scholarly journals Effectiveness of 3 Versus 6 ft of Physical Distancing for Controlling Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Primary and Secondary Students and Staff: A Retrospective, Statewide Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polly van den Berg ◽  
Elissa M Schechter-Perkins ◽  
Rebecca S Jack ◽  
Isabella Epshtein ◽  
Richard Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
School Staff ◽  
School Settings ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background National and international guidelines differ about the optimal physical distancing between students for prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission; studies directly comparing the impact of ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing policies in school settings are lacking. Thus, our objective was to compare incident cases of SARS-CoV-2 in students and staff in Massachusetts public schools among districts with different physical distancing requirements. State guidance mandates masking for all school staff and for students in grades 2 and higher; the majority of districts required universal masking. Methods Community incidence rates of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 cases among students in grades K-12 and staff participating in-person learning, and district infection control plans were linked. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for students and staff members in traditional public school districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing were estimated using log-binomial regression; models adjusted for community incidence are also reported. Results Among 251 eligible school districts, 537 336 students and 99 390 staff attended in-person instruction during the 16-week study period, representing 6 400 175 student learning weeks and 1 342 574 staff learning weeks. Student case rates were similar in the 242 districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing between students (IRR, 0.891; 95% confidence interval, .594–1.335); results were similar after adjustment for community incidence (adjusted IRR, 0.904; .616–1.325). Cases among school staff in districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing were also similar (IRR, 1.015, 95% confidence interval, .754–1.365). Conclusions Lower physical distancing requirements can be adopted in school settings with masking mandates without negatively affecting student or staff safety.

scholarly journals POS0774 INFLUENZA INFECTION AS A TRIGGER FOR SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS FLARES RESULTING IN HOSPITALIZATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 641.1-641
Author(s):  
Y. B. Joo ◽  
Y. J. Park
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Influenza Infection ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Control Interval ◽  
The Impact

Background:Infections have been associated with a higher risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares, but the impact of influenza infection on SLE flares has not been evaluated.Objectives:We evaluated the association between influenza infection and SLE flares resulting in hospitalization.Methods:SLE flares resulting in hospitalization and influenza cases were ascertained from the Korean national healthcare insurance database (2014-2018). We used a self-controlled case series design. We defined the risk interval as the first 7 days after the influenza index date and the control interval was defined as all other times during the observation period of each year. We estimated the incidence rates of SLE flares resulting in hospitalization during the risk interval and control interval and compared them using a Poisson regression model.Results:We identified 1,624 influenza infections among the 1,455 patients with SLE. Among those, there were 98 flares in 79 patients with SLE. The incidence ratio (IR) for flares during the risk interval as compared with the control interval was 25.75 (95% confidence interval 17.63 – 37.59). This significantly increased the IRs for flares during the risk interval in both women (IR 27.65) and men (IR 15.30), all age groups (IR 17.00 – 37.84), with and without immunosuppressive agent (IR 24.29 and 28.45, respectively), and with and without prior respiratory diseases (IR 21.86 and 26.82, respectively).Conclusion:We found significant association between influenza infection and SLE flares resulting in hospitalization. Influenza infection has to be considered as a risk factor for flares in all SLE patients regardless of age, sex, medications, and comorbidities.References:[1]Kwong, J. C. et al. Acute Myocardial Infarction after Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Infection. N Engl J Med 2018:378;345-353.Table 1.Incidence ratios for SLE flares resulting in hospitalization after influenza infectionRisk intervalIncidence ratio95% CIDuring risk interval for 7 days / control interval25.7517.63 – 37.59Days 1-3 / control interval21.8114.71 – 32.35Days 4-7 / control interval7.563.69 – 15.47SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; CI, confidence intervalDisclosure of Interests:None declared

