Computer-Based Assessment of School Readiness and Early Reasoning

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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…

School Readiness Factor Analyzed.

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Brenner, Anton; Scott, Leland H.

This paper is an empirical statistical analysis and interpretation of data relating to school readiness previously examined and reported on a theoretical basis. A total of 118 white, middle class children from six consecutive kindergarten groups in Dearborn, Michigan were tested with seven instruments, evaluated in terms of achievement, ability,…

Sleep Duration and School Readiness of Chinese Preschool Children.

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Tso, Winnie; Rao, Nirmala; Jiang, Fan; Li, Albert Martin; Lee, So-Lun; Ho, Frederick Ka-Wing; Li, Sophia Ling; Ip, Patrick

2016-02-01

To examine the average sleep duration in Chinese preschoolers and to investigate the association between sleep duration and school readiness. This is a cross-sectional study that included 553 Chinese children (mean age = 5.46 years) from 20 preschools in 2 districts of Hong Kong. Average daily sleep duration in the last week was reported by parents and school readiness as measured by the teacher-rated Chinese Early Development Instrument (CEDI). Most Chinese preschoolers had 9-10 hours of sleep per day. Only 11% of preschoolers had the recommended 11-12 hours of sleep per day. This group was associated with more "very ready" CEDI domains. Sleep deprivation (≤7 hours per day) was associated with a lower CEDI total score, lower scores in the emotional maturity and language/cognitive domain, and prosocial behaviors subdomain but a greater score in the hyperactivity/inattention subdomain. Children with a lower family socioeconomic index, lower maternal education level, infrequent parent-child interactions, and who used electronic devices for more than 3 hours per day had shortened sleep durations. Optimal sleep duration was associated with better school readiness in preschool children, whereas sleep deprivation was associated with lower school readiness, more hyperactivity and inattention, and less prosocial behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of School Readiness Program Interventions on Children's Learning in Cambodia

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Nonoyama-Tarumi, Yuko; Bredenberg, Kurt

2009-01-01

To reduce the high repetition rates in early years of primary school, the government of Cambodia piloted a school readiness program (SRP) in the first two months of Grade 1 of primary school. This study examines whether such intervention has effects on students' immediate acquisition of school readiness skills as well as students' longer term…

The Pediatrician's Role in Optimizing School Readiness.

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2016-09-01

School readiness includes not only the early academic skills of children but also their physical health, language skills, social and emotional development, motivation to learn, creativity, and general knowledge. Families and communities play a critical role in ensuring children's growth in all of these areas and thus their readiness for school. Schools must be prepared to teach all children when they reach the age of school entry, regardless of their degree of readiness. Research on early brain development emphasizes the effects of early experiences, relationships, and emotions on creating and reinforcing the neural connections that are the basis for learning. Pediatricians, by the nature of their relationships with families and children, may significantly influence school readiness. Pediatricians have a primary role in ensuring children's physical health through the provision of preventive care, treatment of illness, screening for sensory deficits, and monitoring nutrition and growth. They can promote and monitor the social-emotional development of children by providing anticipatory guidance on development and behavior, by encouraging positive parenting practices, by modeling reciprocal and respectful communication with adults and children, by identifying and addressing psychosocial risk factors, and by providing community-based resources and referrals when warranted. Cognitive and language skills are fostered through timely identification of developmental problems and appropriate referrals for services, including early intervention and special education services; guidance regarding safe and stimulating early education and child care programs; and promotion of early literacy by encouraging language-rich activities such as reading together, telling stories, and playing games. Pediatricians are also well positioned to advocate not only for children's access to health care but also for high-quality early childhood education and evidence-based family supports such as

Defining School Readiness in Maryland: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective. Publication #2012-44

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Forry, Nicole; Wessel, Julia

2012-01-01

Increased emphasis has been placed on children's ability to enter kindergarten ready to learn, a concept referred to as "school readiness." School readiness has been defined by the Maryland State Department of Education as "the stage of human development that enables a child to engage in, and benefit from, primary learning…

And still WE rise: Parent-child relationships, resilience, and school readiness in low-income urban Black families.

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Anderson, Riana Elyse

2018-02-01

The Family Stress Model acknowledges forms of resilience in the face of hardship; however, few studies have emerged on the potentially positive role of familial relationships in the academic, psychological, and prosocial success of impoverished Black children. The current study evaluates how parent-child relationship conflict and financial stress are associated with children's school readiness (i.e., academic, psychosocial, and socioemotional indicators). Latent profile analyses, incorporating financial stress, general stress, and parent-child relationship variables were used to test whether varying family stress profiles differentially predicted children's school readiness in Black families with children entering kindergarten (N = 292). Findings revealed 4 latent classifications with profiles of low, moderate, moderate/high, and high/moderate stress and conflict variables, respectively. Whereas the low-profile was associated with the most desirable school readiness indicators overall, children in the high/moderate-profile were rated as significantly more psychosocially and socioemotionally prepared for school than their moderate/high-profile counterparts. Families with less conflictual parent-child relationships had more optimal school readiness relative to families with higher conflict and less financial strain. The findings of the current study have the potential to contribute to theories of poverty and parent-child relationships, as well as guide therapeutic services focused on family relationships through school- and community-related programs for impoverished urban Black youth and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

College and Career Readiness in Elementary Schools

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Pulliam, Nicole; Bartek, Samantha

2018-01-01

This conceptual article will provide an in-depth exploration of the relevant literature focused on college and career readiness interventions in elementary schools. Beginning with a theoretical framework, a rationale is provided for early intervention by elementary school counselors. While professional guidelines and standards exist supporting…

Neighbourhood ethnic diversity buffers school readiness impact in ESL children.

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Puchala, Chassidy; Vu, Lan T H; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2010-01-01

Contextual factors, as measured by neighbourhood characteristics, shape the experiences children have and affect their "school readiness", i.e., whether they are well or poorly prepared for the transition from home to kindergarten. This study assessed the independent effects of individual and neighbourhood factors on school readiness; specifically, it examined whether and to what degree neighbourhood factors modified children's language ability and thus their school readiness in a population of children in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The study included all children attending kindergarten in 2001, 2003 and 2005 in Saskatoon. School readiness and child characteristics were measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The EDI measures child development at school commencement in five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, cognitive and language development, and communication skills and general knowledge. Data from the 2001 Census were used to characterize Saskatoon's neighbourhoods. Multilevel modeling examined the independent and buffering or exacerbating effects of individual and neighbourhood factors on the relation between English as a Second Language (ESL) status in children and EDI domain scores. ESL children had significantly lower scores on all EDI domains compared with non-ESL children. Certain factors (e.g., younger age, male, Aboriginal status, having special needs) were significantly related to lower readiness in terms of the emotional maturity, and communication skills and general knowledge domains. Importantly, children who lived in neighbourhoods that were highly transient (with a higher proportion of residents who had moved in the previous year) had lower EDI scores on both domains, and those in neighbourhoods with lower rates of employment had lower EDI scores on communication skills and general knowledge. Neighbourhood ethnic diversity mitigated the negative impact of ESL status on school readiness for both

Readiness of primary school teachers to accept disabled children

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Đević Rajka

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of the research with the basic goal to study the readiness of primary school teachers to accept disabled students. Research participants were 205 teachers from primary schools at the territory of Serbia. The goal was accomplished through: (a studying attitudes towards joint education of disabled students and their peers; (b studying teachers' experiences in working with disabled students; and (c studying teachers' readiness to accept disabled students, depending on their involvement/non-involvement in projects of inclusive education. Teachers express supportive attitudes towards joint schooling, but more than one half of them think that a selective approach is necessary in that process, according to the kind and degree of developmental disability. They support joint schooling from the humanistic point of view, but express concerns about the academic achievement of classes that include disabled students. The majority of teachers had experience in working with disabled students and based on that provided interesting suggestions for improving joint schooling. Higher readiness for accepting disabled students was demonstrated by teachers whose schools were involved in the projects of inclusive education. That implies the need for involving schools in similar projects and enabling teachers' immediate contact with students with developmental disabilities.

Predicting College Readiness in STEM: A Longitudinal Study of Iowa Students

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Rickels, Heather Anne

The demand for STEM college graduates is increasing. However, recent studies show there are not enough STEM majors to fulfill this need. This deficiency can be partially attributed to a gender discrepancy in the number of female STEM graduates and to the high rate of attrition of STEM majors. As STEM attrition has been associated with students being unprepared for STEM coursework, it is important to understand how STEM graduates change in achievement levels from middle school through high school and to have accurate readiness indicators for first-year STEM coursework. This study aimed to address these issues by comparing the achievement growth of STEM majors to non-STEM majors by gender in Science, Math, and Reading from Grade 6 to Grade 11 through latent growth models (LGMs). Then STEM Readiness Benchmarks were established in Science and Math on the Iowas (IAs) for typical first-year STEM courses and validity evidence was provided for the benchmarks. Results from the LGM analyses indicated that STEM graduates start at higher achievement levels in Grade 6 and maintain higher achievement levels through Grade 11 in all subjects. In addition, gender differences were examined. The findings indicate that students with high achievement levels self-select as STEM majors, regardless of gender. In addition, they suggest that students who are not on-track for a STEM degree may need to begin remediation prior to high school. Results from the benchmark analyses indicate that STEM coursework is more demanding and that students need to be better prepared academically in science and math if planning to pursue a STEM degree. In addition, the STEM Readiness Benchmarks were more accurate in predicting success in STEM courses than if general college readiness benchmarks were utilized. Also, students who met the STEM Readiness Benchmarks were more likely to graduate with a STEM degree. This study provides valuable information on STEM readiness to students, educators, and college

The readiness of schools in Zimbabwe for the implementation of early childhood education

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Ezron Mangwaya

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This qualitative study focuses on primary schools' state of readiness for the introduction of early childhood education. Adopting a multiple case study design, the article explores, through semi-structured interviews and documentation, school heads, teachers-in-charge and classroom teachers' perceptions of their respective schools' state of readiness for the installation and implementation of early childhood education. The study established that, while classroom teachers were adequately qualified to implement early childhood education, teachers-in-charge were not. Secondly, school heads received limited induction for the introduction and implementation of early childhood education. Additionally, inadequate teaching-learning resources and lack of on-going teacher support contributed to schools' lack of readiness for the introduction of early childhood education. The study recommends interventions that curriculum planners and implementers can utilise in order to create conditions that enable primary schools to be ready for introducing and implementing early childhood education.

The research reported in this article was conducted from a socio-environmental perspective on learners’ school readiness when entering Grade 1, as well as their school performance in Grade 1 and again in Grade 4. The relation between school readiness and

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Erna van Zyl

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The research reported in this article was conducted from a socio-environmental perspective on learners’ school readiness when entering Grade 1, as well as their school performance in Grade 1 and again in Grade 4. The relation between school readiness and performance in Home Language and Numeracy in Grade 1, and performance in the same learning areas in Grade 4 were investigated by means of a longitudinal quantitative study. One school in the Free State province was purposefully selected. The Aptitude Test for School Beginners (ASB was implemented to capture school readiness, including school maturity and levels of development in physical, cognitive, emotional, social and normative domains. Results confirm that school readiness significantly correlated with academic performance of the respondents in Grade 1 as well as with their school performance in Grade 4.

E-Learning Readiness in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

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Ouma, Gordon O.; Awuor, Fredrick M.; Kyambo, Benjamin

2013-01-01

As e-learning becomes useful to learning institutions worldwide, an assessment of e-learning readiness is essential for the successful implementation of e-learning as a platform for learning. Success in e-learning can be achieved by understanding the level of readiness of e-learning environments. To facilitate schools in Kenya to implement…

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…

Exploring the construct of school readiness based on child development for kindergarten children

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Farida Agus Setiawati

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Indonesian government has regulated that the basic age of readiness of a child to attend elementary schools is 7 years old. In fact, some children are not exactly 7 years old when they first go to school because they develop more rapidly. This study is aimed at investigating some aspects of child development which affect their readiness to attend elementary school. The subjects were 101 grade 1, 2, and 3 teachers of elementary schools in Yogyakarta, a special Region in Indonesia. The data were collected through interviews. The results of the data collection were analyzed using both descriptive quantitative and qualitative techniques. The results of the study show some aspects of child development affecting their readiness to attend elementary schools, including cognitive and language ability, social emotional skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, arts, religion and moral values, and some others. Beside these aspects, some problems in grades 1, 2, and 3 are also found. This study is expected to give significant indicators to create the construct of school readiness.

The Effect of Preschool on Children's School Readiness

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Marjanovic Umek, Ljubica; Kranjc, Simona; Fekonja, Urska; Bajc, Katja

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of preschool on children's school readiness in connection with their intellectual abilities, language competence and parents' education. The sample included 219 children from 68 to 83 months old attending the first year of primary school, differentiated by whether or not they had attended…

Effects of Preschool Intervention Strategies on School Readiness in Kindergarten

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Ma, Xin; Nelson, Regena F.; Shen, Jianping; Krenn, Huilan Y.

2015-01-01

Using hierarchical linear modeling, the present study aimed to examine whether targeted intervention strategies implemented individually during a preschool program exhibited any short-term and long-term effects on children's school readiness in kindergarten, utilizing data gathered through the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK)…

Zero Energy Schools: Designing for the Future: Zero Energy Ready K-12 Schools

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Torcellini, Paul A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-29

Designing, building, and operating zero energy ready K-12 schools provides benefits for districts, students, and teachers. Optimizing energy efficiency is important in any building, but it's particularly important in K-12 schools. Many U.S. school districts struggle for funding, and improving a school building's energy efficiency can free up operational funds that may then be available for educational and other purposes.

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…

Technology Readiness of School Teachers: An Empirical Study of Measurement and Segmentation

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Badri, Masood; Al Rashedi, Asma; Yang, Guang; Mohaidat, Jihad; Al Hammadi, Arif

2014-01-01

The Technology Readiness Index (TRI) developed by Parasuraman (2000) was adapted to measure the technology readiness of public school teachers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The study aims at better understanding the factors (mostly demographics) that affect such readiness levels. In addition, Abu Dhabi teachers are segmented into five main…

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF READINESS OF TEACHERS IN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS TO IMPLEMENT STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH

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Hanna Tkachuk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the problem of readiness for professional (educational activity of teachers in vocational schools. The paper determines the relevance of readiness of teachers of special subjects of vocational schools to personality-oriented professional interaction with students and singled pedagogical conditions that determine this process. The analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature on the interpretation of the concepts of "readiness" and "commitment to the professional (educational activities" is conducted. The features of this type of activity are revealed. It is determined that in the modern branch of science the phenomenon of readiness for professional work is studied at the personal, functional and personal-activity levels. The author suggests the generalized definition of "readiness for professional (teaching activity" in the context of personal interaction between the participants of the educational process of vocational school.

PERFORMANCES PARENTS ABOUT EMOTIONAL READINESS OF THE CHILD TO SCHOOL WHEN ANALYZING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EMOTIONAL READINESS OF CHILDREN IN THE TRANSITION FROM KINDERGARTEN TO FIRST GRADE

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Ekaterina Sergeevna Novitskaya

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article examines the importance of emotional understanding of parents child’s readiness for school. The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of parental influence perceptions about the emotional readiness of children to the actual level of emotional readiness of the child. An experimental study was conducted comparing the methods, testing, questionnaires, observations, interviews, expert assessments, Longitude. We compared the performance of emotional readiness of children in the preparatory group of the kindergarten and the beginning of the school year in first grade. The study revealed that parents consider the emotional readiness primarily in the structure of the psychological readiness; representations of parents about the emotional readiness to occupy the last place among the other groups of ideas. Weak concrete definition of representations of parents about the emotional school readiness issues contributes to the emotional sphere of the child at an early stage of learning in first grade.

"Change in Schools It's More Like Sort of Turning an Oil Tanker": Creating Readiness for Health Promoting Schools

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Gardner, Belinda; Ollis, Debbie

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to add to the evidence of best practice in the implementation of the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework by examining the process of creating readiness for change in a large international school in South-East Asia. Using a settings-based approach and guided by readiness for change theory the data…

Democracy in schools: are educators ready for teacher leadership?

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Elsabé de Villiers; SG (Fanie) Pretorius

2011-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine educators' perceptions of and readiness for teacher leadership. A total of 283 educators in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District in the Western Cape participated in the study. The participants included district officials, principals, and members of school management teams, as well as veteran, middle, and novice educators. A series of instruments was used to determine educators' perspectives, perceptions and readiness for teacher leadership, i...

Development toward School Readiness: A Holistic Model

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Gaynor, Alan Kibbe

2015-01-01

A systemic analysis of early childhood development factors explains the variance in school readiness among representative U.S. 5-year-olds. The underlying theory incorporates a set of causally interactive endogenous variables that are hypothesized to be driven by the effects of three exogenous variables: parental education, immigrant status and…

Readiness for School, According to the Perspectives of Grade 1 Teachers and Parents

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Sezai KOÇYIĞIT

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In Turkey, every child who turned 72 months old are initiated elementary school without considering individual differences and whether or not they had any pre-school education, but is every child who started school mentally, socially-emotionally and physically ready to meet requirements of elementary school? Purpose of this research is to determine skills and abilities required for the “school readiness” according to the Grade 1 teachers and parents and reveal results of this situation related to pre-school education. This study was performed with 14 Grade 1 teachers who work in the private and public elementary schools of Konya city and with 13 parents. In research, semi-structured interview was used in order to get perspectives of participants about the phenomenon of readiness level of school that was consisted of open-ended questions. Raw data that were obtained through interviews have been analyzed by using descriptive analysis technique. According to the findings of research, Grade 1 teachers of elementary school described school readiness as “being matured to the ability required by the Grade 1 of elementary school” and stated that this maturity depends on parallel development of social, emotional, mental and physical aspects of child. Teachers also think that pre-school education must be compulsory for children to readily start school.

Arte Juntos/Art Together: Promoting School Readiness among Latino Children through Parent Engagement and Social Inclusion in a Suburban Museum

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Zoila Tazi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Census data reveal that suburban communities are becoming increasingly diverse. Once considered affluent and predictable places, American suburbs are now confronting increasing poverty rates as well as ethnic, racial and linguistic diversity. Currently, more than half of US Latinos live in the suburbs. Schools and public institutions such as museums are challenged to provide programming that meets the needs of Latinos, who are disproportionately poor (Ackerman and Tazi 2015:3. Promoting school readiness among Latino children is an important effort in maximizing the potential and educational attainment of this growing population. In one suburban community, a school-museum collaboration resulted in a bilingual parent-child program promoting school readiness and social inclusion for Latino families. Arte Juntos/Art Together engaged parents and children using art andculture-based activities that developed observation skills, creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary, and aesthetic appreciation. Celebrating diverse perspectives and self-expression, the program provided access to museums as enriching spaces for informal learning, personal empowerment and social inclusion

School Readiness and Rudolf Steiner's Theory of Learning.

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Ogletree, Earl J.; Ujlaki, Vilma

This paper presents Rudolf Steiner's maturational readiness theory of human physiopsychology and comments on education in the Waldorf Schools. Discussion asserts that Steiner's concept of human development is complex and that intensive study is required for even a superficial understanding of "the four members of man": the physical,…

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of a School Readiness Screener by Gender and Parent Education Levels

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Quirk, Matthew; Mayworm, Ashley; Furlong, Michael J.; Grimm, Ryan; Rebelez, Jennica

2015-01-01

This study examined the dimensionality and measurement invariance of the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP), a brief screening tool designed for use as a universal school readiness assessment. Teachers rated the readiness of 10,031 children during the first month of kindergarten in four ethnically diverse, medium-sized school districts…

The Brand's PREACH Model: Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health.

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Brand, Dorine J; Alston, Reginald J

2017-09-01

Despite many attempts to reduce health disparities, health professionals face obstacles in improving poor health outcomes within the African American (AA) community. To promote change for improved health measures, it is important to implement culturally tailored programming through a trusted institution, such as the AA church. While churches have the potential to play an important role in positively impacting health among AAs, it is unclear what attributes are necessary to predict success or failure for health promotion within these institutions. The purpose of this study was to create a model, the Brand's PREACH ( Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health) Model, to predict the readiness of AA churches to engage in health promotion programming. Thirty-six semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with 12 pastors, 12 health leaders, and 12 congregants to gain information on the relationship between church infrastructure (physical structure, personnel, funding, and social/cultural support), readiness, and health promotion programming. The findings revealed that church infrastructure has an association with and will predict the readiness of a church to engage in health promotion programming. The ability to identify readiness early on will be useful for developing, implementing, and evaluating faith-based interventions, in partnership with churches, which is a key factor for sustainable and effective programs.

Readiness of Teachers for Change in Schools

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Kondakci, Yasar; Beycioglu, Kadir; Sincar, Mehmet; Ugurlu, Celal Teyyar

2017-01-01

Theorizing on the role of teacher attitudes in change effectiveness, this study examined the predictive value of context (trust), process (social interaction, participative management and knowledge sharing) and outcome (job satisfaction and workload perception) variables for cognitive, emotional and intentional readiness of teachers for change.…

A medical school's organizational readiness for curriculum change (MORC): development and validation of a questionnaire.

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Jippes, Mariëlle; Driessen, Erik W; Broers, Nick J; Majoor, Gerard D; Gijselaers, Wim H; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2013-09-01

Because successful change implementation depends on organizational readiness for change, the authors developed and assessed the validity of a questionnaire, based on a theoretical model of organizational readiness for change, designed to measure, specifically, a medical school's organizational readiness for curriculum change (MORC). In 2012, a panel of medical education experts judged and adapted a preliminary MORC questionnaire through a modified Delphi procedure. The authors administered the resulting questionnaire to medical school faculty involved in curriculum change and tested the psychometric properties using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and generalizability analysis. The mean relevance score of the Delphi panel (n = 19) reached 4.2 on a five-point Likert-type scale (1 = not relevant and 5 = highly relevant) in the second round, meeting predefined criteria for completing the Delphi procedure. Faculty (n = 991) from 131 medical schools in 56 countries completed MORC. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three underlying factors-motivation, capability, and external pressure-in 12 subscales with 53 items. The scale structure suggested by exploratory factor analysis was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach alpha ranged from 0.67 to 0.92 for the subscales. Generalizability analysis showed that the MORC results of 5 to 16 faculty members can reliably evaluate a school's organizational readiness for change. MORC is a valid, reliable questionnaire for measuring organizational readiness for curriculum change in medical schools. It can identify which elements in a change process require special attention so as to increase the chance of successful implementation.

College Readiness versus College Worthiness: Examining the Role of Principal Beliefs on College Readiness Initiatives in an Urban U.S. High School

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Convertino, Christina; Graboski-Bauer, Ashley

2018-01-01

In light of increasing emphasis on the importance of post-secondary education to personal economic security, there is growing interest to promote college readiness initiatives in high schools, particularly for low-income and minority students for whom the harmful effects of institutional inequities on college readiness is well-documented.…

Predicting implementation from organizational readiness for change: a study protocol

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Kelly P Adam

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is widespread interest in measuring organizational readiness to implement evidence-based practices in clinical care. However, there are a number of challenges to validating organizational measures, including inferential bias arising from the halo effect and method bias - two threats to validity that, while well-documented by organizational scholars, are often ignored in health services research. We describe a protocol to comprehensively assess the psychometric properties of a previously developed survey, the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment. Objectives Our objective is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the psychometric properties of the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment incorporating methods specifically to address threats from halo effect and method bias. Methods and Design We will conduct three sets of analyses using longitudinal, secondary data from four partner projects, each testing interventions to improve the implementation of an evidence-based clinical practice. Partner projects field the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment at baseline (n = 208 respondents; 53 facilities, and prospectively assesses the degree to which the evidence-based practice is implemented. We will conduct predictive and concurrent validities using hierarchical linear modeling and multivariate regression, respectively. For predictive validity, the outcome is the change from baseline to follow-up in the use of the evidence-based practice. We will use intra-class correlations derived from hierarchical linear models to assess inter-rater reliability. Two partner projects will also field measures of job satisfaction for convergent and discriminant validity analyses, and will field Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment measures at follow-up for concurrent validity (n = 158 respondents; 33 facilities. Convergent and discriminant validities will test associations between organizational readiness and

Reframing School Readiness: Case Studies of African-American and Latina Head Start Parents

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King, Nicole Colette

2017-01-01

The "school readiness gap" has been attributed to differences in family life, home-school connections, and social inequalities. The current school-parent partnership model fails to acknowledge the ways in which parent roles in education, and the home-school relations in which they are embedded, reflect broader social inequalities that…

Predicting ready biodegradability of premanufacture notice chemicals.

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Boethling, Robert S; Lynch, David G; Thom, Gary C

2003-04-01

Chemical substances other than pesticides, drugs, and food additives are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), but the United States does not require that new substances be tested automatically for such critical properties as biodegradability. The resulting lack of submitted data has fostered the development of estimation methods, and the BioWIN models for predicting biodegradability from chemical structure have played a prominent role in premanufacture notice (PMN) review. Until now, validation efforts have used only the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) test data and have not included all models. To assess BioWIN performance with PMN substances, we assembled a database of PMNs for which ready biodegradation data had been submitted over the period 1995 through 2001. The 305 PMN structures are highly varied and pose major challenges to chemical property estimation. Despite the variability of ready biodegradation tests, the use of at least six different test methods, and widely varying quality of submitted data, accuracy of four of six BioWIN models (MITI linear, MITI nonlinear, survey ultimate, survey primary) was in the 80+% range for predicting ready biodegradability. Greater accuracy (>90%) can be achieved by using model estimates only when the four models agree (true for 3/4 of the PMNs). The BioWIN linear and nonlinear probability models did not perform as well even when classification criteria were optimized. The results suggest that the MITI and survey BioWIN models are suitable for use in screening-level applications.

Children's school readiness: implications for eliminating future disparities in health and education.

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Pagani, Linda S; Fitzpatrick, Caroline

2014-02-01

School-entry characteristics predict adult educational attainment, which forecasts dispositions toward disease prevention. Health and education risks can also be transmitted from one generation to the next. As such, school readiness forecasts a set of intertwined biopsychosocial trajectories that can influence the developmental antecedents to health and disease prevalence in society. To predict children's health behaviors and academic adjustment at the end of fourth grade from their kindergarten entry math, vocabulary, and attention skills. We use a subsample of 614 girls and 541 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (Canada). Children were individually assessed for cognitive skills and teachers rated their classroom attention skills at 65 months. Outcome measures include health behaviors, psychosocial, and academic outcomes at 122 months. Multiple regression analyses were used. Receptive vocabulary in kindergarten exclusively predicted fourth-grade dietary habits. Unstandardized coefficients predicted decreases in sweet snack intake (β = -.009, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -.011 to -.006) and dairy product intake (β = .009, 95% CI = .005 to .013). Conversely, higher kindergarten math skills predicted increases in activities requiring physical effort (β = .030, 95% CI = .011 to .056). Although vocabulary and attention skills were found important, kindergarten math skills were stronger and more consistent predictors of later academic outcomes. From a population-health perspective, the skills children bring to the kindergarten classroom might reduce a host of lifestyle risks from childhood through adulthood. Early promotion of such skills also offers possibilities for ultimately reducing later disparities in health and education.

Using Positive Behavior Support Procedures in Head Start Classrooms to Improve School Readiness: A Group Training and Behavioral Coaching Model

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Feil, Edward G.; Walker, Hill; Severson, Herbert; Golly, Annemieke; Seeley, John R.; Small, Jason W.

2009-01-01

Social-emotional competence is an important determinant of school readiness. School readiness, in turn, sets the stage for school success. There is clear longitudinal evidence that school success, attachment and bonding to the schooling process, and full engagement of schooling can, in combination, operate as a protective factor against a host of…

The relationship between assessment methods and self-directed learning readiness in medical education.

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Monroe, Katherine S

2016-03-11

This research explored the assessment of self-directed learning readiness within the comprehensive evaluation of medical students' knowledge and skills and the extent to which several variables predicted participants' self-directed learning readiness prior to their graduation. Five metrics for evaluating medical students were considered in a multiple regression analysis. Fourth-year medical students at a competitive US medical school received an informed consent and an online survey. Participants voluntarily completed a self-directed learning readiness scale that assessed four subsets of self-directed learning readiness and consented to the release of their academic records. The assortment of metrics considered in this study only vaguely captured students' self-directedness. The strongest predictors were faculty evaluations of students' performance on clerkship rotations. Specific clerkship grades were mildly predictive of three subscales. The Pediatrics clerkship modestly predicted critical self-evaluation (r=-.30, p=.01) and the Psychiatry clerkship mildly predicted learning self-efficacy (r =-.30, p=.01), while the Junior Surgery clerkship nominally correlated with participants' effective organization for learning (r=.21, p=.05). Other metrics examined did not contribute to predicting participants' readiness for self-directed learning. Given individual differences among participants for the variables considered, no combination of students' grades and/or test scores overwhelmingly predicted their aptitude for self-directed learning. Considering the importance of fostering medical students' self-directed learning skills, schools need a reliable and pragmatic approach to measure them. This data analysis, however, offered no clear-cut way of documenting students' self-directed learning readiness based on the evaluation metrics included.

Democracy in schools: are educators ready for teacher leadership ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this research was to determine educators' perceptions of and readiness for teacher leadership. A total of 283 educators in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District in the Western Cape participated in the study. The participants included district officials, principals, and members of school management teams, ...

The Readiness of High School Students to Pursue First Year Physics

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Ramnarain, U.; Molefe, P.

2012-01-01

A high failure rate at first year physics is often attributed to the lack of readiness of high school students to pursue such studies. This research explores this issue and reports on the perceptions of five physics lecturers at a South African university on the preparedness of high school students for first year physics. Qualitative data was…

The Relations of Early Television Viewing to School Readiness and Vocabulary of Children from Low-Income Families: The Early Window Project.

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Wright, John C.; Auston, Aletha C.; Murphy, Kimberlee C.; St. Peters, Michelle; Pinon, Ronda Scantlin; Kotler, Jennifer

2001-01-01

Collected time-use diaries of television viewing from two cohorts of children (ages 2-5 and 4-7) from low-income families and gave annual tests of reading, math, receptive vocabulary, and school readiness. Found that viewing of child-audience informative programs between ages 2 and 3 predicted higher academic performance. Frequent viewers of…

Using Biowin, Bayes, and batteries to predict ready biodegradability.

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Boethling, Robert S; Lynch, David G; Jaworska, Joanna S; Tunkel, Jay L; Thom, Gary C; Webb, Simon

2004-04-01

Whether or not a given chemical substance is readily biodegradable is an important piece of information in risk screening for both new and existing chemicals. Despite the relatively low cost of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development tests, data are often unavailable and biodegradability must be estimated. In this paper, we focus on the predictive value of selected Biowin models and model batteries using Bayesian analysis. Posterior probabilities, calculated based on performance with the model training sets using Bayes' theorem, were closely matched by actual performance with an expanded set of 374 premanufacture notice (PMN) substances. Further analysis suggested that a simple battery consisting of Biowin3 (survey ultimate biodegradation model) and Biowin5 (Ministry of International Trade and Industry [MITI] linear model) would have enhanced predictive power in comparison to individual models. Application of the battery to PMN substances showed that performance matched expectation. This approach significantly reduced both false positives for ready biodegradability and the overall misclassification rate. Similar results were obtained for a set of 63 pharmaceuticals using a battery consisting of Biowin3 and Biowin6 (MITI nonlinear model). Biodegradation data for PMNs tested in multiple ready tests or both inherent and ready biodegradation tests yielded additional insights that may be useful in risk screening.

A Medical School's Organizational Readiness for Curriculum Change (MORC): Development and Validation of a Questionnaire

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Jippes, M.; Driessen, E.W.; Broers, N.J.; Majoor, G.D.; Gijselaers, W.H.; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: Because successful change implementation depends on organizational readiness for change, the authors developed and assessed the validity of a questionnaire, based on a theoretical model of organizational readiness for change, designed to measure, specifically, a medical school's

Democracy in Schools: Are Educators Ready for Teacher Leadership?

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de Villiers, Elsabé; Pretorius, S. G.

2011-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine educators' perceptions of and readiness for teacher leadership. A total of 283 educators in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District in the Western Cape participated in the study. The participants included district officials, principals, and members of school management teams, as well as veteran,…

Social Information Processing Patterns, Social Skills, and School Readiness in Preschool Children

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Ziv, Yair

2013-01-01

The links among social information processing, social competence, and school readiness were examined in this short-term longitudinal study with a sample of 198 preschool children. Data on social information processing were obtained via child interview, data on child social competence were obtained via teacher report, and data on school readiness…

Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten Entry

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Sean F. Reardon

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Academic achievement gaps between high- and low-income students born in the 1990s were much larger than between cohorts born two decades earlier. Racial/ethnic achievement gaps declined during the same period. To determine whether these two trends have continued in more recent cohorts, we examine trends in several dimensions of school readiness, including academic achievement, self-control, externalizing behavior, and a measure of students’ approaches to learning, for cohorts born from the early 1990s to the 2000–2010 midperiod. We use data from nationally representative samples of kindergarteners (ages 5–6 in 1998 ( n = 20,220, 2006 ( n = 6,600, and 2010 ( n = 16,980 to estimate trends in racial/ethnic and income school readiness gaps. We find that readiness gaps narrowed modestly from 1998 to 2010, particularly between high- and low-income students and between White and Hispanic students.

College-Going Capital: Understanding the Impact of College Readiness Policies on Schools and Students

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Leibrandt, Sarah Ohle

2016-01-01

This dissertation investigates how low-resource high schools support (or not) high achieving, low-income students depending on how they enact college readiness agendas. My study was motivated by the lack of empirical research in two areas--how college readiness policies are being actualized for high achieving, low-income students and how these…

Motivational readiness of children to school in nuclear and single parent families

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Kateryna Ostrovska

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is a comparison of psychological readiness of the child to go to school in nuclear and single parent families. To obtain the objectives of the paper the following methods were used: 1 methods “Two schools” by L.A Venger to identify the level of formation of internal position of the student; 2 the method “Motivational research studies in older preschoolers” by M.R. Ginsburg; 3 method “Pattern” by L.I. Tsehanskaya to determine the degree of development of skills training activities; 4 method “Graphic dictation” by D. El’konin to study the ability to follow adult instructions. The investigated group consisted of 40 students from first grade secondary school - 20 students from nuclear families (12 girls and 8 boys and 20 students from single parent families (9 girls and 11 boys. As a result of qualitative, comparative and correlation analysis it was shown that readiness of children to go to school susbstantially depends on completness of their families. The children from families have a higher level of skill training and internal position than children from single parent families. This occurs because both parents pay more attention to the children in the forming of a willingness to learn in school. The studies have shown that in the group of children from nuclear families dominate the highest level of development of skills training activities, increased formation of internal positions and childrens social motivation. These indicators are the hallmarks of readiness to learn at school. Also, some recommendations to teachers are provided as for increase of motivation to learn in children from single parent families.

Deficiencies in school readiness skills of children with sickle cell anemia: a preliminary report.

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Chua-Lim, C; Moore, R B; McCleary, G; Shah, A; Mankad, V N

1993-04-01

Patients with sickle cell anemia often express myriad clinical signs and symptoms that affect their life-style and academic performance. Certain psychoeducational and psychosocial factors have been shown to influence the academic achievement of older patients with sickle cell anemia. However, studies evaluating the school readiness skills of younger children have not been published. To determine whether sickle cell anemia delays preschool development in children aged 4 to 6 years, we studied 10 affected children and 10 normal subjects matched for age, sex, and race. School readiness was evaluated by the Pediatric Examination of Educational Readiness (PEER), which assess a child's performance in areas of developmental attainment such as visual input, verbal output, and short-term memory. The presence of associated movements (minor neurologic signs) and other areas of behavior such as selective attention, activity level, adaptive behavior, and processing efficiency are also observed. The children with sickle cell anemia scored significantly lower than their normal counterparts in several parameters of the PEER. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, a standardized psychometric test, showed that these children with sickle cell anemia were within the normal range of intelligence. Magnetic resonance imaging done on three children with sickle cell anemia who scored lowest on the PEER revealed no cerebrovascular infarcts. These preliminary studies demonstrate significant differences in school readiness skills between children with sickle cell anemia and normal subjects.

Ecological Factors Predict Transition Readiness/Self-Management in Youth With Chronic Conditions.

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Javalkar, Karina; Johnson, Meredith; Kshirsagar, Abhijit V; Ocegueda, Sofia; Detwiler, Randal K; Ferris, Maria

2016-01-01

Health care transition readiness or self-management among adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic conditions may be influenced by factors related to their surrounding environment. Study participants were AYA diagnosed with a chronic condition and evaluated at pediatric- and adult-focused subspecialty clinics at the University of North Carolina Hospital Systems. All participants were administered a provider-administered self-management/transition-readiness tool, the UNC TRxANSITION Scale. Geographic area and associated characteristics (ecological factors) were identified for each participant's ZIP code using the published U.S. Census data. The Level 1 model of the hierarchical linear regression used individual-level predictors of transition readiness/self-management. The Level 2 model incorporated the ecological factors. We enrolled 511 AYA with different chronic conditions aged 12-31 years with the following characteristics: mean age of 20± 4 years, 45% white, 42% black, and 54% female. Participants represented 214 ZIP codes in or around North Carolina, USA. The Level 1 model showed that age, gender, and race were significant predictors of transition readiness/self-management. On adding the ecological factors in the Level 2 model, race was no longer significant. Participants from a geographic area with a greater percentage of females (β = .114, p = .005) and a higher median income (β = .126, p = .002) had greater overall transition readiness. Ecological factors also predicted subdomains of transition readiness/self-management. In this cohort of adolescents and young adults with different chronic conditions, ecological disparities such as sex composition, median income, and language predict self-management/transition readiness. It is important to take ecological risk factors into consideration when preparing patients for health self-management or transition. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Socioeconomic Status of Parents and the Achievement of Children on Readiness for School Tests

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Anela Hasanagic

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Socioeconomic status is often determined like the academic background of parents, and it can be determined like the place of living, village or town, city, as well. Socioeconomic status is an important factor in many aspects of living as in academic achievement as well. Problem in this research paper was to examine whether there are differences between children from different socio-economic status (level of education of parents and between children from villages and towns, on Readiness for school tests. The sample was constituted 296 kids, half from villages, and half from towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tests that were used are: Differences test, Similarities test, Numerical test, Trace test, Knowledge Test, Questionnaire for measuring socio-emotional maturity, and Goodenough's Draw-a-Man Test. Results show that there are statistically significant differences between children from different socio-economic background. Children whose parents are low educated have lower results on Readiness for school test, comparing with children whose parents have finished high school or university level. There were differences between village and town children only on Goodenough's Draw-a-Man Test and on Similarity test, while on other instruments place of living was not important factor for achievement on Readiness for School Test.

Parental Attitudes, Behaviors, and Barriers to School Readiness among Parents of Low-Income Latino Children

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Jaime Peterson

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We sought to explore parental attitudes, behaviors, and barriers regarding school readiness in a county clinic serving low income, Latino children. Between December 2013–September 2014, we conducted a cross sectional survey of parents during 3–6 years well-child appointments about school readiness (SR across: (1 attitudes/behaviors; (2 barriers; and (3 awareness; and (4 use of local resources. Most parents (n = 210, response rate 95.6% find it very important/important for their child to know specific skills prior to school: take turns and share (98.5%, use a pencil and count (97.6%, know letters (99.1%, colors (97.1%, and shapes (96.1%. Over 80% of parents find education important and engage in positive SR behaviors: singing, practicing letters, or reading. Major barriers to SR were lack of knowledge for kindergarten readiness, language barriers, access to books at home, constraints on nightly reading, difficulty completing school forms, and limited free time with child. Awareness of local resources such as preschool programs was higher than actual utilization. These low-income, Latino parents value SR but lack knowledge to prepare their child for school and underutilize community resources such as free preschool programs. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to address these needs, but more evidence-based interventions are needed.

READINESS OF MILITARY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR TACTICAL TASKS

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Nikolai Alekseevich Seredkin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background. The purpose of this article is to reveal the features and analyze the studies of the interpretation of the concept of “readiness”, to formulate the definition of the concept of “the future officer’s willingness to solve tactical problems,” to describe the components and its main components. Methods. The methodological basis for researching the problem of the future officers’ readiness for solving tactical tasks is the personal and activity approach. Relying on them, the author reveals the essence of the definition of readiness and a description of its components. Results. The results of the article are the readiness of the cadet for professional work and we consider it as an integrated education formed in the process of professional training, ensuring the performance of their service and job functions, the successful solution of the service-combat tasks of professional activity. It includes a system of personality qualities of the future officer, characterized by a positive attitude towards professional activity, the presence of an adequate holistic view of it, the possession of ways to solve professional problems, the perception of oneself as a subject of one’s own activity. Reflexive attitude to one’s own activity is one of the most important conditions for its deep comprehension, critical analysis and constructive improvement. Conclusion. The definition of the concept of the cadet’s readiness for the solution of tactical tasks and its components is the theoretical basis for improving the process of professional training in a military high school. The components of readiness and its indicators set the teacher of the military higher educational institution a vector of practical activities for its formation.

