child during exposure complicate our understanding of the underlying mechanism. A model is presented that explores pathways linking violence exposure to aspects of school-related functioning, both academically and behaviorally. Early life stress, in the form of violence exposure, is related to neurocognitive deficits, including executive functioning and problems in self-regulation. Deficits in self-regulation at the level of behavior, and cognitive control and executive functioning, at the level of brain processing, are related to both academic and mental health problems, suggesting a possible psychological mechanism. Biological mechanisms are also included in the model to illustrate the contribution of the stress response, neuroendocrine system response, and neuroanatomical structural and functional impairments associated with violence exposure.

Assessment of Secondhand Smoke Exposure at School among U.S. Middle and High School Students

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Olufajo, Olubode Ademola; Agaku, Israel Terungwa

2015-01-01

To obtain nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at U.S. schools, we assessed the prevalence and correlates of SHS exposure at school among U.S. middle and high school students using data from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey comprising of 18,866 students spread across all the U.S. states.…

Intersecting Domains of Assessment Knowledge: School Typologies Based on Interviews with Secondary Teachers

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Howley, Marged D.; Howley, Aimee; Henning, John E.; Gillam, Mary Beth; Weade, Ginger

2013-01-01

This study used qualitative interviewing with teachers at three high schools to answer research questions about teachers' assessment knowledge, school-specific assessment cultures, and teachers' perceptions of the assessment literacy of other key stakeholders. Data analysis revealed shared knowledge and practices across schools--use of formative…

Standardised Testing and Assessment in Comprehensive School in Scandinavian Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Eva, Hjörne,

Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of formal educational settings, in different forms and used for different purposes. In this contribution we will discuss and analyse the use of assessments in comprehensive school in Scandinavian countries through time, as we will include....... If the comprehensive school is based on the general idea of a school for all, how can different ways of practising assessment support or work against this idea? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiences in the Scandinavian countries?...... different kinds of documentary and empirical studies in the argumentation. We will focus on which kinds of assessments has been used, for which purposes and the role of this in the perspective of society. More contemporary trends will be discussed, specially the use of standardised testing. Scandinavian...

Training Public School Special Educators to Implement Two Functional Analysis Models

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Rispoli, Mandy; Neely, Leslie; Healy, Olive; Gregori, Emily

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and efficiency of a training package to teach public school special educators to conduct functional analyses of challenging behavior. Six public school educators were divided into two cohorts of three and were taught two models of functional analysis of challenging behavior: traditional and…

Emotiogenic Cognitive Function of Modern School Teaching Texts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Любовь Васильевна Ерохина

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis of emotional attractiveness of modern school educational texts and ecological/non-ecological influence upon pupils’ cognition in teaching communication. Reasoning is based on the thesis that - emotional attractiveness of modern school educational texts opposes their cognitive function. Emotional educational text profile and its components are under consideration. The article is concerned with ecological and cognitive and emotional asymmetry content. The material under focus is printed texts of some of modern school textbooks, teaching methodical aids, academic competitions, mass media information from the cognitive ecology point of view.

Functions of parental involvement and effects of school climate on bullying behaviors among South Korean middle school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chang-Hun; Song, Juyoung

2012-08-01

This study uses an ecological systems theory to understand bullying behavior. Emphasis is given to overcome limitations found in the literature, such as very little empirical research on functions of parental involvement and the impacts of school climate on bullying as an outcome variable. Two functions of parental involvement investigated are (a) bridging the negative experiences within the family with bullying behaviors at schools, and (b) influencing school climate. Bullying behaviors were measured by a modified Korean version of Olweus' bully/victim questionnaire (reliability range: .78-.84) from 1,238 randomly selected Korean middle school students in 2007. Findings from structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses showed that (a) individual traits are one of the most important influence on bullying, (b) negative experiences in the family do not have direct influence on bullying behaviors at school, (c) parental involvement influences school climate, and (d) positive school climate was negatively related to bullying behaviors.

Caries Risk Assessment in School Children Using Reduced Cariogram Model

OpenAIRE

Taqi, Muhammad; Razak, Ishak Abdul; Ab-Murat, Norintan

2017-01-01

Objective: To estimate the percentage of children with low, moderate and high caries risk; and to determine the predictors of caries risk amongst 11-12 year old Pakistani school children. Methods: Subjects’ caries risk was assessed using the Cariogram programme. The survey was done among school children in Bhakkar district of Punjab, Pakistan. Caries and plaque level were assessed using the DMFT and Sillnes and Loe indices respectively, while diet content and frequency were assessed using a t...

Sustainability and public health nutrition at school: assessing the integration of healthy and environmentally sustainable food initiatives in Vancouver schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Jennifer L; Velazquez, Cayley E; Ahmadi, Naseam; Chapman, Gwen E; Carten, Sarah; Edward, Joshua; Shulhan, Stephanie; Stephens, Teya; Rojas, Alejandro

2015-09-01

To describe the development and application of the School Food Environment Assessment Tools and a novel scoring system to assess the integration of healthy and environmentally sustainable food initiatives in elementary and secondary schools. The cross-sectional study included direct observations of physical food environments and interviews with key school personnel regarding food-related programmes and policies. A five-point scoring system was then developed to assess actions across six domains: (i) food gardens; (ii) composting systems; (iii) food preparation activities; (iv) food-related teaching and learning activities; and availability of (v) healthy food; and (vi) environmentally sustainable food. Vancouver, Canada. A purposive sample of public schools (n 33) from all six sectors of the Vancouver Board of Education. Schools scored highest in the areas of food garden and compost system development and use. Regular integration of food-related teaching and learning activities and hands-on food preparation experiences were also commonly reported. Most schools demonstrated rudimentary efforts to make healthy and environmentally sustainable food choices available, but in general scored lowest on these two domains. Moreover, no schools reported widespread initiatives fully supporting availability or integration of healthy or environmentally sustainable foods across campus. More work is needed in all areas to fully integrate programmes and policies that support healthy, environmentally sustainable food systems in Vancouver schools. The assessment tools and proposed indicators offer a practical approach for researchers, policy makers and school stakeholders to assess school food system environments, identify priority areas for intervention and track relevant changes over time.

[Evaluation of anger expression, school functioning and a level of anxiety in children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Marczyńska, Paulina; Kowalkowska, Katarzyna; Kuczyńska, Renata; Czerwionka-Szaflarska, Mieczysława; Krogulska, Aneta

Psychosocial conditions may have influence on the occurrence of functional abdominal pain. Anxiety, school-related difficulties and suppression of emotions negatively impact on the psychosocial condition of a child and could impede its treatment. The analysis of the psychosocial determinants of functioning of children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain. Meterial and methods: The study group comprised 58 patients (12 boys and 46 girls) from 9 to 17 years of age (av. 13.34±2.14 years) with functional abdominal pain, diagnosed according to the III Roman Criteria, and the control group of 58 healthy children in adequate age, of Bydgoszcz primary and secondary schools. The test method utilised The Anger Regulation and Expression Scale (SEG), The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and Me and My School Questionnaire. Analysing the results of scale SEG between the group of children with functional abdominal pain and healthy children, significant differences were observed in the scale of external anger (p=0.045). There were no differences between the group of children with functional abdominal pain and the comparative one in terms of Me and My School Inventory scale (p> 0.05). In the group of healthy adolescents, the average of motivation differed significantly from the result of the adolescents with functional abdominal pain (p=0.031). There were no differences between the group of children and adolescents with abdominal pain and the healthy ones in terms of the performance in STAIC scales (p>0.05). 1. Healthy children compared to children with functional abdominal pain more openly express negative emotions, such as anger and irritation, which can cause reduced tendency to the somatization of symptoms. 2. Symptoms of young people with functional abdominal pain intensify reluctance to fulfill school duties and heighten fear of school, depending on the speed of activation of the autonomic nervous system.

Assessment in the Digital Age: An Overview of Online Tools and Considerations for School Psychologists and School Counsellors

Science.gov (United States)

Jellins, Laura

2015-01-01

With recent developments in technology, online tests and digital tools offer school psychologists and school counsellors alternate modes of assessment. These new technologies have the potential to increase accessibility to tests (through greater portability), allow school psychologists and school counsellors to service more students (through…

Functional Assessment Inventory Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Crewe, Nancy M.; Athelstan, Gary T.

This manual, which provides extensive new instructions for administering the Functional Assessment Inventory (FAI), is intended to enable counselors to begin using the inventory without undergoing any special training. The first two sections deal with the need for functional assessment and issues in the development and use of the inventory. The…

Assessment Processes and the Management of the School's Curricula. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Frank L.; And Others

This report contends that current university-based research and development activities investigating successful secondary schools provide an exceptional mechanism for coordinating all three aspects of assessing successful schools: legal compliance, student performance, and quality of school life. A typology of schools is proposed to account for…

Assessing school disaster preparedness by applying a comprehensive school safety framework: A case of elementary schools in Banda Aceh City

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, A.; Bisri, M. B. F.; Oda, T.; Oktari, R. S.; Murayama, Y.

2017-02-01

The study assessed the depth of school disaster safety at public elementary schools in Banda Aceh City, Indonesia in terms of comprehensive school safety, especially school location, disaster management and disaster education. The findings indicate that 56% of public elementary schools in Banda Aceh City are exposed to high tsunami risk, and most externally driven school disaster preparedness activities were not continued by the schools due to lack of ownership and funding. To realize comprehensive school safety, disaster preparedness programs should neither be brought in by external donors, nor be in a patchwork. Rather, it should be conducted jointly and sustainably by the local school and the community and supported by multi-sectoral support in the city. Comprehensive school safety of public elementary schools in Banda Aceh City could be realized by reviewing, updating and localizing school disaster preparedness programs by all the education partners in the city with strong political will and commitment.

Online system for knowledge assessment enhances students' results on school knowledge test.

Science.gov (United States)

Kralj, Benjamin; Glazar, Sasa Aleksej

2013-01-01

Variety of online tools were built to help assessing students' performance in school. Many teachers changed their methods of assessment from paper-and-pencil (P&P) to online systems. In this study we analyse the influence that using an online system for knowledge assessment has on students' knowledge. Based on both a literature study and our own research we designed and built an online system for knowledge assessment. The system is evaluated using two groups of primary school teachers and students (N = 686) in Slovenia: an experimental and a control group. Students solved P&P exams on several occasions. The experimental group was allowed to access the system either at school or at home for a limited period during the presentation of a selected school topic. Students in the experimental group were able to solve tasks and compare their own achievements with those of their coevals. A comparison of the P&P school exams results achieved by both groups revealed a positive effect on subject topic comprehension for those with access to the online self-assessment system.

Effects of daily milk supplementation on improving the physical and mental function as well as school performance among children: Results from a school feeding program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadijeh Rahmani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: School feeding programs are important interventions for improving the nutritional status of students. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of milk supplementation on physical, mental and school performance of students. Methods: This case-control population-based intervention was conducted on 469 students from 4 schools in a medium socio-economic status region in Tehran. The schools were chosen by Iranian ministry of education and training and they were allocated in case and control groups randomly. All the students in the first to third classes in the intervention schools were daily consumed sterilized and homogenized milk for three months (250 ml each. Anthropometric measurements were done according to the standard methods. For evaluating the mental function, the Raven′s Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children (verbal, non-verbal, total Intelligent Quotient were conducted on students. School performance was assessed by grade-point averages of each student. Results: The weight of children was significantly different between control and intervention group at the end of the study among girls (23.0 ± 3.8 vs. 23.8 ± 4.3 kg; p < 0.05. Psychological tests′ scores were significantly different between the control and the intervention groups (p < 0.05 at the end of the trial among boys. The grade-point average was significantly different at the end of the trial between the intervention and the control group among girls (p < 0.05. Conclusions: School feeding programs focus on milk supplementation had beneficial effects on the physical function and school performances specifically among girls in Iran.

Violence Exposure and the Development of School-Related Functioning: Mental Health, Neurocognition, and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Suzanne; Graham-Bermann, Sandra

2012-01-01

The relation between history of violence exposure and the development of academic and mental health problems is explored. Violence exposed children have an increased risk of developing school-related problems including: mental health problems, learning disabilities, language impairments, and other neurocognitive problems. These problems interact to create a complex web of deficits and disabilities where intervention access points are difficult to assess. Often mental health problems and academic problems develop in parallel. Timing of violence exposure and the developmental stage of the child during exposure complicate our understanding of the underlying mechanism. A model is presented that explores pathways linking violence exposure to aspects of school-related functioning, both academically and behaviorally. Early life stress, in the form of violence exposure, is related to neurocognitive deficits, including executive functioning and problems in self-regulation. Deficits in self-regulation at the level of behavior, and cognitive control and executive functioning, at the level of brain processing, are related to both academic and mental health problems, suggesting a possible psychological mechanism. Biological mechanisms are also included in the model to illustrate the contribution of the stress response, neuroendocrine system response, and neuroanatomical structural and functional impairments associated with violence exposure. PMID:22837647

A Quality Function Deployment Analysis of Customer Needs for Meeting School Improvement Goals: The Voice of the School Principal.

Science.gov (United States)

Kushner, Susan N.; And Others

In providing leadership for school improvement teams, principals must employ group communication and decision-making skills. In this study, a planning procedure called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was modified for use with school-based administrators. Teams of school leaders used QFD to generate the top priority needs of school customers…

Model of affective assessment of primary school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Syamsudin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to develop an instrument of affective assessment to measure the social competence of elementary school students in the learning process in schools. This study used the development model of Borg & Gall’s approach which was modified into five phases, including the need analyses, developing draft of the product conducted by experts, developing an affective assessment instrument, trying out the affective assessment instrument conducted by teachers of primary education in Yogyakarta, and the dissemination and implementation of the developed affective assessment instrument. The subjects were elementary school students whose school implemented Curriculum 2013 in the academic year of 2013/2014. The validity and reliability of each construct of the affective instrument were established using the PLS SEM Wrap PLS 3.0 analysis program. The study finds the following results. First, the construct of Honesty, Discipline, Responsibility, Decency, Care, and Self-Confidence in the limited, main, and extended testing has been supported by empirical data. Second, the validity of Honesty, Discipline, Responsibility, Decency, Care, and Self-Confidence in the limited, main, and extended testing meets the criteria above 0.70 for each indicator of the loading factor and the criteria below 0.50 for each indicator score of the cross-loading factor. Third, the reliability of Honesty, Discipline, Responsibility, Decency, Care, and Self-Confidence in limited, main, and extended testing meets the criteria above 0.70 for both composite reliability and Cronbach’s alpha scores. Fourth, the number of indicators at preresearch was 53, and 10 indicators were rejected in the limited testing, and four indicators were rejected in the main testing, and one indicator was rejected in the extended testing.

High School Students' Perceptions of Narrative Evaluations as Summative Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Bagley, Sylvia S.

2008-01-01

This study focuses on data collected at "Progressive Secondary School" in Southern California, a high school which uses narrative evaluations and other forms of alternative summative assessment on a school wide basis. Through a survey and personal interviews, students were asked to describe what they liked most and least about the use of…

Spatial Thinking Ability Assessment in Rwandan Secondary Schools: Baseline Results

Science.gov (United States)

Tomaszewski, Brian; Vodacek, Anthony; Parody, Robert; Holt, Nicholas

2015-01-01

This article discusses use and modification of Lee and Bednarz's (2012) Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT) as a spatial thinking assessment device in Rwandan secondary schools. After piloting and modifying the STAT, 222 students total from our rural and urban test schools and one control school were tested. Statistical analysis revealed that…

Striving toward Equitable Biliteracy Assessments in Hegemonic School Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Babino, Alexandra; González-Carriedo, Ricardo

2017-01-01

American schools today display unprecedented levels of diversity in regard to the linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds of their student population. Increasingly, more American students are also emergent bilingual learners. Despite this fact, most of the standardized assessments used by schools have been designed and normed for…

Working memory assessment in schizophrenia and its correlation with executive functions ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Berberian, Arthur A; Trevisan, Bruna T; Moriyama, Tais S; Montiel, José M; Oliveira, José Ari C; Seabra, Alessandra G

2009-09-01

Working memory impairment is common in schizophrenia and is possibly a cause of multiple features of the disorder. However few studies have replicated such findings of impairment patterns in Brazilian samples. The main target of this study was to assess auditory and visual working memory in patients with schizophrenia, to assess if they work as separate systems, and to correlate working memory deficits with executive functions. Twenty subjects with schizophrenia and twenty healthy subjects matched by gender, age, and schooling have participated. The abilities assessed were auditory and visual working memory, selective attention, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and planning. Patients showed declines in all measures evaluated, except for a measure reaction time of inhibitory control. Auditory working memory was correlated to selective attention, inhibition, flexibility and planning while Visual working memory to planning and flexibility. The present study suggests that working memory and executive functions deficits are present in patients with schizophrenia in the Brazilian sample evaluated. Alterations in executive functions may lead to incapacity of operation of processes of working memory. These findings may contribute to delineate and develop new strategies of schizophrenia treatment in the Brazilian population.

Adult Student Assessment in Second Chance Schools in Greece: Teachers' Views

Science.gov (United States)

Koutrouba, Konstantina; Vamvakari, Malvina; Margara, Theodora; Anagnou, Evaggelos

2011-01-01

The present study aims at presenting the views of second chance school (SCS) teachers, seconded from formal education schools. Firstly, on the positive outcomes resulting from project and portfolio assessment and student self evaluation in SCSs, secondly, the difficulties experienced during the assessment process and, thirdly, the combined use of…

Investigating Secondary School Students' Unmediated Peer Assessment Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Tsivitanidou, Olia E.; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Hovardas, Tasos

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary school students' unmediated peer assessment skills. Specifically, 36 seventh graders, without receiving any kind of support, were anonymously assigned to reciprocally assess their peers' science web-portfolios. Additionally, students' attitudes towards and intentions about the use of…

Classroom assessment in Chinese primary school mathematics education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhao, X.

2018-01-01

In mainland China, where there exists a deeply-rooted examination culture, an assessment reform promoting the use of assessment to support teaching and learning has been carried out since 2001. After a decade, however, only a few studies have been done that focus on primary school mathematics

Design of the OPUS School Meal Study: A randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of serving school meals based on the New Nordic Diet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damsgaard, Camilla T.; Dalskov, Stine-Mathilde; Petersen, Rikke A.

2012-01-01

Introduction: Danish children consume too much sugar and not enough whole grain, fish, fruit, and vegetables. The Nordic region is rich in such foods with a strong health-promoting potential. We lack randomised controlled trials that investigate the developmental and health impact of serving school...... meals based on Nordic foods. Aim: This paper describes the rationale, design, study population, and potential implications of the Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) School Meal Study. Methods: In a cluster-randomised cross-over design...... activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, sleep, growth, body composition, early metabolic and cardiovascular risk markers, illness, absence from school, wellbeing, cognitive function, social and cultural features, food acceptance, waste, and cost were assessed. Results: In total, 834 children (82% of those...

Evaluation and assessment of social accountability in medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Leinster, Sam

2011-01-01

Social accountability as an outcome must be measured at institutional (evaluation) and individual (assessment) level. The definitions used in the measurement will be dependent on the social setting of the medical school being scrutinised. A formal framework is needed so that comparisons can be made and progress measured. The World Health Organisation suggests that there are four principles that delineate social accountability--relevance, quality, cost-effectiveness and equity. Medical schools are evaluated according to their planning, doing and impact in relation to these principles. Boelen and Woollard have clarified the ideas of planning, doing and impact into Conceptualisation, Production and Usability. THEnet group of medical schools use a shortened version of Boelen and Woollard's framework with 20 criteria to evaluate their programmes. At the individual level, there is considerable overlap between the concepts of 'social accountability' and 'professionalism'. Attempts are being made to define and measure professionalism, however, if the behaviour and attitudes of individual graduates is a significant component in defining social responsibility new methods of assessment need to be developed. Factors such as the available resources and the structure of the health services have a very large effect on doctors' attitudes and behaviour. As a result, the task of evaluating and assessing the extent to which medical schools are socially accountable is complex. Judgments on how well a school is meeting the standards will have to make allowance for the local political and economic environment.

School-age effects of the newborn individualized developmental care and assessment program for preterm infants with intrauterine growth restriction: preliminary findings.

Science.gov (United States)

McAnulty, Gloria; Duffy, Frank H; Kosta, Sandra; Weisenfeld, Neil I; Warfield, Simon K; Butler, Samantha C; Alidoost, Moona; Bernstein, Jane Holmes; Robertson, Richard; Zurakowski, David; Als, Heidelise

2013-02-19

The experience in the newborn intensive care nursery results in premature infants' neurobehavioral and neurophysiological dysfunction and poorer brain structure. Preterms with severe intrauterine growth restriction are doubly jeopardized given their compromised brains. The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program improved outcome at early school-age for preterms with appropriate intrauterine growth. It also showed effectiveness to nine months for preterms with intrauterine growth restriction. The current study tested effectiveness into school-age for preterms with intrauterine growth restriction regarding executive function (EF), electrophysiology (EEG) and neurostructure (MRI). Twenty-three 9-year-old former growth-restricted preterms, randomized at birth to standard care (14 controls) or to the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (9 experimentals) were assessed with standardized measures of cognition, achievement, executive function, electroencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The participating children were comparable to those lost to follow-up, and the controls to the experimentals, in terms of newborn background health and demographics. All outcome measures were corrected for mother's intelligence. Analysis techniques included two-group analysis of variance and stepwise discriminate analysis for the outcome measures, Wilks' lambda and jackknifed classification to ascertain two-group classification success per and across domains; canonical correlation analysis to explore relationships among neuropsychological, electrophysiological and neurostructural domains at school-age, and from the newborn period to school-age. Controls and experimentals were comparable in age at testing, anthropometric and health parameters, and in cognitive and achievement scores. Experimentals scored better in executive function, spectral coherence, and cerebellar volumes. Furthermore, executive function, spectral coherence

A Review of (Elementary) School Self-Assessment Processes: Ontario and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Thomas G.; Telfer, Leslie

2011-01-01

This review draws attention to issues related to school self-assessment. This process has been similarly implemented in a variety of jurisdictions globally in the past decade hence their inclusion herein as an attempt to understand the school self-assessment process which has also been developed for use in local Ontario (Canadian) elementary…

Time in bed, quality of sleep and school functioning of children.

Science.gov (United States)

Meijer, A M; Habekothé, H T; Van Den Wittenboer, G L

2000-06-01

This study describes the relationship of time in bed and quality of sleep with concentration and functioning at school. Neurotic and psychosomatic symptoms have been used as control variables. The sample consisted of 449 Dutch children in the seventh and eighth grades of elementary school. The age of the children varied between 9 y 5 mo and 14 y 5 mo. Seven schools participated in the research, with a total of 18 classes. The results indicated that 43% of the children had difficulty getting up in the morning. Furthermore, 15% of the children reported sleep problems and 25% did not feel rested at school. Time in bed and sleep quality show no relationship with concentration. Sleep quality, feeling rested at school and less distinct bedtimes were clearly related to school functioning. Another result was that children who had no difficulty getting up displayed more achievement motivation. Being open to the teacher's influence and achievement motivation depended mainly on sleep characteristics. Not getting bored at school, self-image as a pupil and control over aggressive behaviour were also influenced by gender, age, neuroticism and neurosomaticism.

Computer-Based Assessment of School Readiness and Early Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Csapó, Beno; Molnár, Gyöngyvér; Nagy, József

2014-01-01

This study explores the potential of using online tests for the assessment of school readiness and for monitoring early reasoning. Four tests of a face-to-face-administered school readiness test battery (speech sound discrimination, relational reasoning, counting and basic numeracy, and deductive reasoning) and a paper-and-pencil inductive…

A Renewed Focus on Strengths-Based Assessment in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Climie, Emma; Henley, Laura

2016-01-01

School-based practitioners are often called upon to provide assessment and recommendations for struggling students. These assessments often open doors to specialised services or interventions and provide opportunities for students to build competencies in areas of need. However, these assessments often fail to highlight the abilities of these…

Assessment in Nigerian schools: a counsellor's viewpoint | Idowu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment is aimed at finding out how much a child has acquired in terms of learning skills but also takes into consideration the personal-social development of the child. In Nigerian schools, assessment, most often than not is concentrated on cognitive achievement to the detriment of affective and psychomotor ...

Effects of daily milk supplementation on improving the physical and mental function as well as school performance among children: results from a school feeding program.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmani, Khadijeh; Djazayery, Abolghasem; Habibi, Mohsen Ibrahim; Heidari, Homa; Dorosti-Motlagh, Ahmad Reza; Pourshahriari, Mahsima; Azadbakht, Leila

2011-04-01

School feeding programs are important interventions for improving the nutritional status of students. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of milk supplementation on physical, mental and school performance of students. This case-control population-based intervention was conducted on 469 students from 4 schools in a medium socio-economic status region in Tehran. The schools were chosen by Iranian ministry of education and training and they were allocated in case and control groups randomly. All the students in the first to third classes in the intervention schools were daily consumed sterilized and homogenized milk for three months (250 ml each). Anthropometric measurements were done according to the standard methods. For evaluating the mental function, the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children (verbal, non-verbal, total Intelligent Quotient) were conducted on students. School performance was assessed by grade-point averages of each student. The weight of children was significantly different between control and intervention group at the end of the study among girls (23.0 ± 3.8 vs. 23.8 ± 4.3 kg; p performances specifically among girls in Iran.

High School Equivalency Assessment and Recognition in the United States: An Eyewitness Account

Science.gov (United States)

McLendon, Lennox

2017-01-01

This chapter on high school equivalency describes recent events involved in updating the adult education high school equivalency assessment services and the entrance of additional assessments into the field.

Assessment of higher level cognitive-communication functions in adolescents with ABI: Standardization of the student version of the functional assessment of verbal reasoning and executive strategies (S-FAVRES).

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Sheila

2016-01-01

Childhood acquired brain injuries can disrupt communication functions needed for success in school, work and social interaction. Cognitive-communication difficulties may not be apparent until adolescence, when academic, environmental and social-emotional demands increase. The Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies for Students (S-FAVRES) is a new activity-level measure of cognitive-communication skills in complex, contextual and integrative tasks that simulate real world communication challenges. It is hypothesized that S-FAVRES performance would differentiate adolescents with and without acquired brain injury (ABI) on scores for Accuracy, Rationale, Reasoning Subskills and Time. S-FAVRES was administered to 182 typically-developing (TD) and 57 adolescents with mild-to-severe ABI aged 12-19. Group differences, internal consistency, sensitivity, specificity, reliability and contributing factors to performance (age, gender, brain injury) were examined statistically. Those with ABI attained statistically lower Accuracy, Rationale and Reasoning sub-skills scores than their TD peers. Time scores were not significantly different. Performance trends were consistent across tasks, administrations, gender and age groups. Inter-rater reliability for scoring was acceptable. The S-FAVRES provides a reliable, functional and quantifiable measure of subtle cognitive-communication difficulties in adolescents that can assist speech-language pathologists in planning treatment and integration to school and real world communication.

Assessment of Noise and Associated Health Impacts at Selected Secondary Schools in Ibadan, Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ana, G.R.E.E.; Brown, G.E.; Sridhar, M.K.C.; Shendell, D.G.; Shendell, D.G.; Shendell, D.G.

2010-01-01

Background. Most schools in Ibadan, Nigeria, are located near major roads (mobile line sources). We conducted an initial assessment of noise levels and adverse noise-related health and learning effects. Methods. For this descriptive, cross-sectional study, four schools were selected randomly from eight participating in overall project. We administered 200 questionnaires, 50 per school, assessing health and learning-related outcomes. Noise levels (A-weighted decibels, dBA) were measured with calibrated sound level meters. Traffic density was assessed for school with the highest measured dBA. Observational checklists assessed noise control parameters and building physical attributes. Results. Short-term, cross-sectional school-day noise levels ranged 68.3-84.7 dBA. Over 60% of respondents reported that vehicular traffic was major source of noise, and over 70% complained being disturbed by noise. Three schools reported tiredness, and one school lack of concentration, as the most prevalent noise-related health problems. Conclusion. Secondary school occupants in Ibadan, Nigeria were potentially affected by exposure to noise from mobile line sources.

Assessment of elementary school safety restraint programs.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-06-01

The purpose of this research was to identify elementary school (K-6) safety belt : education programs in use in the United States, to review their development, and : to make administrative and impact assessments of their use in selected States. : Six...

