scholarly journals The Australian Context: National, State and School-Level Efforts to Improve Schools in Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. 133-157
Author(s):  
David Gurr ◽  
Daniela Acquaro ◽  
Lawrie Drysdale
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Clinical Teaching ◽  
State Level ◽  
School Level ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Literacy Leaders ◽  
Student Reading ◽  
History Of ◽  
Learning Schools

AbstractAustralia, like many countries, has a history of colonisation and extensive controlled and humanitarian immigration, with this shifting from an Anglo-Celtic emphasis to include, in succession, an emphasis on migrants from Europe, Asia and Africa. This chapter provides several perspectives on evidence-based school development in this changing context. The first focus is on national school-wide improvement initiatives: IDEAS (Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools), which utilises professional learning communities to improve student outcomes; and PALL (Principals as Literacy Leaders) which provides principals with literacy and leadership knowledge to support teachers to improve student reading performance. The second perspective explores the state level through considering work at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in terms of evidence-based teacher training through the development of a clinical teaching model, and evidence-based school improvement through the Science of Learning Schools Partnership. The final perspective is at the school level, where the development of two schools in challenging contexts are described: the first a school formed from the closure of three failing schools; the second a school that was at the point of closure when the current principal was appointed to turn-it-around.

scholarly journals Leadership Styles of Principals and Teachers of Nigerian Unity Schools: Using School Environment as a Tool For School Achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Khalil Yusuf Uthman ◽  
Yahya Bn Don ◽  
Abd Latif Kasim
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
School Environment ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
School Level ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
The North ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Teachers And Students

Collaborative, non-traditional leadership practices have attracted little attention in research about sustainable school achievement in Nigerian unity schools.  The involvement of teachers in the administration of schools is well justified and arise from the need to boost school environment for the sake of attaining school achievement. The absence of teachers in the administration of unity schools impedes the proper attainment of school achievement. The purpose of this research is to reports on the outcomes of transformational leadership efforts in Nigerian unity schools aimed at enhancing the use of teachers in the administrative set-up.  This study was carried out in seven selected unity schools all located in the north-eastern part of Nigeria. The study used  Multifactor questionnaire 5x, School level environment questionnaire (SLEQ) and School Improvement questionnaire (SIQ) with 5 Likert-scale that involved the use of 800 questionnaires which were sent in which 790 were returned and 760 found valid for data analysis. Participants were drawn from a wide range of disciplines across the sampled schools. The establishment and operation of these school relied on a transformational leadership methodology by principals that facilitates acts of initiative, innovation, vision and courage through group interaction rather than through designated hierarchical roles. This research used the quantitative approach.  The study found out that transformational leadership approach is effective in overcoming problems associated with lack of involvement of teachers in the building of a fruitful environment capable of bringing a good school achievement through cultivating the habit of a transformational leader, the principals of unity schools enabled teachers and other stake holders to engage in peer-led professional learning, collaborative curriculum and pedagogical development, and to facilitate wider institutional change (school achievement). This paper demonstrates that the transformational leadership model for a high school achievement reported here is effective in building capacity for both teachers and students via involvement of teachers in building the environment. The model is flexible enough for a variety of institutional settings, and hence, recommends the use of teachers in secondary school’s administration.

scholarly journals The middlescence principal : professional growth in times of increased accountability

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Charlotte M. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
School Level ◽  
Negative Effects

Middlescence is a term coined for a professional in mid-career and how this can be "a time of burnout or rejuvenation" (Morison, Erickson, and Dychtwald, 2007, p. 1). This qualitative narrative case study explores the lived experiences and perceptions of a highschool principal in mid-career and the challenges that he, as do other public school administrators, face when confronted with increased accountability and student performance demands across the country. Effective school research, leadership and career development provide a theoretical foundation for this study. Although the study examines the participant's entire professional experiences, much emphasis has been placed on his mid-career period and the school's improvement implementation process. Specific focus identifies the signs of burnout and his desire and need for rejuvenation. The story of one identified principal is studied to understand what lead to burnout and the strategies that supported his growth and rejuvenation. In relation to middlescence, in-depth unstructured interviews allow for an understanding of the lived experiences of this principal and how it relates to career development and professional growth. The principal selected in this study had a historical career change in principal positions every three years during the first part of his career in school administration. What we know about principal retention suggests that school leaders are crucial to the school improvement process and that they must stay in a school a number of consecutive years for the benefits of their leadership to be realized. In addition, emerging research and theory has found that "Principal turnover has direct negative effects on student- and school-level achievement, and that the strongest impact appears immediately after turnover occurs" (Bteille, Kalogrides, Loeb, 2011). The leader in this rural Missouri school found himself on a trajectory of burnout and feeling the need for rejuvenation. Through this narrative study, the principal, in middlescence, was found to be transformed. Now in his 8th year at the same school, he attributes his stability to the leadership within the district and the professional coaching and informal mentoring that occurred. Critical conversations were held that instilled a sense of urgency to improve. In addition, he participated in the Missouri Professional Learning Communities project. Along with his leadership team, the school implemented this model with fidelity and was recognized within the state for deep implementation. Throughout this process, the participant created a network of support and trusted colleagues that continue his professional learning. The major finding from this study found the importance of relevant training, consistent coaching, and the mentor relationship, all of equal importance, for the success and growth of the middlescent principal. This research study can be used by other school administrators, district leaders, and preparation institutions to better support administrators in mid-career. Recognition of the signs of burnout will also trigger the guidance necessary to focus the principals toward rejuvenation. Keeping our quality leaders in our schools is important to the continued success in school.