The Development of Reading Skills in Kindergarten Influence of Parental Beliefs about School Readiness, Family Activities, and Children's Attitudes to School

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Jung, Eunjoo

2016-01-01

Children's early home learning experiences are important influences on children's adjustment and achievement in the early years of school. This study explores the relationships between parental beliefs about school readiness, family engagement in home learning activities, on children's attitudes to school as reported by parents, and children's…

Use of Community Readiness Model to Develop and Evaluate a Pilot Culinary Training Program for School Nutrition Staff.

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Hildebrand, Deana A; Blevins, Priscilla; Carl, Lillian; Brown, Barbara; Betts, Nancy M; Poe, Tiffany

2018-02-01

Use the Community Readiness Model (CRM) to develop and evaluate a contextually appropriate pilot culinary training program for school nutrition staff members. Mixed methods to guide intervention development. Six school districts in rural and urban areas of a southwestern state. School nutrition staff (n = 36; female; 20 years' experience). Pre- and post-training assessments used the CRM. Findings from the pre-assessment were used to develop the pilot culinary training intervention. Readiness to integrate new food preparation methods into existing practices. The researchers used t and Wilcoxon tests to compare overall readiness and dimension scores (P ≤ .05). Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the discussion component of the assessments. Overall readiness increased from vague awareness to preparation (P = .02). Improved dimensions were knowledge of efforts (P = .004), leadership (P = .05), and knowledge of issues (P = .04). Themes included barriers, leadership, and motivation. The CRM was useful for developing and evaluating a contextually appropriate and effective culinary training program for school nutrition staff. Future efforts should address the provision of additional resources such as on-site chefs, small equipment grants, and engaging school stakeholders. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Readiness amongst Urban Canadian Families: Risk Profiles and Family Mediation

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Browne, Dillon T.; Wade, Mark; Prime, Heather; Jenkins, Jennifer M.

2018-01-01

There is an ongoing need for literature that identifies the effects of broad contextual risk on school readiness outcomes via family mediating mechanisms. This is especially true amongst diverse and urban samples characterized by variability in immigration history. To address this limitation, family profiles of sociodemographic and contextual risk…

Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

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Fleshman, Robin Earle

This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework, laboratory work, and assessment? (3) Are portfolio community high school students of color college ready? Is there a relationship between students' science and mathematics performance and college readiness? The overarching objectives of the study are to learn, understand, and describe an urban portfolio community high school as it relates to science assessment and college readiness; to understand how the administration, teachers, and alumni perceive the use of portfolios in science learning and assessment; and to understand how alumni view their preparation and readiness for college and college science coursework, laboratory work, and assessments. The theoretical framework of this study encompasses four theories: critical theory, contextual assessment, self-regulated learning, and ethic of care. Because the urban high school studied partnered with a community-based organization (CBO), it identifies as a community school. Therefore, I provide context regarding the concept, culture, and services of community schools. Case study is the research design I used to explore in-depth this urban portfolio community high school, which involved mixed methods for data collection and analysis. In total, six alumni/current college students, five school members (administrators and teachers), and three CBO members (administrators, including myself) participated in the study. In addition to school artefacts and student portfolios collected, classroom and portfolio panel presentation observations and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the portfolio-based approach as it pertains to science learning and assessment and college

Increasing Programme Effectiveness through Parent Empowerment: The Getting Ready for School Project in Tajikistan

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Whitsel, Christopher Michael; Lapham, Kate

2014-01-01

Within the development studies framework, empowerment involves increasing individual agency vis-à-vis the formal and informal opportunity structure. The Open Society Foundation's Early Childhood Programme developed the Getting Ready for School programme specifically for parents of preschool-age children to use at home in the year before school to…

Observed Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Motivation Predict School Readiness in Head Start Graduates

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Berhenke, Amanda; Miller, Alison L.; Brown, Eleanor; Seifer, Ronald; Dickstein, Susan

2011-01-01

Emotions and behaviors observed during challenging tasks are hypothesized to be valuable indicators of young children's motivation, the assessment of which may be particularly important for children at risk for school failure. The current study demonstrated reliability and concurrent validity of a new observational assessment of motivation in young children. Head Start graduates completed challenging puzzle and trivia tasks during their kindergarten year. Children's emotion expression and task engagement were assessed based on their observed facial and verbal expressions and behavioral cues. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that observed persistence and shame predicted teacher ratings of children's academic achievement, whereas interest, anxiety, pride, shame, and persistence predicted children's social skills and learning-related behaviors. Children's emotional and behavioral responses to challenge thus appeared to be important indicators of school success. Observation of such responses may be a useful and valid alternative to self-report measures of motivation at this age. PMID:21949599

Ophthalmic, Hearing, Speaking and School Readiness Outcomes in Low Birth Weight and Normal Birth Weight Primary School Children in Mashhad-Iran

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Ashraf Mohammadzadeh

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Low Birth weight infants are at risk of many problems. Therefore their outcome must evaluate in different ages especially in school age. In this study we determined prevalence of ophthalmic, hearing, speaking and school readiness problems in children who were born low birth weight and compared them with normal birth weight children. In a cross-sectional and retrospective study, all Primary School children referred to special educational organization center for screening before entrance to school were elected in Mashhad, Iran. In this study 2400 children enrolled to study and were checked for ophthalmic, hearing, speaking and school readiness problems by valid instrument. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5. This study showed that 8.3% of our population had birth weight less than 2500 gram. Visual impairment in LBW (Low Birth Weight and NBW (Normal Birth Weight was 8.29% vs. 5.74% and there was statistically significant difference between them (P=0.015. Hearing problem in LBW and NBW was 2.1% vs. 1.3 and it was not statistically significant. Speaking problem in LBW and NBW was 2.6% vs. 2.2% and it was not statistically significant. School readiness problem in LBW and NBW was 12.4% vs. 5.8% and it was statistically significant (P<0.001. According to the results, neurological problems in our society is more than other society and pay attention to this problem is critical. We believe that in our country, it is necessary to provide a program to routinely evaluate LBW children.

Relationship of Teachers' Readiness for Change with Their Participation in Decision Making and School Culture

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Inandi, Yusuf; Giliç, Fahrettin

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to study the relationship between primary school teachers' level of participation in decision making, school culture and their level of readiness for change. The data in the study were collected from 597 primary school teachers (304 men and 293 women) in central districts of Mersin in 2014 spring semester. Participation…

In silico models for predicting ready biodegradability under REACH: a comparative study.

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Pizzo, Fabiola; Lombardo, Anna; Manganaro, Alberto; Benfenati, Emilio

2013-10-01

REACH (Registration Evaluation Authorization and restriction of Chemicals) legislation is a new European law which aims to raise the human protection level and environmental health. Under REACH all chemicals manufactured or imported for more than one ton per year must be evaluated for their ready biodegradability. Ready biodegradability is also used as a screening test for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances. REACH encourages the use of non-testing methods such as QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationship) models in order to save money and time and to reduce the number of animals used for scientific purposes. Some QSAR models are available for predicting ready biodegradability. We used a dataset of 722 compounds to test four models: VEGA, TOPKAT, BIOWIN 5 and 6 and START and compared their performance on the basis of the following parameters: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC). Performance was analyzed from different points of view. The first calculation was done on the whole dataset and VEGA and TOPKAT gave the best accuracy (88% and 87% respectively). Then we considered the compounds inside and outside the training set: BIOWIN 6 and 5 gave the best results for accuracy (81%) outside training set. Another analysis examined the applicability domain (AD). VEGA had the highest value for compounds inside the AD for all the parameters taken into account. Finally, compounds outside the training set and in the AD of the models were considered to assess predictive ability. VEGA gave the best accuracy results (99%) for this group of chemicals. Generally, START model gave poor results. Since BIOWIN, TOPKAT and VEGA models performed well, they may be used to predict ready biodegradability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parental Influence, School Readiness and Early Academic Achievement of African American Boys

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Joe, Emanique M.; Davis, James Earl

2009-01-01

This study examined the relationship between parental influence and the school readiness of African American boys, using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: ECLS-K, Parents' influence, via their academic beliefs and behaviors, was associated with the cognitive performance of African American boys during kindergarten. While previous…

College Readiness in California: A Look at Rigorous High School Course-Taking

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Gao, Niu

2016-01-01

Recognizing the educational and economic benefits of a college degree, education policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels have made college preparation a priority. There are many ways to measure college readiness, but one key component is rigorous high school coursework. California has not yet adopted a statewide college readiness…

Readiness of Makassar Public High School Counsellors in Coping Organizational Change

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Andi Dasmawati

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This study aims to determine the readiness of State High School counsellors in the city of Makassar who are confronted with organizational change. The assessment is viewed from the aspect of preparedness of counsellors that includes self-esteem, optimism and perceived control. A mixed method was used in this study that was simultaneously embedded. Survey questionnaires were distributed to 68 counsellors of State High Schools in Makassar for purposes of quantitative analysis, while an interview was conducted to five counsellor-coordinators for purposes of qualitative analysis.  Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to best analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analyzed manually. The study revealed that the level of readiness of the 68 counsellors’ performance was low in coping with organizational change. This implies that there is a need for the counsellors to improve their performance in the future. Through the qualitative analysis, it was found out that the counsellors have numerous difficulties in their ability to cope with organizational change, while the result of good performance was noted in the quantitative analysis that was conducted.

The Importance and Implementation of Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling in School Counselor Education Programs

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Perusse, Rachelle; Poynton, Timothy A.; Parzych, Jennifer L.; Goodnough, Gary E.

2015-01-01

School counselor education program administrators (N = 131) responded to an online questionnaire where the importance and extent of implementation of The College Board's National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) Eight Components of College and Career Readiness in their school counselor education program were assessed. The mean…

[School readiness and community mobilization: study retrospective in a Montreal area].

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Laurin, Isabelle; Bilodeau, Angèle; Chartrand, Sébastien

2012-02-22

This article presents a modelling of the collective decision-making process by which a community-based population-level intervention transformed the organization of early childhood services in a Montréal community from 2001 to 2006. Multisectoral players from a childhood/family issue table. The chosen territory is one of the most multi-ethnic and poorest neighbourhoods of Montréal. The intervention being examined is Understanding the Early Years (UEY), a Canada-wide initiative aiming to strengthen communities' capacity to use quality information to support the thought process relating to the organization of early childhood services. Twelve Canadian regions took part, including Montréal. The time chart for the collective decision-making process presents the events that significantly influenced the procedure: establishment of an intersectoral working committee, production of a portrait of the neighbourhood, think tank, development and implementation of the Passage maison-école [home-to-school] and Femmes-Relais [relay women] projects, retreats, and inclusion of school readiness as a priority focus area in the neighbourhood's three-year action plan. Also presented are the contextual factors that influenced decision making: the neighbourhood's cooperation and coordination history, the researcher's involvement, financial support and shared leadership. The benefits of UEY-Montréal in this territory extended beyond 2006. With respect to current priorities for action in early childhood, this territory is a good example of mobilization for school readiness.

Obesity-Related Hormones in Low-Income Preschool-Age Children: Implications for School Readiness

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Miller, Alison L.; Lumeng, Carey N.; Delproposto, Jennifer; Florek, Brian; Wendorf, Kristin; Lumeng, Julie C.

2013-01-01

Mechanisms underlying socioeconomic disparities in school readiness and health outcomes, particularly obesity, among preschool-aged children are complex and poorly understood. Obesity can induce changes in proteins in the circulation that contribute to the negative impact of obesity on health; such changes may relate to cognitive and emotion…

Contemplative Practices in Early Childhood: Implications for Self-Regulation Skills and School Readiness

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Willis, Elizabeth; Dinehart, Laura H.

2014-01-01

This article examines the development of self-regulation skills in early childhood and the possibilities of children's contemplative practices as a viable tool to facilitate this development. Current research indicates that self-regulation skills in early childhood education make a significant contribution to school readiness, and long-term…

School Readiness among Low-Income Black Children: Family Characteristics, Parenting, and Social Support

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Bono, Katherine E.; Sy, Susan R.; Kopp, Claire B.

2016-01-01

This study focuses on the associations between family variables and academic and social school readiness in low-income Black children. Analyses drew from the National Institute for Child Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development dataset. The participants included 122 children and their mothers. Data collection occurred…

Toddler Working Memory Skills Predict Kindergarten School Readiness

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Fitzpatrick, Caroline; Pagani, Linda S.

2012-01-01

Converging findings in psychology, neuroscience, education, and economics suggests that child persistence in learning represents an important determinant of academic success during the school years. Nevertheless, the developmental origins of productive learning behaviors are not well understood. Some findings suggest that executive function skills…

The Competence Readiness of the Electrical Engineering Vocational High School Teachers in Manado towards the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint in 2025

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Fid Jantje Tasiam; Djoko Kustono; Purnomo Purnomo; Hakkun Elmunsyah

2017-01-01

This paper presents the competence readiness of the electrical engineering vocational high school teachers in Manado towards ASEAN Economic Community blueprint in 2025. The objective of this study is to get the competencies readiness description of the electrical engineering vocational high school teachers in Manado towards ASEAN Economic Community blueprint in 2025. Method used quantitative and qualitative approach which the statistical analysis in quantitative and the inductive analysis use...

Are Malaysian Students Ready to Be Authors of Digital Contents? A Case Study of Digital Library Stakeholders’ Readiness

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Abrizah Abdullah

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The paper reports on a study that ascertains the factors facilitating students to utilize digital libraries for educational purposes. The study investigates students ICT readiness, usage of online resources and information seeking behaviour of secondary school students with the specific goal of applying the results to the design of a collaborative digital library for school projects. The digital library has been conceived to support resource needs of these students as well provide the space for them to publish their school projects, which are currently submitted handwritten. The study uses the case study approach and an urban secondary school in Malaysia is chosen as the case school. Findings from a survey and focus group interviews indicate that the students are ready to collaboratively build the digital library resources as evidenced by students digital library readiness score of 31.4/40.

The Competence Readiness of the Electrical Engineering Vocational High School Teachers in Manado towards the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint in 2025

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Fid Jantje Tasiam

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the competence readiness of the electrical engineering vocational high school teachers in Manado towards ASEAN Economic Community blueprint in 2025. The objective of this study is to get the competencies readiness description of the electrical engineering vocational high school teachers in Manado towards ASEAN Economic Community blueprint in 2025. Method used quantitative and qualitative approach which the statistical analysis in quantitative and the inductive analysis used in qualitative. There were 46 teachers of the electrical engineering vocational high school in Manado observed. The results have shown that the competencies readiness of the electrical engineering vocational high school teachers in Manado such as: pedagogical, professional, personality, and social were 13.04%, 19.56%, 19.56%, and 19.56% respectively. The results were still far from the focus of the ASEAN economic community blueprint in 2025, so they need to be improved through in-house training, internship programs, school partnerships, distance learning, tiered training and special training, short courses in educational institutions, internal coaching by schools, discussion of educational issues, workshops, research and community service, textbook writing, learning media making, and the creation of technology and art.

Developmental Delays in Executive Function from 3 to 5 Years of Age Predict Kindergarten Academic Readiness.

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Willoughby, Michael T; Magnus, Brooke; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne; Blair, Clancy B

Substantial evidence has established that individual differences in executive function (EF) in early childhood are uniquely predictive of children's academic readiness at school entry. The current study tested whether growth trajectories of EF across the early childhood period could be used to identify a subset of children who were at pronounced risk for academic impairment in kindergarten. Using data that were collected at the age 3, 4, and 5 home assessments in the Family Life Project ( N = 1,120), growth mixture models were used to identify 9% of children who exhibited impaired EF performance (i.e., persistently low levels of EF that did not show expected improvements across time). Compared to children who exhibited typical trajectories of EF, the delayed group exhibited substantial impairments in multiple indicators of academic readiness in kindergarten (Cohen's ds = 0.9-2.7; odds ratios = 9.8-23.8). Although reduced in magnitude following control for a range of socioeconomic and cognitive (general intelligence screener, receptive vocabulary) covariates, moderate-sized group differences remained (Cohen's ds = 0.2-2.4; odds ratios = 3.9-5.4). Results are discussed with respect to the use of repeated measures of EF as a method of early identification, as well as the resulting translational implications of doing so.

Experiences of parents regarding a school-readiness intervention for pre-school children facilitated by Community Health Nursing students

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Mari Prinsloo

2015-01-01

When CHN students engage with communities through service learning, a school-readiness intervention may serve as a powerful tool to provide parents with the support that is needed to empower them with the skills to contribute towards their children’s early childhood development. It may improve the parent–child relationship which is critical in the development of children.

Particularities of Speech Readiness for Schooling in Pre-School Children Having General Speech Underdevelopment: A Social and Pedagogical Aspect

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Emelyanova, Irina A.; Borisova, Elena A.; Shapovalova, Olga E.; Karynbaeva, Olga V.; Vorotilkina, Irina M.

2018-01-01

The relevance of the research is due to the necessity of creating the pedagogical conditions for correction and development of speech in children having the general speech underdevelopment. For them, difficulties generating a coherent utterance are characteristic, which prevents a sufficient speech readiness for schooling forming in them as well…

School Readiness in Children Living in Non-Parental Care: Impacts of Head Start

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Lipscomb, Shannon T.; Pratt, Megan E.; Schmitt, Sara A.; Pears, Katherine C.; Kim, Hyoun K.

2013-01-01

The current study examines the effects of Head Start on the development of school readiness outcomes for children living in non-parental care. Data were obtained from the Head Start Impact Study, a randomized controlled trial of Head Start conducted with a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs and families. The sample included…

First Steps to School Readiness: South Carolina's Response to At-Risk Early Childhood Population.

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Buford, Rhonda; Stegelin, Dolores A.

2003-01-01

Describes South Carolina's new state early childhood program, First Steps to School Readiness. Includes a profile of the state's at-risk child population, noting poverty and education risk indicators, and describing key program components. The article discusses program oversight, local program partnerships, program funding mechanisms, and local…

Predictors of Osteopathic Medical Students' Readiness to Use Health Information Technology.

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Jacobs, Robin J; Iqbal, Hassan; Rana, Arif M; Rana, Zaid; Kane, Michael N

2017-12-01

The advent of health information technology (HIT) tools can affect the practice of modern medicine in many ways, ideally by improving quality of care and efficiency and reducing medical errors. Future physicians will play a key role in the successful implementation of HIT. However, osteopathic medical students' willingness to learn, adopt, and use technology in a health care setting is not well understood. To understand osteopathic medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding HIT and to identify factors that may be related to their readiness to use HIT. Using a cross-sectional approach, quantitative surveys were collected from students attending a large osteopathic medical school. Multivariate regression modeling was used to determine whether knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and personal characteristics were associated with students' readiness to use HIT in future clinical practice. Six hundred four students responded to at least 70% of the survey and were included in the analysis. Multivariate modeling successfully explained the 26% of variance in predicting students' readiness to use HIT (F8,506=22.6, Ptechnology use, younger age, being male, and prior exposure to technology were associated with readiness to use HIT. Understanding students' level of HIT readiness may help guide medical education intervention efforts to better prepare future osteopathic physicians for HIT engagement and use. Innovative approaches to HIT education in medical school curricula that include biomedical informatics may be necessary.

Montessori Public School Pre-K Programs and the School Readiness of Low-Income Black and Latino Children.

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Ansari, Arya; Winsler, Adam

2014-11-01

Within the United States, there are a variety of early education models and curricula aimed at promoting young children's pre-academic, social, and behavioral skills. This study, using data from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP; Winsler et al., 2008, 2012), examined the school readiness gains of low-income Latino ( n = 7,045) and Black children ( n = 6,700) enrolled in two different types of Title-1 public school pre-K programs: those in programs using the Montessori curricula and those in more conventional programs using the High/Scope curricula with a literacy supplement. Parents and teachers reported on children's socio-emotional and behavioral skills with the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), while children's pre-academic skills (cognitive, motor, and language) were assessed directly with the Learning Accomplishment Profile Diagnostic (LAP-D) at the beginning and end of their four-year-old pre-K year. All children, regardless of curricula, demonstrated gains across pre-academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills throughout the pre-K year; however, all children did not benefit equally from Montessori programs. Latino children in Montessori programs began the year at most risk in pre-academic and behavioral skills, yet exhibited the greatest gains across these domains and ended the year scoring above national averages. Conversely, Black children exhibited healthy gains in Montessori, but demonstrated slightly greater gains when attending more conventional pre-K programs. Findings have implications for tailoring early childhood education programs for Latino and Black children from low-income communities.

Who crosses the norms? Predictors of the readiness for non-normative political participation among adolescents.

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Šerek, Jan; Machackova, Hana; Macek, Petr

2018-01-01

This study investigated whether adolescents' readiness for non-normative political participation (i.e., readiness to confront social rules for political reasons) was predicted by their interpersonal problems (with parents, teachers, and classmates), low optimism, and political beliefs (political self-efficacy and distrust in public institutions). A structural equation model using two-wave longitudinal data from Czech high school students (N = 768; 54% females; age range at T1 = 14-17, M = 15.97; T2 data collected 1.5 years later) showed that the changes in adolescents' readiness for non-normative participation were predicted by their lower institutional trust. Interpersonal relationships or optimism had no cross-sectional or longitudinal effect on the readiness for non-normative participation. These results suggest that the main source of adolescents' readiness for non-normative political actions lies in their political beliefs, while the effect of adolescents' interpersonal problems is less clear. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Give Them Time" -- An Analysis of School Readiness in Ireland's Early Education System: A Steiner Waldorf Perspective

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O'Connor, Doireann; Angus, Jonathan

2014-01-01

This paper examines a Steiner Waldorf Perspective to School Readiness and applies that international ideology to educational practice and curriculum policy in modern Ireland. The case for a later school start is championed with strong arguments underpinning the reasons why a later start is better in the long run for children's formal learning…

Root Shock Revisited: Perspectives of Early Head Start Mothers on Community and Policy Environments and Their Effects on Child Health, Development, and School Readiness

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McAllister, Carol L.; Thomas, Tammy L.; Green, Beth L.

2009-01-01

Racial differences in school readiness are a form of health disparity. By examining, from the perspective of low-income minority families participating in an Early Head Start study, community and policy environments as they shape and inform lived experiences, we identified several types of social and economic dislocation that undermine the efforts of parents to ready their children for school. The multiple dislocations of community triggered by housing and welfare reform and “urban renewal” are sources of stress for parents and children and affect the health and development of young children. Our findings suggest that racial differences in school readiness result not from race but from poverty and structural racism in American society. PMID:19059871

Mapping Fiscal Resources in South Hampton Roads Virginia to Support School Readiness. Regional Summary

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Finance Project, 2009

2009-01-01

In 2007, committees of key stakeholders in the five cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach developed Collaborative Action Plans focused on key strategies to ensure that children in each city "arrive at kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed in school, and in life." With leadership from Smart Beginnings…

Does the EDI Measure School Readiness in the Same Way across Different Groups of Children?

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Guhn, Martin; Gadermann, Anne; Zumbo, Bruno D.

2007-01-01

The present study investigates whether the Early Development Instrument (Offord & Janus, 1999) measures school readiness similarly across different groups of children. We employ ordinal logistic regression to investigate differential item functioning, a method of examining measurement bias. For 40,000 children, our analysis compares groups…

College and Career Readiness for Gifted African American Girls: A Call to School Counselors

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Mayes, Renae D.; Hines, Erik M.

2014-01-01

Current literature on college and career readiness highlights the role of educators in promoting the success of all students. However, few studies have focused on the specific needs of gifted African American girls. This article discusses the school experiences and career development of gifted African American girls and it provides a culturally…

Rice University: Innovation to Increase Student College Readiness

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Gigliotti, Jennifer

2012-01-01

"College readiness" means that a student can enter a college classroom without remediation and successfully complete entry-level college requirements (Conley, 2012). In order for students to be considered college ready, they must acquire skills, content knowledge, and behaviors before leaving high school. Research on high-school performance…

Explaining Gaps in Readiness for College-Level Math: The Role of High School Courses

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Long, Mark C.; Iatarola, Patrice; Conger, Dylan

2009-01-01

Despite increased requirements for high school graduation, almost one-third of the nation's college freshmen are unprepared for college-level math. The need for remediation is particularly high among students who are low income, Hispanic, and black. Female students are also less likely than males to be ready for college-level math. This article…

Reliability of Bracken School Readiness Assessment, Third Edition Scores with Young Children in Mumbai, India

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Shah, Mira B.; Schaefer, Barbara A.; Clark, Teresa P.

2013-01-01

To effectively provide early interventions to children, identifying those who are in need of these interventions is essential. In India, several problems hinder the process of early identification, including a lack of standardized measures for assessment. This study investigates the utility of the Bracken School Readiness Assessment, Third Edition…

From Research to Practice: Strategies for Supporting School Readiness in Programs Serving Infants and Toddlers

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Powers, Stefanie

2012-01-01

Fostering healthy social and emotional development provides the foundation for school readiness in programs serving infants, toddlers, and their families. In this article, the author explores four key concepts that make the link between social and emotional development and early learning: 1) Cognitive and social-emotional development are…

Predicting consumers’ intention to purchase ready- to-eat meals: The role of moral attitude

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olsen, N.V.; Sijtsema, S.J.; Hall, G.

2010-01-01

This study investigates the usefulness of integrating moral attitude into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model when predicting intention to consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Norway (N = 112), The Netherlands (N = 99), and Finland (N = 134)

Parents as partners: Building collaborations to support the development of school readiness skills in under-resourced communities

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Catherine Pitt

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary, qualitative review of a therapeutic programme for preschool children and their parents in severely under-resourced contexts to aid the development of the underlying skills required to be ready for formal school. A team of two pairs, each comprising an occupational therapist and a community worker, responded to teachers' requests to assist struggling children in their classes. This led to the development of a programme focusing on Grade R classes, by firstly helping teachers to develop their capability and confidence in assessing and assisting children to develop the abilities underlying vital school-readiness skills during whole-class, therapeutic group sessions. Secondly, parent group sessions were added to empower parents to understand and support their children's development needs at home and so to complement the work done by teachers in the classroom. This second aspect, of working with the parents, developed owing to observations of the children's irregular school attendance, scant parent-school contact, and teachers' reports indicating that parents were not aware of, nor equipped to deal with, the challenges faced by their children. Implications for practice, for planning and for further research are discussed.

Relationships between Early Child Factors and School Readiness Skills in Young Children with Hearing Loss

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Harrington, Marjorie; DesJardin, Jean L.; Shea, Lynn C.

2010-01-01

The goal of this longitudinal study is to examine the relationships between early child factors (i.e., age at identification, enrollment in early intervention, oral language skills) and school readiness skills (i.e., conceptual knowledge) in a group of young children with hearing loss (HL). Standardized language, cognition, and conceptual…

Who They Are, What They Think, and What They Do: Mothers' School-Related Identities, Academic Socialization, and Child Academic Readiness

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Wei, Qi; Dilworth-Bart, Janean E.; Miller, Kyle E.; Liesen, Carolyn A.

2018-01-01

This study adopts an intergenerational approach to explore whether mothers' school experiences influence academic readiness through parenting beliefs and parenting quality. Forty-five mothers were categorised as either having a desired or feared school-related identity based on their narratives about past school experiences and the ways they…

Does the EDI Equivalently Measure Facets of School Readiness for Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Children?

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Muhajarine, Nazeem; Puchala, Chassidy; Janus, Magdalena

2011-01-01

The aim of the current paper was to examine the equivalence of the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher rating measure of school readiness, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. The current study used an approach, which analyzes the structure and properties of the EDI at the subdomain level. Similar subdomain score distributions…

Beyond College Eligibility: A New Framework for Promoting College Readiness. College Readiness Indicator Systems Resource Series

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Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, 2014

2014-01-01

The College Readiness Indicator Systems (CRIS) initiative was developed in response to a troubling pattern: More students than ever are enrolling in college after high school, but many of them are not college ready, as evidenced by persistently low rates of college completion. The sense of urgency to close the gap between college eligibility and…

Instructional Alignment of Workplace Readiness Skills in Marketing Education

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Martin, Sarah J.; Reed, Philip A.

2015-01-01

This study examined high school marketing education teachers' knowledge of workplace readiness skills and whether that knowledge had an impact on student workplace readiness skill achievement. Further, this study examined the usage of Virginia's 13 Workplace Readiness Skills curriculum and identified the teaching methods and instructional…

Impacts of the Boston Prekindergarten Program on the School Readiness of Young Children with Special Needs

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Weiland, Christina

2016-01-01

Theory and empirical work suggest inclusion preschool improves the school readiness of young children with special needs, but only 2 studies of the model have used rigorous designs that could identify causality. The present study examined the impacts of the Boston Public prekindergarten program-which combined proven language, literacy, and…

Fit, Healthy, and Ready To Learn: A School Health Policy Guide. Part II: Policies To Promote Sun Safety and Prevent Skin Cancer.

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Fraser, Katherine

This publication is a supplementary chapter to "Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide; Part I: General School Health Policies, Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and Tobacco-Use Prevention." It discusses various aspects of a complete school policy and plan to promote sun safety. The first section "Purpose…

Readiness and Adjustments to School for Children with Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR): An Extreme Test Case Paradigm

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Geva, Ronny; Yosipof, Rina; Eshel, Rina; Leitner, Yael; Valevski, Aviva Fattal; Harel, Shaul

2009-01-01

This long-term, prospective study evaluated repeatedly school readiness and adjustment at kindergarten and first grade of children with extreme intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR; n = 20) in relation to controls (n = 19). Methods included individual testing of cognitive competence, self-perception, motivation, loneliness and academic…

Fine Motor Skills and Early Comprehension of the World: Two New School Readiness Indicators

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Grissmer, David; Grimm, Kevin J.; Aiyer, Sophie M.; Murrah, William M.; Steele, Joel S.

2010-01-01

Duncan et al. (2007) presented a new methodology for identifying kindergarten readiness factors and quantifying their importance by determining which of children's developing skills measured around kindergarten entrance would predict later reading and math achievement. This article extends Duncan et al.'s work to identify kindergarten readiness…

Effects of Home and School Computer Use on School Readiness and Cognitive Development among Head Start Children: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

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Li, Xiaoming; Atkins, Melissa S.; Stanton, Bonita

2006-01-01

Data from 122 Head Start children were analyzed to examine the impact of computer use on school readiness and psychomotor skills. Children in the experimental group were given the opportunity to work on a computer for 15-20 minutes per day with their choice of developmentally appropriate educational software, while the control group received a…

Predicting consumers' intention to consume ready-to-eat meals. The role of moral attitude.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Nina Veflen; Sijtsema, Siet J; Hall, Gunnar

2010-12-01

This study investigates the usefulness of integrating moral attitude into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model when predicting intention to consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Norway (N = 112), The Netherlands (N = 99), and Finland (N = 134) in spring 2009. A stepwise hierarchical regression was conducted, and the analyses showed that moral attitude is an important predictor of RTE-meal consumption. The feeling of moral obligation, operationalised as a negative feeling of guilt, had a negative effect on peoples' intention to consume ready meals in all the three countries tested, and the explained variance (R²) for TPB increased when moral was added as an explanatory factor. However, although the test showed significant results for the effect of attitude towards behavior and moral in all countries, non-significant results were observed for the effect of subjective norm in both The Netherlands and Norway when moral attitude was included to the TPB-model, indicating cultural differences in the social pressure towards ready meal consumption. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Not Just Numeracy and Literacy: Theory of Mind Development and School Readiness among Low-Income Children

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Cavadel, Elizabeth Woodburn; Frye, Douglas A.

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the role of theory of mind development in school readiness among 120 low-income preschool and kindergarten children. A short-term longitudinal design was used to examine relations among theory of mind, the understanding of teaching, and learning behaviors and their collective role in children's literacy and numeracy…

The Association of Latino Children's Kindergarten School Readiness Profiles with Grade 2-5 Literacy Achievement Trajectories

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Quirk, Matthew; Grimm, Ryan; Furlong, Michael J.; Nylund-Gibson, Karen; Swami, Sruthi

2016-01-01

This study utilized latent class analysis (LCA) to identify 5 discernible profiles of Latino children's (N = 1,253) social-emotional, physical, and cognitive school readiness at the time of kindergarten entry. In addition, a growth mixture modeling (GMM) approach was used to identify 3 unique literacy achievement trajectories, across Grades 2-5,…

Measuring the foundations of school readiness: Introducing a new questionnaire for teachers - The Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI).

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Hughes, Claire; Daly, Irenee; Foley, Sarah; White, Naomi; Devine, Rory T

2015-09-01

Early work on school readiness focused on academic skills. Recent research highlights the value of also including both children's social and behavioural competencies and family support. Reflecting this broader approach, this study aimed to develop a new and brief questionnaire for teachers: The Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI). The main sample, recruited from the north-west of England, included 1,456 children (49% male), aged 2.5 to 5.5 years. A second sample consisting of 258 children (44% male) aged 3 to 5.5 years was recruited to assess the test-retest reliability of the BESSI across a 1-month interval. Following development and pilot work with early years teachers, a streamlined (30 items) version of the BESSI was sent to 98 teachers and nursery staff, who rated the children in their class. The best-fitting model included four latent factors: Three child factors (Behavioural Adjustment, Language and Cognition, and Daily Living Skills) and one Family Support factor. The three child factors exhibited measurement invariance across gender. All four factors showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Structural equation modelling showed that (1) boys had more problems than girls on all three child factors; (2) older children showed better Language and Cognition and Daily Living Skills than younger children; and (3) children eligible for free school meals (an index of financial hardship) had more problems on all four latent factors. Family Support latent scores predicted all three child latent factors and accounted for their correlation with financial hardship. The BESSI is a promising brief teacher-report screening tool that appears suitable for children aged 2.5 to 5.5 and provides a broader perspective upon school readiness than previous measures. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Effects of differences in problem-based learning course length on academic motivation and self-directed learning readiness in medical school students.

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Yune, So Jung; Im, Sun Ju; Lee, Sun Hee; Baek, Sun Yong; Lee, Sang Yeoup

2010-03-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach in which complex authentic problems serve as the context and stimulus for learning. PBL is designed to encourage active participation during learning. The goal of this study was to study the effects of PBL on academic motivation and self-directed learning readiness in medical school students. The subjects of this study were 190 students in the 1st and 2nd grade of medical school. The period of the PBL course was two weeks for Year 1 and five weeks for Year 2 students. Students completed one module over one week. Academic motivation tests and self-directed learning readiness tests were performed before and after the PBL course. The differences between the two groups were analyzed using paired t-test and repeated measures MANCOVA. PBL had positive effects on academic self-efficacy (self-control efficacy, task-level preference) and academic failure tolerance (behavior, task-difficulty preference) as academic motivation. PBL had a mildly positive effect on self-directed learning readiness. In addition, the five-week PBL course had greater positive effects on academic motivation than the two-week course but not with regard to self-directed learning readiness. Medical students engage in academic motivation and self-directed learning readiness during PBL, suggesting that the five-week PBL course has greater positive effects than the two-week course. Future studies are needed to confirm the most effective periods of PBL.

Overview: Texas College and Career Readiness Standards

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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2009

2009-01-01

The Texas College and Career Readiness Standards define what students should know and be able to accomplish in order to succeed in entry-level college courses or skilled workforce opportunities upon graduation from high school. This paper answers the following questions: (1) Who developed the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards?; (2) What…

Institutional And Teacher Readiness For Inclusive Education In Schools Of Hithadhoo Addu Maldives A Study Of The Perceptions Of Teachers

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Mariyam Shareefa

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The Inclusive Educational Policy of Maldives Ministry of Education 2013 declares that all students should be given equal educational opportunities regardless of their physical intellectual social emotional or other conditions. The aim of this study was to find out what teachers believe perceive and feel about their schools readiness for inclusive education with regard to the school leadership school climate curriculum instructions individual student support and teachers knowledge skills and attitudes. The secondary purpose was to investigate the main challenges that deter inclusivity in the four government schools of Hithadhoo Addu. A mixed approach with survey and focus group interview methods were used in the study. A total of 153 teachers participated in the survey and 10 teachers were in the focus group sessions. The findings revealed that in general teachers had a positive view towards all the readiness factors related to inclusive education. However the results indicated substantial challenges that may impede successful implementation of inclusive education. These challenges include lack of knowledge and skills on inclusive education lack of facilities lack of awareness among all stakeholders curriculum difficulties and time restrictions.

Readiness of educational activity subjects for results-oriented cooperation in the inclusive educational practice of higher school

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Vladimir Ts. Tsyrenov

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the research is due to the necessity of integration of persons with health limitations and disabilities into the educational space of higher education institutions. With regard to this, the paper is aimed at finding out the extent of readiness of the educational activity subjects for results-oriented cooperation in inclusive educational practice of the higher school. The leading approach to studying this problem is the retrospective interdisciplinary analysis that allows an integrated consideration of the universities' readiness for full-fledged integration of people with health limitations and disabilities into the educational process. In the paper, the results of research into students' attitude toward the disabled and HL people and their readiness for results-oriented cooperation are presented, and the specific problems of psychological and social support rendering are described. The value references system of students with health limitations and disabilities has been found out, and grounds have been provided for having to include the subjects that form a tolerant attitude to special needs people into the student-training content. It has also been proven that qualified professional training has to be ensured for the academic teaching staff, infrastructure has to be provided, and an integrated program has to be developed that would allow personifying the academic process adjusted for the development particularities of students with health limitations. The materials of the paper are of practical importance for educational activity subjects involved into the higher-school inclusive educational practice.

Executive Functioning and School Readiness among Preschoolers with Externalizing Problems: The Moderating Role of the Student-Teacher Relationship

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Graziano, Paulo A.; Garb, Leanna R.; Ros, Rosmary; Hart, Katie; Garcia, Alexis

2016-01-01

Research Findings: The objective of this study was to examine the student-teacher relationship as a potential moderator of the link between executive functioning (EF) and children's early school readiness among a clinical sample of preschoolers with externalizing behavior problems (EBP). Participants for the study included 139 preschool children…

Teachers’ Readiness to Implement Digital Curriculum in Kuwaiti Schools

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Hamed Mubarak Al-Awidi

2017-03-01

Findings\tTeachers are moderately ready for implementation of the digital curriculum in both components of readiness (technical and pedagogical. Teachers identified some factors that that hinder their readiness. These factors are related to time constraints, knowledge and skills, infrastructure, and technical support. Recommendations for Practitioners: This paper will guide curriculum decision makers to find the best ways to help and support teachers to effectively implement the digital. Future Research: Follow up studies may examine the effectiveness of teacher education pro-grams in preparing students teachers to implement the digital curriculum, and the role of education decision makers in facilitating the implementation of the digital curriculum.

Family Support or School Readiness? Contrasting Models of Public Spending on Children's Early Care and Learning. Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #16

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Whitehurst, Grover J.

2016-01-01

In the United States, public policy and expenditure intended to improve the prospects of children from low-income families have focused on better preparing children for school through Head Start and universal pre-K. This school readiness approach differs from the dominant model of public support for early care and learning in Northern Europe,…

READINESS Of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING CHARACTERS INTEGRATED LEARNING IN THE SCIENCE SUBJECT

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N. Hindarto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Many problems that arise in today's society are rooted in the issue of morality as a result of the marginalization of the values of character. To solve this problem, need to be enforced the values of good character on every member of the community, and the proper way is through the educational process, including through education in schools ranging from elementary education to higher education. To find out whether the teachers in elementary schools are ready to take this work, the research conducted to determine the readiness of teachers and the problems associated with its implementation. Through a questionnaire calculated in descriptive percentage on a sample of elementary school teachers who are spread in Semarang, Semarang District and Temanggung, it can be concluded that in teachers’ view it is very important to integrate the learning of characters in the lesson. However, they need guidance /examples to develop learning model with its features, which integrate the values of the characters in the science subject.Banyak persoalan yang timbul di masyarakat dewasa ini berakar pada persoalan moralitas sebagai akibat terpinggirkannya nilai-nilai karakter, Untuk mengatasi persoalan ini, perlu ditegakkan lagi nilai nilai karakter yang baik pada setiap anggota masyarakat, dan cara yang tepat adalah melalui proses pendidikan, di antaranya melalui pendidikan di sekolah mulai dari pendidikan dasar sampai pendidikan tinggi. Untuk mengetahui apakah para guru pada Sekolah Dasar siap mengemban tugas ini, maka diadakan penelitian untuk mengetahui kesiapan para guru dan masalah-masalah yang terkait dengan pelaksanaannya. Melalui angket yang kemudian diolah secara deskriptive persentasi pada sampel guru SD yang tersebar di Kota Semarang, Kabupaten Semarang dan Kabupaten Temanggung, dapat diketahui bahwa para guru menganggap sangat penting untuk mengintegrasikan pembelajaran karakter dalam matapelajaran IPA. Namun demikian mereka membutuhkan bimbingan

The Developmental Approach to School Readiness.

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Ogletree, Earl J.