Comparing the self-assessed and examiner-assessed driving skills of Japanese driving school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Nakai

2012-03-01

A sample of Japanese driving test candidates (n=2021 completed a self-assessment using a 5-point scale applied to 19 items. The candidates completed the assessment shortly after passing their practical driving test conducted at a driving school. Their performance was also assessed by an examiner who used the same scale. The comparison between self-assessment and examiner-assessment revealed that around 40% of Japanese driving school students made a realistic assessment of their skills. With regard to the gender differences, although males displayed higher levels of overconfidence than females did, the differences were not as large as earlier studies with questionnaires had suggested. Furthermore, the effect of age on the accuracy of novice drivers' skill assessment was found to be relatively small. Our findings, which are based on a comparison of subjective assessments of driving skills between examiners and novices, instead of a questionable method which relies on a comparison with a hypothetical average driver, suggest that the majority of candidates in fact do not overrate their own skills. These results were discussed from the viewpoint of the driver education system and compared to other European research using the same framework.

Assessing Effectiveness and Efficiency of Academic Interventions in School Psychology Journals: 1995-2005

Science.gov (United States)

Bramlett, Ron; Cates, Gary L.; Savina, Elena; Lauinger, Brittni

2010-01-01

This article reviews research in the four major school psychology journals: "Journal of School Psychology," "Psychology in the Schools," "School Psychology Quarterly," and "School Psychology Review." The function of the review was to provide school psychologists with a summary of academic interventions published through years 1995-2005, synthesize…

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Are There Gender Differences in School Functioning?

Science.gov (United States)

DuPaul, George J.; Jitendra, Asha K.; Tresco, Katy E.; Junod, Rosemary E. Vile; Volpe, Robert J.; Lutz, J. Gary

2006-01-01

Few studies have comprehensively examined possible gender differences in the school functioning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated differences in academic, social, and emotional and behavioral functioning between 133 male and 42 female elementary school students who met research diagnostic…

The story of a narrative: Teaching and assessing English writing in a township school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Akinyeye

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The new language curriculum in South Africa recommends that extended writing be taught through a combination of text-based (or genre and process approaches. This article reports on a study of the teaching and assessment of narrative writing in English as a first additional language (FAL at a time of curriculum change. The setting is a Cape Flats township school. In focusing on a story written by a Grade 9 learner and assessed by her teacher, the study sought evidence of the use of text-based and process approaches. The theoretical frame is informed by genre theory, which draws on Systemic Functional Linguistics and social constructivist approaches to language learning. A qualitative research paradigm was used. Data obtained for this case study included the learner’s writing, interviews with the teacher, and classroom observation. The study finds very little evidence of a scaffolded approach to the teaching and assessment of writing, and explores the constraints on the realisation of the curriculum cycle in English FAL. These relate to the teacher’s understanding of writing as well as to material conditions in township schools.

School-based assessments in high-stakes examinations in Bhutan: a question of trust? : exploring inconsistencies between external exam scores, school-based assessments, detailed teacher ratings, and student self-ratings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luyten, Johannes W.; Dolkar, Dechen

2010-01-01

This study explores the validity of school-based assessments when they serve to supplement scores on central tests in high-stakes examinations. The school-based continuous assessment (CA) marks are compared to the marks scored on the central written Bhutan Certificate of Secondary Education (BCSE)

School Nurse Interventions in Managing Functional Urinary Incontinence in School-Age Children

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, Charisse L.

2010-01-01

Uncomplicated urinary incontinence (UI) in school-age children is a prevalent yet underrecognized problem that has remained in the shadow of other concerns commonly perceived as more prominent or urgent. There is good evidence that functional UI in children can be treated and managed effectively. When there is no structural or neurologic…

Validating the Assessment for Measuring Indonesian Secondary School Students Performance in Ecology

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Rachmatullah, A.; Roshayanti, F.; Ha, M.

2017-09-01

The aims of this current study are validating the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Ecology assessment and examining the performance of Indonesian secondary school students on the assessment. A total of 611 Indonesian secondary school students (218 middle school students and 393 high school students) participated in the study. Forty-five items of AAAS assessment in the topic of Interdependence in Ecosystems were divided into two versions which every version has 21 similar items. Linking item method was used as the method to combine those two versions of assessment and further Rasch analyses were utilized to validate the instrument. Independent sample t-test was also run to compare the performance of Indonesian students and American students based on the mean of item difficulty. We found that from the total of 45 items, three items were identified as misfitting items. Later on, we also found that both Indonesian middle and high school students were significantly lower performance with very large and medium effect size compared to American students. We will discuss our findings in the regard of validation issue and the connection to Indonesian student’s science literacy.

Perceived Neighborhood Safety and Adolescent School Functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Storey, Alexa; Crosnoe, Robert

2014-01-01

This study examined the association between adolescents' perceptions of their neighborhoods' safety and multiple elements of their functioning in school with data on 15 year olds from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 924). In general, perceived neighborhood safety was more strongly associated with aspects of schooling…

Assessment of the School Nutrition Environment: A Study in Australian Primary School Canteens.

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Yoong, Sze Lin; Nathan, Nicole K; Wyse, Rebecca J; Preece, Sarah J; Williams, Christopher M; Sutherland, Rachel L; Wiggers, John H; Delaney, Tessa M; Wolfenden, Luke

2015-08-01

Schools represent a valuable setting for interventions to improve children's diets, as they offer structured opportunities for ongoing intervention. Modifications to the school food environment can increase purchasing of healthier foods and improve children's diets. This study examines the availability of healthy food and drinks, implementation of pricing and promotion strategies in Australian primary school canteens, and whether these varied by school characteristics. In 2012 and 2013, canteen managers of primary schools in the Hunter New England region of New South Wales reported via telephone interview the pricing and promotion strategies implemented in their canteens to encourage healthier food and drink purchases. A standardized audit of canteen menus was performed to assess the availability of healthy options. Data were analyzed in 2014. Overall, 203 (79%) canteen managers completed the telephone interview and 170 provided menus. Twenty-nine percent of schools had menus that primarily consisted of healthier food and drinks, and 11% did not sell unhealthy foods. Less than half reported including only healthy foods in meal deals (25%), labeling menus (43%), and having a comprehensive canteen policy (22%). A significantly larger proportion of schools in high socioeconomic areas (OR=3.0) and large schools (OR=4.4) had primarily healthy options on their menus. School size and being a Government school were significantly associated with implementation of some pricing and promotion strategies. There is a need to monitor canteen environments to inform policy development and research. Future implementation research to improve the food environments of disadvantaged schools in particular is warranted. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Juries Assess Universal Design in Norwegian Architectural School Competitions.

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Houck, Leif D

2016-01-01

This paper investigates how architectural school competition juries assess Universal Design. The method used is a case study of 18 recent architectural school competitions in Norway. The results show that most competition briefs ask for Universal Designed buildings. In 8 of the 18 cases, Universal Design is mentioned as an assessment criterion. In 11 of the 18 cases, Universal Design is commented on by the juries in the jury reports, but only in 3 of the cases, do the juries assess this aspect consistently on every competition project. The overall impression is that some amount of uncertainty looms concerning how Universal Design should be assessed in the competition stage. Based on the findings, future juries should concentrate on orientation and overview prior to technicalities and details.

Assessing Prinary School; Second Cycle Social Science Textbooks ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessing Prinary School; Second Cycle Social Science Textbooks in ... second cycle primary level social science textbooks vis-à-vis the principles of multiculturalism. ... Biases were disclosed in gender, economic and occupational roles.

Placement, Progress, and Promotion: ESL Assessment in California's Adult Schools

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Gonzalves, Lisa

2017-01-01

In California adult schools, standardized language assessments are typically administered to adult English as a second language (ESL) students upon enrollment; students then take these same state-approved tests throughout the academic year to demonstrate progress. As these tests assess only listening and reading skills, schools may use their own…

Assessing the Impact of a School-Based Group Approach with Adolescent Males

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Liddell, T. Michael; Kurpius, Sharon Robinson

2014-01-01

This study assessed the impact of a school-based group intervention, "The Council for Boys and Young Men," specifically designed for adolescent males. The participants who attended an alternative school in a metropolitan area were randomly assigned to the intervention or to waitlist control groups. Measures assessed self-esteem, future…

Executive Functioning and School Performance Among Pediatric Survivors of Complex Congenital Heart Disease

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Gerstle, Melissa; Beebe, Dean W.; Drotar, Dennis; Cassedy, Amy; Marino, Bradley S.

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the presence and severity of real-world impairments in executive functioning– responsible for children’s regulatory skills (metacognition, behavioral regulation) – and its potential impact on school performance among pediatric survivors of complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Study design Survivors of complex CHD aged 8–16 years (n=143)and their parents/guardians from a regional CHD survivor registry participated (81% participation rate). Parents completed proxy measures of executive functioning, school competency, and school-related quality of life (QOL). Patients also completed a measure of school QOL and underwent IQ testing. Patients were categorized into two groups based on heart lesion complexity: two-ventricle or single-ventricle. Results Survivors of complex CHD performed significantly worse than norms for executive functioning, IQ, school competency, and school QOL. Metacognition was more severely affected than behavioral regulation, and metacognitive deficits were more often present in older children. Even after taking into account demographic factors, disease severity, and IQ, metacognition uniquely and strongly predicted poorer school performance. In exploratory analyses, patients with single-ventricle lesions were rated as having lower school competency and school QOL, and patients with two-ventricle lesions were rated as having poorer behavioral regulation. Conclusions Survivors of complex CHD experience greater executive functioning difficulties than healthy peers, with metacognition particularly impacted and particularly relevant for day-to-day school performance. Especially in older children, clinicians should watch for metacognitive deficits, such as problems with organization, planning, self-monitoring, and follow-through on tasks. PMID:26875011

Implementing Self-Assessment in Singapore Primary Schools: Effects on Students' Perceptions of Self-Assessment

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Wong, Hwei Ming

2017-01-01

Student academic self-assessment engages the students in deliberate reflection about what they are learning and how they are learning it. This intervention study investigated the effects of self-assessment training on students' perceptions towards self-assessment in two Singaporean primary schools. The study, which used a pretest-posttest design,…

Investigating the impact of nicotine on executive functions using a novel virtual reality assessment.

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Jansari, Ashok S; Froggatt, Daniel; Edginton, Trudi; Dawkins, Lynne

2013-05-01

Nicotine is known to enhance aspects of cognitive functioning in abstinent smokers, but the effects on specific areas of executive functions and in non-smokers are inconclusive. This may be due in part to the poor sensitivity of tests used to assess executive functions. This study used a new virtual reality assessment of executive functions known as JEF (the Jansari assessment of Executive Functions) to address this issue. A 2 × 2 design manipulating group (smokers and never-smokers) and drug [nicotine (4 mg for smokers; 2 mg for never smokers) versus placebo gum]. School of Psychology; University of East London. Seventy-two participants (aged 18-54 years): 36 minimally deprived (2 hours) smokers and 36 never-smokers. Components of executive function were measured using the virtual reality paradigm JEF, which assesses eight cognitive constructs simultaneously as well as providing an overall performance measure. Univariate analyses of variance revealed that nicotine improved overall JEF performance, time-based prospective memory and event-based prospective memory in smokers (P < 0.01), but not in never-smokers. Action-based prospective memory was enhanced in both groups (P < 0.01) and never-smokers out-performed smokers on selective thinking and adaptive thinking (P < 0.01). Executive functioning and prospective memory as aspects of cognitive performance can be enhanced by nicotine gum in smokers who have abstained for as little as 2 hours. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The Impact of Poverty and School Size on the 2015-16 Kansas State Assessment Results

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Carter, Ted

2017-01-01

Schools with higher percentages of students in poverty have lower student assessment results on the 2015-16 Kansas Math and ELA assessments, and larger schools have lower student achievement results than smaller schools. In addition, higher poverty schools are likely to have larger gaps in performance based on special education status and possibly…

Parent emotional expressiveness and children's self-regulation: Associations with abused children's school functioning

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Haskett, Mary E.; Stelter, Rebecca; Proffit, Katie; Nice, Rachel

2012-01-01

Objective Identifying factors associated with school functioning of abused children is important in prevention of long-term negative outcomes associated with school failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which parent emotional expressiveness and children's self-regulation predicted early school behavior of abused children. Methods The sample included 92 physically abused children ages 4-7 and one of their parents (95.7% mothers). Parents completed a measure of their own emotional expressiveness, and parents and teachers provided reports of children's self-regulatory skills. Children's school functioning was measured by observations of playground aggression and teacher reports of aggression and classroom behavior. Results Parents’ expression of positive and negative emotions was associated with various aspects of children's self-regulation and functioning in the school setting. Links between self-regulation and children's school adjustment were robust; poor self-regulation was associated with higher aggression and lower cooperation and self-directed behavior in the classroom. There was minimal support for a mediating role of children's self-regulation in links between parent expressiveness and children's behavior. Practice implications Findings point to the relevance of parent emotional expressivity and children's self-regulatory processes in understanding physically abused children's functioning at the transition to school. Although further research is needed, findings indicate that increasing parental expression of positive emotion should be a focus in treatment along with reduction in negativity of abusive parents. Further, addressing children's self-regulation could be important in efforts to reduce aggression and enhance children's classroom competence. PMID:22565040

PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT CURRICULUM 2013 ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ika Maryani

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The research is intended to find out: 1the level of primary school teacher understanding of Curriculum 2013, 2. The level of teacher understanding on the authentic assessment, 3The difficulties faced by the teacher when doing authentic assessment, and 4The effort of the teacher to solve those difficulties. In collecting the data, the researcher used questionnaires and interviews to the primary school teachers in Yogyakarta, then analyzed the data using statistic descriptive analysis technique. The results of this research showed that: a most of the teachers didn’t understand the Curriculum 2013, yet they were not given any training before; b teachers’ understanding in authentic assessment system were low; c the teacher were lack of the ability to define the  competence, indicators, learning objectives, and also arranging of assessment instrument and final report, d the teacher effort to solve those difficulties were by joining the training peer discussion, and mentoring by Education Department as well as to the higher education institution.

The Australian Medical Schools Assessment Collaboration: benchmarking the preclinical performance of medical students.

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O'Mara, Deborah A; Canny, Ben J; Rothnie, Imogene P; Wilson, Ian G; Barnard, John; Davies, Llewelyn

2015-02-02

To report the level of participation of medical schools in the Australian Medical Schools Assessment Collaboration (AMSAC); and to measure differences in student performance related to medical school characteristics and implementation methods. Retrospective analysis of data using the Rasch statistical model to correct for missing data and variability in item difficulty. Linear model analysis of variance was used to assess differences in student performance. 6401 preclinical students from 13 medical schools that participated in AMSAC from 2011 to 2013. Rasch estimates of preclinical basic and clinical science knowledge. Representation of Australian medical schools and students in AMSAC more than doubled between 2009 and 2013. In 2013 it included 12 of 19 medical schools and 68% of medical students. Graduate-entry students scored higher than students entering straight from school. Students at large schools scored higher than students at small schools. Although the significance level was high (P performance. The effect on performance of multiple assessments compared with the test items as part of a single end-of-year examination was negligible. The variables investigated explain only 12% of the total variation in student performance. An increasing number of medical schools are participating in AMSAC to monitor student performance in preclinical sciences against an external benchmark. Medical school characteristics account for only a small part of overall variation in student performance. Student performance was not affected by the different methods of administering test items.

A national assessment of colleges and university school health education methods courses.

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Fisher, Christine M; Price, James H; Telljohann, Susan K; Dake, Joseph A

2015-04-01

Across the United States, school health education programs provide a wide variety of knowledge and skills to their students. There are currently no guidelines for school health methods courses. Using a 2-wave mailing followed by a third wave e-mail reminder, a final population of 226 university school health methods instructors at school health preparation programs were surveyed. A total of 138 completed surveys (61%) were returned. The topics taught in school health education methods courses emphasized the most included aligning objectives, instruction, and assessment (79%); development of lesson plans (73%); teaching methods that engage learners (72%); and application of the National Health Education Standards and performance indicators (69%). The content taught and how the instructors assessed their students differed statistically by 1 or more of the following: whether they had a health education degree, had experience teaching in the public schools, and if their program was accredited. This study provides information regarding what school health methods instructors across the United States are teaching in their classes. Using this information as a baseline can serve as a guide for preservice faculty teaching a school health methods course. © 2015, American School Health Association.

East Tennessee State University's "Make a Difference" Project: Using a Team-Based Consultative Model To Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments.

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Vaughn, Kelley; Hales, Cindy; Bush, Marta; Fox, James

1998-01-01

Describes implementation of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) through collaboration between a university (East Tennessee State University) and the local school system. Discusses related issues such as factors in team training, team size, FBA adaptations, and replicability of the FBA team model. (Author/DB)

Improving the Leadership Skills of Pre-Service School Librarians through Leadership Pre-Assessment

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Smith, Daniella

2014-01-01

School librarian guidelines encourage active leadership in schools. Two ways school librarian educators can encourage school librarians to be leaders are to embed the standards into the certification curriculum and to assess the leadership potential of pre-service school librarians in order to adapt the curriculum to their needs. This mixed-method…

Visual disability, visual function, and myopia among rural chinese secondary school children: the Xichang Pediatric Refractive Error Study (X-PRES)--report 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Congdon, Nathan; Wang, Yunfei; Song, Yue; Choi, Kai; Zhang, Mingzhi; Zhou, Zhongxia; Xie, Zhenling; Li, Liping; Liu, Xueyu; Sharma, Abhishek; Wu, Bin; Lam, Dennis S C

2008-07-01

To evaluate visual acuity, visual function, and prevalence of refractive error among Chinese secondary-school children in a cross-sectional school-based study. Uncorrected, presenting, and best corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic autorefraction with refinement, and self-reported visual function were assessed in a random, cluster sample of rural secondary school students in Xichang, China. Among the 1892 subjects (97.3% of the consenting children, 84.7% of the total sample), mean age was 14.7 +/- 0.8 years, 51.2% were female, and 26.4% were wearing glasses. The proportion of children with uncorrected, presenting, and corrected visual disability (visual disability when tested without correction, 98.7% was due to refractive error, while only 53.8% (414/770) of these children had appropriate correction. The girls had significantly (P visual disability and myopia visual function (ANOVA trend test, P Visual disability in this population was common, highly correctable, and frequently uncorrected. The impact of refractive error on self-reported visual function was significant. Strategies and studies to understand and remove barriers to spectacle wear are needed.

Assessing Change in High School Student Information Literacy Using the Tool for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

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Kovalik, Cindy L.; Yutzey, Susan D.; Piazza, Laura M.

2012-01-01

Change in high school student information literacy (IL) knowledge and skills, from freshman year to senior year in high school was the focus of this quasi-experimental research project. Researchers used a free information literacy skills assessment tool entitled TRAILS (Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) to measure…

Functional Behavioral Assessment for a Boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Problem Behavior: A Case Study from Greece

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Theodoridou, Zoe; Koutsoklenis, Athanasios

2013-01-01

This article focuses on the application of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to design a positive behavior intervention (PBI) for a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who encounters serious difficulties at the mainstream school because of behavioral problems and physical limitations. After the definition of problem behavior and its…

Assessing School Wellness Policies and Identifying Priorities for Action: Results of a Bi-State Evaluation.

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Harvey, Susan P; Markenson, Deborah; Gibson, Cheryl A

2018-05-01

Obesity is a complex health problem affecting more than one-third of school-aged youth. The increasing obesity rates in Kansas and Missouri has been particularly concerning, with efforts being made to improve student health through the implementation of school wellness policies (SWPs). The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a rigorous assessment of SWPs in the bi-state region. SWPs were collected from 46 school districts. The Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) was used to assess comprehensiveness and strength. Additionally, focus group discussions and an online survey were conducted with school personnel to identify barriers and supports needed. Assessment of the SWPs indicated that most school districts failed to provide strong and specific language. Due to these deficiencies, districts reported lack of enforcement of policies. Several barriers to implementing the policies were reported by school personnel; supports needed for effective implementation were identified. To promote a healthful school environment, significant improvements are warranted in the strength and comprehensiveness of the SWPs. The focus group discussions provided insight as to where we need to bridge the gap between the current state of policies and the desired beneficial practices to support a healthy school environment. © 2018, American School Health Association.

An assessment of Mathematics self – efficacy of secondary school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined an assessment of mathematics self-efficacy of secondary school students in Osun State. It drawn on 500 students comprising 250 males and 250 females randomly selected from 5 secondary schools in Osogbo. Their ages range between 11-17 years with a mean age of 14 years and a standard ...

Male and Female Middle School Students' Perceptions of Maternal Employment as a Function of Gender and School Environment.

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Farrell, Debi; Lindquist, Mia; Strauss, Aviva; Gorton, Larua; McCauley, Joyce; Nyce, Susan; Johnson, Lisa; Covert, Stephanie; Maggi, Leigh; Fields, Susan; Eddy, Preethy; Black, Aimee; Denis, Lauren; Chambliss, Catherine

This study examined middle school students' perceptions of maternal employment, as a function of their gender and type of school environment (suburban vs. urban). A four-part survey, which included information about the respondents' mother's work status, the Beliefs About Consequences of Maternal Employment for Children (BACMEC) scale, and…

Colorado School Finance Partnership: Report and Recommendations. Financing Colorado's Future: Assessing Our School Finance System

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Colorado Children's Campaign, 2012

2012-01-01

Over the last decade, Colorado has emerged as a national leader in crafting innovative solutions for challenges facing its public school system. From implementing the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reforms to more recent legislation including standards and assessments for a preschool-through-college…

Validity and Interrater Reliability of the Visual Quarter-Waste Method for Assessing Food Waste in Middle School and High School Cafeteria Settings.

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Getts, Katherine M; Quinn, Emilee L; Johnson, Donna B; Otten, Jennifer J

2017-11-01

Measuring food waste (ie, plate waste) in school cafeterias is an important tool to evaluate the effectiveness of school nutrition policies and interventions aimed at increasing consumption of healthier meals. Visual assessment methods are frequently applied in plate waste studies because they are more convenient than weighing. The visual quarter-waste method has become a common tool in studies of school meal waste and consumption, but previous studies of its validity and reliability have used correlation coefficients, which measure association but not necessarily agreement. The aims of this study were to determine, using a statistic measuring interrater agreement, whether the visual quarter-waste method is valid and reliable for assessing food waste in a school cafeteria setting when compared with the gold standard of weighed plate waste. To evaluate validity, researchers used the visual quarter-waste method and weighed food waste from 748 trays at four middle schools and five high schools in one school district in Washington State during May 2014. To assess interrater reliability, researcher pairs independently assessed 59 of the same trays using the visual quarter-waste method. Both validity and reliability were assessed using a weighted κ coefficient. For validity, as compared with the measured weight, 45% of foods assessed using the visual quarter-waste method were in almost perfect agreement, 42% of foods were in substantial agreement, 10% were in moderate agreement, and 3% were in slight agreement. For interrater reliability between pairs of visual assessors, 46% of foods were in perfect agreement, 31% were in almost perfect agreement, 15% were in substantial agreement, and 8% were in moderate agreement. These results suggest that the visual quarter-waste method is a valid and reliable tool for measuring plate waste in school cafeteria settings. Copyright © 2017 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of SOAP note evaluation tools in colleges and schools of pharmacy.

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Sando, Karen R; Skoy, Elizabeth; Bradley, Courtney; Frenzel, Jeanne; Kirwin, Jennifer; Urteaga, Elizabeth

2017-07-01

To describe current methods used to assess SOAP notes in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Laboratory Instructors Special Interest Group were invited to share assessment tools for SOAP notes. Content of submissions was evaluated to characterize overall qualities and how the tools assessed subjective, objective, assessment, and plan information. Thirty-nine assessment tools from 25 schools were evaluated. Twenty-nine (74%) of the tools were rubrics and ten (26%) were checklists. All rubrics included analytic scoring elements, while two (7%) were mixed with holistic and analytic scoring elements. A majority of the rubrics (35%) used a four-item rating scale. Substantial variability existed in how tools evaluated subjective and objective sections. All tools included problem identification in the assessment section. Other assessment items included goals (82%) and rationale (69%). Seventy-seven percent assessed drug therapy; however, only 33% assessed non-drug therapy. Other plan items included education (59%) and follow-up (90%). There is a great deal of variation in the specific elements used to evaluate SOAP notes in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Improved consistency in assessment methods to evaluate SOAP notes may better prepare students to produce standardized documentation when entering practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment and Intervention Practices for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A National Survey of School Psychologists

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Borick, Timothy J.

2011-01-01

This study examined school psychologists' assessment and intervention practices regarding ADHD. Five hundred school psychologists who practiced in a school setting and were regular members of the National Association of School Psychologists were randomly selected to complete and return a questionnaire titled Assessment and Intervention Practices…

The Effects of an Undergraduate Algebra Course on Prospective Middle School Teachers' Understanding of Functions, Especially Quadratic Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Jonathan T.

2010-01-01

Although current reform movements have stressed the importance of developing prospective middle school mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge and understandings, there is a dearth of research studies with regard to prospective middle school teachers' confidence and knowledge with respect to quadratic functions. This study was intended to…

Neonatal pain-related stress, functional cortical activity and visual-perceptual abilities in school-age children born at extremely low gestational age.

Science.gov (United States)

Doesburg, Sam M; Chau, Cecil M; Cheung, Teresa P L; Moiseev, Alexander; Ribary, Urs; Herdman, Anthony T; Miller, Steven P; Cepeda, Ivan L; Synnes, Anne; Grunau, Ruth E

2013-10-01

Children born very prematurely (pain-related stress during neonatal intensive care has been proposed to contribute to altered neurocognitive development in these children. Due to critical periods in the development of thalamocortical systems, the immature brain of infants born at extremely low gestational age (ELGA; pain. In a cohort of school-age children followed since birth we assessed relations between functional brain activity measured using magnetoencephalogragy (MEG), visual-perceptual abilities and cumulative neonatal pain. We demonstrated alterations in the spectral structure of spontaneous cortical oscillatory activity in ELGA children at school-age. Cumulative neonatal pain-related stress was associated with changes in background cortical rhythmicity in these children, and these alterations in spontaneous brain oscillations were negatively correlated with visual-perceptual abilities at school-age, and were not driven by potentially confounding neonatal variables. These findings provide the first evidence linking neonatal pain-related stress, the development of functional brain activity, and school-age cognitive outcome in these vulnerable children. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Formative Assessment Practice and Encouraging Middle School Mathematics Engagement and Persistence

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Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.; Dempsey, Kathleen; Tweed, Anne

2018-01-01

In the transition to middle school, and during the middle school years, students' motivation for mathematics tends to decline from what it was during elementary school. Formative assessment strategies in mathematics can help support motivation by building confidence for challenging tasks. In this study, the authors developed and piloted a…

Parental Autonomy Granting and School Functioning among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Adolescents' Cultural Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cixin; Do, Kieu Anh; Bao, Leiping; Xia, Yan R; Wu, Chaorong

2017-01-01

School adjustment and achievement are important indicators of adolescents' well-being; however, few studies have examined the risk and protective factors predicting students' school adjustment and achievement at the individual, familial, and cultural level. The present study examined the influences of individual and familial factors and cultural values on Chinese adolescents' school functioning (e.g., school adjustment and grades). It also tested whether cultural values moderated the relationship between parenting and adolescents' school functioning. Self-report data were collected from a stratified random sample of 2,864 adolescents (51.5% female, mean age = 15.52 years, grade 6th - 12th) from 55 classrooms, in 13 schools in Shanghai, China. Results showed that self-esteem ( b se→adj = 0.05, SE = 0.01, p school adjustment and grades, respectively. More importantly, results showed that independent self-construal moderated the relationship between parental autonomy granting and adolescents' grades ( b indepxautom = 0.06, SE = 0.02, p autonomy granting, which then impacts their school functioning.

Toward Instructional Leadership: Principals' Perceptions of Large-Scale Assessment in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Prytula, Michelle; Noonan, Brian; Hellsten, Laurie

2013-01-01

This paper describes a study of the perceptions that Saskatchewan school principals have regarding large-scale assessment reform and their perceptions of how assessment reform has affected their roles as principals. The findings revealed that large-scale assessments, especially provincial assessments, have affected the principal in Saskatchewan…

The Effects of Training and Performance Feedback during Behavioral Consultation on General Education Middle School Teachers' Integrity to Functional Analysis Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

McKenney, Elizabeth L. W.; Waldron, Nancy; Conroy, Maureen

2013-01-01

This study describes the integrity with which 3 general education middle school teachers implemented functional analyses (FA) of appropriate behavior for students who typically engaged in disruption. A 4-step model consistent with behavioral consultation was used to support the assessment process. All analyses were conducted during ongoing…

Teaching and assessment of professional attitudes in UK dental schools - commentary.