Comparative Analysis: The State of Colorado Study, Part II

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Brigham ◽  
Kathryn Mueller ◽  
Douglas Van Zet ◽  
Debra J. Northrup ◽  
Edward B. Whitney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Living ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Clinical Assessments ◽  
Physician Judgment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
Causation Analysis ◽  
Work Interference

Abstract [Continued from the January/February 2004 issue of The Guides Newsletter.] To understand discrepancies in reviewers’ ratings of impairments based on different editions of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), users can usefully study the history of the revisions as successive editions attempted to provide a comprehensive, valid, reliable, unbiased, and evidence-based system. Some shortcomings of earlier editions have been addressed in the AMA Guides, Fifth Edition, but problems remain with each edition, largely because of the limited scientific evidence available. In the context of the history of the different editions of the AMA Guides and their development, the authors discuss and contextualize a number of key terms and principles including the following: definitions of impairment and normal; activities of daily living; maximum medical improvement; impairment percentages; conversion of regional impairments; combining impairments; pain and other subjective complaints; physician judgment; and causation analysis; finally, the authors note that impairment is not synonymous with disability or work interference. The AMA Guides, Fifth Edition, contrasts impairment evaluations and independent medical evaluations (this was not done in previous editions) and discusses impairment evaluations, rules for evaluations, and report standards. Upper extremity and lower extremity impairment evaluations are discussed in terms of clinical assessments and rating processes, analyzing important changes between editions and problematic areas (eg, complex regional pain syndrome).

A LOOK INTO THE HISTORY OF THE PREPARATION OF LOCAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE INDUSTRY

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Toshkentboy Pardaev ◽  
◽  
Zhavli Tursunov
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Soviet Government ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
History Of

In the article : In the second half of the 20 century the process of preparation of local experts in South Uzbekistan industry changes in this field a clear evidence-based analysis of the problematic processes that resulted from the discriminatory policy toward the Soviet government-dominated local policy makers

Light touch, heavy hand: principals and data-use PLCs

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Huguet ◽  
Caitlin C. Farrell ◽  
Julie A. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
School Level ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Principal's Role

Purpose The use of data for instructional improvement is prevalent in today’s educational landscape, yet policies calling for data use may result in significant variation at the school level. The purpose of this paper is to focus on tools and routines as mechanisms of principal influence on data-use professional learning communities (PLCs). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a comparative case study of two low-income, low-performing schools in one district. The data set included interview and focus group transcripts, observation field notes and documents, and was iteratively coded. Findings The two principals in the study employed tools and routines differently to influence ways that teachers interacted with data in their PLCs. Teachers who were given leeway to co-construct data-use tools found them to be more beneficial to their work. Findings also suggest that teachers’ data use may benefit from more flexibility in their day-to-day PLC routines. Research limitations/implications Closer examination of how tools are designed and time is spent in data-use PLCs may help the authors further understand the influence of the principal’s role. Originality/value Previous research has demonstrated that data use can improve teacher instruction, yet the varied implementation of data-use PLCs in this district illustrates that not all students have an equal opportunity to learn from teachers who meaningfully engage with data.