In the United States, a psychometric psychology dominates the thinking of educators. For traditional, political, and social reasons, developmental psychology rarely informs educational practices. This is the case even though studies show that the inducing of cognitive learning before a child is ready will reduce the child's learning potential and…

Epilepsy, birth weight and academic school readiness in Canadian children: Data from the national longitudinal study of children and youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, A N; Corbett, B

2017-02-01

Birth weight is an important indicator of prenatal/in-utero environment. Variations in birth weight have been reportedly associated with risks for cognitive problems. The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) dataset was explored to examine relationships between birth weight, academic school readiness and epilepsy. A population based sample of 32,900 children of the NLSCY were analyzed to examine associations between birth weight, and school readiness scores in 4-5-year-old children. Logistic and Linear regression was used to examine associations between having epilepsy and these outcomes. Gestation data was available on 19,867 children, full-term children represented 89.67% (gestation >259days), while 10.33% of children were premature (gestation children with reported epilepsy in the sample. Effects of confounding variables (diabetes in pregnancy, smoking in pregnancy, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and gender of the infant) on birth weight and epilepsy were controlled using a separate structural equation model. Logistic regression analysis identified an association between epilepsy and lower birth weights, as well as an association between lower birth weight, having epilepsy and lower PPVT-R Scores. Model results show the relationship between low birth weight and epilepsy remains statistically significant even when controlling for the influence of afore mentioned confounding variables. Low birth weight appears to be associated with both epilepsy and academic school readiness. The data suggest that an abnormal prenatal environment can influence both childhood onset of epilepsy and cognition. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are needed to verify this relationship in detail. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of a full-day vs part-day preschool intervention with school readiness, attendance, and parent involvement.

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Reynolds, Arthur J; Richardson, Brandt A; Hayakawa, Momoko; Lease, Erin M; Warner-Richter, Mallory; Englund, Michelle M; Ou, Suh-Ruu; Sullivan, Molly

2014-11-26

Early childhood interventions have demonstrated positive effects on well-being. Whether full-day vs part-day attendance improves outcomes is unknown. To evaluate the association between a full- vs part-day early childhood program and school readiness, attendance, and parent involvement. End-of-preschool follow-up of a nonrandomized, matched-group cohort of predominantly low-income, ethnic minority children enrolled in the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) for the full day (7 hours; n = 409) or part day (3 hours on average; n = 573) in the 2012-2013 school year in 11 schools in Chicago, Illinois. The Midwest CPC Education Program provides comprehensive instruction, family-support, and health services from preschool to third grade. School readiness skills at the end of preschool, attendance and chronic absences, and parental involvement. The readiness domains in the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System include a total of 49 items with a score range of 105-418. The specific domains are socioemotional with 9 items (score range, 20-81), language with 6 items (score range, 15-54), literacy with 12 items (score range, 9-104), math with 7 items (score, 8-60), physical health with 5 items (score range, 14-45), and cognitive development with 10 items (score range, 18-90). Full-day preschool participants had higher scores than part-day peers on socioemotional development (58.6 vs 54.5; difference, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.5-7.6; P = .03), language (39.9 vs 37.3; difference, 2.6; 95% CI, 0.6-4.6; P = .01), math (40.0 vs 36.4; difference, 3.6; 95% CI, 0.5-6.7; P = .02), physical health (35.5 vs 33.6; difference, 1.9; 95% CI, 0.5-3.2; P = .006), and the total score (298.1 vs 278.2; difference, 19.9; 95% CI, 1.2-38.4; P = .04). Literacy (64.5 vs 58.6; difference, 5.9; 95% CI, -0.07 to 12.4; P = .08) and cognitive development (59.7 vs 57.7; difference, 2.0; 95% CI, -2.4 to 6.3; P = .38) were not significant. Full-day preschool graduates also had higher

The Costly Consequences of not Being Socially and Behaviorally Ready to Learn by Kindergarten in Baltimore City.

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Bettencourt, Amie F; Gross, Deborah; Ho, Grace; Perrin, Nancy

2018-02-01

Social, emotional, and behavioral skills are foundational to learning and long-term success. However, poverty and exposure to adverse childhood experiences reduce the chances of children entering kindergarten socially-behaviorally ready to learn. This study examined the unique impact of 5-year-old children (N = 11,412) entering kindergarten not socially-behaviorally ready on three costly school outcomes by fourth grade in Baltimore City Public Schools: being retained in grade, receiving services and supports through an IEP or 504 plan, and being suspended/expelled. Controlling for all other types of school readiness, students not identified as socially-behaviorally ready for kindergarten were more likely to experience all three school outcomes. Findings underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention strategies targeting parents and social-behavioral readiness skills during the first 5 years of life.

Child Readiness to Kindergarten in Parents and Pedagogues Sight

OpenAIRE

POKORNÁ, Ivana

2014-01-01

The bachelor thesis deals with the readiness of 3-4 year old children to enter kindergarten. The theoretical part describes the biological and psychosocial development of the child aged three to four years and highlights the various factors that may affect the child's entry into kindergarten. Describes the family and kindergarten, the issue of adaptation in pre-school and readiness of the child to them. The practical part contains research focused on the perception of the readiness of childre...

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ABOUT THEIR COMPETENCE REGARDING SCHOOL READINESS IN LITERACY TEACHING-SINIF ÖĞRETMENLERİNİN İLKOKUMA YAZMA ÖĞRETİMİNDE OKUL OLGUNLUĞUNU BELİRLEME VE KULLANMA YETERLİKLERİNE İLİŞKİN GÖRÜŞLERİ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşe Nur Kutluca Canbulat

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to reveal the competence of classroom teachers about managing the first reading and writing instruction process in relation to the school readiness which is considered as an effective factor in the first reading and writing instruction. This study employed a descriptive research method and research data was collected using semistructured interview questions. The research data were analyzed using content analysis. Study group is composed of 20 teachers which are selected on the voluntary basis using convenient sampling from 5 different schools in Aksu district in the province of Antalya. According to the findings, it is appeared that; teachers emphasize more physical properties as a condition for learning, reading and writing; Teachers explain the causes of the problems encountered in literacy process with the methods used, neglectful family, and the child's age rather than attributing the causes to teachers’ main responsibilities of knowing their students well and organizing appropriate learning activities for them. Teachers associated school readiness mostly with adaptation to rules and to school and characteristics such as age, height, weight, Whereas teachers stated that maturity can be determined via natural observation, they perceived activities like holding pen, drawing pictures and painting as physical preparation actities. According to the findings, they mentioned the positive and negative effects of determining school readiness; they do not arrange activities to determine students’ school readiness; they carry out planned teaching process in the curriculum but they do not carry out teaching process in line with individual differences and their readiness. Considering the relationships of students’ reading and writing success with their knowledge and experience in learning environment, it is necessary to expand the contents of the lessons in classroom teacher training program about school readiness and

Why Do We Need Future Ready Librarians? That Kid.

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Ray, Mark

2018-01-01

In this article, the author examines the need of the Future Ready Librarians (FRL) initiative. The FRL Framework helps define how librarians might lead, teach, and support schools based on the core research-based components defined by Future Ready. The framework and initiative are intended to be ways to change the conversation about school…

Balancing the Readiness Equation in Early Childhood Education Reform

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Brown, Christopher P.

2010-01-01

As policy-makers continue to implement early childhood education reforms that frame the field as a mechanism that is to ready children for elementary school success, questions arise as to how the multiple variables in the readiness equation, such as the child, family, and program, are affected by these policies. The instrumental case study…

Effects of Personnel Injuries on Cinc Mission Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

1997-09-01

activities in which injury may be sustained: ACTSPEC (activity specific): 1 =N/A 5 = 0 Course 9 = Fastrope 13 = Patrolling 2 = Running 6 = Weightlifting 10...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS EFFECTS OF PERSONNEL INJURIES ON CINC MISSION READINESS by Erin G. Snow September, 1997...Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE EFFECTS OF PERSONNEL INJURIES ON CINC MISSION READINESS 6. AUTHOR(S) Snow, Erin G. 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 7. PERFORMING

Maximizing College Readiness for All through Parental Support

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Leonard, Jack

2013-01-01

The lack of college readiness skills is a national problem, particularly for underachieving high school students. One solution is to offer authentic early college coursework to build confidence and academic momentum. This case study explored a partnership between a traditional, suburban high school (600 students) and a community college to…

Predicting consumers' intention to consume ready-to-eat meals. The role of moral attitude

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Nina Veflen; Sijtsema, Siet J; Hall, Gunnar

2010-01-01

This study investigates the usefulness of integrating moral attitude into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model when predicting intention to consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Norway (N = 112), The Netherlands (N = 99), and Finland (N = 134...... in all the three countries tested, and the explained variance (R²) for TPB increased when moral was added as an explanatory factor. However, although the test showed significant results for the effect of attitude towards behavior and moral in all countries, non-significant results were observed...

Promoting academic and social-emotional school readiness: the head start REDI program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bierman, Karen L; Domitrovich, Celene E; Nix, Robert L; Gest, Scott D; Welsh, Janet A; Greenberg, Mark T; Blair, Clancy; Nelson, Keith E; Gill, Sukhdeep

2008-01-01

Forty-four Head Start classrooms were randomly assigned to enriched intervention (Head Start REDI-Research-based, Developmentally Informed) or "usual practice" conditions. The intervention involved brief lessons, "hands-on" extension activities, and specific teaching strategies linked empirically with the promotion of: (a) social-emotional competencies and (b) language development and emergent literacy skills. Take-home materials were provided to parents to enhance skill development at home. Multimethod assessments of three hundred and fifty-six 4-year-old children tracked their progress over the course of the 1-year program. Results revealed significant differences favoring children in the enriched intervention classrooms on measures of vocabulary, emergent literacy, emotional understanding, social problem solving, social behavior, and learning engagement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and for early educational programs and policies.

Unintended Consequences: Effects of Paternal Incarceration on Child School Readiness and Later Special Education Placement.

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Haskins, Anna R

2014-04-01

Though sociologists have examined how mass incarceration affects stratification, remarkably little is known about how it shapes educational disparities. Analyzing the Fragile Families Study and its rich paternal incarceration data, I ask whether black and white children with fathers who have been incarcerated are less prepared for school both cognitively and non-cognitively as a result, and whether racial and gendered disparities in incarceration help explain the persistence of similar gaps in educational outcomes and trajectories. Using a variety of estimation strategies, I show that experiencing paternal incarceration by age five is associated with lower non-cognitive school readiness. While the main effect of incarceration does not vary by race, boys with incarcerated fathers have substantially worse non-cognitive skills at school entry, impacting the likelihood of special education placement at age nine. Mass incarceration facilitates the intergenerational transmission of male behavioral disadvantage, and because of the higher exposure of black children to incarceration, it also plays a role in explaining the persistently low achievement of black boys.

Unintended Consequences: Effects of Paternal Incarceration on Child School Readiness and Later Special Education Placement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna R Haskins

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Though sociologists have examined how mass incarceration affects stratification, remarkably little is known about how it shapes educational disparities. Analyzing the Fragile Families Study and its rich paternal incarceration data, I ask whether black and white children with fathers who have been incarcerated are less prepared for school both cognitively and non-cognitively as a result, and whether racial and gendered disparities in incarceration help explain the persistence of similar gaps in educational outcomes and trajectories. Using a variety of estimation strategies, I show that experiencing paternal incarceration by age five is associated with lower non-cognitive school readiness. While the main effect of incarceration does not vary by race, boys with incarcerated fathers have substantially worse non-cognitive skills at school entry, impacting the likelihood of special education placement at age nine. Mass incarceration facilitates the intergenerational transmission of male behavioral disadvantage, and because of the higher exposure of black children to incarceration, it also plays a role in explaining the persistently low achievement of black boys.

Prediction of kindergarteners' behavior on Metropolitan Readiness Tests from preschool perceptual and perceptual-motor performances: a validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Belka, D E

1981-06-01

Multiple regression equations were generated to predict cognitive achievement for 40 children (ages 57 to 68 mo.) 1 yr. after administration of a battery of 6 perceptual and perceptual-motor tests to determine if previous results from Toledo could be replicated. Regression equations generated from maximum R2 improvement techniques indicated that performance at prekindergarten is useful for prediction of cognitive performance (total score and total score without the copying subtest on the Metropolitan Readiness Tests) 1 yr. later at the end of kindergarten. The optimal battery included scores on auditory perception, fine perceptual-motor, and gross perceptual-motor tasks. The moderate predictive power of the equations obtained was compared with high predictive power generated in the Toledo study.

The Social Context of Readiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Regena Fails

This study examined how kindergarten teachers' views of readiness (maturational, learning, or school) are influenced by students from urban, suburban, and rural areas; by minority and non-minority students; and by students from lower and middle class backgrounds. The framework for the study was the social constructivist theory, the theory that all…

Teachers' Readiness to Implement Nutrition Education Programs: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Perikkou, Anastasia; Kokkinou, Eleni; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B.; Yannakoulia, Mary

2015-01-01

Teachers' attitudes about school food environments and their readiness to implement school-based nutrition programs were investigated. A total of 1,436 primary-school teachers filled out a questionnaire on their demographic and professional characteristics and their attitudes, beliefs, and barriers for implementing health educational programs. The…

Effects of Motivation, Academic Stress and Age in Predicting Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR): Focused on Online College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, JeongChul; Han, Sumi

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) among online students might be significantly predicted by motivation, academic stress, and age. To complete the purpose of this study, the Pearson correlation and multiple-regression are analyzed. The participants for this study are college students who…

Emotional intelligence predicts success in medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Libbrecht, Nele; Lievens, Filip; Carette, Bernd; Côté, Stéphane

2014-02-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that effective communication and interpersonal sensitivity during interactions between doctors and patients impact therapeutic outcomes. There is an important need to identify predictors of these behaviors, because traditional tests used in medical admissions offer limited predictions of "bedside manners" in medical practice. This study examined whether emotional intelligence would predict the performance of 367 medical students in medical school courses on communication and interpersonal sensitivity. One of the dimensions of emotional intelligence, the ability to regulate emotions, predicted performance in courses on communication and interpersonal sensitivity over the next 3 years of medical school, over and above cognitive ability and conscientiousness. Emotional intelligence did not predict performance on courses on medical subject domains. The results suggest that medical schools may better predict who will communicate effectively and show interpersonal sensitivity if they include measures of emotional intelligence in their admission systems. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Trends and Tensions: Australian and International Research about Starting School

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Dockett, Sue; Perry, Bob

2013-01-01

This paper details and compares the discernible trends observed in a wide-ranging review of the recent starting school literature in Australia and beyond. More than half of the research reviewed considers children's readiness for school. This research is critiqued through a three-way view of readiness: child readiness, school readiness and support…

Teaching via Mobile Phone: a Case Study on Malaysian Teachers’ Technology Acceptance and Readiness

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Issham Ismail

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to identify the level of technology acceptance among school teachers from the components of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design, and supports and facilities. This study also aims to investigate whether teachers’ acceptance of technology could influence their readiness for the pedagogical use of mobile phone technology if it is to be implemented in school. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to thirty eight teachers who teach Information and Technology (IT subject from different primary schools in Penang, Malaysia during a program on Teachers’ Development. Data revealed that the level of technology acceptance among respondents in terms of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design and supports and facilities was generally high. Despite this positive acceptance of technology, teachers’ readiness for the use of mobile phone in teaching and learning was found to be at a considerably low level. However, the study identified a significant correlation between respondents’ awareness and motivation towards technology with their readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone. It was also found that gender is a possible factor influencing the respondents’ readiness. As implication, this paper probes the influence of technology acceptance on teachers’ readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone and the possible implications this influence affords.

Accountability Strain, College Readiness Drain: Sociopolitical Tensions Involved in Maintaining a College-Going Culture in a High "Minority", High Poverty, Texas High School

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Welton, Anjale; Williams, Montrischa

2015-01-01

Currently school reform discourse encourages states to adopt college readiness standards. Meanwhile, federal and state accountability and related mandated reforms remain a policy concern. As such, it is important to examine the interplay between accountability and the establishment of a college-going culture in high "minority", high…

User's Manual. Vocational Education Readiness Test (VERT). Revised Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Edward L.; And Others

This user's manual provides information suggesting various ways in which educational personnel may wish to utilize the eight modules included in the Vocational Education Readiness Test (VERT). The introductory section presents questions which can be used by school personnel to determine whether or not VERT will be useful in their school system.…

Are We Ready to Recommend a College Readiness Index? A Reply to Gaertner and McClarty (2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Lazowski, Rory A.; Barron, Kenneth E.; Kosovich, Jeff J.; Hulleman, Chris S.

2016-01-01

In an article published in "Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice," Gaertner and McClarty (2015) discuss a college readiness index based, in part, on nonacademic or noncognitive factors measured in middle school. Such an index is laudable as it incorporates important constructs beyond academic achievement measures that may be…

Reliable Prediction of Insulin Resistance by a School-Based Fitness Test in Middle-School Children

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Allen DavidB

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives. (1 Determine the predictive value of a school-based test of cardiovascular fitness (CVF for insulin resistance (IR; (2 compare a "school-based" prediction of IR to a "laboratory-based" prediction, using various measures of fitness and body composition. Methods. Middle school children ( performed the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER, a school-based CVF test, and underwent evaluation of maximal oxygen consumption treadmill testing ( max, body composition (percent body fat and BMI z score, and IR (derived homeostasis model assessment index []. Results. PACER showed a strong correlation with max/kg ( = 0.83, and with ( = , . Multivariate regression analysis revealed that a school-based model (using PACER and BMI z score predicted IR similar to a laboratory-based model (using max/kg of lean body mass and percent body fat. Conclusions. The PACER is a valid school-based test of CVF, is predictive of IR, and has a similar relationship to IR when compared to complex laboratory-based testing. Simple school-based measures of childhood fitness (PACER and fatness (BMI z score could be used to identify childhood risk for IR and evaluate interventions.

Ready Texas: Stakeholder Convening. Proceedings Report

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Intercultural Development Research Association, 2016

2016-01-01

With the adoption of substantial changes to Texas high school curricula in 2013 (HB5), a central question for Texas policymakers, education and business leaders, families, and students is whether and how HB5 implementation impacts the state of college readiness and success in Texas. Comprehensive research is needed to understand the implications…

The effect of CBT national examination policy in terms of senior high school students’ cognitive readiness and anxiety facing mathematics tests in DIY Province

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Eny Sulistyaningsih

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of CBT and PBT national examination in terms of students’ cognitive readiness and anxiety facing mathematics national examination in DIY province, the influence of major in terms of students’ cognitive readiness and anxiety facing mathematics national examination in DIY Province, and the interaction between national examination and major. This research was descriptive explorative and the method was ex-post facto. The population was all of natural and social science high school students in grade XII in DIY province. The number of sample used was 654 students The results showed that there was influence of national examination in terms of students’ cognitive readiness and anxiety facing national examination. CBT and PBT national examination did not influence the cognitive readiness facing national examination, CBT and PBT national examination influence in national examinations in terms of students’ anxiety facing national examination. The average score of the students’ anxiety facing CBT national exam was greater than that of the students’ anxiety facing PBT national examination. There was no effect caused by differences in majoring in terms of cognitive readiness and national examination math anxiety; and there was no interaction between the different types of national examinations and majors.

READY TO LEARN: THE IMPACT OF THE MORNING BLAST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTION ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

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Tingting Xu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical activity intervention programme, named “Morning Blast”, on elementary school students’ math learning and daily physical activity. The Morning Blast intervention programme was a 16-week cardiovascular endurance emphasized physical activity program that students voluntarily participated in before the school day. Participants that volunteered, did so for the duration of the program. Methods: This mixed-methods study included seven educators and 83 students (n=90. The students were all children who were enrolled in Grades 3, 4, and 5 in a semi-rural elementary school in the United States. Data were collected through focus-group interviews, surveys, quantitative analysis of step counts, and from quasi-experimental research design. Results: Students in the experimental group were found to have: (1 increased scores on math standard score, (2 greater confidence in their academic ability, and (3 had more accumulated steps compared to students in the control group. Students in the experimental group also reported that they were more “ready to learn” after completing the physical activity intervention. This finding was also confirmed by their teachers. Conclusion: This study demonstrates how an increase in physical activity during the morning time has positive benefits for students throughout the school day.

Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-eat Foods Sold in Primary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was conducted to assess the microbial safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods sold in private and public primary schools in Abeokuta, South-western Nigeria. One hundred and sixty RTE food samples were collected from forty food vendors in thirty primary schools and analysed microbiologically. Socio-economic status ...

Cost-Effectiveness of Ready for Recess to Promote Physical Activity in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongmei; Li, Tao; Siahpush, Mohammad; Chen, Li-Wu; Huberty, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Background: Many school-based recess interventions have been shown to be effective in increasing physical activity but their relative efficiency compared to other school-based programs are unknown. This study examined the cost-effectiveness of Ready for Recess, a program designed to increase students' physical activity in 2 elementary schools.…

Reliable Prediction of Insulin Resistance by a School-Based Fitness Test in Middle-School Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd Varness

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. (1 Determine the predictive value of a school-based test of cardiovascular fitness (CVF for insulin resistance (IR; (2 compare a “school-based” prediction of IR to a “laboratory-based” prediction, using various measures of fitness and body composition. Methods. Middle school children (n=82 performed the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER, a school-based CVF test, and underwent evaluation of maximal oxygen consumption treadmill testing (VO2 max, body composition (percent body fat and BMI z score, and IR (derived homeostasis model assessment index [HOMAIR]. Results. PACER showed a strong correlation with VO2 max/kg (rs = 0.83, P<.001 and with HOMAIR (rs = −0.60, P<.001. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that a school-based model (using PACER and BMI z score predicted IR similar to a laboratory-based model (using VO2 max/kg of lean body mass and percent body fat. Conclusions. The PACER is a valid school-based test of CVF, is predictive of IR, and has a similar relationship to IR when compared to complex laboratory-based testing. Simple school-based measures of childhood fitness (PACER and fatness (BMI z score could be used to identify childhood risk for IR and evaluate interventions.

Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, and Academic School Readiness: A Comparison Among Regions in the U.S

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Fuhua; Waldfogel, Jane; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2013-01-01

Child care programs (including Head Start, pre-Kindergarten [pre-K], and other center-based care) can differ, with patterns of use based on their location. Yet little research has examined how Head Start and pre-K programs affect children’s academic school readiness, including vocabulary and reading skills at school entry, in the South as compared to other regions. To examine this further, secondary data (n = 2,803) collected in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study were examined. Overall findings suggest, regardless of region, that Head Start and pre-K participants had higher academic skills at school entry than their counterparts. In addition, when Head Start was compared to other center-based care and pre-K was compared to other care arrangements, both had larger effects on improving academic skills in the South than in other regions. These findings imply that Head Start and pre-K programs should target children who otherwise would receive non-parental non-center-based care. Future research should focus on why the effects of Head Start and pre-K vary between the South and other regions. PMID:23729917

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Readiness: Ethno-linguistic and gender differences in high-school course selection patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2014-03-01

The study examines science-related course choices of high-school students in the culturally diverse schools of the province of British Columbia, Canada. The analysis employs K-12 provincial data and includes over 44,000 students born in 1990 who graduated from high school by 2009. The research sample reflects the presence of about 27% of students for whom English is not a first language. We construct an empirical model that examines ethno-linguistic and gender differences in Grade 12 course choices while accounting for personal and situational differences among students. The study employs a course selection typology that emphasizes readiness for science, technology, engineering and math fields of study. Findings indicate that math- and science-related course selection patterns are strongly associated with ethnicity, qualified not only by gender and prior math and science achievement but also by the individual's grade level at entry to the system and enrollment in English as a Second Language program. Students who are more likely to engage in math and science courses belong to Asian ethno-linguistic groups and entered the provincial school system during the senior high-school years. We suggest that ethnic diversity and broader academic exposure may play a crucial role in changing the gender composition of science classrooms, university fields of study and science-related occupations.

Readiness for behavioral change and variation in food consumption among adolescents from a school-based community trial in Duque de Caxias, RJ

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Diana Barbosa Cunha

2015-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the stage of readiness for changes in food consumption variation among adolescents participating in school-based community trial in Duque de Caxias (RJ, Brazil.METHODS: It is a secondary analysis of a one-year randomized community trial to prevent excessive weight gain in students attending the 5thgrade in 20 public schools in the municipality of Duque de Caxias. The activities conducted discouraged the consumption of sweetened beverages and cookies and encouraged the consumption of fruits and beans. A food frequency questionnaire was applied at the beginning and at the end of the study. The stages of readiness for behavioral change vary in a scale from (1 "I don't think of changing diet" to (5 "I'm already changing my diet successfully". For the longitudinal analyses, we used generalized linear mixed models.RESULTS: There was a greater change in the consumption of fruit and soft drinks among participants in the intervention group who were in the action stage, compared to participants who did not think about changing their diet.CONCLUSION: The proposed strategy may be used to identify population groups with motivation for changes in dietary behavior.

Readiness for behavioral change and variation in food consumption among adolescents from a school-based community trial in Duque de Caxias, RJ.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Diana Barbosa; de Souza, Bárbara da Silva Nalin; da Veiga, Glória Valéria; Pereira, Rosangela Alves; Sichieri, Rosely

2015-01-01

To investigate the influence of the stage of readiness for changes in food consumption variation among adolescents participating in school-based community trial in Duque de Caxias (RJ), Brazil. It is a secondary analysis of a one-year randomized community trial to prevent excessive weight gain in students attending the 5th grade in 20 public schools in the municipality of Duque de Caxias. The activities conducted discouraged the consumption of sweetened beverages and cookies and encouraged the consumption of fruits and beans. A food frequency questionnaire was applied at the beginning and at the end of the study. The stages of readiness for behavioral change vary in a scale from (1) "I don't think of changing diet" to (5) "I'm already changing my diet successfully". For the longitudinal analyses, we used generalized linear mixed models. There was a greater change in the consumption of fruit and soft drinks among participants in the intervention group who were in the action stage, compared to participants who did not think about changing their diet. The proposed strategy may be used to identify population groups with motivation for changes in dietary behavior.

Developing and validating a model to predict the success of an IHCS implementation: the Readiness for Implementation Model

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Gustafson, David H; Hawkins, Robert P; Brennan, Patricia F; Dinauer, Susan; Johnson, Pauley R; Siegler, Tracy

2010-01-01

Objective To develop and validate the Readiness for Implementation Model (RIM). This model predicts a healthcare organization's potential for success in implementing an interactive health communication system (IHCS). The model consists of seven weighted factors, with each factor containing five to seven elements. Design Two decision-analytic approaches, self-explicated and conjoint analysis, were used to measure the weights of the RIM with a sample of 410 experts. The RIM model with weights was then validated in a prospective study of 25 IHCS implementation cases. Measurements Orthogonal main effects design was used to develop 700 conjoint-analysis profiles, which varied on seven factors. Each of the 410 experts rated the importance and desirability of the factors and their levels, as well as a set of 10 different profiles. For the prospective 25-case validation, three time-repeated measures of the RIM scores were collected for comparison with the implementation outcomes. Results Two of the seven factors, ‘organizational motivation’ and ‘meeting user needs,’ were found to be most important in predicting implementation readiness. No statistically significant difference was found in the predictive validity of the two approaches (self-explicated and conjoint analysis). The RIM was a better predictor for the 1-year implementation outcome than the half-year outcome. Limitations The expert sample, the order of the survey tasks, the additive model, and basing the RIM cut-off score on experience are possible limitations of the study. Conclusion The RIM needs to be empirically evaluated in institutions adopting IHCS and sustaining the system in the long term. PMID:20962135

College and Career Readiness in the Middle Grades

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Schaefer, Mary Beth; Rivera, Lourdes M.

2012-01-01

The development and implementation of a comprehensive and systemic career development program, The Career Institute, provided the mechanism through which one school community addressed students' career development and college readiness needs while also attending to their academic and personal-social development. The Career Institute consisted of a…

Development and Pilot Test of the Workplace Readiness Questionnaire, a Theory-Based Instrument to Measure Small Workplaces' Readiness to Implement Wellness Programs.

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Hannon, Peggy A; Helfrich, Christian D; Chan, K Gary; Allen, Claire L; Hammerback, Kristen; Kohn, Marlana J; Parrish, Amanda T; Weiner, Bryan J; Harris, Jeffrey R

2017-01-01

To develop a theory-based questionnaire to assess readiness for change in small workplaces adopting wellness programs. In developing our scale, we first tested items via "think-aloud" interviews. We tested the revised items in a cross-sectional quantitative telephone survey. The study setting comprised small workplaces (20-250 employees) in low-wage industries. Decision-makers representing small workplaces in King County, Washington (think-aloud interviews, n = 9), and the United States (telephone survey, n = 201) served as study subjects. We generated items for each construct in Weiner's theory of organizational readiness for change. We also measured workplace characteristics and current implementation of workplace wellness programs. We assessed reliability by coefficient alpha for each of the readiness questionnaire subscales. We tested the association of all subscales with employers' current implementation of wellness policies, programs, and communications, and conducted a path analysis to test the associations in the theory of organizational readiness to change. Each of the readiness subscales exhibited acceptable internal reliability (coefficient alpha range, .75-.88) and was positively associated with wellness program implementation ( p < .05). The path analysis was consistent with the theory of organizational readiness to change, except change efficacy did not predict change-related effort. We developed a new questionnaire to assess small workplaces' readiness to adopt and implement evidence-based wellness programs. Our findings also provide empirical validation of Weiner's theory of readiness for change.

Comparing Self-Regulatory and Early Academic Skills as Predictors of Later Math, Reading, and Science Elementary School Achievement

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Murrah, William M., III

The achievement score gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged children at school entry is a major problem in education today. Identifying the skills critical for school readiness is an important step in developing interventions aimed at addressing these score gaps. The purpose of this study is to compare a number of school readiness skills with an eye toward finding out which are the best predictors of later academic achievement in math, reading, and science. The predictors were early reading, math, general knowledge, socioemotional skills, and motor skills. Data were obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of 1998 (NCES, 1998) database. While controlling for an extensive set of family characteristics, predictions were made across five years - from the end of kindergarten to the end of fifth grade. Consistent with current findings, reading and math skills predicted later achievement. Interestingly, general knowledge, attention, and fine motor skills also proved to be important predictors of later academic achievement, but socioemotional skills were not. The findings were interpreted from a neurobiological perspective involving the development of self-regulation. These school entry skills are used to predict later achievement in reading, math, and science. I argued that in addition to acquiring early academic knowledge, children need to regulate the use of this knowledge to meet academic goals.

The psychometric properties of the Readiness and Motivation Questionnaire: a symptom-specific measure of readiness for change in the eating disorders.

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Geller, Josie; Brown, Krista E; Srikameswaran, Suja; Piper, William; Dunn, Erin C

2013-09-01

Readiness for change, as assessed by the readiness and motivation interview (RMI), predicts a number of clinical outcome variables in eating disorders including enrollment in intensive treatment, symptom change, dropout, and relapse. Although clinically useful, the training and administration of the RMI is time consuming. The purpose of this research was to (a) develop a self-report, symptom-specific version of the RMI, the readiness and motivation questionnaire (RMQ), that can be used to assess readiness for change across all eating disorder diagnoses and (b) establish its psychometric properties. The RMQ provides stage of change, internality, and confidence scores for each of 4 eating disorder symptom domains (restriction, bingeing, and cognitive and compensatory behaviors). Individuals (N = 244) with current eating disorder diagnoses completed the RMQ and measures of convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Similar to the RMI scores, readiness scores on the RMQ differed according to symptom domain. Regarding criterion validity, RMQ scores were significantly associated with ratings of anticipated difficulty of recovery activities and completion of recovery activities. The RMQ contributed significant unique variance to anticipated difficulty of recovery activities, beyond those accounted for by the RMI and a questionnaire measure of global readiness. The RMQ is thus an acceptable alternative to the RMI, providing global and domain-specific readiness information when time or cost prohibits use of an interview.

Process operational readiness and operational readiness follow-on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nertney, R.J.

1992-11-01

The first document in the System Safety Development Center (SSDC) series deals with the subject of Occupancy-Use Readiness. The material included in that manual provided the basis for development of the SSDC workshop in Operational Readiness. The original Occupancy Readiness Manual, however, deals only generally with the subject of process safety; i.e., the safety of overall ''processes'' such as solar collection systems, nuclear reactors, and coal fired electrical plants. The manual also fails to detail the considerations involved in maintaining the state of readiness on a continuing basis. Both of the latter subjects are dealt with in some detail in the SSDC's Operational Readiness Workshop. The purpose of this document is to provide additional documentary material dealing with subjects introduced in SSDC-1 Occupancy-Use Readiness Manual, and SSDC-12, Safety Considerations in Evaluation of Maintenance Programs. In augmenting SSDC-1, Part I of this manual provides additional material related to process safety; in the case of SSDC-12, the subject of safety considerations in evaluation of maintenance programs is broadened in Part II to include maintenance of personnel systems and procedural systems as well as hardware. ''Maintenance'' is related more directly to the concept of operational readiness and an alternative analytical tree is provided for hardware maintenance program evaluation

Is the biparietal diameter of fetuses in late gestation too variable to predict readiness for cesarean section in dogs?

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De Cramer, K G M; Nöthling, J O

2018-06-01

Correct assessment of readiness for cesarean section is essential for timing elective cesarean section during late pregnancy in the bitch. In humans, biparietal diameter is sufficiently precise and accurate and used in a clinical setting daily. The objectives of this study were to determine whether fetal biparietal diameter in late gestation in the dog could be used to predict readiness for cesarean section by having reached a minimum cut-off value and to correlate the biparietal diameter to birth weight. The biparietal diameter of 208 puppies in 34 litters from 31 English bulldog bitches and 660 puppies in 78 litters from 70 Boerboel bitches were measured immediately after delivery by cesarean section, performed at full term, using digital calipers. At the same time the birth weight of the same 208 English bulldog puppies and 494 of the same Boerboel puppies in 59 litters from 54 bitches was measured by means of an electronic scale. With a cesarean section, all the puppies in a litter are delivered simultaneously and readiness for cesarean section must be determined for a litter. The minimum, median and maximum biparietal diameter varied from 21.1 to 47.8, 32.9 to 50.0 and 34.2-58.2 mm, respectively, among English bulldog litters and from 18.4 to 48.7, 35.5 to 49.7 and 39.8-54.3 mm among Boerboel litters. This large variation suggests that biparietal diameter is too variable within and among litters to be useful as a means of determining readiness for cesarean section. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategic Management and Innovation: A Checklist for Readiness Evaluation of AACSB Standards

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Kundu, Goutam Kumar; Bairi, Jayachandra

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of a checklist, focusing on the detailed analysis of the requirement of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) standards related to strategic management and innovation area, for evaluation of implementation readiness in a business school setting.…

The readiness of teachers to integrate information and communication technology for learning in a selected school in the GautengOnline project.

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

This study is aimed at providing the reader with a detailed description of the readiness of teachers to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for learning in a selected school in the GautengOnline (GoL) Project, through qualitative research design that used various data collecting methods: Questionnaire, observations and interview. A large number of teachers showed some interest in using ICT learning but had difficulties on how to get started due to the lack of suitable ICT...

Readiness for College: A Case Study of Three Hispanic Immigrant Students Who Overcame the Odds

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Fields, Holly Kay

2012-01-01

This study is about Hispanic, immigrant, low-income students who have graduated from high school college ready and the contexts from which they achieved such success. Few studies exist relative to immigrant, Hispanic student college readiness. This research hopes to provide insight into how institutional, peer and family culture helped to produce…

Two Future Ready Librarians Explore Advocacy in and outside of the Library

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Miller, Shannon McClintock; Ray, Mark

2018-01-01

As part of the national Future Ready Librarians initiative at the Alliance for Excellent Education, Mark Ray and Shannon McClintock Miller serve as national advocates for school library programs and librarians. Mark and Shannon began their library advocacy careers in school libraries. For eight years, Shannon was the district librarian in Van…

Predictive Data Tools Find Uses in Schools

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Sparks, Sarah D.

2011-01-01

The use of analytic tools to predict student performance is exploding in higher education, and experts say the tools show even more promise for K-12 schools, in everything from teacher placement to dropout prevention. Use of such statistical techniques is hindered in precollegiate schools, however, by a lack of researchers trained to help…

School Libraries and Student Learning: A Guide for School Leaders

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Morris, Rebecca J.

2015-01-01

Innovative, well-designed school library programs can be critical resources for helping students meet high standards of college and career readiness. In "School Libraries and Student Learning", Rebecca J. Morris shows how school leaders can make the most of their school libraries to support ambitious student learning. She offers…

Ready for kindergarten: Are intelligence skills enough?

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Caroline Fitzpatrick

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated how different profiles of kindergarten readiness in terms of student intellectual ability, academic skills and classroom engagement relate to future academic performance. Participants are French-Canadian children followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 670. Trained examiners measured number knowledge, receptive vocabulary and fluid intelligence when children were in kindergarten. Teachers rated kindergarten classroom engagement. Outcomes included fourth-grade teacherrated achievement and directly assessed mathematical skills. Latent class analyses revealed three kindergarten readiness profiles: high (57%, moderate (34% and low (9.3% readiness. Using multiple regression, we found that a more favourable kindergarten profile predicted better fourth-grade academic performance. Identifying children at risk of academic difficulty is an important step for preventing underachievement and dropout. These results suggest the importance of promoting a variety of cognitive, academic and behavioural skills to enhance later achievement in at-risk learners.

Smoking-specific compensatory health beliefs and the readiness to stop smoking in adolescents.

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Radtke, Theda; Scholz, Urte; Keller, Roger; Knäuper, Bärbel; Hornung, Rainer

2011-09-01

Compensatory health beliefs (CHBs) are defined as beliefs that negative consequences of unhealthy behaviours can be compensated for by engaging in other health behaviours. CHBs have not yet been investigated in detail regarding smoking. Smoking might cause cognitive dissonance in smokers, if they are aware that smoking is unhealthy and simultaneously hold the general goal of staying healthy. Hence, CHBs are proposed as one strategy for smokers to resolve such cognitive dissonance. The aim of the present study was to develop a scale to measure smoking-specific CHBs among adolescents and to test whether CHBs are related to a lower readiness to stop smoking. For the main analyses, cross-sectional data were used. In order to investigate the retest-reliability follow-up data, 4 months later were included in the analysis. A newly developed scale for smoking-specific CHBs in adolescents was tested for its validity and reliability as well as its predictive value for the readiness to stop smoking in a sample of 244 smokers (15-21 years) drawn from different schools. Multilevel modelling was applied. Evidence was found for the reliability and validity of the smoking-specific CHB scale. Smoking-specific CHBs were significantly negatively related to an individual's readiness to stop smoking, even after controlling for other predictors such as self-efficacy or conscientiousness. CHBs may provide one possible explanation for why adolescents fail to stop smoking. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Research Ready Program: A First in Regional South Australia

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Penman, Joy; Oliver, Mary

2012-01-01

In response to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board's introduction in 2010 of the new Research Project subject, the University of South Australia's Centre for Participation and Community Engagement took the opportunity to engage further with school students by organising the Research Ready Program. The adoption of the program…

The Impact of GEAR UP on College Readiness for Students in Low Income Schools

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Bausmith, Jennifer Merriman; France, Megan

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) on college readiness outcomes using a quasi-experimental design. GEAR UP is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education by providing 6-year…

Primary School Text Comprehension Predicts Mathematical Word Problem-Solving Skills in Secondary School

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Björn, Piia Maria; Aunola, Kaisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2016-01-01

This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the extent to which primary school text comprehension predicts mathematical word problem-solving skills in secondary school among Finnish students. The participants were 224 fourth graders (9-10 years old at the baseline). The children's text-reading fluency, text comprehension and basic calculation…

Statistics in Schools

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Information Statistics in Schools Educate your students about the value and everyday use of statistics. The Statistics in Schools program provides resources for teaching and learning with real life data. Explore the site for standards-aligned, classroom-ready activities. Statistics in Schools Math Activities History

Predictors and outcomes of postpartum mothers' perceptions of readiness for discharge after birth.

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Weiss, Marianne E; Lokken, Lisa

2009-01-01

To identify predictors and outcomes of postpartum mothers' perceptions of their readiness for hospital discharge. A correlational design with path analyses was used to explore predictive relationships among transition theory-related variables. Midwestern tertiary perinatal center. One hundred and forty-one mixed-parity postpartum mothers who had experienced vaginal birth or Cesarean delivery of normal healthy infants. Before hospital discharge, patients completed questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics, hospitalization factors, quality of discharge teaching, and readiness for discharge. Three weeks postdischarge, mothers were contacted by telephone to collect coping difficulty and health care utilization data. Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale, Utilization of postdischarge services. Quality of discharge teaching, specifically the relative difference in the amount of informational content needed and received and the skills of nurses in delivering discharge teaching, explained 38% of the variance in postpartum mothers' perceptions of discharge readiness. Readiness for discharge scores explained 22% of the variance in postdischarge coping difficulty scores. Nurses' skills in delivery of discharge teaching, coping difficulty, patient characteristics, and birth hospitalization factors were predictive of utilization of family support and postdischarge health care services. A trajectory of influence was evident in the sequential relationships of quality of discharge teaching, readiness for discharge, postdischarge coping, and utilization of family support and health care services. Transitions theory provided a useful framework for conceptualizing and investigating the transition home after childbirth.