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Field, J; Ellis, J; Abbas, C; Germain, P

2010-08-01

The General Dental Council expects professionalism to be embedded and assessed through-out the undergraduate dental programme. Curricula need therefore to accommodate these recommendations. A stroll poll of UK dental schools provided a basis for understanding the current methods of teaching and assessing professionalism. All respondent schools recognised the importance of professionalism and reported that this was taught and assessed within their curriculum. For most the methods involved were largely traditional, relying on lectures and seminars taught throughout the course. The most common form of assessment was by grading and providing formative feedback after a clinical encounter. Whilst clinical skills and knowledge can perhaps be readily taught and assessed using traditional methods, those involved in education are challenged to identify and implement effective methods of not only teaching, but also assessing professionalism. A variety of standalone methods need to be developed that assess professionalism and this will, in turn, allow the effectiveness of teaching methods to be assessed.

Implementing Curriculum-Embedded Formative Assessment in Primary School Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Hondrich, Annika Lena; Hertel, Silke; Adl-Amini, Katja; Klieme, Eckhard

2016-01-01

The implementation of formative assessment strategies is challenging for teachers. We evaluated teachers' implementation fidelity of a curriculum-embedded formative assessment programme for primary school science education, investigating both material-supported, direct application and subsequent transfer. Furthermore, the relationship between…

The Enhanced Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills Program: Assessing the relationship between internalising symptoms and family functioning in children aged 9-11 years of age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia eKennedy

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The family context plays a critical role in the health of the child. This was the first study to examine the usefulness of the General Functioning subscale of the Family Assessment Device (FAD-GF in assessing family functioning and its relationship to internalising symptoms in school-aged children aged between 9 and 11 years of age. Eight hundred and forty-seven Year 4 and 5 students from 13 schools (607 intervention students, and 240 control students participated in the Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills Program (AO-PTS - a universal school-based program targeting internalising symptoms. Students rated how ‘healthy’ they perceived their family to be at pre-test and at 6-month follow-up. Although some aspects of validity and reliability could be improved, results indicated that perceptions of family functioning at pre-test were predictive of internalising symptoms at the 6-month follow-up. The FAD-GF therefore showed promise as a potential measure of family functioning for children as young as nine years old. Regardless of children’s pre-test levels of perceived family functioning, no intervention effects were found on the anxiety and depression scales; this finding suggests that child perceptions of family functioning may act as a general protective factor against internalising symptomology.

Self-Assessment of Schools and Teachers as a Road to Transforming Schools from Teaching to Learning Organisations

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Franz, Hans-Werner

2012-01-01

This article explores the manner in which self-assessment in schools can play an integral role in the transformation of schools into learning organisations. The perspective adopted is based upon European experiences and describes and analyses the sociological constructs and bases supporting the process of transformation. (Contains 6 notes and 2…

A Systematic Approach to Bilingual Assessment: Development of a Handbook for School District Administrators and School Psychologists

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Parres, Laura

2017-01-01

English language learners (ELLs) are a significant and growing subset of the school age population across the United States. The projected growth of ELL students is significant and poses unique challenges for school districts when assessing bilingual students for special education. The state of California has the most ELL students in the nation…

Validating the UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module for Fijian schools to identify seeing, hearing and walking difficulties.

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Sprunt, Beth; Hoq, Monsurul; Sharma, Umesh; Marella, Manjula

2017-09-20

This study investigated the seeing, hearing and walking questions of the UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module and the inter-rater reliability between teachers and parents as proxy respondents. Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study, two-gate design with representative sampling, comparing Module responses to reference standard assessments for 472 primary aged students in Fiji. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine the area under the curve and optimal cut-off points. Areas under the curves ranged from 0.823 to 0.889 indicating "good" diagnostic accuracy. Inter-rater reliability between parent and teacher responses was "good" to "excellent". The optimal cut-off determined by the Youden Index was "some difficulty" however a wide spread of impairment levels were found in this category with most children either having none or substantial impairments. The diagnostic accuracy of the Module seeing, hearing and walking questions appears acceptable with either parents or teachers as proxy respondents. For education systems, use of the cut-off "some difficulty" with accompanying clinical assessment may be important to capture children who require services and learning supports and avoid potentially misleading categorization. Given the high proportion of the sample from special schools research is required to further test the Module in mainstream schools. Implications for rehabilitation Identification of children who are at risk of disability in Fiji is important to enable planning, monitoring and evaluating access to quality inclusive education. The UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module appears to be a practical and effective tool that can be used by teachers to identify children at risk of disability. Children identified on the UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module as having "some difficulty" or higher levels of difficulty in relation to vision, hearing or walking should be referred for further assessment

[School principals--too ill for healthy schools?].

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, A; Weltle, D; Lederer, P

2004-03-01

School principals on the one hand play an important role in maintaining the performance and health of teachers, but on the other hand often feel over-burdened themselves and suffer from illnesses which not only impair their health-promoting function, but also lead to limitations in their fitness for the occupation. The aim of our study was therefore, using objective parameters and larger numbers of cases, to obtain a differentiated insight into the type and extent of morbidity spectrum and the health-related early retirement of school principals. In a prospective total assessment (the whole of Bavaria in the period 1997-1999), all the reports about the premature unfitness for work of school directors were evaluated. The analysis included for example socio-demographic/occupational factors, diagnoses, assessment of performance and rehabilitation. The answers given in a standardised, anonymous questionnaire provided the database. Evaluation was carried out by means of descriptive statistics. The median age of the 408 school principals included in the evaluation (heads and vice-heads, 30% of whom were women) was 58 (min: 41 years old, max: 64 years old). The most frequent workplaces were primary schools (38%) and secondary schools (25%). 84% (n=342) of the headmasters were assessed to be unfit for work. The main reasons for early retirement were psychic/psychosomatic illnesses (F-ICD 10) which made up 45% of the cases. The relative frequency was higher in women than in men. Depressive disorders and exhaustion syndromes (burnout) dominated among the psychiatric diagnoses (proportion: 57%). The most frequent somatic diseases were cardio-vascular diseases (I-ICD10) in 19% of cases, then muscular/skeletal diseases (M-ICD10) in 10% and malignant tumours (C-ICD 10) in 9% of cases. Cardio-vascular diseases, in particular arterial hypertonia and ischaemic heart disease, were, in addition, found in headmasters significantly more frequently than in teachers without a leadership

Hygienic, sanitary, physical, and functional conditions of Brazilian public school food services

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Kênia Machado de Almeida

2014-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To verify the physical, functional, hygienic, and sanitary conditions of the food services of municipal schools located in the Brazilian Midwest region. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 296 school food services conducted from February to June 2012. The food services were assessed by a semi-structured check list divided into the following sections: physical conditions, available equipment, food handlers' conduct, and food service cleaning processes and procedures. The study variables were classified as compliant or noncompliant with the regulations passed by the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency. RESULTS: Noncompliances were found in all study food services, especially with respect to food service conditions, and the wiring and plumbing in the food preparation area. In this section, 62.7 to 95.9% of the food services did not comply with nine out of the thirteen study items. The main problems were: poorly cleaned external areas, deteriorated walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, drains, and roof gutters; and unscreened doors and windows, allowing the entrance of insects; among others. The main noncompliance regarding processes and procedures was the uncontrolled temperature of the ready-to-eat foods. CONCLUSION: The conditions of the study food services are unsatisfactory for the production of safe meals, possibly compromising meal quality, food safety, and the effectiveness of the School Food Program.

Perceptions and attitudes of formative assessments in middle-school science classes

Science.gov (United States)

Chauncey, Penny Denyse

No Child Left Behind mandates utilizing summative assessment to measure schools' effectiveness. The problem is that summative assessment measures students' knowledge without depth of understanding. The goal of public education, however, is to prepare students to think critically at higher levels. The purpose of this study was to examine any difference between formative assessment incorporated in instruction as opposed to the usual, more summative methods in terms of attitudes and academic achievement of middle-school science students. Maslow's theory emphasizes that individuals must have basic needs met before they can advance to higher levels. Formative assessment enables students to master one level at a time. The research questions focused on whether statistically significant differences existed between classrooms using these two types of assessments on academic tests and an attitude survey. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental control-group design, data were obtained from a sample of 430 middle-school science students in 6 classes. One control and 2 experimental classes were assigned to each teacher. Results of the independent t tests revealed academic achievement was significantly greater for groups that utilized formative assessment. No significant difference in attitudes was noted. Recommendations include incorporating formative assessment results with the summative results. Findings from this study could contribute to positive social change by prompting educational stakeholders to examine local and state policies on curriculum as well as funding based on summative scores alone. Use of formative assessment can lead to improved academic success.

A Self-Assessment Framework for Inclusive Schools Supporting Assistive Technology Users.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogerwerf, Evert-Jan; Solander-Gross, Andrea; Mavrou, Katerina; Traina, Ivan; Hersh, Marion

2017-01-01

In order to support schools to assess their performance in supporting children with disabilities in their ICT and ICT-AT needs, a self-assessment framework was developed by a task force of partners and associate partners of the ENTELIS project. The self-assessment tool aims to help educational establishments that welcome learners with disabilities to assess their current outcomes and to plan improvements in supporting these students in increasing digital literacy and developing digital skills. This includes the use of mainstream Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and specially designed digital Assistive Technologies (ICT-AT). This can only successfully happen if schools fully embrace an inclusive approach to education. In this paper the authors describe the development of the framework and the further steps for its use.

Perinatal brain injury, visual motor function and poor school outcome of regional low birth weight survivors at age nine.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Mahoney, Ashley Darcy; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer A

2013-08-01

To explore the relationship between perinatal brain injury, visual motor function (VMF) and poor school outcome. Little is known about the status and underlying mechanism of poor school outcome as experienced by low birth weight survivors. This is a secondary data analysis. The parental study recruited 1104 low birth weight (LBW) infants weighing ≤ 2000 g from three medical centres of Central New Jersey between 1984 and 1987. Seven hundred and seventy-seven infants survived the neonatal period, and their developmental outcomes had been following up regularly until now. The development data of the survivors were used to achieve the research aims. Initial school outcome assessment was carried out in 9-year-old, using the Woodcock-Johnson Academic Achievement Scale. The severity and range of perinatal brain injury was determined by repeated neonatal cranial ultrasound results obtained at 4 hours, 24 hours and 7 days of life. Seventeen and a half per cent of the sample experienced poor school performance at age 9 as defined by lower than one standard deviation (SD) of average performance score. Children with the most severe injury, PL/VE, had the lowest mathematics (F = 14·54, p = 0·000) and reading (anova results: F = 11·56, p = 0·000) performances. Visual motor function had a significant effect on children's overall school performance (Hotelling's trace value was 0·028, F = 3·414, p = 0·018), as well as subtest scores for reading (p = 0·006) and mathematics (p = 0·036). However, visual motor function was not a mediator in the association of perinatal brain injury and school outcome. Perinatal brain injury had a significant long-term effect on school outcome. Low birth weight infants with history of perinatal brain injury need be closely monitored to substantially reduce the rates of poor school outcome and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Selected executive functions in children with ADHD in early school age

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Aneta Rita Borkowska

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The study was aimed at finding out whether at the early school age the effectiveness of executive functions distinguishes children with ADHD from those of the control group. Besides, the aim was to check to what extent the use of diagnostic methods evaluating executive functions in children at the early school age is justified. The analysis comprised cognitive flexibility, sustained attention, interference control and planning ability. Those methods of neuropsychological evaluation were used which are mostly applied to characterize executive functions: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, interference task based on the Stroop Interference Test, and tests of verbal fluency and Tower of London. The examined group consisted of 50 children aged 7-10: 25 children with hyperactivity of combined type and 25 children of the control group. Each group consisted of 23 boys and 2 girls. The average age in the criterial group was 8 years and 10 months (SD=10 months, whereas in the control group – 8 years and 6 months (SD=11 months. According to the obtained results, children with ADHD at early school age do not exhibit a wide spectrum of executive functions deficits, which is probably associated with immaturity of executive processes in all children of that age. The findings comprised only difficulties in inhibition of response, monitoring of activity, and ability of executive attention to intentional guidance of the mental effort depending on the task’s requirements. In investigations of children with ADHD at early school age the use of neuropsychological tests and trials designed for evaluation of executive functions is justified only in limited degree. They do not significantly distinguish between children with ADHD and children without this disorder, therefore the results may be mainly of descriptive, and not explanatory, value.

Training Needs Assessment in Occupational Risk Prevention into Schools

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Burgos-Garcia, Antonio; Alonso-Morillejo, Enrique; Pozo-Munoz, Carmen

2011-01-01

The assessment of needs plays a relevant role in the training for preventing of risks at work into school, as it is a scientific procedure to identify and prioritise problems existing within an educative context. This type of assessment is the starting point for a subsequent planning of the educative interventions that will enable pupils and…

Assessing Earth and Environmental Science Enrollment Trends in Texas Public High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Joan G.

2012-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: This study assesses the status of Earth and environmental sciences education in Texas Public High Schools by analyzing enrollment proportions of 11th and 12th grade students in 607 Independent School Districts (ISD) for the 2010-2011 academic school year using a quantitative, non-experimental alpha research design. This…

Assessment of nutritional status of school children in Oyo West Local ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status of primary school children in Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was among 499 primary school children. The study instrument was a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire.

Influenza Vaccination Coverage among School Employees: Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors

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de Perio, Marie A.; Wiegand, Douglas M.; Brueck, Scott E.

2014-01-01

Background: Influenza can spread among students, teachers, and staff in school settings. Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent influenza. We determined 2012-2013 influenza vaccination coverage among school employees, assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding the vaccine, and determined factors associated with vaccine receipt.…

A Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment Procedure: Addressing the School-to-Work Transition Needs of Secondary Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Mahlone E.; Stodden, Robert A.

1986-01-01

Curriculum-based vocational assessment procedures as implemented in the United States Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Germany are assessing a match of handicapped students' interests and strengths in terms of career and vocational instructional options. The model is described, with emphasis on project planning and design and…

Dynamic Assessment, Potential Giftedness and Mathematics Achievement in Elementary School

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Popa, Nicoleta Laura; Pauc, Ramona Loredana

2015-01-01

Dynamic assessment is currently discussed in educational literature as one of the most promising practices in stimulating learning among various groups of students, including gifted and potentially gifted students. The present study investigates effects of dynamic assessment on mathematics achievement among elementary school students, with…

Parental Autonomy Granting and School Functioning among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Adolescents’ Cultural Values

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Wang, Cixin; Do, Kieu Anh; Bao, Leiping; Xia, Yan R.; Wu, Chaorong

2017-01-01

School adjustment and achievement are important indicators of adolescents’ well-being; however, few studies have examined the risk and protective factors predicting students’ school adjustment and achievement at the individual, familial, and cultural level. The present study examined the influences of individual and familial factors and cultural values on Chinese adolescents’ school functioning (e.g., school adjustment and grades). It also tested whether cultural values moderated the relationship between parenting and adolescents’ school functioning. Self-report data were collected from a stratified random sample of 2,864 adolescents (51.5% female, mean age = 15.52 years, grade 6th – 12th) from 55 classrooms, in 13 schools in Shanghai, China. Results showed that self-esteem (bse→adj = 0.05, SE = 0.01, p autonomy granting and adolescents’ grades (bindepxautom = 0.06, SE = 0.02, p cultural values may influence adolescents’ appraisal of parental autonomy granting, which then impacts their school functioning. PMID:29326622

Using Action Research to Assess and Advocate for Innovative School Library Design

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Harper, Meghan; Deskins,Liz

2015-01-01

This article describes a collaborative project designed to use action research to assess and advocate for innovative design changes in a school library. The high school library was in its fifth year of service, and yet the layout of the library was not meeting the learning and technological needs of 21st-century high school students. The purpose…

Assessment of HIV/AIDS and Life Skills Delivery in Primary Schools in Tanzania

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Rushahu, Bernadetha Gabriel

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS and the Life Skills Education delivery in primary schools in Tanzania. Specifically the study investigated pupils' views about the effect of HIV/AIDS and Life Skills teaching in primary schools in Tanzania; assessed pupils' knowledge related to HIV/AIDS and Life Skills education, and…

Developmental assessment, cultural context, gender, and schooling in Zambia.

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Serpell, Robert; Jere-Folotiya, Jacqueline

2008-04-01

Multiple perspectives on the assessment of children's development at the school-community interface in rural areas of Zambia are discussed in the light of several empirical studies conducted between 1974 and 2005. A longitudinal trace study of a cohort of 46 young people born into a rural, Chewa community in Katete District found that girls' scores in early childhood on a battery of ecoculturally grounded cognitive tests correlated less well than they did for boys with two educational outcomes: number of grades of schooling completed, and adult literacy scores. Conversely, ratings of the children on indigenous conceptions of intelligence by adults familiar with the children in the context of their home village lives predicted the same outcomes better for girls than for boys. A separate, linked experiment compared the performance of 76 Katete school children with that of 84 school children in the capital city of Lusaka on the US standardized Draw-a-Person Test (DPT) and the Panga Munthu Test (PMT), an expanded version of one of the tests developed for the Zambian trace study. Analysis of the correlations among scores on these two tests, age, and teacher ratings suggests that aptitudes evident in the home and school domains are less well integrated for rural girls than for urban boys, and that for a low-income, rural population, the PMT taps the domain of home cognition better than school cognition, while the converse is true of the DPT. Implications for educational assessment in Zambia are discussed, and supportive documentation is cited from two ongoing programs of test development. The authors conclude that if educational testing is to support the process of enhancing educational equity across gender, family socioeconomic status, and residential location, its focus should be broadened to include other dimensions of psychological development such as multilingual and personal-social competencies.

A scale for assessing Italian schools and classes inclusiveness

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Lucio Cottini

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper presents in detail the procedures for developing and validating a tool for assessing the inclusive process pertaining to school contexts called “Inclusive Process Assessment Scale”. The Scale, which is the outcome of the joined work of the authors, sets itself both as an assessing and self-assessing tool, useful for allowing on one hand specific types of evaluation and, on the other, promoting thoughts on inclusive education’s quality indicators, thus contributing to the planning and ongoing adjustment of the educational project of the school and the class. The tool, in its computer version as well, allows for the planning of researches that can collect evidences supporting the full inclusion organization of Italian schools.Una scala per valutare l’inclusività delle scuole e delle classi italianeIl contributo presenta in dettaglio le procedure di costruzione e validazione di uno strumento per valutare i processi inclusivi riferiti ai contesti scolastici, chiamato “Scala di Valutazione dei Processi Inclusivi”. Frutto del lavoro congiunto svolto dagli autori, la Scala si pone come uno strumento valutativo e autovalutativo utile a consentire da un lato, la realizzazione di specifiche forme di misurazione e, dall’altro, la promozione di processi di riflessione sugli indicatori di qualità dell’educazione inclusiva, per contribuire alla progettazione e alla regolazione in itinere del progetto educativo della scuola e della classe. Lo strumento, anche nella sua versione digitale, consente di pianificare ricerche, che possono raccogliere evidenze in grado di avvalorare l’organizzazione scolastica italiana di full inclusion.

The Promotion of Critical Thinking Skills in School-Based Assessment (SBA)

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Kamarulzaman, Wirawani; Kamarulzaman, Wirawahida

2016-01-01

The new curriculum introduced in the Malaysian primary students; the Primary School Standard Curriculum (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah-KSSR) together with the school-based assessment (SBA) is a step taken by the Malaysian government to encourage thinking skills to students, specifically critical thinking skills. The study explores teachers'…

assessment of the implementation of the secondary school skill ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Engr E. Egbochukwu

This study was conducted to assess how the Nigerian secondary school vocational and technical ... challenges of changing economic and social structure of modern society. (National Policy on ..... International Journal of. Educational Studies ...

[Hygienic assessment of intraschool environment in rural and urban secondary school institutions].

Science.gov (United States)

Mylnikova, I V

The purpose of the research is to assess the intra-environment indices in urban and rural secondary schools. In the course of special studies there was given the hygienic assessment of the climate, illumination and air quality of classrooms. In classrooms in rural schools microclimate indices were established to fail to meet hygienic requirements mainly on the temperature and humidity parameters. In rural schools, the temperature was decreased to 16-17 °C in 19.0 ± 8.6% of classrooms, humidity was elevated to 63.1% in 25.7 ± 7.4% of classrooms. Among urban schools the humidity in 49.6 ± 4.4% of classrooms reduced to 23.3 ± 0.3%, in 20.8 ± 5.4% of offices it was increased to 71.9 ± 0.9%. The coefficient of the natural illumination in rural schools has been reduced to 0.86-1.4% in 33.9 ± 14.2% of classrooms. In 25.1 ± 2.3% of classrooms in urban schools the level of natural light ratio was below the normative values and varied in the range of 0.32-1.3%. It is noted that in the offices of informatics natural light indices are significantly lower than in the classrooms for core subjects. The artificial lighting in urban schools was found to be lower than hygienic standards on the desks by 1.9 times, 2.2 times - at the board. There were obtained statistically significant handshaking health problems of urban schoolchildren due to intraenvironmental factors. The c dimate in surveyed gyms in rural schools is different in the low temperature and high humidity. The hygienic assessment of the air pollution classrooms’ medium was executed for a range of chemicals: formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter. Concentrations of formaldehyde; nitrogen dioxide, suspended solids in the air in classrooms in urban schools appeared to be higher than in rural schools. Carbon monoxide concentrations in classrooms in rural schools was found to exceed their values in urban schools. The air in classrooms of the one of the cities was found

Assessing Differential Item Functioning on the Test of Relational Reasoning

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Denis Dumas

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The test of relational reasoning (TORR is designed to assess the ability to identify complex patterns within visuospatial stimuli. The TORR is designed for use in school and university settings, and therefore, its measurement invariance across diverse groups is critical. In this investigation, a large sample, representative of a major university on key demographic variables, was collected, and the resulting data were analyzed using a multi-group, multidimensional item-response theory model-comparison procedure. No significant differential item functioning was found on any of the TORR items across any of the demographic groups of interest. This finding is interpreted as evidence of the cultural fairness of the TORR, and potential test-development choices that may have contributed to that cultural fairness are discussed.

Environmental Assessment for the Bison School District Heating Plant Project, Institutional Conservation Program (ICP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This environmental assessment analyzes the environmental impacts of replacing the Bison, South Dakota School District's elementary school and high school heating system consisting of oil-fired boilers and supporting control system and piping

Lung function and functional capacity in school age children

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Fabiana S da Silva Dias de Andrade

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Six-minute walk test (TC6’ and peak expiratory flow (PEF can be influenced by variables like gender, age and body mass index (BMI. In the school context, these tests can identify losses caused by sedentary habits and/or manifestation of overweight/obesity. Nevertheless, although widely studied in the adult context, they have not been properly clarified in the child public. Objective: To assess the PEF and TC6’ between students in the public and private network and to correlate them with factors like age, gender and BMI. Methods: 39 male and female children between eight and ten years of age were selected for the study. The TC6’ was held at a sports court. The child was instructed to walk at maximum speed for six minutes and the PEF test took place in accordance to the recommendations by Pereira et al (1. Results: No significant correlation was found between the BMI and the PEF and TC6’ scores. No significant correlation was found between sex and PEF, with measures within normal parameters for the entire sample. The EPF measures did not influence the distance walked in the TC6’. A significant correlation was found between sex and distance walked in the TC6’ only among male children attending public schools. Conclusion: Both sex and BMI did not influence the PEF measures which, in turn, does not seem to have influenced the distance the sample walked in the TC6’. Also concerning the TC6’, only the children from public school reached the normal scores proposed in the literature.

Parent, Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudovitz, Rebecca N; Izadpanah, Nilufar; Chung, Paul J; Slusser, Wendelin

2016-05-01

Up to 20 % of school-age children have a vision problem identifiable by screening, over 80 % of which can be corrected with glasses. While vision problems are associated with poor school performance, few studies describe whether and how corrective lenses affect academic achievement and health. Further, there are virtually no studies exploring how children with correctable visual deficits, their parents, and teachers perceive the connection between vision care and school function. We conducted a qualitative evaluation of Vision to Learn (VTL), a school-based program providing free corrective lenses to low-income students in Los Angeles. Nine focus groups with students, parents, and teachers from three schools served by VTL explored the relationships between poor vision, receipt of corrective lenses, and school performance and health. Twenty parents, 25 teachers, and 21 students from three elementary schools participated. Participants described how uncorrected visual deficits reduced students' focus, perseverance, and class participation, affecting academic functioning and psychosocial stress; how receiving corrective lenses improved classroom attention, task persistence, and willingness to practice academic skills; and how serving students in school rather than in clinics increased both access to and use of corrective lenses. for Practice Corrective lenses may positively impact families, teachers, and students coping with visual deficits by improving school function and psychosocial wellbeing. Practices that increase ownership and use of glasses, such as serving students in school, may significantly improve both child health and academic performance.

Height for age z score and cognitive function are associated with Academic performance among school children aged 8-11 years old.

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Haile, Demewoz; Nigatu, Dabere; Gashaw, Ketema; Demelash, Habtamu

2016-01-01

Academic achievement of school age children can be affected by several factors such as nutritional status, demographics, and socioeconomic factors. Though evidence about the magnitude of malnutrition is well established in Ethiopia, there is a paucity of evidence about the association of nutritional status with academic performance among the nation's school age children. Hence, this study aimed to determine how nutritional status and cognitive function are associated with academic performance of school children in Goba town, South East Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 131 school age students from primary schools in Goba town enrolled during the 2013/2014 academic year. The nutritional status of students was assessed by anthropometric measurement, while the cognitive assessment was measured by the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II) and Ravens colored progressive matrices (Raven's CPM) tests. The academic performance of the school children was measured by collecting the preceding semester academic result from the school record. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable linear regression were used in the statistical analysis. This study found a statistically significant positive association between all cognitive test scores and average academic performance except for number recall (p = 0.12) and hand movements (p = 0.08). The correlation between all cognitive test scores and mathematics score was found positive and statistically significant (p academic subjects among school age children (ß = 0.53; 95 % CI: 0.11-0.95). A single unit change of age resulted 3.23 unit change in average score of all academic subjects among school age children (ß = 3.23; 95 % CI: 1.20-5.27). Nutritional status (height for age Z score) and wealth could be modifiable factors to improve academic performance of school age children. Moreover, interventions to improve nutrition for mothers and children may be

Functions of Aggression and Disciplinary Actions among Elementary School-Age Youth

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Fite, Paula J.; Evans, Spencer C.; Pederson, Casey A.; Tampke, Elizabeth C.

2017-01-01

Background: A link between aggression and disciplinary actions has been established; however, specific associations between reactive and proactive functions of aggression and disciplinary actions in the elementary school setting have not been evaluated. A better understanding of links between functions of aggression and disciplinary actions could…

Teaching, learning and assessment of medical ethics at the UK medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Lucy; Bell, Dominic

2017-09-01

To evaluate the UK undergraduate medical ethics curricula against the Institute of Medical Ethics (IME) recommendations; to identify barriers to teaching and assessment of medical ethics and to evaluate perceptions of ethics faculties on the preparation of tomorrow's doctors for clinical practice. Questionnaire survey of the UK medical schools enquiring about content, structure and location of ethics teaching and learning; teaching and learning processes; assessment; influences over institutional approach to ethics education; barriers to teaching and assessment; perception of student engagement and perception of student preparation for clinical practice. The lead for medical ethics at each medical school was invited to participate (n=33). Completed responses were received from 11/33 schools (33%). 73% (n=8) teach all IME recommended topics within their programme. 64% (n=7) do not include ethics in clinical placement learning objectives. The most frequently cited barrier to teaching was lack of time (64%, n=7), and to assessment was lack of time and suitability of assessments (27%, n=3). All faculty felt students were prepared for clinical practice. IME recommendations are not followed in all cases, and ethics teaching is not universally well integrated into clinical placement. Barriers to assessment lead to inadequacies in this area, and there are few consequences for failing ethics assessments. As such, tomorrow's patients will be treated by doctors who are inadequately prepared for ethical decision making in clinical practice; this needs to be addressed by ethics leads with support from medical school authorities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Severity of pediatric pain in relation to school-related functioning and teacher support: an epidemiological study among school-aged children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Vervoort, Tine; Logan, Deirdre E; Goubert, Liesbet; De Clercq, Bart; Hublet, Anne

2014-06-01

The current cross-sectional study examined child and adolescent pain severity in relation to various domains of school functioning and, in line with self-determination theory, the potentially protective role of perceived teacher support of child/adolescent autonomy and competence. Data from a large representative sample of Flemish school children and adolescents (N=10650; 50.8% boys; age range 10-21years; mean age=14.33) was collected as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. Child/adolescent pain severity was graded based on a pediatric pain classification system adapted from that of Von Korff et al. The current study thus provided insight regarding the prevalence of pain among Flemish children/adolescents and, extending the limitations of existing literature, examined the specific role of pain severity across various domains of school functioning. Findings indicated that a sizeable proportion of children reported moderate to severe pain problems (ie, about 14% of children and adolescents were classified in the highest pain grades: ie, grade III or IV). Furthermore, higher pain grades were associated with poorer outcomes across all indices of school functioning (ie, school absenteeism, school-related pressure and satisfaction, and bullying experiences), with the exception of academic performance. However, the association between pain grade and school absenteeism was less pronounced when children perceived their teachers to be highly supportive of competence and autonomy. Furthermore, teacher support of competence appeared to buffer against the harmful effects of severe pain upon instances of bullying experiences at school. Future research directions and implications for school-based interventions are discussed. Copyright © 2014 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Original article Parenting style and locus of control, motivation, and school adaptation among students with borderline intellectual functioning

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Anna Maria Jankowska

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background Parenting style impacts children’s psychosocial development. Students with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF are especially sensitive to the quality of parental care. The objective of this study was to compare parenting styles of mothers of children with BIF and mothers of typically developing peers, and establish associations between parenting styles and children’s psychosocial traits, which determine their school functioning. Participants and procedure Forty-two primary school students in Grades 4 to 6, their teachers, and mothers participated in the study. Based on their IQ level they comprised two groups: students with BIF (criterion group; n = 21 and students with average IQ (comparison group; n = 21. A series of measures were used to assess mothers’ parenting style and students’ psychosocial traits. Questionnaires measuring students’ psychosocial pro­perties were administered to children and their teachers in order to compare their perspectives. Results Mothers of children with BIF in comparison to mothers in the control group presented greater inclinations towards over-parenting. Based on self-reports, students with BIF did not differ from their typically developing classmates in terms of school motivation, anxiety, locus of control, or social adjustment, despite their lower academic performance. According to teachers, students with BIF had significantly lower school motivation and delayed socialization. For students with BIF but not for the comparison group, a negative correlation was found between mothers’ tendency to dominate over their child and students’ locus of control and school motivation. Conclusions Children with BIF are especially sensitive to the quality of mothers’ parenting style, which can have an adverse effect on their school adjustment.

