scholarly journals Elementary Schools’ Response to Student Wellness Needs during the COVID-19 Shutdown: A Qualitative Exploration Using the R = MC2 Readiness Heuristic

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Hannah G. Calvert ◽  
Hannah G. Lane ◽  
Michaela McQuilkin ◽  
Julianne A. Wenner ◽  
Lindsey Turner
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Wellness ◽  
School Wellness ◽  
Rural Elementary Schools ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Qualitative Exploration

During spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying public health advisories forced K-12 schools throughout the United States to suspend in-person instruction. School personnel rapidly transitioned to remote provision of academic instruction and wellness services such as school meals and counseling services. The aim of this study was to investigate how schools responded to the transition to remote supports, including assessment of what readiness characteristics schools leveraged or developed to facilitate those transitions. Semi-structured interviews informed by school wellness implementation literature were conducted in the spring of 2020. Personnel (n = 50) from 39 urban and rural elementary schools nationwide participated. The readiness = motivation capacity2 (R = MC2) heuristic, developed by Scaccia and colleagues, guided coding to determine themes related to schools’ readiness to support student wellness in innovative ways during the pandemic closure. Two distinct code sets emerged, defined according to the R = MC2 heuristic (1) Innovations: roles that schools took on during the pandemic response, and (2) Readiness: factors influencing schools’ motivation and capacity to carry out those roles. Schools demonstrated unprecedented capacity and motivation to provide crucial wellness support to students and families early in the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts can inform future resource allocation and new strategies to implement school wellness practices when schools resume normal operations.

scholarly journals Elementary Schools’ Response to Student Wellness Needs During the COVID-19 Shutdown: A Qualitative Exploration Using the R=MC2 Readiness Heuristic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Calvert ◽  
Hannah G. Lane ◽  
Michaela McQuilkin ◽  
Julianne A. Wenner ◽  
Lindsey Turner
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Student Wellness ◽  
School Wellness ◽  
Axial Coding ◽  
K 12

Abstract Background: During spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying public health advisories forced K-12 schools throughout the United States to suspend in-person instruction. School personnel rapidly transitioned to remote provision of academic instruction and wellness services such as school meals and counseling services. When schools operate under typical circumstances, many factors affect their capacity to provide services to students. The aim of this study was to investigate how schools responded to the transition to remote supports, including assessment of what readiness characteristics schools leveraged or developed to facilitate those transitions. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the spring of 2020, with an interview guide informed by school wellness implementation literature. Personnel (n=50) from 39 urban and rural elementary schools nationwide participated. A team of three coders iteratively analyzed the data. After first-cycle open coding, the readiness = motivation capacity2 (R=MC2) heuristic, developed by Scaccia and colleagues, guided coding to determine themes related to schools’ readiness to support student wellness in innovative ways during the pandemic closure. Axial coding was then used to connect codes to themes within each readiness construct. Results: Two distinct code sets emerged, defined according to the R=MC2 heuristic (1) Innovations: roles that schools took on during the pandemic response, and (2) Readiness: factors influencing schools’ motivation and capacity to carry out those roles. The innovation was defined as a network of support for student wellness, which included themes such as serving meals, providing wellness services, and promoting positivity. Emergent themes related to Readiness included recognizing the need to support disadvantaged families, positive influence of local school leaders in coordinating the network, and attitudes of schools and the surrounding communities to “do anything it takes” to facilitate the network. Technology infrastructure was a cross-cutting theme which impacted schools’ readiness to carry out the network of support. Differences emerged between urban and rural schools. Conclusions: Schools demonstrated unprecedented capacity and motivation to provide crucial wellness support to students and families early in the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts can inform future resource allocation and new strategies to implement school wellness practices when schools resume normal operations.