Screening 5 and 6 year-old children starting primary school for development and language.

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Yılmaz, Deniz; Bayar-Muluk, Nuray; Bayoğlu, Birgül; İdil, Aysun; Anlar, Banu

2016-01-01

Beginning school is an important milestone for children. Children's readiness for school involves cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Certain school programs allow children to start first grade after 66 months of age, together with 72 month-old children. In order to estimate school readiness, we screened children before starting first grade and compared their school performance according to their age and socio-demographic characteristics. Marmara School Readiness, Denver II developmental screening, and language assessment tests were applied. Language delays were more frequent and school readiness test scores were lower in the younger group compared to older children. However, school achievement did not differ between the two age groups. Preschool education, parental income and education affected performance in most tests. Preschool screening seems effective in detecting children with lower than average developmental skills, and the school system may provide a practical opportunity for providing support to those children.

Collective school-type identity: predicting students' motivation beyond academic self-concept.

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Knigge, Michel; Hannover, Bettina

2011-06-01

In Germany, according to their prior achievement students are tracked into different types of secondary school that provide profoundly different options for their future educational careers. In this paper we suggest that as a result, school tracks clearly differ in their social status or reputation. This should translate into different collective school-type identities for their students, irrespective of the students' personal academic self-concepts. We examine the extent to which collective school-type identity systematically varies as a function of the school track students are enrolled in, and the extent to which students' collective school-type identity makes a unique contribution beyond academic self-concept and school track in predicting scholastic motivation. In two cross-sectional studies a measure of collective school-type identity is established and applied to explain motivational differences between two school tracks in Berlin. In Study 1 (N = 39 students) the content of the collective school-type identity is explored by means of an open format questionnaire. Based on these findings a structured instrument (semantic differential) to measure collective school-type identity is developed. In Study 2 (N = 1278 students) the assumed structure with four subscales (Stereotype Achievement, Stereotype Motivation, Stereotype Social, and Compensation) is proved with confirmatory factor analysis. This measure is used to compare the collective school-type identity across school tracks and predict motivational outcomes. Results show large differences in collective school-type identity between students of different school tracks. Furthermore, these differences can explain motivational differences between school tracks. Collective school-type identity has incremental predictive power for scholastic motivation, over and above the effects of academic self-concept and school track.

CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF ONLINE LEARNING READINESS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT

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Harun CIGDEM

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to examine the relationship between certain factors of online learning readiness and learners’ end-of-course achievements. The study was conducted at a two-year post-secondary Turkish military school within the scope of the course titled Computer Literacy, which was designed and implemented in a blended way. The data were collected from 155 post-secondary military students through an online questionnaire. Three sub-scales of Hung et al.’s Online Learning Readiness Scale were used to collect the data during the first two weeks of the course. Descriptive and inferential statistics, such as Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. The descriptive results of the study indicated that students’ motivation for online learning was higher than both their computer/Internet self-efficacy and their orientations to self-directed learning. The inferential results revealed that the students’ end-of-course grades had significantly positive relationships with their computer/Internet self-efficacy and self-directed learning orientations. Finally, the students’ self-direction towards online learning appeared to be the strongest predictor of their achievements within the course; whereas computer/Internet self-efficacy and motivation for learning did not predict the learner achievement significantly.

Children's Readiness Gains in Publically Funded, Community-Based Pre-Kindergarten Programs for 4 Year Olds and Preschool for 3 Year Olds

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Goldstein, Peggy; Warde, Beverly; Peluso, Paul

2013-01-01

Background: Many states provide public funding to facilitate school readiness for community-based pre-K and preschool programs for 4 year old children and "at risk" 3 year old children. Little research exists on the school readiness gains of children participating in these "garden variety" community-based programs. Objective:…

Predicting active school travel: The role of planned behavior and habit strength

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Despite strong support for predictive validity of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) substantial variance in both intention and behavior is unaccounted for by the model’s predictors. The present study tested the extent to which habit strength augments the predictive validity of the TPB in relation to a currently under-researched behavior that has important health implications, namely children’s active school travel. Method Participants (N = 126 children aged 8–9 years; 59 % males) were sampled from five elementary schools in the west of Scotland and completed questionnaire measures of all TPB constructs in relation to walking to school and both walking and car/bus use habit. Over the subsequent week, commuting steps on school journeys were measured objectively using an accelerometer. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to test the predictive utility of the TPB and habit strength in relation to both intention and subsequent behavior. Results The TPB accounted for 41 % and 10 % of the variance in intention and objectively measured behavior, respectively. Together, walking habit and car/bus habit significantly increased the proportion of explained variance in both intention and behavior by 6 %. Perceived behavioral control and both walking and car/bus habit independently predicted intention. Intention and car/bus habit independently predicted behavior. Conclusions The TPB significantly predicts children’s active school travel. However, habit strength augments the predictive validity of the model. The results indicate that school travel is controlled by both intentional and habitual processes. In practice, interventions could usefully decrease the habitual use of motorized transport for travel to school and increase children’s intention to walk (via increases in perceived behavioral control and walking habit, and decreases in car/bus habit). Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for changing these

Consumers and Makers: Exploring Opposing Paradigms of Millennial College Readiness

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Jackson, Matthew

2017-01-01

The political and technological circumstances of the past two decades have culminated in opposing epistemic paradigms of college readiness, where millennial students' conceptual understanding of "learning" is both narrowed to meet the demands of school systems bound to accountability and amplified by a rapidly evolving digital world. The…

The Development of Sloyd Teacher Students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness

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Mika Metsärinne

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This research is the first part of a longitudinal study of sloyd teacher students’ self-directed learning of craft & technology studies at the end of bachelor level throughout three decades in Finland. Sloyd education is the main subject in the sloyd teacher study program in University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University in Finland. These sloyd teacher study programs progresses to the master’s level of education and provides readiness to teach the school subject sloyd in comprehensive and high schools. This study is focused mainly of the craft and technology combination in purposes of sloyd education in university of Turku. The studies consists mainly of wood, plastic, metal, information and textile technologies, mechanical engineering, electricity and some basics of automation technologies, research methodologies, pedagogics and product planning. The aim of the present research was to study whether there are any Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR differences between the craft & technology studies of sloyd teacher students in the year 1992 and 2002. The main result was that the 92-group had higher SDLR -points compared to the 02-group. The main conclusion is that craft & technology studies require plenty of time for students’ development of self –directed learning that is adequate for sloyd teacher education.Key words: Sloyd education, Self-direction learning; self-directed learning readiness, Sloyd (craft & technology teacher education

Mathematics Teachers' Readiness to Integrate ICT in the Classroom: The Case of Elementary and Middle School Arab Teachers in Israel

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Nimer F. Baya'a

2013-03-01

Full Text Available ICT integration in mathematics education provides mathematics teachers with integrative teaching methods that motivate students learning, support their independent learning and active participation in the discovery of mathematics concepts and topics, and, as a result, helps them have deeper understanding of the mathematical ideas. So, the integration of ICT in the teaching and learning of mathematics, as a result of ICT educational affordances, helps students have better achievement in mathematics. These potentialities of the ICT make its integration in the mathematics classroom a promising practice, but the success of this practice is dependent on various factors, among which are the following: teachers' perceptions of their ability in ICT, teachers' attitudes towards ICT contribution to the mathematics teaching, teachers' attitudes towards ICT contribution to students' mathematics learning, teachers' emotions towards the use of ICT in the mathematics classroom, teachers' feelings of self-esteem and control in the presence of ICT in the mathematics classroom, and teachers' intentions to actually integrate ICT in their teaching. The current research came to verify the readiness of Arab teachers in elementary and middle schools in Israel regarding the integration of ICT in the classroom, and hence its interest in the six above constructs. The research used a questionnaire that included statements related to each one of the above constructs. This questionnaire was administered to 475 Arab teachers in elementary and middle schools in the North, Center and Haifa regions in Israel. The research findings show that more than seventy percent of the participating teachers have positive perceptions of their competence in technology and technology integration in their teaching. Further, they have positive attitudes towards the integration of ICT in teaching and learning and of their self-esteem in the presence of technology, in addition to positive

Treatment Readiness as a Determinant of Treatment Participation in a Prison-Based Rehabilitation Program: An Exploratory Study.

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Bosma, Anouk Q; Kunst, Maarten J J; Dirkzwager, Anja J E; Nieuwbeerta, Paul

2017-06-01

The current study had three aims. First, it measured treatment readiness among offenders who entered the Prevention of Recidivism program. This is a prison-based rehabilitation program in the Netherlands that aims to lower re-offending rates among offenders with a prison sentence of at least for months and that is carried out during the final months of incarceration. Second, the study evaluated whether treatment readiness was associated with treatment participation. Third, the study examined whether treatment readiness measured with a validated instrument predicted treatment participation above and beyond a clinical assessment of treatment readiness, currently used as a criterion to include offenders in rehabilitation programs. To address these aims, data were used from the fourth wave of a research project studying the effects of imprisonment on the life of detainees in the Netherlands. Results indicated that treatment readiness as measured with a validated instrument was a significant predictor of treatment participation. Also, the current study showed that treatment readiness measured with a validated instrument improved the prediction of treatment participation above and beyond a clinical assessment of treatment readiness. Outcomes were discussed in light of study limitations and implications.

IS YOUR DISTRICT READY TO START A JUNIOR COLLEGE.

Science.gov (United States)

PATTERSON, DOW

TO DETERMINE IF A DISTRICT IS READY TO ESTABLISH A JUNIOR COLLEGE, CERTAIN QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED--(1) ARE THERE ENOUGH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES TO WARRANT THE PROGRAM WITHOUT UNDUE TAXATION. (2) WILL THE COLLEGE BE ABLE TO OFFER THE USUAL PROGRAMS OF TRANSFER, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, GUIDANCE, AND GENERAL EDUCATION. (3) SHOULD IT BE AN EXTENSION OF…

The pace of vocabulary growth helps predict later vocabulary skill

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Rowe, Meredith L.; Raudenbush, Stephen W.; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2011-01-01

Children vary widely in the rate at which they acquire words—some start slow and speed up, others start fast and continue at a steady pace. Do early developmental variations of this sort help predict vocabulary skill just prior to kindergarten entry? This longitudinal study starts by examining important predictors (SES, parent input, child gesture) of vocabulary growth between 14 and 46 months (n=62), and then uses growth estimates to predict children's vocabulary at 54 months. Velocity and acceleration in vocabulary development at 30 months predicted later vocabulary, particularly for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Understanding the pace of early vocabulary growth thus improves our ability to predict school readiness, and may help identify children at risk for starting behind. PMID:22235920

Tornado Emergency Readiness Planning for Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

A place of safe refuge in the event of violent natural forces or a tornado should be included in the design of all new school buildings. Existing a school buildings should be analyzed by the architect, contractor, or engineer to determine if a safe place exists or if one can be readily adapted. Most criteria for fallout shelters are the same for…

READINESS OF SENIOR STUDENTS FROM THE CARPATHIAN TERRAIN TO CHOOSE TEACHING PROFESSION: PEDAGOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

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Tetyana Blyznyuk

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The article presented at the conference is the study of the problems of upbringing and education of senior pupils from the Carpathian mountain area. Namely the author investigates the students’ readiness for choosing the teaching profession and willingness to work at rural mountain schools. Despite the big number of teachers in the labor market of Ukraine, now the system of education meets an acute issue dealing with the selection to the pedagogical specialties talented creative young people who actually choose teaching profession by nature and strong personal will. Today there are very few teachers whose level of commitment to perform professional duties in Ukrainian education is really high, and this is especially true about mountain school teachers. This phenomenon can be partially explained by the fact that teaching profession has low prestige in our society for the recent decades (Ukrainian teachers are not well-paid, their working conditions in rural Carpathian schools leave much to be desired. Therefore the problem of readiness of high school students to perform professional-pedagogical duties is of particular relevance. The author analyzes the psychological and pedagogical basis of the presented problem, defines the essence and structure of the notion “readiness for choosing the teaching profession”. In the context of solving this issue one of the important conditions the author considers the comprehensive development of senior school students, particularly the development of their creative abilities.

Evaluation of hygiene practices and microbiological status of ready-to-eat vegetable salads in Spanish school canteens.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Caturla, Magdevis Y; Valero, Antonio; Carrasco, Elena; Posada, Guiomar D; García-Gimeno, Rosa M; Zurera, Gonzalo

2012-08-30

This study was conducted in eight Spanish school canteens during the period 2008-2009. Food handlers' practices, kitchen equipment, hygiene/sanitation conditions and handling practices were evaluated using checklists. In parallel, the microbiological quality and safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable salads were assessed. In addition, food contact surfaces and environmental air quality of different areas were analysed. The study determined the relationship between the microbiological quality of RTE foods and food handling practices, together with the degree of contamination of working surfaces and environmental contamination of processing and distribution areas. Some deficiencies were found regarding the use and change of gloves, hand-washing and cleanliness of working surfaces. The microbial levels detected in the foods examined indicated the absence of pathogens in the samples analysed. Surface counts were higher on cutting boards and faucets, showing insufficient cleanliness procedures. This study constitutes a descriptive analysis of the hygiene/sanitation conditions implemented in food service systems in eight Spanish school canteens. The results should help risk managers to better define control measures to be adopted in order to prevent foodborne infections. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

The moral economy of ready-made food.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Kathryn

2017-11-22

The aim of this paper is to develop and apply a framework to explore how moralities of consumption are constituted in and through markets. Using the case of ready-made foods, this paper argues moral economies are comprised through interactions between micro-, meso- and macro-level processes in the form of instituted systems of provision, state regulation, collective food customs promoted though media, NGOs and lifestyle practitioners, and the everyday reflections of consumers. Building on a theoretical framework developed to understand the moral economy of work and employment (Bolton and Laaser 2013), this paper explores how markets for ready-made food are incessantly negotiated in the context of moral ideas about cooking, femininity and individual responsibility. It focuses on 'new' market innovations of fresh ready-to-cook meal solutions and explores how these products are both a response to moralizing discourses about cooking 'properly', as well as an intervention into the market that offers opportunities for new moral identities to be performed. Using data gathered from interviews with food manufacturers and consumers, I advocate for a multi-layered perspective that captures the dynamic interplay between consumers, markets and moralities of consumption. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Increasing College Access: A Look at College Readiness from the Experiences of Foster Youth

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Hutchins, Demetrees Lee

2017-01-01

Fewer than 50% of all foster youth in the United States graduate from high school by the age of 18 and only 20% of those high school graduates attend college. There are many barriers that impact the college-going rates of foster youth. Past studies on college attendance among foster youth rarely look at college readiness experiences from the…

Comparison of ready biodegradation estimation methods for fragrance materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Boethling, Robert

2014-11-01

Biodegradability is fundamental to the assessment of environmental exposure and risk from organic chemicals. Predictive models can be used to pursue both regulatory and chemical design (green chemistry) objectives, which are most effectively met when models are easy to use and available free of charge. The objective of this work was to evaluate no-cost estimation programs with respect to prediction of ready biodegradability. Fragrance materials, which are structurally diverse and have significant exposure potential, were used for this purpose. Using a database of 222 fragrance compounds with measured ready biodegradability, 10 models were compared on the basis of overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), a measure of quality for binary classification. The 10 models were VEGA© Non-Interactive Client, START (Toxtree©), Biowin©1-6, and two models based on inductive machine learning. Applicability domain (AD) was also considered. Overall accuracy was ca. 70% and varied little over all models, but sensitivity, specificity and MCC showed wider variation. Based on MCC, the best models for fragrance compounds were Biowin6, VEGA and Biowin3. VEGA performance was slightly better for the 0.8). However, removing compounds with one and only one quaternary carbon yielded similar improvement in predictivity for VEGA, START, and Biowin3/6, with a smaller penalty in reduced coverage. Of the nine compounds for which the eight models (VEGA, START, Biowin1-6) all disagreed with the measured value, measured analog data were available for seven, and all supported the predicted value. VEGA, Biowin3 and Biowin6 are judged suitable for ready biodegradability screening of fragrance compounds. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Predicting Handwriting Legibility in Taiwanese Elementary School Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tzu-I; Howe, Tsu-Hsin; Chen, Hao-Ling; Wang, Tien-Ni

This study investigates handwriting characteristics and potential predictors of handwriting legibility among typically developing elementary school children in Taiwan. Predictors of handwriting legibility included visual-motor integration (VMI), visual perception (VP), eye-hand coordination (EHC), and biomechanical characteristics of handwriting. A total of 118 children were recruited from an elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan. A computerized program then assessed their handwriting legibility. The biomechanics of handwriting were assessed using a digitizing writing tablet. The children's VMI, VP, and EHC were assessed using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration. Results indicated that predictive factors of handwriting legibility varied in different age groups. VMI predicted handwriting legibility for first-grade students, and EHC and stroke force predicted handwriting legibility for second-grade students. Kinematic factors such as stroke velocity were the only predictor for children in fifth and sixth grades. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Ready or Not...? Teen Sexuality and the Troubling Discourse of Readiness

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Ashcraft, Catherine

2006-01-01

In this article, I explore how talk about being "ready" or "not ready" for sex shapes teen and adult understandings of sexuality. I argue that this "discourse of readiness" poses serious threats to teens' identity development, sexual decision making, and educators efforts to help them through these processes. To illustrate, I draw from my…

Predicting Success in College Mathematics from High School Mathematics Preparation

OpenAIRE

Shepley, Richard A.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a model to predict the college mathematics courses a freshman could expect to pass by considering their high school mathematics preparation. The high school information that was used consisted of the student's sex, the student's grade point average in mathematics, the highest level of high school mathematics courses taken, and the number of mathematics courses taken in high school. The high school sample was drawn from graduated Seniors in the State...

Residential Mobility Across Early Childhood and Children's Kindergarten Readiness.

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Mollborn, Stefanie; Lawrence, Elizabeth; Root, Elisabeth Dowling

2018-04-01

Understanding residential mobility in early childhood is important for contextualizing family, school, and neighborhood influences on child well-being. We examined the consequences of residential mobility for socioemotional and cognitive kindergarten readiness using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, a nationally representative longitudinal survey that followed U.S. children born in 2001 from infancy to kindergarten. We described individual, household, and neighborhood characteristics associated with residential mobility for children aged 0-5. Our residential mobility indicators examined frequency of moves, nonlinearities in move frequency, quality of moves, comparisons between moving houses and moving neighborhoods, and heterogeneity in the consequences of residential mobility. Nearly three-quarters of children moved by kindergarten start. Mobility did not predict cognitive scores. More moves, particularly at relatively high frequencies, predicted lower kindergarten behavior scores. Moves from socioeconomically advantaged to disadvantaged neighborhoods were especially problematic, whereas moves within a ZIP code were not. The implications of moves were similar across socioeconomic status. The behavior findings largely support an instability perspective that highlights potential disruptions from frequent or problematic moves. Our study contributes to literature emphasizing the importance of contextualizing residential mobility. The high prevalence and distinct implications of early childhood moves support the need for further research.

Electronic School.

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Executive Educator, 1994

1994-01-01

This issue of "The Electronic School" features a special forum on computer networking. Articles specifically focus on network operating systems, cabling requirements, and network architecture. Tom Wall argues that virtual reality is not yet ready for classroom use. B.J. Novitsky profiles two high schools experimenting with CD-ROM…

Socioeconomic Status, Higher-Level Mathematics Courses, Absenteeism, and Student Mobility as Indicators of Work Readiness

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Folds, Lea D.; Tanner, C. Kenneth

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relations among socioeconomic status, highest-level mathematics course, absenteeism, student mobility and measures of work readiness of high school seniors in Georgia. Study participants were 476 high school seniors in one Georgia county. The full regression model explained 27.5% of the variance in…

Predictors of Poor School Readiness in Children Without Developmental Delay at Age 2

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Dudovitz, Rebecca N.; Coker, Tumaini R.; Barnert, Elizabeth S.; Biely, Christopher; Li, Ning; Szilagyi, Peter G.; Larson, Kandyce; Halfon, Neal; Zimmerman, Frederick J.; Chung, Paul J.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current recommendations emphasize developmental screening and surveillance to identify developmental delays (DDs) for referral to early intervention (EI) services. Many young children without DDs, however, are at high risk for poor developmental and behavioral outcomes by school entry but are ineligible for EI. We developed models for 2-year-olds without DD that predict, at kindergarten entry, poor academic performance and high problem behaviors. METHODS: Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), were used for this study. The analytic sample excluded children likely eligible for EI because of DDs or very low birth weight. Dependent variables included low academic scores and high problem behaviors at the kindergarten wave. Regression models were developed by using candidate predictors feasibly obtainable during typical 2-year well-child visits. Models were cross-validated internally on randomly selected subsamples. RESULTS: Approximately 24% of all 2-year-old children were ineligible for EI at 2 years of age but still had poor academic or behavioral outcomes at school entry. Prediction models each contain 9 variables, almost entirely parental, social, or economic. Four variables were associated with both academic and behavioral risk: parental education below bachelor’s degree, little/no shared reading at home, food insecurity, and fair/poor parental health. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve were 0.76 for academic risk and 0.71 for behavioral risk. Adding the mental scale score from the Bayley Short Form–Research Edition did not improve areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for either model. CONCLUSIONS: Among children ineligible for EI services, a small set of clinically available variables at age 2 years predicted academic and behavioral outcomes at school entry. PMID:27432845

The role of family, peers and school perceptions in predicting involvement in youth violence.

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Laufer, Avital; Harel, Yossi

2003-01-01

This study explored the relative importance of family, peers and school in predicting youth violence. The analysis was done on a nationally representative sample included 8,394 students from grade 6th-10th in Israel. Measures of youth violence included bullying, physical fights and weapon carrying. The findings suggested that all three social systems had significant relations with youth violence, respectively. Variables found to predict violence were: Family-lack of parental support regarding school; Peers-Lack of social integration or too many evenings out with friends; School-feeling of school alienation, low academic achievement and perceptions of frequent acts of violence in school. School perceptions had the strongest predicting power. Findings emphasized the importance of focusing on improving the daily school experience in reducing youth violence.

From Past to Present: How Memories of School Shape Parental Views of Children's Schooling

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Miller, Kyle

2015-01-01

Internationally, there is growing interest in children's transition to school and their readiness for formal education. Parents' memories of school offer important insights into children's preparation for school and how families view schools; however, few studies consider the influence of educational histories. To address this gap, a sample of 24…

Predicting growth rates and growth boundary of Listeria monocytogenes - An international validation study with focus on processed and ready-to-eat meat and seafood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mejlholm, Ole; Gunvig, A.; Borggaard, C.

2010-01-01

The performance of six predictive models for Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated using 1014 growth responses of the pathogen in meat, seafood, poultry and dairy products. The performance of the growth models was closely related to their complexity i.e. the number of environmental parameters they...... be accurate. The successfully validated models are useful for assessment and management of L monocytogenes in processed and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods....... to accurately predict growth responses of L. monocytogenes in the wide range of food evaluated in the present study. When complexity of L monocytogenes growth models matches the complexity of foods of interest. i.e. the number of hurdles to microbial growth, then predicted growth responses of the pathogen can...

Predicting secondary school dropout among South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... not living with one's mother, smoking cigarettes in the past month, and lower levels of leisure-related intrinsic motivation significantly predicted dropout. Results support comprehensive prevention programmes that target risk behaviour and leisure. Keywords: adolescence; leisure motivation; school dropout; substance use ...

Instructional Alignment of Workplace Readiness Skills in Career and Technical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Sarah Jane

2009-01-01

The United States faces a skills shortage that goes beyond academic and technical skills. Employers report entry-level workers lack the necessary "soft" skills, also referred to as workplace readiness skills, needed for success in the workforce; thus, calling on educational institutions to make improvements in high school curriculum in…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Florida

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Florida's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Arkansas

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Arkansas' college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Minnesota's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Alaska's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Kentucky

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Kentucky's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Georgia's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Alabama's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. Tennessee

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on Tennessee's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. California

Science.gov (United States)

Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on California's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Disentangling the Predictive Validity of High School Grades for Academic Success in University

Science.gov (United States)

Vulperhorst, Jonne; Lutz, Christel; de Kleijn, Renske; van Tartwijk, Jan

2018-01-01

To refine selective admission models, we investigate which measure of prior achievement has the best predictive validity for academic success in university. We compare the predictive validity of three core high school subjects to the predictive validity of high school grade point average (GPA) for academic achievement in a liberal arts university…

E-learning readiness from perspectives of medical students: A survey in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Obi, I E; Charles-Okoli, A N; Agunwa, C C; Omotowo, B I; Ndu, A C; Agwu-Umahi, O R

2018-03-01

Learning in the medical school of the study university is still by the traditional face-to-face approach with minimal e-communication. This paper assesses student's perspectives of E-learning readiness, its predictors and presents a model for assessing them. A descriptive cross-sectional study of medical students. By proportional quota sampling 284 students responded to a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from literature. Ethical issues were given full consideration. Analysis was with SPSS version 20, using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Spearman's correlation, and multiple regression. Statistical significance was considered at P E-learning (Mlr = 3.8 > Melr = 3.4), beyond reliance on the face-to-face approach (69.7%), expecting effective (51.1%), and quality improvement in their learning (73.1%). Having basic information and communications technology skills (68.9%) (Mict = 3.7 > Melr = 3.4), access to laptops (76.1%), ability to use web browsers confidently (91.8%) (Mwb = 4.3 > Melr = 3.4), with only few able to use asynchronous tools (45.5%), they consider content design important to attract users (75.6%), and agree they need training on E-learning content (71.4%). They however do not believe the university has enough information technology infrastructure (62.4%) (Mi = 2.7 E-learning. Predicted by their attitude, content, technological and cultural readiness. Further study with qualitative methodology will help in preparing for this evolution in learning.

Ready-to-use supplementary food increases fat mass and BMI in Haitian school-aged children.

Science.gov (United States)

Iannotti, Lora L; Henretty, Nicole M; Delnatus, Jacques Raymond; Previl, Windy; Stehl, Tom; Vorkoper, Susan; Bodden, Jaime; Maust, Amanda; Smidt, Rachel; Nash, Marilyn L; Tamimie, Courtney A; Owen, Bridget C; Wolff, Patricia B

2015-04-01

In Haiti and other countries, large-scale investments in school feeding programs have been made with marginal evidence of nutrition outcomes. We aimed to examine the effectiveness of a fortified ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), Mamba, on reduced anemia and improved body composition in school-aged children compared to an unfortified cereal bar, Tablet Yo, and control groups. A cluster, randomized trial with children ages 3-13 y (n = 1167) was conducted in the north of Haiti. Six schools were matched and randomized to the control group, Tablet Yo group (42 g, 165 kcal), or Mamba group (50 g, 260 kcal, and >75% of the RDA for critical micronutrients). Children in the supplementation groups received the snack daily for 100 d, and all were followed longitudinally for hemoglobin concentrations, anthropometry, and bioelectrical impedance measures: baseline (December 2012), midline (March 2013), and endline (June 2013). Parent surveys were conducted at baseline and endline to examine secondary outcomes of morbidities and dietary intakes. Longitudinal regression modeling using generalized least squares and logit with random effects tested the main effects. At baseline,14.0% of children were stunted, 14.5% underweight, 9.1% thin, and 73% anemic. Fat mass percentage (mean ± SD) was 8.1% ± 4.3% for boys and 12.5% ± 4.4% for girls. In longitudinal modeling, Mamba supplementation increased body mass index z score (regression coefficient ± SEE) 0.25 ± 0.06, fat mass 0.45 ± 0.14 kg, and percentage fat mass 1.28% ± 0.27% compared with control at each time point (P fat mass (regression coefficient ± SEE) 0.73 ± 0.19 kg and fat-free mass 0.62 ± 0.34 kg compared with control (P children. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

ESTIMATION OF SPORTS-TECHNICAL READINESS OF STUDENTS OF METHODICAL BRANCH «FOOTBALL» MSUCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shamonin Andrey Valentinovich

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Increase of sports-technical skill in sports occurs on the basis of last achievements of the theory and physical training and sports practice. Development of football isn't possible without search and introduction in training process of optimum pedagogical models of perfection of physical and technical readiness of football players. Such pedagogical models should be applied, as in groups of initial preparation, so at the subsequent grade levels, including in student's football. Modern training process (pedagogical model, should be under construction on objective indicators of physical, technical and special readiness (so-called feedback. However, the estimation of sports-technical readiness at sports schools on football is reduced only to testing of speed, jumps, juggling, dribbling and a shoot for goal. The same criteria are applied and in student's football. Unfortunately, the given control exercises not in a condition to the full to reflect level of physical and technical readiness of the football player. For more objective estimation of special readiness it is necessary to use the test tasks revealing a level of development of coordination abilities of game structure game and competitive activity (game in football. It will allow trainers to have fuller picture of readiness of the football player, in respect of its professional (football skills. As a result coach have possibility to trace level of a condition of the various parties of sports readiness (physical, technical and coordination student's youth engaged in football at each stage of long-term preparation.

Modeling ready biodegradability of fragrance materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceriani, Lidia; Papa, Ester; Kovarich, Simona; Boethling, Robert; Gramatica, Paola

2015-06-01

In the present study, quantitative structure activity relationships were developed for predicting ready biodegradability of approximately 200 heterogeneous fragrance materials. Two classification methods, classification and regression tree (CART) and k-nearest neighbors (kNN), were applied to perform the modeling. The models were validated with multiple external prediction sets, and the structural applicability domain was verified by the leverage approach. The best models had good sensitivity (internal ≥80%; external ≥68%), specificity (internal ≥80%; external 73%), and overall accuracy (≥75%). Results from the comparison with BIOWIN global models, based on group contribution method, show that specific models developed in the present study perform better in prediction than BIOWIN6, in particular for the correct classification of not readily biodegradable fragrance materials. © 2015 SETAC.

Bilingual Readiness for Achieving through Valued Opportunities (Project BRAVO) Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Choonoo, John

This report presents an evaluation of the Bilingual Readiness for Achieving through Valued Opportunities (Project BRAVO), an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its first year of operation at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn (New York) and Louis D. Brandeis High School in Manhattan (New York). Participating…

PREDICTION OF ENJOYMENT IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arto Gråstén

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The specific aim of this study was to examine whether motivational climate, perceived physical competence, and exercise motivation predict enjoyment in school physical education within the same sample of adolescents across three years of secondary school. A sample of 639 students (girls = 296, boys = 343 aged between 13- to 15-years at the commencement of the study completed the Intrinsic Motivation Climate in Physical Education Questionnaire, Physical Self-Perception Profile, Physical Education Motivation Scale, and Physical Education Enjoyment Scale. Results derived from path analyses indicated that task-involving motivational climate predicted enjoyment in physical education via perceived physical competence and intrinsic motivation in both girls and boys. In particular, these results supported previous findings of Vallerand et. al (1997 with the self-determination theory and the achievement goal theory. Ego-involving climate was not a significant predictor either in girls or boys. The current results provide continuing support for the investigation of Vallerand's model in the physical education setting, and highlight that motivational climate is an area that requires further evaluation as a contributing factor in the improvement of physical education teaching. A better understanding of the role of motivational climate may assist efforts to promote children's and adolescents' perceived physical competence, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment in the school physical education setting

Parental Attitude and Teacher Behaviours in Predicting School Bullying

Science.gov (United States)

Erdogdu, M. Yüksel

2016-01-01

The main goal of this research is to present the relationship between "parental attitude and teacher behaviors in predicting school bullying". The population of this research is consisted of all primary school 4th grade students within Istanbul Küçükçekmece Municipality borders. Data were gathered from lower, mid and upper socio-economic…

Readiness and Acceptability of Information and Communication Technology Integration in Basic Education

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CHARLIE P. NACARIO

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A research study was conducted to determine the readiness and acceptability of information and communication technology (ICT integration in six internet connected Public High Schools (ischools in Camarines Sur. It also aimed to determine the ICT knowledge, skills and attitude of faculty and students in ischools, ICT trainings and competencies of teachers and availability of ICT facilities in the schools and community. Purposive sampling was used in determining the respondents of the study and quantitative statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentage rates and weighted means were used in analyzing the data. Findings revealed that faculty and students in two out of the six schools were highly knowledgeable and highly skilled in ICT hardware and software components identification but only one school was found to be highly competent on ICT usage. All faculty members in one school integrated ICT in teaching English, Math, Science and TLE however, no school integrated ICT in Social Studies. The availability of ICT resources and the provision of initial ICT trainings to faculty and students in ischools contributed to ICT integration in teaching. The initial level of ICT integration in teaching is indicative of faculty and students’ readiness and acceptance of ICT tools in teaching-learning environment. Recommendations in the study were conduct of retraining courses on ICT; development of ICT-based teaching modules in Social Studies; conduct future studies that would test relationship between socio-demographic profile and ICT integration in teaching; and correlate ICT competencies of students in achievement tests in English, Math, and Science among ischools.

A Study of Placement and Grade Prediction in First College Mathematics Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Madison, Bernard L.; Linde, Cassandra S.; Decker, Blake R.; Rigsby, E. Myron; Dingman, Shannon W.; Stegman, Charles E.

2015-01-01

A college mathematics placement test with 25 basic algebra items and 15 calculus readiness items was administered to 1572 high school seniors, and first college mathematics course grades were obtained for 319 of these students. Test results indicated that more than two thirds of the high school graduates were not college ready, and the test…

SaludABLEOmaha: improving readiness to address obesity through healthy lifestyle in a Midwestern Latino community, 2011-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Robbins, Regina; Steenson, Sharalyn; Stewart, Catherine; Fisher, Christopher; Huang, Terry T-K

2015-02-12

A community's readiness for change is a precursor to the effective application of evidence-based practices for health promotion. Research is lacking regarding potential strategies to improve readiness to address obesity-related health issues in underserved communities. This case study describes SaludABLEOmaha, an initiative to increase readiness of residents in a Midwestern Latino community to address obesity and adopt healthy lifestyles. SaludABLEOmaha emphasized 2 core approaches, youth activism and collaboration among public and private institutions, which we applied to planning and implementing tactics in support of 3 interconnected strategies: 1) social marketing and social media, 2) service learning in schools (ie, curricula that integrate hands-on community service with instruction and reflection), and 3) community and business engagement. Following the Community Readiness Model protocol (http://triethniccenter.colostate.edu/communityReadiness.htm), structured interviews were conducted with community leaders and analyzed before and 2.5 years after launch of the program. The community increased in readiness from stage 3 of the Community Readiness Model, "vague awareness," at baseline to stage 5, "preparation," at follow-up. SaludABLEOmaha improved community readiness (eg, community knowledge, community climate), which probably contributed to the observed increase in readiness to address obesity through healthy lifestyle. Community mobilization approaches such as youth activism integrated with social marketing and social media tactics can improve community responsiveness to obesity prevention and diminish health disparities.

Variables that predict academic procrastination behavior in prospective primary school teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asuman Seda SARACALOĞLU

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to examine the variables predicting academic procrastination behavior of prospective primary school teachers and is conducted using the correlational survey model. The study group is composed of 294 undergraduate students studying primary school teaching programs in faculties of education at Adnan Menderes, Pamukkale, and Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Universities in Turkey. The data collection instruments used were the Procrastination Assessment Scale Students (PASS, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES, and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS. While analyzing the gathered data, descriptive analysis techniques were utilized. Moreover, while analyzing the data, power of variables namely reasons of academic procrastination, academic motivation, and academic efficacy to predict prospective primary school teachers’ academic procrastination tendencies were tested. For that purpose, stepwise regression analysis was employed. It was found that nearly half of the prospective primary school teachers displayed no academic procrastination behavior. Participants’ reasons for procrastination were fear of failure, laziness, taking risks, and rebellion against control. An average level significant correlation was found between participants’ academic procrastination and other variables. As a result, it was identified that prospective primary school teachers had less academic procrastination than reported in literature and laziness, fear of failure, academic motivation predicted academic procrastination.

Middle School Characteristics That Predict Student Achievement, as Measured by the School-Wide California API Score

Science.gov (United States)

Paredes, Josie Abaroa

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate, through quantitative research, effective middle school characteristics that predict student achievement, as measured by the school-wide California API score. Characteristics were determined using an instrument developed by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), which asked middle…

Prediction of enjoyment in school physical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Gråstén, Arto; Jaakkola, Timo; Liukkonen, Jarmo; Watt, Anthony; Yli-Piipari, Sami

2012-01-01

The specific aim of this study was to examine whether motivational climate, perceived physical competence, and exercise motivation predict enjoyment in school physical education within the same sample of adolescents across three years of secondary school. A sample of 639 students (girls = 296, boys = 343) aged between 13- to 15-years at the commencement of the study completed the Intrinsic Motivation Climate in Physical Education Questionnaire, Physical Self-Perception Profile, Physical Education Motivation Scale, and Physical Education Enjoyment Scale. Results derived from path analyses indicated that task-involving motivational climate predicted enjoyment in physical education via perceived physical competence and intrinsic motivation in both girls and boys. In particular, these results supported previous findings of Vallerand et. al (1997) with the self-determination theory and the achievement goal theory. Ego-involving climate was not a significant predictor either in girls or boys. The current results provide continuing support for the investigation of Vallerand's model in the physical education setting, and highlight that motivational climate is an area that requires further evaluation as a contributing factor in the improvement of physical education teaching. A better understanding of the role of motivational climate may assist efforts to promote children's and adolescents' perceived physical competence, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment in the school physical education setting. Key pointsThe findings of the current study support existing suggestions of Vallerand's (1997) model in which social factors mediated by a psychological mediator, and exercise motivation are related to positive consequences in the PE context.Task-involving motivational climate predicted PE enjoyment via perceived physical competence and intrinsic motivation with both girls and boys. Task-involving motivational climate in PE lessons at Grade 7 had a strong association with PE

Attentional fluctuations in preschoolers: Direct and indirect relations with task accuracy, academic readiness, and school performance.

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Isbell, Elif; Calkins, Susan D; Swingler, Margaret M; Leerkes, Esther M

2018-03-01

Attentional control fluctuates in the presence of internal and external distractors, wandering on and off a given task. The current study investigated individual differences in attentional fluctuations in 250 preschoolers. Attentional fluctuations were assessed via intra-individual variability in response time in a Go/No-Go task. Greater fluctuations in attentional control were linked to lower task accuracy. In addition, greater attentional fluctuations predicted lower performance in a task of cognitive flexibility, the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Attentional fluctuations were also associated with laboratory measures of academic readiness in preschool, as assessed by the Applied Problems and Letter-Word Identification subscales of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, which in turn predicted teacher reports of academic performance in first grade. Attentional fluctuations also had indirect associations with emergent math skills in preschool, via cognitive flexibility, as well as indirect associations with first-grade teacher reports of academic performance, via the relations between cognitive flexibility and emergent math skills in preschool. These results suggest that consistency is an important aspect of attentional control during early childhood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychometric evaluation of the Work Readiness Questionnaire in schizophrenia.

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Potkin, Steven G; Bugarski-Kirola, Dragana; Edgar, Chris J; Soliman, Sherif; Le Scouiller, Stephanie; Kunovac, Jelena; Miguel Velasco, Eugenio; Garibaldi, George M

2016-04-01

Unemployment can negatively impact quality of life among patients with schizophrenia. Employment status depends on ability, opportunity, education, and cultural influences. A clinician-rated scale of work readiness, independent of current work status, can be a valuable assessment tool. A series of studies were conducted to create and validate a Work Readiness Questionnaire (WoRQ) for clinicians to assess patient ability to engage in socially useful activity, independent of work availability. Content validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, and construct validity were evaluated in three separate studies. Content validity was supported. Cronbach's α was 0.91, in the excellent range. Clinicians endorsed WoRQ concepts, including treatment adherence, physical appearance, social competence, and symptom control. The final readiness decision showed good test-retest reliability and moderate inter-rater reliability. Work readiness was associated with higher function and lower levels of negative symptoms. Low positive and high negative predictive values confirmed the concept validity. The WoRQ has suitable psychometric properties for use in a clinical trial for patients with a broad range of symptom severity. The scale may be applicable to assess therapeutic interventions. It is not intended to assess eligibility for supported work interventions. The WoRQ is suitable for use in schizophrenia clinical trials to assess patient work functional potential.

Organizational factors associated with readiness for change in residential aged care settings.

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von Treuer, Kathryn; Karantzas, Gery; McCabe, Marita; Mellor, David; Konis, Anastasia; Davison, Tanya E; O'Connor, Daniel

2018-02-01

Organizational change is inevitable in any workplace. Previous research has shown that leadership and a number of organizational climate and contextual variables can affect the adoption of change initiatives. The effect of these workplace variables is particularly important in stressful work sectors such as aged care where employees work with challenging older clients who frequently exhibit dementia and depression. This study sought to examine the effect of organizational climate and leadership variables on organizational readiness for change across 21 residential aged care facilities. Staff from each facility (N = 255) completed a self-report measure assessing organizational factors including organizational climate, leadership and readiness for change. A hierarchical regression model revealed that the organizational climate variables of work pressure, innovation, and transformational leadership were predictive of employee perceptions of organizational readiness for change. These findings suggest that within aged care facilities an organization's capacity to change their organizational climate and leadership practices may enhance an organization's readiness for change.