Teaching students out of harm’s way

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-302
Author(s):  
Esther Charlotte Moon
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Instructional Content ◽  
Device Integration ◽  
The Usa ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how changes in K-12 educational delivery methods in the USA impacts students as 1:1 device programs become a required tool for learning. This change produces gaps in knowledge and understanding of the digital environment and exposes minors to risk. Mandatory technology integration by school districts places the ethical responsibility on school districts to prepare students to use the digital environment to mitigate risk. Design/methodology/approach The author’s literature review focused on the impact of personal device integration in education on students. The author surveyed teachers in the district on what they perceived as risk to students accessing the digital environment and what they believe creates value in digital citizenship instructional content. The author also gathered information while serving on the school district technology steering committee and digital citizenship working group. Findings Mandatory 1:1 device programs used for learning provide unlimited access to the digital environment. This technology integration creates digital knowledge gaps in understanding among students and exposes them to risk or dangers such as loss of privacy, psychological harms and engaging in or being a victim of illegal online activities. School districts are responsible for providing a remedy to close this gap and mitigate risk by developing learning content resources for teachers. Social implications As 1:1 device programs continue to grow in school districts in the USA, it is essential for students to learn to apply protocols and understand norms of the digital world. Providing a digital citizenship curriculum in a format such as a Google Site will offer educators access to instructional content that teaches students to apply protocols, understand norms of the internet and social media and foster critical thinking to analyze power structures, biases and recognize manipulation online. Student must learn how to apply rules that challenge assumptions behind the digital content they see, and they must be able to identify and resolve digital practices and behaviors that are problematic, so they are prepared to participate in a digital society. Originality/value This perspective may be relevant to school districts contemplating personal device integration, providing insight into how 1:1 device use impacts students and develops an ethical position for creating digital citizenship resources for teachers.

Teacher Leadership in Special Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 135-174
Author(s):  
Annie Nguyen Tran
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

This chapter addresses the impact of the traditional hierarchical system of organizational leadership on K-12 schools, particularly in special education. This model of leadership distinguishes leaders, such as school principals, from non-leaders, such as teachers and school staff. For special education teachers, this passé model of leadership becomes a barrier for professional growth by limiting the opportunities for teacher leadership in special education. In order for special education teachers to pursue leadership positions in the K-12 education system, teachers likely have to give up their teaching identities in exchange for new roles and responsibilities. With a limitation of research in the area of teacher leadership in special education, there is a need for discussion on how special education teachers can use their expertise to influence school administrators and staff towards equitable and inclusive organizational change.

Descriptive Profile and Survey of Alternatively Certified Texas Music Educators

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher K. Dye
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
The State ◽  
Alternatively Certified ◽  
Music Teaching ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged Students ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Prior Experiences

The purpose of the study was to examine the features of Texas’s Alternative Route to Certification (ARC) programs in music education, the demographics and prior experiences of program completers, and the employment of ARC completers in K–12 public schools. Data were collected from the State Board of Educator Certification about demographics and employment information for all individuals who completed ARC programs in music education between 2002 and 2012 ( N = 1,200), and individuals from that population were surveyed concerning their experiences ( n = 214). Survey respondents completed programs that varied widely in duration, features, instructional modalities, and providing institutions. Music educator gender and ethnicity were significantly associated with the route used to pursue alternative certification. Relative to the distribution of music teaching positions across the state, ARC completers were disproportionately employed in large urban districts, charter school districts, and in districts with large proportions of economically disadvantaged students.

scholarly journals Increased risk of hyperlipidemia in patients with anxiety disorders: A population-based study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Chia Chien ◽  
Ching-Heng Lin
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Prevalence Rate ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Secondary Diagnosis ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Incident Cases