Establishing a Rural School Counseling Agenda: A Multiagency Needs-Assessment Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Braucht, Stephanie; Weime, Barbara

1990-01-01

Developed creative approach to conduct needs assessment in rural schools that involved sending questionnaires to 49 key informants and 145 high school students. Key informants and students agreed that the 2 most serious issues were alcohol-related problems and family dysfunction (violence, divorce). Both groups indicated need for a teen center;…

Formative assessment practices in Bhutanese secondary schools and its impact on Quality of Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Utha, Karma

Using case study approach, the dissertation provides the notions and practices of formative assessment in Bhutanese Secondary Schools. It includes the teachers’ understanding of the practice of student-centered teaching and learning, which is regarded as a precondition for effective formative...... assessment. It also take account of those features of formative assessment which are much more favored by students and teachers in the case study schools....

Factor structure of functional state of primary school age children

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Davidenko O.V.

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The examination of primary school children to determine the ranking of significant factors that determine the structure of their functional state depending on the level of physical health. It is shown that the main factor in the structure of the functional state of younger schoolchildren in low-and lower-middle level of physical fitness is selected morpho-functional status, which characterizes the functions of the body at rest. For children with average or above average level of physical fitness is a leading factor in physical fitness of schoolchildren.

Mothers' depressive symptoms in infancy and children's adjustment in grade school: The role of children's sustained attention and executive function.

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Wang, Yiji; Dix, Theodore

2017-09-01

On the basis of longitudinal data across 9 years, this study examined the contribution of sustained attention and executive function to the poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment of school-age children whose mothers had depressive symptoms during the child's infancy. Mothers (N = 1,364) reported depressive symptoms across their child's infancy and early childhood. Maternal sensitivity was observed during laboratory interactions at 36 months. At school entry children's sustained attention and executive function were measured with computer-generated tasks. In third grade, cognitive and socioemotional adjustment was assessed with standardized tests and the reports of fathers and teachers. Using structural equation modeling, findings showed that (a) exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms during the child's infancy, independent of later exposure, uniquely predicted children's poor sustained attention and executive function at school entry; (b) deficits in children's sustained attention and executive function occurred because of depressed mothers' tendencies to display insensitive parenting behavior; and (c) these deficits explained in part relations between exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms in infancy and children's poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment in third grade. Findings highlight the potential importance of children's exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms specifically during the child's infancy for disrupting the development of fundamental cognitive processes that may underlie the adjustment problems children of depressed mothers display in middle childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Standardizing assessment practices of undergraduate medical competencies across medical schools: challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from a consortium of medical schools in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Mubuuke, Aloysius Gonzaga; Mwesigwa, Catherine; Maling, Samuel; Rukundo, Godfrey; Kagawa, Mike; Kitara, David Lagoro; Kiguli, Sarah

2014-01-01

Health professions education is gradually moving away from the more traditional approaches to new innovative ways of training aimed at producing professionals with the necessary competencies to address the community health needs. In response to these emerging trends, Medical Education for Equitable Services to All Ugandans (MESAU), a consortium of Ugandan medical schools developed key competencies desirable of graduates and successfully implemented Competency Based Education (CBE) for undergraduate medical students. To examine the current situation and establish whether assessment methods of the competencies are standardized across MESAU schools as well as establish the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from the MESAU consortium. It was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving faculty of the medical schools in Uganda. Data was collected using focus group discussions and document reviews. Findings were presented in form of themes. Although the MESAU schools have implemented the developed competencies within their curricular, the assessment methods are still not standardized with each institution having its own assessment procedures. Lack of knowledge and skills regarding assessment of the competencies was evident amongst the faculty. The fear for change amongst lecturers was also noted as a major challenge. However, the institutional collaboration created while developing competencies was identified as key strength. Findings demonstrated that despite having common competencies, there is no standardized assessment blue print applicable to all MESAU schools. Continued collaboration and faculty development in assessment is strongly recommended.

National Study of School Psychologists' Use of Evidence-Based Assessment in Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Aiello, Rachel; Ruble, Lisa; Esler, Amy

2017-01-01

This study aimed to better understand predictors of evidence-based assessment practices for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nationwide, 402 school psychologists were surveyed for their knowledge of and training and experience with ASD on assessment practices, including reported areas of training needs. The majority of school psychologists reported…

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: Associations with risky drinking and functioning in high school.

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Tucker, Joan S; Troxel, Wendy M; Ewing, Brett A; D'Amico, Elizabeth J

2016-10-01

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is associated with heavier drinking and related problems among college students. However, little is known about how high school drinkers who mix alcohol with energy drinks (AmED) compare to those who do not (AwoED). This study compares high school AmED and AwoED users on their alcohol use during middle and high school, as well as key domains of functioning in high school. Two surveys were conducted three years apart in adolescents initially recruited from 16 middle schools in Southern California. The analytic sample consists of 696 past month drinkers. Multivariable models compared AmED and AwoED users on alcohol use, mental health, social functioning, academic orientation, delinquency and other substance use at age 17, and on their alcohol use and related cognitions at age 14. AmED was reported by 13% of past month drinkers. AmED and AwoED users did not differ on alcohol use or cognitions in middle school, but AmED users drank more often, more heavily, and reported more negative consequences in high school. AmED users were also more likely to report poor grades, delinquent behavior, substance use-related unsafe driving, public intoxication, and drug use than AwoED users in high school. Group differences were not found on mental health, social functioning, or academic aspirations. AmED use is common among high school drinkers. The higher risk behavioral profile of these young AmED users, which includes drug use and substance use-related unsafe driving, is a significant cause for concern and warrants further attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of atomoxetine with and without behavior therapy on the school and home functioning of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

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Waxmonsky, James G; Waschbusch, Daniel A; Pelham, William E; Draganac-Cardona, Lillian; Rotella, Bryan; Ryan, Lynn

2010-11-01

To evaluate the effects of atomoxetine alone and in combination with behavior therapy on the school functioning of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most atomoxetine studies have not assessed school functioning other than by measuring the change in ADHD symptoms. Combining behavior therapy with atomoxetine may be particularly beneficial for the academic domain as medication has not been found to produce sustained benefits in this realm. However, there is little research examining the effects of combining atomoxetine and behavior therapy. In an 8-week open-label trial, 56 children aged 6-12 years with ADHD diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR were randomly assigned to receive atomoxetine and behavior therapy or atomoxetine alone. Behavior therapy consisted of an 8-week parenting course, a child social skills course, and a teacher-implemented daily report card of classroom behavior. The primary outcome was direct observation of the subject's classroom behavior. Secondary outcomes included change in ADHD symptoms and functioning at home and school. All data were collected between March 2007 and May 2008. Classroom observations showed that atomoxetine decreased rule violations (P parent-rated symptoms of inattention (P parents, teachers, and direct observation. The addition of behavior therapy led to further improvements at home but not at school. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00918567. © Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Assessment of the diet of 0- to 6-year-old children in municipal schools in a Brazilian city.

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Garbin, C A S; Arcieri, R M; Ferreira, N F; Luvizuto, E R; Alle, C F

2005-09-01

Diet control is one of the important factors in the prevention of dental caries because food functions as substratum for fermentation and, consequently, for the formation of the organic acids that demineralize the tooth surface. This study aims to descriptively assess school diet and the associated caries-preventive methods applied to children in all municipal nursery schools of a Brazilian city (Aragatuba/SP). For this, a questionnaire with open and closed questions was used. The results showed that all schools serve school meal, which is composed mainly of sugar, carbohydrates, and proteins. The students enjoy the meal very much because for most of them, the meal served at school is the only source of food. It was observed that 90% of the schools offer other kinds of food besides the main school meal. The snacks served such as cakes, white hominy, and milk fudge are composed of sweet and highly cariogenic foods. It was also verified that in 13.30% of the schools, the daily supervised dental hygiene, an important procedure that should not be neglected, is not carried out. This procedure introduces the children to healthy habits that are added to those acquired in the family environment. It was concluded that the school diet is potentially cariogenic and, in association with the lack of daily dental hygiene, this potential may become even higher.

Assessment of the diet of 0- to 6-year-old children in municipal schools in a Brazilian city

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Garbin Clea

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Diet control is one of the important factors in the prevention of dental caries because food functions as substratum for fermentation and, consequently, for the formation of the organic acids that demineralize the tooth surface. This study aims to descriptively assess school diet and the associated caries-preventive methods applied to children in all municipal nursery schools of a Brazilian city (Aragatuba/SP. For this, a questionnaire with open and closed questions was used. The results showed that all schools serve school meal, which is composed mainly of sugar, carbohydrates, and proteins. The students enjoy the meal very much because for most of them, the meal served at school is the only source of food. It was observed that 90% of the schools offer other kinds of food besides the main school meal. The snacks served such as cakes, white hominy, and milk fudge are composed of sweet and highly cariogenic foods. It was also verified that in 13.30% of the schools, the daily supervised dental hygiene, an important procedure that should not be neglected, is not carried out. This procedure introduces the children to healthy habits that are added to those acquired in the family environment. It was concluded that the school diet is potentially cariogenic and, in association with the lack of daily dental hygiene, this potential may become even higher.

Assessing School Facilities in Public Secondary Schools in Delta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated school facilitates in public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to find out the state of the facilities, the types of maintenance carried out on the facilities by school administrators, the factors encouraging school facilities depreciation and the roles of school ...

Clinical Reasoning in School Psychology: From Assessment to Intervention

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Andrews, Jac J. W.; Syeda, Maisha M.

2017-01-01

School psychologists typically conduct psychological and psychoeducational assessments, provide prevention and intervention services, and consult and collaborate with allied professionals (e.g., teachers, physicians, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and nurses) and parents toward better understanding and…

The perceived roles and functions of school science subject advisors

African Journals Online (AJOL)

deals with the perceived roles and functions of science subject ad- visors. .... social control, rather than effective management and professional development at school ..... authority, restrictions on travelling, lack of mobile units and sci- ence kits ...

Interventions to improve executive functioning and working memory in school-aged children with AD(HD: a randomised controlled trial and stepped-care approach

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van der Donk Marthe LA

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Deficits in executive functioning are of great significance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD. One of these executive functions, working memory, plays an important role in academic performance and is often seen as the core deficit of this disorder. There are indications that working memory problems and academic performance can be improved by school-oriented interventions but this has not yet been studied systematically. In this study we will determine the short- and long-term effects of a working memory - and an executive function training applied in a school situation for children with AD(HD, taking individual characteristics, the level of impairment and costs (stepped-care approach into account. Methods/design The study consists of two parts: the first part is a randomised controlled trial with school-aged children (8–12 yrs with AD(HD. Two groups (each n = 50 will be randomly assigned to a well studied computerized working memory training ‘Cogmed’, or to the ‘Paying attention in class’ intervention which is an experimental school-based executive function training. Children will be selected from regular -and special education primary schools in the region of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The second part of the study will determine which specific characteristics are related to non-response of the ‘Paying attention in class’ intervention. School-aged children (8–12 yrs with AD(HD will follow the experimental school-based executive function training ‘Paying attention in class’ (n = 175. Academic performance and neurocognitive functioning (primary outcomes are assessed before, directly after and 6 months after training. Secondary outcome measures are: behaviour in class, behaviour problems and quality of life. Discussion So far, there is limited but promising evidence that working memory – and other executive function interventions can improve academic performance. Little is know about the

Assessment of Abdominal Pain in School-Age Children

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Zimmermann, Polly Gerber

2003-01-01

Pediatric abdominal pain can be a difficult condition to accurately assess for the nurse to determine whether the child's need is for teaching, treating, or transferring. This article describes the process as well as practical tips to be used by the nurse in the school setting. Distinguishing characteristics and findings, including key physical…

Assessing elders using the functional health pattern assessment model.

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Beyea, S; Matzo, M

1989-01-01

The impact of older Americans on the health care system requires we increase our students' awareness of their unique needs. The authors discuss strategies to develop skills using Gordon's Functional Health Patterns Assessment for assessing older clients.

Effects of a free school breakfast programme on school attendance, achievement, psychosocial function, and nutrition: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.

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Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Turley, Maria; Gorton, Delvina; Jiang, Yannan; Michie, Jo; Maddison, Ralph; Hattie, John

2010-11-29

Approximately 55,000 children in New Zealand do not eat breakfast on any given day. Regular breakfast skipping has been associated with poor diets, higher body mass index, and adverse effects on children's behaviour and academic performance. Research suggests that regular breakfast consumption can improve academic performance, nutrition and behaviour. This paper describes the protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a free school breakfast programme. The aim of the trial is to determine the effects of the breakfast intervention on school attendance, achievement, psychosocial function, dietary habits and food security. Sixteen primary schools in the North Island of New Zealand will be randomised in a sequential stepped wedge design to a free before-school breakfast programme consisting of non-sugar coated breakfast cereal, milk products, and/or toast and spreads. Four hundred children aged 5-13 years (approximately 25 per school) will be recruited. Data collection will be undertaken once each school term over the 2010 school year (February to December). The primary trial outcome is school attendance, defined as the proportion of students achieving an attendance rate of 95% or higher. Secondary outcomes are academic achievement (literacy, numeracy, self-reported grades), sense of belonging at school, psychosocial function, dietary habits, and food security. A concurrent process evaluation seeks information on parents', schools' and providers' perspectives of the breakfast programme. This randomised controlled trial will provide robust evidence of the effects of a school breakfast programme on students' attendance, achievement and nutrition. Furthermore the study provides an excellent example of the feasibility and value of the stepped wedge trial design in evaluating pragmatic public health intervention programmes. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) - ACTRN12609000854235.

Child abuse and performance task assessments of executive functions in boys.

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Mezzacappa, E; Kindlon, D; Earls, F

2001-11-01

We examined executive functions using performance tasks in 126 boys aged 6 to 16 years. who attended public schools and therapeutic schools for children with emotional and behavioral problems. Children were further grouped based on the presence or absence of substantiated abuse histories. Based on their abuse histories and schools of origin, children were classified as Therapeutic, Abused (TA, N = 25). Therapeutic, Nonabused (TN, N = 52), and Public School (PS, N = 48). Controlling IQ and medication status, we compared children in the three groups on teacher ratings of behavior, on experimenter observations of behavior during testing, and on performance tasks challenging the capacities to inhibit an act in progress, and to passively avoid responses associated with adverse consequences. We examined mean group differences in symptoms, behaviors, and task performance, as well as differential age-dependent changes in these dimensions. Independent of abuse history, therapeutic school children demonstrated comparable levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and comparable levels of redirections to task during testing-sessions, that were significantly higher than those of the public school children. Both groups of therapeutic school children also showed comparable overall performance on the capacities to inhibit an act in progress, and to passively avoid responses associated with adverse consequences that were poorer than the performance of children from the public school. Children with histories of substantiated abuse showed diminished improvement with increasing age in the capacity to passively avoid responses associated with adverse consequences when compared not only to the public school children, but also to the children from the therapeutic schools without histories of abuse. Our findings complement reports of behavioral observations of abused children, and reports associating child abuse with altered cognitive development in other areas of competence

Russian Language Development Assessment as a Standardized Technique for Assessing Communicative Function in Children Aged 3–9 Years

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Prikhoda N.A.,

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The article describes the Russian Language Development Assessment, a standardized individual diagnostic tool for children aged from 3 to 9 that helps to assess the following components of a child’s communicative function: passive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, knowledge of semantic constructs with logical, temporal and spatial relations, passive perception and active use of syntactic and morphological features of words in a sentence, active and passive phonological awareness, active and passive knowledge of syntactic structures and categories. The article provides descriptions of content and diagnostic procedures for all 7 subtests included in the assessment (Passive Vocabulary, Active Vocabulary, Linguistic Operators, Sentence structure, Word Structure, Phonology, Sentence Repetition. Basing on the data collected in the study that involved 86 first- graders of a Moscow school, the article analyzes the internal consistency and construct validity of each subtest of the technique. It concludes that the Russian Language Development Assessment technique can be of much use both in terms of diagnostic purposes and in supporting children with ASD taking into account the lack of standardized tools for language and speech development assessment in Russian and the importance of this measure in general.

Children's Executive Function Attenuate the Link Between Maternal Intrusiveness and Internalizing Behaviors at School Entry.

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Gueron-Sela, Noa; Bedford, Rachael; Wagner, Nicholas J; Propper, Cathi B

2017-10-20

The goal of this study was to examine the independent and interactive roles of harsh-intrusive maternal behaviors and children's executive function in the development of internalizing behaviors across the first years of school. A diverse sample (58% African American, 42% European American) of 137 children (48% female) was followed from kindergarten (age 5 years) through school entry (ages 6-7 years). At age 5, maternal harsh-intrusive parenting behaviors were rated from a mother-child structured play task, and children completed 3 executive function tasks that measured inhibitory control, working memory, and attention set-shifting. Teachers reported on children's internalizing behaviors at ages 5, 6, and 7. Harsh-intrusive parenting behaviors at age 5 years were positively related to internalizing behaviors in the first years of school, whereas high executive function abilities at age 5 years were related to lower internalizing behaviors in the first years of school. In addition, executive function buffered the association between parenting behaviors and internalizing behaviors such that the link between harsh-intrusive parenting and child internalizing behaviors was evident only among children with low executive function and not among children with high executive function. Interventions that focus on reducing negative parenting behaviors and improving children's executive function may prevent internalizing behaviors from increasing during times of social and academic challenge.

Standardizing assessment practices of undergraduate medical competencies across medical schools: challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from a consortium of medical schools in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Mubuuke, Aloysius Gonzaga; Mwesigwa, Catherine; Maling, Samuel; Rukundo, Godfrey; Kagawa, Mike; Kitara, David Lagoro; Kiguli, Sarah

2014-01-01

Introduction Health professions education is gradually moving away from the more traditional approaches to new innovative ways of training aimed at producing professionals with the necessary competencies to address the community health needs. In response to these emerging trends, Medical Education for Equitable Services to All Ugandans (MESAU), a consortium of Ugandan medical schools developed key competencies desirable of graduates and successfully implemented Competency Based Education (CBE) for undergraduate medical students. Objectives To examine the current situation and establish whether assessment methods of the competencies are standardized across MESAU schools as well as establish the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from the MESAU consortium. Methods It was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving faculty of the medical schools in Uganda. Data was collected using focus group discussions and document reviews. Findings were presented in form of themes. Results Although the MESAU schools have implemented the developed competencies within their curricular, the assessment methods are still not standardized with each institution having its own assessment procedures. Lack of knowledge and skills regarding assessment of the competencies was evident amongst the faculty. The fear for change amongst lecturers was also noted as a major challenge. However, the institutional collaboration created while developing competencies was identified as key strength. Conclusion Findings demonstrated that despite having common competencies, there is no standardized assessment blue print applicable to all MESAU schools. Continued collaboration and faculty development in assessment is strongly recommended. PMID:25995778

Assessing gene function in the ruminant placenta.

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Anthony, R V; Cantlon, J D; Gates, K C; Purcell, S H; Clay, C M

2010-01-01

The placenta provides the means for nutrient transfer from the mother to the fetus, waste transfer from the fetus to the mother, protection of the fetus from the maternal immune system, and is an active endocrine organ. While many placental functions have been defined and investigated, assessing the function of specific genes expressed by the placenta has been problematic, since classical ablation-replacement methods are not feasible with the placenta. The pregnant sheep has been a long-standing animal model for assessing in vivo physiology during pregnancy, since surgical placement of indwelling catheters into both maternal and fetal vasculature has allowed the assessment of placental nutrient transfer and utilization, as well as placental hormone secretion, under unanesthetized-unstressed steady state sampling conditions. However, in ruminants the lack of well-characterized trophoblast cell lines and the inefficiency of creating transgenic pregnancies in ruminants have inhibited our ability to assess specific gene function. Recently, sheep and cattle primary trophoblast cell lines have been reported, and may further our ability to investigate trophoblast function and transcriptional regulation of genes expressed by the placenta. Furthermore, viral infection of the trophoectoderm layer of hatched blastocysts, as a means for placenta-specific transgenesis, holds considerable potential to assess gene function in the ruminant placenta. This approach has been used successfully to "knockdown" gene expression in the developing sheep conceptus, and has the potential for gain-of-function experiments as well. While this technology is still being developed, it may provide an efficient approach to assess specific gene function in the ruminant placenta.

Improving School Improvement: Development and Validation of the CSIS-360, a 360-Degree Feedback Assessment for School Improvement Specialists

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McDougall, Christie M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the mixed methods study was to develop and validate the CSIS-360, a 360-degree feedback assessment to measure competencies of school improvement specialists from multiple perspectives. The study consisted of eight practicing school improvement specialists from a variety of settings. The specialists nominated 23 constituents to…

Selective Mutism: A Team Approach to Assessment and Treatment in the School Setting

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Ponzurick, Joan M.

2012-01-01

The school nurse plays a pivotal role in the assessment and treatment of selective mutism (SM), a rare disorder found in elementary school children. Due to anxiety, children with SM do not speak in uncomfortable situations, primarily the school setting. Diagnosis of SM is often missed in the formative years because the child does speak at home.…

Assessing Climate Misconceptions of Middle School Learners and Teachers

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Sahagian, D. L.; Anastasio, D. J.; Bodzin, A.; Cirucci, L.; Bressler, D.; Dempsey, C.; Peffer, T.

2012-12-01

Middle School students and their teachers are among the many populations in the U.S. with misconceptions regarding the science or even reality of climate change. Teaching climate change science in schools is of paramount importance since all school-age children will eventually assume responsibility for the management and policy-making decisions of our planet. The recently published Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) emphasizes the importance of students understanding global climate change and its impacts on society. A preliminary assessment of over a thousand urban middles school students found the following from pretests prior to a climate literacy curriculum: - Do not understand that climate occurs on a time scale of decades (most think it is weeks or months) -Do not know the main atmospheric contributors to global warming -Do not understand the role of greenhouse gases as major contributors to increasing Earth's surface temperature -Do not understand the role of water vapor to trap heat and add to the greenhouse effect -Cannot identify some of the human activities that increase the amount of CO2 -Cannot identify sources of carbon emissions produced by US citizens -Cannot describe human activities that are causing the long-term increase of carbon -dioxide levels over the last 100 years -Cannot describe carbon reduction strategies that are feasible for lowering the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere To address the lack of a well-designed middle school science climate change curriculum that can be used to help teachers promote the teaching and learning of important climate change concepts, we developed a 20-day Environmental Literacy and Inquiry (ELI): Climate Change curriculum in partnership with a local school district. Comprehension increased significantly from pre- to post-test after enactment of the ELI curriculum in the classrooms. This work is part of an ongoing systemic curriculum reform initiative to promote (1

Development of the school organisational health questionnaire: a measure for assessing teacher morale and school organisational climate.

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Hart, P M; Wearing, A J; Conn, M; Carter, N L; Dingle, R K

2000-06-01

A growing body of empirical evidence suggests that organisational factors are more important than classroom specific issues in determining teacher morale. Accordingly, it is necessary to have available measures that accurately assess morale, as well as the organisational factors that are likely to underpin the experience of morale. Three studies were conducted with the aim of developing a psychometrically sound questionnaire that could be used to assess teacher morale and various dimensions of school organisational climate. A total of 1,520 teachers from 18 primary and 26 secondary schools in the Australian state of Victoria agreed to participate in three separate studies (N = 615, 342 and 563 in Studies 1, 2 and 3, respectively) that were used to develop the questionnaire. The demographic profile of the teachers was similar to that found in the Department as a whole. All teaching staff in the participating schools were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire as part of the evaluation of an organisational development programme. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to establish the questionnaire's factor structure, and correlation analyses were used to examine the questionnaire's convergent and discriminant validity. The three studies resulted in the 54-item School Organisational Health Questionnaire that measures teacher morale and 11 separate dimensions of school organisational climate: appraisal and recognition, curriculum coordination, effective discipline policy, excessive work demands, goal congruence, participative decision-making, professional growth, professional interaction, role clarity, student orientation, and supportive leadership.

Assessment of Physical Activity and Active Transport Among School ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Assessment of Physical Activity and Active Transport Among School Children in Kenya, Nigeria, and Mozambique ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, is holding a webinar titled “Climate change and adaptive water management: Innovative solutions from the Global South”.

Probabilistic assessment of the rainwater harvesting potential of schools in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Ndiritu, J. G.; McCarthy, S.; Tshirangwana, N.

2014-01-01

In comparison to other sources of water supply, rainwater harvesting (RWH) has the typical advantages of being cheaper and easier to operate and maintain. This study aimed at assessing the hydrologic rainwater harvesting potential of rural schools in South Africa by obtaining RWH storage capacity (level of supply) reliability relationships of representative schools. Thirty-two schools located in three rural areas that have varied rainfall characteristics were selected for the analysis. For ea...

School Age Populations Research Needs - NCS Dietary Assessment Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Drawing conclusions about the validity of available dietary assessment instruments in school age children is hampered by the differences in instruments, research design, reference methods, and populations in the validation literature.

Assessment at UK medical schools varies substantially in volume, type and intensity and correlates with postgraduate attainment.

Science.gov (United States)

Devine, Oliver Patrick; Harborne, Andrew Christopher; McManus, I C

2015-09-11

In the United Kingdom (UK), medical schools are free to develop local systems and policies that govern student assessment and progression. Successful completion of an undergraduate medical degree results in the automatic award of a provisional licence to practice medicine by the General Medical Council (GMC). Such a licensing process relies heavily on the assumption that individual schools develop similarly rigorous assessment policies. Little work has evaluated variability of undergraduate medical assessment between medical schools. That absence is important in the light of the GMC's recent announcement of the introduction of the UKMLA (UK Medical Licensing Assessment) for all doctors who wish to practise in the UK. The present study aimed to quantify and compare the volume, type and intensity of summative assessment across medicine (A100) courses in the United Kingdom, and to assess whether intensity of assessment correlates with the postgraduate attainment of doctors from these schools. Locally knowledgeable students in each school were approached to take part in guided-questionnaire interviews via telephone or Skype(TM). Their understanding of assessment at their medical school was probed, and later validated with the assessment department of the respective medical school. We gathered data for 25 of 27 A100 programmes in the UK and compared volume, type and intensity of assessment between schools. We then correlated these data with the mean first-attempt score of graduates sitting MRCGP and MRCP(UK), as well as with UKFPO selection measures. The median written assessment volume across all schools was 2000 min (mean = 2027, SD = 586, LQ = 1500, UQ = 2500, range = 1000-3200) and 1400 marks (mean = 1555, SD = 463, LQ = 1200, UQ = 1800, range = 1100-2800). The median practical assessment volume was 400 min (mean = 472, SD = 207, LQ = 400, UQ = 600, range = 200-1000). The median intensity (minutes per mark ratio) of summative written assessment was 1.24 min per mark

Selecting, training and assessing new general practice community teachers in UK medical schools.