The New Approaches to Improve the Morpho-Functional Readiness for Systematic School Training of Six-Year Old Children with Iron Deficiency

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S.A. Mokiia-Serbinа

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: to increase morpho-functional readiness for systematic school training of six-year old children with iron deficiency. Materials and methods. The study included 155 six-year old children in preschools with diagnosed iron deficiency and 50 healthy children. Patients were randomized into the basic group (52 children with established latent iron deficiency and 25 persons with iron deficiency anemia I degree and comparison group (53 children with latent iron deficiency and 25 children with iron deficiency anemia I degree. Children with iron deficiency received standard iron therapy. In the basic group combined drug with multicomponent action was additionally used. There were studied such parameters as anthropometric (height, weight, chest perimeter, fine motor skills of hands, biological (change of first teeth, the ratio of the circumference of the head to the body length, the degree of ossification of the left hand skeleton. Results. Under the combined therapy anthropometric parameters and fine motor hand skills restored to the level of healthy children reliably faster. Parameters ofbiological development improved in both groups with no statistical difference. Conclusions. Iron therapy supplied by multi-component drug in six-year old children with iron deficiency enhances their morpho-functional readiness for systematic school training.

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. South Carolina

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on South Carolina's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. North Dakota

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on North Dakota's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. New Mexico

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on New Mexico's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

Profile of State College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCR) Policy. West Virginia

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Center on Education Policy, 2011

2011-01-01

This individual profile provides information on West Virginia's college and career readiness assessment policy. Some of the categories presented include: (1) CCR assessment policy; (2) Purpose; (3) Major changes in CCR assessment policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (4) State financial support for students to take the CCR…

School Violence in Taiwan: Examining How Western Risk Factors Predict School Violence in an Asian Culture

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Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

2010-01-01

The current study explores whether theorized risk factors in Western countries can be used to predict school violence perpetration in an Asian cultural context. The study examines the associations between risk factors and school violence perpetration in Taiwan. Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 14,022 students from…

How Satellites Have Contributed to Building a Weather Ready Nation

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Lapenta, W.

2017-12-01

NOAA's primary mission since its inception has been to reduce the loss of life and property, as well as disruptions from, high impact weather and water-related events. In recent years, significant societal losses resulting even from well forecast extreme events have shifted attention from the forecast alone toward ensuring societal response is equal to the risks that exist for communities, businesses and the public. The responses relate to decisions ranging from coastal communities planning years in advance to mitigate impacts from rising sea level, to immediate lifesaving decisions such as a family seeking adequate shelter during a tornado warning. NOAA is committed to building a "Weather-Ready Nation" where communities are prepared for and respond appropriately to these events. The Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) strategic priority is building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather, water, climate and environmental threats. To build a Weather-Ready Nation, NOAA is enhancing Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS), transitioning science and technology advances into forecast operations, applying social science research to improve the communication and usefulness of information, and expanding its dissemination efforts to achieve far-reaching readiness, responsiveness and resilience. These four components of Weather-Ready Nation are helping ensure NOAA data, products and services are fully utilized to minimize societal impacts from extreme events. Satellite data and satellite products have been important elements of the national Weather Service (NWS) operations for more than 40 years. When one examines the uses of satellite data specific to the internal forecast and warning operations of NWS, two main applications are evident. The first is the use of satellite data in numerical weather prediction models; the second is the use of satellite imagery and derived products for mesoscale and short-range weather warning and

Justification of the conceptual construct "readiness to the labour organization staff sports schools" in the context of vocational training future professionals of physical culture and sports

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Perepletchikov D.A.

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Was analyzed literature devoted to the preparation of students of physical education to administrative activities. In the context of their training we held a comparative analysis of the approaches to organize the pedagogical process. As a reference point for the formation of professional preparedness specialist physical education and sports identified qualifying characteristics posts in this industry. Based on the analysis of literature given the definition of the concept of "readiness for organization of the Youth sports school.

FORMING THE READINESS OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS TO WORK IN POSTGRADUATE PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATION

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Iryna Trubavina

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The problem of teaching adult students in the system of postgraduate pedagogical education should be considered not only from the point of view of the students, but also from the point of teachers’ view. Training is a two-way process. In this article national studies on this problem are initially summarized. The methodology of research of postgraduate pedagogical education is singled out. These are such scientific approaches as synergetics and andragogics. The author proves the need for universities to train teachers specially for interaction with adult students who already work as teachers in schools, have very much motivation for study, their own personal and professional experience, may be older than their university teachers, require subject-subject communication. This all affects the specifics of teaching and requires a different willingness to work with such students and correspondent courses at universities. The article is devoted to forming modern university teachers’ readiness to work in postgraduate pedagogical education. The features of such readiness content are first determined by the author as the content, value and operational components of teacher readiness for work. This gives the article practical significance. The results can be extended to the training of all teachers of higher pedagogical educational institutions, that indicate the social significance of the article. The originality of the article is determining the specific content of the components of the teachers’ readiness to work in postgraduate pedagogical education. Forming the teacher’s readiness for training adult students in the system of postgraduate teacher education should include knowledge, skills and values of work. The prospects for research are building and implementing a model of forming the university teachers’ readiness for such work on the basis of andragogy and synergetics, taking into account the specified content of the components of teacher

Teaching via Mobile Phone: a Case Study on Malaysian Teachers’ Technology Acceptance and Readiness

OpenAIRE

Issham Ismail; Siti F Bokhare; Siti N Azizan; Nizuwan Azman

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the level of technology acceptance among school teachers from the components of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design, and supports and facilities. This study also aims to investigate whether teachers’ acceptance of technology could influence their readiness for the pedagogical use of mobile phone technology if it is to be implemented in school. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to thirty eight teachers who teach I...

Using Social Cognitive Theory to Predict Physical Activity and Fitness in Underserved Middle School Children

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Martin, Jeffrey J.; McCaughtry, Nate; Flory, Sara; Murphy, Anne; Wisdom, Kimberlydawn

2011-01-01

Few researchers have used social cognitive theory and environment-based constructs to predict physical activity (PA) and fitness in underserved middle-school children. Hence, we evaluated social cognitive variables and perceptions of the school environment to predict PA and fitness in middle school children (N = 506, ages 10-14 years). Using…

Development of an instrument to assess readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa.

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Rieger, E; Touyz, S; Schotte, D; Beumont, P; Russell, J; Clarke, S; Kohn, M; Griffiths, R

2000-12-01

The degree to which patients with anorexia nervosa demonstrate readiness to recover from their illness has received scant theoretical or empirical attention. Investigating the prevalence and degree of amotivation for recovery in anorexia nervosa, its role in outcome, and the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance readiness to recover necessitates the existence of a reliable and valid measure of motivational issues relevant to the disorder. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate an instrument for assessing readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa, namely, the Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire (ANSOCQ), a 23-item self-report questionnaire based on Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change model. Seventy-one inpatients with anorexia nervosa participated in the study. On several occasions during their admission, participants completed the ANSOCQ as well as questionnaires assessing readiness to recover, anorexic symptomatology, general distress, and social desirability. The ANSOCQ demonstrated good internal consistency (.90) and 1-week test-retest reliability (.89). Various aspects of validity were also supported, such as significant relationships with other instruments assessing readiness to recover and the prediction of weight gain during different periods of treatment. The results suggest that the ANSOCQ is a psychometrically sound instrument that may prove useful in investigating the role of readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Focus on Mentee-Mentor Relationships: The 10th Grade Implementation of iMentor's College Ready Program. Executive Summary

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Merrill, Lisa; Kang, David; Siman, Nina; Soltani, Jasmine

2016-01-01

The iMentor College Ready Program is a model that combines school-based mentoring with technology and aspects of whole school reform. The program aims to create strong relationships between low-income youth and college-educated mentors--and to leverage these relationships to help students develop the mindsets, skills, and knowledge necessary to…

Contribution entrepreneurial knowledge, skills competence, and self-efficacy to student entrepreneurship readiness of multimedia expertise at vocational high school in Malang

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Islami, Pio Arfianova Ftirizky; Elmunsyah, Hakkun; Muladi

2017-09-01

This study aims to determine the contribution of entrepreneurship knowledge, skills competence, and self-efficacy to entrepreneurship readiness. The design used in this research using a quantitative approach and knowledge test techniques using regression analysis. The number of samples in this study as many as 181 students. The results showed that there was a significant contribution between entrepreneurship knowledge to entrepreneurship readiness. There is also a significant contribution between the skills competence to entrepreneurship readiness and there is a significant contribution between self-efficacy to entrepreneurship readiness. Futhermore, there is a significant contribution simultaneously between entrepreneurship knowledge, skill competence; self-efficacy to entrepreneurship readiness.

The concept of readiness to change.

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Dalton, Cindy C; Gottlieb, Laurie N

2003-04-01

Readiness is associated with change, yet there is little understanding of this construct. The purpose of this study was to examine readiness; its referents, associated factors and the resulting consequences. In the course of nursing five clients living with multiple sclerosis over a 7-month period using a Reflective Practice Model, data were systematically gathered using open-ended and then more focused questioning. Data collected during 42 client encounters (28 face-to-face encounters; 14 telephone contacts) were analysed using Chinn and Kramer's concept analysis technique. Findings. The concept of readiness was inductively derived. Readiness is both a state and a process. Before clients can create change they need to become ready to change. A number of factors trigger readiness. These include when: (a) clients perceive that a health concern is not going to resolve, (b) a change in a client's physical condition takes on new significance, (c) clients feel better able to manage their stress, (d) clients have sufficient energy, (e) clients perceive that they have adequate support in undertaking change. When one or more of these factors is present clients become ready to consider change. The process of readiness involves recognizing the need to change, weighing the costs and benefits and, when benefits outweigh costs, planning for change. The desire to change and to take action determines clients' degree of readiness. When they experience a high degree of readiness they report less anger, less depression, and view their condition in a more positive light. In contrast, when they experience a low degree of readiness they report feeling depressed, afraid and vulnerable in the face of change. Nursing has an important role to play in creating conditions to support change. To fulfil this role, nurses need to be able to assess readiness for change and the factors that enable it and then to intervene in ways that facilitate readiness.

Does University Campus Experience Develop Motivation to Lead or Readiness to Lead among Undergraduate Students? "A Malaysian Perspective"

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Hamid, Jamaliah Abdul; Krauss, Steven E.

2013-01-01

Do students' experiences on university campuses cultivate motivation to lead or a sense of readiness to lead that does not necessarily translate to active leadership? To address this question, a study was conducted with 369 undergraduates from Malaysia. Campus experience was more predictive of leadership readiness than motivation. Student…

Head Start and Urban Children’s School Readiness: A Birth Cohort Study in 18 Cities

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Zhai, Fuhua; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Waldfogel, Jane

2011-01-01

We used longitudinal data from a birth cohort study, the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, to investigate the links between Head Start and school readiness in a large and diverse sample of urban children at age 5 (N = 2,803; 18 cities). We found that Head Start attendance was associated with enhanced cognitive ability and social competence and reduced attention problems but not reduced internalizing or externalizing behavior problems. These findings were robust to model specifications (including models with city-fixed effects and propensity-scoring matching). Furthermore, the effects of Head Start varied by the reference group. Head Start was associated with improved cognitive development when compared with parental care or other nonparental care, as well as improved social competence (compared with parental care) and reduced attention problems (compared with other nonparental care). In contrast, compared with attendance at pre-kindergarten or other center-based care, Head Start attendance was not associated with cognitive gains but with improved social competence and reduced attention and externalizing behavior problems (compared with attendance at other center-based care). These associations were not moderated by child gender or race/ethnicity. PMID:21244155

A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Parent Engagement on Early Language and Literacy: The Getting Ready Intervention

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Knoche, Lisa L.; Kupzyk, Kevin A.; Edwards, Carolyn Pope; Marvin, Christine A.

2011-01-01

Language and literacy skills established during early childhood are critical for later school success. Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschoolers including language and literacy development, and family-school collaboration is an important contributor to school readiness. This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention designed to facilitate school readiness among disadvantaged preschool children, with a particular focus on language and literacy development. Participants included 217 children, 211 parents, and 29 Head Start teachers in 21 schools. Statistically significant differences in favor of the treatment group were observed between treatment and control participants in the rate of change over 2 academic years on teacher reports of children’s language use (d = 1.11), reading (d = 1.25), and writing skills (d = .93). Significant intervention effects on children’s direct measures of expressive language were identified for a subgroup of cases where there were concerns about a child’s development upon entry into preschool. Additionally, other child and family moderators revealed specific variables that influenced the treatment’s effects. PMID:21640249

Methods for diagnosing the level of preparedness of future specialists of physical education and sports unto the organization labour staff of youth sports school

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Perepletchikov D.A.

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The theoretical questions of determination of level of readiness of future specialists are examined to organization of activity of child's sporting schools. The plan of creation of structural functional model of readiness of specialists is presented to organization of activity of child's sporting schools. Procedure of determination of specific gravity of factors of professional readiness of specialists is described to organization of activity of child's sporting schools. The qualimetry vehicle of determination of level of their professional readiness is given. The general view of form of expert estimation of this readiness is presented.

Implementation of the TsunamiReady Supporter Program in Puerto Rico

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Flores Hots, V. E.; Vanacore, E. A.; Gonzalez Ruiz, W.; Gomez, G.

2016-12-01

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) manages the PR Tsunami Program (NTHMP), including the TsunamiReady Supporter Program. Through this program the PRSN helps private organizations, businesses, facilities or local government entities to willingly engage in tsunami planning and preparedness that meet some requirements established by the National Weather Service. TsunamiReady Supporter organizations are better prepared to respond to a tsunami emergency, developing a response plan (using a template that PRSN developed and provides), and reinforcing their communication systems including NOAA radio, RSS, and loud speakers to receive and disseminate the alerts issued by the NWS and the Tsunami Warning Centers (TWC). The planning and the communication systems added to the training that PRSN provides to the staff and employees, are intend to help visitors and employees evacuate the tsunami hazard zone to the nearest assembly point minimizing loss of life. Potential TsunamiReady Supporters include, but are not limited to, businesses, schools, churches, hospitals, malls, utilities, museums, beaches, and harbors. However, the traditional targets for such programs are primarily tourism sites and hotels where people unaware of the tsunami hazard may be present. In 2016 the Tsunami Ready Program guided four businesses to achieve the TsunamiReady Supporter recognition. Two facilities were hotels near or inside the evacuation zone. The other facilities were the first and only health center and supermarket to be recognized in the United States and US territories. Based on the experience of preparing the health center and supermarket sites, here we present two case studies of how the TsunamiReady Supporter Program can be applied to non-traditional facilities as well as how the application of this program to such facilities can improve tsunami hazard mitigation. Currently, we are working on expanding the application of this program to non-traditional facilities by working with a

Career Readiness: Has Its Time Finally Come?

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DeWitt, Stephen

2012-01-01

In 2010, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released a "What Is Career Ready?" definition. As the career-readiness definition explains, there is much overlap between "college readiness" and "career readiness," but academic preparedness for college alone is not enough to be truly career-ready.…

The Predictive Value of Selection Criteria in an Urban Magnet School

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Lohmeier, Jill Hendrickson; Raad, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The predictive value of selection criteria on outcome data from two cohorts of students (Total N = 525) accepted to an urban magnet high school were evaluated. Regression analyses of typical screening variables (suspensions, absences, metropolitan achievement tests, middle school grade point averages [GPAs], Matrix Analogies test scores, and…

SaludABLEOmaha: Improving Readiness to Address Obesity Through Healthy Lifestyle in a Midwestern Latino Community, 2011–2013

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Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Robbins, Regina; Steenson, Sharalyn; Stewart, Catherine; Fisher, Christopher

2015-01-01

Background A community’s readiness for change is a precursor to the effective application of evidence-based practices for health promotion. Research is lacking regarding potential strategies to improve readiness to address obesity-related health issues in underserved communities. Community Context This case study describes SaludABLEOmaha, an initiative to increase readiness of residents in a Midwestern Latino community to address obesity and adopt healthy lifestyles. Methods SaludABLEOmaha emphasized 2 core approaches, youth activism and collaboration among public and private institutions, which we applied to planning and implementing tactics in support of 3 interconnected strategies: 1) social marketing and social media, 2) service learning in schools (ie, curricula that integrate hands-on community service with instruction and reflection), and 3) community and business engagement. Following the Community Readiness Model protocol (http://triethniccenter.colostate.edu/communityReadiness.htm), structured interviews were conducted with community leaders and analyzed before and 2.5 years after launch of the program. Outcome The community increased in readiness from stage 3 of the Community Readiness Model, “vague awareness,” at baseline to stage 5, “preparation,” at follow-up. Interpretation SaludABLEOmaha improved community readiness (eg, community knowledge, community climate), which probably contributed to the observed increase in readiness to address obesity through healthy lifestyle. Community mobilization approaches such as youth activism integrated with social marketing and social media tactics can improve community responsiveness to obesity prevention and diminish health disparities. PMID:25674679

Linking Ready Kids to Ready Schools: A Report on Policy Insights from the Governors' Forum Series. Arizona, Connecticut, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

W. K. Kellogg Foundation, 2009

2009-01-01

This report describes efforts to provide seamless transitions from early to elementary education. Specifically, it details SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids), a five-year initiative funded by the Kellogg Foundation, which has contributed a unique, community-based perspective to the national conversation on what it takes to…

Maintenance-Ready Web Application Development

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Ion IVAN

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The current paper tackles the subject of developing maintenance-ready web applications. Maintenance is presented as a core stage in a web application’s lifecycle. The concept of maintenance-ready is defined in the context of web application development. Web application maintenance tasks types are enunciated and suitable task types are identified for further analysis. The research hypothesis is formulated based on a direct link between tackling maintenance in the development stage and reducing overall maintenance costs. A live maintenance-ready web application is presented and maintenance related aspects are highlighted. The web application’s features, that render it maintenance-ready, are emphasize. The cost of designing and building the web-application to be maintenance-ready are disclosed. The savings in maintenance development effort facilitated by maintenance ready features are also disclosed. Maintenance data is collected from 40 projects implemented by a web development company. Homogeneity and diversity of collected data is evaluated. A data sample is presented and the size and comprehensive nature of the entire dataset is depicted. Research hypothesis are validated and conclusions are formulated on the topic of developing maintenance-ready web applications. The limits of the research process which represented the basis for the current paper are enunciated. Future research topics are submitted for debate.

Consistency of hand preference: predictions to intelligence and school achievement.

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Kee, D W; Gottfried, A; Bathurst, K

1991-05-01

Gottfried and Bathurst (1983) reported that hand preference consistency measured over time during infancy and early childhood predicts intellectual precocity for females, but not for males. In the present study longitudinal assessments of children previously classified by Gottfried and Bathurst as consistent or nonconsistent in cross-time hand preference were conducted during middle childhood (ages 5 to 9). Findings show that (a) early measurement of hand preference consistency for females predicts school-age intellectual precocity, (b) the locus of the difference between consistent vs. nonconsistent females is in verbal intelligence, and (c) the precocity of the consistent females was also revealed on tests of school achievement, particularly tests of reading and mathematics.

Predicting performance at medical school: can we identify at-risk students?

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Shaban S

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Sami Shaban, Michelle McLeanDepartment of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab EmiratesBackground: The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive potential of multiple indicators (eg, preadmission scores, unit, module and clerkship grades, course and examination scores on academic performance at medical school, with a view to identifying students at risk.Methods: An analysis was undertaken of medical student grades in a 6-year medical school program at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, over the past 14 years.Results: While high school scores were significantly (P < 0.001 correlated with the final integrated examination, predictability was only 6.8%. Scores for the United Arab Emirates university placement assessment (Common Educational Proficiency Assessment were only slightly more promising as predictors with 14.9% predictability for the final integrated examination. Each unit or module in the first four years was highly correlated with the next unit or module, with 25%–60% predictability. Course examination scores (end of years 2, 4, and 6 were significantly correlated (P < 0.001 with the average scores in that 2-year period (59.3%, 64.8%, and 55.8% predictability, respectively. Final integrated examination scores were significantly correlated (P < 0.001 with National Board of Medical Examiners scores (35% predictability. Multivariate linear regression identified key grades with the greatest predictability of the final integrated examination score at three stages in the program.Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that it may be possible to identify “at-risk” students relatively early in their studies through continuous data archiving and regular analysis. The data analysis techniques used in this study are not unique to this institution.Keywords: at-risk students, grade

中小學行動學習準備度探究與分析 Support-Object-Personnel Mobile-Learning Readiness Model for Primary and Secondary Schools

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游雅婷 Ya-Ting Yu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available 有效整合行動學習資源並在執行行動學習前完成充分準備，是學校創新並達到成功的第一步，然而，當前並無相關準備度評估工具能提供給學校參考。本研究目的在發展行動學習準備度以作為學校實施行動學習前的自我檢核評估工具，並依此分析中小學行動學習準備度現況。研究透過文獻檢閱、焦點團體座談、問卷調查等歷程，以探索性因素分析、單一樣本t檢定、弗里曼等級平均數與卡方檢定等統計方法進行分析，最後由正在進行行動學習的71 所中小學（11 所國中、60 所國小）填寫本研究編製的行動學習準備度線上問卷。研究對象有焦點團體座談4人、問卷調查198 人，以及代表學校填寫行動學習準備度問卷71 人，皆為執行過資訊融入教學的教育人員。研究結果顯示：一、行動學習準備度可分為S：「支持系統」、O：「物件設備」、P：「參與人員」三大面向，以及10 個指標、30 個子指標。二、中小學行動學習準備度填寫結果，在三大面向的成績尚屬平均，其中以「領導者能力」指標成績最高、「校務平台」指標成績最低。 Efficiently integrating mobile learning resources is an essential step in developing a successful innovative education system that can enhance perceptions and stimulate preparations for M-learning among school administrators and faculty members. Currently, tools for measuring M-learning readiness and instruments that can productively evaluate M-learning readiness are extremely limited. This study proposed the support-object-personnel (SOP m-learning readiness model to assess the capacity for m-learning readiness in primary and secondary schools in Taiwan. Through a literature review and focus group interviews (N = 4, several standards were identified. Questionnaires (N =198 were developed and then implemented to conduct a valid survey

Military Readiness: DODs Readiness Rebuilding Efforts May Be at Risk without a Comprehensive Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

specific elements that are to be in strategic plans. 8Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Guide 3401D, CJCS Guide to the Chairman’s Readiness ...all its major functions and operations. DOD strategic guidance makes it clear that rebuilding readiness is a priority that supports the... readiness recovery efforts. Evaluations of the plan to monitor goals and objectives Assessments, through objective measurement and systematic

Relationships between Self-Regulating Behaviors and Predictor Exam Scores for Senior Nursing Students

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Maria

2012-01-01

Low pass rates on the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses have directed nursing faculty to examine how to predict the readiness of the nursing student. Exit exam testing that predicts readiness has become one way to assess the nursing student's readiness. Nursing students at the research site's school of nursing are…

Teaching via Mobile Phone: A Case Study on Malaysian Teachers' Technology Acceptance and Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Issham; Bokhare, Siti F.; Azizan, Siti N.; Azman, Nizuwan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the level of technology acceptance among school teachers from the components of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design, and supports and facilities. This study also aims to investigate whether teachers' acceptance of technology could influence their readiness for the pedagogical use…

Retrospective evaluation of factors that influence the implementation of CATCH in southern Illinois schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Bice, Matthew R; Brown, Stephen L; Parry, Thomas

2014-09-01

Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) is a school health program implemented in southern Illinois that focuses on physical activity and nutrition and consists of a classroom curriculum, physical education framework, and cafeteria guidelines. Though many schools agreed to implement CATCH, some schools implemented it better than others. This study examined implementation practices of classroom and physical education teachers and cafeteria supervisors. We surveyed 284 school employees at 36 elementary schools located in southern Illinois. Attention focused on organizational readiness, commitment to change, school leadership, implementation barriers, and innovation perceptions concerning degree of implementation of CATCH. Organizational readiness and implementation barriers were significant predictors of degree of implementation for school employees. Additionally, organizational readiness was reported a significant predictor of classroom teacher degree of implementation whereas leadership was a significant predictor of degree of implementation by physical education teachers. Data from this study can be used to enhance implementation of CATCH as well as other school health programs. This study provides educators evidence of why school employees have different implementation practices, evidence of what constructs influence degree of implementation most, and some explanation of school employee degree of implementation. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Pre-school education and school maturity of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panajotis Cakirpaloglu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The adaptability of children to the school environment and their potential to succeed there is closely linked to the development of their cognitive and social skills. These are primarily linked to personal factors -physical maturity as well as mental or emotional maturity and the environment in which those children grow up. This fact is evident in children growing up in disadvantageous socio-economic conditions. In general the school readiness of children from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds is affected by the specific environment, the primary family and a number of other factors. A significant support of psychosocial development and successful adaptability at the start of the compulsory education is the preschool education, especially for children growing up in disadvantageous socio-economic conditions. The presented study focused on the effect of pre-school education on school readiness in first grade children. 24 children from socially disadvantaged environment were tested twice - for first time shortly after the beginning of their first grade and for the second time before the end of the first grade. The children were then divided into two groups - those who attended pre-school education and those who started school without any pre-school education programme. The attendance thus made the independent variable in the research design. There were three research questions - what is the impact of pre-school education on: Q1: general cognitive functioning (tested using the Intelligence Image Scale, Q2: on the ability to acquire the reading skills (tested using the Reversal test by Edfeldt and Q3 on the social maturity of the children (tested using the Vineland scale of adaptive behaviour The results of the study suggest that pre-school education has significant effect on social skills and this effect increases during the first year. The reading skills were better in children who attended the pre-school education however this impact decreases

The Potential of General Classroom Observation: Turkish EFL Teachers' Perceptions, Sentiments, and Readiness for Action

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Merç, Ali

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine Turkish EFL teachers' attitudes towards classroom observation. 204 teachers from different school settings responded to an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed according to three types of attitudes towards classroom observation: perceptions, sentiments, and readiness for action. The findings revealed…

Solar Ready: An Overview of Implementation Practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, A.; Guidice, L.; Lisell, L.; Doris, L.; Busche, S.

2012-01-01

This report explores three mechanisms for encouraging solar ready building design and construction: solar ready legislation, certification programs for solar ready design and construction, and stakeholder education. These methods are not mutually exclusive, and all, if implemented well, could contribute to more solar ready construction. Solar ready itself does not reduce energy use or create clean energy. Nevertheless, solar ready building practices are needed to reach the full potential of solar deployment. Without forethought on incorporating solar into design, buildings may be incompatible with solar due to roof structure or excessive shading. In these cases, retrofitting the roof or removing shading elements is cost prohibitive. Furthermore, higher up-front costs due to structural adaptations and production losses caused by less than optimal roof orientation, roof equipment, or shading will lengthen payback periods, making solar more expensive. With millions of new buildings constructed each year in the United States, solar ready can remove installation barriers and increase the potential for widespread solar adoption. There are many approaches to promoting solar ready, including solar ready legislation, certification programs, and education of stakeholders. Federal, state, and local governments have the potential to implement programs that encourage solar ready and in turn reduce barriers to solar deployment. With the guidance in this document and the examples of jurisdictions and organizations already working to promote solar ready building practices, federal, state, and local governments can guide the market toward solar ready implementation.

Home Schooled Adults: Are They Ready for College?

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Rhonda A. Scott

This study investigated home school graduates' potential for success in college by comparing their performance with that of students who had graduated from conventional public and private schools. The basis for comparison was student aptitude for college English as measured by the American College Testing (ACT) English sub-score and the ACT…

Solomon Islands School Leaders Readiness for Inclusive Education

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Porakari, James; Sevala, Brenda; Miniti, Patrick; Saemane, George; Sharma, Umesh; Forlin, Chris

2015-01-01

The inclusion of students with disabilities was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development in the Solomon Islands in 2013. This paper investigates the knowledge, skills, and values of school leaders in public and private schools in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, in regard to providing support for inclusive…

Organizational readiness for implementing change: a psychometric assessment of a new measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Christopher M; Jacobs, Sara R; Esserman, Denise A; Bruce, Kerry; Weiner, Bryan J

2014-01-10

support of the ORIC measure. We believe this measure will enable testing of theories about determinants and consequences of organizational readiness and, ultimately, assist healthcare leaders to reduce the number of health organization change efforts that do not achieve desired benefits. Although ORIC shows promise, further assessment is needed to test for convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity.

Can Business Save the Schools?

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Gordon, Jack

1990-01-01

Business' agenda for improving education is linked to gubernatorial goals for school reform: (1) improve preschool learning readiness; (2) increase high school graduation rates; (3) require subject matter mastery in grades 4, 8, and 12; (4) improve math and science achievement; (5) teach literacy, global awareness, and citizen responsibility; and…

E-health readiness assessment framework in iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezai-Rad, M; Vaezi, R; Nattagh, F

2012-01-01

Concept of e-readiness is used in many areas such as e-business, e-commerce, e-government, and e-banking. In terms of healthcare, e-readiness is a rather new concept, and is propounded under the title of E-healthcare. E-health readiness refers to the readiness of communities and healthcare institutions for the expected changes brought by programs related to Information and Communications Technology (lCT). The present research is conducted aiming at designing E-health Readiness Assessment Framework (EHRAF) in Iran. The e-health readiness assessment framework was designed based on reviewing literature on e-readiness assessment models and opinions of ICT and health experts. In the next step, Delphi method was used to develop and test the designed framework. Three questionnaires developed to test and modify the model while determining weights of the indices; afterward they were either sent to experts through email or delivered to them in face. The designed framework approved with 4 dimensions, 11 constituents and 58 indices. Technical readiness had the highest importance coefficient (0.256099), and the other dimensions were of the next levels of coefficient importance: core readiness (0.25520), social communication readiness (0.244658), and engagement readiness (0.244039). The framework presents the movement route and investment priorities in e-health in Iran. The proposed framework is a good instrument for measuring the e-readiness in health centers in Iran, and for identifying strengths and weaknesses of these centers to access ICT and its implementation for more effectiveness and for analyzing digital divide between them, as well.

E-Health Readiness Assessment Framework in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Rezai-Rad, M; Vaezi, R; Nattagh, F

2012-01-01

Background: Concept of e-readiness is used in many areas such as e-business, e-commerce, e-government, and e-banking. In terms of healthcare, e-readiness is a rather new concept, and is propounded under the title of E-healthcare. E-health readiness refers to the readiness of communities and healthcare institutions for the expected changes brought by programs related to Information and Communications Technology (lCT). The present research is conducted aiming at designing E-health Readiness Assessment Framework (EHRAF) in Iran. Methods: The e-health readiness assessment framework was designed based on reviewing literature on e-readiness assessment models and opinions of ICT and health experts. In the next step, Delphi method was used to develop and test the designed framework. Three questionnaires developed to test and modify the model while determining weights of the indices; afterward they were either sent to experts through email or delivered to them in face. Results: The designed framework approved with 4 dimensions, 11 constituents and 58 indices. Technical readiness had the highest importance coefficient (0.256099), and the other dimensions were of the next levels of coefficient importance: core readiness (0.25520), social communication readiness (0.244658), and engagement readiness (0.244039). Conclusion: The framework presents the movement route and investment priorities in e-health in Iran. The proposed framework is a good instrument for measuring the e-readiness in health centers in Iran, and for identifying strengths and weaknesses of these centers to access ICT and its implementation for more effectiveness and for analyzing digital divide between them, as well. PMID:23304661

Capture ready study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minchener, A.

2007-07-15

There are a large number of ways in which the capture of carbon as carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) can be integrated into fossil fuel power stations, most being applicable for both gas and coal feedstocks. To add to the choice of technology is the question of whether an existing plant should be retrofitted for capture, or whether it is more attractive to build totally new. This miscellany of choices adds considerably to the commercial risk of investing in a large power station. An intermediate stage between the non-capture and full capture state would be advantageous in helping to determine the best way forward and hence reduce those risks. In recent years the term 'carbon capture ready' or 'capture ready' has been coined to describe such an intermediate stage plant and is now widely used. However a detailed and all-encompassing definition of this term has never been published. All fossil fuel consuming plant produce a carbon dioxide gas byproduct. There is a possibility of scrubbing it with an appropriate CO{sub 2} solvent. Hence it could be said that all fossil fuel plant is in a condition for removal of its CO{sub 2} effluent and therefore already in a 'capture ready' state. Evidently, the practical reality of solvent scrubbing could cost more than the rewards offered by such as the ETS (European Trading Scheme). In which case, it can be said that although the possibility exists of capturing CO{sub 2}, it is not a commercially viable option and therefore the plant could not be described as ready for CO{sub 2} capture. The boundary between a capture ready and a non-capture ready condition using this definition cannot be determined in an objective and therefore universally acceptable way and criteria must be found which are less onerous and less potentially contentious to assess. 16 refs., 2 annexes.

Data that Matters: Giving High Schools Useful Feedback on Grads' Outcomes. Charts You Can Trust

Science.gov (United States)

Hyslop, Anne

2011-01-01

Today, there is a growing agreement that students should leave high school "college- and career-ready." But what does that mean? And how can high schools tell if they are meeting the goal? This analysis identifies four characteristics of the most successful college readiness reports. (Contains 3 charts, 1 figure and 25 notes.)

Subjective-personal readiness of correctional teachers to education of ASD children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kateryna Ostrovska

2017-07-01

Full Text Available ASD teachers require skills that go beyond the realm of most educators including professional competences and high moral qualities. In the work theoretical approaches and experimental research on the problem of subjective personality readiness of correctional teachers in the education of ASD children are carried out. The psychological investigation has been conducted including measurement of psychological indices of 40 teachers of ASD children from the boarding school "Trust" and 40 teachers from mainstream schools of Lviv city aged from 28 to 59 years. The following methods are used: "Questionnaire for the measurement of tolerance" (Magun, Zhamkochyan, Magura, 2000; "Shein’s Career Anchors" method aimed at studying the career orientations of the teachers (Shein, 2010; “Diagnostics of empathy level” (Viktor Boiko, 2001; method of study “Motivation professional activities” by Catelin Zamfir in a modification of Artur Rean (Bordovskaya, & Rean, 2001. Based on the provided studies a program for development of subject-personality readiness of the correctional teacher to work with ASD children is proposed. The program consists of the following components: motivational component (professional competence, self-development, self-determination, self-control; cognitive component (intellectual personality autonomy, self-identification, stability, challenge, integration of lifestyles; emotionally-volitional component (empathy, positive attitude toward a child, intellectual analysis of emotions, self-regulation.

Predicting High-School Students' Bystander Behavior in Simulated Dating Violence Situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jouriles, Ernest N; Rosenfield, David; Yule, Kristen; Sargent, Kelli S; McDonald, Renee

2016-03-01

Dating violence among adolescents is associated with a variety of negative health consequences for victims. Bystander programs are being developed and implemented with the intention of preventing such violence, but determinants of high-school students' responsive bystander behavior remain unclear. The present study examines hypothesized determinants of high-school students' bystander behavior in simulated situations of dating violence. Participants were 80 high-school students who completed self-reports of hypothesized determinants of bystander behavior (responsibility, efficacy, and perceived benefits for intervening) at a baseline assessment. A virtual-reality paradigm was used to observationally assess bystander behavior at 1-week and 6-month assessments after baseline. Efficacy for intervening was positively associated with observed bystander behavior at the 1-week and 6-month assessments. Moreover, efficacy predicted bystander behavior over and above feelings of responsibility and perceived benefits for intervening. Contrary to our predictions, neither responsibility nor perceived benefits for intervening were associated with observed bystander behavior. This research advances our understanding of determinants of bystander behavior for high-school students and can inform prevention programming for adolescents. The study also introduces an innovative way to assess high-school students' bystander behavior. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aggression in Primary Schools: The Predictive Power of the School and Home Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Kozina, Ana

2015-01-01

In this study, we analyse the predictive power of home and school environment-related factors for determining pupils' aggression. The multiple regression analyses are performed for fourth- and eighth-grade pupils based on the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 (N = 8394) and TIMSS 2011 (N = 9415) databases for Slovenia. At the…

Readiness for Living Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peronard, Jean-Paul

2013-01-01

This paper is a comparative analysis between workers in healthcare with high and low degree of readiness for living technology such as robotics. To explore the differences among workers’ readiness for robotics in healthcare, statistical analysis was conducted in the data set obtained from 200...

The Association of Readiness for Interprofessional Learning with empathy, motivation and professional identity development in medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Cora L F; Wilschut, Janneke A; Isik, Ulviye; van der Burgt, Stéphanie M E; Croiset, Gerda; Kusurkar, Rashmi A

2018-06-07

The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale is among the first scales developed for measurement of attitude towards interprofessional learning (IPL). However, the conceptual framework of the RIPLS still lacks clarity. We investigated the association of the RIPLS with professional identity, empathy and motivation, with the intention of relating RIPLS to other well-known concepts in healthcare education, in an attempt to clarify the concept of readiness. Readiness for interprofessional learning, professional identity development, empathy and motivation of students for medical school, were measured in all 6 years of the medical curriculum. The association of professional identity development, empathy and motivation with readiness was analyzed using linear regression. Empathy and motivation significantly explained the variance in RIPLS subscale Teamwork & Collaboration. Gender and belonging to the first study year had a unique positive contribution in explaining the variance of the RIPLS subscales Positive and Negative Professional Identity, whereas motivation had no contribution. More compassionate care, as an affective component of empathy, seemed to diminish readiness for IPL. Professional Identity, measured as affirmation or denial of the identification with a professional group, had no contribution in the explanation of the variance in readiness. The RIPLS is a suboptimal instrument, which does not clarify the 'what' and 'how' of IPL in a curriculum. This study suggests that students' readiness for IPE may benefit from a combination with the cognitive component of empathy ('Perspective taking') and elements in the curriculum that promote autonomous motivation.

Middle School Math Acceleration and Equitable Access to Eighth-Grade Algebra: Evidence from the Wake County Public School System

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Shaun M.; Goodman, Joshua S.; Hill, Darryl V.; Litke, Erica G.; Page, Lindsay C.

2015-01-01

Taking algebra by eighth grade is considered an important milestone on the pathway to college readiness. We highlight a collaboration to investigate one district's effort to increase middle school algebra course-taking. In 2010, the Wake County Public Schools began assigning middle school students to accelerated math and eighth-grade algebra based…

Transitions from high school to college.

Science.gov (United States)

Venezia, Andrea; Jaeger, Laura

2013-01-01

The vast majority of high school students aspire to some kind of postsecondary education, yet far too many of them enter college without the basic content knowledge, skills, or habits of mind they need to succeed. Andrea Venezia and Laura Jaeger look at the state of college readiness among high school students, the effectiveness of programs in place to help them transition to college, and efforts to improve those transitions. Students are unprepared for postsecondary coursework for many reasons, the authors write, including differences between what high schools teach and what colleges expect, as well as large disparities between the instruction offered by high schools with high concentrations of students in poverty and that offered by high schools with more advantaged students. The authors also note the importance of noncurricular variables, such as peer influences, parental expectations, and conditions that encourage academic study. Interventions to improve college readiness offer a variety of services, from academic preparation and information about college and financial aid, to psychosocial and behavioral supports, to the development of habits of mind including organizational skills, anticipation, persistence, and resiliency. The authors also discuss more systemic programs, such as Middle College High Schools, and review efforts to allow high school students to take college classes (known as dual enrollment). Evaluations of the effectiveness of these efforts are limited, but the authors report that studies of precollege support programs generally show small impacts, while the more systemic programs show mixed results. Dual-enrollment programs show promise, but the evaluation designs may overstate the results. The Common Core State Standards, a voluntary set of goals and expectations in English and math adopted by most states, offer the potential to improve college and career readiness, the authors write. But that potential will be realized, they add, only if the

Where It Begins: Parental Strategies that Impact the Kindergarten Readiness of African American Students

Science.gov (United States)

English, Katrina E.