Fear, history, stigma, and bias in the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Kevin Kupietz, PhD ◽  
Lesley Gray, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: The greatest enemy of a global pandemic is not the virus itself, but the fear, rumor, and stigma that envelopes people. This article explores the context and history of fear and stigma relating to pandemic, summarizing key actions to mitigate the harms during an active pandemic.Method: Our article draws from accounts in literature and journalist accounts documenting the relationship between infectious diseases and major disease outbreaks that have garnered fear and stigmatization. Results: Fear, stigma, and discrimination are not new concepts for pandemics. These social effects run the risk of diverting attention from the presenting disease and government responses. Reactions to fear, stigma, and discrimination risk sabotaging effective efforts to contain, manage, and eradicate the disease.Conclusion: Emergency managers have an important role in dispelling myths, disseminating appropriate and evidence-based information without exacerbating fears. Knowledge about the roots of fear and bias along with a good understanding of historical plagues and pandemics is vital to ensure those in the field of emergency management can effectively manage irrational fears.

New perspectives on propofol allergy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L Johnson ◽  
Ashley Hawthorne ◽  
Michael Bounds ◽  
David J Weldon
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Therapy ◽  
Clinical Trial Data ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Definitive Evidence ◽  
Medication Costs ◽  
History Of

Abstract Purpose Propofol is an intravenous sedative used in many patient populations and care settings. Although generally considered safe and effective, the drug has historically been avoided in patients with reported allergies to egg, soy, and/or peanut on the basis of the manufacturer’s prescribing information. Concerns exist for potential adverse events, increased medication costs, reduced efficacy, and risk of medication errors when using alternative agents. Here we present a critical examination of the literature concerning cross-reactivity of food allergies with propofol to provide evidence-based recommendations for the evaluation and management of potential allergic reactions. Summary Literature regarding the history of propofol allergy warnings and clinical trial data were assessed to provide an alternative perspective on avoidance of propofol in patients with food allergies. Suspected trigger molecules are discussed with evaluation of the antigenic potential of excipient ingredients used in the manufacture of multiple propofol formulations. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for pharmacist-led screening of adult patients with reported food allergies to support selection of propofol or alternative therapy. Conclusion There is a lack of definitive evidence that propofol must be routinely avoided in patients with reported allergies to egg, soy, and/or peanut products. Data from clinical trials suggest that propofol is safe for patients with nonanaphylactic food allergies. Patients who do experience allergic reactions following administration of propofol should undergo further testing to definitively identify the specific trigger and prevent future unnecessary avoidance of preferred medication regimens. Pharmacists can play an important role in interviewing patients with reported food allergies to better determine the risk vs benefit of propofol avoidance.

Rhabdomyolysis: An evidence-based approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 175114372110507
Author(s):  
Sarah Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Overload ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Past Medical History ◽  
Urine Dipstick ◽  
The Past ◽  
Acting Insulin ◽  
History Of

A 76-year-old lady was found on the floor following a fall at home. She was uninjured, but unable to get up, and had been lying on the floor for roughly 18 hours before her son arrived. She had been unwell for the past 3 days with a cough and shortness of breath. She had a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and atrial fibrillation (AF). On examination, she was alert but distressed, clinically dehydrated, febrile and tachycardic. She was treated for community acquired pneumonia with co-amoxiclav and was fluid resuscitated with Hartmann’s solution. Her hyperkalaemia was treated with 50 mL of 50% glucose containing 10 units of rapid-acting insulin. Her creatinine kinase (CK) on admission was 200,000, and she had an acute kidney injury (AKI). Urine dipstick was positive for blood. However, her renal function continued to deteriorate over the succeeding 48 h, when she required renal replacement therapy (RRT) due to fluid overload and anuria.

Attending to the Teacher in the Teaching: Prioritizing Faculty Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Brianne H. Roos ◽  
Carey C. Borkoski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this review article is to examine the well-being of faculty in higher education. Success in academia depends on productivity in research, teaching, and service to the university, and the workload model that excludes attention to the welfare of faculty members themselves contributes to stress and burnout. Importantly, student success and well-being is influenced largely by their faculty members, whose ability to inspire and lead depends on their own well-being. This review article underscores the importance of attending to the well-being of the people behind the productivity in higher education. Method This study is a narrative review of the literature about faculty well-being in higher education. The history of well-being in the workplace and academia, concepts of stress and well-being in higher education faculty, and evidence-based strategies to promote and cultivate faculty well-being were explored in the literature using electronic sources. Conclusions Faculty feel overburdened and pressured to work constantly to meet the demands of academia, and they strive for work–life balance. Faculty report stress and burnout related to excessively high expectations, financial pressures to obtain research funding, limited time to manage their workload, and a belief that individual progress is never sufficient. Faculty well-being is important for the individual and in support of scholarship and student outcomes. This article concludes with strategies to improve faculty well-being that incorporate an intentional focus on faculty members themselves, prioritize a community of well-being, and implement continuous high-quality professional learning.

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