Abstract Objective This study examined the prevalence and incidence of hyperlipidemia among patients with anxiety disorders in Taiwan. Methods We used a large dataset containing random samples, and more than 766,000 subjects who were aged 18 years or older in 2005 were identified. Subjects who had more than one primary or secondary diagnosis of anxiety disorders were identified. Individuals who had a primary or secondary diagnosis of hyperlipidemia or medication treatment for hyperlipidemia were also identified. The prevalence rate of hyperlipidemia in patients with anxiety disorders with that of the general population in 2005 was compared. We then followed this cohort to monitor incident cases of hyperlipidemia in anxiety patients, and assessed whether a difference existed from the general population during the period 2006–2010. Results A higher prevalence rate of hyperlipidemia in patients with anxiety disorders was observed as compared with the general population (21.3% vs. 7.6%, odds ratio 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 2.07–2.22) in 2005. Additionally, a higher average annual incidence rate of hyperlipidemia in patients with anxiety disorders was also found as compared with the general population (5.49% vs. 2.50%, risk ratio 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.58–1.70) from 2006 to 2010. Conclusions Patients with anxiety disorders had higher prevalence and incidence rates of hyperlipidemia than the general population. Risk factors that were found to be associated with the higher incidence rate of hyperlipidemia among anxiety patients included a greater age, the female gender, and the presence of diabetes and hypertension.

scholarly journals Assessment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand of the K-12 Program among Selected Public Schools in Zone 2 Division of Zambales

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 870-881
Author(s):  
Lyra Castillo Honrado ◽  
Adelia D. Calimlim
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

The study determined the impact of the STEM Strand implementation of senior high schools in the Division of Zambales. The study was limited to fifty secondary public-school teachers in Zone II.The study revealed that majority teacher-respondents, are generally young with only a minimum number of trainings attended. STEM trends, there were more males than females and a larger are married. There were no significant differences in the success of the STEM schools in Palauig, Botolan and Iba in the following domains:college preparation;integrated and innovative technology use; STEM-rich informal experiences; connections with industry and the world of work; well-prepared STEM teachers and professionalized teaching staff and  positive school community and culture of high expectations  for all. Based on the summary of findings and the conclusions arrived at, the researcher has offered the following recommendations that professional learning in the form of learning action cells and lesson study should be provided to relatively novice STEM teachers in order to expose them to effective instructional strategies and impact their actual classroom practices as opposed to cascading in-service trainings. Greater involvement of these partners through planning, implementation, and review should be targeted instead of only involving them for immersion activities. A more intensive evaluation of the STEM implementation following the Context-Input-Process-Product approach should be conducted to strengthen and confirm the findings of the study. A more study that would monitor the whole system as opposed to the present investigation’s focus on teacher perception would lend greater credence to the results.

One-to-One Technology in the K-12 Classroom

Education ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea H. Parrish
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dynamic Learning ◽  
Computing Device ◽  
Access To Technology ◽  
One To One ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

In Toward a New Learning Ecology: Teaching and Learning in 1:1 Environments (cited under General Overviews), one-to-one learning environments are described as classrooms in which every student has access to a personal computing device (such as a laptop or a tablet) and continuous access to the Internet. This model for student computing was first discussed in educational research beginning in the 1980s, most notably in the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project, a research collaborative among public schools, universities, and research teams funded by Apple and outlined in The Evolution of Teachers’ Instructional Beliefs and Practices in High-Access-to-Technology Classroom: First-fourth Year Findings (cited under Origins of One-to-One Technology: Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow [ACOT]). The original premise, based on the work of computer scientist and mathematician Seymour Papert, is rooted in the idea that ubiquitous access to technology can create more dynamic learning environments. In recent years, the proliferation of mobile technology has caused a renewed interest in one-to-one computing, as the improved portability and functionality of technology tools coupled with advances in wireless Internet capability makes one-to-one computing attainable for many schools and districts. Despite the continued debate about the impact of technology on learning, the U.S. Department of Education elevated the concept of a one-to-one technology ratio from unique innovation to moral imperative in its document, Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update (cited under Resources). Even before this, the prevalence of one-to-one computing initiatives increased, both in the United States is discussed in The New Digital Learning Playbook: Understanding the Spectrum of Students’ Activities and Aspirations (cited under General Overviews) and around the world in Large-Scale 1:1 Computing Initiatives: An Open Access Database (cited under International Perspectives on One-to-One Technology). The growth of these initiatives has been accompanied by an increase in peer-reviewed research and evaluation reports that document the impact of one-to-one technology on teaching and learning. A topic that was once dominated by white papers and evaluation reports now boasts a growing body of peer-reviewed studies, research syntheses, and government reports. The references cited in this article provide a cross-section of these various forms of literature that depict the use of one-to-one technology in K-12 classrooms, including implementation resources for districts and key empirical findings.