2010-01-01

The need to close the educational gap between Black and White students necessitated a search for answers through parental strategies that impact school readiness. Educational and child development literature support the fact that what a caregiver/parent does and/or does not do for their children, essentially, beginning at birth , has an impact on…

Evidence based practice readiness: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Jessica D; Welton, John M

2018-01-15

To analyse and define the concept "evidence based practice readiness" in nurses. Evidence based practice readiness is a term commonly used in health literature, but without a clear understanding of what readiness means. Concept analysis is needed to define the meaning of evidence based practice readiness. A concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant's method to clarify the defining attributes of evidence based practice readiness as well as antecedents and consequences. A Boolean search of PubMed and Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature was conducted and limited to those published after the year 2000. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. Evidence based practice readiness incorporates personal and organisational readiness. Antecedents include the ability to recognize the need for evidence based practice, ability to access and interpret evidence based practice, and a supportive environment. The concept analysis demonstrates the complexity of the concept and its implications for nursing practice. The four pillars of evidence based practice readiness: nursing, training, equipping and leadership support are necessary to achieve evidence based practice readiness. Nurse managers are in the position to address all elements of evidence based practice readiness. Creating an environment that fosters evidence based practice can improve patient outcomes, decreased health care cost, increase nurses' job satisfaction and decrease nursing turnover. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prioritization of in silico models and molecular descriptors for the assessment of ready biodegradability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández, Alberto; Rallo, Robert; Giralt, Francesc

2015-01-01

Ready biodegradability is a key property for evaluating the long-term effects of chemicals on the environment and human health. As such, it is used as a screening test for the assessment of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances. Regulators encourage the use of non-testing methods, such as in silico models, to save money and time. A dataset of 757 chemicals was collected to assess the performance of four freely available in silico models that predict ready biodegradability. They were applied to develop a new consensus method that prioritizes the use of each individual model according to its performance on chemical subsets driven by the presence or absence of different molecular descriptors. This consensus method was capable of almost eliminating unpredictable chemicals, while the performance of combined models was substantially improved with respect to that of the individual models. - Highlights: • Consensus method to predict ready biodegradability by prioritizing multiple QSARs. • Consensus reduced the amount of unpredictable chemicals to less than 2%. • Performance increased with the number of QSAR models considered. • The absence of 2D atom pairs contributed significantly to the consensus model.

Prioritization of in silico models and molecular descriptors for the assessment of ready biodegradability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernández, Alberto [Departament d’Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia (Spain); Rallo, Robert [Departament d’Enginyeria Informatica i Matematiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia (Spain); Giralt, Francesc [Departament d’Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia (Spain)

2015-10-15

Ready biodegradability is a key property for evaluating the long-term effects of chemicals on the environment and human health. As such, it is used as a screening test for the assessment of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances. Regulators encourage the use of non-testing methods, such as in silico models, to save money and time. A dataset of 757 chemicals was collected to assess the performance of four freely available in silico models that predict ready biodegradability. They were applied to develop a new consensus method that prioritizes the use of each individual model according to its performance on chemical subsets driven by the presence or absence of different molecular descriptors. This consensus method was capable of almost eliminating unpredictable chemicals, while the performance of combined models was substantially improved with respect to that of the individual models. - Highlights: • Consensus method to predict ready biodegradability by prioritizing multiple QSARs. • Consensus reduced the amount of unpredictable chemicals to less than 2%. • Performance increased with the number of QSAR models considered. • The absence of 2D atom pairs contributed significantly to the consensus model.

Burnout does not help predict depression among French school teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Renzo; Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Laurent, Eric

2015-11-01

Burnout has been viewed as a phase in the development of depression. However, supportive research is scarce. We examined whether burnout predicted depression among French school teachers. We conducted a 2-wave, 21-month study involving 627 teachers (73% female) working in French primary and secondary schools. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and depression with the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 grades depressive symptom severity and provides a provisional diagnosis of major depression. Depression was treated both as a continuous and categorical variable using linear and logistic regression analyses. We controlled for gender, age, and length of employment. Controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, linear regression analysis showed that burnout symptoms at time 1 (T1) did not predict depressive symptoms at time 2 (T2). Baseline depressive symptoms accounted for about 88% of the association between T1 burnout and T2 depressive symptoms. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted depressive symptoms at follow-up. Similarly, logistic regression analysis revealed that burnout symptoms at T1 did not predict incident cases of major depression at T2 when depressive symptoms at T1 were included in the predictive model. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted cases of major depression at follow-up. This study does not support the view that burnout is a phase in the development of depression. Assessing burnout symptoms in addition to "classical" depressive symptoms may not always improve our ability to predict future depression.

What Are the Costs of Trauma Center Readiness? Defining and Standardizing Readiness Costs for Trauma Centers Statewide.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley, Dennis W; Mullins, Robert F; Dente, Christopher J; Garlow, Laura; Medeiros, Regina S; Atkins, Elizabeth V; Solomon, Gina; Abston, Dena; Ferdinand, Colville H

2017-09-01

Trauma center readiness costs are incurred to maintain essential infrastructure and capacity to provide emergent services on a 24/7 basis. These costs are not captured by traditional hospital cost accounting, and no national consensus exists on appropriate definitions for each cost. Therefore, in 2010, stakeholders from all Level I and II trauma centers developed a survey tool standardizing and defining trauma center readiness costs. The survey tool underwent minor revisions to provide further clarity, and the survey was repeated in 2013. The purpose of this study was to provide a follow-up analysis of readiness costs for Georgia's Level I and Level II trauma centers. Using the American College of Surgeons Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient guidelines, four readiness cost categories were identified: Administrative, Clinical Medical Staff, Operating Room, and Education/Outreach. Through conference calls, webinars and face-to-face meetings with financial officers, trauma medical directors, and program managers from all trauma centers, standardized definitions for reporting readiness costs within each category were developed. This resulted in a survey tool for centers to report their individual readiness costs for one year. The total readiness cost for all Level I trauma centers was $34,105,318 (avg $6,821,064) and all Level II trauma centers was $20,998,019 (avg $2,333,113). Methodology to standardize and define readiness costs for all trauma centers within the state was developed. Average costs for Level I and Level II trauma centers were identified. This model may be used to help other states define and standardize their trauma readiness costs.

The Relationship between School-Level Characteristics and Implementation Fidelity of a Coordinated School Health Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Lederer, Alyssa M.; King, Mindy H.; Sovinski, Danielle; Seo, Dong-Chul; Kim, Nayoung

2015-01-01

Background: Curtailing childhood obesity is a public health imperative. Although multicomponent school-based programs reduce obesity among children, less is known about the implementation fidelity of these interventions. This study examines process evaluation findings for the Healthy, Energetic Ready, Outstanding, Enthusiastic, Schools (HEROES)…

Teachers' and Students' Views on E-Learning Readiness in Kuwait's Secondary Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Aldhafeeri, Fayiz M.; Khan, Badrul H.

2016-01-01

This article reports on an e-learning readiness study that was carried out to assess the organizational and individual factors of the two major stakeholder groups (teachers and students) in the secondary education institutions in the State of Kuwait in order to provide significant information to the policy makers and regulatory bodies for the…

Preschoolers' precision of the approximate number system predicts later school mathematics performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzocco, Michèle M M; Feigenson, Lisa; Halberda, Justin

2011-01-01

The Approximate Number System (ANS) is a primitive mental system of nonverbal representations that supports an intuitive sense of number in human adults, children, infants, and other animal species. The numerical approximations produced by the ANS are characteristically imprecise and, in humans, this precision gradually improves from infancy to adulthood. Throughout development, wide ranging individual differences in ANS precision are evident within age groups. These individual differences have been linked to formal mathematics outcomes, based on concurrent, retrospective, or short-term longitudinal correlations observed during the school age years. However, it remains unknown whether this approximate number sense actually serves as a foundation for these school mathematics abilities. Here we show that ANS precision measured at preschool, prior to formal instruction in mathematics, selectively predicts performance on school mathematics at 6 years of age. In contrast, ANS precision does not predict non-numerical cognitive abilities. To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence for early ANS precision, measured before the onset of formal education, predicting later mathematical abilities.

Data Collaboration in New York City: The Challenges of Linking High School and Post-Secondary Data

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkes, Shani; Brohawn, Kathryn; Mevs, Pascale; Lee, Jaein

2012-01-01

Education leaders across the country confront a growing challenge: too many students are not college ready when they leave high school. Although indicators exist to identify students at risk of dropping out of high school, few indicators of students' college readiness are currently in place, and few districts have linked indicators to practices…

Investigating GEAR-Up College Readiness Program's Influence on Postsecondary Decisions of Rural Hispanic Youth

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Boydstun, Kelli Dawn

2016-01-01

This qualitative case study investigated how the GEAR-Up college readiness program influenced the postsecondary decisions of Hispanic students who participated in the GEAR-Up program for the recommended six-year period in a rural school district in Texas. It was not known how long-term participation in the GEAR-Up program at a rural school…

[The readiness of the young teacher for the job].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruskova, R

1992-01-01

The study aims at studying the professional readiness of the young teachers concerning their psychic state. It includes subjective-individual determinants--attitude to the profession, professional choice and steadiness, professional skills and satisfaction. The investigation is part of a broad complex study. The method used is directed first of all to self-estimation of the teacher concerning the structural system of the pedagogic activity which embraces supplementary questionnaire, revealing the motivation side of the scales for self-estimation. The subject of the examination are teachers from primary schools with length of service one to five years--time for completing their adaptation to the profession. The investigation includes 40 teachers from the cities of Sofia and Burgas. A general conclusion could be made, that there is professional readiness of the young teacher to be up to the requirements. His/her self-estimation corresponds to the adaptive behaviour and the choice of profession has a considerable effect on the professional steadiness. The general low satisfaction is not a sign for dysadaptation, but this low level presupposes lack of stimuli for personal development and perfection.

Preparing for success: Readiness models for rural telehealth

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Jennett P

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Readiness is an integral and preliminary step in the successful implementation of telehealth services into existing health systems within rural communities. Methods and Materials: This paper details and critiques published international peer-reviewed studies that have focused on assessing telehealth readiness for rural and remote health. Background specific to readiness and change theories is provided, followed by a critique of identified telehealth readiness models, including a commentary on their readiness assessment tools. Results: Four current readiness models resulted from the search process. The four models varied across settings, such as rural outpatient practices, hospice programs, rural communities, as well as government agencies, national associations, and organizations. All models provided frameworks for readiness tools. Two specifically provided a mechanism by which communities could be categorized by their level of telehealth readiness. Discussion: Common themes across models included: an appreciation of practice context, strong leadership, and a perceived need to improve practice. Broad dissemination of these telehealth readiness models and tools is necessary to promote awareness and assessment of readiness. This will significantly aid organizations to facilitate the implementation of telehealth.

SUMMARY OF MONITORING SYSTEMS PROFESSIONAL READINESS OF STUDENTS TO COMMUNICATIVELY-SPEECH DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOLERS BILINGUAL

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Neonila Vyacheslavovna Ivanova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article describes the main provisions of the monitoring system of professional readiness of the future teachers of pre-school education.Methodology. Presented in the paper position monitoring system of professional readiness of students to develop communicative speech bilingual children in the profil «Preschool education» are analized based on the principles: compliance with the general content of the training and disciplinary purposes of vocational training; Unity of its substantive and procedural right; structural integrity of the contents; orientation of its content for the implementation of the system, the personal, the activity, polysubject (Dialogic, cultural approaches.Results. We studid and summarized some of the theoretical and practical aspects, given the scientific substantiation of organizational methods of monitoring of professional readiness of the future teachers to the communicative and language development of preschool children bilingual.Practical implications. Еducational system of higher education.

Models of professional readiness of students of higher military schools of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

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Y.P. Sergienko

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose : Creating models of professional readiness, namely, physical, mental, psycho-physiological and functional training based on the integral method developed. Material / Methods : The study involved 60 students of the fourth graduating class of 30 people in the control and experimental groups. To confirm the effectiveness of the developed method was used testing the physical qualities, psychological questionnaires, the study of cognitive processes, as well as functional tests. Results: It was established that at the beginning of the experiment between the control and experimental groups was not significant differences in all indicators. After the study of the experimental group experienced an improvement of performance as compared to the control group. So on average, in terms of physical fitness, they increased by 9.34 %, mental qualities to 21.25 %, physiological capacity of 14.7 % and a functional readiness to 21.13 %. The results obtained are reliable. Conclusions : The developed method allowed to increase the individual results of students to build models that characterize the professional readiness of future officers, as well as increase the adaptive processes of all systems to service and combat activities.

Teenage employment and career readiness.

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Greene, Kaylin M; Staff, Jeremy

2012-01-01

Most American youth hold a job at some point during adolescence, but should they work? This article presents a broad overview of teenage employment in the United States. It begins by describing which teenagers work and for how long and then focuses attention on the consequences (both good and bad) of paid work in adolescence. It then presents recent nationally representative data from the Monitoring the Future Study suggesting that limited hours of paid work do not crowd out developmentally appropriate after-school activities. A review of the literature also supports the idea that employment for limited hours in good jobs can promote career readiness and positive development. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of youth work for practitioners and policymakers who are delivering career-related programming. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Prioritizing Elementary School Writing Instruction: Cultivating Middle School Readiness for Students with Learning Disabilities

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Ciullo, Stephen; Mason, Linda

2017-01-01

Helping elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) prepare for the rigor of middle school writing is an instructional priority. Fortunately, several standards-based skills in upper elementary school and middle school overlap. Teachers in upper elementary grades, specifically fourth and fifth grades, have the opportunity to provide…

From Readiness to Action: How Motivation Works

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Kruglanski Arie W.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available We present a new theoretical construct labeled motivational readiness. It is defined as the inclination, whether or not ultimately implemented, to satisfy a desire. A general model of readiness is described which builds on the work of prior theories, including animal learning models and personality approaches, and which aims to integrate a variety of research findings across different domains of motivational research. Components of this model include the Want state (that is, an individual’s currently active desire, and the Expectancy of being able to satisfy that Want. We maintain that the Want concept is the critical ingredient in motivational readiness: without it, readiness cannot exist. In contrast, some motivational readiness can exist without Expectancy. We also discuss the role of incentive in motivational readiness. Incentive is presently conceived of in terms of a Match between a Want and a Perceived Situational Affordance. Whereas in classic models incentive was portrayed as a first order determinant of motivational readiness, here we describe it as a second order factor which affects readiness by influencing Want, Expectancy, or both. The new model’s relation to its theoretical predecessors, and its implications for future research, also are discussed.

The role of socio-cognitive variables in predicting learning satisfaction in smart schools

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Mohammad Reza Firoozi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the role of Socio-Cognitive variables in predicting learning satisfaction in Smart Schools. The population was all the primary school students studying in smart schools in the city of Shiraz in the school year 2014-2015. The sample, randomly chosen through multi-stage cluster sampling, was 383 primary school students studying in smart schools in Shiraz. The instruments were the Computer Self-Efficiency Questionnaire developed by Torkzadeh (2003, Performance Expectation Questionnaire developed by Compeau and Higgins (1995, System Functionality and Content Feature Questionnaire developed by Pituch and Lee (2006, Interaction Questionnaire developed by Johnston, Killion and Oomen (2005, Learning Climate Questionnaire developed by Chou` and Liu (2005 and Learning Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Chou and Liu (2005. In order to determine the possible relationship between variables and to predict the changes in the degree of satisfaction, we made use of correlational procedures and step-wise regression analysis. The results indicated that all the socio-cognitive variables have a positive and significant correlation with learning satisfaction. Out of the socio-cognitive variables in question, Computer Self-Efficiency, Performance Expectation and Learning Climate significantly explained 53% of the variance of learning satisfaction.

The Role of Socio-Cognitive Variables in Predicting Learning Satisfaction in Smart Schools

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Mohammad Reza FIROOZI

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the role of Socio-Cognitive variables in predicting learning satisfaction in Smart Schools. The population was all the primary school students studying in smart schools in the city of Shiraz in the school year 2014-2015. The sample, randomly chosen through multi-stage cluster sampling, was 383 primary school students studying in smart schools in Shiraz. The instruments were the Computer Self-Efficiency Questionnaire developed by Torkzadeh (2003, Performance Expectation Questionnaire developed by Compeau and Higgins (1995, System Functionality and Content Feature Questionnaire developed by Pituch and Lee (2006, Interaction Questionnaire developed by Johnston, Killion and Oomen (2005, Learning Climate Questionnaire developed by Chou` and Liu (2005 and Learning Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Chou and Liu (2005. In order to determine the possible relationship between variables and to predict the changes in the degree of satisfaction, we made use of correlational procedures and step-wise regression analysis. The results indicated that all the socio-cognitive variables have a positive and significant correlation with learning satisfaction. Out of the socio-cognitive variables in question, Computer Self-Efficiency, Performance Expectation and Learning Climate significantly explained 53% of the variance of learning satisfaction.

Predicting Freshman Grade Point Average From College Admissions Test Scores and State High School Test Scores

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Daniel Koretz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The current focus on assessing “college and career readiness” raises an empirical question: How do high school tests compare with college admissions tests in predicting performance in college? We explored this using data from the City University of New York and public colleges in Kentucky. These two systems differ in the choice of college admissions test, the stakes for students on the high school test, and demographics. We predicted freshman grade point average (FGPA from high school GPA and both college admissions and high school tests in mathematics and English. In both systems, the choice of tests had only trivial effects on the aggregate prediction of FGPA. Adding either test to an equation that included the other had only trivial effects on prediction. Although the findings suggest that the choice of test might advantage or disadvantage different students, it had no substantial effect on the over- and underprediction of FGPA for students classified by race-ethnicity or poverty.

Career success criteria and locus of control as indicators of adaptive readiness in the career adaptation model.

OpenAIRE

Zhou, W.; Guan, Y.; Xin, L.; Mak, M.C.K.; Deng, Y.

2016-01-01

The present research had two goals. The first goal was to identify additional individual characteristics that may contribute to adaptive readiness. The second goal was to test if these characteristics fit the career adaptation model of readiness to resources to responses. We examined whether career success criteria (measured at Time 1) and career locus of control (measured at Time 1) would contribute to adaptivity and predict university students’ career decision-making self-efficacy (measured...

Predicting High School Outcomes in the Baltimore City Public Schools. The Senior Urban Education Research Fellowship Series. Volume VII

Science.gov (United States)

Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Messel, Matthew

2012-01-01

This study of high school outcomes in the Baltimore City Public Schools builds on substantial prior research on the early warning indicators of dropping out. It sought to investigate whether the same variables that predicted a non-graduation outcome in other urban districts--attendance, behavior problems, and course failure--were also significant…

Predicting dropout using student- and school-level factors: An ecological perspective.

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Wood, Laura; Kiperman, Sarah; Esch, Rachel C; Leroux, Audrey J; Truscott, Stephen D

2017-03-01

High school dropout has been associated with negative outcomes, including increased rates of unemployment, incarceration, and mortality. Dropout rates vary significantly depending on individual and environmental factors. The purpose of our study was to use an ecological perspective to concurrently explore student- and school-level predictors associated with dropout for the purpose of better understanding how to prevent it. We used the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 dataset. Participants included 14,106 sophomores across 684 public and private schools. We identified variables of interest based on previous research on dropout and implemented hierarchical generalized linear modeling. In the final model, significant student-level predictors included academic achievement, retention, sex, family socioeconomic status (SES), and extracurricular involvement. Significant school-level predictors included school SES and school size. Race/ethnicity, special education status, born in the United States, English as first language, school urbanicity, and school region did not significantly predict dropout after controlling for the aforementioned predictors. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts within a multitiered intervention model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The BERG faculty students readiness for information technologies study

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Horovèák Pavel

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The contribution deals with the reconnaissance of our students’ readiness to study information technologies, its interpretation, comparison with some published data as well as with a completion and evaluation of the reconnaissance. It specifies methods and processes of evaluation, structure, sections and questions of the reconnaissance. The reconnaissance was oriented particularly to the evaluation of knowledge in the information technologies area acquired at secondary schools. It was completed in a classical paper form as a preparation for the realization and utilization of questionnaire in the electronic form. The following is constructed using modern internet and database technologies and presents extensive possibilities of evaluation answers respondents. The results of the reconnaissance are presented in the form distribution (sex, domicile, secondary school, secondary school influence, work with a computer, operating and exploitation of internet technologies, familiarity with operating systems and typical applications software and programming languages as well as the interest in information technologies of respondents. The results are compared with some other published data and future perspectives of completion and its evaluation of completion are outlined.

Vogtle Unit 1 readiness review: Assessment of Georgia Power Company readiness review pilot program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, G.

1987-09-01

Georgia Power Company (GPC) performed a readiness review at Vogtle Unit 1 as a pilot program. The pilot program was a new and innovative approach for the systematic and disciplined review, with senior management involvement, of GPC's implementation of design, construction, and operational readiness processes. The program's principal objective was to increase the level of assurance that quality programs at Vogtle Unit 1 have been accomplished in accordance with regulatory requirements. This report assesses the effectiveness of the GPC's readiness review pilot program (RRPP) at Vogtle Unit 1. It includes (1) an overview of what was experienced during the program's implementation, (2) an assessment of how well program objectives were met, and (3) lessons learned on the future use of the readiness review concept. Overall, GPC and the NRC staff believe that the RRPP at Vogtle Unit 1 was a success and that the program provided significant added assurance that Vogtle Unit 1 licensing commitments and NRC regulations have been adequately implemented. Although altering the NRC licensing review process for the few plants still in the construction pipeline may not be appropriate, licensees may benefit significantly by performing readiness reviews on their own initiative as GPC did for Vogtle. (7 refs.)

Cognitive Readiness

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Morrison, John

2002-01-01

Cognitive readiness is described as the mental preparation an individual needs to establish and sustain competent performance in the complex and unpredictable environment of modern military operations...

A Study of the Relationship between the ACT College Mathematics Readiness Standard and College Mathematics Achievement

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Harwell, Michael; Moreno, Mario; Post, Thomas

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between the American College Testing (ACT) college mathematics readiness standard and college mathematics achievement using a sample of students who met or exceeded the minimum 3 years high school mathematics coursework recommended by ACT. According to ACT, a student who scores 22 or higher on the ACT…

Singapore Teachers' Beliefs about the Purpose of Climate Change Education and Student Readiness to Handle Controversy

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Seow, Tricia; Ho, Li-Ching

2016-01-01

This qualitative study examines what four pre-service and six practicing geography educators in Singapore schools believe to be the purpose of climate change education, and how this intersects with their beliefs about student readiness to handle controversy within climate change education. A key finding of this study indicates that the teachers'…

A theory of organizational readiness for change

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Weiner Bryan J

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Change management experts have emphasized the importance of establishing organizational readiness for change and recommended various strategies for creating it. Although the advice seems reasonable, the scientific basis for it is limited. Unlike individual readiness for change, organizational readiness for change has not been subject to extensive theoretical development or empirical study. In this article, I conceptually define organizational readiness for change and develop a theory of its determinants and outcomes. I focus on the organizational level of analysis because many promising approaches to improving healthcare delivery entail collective behavior change in the form of systems redesign--that is, multiple, simultaneous changes in staffing, work flow, decision making, communication, and reward systems. Discussion Organizational readiness for change is a multi-level, multi-faceted construct. As an organization-level construct, readiness for change refers to organizational members' shared resolve to implement a change (change commitment and shared belief in their collective capability to do so (change efficacy. Organizational readiness for change varies as a function of how much organizational members value the change and how favorably they appraise three key determinants of implementation capability: task demands, resource availability, and situational factors. When organizational readiness for change is high, organizational members are more likely to initiate change, exert greater effort, exhibit greater persistence, and display more cooperative behavior. The result is more effective implementation. Summary The theory described in this article treats organizational readiness as a shared psychological state in which organizational members feel committed to implementing an organizational change and confident in their collective abilities to do so. This way of thinking about organizational readiness is best suited for

Dyadic violence and readiness to change among male intimate partner violence offenders.

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Crane, Cory A; Schlauch, Robert C; Eckhardt, Christopher I

2015-12-10

Although readiness to change is associated with mandated partner violence treatment compliance and subsequent violent behaviour among male offenders (e.g. Scott and Wolfe, 2003; Eckhardt et al., 2004), our understanding of the factors associated with pretreatment change remains limited. Offender research indicates that individual and dyadic violent behaviour are highly variable and that such variability may provide insight into levels of pretreatment change (Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart, 1994; Archer, 2002). We sought to examine the associations between indicators of change and individual as well as dyadic violence frequency in a sample of male partner violence offenders. To determine whether severity and perceived concordance in the use of violence among male offenders and their female partners influenced readiness to change at pretreatment, 82 recently adjudicated male perpetrators of intimate partner violence were recruited into the current study and administered measures of readiness to change violent behaviour (Revised Safe at Home Scale; Begun et al., 2008) as well as partner violence experiences (Revised Conflict Tactics Scale; Straus et al., 1996). Analyses revealed an interaction between offender-reported male and female violence in the prediction of pretreatment readiness to change such that greater male violence was associated with greater readiness to change among males who reported that their female partners perpetrated low, but not high, levels of violence. Consistently, greater female violence was associated with lower readiness to change only among the most violent male offenders. Results provide support for the assertion that the most violent offenders may be the most resistant to partner violence intervention efforts, particularly when they perceive themselves to be victims as well. Enhanced motivational and couples programming may facilitate treatment engagement among the high-risk group of male offenders who report concordant relationship

Self-efficacy and Resilience Are Useful Predictors of Transition Readiness Scores in Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsen, Katrine; Haddad, Nichola; Gordon, Julia

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a vulnerable period for those afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is limited knowledge of factors influencing transition readiness in this population. We sought to determine whether self-efficacy and resilience would be informative predictors of trans......BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a vulnerable period for those afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is limited knowledge of factors influencing transition readiness in this population. We sought to determine whether self-efficacy and resilience would be informative predictors......-Davidson Resilience Scale. Demographic data and disease-specific information were collected from the medical record and by the provider. General linear modeling and autocorrelation were performed to investigate predictors of transition readiness. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients (62 Crohn's disease and 25 ulcerative...... colitis) were included, with a median age of 19 years (interquartile range 1-3: 17-20; min-max: 16-23). After controlling for age, the IBD-SES-A predicted TRAQ [F(1) = 11.69, R = 0.16, P = 0.001], accounting for 16% of the variance. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale also independently predicted TRAQ...

Predicting Organizational Commitment from Organizational Culture in Turkish Primary Schools

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Ipek, Cemalettin

2010-01-01

This study aims to describe organizational culture and commitment and to predict organizational commitment from organizational culture in Turkish primary schools. Organizational Culture Scale (Ipek "1999") and Organizational Commitment Scale (Balay "2000") were used in the data gathering process. The data were collected from…

Predicting Psychosocial Maladjustment in Emerging Adulthood From High School Experiences of Peer Victimization.

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Buchanan, Carie M; McDougall, Patricia

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to compare recollections of sexual, physical, verbal, social, and cyber peer victimization experienced in high school in terms of depressed affect, self-esteem, and loneliness experienced in university. In all, 247 university students (70 males and 177 females; M = 20.62, SD = 2.54) completed online measures assessing retrospective accounts of their experiences of different forms of peer victimization during high school (i.e., sexual, physical, verbal, social, and cyber) and their current psychosocial adjustment (i.e., self-esteem, depressed affect, and loneliness). Three separate hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to determine whether different indices of negative psychosocial adjustment are more strongly predicted by experiencing sexual or nonsexual forms of peer victimization. Although many university students recalled experiencing sexual peer victimization in high school at least once at an even higher percentage than verbal and social forms of peer victimization, the results of the present study suggest that social peer victimization in high school predicts higher levels of depressed affect and loneliness in university students than sexual peer victimization experienced in high school. Surprisingly, the young adults reporting higher levels of cyber peer victimization in high school were less lonely in university. Although the hypothesized relationships between each form of peer victimization and specific indices of psychosocial functioning were not consistently supported, these findings suggest that the form of peer victimization matters and may be differentially associated with well-being in emerging adulthood. It is important that future research explores how individual characteristics may further predict varied experiences of peer victimization and the long-term impact of those experiences.

Does oculomotor readiness mediate exogenous capture of visual attention?

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MacLean, Gregory H; Klein, Raymond M; Hilchey, Matthew D

2015-10-01

The oculomotor readiness hypothesis makes 2 predictions: Shifts in covert attention are accompanied by preparedness to move one's eyes to the attended region, and preparedness to move one's eyes to a region in space is accompanied by a shift in covert attention to the prepared location. Both predictions have been disconfirmed using an endogenous attention task. In the 2 experiments presented here, the same 2 predictions were tested using an exogenous attention task. It was found that participants experienced covert capture without accompanying oculomotor activation and experienced oculomotor activation without accompanying covert capture. While under everyday conditions the overt and covert orienting systems may be strongly linked, apparently they can nonetheless operate with a high degree of independence from one another. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding Students' Precollege Experiences with Racial Diversity: The High School as Microsystem

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Park, Julie J.; Chang, Stephanie H.

2015-01-01

Few qualitative studies consider how high school experiences affect readiness for diversity engagement in college. Using data from an ethnographic case study, three central trends (student experiences within homogeneous high schools, racial divisions within diverse high schools, and students who attended diverse high schools but had little…

Predicting Freshman Grade Point Average From College Admissions Test Scores and State High School Test Scores

OpenAIRE

Koretz, Daniel; Yu, C; Mbekeani, Preeya Pandya; Langi, M.; Dhaliwal, Tasminda Kaur; Braslow, David Arthur

2016-01-01

The current focus on assessing “college and career readiness” raises an empirical question: How do high school tests compare with college admissions tests in predicting performance in college? We explored this using data from the City University of New York and public colleges in Kentucky. These two systems differ in the choice of college admissions test, the stakes for students on the high school test, and demographics. We predicted freshman grade point average (FGPA) from high school GPA an...

Analysis of the 'Educational Climate' in Spanish Public Schools of Dentistry using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure: a multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomás, I; Millán, U; Casares, M A; Abad, M; Ceballos, L; Gómez-Moreno, G; Hidalgo, J J; Llena, C; López-Jornet, P; Machuca, M C; Monticelli, F; Palés, J

2013-08-01

To analyse the 'Educational Climate' (EC) of dental students in Spain. The study group consisted of 1391 students from nine Spanish Public Schools of Dentistry, who responded to the questionnaire based on 'Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure' (DREEM). This questionnaire has 50 items that are grouped into five domains: Learning, Teachers, Academic, Atmosphere and Social. The global score on the EC was 123.1 (interpretation: 'EC more positive than negative'). The scores obtained in the different domains were: 28.0 in Learning (interpretation: 'a generally positive perception of learning'), 26.8 in Teachers (interpretation: 'teachers are going in the right direction'), 20.8 in Academic (interpretation: 'feeling more on the positive side'), 29.7 in Atmosphere (interpretation: 'a generally positive atmosphere') and 17.7 in Social (interpretation: 'social perception acceptable'). In seven items (14%), an average of Schools of Dentistry, an average of >100 was achieved in all of them, although there were two centres that showed significantly higher values of EC. Spanish dental students felt that their EC was more positive than negative and considered that the different domains were positive and acceptable. However, they pointed out the existence of several educational problem areas associated with the development of a traditional curriculum. Accordingly, and in parallel with the implementation of an innovative curriculum in all Spanish Dental Schools in the coming years, immediate educational goals must address the problem areas identified, thereby further promoting a more positive perception of EC. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Partnership readiness for community-based participatory research.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Jeannette O; Newman, Susan D; Meadows, Otha; Cox, Melissa J; Bunting, Shelia

2012-08-01

The use of a dyadic lens to assess and leverage academic and community partners' readiness to conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR) has not been systematically investigated. With a lack of readiness to conduct CBPR, the partnership and its products are vulnerable. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the dimensions and key indicators necessary for academic and community partnership readiness to conduct CBPR. Key informant interviews and focus groups (n = 36 participants) were conducted with academic and community participants who had experiences with CBPR partnerships. A 'framework analysis' approach was used to analyze the data and generate a new model, CBPR Partnership Readiness Model. Antecedents of CBPR partnership readiness are a catalyst and mutual interest. The major dimensions of the CBPR Partnership Readiness Model are (i) goodness of fit, (ii) capacity, and (iii) operations. Preferred outcomes are sustainable partnership and product, mutual growth, policy and social and health impact on the community. CBPR partnership readiness is an iterative and dynamic process, partnership and issue specific, influenced by a range of environmental and contextual factors, amenable to change and essential for sustainability and promotion of health and social change in the community.

Readiness to change criminal women and men

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Krzysztof Biel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The readiness of offenders to social rehabilitation is a new category in our country. Meanwhile, the research conducted in many countries indicates its usefulness in the diagnosis and selection of participants of rehabilitation programmes. This entails more effective interaction with convicted persons and greater responsibility on the part of convicted people for their own social rehabilitation process. The aim of this article is to present the main assumptions and models of readiness for change and their usefulness in social rehabilitation practice and to present pilot studies of readiness for change among criminal women and men in Kraków. Application of the Polish adaptation of the CVTRQ questionnaire made it possible to determine the level of convicted persons’ readiness, taking into account deficits in particular scales of the questionnaire and variables differentiating the group of ready and not ready people. At the end, guidelines for further research will be presented.

Measuring E-Learning Readiness among EFL Teachers in Intermediate Public Schools in Saudi Arabia

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Al-Furaydi, Ahmed Ajab

2013-01-01

This study will determine their readiness level for the e-learning in several aspects such as attitude toward e-learning, and computer literacy also this study attempt to investigate the main the barriers that EFL teachers have to overcome while incorporating e-learning into their teaching. The theory upon which the study was technology acceptance…

Every Student Succeeds Act High School Graduation Rate: Non-Regulatory Guidance

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US Department of Education, 2017

2017-01-01

Student graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma is an important indicator of school success and one of the most significant indicators of student college and career readiness. In addition, there are substantial economic benefits to high school completion. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Education's National…

The Readiness of Typical Student in Communication By Using Sign Language in Hearing Impairment Integration Programe

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Mohd Hanafi Mohd Yasin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This research is regarding the readiness of typical student in communication by using sign language in Hearing Impairment Integration Programme. There were 60 typical students from a Special Education Integration Programme of secondary school in Malacca were chosen as research respondents. The instrument of the research was a set of questionnaire which consisted of four parts, namely Student’s demography (Part A, Student’s knowledge (Part B, Student’s ability to communicate (Part C and Student’s interest to communicate (Part D. The questionnaire was adapted from the research of Asnul Dahar and Rabiah's 'The Readiness of Students in Following Vocational Subjects at Jerantut District, Rural Secondary School in Pahang'.  Descriptive analysis was used to analysis the data. Mean score was used to determine the level of respondents' perception of each question. The findings showed a positive relationship between typical students towards communication medium by using sign language. Typical students were seen to be interested in communicating using sign language and were willing to attend the Sign Language class if offered.

G+ COMMUNITY: MEASURING TEACHERS’ READINESS AND ACCEPTANCE

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Mohd Faisal Farish Ishak

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers’ acceptance and readiness in using the cloud-based community as a platform for professional collaboration related to their teaching and learning. Familiarity with certain social networking platforms has made the preferable collaboration among teachers only limited to using Facebook, WhatsApp or Telegram. However, with time and space constraints in schools, some of the sharing sessions could not be done effectively most of the time. The study focuses on teachers’ acceptance and readiness of having their community in the cloud when they were introduced to the platform during a Continuous Professional Development (CPD course. A total number of 61 teachers used Google Community named as ‘Contemporary Children’s Literature (CCL 2016’ as a platform for their Professional Learning Community (PLC during the course. Descriptive analysis was done using Google Sheets and the findings show that these teachers are receptive towards Google Community in terms of its engagement level, usefulness as well as ease of use. The introduction to Google Community has created a new pathway for their collaboration especially for teaching and learning purposes. In a nutshell, their acceptance towards the cloud-based community indicates that, given the right training channel, teachers are positive and opened to utilising and integrating the cloud-based technology in their current teaching practice.

What Schools Are Doing around Career Development: Implications for Policy and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Justin C.; Wallace, Eric W.

2012-01-01

This article describes the role that schools are playing in supporting career development for young people. It examines the history of career-related programming in schools, including school-to-work programs, career and technical education, the college and career readiness movement, and current school reform initiatives. This understanding of…

Determining transition readiness in congenital heart disease: Assessing the utility of the Transition Readiness Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

The Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) is a tool commonly used to assess transition readiness in adolescents with chronic diseases. It was previously validated in youth with special health care needs (YSHCN), but no patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) were included in the ...

Effect of an educational intervention on parental readiness for premature infant discharge from the neonatal intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yongfeng; Zhang, Jun; Bai, Jinbing

2016-01-01

To examine the effect of an educational intervention on parental readiness for premature infant discharge from neonatal intensive care units. Low readiness for discharge can result in negative healthcare outcomes for infants and their parents. However, few studies have examined the effect of discharge education programmes on parental readiness for premature infant discharge in Chinese critical care settings. A quasi-experimental study. Between October 2011-March 2012, 154 parents of premature infants were recruited from neonatal intensive care units of two tertiary hospitals in Central China. These parents were assigned to either the intervention or control group based on their entry order. Parents in the intervention group received two sessions of 60-minute discharge education along with hospital routine care; parents in the control group only received hospital routine care. Parental readiness for discharge and quality of discharge education were assessed on the day of infant discharge from neonatal intensive care units. Independent samples t-test and linear regression were used to analyse the data. Parental readiness for premature infant discharge was in the moderate level. Independent samples t-test showed that both mean scores of parental discharge readiness and discharge teaching quality from the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Linear regression analysis showed that discharge teaching quality explained 39·7% of the variance in parental readiness for premature infant discharge. Discharge education can improve parental readiness for premature infant discharge. Quality of discharge teaching can significantly predict parental readiness for premature infant discharge. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Self-directed learning readiness of Asian students: students perspective on a hybrid problem based learning curriculum.

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Leatemia, Lukas D; Susilo, Astrid P; van Berkel, Henk

2016-12-03

To identify the student's readiness to perform self-directed learning and the underlying factors influencing it on the hybrid problem based learning curriculum. A combination of quantitative and qualitative studies was conducted in five medical schools in Indonesia. In the quantitative study, the Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale was distributed to all students in all batches, who had experience with the hybrid problem based curriculum. They were categorized into low- and high -level based on the score of the questionnaire. Three focus group discussions (low-, high-, and mixed level) were conducted in the qualitative study with six to twelve students chosen randomly from each group to find the factors influencing their self-directed learning readiness. Two researchers analysed the qualitative data as a measure of triangulation. The quantitative study showed only half of the students had a high-level of self-directed learning readiness, and a similar trend also occurred in each batch. The proportion of students with a high level of self-directed learning readiness was lower in the senior students compared to more junior students. The qualitative study showed that problem based learning processes, assessments, learning environment, students' life styles, students' perceptions of the topics, and mood, were factors influencing their self-directed learning. A hybrid problem based curriculum may not fully affect the students' self-directed learning. The curriculum system, teacher's experiences, student's background and cultural factors might contribute to the difficulties for the student's in conducting self-directed learning.

How School Counselors Make a World of Difference

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O'Connor, Patrick J.

2018-01-01

School counselors play a key role in promoting students' academic achievement, social and emotional development, and college and career readiness. The author reviews the research on counselors' work in these areas and discusses how schools can ensure that their counselors are better able to succeed in supporting students.

The Readiness Ruler as a measure of readiness to change poly-drug use in drug abusers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hesse, Morten

2006-01-01

Readiness to change is a crucial issue in the treatment of substance use disorders. Experiences with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has shown that continuous drug and alcohol use with all its consequences characterize most MMT programs. In a prospective study of drug abusers seeking opiate...... agonist maintenance treatment in the City of Copenhagen, subjects were administered the Addiction Severity Index, and the Readiness Ruler for each of 11 different licit and illicit drugs by research technicians. Data was collected upon admission to the program and at a 18 month follow-up. Subjects who...... indicated they wanted to quit or cut down upon admission, reported less drug use at 18 month follow-up, after controlling for severity of drug problems at intake. Subjects who expressed readiness to change their drug use upon admission decreased their drug use. It is concluded that the Readiness Ruler...

Play Therapy Practices among Elementary School Counselors

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Ray, Dee C.; Armstrong, Stephen A.; Warren, E. Scott; Balkin, Richard S.

2005-01-01

When elementary school counselors have a solid developmental understanding of children, play therapy might be one counseling intervention that they use with their students. Landreth (2002) has promoted the use of play therapy in schools by explaining that its objective is to help children get ready to profit from what teachers have to offer. Play…

Foreign Languages at the Pre-School Level.

Science.gov (United States)

Eichmann, Raymond; Ford, James F.

French was added to the early childhood curriculum at the New School in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after a review of the literature on the subject indicated potential beneficial effects of teaching foreign languages to young children. Some of the advantages to be gained by the children were greater readiness for school work in general, greater…

Predicting Community College Outcomes: Does High School CTE Participation Have a Significant Effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Cecile; Lichtenberger, Eric; Kamalludeen, Rosemaliza

2016-01-01

This study explored the relative importance of participation in high school career and technical education (CTE) programs in predicting community college outcomes. A hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) was used to predict community college outcome attainment among a random sample of direct community college entrants. Results show that…

Childhood predictors of first chance to use and use of cannabis by young adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Storr, Carla L; Wagner, Fernando A; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Anthony, James C

2011-08-01

To prospectively examine the linkage between childhood antecedents and progression to early cannabis involvement as manifest in first chance to try it and then first onset of cannabis use. Two consecutive cohorts of children entering first grade of a public school system of a large mid-Atlantic city in the mid 1980s (n=2311) were assessed (mean age 6.5 years) and then followed into young adulthood (15 years later, mean age 21) when first chance to try and first use were assessed for 75% (n=1698) of the original sample. Assessments obtained at school included standardized readiness scores (reading; math) and teacher ratings of behavioral problems. Regression and time to event models included covariates for sex, race, and family disadvantage. Early classroom misconduct, better reading readiness, and better math readiness predicted either occurrence or timing of first chance to try cannabis, first use, or both. Higher levels of childhood concentration problems and lower social connectedness were not predictive. Childhood school readiness and behavioral problems may influence the risk for cannabis smoking indirectly via an increased likelihood of first chance to use. Prevention efforts that seek to shield youths from having a chance to try cannabis might benefit from attention to early predictive behavioral and school readiness characteristics. When a youth's chance to try cannabis is discovered, there are new windows of opportunity for prevention and intervention. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Factors that Predict Clinical Performance in Medical School

Science.gov (United States)

White, Casey B.; Dey, Eric L.; Fantone, Joseph C.