High Stakes Testing and Educational Inequality in K-12 Schools

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald W. Solórzano
Keyword(s):  
Students Of Color ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Curriculum And Instruction ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Achievement ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
K 12

The ubiquitous use of high stakes tests in K-12 schools in the United States has a deleterious effect on students of color (e.g., Black and Latino). Punitive policies related to test outcomes, such as retention and graduation, have been particularly damaging. In fact, the historical use of tests has been linked to exclusionary and racist motives resulting in discriminatory practices in college admissions while leading to genetic and cultural deficit theories to explain low achievement for students of color. The legacy of these early uses of tests has maintained its adverse presence in today’s educational landscape. National data on grade retention, high school dropout rates, and achievement indicate that students of color are disproportionately penalized by school-based policies resulting in an unequal educational experience. Unfortunately, these trends have been persistent reflecting achievement gaps between White and Asian students and Latino and Black students, and where, in most cases, no meaningful progress in eliminating these gaps has been made. English learners are particularly harmed by these policies and tests since language and opportunity to learn (OTL) concerns persist. Trends of low achievement are attributed to poorly resourced schools, cultural deficit theories employed by school personnel, and the invalid use of tests. Schools could serve students better by employing a curriculum and instruction that is culturally and linguistically relevant, that integrates communities and schools to critically analyze their educational and social-political status and agency thus empowering both for lasting change. Furthermore, teachers need to be empowered to be instructional leaders who critically evaluate their curriculum and instruction so as to educate and liberate students of color.

Looking for Pura Vida

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Lisa Lynn Porter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Community School ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
La Paz ◽  
Educational Alternatives ◽  
K 12

Using a transnational theoretical framework, this study explores U.S. families expatriating to Guanacaste, Costa Rica in search of educational alternatives to U.S. schooling. In order to meet the needs of this influx of U.S. families to the region, schools such as La Paz Community School in Flamingo, Guanacaste have emerged. This qualitative inquiry explores emergent themes from 16 semi-structured interviews conducted with US parents whose children attend La Paz. Findings reveal participants’ desire for a progressive educational alternative for their children that embraces a more collective vision of learning. For interviewees, frustrations with U.S. K-12 schools became symbolic of cultural criticism of US social norms and the desire to recreate a lifestyle removed from daily pressures in the United States.

Queer Students in the Carceral State

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Meiners ◽  
Jessica Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Paradigm Shifts ◽  
Carceral State ◽  
Queer Youth ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Safer Schools ◽  
Discipline Policies ◽  
K 12

Despite the gains some components of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community achieved during the 2010s in the United States and across the globe, young queer students in K–12 educational environments are still vulnerable to criminalization. Dismantling the movement of young queer youth into the U.S. carceral state also requires challenging systems that may be perceived to be unconnected. School privatization and the deprofessionalization and removal of employment protections for school personnel shapes cultures in schools for LGBTQ young people. Punitive school discipline policies—which often purport to protect queer students—deepen criminalization and do not produce safer schools. While policy shifts may be necessary, they are never sufficient, and building support for all young people, including LGBTQ communities, requires ideological and paradigm shifts, not simply quick fixes. The tools of the carceral state—including increased punishment—will not produce the kind of safety that schools and communities need.

Educational Transformation through Online Learning: To Be or Not to Be

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony G Picciano ◽  
Jeff Seaman ◽  
I. Elaine Allen
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Instructional Quality ◽  
The United States ◽  
American Education ◽  
Institutional Mission ◽  
Educational Transformation ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Student Access ◽  
K 12

The purpose of this article is to examine online learning at the macro level in terms of its impact on American K-12 and higher education. The authors draw on six years of data that they have collected through national studies of online learning in American education as well as related research to do a critical and balanced analysis of the evolution of online learning in the United States and to speculate where it is going. Their collection of data represents some of the most extensive research examining online learning in the totality of K-20 education. Issues related to the growth of online learning, institutional mission, student access, faculty acceptance, instructional quality, and student satisfaction are explored. Of particular importance is an attempt to determine if online learning is in fact transforming American education in its essence and to speculate on the future.