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Hydes, Ciaran; Ajjawi, Rola

2015-09-01

Standards for undergraduate medical education in the UK, published in Tomorrow's Doctors, include the criterion 'everyone involved in educating medical students will be appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised'. To establish how new general practice (GP) community teachers of medical students are selected, initially trained and assessed by UK medical schools and establish the extent to which Tomorrow's Doctors standards are being met. A mixed-methods study with questionnaire data collected from 24 lead GPs at UK medical schools, 23 new GP teachers from two medical schools plus a semi-structured telephone interview with two GP leads. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed informed by framework analysis. GP teachers' selection is non-standardised. One hundred per cent of GP leads provide initial training courses for new GP teachers; 50% are mandatory. The content and length of courses varies. All GP leads use student feedback to assess teaching, but other required methods (peer review and patient feedback) are not universally used. To meet General Medical Council standards, medical schools need to include equality and diversity in initial training and use more than one method to assess new GP teachers. Wider debate about the selection, training and assessment of new GP teachers is needed to agree minimum standards.

Learning environment assessments of a single curriculum being taught at two medical schools 10,000 miles apart.

Science.gov (United States)

Tackett, Sean; Shochet, Robert; Shilkofski, Nicole A; Colbert-Getz, Jorie; Rampal, Krishna; Abu Bakar, Hamidah; Wright, Scott

2015-06-17

Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (PUGSOM), the first graduate-entry medical school in Malaysia, was established in 2011 in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM), an American medical school. This study compared learning environments (LE) at these two schools, which shared the same overarching curriculum, along with a comparator Malaysian medical school, Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS). As a secondary aim, we compared 2 LE assessment tools - the widely-used Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) and the newer Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES). Students responded anonymously at the end of their first year of medical school to surveys which included DREEM, JHLES, single-item global LE assessment variables, and demographics questions. Respondents included 24/24 (100 %) students at PUGSOM, 100/120 (83 %) at JHUSOM, and 79/83 (95 %) at CUCMS. PUGSOM had the highest overall LE ratings (p safety" domains. JHLES detected significant differences across schools in 5/7 domains and had stronger correlations than DREEM to each global LE assessment variable. The inaugural class of medical students at PUGSOM rated their LE exceptionally highly, providing evidence that transporting a medical school curriculum may be successful. The JHLES showed promise as a LE assessment tool for use in international settings.

A Pilot Study on Developing a Standardized and Sensitive School Violence Risk Assessment with Manual Annotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barzman, Drew H; Ni, Yizhao; Griffey, Marcus; Patel, Bianca; Warren, Ashaki; Latessa, Edward; Sorter, Michael

2017-09-01

School violence has increased over the past decade and innovative, sensitive, and standardized approaches to assess school violence risk are needed. In our current feasibility study, we initialized a standardized, sensitive, and rapid school violence risk approach with manual annotation. Manual annotation is the process of analyzing a student's transcribed interview to extract relevant information (e.g., key words) to school violence risk levels that are associated with students' behaviors, attitudes, feelings, use of technology (social media and video games), and other activities. In this feasibility study, we first implemented school violence risk assessments to evaluate risk levels by interviewing the student and parent separately at the school or the hospital to complete our novel school safety scales. We completed 25 risk assessments, resulting in 25 transcribed interviews of 12-18 year olds from 15 schools in Ohio and Kentucky. We then analyzed structured professional judgments, language, and patterns associated with school violence risk levels by using manual annotation and statistical methodology. To analyze the student interviews, we initiated the development of an annotation guideline to extract key information that is associated with students' behaviors, attitudes, feelings, use of technology and other activities. Statistical analysis was applied to associate the significant categories with students' risk levels to identify key factors which will help with developing action steps to reduce risk. In a future study, we plan to recruit more subjects in order to fully develop the manual annotation which will result in a more standardized and sensitive approach to school violence assessments.

Effects of a free school breakfast programme on school attendance, achievement, psychosocial function, and nutrition: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maddison Ralph

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Approximately 55,000 children in New Zealand do not eat breakfast on any given day. Regular breakfast skipping has been associated with poor diets, higher body mass index, and adverse effects on children's behaviour and academic performance. Research suggests that regular breakfast consumption can improve academic performance, nutrition and behaviour. This paper describes the protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a free school breakfast programme. The aim of the trial is to determine the effects of the breakfast intervention on school attendance, achievement, psychosocial function, dietary habits and food security. Methods/Design Sixteen primary schools in the North Island of New Zealand will be randomised in a sequential stepped wedge design to a free before-school breakfast programme consisting of non-sugar coated breakfast cereal, milk products, and/or toast and spreads. Four hundred children aged 5-13 years (approximately 25 per school will be recruited. Data collection will be undertaken once each school term over the 2010 school year (February to December. The primary trial outcome is school attendance, defined as the proportion of students achieving an attendance rate of 95% or higher. Secondary outcomes are academic achievement (literacy, numeracy, self-reported grades, sense of belonging at school, psychosocial function, dietary habits, and food security. A concurrent process evaluation seeks information on parents', schools' and providers' perspectives of the breakfast programme. Discussion This randomised controlled trial will provide robust evidence of the effects of a school breakfast programme on students' attendance, achievement and nutrition. Furthermore the study provides an excellent example of the feasibility and value of the stepped wedge trial design in evaluating pragmatic public health intervention programmes. Trial Registration Number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry

Pathways to School Readiness: Executive Functioning Predicts Academic and Social-Emotional Aspects of School Readiness

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Mann, Trisha D.; Hund, Alycia M.; Hesson-McInnis, Matthew S.; Roman, Zachary J.

2017-01-01

The current study specified the extent to which hot and cool aspects of executive functioning predicted academic and social-emotional indicators of school readiness. It was unique in focusing on positive aspects of social-emotional readiness, rather than problem behaviors. One hundred four 3-5-year-old children completed tasks measuring executive…

Assessment and management of sport-related concussions in United States high schools.

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Meehan, William P; d'Hemecourt, Pierre; Collins, Christy L; Comstock, R Dawn

2011-11-01

Little existing data describe which medical professionals and which medical studies are used to assess sport-related concussions in high school athletes. To describe the medical providers and medical studies used when assessing sport-related concussions. To determine the effects of medical provider type on timing of return to play, frequency of imaging, and frequency of neuropsychological testing. Descriptive epidemiology study. All concussions recorded by the High School Reporting Information Online (HS RIO) injury surveillance system during the 2009 to 2010 academic year were included. χ(2) analyses were conducted for categorical variables. Fisher exact test was used for nonparametric data. Logistic regression analyses were used when adjusting for potential confounders. Statistical significance was considered for P sport-related concussions, representing 14.6% of all injuries. Most (94.4%) concussions were assessed by athletic trainers (ATs), 58.8% by a primary care physician. Few concussions were managed by specialists. The assessment of 21.2% included computed tomography. Computerized neuropsychological testing was used for 41.2%. For 50.1%, a physician decided when to return the athlete to play; for 46.2%, the decision was made by an AT. After adjusting for potential confounders, no associations between timing of return to play and the type of provider (physician vs AT) deciding to return the athlete to play were found. Concussions account for nearly 15% of all sport-related injuries in high school athletes. The timing of return to play after a sport-related concussion is similar regardless of whether the decision to return the athlete to play is made by a physician or an AT. When a medical doctor is involved, most concussions are assessed by primary care physicians as opposed to subspecialists. Computed tomography is obtained during the assessment of 1 of every 5 concussions occurring in high school athletes.

Assessment and Management of Sport-Related Concussions in United States High Schools

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Meehan, William P.; d’Hemecourt, Pierre; Collins, Christy L.; Comstock, R. Dawn

2012-01-01

Background Little existing data describe which medical professionals and which medical studies are used to assess sport-related concussions in high school athletes. Purpose To describe the medical providers and medical studies used when assessing sport-related concussions. To determine the effects of medical provider type on timing of return to play, frequency of imaging, and frequency of neuropsychological testing. Study Design Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods All concussions recorded by the High School Reporting Information Online (HS RIO) injury surveillance system during the 2009 to 2010 academic year were included. χ2 analyses were conducted for categorical variables. Fisher exact test was used for nonparametric data. Logistic regression analyses were used when adjusting for potential confounders. Statistical significance was considered for P concussions, representing 14.6% of all injuries. Most (94.4%) concussions were assessed by athletic trainers (ATs), 58.8% by a primary care physician. Few concussions were managed by specialists. The assessment of 21.2% included computed tomography. Computerized neuropsychological testing was used for 41.2%. For 50.1%, a physician decided when to return the athlete to play; for 46.2%, the decision was made by an AT. After adjusting for potential confounders, no associations between timing of return to play and the type of provider (physician vs AT) deciding to return the athlete to play were found. Conclusion Concussions account for nearly 15% of all sport-related injuries in high school athletes. The timing of return to play after a sport-related concussion is similar regardless of whether the decision to return the athlete to play is made by a physician or an AT. When a medical doctor is involved, most concussions are assessed by primary care physicians as opposed to subspecialists. Computed tomography is obtained during the assessment of 1 of every 5 concussions occurring in high school athletes. PMID:21969181

Assessing functional impairment in siblings living with children with disability.

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Goudie, Anthony; Havercamp, Susan; Jamieson, Barry; Sahr, Timothy

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to empirically test if siblings of children with disability had higher levels of parent-reported behavioral and emotional functional impairment compared with a peer group of siblings residing with only typically developing children. This was a retrospective secondary analysis of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We included only households with at least 2 children to ensure sibling relationships. Two groups of siblings were formed: 245 siblings resided in households with a child with disability and 6564 siblings resided in households with typically developing children. Parents responded to questions from the Columbia Impairment Scale to identify functional impairment in their children. On the basis of parent reports and after adjusting for sibling demographic characteristics and household background, siblings of children with disability were more likely than siblings residing with typically developing children to have problems with interpersonal relationships, psychopathological functioning, functioning at school, and use of leisure time (P siblings of children with disability classified with significant functional impairment was 16.0% at the first measurement period and 24.2% at the second (P siblings of typically developing children there was a smaller percentage increase from 9.5% to 10.3% (P mental health services and, as such, early assessment and interventions to limit increasing severity and short- to long-term consequences need to be addressed. Health care professionals need to consider a family-based health care approach for families raising children with disability.

Dynamic assessment of word learning skills of pre-school children with primary language impairment.

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Camilleri, Bernard; Law, James

2014-10-01

Dynamic assessment has been shown to have considerable theoretical and clinical significance in the assessment of socially disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse children. In this study it is used to enhance assessment of pre-school children with primary language impairment. The purpose of the study was to determine whether a dynamic assessment (DA) has the potential to enhance the predictive capacity of a static measure of receptive vocabulary in pre-school children. Forty pre-school children were assessed using the static British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS), a DA of word learning potential and an assessment of non-verbal cognitive ability. Thirty-seven children were followed up 6 months later and re-assessed using the BPVS. Although the predictive capacity of the static measure was found to be substantial, the DA increased this significantly especially for children with static scores below the 25th centile. The DA of children's word learning has the potential to add value to the static assessment of the child with low language skills, to predict subsequent receptive vocabulary skills and to increase the chance of correctly identifying children in need of ongoing support.

Relationship between cognitive functions and prevalence of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students.

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Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-06-01

Fatigue is a common complaint among elementary and junior high school students, and is related to poor academic performance. Since grade-dependent development of cognitive functions also influences academic performance, we attempted to determine whether cognitive functions were associated with the prevalence of fatigue. Participants were 148 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 152 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades. Participants completed a questionnaire about fatigue (Japanese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale) and paper-and-pencil and computerized cognitive tests which could evaluate the abilities of motor processing, immediate, delayed and working memory, selective, divided and alternative attention, retrieve learned material, and spatial construction. We found that in multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for grade and gender, slow motor processing was positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the elementary school students and decreases in working memory and divided and alternative attention processing were positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the junior high school students. The grade-dependent development of cognitive function influences the severity of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychological Distress in Parents and School-Functioning of Adolescents: Results from the World Trade Center Registry.

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Gargano, Lisa M; Dechen, Tenzin; Cone, James E; Stellman, Steven D; Brackbill, Robert M

2017-10-01

Poor school-functioning can be indicative of parent and adolescent mental health and adolescent behavior problems. This study examined 472 adolescents enrolled in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry, with a two-step path analysis, using regression-based models, to unravel the relationships between parent and adolescent mental health, adolescent behavior problems, and adolescent unmet healthcare need (UHCN) on the outcome school-functioning. WTC exposure was associated with UHCN and parental mental health was a significant mediator. There was no evidence that family WTC exposure was associated with UHCN independent of its effect on parental mental health. For the second path, after accounting for the effects of adolescent mental health, behavioral problems, and UHCN, there remained a significant association between parental mental health and school-functioning. Interventions for poor school-functioning should have multiple components which address UHCN, mental health, and behavioral problems, as efforts to address any of these alone may not be sufficient.

How science teachers' concerns about school-based assessment of practical work vary with time: the Hong Kong experience

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Cheung, Derek; Yip, Din-Yan

2004-02-01

School-based assessment of science students' practical skills has two important roles--as a complement to written papers in public examinations and as a catalyst for enriching the science curriculum in schools. This article describes a quantitative study of the concerns chemistry and biology teachers experience as they engage in the process of implementation of a school-based assessment scheme for practical work. A 23-item questionnaire was developed to measure five categories of teacher concern: evaluation, information, management, consequence and refocusing. The nature of each category of teacher concern is discussed in relation to innovation adoption and implementation. Data were collected from 400 chemistry and 412 biology teachers in Hong Kong. Teachers' information and management concerns lessened in intensity when they became experienced users of a school-based assessment scheme. However, teaching experience alone could not motivate teachers to think more about the impact of school-based assessment on student learning, their professional development in student assessment and the possible refinements in their school-based assessment scheme. Concerns-based interventions are suggested to help teachers grow professionally.

The glycaemic potency of breakfast and cognitive function in school children.

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Micha, R; Rogers, P J; Nelson, M

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess how the glycaemic potency (blood glucose (BG)-raising potential) of breakfast is associated with cognitive function (CF) in school children, taking into account important confounders, including iron status, underlying physiological adaptations and socio-economic status. Sixty children aged 11-14 years were selected on the basis of having breakfast habitually. Their breakfast and any snacks eaten on the morning of the study were recorded. They were categorized into four groups according to the glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) of the breakfast: low-GI, high-GL; high-GI, high-GL; low-GI, low-GL and high-GI, low-GL above or below the median for GI=61 and GL=27. BG levels were measured in finger-prick blood samples immediately before and immediately after the CF tests. A low-GI, high-GL breakfast was associated with better performance on a speed of information processing (Pbreakfast with better performance on an immediate word recall task (Pbreakfast with better performance on a Matrices task (Pperformance on the majority of the CF tests (4 of 7) used. This study describes the macronutrient composition of breakfast that could have a positive influence on the cognition of school children, proposes the use of both GI and GL to estimate exposure, and discusses future directions in this area of research.

Interventions to improve executive functioning and working memory in school-aged children with AD(H)D: a randomised controlled trial and stepped-care approach.

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van der Donk, Marthe L A; Hiemstra-Beernink, Anne-Claire; Tjeenk-Kalff, Ariane C; van der Leij, Aryan V; Lindauer, Ramón J L

2013-01-11

Deficits in executive functioning are of great significance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One of these executive functions, working memory, plays an important role in academic performance and is often seen as the core deficit of this disorder. There are indications that working memory problems and academic performance can be improved by school-oriented interventions but this has not yet been studied systematically. In this study we will determine the short- and long-term effects of a working memory--and an executive function training applied in a school situation for children with AD(H)D, taking individual characteristics, the level of impairment and costs (stepped-care approach) into account. The study consists of two parts: the first part is a randomised controlled trial with school-aged children (8-12 yrs) with AD(H)D. Two groups (each n = 50) will be randomly assigned to a well studied computerized working memory training 'Cogmed', or to the 'Paying attention in class' intervention which is an experimental school-based executive function training. Children will be selected from regular -and special education primary schools in the region of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The second part of the study will determine which specific characteristics are related to non-response of the 'Paying attention in class' intervention. School-aged children (8-12 yrs) with AD(H)D will follow the experimental school-based executive function training 'Paying attention in class' (n = 175). Academic performance and neurocognitive functioning (primary outcomes) are assessed before, directly after and 6 months after training. Secondary outcome measures are: behaviour in class, behaviour problems and quality of life. So far, there is limited but promising evidence that working memory - and other executive function interventions can improve academic performance. Little is know about the applicability and generalization effects of these interventions in a classroom

Imaging and assessment of placental function.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Moran, Mary

2011-09-01

The placenta is the vital support organ for the developing fetus. This article reviews current ultrasound (US) methods of assessing placental function. The ability of ultrasound to detect placental pathology is discussed. Doppler technology to investigate the fetal, placental, and maternal circulations in both high-risk and uncomplicated pregnancies is discussed and the current literature on the value of three-dimensional power Doppler studies to assess placental volume and vascularization is also evaluated. The article highlights the need for further research into three-dimensional ultrasound and alternative methods of placental evaluation if progress is to be made in optimizing placental function assessment.

SOCIO-PEDAGOGICAL EVALUATION OF TEACHING STAFF ACTIVITIES IN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS AS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANISM OF EDUCATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina О. Antipina

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research is to reveal various ways for developing the independent mechanisms of education quality assessment.Methods involve the analysis of the existing views concerning the quality assessment of teaching staff activities.Results: The research findings demonstrate functional specificity of comprehensive schools, the main phases of socio-pedagogic assessment of teaching staff activities, and the main criteria and indices of their monitoring. The author considers professional educational activity as a general assessment criterion. The main feature of socio-pedagogic assessment procedures involves participation of different categories of teaching and research staff, along with students’ parents and the neighboring society members.Scientific novelty: The author specifies the concept of socio-pedagogic assessment of teaching staff activities.Practical significance: Implementation of the research outcomes can stimulate professional activity of pedagogical society in developing the independent system of education quality assessment.

Intrauterine exposure to tobacco and executive functioning in high school.

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Rose-Jacobs, Ruth; Richardson, Mark A; Buchanan-Howland, Kathryn; Chen, Clara A; Cabral, Howard; Heeren, Timothy C; Liebschutz, Jane; Forman, Leah; Frank, Deborah A

2017-07-01

Executive functioning (EF), an umbrella construct encompassing gradual maturation of cognitive organization/management processes, is important to success in multiple settings including high school. Intrauterine tobacco exposure (IUTE) correlates with negative cognitive/behavioral outcomes, but little is known about its association with adolescent EF and information from real-life contexts is sparse. We evaluated the impact of IUTE on teacher-reported observations of EF in urban high school students controlling for covariates including other intrauterine and adolescent substance exposures. A prospective low-income birth cohort (51% male; 89% African American/Caribbean) was followed through late adolescence (16-18 years old). At birth, intrauterine exposures to cocaine and other substances (52% cocaine, 52% tobacco, 26% marijuana, 26% alcohol) were identified by meconium and/or urine assays, and/or maternal self-report. High school teachers knowledgeable about the student and unaware of study aims were asked to complete the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Teacher Form (BRIEF-TF) annually. Teachers completed at least one BRIEF-TF for 131 adolescents. Multivariable analyses included controls for: demographics; intrauterine cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol exposures; early childhood exposures to lead; and violence exposure from school-age to adolescence. IUTE was associated with less optimal BRIEF-TF Behavioral Regulation scores (p <0.05). Other intrauterine substance exposures did not predict less optimal BRIEF-TF scores, nor did exposures to violence, lead, nor adolescents' own substance use. IUTE is associated with offspring's less optimal EF. Prenatal counseling should emphasize abstinence from tobacco, as well as alcohol and illegal substances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

School Psychologists and the Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

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Vega, Desireé; Lasser, Jon; Afifi, Amanda F. M.

2016-01-01

In recent years, school psychologists have increasingly recognized the importance of using valid and reliable methods to assess culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students for special education eligibility. However, little is known about their assessment practices or preparation in this area. To address these questions, a Web-based survey…

Executive Function in Very Preterm Children at Early School Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.S.H. Aarnoudse-Moens (Cornelieke); D.P. Smidts (Diana); J. Oosterlaan (Jaap); H.J. Duivenvoorden (Hugo); N. Weisglas-Kuperus (Nynke)

2009-01-01

textabstractWe examined whether very preterm (≤30 weeks gestation) children at early school age have impairments in executive function (EF) independent of IQ and processing speed, and whether demographic and neonatal risk factors were associated with EF impairments. A consecutive sample of 50

Depression in Schizophrenia: Associations With Cognition, Functional Capacity, Everyday Functioning, and Self-Assessment.

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Harvey, Philip D; Twamley, Elizabeth W; Pinkham, Amy E; Depp, Colin A; Patterson, Thomas L

2017-05-01

Depressed mood has a complex relationship with self-evaluation of personal competence in multiple populations. The absence of depression may be associated with overestimation of abilities, while mild depression seems to lead to accurate self-assessment. Significant depression may lead to underestimation of functioning. In this study, we expand on our previous work by directly comparing the association between different levels of depression, everyday functioning, cognitive and functional capacity performance, and self-assessment of everyday functioning in a large (n = 406) sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. Participants with very low self-reported depression overestimated their everyday functioning compared with informant reports. Higher levels of depression were associated with more accurate self-assessment, but no subgroup of patients underestimated their functioning. Depressive symptom severity was associated with poorer informant-rated social functioning, but there were no differences in vocational functioning, everyday activities, cognitive performance, and functional capacity associated with the severity of self-reported depression. There was minimal evidence of impact of depression on most aspects of everyday functioning and objective test performance and a substantial relationship between depression and accuracy of self-assessment. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Children's Elementary School Social Experience and Executive Functions Development: Introduction to a Special Section.

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van Lier, Pol A C; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2016-01-01

Children's executive functions, encompassing inhibitory control, working memory and attention are vital for their self-regulation. With the transition to formal schooling, children need to learn to manage their emotions and behavior in a new and complex social environment that with age increases in the intensity of social interactions with peers and teachers. Stronger executive functions skills facilitate children's social development. In addition, new experiences in the social environments of school also may influence executive function development. The focus of this special section is on this potential impact of elementary school social experiences with peers and teacher on the development of children's executive functions. The collection of papers encompass various aspects of peer and teacher social environments, and cover broad as well as specific facets and measures of executive functions including neural responses. The collection of papers sample developmental periods that span preschool through mid-adolescence. In this introduction, we summarize and highlight the main findings of each of the papers, organized around social interactions with peers and interactions with teachers. We conclude our synopsis with implications for future research, and a specific focus on prevention and intervention.

Development of Assessment Instrument of Critical Thinking in Physics at Senior High School

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Sugiarti, T.; Kaniawati, I.; Aviyanti, L.

2017-02-01

The result of preliminary study shows that the assessment of physics in school did not train students’ critical thinking skill. The assessment instrument just measured low cognitive aspects. Supposedly, critical thinking skill is trained in the assessment activity. The study aims to determine the characteristics and the quality of critical thinking skill instrument. It employs descriptive-qualitative method with research and development as the research design. The research participants are 35 students involved in the limited trial and 188 students in the wider trial from three public senior high school in Ciamis which in high level school. The data was collected through expert validation, tests and interviews. The results indicate that the characteristics of the assessment instrument of critical thinking skill is open-ended. The instrument fulfills some indicators namely analyzing argument, deduction, induction, and display information in the form of scenario, text, graphic and table. In addition, the data processing through V4 Anates program shows that the instrument reliability achieves 0.67 with high interpretation of 0.67 and the validity is 0.47 with enough interpretation. Thus, the assessment instrument of critical thinking skill in the form of open-ended essay meets the criteria of quality test, so it can use as instrument of assessment critical thinking skill.

Revolution, Evolution or a Trojan Horse? Piloting Assessment for Learning in Some Scottish Primary Schools

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Kirton, Alison; Hallam, Susan; Peffers, Jack; Robertson, Pamela; Stobart, Gordon

2007-01-01

This article analyses some of the findings of an evaluation of Project One of the "Assessment is for Learning" Development Programme in 16 Scottish primary schools and two junior high schools in which teachers developed formative assessment strategies aimed at improving teaching and learning. Drawing on data from pupils, teachers and…

Introducing an environmental assessment and intervention program in inner-city schools.

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Huffaker, Michelle; Phipatanakul, Wanda

2014-12-01

Home-based environmental interventions have demonstrated clinical benefit for children with asthma. Although much is known about school-based exposures, few studies have comprehensively examined the role the school environment plays in asthma and how effectively changing the environment might reduce morbidity when adjusting for exposures in the home. This review summarizes the importance and common challenges of school-based environmental assessment and intervention studies linked to health effects. We focus on the key components of study development and the challenges and benefits to implementation. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children

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Jaschke, Artur C.; Honing, Henkjan; Scherder, Erik J. A.

2018-01-01

Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, Mage = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance. Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores. Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions. PMID:29541017

Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaschke, Artur C; Honing, Henkjan; Scherder, Erik J A

2018-01-01

Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, M age = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance. Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores. Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions.

Mission-Driven Expected Impact: Assessing Scholarly Output for 2013 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Standards

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Goulet, Laurel R.; Lopes, Kevin J.; White, John Bryan

2016-01-01

As of the 2016-2017 academic year, all schools undergoing Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation will be assessed on the new standards that were ratified in 2013, which include the assessment of the impact of portfolios of intellectual contributions. The authors discuss key ideas underlying a business school's research…

Modernizing Schools in Mexico: The Rise of Teacher Assessment and School-Based Management Policies

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Echávarri, Jaime; Peraza, Cecilia

2017-01-01

In this paper we analyze the evolution of the teacher assessment policy and the origins of school-based management initiatives in the Mexican education context from the late 1980s until the last 2012-2013 Education Reform (RE2012-2013). Mexico joined the Global Education Reform Movement during the 1990s through the National Agreement for the…

Formative and summative assessment of science in English primary schools: evidence from the Primary Science Quality Mark

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Earle, Sarah

2014-05-01

Background:Since the discontinuation of Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) in science at age 11 in England, pupil performance data in science reported to the UK government by each primary school has relied largely on teacher assessment undertaken in the classroom. Purpose:The process by which teachers are making these judgements has been unclear, so this study made use of the extensive Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) database to obtain a 'snapshot' (as of March 2013) of the approaches taken by 91 English primary schools to the formative and summative assessment of pupils' learning in science. PSQM is an award scheme for UK primary schools. It requires the science subject leader (co-ordinator) in each school to reflect upon and develop practice over the course of one year, then upload a set of reflections and supporting evidence to the database to support their application. One of the criteria requires the subject leader to explain how science is assessed within the school. Sample:The data set consists of the electronic text in the assessment section of all 91 PSQM primary schools which worked towards the Quality Mark in the year April 2012 to March 2013. Design and methods:Content analysis of a pre-existing qualitative data set. Text in the assessment section of each submission was first coded as describing formative or summative processes, then sub-coded into different strategies used. Results:A wide range of formative and summative approaches were reported, which tended to be described separately, with few links between them. Talk-based strategies are widely used for formative assessment, with some evidence of feedback to pupils. Whilst the use of tests or tracking grids for summative assessment is widespread, few schools rely on one system alone. Enquiry skills and conceptual knowledge were often assessed separately. Conclusions:There is little consistency in the approaches being used by teachers to assess science in English primary schools. Nevertheless

Chronotype, Light Exposure, Sleep, and Daytime Functioning in High School Students Attending Morning or Afternoon School Shifts: An Actigraphic Study.