2009-01-01

Academic achievement indices including GPAs and MCAT scores are used to predict the spectrum of medical student academic performance types. However, use of these measures ignores two changes influencing medical school admissions: student diversity and affirmative action, and an increased focus on communication skills. To determine if GPA and MCAT…

The Avahan Transition: Effects of Transition Readiness on Program Institutionalization and Sustained Outcomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachiko Ozawa

Full Text Available With declines in development assistance for health and growing interest in country ownership, donors are increasingly faced with the task of transitioning health programs to local actors towards a path to sustainability. Yet there is little available guidance on how to measure and evaluate the success of a transition and its subsequent effects. This study assesses the transition of the Avahan HIV/AIDS prevention program in India to investigate how preparations for transition affected continuation of program activities post-transition.Two rounds of two surveys were conducted and supplemented by data from government and Avahan Computerized Management Information Systems (CMIS. Exploratory factor analysis was used to develop two measures: 1 transition readiness pre-transition, and 2 institutionalization (i.e. integration of initial program systems into organizational procedures and behaviors post-transition. A fixed effects model was built to examine changes in key program delivery outcomes over time. An ordinary least square regression was used to assess the relationship between transition readiness and sustainability of service outcomes both directly, and indirectly through institutionalization.Transition readiness data revealed 3 factors (capacity, alignment and communication, on a 15-item scale with adequate internal consistency (alpha 0.73. Institutionalization was modeled as a unidimensional construct, and a 12-item scale demonstrated moderate internal consistency (alpha 0.60. Coverage of key populations and condom distribution were sustained compared to pre-transition levels (p<0.01. Transition readiness, but not institutionalization, predicted sustained outcomes post-transition. Transition readiness did not necessarily lead to institutionalization of key program elements one year after transition.Greater preparedness prior to transition is important to achieve better service delivery outcomes post-transition. This paper illustrates a

Dimensions of community and organizational readiness for change.

Science.gov (United States)

Castañeda, Sheila F; Holscher, Jessica; Mumman, Manpreet K; Salgado, Hugo; Keir, Katherine B; Foster-Fishman, Pennie G; Talavera, Gregory A

2012-01-01

Readiness can influence whether health interventions are implemented in, and ultimately integrated into, communities. Although there is significant research interest in readiness and capacity for change, the measurement of these constructs is still in its infancy. The purpose of this review was to integrate existing assessment models of community and organizational readiness. The database PubMed was searched for articles; articles, book chapters, and practitioner guides identified as references cited in the list of core articles. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) Empirical research, (2) identified community or organizational readiness for innovative health programming in the study's title, purpose, research questions, or hypotheses, and (3) identified methods to measure these constructs. Duplicate articles were deleted and measures published before 1995 were excluded. The search yielded 150 studies; 13 met all criteria. This article presents the results of a critical review of 13 community and organizational readiness assessment models, stemming from articles, chapters, and practitioner's guides focusing on assessing, developing, and sustaining community and organizational readiness for innovative public health programs. Readiness is multidimensional and different models place emphasis on different components of readiness, such as (1) community and organizational climate that facilitates change, (2) attitudes and current efforts toward prevention, (3) commitment to change, and (4) capacity to implement change. When initiating the program planning process, it is essential to assess these four domains of readiness to determine how they apply to the nuances across different communities. Thus, community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships, in efforts to focus on public health problems, may consider using readiness assessments as a tool for tailoring intervention efforts to the needs of the community.

Implementation of project based learning on the Prakerin subject of vocational high school students of the building engineering to enhance employment skill readiness of graduates in the construction services field

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Sugandi, Machmud

2017-09-01

Implementation of the Prakerin subject in the field of Building Engineering study program in vocational high school (VHS) are facing many issues associated to non-compliance unit of work in the industry and the expected competencies in learning at school. Project Based Learning (PBL) is an appropriate model learning used for Prakerin subject to increase student competence as the extension of the Prakerin implementation in the construction industry services. Assignments based on the selected project during their practical industry work were given to be completed by student. VHS students in particular field of Building Engineering study program who has been completed Prakerin subject will have a better job readiness, and therefore they will have an understanding on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes and good vision on the construction project in accordance with their experience during Prakerin work in the industry.

Predictive Validity of a Student Self-Report Screener of Behavioral and Emotional Risk in an Urban High School

Science.gov (United States)

Dowdy, Erin; Harrell-Williams, Leigh; Dever, Bridget V.; Furlong, Michael J.; Moore, Stephanie; Raines, Tara; Kamphaus, Randy W.

2016-01-01

Increasingly, schools are implementing school-based screening for risk of behavioral and emotional problems; hence, foundational evidence supporting the predictive validity of screening instruments is important to assess. This study examined the predictive validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening…

First Responder Readiness: A Systems Approach to Readiness Assessment Using Model Based Vulnerability Analysis Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

2005-09-01

to come—if it be not to come, it will be now—if it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all. . .” --- Shakespeare , Hamlet , 5.2.215-219...BLANK 1 I. READINESS OVERVIEW A. INTRODUCTION “ Hamlet : . . . There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now ‘tis not

Prediction of Optimal Daily Step Count Achievement from Segmented School Physical Activity

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Ryan D. Burns

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Optimizing physical activity in childhood is needed for prevention of disease and for healthy social and psychological development. There is limited research examining how segmented school physical activity patterns relate to a child achieving optimal physical activity levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between step counts during specific school segments and achieving optimal school (6,000 steps/day and daily (12,000 steps/day step counts in children. Participants included 1,714 school-aged children (mean age = 9.7±1.0 years recruited across six elementary schools. Physical activity was monitored for one week using pedometers. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used to determine the adjusted odds ratios (ORs of achieving both school and daily step count standards for every 1,000 steps taken during each school segment. The school segment that related in strongest way to a student achieving 6,000 steps during school hours was afternoon recess (OR = 40.03; P<0.001 and for achieving 12,000 steps for the entire day was lunch recess (OR = 5.03; P<0.001. School segments including lunch and afternoon recess play an important role for optimizing daily physical activity in children.

Readiness for hospital discharge: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Galvin, Eileen Catherine; Wills, Teresa; Coffey, Alice

2017-11-01

To report on an analysis on the concept of 'readiness for hospital discharge'. No uniform operational definition of 'readiness for hospital discharge' exists in the literature; therefore, a concept analysis is required to clarify the concept and identify an up-to-date understanding of readiness for hospital discharge. Clarity of the concept will identify all uses of the concept; provide conceptual clarity, an operational definition and direction for further research. Literature review and concept analysis. A review of literature was conducted in 2016. Databases searched were: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) and SocINDEX with Full Text. No date limits were applied. Identification of the attributes, antecedents and consequences of readiness for hospital discharge led to an operational definition of the concept. The following attributes belonging to 'readiness for hospital discharge' were extracted from the literature: physical stability, adequate support, psychological ability, and adequate information and knowledge. This analysis contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the area of hospital discharge, by proposing an operational definition of readiness for hospital discharge, derived from the literature. A better understanding of the phenomenon will assist healthcare professionals to recognize, measure and implement interventions where necessary, to ensure patients are ready for hospital discharge and assist in the advancement of knowledge for all professionals involved in patient discharge from hospital. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sex differences and violence among primary school students

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Marković Živorad M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This is the micro research which studied the connection between gender and violence between older primary school students with the goal of discovering exposure of gender members to violence in school context and the ways of reaction to the violence. The researchers from different scientific disciplines have been permanently involved in studying the problem of violence for more than a decade with the goal to lessen the high percentage of violence in schools. In this sense, this research, with its range and character, represents the contribution in discovering characteristics of violence in schools in one specific local area, which could fill in the wholeness of this phenomenon. The research involved students of the final grade of primary school on the territory of the municipality of Svilajnac (which is in central part of Serbia and it was performed in December 2015. 236 students were surveyed. The survey consisted of the following questions a which questioned the social matrix of families in which the students live b which questioned presence and frequency of different types of violence between students in primary schools c which questioned the attitudes of students of both genders about the violence, exposure to violence in school and the ways of reacting to violence. In the frame of quantitative analysis of the data the following was applied: percentual research of frequencies and Pierson's hi-square test (x2 for testing of hyphothesis about the significance of differences. The main results of the research showed: a There is no statistically significant difference in exposure to violence in school between male and female students of primary school age; both genders are exposed to verbal and physical violence and male students (45.7% are more exposed to physical, and female students (38.3% are more exposed to verbal violence. bThere is no statistically significant difference in the readiness of students considering their gender to help another

Big Sib Students' Perceptions of the Educational Environment at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, using Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Arzuman, Hafiza; Yusoff, Muhamad Saiful Bahri; Chit, Som Phong

2010-07-01

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among Big Sib students to explore their perceptions of the educational environment at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and its weak areas using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory. The DREEM inventory is a validated global instrument for measuring educational environments in undergraduate medical and health professional education. The English version of the DREEM inventory was administered to all Year 2 Big Sib students (n = 67) at a regular Big Sib session. The purpose of the study as well as confidentiality and ethical issues were explained to the students before the questionnaire was administered. The response rate was 62.7% (42 out of 67 students). The overall DREEM score was 117.9/200 (SD 14.6). The DREEM indicated that the Big Sib students' perception of educational environment of the medical school was more positive than negative. Nevertheless, the study also revealed some problem areas within the educational environment. This pilot study revealed that Big Sib students perceived a positive learning environment at the School of Medical Sciences, USM. It also identified some low-scored areas that require further exploration to pinpoint the exact problems. The relatively small study population selected from a particular group of students was the major limitation of the study. This small sample size also means that the study findings cannot be generalised.

Unique contributions of dynamic versus global measures of parent-child interaction quality in predicting school adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardack, Sarah; Herbers, Janette E; Obradović, Jelena

2017-09-01

This study investigates the unique contribution of microsocial and global measures of parent-child positive coregulation (PCR) in predicting children's behavioral and social adjustment in school. Using a community sample of 102 children, ages 4-6, and their parents, we conducted nested path analytic models to identify the unique effects of 2 measures of PCR on school outcomes. Microsocial PCR independently predicted fewer externalizing and inattention/impulsive behaviors in school. Global PCR did not uniquely relate to children's behavioral and social adjustment outcomes. Household socioeconomic status was related to both microsocial and global measures of PCR, but not directly associated with school outcomes. Findings illustrate the importance of using dynamic measures of PCR based on microsocial coding to further understand how the quality of parent-child interaction is related to children's self-regulatory and social development during school transition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

MOD-RTG multicouple test results and mission readiness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartman, R.F.; Kelly, C.E.

1993-01-01

MOD-RTG represents the design configuration for the next generation of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG), aimed at improving specific power and efficiency over current General Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (GPHS-RTGs). The modular RTG reference design has been described in previous papers (Hartman 1988). The multicouple is a key element required for the successful development of the modular RTG. The multicouple is a high voltage, thermoelectric device employing a close packed, glass bonded thermopile array of twenty thermoelectric couples, connected in a series circuit. The multicouple is designed to operate at a 1270 K hot junction temperature and a 570 K cold junction temperature, yielding a power output of approximately 2.1 watts at 3.5 volts at beginning of life. The objectives of the MOD-RTG program are focused on establishing a multicouple life test data base and life prediction capability which will permit, with reasonable margin, a projected multicouple life of greater than eight (8) years. This paper summarizes the current status of multicouple life testing and performance modeling and the level of technology readiness needed to demonstrate mission readiness for MOD-RTG

New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform

Science.gov (United States)

Kelleher, Maureen

2014-01-01

Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's education system embarked on a massive change effort, known as Children First, that produced significant results: new and better school options for families, more college-ready graduates, and renewed public confidence in New York City's schools. New York City's reform effort has also produced…

Teaching Primary School Music: Coping with Changing Work Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Peter Andrew

2018-01-01

The changing roles of two primary (elementary) school music teachers are explored in this article, and how these changed roles have impacted on music programmes in their respective schools. Change readiness provides the theoretical framework for investigating the way both teachers responded to their changing roles. The first teacher's role changed…

The Correlation of Parenting and Socioeconomic Status Towards English Learning Readiness of Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Ummul Khair

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This research is about the correlation of Parenting and Socioeconomic Status (SES towards English Learning Readiness (ELR of children. This study was aimed to find out the correlation of parenting quality and socioeconomic status towards English learning readiness of children. This research applied quantitative research, the case conducts in correlational research which describes an existing condition. The population of this research was students from all elementary school in Kecamatan Tamalate Makassar where English is tought at second grade. The representation of the population in this research is the 2nd year students of six elementary schools in Kecamatan Tamalate academic year of 2012/2013 who have collected the two questionnaires which is distributed to them and filled out by their parents. Total number of the sample is 105 students chosen from the questionnaires which is collected and has filled properly by parents. The data were obtained by using two kinds of instruments, those are questionnaires of parenting and socioeconomic status which have tested the validity in a number of students and data of the ELR of children got from student’s English achievement in school. Those data were analyzed by using path analysis of Amos 20.0. The researcher concludes that (1 the correlation of parenting with ELR indicates the higher quality of parenting they have the higher children gain ELR, on the contrary the less quality of parenting they have the less children gain ELR, (2 SES has almost none indication to have correlation with ELR, (3 The higher SES the better parenting do and the lower SES the worst parenting do.

Same admissions tools, different outcomes: a critical perspective on predictive validity in three undergraduate medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Daniel; Friedman, Tim; Pearce, Jacob

2013-12-27

Admission to medical school is one of the most highly competitive entry points in higher education. Considerable investment is made by universities to develop selection processes that aim to identify the most appropriate candidates for their medical programs. This paper explores data from three undergraduate medical schools to offer a critical perspective of predictive validity in medical admissions. This study examined 650 undergraduate medical students from three Australian universities as they progressed through the initial years of medical school (accounting for approximately 25 per cent of all commencing undergraduate medical students in Australia in 2006 and 2007). Admissions criteria (aptitude test score based on UMAT, school result and interview score) were correlated with GPA over four years of study. Standard regression of each of the three admissions variables on GPA, for each institution at each year level was also conducted. Overall, the data found positive correlations between performance in medical school, school achievement and UMAT, but not interview. However, there were substantial differences between schools, across year levels, and within sections of UMAT exposed. Despite this, each admission variable was shown to add towards explaining course performance, net of other variables. The findings suggest the strength of multiple admissions tools in predicting outcomes of medical students. However, they also highlight the large differences in outcomes achieved by different schools, thus emphasising the pitfalls of generalising results from predictive validity studies without recognising the diverse ways in which they are designed and the variation in the institutional contexts in which they are administered. The assumption that high-positive correlations are desirable (or even expected) in these studies is also problematised.

Magnetic fusion: Environmental Readiness Document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-03-01

Environmental Readiness Documents are prepared periodically to review and evaluate the environmental status of an energy technology during the several phases of development of that technology. Through these documents, the Office of Environment within the Department of Energy provides an independent and objective assessment of the environmental risks and potential impacts associated with the progression of the technology to the next stage of development and with future extensive use of the technology. This Environmental Readiness Document was prepared to assist the Department of Energy in evaluating the readiness of magnetic fusion technology with respect to environmental issues. An effort has been made to identify potential environmental problems that may be encountered based upon current knowledge, proposed and possible new environmental regulations, and the uncertainties inherent in planned environmental research

Financial and Staffing Ratio Analysis: Predicting Fiscal Distress in School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Robert Alan

1983-01-01

From analysis of data from 579 school districts it is concluded that financial ratios have the ability to forecast fiscal distress a year in advance. Liquidity ratios and salary and fringe benefit ratios were found to be strong forecasters, while per pupil expenditure data had little predictive value. (MJL)

Why Do Teachers Use Game-Based Learning Technologies? The Role of Individual and Institutional ICT Readiness

OpenAIRE

Hamari, Juho; Nousiainen, Tuula

2015-01-01

This paper investigates how different individual and institutional factors pertaining to ICT readiness influence teachers’ adoption of game-based learning technologies. The data were gathered from Finnish primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school teachers (N=1668) with an online survey. The results indicate that openness towards ICT, ICT attitude and the ICT compatibility with teaching positively influence the perceived value whereas openness towards ICT, ...

School Maladjustment and External Locus of Control Predict the Daytime Sleepiness of College Students With ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Langberg, Joshua M; Dvorsky, Melissa R; Becker, Stephen P; Molitor, Stephen J

2016-09-01

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether school maladjustment longitudinally predicts the daytime sleepiness of college students with ADHD above and beyond symptoms of ADHD and to determine whether internalizing dimensions mediate the relationship between maladjustment and sleepiness. A prospective longitudinal study of 59 college students comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD who completed ratings at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. School maladjustment at the beginning of the year significantly predicted daytime sleepiness at the end of the year above and beyond symptoms of ADHD. Locus of control mediated the relationship between maladjustment and daytime sleepiness. The significant school maladjustment difficulties that students with ADHD experience following the transition to college may lead to the development of problems with daytime sleepiness, particularly for those students with high external locus of control. This pattern is likely reciprocal, whereby sleep problems in turn result in greater school impairment, reinforcing the idea that life events are outside of one's control. © The Author(s) 2014.

Are we ready to predict late effects?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salz, Talya; Baxi, Shrujal S; Raghunathan, Nirupa

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: After completing treatment for cancer, survivors may experience late effects: consequences of treatment that persist or arise after a latent period. PURPOSE: To identify and describe all models that predict the risk of late effects and could be used in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES:...

Organisational readiness for introducing a performance management system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Ochurub

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Orientation: The successful introduction of performance management systems to the public service requires careful measurement of readiness for change.Research purpose: This study investigated the extent to which employees were ready for change as an indication of whether their organisation was ready to introduce a performance management system (PMS.Motivation for the study: Introducing system changes in organisations depends on positive employee preconditions. There is some debate over whether organisations can facilitate these preconditions. This research investigates change readiness linked to the introduction of a PMS in a public sector organisation. The results add to the growing literature on levels of change readiness.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a quantitative, questionnairebased design. Because the organisation was large, the researchers used stratified sampling to select a sample from each population stratum. The sample size was 460, which constituted 26% of the total population. They used a South African change readiness questionnaire to elicit employee perceptions and opinions.Main findings: The researchers found that the organisation was not ready to introduce a PMS. The study identified various challenges and key factors that were negatively affecting the introduction of a PMS.Practical/managerial implications: The intention to develop and introduce performance management systems is generally to change the attitudes, values and approaches of managers and employees to the new strategies, processes and plans to improve productivity and performance. However, pre-existing conditions and attitudes could have an effect. It is essential to ensure that organisations are ready to introduce performance management systems and to provide sound change leadership to drive the process effectively. This study contributes to the body of knowledge about the challenges and factors organisations should consider when they

THE FORMATION OF READINESS FOR PERSONAL SELF-DETERMINATION WITH DEVIANT TEENAGERS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kopovaya Oksana Vladimirovna

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of introduction of a practice-oriented model of a pedagogical system into the educational process of a school and a vocational school. The system stimulates the process of the formation of readiness for personal self-determination of a modern teenager as an integration of external influences on a forming personality and his or her active internal self-development. The result of the research can be used in the work of psychologists, pedagogue-psychologists, social pedagogues in institutions of general, primary professional and specialized secondary education.

Assessing organizational readiness for depression care quality improvement: relative commitment and implementation capability.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubenstein, Lisa V; Danz, Marjorie S; Crain, A Lauren; Glasgow, Russell E; Whitebird, Robin R; Solberg, Leif I

2014-12-02

Depression is a major cause of morbidity and cost in primary care patient populations. Successful depression improvement models, however, are complex. Based on organizational readiness theory, a practice's commitment to change and its capability to carry out the change are both important predictors of initiating improvement. We empirically explored the links between relative commitment (i.e., the intention to move forward within the following year) and implementation capability. The DIAMOND initiative administered organizational surveys to medical and quality improvement leaders from each of 83 primary care practices in Minnesota. Surveys preceded initiation of activities directed at implementation of a collaborative care model for improving depression care. To assess implementation capability, we developed composites of survey items for five types of organizational factors postulated to be collaborative care barriers and facilitators. To assess relative commitment for each practice, we averaged leader ratings on an identical survey question assessing practice priorities. We used multivariable regression analyses to assess the extent to which implementation capability predicted relative commitment. We explored whether relative commitment or implementation capability measures were associated with earlier initiation of DIAMOND improvements. All five implementation capability measures independently predicted practice leaders' relative commitment to improving depression care in the following year. These included the following: quality improvement culture and attitudes (p = 0.003), depression culture and attitudes (p commitment (p = 0.002) and prior depression quality improvement activities appeared to be associated with earlier participation in the DIAMOND initiative. The study supports the concept of organizational readiness to improve quality of care and the use of practice leader surveys to assess it. Practice leaders' relative commitment to depression care

Levels of Motivation and Readiness for Treatment Aligned With Criminal Justice Referral and Coercion Among Substance Users in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Andrew; Hayhurst, Karen Petra; Millar, Tim

2017-11-01

Motivation and readiness for substance misuse treatment predict treatment retention and successful treatment outcomes but may be lower among substance users coerced into treatment. We tested for differences associated with legal involvement and with client perceptions of coercion among individuals entering drug misuse treatment in England. Data collection involved 342 treatment agencies. Measures of motivation and readiness for treatment were taken from the Circumstances, Motivation, and Readiness (CMR) scale. Referral source was ordered to represent level of legal involvement and conditions. Perceived coercion was defined by a CMR item. Linear regression models, adjusting for client complexity, tested for differences in motivation and readiness by these measures. Levels of motivation and readiness did not differ according to level of legal conditions (coefficient = -0.38, 95% CI [-1.65, 0.88]). Motivation was inversely associated with perceived coercion (coefficient = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.05, -0.50], p = .014). At the point of treatment entry, criminal justice referral and aligned conditions have no impact on levels of motivation to achieve positive treatment outcomes. Concerns around lower levels of motivation are better focused on those who perceive themselves as coerced rather than on those whose referral carries a level of legal condition.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Ready Mix Concrete Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Topkar, V. M.; Duggar, A. R.; Kumar, A.; Bonde, P. P.; Girwalkar, R. S.; Gade, S. B.

2013-11-01

India, being a developing nation is experiencing major growth in its infrastructural sector. Concrete is the major component in construction. The requirement of good quality of concrete in large quantities can be fulfilled by ready mix concrete batching and mixing plants. The paper presents a technique of applying the value engineering tool life cycle cost analysis to a ready mix concrete plant. This will help an investor or an organization to take investment decisions regarding a ready mix concrete facility. No economic alternatives are compared in this study. A cost breakdown structure is prepared for the ready mix concrete plant. A market survey has been conducted to collect realistic costs for the ready mix concrete facility. The study establishes the cash flow for the ready mix concrete facility helpful in investment and capital generation related decisions. Transit mixers form an important component of the facility and are included in the calculations. A fleet size for transit mixers has been assumed for this purpose. The life cycle cost has been calculated for the system of the ready mix concrete plant and transit mixers.

How prepared are Nigerian schools for ebola virus disease prevention and control?

Science.gov (United States)

Olalekan, Adebimpe Wasiu; Adeola, Efuntoye

2014-01-01

Nigeria was one of the West African countries gripped by the fear of the spread of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), leading to a long period of delay in resumption of primary and secondary schools for academic activities in September 2014. The aim of this study was to assess the preparedness of schools in the north central region of Nigeria toward EVD prevention and control within 1 month of resumption of schools. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 76 schools selected using a multistage sampling method. Research instruments were self-administered, semi-structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0. Half (38) of the schools reported that some of the children could have traveled to EVD-infected areas during the holiday period; 77.6% (59) had their teachers formally trained on EVD prevention and control before resumption; 50% (38) set up a committee on EVD prevention; and 62.9% (63) carried out awareness-raising activities on school assembly ground. Based on some preventive measures criteria, 55.2% (42) were categorized ready, whereas 44.7% (34) were not ready for EVD prevention and control within 1 month of resumption of students back to school. About 76.3% (58) said they would like to sustain these EVD prevention efforts; 14.5% (11) would like to sustain such efforts at least until the end of the present term. Determinants of readiness for EVD prevention and control include being a private school, being an urban school, belief that children could have traveled to an EVD-infected area, and school having standard operating procedure or policy guidelines on EVD prevention and control. The persistent call for postponement of school resumption might have been due to the unpreparedness of many of schools to meet EVD prevention and control guidelines. Schools need to take more proactive and sustainable measures toward effective control of the ongoing epidemic and prevention of future occurrences. Copyright © 2014 The

Understanding Early Educators' Readiness to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Shira M.

2012-01-01

Researchers in the fields of humanistic psychology, counseling, organizational change, and implementation science have been asking a question that is at the heart of today's early care and education quality improvement efforts: When it comes to changing one's behavior, what makes a person ready to change? Although the concept of readiness to…

Vers un modele d'intervention precoce en lecture en actualisation linguistique (Towards a Model of Early Intervention in Reading Readiness).

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Marie Josee

1999-01-01

Argues that in Ontario's French-medium schools, reading is often a challenge, particularly for those in readiness classes who speak little or no French. A model for early intervention in reading is recommended, combining reading and writing to address the linguistic challenges of students in a minority-language community. (Author/MSE)

Readiness Assessment Plan, Hanford 200 areas treated effluent disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulmer, F.J.

1995-01-01

This Readiness Assessment Plan documents Liquid Effluent Facilities review process used to establish the scope of review, documentation requirements, performance assessment, and plant readiness to begin operation of the Treated Effluent Disposal system in accordance with DOE-RLID-5480.31, Startup and Restart of Facilities Operational Readiness Review and Readiness Assessments

Category 3 investigation-derived waste Readiness Evaluation Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludowise, J.D.

1996-08-01

This Readiness Evaluation Plan presents the methodology used to assess the readiness for loading investigation-derived waste (IDW) drums on trucks for transport to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF). The scope of this Readiness Evaluation Plan includes an assessment of the organizations, procedures, and regulatory approvals necessary for the handling of IDW containers and the subsequent transportation of materials to ERDF

Which behavioral, emotional and school problems in middle-childhood predict early sexual behavior?

Science.gov (United States)

Parkes, Alison; Waylen, Andrea; Sayal, Kapil; Heron, Jon; Henderson, Marion; Wight, Daniel; Macleod, John

2014-04-01

Mental health and school adjustment problems are thought to distinguish early sexual behavior from normative timing (16-18 years), but little is known about how early sexual behavior originates from these problems in middle-childhood. Existing studies do not allow for co-occurring problems, differences in onset and persistence, and there is no information on middle-childhood school adjustment in relationship to early sexual activity. This study examined associations between several middle-childhood problems and early sexual behavior, using a subsample (N = 4,739, 53 % female, 98 % white, mean age 15 years 6 months) from a birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Adolescents provided information at age 15 on early sexual behavior (oral sex and/or intercourse) and sexual risk-taking, and at age 13 on prior risk involvement (sexual behavior, antisocial behavior and substance use). Information on hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, depressive symptoms, peer relationship problems, school dislike and school performance was collected in middle-childhood at Time 1 (6-8 years) and Time 2 (10-11 years). In agreement with previous research, conduct problems predicted early sexual behavior, although this was found only for persistent early problems. In addition, Time 2 school dislike predicted early sexual behavior, while peer relationship problems were protective. Persistent early school dislike further characterized higher-risk groups (early sexual behavior preceded by age 13 risk, or accompanied by higher sexual risk-taking). The study establishes middle-childhood school dislike as a novel risk factor for early sexual behavior and higher-risk groups, and the importance of persistent conduct problems. Implications for the identification of children at risk and targeted intervention are discussed, as well as suggestions for further research.

A cross-language study of decontextualized vocabulary comprehension in toddlerhood and kindergarten readiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Friend, Margaret; Smolak, Erin; Liu, Yushuang; Poulin-Dubois, Diane; Zesiger, Pascal

2018-04-05

Recent studies demonstrate that emerging literacy depends on earlier language achievement. Importantly, most extant work focuses on parent-reported production prior to 30 months of age. Of interest is whether and how directly assessed vocabulary comprehension in the 2nd year of life supports vocabulary and kindergarten readiness in the 4th year. We first contrasted orthogonal indices of parent-reported production and directly assessed vocabulary comprehension and found that comprehension was a stronger predictor of child outcomes. We then assessed prediction from vocabulary comprehension controlling for maternal education, preschool attendance, and child sex. In 3 studies early, decontextualized vocabulary comprehension emerged as a significant predictor of 4th year language and kindergarten readiness accounting for unique variance above demographic control variables. Further we found that the effect of early vocabulary on 4th year kindergarten readiness was not mediated by 4th year vocabulary. This pattern of results emerged in English monolingual children (N = 48) and replicated in French monolingual (N = 58) and French-English bilingual children (N = 34). Our findings suggest that early, decontextualized vocabulary may provide a platform for the establishment of a conceptual system that supports both later vocabulary and kindergarten readiness, including the acquisition of a wide range of concepts including print and number. Differences between parent-reported and directly assessed vocabulary and the mechanisms by which decontextualized vocabulary may contribute to conceptual development are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting Social Responsibility and Belonging in Urban After-School Physical Activity Programs with Underserved Children

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Jeffrey J.; Byrd, Brigid; Garn, Alex; McCaughtry, Nate; Kulik, Noel; Centeio, Erin

2016-01-01

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to predict feelings of belonging and social responsibility based on the motivational climate perceptions and contingent self-worth of children participating in urban after-school physical activity programs. Three-hundred and four elementary school students from a major Midwestern city participated.…

Socioeconomic Status of Parents and the Achievement of Children on Readiness for School Tests

OpenAIRE

Anela Hasanagic

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status is often determined like the academic background of parents, and it can be determined like the place of living, village or town, city, as well. Socioeconomic status is an important factor in many aspects of living as in academic achievement as well. Problem in this research paper was to examine whether there are differences between children from different socio-economic status (level of education of parents) and between children from villages and towns, on Readiness f...

Preschool anxiety disorders predict different patterns of amygdala-prefrontal connectivity at school-age.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly L H Carpenter

Full Text Available In this prospective, longitudinal study of young children, we examined whether a history of preschool generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and/or social phobia is associated with amygdala-prefrontal dysregulation at school-age. As an exploratory analysis, we investigated whether distinct anxiety disorders differ in the patterns of this amygdala-prefrontal dysregulation.Participants were children taking part in a 5-year study of early childhood brain development and anxiety disorders. Preschool symptoms of generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and social phobia were assessed with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA in the first wave of the study when the children were between 2 and 5 years old. The PAPA was repeated at age 6. We conducted functional MRIs when the children were 5.5 to 9.5 year old to assess neural responses to viewing of angry and fearful faces.A history of preschool social phobia predicted less school-age functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ventral prefrontal cortices to angry faces. Preschool generalized anxiety predicted less functional connectivity between the amygdala and dorsal prefrontal cortices in response to fearful faces. Finally, a history of preschool separation anxiety predicted less school-age functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ventral prefrontal cortices to angry faces and greater school-age functional connectivity between the amygdala and dorsal prefrontal cortices to angry faces.Our results suggest that there are enduring neurobiological effects associated with a history of preschool anxiety, which occur over-and-above the effect of subsequent emotional symptoms. Our results also provide preliminary evidence for the neurobiological differentiation of specific preschool anxiety disorders.

Predictive value of social skills in living together at primary school. Analysis in a cultural diversity context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Herrera Torres

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Coexistence at school stands out as one of the main goals in today’s education (Carretero, 2008; Ortega, 2007. The aim of this study developed within a cultural diversity context is to identify the specific dimensions of social skills through which the different elements favouring or hindering coexistence at school can be predicted. A total of 546 students (52% of them males, and 48% females from the first year in each Primary Education cycle (1st, 3rd and 5th year, respectively of two public schools in Melilla took part in the research. The Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC and an adapted version for Primary Education of the Coexistence at School Questionnaire for Students were the data-collection instruments used. According to the main results, while the clinical maladjustment dimension of BASC predicts negative coexistence situations, personal adjustment appears as the dimension which best predicts positive coexistence situations, conducting classroom behaviours (both anti-social and pro-social ones, as well as the implementation of conflict resolution strategies (both successful and failed ones. In this respect, self-esteem within the personal adjustment dimension plays an important role regarding coexistence at school. Both the need to develop preventive programmes at schools and the consideration of the different socio-familiar variables which may be mediating this process are discussed.

What are the characteristics of 'sexually ready' adolescents? Exploring the sexual readiness of youth in urban poor Accra.

Science.gov (United States)

Biney, Adriana A E; Dodoo, F Nii-Amoo

2016-01-05

Adolescent sexual activity, especially among the urban poor, remains a challenge. Despite numerous interventions and programs to address the negative consequences arising from early and frequent sexual activity among youth in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, only slight progress has been made. A plausible explanation is that our understanding of what adolescents think about sex and about their own sexuality is poor. In that sense, examining how adolescents in urban poor communities think about their sexual readiness, and identifying characteristics associated with that sexual self-concept dimension, should deepen our understanding of this topical issue. A total of 196 male and female adolescents, ages 12 to 19, were surveyed in the 2011 RIPS Urban Health and Poverty Project in Accra, Ghana. The youth responded to three statements which determined their levels of sexual readiness. Other background characteristics were also obtained enabling the assessment of the correlates of their preparedness to engage in sex. The data were analyzed using ordered logistic regression models. Overall, the majority of respondents did not consider themselves ready for sex. Multivariate analyses indicated that sexual experience, exposure to pornographic movies, gender, ethnicity and household wealth were significantly linked to their readiness for sex. Sexual readiness is related to sexual activity as well as other characteristics of the adolescents, suggesting the need to consider these factors in the design of programs and interventions to curb early sex. The subject of sexual readiness has to be investigated further to ensure adolescents do not identify with any negative effects of this sexual self-view.

Measuring Success: David Conley's College Readiness Framework and the Illinois College and Career Readiness Act. In Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Baber, Lorenzo D.; Castro, Erin L.; Bragg, Debra D.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this brief is to understand the Illinois College and Career Readiness (CCR) Act in light of David Conley's college readiness model. Although not mentioned specifically by the Illinois statute, evaluation results gathered by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) show alignment between a number of programs…

Beyond Preparation: Identity, Cultural Capital, and Readiness for Graduate School in the Biomedical Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazley, J Lynn; Remich, Robin; Naffziger-Hirsch, Michelle E; Keller, Jill; Campbell, Patricia B; McGee, Richard

2014-10-01

In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 52 college graduates as they entered a Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). Our goal was to investigate what it means for these aspiring scientists, most of whom are from groups underrepresented in the sciences, to feel ready to apply to a doctoral program in the biomedical sciences. For our analysis, we developed and used a theoretical framework which integrates concepts from identity-in-practice literature with Bourdieu's formulation of cultural capital and also examined the impact of racial, ethnic, and gender identities on education and career trajectories. Five patterns of identity work for expected engagement with PREP grew out of our analysis: Credential Seekers, PI Aspirants, Path Builders, Discipline Changers, and Interest Testers. These patterns illuminate differences in perceptions of doing, being , and becoming within science; external and internal foci of identity work; and expectations for institutional and embodied cultural capital. Our findings show that preparing for graduate education is more complex than acquiring a set of credentials as it is infused with identity work which facilitates readiness beyond preparation . This deeper understanding of individual agency and perceptions allows us to shift the focus away from a deficit model where institutions and programs attempt to "fix" students, and to offer implications for programs designed to support college graduates aspiring to become scientists.

HIV prevention in single, urban women: condom-use readiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison-Beedy, D; Lewis, B P

2001-01-01

To understand women's readiness to use condoms and their perceived pros and cons for condom use. Comparative, descriptive design guided by the Transtheoretical Model. Data were collected at two urban primary health care centers in western New York. 364 single urban women with steady (main) or other (casual, concurrent, multiple, new) sexual partners. Most participants were young (mean age of 27 years), economically disadvantaged women of color. Each participant completed an anonymous questionnaire that included items for the stage of change algorithm, decisional balance of the pros and cons of condom use, sexual history, and HIV risk information. Most women were in the early stages of change (not intending to use condoms), but those with other partners were further along in the stages of change for condom use than those with steady partners. The pros or advantages of condom use differed for these women depending on partner type. The change in the balance between the pros and cons occurred as theoretically predicted for women with steady and other partners. Effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for women may be enhanced if they are tailored to both readiness to change and partner type.

School Breakfast Scorecord, 2002. Twelfth Annual Status Report on the School Breakfast Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Doug; Woo, Nicole; Phelps, Anne; Parker, Lynn; Weill, Jim

The School Breakfast Program provides breakfast to millions of children from low-income families who otherwise might go hungry in the morning and be less ready to learn. This report is the eleventh from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to examine the program, its benefits, and the performance of the nation and of each state in reaching…

School Breakfast Scorecard, 2003: Thirteenth Annual Status Report on the School Breakfast Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Nicole; Parker, Lynn; Weill, Jim; Vuong, Bi; Hess, Doug; Weinstein-Tull, Justin; Putney, Wanda

The School Breakfast Program provides breakfast to millions of children from low-income families who otherwise might go hungry in the morning and be less ready to learn. This report is the thirteenth from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to examine the program, its benefits, and the performance of the nation and of each state in reaching…

What Are the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks? Information Brief

Science.gov (United States)

ACT, Inc., 2013

2013-01-01

The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT® college readiness assessment scores required for students to have a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses--English Composition, social sciences courses, College Algebra, or Biology. This report identifies the College Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT Compass scale…

Assessing the readiness of a school system to adopt food allergy management guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Christina; Patterson, Leslie; White, Brenda; Schellhase, Kenneth

2014-08-01

The prevalence of potentially fatal food allergies in school-aged children is rising. It is important for schools to have a food allergy management policy and an emergency action plan for each affected student. To examine the current status of food allergy guideline and/or policy implementation and adoption in a large school system in southeastern Wisconsin. A 24-item anonymous electronic survey was developed and completed by school principals and administrators in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee School System (approximately 125 schools) in southeastern Wisconsin. One in 4 responding schools reported no guidelines or policy. Schools that reported having students with special needs due to food allergy were more likely to have a local food allergy policy compared to schools that did not report having students with food allergy special needs (OR 6.3, 1.5-26, P = 0.01). Schools with food allergy guidelines/policies were 3.5 times more likely to require student individual action plans than schools with no guidelines or policies (OR 3.5, 1.00-12.2, P = 0.05). Gaps in evidence-based food allergy policy implementation were found in this school system. Schools with food-allergic children with special needs were more likely to have guidelines/policy, however, they were not more likely to require emergency action plans. The majority of schools (66, 90%) reported interest in receiving further information or training on food allergy management.

The Practices of Admission to School and the Effectiveness of Individualized Supported Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kutluca Canbulat, Ayse Nur; Tuncel, Meric

2012-01-01

This study has been prepared by assessing students' level of readiness to school about the subjects of Language, Psychomotor, Affective, Social, and Cognition developments and to support the development of students who are incapable in those fields of the first grade students who started primary school. The Kiel Test of Admission to School has…

Electricity market readiness plan : Ontario Energy Board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-03-01

This document informs electric power market participants of the Ontario Energy Board's newly developed market readiness plan and target timelines that local distribution companies (LDCs) must meet for retail marketing. The Ontario Energy Board's plan incorporates relevant independent market operator (IMO)-administered market milestones with retail market readiness targeted for September 2001. The market readiness framework involves a self-certification process for LDCs by August 10, 2001, through which the Board will be able to monitor progress and assess the feasibility of meeting the target timelines. For retail market readiness, all LDCs will have to calculate settlement costs, produce unbundled bills, provide standard supply service, change suppliers and accommodate retail transactions. LDCs must be either authorized participants in the IMO-administered market or become retail customers of their host LDC. Unbundled bills will include itemized charges for energy price, transmission, distribution and debt retirement charge. 1 tab., 1 fig

Motivational and Skills, Social, and Self-Management Predictors of College Outcomes: Constructing the Student Readiness Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Huy; Casillas, Alex; Robbins, Steven B.; Langley, Ronelle

2005-01-01

The authors used a rational-empirical approach to construct the Student Readiness Inventory, measuring psychosocial and academic-related skill factors found to predict two important college outcomes, academic performance and retention, in a recent meta-analysis. The initial item pool was administered to 5,970 first-year college students and high…

A Model of Feeding Readiness for Preterm Infants

OpenAIRE

Pickler, Rita H.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a theoretical model of bottle feeding readiness in preterm infants, which hypothesizes relationships between bottle feeding readiness, experience, and outcomes. The synactive theory of development provided the conceptual foundation for the model. The model, which is currently being tested, is designed to establish bottle feeding readiness criteria that will help nurses decide when to offer a bottle to a preterm infant The model may also provide a useful framework for deter...