What Do We Know (and Need to Know) about the Impact of School Choice Reforms on Disadvantaged Students?

2002 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Goldhaber ◽  
Eric Eide
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Choice ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Traditional Public Schools ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Urban School Systems ◽  
The Impact

In this article, Dan Goldhaber and Eric Eide consider what we do and do not know about the impact of school choice, focusing particularly on the potential impact of choice on minority students in urban school settings. They observe that many argue that school choice is a necessary component of any educational reform designed to improve educational outcomes for students. While public pressure has yielded a tremendous expansion of choice options, Goldhaber and Eide contend that the empirical evidence on the academic effects of school choice reforms is mixed. They propose that relatively little evidence exists that these schools are having a clear-cut positive or negative impact on the achievement of either the students who attend them or those who remain in traditional public schools. They conclude that the mixed evidence on choice suggests that choice in and of itself is unlikely to be the solution that revolutionizes urban school systems.

Increasing frequency of multiple sclerosis in Catania, Sicily: a 30-year survey

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Nicoletti ◽  
Francesco Patti ◽  
Salvatore Lo Fermo ◽  
Silvia Messina ◽  
Elisa Bruno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Prevalence Rate ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Annual Incidence ◽  
Clinical Onset ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temporal Profiles ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
The City

Background and Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its temporal profiles from 1975 to 2005 in the city of Catania. Methods: The incidence of MS from 1975 to 31 December 1999 had been previously investigated by the same group. The frequency of MS in the community of Catania from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004 was studied in a population of 313,110 inhabitants (2001 census). All patients who satisfied Poser’s criteria were considered as prevalent and incident cases. Results: Three hundred and ninety-eight patients with MS who had experienced the clinical onset of the disease before 31 December 2004 were found in a population of 313,110 inhabitants. The prevalence rate was 127.1/100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 115.1–140.4]. From 2000 to 2004, 108 patients with MS had clinical onset of the disease . The mean annual incidence was 7.0/100,000 (95% CI 5.7–13.7) and was higher in women (8.4/100,000; 95% CI 6.4–10.5) than in men (5.3/100,000; 95% CI 3.7–7.2). The mean length of time between the date of clinical onset and the date of the diagnosis was 1.4 ± 1.7 years. During the last 30 years the incidence of MS in this population increased from 1.3/100,000 during the first quinquennium (1975–9) to 7.0/100,000 during 2000–4. Conclusions: Incidence rates have further increased in this population, suggesting that the risk of MS is still increasing.

scholarly journals The State of Education in Alabama’s K-12 Rural Public Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald A. Lindahl
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Minority Students ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Rural School Districts ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Standardized Examinations

The purpose of this study was to compare Alabama’s rural school districts with its city, suburban, and town districts. Descriptive statistics were used for this population study, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s d. Findings indicated Alabama’s rural school districts serve slightly less affluent student populations, with a lower percentage of minority students, than their counterparts. They are funded at slightly lower levels than their counterparts in other categories, yet spend approximately the same percentage of their budgets on administration and on instruction. They spend a considerably higher percentage on transportation. Although rural district dropout rates are similar to those of their counterparts, from the third to the eleventh grade, student performance on standardized examinations falls gradually behind that of the students in other locale categories.  

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