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Martin, Jeanne Sophie; Gaudreault, Michael M; Perron, Michel; Laberge, Luc

2016-04-01

Adolescent maturation is associated with delays of the endogenous circadian phase. Consequently, early school schedules may lead to a mismatch between internal and external time, which can be detrimental to adolescent sleep and health. In parallel, chronotype is known to play a role in adolescent health; evening chronotype adolescents are at higher risk for sleep problems and lower academic achievement. In the summer of 2008, Kénogami High School (Saguenay, Canada) was destroyed by fire. Kénogami students were subsequently relocated to Arvida High School (situated 5.3 km away) for the 2008-2009 academic year. A dual school schedule was implemented, with Arvida students attending a morning schedule (0740-1305 h) and Kénogami students an afternoon schedule (1325-1845 h). This study aimed to investigate the effects of such school schedules and chronotype on sleep, light exposure, and daytime functioning. Twenty-four morning and 33 afternoon schedule students wore an actigraph during 7 days to measure sleep and light exposure. Academic achievement was obtained from school. Subjects completed validated questionnaires on daytime sleepiness, psychological distress, social rhythms, school satisfaction, alcohol, and chronotype. Overall, afternoon schedule students had longer sleep duration, lower sleepiness, and lower light exposure than morning schedule students. Evening chronotypes (E-types) reported higher levels of sleepiness than morning chronotypes (M-types) in both morning and afternoon schedules. Furthermore, M-types attending the morning schedule reported higher sleepiness than M-types attending the afternoon schedule. No difference was found between morning and afternoon schedule students with regard to academic achievement, psychological distress, social rhythms, school satisfaction, and alcohol consumption. However, in both schedules, M-type had more regular social rhythms and lower alcohol consumption. In summary, this study emphasizes that an early school

Family functionality and parental characteristics as determinants of sexual decision-making of in-school youths in a semi-urban area of Southwest Nigeria.

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Adebayo, Ayodeji M; Ajuonu, Ezidinma J; Betiku, Benson O

2016-11-01

Though research findings have indicated that family characteristics have a bearing on sexual behavior, there is a paucity of published literature on the role of family functionality and parental characteristics on adolescent sexual decision-making. This study was designed to assess the role of family function and parental influence on sexual behavior of in-school youths in secondary schools in a sub-urban area of Southwest Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among secondary school students using semi-structured interviewer-assisted questionnaire. Information was obtained on the sexual behavior and parent-child characteristics. Family functionality was assessed using family APGAR standardized instrument. Association was established using χ2-test for qualitative variables and t-test for quantitative variables at p=0.05. Mean age of respondents was 14.8±2.2 years. Majority were from monogamous family setting (70.7%) and lived with their families (75.6%). About a quarter (26.8%) was from dysfunctional families and 9.2% had ever had sexual intercourse. Recent sexual engagement in the preceding 1 month was reported (47.4%). The mean score for parental monitoring, father-child communication, mother-child communication, and parental disapproval of sex were 10.4±2.2, 9.3±2.3, 9.8±2.4, and 10.4±2.3, respectively. There was a significant association between parental monitoring (t=3.9, p≤0.001), mother-child communication (t=3.03, p=0.003), and parental disapproval of sex (t=5, p≤0.001); and sexual experience. This study showed that parental influence had a vital role in the sexual behavior of young persons. Advocacy and health education interventions are needed among parents regarding their role in the sexual behavior of in-school youths.

Sticky Assessments--The Impact of Teachers' Grading Standard on Pupils' School Performance

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Keller, Tamás

2016-01-01

This paper argues that school grades cannot be interpreted solely as a reward for a given school performance, since they also reflect teachers' assessments of pupils. A teacher's evaluation of a pupil's performance, as reflected in the grade awarded, might influence the effort that the pupil invests in learning. Grades might therefore serve as…

Rumination syndrome in children and adolescents: a school survey assessing prevalence and symptomatology

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Rajindrajith Shaman

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rumination syndrome (RS is a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGD increasingly recognized in children and adolescents. The epidemiology of this condition in school aged children is poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of rumination and other related associations in a cohort of Sri Lankan children. Methods Children aged 10-16 years were randomly selected from 8 schools in 4 provinces in Sri Lanka. RS was diagnosed using Rome III criteria. Data was collected using a self administered questionnaire distributed in an examination setting. It was translated into Sinhala, the native language and pretested before distribution. Results A total of 2163 children were included in the study (55% boys, mean age 13.4 years, SD 1.8 years. Prevalence of RS was 5.1% (n = 110; boys 5.1% and girls 5.0%. When symptoms were analyzed, 73.6% reported re-swallowing of regurgitated food, while the rest spat it out. In 94.5% regurgitation occurred during the first hour after the meal. Only 8.2% had daily symptoms while 62.7% had symptoms weekly. Abdominal pain, bloating and weight loss were the commonest symptoms associated with RS (19.1%, 17.3% and 11.8% respectively. No significant association was observed between exposure to stressful events and rumination (p > 0.05. Twenty (18.2% with RS fulfilled Rome III criteria for at least one other FGD. School absenteeism was seen in 11.8% of affected children. Conclusion RS was reasonably common in this cohort of school-aged children and adolescents in Sri Lanka. However, symptoms were severe enough to affect schooling only in 12% of affected children. Around one fifth with RS had at least one other overlapping FGD.

Assessment of the Implementation of the Secondary School Skill ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to assess how the Nigerian secondary school vocational and technical education curriculum was implemented with a view to ascertain the extent to which it has empowered students for self-employment. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample comprised 380 ...

e-Assessment in a Limited-Resources Dental School Using an Open-Source Learning Management System.

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El Tantawi, Maha M A; Abdelsalam, Maha M; Mourady, Ahmed M; Elrifae, Ismail M B

2015-05-01

e-Assessment provides solutions to some problems encountered in dental students' evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the experience of a limited-resources dental school with e-assessment provided through an open-source learning management system (LMS). Data about users' access and types of e-assessment activities at the Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Egypt, were obtained from the web-based LMS Moodle. A questionnaire developed to assess students' perceptions of the e-assessment was also sent to students registered in two courses (undergraduate and postgraduate) with the same instructor. The results showed that most e-courses at the school had one form of e-assessment (82%) and, of these, 16.7% had summative assessment activities. There were significant differences among departments in the number of e-courses with e-assessment. One-quarter of e-courses with e-assessment used Moodle quizzes. Of 285 students registered in the two courses that included the questionnaire, 170 responded (response rate=59.6%). The responding students positively perceived the impact of e-assessment on learning and its reliability and security, whereas technical issues and related stresses were negatively perceived. This study suggests that e-assessment can be used at minimal cost in dental schools with limited resources and large class sizes with the least demands on faculty members and teaching staff time. For these schools, an open-source LMS such as Moodle provides formative e-assessment not available otherwise and accommodates various question formats and varying levels of instructors' technical skills. These students seemed to have a positive impression of the e-assessment although technical problems and related stresses are issues that need to be addressed.

The School Leader's Tool for Assessing and Improving School Culture

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Wagner, Christopher R.

2006-01-01

School culture consists of "the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which characterize a school" (Phillips, 1996, p. 1). It is the shared experiences both in school and out of school (traditions and celebrations) that create a sense of community, family, and team membership. It affects everything that happens in a school, including student…

Multiple Past Concussions in High School Football Players: Are There Differences in Cognitive Functioning and Symptom Reporting?

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Brooks, Brian L; Mannix, Rebekah; Maxwell, Bruce; Zafonte, Ross; Berkner, Paul D; Iverson, Grant L

2016-12-01

There is increasing concern about the possible long-term effects of multiple concussions, particularly on the developing adolescent brain. Whether the effect of multiple concussions is detectable in high school football players has not been well studied, although the public health implications are great in this population. To determine if there are measureable differences in cognitive functioning or symptom reporting in high school football players with a history of multiple concussions. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Participants included 5232 male adolescent football players (mean [±SD] age, 15.5 ± 1.2 years) who completed baseline testing between 2009 and 2014. On the basis of injury history, athletes were grouped into 0 (n = 4183), 1 (n = 733), 2 (n = 216), 3 (n = 67), or ≥4 (n = 33) prior concussions. Cognitive functioning was measured by the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery, and symptom ratings were obtained from the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale. There were no statistically significant differences between groups (based on the number of reported concussions) regarding cognitive functioning. Athletes with ≥3 prior concussions reported more symptoms than did athletes with 0 or 1 prior injury. In multivariate analyses, concussion history was independently related to symptom reporting but less so than developmental problems (eg, attention or learning problems) or other health problems (eg, past treatment for psychiatric problems, headaches, or migraines). In the largest study to date, high school football players with multiple past concussions performed the same on cognitive testing as those with no prior concussions. Concussion history was one of several factors that were independently related to symptom reporting. © 2016 The Author(s).

25 CFR 30.125 - What happens if a State refuses to allow a school access to the State assessment?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... if a State refuses to allow a school access to the State assessment? (a) The Department will work directly with State officials to assist schools in obtaining access to the State's assessment. This can... access to the State's assessment, the Bureau-funded school must submit a waiver for an alternative...

Executive functioning and non-verbal intelligence as predictors of bullying in early elementary school

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verlinden, Marina; Veenstra, René; Ghassabian, Akhgar; Jansen, P.W.; Hofman, Albert; Jaddoe, Vincent W. V.; Verhulst, F.C.; Tiemeier, Henning

Executive function and intelligence are negatively associated with aggression, yet the role of executive function has rarely been examined in the context of school bullying. We studied whether different domains of executive function and non-verbal intelligence are associated with bullying

Effect of gender and nutritional status on academic achievement and cognitive function among primary school children in a rural district in Malaysia.

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Hamid, Jan J M; Amal, Mitra K; Hasmiza, H; Pim, C D; Ng, L O; Wan, Manan W M

2011-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gender, birth weight, nutritional status, and iron status of children with their academic performance and cognitive function. Two hundred and forty-nine children, seven to nine years of age, were recruited by systematic sampling from six primary schools in a rural area in Malaysia. Cognitive function was assessed by using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (R-CPM). Academic performance of the children was recorded from their school final examination results in four subjects including Malay language, English, Mathematics, and Science. Birth weight was recorded from the birth certificate, and nutritional status was determined by weight-for-age z score and height-for-age z score. Girls had a significantly higher score in all the academic tests, but a lower cognitive score compared to boys. Nutritional status was found to be correlated significantly with academic performance. Academic and cognitive function scores were also found to be correlated significantly with birth weight, parents' education, and family income. In a multivariate analysis, gender remained the significant predictor of academic function, and iron status and haemoglobin were the significant predictors of cognitive function, after controlling for other variables. The study showed that girls performed better academically than boys in rural Malaysia. Nutritional status, parents' education and family income could be additional modifiable factors to improve academic performance of the children. More attention is needed to improve academic achievements of boys at their early school years.

Surveying Teens in School to Assess the Prevalence of Problematic Drug Use

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Falck, Russel S.; Nahhas, Ramzi W.; Li, Linna; Carlson, Robert G.

2012-01-01

Background: Illicit drug use by school-aged teens can adversely affect their health and academic achievement. This study used a survey administered in schools to assess the prevalence of problematic drug use among teenagers in a Midwestern community. Methods: Self-report data were collected from 11th- and 12th-grade students (N = 3974) in 16…

Whatever Happened to School-Based Assessment in England's GCSEs and A Levels?

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Opposs, Dennis

2016-01-01

For the past 30 years, school-based assessment (SBA) has been a major feature of GCSEs and A levels, the main school examinations in England. SBA has allowed teachers to allocate marks to their students for the level of skills that they show in their work. Such skills include for example, experimental techniques in science, performance in drama…

A Randomized, Double-Blind Study Assessing Changes in Cognitive Function in Indian School Children Receiving a Combination of Bacopa monnieri and Micronutrient Supplementation vs. Placebo

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Tora Mitra-Ganguli

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Several studies have indicated a chronic cognitive enhancing effect of Bacopa monnieri across different ages and cognitive impairment associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies in children. Therefore, we investigated the effects of 4-month supplementation with a combination of B. monnieri extract and multiple micronutrients on cognitive functions in Indian school children aged 7–12 years. This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel design, single-center study in which 300 children were randomized to receive a beverage either fortified with B. monnieri and multiple micronutrients (“fortified” or a non-fortified isocaloric equivalent (“control” twice-daily for 4 months. Cognitive function was assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Test Battery (CANTAB administered at baseline, Day 60 and Day 121. The primary endpoint was change in short-term memory (working memory from baseline in subjects receiving “fortified” vs. “control” beverages after 4 months. Secondary endpoints included sustained attention, episodic memory, and executive function. The “fortified” beverage did not significantly improve short-term memory or any of the secondary outcomes tested relative to the “control” beverage. However, the spatial working memory “strategy” score showed significant improvement on Day 60 (difference between groups in change from baseline: −0.55; p < 0.05, but not on Day 121 due to the active intervention. Study products were well-tolerated. Reasons for these unexpected findings are discussed.

Parental Autonomy Granting and School Functioning among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Adolescents’ Cultural Values

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Cixin Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available School adjustment and achievement are important indicators of adolescents’ well-being; however, few studies have examined the risk and protective factors predicting students’ school adjustment and achievement at the individual, familial, and cultural level. The present study examined the influences of individual and familial factors and cultural values on Chinese adolescents’ school functioning (e.g., school adjustment and grades. It also tested whether cultural values moderated the relationship between parenting and adolescents’ school functioning. Self-report data were collected from a stratified random sample of 2,864 adolescents (51.5% female, mean age = 15.52 years, grade 6th – 12th from 55 classrooms, in 13 schools in Shanghai, China. Results showed that self-esteem (bse→adj = 0.05, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001; bse→grades = 0.08, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001, parent–adolescent conflict (bconflict→adj = -0.03, SE = 0.00, p < 0.001; bconflict→grades = -0.04, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001, and conformity to parental expectations (bconform→adj = -0.03, SE = 0.02, p < 0.05; bconform→grades = 0.10, SE = 0.04, p < 0.05 all had significant effects on both school adjustment and grades, respectively. More importantly, results showed that independent self-construal moderated the relationship between parental autonomy granting and adolescents’ grades (bindepxautom = 0.06, SE = 0.02, p < 0.01. The findings suggest that cultural values may influence adolescents’ appraisal of parental autonomy granting, which then impacts their school functioning.

School District Inputs and Biased Estimation of Educational Production Functions.

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Watts, Michael

1985-01-01

In 1979, Eric Hanushek pointed out a potential problem in estimating educational production functions, particularly at the precollege level. He observed that it is frequently inappropriate to include school-system variables in equations using the individual student as the unit of observation. This study offers limited evidence supporting this…

Assessing the Transition between School and University: Differences in Assessment between A Level and University in English

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Wilson, Frances; Child, Simon; Suto, Irenka

2017-01-01

High stakes assessments are commonly used at the end of secondary school to select students for higher education. However, growing concerns about the preparedness of new undergraduates for university study have led to an increased focus on the form of assessments used at upper secondary level. This study compared the structure and format of…

[School accidents--an epidemiological assessment of injury types and treatment effort].

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, R; Heiss, C; Alt, V; Schnettler, R

2006-10-01

Children and adolescents spend up to 50% of their time at school. The purpose of this study was to assess injury patterns with their treatment of school accidents in a Trauma Service of a German University Hospital and to compare these data to the literature. All school accidents from 01.07.1999 to 30.06.2004 were statistically analysed in a retrospective manner by chart review. There were 1399 school accidents treated in our department. Average age of the injured children was 11.8 years with a boy:girl ratio of 3:2. Almost 40% of the injuries occurred during school sport. The most frequently injured region was the upper extremity including the hand (36.8%). Distortion and contusion were the most frequent diagnoses of all injuries. 16% of the cases had to be treated surgically and/or under general anaesthesia and also a total of 16% of the patients had to be admitted to the hospital. It can be concluded for school facilities that special attention has to be paid during school sports activity and breaks because they account for most accidents. Traffic education may reduce severe injuries. For diagnosis and treatment of school accidents specific knowledge of the growing longbones of the upper extremity and the hand is important.

The Battle River Project: school division implementation of the health-promoting schools approach: assessment for learning: using student health and school capacity measures to inform action and direct policy in a local school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleddie, Douglas L; Hobin, Erin P

2011-03-01

The Battle River Project (BRP) is a school division-level intervention in rural Alberta, Canada, built upon the health-promoting schools approach to health promotion. Using self-reported school and student-level data from administrators and students, the central aim of the BRP is to examine: 'How can the school environment and health behaviours (healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellness) of children and youth be improved when a health-promoting schools model, the Ever Active Schools program, is implemented with school division support?' Evidence used to inform school level changes included students' demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables linked to school environment data, comprised of school demographics and administrator-assessed quality of policies, facilities, and programs related to physical activity. Each participating school and the division were provided with a tailored report of their schools' results to reflect, plan and implement for positive health behavior change. The main lesson learned was that sharing school-specific evidence can operate as a catalyst for embedding health promoting policy and practices within the school and division culture.

Functional semantics academic school at the PFU general and russian linguistics department

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Е А Красина

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the origins of the Functional Semantics Academic School at the PFU General and Russian Linguistics Department specifying its theoretical background and features.

Assessing the Efficacy of a School Health Education Advocacy Lesson with College Students

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Wallen, Michele; Chaney, Beth H.; Birch, David A.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The researchers evaluated the efficacy of an advocacy lesson to assess change in intentions to advocate for school health education. This study also measured changes in participants' understanding the importance of school health education and perceived effectiveness in applying advocacy skills. Methods: A convenience sample of college…

Comparing parent and teacher assessments of mental health in elementary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Boman, Fiffi; Stafström, Martin; Lundin, Nils; Moghadassi, Mahnaz; Törnhage, Carl-Johan; Östergren, Per-Olof

2016-03-01

Screening instruments are often used for detecting mental health problems in children and adolescents. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one instrument for screening children's mental health. The SDQ can be used for assessment by different informants, i.e. parents, teachers and by 11-16 year olds for self-reporting. The aim was to compare the precision and validity of parental and teacher SDQ assessments in elementary school children, and to analyze whether assessments were affected by the child's sex and by socio-demographic factors. A total of 512 primary school students were included in a cross-sectional study. Exploratory factor analysis, sensitivity/specificity analysis, Cronbach's alphas, and logistic regression were applied. Parents rated 10.9% and teachers 8.8% of the children as high-risk individuals, but the overlap was low (32.1%). Cronbach's alphas were 0.73 and 0.71 for parents and teachers, respectively. However, factor analysis showed that the five-factor solution could be confirmed only for teacher ratings. Moreover, only the parents' ratings were affected by maternal educational level and parental country of birth when rating the same children as the teachers. Construct validity was only confirmed for teacher assessments. However, parental assessments might capture a dimension of a child's mental health that seems to be sensitive to socioeconomic factors, which could be important when addressing equity issues, and for the dialogue between parents and school. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

School Climate: Historical Review, Instrument Development, and School Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Zullig, Keith J.; Koopman, Tommy M.; Patton, Jon M.; Ubbes, Valerie A.

2010-01-01

This study's purpose is to examine the existing school climate literature in an attempt to constitute its definition from a historical context and to create a valid and reliable student-reported school climate instrument. Five historically common school climate domains and five measurement tools were identified, combined, and previewed by the…

Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools in Indonesia: A cross-sectional assessment on sustaining infrastructural and behavioral interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Karon, Andrew J; Cronin, Aidan A; Cronk, Ryan; Hendrawan, Reza

2017-05-01

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools are important for child health, development, and educational performance; yet coverage in Indonesian schools remains low. To address this deficiency, UNICEF and partners conducted a WASH intervention in 450 schools across three provinces in Indonesia. A survey evaluating the sustainability of infrastructure and behavioral interventions in comparison to control districts was conducted one year after completion of the intervention. The survey data were also compared with national government data to assess the suitability of government data to report progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Logistic regression was used to explore associations between WASH conditions and behaviors. Intervention schools were more likely to have handwashing stations with soap and water. In multivariable analyses, schools with a toilet operation and maintenance fund were more likely to have functional toilets. Students who learn hygiene skills from their teachers were less likely to defecate openly, more likely to share hygiene knowledge with their parents, and more likely to wash their hands. Survey data were comparable with government data, suggesting that Indonesian government monitoring may be a reliable source of data to measure progress on the SDGs. This research generates important policy and practice findings for scaling up and sustaining WASH in schools and may help improve WASH in schools programs in other low-resource contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Promoting Physical Activity in Elementary Schools: Needs Assessment and a Pilot Study of Brain Breaks

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Perera, Thushanthi; Frei, Simone; Frei, Balz; Bobe, Gerd

2015-01-01

A sedentary life style contributes to many chronic diseases and poor educational performance. Since elementary school-aged children spend most wakeful hours in school, classroom teachers are essential for providing physical activity (PA) breaks during school. As first objective, we assessed current PA levels for Oregon public elementary schools…

Measurement procedure to assess exposure to extremely low-frequency fields: A primary school case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, A.; Bahillo, A.; De la Rosa, R.; Carrera, A.; Duran, R. J.; Fernandez, P.

2012-01-01

How to correctly measure the exposure of general public to extremely low-frequency (ELF) radiation is a key issue for ELF epidemiological studies. This paper proposes a measurement procedure to accurately assess the exposure of people to electric and magnetic field in the frequency band from 5 Hz to 100 kHz in buildings and their premises. As ELF radiation could be particularly harmful to children, the measurement procedure is focused on exposure to ELF in schools. Thus, the students' exposure to ELF fields can be assessed by correlating the ELF measurements to the hours of school activity. In this paper, the measurement protocol was applied to study the ELF exposure on students from Garcia Quintana primary school in Valladolid, Spain. The campaign of measurements for ELF exposure assessment in this primary school was of great interest for the Regional Council of Public Health because of the social alarm generated by the presence of a significant number cancer cases in children. (authors)

A qualitative study to assess school nurses' views on vaccinating 12-13 year old school girls against human papillomavirus without parental consent.

Science.gov (United States)

Stretch, Rebecca; McCann, Rosemary; Roberts, Stephen A; Elton, Peter; Baxter, David; Brabin, Loretta

2009-07-21

In the UK, parental consent for the routine vaccination of 12-13 year olds schoolgirls against human papillomavirus (HPV) is recommended, although legally girls may be able to consent themselves. As part of a vaccine study conducted ahead of the National HPV Vaccine Programme we sought the views of school nurses on vaccinating girls who did not have parental consent. HPV vaccination was offered to all 12 year old girls attending schools in two Primary Care Trusts in Greater Manchester. At the end of the study semi-structured, tape-recorded interviews were conducted with school nurses who had delivered the vaccine (Cervarix). The interview template was based on concepts derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Transcripts were analysed thematically in order to understand school nurses' intentions to implement vaccination based on an assessment of Gillick competency. School nurses knew how to assess the competency of under-16s but were still unwilling to vaccinate if parents had refused permission. If parents had not returned the consent form, school nurses were willing to contact parents, and also to negotiate with parents who had refused consent. They seemed unaware that parental involvement required the child's consent to avoid breaking confidentiality. Nurses' attitudes were influenced by the young appearance and age of the school year group rather than an individual's level of maturity. They were also confused about the legal guidelines governing consent. School nurses acknowledged the child's right to vaccination and strongly supported prevention of HPV infection but ultimately believed that it was the parents' right to give consent. Most were themselves parents and shared other parents' concerns about the vaccine's novelty and unknown long-term side effects. Rather than vaccinate without parental consent, school nurses would defer vaccination. Health providers have a duty of care to girls for whom no parental consent for HPV vaccination has been given

CIMPA Summer School on Arithmetic and Geometry Around Hypergeometric Functions

CERN Document Server

Uludağ, A; Yoshida, Masaaki; Arithmetic and Geometry Around Hypergeometric Functions

2007-01-01

This volume comprises the Lecture Notes of the CIMPA Summer School "Arithmetic and Geometry around Hypergeometric Functions" held at Galatasaray University, Istanbul in 2005. It contains lecture notes, a survey article, research articles, and the results of a problem session. Key topics are moduli spaces of points on P1 and Picard-Terada-Deligne-Mostow theory, moduli spaces of K3 surfaces, complex hyperbolic geometry, ball quotients, GKZ hypergeometric structures, Hilbert and Picard modular surfaces, uniformizations of complex orbifolds, algebraicity of values of Schwartz triangle functions, and Thakur's hypergeometric function. The book provides a background, gives detailed expositions and indicates new research directions. It is directed to postgraduate students and researchers.

Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children

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Artur C. Jaschke

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition.Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, Mage = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance.Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores.Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions.

Psychometric Properties of the School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised with International Baccalaureate High School Students

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Dedrick, Robert F.; Shaunessy-Dedrick, Elizabeth; Suldo, Shannon M.; Ferron, John M.

2015-01-01

In two studies (ns = 312 and 1,149) with 9- to 12-grade students in pre-International Baccalaureate (IB) and IB Diploma programs, we evaluated the reliability, factor structure, measurement invariance, and criterion-related validity of the scores from the School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R). Reliabilities of the five SAAS-R subscale…

Assessment of left atrial volume and function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kühl, J Tobias; Lønborg, Jacob; Fuchs, Andreas

2012-01-01

dynamic LA volume changes. Conversely, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) appears more appropriate for such measures. We sought to determine the relationship between LA size assessed with TTE and LA size and function assessed with CMR and MSCT. Fifty......-four patients were examined 3 months post myocardial infarction with echocardiography, CMR and MSCT. Left atrial volumes and LA reservoir function were assessed by TTE. LA time-volume curves were determined and LA reservoir function (cyclic change and fractional change), passive emptying function (reservoir...... between CMR and MSCT, with a small to moderate bias in LA(max) (4.9 ± 10.4 ml), CC (3.1 ± 9.1 ml) and reservoir volume (3.4 ± 9.1 ml). TTE underestimates LA(max) with up to 32% compared with CMR and MSCT (P ...

Are economic recessions at the time of leaving school associated with worse physical functioning in later life?

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Hessel, Philipp; Avendano, Mauricio

2013-11-01

To examine whether economic conditions at the time of leaving school or college are associated with physical functioning in later life among cohorts in 11 European countries. Data came from 10,338 participants in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) aged 50-74 who left school or college between 1956 and 1986. Data on functional limitations, as well as employment, marriage, and fertility retrospective histories were linked to national unemployment rates during the year individuals left school. Models included country-fixed effects and controls for early-life circumstances. Greater unemployment rates during the school-leaving year were associated with fewer functional limitations at ages 50-74 among men (rate ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.47-0.83), but more physical functioning limitations among women (rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.50), particularly among those with (post-)secondary education. Economic conditions at the age of leaving school were associated with several labor market, marriage, fertility, and health behavior outcomes, but controlling for these factors did not attenuate associations. Results were similar in models that controlled for selection into higher education due to measured covariates. Worse economic conditions during the school-leaving year predicted better health at later life among men but worse health among women. Both selection and causation mechanisms may explain this association. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Diagnostic: Perceptions of Educational Professionals

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Sónia Caridade

2015-07-01

Full Text Available AimThe school is a privileged context to prevent certain problems that may begin during the development of young students. The main objective is to assess the perceptions of educational professionals about the school structure, functioning, and organization, as well as students’ behaviors.MethodWe developed an exploratory study using a questionnaire, applied to a sample of 81 educational agents, teachers and non-teachers, aged between 25 and 62 years (M = 45.8, SD = 10.6.ResultsDespite the positive perception of the participants about the physical school environment, it is necessary to create spaces for leisure and sport, logistic conditions and multidisciplinary teams in order to maximize the overall good functioning of schools. Adding to this, participants described the participation of parents in the school life as negative; they also identified several disruptive behaviours among students and referred to a general lack of active participation in life school.ConclusionIt is important to create action plans in schools, which should be multimodal and multi-agent in order to have intervention perspectives with connected actions developed by different educational agents.

Environmental Comfort Indicators for School Buildings in Sustainability Assessment Tools

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Tatiana Santos Saraiva

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Decades ago, the only requirement to construct a building was to give men the right conditions for the execution of their work or leisure activities. With the development of knowledge about the internal and external environments of buildings, other requirements have been added such as the issue of user comfort. New construction techniques have been incorporated and new products have been created to improve internal environment comfort. This research addressed the importance of using indicators related to environmental comfort in sustainability assessment tools applied to school buildings. It also considered the importance of environmental issues for the good performance of human beings, and the harmonious coexistence of the comfort indicators indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort and ergonomic comfort based on data gathered in research carried out with users of high schools (only students. This research was carried out in two different cities of different countries, Guimarães (Portugal and Juiz de Fora (Brazil, that have similar characteristics of teaching standards and climate conditions (temperature and air humidity. In this study, interviews were made through questionnaires and, later, the information collected was analyzed. This study demonstrates the need to include an ergonomic indicator for school buildings in sustainability assessment tools.

Epidemiology, trends, assessment and management of sport-related concussion in United States high schools.

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Guerriero, Réjean M; Proctor, Mark R; Mannix, Rebekah; Meehan, William P

2012-12-01

Sport-related concussion affects athletes at every level of participation. The short and long-term effects of concussions that occur during childhood and adolescence are not fully understood. The purpose of this review is to describe the current burden of disease, current practice patterns and current recommendations for the assessment and management of sport-related concussions sustained by United States high school athletes. Millions of high school students participate in organized sports in the United States. Current estimates suggest that, across all sports, approximately 2.5 concussions occur for every 10 000 athletic exposures, in which an athletic exposure is defined as one athlete participating in one game or practice. At schools that employ at least one athletic trainer, most high school athletes who sustain sport-related concussions will be cared for by athletic trainers and primary care physicians. Approximately 40% will undergo computerized neurocognitive assessment. The number of high school athletes being diagnosed with sport-related concussions is rising. American football has the highest number of concussions in high school with girls' soccer having the second highest total number. Fortunately, coaches are becoming increasingly aware of these injuries and return-to-play guidelines are being implemented.