Telemedicine for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TELE-IBD) Clinical Trial: Qualitative Assessment of Participants’ Perceptions of the TELE-IBD Intervention (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlene C Quinn ◽  
Sarah Chard ◽  
Erin G Roth ◽  
J. Kevin Eckert ◽  
Katharine M Russman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Remote Monitoring ◽  
Standard Care ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), comprising Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects 1 to 3 million people in the United States. Telemedicine has shown promise in IBD. The objective of the parent study, TELE-IBD, was to compare disease activity and quality of life (QoL) in a one-year randomized clinical trial of IBD patients receiving telemedicine versus standard care. Treatment groups experienced improvements in disease activity and QoL but there was not significant differences between groups. Study adherence to the text-based intervention was less than the 80% of the targeted goal. OBJECTIVE To understand adherence to remote monitoring, the goal of this qualitative assessment was to obtain TELE-IBD trial participants’ perceptions of the TELE-IBD system, including their recommendations for future TELE-IBD monitoring. METHODS In the parent study, patients attending three tertiary referral centers with worsening IBD symptoms in the previous two years were eligible for randomization to remote monitoring via texts every other week (EOW), weekly (W) or standard care. Participants (n=348) were evenly enrolled in the treatment groups and 259 (74.4%) completed the study. For this study, a purposive sample of adherent (N=15) and non-adherent (N=14) patients was drawn from the TELE-IBD trial population. Adherence was defined as the completion of 80% or more of the W or EOW self-assessments. Semi-structured interviews conducted by phone surveyed 1) the strengths and benefits of TELE-IBD; 2) challenges associated with using TELE-IBD; and 3) how to improve the TELE-IBD intervention. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and coded based on a priori concepts and emergent themes with the aid of ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software. RESULTS Participants' discussions centered on three elements of the intervention: 1) self-assessment questions, 2) action plans, and 3) educational messages. Participants also commented on: text-based platform, depression and adherence, TELE-IBD system in place of office visit, and their recommendations for future TELE-IBD systems. Adherent and non-adherent participants prefer a flexible system that is personalized, including targeted education messages, and they perceive TELE-IBD as effective in facilitating IBD self-management. CONCLUSIONS Participants identified clear benefits to the TELE-IBD system, including obtaining a better understanding of the disease process, monitoring their symptoms, and feeling connected to their health care provider. Participants' perceptions obtained in this qualitative study will assist in improving the TELE-IBD system to be more responsive to patients with IBD. CLINICALTRIAL NCT01692743

scholarly journals Male autistic youth experiences of belonging in integrated physical education

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110186
Author(s):  
Justin A Haegele ◽  
Anthony J Maher
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Peer Interactions ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
The United States ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Locker Room

The study examined the subjective experiences of autistic youth regarding the role of peer interactions and relationships in feelings of belonging in integrated physical education classes. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. Eight autistic youth (all male, aged 13–18 years) who had received most of their physical education in integrated classes acted as participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate qualitative data, which were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Findings are presented in three themes: (a) bullying can lead to self-harm and self-isolation, (b) peer interactions and relationships in the locker room, and (c) peer relationships are based on shared interests and take time to develop. Even though autistic students were educated in the same spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of belonging were largely unavailable to them. Lay abstract Recent years have seen calls to amplify the voices of autistic people in research about their subjective experiences. Despite this, we know little about how autistic youth experience integrated physical education, particularly in the United States. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. In this study, we sought to explore the perspectives of autistic youth toward their experiences in integrated physical education, and the roles of social interactions and relationships with peers in those experiences. Findings noted that several factors influenced the ways and extent to which our participants interacted with their peers during physical education. Unfortunately, most of our participants recalled experiencing bullying, and that physical education offered an environment where bullying was most frequent and comparatively unique compared to other contexts throughout the school day. The locker room, a space linked to physical education, was of particular concern because of a lack of teacher presence. Despite the negative views of and experiences in physical education, there was evidence of participants actively pursuing to connect with peers in this context. However, most instances where participants recalled pursuing friendship were not welcomed from others, which stunted their sense of belonging in this space. Given the role that belonging plays in what it means “to be included,” our research supports emerging ideas that even though autistic students were educated in the same physical spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of inclusion were largely absent.

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