Smart Grid Technology and Consumer Call Center Readiness

OpenAIRE

Schamber, Kelsey L.

2010-01-01

The following reasearch project deals with utility call center readiness to address customer concerns and questions about the Smart Grid and smart meter technology. Since consumer engagement is important for the benefits of the Smart Grid to be realized, the readiness and ability of utilities to answer consumer questions is an important issue. Assessing the readiness of utility call centers to address pertinant customer concerns was accomplished by calling utility call centers with Smart Grid...

Year 2000 Readiness Kit: A Compilation of Y2K Resources for Schools, Colleges and Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Department of Education, Washington, DC.

This kit was developed to assist the postsecondary education community's efforts to resolve the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer problem. The kit includes a description of the Y2K problem, an assessment of the readiness of colleges and universities, a checklist for institutions, a Y2K communications strategy, articles on addressing the problem in academic…

Beyond a Logic of Quality: Opening Space for Material-Discursive Practices of "Readiness" in Early Years Education

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Katherine

2016-01-01

This article is an exploration of the possibilities encountered through shifting from a "logic of quality" to a "space of meaning-making" within early years education. Focusing on ideas of "readiness", this discussion aims to challenge normative understandings that relate this concept to the predictable achievement of…

Students’ Readiness for E-learning Application in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atousa Rasouli

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this research was to investigate the readiness of art students in applying e-learning. This study adopted a survey research design. From three public Iranian Universities (Alzahra, Tarbiat Modares, and Tehran, 347 students were selected by multistage cluster sampling and via Morgan Table. Their readiness for E-learning application was assessed by a self-developed questionnaire. Data analysis was done by indexes of descriptive statistics and one sample t-test. Analysis of results found a significant relationship between the readiness of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-graduate students to apply E-learning, but there was no significant relationship between students’ readiness and gender, university, and subject. Results revealed that Art students were in a moderate level of readiness for applying E-learning.

A Proposed Conceptual Model of Military Medical Readiness

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Van Hall, Brian M

2007-01-01

.... The purpose of this research is to consolidate existing literature on the latent variable of medical readiness, and to propose a composite theoretical model of medical readiness that may provide...

A Study of Fleet Surgical Teams Readiness Posture in Amphibious Readiness Groups

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tennyson, Ruby

2000-01-01

This thesis describes and evaluates Fleet Surgical Teams (FSTs). It examines how Navy Medicine adapted FSTs to changing support requirements associated with the Total Health Care Support Readiness Requirement (THCSRR...

Transformational Leadership and Globalization: Attitudes of School Principals in Kuwait

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaeedi, Farraj; Male, Trevor

2013-01-01

The study explores the attitudes of a sample of school principals in a Kuwaiti local authority towards the need for transformational leadership, the use of its behaviours, whether these school leaders are ready to behave in diverse ways or whether there are barriers that prevent them from acting in such a manner. The findings of this study…

Shelf-life prediction models for ready-to-eat fresh cut salads: Testing in real cold chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsironi, Theofania; Dermesonlouoglou, Efimia; Giannoglou, Marianna; Gogou, Eleni; Katsaros, George; Taoukis, Petros

2017-01-02

The aim of the study was to develop and test the applicability of predictive models for shelf-life estimation of ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh cut salads in realistic distribution temperature conditions in the food supply chain. A systematic kinetic study of quality loss of RTE mixed salad (lollo rosso lettuce-40%, lollo verde lettuce-45%, rocket-15%) packed under modified atmospheres (3% O 2 , 10% CO 2 , 87% N 2 ) was conducted. Microbial population (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria), vitamin C, colour and texture were the measured quality parameters. Kinetic models for these indices were developed to determine the quality loss and calculate product remaining shelf-life (SL R ). Storage experiments were conducted at isothermal (2.5-15°C) and non-isothermal temperature conditions (T eff =7.8°C defined as the constant temperature that results in the same quality value as the variable temperature distribution) for validation purposes. Pseudomonas dominated spoilage, followed by browning and chemical changes. The end of shelf-life correlated with a Pseudomonas spp. level of 8 log(cfu/g), and 20% loss of the initial vitamin C content. The effect of temperature on these quality parameters was expressed by the Arrhenius equation; activation energy (E a ) value was 69.1 and 122.6kJ/mol for Pseudomonas spp. growth and vitamin C loss rates, respectively. Shelf-life prediction models were also validated in real cold chain conditions (including the stages of transport to and storage at retail distribution center, transport to and display at 7 retail stores, transport to and storage in domestic refrigerators). The quality level and SL R estimated after 2-3days of domestic storage (time of consumption) ranged between 1 and 8days at 4°C and was predicted within satisfactory statistical error by the kinetic models. T eff in the cold chain ranged between 3.7 and 8.3°C. Using the validated models, SL R of RTE fresh cut salad can be estimated at any point of

Middle Grades to High School: Mending a Weak Link. Research Brief.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooney, Sondra; Bottoms, Gene

This research brief describes a study of the readiness for high school of eighth-graders who participated in the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) Middle Grades Assessment in spring 2000. The assessment included testing in reading, math, and science, and surveys of students and teachers. Following the 2000-01 school year, SREB gathered…

Readiness for organisational change among general practice staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Christl, B; Harris, M F; Jayasinghe, U W; Proudfoot, J; Taggart, J; Tan, J

2010-10-01

Increasing demands on general practice to manage chronic disease may warrant organisational change at the practice level. Staff's readiness for organisational change can act as a facilitator or barrier to implementing interventions aimed at organisational change. To explore general practice staff readiness for organisational change and its association with staff and practices characteristics. This is a cross-sectional study of practices in three Australian states involved in a randomised control trial on the effectiveness of an intervention to enhance the role of non-general practitioner staff in chronic disease management. Readiness for organisational change, job satisfaction and practice characteristics were assessed using questionnaires. 502 staff from 58 practices completed questionnaires. Practice characteristics were not associated with staff readiness for change. A multilevel regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between staff readiness for organisational change (range 1 to 5) and having a non-clinical staff role (vs general practitioner; B=-0.315; 95% CI -0.47 to -0.16; pchange which addresses the mix of practice staff. Moderately low job satisfaction may be an opportunity for organisational change.

Concept of economic readiness levels assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Yuniaristanto, Sutopo, W.; Widiyanto, A.; Putri, A. S.

2017-11-01

This research aims to build a concept of Economic Readiness Level (ERL) assessment for incubation center. ERL concept is arranged by considering both market and business aspects. Every aspect is divided into four phases and each of them consists of some indicators. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to develop the ERL in calculating the weight of every single aspect and indicator. Interval scale between 0 and 4 is also applied in indicator assessment. In order to calculate ERL, score in every indicator and the weight of both the aspect and indicator are considered. ERL value is able to show in detail the innovative product readiness level from economic sight, market and business aspect. There are four levels in Economic Readiness Level scheme which are investigation, feasibility, planning and introduction.

Computerizing primary schools in rural kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ogembo, J.G.; Ngugi, B.; Pelowski, Matthew John

2012-01-01

questions surrounding this endeavour. Specifically: 1.) what problems do rural schools actually want to solve with computerization; 2.) is computerization the most important priority for rural schools; 3.) are schools ready, in terms of infrastructure, for a computer in the classroom; or 4.) might...... and protective roofing -posing severe challenges to the outstanding conception of computerization. We consider these results and make recommendations for better adapting programs for computer introduction, and also suggest the use of new innovative devices, such as cell phones, which might already have overcome......This paper investigates the outstanding challenges facing primary schools' computerization in rural Kenya. Computerization of schools is often envisaged as a 'magic', or at least a particularly efficient, solution to many of the problems that developing countries face in improving primary school...

Does a selection interview predict year 1 performance in dental school?

Science.gov (United States)

McAndrew, R; Ellis, J; Valentine, R A

2017-05-01

It is important for dental schools to select students who will complete their degree and progress on to become the dentists of the future. The process should be transparent, fair and ethical and utilise selection tools that select appropriate students. The interview is an integral part of UK dental schools student selection procedures. This study was undertaken in order to determine whether different interview methods (Cardiff with a multiple mini interview and Newcastle with a more traditional interview process) along with other components used in selection predicted academic performance in students. The admissions selection data for two dental schools (Cardiff and Newcastle) were collected and analysed alongside student performance in academic examinations in Year 1 of the respective schools. Correlation statistics were used to determine whether selection tools had any relevance to academic performance once students were admitted to their respective Universities. Data was available for a total of 177 students (77 Cardiff and 100 Newcastle). Examination performance did not correlate with admission interview scores at either school; however UKCAT score was linked to poor academic performance. Although interview methodology does not appear to correlate with academic performance it remains an integral and very necessary part of the admissions process. Ultimately schools need to be comfortable with their admissions procedures in attracting and selecting the calibre of students they desire. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

E-Learning Readiness in Medicine: Turkish Family Medicine (FM) Physicians Case

Science.gov (United States)

Parlakkiliç, Alaattin

2015-01-01

This research investigates e-learning readiness level of family medicine physicians (FM) in Turkey. The study measures the level of e-learning readiness of Turkish FM physicians by an online e-learning readiness survey. According to results five areas are ready at Turkish FM physicians but need a few improvements:…

Strategic leadership will be essential for dietitian eHealth readiness: A qualitative study exploring dietitian perspectives of eHealth readiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Maunder, Kirsty; Walton, Karen; Williams, Peter; Ferguson, Maree; Beck, Eleanor

2018-05-16

To explore dietitians' perspectives on the eHealth readiness of Australian dietitians, and to identify strategies to improve eHealth readiness of the profession. Dietitians who met the criteria for nutrition informatics experts participated in semi-structured interviews between June 2016 and March 2017. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis using coding was undertaken until consensus was reached by the researchers regarding key themes, topics and exemplar quotes. Interviews with 10 nutrition informatics experts revealed 25 discussion topics grouped into four main themes: benefits of eHealth for dietitians; risks of dietitians not being involved in eHealth; dietitians are not ready for eHealth; and strategies to improve eHealth readiness. The strategies identified for improving eHealth readiness included: collaboration and representation, education, offering of incentives and mentoring, as well as development of a national strategy, organisational leaders, nutrition informatics champions and a supportive environment. These findings suggest that dietitians may not be ready for eHealth. Strategic leadership and the actioning of other identified strategies will be imperative to preparing dietitians for eHealth to ensure the profession can practice effectively in the digital age, optimise nutrition care and support research for eHealth. If dietitians do not engage in eHealth, others may take their place, or dietitians may be forced to use eHealth in ways that are not the most effective for practice or maximising patient outcomes. © 2018 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Relating Health Locus of Control to Health Care Use, Adherence, and Transition Readiness Among Youths With Chronic Conditions, North Carolina, 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazareth, Meaghan; Richards, Jordan; Javalkar, Karina; Haberman, Cara; Zhong, Yi; Rak, Eniko; Jain, Nina; Ferris, Maria; van Tilburg, Miranda A L

2016-07-21

Health locus of control refers to the belief that health is in one's control (internal control) or is not in one's control (external control). Among adults, external locus of control is associated with negative health outcomes, whereas internal locus of control is associated with favorable outcomes. Few studies examined these associations among youths. The objective of our study was to determine how locus of control relates to health care use, medication adherence, missed school, and readiness for transition to adult medical care for youths with chronic conditions. Participants at a camp for youths aged 6 to 17 years with chronic health conditions completed a survey measuring locus of control, readiness for transition to adult care, and medication adherence. Their parents completed a separate part of the survey about health care use and missed school days in the past year. A total of 163 youths completed the survey (78.5% white; 52.1% female; mean age, 12.3 y). Internal locus of control (β = 0.196; P = .013) and external Doctor locus of control with doctors controlling disease (β = 0.181; P = .025) were positively associated with transition readiness. External control by chance or with others controlling disease was negatively associated with transition readiness (β = -0.248; P = .002) and positively associated with emergency department visits (β = 0.225; P = .004) and with number of hospital inpatient nights at hospital (β = 0.166; P = .04). Adolescents with external control of their health by chance or by other people are at increased risk for negative health outcomes and may fail to develop the self-management skills needed for successful transitioning to adult care. Future studies should examine effects of changes in locus of control on health outcomes among youths.

Analyzing International Readiness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Hamidizadeh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Internationalization has different connotations for different social sciences and its social, economic and cultural impacts have been examined by a number of studies. While firms’ internationalization processes have been understood as being dynamic, the concept of international readiness has rarely been the main focus of research efforts, which until a decade ago, focused principally on explaining sequences of entry modes and choices of markets. The emergence of the study of international entrepreneurship has enhanced the role of readiness. This study reviews the concept of international readiness by experimental and theoretical studies. Axioms in this research are based on content analysis. The framework incorporates measures to evaluate SMEs’ international readiness. The paper concludes with a research agenda as a guide for future work on considering the readiness as a critical phase before the internationalization process.

Operational readiness of EFAD systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabat, M.J.

1992-02-01

An assessment of the operational readiness of the Emergency Filtered Air Discharge (EFAD) systems, installed in Canadian CANDU multi-unit nuclear power plants, was performed in this project. Relevant Canadian and foreign standards and regulatory requirements have been reviewed and documentation on EFAD system design, operation, testing and maintenance have been assessed to identify likely causes and potential failures of EFAD systems and their components under both standby and accident conditions. Recommendations have also been provided in this report for revisions which are needed to achieve and maintain appropriate operational readiness of EFAD systems

75 FR 2490 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School Training Operations...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-15

... Importing Marine Mammals; Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School Training Operations Activities at Eglin...) for authorization to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School (NEODS) training operations, military readiness activities, at Eglin AFB, FL from...

Barriers and Facilitators to Sustaining School Health Teams in Coordinated School Health Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Karen; Lesesne, Catherine A; Rasberry, Catherine N; Kroupa, Elizabeth; Fisher, Deborah; Robin, Leah; Pitt Barnes, Seraphine

2017-05-01

Coordinated school health (CSH) programs address multiple factors related to students' overall health, thereby increasing their physical and mental readiness to learn. A formative evaluation of three school districts in 2010-2011 examined strategies for sustaining the school health teams (SHTs) that lead CSH efforts. Qualitative data from 39 interviews and 13 focus groups revealed facilitators and barriers for sustaining SHTs. Quantitative data from 68 questionnaires completed by SHT members and school principals examined factors associated with having more active SHTs and district and school characteristics SHT members believed to be important to their schools' efforts to implement CSH. Facilitators of sustaining SHTs included administrative support, staff engagement in the SHT, and shared goals and responsibility. Barriers to sustaining SHTs included limited time and competing priorities, budget and funding constraints, and staff turnover. Findings provide valuable insight into challenges and potential solutions for improving the sustainability of SHTs to enable them to better support CSH efforts.

Do personality traits assessed on medical school admission predict exit performance? A UK-wide longitudinal cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKenzie, R K; Dowell, J; Ayansina, D; Cleland, J A

2017-05-01

Traditional methods of assessing personality traits in medical school selection have been heavily criticised. To address this at the point of selection, "non-cognitive" tests were included in the UK Clinical Aptitude Test, the most widely-used aptitude test in UK medical education (UKCAT: http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/ ). We examined the predictive validity of these non-cognitive traits with performance during and on exit from medical school. We sampled all students graduating in 2013 from the 30 UKCAT consortium medical schools. Analysis included: candidate demographics, UKCAT non-cognitive scores, medical school performance data-the Educational Performance Measure (EPM) and national exit situational judgement test (SJT) outcomes. We examined the relationships between these variables and SJT and EPM scores. Multilevel modelling was used to assess the relationships adjusting for confounders. The 3343 students who had taken the UKCAT non-cognitive tests and had both EPM and SJT data were entered into the analysis. There were four types of non-cognitive test: (1) libertariancommunitarian, (2) NACE-narcissism, aloofness, confidence and empathy, (3) MEARS-self-esteem, optimism, control, self-discipline, emotional-nondefensiveness (END) and faking, (4) an abridged version of 1 and 2 combined. Multilevel regression showed that, after correcting for demographic factors, END predicted SJT and EPM decile. Aloofness and empathy in NACE were predictive of SJT score. This is the first large-scale study examining the relationship between performance on non-cognitive selection tests and medical school exit assessments. The predictive validity of these tests was limited, and the relationships revealed do not fit neatly with theoretical expectations. This study does not support their use in selection.

Remedial action and waste disposal project - ERDF readiness evaluation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casbon, M.A.

1996-06-01

This Readiness Evaluation Report presents the results of the project readiness evaluation to assess the readiness of the Environmental Restoration and Disposal Facility. The evaluation was conducted at the conclusion of a series of readiness activities that began in January 1996. These activities included completion of the physical plant; preparation, review, and approval of operating procedures; definition and assembly of the necessary project and operational organizations; and activities leading to regulatory approval of the plant and operating plans

Extracurricular Activity and Parental Involvement Predict Positive Outcomes in Elementary School Children

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Lagace-Seguin, Daniel G.; Case, Emily

2010-01-01

The main goal of this study was to explore if parental involvement and extracurricular activity participation could predict well-being and academic competence in elementary school children. Seventy-two children (mean age = 10.9 years, SD = 0.85) and their parents participated. Results revealed that parental pressure and support, when paired with…

What schools are doing around career development: implications for policy and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Justin C; Wallace, Eric W

2012-01-01

This article describes the role that schools are playing in supporting career development for young people. It examines the history of career-related programming in schools, including school-to-work programs, career and technical education, the college and career readiness movement, and current school reform initiatives. This understanding of schools' history, roles, opportunities, and constraints can help practitioners and policymakers think about how to build a system that supports youth development. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Mental health predicts better academic outcomes: a longitudinal study of elementary school students in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, J Michael; Guzmán, Javier; McCarthy, Alyssa E; Squicciarini, Ana María; George, Myriam; Canenguez, Katia M; Dunn, Erin C; Baer, Lee; Simonsohn, Ariela; Smoller, Jordan W; Jellinek, Michael S

2015-04-01

The world's largest school-based mental health program, Habilidades para la Vida [Skills for Life (SFL)], has been operating on a national scale in Chile for 15 years. SFL's activities include using standardized measures to screen elementary school students and providing preventive workshops to students at risk for mental health problems. This paper used SFL's data on 37,397 students who were in first grade in 2009 and third grade in 2011 to ascertain whether first grade mental health predicted subsequent academic achievement and whether remission of mental health problems predicted improved academic outcomes. Results showed that mental health was a significant predictor of future academic performance and that, overall, students whose mental health improved between first and third grade made better academic progress than students whose mental health did not improve or worsened. Our findings suggest that school-based mental health programs like SFL may help improve students' academic outcomes.

A longitudinal examination of factors predicting anxiety during the transition to middle school

Science.gov (United States)

Grills-Taquechel, Amie E.; Norton, Peter; Ollendick, Thomas H.

2010-01-01

The transition from elementary to middle or junior high school is commonly regarded as a period of stress and turmoil for young adolescents, and has been associated with changes in anxiety and other psychological problems. However, less is known about risk and resilience factors that may predict these changes. This study examined changes in anxiety, as well as predictors of these changes among 77, predominantly Caucasian (88%), male and female (52%) adolescents from Grades 6 to 8. Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to examine the predicted grade and gender differences. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the prediction of eighth grade anxiety symptoms by sixth grade self-worth, perceived social acceptance, and social support, as well as the potential moderating role of gender in these relations. Results suggested a significant decrease in anxiety, particularly social anxiety, over this period for boys but not girls. Examination of predictors of changes in anxiety suggested that, in general, global self-worth, social acceptance, and gender were each associated with overall and social anxiety. Findings are integrated with extant literature on developmental changes associated with anxiety and school transitions and clinical implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:20711893

Genome-Wide Polygenic Scores Predict Reading Performance Throughout the School Years.

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Selzam, Saskia; Dale, Philip S; Wagner, Richard K; DeFries, John C; Cederlöf, Martin; O'Reilly, Paul F; Krapohl, Eva; Plomin, Robert

2017-07-04

It is now possible to create individual-specific genetic scores, called genome-wide polygenic scores (GPS). We used a GPS for years of education ( EduYears ) to predict reading performance assessed at UK National Curriculum Key Stages 1 (age 7), 2 (age 12) and 3 (age 14) and on reading tests administered at ages 7 and 12 in a UK sample of 5,825 unrelated individuals. EduYears GPS accounts for up to 5% of the variance in reading performance at age 14. GPS predictions remained significant after accounting for general cognitive ability and family socioeconomic status. Reading performance of children in the lowest and highest 12.5% of the EduYears GPS distribution differed by a mean growth in reading ability of approximately two school years. It seems certain that polygenic scores will be used to predict strengths and weaknesses in education.

Readiness for change and short-term outcomes of female adolescents in residential treatment for anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Matthew D

2007-11-01

To determine if readiness for change (RFC) at admission predicted length of stay (LOS) and short-term outcomes among female adolescents in residential treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN). Using a prospective cohort design to collect data from participants (N = 65) at admission and discharge, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression tested whether RFC on admission predicted time in LOS to a favorable short-term outcome--a composite endpoint based on minimum criteria for weight gain, drive for thinness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Participants with low RFC had a mean survival time to a favorable short-term outcome of 59.4 days compared to 34.1 days for those with high RFC (log rank = 8.44, df = 1, p = .003). The probability of a favorable short-term outcome was 5.30 times greater for participants with high RFC. Readiness for change is a useful predictor of a favorable short-term outcome and should be considered in the assessment profile of patients with AN. (c) 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

International Business Education at Best B-Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Eisner, Susan; Harvey, Mary Ellen O'Grady

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the preparation undergraduate students readying for participation in the global economy and interested in international business careers can receive at U.S. business schools. Existing literature point to the importance of internationalizing business education, but have been relatively silent in recent years regarding its…

Ready to Lead, but How? Teachers' Experiences in High-Poverty Urban Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Susan Moore; Reinhorn, Stefanie K.; Charner-Laird, Megin; Kraft, Matthew A.; Ng, Monica; Papay, John P.

2014-01-01

Background/Context: Many strategies to improve failing urban schools rest on efforts to improve leadership within the school. Effective school-based leadership depends not only on the activities of the principal, but also on teachers' efforts to address school-wide challenges. Research has shown that the principal is pivotal in such ventures,…

Young Children’s Developmental Ecologies and Kindergarten Readiness

Science.gov (United States)

Mollborn, Stefanie

2016-01-01

Children enter the crucial transition to school with sociodemographic disparities firmly established. Domain-specific research (e.g., on poverty and family structure) has shed light on these disparities, but we need broader operationalizations of children’s environments to explain them. Building on existing theory, this study articulates the concept of developmental ecology—those interrelated features of a child’s proximal environment that shape development and health. Developmental ecology links structural and demographic factors with interactional, psychological, and genetic factors. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study conducts latent class analyses to identify how 41 factors from three domains—namely, household resources, health risks, and ecological changes—cluster within children as four overarching developmental ecologies. Because it documents how numerous factors co-occur within children, this method allows an approximation of their lived environments. Findings illuminate powerful relationships between race/ethnicity, parental age, socioeconomic background, and nativity and a child’s developmental ecology, as well as associations between developmental ecology and kindergarten cognition, behavior, and health. Developmental ecology represents a major pathway through which demographic characteristics shape school readiness. Because specific factors have different implications depending on the ecologies in which they are embedded, findings support the usefulness of a broad ecological approach. PMID:27873222

The impact of training interventions on organizational readiness to support innovations in juvenile justice offices.

Science.gov (United States)

Taxman, Faye S; Henderson, Craig; Young, Doug; Farrell, Jill

2014-03-01

Clinical trials on technology transfer models are rare, even with the interest in advancing the uptake of evidence-based practices in social service agencies. This article presents the results from a trial examining different transfer strategies to assist juvenile justice caseworkers in using screening, assessment, and case planning practices to address mental health and substance use needs. Study findings examine factors that promote organizational readiness. A clinical trial was conducted examining the impact of three post-training strategies: an external coach to build the social network of the justice office (build social climate), an external coach to educate staff (build skills and knowledge), and a control condition consisting of traditional management directives (directives to staff of agency priorities). All groups were exposed to a 1 day refresher course in motivational interviewing. The social network and skill building groups also attended an intensive 3-day training followed by three on-site booster sessions over a 12 month period of time. Twelve juvenile justice offices (with their 231 juvenile justice staff) were assigned to one of three conditions. The study examined the impact of different transfer conditions on organizational readiness to implement the innovation of screening, assessment, and referral strategies. External coaching targeting the social climate of the justice office to support innovations improved organizational readiness to change, regardless of office size. Coaching that targeted either the social climate or staff knowledge and skills both improved organizational readiness for change compared to management directives, but social climate coaching resulted in greater improvements in receptivity to change. No individual level features of case workers (e.g., age, gender, years of experience) significantly predicted organizational readiness to change. Unexpectedly, the skill and knowledge building approach did not perform any better

Syrian Mothers Producing Counterstories in Co-Constructed School Spaces: Rethinking the Role of Schools in Engaging Refugee Families

Science.gov (United States)

Karsli-Calamak, Elif

2018-01-01

This ethnographically informed field study, drawing on a blend of feminist theories and cultural learning pathways framework, reveals that Syrian mothers show strong presence and readiness to take active roles when opportunities present themselves in alternative spaces in the public schools of Turkey. As mothers produce counterstories in relation…

Organizational readiness in specialty mental health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Alison B; Cohen, Amy N; Young, Alexander S

2010-01-01

Implementing quality improvement efforts in clinics is challenging. Assessment of organizational "readiness" for change can set the stage for implementation by providing information regarding existing strengths and deficiencies, thereby increasing the chance of a successful improvement effort. This paper discusses organizational assessment in specialty mental health, in preparation for improving care for individuals with schizophrenia. To assess organizational readiness for change in specialty mental health in order to facilitate locally tailored implementation strategies. EQUIP-2 is a site-level controlled trial at nine VA medical centers (four intervention, five control). Providers at all sites completed an organizational readiness for change (ORC) measure, and key stakeholders at the intervention sites completed a semi-structured interview at baseline. At the four intervention sites, 16 administrators and 43 clinical staff completed the ORC, and 38 key stakeholders were interviewed. The readiness domains of training needs, communication, and change were the domains with lower mean scores (i.e., potential deficiencies) ranging from a low of 23.8 to a high of 36.2 on a scale of 10-50, while staff attributes of growth and adaptability had higher mean scores (i.e., potential strengths) ranging from a low of 35.4 to a high of 41.1. Semi-structured interviews revealed that staff perceptions and experiences of change and decision-making are affected by larger structural factors such as change mandates from VA headquarters. Motivation for change, organizational climate, staff perceptions and beliefs, and prior experience with change efforts contribute to readiness for change in specialty mental health. Sites with less readiness for change may require more flexibility in the implementation of a quality improvement intervention. We suggest that uptake of evidence-based practices can be enhanced by tailoring implementation efforts to the strengths and deficiencies of the

Measuring School Effectiveness: Technical Report on the 2011 Value-Added Model. Technical Report

Science.gov (United States)

National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

High school dropout, enrollment, and graduation rates are important indicators of students' college and career readiness, which in turn significantly impact both individual income levels and the overall knowledge-driven economy. Despite the long-term benefits of a high school education, much of the current literature on raising school…

Challenges of Measuring a Faculty Member Activity in Medical Schools

OpenAIRE

Mohammadi, A; Mojtahedzadeh, R; Emami Razavi, S H

2011-01-01

Background One of the features of Mission Based Management is measuring the activities of faculty members and departments and their contributions to the school's mission. As it is important to assess the school's readiness for such a system, in this study we assessed the view points of Tehran Medical School's department chairs about faculty members’ activities. Methods We used focus group technique to identify participants' view points. We divided 30 department chairs into homogenous groups o...

Computer Skills Training and Readiness to Work with Computers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnon Hershkovitz

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In today’s job market, computer skills are part of the prerequisites for many jobs. In this paper, we report on a study of readiness to work with computers (the dependent variable among unemployed women (N=54 after participating in a unique, web-supported training focused on computer skills and empowerment. Overall, the level of participants’ readiness to work with computers was much higher at the end of the course than it was at its begin-ning. During the analysis, we explored associations between this variable and variables from four categories: log-based (describing the online activity; computer literacy and experience; job-seeking motivation and practice; and training satisfaction. Only two variables were associated with the dependent variable: knowledge post-test duration and satisfaction with content. After building a prediction model for the dependent variable, another log-based variable was highlighted: total number of actions in the course website along the course. Overall, our analyses shed light on the predominance of log-based variables over variables from other categories. These findings might hint at the need of developing new assessment tools for learners and trainees that take into consideration human-computer interaction when measuring self-efficacy variables.

UNIVERSITY TEACHERS’ READINESS TO APPLY THE MODERN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina O. Kotlyarova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research is to investigate the readiness of the university teachers to apply the modern educational technologies. Methods. The methods include theoretical: analysis of existing modern educational technologies, the concept «readiness» and its components, abstraction of signs and kinds of modern educational technologies based on the scientific literature and in the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES; empirical: questionnaires and testing methods for detecting levels of university teachers’ skills and readiness to use modern educational technology. Results. The main features of modern educational technologies are identified and justified that are to comply with modern methodology of the theory and practice of education study and the latest FSES requirements; the level of science, manufacturing, and modern rules of human relations. The components of readiness of university teachers to use modern educational technology are structured. The linguistic component is included along with the cognitive, psychological, operational, connotative components; its necessity is proved. The average level of readiness for the use of modern educational technology by university teachers is identified. Scientific novelty. The author specifies the features of the modern educational technology. The most significant components of higher-education teaching personnel readiness to use technological innovations are identified. As a whole, these results form the indicative framework for the development and measurement of readiness of the university teachers to use the modern educational technology. The development of the readiness of the university teachers to apply the modern educational technologies is proved to be an issue of current interest. Practical significance. The research findings can be used as the basis of techniques and methods designing for its further development and measurement of the training, retraining and advanced training of

Perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students predicts academic performance: an observational study.

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Kötter, Thomas; Wagner, Josefin; Brüheim, Linda; Voltmer, Edgar

2017-12-16

Medical students are exposed to high amounts of stress. Stress and poor academic performance can become part of a vicious circle. In order to counteract this circularity, it seems important to better understand the relationship between stress and performance during medical education. The most widespread stress questionnaire designed for use in Medical School is the "Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument" (PMSS). It addresses a wide range of stressors, including workload, competition, social isolation and financial worries. Our aim was to examine the relation between the perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students and academic performance. We measured Medical School stress using the PMSS at two different time points (at the end of freshman year and at the end of sophomore year) and matched stress scores together with age and gender to the first medical examination (M1) grade of the students (n = 456). PMSS scores from 2 and 14 months before M1 proved to be significant predictors for medical students' M1 grade. Age and gender also predict academic performance, making older female students with high stress scores a potential risk group for entering the vicious circle of stress and poor academic performance. PMSS sum scores 2 and 14 months before the M1 exam seem to have an independent predictive validity for medical students' M1 grade. More research is needed to identify potential confounders.

Predicting Homework Time Management at the Secondary School Level: A Multilevel Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jianzhong

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to test empirical models of variables posited to predict homework time management at the secondary school level. Student- and class-level predictors of homework time management were analyzed in a survey of 1895 students from 111 classes. Most of the variance in homework time management occurred at the student level,…

75 FR 6188 - Full-Service Community Schools

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-08

... for children to be ready and able to learn, they need academic, social, and health supports. The.... Mental health counseling services; and 12. Adult education, including instruction of adults in English as...) how the academic, social and/or health services provided would align with and support the school...

The Interplay of School Readiness and Teacher Readiness for Educational Technology Integration: A Structural Equation Model

Science.gov (United States)

Petko, Dominik; Prasse, Doreen; Cantieni, Andrea

2018-01-01

Decades of research have shown that technological change in schools depends on multiple interrelated factors. Structural equation models explaining the interplay of factors often suffer from high complexity and low coherence. To reduce complexity, a more robust structural equation model was built with data from a survey of 349 Swiss primary school…

Neurophysiology in preschool improves behavioral prediction of reading ability throughout primary school.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, Urs; Bucher, Kerstin; Brem, Silvia; Benz, Rosmarie; Kranz, Felicitas; Schulz, Enrico; van der Mark, Sanne; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Brandeis, Daniel

2009-08-15

More struggling readers could profit from additional help at the beginning of reading acquisition if dyslexia prediction were more successful. Currently, prediction is based only on behavioral assessment of early phonological processing deficits associated with dyslexia, but it might be improved by adding brain-based measures. In a 5-year longitudinal study of children with (n = 21) and without (n = 23) familial risk for dyslexia, we tested whether neurophysiological measures of automatic phoneme and tone deviance processing obtained in kindergarten would improve prediction of reading over behavioral measures alone. Together, neurophysiological and behavioral measures obtained in kindergarten significantly predicted reading in school. Particularly the late mismatch negativity measure that indicated hemispheric lateralization of automatic phoneme processing improved prediction of reading ability over behavioral measures. It was also the only significant predictor for long-term reading success in fifth grade. Importantly, this result also held for the subgroup of children at familial risk. The results demonstrate that brain-based measures of processing deficits associated with dyslexia improve prediction of reading and thus may be further evaluated to complement clinical practice of dyslexia prediction, especially in targeted populations, such as children with a familial risk.

Consumers' health-related motive orientations and ready meal consumption behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Geeroms, Nele; Verbeke, Wim; Van Kenhove, Patrick

2008-11-01

Based on a multidimensional perspective on the meaning of health, this study explores associations between consumers' health-related motive orientations (HRMO) and ready meal consumption behaviour. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 1934 Flemish consumers through an on-line survey. The respondents rated 45 health statements referring to people's motives for pursuing health. The survey also assessed information on several aspects of ready meal consumption, i.e. consumption frequency, beliefs and attitudes toward ready meals and ready meal buying criteria. Based on a two-step cluster analysis, we identified five distinct subgroups in the sample, according to their HRMO: health is about energy (Energetic Experimenters), emotional well-being/enjoying life (Harmonious Enjoyers), social responsibility/physical well-being (Normative Carers), achievement/outward appearance (Conscious Experts) and autonomy (Rationalists). Ready meal consumption patterns differed between these segments, with Energetic Experimenters and Conscious Experts showing significantly more positive attitudes, stronger beliefs and both higher penetration and consumption frequency related to ready meals, compared to Harmonious Enjoyers, Normative Carers and Rationalists. These findings may relate to the individualistic versus altruistic health orientation perspective of the identified segments, and are valuable in the context of improving consumer-oriented product development, positioning and marketing of ready meals.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Nurses’ perspectives on readiness of organizations for change: a comparative study

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Amarneh BH

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Basil Hameed Amarneh Department of Psychiatric and Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate readiness for change perceived by nurses at Jordanian hospitals according to the hospital type and the gender of nurse.Background: There are misconceptions about readiness for change, and only a few health care and nursing studies about organizational readiness for change have been conducted. Nurses’ perceptions of their organizations’ readiness for change are important; they help in introducing, managing, and maintaining the change.Methods: Using a quantitative comparative research design and a validated survey, data were collected in 2010 from a convenience sample of 130 nurses from four government and three private hospitals with a response rate of 59%.Results: There are some issues in Jordanian hospitals, which show that change has to be managed well. Nurses in government hospitals and female nurses perceived their hospitals to be more ready for change, compared with those in private hospitals and male nurses.Conclusion: Government hospitals were more ready to change than private hospitals, particularly in supporting collaborative and multidisciplinary team approaches to patient care. More than male nurses, female nurses perceived that their organizations were ready to use or plan to use advanced practice nurses. One of the recommendations is a need for targeted intervention to improve readiness for change. Keywords: readiness for change, organizations, hospitals, nurses, Jordan

Analysis of e-learning implementation readiness based on integrated elr model

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Adiyarta, K.; Napitupulu, D.; Rahim, R.; Abdullah, D.; Setiawan, MI

2018-04-01

E-learning nowadays has become a requirement for institutions to support their learning activities. To adopt e-learning, an institution requires a large strategy and resources for optimal application. Unfortunately, not all institutions that have used e-learning got the desired results or expectations. This study aims to identify the extent of the level of readiness of e-learning implementation in institution X. The degree of institutional readiness will determine the success of future e-learning utilization. In addition, institutional readiness measurement are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies in e-learning development. The research method used is survey with questionnaire designed based on integration of 8 best practice ELR (e-learning readiness) model. The results showed that from 13 factors of integrated ELR model being measured, there are 3 readiness factors included in the category of not ready and needs a lot of work. They are human resource (2.57), technology skill (2.38) and content factors (2.41). In general, e-learning implementation in institutions is in the category of not ready but needs some of work (3.27). Therefore, the institution should consider which factors or areas of ELR factors are considered still not ready and needs improvement in the future.

Iranian Clinical Nurses' Readiness for Self-Directed Learning.

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Malekian, Morteza; Ghiyasvandian, Sharzad; Cheraghi, Mohammad Ali; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2015-05-17

Clinical nurses are in need of being able to adapt to the ever-changing environment of clinical settings. The prerequisite for their successful adaptation is to be lifelong learners. An approach for making nurses lifelong learners is self-directed learning. This study was undertaken to evaluate a group of Iranian clinical nurses' readiness for self-directed learning and its relationship with some of their personal characteristics. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2014. A random sample of 314 nurses working in three hospitals affiliated to Isfahan Social Security Organization, Isfahan, Iran, was recruited to complete the Fisher's Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale. In total, 279 nurses filled the scale completely. The mean of their readiness for self-directed learning was 162.50±14.11 (120-196). The correlation of self-directed learning readiness with age, gender, marital status, and university degree was not statistically significant. Most nurses had great readiness for self-directed learning. Accordingly, nursing policy-makers need to develop strategies for promoting their self-directed learning. Moreover, innovative teaching methods such as problem solving and problem-based learning should be employed to prepare nurses for effectively managing the complexities of their ever-changing work environment.

Technology Readiness Level Guidebook

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2017-09-01

This guidebook provides the necessary information for conducting a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Assessment. TRL Assessments are a tool for determining the maturity of technologies and identifying next steps in the research process. This guidebook...

Assessment of transition readiness in adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions.

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Jensen, Paul T; Paul, Gabrielle V; LaCount, Stephanie; Peng, Juan; Spencer, Charles H; Higgins, Gloria C; Boyle, Brendan; Kamboj, Manmohan; Smallwood, Christopher; Ardoin, Stacy P

2017-09-09

Transition from pediatric to adult health care is a vulnerable period for adolescents and young adults. Challenges include paucity of validated measures to assess patients' transition readiness. We evaluated the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) in adolescents and young adults with rheumatic, gastrointestinal, and endocrine disorders. We examined whether baseline TRAQ scores and other demographic variables predicted transition to adult care over a three year follow up period. In this descriptive study at a single institution, eighty-nine adolescents at a single pediatric academic medical center completed demographic and medical history surveys and the TRAQ and were followed over 3 years by telephone interview to determine whether they had transitioned to adult subspecialty care. Transition was defined as attending at least one adult subspecialty appointment. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine whether TRAQ scores predicted time to transition. Of the participants, 56% had rheumatic, 21% endocrine, and 23% gastrointestinal conditions. The TRAQ self-management domain score was not significantly associated with age, gender, socioeconomic status, or specialty. The TRAQ self-advocacy score increased with age. Baseline TRAQ scores did not predict transition or time to transition over three years. In this cohort of adolescents and young adults who were 16 to 23 years of age at enrollment, 48% transitioned to adult care over three years of follow up. Nearly half reported not discussing transition with provider or seeing provider independently for part of visit. Older age but not other demographic variables nor baseline TRAQ score predicted transition or time to transition to an adult subspecialty provider; however, a there was a trend towards shorter time to transition with the highest quartile TRAQ scores.

75 FR 28594 - Ready-to-Learn Television Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-21

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA Number 84.295A] Ready-to-Learn Television Program AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for... INFORMATION CONTACT: The Ready-to-Learn Television Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue...

Predicting Day-to-Day Changes in Students' School-Related Affect from Daily Academic Experiences and Social Interactions

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Altermatt, Ellen Rydell

2015-01-01

This study examined the role that everyday academic successes and failures--and the interactions with family members and peers that follow these events--play in predicting day-to-day changes in children's emotional responses to school. Middle school students (N = 101; mean age = 11.62 years) completed daily assessments of their academic…

The National Mathematics Curriculum for BEP (Basic Education Programme) and the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) for Mathematics Teachers in Nigeria: Teachers' Perception and Readiness

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Ekwueme, Cecilia Olunwa; Meremikwu, Anne; Kalu, Nnenna

2013-01-01

The study used a survey design. The instrument was teachers' questionnaire and interview on awareness and readiness. The interview was administered to the different categories of the respondents using a 4-point Likert scale. Two hundred mathematics teachers were randomly selected from 100 schools (public and private) using stratified random…

A Comprehensive Partnership Approach Increasing High School Graduation Rates and College Enrollment of Urban Economically Disadvantaged Youth