["Assessment of indoor school environment and identification of measures to protect the respiratory health of school children and adolescents" in a sample of schools in Milan].

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Piazza, S; Gulino, A; Pulvirenti, S; Vercelli, F; Carrer, P

2012-01-01

The management of indoor air quality in schools needs special attention because it has a strong impact on respiratory health of children with effects also on performance and social development. In Italy a prevention program for indoor environments is provided in the "Guidelines for the prevention of indoor risk factors for allergies and asthma in the school", developed by the Ministry of Health (G.U n. 9 del 13.01.11). In this context, the Ministry of Health has promoted the "Indoor school" project (CCM2010). The main objective of the project is the implementation of these guidelines. In this paper we report the results of the first phase of the project which assessed the knowledge of school principals on issues related to IAQ and building characteristics of the school.

Can Touch Screen Tablets be Used to Assess Cognitive and Motor Skills in Early Years Primary School Children? A Cross-Cultural Study.

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Pitchford, Nicola J; Outhwaite, Laura A

2016-01-01

Assessment of cognitive and motor functions is fundamental for developmental and neuropsychological profiling. Assessments are usually conducted on an individual basis, with a trained examiner, using standardized paper and pencil tests, and can take up to an hour or more to complete, depending on the nature of the test. This makes traditional standardized assessments of child development largely unsuitable for use in low-income countries. Touch screen tablets afford the opportunity to assess cognitive functions in groups of participants, with untrained administrators, with precision recording of responses, thus automating the assessment process. In turn, this enables cognitive profiling to be conducted in contexts where access to qualified examiners and standardized assessments are rarely available. As such, touch screen assessments could provide a means of assessing child development in both low- and high-income countries, which would afford cross-cultural comparisons to be made with the same assessment tool. However, before touch screen tablet assessments can be used for cognitive profiling in low-to-high-income countries they need to be shown to provide reliable and valid measures of performance. We report the development of a new touch screen tablet assessment of basic cognitive and motor functions for use with early years primary school children in low- and high-income countries. Measures of spatial intelligence, visual attention, short-term memory, working memory, manual processing speed, and manual coordination are included as well as mathematical knowledge. To investigate if this new touch screen assessment tool can be used for cross-cultural comparisons we administered it to a sample of children ( N = 283) spanning standards 1-3 in a low-income country, Malawi, and a smaller sample of children ( N = 70) from first year of formal schooling from a high-income country, the UK. Split-half reliability, test-retest reliability, face validity, convergent

Can touch screen tablets be used to assess cognitive and motor skills in early years primary school children? A cross-cultural study

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Nicola Pitchford

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Assessment of cognitive and motor functions is fundamental for developmental and neuropsychological profiling. Assessments are usually conducted on an individual basis, with a trained examiner, using standardised paper and pencil tests, and can take up to an hour or more to complete, depending on the nature of the test. This makes traditional standardised assessments of child development largely unsuitable for use in low-income countries. Touch screen tablets afford the opportunity to assess cognitive functions in groups of participants, with untrained administrators, with precision recording of responses, thus automating the assessment process. In turn, this enables cognitive profiling to be conducted in contexts where access to qualified examiners and standardised assessments are rarely available. As such, touch screen assessments could provide a means of assessing child development in both low- and high-income countries, which would afford cross-cultural comparisons to be made with the same assessment tool. However, before touch screen tablet assessments can be used for cognitive profiling in low-to-high-income countries they need to be shown to provide reliable and valid measures of performance. We report the development of a new touch screen tablet assessment of basic cognitive and motor functions for use with early years primary school children in low- and high-income countries. Measures of spatial intelligence, visual attention, short-term memory, working memory, manual processing speed, and manual coordination are included as well as mathematical knowledge. To investigate if this new touch screen assessment tool can be used for cross-cultural comparisons we administered it to a sample of children (N=283 spanning standards 1-3 in a low-income country, Malawi, and a smaller sample of children (N=70 from first year of formal schooling from a high-income country, the UK. Split-half reliability, test-retest reliability, face validity

School Functioning of a Particularly Vulnerable Group: Children and Young People in Residential Child Care

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Carla González-García

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A large proportion of the children and young people in residential child care in Spain are there as a consequence of abuse and neglect in their birth families. Research has shown that these types of adverse circumstances in childhood are risk factors for emotional and behavioral problems, as well as difficulties in adapting to different contexts. School achievement is related to this and represents one of the most affected areas. Children in residential child care exhibit extremely poor performance and difficulties in school functioning which affects their transition to adulthood and into the labor market. The main aim of this study is to describe the school functioning of a sample of 1,216 children aged between 8 and 18 living in residential child care in Spain. The specific needs of children with intellectual disability and unaccompanied migrant children were also analyzed. Relationships with other variables such as gender, age, mental health needs, and other risk factors were also explored. In order to analyze school functioning in this vulnerable group, the sample was divided into different groups depending on school level and educational needs. In the vast majority of cases, children were in primary or compulsory secondary education (up to age 16, this group included a significant proportion of cases in special education centers. The rest of the sample were in vocational training or post-compulsory secondary school. Results have important implications for the design of socio-educative intervention strategies in both education and child care systems in order to promote better school achievement and better educational qualifications in this vulnerable group.

Self-perceptions, motivation, and school functioning of low-income maltreated and comparison children.

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Barnett, D; Vondra, J I; Shonk, S M

1996-05-01

Maltreated children are at risk for disturbances and delays in their socioemotional and scholastic functioning. This study examined the impact of child maltreatment and age on perceptions of competence, and the relations among perceived competence, motivation, and school functioning. The sample included 76 school children living in poverty, approximately two-thirds of whom had been victims of child maltreatment. Results indicated that both maltreated and nonmaltreated children exhibited maladaptive motivational orientations toward scholastic tasks and poor academic performance, supporting the idea that threats to scholastic functioning reside as much within the ecology of poverty as in that of maltreatment. Over and above the general effects of poverty, maltreatment was found to disrupt the psychological processes accounting for children's scholastic performance. Results revealed that younger maltreated children (6- and 7-year-olds) reported more inflated self-perceptions of competence and social acceptance than nonmaltreated children. In contrast, older maltreated children (8- through 11-year-olds) reported lower perceived social acceptance than nonmaltreated children. Among older nonmaltreated children, perceived competence was positively related to teacher's ratings of their effort, intrinsic motivation, and grades. For older maltreated children, these relations among self-perceptions and school functioning were in the opposite direction from those of nonmaltreated children, suggesting that the determinants of academic engagement are different for maltreated and nonmaltreated children.

School Teams up for SSP Functional Models

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Pignolet, G.; Lallemand, R.; Celeste, A.; von Muldau, H.

2002-01-01

Space Solar Power systems appear increasingly as one of the major solutions to the upcoming global energy crisis, by collecting solar energy in space where this is most easy, and sending it by microwave beam to the surface of the planet, where the need for controlled energy is located. While fully operational systems are still decades away, the need for major development efforts is with us now. Yet, for many decision-makers and for most of the public, SSP often still sounds like science fiction. Six functional demonstration systems, based on the Japanese SPS-2000 concept, have been built as a result of a cooperation between France and Japan, and they are currently used extensively, in Japan, in Europe and in North America, for executive presentations as well as for public exhibitions. There is demand for more models, both for science museums and for use by energy dedicated groups, and a senior high school in La Reunion, France, has picked up the challenge to make the production of such models an integrated practical school project for pre-college students. In December 2001, the administration and the teachers of the school have evaluated the feasibility of the project and eventually taken the go decision for the school year 2002- 2003, when for education purposes a temporary "school business company" will be incorporated with the goal to study and manufacture a limited series of professional quality SSP demonstration models, and to sell them world- wide to institutions and advocacy groups concerned with energy problems and with the environment. The different sections of the school will act as the different services of an integrated business : based on the current existing models, the electronic section will redesign the energy management system and the microwave projector module, while the mechanical section of the school will adapt and re-conceive the whole packaging of the demonstrator. The French and foreign language sections will write up a technical manual for

Impact of sociodemographic factors on cognitive function in school-aged HIV-infected Nigerian children

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Boyede GO

2013-07-01

status, and low level of maternal education were factors apart from HIV infection that were significantly associated with low cognitive function in school-aged HIV-infected Nigerian children. Keywords: pediatric human immunodeficiency virus, cognitive assessment, school-aged children, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Nigeria

Assessment of full-time faculty preceptors by colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico.

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Kirschenbaum, Harold L; Zerilli, Tina

2012-10-12

To identify the manner in which colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico assess full-time faculty preceptors. Directors of pharmacy practice (or equivalent title) were invited to complete an online, self-administered questionnaire. Seventy of the 75 respondents (93.3%) confirmed that their college or school assessed full-time pharmacy faculty members based on activities related to precepting students at a practice site. The most commonly reported assessment components were summative student evaluations (98.5%), type of professional service provided (92.3%), scholarly accomplishments (86.2%), and community service (72.3%). Approximately 42% of respondents indicated that a letter of evaluation provided by a site-based supervisor was included in their assessment process. Some colleges and schools also conducted onsite assessment of faculty members. Most colleges and schools of pharmacy assess full-time faculty-member preceptors via summative student assessments, although other strategies are used. Given the important role of preceptors in ensuring students are prepared for pharmacy practice, colleges and schools of pharmacy should review their assessment strategies for full-time faculty preceptors, keeping in mind the methodologies used by other institutions.

SCHOOL OBSERVATION AS ONE OF THE ASSESSMENTS FOR ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STUDENTS OF MURIA KUDUS UNIVERSITY

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Atik Rokhayani

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, learning requires students to develop their knowledge through critical thinking. Knowledge is not just receiving the information but also interpreting the information. It requires new learning goals change the relationship between assessment and instruction. So, the lecturers need to assess the students’ ability to comprehend the materials. In addition, the lecturers have to take an active role about the purpose of the assessment and the content that is being assessed. There are many kinds of assessments used by the lecturers given to their students. For example: asking the students to do the discussion, test, questioning, observation etc. School observation tends to be familiar for the students of English Education Department of Muria Kudus University since by doing the observation they can face the real school condition. The students can observe the English teaching and learning process in the classroom. This paper focuses in AMEL (Approaches and Methods in English Language class. It discusses the application of school observation as one of the authentic assessment for English Education Department students of Muria Kudus University through exploring the approaches and methods used by Junior High School teachers in Kudus. In the end of the observation, the students have to report the discussion in form of poster presentation.

Handwriting assessment of Franco-Quebec primary school-age students

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Couture, Mélanie; Morin, Marie-France; Coallier, Mélissa; Lavigne, Audrey; Archambault, Patricia; Bolduc, Émilie; Chartier, Émilie; Liard, Karolane; Jasmin, Emmanuelle

2016-12-01

Reasons for referring school-age children to occupational therapy mainly relate to handwriting problems. However, there are no validated tools or reference values for assessing handwriting in francophone children in Canada. This study aimed to adapt and validate the writing tasks described in an English Canadian handwriting assessment protocol and to develop reference values for handwriting speed for francophone children. Three writing tasks from the Handwriting Assessment Protocol-2nd Edition (near-point and far-point copying and dictation) were adapted for Québec French children and administered to 141 Grade 1 ( n = 73) and Grade 2 ( n = 68) students. Reference values for handwriting speed were obtained for near point and far point copying tasks. This adapted protocol and these reference values for speed will improve occupational therapy handwriting assessments for the target population.

Math Self-Assessment, but Not Negative Feelings, Predicts Mathematics Performance of Elementary School Children

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Vitor Geraldi Haase

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mathematics anxiety has been associated to performance in school mathematics. The association between math anxiety and psychosocial competencies as well as their specific contribution to explain school mathematics performance are still unclear. In the present study, the impact of sociodemographic factors, psychosocial competencies, and math anxiety on mathematics and spelling performance was examined in school children with and without mathematics difficulties. The specific contributions of psychosocial competencies (i.e., general anxiety and attentional deficits with hyperactivity and math anxiety (i.e., self-assessment in mathematics to school mathematics performance were found to be statistically independent from each other. Moreover, psychosocial competencies—but not math anxiety—were related also to spelling performance. These results suggest that psychosocial competencies are more related to general mechanisms of emotional regulation and emotional response towards academic performance, while mathematics anxiety is related to the specific cognitive aspect of self-assessment in mathematics.

Indoor Air Quality Assessment of Elementary Schools in Curitiba, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godoi, R. H. M.; Avigo, D.; Campos, V. P.; Tavares, T. M.; Marchi, M. R. R. de; Grieken, R. Van; Godoi, A. F. L.

2009-01-01

The promotion of good indoor air quality in schools is of particular public concern for two main reasons: (1) school-age children spend at least 30% of their time inside classrooms and (2) indoor air quality in urban areas is substantially influenced by the outdoor pollutants, exposing tenants to potentially toxic substances. Two schools in Curitiba, Brazil, were selected to characterize the gaseous compounds indoor and outdoor of the classrooms. The concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the isomers xylenes (BTEX); NO 2 ; SO 2 ; O 3 ; acetic acid (HAc); and formic acid (HFor) were assessed using passive diffusion tubes. BTEX were analyzed by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry and other collected gasses by ion chromatography. The concentration of NO 2 varied between 9.5 and 23 μg m -3 , whereas SO 2 showed an interval from 0.1 to 4.8 μg m -3 . Within the schools, BTEX concentrations were predominant. Formic and acetic acids inside the classrooms revealed intermediate concentrations of 1.5 μg m -3 and 1.2 μg m -3 , respectively.

Safety assessment in schools: beyond risk: the role of child psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

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Rappaport, Nancy; Pollack, William S; Flaherty, Lois T; Schwartz, Sarah E O; McMickens, Courtney

2015-04-01

This article presents an overview of a comprehensive school safety assessment approach for students whose behavior raises concern about their potential for targeted violence. Case vignettes highlight the features of 2 youngsters who exemplify those seen, the comprehensive nature of the assessment, and the kind of recommendations that enhance a student's safety, connection, well-being; engage families; and share responsibility of assessing safety with the school. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Difficult Areas of the Senior Secondary School 2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the Difficult Areas of the Senior Secondary School 2 (Two) ... Correlation between the students' perceived difficulty and their achievement in a test and ... Students need counseling, encouragement and enlightenment in order to ...

The Assessment of School Bullying: Using Theory to Inform Practice

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Greif, Jennifer L.; Furlong, Michael J.

2006-01-01

This article examines the conceptual basis for and methods used to assess school bullying, including the core bullying behavior elements of repetition, intentionality, and power differential and instruments needed to foster comparability across studies and to improve the precision of intervention capacity. Common bully self-report procedures…

Assessing the Utility of a Demand Assessment for Functional Analysis

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Roscoe, Eileen M.; Rooker, Griffin W.; Pence, Sacha T.; Longworth, Lynlea J.

2009-01-01

We evaluated the utility of an assessment for identifying tasks for the functional analysis demand condition with 4 individuals who had been diagnosed with autism. During the demand assessment, a therapist presented a variety of tasks, and observers measured problem behavior and compliance to identify demands associated with low levels of…

Standardised assessment of functioning in ADHD: consensus on the ICF Core Sets for ADHD.

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Bölte, Sven; Mahdi, Soheil; Coghill, David; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen; Granlund, Mats; Holtmann, Martin; Karande, Sunil; Levy, Florence; Rohde, Luis A; Segerer, Wolfgang; de Vries, Petrus J; Selb, Melissa

2018-02-12

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairments in social, educational, and occupational functioning, as well as specific strengths. Currently, there is no internationally accepted standard to assess the functioning of individuals with ADHD. WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-child and youth version (ICF) can serve as a conceptual basis for such a standard. The objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive, a common brief, and three age-appropriate brief ICF Core Sets for ADHD. Using a standardised methodology, four international preparatory studies generated 132 second-level ICF candidate categories that served as the basis for developing ADHD Core Sets. Using these categories and following an iterative consensus process, 20 ADHD experts from nine professional disciplines and representing all six WHO regions selected the most relevant categories to constitute the ADHD Core Sets. The consensus process resulted in 72 second-level ICF categories forming the comprehensive ICF Core Set-these represented 8 body functions, 35 activities and participation, and 29 environmental categories. A Common Brief Core Set that included 38 categories was also defined. Age-specific brief Core Sets included a 47 category preschool version for 0-5 years old, a 55 category school-age version for 6-16 years old, and a 52 category version for older adolescents and adults 17 years old and above. The ICF Core Sets for ADHD mark a milestone toward an internationally standardised functional assessment of ADHD across the lifespan, and across educational, administrative, clinical, and research settings.

Adapting a rapid river assessment protocols to be used by elementary school children

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Guilherme Malafaia

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to adapt a rapid river assessment protocols (RAP to be used by elementary school children. The study was conducted in Ipameri, GO and the RAP was adapted for the evaluation of streams in the Cerrado biome. Based on two protocol models, the developed RAP included: physical parameters that affect the functioning of streams, language adapted to the educational level of elementary school and the presence of drawings that could facilitate the field application of RAP by the students. For consolidation of the adapted instrument, it was offered a monitoring workshop to 95 students from two public education institutions, and developed an analysis and interpretation of the pattern of responses obtained during the practical step of the workshop. The Bartlett and Levene tests revealed no statistical differences between the response patterns of the students, allowing to infer that the developed RAP was understandable by the evaluators. The application of the RAP was fast (20 to 40 minutes and the students reported that the developed instrument helped them to familiarize with environmental issues. In addition, the monitoring workshop helped them to understand the instrument and the available illustrations facilitated the field evaluation. In addition, the students concluded that they have become aware of the issues related to the water resource preservation and also that participation in the environmental monitoring workshop allowed the appropriation of knowledge about the river system functioning. It was concluded that adapted RAP has been proved to be a useful and interesting tool for using in environmental education projects and programs.

Assessing Executive Function components in 9 years old children

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Sandra Reyes

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Executive Function (EF is a multidimensional construct. It includes a set of abilities that allows to execute actions with a purpose, aimed to a goal, in an efficient way. The objective of this work is to explore some of the cognitive abilities that constitute a common factor for EF in 9 years-old children. The chosen instruments: Batería de Evaluación Neuropsicológica de la Función Ejecutiva en niños (ENFEN (Battery of Neuropsychological Assessment for Executive Function in Children, along with the Backward Digits Subtestfrom the WISC-III, were administered to 101 children from private schools of Buenos Aires State, Argentina. The ENFEN consists on EF tasks, including Phonological and Semantic Fluency, Trail Making Test versions for children (gray and colored sets, Interference Task, and Planning disc movements according to a model. An initial confirmatory factor analysis didn’t show significant fit indexes, being the Inhibitory control the variable with the lower and non significant factorial weight. A second model excluding the Inhibitory control measure was conducted, and it showed excellent fit indexes. Therefore, it can be concluded that at this age, some of the cognitive abilities included on the EF are: Phonological and Semantic Fluency, Sustained and Selective attention, Planning and Working memory; which is not the case for Inhibitory Control (measured by the Interference Task in the ENFEN.

An adaptive community-based participatory approach to formative assessment with high schools for obesity intervention*.

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Kong, Alberta S; Farnsworth, Seth; Canaca, Jose A; Harris, Amanda; Palley, Gabriel; Sussman, Andrew L

2012-03-01

In the emerging debate around obesity intervention in schools, recent calls have been made for researchers to include local community opinions in the design of interventions. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective approach for forming community partnerships and integrating local opinions. We used CBPR principles to conduct formative research in identifying acceptable and potentially sustainable obesity intervention strategies in 8 New Mexico school communities. We collected formative data from 8 high schools on areas of community interest for school health improvement through collaboration with local School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) and interviews with students and parents. A survey based on formative results was created to assess acceptability of specific intervention strategies and was provided to SHACs. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data were evaluated using an iterative analytic process for thematic identification. Key themes identified through the formative process included lack of healthy food options, infrequent curricular/extracurricular physical activity opportunities, and inadequate exposure to health/nutritional information. Key strategies identified as most acceptable by SHAC members included healthier food options and preparation, a healthy foods marketing campaign, yearly taste tests, an after-school noncompetitive physical activity program, and community linkages to physical activity opportunities. An adaptive CBPR approach for formative assessment can be used to identify obesity intervention strategies that address community school health concerns. Eight high school SHACs identified 6 school-based strategies to address parental and student concerns related to obesity. © 2012, American School Health Association.

Improving Physical Fitness and Cognitive Functions in Middle School Students: Study Protocol for the Chinese Childhood Health, Activity and Motor Performance Study (Chinese CHAMPS).

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Zhou, Zhixiong; Dong, Shanshan; Yin, Jun; Fu, Quan; Ren, Hong; Yin, Zenong

2018-05-14

Background : Sedentary lifestyles and their associated harmful consequences are public health concerns that impact more than half of the world's youth population in both developed and developing countries. Methods : The Chinese Childhood Health; Activity and Motor Performance Study (Chinese CHAMPS) was a cluster randomized controlled trial to modify school physical activity policies and the physical education (PE) curriculum; using teacher training and parent engagement to increase opportunities and support students' physical activity and healthy eating. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, the study tested the incremental effects of increasing the amount and intensity of physical activity, alongside adding support for healthy eating, on health-related and cognitive function outcomes in Chinese middle school students. Results : The intervention was implemented by PE teachers in 12 middle schools in three Chinese cities, with a targeted enrollment of 650 students from August 2015⁻June 2016. The assessment of the outcomes involved a test battery of physical fitness and cognitive functioning at both baseline and at the end of the intervention. Process information on implementation was also collected. Discussion : The Chinese CHAMPS is a multi-level intervention that is designed to test the influences of policy and environmental modifications on the physical activity and eating behaviors of middle school students. It also addresses some key weaknesses in school-based physical activity interventions.

Questionnaire-based assessment of executive functioning: Case studies.

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Kronenberger, William G; Castellanos, Irina; Pisoni, David B

2018-01-01

Delays in the development of executive functioning skills are frequently observed in pediatric neuropsychology populations and can have a broad and significant impact on quality of life. As a result, assessment of executive functioning is often relevant for the development of formulations and recommendations in pediatric neuropsychology clinical work. Questionnaire-based measures of executive functioning behaviors in everyday life have unique advantages and complement traditional neuropsychological measures of executive functioning. Two case studies of children with spina bifida are presented to illustrate the clinical use of a new questionnaire measure of executive and learning-related functioning, the Learning, Executive, and Attention Functioning Scale (LEAF). The LEAF emphasizes clinical utility in assessment by incorporating four characteristics: brevity in administration, breadth of additional relevant content, efficiency of scoring and interpretation, and ease of availability for use. LEAF results were consistent with another executive functioning checklist in documenting everyday behavior problems related to working memory, planning, and organization while offering additional breadth of assessment of domains such as attention, processing speed, and novel problem-solving. These case study results demonstrate the clinical utility of questionnaire-based measurement of executive functioning in pediatric neuropsychology and provide a new measure for accomplishing this goal.

The assessment of executive functioning in children

OpenAIRE

Henry, L.; Bettenay, C.

2010-01-01

Background: Executive functioning is increasingly seen as incorporating several component sub-skills and clinical assessments should reflect this complexity. \\ud \\ud Method: Tools for assessing executive functioning in children are reviewed within five key areas, across verbal and visuospatial abilities, with emphasis on batteries of tests. \\ud \\ud Results: There are many appropriate tests for children, although the choice is more limited for those under the age of 8 years. \\ud \\ud Conclusion...

Perceptions of Teachers towards Assessment Techniques at Secondary Level Private School of Karachi

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Henna Fatemah

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper sets out to explore the perceptions of teachers towards assessment techniques at a secondary level private school of Karachi. This was conjectured on the basis of the circumstances of parallel boards in the education system of Pakistan and its effectiveness within the context with respect to the curriculum. This was gauged in line with the forms and techniques of assessment corresponding with the curriculum. A qualitative research design based on interviews was chosen for this study. Purposive sampling was used to select the teachers from a school. The findings of the study revealed that the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE is best suited to assess students’ knowledge and skills and the teachers viewed that in order for students to be accomplished in this board, the ways of assessment must take a more meaningful measure of evaluating student’s progress

Associations between obesity and developmental functioning in pre-school children: a population-based study.

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Mond, J M; Stich, H; Hay, P J; Kraemer, A; Baune, B T

2007-07-01

To examine associations between obesity and impairment in developmental functioning in a general population sample of pre-school children. Standardized medical examinations were conducted in nine consecutive cohorts of male and female children (n=9415) aged between 4.4 and 8.6 years (mean=6.0, s.d.=0.37) residing in the Lower Bavaria region of Germany. Tests designed to assess performance in subdivisions representing four broad developmental domains, namely, motor development, speech development, cognitive development and psycho-social development, were completed by all participants. Boys had significantly higher rates of impairment than girls. The prevalence of obesity in boys was 2.4%, whereas in girls it was 4.3% (chi (2)=21.51, Pmotor skills was higher among obese male children than normal-weight male children (adjusted odds ratio=1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02, 3.01, Pability to focus attention was higher in obese female children than normal-weight female children (adjusted odds ratio=1.86, 95% CI=1.00, 3.44, Pobesity and impairment in specific aspects of developmental functioning may be evident in younger children.

Towards a Model of School-Based Curriculum Development and Assessment Using the SOLO Taxonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, John

1989-01-01

One factor preventing the wider acceptance of school-based curriculum development and assessment is the problem of comparing performances of different students, in different schools. The SOLO taxonomy is used to describe the complexity of learning outcomes in a language that is generally applicable across the curriculum. (Author/MLW)

Conservation and Environmental Education in Southern Appalachian Schools. A Report of a Needs Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, Woodward S.; Jarvis, Ralph W.

An assessment of conservation and environmental education needs in southern Appalachian schools is provided in this survey. Superintendents of school districts and teachers within the southern Appalachian region responded to a questionnaire which was designed to determine: (1) the current status of conservation and environmental education; (2)…

Technology skills assessment for deaf and hard of hearing students in secondary school.

Science.gov (United States)

Luft, Pamela; Bonello, Mary; Zirzow, Nichole K

2009-01-01

To BE COMPETITIVE in the workplace, deaf and hard of hearing students must not only possess basic computer literacy but also know how to use and care for personal assistive and listening technology. An instrument was developed and pilot-tested on 45 middle school and high school deaf and hard of hearing students in 5 public school programs, 4 urban and 1 suburban, to assess these students' current technology skills and to prepare them for post-high school expectations. The researchers found that the students' computer skills depended on their access to technology, which was not always present in the schools. Many students also did not know basic care practices or troubleshooting techniques for their own personal hearing aids (if worn), or how to access or use personal assistive technology.

ADHD in the Schools: Assessment and Intervention Strategies. Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

DuPaul, George J.; Stoner, Gary

2004-01-01

This popular reference and text provides essential guidance for school-based professionals meeting the challenges of ADHD at any grade level. Comprehensive and practical, the book includes several reproducible assessment tools and handouts. A team-based approach to intervention is emphasized in chapters offering research-based guidelines for: (1)…

Need satisfaction, work-school interference and school dropout: an application of self-determination theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Geneviève; Lekes, Natasha; Gagnon, Hugo; Kwan, Lisa; Koestner, Richard

2012-12-01

In many parts of the world, it is common for secondary school students to be involved in part-time employment. Research shows that working can have a negative impact on school engagement. However, the majority of studies have focused on the amount of time that students spend working rather than on the quality of work experience and its influence on school engagement. This study explored the relation of part-time work and school experiences to dropout intentions among secondary school and junior college students. The study was conceptualized from a self-determination theory perspective (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Participants were 3,248 students from rural and suburban schools in the greater region of Montreal, Canada. Questionnaires were used to assess the number of hours worked, the extent to which work interfered with or facilitated school functioning, autonomy, competence, and relatedness experienced in the work and school domains. School performance and school dropout intentions were also assessed. A curvilinear relation between work hours and dropout intentions was found, reflecting that part-time work began to be associated with higher dropout intentions only when students worked more than 7 hr per week. Analyses also showed that work-school interference was related to dropout intentions, and that this variable served to mediate the relation of employer autonomy support to dropout intentions. These results suggest that both the quantity and the quality of students' part-time work experiences need to be considered when examining the relation of work to school engagement. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Medical school accreditation in Australia: Issues involved in assessing major changes and new programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. Field

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The Australian Medical Council (AMC is an independent company for quality assurance and quality improvement in medical education in Australia and New Zealand. Accreditation procedures for the 20 medical schools in these two countries are somewhat different for three different circumstances or stages of school development: existing medical schools, established courses undergoing major changes, and new schools. This paper will outline some issues involved in major changes to existing courses, and new medical school programs. Major changes have included change from a 6 year undergraduate course to a 5 year undergraduate course or 4 year graduate-entry course, introduction of a lateral graduate-entry stream, new domestic site of course delivery, offshore course delivery, joint program between two universities, and major change to curriculum. In the case of a major change assessment, accreditation of the new or revised course may be granted for a period up to two years after the full course has been implemented. In the assessment of proposals for introduction of new medical courses, six issues needing careful consideration have arisen: forward planning, academic staffing, adequate clinical experience, acceptable research program, adequacy of resources, postgraduate training program and employment.

Teachers' use of classroom assessment in primary school mathematics education in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldhuis, M.; van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M.; Vermeulen, Jorine; Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a survey of the classroom assessment practices of Dutch primary school teachers in mathematics education. We investigated, using an online questionnaire, how teachers collect information on their studentś progress and how teacherś assessment methods, purposes, and beliefs about

Assessing Functional Vision Using Microcomputers.

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Spencer, Simon; Ross, Malcolm

1989-01-01

The paper describes a software system which uses microcomputers to aid in the assessment of functional vision in visually impaired students. The software also aims to be visually stimulating and to develop hand-eye coordination, visual memory, and cognitive abilities. (DB)

Assessment of right atrial function analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shohgase, Takashi; Miyamoto, Atsushi; Kanamori, Katsushi; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Yasuda, Hisakazu

1988-01-01

To assess the potential utility of right atrial function analysis in cardiac disease, reservoir function, pump function, and right atrial peak emptying rate (RAPER) were compared in 10 normal subjects, 32 patients with coronary artery disease, and 4 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Right atrial volume curves were obtained using cardiac radionuclide method with Kr-81m. In normal subjects, reservoir function index was 0.41+-0.05; pump function index was 0.25+-0.05. Both types of patients has decreased reservoir funcion and increased pump function. Pump function tended to decrease with an increase of right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. RAPER correlated well with right ventricular peak filling rate, probably reflecting right ventricular diastolic function. Analysis of right atrial function seemed to be of value in evaluating factors regulating right ventricular contraction and diastolic function, and cardiac output. (Namekawa, K)

Assessment of the role of private schools in the development of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the role of private schools in the development of education in Ghana. ... supplement the efforts of the government to improve the basic education system in the country. ... Journal of Science and Technology Vol.24(2) 2004: 54-76 ...

The impact of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary school transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, Sharmila; Parsons, Richard; Falkmer, Torbjörn; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Falkmer, Marita

2014-01-01

Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC) and mental health functioning (MHF) of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten--Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten--Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten--Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition.

Assessing Knowledge Levels of Secondary School Physical Education and Sports Teachers about Inclusive Education

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Aydin, Mensure

2014-01-01

The purpose of the research is to assess knowledge levels of physical education teachers in inclusive education in secondary schools. For the research, the survey method was employed. It consisted of 55 physical education teachers employed in 47 secondary schools included in inclusive education program under Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of…

Academic and social achievement goals: Their additive, interactive, and specialized effects on school functioning.

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Liem, Gregory Arief D

2016-03-01

Students' pursuit of academic and social goals has implications for school functioning. However, studies on academic and social achievement goals have been relatively independent and mainly conducted with students in culturally Western settings. Guided by multiple-goal perspectives, this study examined the role of academic and social achievement goals in outcome variables relevant to academic (achievement, effort/persistence), social (peer relationship satisfaction, loneliness), and socio-academic (cooperative learning, competitive learning, socially regulated, and self-regulated learning) functioning. A total of 356 Indonesian high-school students (mean age = 16 years; 36% girls) participated in the study. A self-report survey comprising items drawn from pre-existing instruments was administered to measure distinct dimensions of achievement goals and outcomes under focus. Regression analysis was performed to examine additive, interactive, and specialized effects of achievement goals on outcomes. Aligned with the hierarchical model of goal relationships (Wentzel, 2000, Contemp. Educ. Psychol., 25, 105), academic and social achievement goals bore additive effects on most outcomes. Findings also revealed a specialized effect on academic achievement and notable interactive effects on cooperative learning. In general, mastery-approach and performance-approach goals were more adaptive than their avoidance counterparts. The effects of social development goals were positive, whereas those of social demonstration-approach goals were mixed. Contrary to prior findings, social demonstration-avoidance goals did not appear to be inimical for school functioning. Findings underscore the importance of both academic and social achievement goals in day-to-day school functioning and the need to consider the meaning of goals and the coordination of multiple goals from cultural lenses. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Study protocol: the Fueling Learning through Exercise (FLEX) study - a randomized controlled trial of the impact of school-based physical activity programs on children's physical activity, cognitive function, and academic achievement.

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Wright, Catherine M; Duquesnay, Paula J; Anzman-Frasca, Stephanie; Chomitz, Virginia R; Chui, Kenneth; Economos, Christina D; Langevin, Elizabeth G; Nelson, Miriam E; Sacheck, Jennifer M

2016-10-13

Physical activity (PA) is critical to preventing childhood obesity and contributes to children's overall physical and cognitive health, yet fewer than half of all children achieve the recommended 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Schools are an ideal setting to meeting PA guidelines, but competing demands and limited resources have impacted PA opportunities. The Fueling Learning through Exercise (FLEX) Study is a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the impact of two innovative school-based PA programs on children's MVPA, cognitive function, and academic outcomes. Twenty-four public elementary schools from low-income, ethnically diverse communities around Massachusetts were recruited and randomized to receive either 100 Mile Club® (walking/running program) or Just Move™ (classroom-based PA program) intervention, or control. Schoolchildren (grades 3-4, approximately 50 per school) were recruited to participate in evaluation. Primary outcome measures include PA via 7-day accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+ and wGT3X-BT), cognitive assessments, and academic achievement via state standardized test scores. Additional measures include height and weight, surveys assessing psycho-social factors related to PA, and dietary intake. School-level surveys assess PA infrastructure and resources and intervention implementation. Data are collected at baseline, mid-point (5-6 months post-baseline), and post-intervention (approximately 1.5 years post-baseline). Demographic data were collected by parents/caregivers at baseline. Mixed-effect models will test the short- and long-term effects of both programs on minutes spent in MVPA, as well as secondary outcomes including cognitive and academic outcomes. The FLEX study will evaluate strategies for increasing children's MVPA through two innovative, low-cost, school-based PA programs as well as their impact on children's cognitive functioning and academic success. Demonstration of a relationship

An Assessment of Factors Relating to High School Students' Science Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Jakeisha Jamice

This mixed-methods case study examined two out-of-school (OST) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs at a science-oriented high school on students' Self-Efficacy. Because STEM is a key for future innovation and economic growth, Americans have been developing a variety of approaches to increase student interest in science within the school curriculum and in OST programs. Nationwide, many OST programs are offered for students but few have engaged in an in-depth assessment. This study included an assessment of two different types of OST programs and direct observations by the researcher. This study involved two advisors (one male, one female), 111 students, and their parents during 2016. Student participants completed two standardized surveys, one to determine their Science Self-Efficacy and another to assess their engagement in science during their OST programs. Parents described their parental involvement and their child's interest in the OST program(s). The OST program advisors participated in lengthy interviews. Additionally, the advisors rated their perceived interest level of the enrolled students and recorded attendance data. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1997a) provided the theoretical framework. This theory describes the multidirectional influence of behavioral factors, personal factors, and environmental factors have on a student's Self-Efficacy. Compiled data from the teachers, students, and parents were used to determine the relationship of selected variables on Science Self-Efficacy of students. A correlational analysis revealed that students who participated in these OST programs possessed a high Mindset for the Enjoyment of science and that teacher ratings were also positively correlated to Mindset and Enjoyment of Science. Descriptive analyses showed that (a) girls who chose to participate in these OST programs possessed higher school grades in their in-school coursework than boys, (b) that parents of girls participated in more

Parental Overprotection: Effects on Self-Concept and Social and School Functioning.

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Oh, Susan Y.; And Others

Relationships between parental overprotection and fifth-graders' self-concept and level of social and school functioning were examined by means of systematic observations of parent-child interactions in the home, parent and child self-reports, teacher and peer ratings, grades, and achievement scores. Subjects were 43 middle-to-upper-middle income…

Formative Assessment and the Classroom Teacher: Recommendations for School Psychologists

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Williams, Stacy A. S.; Stenglein, Katherine

2016-01-01

In order for school psychologists to effectively work with teachers, it is important to understand not only the context in which they work, but to understand how educators consider and subsequently use data. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine how formative assessments are conceptualized in teacher training and pedagogical…

Relations among school/daycare functioning, fear of hypoglycaemia and quality of life in parents of young children with type 1 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbert, Linda J; Clary, Lauren; Owen, Victoria; Monaghan, Maureen; Alvarez, Vanessa; Streisand, Randi

2015-05-01

To investigate the type 1 diabetes-related school/daycare experiences of parents of young children and to examine the relationship among child school/daycare functioning, parent fear of hypoglycaemia and parent type 1 diabetes-related quality of life. Parents of young children who attend school/daycare must rely on others for daily type 1 diabetes management. Worry about school/daycare type 1 diabetes management may cause parental distress and contribute to diminished parent quality of life. Parental concerns about type 1 diabetes management in young children in the school/daycare setting have not been well described in the literature. Descriptive correlational and cross-sectional parent report of questionnaires design. As part of a randomised controlled trial for parents of young children with type 1 diabetes, 134 parents completed self-report measures at baseline. Data included demographic, school/daycare, and medical information, parent reports of child school/daycare functioning, parent fear of hypoglycaemia and parent type 1 diabetes-related quality of life. Parents of younger children, children on a more intensive medical regimen and children who had experienced type 1 diabetes-related unconsciousness or seizures had more school/daycare concerns. Parents who perceived their children had higher school/daycare functioning had less fear about hypoglycaemia and reported better type 1 diabetes-related quality of life. School/daycare functioning and fear of hypoglycaemia were significantly associated with parent type 1 diabetes-related quality of life. Parents' concerns about school/daycare functioning and fear of hypoglycaemia play an important role in parents' type 1 diabetes-related quality of life. Members of the healthcare team should be aware of concerns related to children attending school/daycare and provide additional support as warranted. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Validity and reliability of a nutrition knowledge survey for assessment in elementary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Jared R; Moyer-Mileur, Laurie J; Wilkinson, Robert D; Slater, Hillarie; Jordan, Kristine C

2010-03-01

Limited surveys are available to assess the nutrition knowledge of children. The goals of this study were to test the validity and reliability of a computer nutrition knowledge survey for elementary school students and to evaluate the impact of the "Fit Kids 'r' Healthy Kids" nutrition intervention via the knowledge survey. During survey development, a sample (n=12) of health educators, elementary school teachers, and registered dietitians assessed the survey. The target population consisted of first- through fourth-grade students from Salt Lake City, UT, metropolitan area schools. Participants were divided into reliability (n=68), intervention (n=74), and control groups (n=59). The reliability group took the survey twice (2 weeks apart); the intervention and control groups also took the survey twice, but at pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks later). Only students from the intervention group participated in four weekly nutrition classes. Reliability was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficients for knowledge scores. Results demonstrated appropriate content validity, as indicated by expert peer ratings. Test-retest reliability correlations were found to be significant for the overall survey (r=0.54; PNutrition knowledge was assessed upon program completion with paired samples t tests. Students from the intervention group demonstrated improvement in nutrition knowledge (12.2+/-1.9 to 13.5+/-1.6; Pnutrition survey demonstrated content validity and test-retest reliability for first- through fourth-grade elementary school children. Also, the study results imply that the Fit Kids 'r' Healthy Kids intervention promoted gains in nutrition knowledge. Overall, the computer survey shows promise as an appealing medium for assessing nutrition knowledge in children. Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Music therapy assessment in school settings: a preliminary investigation.

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Wilson, B L; Smith, D S

2000-01-01

The present investigation was undertaken in response to music therapists working in school settings for information relating to the availability of music therapy assessments and the feasibility of standardizing an assessment instrument for music therapists to use in school settings. Five research questions were identified, and the music therapy literature was surveyed to compile responses to those questions. Three different online data bases (ERIC, PsycINFO, and Article 1st) were used, covering articles published between 1980 and 1997. Individual hand searches were done of the Arts in Psychotherapy, Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of the International Association of Music for the Handicapped, Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives. The questions and responses were as follows: 1. Which music-based assessment tools are being used with children with disabilities? Little commonality in assessment tools being used by music therapists and researchers was discovered. Of the total 41 studies, 20 (49%) reported using a "named" or "titled" assessment tool, and in the remaining 51% of studies, the authors reported using an untitled, and usually experimenter-designed, original assessment tool. 2. Have certain assessments been used in more than one study? Very limited replication of existing assessments was found. Of the 16 "named" assessments, only 3 were found to be used in more than one research study. 3. Are the actual assessments published along with the articles describing their use? Only 3 of the 20 studies using named assessments were published along with the journal article. Of the remaining 21 studies using original, experimenter-designed assessment tools, only 6 (28%) had the assessment instrument published with the article. 4. What is the primary purpose for using the assessment? Six primary purposes emerged from the review of the literature: to compare with data obtained from other assessment measures or from other

Assessing cost-effectiveness in obesity: active transport program for primary school children--TravelSMART Schools Curriculum program.

Science.gov (United States)

Moodie, Marj; Haby, Michelle M; Swinburn, Boyd; Carter, Robert

2011-05-01

To assess from a societal perspective the cost-effectiveness of a school program to increase active transport in 10- to 11-year-old Australian children as an obesity prevention measure. The TravelSMART Schools Curriculum program was modeled nationally for 2001 in terms of its impact on Body Mass Index (BMI) and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) measured against current practice. Cost offsets and DALY benefits were modeled until the eligible cohort reached age 100 or died. The intervention was qualitatively assessed against second stage filter criteria ('equity,' 'strength of evidence,' 'acceptability to stakeholders,' 'feasibility of implementation,' 'sustainability,' and 'side-effects') given their potential impact on funding decisions. The modeled intervention reached 267,700 children and cost $AUD13.3M (95% uncertainty interval [UI] $6.9M; $22.8M) per year. It resulted in an incremental saving of 890 (95%UI -540; 2,900) BMI units, which translated to 95 (95% UI -40; 230) DALYs and a net cost per DALY saved of $AUD117,000 (95% UI dominated; $1.06M). The intervention was not cost-effective as an obesity prevention measure under base-run modeling assumptions. The attribution of some costs to nonobesity objectives would be justified given the program's multiple benefits. Cost-effectiveness would be further improved by considering the wider school community impacts.

Assessment of functional vision and its rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Colenbrander, August

2010-03-01

This article, based on a report prepared for the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR), explores the assessment of various aspects of visual functioning as needed to document the outcomes of vision rehabilitation. Documenting patient abilities and functional vision (how the person functions) is distinct from the measurement of visual functions (how the eye functions) and also from the assessment of quality of life. All three areas are important, but their assessment should not be mixed. Observation of task performance offers the most objective measure of functional vision, but it is time-consuming and not feasible for many tasks. Where possible, timing and error rates provide an easy score. Patient response questionnaires provide an alternative. They may save time and can cover a wider area, but the responses are subjective and proper scoring presents problems. Simple Likert scoring still predominates but Rasch analysis, needed to provide better result scales, is gaining ground. Selection of questions is another problem. If the range of difficulties does not match the range of patient abilities, and if the difficulties are not distributed evenly, the results are not optimal. This may be an argument to use different outcome questions for different conditions. Generic questionnaires are appropriate for the assessment of generic quality of life, but not for specific rehabilitation outcomes. Different questionnaires are also needed for screening, intake and outcomes. Intake questions must be relevant to actual needs to allow prioritization of rehabilitation goals; the activity inventory presents a prototype. Outcome questions should be targeted at predefined rehabilitation goals. The Appendix cites some promising examples. The Low Vision Intervention Trial (LOVIT) is an example of a properly designed randomized control study, and has demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of

A Reliability and Validity of an Instrument to Evaluate the School-Based Assessment System: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazali, Nor Hasnida Md

2016-01-01

A valid, reliable and practical instrument is needed to evaluate the implementation of the school-based assessment (SBA) system. The aim of this study is to develop and assess the validity and reliability of an instrument to measure the perception of teachers towards the SBA implementation in schools. The instrument is developed based on a…

Assessment of indoor levels of volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide in schools in Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Awadi, Layla

2018-01-01

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is a matter of concern because children are most vulnerable and sensitive to pollutant exposure. Conservation of energy at the expense of ventilation in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems adversely affects IAQ. Extensive use of new materials in building, fitting, and refurbishing emit various pollutants such that the indoor environment creates its own discomfort and health risks. Various schools in Kuwait were selected to assess their IAQ. Comprehensive measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) consisting of 72 organic compounds consisting of aliphatic (C 3 -C 6 ), aromatic (C 6 -C 9 ), halogenated (C 1 -C 7 ), and oxygenated (C 2 -C 9 ) functional groups in indoor air were made for the first time in schools in Kuwait. The concentrations of indoor air pollutants revealed hot spots (science preparation rooms, science laboratories, arts and crafts classes/paint rooms, and woodworking shops/decoration rooms where local sources contributed to the buildup of pollutants in each school. The most abundant VOC pollutant was chlorodifluoromethane (R22; ClF 2 CH), which leaked from air conditioning (AC) systems due to improper operation and maintenance. The other copious VOCs were alcohols and acetone at different locations due to improper handling of the chemicals and their excessive uses as solvents. Indoor carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels were measured, and these levels reflected the performance of HVAC systems; a specific rate or lack of ventilation affected the IAQ. Recommendations are proposed to mitigate the buildup of indoor air pollutants at school sites. Indoor air quality in elementary schools has been a subject of extreme importance due to susceptibility and sensibility of children to air pollutants. The schools were selected based on their surrounding environment especially downwind direction from the highly industrialized zone in Kuwait. Extensive sampling from different sites in four schools for

Teleconsultation in school settings: linking classroom teachers and behavior analysts through web-based technology.

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Frieder, Jessica E; Peterson, Stephanie M; Woodward, Judy; Crane, Jaelee; Garner, Marlane

2009-01-01

This paper describes a technically driven, collaborative approach to assessing the function of problem behavior using web-based technology. A case example is provided to illustrate the process used in this pilot project. A school team conducted a functional analysis with a child who demonstrated challenging behaviors in a preschool setting. Behavior analysts at a university setting provided the school team with initial workshop trainings, on-site visits, e-mail and phone communication, as well as live web-based feedback on functional analysis sessions. The school personnel implemented the functional analysis with high fidelity and scored the data reliably. Outcomes of the project suggest that there is great potential for collaboration via the use of web-based technologies for ongoing assessment and development of effective interventions. However, an empirical evaluation of this model should be conducted before wide-scale adoption is recommended.

Measurement Properties of Indirect Assessment Methods for Functional Behavioral Assessment: A Review of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Floyd, Randy G.; Phaneuf, Robin L.; Wilczynski, Susan M.

2005-01-01

Indirect assessment instruments used during functional behavioral assessment, such as rating scales, interviews, and self-report instruments, represent the least intrusive techniques for acquiring information about the function of problem behavior. This article provides criteria for examining the measurement properties of these instruments…

A qualitative study to assess school nurses' views on vaccinating 12–13 year old school girls against human papillomavirus without parental consent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baxter David

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the UK, parental consent for the routine vaccination of 12–13 year olds schoolgirls against human papillomavirus (HPV is recommended, although legally girls may be able to consent themselves. As part of a vaccine study conducted ahead of the National HPV Vaccine Programme we sought the views of school nurses on vaccinating girls who did not have parental consent. Methods HPV vaccination was offered to all 12 year old girls attending schools in two Primary Care Trusts in Greater Manchester. At the end of the study semi-structured, tape-recorded interviews were conducted with school nurses who had delivered the vaccine (Cervarix™. The interview template was based on concepts derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Transcripts were analysed thematically in order to understand school nurses' intentions to implement vaccination based on an assessment of Gillick competency. Results School nurses knew how to assess the competency of under-16s but were still unwilling to vaccinate if parents had refused permission. If parents had not returned the consent form, school nurses were willing to contact parents, and also to negotiate with parents who had refused consent. They seemed unaware that parental involvement required the child's consent to avoid breaking confidentiality. Nurses' attitudes were influenced by the young appearance and age of the school year group rather than an individual's level of maturity. They were also confused about the legal guidelines governing consent. School nurses acknowledged the child's right to vaccination and strongly supported prevention of HPV infection but ultimately believed that it was the parents' right to give consent. Most were themselves parents and shared other parents' concerns about the vaccine's novelty and unknown long-term side effects. Rather than vaccinate without parental consent, school nurses would defer vaccination. Conclusion Health providers have a duty of care to

Enhancing Executive Functions Among Dutch Elementary School Children Using the Train Your Mind Program: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial.

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Bervoets, Joachim; Jonkman, Lisa M; Mulkens, Sandra; de Vries, Hein; Kok, Gerjo

2018-06-07

Executive functions are higher cognitive control functions, which are essential to physical and psychological well-being, academic performance, and healthy social relationships. Executive functions can be trained, albeit without broad transfer, to this date. Broad transfer entails the translation of improved cognitive functions to daily life (behaviors). The intervention Train your Mind was designed to train executive functions among elementary school children aged 9 to 11 years, and obtain broad transfer in terms of enhanced physical activity, healthy eating, and socioemotional regulation. This paper aims to describe the cluster randomized trial to test the effectiveness of the Train your Mind intervention. Train your Mind was integrated into the existing school curriculum for 8 months (25 weeks excluding holidays). The effectiveness of the intervention was tested in a cluster randomized trial comprising 13 schools, 34 groups (school classes), and 800 children, using a battery of 6 computer tasks at pre- and postmeasurement. Each of the 3 core executive functions was measured by 2 tasks (Flanker and Go/No-Go; N-Back and Running Span; Attention Switching Task and Dots/Triangles). Moreover, we administered questionnaires that measure emotion-regulation, cognitive errors, physical activity, dietary habits, and the psycho-social determinants of diet and physical activity. Body mass index was also measured. Multilevel analyses will account for clustering at the school and group levels, and randomization took place at the school level. Results are currently being analyzed. The main purpose of this study is to test Train your Mind's effectiveness in enhancing executive functions. Second, we investigate whether increased executive functions lead to improved physical activity and healthy eating. If found effective, executive function training could easily be integrated into school curricula everywhere, and as such, boost health, academic performance, and emotion

The impact of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary school transition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharmila Vaz

Full Text Available Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC and mental health functioning (MHF of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten--Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten--Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten--Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition.

Construction and pilot assessment of the Lower Limb Function Assessment Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Allart, Etienne; Paquereau, Julie; Rogeau, Caroline; Daveluy, Walter; Kozlowski, Odile; Rousseaux, Marc

2014-01-01

Stroke often leads to upright standing and walking impairments. Clinical assessments do not sufficiently address ecological aspects and the patient's subjective evaluation of function. To perform a pilot assessment of the psychometric properties of the Lower Limb-Function Assessment Scale (LL-FAS). The LL-FAS includes 30 items assessing the patient's perception (in a questionnaire) and the examiner's perception (in a practical test) of upright standing and walking impairments and their impact on activities of daily living. We analyzed the LL-FAS's reliability, construct validity, internal consistency, predictive validity and feasibility. Thirty-five stroke patients were included. The scale's mean ± SD completion time was 25 ± 6 min. Intra-observer reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC >0.82). Interobserver reliability was moderate (0.67 0.9) and predictive validity were excellent. The LL-FAS showed fair psychometric properties in this pilot study and may be of value for evaluating post-stroke lower limb impairment.

Impact of Sociocultural Background and Assessment Data Upon School Psychologists' Decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Huebner, E. Scott; Cummings, Jack A.

1985-01-01

Psychologists (N=56) participated in an adapted version of Algozzine and Ysseldyke's (1981) diagnostic simulation to investigate the effects of sociocultural background (rural vs. suburban) and assessment data (normal vs. learning disabled) on educational decisions. Findings suggest school psychologists utilize multiple sources of information but…

Effect of breakfast timing on the cognitive functions of elementary school students.

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Vaisman, N; Voet, H; Akivis, A; Vakil, E

1996-10-01

To study the effect of breakfast timing on selected cognitive functions of elementary school students. A 2-week randomized control intervention trial. Five elementary schools. The subjects comprised 569 children, 51% of them boys, aged 11 to 13 years; the children were in grades 5 through 6 (17 classes). The subjects lived in different areas and had different socioeconomic backgrounds. Each subject was tested twice, by 2 versions of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, 2 alternative forms of the logical memory subtest of the revised Wechsler Memory Scale, and 2 versions of the Benton Visual Retention Test. On the first test, before any nutritional intervention, the subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire about their food intake on the day of testing. Two thirds of the subjects received 200 ml of 3%-fat milk and 30 g of sugared cornflakes for the next 14 days, and all the subjects were reexamined on the 15th day. Scoring on the different tests was compared with baseline scores. After 15 days, children who ate breakfast at school scored notably higher on most of the test modules than did children who ate breakfast at home and children who did not at breakfast. Our results indicate that routinely eating breakfast 2 hours prior to being tested does not improve cognitive functions in 11- to 13-year-old elementary school students, but food supplementation 30 minutes prior to taking a test notably improves scoring. We suggest further studies on the relationship between meal content, feeding time, and scholastic performance.

I Can Stand Learning: A Controlled Pilot Intervention Study on the Effects of Increased Standing Time on Cognitive Function in Primary School Children

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Katharina Wick

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sedentarism is considered an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of employing standing desks in classrooms on cognitive function. The intervention class (IG; n = 19 was supplied with standing desks and balance pads for 11 weeks. The control class (CG; n = 19 received lessons as usual. Standing time was assessed objectively (accelerometers and subjectively (self-report sheets, external classroom observers. The impact of standing on the digit span task and Eriksen flanker task was analysed. The standing time of the IG was higher during the school day in comparison to the CG (lesson: p = 0.004; break: p = 0.003. The intra-class correlation coefficient between self-reports and external observation was high (ICC = 0.94. The IG improved slightly on the Digit Span Task compared to CG. Employing standing desks for at least 1 h per school day serves as a feasible and effective opportunity to improve cognitive function.

Predicting Teachers' Intentions to Implement School-Based Assessment Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour

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Yan, Zi

2014-01-01

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used to explore the Hong Kong teachers' intentions to implement school-based assessment (SBA) and the predictors of those intentions. A total of 280 teachers from Hong Kong secondary schools who had been involved in SBA were surveyed. Rasch-calibrated teacher measures were calculated for each of the 6…

Assessing multiple intelligences in elementary-school students

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Strecker, Catherine Hunt

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a clear understanding of the manner in which fourth-grade students attending a Kansas elementary school learn when engaged in science activities grounded in H. Gardner's book, Frames of mind the theory of multiple intelligences (1983). The significance of this research lies in the discovery of the difference between teaching practice grounded in multiple intelligences versus that based upon traditional theory. Teacher self-perceptions with regard to the effectiveness of their instruction and student assessment within the classroom were also explored. The research evaluated the overall effectiveness of both traditional curriculum delivery and that rooted in the concept of multiple intelligences.

Measuring emotion socialization in schools.

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Horner, Christy G; Wallace, Tanner L

2013-10-01

Understanding how school personnel can best support students' development of communication skills around feelings is critical to long-term health outcomes. The measurement of emotion socialization in schools facilitates future research in this area; we review existing measures of emotion socialization to assess their applicability to school-based health studies. A content analysis of four emotion socialization measures was conducted. Inclusion criteria included: high frequency of use in prior research, established documentation of validity and reliability, and sufficient description of measurement procedures. Four dimensions emerged as particularly salient to a measure's future relevance and applicability to school-based health studies: (1) methods of measurement; (2) mode and agent of socialization; (3) type of emotion; and (4) structure versus function of socializing behavior. Future measurement strategies should address (1) the structures of emotion socializing processes; (2) diverse socializing agents such as teachers, peers, and administrators; (3) the intended functions of such processes; (4) student perceptions of and responses to such processes; and (5) the complex interactions of these factors across contexts. Strategies attending to these components will permit future studies of school-based emotion socializing processes to determine how they enhance health and reduce health risks. © 2013, American School Health Association.

The Organizational Health of Urban Elementary Schools: School Health and Teacher Functioning.

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